Trump names himself chair of L.A. Olympics task force, sees role for military during Games
LA Times, MICHAEL WILNER, JULIA WICK and THUC NHI NGUYEN: "In past Olympic Games held on American soil, sitting presidents have served in passive, ceremonial roles. President Trump may have other plans.
An executive order signed by Trump on Tuesday names him chair of a White House task force on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, viewed by the president as “a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism,” according to a White House statement. Trump, the administration said, “is taking every opportunity to showcase American greatness on the world stage.”
Could Trump’s new Olympics task force be a guise for further militarizing L.A.?
The Chronicle, ANN KILLION: "In recent days, my social media is full of photos from one year ago, when I was at the Paris Olympics. The pictures create pleasant memories of an event that was spectacularly run, mostly glitch-free and agenda-free and widely embraced by the world.
These trips down memory lane signify there are less than three years left before Los Angeles is scheduled to host the next Summer Games. That’s a short runway for such a massive event. And L.A.’s runway is littered with debris and hurdles."
Experts Expound: Kamala’s out -now what?
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "What does Kamala Harris officially opting out mean for the 2026 California gubernatorial race?
“It means that it is wide open for the entire field and the Republicans will not have an obvious target.”"
Gavin Newsom just signed 26 new bills into California law. Here’s what they do
SacBee, ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 26 new bills into California law, addressing a wide range of issues across the state.
New legislation aims to tackle some of California’s most pressing challenges, from high living costs and limited housing supply to access to health care. Here’s a breakdown of the new California laws and when they’re set to take effect."
‘If this fails, he'll have egg on his face’: Gavin Newsom bets political future on redistricting power play
Politico, MELANIE MASON: "The brawl over redistricting is handing Gavin Newsom something that has eluded Democrats since their 2024 humiliation: a shot at striking a tangible blow against Donald Trump.
It’s also giving the California governor his biggest platform yet ahead of a likely presidential run in 2028."
How California Republicans are fighting Newsom’s redistricting push
SacBee, NICOLE NIXON: "Worried about the possibility of losing congressional seats, California Republicans are trying several strategies to fight Gov. Gavin Newsom’s aggressive push to redistrict the state to boost Democrats in response to a similar effort happening in Texas.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, introduced legislation Tuesday that would impose a federal ban on all mid-decade redistricting, including in Texas."
California fires are burning and incoming heat wave could make things worse
LA Times, GRACE TOOHEY: "Authorities in California are bracing themselves for a prolonged heat wave this week that could amplify the risks of a wildfire and intensify fires already burning in the southern and central portions of the state.
The warming trend is forecast to bake almost all of inland California over the next week, dialing up the heat on what’s already been a fiery summer in the state’s southern half, and raising the risks up north after a relatively quiet start to the season."
READ MORE -- Triple-digit heat could return as Bay Area’s inland valleys heat up -- The Chronicle, GREG PORTER
California cut coal from its energy supply. Why it might plug back into fossil fuels
CALMatters, ALEJANDRO LAZO/JEANNE KUANG: "California spent decades building one of the greenest power grids on Earth.
It ditched coal, cut fossil fuels, and built so much solar it now runs the world’s second-largest battery fleet to keep clean power flowing after dark."
Will pro-Trump Latinos vote Republican in the 2026 midterms? A new poll casts doubts
LA Times, ANDREA FLORES: "A quarter of Latinos who supported President Donald Trump in the November election are not guaranteed to vote for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new national poll by Equis, a leading research and polling group.
Last week Equis, alongside progressive think tank Data for Progress, released a July memo that summarized key findings from a national poll of 1,614 registered voters, conducted between July 7 and July 17."
California’s vacation leave payouts creating liability on state departments
SacBee, AMELIA WU: "When 1,299 California Highway Patrol employees left their jobs in 2024, they collectively pocketed $67 million from unused vacation hours. The average payout from CHP was $52,000 per person.
Payouts varied from 55 cents for Los Angeles County public safety dispatcher Jorge Ortiz to Randy England, a CHP captain in Mendocino County, who cashed out just short of $400,000."
Trump is now targeting UCLA. Will UC follow other elite colleges to appease him?
The Chronicle, NANETTE ASIMOV/SARA DINATALE: "President Donald Trump’s massive effort to infuse American higher education with his political agenda has shifted to the University of California, where UCLA has become UC’s first target — and a test for what concessions the new leadership at both the system and campus might agree to.
When the feds suspended more than $300 million in research grants to UCLA on Friday over alleged mishandling of antisemitism, the campus became the latest elite school to be punished under the administration’s higher education game plan: withholding billions of federal research dollars, then extracting cultural concessions and even student and staff data to get that crucial funding back."
‘Immediately rescind’: UC researchers ask judge to undo Trump’s UCLA grant suspensions
CALMatters, MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN: "A federal judge today ordered lawyers for the Trump administration to explain why last week’s suspension of about 300 UCLA grants by the National Science Foundation does not run afoul of that judge’s June order barring the agency from terminating additional grants.
The California district court judge, Rita F. Lin, set a hearing for Aug. 12. Lin’s order is a response to a Monday filing from lawyers representing University of California researchers. They wrote in their filing to Lin that the science foundation must undo last week’s suspensions. Their filing is part of an ongoing case that challenged the legality of the National Science Foundation’s terminating 114 UC grants this spring over alleged Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion violations. Lin issued a preliminary injunction in June ordering the science foundation to restore the grants and barred the agency from additional terminations."
Stanford lays off hundreds, citing federal cuts under Trump
The Chronicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "Stanford University will permanently lay off hundreds of employees this fall as part of sweeping budget reductions driven by federal policy changes, rising operational costs and shifting funding sources, according to state filings and statements from the university.
The layoffs, set to take effect between Sept. 30 and Nov. 1, will impact 363 positions, a university spokesperson confirmed Tuesday."
Students without legal status have the right to attend public school. Will Trump change that?
CALMatters, CAROLYN JONES: "Funding cuts. Raids near campuses. Exclusion from programs like Head Start and career training. For months, the Trump administration has been chipping away at the rights of students without legal status in public schools.
Could the administration take away those students’ right to free public school entirely? Experts say that may be the next step."
Why S.F. residents say the city is finally undergoing a major vibe shift
The Chronicle, J.D. MORRIS, TOM LI: "Fewer homeless encampments and trash-strewn sidewalks. Busier restaurants and retail shops. A new mayor who hits the streets almost daily to chat with residents and business owners.
These are just some of the reasons why San Franciscans say they now feel optimistic about the city’s future despite years of negative news about empty downtown offices, widespread public drug use, rampant stolen-goods sales and other serious concerns."
Wild pigs are turning up with ‘neon blue’ flesh in California. Authorities sound the alarm
LA Times, SALVADOR HERNANDEZ: "Dan Burton has trapped hundreds of wild pigs for clients of his wildlife control company in Salinas, but even he was startled when he cut one of them open and found blue meat inside.
“I’m not talking about a little blue,” said Burton, owner of Urban Trapping Wildlife Control. “I’m talking about neon blue, blueberry blue.”
How Trump's $150 billion tariff brag could backfire
Politico, ARI HAWKINS: "President Donald Trump boasts that his tariffs have raked in billions. There’s a chance his government will have to pay a lot of it back.
Several companies and states have challenged Trump’s use of an emergency law to impose some of his duties on individual countries, in a legal dispute that is likely to work its way up to the Supreme Court. As part of the case, companies have demanded the federal government pay them back for the tariff fees they’ve already paid out."
California names the 5th state prison to close because of falling inmate population
CALMatters, ADAM ASHTON: "Gov. Gavin Newsom shouldn’t expect much pushback from the next city in line to lose a state prison.
Norco in Riverside County for years has been lobbying to close the California Rehabilitation Center, arguing the city can find a better use for the site. It was an art deco hotel before it was a state prison."
How to protest tickets from S.F.’s new speed cameras
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN/TOM LI: "As of Tuesday, anyone caught speeding by one of San Francisco’s new road camera systems will face a fine of at least $50 — a form of tech-enforced discipline meant to correct human driving behavior.
When city officials installed the new cameras at 33 streets, off-ramps and intersections, they subscribed to an idea of solving problems through gadgetry. Each apparatus uses radar to detect speeding vehicles before snapping photos of the cars’ license plates."
Muni will beef up morning rush hour service on some downtown bus lines
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "Transportation officials in San Francisco will make tweaks to several Muni bus lines later this month, aiming to haul more riders downtown during rush hour.
After scrutinizing ridership data and feedback, staff at San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency restored two morning trips on the 1X California Express, a peak commuter route from the Richmond to the Financial district. The trips, departing from 33rd Avenue and Geary Boulevard at 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. respectively, were slashed earlier this year as the agency confronted a looming deficit and tried to stretch limited resources."
