Trump administration plans to require undocumented immigrants to join registry or face jail, fines
LAT, RACHEL URANGA/ANDREA CASTILLO: "The Trump administration on Tuesday announced it plans to launch a registry requiring immigrants in the country illegally, including children, to submit personal information and fingerprints. Those who are at least 14 years old and don’t comply could face fines or misdemeanor prosecution.
The program, which was immediately assailed by immigrant rights advocates, targets those who have not encountered immigration officials in the past, and ratchets up Trump’s deluge of orders and policy changes intended to toughen immigration laws and facilitate deportations."
House narrowly OKs budget plan for trillions of dollars in tax and spending cuts
LAT, FAITH E. PINHO: "The House narrowly adopted a sweeping budget resolution Tuesday night, paving the way for massive tax and spending reductions sought by President Trump — putting several California Republicans in a tricky position over future potential cuts to popular programs such as Medicaid.
The vote came after weeks of intense wrangling by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and an extraordinary evening of voting, that first saw the lawmakers sent home, only to be called back minutes later to cast their votes on the controversial proposal. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the lone Republican to vote against the measure, joining every Democrat. The final resolution passed, 217 to 215."
The latest Gavin Newsom recall attempt is the most pointless yet
The Chronicle, JOE GAROFOLI: "Another attempted recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom — the eighth such attempt during his six years as governor — is ramping up, and it promises to be a huge waste of time and money if it qualifies for the ballot.
Even under the rosiest projections, a recall election wouldn’t be scheduled until September, or a little more than a year until Newsom leaves office for good."
Donald Trump’s team wants to ‘defund’ the California Coastal Commission. Can they?
Sac Bee, JENAVIEVE HATCH: "President Donald Trump’s administration is eyeing California’s coastal watchdog as it establishes conditions California must meet to receive federal support for Los Angeles wild fire recovery.
Ric Grenell, California Republican aide to Trump who’s considering a gubernatorial bid, told a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference last Friday that the California Coastal Commission “needs to absolutely be defunded.”"
Advice to California schools on Trump’s DEI crackdown: Do nothing — yet
CAROLYN JONES, CalMatters: "California’s K-12 schools are getting some clarity on how to handle the Trump administration’s sweeping orders to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The answer is: Do nothing. Not yet, anyway.
“Time to take a breath. Just because Trump ordered it, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” Noelle Ellerson Ng, a legislative advocate for the School Superintendents Association, told California school administrators last week. “Executive orders on their own can’t really accomplish much … There’s a distinct difference between activity and productivity.”
They voted for Trump, but now they’re losing their U.S. government jobs
LAT, JAMES RAINEY: "They voted for Donald Trump for president and for a change in the direction of the federal government. But this wasn’t the kind of change they had in mind.
Laid off by the administration in recent days from their U.S. government jobs, the Trump voters expressed dismay at what they said has been an unfocused, counterproductive and callous slashing of the federal workforce."
Map: These parts of California could be most impacted by federal job cuts
The Chronicle, DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA/SRIHARSHA DEVULAPALLI: "In the last month, President Donald Trump and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, have slashed tens of thousands of federal jobs and threatened even more, prompting chaos as workers scramble to figure out what’s next.
The sweeping cuts have impacted federal employees working in everything from national parks and public health to consumer protection and emergency management. They have prompted outcry across the country, particularly from the very federal employees who suddenly found themselves or their coworkers unceremoniously fired. The mass firings have also been met with legal challenges."
Amid staff cuts and budget chaos, more than 700 national park employees take buyout
LAT, JACK DOLAN: "As the Trump administration continues its campaign to slash the federal workforce, more than 700 year-round National Park Service employees have taken buyouts, according to an internal email sent to supervisors late last week.
That brings to at least 1,700 the number of year-round permanent staff members that the service — arguably America’s most beloved federal agency — has lost this month. The number equates to roughly 9% of the agency’s workforce."
California weather has undergone an important shift — and you’ll be feeling the impacts soon
The Chronicle, JACK LEE: "Spring has warmed across much of the United States over recent decades, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators. Californians across the state felt the impacts, with all 58 counties experiencing warmer springs from 1970 to 2024. Such a shift could stress water supplies, prolong seasonal allergies and worsen wildfire risk.
The analysis looked into average temperatures during meteorological spring — March, April and May — based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Over 95% of the counties analyzed in the U.S. experienced rising spring temperatures from 1970 to 2024. Temperature jumps were especially in Alaska and the Southwest."
L.A. County supervisors vote 5 to 0 to let Calabasas landfill accept more fire debris
LAT, TONY BRISCOE: "The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 5 to 0 Tuesday to allow Calabasas Landfill to accept potentially toxic wildfire debris outside its typical service area and increase the tonnage limits at two other Southern California landfills to accommodate the fire-related waste.
Calabasas Landfill, a county-owned landfill in the unincorporated community of Agoura, is authorized to receive waste only from within a roughly 350-square-mile area, which includes about 70% of the fire-damaged area affected by the Palisades fire. The board unanimously voted to waive that restriction for six months, permitting Calabasas Landfill to receive ash and debris from the entire Palisades fire burn scar — and potentially from the Eaton fire and others."
New Cal Fire maps: Here’s what they can tell you about your risk — and what they can’t
The Chronicle, JULIE JOHNSON/SRIHARSHA DEVULAPALLI: "With streaks of yellow, orange and red, Cal Fire’s new fire risk maps make plain the extent of fire danger in the Bay Area.
The origin of the maps date back to one of the first major wildfires to burn into neighborhoods in the state: the 1980 Panorama Fire in San Bernardino County. That fire triggered extensive research into which types of homes burned and which survived. Shake roofs made from wood shingles, for example, made homes especially vulnerable to flying embers."
Killing 166 million birds hasn’t helped poultry farmers stop H5N1. Is there a better way?
LAT, SUSANNE RUST/KAREN KAPLAN: "When the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus made its first appearance at a U.S. poultry farm in February 2022, roughly 29,000 turkeys at an Indiana facility were sacrificed in an attempt to avert a larger outbreak.
It didn’t work. Three years later, highly pathogenic avian influenza has spread to all 50 states. The number of commercial birds that have died or been killed exceeds 166 million and the price of eggs is at an all-time high."
Sacramento State University faces a $37 million deficit. How will it address budget cuts?
Sac Bee, JENNAH PENDLETON: "Sacramento State President Luke Wood shared an early version of the plan to help the school survive the budget cuts at a Faculty Senate meeting earlier this month. The plan includes cutting the budgets of each of the university’s departments and reorganizing its seven colleges into four.
The budget cuts come as the school is working to build a new stadium and eyeing state-owned buildings for a downtown expansion."
State Farm reports staggering insurance losses from Los Angeles wildfires
LAT, MEGAN FAN MUNCE: "State Farm General, California’s largest home insurer by far, estimates it will pay $7.6 billion to survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires.
The staggering figure is the highest loss estimate of any insurer so far, which makes sense due to the size of the company and its exposure: A Chronicle analysis of policy data found that State Farm insured more households in and around the fire perimeters than any other company. It’s already paid $1.75 billion back to policyholders, according to a Tuesday letter sent to California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara."
Sacramento’s budget deficit hurt by latest round of California homeless funding. Here’s why
Sac Bee, MATHEW MIRANDA: "State funding for homeless services came in lower than expected this week and furthered strained Sacramento’s upcoming budget deficit.
The city received the news Monday afternoon following the latest installment of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grants. City staff had estimated the funding, along with a previous year reallocation, would shrink the budget deficit to roughly $39 million."
New SFMTA chief hopes to solve transit issues with ‘Midwest nice’ compromise. Will it work?
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "The new director of San Francisco’s sprawling transportation agency stepped in at a moment of strife.
Transportation is a utility — but in this city, it’s also become a flashpoint for culture wars. As Muni officials contemplate service cuts to stave off a budget crisis this summer, residents bicker over which neighborhoods or lines should be spared. Motorists are on edge, with traffic increasing on major arteries and freeways, and California’s new daylighting law making parking more scarce. The phrase “war on cars” has made a comeback, and some drivers cry foul every time the city shaves out a lane for buses and cyclists."
