Trump’s State of the Union: How to watch, what to expect
LAT, ANA CEBALLOS: "President Trump is set to deliver a high-stakes State of the Union address on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Pacific time before a joint session of Congress in the U.S. Capitol.
The president is expected to emphasize economic issues, an immigration crackdown that has been central to his agenda, and tariffs in the wake of a recent legal setback to his trade agenda."
Mexico takes out ‘El Mencho’: What the violence could mean for the U.S. border
CALMATTERS, WENDY FRY: "The killing of one of Mexico’s most-wanted cartel leaders triggered violent reprisals across the country and experts warn it could lead to prolonged destabilization that pushes more people to flee for the U.S.-Mexico border.
On Sunday, Mexican security forces, backed by U.S. intelligence, took out the notorious leader of one of the country’s most violent cartels, the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The Mexican federal government said Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” was wounded during a clash in Tapalpa, Jalisco, and died while being transferred to Mexico City."
Savannah Guthrie offers $1 million for information about mother, says she might be ‘already gone’
LAT, RICHARD WINTON/HANNAH FRY: "Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday her family is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to her kidnapped mother, saying it’s possible Nancy Guthrie is “already gone.”
“But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home. For that reason we are offering a family reward of up to $1 million for any information that leads us to her recovery,” the ‘Today’ host said in a video."
After Epstein files, Wasserman’s survival as L.A. Olympics chief may come down to money
LAT. DAKOTA SMITH: "Behind the debate over whether Casey Wasserman should resign as the 2028 Olympics chief over 20-year-old correspondences unearthed in the Epstein files is a fraught question that has long haunted the L.A. Games: Will there be enough money?
A growing number of California politicians are calling on Wasserman to step down over steamy emails between him and Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime companion to Jeffrey Epstein, who was later sentenced to prison for luring minors to have sex with the financier. Wasserman apologized for the emails and said he knew nothing about the pair’s criminal behavior."
Newsom and Trump have vowed to crack down on corporate homebuying. A new bill aims to curb it
LAT, JACK FLEMMING: "In a rare moment of political alignment last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump vowed to crack down on corporate homebuying. Now, a new bill aims to make it a reality.
AB 1611, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) in January, would eliminate a “tax loophole” that Haney says corporate landlords and investment firms use to buy up single-family homes across the state."
Uber ballot initiative sparks showdown with lawyers, doctors
CALMATTERS, LEVI SUMAGAYSAY: "In November, California voters may have to referee a multimillion-dollar battle among Uber, attorneys and doctors. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for anybody who uses the state’s roads and highways.
Uber last fall filed a proposed ballot measure that would cap personal injury lawyers’ contingency fees and limit medical damages for all vehicle crashes in California, even those not involving an Uber. The company paints its effort as a way to rein in attorneys who take advantage of those who get hurt in a crash. Crash survivors often hire attorneys on a contingency basis, meaning the lawyers only get paid if they win the case."
Aggressive immigration enforcement opens way for federal criminal defendants to avoid justice
LAT, BRITTNY MEJIA: "Guillermo Zambrano faced at least 10 years in federal prison if convicted of working with Sinaloa cartel associates — but then ICE sought to deport him last June. Now he faces none.
Zambrano, a Venezuelan citizen in the midst of political asylum proceedings in the U.S., pleaded not guilty to charges of helping conceal drug trafficking proceeds. For 17 months, he remained free on a $60,000 bond with an ankle monitor while awaiting trial in the Central District of California."
Proposed California home insurance laws would guarantee coverage for fire-safe homes
CHRONICLE, MEGAN FAN MUNCE: "New legislation would require California home insurers to guarantee coverage for homeowners that take steps to reduce their wildfire risk and give policyholders at least six months notice before being dropped.
The flurry of proposed laws comes a year after a set of deadly wildfires in Los Angeles County killed 31 people, destroyed more than 16,000 structures and set a new record for the costliest insured wildfire event in global history. Legislators, especially those representing the burn zones, have introduced numerous bills seeking to expand consumer protections by placing greater restrictions and penalties on insurance companies."
After delays, City Council expected to vote on $6.4M for Old Sacramento boardwalk
SACBEE, ISHANI DESAI: "A vote Tuesday could trigger a $6.4 million investment to replace Old Sacramento’s wooden boardwalks, a key appeal to the area’s historic nature, as part of a multimillion project to revitalize a major tourist attraction for the city.
More than four million people tread annually across the walkways that now requires repairs after it was last replaced over 20 years ago. The construction will address safety, meet accessibility standards and preserve Old Sacramento’s historic appeal, according to the city. The Sacramento City Council will vote Tuesday to provide a “request for qualifications,” or seeking proposals from companies about their expertise before seeking a formal bid."
Former S.F. nonprofit CEO misspent $1.2 million, collected hidden ‘double salary,’ DA says
CHRONICLE, MICHAEL BARBA: "The former chief executive of a major San Francisco homeless services provider is facing charges for allegedly misappropriating at least $1.2 million in public funds, some of which appeared to bankroll her luxury lifestyle, prosecutors said Monday.
Gwendolyn Westbrook, the former CEO of the United Council of Human Services, withdrew large sums of cash and paid herself a hidden second salary from the nonprofit’s publicly funded bank accounts between 2019 and 2023, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office alleged in court records."
A chat with Jennifer Barrera of CalChamber (PODCAST)
CAPITOL WEEKLY, STAFF: "Our guest Jennifer Barrera has been President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce since 2021. The venerable institution – founded in 1890 as the California State Board of Trade – advocates for pro-business policies and investments. Barrera is well known and well respected in the capitol community, and has been an effective messenger for the CalChamber’s many causes, including reform of the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). She spoke with us about the Chamber’s approach to the state’s affordability crisis, the increasing calls to tax the ultra-rich and a ballot measure to reform CEQA."
California can’t afford to turn AI into the next lawsuit gold rush (OP-ED)
CAPITOL WEEKLY, JAIME HUFF: "At a time when California’s budget is strained and lawmakers are scrambling to close deficits, one sector is very obviously doing the heavy lifting for the state’s economy: artificial intelligence.
AI is generating billions in private investment, creating high-paying jobs and producing tax revenue that helps fund schools, public safety and essential services. In many ways, AI is helping stabilize the state’s otherwise shaky fiscal picture."
‘What will happen when I’m gone?’: Parents of people with disabilities push to expand services
CALMATTERS, ANA B. IBARRA: "Thirty years ago, Jim O’Hara Jr. woke up from a coma, unable to walk, talk or eat. An 18-wheeler had broadsided his car, leaving him, then 18 years old, with a severe brain injury, according to his father, Jim O’Hara. Doctors said the young man’s condition wouldn’t improve much. But O’Hara refused to leave his son in a nursing home.
After more than a year of hospital stays and rehabilitation, he brought Jim Jr. home, knowing he’d need far more help than one person could provide. California’s system of regional centers seemed like an answer. These centers purchase and coordinate support services for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and are designed to do exactly what Jim Jr. needed: help rebuilding his life."
1 in 10 Cal State students face homelessness. This emergency housing program helps
CALMATTERS, KHADEEJAH KHAN: "Nineteen hours after leaving Coachella Valley, Oscar Deleon Jr. stepped off a bus with four bags of clothes, $800, admission to Chico State University, and no idea where he was going to live or work. All he knew was that he was taking his agriculture professor’s advice from College of the Desert and transferring to a university to continue his education.
He checked into a hotel. Two days later, at orientation, he learned about the Rapid Rehousing program at Chico State. The program’s community partner, True North Housing Alliance, a nonprofit that addresses homelessness in Butte County, paid for Deleon’s hotel bill. The university transferred Deleon to student housing for the school year and helped him secure financial aid to cover most of the cost."
Anger builds among unions and lawmakers over raises to CSU presidents
SACBEE, WILLIAM MELHADO: "State lawmakers, unions and university staff have all railed against California State University leaders in recent months for making too much money.
The latest payroll data shows that nearly 150 CSU administrators were each paid more than $300,000 last year. Comparatively, the median pay for full-time CSU employees was $80,813, according to the State Controller’s Office."
Protecting accountability and parents’ choice in charter schools (OP-ED)
CAPITOL WEEKLY, TAB BERG: "Last year’s legislative session tested the strength and resilience of California parents and the public charter school community. The debate over AB 84 revealed deep concern among parents, students, educators, and school leaders who believed the bill imposed sweeping bureaucratic burdens that would harm students by diverting scarce resources away from classrooms. For many families who have chosen and rely on charter schools to meet their child’s unique needs, it felt as though their voices were ignored, their questions unanswered, and their needs buried in a political fight.
That is why Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent effort to bring together charter school leaders, parents, and public education stakeholders is an important turning point."
Here’s how much rain to expect in the Bay Area from Pineapple Express
CHRONICLE, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "Buckets of rain are expected to fall in parts of the Bay Area on Tuesday even as some cities only get a few drops. Places 10 miles apart could see rainfall totals differ 3 inches in just one day.
The North Bay mountains are in line for 2 to 4 inches of rain Tuesday through Wednesday morning, while the East Bay hills and Santa Cruz Mountains could pick up an inch or more. Meanwhile, downtown San Francisco and Oakland will probably end up with less than a half-inch of rain, while San Jose may not even measure a quarter of an inch."
Can factory-built homes ease California’s housing shortage?
CAPITOL WEEKLY, AIDAN WYROUGH: "The lack of enough affordable housing has plagued California for decades. Can factory-built homes be at least part of the solution?
A growing number of housing advocates believe the answer is yes."
S.F. closer to delaying controversial $300K sprinkler mandate for high-rise condos
CHRONICLE, JK DINEEN: "A push to delay a controversial and expensive requirement to install fire sprinklers in pre-1974 residential buildings in San Francisco passed a major legislative hurdle Monday when a Board of Supervisors committee approved a five-year pause in the requirements.
The hearing featured a steady stream of condo owners from Russian Hill to the Tenderloin to Nob Hill and the Marina, many of whom said the looming requirement has already driven down property values and forced widespread concern that adding the sprinklers would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and force them to sell their units at a loss."
BART found a fix for the problem that caused 34,000 delays in a year
CHRONICLE, RACHEL SWAN: "An atmospheric river roiling in the clouds this week presents a critical test for BART.
The rail system, famous for slowing, perceptibly, at any hint of moisture in the air, got a software upgrade last year that made it resilient to wet weather. Now trains can keep rolling at 70 miles per hour without fear of the wheels skidding, no matter how slippery the tracks get."
