Alexei Koseff

California pulled immigrants’ trucking licenses. Now it can’t give them back California says the Trump administration is intentionally stalling efforts to re-issue immigrant truck drivers’ licenses in order to keep them from ever driving professionally again.

Tens of thousands of immigrant truck drivers are on the verge of losing their licenses because of a combination of clerical errors by the California DMV and new restrictions by the Trump administration, @saradinatale.bsky.social reports
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Trump announces ‘war on fraud’ to target California in defiant State of the Union speech The president on Tuesday night repeated his frequent assertion that fraud is even worse in California than in Minnesota

Probably the most consequential announcement for California that we heard in tonight's State of the Union: a "war on fraud" to be led by the VP. Trump did not offer any further details, though he singled out California. www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

When Trump announced that he plans to ban members of Congress from using insider information to trade stocks, many Democrats stood up to applaud and yell at Trump for being corrupt.

"Did Nancy Pelosi stand up?" he asked.

Trump just brought out Team USA's gold-winning Olympic hockey team at his State of the Union address. First time during the speech tonight that even Democrats are standing.

For her final state of the Union before her retirement from Congress, @pelosi.house.gov is sitting near the back of the chamber next to @rokhanna.bsky.social. Like many Democratic women members, she's wearing a white pantsuit tonight.

Days after Trump bashed the Supreme Court for its ruling striking down his global tariffs, only four justice are in attendance at the State of the Union tonight: Roberts, Kagan, Barrett and Kavanaugh (whom Trump praised for his dissent)

California Democrats are obsessed with billionaires — and the fixation is mutual The angst over billionaires — including whether and how to tax them to address some of the state’s most dire needs — was a recurring theme throughout the state party convention.

Billionaires! @sophiabollag.bsky.social reports from the California Democratic Party convention that they've become the central theme of the governor's race:
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Republicans want to use the farm bill to kill a California law they hate Congress is taking up a last-ditch effort to nullify Prop 12, a voter-approved California law mandating more space for breeding pigs.

California defended a law to require more space for breeding pigs all the way to the Supreme Court. It finally took effect two years ago — but now Congress is reviving the fight. www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

Supreme Court blocks Trump’s tariffs in rare rebuke. Here’s what it means for California In a 6-3 decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court rejected Trump’s argument that he could circumvent congressional authority to impose tariffs by declaring an emergency.

The Supreme Court on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs in a rare rebuke of a White House whose actions the conservative court has largely backed.
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From Trump to YouTube influencers, the right is obsessed with fraud in California Little has resulted so far from Trump’s often vague warnings to California. But his administration continues to ramp up pressure on the state.

Since Trump issued a warning that he would get to the bottom of fraud in California, the campaign has expanded to encompass Republican members of Congress and right-wing influencers. But to what, if anything, the president may be building remains unclear. www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

Newsom vows to sue after Trump rolls back key climate change finding Trump bragged that he was taking “the single largest deregulatory action in American history” and promised that it would bring down car prices.

California is jumping into the fight to protect the foundation of federal climate regulation after the Trump administration officially revoked the endangerment finding
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Tom Steyer wants to convince Californians he’s the ultimate unicorn: A billionaire populist In running for governor, Tom Steyer’s gambit is that Californians believe a billionaire can be a savior — a real populist who actually can help working people.

“I am the billionaire who will take on the billionaires.”

Tom Steyer’s gambit is that Californians believe a billionaire can be a savior — a real populist who actually can help working people, @joegarofoli.bsky.social writes: www.sfchronicle.com/politics/joe...

Bay Area groups targeted for massive cuts as Trump pulls health funding from blue states Roughly two-thirds of the $600 million targeted for cuts is unspent money that was already allocated to California’s state and local health departments.

The Trump administration is rescinding tens of millions of dollars more in grants already allocated to California public health systems and nonprofits www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

Federal judge blocks California from enforcing ICE mask ban U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder said the law’s exemption for state police discriminated against immigration agents and other federal officers covered by the ban.

Federal judge blocks California from enforcing ICE mask ban
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She begged CARE Court to help her son. He died 10 days after it dismissed his case CARE Court was Gavin Newsom’s big mental health care initiative. In San Francisco, fewer than 11 people have completed the program.

A sad story from @sophiabollag.bsky.social about one mother who received a cruel lesson in the limitations of CARE Court and began to wonder who the program could possibly help: www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

ICE keeps freezing lawmakers out of detention centers, despite court orders A fight for more oversight of federal immigration detention facilities that began during President Trump’s first term has erupted again as his administration tries to block congressional access.

A group of Democrats, including @normajtorres.bsky.social and @gomez.house.gov, has been fighting the Trump administration in court since last summer to maintain congressional access to ICE detention facilities. They scored another major legal victory this week:
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Supreme Court leaves California’s Prop 50 maps in place for 2026 midterms The Supreme Court rejected an effort to block implementation of Prop 50 by the California Republican Party and the Trump administration, leaving the new maps in effect for 2026.

The Supreme Court already upheld the Texas gerrymander that Prop 50 was responding to, so this decision was largely expected
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The U.S. Supreme Court has denied an appeal by the California Republican Party to overturn Prop 50, allowing the new congressional districts to stand www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?...

In his radically redrawn new district, a Marin congressman gets thrown to the wolves A progressive congressman from Marin County is trying to win reelection in a place so right-leaning that the Democratic Party doesn’t even have a local chapter.

At times, it felt like a sitcom, @joegarofoli.bsky.social writes: A progressive Marin congressman trying to woo Trump-loving locals in California’s MAGA-iest corner.

“I don’t think I’m going to make the mistake of trying to cover it in an electric vehicle.”

www.sfchronicle.com/politics/joe...

Right-wing influencers have descended on Somali day care centers in this California community Gov. Gavin Newsom said the Somali community in San Diego feels “under siege” with the arrival of right-wing provocateurs seeking to replicate fraud allegations that kicked off unrest in...

Nick Shirley started showing up to Somali-run day cares in San Diego over the weekend, @saradinatale.bsky.social reports
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The Senate passed a budget deal tonight to avert a lengthy govt shutdown by temporarily funding Homeland Security as negotiations over accountability measures for ICE continue.

Both California senators, @padilla.senate.gov and @schiff.senate.gov, voted no over objections to ICE funding.

From kneepads to Grindr, Newsom’s latest Trump-inspired insults have gotten downright sexual The kneepad jokes are not intended to be sexual, a Gavin Newsom spokesperson says. But a lot of people, from online commentators to scholars who study political rhetoric, aren’t buying that.

It's not every day that you quote a spokesperson insisting "it's not about a blowjob." @sophiabollag.bsky.social examines Newsom's recent turn to sexual insults: www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

Bay Area officials don’t expect an ICE surge tied to the Super Bowl Top Bay Area officials told the Chronicle don’t expect more federal agents present than is standard for a massive sporting event.

As rumors swirl about an immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area during the Super Bowl, local officials including SF Mayor Daniel Lurie told the Chronicle they are not expecting anything out of the ordinary
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Trump, GOP leaders ramp up attacks over Palisades Fire as California wildfire aid sits in limbo The partisan feud over the deadly Los Angeles wildfires intensifies, with President Trump and congressional Republicans ramping up attacks on California and local response.

The bitter partisan feud over the Los Angeles fires continues to intensify in Washington more than a year after the deadly disaster, with federal funding for the recovery at stake: www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...

Trump, GOP leaders ramp up attacks over Palisades Fire as California wildfire aid sits in limbo The partisan feud over the deadly Los Angeles wildfires intensifies, with President Trump and congressional Republicans ramping up attacks on California and local response.

After President Trump issued his permitting EO yesterday, I asked the White House if he would support supplement disaster aid for the Los Angeles fires.

“Newscum doesn’t need more money, Californians need relief,” a spokesperson said.

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House approves $10 billion in ICE funding as calls to rein in the agency grow Further escalating their push to rein in ICE, House Democrats voted overwhelmingly to oppose funding for the federal agency, ramping up pressure on the Senate ahead of a critical deadline.

All 43 California House Democrats voted Thursday against the homeland security funding bill, as the party ramps up its push to rein in ICE amid growing public outrage over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
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After the brutal 49ers loss last weekend, @pelosi.house.gov fulfills a wager with @repdelbene.bsky.social with a basket of San Francisco treats (including Ghirardelli chocolates) and an “I love California” mug that DelBene said she won’t be using.

Why a Bay Area Democrat joined with Republicans to hold Bill Clinton in contempt Rep. Lateefah Simon voted with Republicans to hold the former president in contempt for ignoring a subpoena related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

"In my time being a Democrat, I have agreed that no one is above the law," @replsimon.bsky.social said. "I believe that the committee deserved to hear from the president. I believe that that should have happened."
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@joereid.bsky.social Wicked: For THOB?

In today's print @sfchronicle.com:

A new federal law aims to reopen path to reunification for families divided by the Korean War. Though relations with North Korea are at a low, it's the last, best shot for many Korean Americans near the end of their lives.

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