Newsom wants $200M for EV rebates. Experts say it’s not enough to fix California’s slump
CALMATTERS, ALEJANDRO LAZO: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $200 million plan to revive the state’s stalling electric-car market faces several fundamental problems: It isn’t enough money, it may not reach consumers quickly enough and the state hasn’t decided whether to subsidize – or exclude – wealthier buyers.
The Newsom administration’s budget proposal — rolled out after President Donald Trump dismantled federal electric vehicle incentives and blocked California’s clean-vehicle mandate — would cover rebates for only about 20% of last year’s EV sales. That CalMatters estimate assumes the state follows the model of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which offered rebates of up to $7,500 toward some electric and hybrid cars before the California Air Resources Board ended it in 2023."
House approves $10 billion in ICE funding as calls to rein in the agency grow
CHRONICLE, ALEXEI KOSEFF: "Further escalating their push to rein in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, House Democrats on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to oppose funding for the federal agency, ramping up pressure on the Senate ahead of a critical deadline next week.
The appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, narrowly passed the House 220-207, with seven Democrats joining all but one Republican to support it. But it faces a higher threshold in the Senate, where a three-fifths majority is needed to overcome a filibuster and begin debate."
How California lawmakers are trying to speed up spending on voter-approved climate projects
CALMATTERS, NADIA LATHAN: "A Democratic lawmaker is pushing a proposal to speed up $10 billion in funding for climate programs more than a year after voters approved Proposition 4, the state’s biggest investment yet to combat climate change.
Assemblymember David Alvarez of Chula Vista introduced Assembly Bill 35 to cut certain regulations tied to Prop. 4 to more quickly disburse the billions of dollars voters approved for water improvements, wildfire and drought preparedness plans."
Fires burn swiftly, but insurance battles linger: New bills propose consumer-friendly regulations
CALMATTERS, LEVI SUMAGAYSAY: "Jen Egan is still dealing with the aftermath of the Palisades Fire that damaged the home of her 83-year-old father, Paul, last January.
That has meant more than a year of going back and forth with State Farm, which has assigned three different claims adjusters to their case. Egan also hired a public adjuster to help her navigate the process, who she says has been a “saving grace.”"
FCC chair’s call for ‘equal time’ could have chilling effect on TV and radio
LAT, STEPHEN BATTAGLIO: "Back in 1963, Richard Nixon needed to rehabilitate his image after he lost his race for California governor. He went on the “Tonight” show with Jack Paar and played the piano.
Bill Clinton’s appearance on “The Arsenio Hall Show,” where he delivered a rendition of “Heartbreak Hotel” on the saxophone, was considered a breakthrough moment in his successful 1992 campaign for the White House."
Federal authorities arrest former Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned drug lord
LAT, RICHARD WINTON/KEEGAN HAMILTON/BRITTNY MEJIA: "Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who allegedly became the head of a billion-dollar drug trafficking organization, has been apprehended by authorities, two sources told the Times.
Authorities said Wedding, who is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, become a major trafficker of cocaine into Canada and the United States, a ruthless leader of a criminal drug enterprise who allegedly issued an order to kill a witness in a 2024 federal narcotics case against him."
Scott Wiener steps down as co-chair of Legislative Jewish Caucus following ‘genocide’ remarks
LAT, JOE GAROFOLI: "Days after reversing course to say that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza, state Sen. Scott Wiener is stepping down as co-chair of the Legislative Jewish Caucus, he said Thursday.
Wiener, D-San Francisco, said in a statement Thursday he suggested stepping down last fall, but was asked “to stay to provide continuity of leadership during a difficult time for the Jewish community.” Now, he said, his campaign to replace Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in Congress is ramping up “and my recent statements on Israel and Gaza have led to significant controversy in the Jewish community. The time to transition has arrived.”"
Bass will give two State of the City speeches during election season
LAT, DAVID ZAHNISER: "Spring in Southern California has a certain rhythm: Dodgers fans return to Chavez Ravine, the jacarandas start to bloom, and L.A.’s mayor gives a speech — usually a long one — about how the city is doing.
Mayor Karen Bass, running for a second term in the June 2 election, is shaking up that routine, by delivering two different State of the City addresses nearly three months apart."
Meet Mayor Lurie’s new hire leading effort to fix S.F. with private money
CHRONICLE, J.D. MORRIS: Mayor Daniel Lurie is sharpening his focus on one of his top priorities: partnering with the private sector to improve San Francisco’s response to homelessness, drug addiction and the city’s struggling downtown.
Lurie has hired a new aide, Cynthia Wong, to be the city’s first director of strategic partnerships, a role in which she will oversee the mayor’s initiatives to advance his agenda with support from local business and philanthropic leaders.""
Corruption case looms over Curren Price’s legacy — and the race to replace him
LAT, JAMES QUEALLY/NOAH GOLDBERG: "Curren Price’s political career appears destined to end before his criminal trial.
Prosecutors first charged the L.A. City Council member in 2023 with embezzlement, perjury and having a conflict of interest in votes on City Council matters in which his wife stood to benefit."
‘Is this a fantasy?’ Lurie-backed plan for record-breaking S.F. boxing event faces scrutiny
CHRONICLE, MICHAEL BARBA: "Mayor Daniel Lurie has thrown his weight behind an audacious plan for San Francisco to host the largest boxing event in world history, a feat that has struck some critics as highly doubtful to materialize.
Joined by U.K. businessman Ed Pereira of iVisit Boxing on a stage outside City Hall on Friday, Lurie announced the plans to draw a crowd of some 140,000 people to Civic Center Plaza in July for a boxing event that would be streamed globally on YouTube."
North state to bid farewell to Rep. Doug LaMalfa at memorial service in Chico
SACBEE, JAKE GOODRICK: "A memorial service honoring the life of U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, takes place Saturday at the Silver Dollar Fair Grounds in Chico, where ticketed members of the public were invited to pay their respects to the late congressman who died unexpectedly earlier this month.
LaMalfa, a conservative stalwart who fought political battles for the interests of his north state constituents, served more than 20 years in state and federal politics representing a vast, red and rural district in a primarily blue state."
‘Call a Republican’: Viral phone booth connects Calif. liberals, conservative Texans
LAT, CLARA HARTER: "A rather peculiar red phone booth appeared outside of a San Francisco tattoo parlor this week urging residents in one of America’s most liberal cities to “call a Republican.”
Its counterpart, a blue phone booth, sits outside a bookshop in the staunchly conservative town of Abilene, Texas, where it encourages locals to “call a Democrat.”"
As Trump cuts student loans for grad school, some states move to fill the gap
EdSource, STAFF: "As the Trump administration moves to limit student loans, some states are working to create or expand their own graduate loan programs, The Washington Post reported.
The administration plans to impose caps in a few months that could leave future doctors and educators without enough funding for college costs. State-based lenders anticipate their loans will be in greater demand, the newspaper reported."
EDSOURCE, MALLIKA SHESHADRI/BETTY MARQUEZ ROSALES: "A lawsuit filed against the Los Angeles Unified School District for allegedly discriminating against white students could move forward in the current political climate even though the argument lacks teeth, experts say.
The suit by the 1776 Project Foundation takes aim at the district’s Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian, or other Non-Anglo, or PHBAO, program. Roughly 70% of LAUSD schools fall into this category."
Trans youth still have a safe haven in California — but that could change
CALMATTERS, CAROLYN JONES: "California has taken steps the past few years to protect transgender young people on the playing field, in the classroom and in the doctor’s office. But a handful of federal court cases and new policies could threaten those protections.
A case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court could affect transgender students’ right to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Another case — possibly headed for the Supreme Court — could overturn California’s law banning school districts from requiring staff to “out” transgender students to their parents. And in December, the federal government said it would crack down on health care for transgender minors."
Some parents push back on Modesto schools preliminary mental health policy
EDSOURCE, STAFF: "As Modesto City Schools district leaders work on an updated mental health policy, some parents have raised objections, The Modesto Bee reported.
At a recent Modesto City Schools Board of Education meeting where the policy was up for a preliminary vote, some parents expressed concerns that the policy might exclude them from the process of mental health counseling, the newspaper reported."
National park pass buyers can’t cover Trump’s face, so a California woman made a work-around
CHRONICLE, ALDO TOLEDO: "When self-described granola girl Shannen Prindle pulls out her America the Beautiful pass, she doesn’t want to think about politics.
The 25-year-old Angeleno was disappointed when she found out the new 2026 pass — her ticket to 63 national parks — features President Donald Trump instead of the usual majestic vista. Her disappointment turned to anger when the Department of the Interior earlier this month forbade covering up Trump’s face on the pass in any way, or else risk having your pass voided."
Golden Gate Bridge suicides plummet in wake of barrier
CHRONICLE, RACHEL SWAN: "The Golden Gate Bridge went seven months without a suicide last year, a stunning reprieve after decades of tragedy and a sign that its barrier to deter jumpers is working.
San Francisco’s beloved span had long been known as a lethal beauty, with delicate harp string cables and a vertical drop that beckoned to lost souls."
Sacramento is doubling down on tiny homes. Is it a bold move or a misguided one?
SACBEE, STEPHEN HOBBS: "Sheleko Maynard was riding on a bus, worried about the possibility of spending another year living alone outside in a tent when she got a call: She had been accepted into a tiny home community in Sacramento and could move in the next day.
That was about a year ago. The 75-square-foot dwelling gave her a heater, a bed to herself and a desk she filled with her Bible and devotionals."