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"title": "‘Yosemite Is Not for Sale’: California Officials Oppose Land-Swap Deal",
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"headTitle": "‘Yosemite Is Not for Sale’: California Officials Oppose Land-Swap Deal | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A group of California lawmakers called on federal officials to halt and reject \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097316/trump-administration-reportedly-considers-development-of-private-road-in-yosemite\">a proposed land exchange\u003c/a> in Yosemite National Park that would allow a private developer to take control of a strip of land in the park for an access road to the park’s main attractions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L2Dvbwl_sEEu_lf3TiVOTtok7kmVOm2U/view\">letter\u003c/a> to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Wednesday was signed by a bipartisan group of 61 state legislators led by Assemblymember Greg Wallis, a Republican who represents Riverside and San Bernardino counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Republicans and Democrats from both houses of the Legislature are standing together because some things are bigger than politics,” Wallis said in a statement. “Yosemite is not a subdivision. It is not a bargaining chip. And it is not for sale. Secretary Burgum and the administration should put an end to this proposal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (center) visited the Tunnel Tops in San Francisco in 2025 after he and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi toured Alcatraz ahead of their announcement to reopen the former federal prison. (Katie DeBenedetti/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group argued that the proposed land exchange is counter to the mission of the National Park Service and the founding of Yosemite in 1864, which set aside the start of the park for public use and protection for the first time in the history of the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What is being proposed now runs directly against that founding principle, more than a century and a half later,” the letter states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It continues later: “Our national parks belong equally to every American. They are not the Department’s to trade away, and they are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposal was \u003ca href=\"https://www.notus.org/agencies/trump-administration-yosemite-private-developer-deal\">first reported\u003c/a> by news outlet NOTUS, which published a story last week alleging that members of the Trump administration were meeting with representatives of Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a private equity group that owns an 83-acre parcel next to the park. In an email to KQED, Kingsbarn’s lawyer Lanny J. Davis confirmed the group is pursuing the land exchange to build a new access road from its property to the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previous owners have pushed for the same deal since the early 2000s and \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/press/2012/new-roads-into-yosemite-valley-rejected-by-federal-court\">failed\u003c/a> in court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), who signed on to the letter, called the proposal “indefensible,” and said he’s looking at state laws to ensure a similar proposal could never slip through.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the Trump administration can’t defend this publicly in broad daylight, then they shouldn’t be doing it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Marin) told \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915115/trump-administration-allow-private-development-in-yosemite\">KQED’s Forum on Wednesday\u003c/a> that he’s worried there isn’t enough opposition among his Republican colleagues in Congress to stop the Trump administration’s efforts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have not seen a single Republican colleague willing to stand up to Donald Trump when he decides that he’s just going to do something,” Huffman said. “So that is my concern, that he just plows ahead with this — even if it has dubious legal authority, or even if it’s an open violation of the law. He’s doing stuff like that anyway. And in this Congress, there’s no one here to stop him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson), whose district includes parts of Yosemite, said she will “keep pressing the Department [of the Interior] for a clear answer that this exchange will not proceed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the news of the deal broke late last week, it has sparked condemnation from a number of Democratic state leaders, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/alexpadilla4ca/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-sale-smidurl-share/1614990713322959/\">Sens. Alex Padilla\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/SenAdamSchiff/status/2093448467758690464\">Adam Schiff\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2093447502632796326\">Attorney General Rob Bonta\u003c/a> and Bonta’s predecessor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/becerraforgovernor/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-saleit-is-unacceptable-that-the-trump-administration-is-repo/1625938552231560/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095034/becerra-easily-leading-california-governors-race-defined-by-partisan-split-poll-shows\">leads the race\u003c/a> for California governor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12060933\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate during a protest against federal employee layoffs at Yosemite National Park, California, on March 1, 2025. (Laure Andrillon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The secretive backroom land-exchange scheme has gotten everyone’s attention,” said Neal Desai, senior Pacific regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association. “I can’t recall another issue — and I’ve been working in the conservation space for over a couple of decades — where the response has been this sharp and so one-sided that this is a terrible idea that should not happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The backlash comes at a turbulent time for National Park Service employees, who have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060911/new-trump-layoffs-could-put-hundreds-more-national-park-service-employees-on-the-chopping-block\">faced layoffs,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066741/a-morale-bomb-national-park-workers-face-wage-cuts-and-dubiously-legal-review-system\">staffing cuts\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055659/national-park-service-california-yosemite-muir-woods-trump-executive-order\">fear of retaliation\u003c/a> for speaking up against Trump administration policies since the start of the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some former employees have also raised concerns about a potential reorganization of the National Park Service, according to a separate \u003ca href=\"https://protectnps.org/2026/09/02/former-national-park-superintendents-warn-interior-secretary-national-parks-are-in-crisis/\">letter\u003c/a> sent to Burgum’s office Wednesday. According to an email seen by KQED, park superintendents have been asked to attend in-person regional meetings in September — with no clear agenda beyond discussing “agency priorities, our FY 2026 outlook, and other matters important to the work ahead.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter to Burgam, signed by 20 retired parks superintendents warns: “An ill-advised and hastily planned reorganization could dismantle that structure, putting our parks — and those who visit them — at great risk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tour guide William Fontana points visitors to climbers on El Capitan during a tour of the Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Oct. 28, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, which organized the letter, said the email about regional meetings “raises some alarm bells.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Park Service is already operating from a difficult place, from a place of crisis,” she said. “And any additional cuts, any movements or actions that would further jeopardize the capacity of the folks that are left, that’s concerning. It’s worrying, and it’ll have a devastating impact on the Park Service.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Among the letter’s signatories is Don Neubacher, retired Yosemite superintendent, who has been a vocal advocate for parks amid the Trump administration’s changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson said she’s worried parks leaders will be stretched even further than they already are, and local decision-making over parks could be in jeopardy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Morale is low,” Thompson said. “It’s a hard time to be a federal employee. Anything that … contributes to this culture of fear, it’s just not acceptable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L2Dvbwl_sEEu_lf3TiVOTtok7kmVOm2U/view\">letter\u003c/a> to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Wednesday was signed by a bipartisan group of 61 state legislators led by Assemblymember Greg Wallis, a Republican who represents Riverside and San Bernardino counties.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Republicans and Democrats from both houses of the Legislature are standing together because some things are bigger than politics,” Wallis said in a statement. “Yosemite is not a subdivision. It is not a bargaining chip. And it is not for sale. Secretary Burgum and the administration should put an end to this proposal.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Republicans and Democrats from both houses of the Legislature are standing together because some things are bigger than politics,” Wallis said in a statement. “Yosemite is not a subdivision. It is not a bargaining chip. And it is not for sale. Secretary Burgum and the administration should put an end to this proposal.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (center) visited the Tunnel Tops in San Francisco in 2025 after he and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi toured Alcatraz ahead of their announcement to reopen the former federal prison.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Katie DeBenedetti/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048542\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (center) visited the Tunnel Tops in San Francisco in 2025 after he and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi toured Alcatraz ahead of their announcement to reopen the former federal prison.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Katie DeBenedetti/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The group argued that the proposed land exchange is counter to the mission of the National Park Service and the founding of Yosemite in 1864, which set aside the start of the park for public use and protection for the first time in the history of the federal government.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The group argued that the proposed land exchange is counter to the mission of the National Park Service and the founding of Yosemite in 1864, which set aside the start of the park for public use and protection for the first time in the history of the federal government.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What is being proposed now runs directly against that founding principle, more than a century and a half later,” the letter states. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What is being proposed now runs directly against that founding principle, more than a century and a half later,” the letter states. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It continues later: “Our national parks belong equally to every American. They are not the Department’s to trade away, and they are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It continues later: “Our national parks belong equally to every American. They are not the Department’s to trade away, and they are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The proposal was \u003ca href=\"https://www.notus.org/agencies/trump-administration-yosemite-private-developer-deal\">first reported\u003c/a> by news outlet NOTUS, which published a story last week alleging that members of the Trump administration were meeting with representatives of Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a private equity group that owns an 83-acre parcel next to the park. In an email to KQED, Kingsbarn’s lawyer Lanny J. Davis confirmed the group is pursuing the land exchange to build a new access road from its property to the park.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The proposal was \u003ca href=\"https://www.notus.org/agencies/trump-administration-yosemite-private-developer-deal\">first reported\u003c/a> by news outlet NOTUS, which published a story last week alleging that members of the Trump administration were meeting with representatives of Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a private equity group that owns an 83-acre parcel next to the park. In an email to KQED, Kingsbarn’s lawyer Lanny J. Davis confirmed the group is pursuing the land exchange to build a new access road from its property to the park.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Previous owners have pushed for the same deal since the early 2000s and \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/press/2012/new-roads-into-yosemite-valley-rejected-by-federal-court\">failed\u003c/a> in court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Previous owners have pushed for the same deal since the early 2000s and \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/press/2012/new-roads-into-yosemite-valley-rejected-by-federal-court\">failed\u003c/a> in court.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), who signed on to the letter, called the proposal “indefensible,” and said he’s looking at state laws to ensure a similar proposal could never slip through.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), who signed on to the letter, called the proposal “indefensible,” and said he’s looking at state laws to ensure a similar proposal could never slip through.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If the Trump administration can’t defend this publicly in broad daylight, then they shouldn’t be doing it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If the Trump administration can’t defend this publicly in broad daylight, then they shouldn’t be doing it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Marin) told \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915115/trump-administration-allow-private-development-in-yosemite\">KQED’s Forum on Wednesday\u003c/a> that he’s worried there isn’t enough opposition among his Republican colleagues in Congress to stop the Trump administration’s efforts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Marin) told \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915115/trump-administration-allow-private-development-in-yosemite\">KQED’s Forum on Wednesday\u003c/a> that he’s worried there isn’t enough opposition among his Republican colleagues in Congress to stop the Trump administration’s efforts. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have not seen a single Republican colleague willing to stand up to Donald Trump when he decides that he’s just going to do something,” Huffman said. “So that is my concern, that he just plows ahead with this — even if it has dubious legal authority, or even if it’s an open violation of the law. He’s doing stuff like that anyway. And in this Congress, there’s no one here to stop him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson), whose district includes parts of Yosemite, said she will “keep pressing the Department [of the Interior] for a clear answer that this exchange will not proceed.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since the news of the deal broke late last week, it has sparked condemnation from a number of Democratic state leaders, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/alexpadilla4ca/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-sale-smidurl-share/1614990713322959/\">Sens. Alex Padilla\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/SenAdamSchiff/status/2093448467758690464\">Adam Schiff\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2093447502632796326\">Attorney General Rob Bonta\u003c/a> and Bonta’s predecessor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/becerraforgovernor/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-saleit-is-unacceptable-that-the-trump-administration-is-repo/1625938552231560/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095034/becerra-easily-leading-california-governors-race-defined-by-partisan-split-poll-shows\">leads the race\u003c/a> for California governor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since the news of the deal broke late last week, it has sparked condemnation from a number of Democratic state leaders, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/alexpadilla4ca/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-sale-smidurl-share/1614990713322959/\">Sens. Alex Padilla\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/SenAdamSchiff/status/2093448467758690464\">Adam Schiff\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2093447502632796326\">Attorney General Rob Bonta\u003c/a> and Bonta’s predecessor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/becerraforgovernor/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-saleit-is-unacceptable-that-the-trump-administration-is-repo/1625938552231560/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095034/becerra-easily-leading-california-governors-race-defined-by-partisan-split-poll-shows\">leads the race\u003c/a> for California governor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12060933\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate during a protest against federal employee layoffs at Yosemite National Park, California, on March 1, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Laure Andrillon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12060933\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate during a protest against federal employee layoffs at Yosemite National Park, California, on March 1, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Laure Andrillon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The secretive backroom land-exchange scheme has gotten everyone’s attention,” said Neal Desai, senior Pacific regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association. “I can’t recall another issue — and I’ve been working in the conservation space for over a couple of decades — where the response has been this sharp and so one-sided that this is a terrible idea that should not happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The backlash comes at a turbulent time for National Park Service employees, who have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060911/new-trump-layoffs-could-put-hundreds-more-national-park-service-employees-on-the-chopping-block\">faced layoffs,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066741/a-morale-bomb-national-park-workers-face-wage-cuts-and-dubiously-legal-review-system\">staffing cuts\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055659/national-park-service-california-yosemite-muir-woods-trump-executive-order\">fear of retaliation\u003c/a> for speaking up against Trump administration policies since the start of the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The backlash comes at a turbulent time for National Park Service employees, who have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060911/new-trump-layoffs-could-put-hundreds-more-national-park-service-employees-on-the-chopping-block\">faced layoffs,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066741/a-morale-bomb-national-park-workers-face-wage-cuts-and-dubiously-legal-review-system\">staffing cuts\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055659/national-park-service-california-yosemite-muir-woods-trump-executive-order\">fear of retaliation\u003c/a> for speaking up against Trump administration policies since the start of the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some former employees have also raised concerns about a potential reorganization of the National Park Service, according to a separate \u003ca href=\"https://protectnps.org/2026/09/02/former-national-park-superintendents-warn-interior-secretary-national-parks-are-in-crisis/\">letter\u003c/a> sent to Burgum’s office Wednesday. According to an email seen by KQED, park superintendents have been asked to attend in-person regional meetings in September — with no clear agenda beyond discussing “agency priorities, our FY 2026 outlook, and other matters important to the work ahead.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some former employees have also raised concerns about a potential reorganization of the National Park Service, according to a separate \u003ca href=\"https://protectnps.org/2026/09/02/former-national-park-superintendents-warn-interior-secretary-national-parks-are-in-crisis/\">letter\u003c/a> sent to Burgum’s office Wednesday. According to an email seen by KQED, park superintendents have been asked to attend in-person regional meetings in September — with no clear agenda beyond discussing “agency priorities, our FY 2026 outlook, and other matters important to the work ahead.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The letter to Burgam, signed by 20 retired parks superintendents warns: “An ill-advised and hastily planned reorganization could dismantle that structure, putting our parks — and those who visit them — at great risk.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Backlash against a proposed deal to develop a private road into Yosemite has intensified as National Park Service employees grapple with an uncertain future.",
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"title": "‘Yosemite Is Not for Sale’: California Officials Oppose Land-Swap Deal | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A group of California lawmakers called on federal officials to halt and reject \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097316/trump-administration-reportedly-considers-development-of-private-road-in-yosemite\">a proposed land exchange\u003c/a> in Yosemite National Park that would allow a private developer to take control of a strip of land in the park for an access road to the park’s main attractions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L2Dvbwl_sEEu_lf3TiVOTtok7kmVOm2U/view\">letter\u003c/a> to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Wednesday was signed by a bipartisan group of 61 state legislators led by Assemblymember Greg Wallis, a Republican who represents Riverside and San Bernardino counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Republicans and Democrats from both houses of the Legislature are standing together because some things are bigger than politics,” Wallis said in a statement. “Yosemite is not a subdivision. It is not a bargaining chip. And it is not for sale. Secretary Burgum and the administration should put an end to this proposal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12048542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/BurgumSFVisit1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (center) visited the Tunnel Tops in San Francisco in 2025 after he and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi toured Alcatraz ahead of their announcement to reopen the former federal prison. (Katie DeBenedetti/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group argued that the proposed land exchange is counter to the mission of the National Park Service and the founding of Yosemite in 1864, which set aside the start of the park for public use and protection for the first time in the history of the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What is being proposed now runs directly against that founding principle, more than a century and a half later,” the letter states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It continues later: “Our national parks belong equally to every American. They are not the Department’s to trade away, and they are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposal was \u003ca href=\"https://www.notus.org/agencies/trump-administration-yosemite-private-developer-deal\">first reported\u003c/a> by news outlet NOTUS, which published a story last week alleging that members of the Trump administration were meeting with representatives of Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a private equity group that owns an 83-acre parcel next to the park. In an email to KQED, Kingsbarn’s lawyer Lanny J. Davis confirmed the group is pursuing the land exchange to build a new access road from its property to the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previous owners have pushed for the same deal since the early 2000s and \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/press/2012/new-roads-into-yosemite-valley-rejected-by-federal-court\">failed\u003c/a> in court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), who signed on to the letter, called the proposal “indefensible,” and said he’s looking at state laws to ensure a similar proposal could never slip through.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the Trump administration can’t defend this publicly in broad daylight, then they shouldn’t be doing it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Marin) told \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915115/trump-administration-allow-private-development-in-yosemite\">KQED’s Forum on Wednesday\u003c/a> that he’s worried there isn’t enough opposition among his Republican colleagues in Congress to stop the Trump administration’s efforts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have not seen a single Republican colleague willing to stand up to Donald Trump when he decides that he’s just going to do something,” Huffman said. “So that is my concern, that he just plows ahead with this — even if it has dubious legal authority, or even if it’s an open violation of the law. He’s doing stuff like that anyway. And in this Congress, there’s no one here to stop him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson), whose district includes parts of Yosemite, said she will “keep pressing the Department [of the Interior] for a clear answer that this exchange will not proceed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the news of the deal broke late last week, it has sparked condemnation from a number of Democratic state leaders, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/alexpadilla4ca/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-sale-smidurl-share/1614990713322959/\">Sens. Alex Padilla\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/SenAdamSchiff/status/2093448467758690464\">Adam Schiff\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2093447502632796326\">Attorney General Rob Bonta\u003c/a> and Bonta’s predecessor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/becerraforgovernor/posts/yosemite-is-not-for-saleit-is-unacceptable-that-the-trump-administration-is-repo/1625938552231560/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a>, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095034/becerra-easily-leading-california-governors-race-defined-by-partisan-split-poll-shows\">leads the race\u003c/a> for California governor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12060933\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/NationalParkServiceGetty-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People demonstrate during a protest against federal employee layoffs at Yosemite National Park, California, on March 1, 2025. (Laure Andrillon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The secretive backroom land-exchange scheme has gotten everyone’s attention,” said Neal Desai, senior Pacific regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association. “I can’t recall another issue — and I’ve been working in the conservation space for over a couple of decades — where the response has been this sharp and so one-sided that this is a terrible idea that should not happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The backlash comes at a turbulent time for National Park Service employees, who have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060911/new-trump-layoffs-could-put-hundreds-more-national-park-service-employees-on-the-chopping-block\">faced layoffs,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066741/a-morale-bomb-national-park-workers-face-wage-cuts-and-dubiously-legal-review-system\">staffing cuts\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055659/national-park-service-california-yosemite-muir-woods-trump-executive-order\">fear of retaliation\u003c/a> for speaking up against Trump administration policies since the start of the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some former employees have also raised concerns about a potential reorganization of the National Park Service, according to a separate \u003ca href=\"https://protectnps.org/2026/09/02/former-national-park-superintendents-warn-interior-secretary-national-parks-are-in-crisis/\">letter\u003c/a> sent to Burgum’s office Wednesday. According to an email seen by KQED, park superintendents have been asked to attend in-person regional meetings in September — with no clear agenda beyond discussing “agency priorities, our FY 2026 outlook, and other matters important to the work ahead.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter to Burgam, signed by 20 retired parks superintendents warns: “An ill-advised and hastily planned reorganization could dismantle that structure, putting our parks — and those who visit them — at great risk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251028-YOSEMITESHUTDOWN-93-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tour guide William Fontana points visitors to climbers on El Capitan during a tour of the Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Oct. 28, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, which organized the letter, said the email about regional meetings “raises some alarm bells.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Park Service is already operating from a difficult place, from a place of crisis,” she said. “And any additional cuts, any movements or actions that would further jeopardize the capacity of the folks that are left, that’s concerning. It’s worrying, and it’ll have a devastating impact on the Park Service.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Among the letter’s signatories is Don Neubacher, retired Yosemite superintendent, who has been a vocal advocate for parks amid the Trump administration’s changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson said she’s worried parks leaders will be stretched even further than they already are, and local decision-making over parks could be in jeopardy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Morale is low,” Thompson said. “It’s a hard time to be a federal employee. Anything that … contributes to this culture of fear, it’s just not acceptable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Stanford University Professor Joshua Rauh argues that the proposed billionaire tax on California’s November ballot would face legal challenges, raise far less than proponents claim and push wealthy residents out of the state. Rauh, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, recently authored a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hoover.org/research/net-present-value-billionaire-tax-act-assessment-fiscal-effects-californias-proposed\">study examining the potential effects\u003c/a> of the tax if voters approve it this fall. Marisa sits down with Rauh to discuss the case against Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, five percent tax on the overall wealth of California’s billionaires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Stanford University Professor Joshua Rauh argues that the proposed billionaire tax on California’s November ballot would face legal challenges, raise far less than proponents claim and push wealthy residents out of the state. Rauh, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, recently authored a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hoover.org/research/net-present-value-billionaire-tax-act-assessment-fiscal-effects-californias-proposed\">study examining the potential effects\u003c/a> of the tax if voters approve it this fall. Marisa sits down with Rauh to discuss the case against Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, five percent tax on the overall wealth of California’s billionaires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Deal on California Wildfire Liability Collapses in Legislature",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097357/newsom-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deal-on-wildfire-fallout\">last-minute legislative deal\u003c/a> to change California’s rules governing the fallout of damaging \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfires\u003c/a> sparked by utility equipment fell apart Tuesday, after the state Assembly ended its regular session without a vote on the plan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915096/who-should-pay-when-utilities-companies-start-a-fire\">agreement announced\u003c/a> on Saturday between Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and legislative leaders sought to speed up payments for fire victims, limited compensation for power company executives after utility-caused fires, and prevented insurance companies from selling their right to sue utilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After months of negotiations that pitted California utilities against insurance companies, supporters heralded the deal as a first step toward better aiding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">wildfire survivors\u003c/a> and shielding utilities from expensive legal settlements that have contributed to rising electric bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the leaders of PG&E and the parent company of SoCal Edison said the deal did not go far enough to ease the financial risks they face when their equipment starts a damaging blaze. Under California law, utilities are liable for damage caused by their equipment, regardless of whether they are found to have acted negligently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084670\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on May 14, 2026, in Sacramento. (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stocks for PG&E and Edison International tumbled after the compromise was announced over the weekend, and Newsom — who had initially pushed for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097383/newsoms-wildfire-gamble-and-two-voting-court-cases\">shifting more liability away from utilities\u003c/a> — publicly criticized the deal he had struck. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reforms in this bill, while important, did not address the underlying structural problems driving this crisis, as the initial market reaction this week demonstrates,” the governor said in a statement Tuesday after the bill’s failure. “Simply put, this measure did not meet the gravity of this moment. The only solution is to return to fix the entire problem, not part of it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office did not respond to a question about whether the governor would call a special session to continue work on the issue this fall. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature convened on Tuesday morning, a day after the regular legislative session was scheduled to end, to cast a vote on a few remaining bills.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But moments before the Assembly ended its session, Speaker Robert Rivas announced that the chamber would not be holding a vote on the wildfire agreement, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB492\">Senate Bill 492\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We made this decision that we’re going to go back to work this fall,” Rivas said. “We’re not going to stop until we have done everything possible for those who have lost everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rivas’ announcement marked a surprising twist on a topic central to Newsom’s legacy as governor, as his final term ends in January. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weeks after Newsom took office in 2019, PG&E declared bankruptcy in the face of tens of billions of dollars in liabilities from the deadly Camp Fire in Northern California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the years since, wildfire liabilities have shaken the state’s insurance and electricity markets. Home insurers have raised premiums and exited the state completely in the face of massive losses, while utility spending on settlements and wildfire prevention has driven up California’s electricity rates to the second highest in the nation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wildfire liability costs now account for roughly 5% of Californians’ average monthly electricity bill, according to the California Public Utilities Commission, while wildfire mitigation — such as burying power lines and trimming trees — makes up about 15%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom proposed a major shift in wildfire risk from utilities to home insurers. His initial plan would have banned insurance companies from filing lawsuits against utilities, known as subrogation claims, to recover the payments they had made to wildfire victims. It would also have placed limits on claims of noneconomic damages and the amounts that local governments can recoup from utilities for destroyed infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"After the heavy toll of the Los Angeles fires, California regulators are moving ahead with rules to limit or clear vegetation within five feet of homes, a zone where flammable materials pose a\" class=\"wp-image-12068944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-2000x1333.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a home during a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images North America)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But those changes met resistance from a formidable coalition of insurance companies, attorneys and wildfire-victim groups who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized the governor’s push\u003c/a> as a bailout of the utilities that would discourage the power giants from prioritizing fire safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deal announced in SB 492 would have restricted insurance companies only from selling their right to file such claims to private-equity firms. The bill would have also established a fast-pay system for fire victims, prevented utility executives from receiving bonuses after a utility-caused fire, authorized the creation of a statewide plan to reduce fire risk and capped the attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survivor-advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network took a neutral position on the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This bill was a balanced and meaningful first step with the understanding that we would continue working on the larger structural issues next year,” said Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, the bill’s author. “I am disappointed we could not deliver these reforms today, but I will not stop working on behalf of wildfire survivors.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath.jpg\" alt=\"A man looks over his burned home, destroyed by the Camp Fire in Nov. 2018 in Paradise. The deadline for 70,000 survivors of numerous fires to vote on a multi-billion-dollar settlement deal with PG&E was May 15.\" class=\"wp-image-11820077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath-1020x680.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man looks over his burned home, destroyed by the Camp Fire in November 2018, in Paradise, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Democrats in the Legislature rebuffed Newsom’s proposed changes to limit utilities’ liability, PG&E’s share price dropped from over $18 on Friday to just above $13 on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A large segment of the entities that used to own California utilities — pension funds, kind of boring investors that need safe, reliable investments — were like, ‘We’re out of here, this is too much,’ and they sold their stock, and the stock fell as a result,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The people that buy stock in that context are bargain shoppers looking for ways to make a lot of money fast — that’s called a hedge fund,” Wara added. “The thing we should worry about as Californians … is that the shareholders of the companies, the new shareholders, are going to do things to California to try to make a lot of money after they bought the stock cheap yesterday.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The conversation on where to place liability for destructive wildfires is not over, Wara said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do we want to solve this problem ahead of time … or do we want to solve it in the context of the next utility bankruptcy?” Wara asked. “That is not a better place to solve this problem, but it may be where we have to solve it because the politics are so hard.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915096/who-should-pay-when-utilities-companies-start-a-fire\">agreement announced\u003c/a> on Saturday between Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and legislative leaders sought to speed up payments for fire victims, limited compensation for power company executives after utility-caused fires, and prevented insurance companies from selling their right to sue utilities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After months of negotiations that pitted California utilities against insurance companies, supporters heralded the deal as a first step toward better aiding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">wildfire survivors\u003c/a> and shielding utilities from expensive legal settlements that have contributed to rising electric bills. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After months of negotiations that pitted California utilities against insurance companies, supporters heralded the deal as a first step toward better aiding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">wildfire survivors\u003c/a> and shielding utilities from expensive legal settlements that have contributed to rising electric bills. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the leaders of PG&E and the parent company of SoCal Edison said the deal did not go far enough to ease the financial risks they face when their equipment starts a damaging blaze. Under California law, utilities are liable for damage caused by their equipment, regardless of whether they are found to have acted negligently. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the leaders of PG&E and the parent company of SoCal Edison said the deal did not go far enough to ease the financial risks they face when their equipment starts a damaging blaze. Under California law, utilities are liable for damage caused by their equipment, regardless of whether they are found to have acted negligently. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084670\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on May 14, 2026, in Sacramento.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stocks for PG&E and Edison International tumbled after the compromise was announced over the weekend, and Newsom — who had initially pushed for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097383/newsoms-wildfire-gamble-and-two-voting-court-cases\">shifting more liability away from utilities\u003c/a> — publicly criticized the deal he had struck. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Stocks for PG&E and Edison International tumbled after the compromise was announced over the weekend, and Newsom — who had initially pushed for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097383/newsoms-wildfire-gamble-and-two-voting-court-cases\">shifting more liability away from utilities\u003c/a> — publicly criticized the deal he had struck. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The reforms in this bill, while important, did not address the underlying structural problems driving this crisis, as the initial market reaction this week demonstrates,” the governor said in a statement Tuesday after the bill’s failure. “Simply put, this measure did not meet the gravity of this moment. The only solution is to return to fix the entire problem, not part of it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The reforms in this bill, while important, did not address the underlying structural problems driving this crisis, as the initial market reaction this week demonstrates,” the governor said in a statement Tuesday after the bill’s failure. “Simply put, this measure did not meet the gravity of this moment. The only solution is to return to fix the entire problem, not part of it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office did not respond to a question about whether the governor would call a special session to continue work on the issue this fall. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Legislature convened on Tuesday morning, a day after the regular legislative session was scheduled to end, to cast a vote on a few remaining bills.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But moments before the Assembly ended its session, Speaker Robert Rivas announced that the chamber would not be holding a vote on the wildfire agreement, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB492\">Senate Bill 492\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But moments before the Assembly ended its session, Speaker Robert Rivas announced that the chamber would not be holding a vote on the wildfire agreement, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB492\">Senate Bill 492\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We made this decision that we’re going to go back to work this fall,” Rivas said. “We’re not going to stop until we have done everything possible for those who have lost everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We made this decision that we’re going to go back to work this fall,” Rivas said. “We’re not going to stop until we have done everything possible for those who have lost everything.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rivas’ announcement marked a surprising twist on a topic central to Newsom’s legacy as governor, as his final term ends in January. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weeks after Newsom took office in 2019, PG&E declared bankruptcy in the face of tens of billions of dollars in liabilities from the deadly Camp Fire in Northern California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the years since, wildfire liabilities have shaken the state’s insurance and electricity markets. Home insurers have raised premiums and exited the state completely in the face of massive losses, while utility spending on settlements and wildfire prevention has driven up California’s electricity rates to the second highest in the nation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the years since, wildfire liabilities have shaken the state’s insurance and electricity markets. Home insurers have raised premiums and exited the state completely in the face of massive losses, while utility spending on settlements and wildfire prevention has driven up California’s electricity rates to the second highest in the nation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wildfire liability costs now account for roughly 5% of Californians’ average monthly electricity bill, according to the California Public Utilities Commission, while wildfire mitigation — such as burying power lines and trimming trees — makes up about 15%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wildfire liability costs now account for roughly 5% of Californians’ average monthly electricity bill, according to the California Public Utilities Commission, while wildfire mitigation — such as burying power lines and trimming trees — makes up about 15%. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom proposed a major shift in wildfire risk from utilities to home insurers. His initial plan would have banned insurance companies from filing lawsuits against utilities, known as subrogation claims, to recover the payments they had made to wildfire victims. It would also have placed limits on claims of noneconomic damages and the amounts that local governments can recoup from utilities for destroyed infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom proposed a major shift in wildfire risk from utilities to home insurers. His initial plan would have banned insurance companies from filing lawsuits against utilities, known as subrogation claims, to recover the payments they had made to wildfire victims. It would also have placed limits on claims of noneconomic damages and the amounts that local governments can recoup from utilities for destroyed infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"After the heavy toll of the Los Angeles fires, California regulators are moving ahead with rules to limit or clear vegetation within five feet of homes, a zone where flammable materials pose a\" class=\"wp-image-12068944\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a home during a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Apu Gomes/Getty Images North America)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But those changes met resistance from a formidable coalition of insurance companies, attorneys and wildfire-victim groups who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized the governor’s push\u003c/a> as a bailout of the utilities that would discourage the power giants from prioritizing fire safety. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But those changes met resistance from a formidable coalition of insurance companies, attorneys and wildfire-victim groups who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized the governor’s push\u003c/a> as a bailout of the utilities that would discourage the power giants from prioritizing fire safety. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The deal announced in SB 492 would have restricted insurance companies only from selling their right to file such claims to private-equity firms. The bill would have also established a fast-pay system for fire victims, prevented utility executives from receiving bonuses after a utility-caused fire, authorized the creation of a statewide plan to reduce fire risk and capped the attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The deal announced in SB 492 would have restricted insurance companies only from selling their right to file such claims to private-equity firms. The bill would have also established a fast-pay system for fire victims, prevented utility executives from receiving bonuses after a utility-caused fire, authorized the creation of a statewide plan to reduce fire risk and capped the attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survivor-advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network took a neutral position on the legislation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This bill was a balanced and meaningful first step with the understanding that we would continue working on the larger structural issues next year,” said Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, the bill’s author. “I am disappointed we could not deliver these reforms today, but I will not stop working on behalf of wildfire survivors.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This bill was a balanced and meaningful first step with the understanding that we would continue working on the larger structural issues next year,” said Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, the bill’s author. “I am disappointed we could not deliver these reforms today, but I will not stop working on behalf of wildfire survivors.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "A man looks over his burned home, destroyed by the Camp Fire in Nov. 2018 in Paradise. The deadline for 70,000 survivors of numerous fires to vote on a multi-billion-dollar settlement deal with PG&E was May 15.",
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"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath.jpg\" alt=\"A man looks over his burned home, destroyed by the Camp Fire in Nov. 2018 in Paradise. The deadline for 70,000 survivors of numerous fires to vote on a multi-billion-dollar settlement deal with PG&E was May 15.\" class=\"wp-image-11820077\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man looks over his burned home, destroyed by the Camp Fire in November 2018, in Paradise, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Democrats in the Legislature rebuffed Newsom’s proposed changes to limit utilities’ liability, PG&E’s share price dropped from over $18 on Friday to just above $13 on Monday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Democrats in the Legislature rebuffed Newsom’s proposed changes to limit utilities’ liability, PG&E’s share price dropped from over $18 on Friday to just above $13 on Monday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A large segment of the entities that used to own California utilities — pension funds, kind of boring investors that need safe, reliable investments — were like, ‘We’re out of here, this is too much,’ and they sold their stock, and the stock fell as a result,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“A large segment of the entities that used to own California utilities — pension funds, kind of boring investors that need safe, reliable investments — were like, ‘We’re out of here, this is too much,’ and they sold their stock, and the stock fell as a result,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The people that buy stock in that context are bargain shoppers looking for ways to make a lot of money fast — that’s called a hedge fund,” Wara added. “The thing we should worry about as Californians … is that the shareholders of the companies, the new shareholders, are going to do things to California to try to make a lot of money after they bought the stock cheap yesterday.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The people that buy stock in that context are bargain shoppers looking for ways to make a lot of money fast — that’s called a hedge fund,” Wara added. “The thing we should worry about as Californians … is that the shareholders of the companies, the new shareholders, are going to do things to California to try to make a lot of money after they bought the stock cheap yesterday.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The conversation on where to place liability for destructive wildfires is not over, Wara said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The conversation on where to place liability for destructive wildfires is not over, Wara said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Do we want to solve this problem ahead of time … or do we want to solve it in the context of the next utility bankruptcy?” Wara asked. “That is not a better place to solve this problem, but it may be where we have to solve it because the politics are so hard.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Do we want to solve this problem ahead of time … or do we want to solve it in the context of the next utility bankruptcy?” Wara asked. “That is not a better place to solve this problem, but it may be where we have to solve it because the politics are so hard.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the deal he reached just days ago with legislative leaders, which utilities said did not go far enough to ease their financial risks. ",
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"title": "Deal on California Wildfire Liability Collapses in Legislature | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097357/newsom-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deal-on-wildfire-fallout\">last-minute legislative deal\u003c/a> to change California’s rules governing the fallout of damaging \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfires\u003c/a> sparked by utility equipment fell apart Tuesday, after the state Assembly ended its regular session without a vote on the plan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915096/who-should-pay-when-utilities-companies-start-a-fire\">agreement announced\u003c/a> on Saturday between Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and legislative leaders sought to speed up payments for fire victims, limited compensation for power company executives after utility-caused fires, and prevented insurance companies from selling their right to sue utilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After months of negotiations that pitted California utilities against insurance companies, supporters heralded the deal as a first step toward better aiding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">wildfire survivors\u003c/a> and shielding utilities from expensive legal settlements that have contributed to rising electric bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the leaders of PG&E and the parent company of SoCal Edison said the deal did not go far enough to ease the financial risks they face when their equipment starts a damaging blaze. Under California law, utilities are liable for damage caused by their equipment, regardless of whether they are found to have acted negligently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084670\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on May 14, 2026, in Sacramento. (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stocks for PG&E and Edison International tumbled after the compromise was announced over the weekend, and Newsom — who had initially pushed for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097383/newsoms-wildfire-gamble-and-two-voting-court-cases\">shifting more liability away from utilities\u003c/a> — publicly criticized the deal he had struck. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reforms in this bill, while important, did not address the underlying structural problems driving this crisis, as the initial market reaction this week demonstrates,” the governor said in a statement Tuesday after the bill’s failure. “Simply put, this measure did not meet the gravity of this moment. The only solution is to return to fix the entire problem, not part of it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s office did not respond to a question about whether the governor would call a special session to continue work on the issue this fall. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature convened on Tuesday morning, a day after the regular legislative session was scheduled to end, to cast a vote on a few remaining bills.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But moments before the Assembly ended its session, Speaker Robert Rivas announced that the chamber would not be holding a vote on the wildfire agreement, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB492\">Senate Bill 492\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We made this decision that we’re going to go back to work this fall,” Rivas said. “We’re not going to stop until we have done everything possible for those who have lost everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rivas’ announcement marked a surprising twist on a topic central to Newsom’s legacy as governor, as his final term ends in January. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weeks after Newsom took office in 2019, PG&E declared bankruptcy in the face of tens of billions of dollars in liabilities from the deadly Camp Fire in Northern California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the years since, wildfire liabilities have shaken the state’s insurance and electricity markets. Home insurers have raised premiums and exited the state completely in the face of massive losses, while utility spending on settlements and wildfire prevention has driven up California’s electricity rates to the second highest in the nation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wildfire liability costs now account for roughly 5% of Californians’ average monthly electricity bill, according to the California Public Utilities Commission, while wildfire mitigation — such as burying power lines and trimming trees — makes up about 15%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom proposed a major shift in wildfire risk from utilities to home insurers. His initial plan would have banned insurance companies from filing lawsuits against utilities, known as subrogation claims, to recover the payments they had made to wildfire victims. It would also have placed limits on claims of noneconomic damages and the amounts that local governments can recoup from utilities for destroyed infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"After the heavy toll of the Los Angeles fires, California regulators are moving ahead with rules to limit or clear vegetation within five feet of homes, a zone where flammable materials pose a\" class=\"wp-image-12068944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-2000x1333.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/gettyimages-2192342554-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a home during a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images North America)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But those changes met resistance from a formidable coalition of insurance companies, attorneys and wildfire-victim groups who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized the governor’s push\u003c/a> as a bailout of the utilities that would discourage the power giants from prioritizing fire safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deal announced in SB 492 would have restricted insurance companies only from selling their right to file such claims to private-equity firms. The bill would have also established a fast-pay system for fire victims, prevented utility executives from receiving bonuses after a utility-caused fire, authorized the creation of a statewide plan to reduce fire risk and capped the attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survivor-advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network took a neutral position on the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This bill was a balanced and meaningful first step with the understanding that we would continue working on the larger structural issues next year,” said Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, the bill’s author. “I am disappointed we could not deliver these reforms today, but I will not stop working on behalf of wildfire survivors.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath.jpg\" alt=\"A man looks over his burned home, destroyed by the Camp Fire in Nov. 2018 in Paradise. The deadline for 70,000 survivors of numerous fires to vote on a multi-billion-dollar settlement deal with PG&E was May 15.\" class=\"wp-image-11820077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Camp-Fire-Aftermath-1020x680.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man looks over his burned home, destroyed by the Camp Fire in November 2018, in Paradise, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Democrats in the Legislature rebuffed Newsom’s proposed changes to limit utilities’ liability, PG&E’s share price dropped from over $18 on Friday to just above $13 on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A large segment of the entities that used to own California utilities — pension funds, kind of boring investors that need safe, reliable investments — were like, ‘We’re out of here, this is too much,’ and they sold their stock, and the stock fell as a result,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The people that buy stock in that context are bargain shoppers looking for ways to make a lot of money fast — that’s called a hedge fund,” Wara added. “The thing we should worry about as Californians … is that the shareholders of the companies, the new shareholders, are going to do things to California to try to make a lot of money after they bought the stock cheap yesterday.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The conversation on where to place liability for destructive wildfires is not over, Wara said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do we want to solve this problem ahead of time … or do we want to solve it in the context of the next utility bankruptcy?” Wara asked. “That is not a better place to solve this problem, but it may be where we have to solve it because the politics are so hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-to-buy-defunct-horse-track-and-turn-it-into-the-bay-areas-newest-public-park",
"title": "California to Buy Defunct Horse Track and Turn It Into the Bay Area’s Newest Public Park",
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"headTitle": "California to Buy Defunct Horse Track and Turn It Into the Bay Area’s Newest Public Park | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Keeping up with your California representatives felt impossible before. Now you can watch them like a hawk: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/my-legislator/\">\u003cem>Sign up for My Legislator\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, your weekly, personalized report that tracks what your state representatives say and do.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers will spend up to $125 million in state funds to help buy and turn Golden Gate Fields, the 161-acre former horse racing track along the East Bay shoreline, into a public park — a priority of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The funding will come from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">Proposition 4\u003c/a>, the voter-approved $10 billion bond for climate projects such as drinking water, wildfire prevention and land conservation, despite concerns from environmental advocates and lawmakers that diverting the money would drain limited resources from those other priorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Golden Gate Fields, owned by Canadian company The Stronach Group, closed in 2024 after an 83-year run as \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-06-09/golden-gate-fields-closes-california-racing-struggles\">interest in horse racing dwindled\u003c/a>. In March, Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit advocating for park access, \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-secures-option-on-former-golden-gate-fields-site-launching-effort-in-partnership-with-east-bay-regional-park-district-to-transform-161-acre-waterfront-into-future-east\">announced its intention\u003c/a> to raise $175 million to buy the land, transfer the deed to the East Bay Regional Park District and transform it into a publicly accessible waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan drew support from local officials and state lawmakers representing the area, who deemed it a valuable opportunity to restore the coastline, expand access to public amenities and revitalize surrounding disadvantaged communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078408\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track along the Berkeley shoreline, on April 1, 2026. The track closed in 2024, and the Trust for Public Land is working to turn the site into a public park. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The track sits west of Interstate 80 in Berkeley with public beaches behind it; the city is on the opposite side of the highway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a major victory for our region,” said Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jesse-arreguin-156369\">Jesse Arreguín\u003c/a>, a Berkeley Democrat, in March. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two months later, while presenting his \u003ca href=\"https://ebudget.ca.gov/2026-27/pdf/Revised/BudgetSummary/NaturalResourcesandEnvironment.pdf\">May budget plan\u003c/a>, Newsom proposed that the state foot most of the bill. The park district pledged $20 million and the nonprofit is expected to raise $30 million to make up the rest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This acquisition is a once-in-a-century opportunity to repurpose a former horse racing track into an iconic shoreline park and recreational hub, which will restore nature and expand open space and Bayshore access for millions of Bay Area residents,” Newsom’s May budget proposal reads.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s proposal is now included in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab113\">Assembly Bill/Senate Bill 113\u003c/a>, which lawmakers are poised to adopt by Tuesday. Under the legislation, if the nonprofit and the park district raise more than $50 million by the end of the year, the state could pay less than $125 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/eloise-gomez-reyes-165418\">Eloise Gomez-Reyes\u003c/a>, a San Bernardino Democrat who chairs the Senate budget subcommittee on resources, said she’s concerned the sizable investment would delay other funding priorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The problem is, $125 million out of Prop. 4 is a lot of money,” she told CalMatters earlier this month. “Trying to find the best way to take care of the needs of Californians is not always the easiest thing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Annie Burke, executive director of conservationist coalition TOGETHER Bay Area, \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/06/05/golden-gate-fields-gavin-newsom-berkeley-prop-4\">told lawmakers\u003c/a> earlier this year that the “transformative” investment could “take funding away from the competitive grant-making program that those funds were originally allocated to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s critical that we invest in smaller projects which are capably led by Native American Tribes, Native-led organizations, community-based organizations, and many others,” she wrote in a letter to lawmakers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Keeping up with your California representatives felt impossible before. Now you can watch them like a hawk: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/my-legislator/\">\u003cem>Sign up for My Legislator\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, your weekly, personalized report that tracks what your state representatives say and do.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers will spend up to $125 million in state funds to help buy and turn Golden Gate Fields, the 161-acre former horse racing track along the East Bay shoreline, into a public park — a priority of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The funding will come from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">Proposition 4\u003c/a>, the voter-approved $10 billion bond for climate projects such as drinking water, wildfire prevention and land conservation, despite concerns from environmental advocates and lawmakers that diverting the money would drain limited resources from those other priorities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Golden Gate Fields, owned by Canadian company The Stronach Group, closed in 2024 after an 83-year run as \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-06-09/golden-gate-fields-closes-california-racing-struggles\">interest in horse racing dwindled\u003c/a>. In March, Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit advocating for park access, \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-secures-option-on-former-golden-gate-fields-site-launching-effort-in-partnership-with-east-bay-regional-park-district-to-transform-161-acre-waterfront-into-future-east\">announced its intention\u003c/a> to raise $175 million to buy the land, transfer the deed to the East Bay Regional Park District and transform it into a publicly accessible waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Golden Gate Fields, owned by Canadian company The Stronach Group, closed in 2024 after an 83-year run as \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-06-09/golden-gate-fields-closes-california-racing-struggles\">interest in horse racing dwindled\u003c/a>. In March, Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit advocating for park access, \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-secures-option-on-former-golden-gate-fields-site-launching-effort-in-partnership-with-east-bay-regional-park-district-to-transform-161-acre-waterfront-into-future-east\">announced its intention\u003c/a> to raise $175 million to buy the land, transfer the deed to the East Bay Regional Park District and transform it into a publicly accessible waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The plan drew support from local officials and state lawmakers representing the area, who deemed it a valuable opportunity to restore the coastline, expand access to public amenities and revitalize surrounding disadvantaged communities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The plan drew support from local officials and state lawmakers representing the area, who deemed it a valuable opportunity to restore the coastline, expand access to public amenities and revitalize surrounding disadvantaged communities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078408\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track along the Berkeley shoreline, on April 1, 2026. The track closed in 2024, and the Trust for Public Land is working to turn the site into a public park.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078408\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track along the Berkeley shoreline, on April 1, 2026. The track closed in 2024, and the Trust for Public Land is working to turn the site into a public park.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The track sits west of Interstate 80 in Berkeley with public beaches behind it; the city is on the opposite side of the highway. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is a major victory for our region,” said Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jesse-arreguin-156369\">Jesse Arreguín\u003c/a>, a Berkeley Democrat, in March. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is a major victory for our region,” said Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jesse-arreguin-156369\">Jesse Arreguín\u003c/a>, a Berkeley Democrat, in March. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two months later, while presenting his \u003ca href=\"https://ebudget.ca.gov/2026-27/pdf/Revised/BudgetSummary/NaturalResourcesandEnvironment.pdf\">May budget plan\u003c/a>, Newsom proposed that the state foot most of the bill. The park district pledged $20 million and the nonprofit is expected to raise $30 million to make up the rest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This acquisition is a once-in-a-century opportunity to repurpose a former horse racing track into an iconic shoreline park and recreational hub, which will restore nature and expand open space and Bayshore access for millions of Bay Area residents,” Newsom’s May budget proposal reads.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom’s proposal is now included in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab113\">Assembly Bill/Senate Bill 113\u003c/a>, which lawmakers are poised to adopt by Tuesday. Under the legislation, if the nonprofit and the park district raise more than $50 million by the end of the year, the state could pay less than $125 million. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/eloise-gomez-reyes-165418\">Eloise Gomez-Reyes\u003c/a>, a San Bernardino Democrat who chairs the Senate budget subcommittee on resources, said she’s concerned the sizable investment would delay other funding priorities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The problem is, $125 million out of Prop. 4 is a lot of money,” she told CalMatters earlier this month. “Trying to find the best way to take care of the needs of Californians is not always the easiest thing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Annie Burke, executive director of conservationist coalition TOGETHER Bay Area, \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/06/05/golden-gate-fields-gavin-newsom-berkeley-prop-4\">told lawmakers\u003c/a> earlier this year that the “transformative” investment could “take funding away from the competitive grant-making program that those funds were originally allocated to.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s critical that we invest in smaller projects which are capably led by Native American Tribes, Native-led organizations, community-based organizations, and many others,” she wrote in a letter to lawmakers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California lawmakers struck a deal to divert $125 million in climate funding to buy the former Golden Gate Fields track and turn it into a park. Gov. Gavin Newsom supports the project.\n\n",
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"title": "California to Buy Defunct Horse Track and Turn It Into the Bay Area’s Newest Public Park | KQED",
"description": "California lawmakers struck a deal to divert $125 million in climate funding to buy the former Golden Gate Fields track and turn it into a park. Gov. Gavin Newsom supports the project.\n\n",
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"headline": "California to Buy Defunct Horse Track and Turn It Into the Bay Area’s Newest Public Park",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Keeping up with your California representatives felt impossible before. Now you can watch them like a hawk: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/my-legislator/\">\u003cem>Sign up for My Legislator\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, your weekly, personalized report that tracks what your state representatives say and do.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers will spend up to $125 million in state funds to help buy and turn Golden Gate Fields, the 161-acre former horse racing track along the East Bay shoreline, into a public park — a priority of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The funding will come from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/11/california-election-news-proposition-4-environment/\">Proposition 4\u003c/a>, the voter-approved $10 billion bond for climate projects such as drinking water, wildfire prevention and land conservation, despite concerns from environmental advocates and lawmakers that diverting the money would drain limited resources from those other priorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Golden Gate Fields, owned by Canadian company The Stronach Group, closed in 2024 after an 83-year run as \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-06-09/golden-gate-fields-closes-california-racing-struggles\">interest in horse racing dwindled\u003c/a>. In March, Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit advocating for park access, \u003ca href=\"https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-secures-option-on-former-golden-gate-fields-site-launching-effort-in-partnership-with-east-bay-regional-park-district-to-transform-161-acre-waterfront-into-future-east\">announced its intention\u003c/a> to raise $175 million to buy the land, transfer the deed to the East Bay Regional Park District and transform it into a publicly accessible waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan drew support from local officials and state lawmakers representing the area, who deemed it a valuable opportunity to restore the coastline, expand access to public amenities and revitalize surrounding disadvantaged communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078408\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-GOLDENGATEFIELDSPARK-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track along the Berkeley shoreline, on April 1, 2026. The track closed in 2024, and the Trust for Public Land is working to turn the site into a public park. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The track sits west of Interstate 80 in Berkeley with public beaches behind it; the city is on the opposite side of the highway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a major victory for our region,” said Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/jesse-arreguin-156369\">Jesse Arreguín\u003c/a>, a Berkeley Democrat, in March. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two months later, while presenting his \u003ca href=\"https://ebudget.ca.gov/2026-27/pdf/Revised/BudgetSummary/NaturalResourcesandEnvironment.pdf\">May budget plan\u003c/a>, Newsom proposed that the state foot most of the bill. The park district pledged $20 million and the nonprofit is expected to raise $30 million to make up the rest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This acquisition is a once-in-a-century opportunity to repurpose a former horse racing track into an iconic shoreline park and recreational hub, which will restore nature and expand open space and Bayshore access for millions of Bay Area residents,” Newsom’s May budget proposal reads.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s proposal is now included in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab113\">Assembly Bill/Senate Bill 113\u003c/a>, which lawmakers are poised to adopt by Tuesday. Under the legislation, if the nonprofit and the park district raise more than $50 million by the end of the year, the state could pay less than $125 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/eloise-gomez-reyes-165418\">Eloise Gomez-Reyes\u003c/a>, a San Bernardino Democrat who chairs the Senate budget subcommittee on resources, said she’s concerned the sizable investment would delay other funding priorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The problem is, $125 million out of Prop. 4 is a lot of money,” she told CalMatters earlier this month. “Trying to find the best way to take care of the needs of Californians is not always the easiest thing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Annie Burke, executive director of conservationist coalition TOGETHER Bay Area, \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/06/05/golden-gate-fields-gavin-newsom-berkeley-prop-4\">told lawmakers\u003c/a> earlier this year that the “transformative” investment could “take funding away from the competitive grant-making program that those funds were originally allocated to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s critical that we invest in smaller projects which are capably led by Native American Tribes, Native-led organizations, community-based organizations, and many others,” she wrote in a letter to lawmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "chatbots-data-centers-and-surveillance-5-silicon-valley-bills-land-on-newsoms-desk",
"title": "Chatbots, Data Centers and Surveillance: 5 Silicon Valley Bills Land on Newsom’s Desk",
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"headTitle": "Chatbots, Data Centers and Surveillance: 5 Silicon Valley Bills Land on Newsom’s Desk | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/politics\">legislative session\u003c/a> ended at midnight on Monday, and numerous bills ranging from housing to health care to technology cleared both the Senate and the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to decide whether he’ll veto or sign the measures. Here’s where some of the most closely watched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/technology\">tech\u003c/a> bills landed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Companion chatbots and children’s safety\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved a sweeping set of safety requirements for artificial intelligence chatbots used by children and teens. The bill, known as \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1119\">Adam’s Law\u003c/a>, builds on last year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052617/newsoms-tightrope-walk-between-ai-regulation-and-silicon-valley-cash\">SB 243\u003c/a>, which required chatbot operators to disclose when users were interacting with AI companions and to maintain protocols for detecting self-harm content. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Co-authored by San Diego Democrat Sen. Steve Padilla and Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the bill adds requirements for user age checks, safety-risk assessments before new or substantially modified companion chatbots are released, independent audits and crisis-support resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/GettyImages-2159671948-scaled-e1781542152687.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058035\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of a phone screen in Lafayette, California, on June 27, 2024, displaying Claude, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot from Anthropic powered by large language model (or LLM). (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill also requires default protections for young users, including limits on notifications, usage and persistent conversational memory. It restricts targeted advertising to children and imposes additional privacy protections. Chatbot operators could face liability for failing to take reasonable measures to prevent certain harmful outputs, including content involving self-harm, sexually explicit material, romantic role-playing and emotionally manipulative behavior. Families would have a private right of redress for certain violations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation is named for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080610/california-mom-who-lost-her-son-to-an-ai-chatbot-is-now-fighting-to-regulate-them\">Adam Raine\u003c/a>, a California teenager who died by suicide in 2025. Raine’s parents have said that Adam spent months discussing his loneliness and plans to harm himself with ChatGPT before his death. In a joint statement released after the bill successfully passed through the Legislature, Maria Raine called it “a serious and much-needed step forward for AI companion chatbot safety.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year, lawmakers also passed another bill by Padilla that enacts a four-year moratorium on the sale and manufacturing of AI-chatbot-powered toys over concerns that the technology can harm children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The technology industry has not been uniformly opposed. OpenAI supports SB 1119 and has urged Newsom to sign it, saying the legislation establishes meaningful safeguards while preserving young people’s ability to use AI for learning, creativity and other purposes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Teens are the first generation growing up with AI,” OpenAI said in a \u003ca href=\"https://openai.com/index/supporting-california-bill-advance-ai-youth-safety/\">statement\u003c/a>. “Nearly nine in ten teens who use ChatGPT turn to it for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity in a given week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That opportunity comes with a clear responsibility: teens should have experiences designed around their distinct developmental needs, with strong default protections and appropriate opportunities to learn, create, and explore.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Opponents of the legislation include the California Chamber of Commerce, the Software Information Industry Association and TechNet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom vetoed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059714/newsom-vetoes-most-watched-childrens-ai-bill-signs-16-others-targeting-tech\">stronger child-safety bill\u003c/a> last year after raising concerns that its restrictions could effectively prevent teenagers from accessing conversational AI. Though his office has not indicated whether Newsom will sign, the version now on his desk was negotiated with those concerns in mind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Data centers and ratepayer protections \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved two linked bills that would require the state to establish special rules for how large data centers pay for electricity and the infrastructure needed to serve them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb886\">SB 886\u003c/a>, also authored by Padilla, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2383\">AB 2383\u003c/a>, by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), would require the California Public Utilities Commission to create separate electricity rates and updated interconnection rules for data centers. The measures are designed to prevent electricity customers from bearing the costs of new power generation and grid upgrades needed to serve the facilities. AB 2383 is contingent on SB 886 becoming law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Big Tech keeps promising to be good neighbors, and these bills will make those promises legally enforceable,” Padilla said in a press release celebrating the passage of SB 886 and a related bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb887\">887\u003c/a>. “No more saying one thing in the White House and doing the opposite in our local communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1231\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472-1536x955.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Diego Democrat Sen. Steve Padilla. (Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation follows a year of intensifying political pressure over the expansion of data centers, which are being built to meet the enormous computing demands of AI. California has fewer giant data centers than Virginia and Texas, but the state still has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912379/californias-ai-data-centers-taking-growing-environmental-toll\">one of the largest counts overall\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The facilities have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028158/crackdown-on-power-guzzling-data-centers-may-soon-come-online-in-california\">generated growing concern\u003c/a> over their electricity and water use, as well as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064265/new-report-reveals-strain-of-data-centers-on-californias-grid\">lack of transparency\u003c/a> about their potential effect on utility bills. A Public Policy Institute of California poll released in July found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-the-environment-july-2026/\">73%\u003c/a> of Californians opposed building data centers in their communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2026, the Little Hoover Commission released \u003ca href=\"https://lhc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/LHC-Report-292-Data-Centers-California-Electricity-Policy-FINAL-PUBLIC-3.3.26.pdf\">\u003cem>Data Centers and California Electricity Policy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a report that explicitly recommends making tech companies and data center developers cover their own grid-integration costs rather than shifting the burden to everyday ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California’s electricity rates are among the highest in the nation, and affordability remains a top concern for residents,” the report states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters — including The Utility Reform Network, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Natural Resources Defense Council and utility-worker unions — argued that companies building the facilities should pay for the infrastructure their electricity demand requires. Bill sponsor TURN pointed to a California grid-planning estimate that increased demand from data centers in PG&E’s service territory, where most of the state’s projects are concentrated, could generate as much as $1.8 billion in transmission-upgrade costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097519\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A flyer that says, “No Data Center,” is posted at the Church of All Faiths in Oakland, California, on Aug. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Data Center Coalition, which represents companies including Google and Microsoft, opposed the legislation, arguing that it unfairly singled out one type of electricity customer. PG&E also opposed the original approach, warning that it could increase costs for customers and delay infrastructure needed to meet the state’s broader energy demand. Business groups argued that California’s high energy costs, limited land and additional regulation could make the state less attractive for data-center development. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bills were substantially worked over in the final weeks of the session. Earlier drafts were far more prescriptive, including provisions for mandatory on-site batteries and 100% carbon-free power for data centers by 2030. Both were stripped out in favor of giving the CPUC until July 1, 2027, to establish special tariffs and rules. Newsom and regulators in turn secured more control over how the new rate structure will work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final compromise drew criticism from some environmental and consumer advocates. They say data centers could find loopholes to avoid paying some grid costs and wriggle out of clean-energy requirements for facilities that generate their own electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s position has shifted noticeably during the course of the debate. Last year, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AB-93-Veto.pdf\">vetoed \u003c/a>legislation requiring data centers to disclose their water consumption, writing: “I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on businesses and the consumers of their technology.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom (left), looks on during an election night gathering at California Democratic headquarters in Sacramento, California, on Nov. 4, 2025. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year, however, Newsom became directly involved in negotiations over both bills. On Monday in the state Capitol, he said his administration had been working with lawmakers on several data-center bills, and that the final versions “landed fairly well,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/california-lawmakers-big-swing-newsom-data-centers-01058848\">\u003cem>Politico \u003c/em>reported\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re seeing states all across this country leaning in,” Newsom said. “We’ll be leaning in.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also said last month that companies, rather than other electricity customers, should bear the costs associated with their data-center investments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We believe that all of these investments, the costs, should be borne by the companies,” Newsom said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That makes a Newsom signature more likely here than it appeared earlier in the year, although the governor has not formally committed to signing either bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social media’s addictive features\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Senate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1709\">voted\u003c/a> to bar social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok from offering certain addictive features to users younger than 16. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), targets features on so-called “covered platforms” — which predominantly share user-generated content — designed to keep people engaged, including algorithmically driven feeds and other mechanisms that can encourage prolonged use. It also would establish an e-Safety Advisory Commission within the California Department of Justice to advise state officials on online safety and report annually to the governor and Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Common Sense Media, which sponsored the bill, is among its major supporters, along with Mothers Against Media Addiction and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill was amended as it moved through the Legislature, narrowing some of its provisions and changing how the state would oversee online safety. For supporters, the changes don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/common-sense-media-statement-on-passage-of-ab-1709\">wrote Monday\u003c/a> that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096647/why-metas-landmark-settlement-could-be-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment\">recent litigation\u003c/a> against major technology companies has exposed how deliberately social media platforms have been designed to keep children engaged.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Social media companies have engineered their products to hook children, and their own researchers proved it worked,” Steyer said in a statement. “Parents cannot out-parent an algorithm built in a lab to keep kids scrolling.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Civil Justice Association of California and trade group NetChoice, which represents major technology companies including Google, Meta and Snap, oppose the measure. Civil liberties advocates, in particular, have raised First Amendment and privacy concerns, particularly around how platforms would determine which users are under 16 and which features should be considered addictive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This well-intentioned, but deeply flawed piece of legislation, cuts young people off from essential information and experiences, particularly harming vulnerable youth and marginalized groups who often find safety in supportive online communities they can’t access offline,” the EFF \u003ca href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/eff-gov-newsom-veto-californias-ab-1709\">wrote\u003c/a> in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom has already signed several California laws aimed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005803/newsom-signs-law-to-protect-children-from-social-media-addiction\">protecting children online\u003c/a>, including legislation requiring warning labels on social media platforms. But AB 1709 could face the same free-speech and age-verification challenges that have complicated the state’s broader effort to regulate social media. A federal judge has already blocked portions of California’s existing law restricting addictive social media feeds while a legal challenge proceeds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom has not publicly indicated whether he will sign the bill, but he called on lawmakers to explore stricter youth online safety guardrails during his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069094/in-final-state-of-state-speech-gov-newsom-says-california-offers-model-for-the-nation\">final State of the State\u003c/a> address. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workplace surveillance\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California employers could face new limits on the use of AI to monitor workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1883\">AB 1883\u003c/a>, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), would prohibit employers from using AI-powered workplace-surveillance tools to collect \u003ca href=\"https://law.stanford.edu/2024/12/02/what-are-neural-data-an-invitation-to-flexible-regulatory-implementation/\">neural data\u003c/a> — sensitive personal information from a user’s nervous system — or recognize an employee’s emotional state, with some exceptions. It also covers certain other AI-based inferences about workers and allows civil penalties of up to $500 per violation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure is part of a small but growing effort by states to regulate how employers use AI to monitor and manage their workers. California’s bill is unusually focused on technologies that attempt to infer what is happening inside an employee’s body or mind. There is a narrower approach in Illinois, which regulates AI-analyzed video interviews in hiring, and in Maryland, which restricts the use of facial-recognition technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut.jpg\" alt=\"""\" class=\"wp-image-11849216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Slack headquarters on April 2, 2019, in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AB 1883 was sponsored by major state labor unions and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Business groups representing various employers opposed the bill, ranging from the American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association to the Wine Institute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation’s ambitions were softened in committees. The latest version exempts certain workplace-surveillance uses required by federal law, regulation or binding federal contracts involving aircraft, national security, military, space or defense work. Senate amendments also modified the bill’s enforcement provisions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the core prohibition survived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Workers should have a general expectation of privacy in certain areas,” said Lorena Gonzalez, who heads up the powerful California Federation of Labor Unions, to KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097046/california-labor-leader-on-ai-bills-and-billionaire-tax-measure-splitting-unions\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a> last week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Employers, Gonzalez said, are able to take advantage of outdated laws that don’t account for changes in technology. Labor interests have been at the forefront of legislation addressing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076608/what-do-san-franciscos-ai-vs-humans-billboards-say-about-our-working-futures\">AI anxieties\u003c/a> this session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You don’t want the boss reading your mind,” Gonzalez added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure comes a year after Newsom vetoed the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would have required employers to notify workers when AI was used in disciplinary or termination decisions and let employees challenge certain AI-generated decisions. In his \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SB-7-Veto.pdf\">veto message\u003c/a> last year, Newsom wrote the bill “imposes unfocused notification requirements on any business using even the most innocuous tools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AB 1883 is narrower in scope. Rather than governing how AI makes decisions about workers, it bans a single, especially invasive use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom has not said whether he will sign it. With a widely expected presidential run ahead, his decision will signal whether he’s willing to side with workers over employers and draw a hard line against AI that tries to read a worker’s mind.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/politics\">legislative session\u003c/a> ended at midnight on Monday, and numerous bills ranging from housing to health care to technology cleared both the Senate and the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to decide whether he’ll veto or sign the measures. Here’s where some of the most closely watched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/technology\">tech\u003c/a> bills landed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to decide whether he’ll veto or sign the measures. Here’s where some of the most closely watched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/technology\">tech\u003c/a> bills landed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved a sweeping set of safety requirements for artificial intelligence chatbots used by children and teens. The bill, known as \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1119\">Adam’s Law\u003c/a>, builds on last year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052617/newsoms-tightrope-walk-between-ai-regulation-and-silicon-valley-cash\">SB 243\u003c/a>, which required chatbot operators to disclose when users were interacting with AI companions and to maintain protocols for detecting self-harm content. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved a sweeping set of safety requirements for artificial intelligence chatbots used by children and teens. The bill, known as \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1119\">Adam’s Law\u003c/a>, builds on last year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052617/newsoms-tightrope-walk-between-ai-regulation-and-silicon-valley-cash\">SB 243\u003c/a>, which required chatbot operators to disclose when users were interacting with AI companions and to maintain protocols for detecting self-harm content. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Co-authored by San Diego Democrat Sen. Steve Padilla and Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the bill adds requirements for user age checks, safety-risk assessments before new or substantially modified companion chatbots are released, independent audits and crisis-support resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Co-authored by San Diego Democrat Sen. Steve Padilla and Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the bill adds requirements for user age checks, safety-risk assessments before new or substantially modified companion chatbots are released, independent audits and crisis-support resources. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/GettyImages-2159671948-scaled-e1781542152687.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058035\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of a phone screen in Lafayette, California, on June 27, 2024, displaying Claude, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot from Anthropic powered by large language model (or LLM).\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/GettyImages-2159671948-scaled-e1781542152687.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058035\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of a phone screen in Lafayette, California, on June 27, 2024, displaying Claude, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot from Anthropic powered by large language model (or LLM).\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bill also requires default protections for young users, including limits on notifications, usage and persistent conversational memory. It restricts targeted advertising to children and imposes additional privacy protections. Chatbot operators could face liability for failing to take reasonable measures to prevent certain harmful outputs, including content involving self-harm, sexually explicit material, romantic role-playing and emotionally manipulative behavior. Families would have a private right of redress for certain violations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bill also requires default protections for young users, including limits on notifications, usage and persistent conversational memory. It restricts targeted advertising to children and imposes additional privacy protections. Chatbot operators could face liability for failing to take reasonable measures to prevent certain harmful outputs, including content involving self-harm, sexually explicit material, romantic role-playing and emotionally manipulative behavior. Families would have a private right of redress for certain violations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The legislation is named for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080610/california-mom-who-lost-her-son-to-an-ai-chatbot-is-now-fighting-to-regulate-them\">Adam Raine\u003c/a>, a California teenager who died by suicide in 2025. Raine’s parents have said that Adam spent months discussing his loneliness and plans to harm himself with ChatGPT before his death. In a joint statement released after the bill successfully passed through the Legislature, Maria Raine called it “a serious and much-needed step forward for AI companion chatbot safety.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The legislation is named for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080610/california-mom-who-lost-her-son-to-an-ai-chatbot-is-now-fighting-to-regulate-them\">Adam Raine\u003c/a>, a California teenager who died by suicide in 2025. Raine’s parents have said that Adam spent months discussing his loneliness and plans to harm himself with ChatGPT before his death. In a joint statement released after the bill successfully passed through the Legislature, Maria Raine called it “a serious and much-needed step forward for AI companion chatbot safety.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year, lawmakers also passed another bill by Padilla that enacts a four-year moratorium on the sale and manufacturing of AI-chatbot-powered toys over concerns that the technology can harm children.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year, lawmakers also passed another bill by Padilla that enacts a four-year moratorium on the sale and manufacturing of AI-chatbot-powered toys over concerns that the technology can harm children.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The technology industry has not been uniformly opposed. OpenAI supports SB 1119 and has urged Newsom to sign it, saying the legislation establishes meaningful safeguards while preserving young people’s ability to use AI for learning, creativity and other purposes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The technology industry has not been uniformly opposed. OpenAI supports SB 1119 and has urged Newsom to sign it, saying the legislation establishes meaningful safeguards while preserving young people’s ability to use AI for learning, creativity and other purposes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Teens are the first generation growing up with AI,” OpenAI said in a \u003ca href=\"https://openai.com/index/supporting-california-bill-advance-ai-youth-safety/\">statement\u003c/a>. “Nearly nine in ten teens who use ChatGPT turn to it for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity in a given week.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Teens are the first generation growing up with AI,” OpenAI said in a \u003ca href=\"https://openai.com/index/supporting-california-bill-advance-ai-youth-safety/\">statement\u003c/a>. “Nearly nine in ten teens who use ChatGPT turn to it for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity in a given week.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That opportunity comes with a clear responsibility: teens should have experiences designed around their distinct developmental needs, with strong default protections and appropriate opportunities to learn, create, and explore.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That opportunity comes with a clear responsibility: teens should have experiences designed around their distinct developmental needs, with strong default protections and appropriate opportunities to learn, create, and explore.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Opponents of the legislation include the California Chamber of Commerce, the Software Information Industry Association and TechNet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Opponents of the legislation include the California Chamber of Commerce, the Software Information Industry Association and TechNet.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom vetoed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059714/newsom-vetoes-most-watched-childrens-ai-bill-signs-16-others-targeting-tech\">stronger child-safety bill\u003c/a> last year after raising concerns that its restrictions could effectively prevent teenagers from accessing conversational AI. Though his office has not indicated whether Newsom will sign, the version now on his desk was negotiated with those concerns in mind. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom vetoed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059714/newsom-vetoes-most-watched-childrens-ai-bill-signs-16-others-targeting-tech\">stronger child-safety bill\u003c/a> last year after raising concerns that its restrictions could effectively prevent teenagers from accessing conversational AI. Though his office has not indicated whether Newsom will sign, the version now on his desk was negotiated with those concerns in mind. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Data centers and ratepayer protections \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Data centers and ratepayer protections \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved two linked bills that would require the state to establish special rules for how large data centers pay for electricity and the infrastructure needed to serve them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved two linked bills that would require the state to establish special rules for how large data centers pay for electricity and the infrastructure needed to serve them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb886\">SB 886\u003c/a>, also authored by Padilla, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2383\">AB 2383\u003c/a>, by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), would require the California Public Utilities Commission to create separate electricity rates and updated interconnection rules for data centers. The measures are designed to prevent electricity customers from bearing the costs of new power generation and grid upgrades needed to serve the facilities. AB 2383 is contingent on SB 886 becoming law. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb886\">SB 886\u003c/a>, also authored by Padilla, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2383\">AB 2383\u003c/a>, by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), would require the California Public Utilities Commission to create separate electricity rates and updated interconnection rules for data centers. The measures are designed to prevent electricity customers from bearing the costs of new power generation and grid upgrades needed to serve the facilities. AB 2383 is contingent on SB 886 becoming law. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Big Tech keeps promising to be good neighbors, and these bills will make those promises legally enforceable,” Padilla said in a press release celebrating the passage of SB 886 and a related bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb887\">887\u003c/a>. “No more saying one thing in the White House and doing the opposite in our local communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Big Tech keeps promising to be good neighbors, and these bills will make those promises legally enforceable,” Padilla said in a press release celebrating the passage of SB 886 and a related bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb887\">887\u003c/a>. “No more saying one thing in the White House and doing the opposite in our local communities.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472-1536x955.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Diego Democrat Sen. Steve Padilla.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The legislation follows a year of intensifying political pressure over the expansion of data centers, which are being built to meet the enormous computing demands of AI. California has fewer giant data centers than Virginia and Texas, but the state still has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912379/californias-ai-data-centers-taking-growing-environmental-toll\">one of the largest counts overall\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The legislation follows a year of intensifying political pressure over the expansion of data centers, which are being built to meet the enormous computing demands of AI. California has fewer giant data centers than Virginia and Texas, but the state still has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912379/californias-ai-data-centers-taking-growing-environmental-toll\">one of the largest counts overall\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The facilities have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028158/crackdown-on-power-guzzling-data-centers-may-soon-come-online-in-california\">generated growing concern\u003c/a> over their electricity and water use, as well as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064265/new-report-reveals-strain-of-data-centers-on-californias-grid\">lack of transparency\u003c/a> about their potential effect on utility bills. A Public Policy Institute of California poll released in July found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-the-environment-july-2026/\">73%\u003c/a> of Californians opposed building data centers in their communities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The facilities have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028158/crackdown-on-power-guzzling-data-centers-may-soon-come-online-in-california\">generated growing concern\u003c/a> over their electricity and water use, as well as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064265/new-report-reveals-strain-of-data-centers-on-californias-grid\">lack of transparency\u003c/a> about their potential effect on utility bills. A Public Policy Institute of California poll released in July found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-the-environment-july-2026/\">73%\u003c/a> of Californians opposed building data centers in their communities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March 2026, the Little Hoover Commission released \u003ca href=\"https://lhc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/LHC-Report-292-Data-Centers-California-Electricity-Policy-FINAL-PUBLIC-3.3.26.pdf\">\u003cem>Data Centers and California Electricity Policy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a report that explicitly recommends making tech companies and data center developers cover their own grid-integration costs rather than shifting the burden to everyday ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In March 2026, the Little Hoover Commission released \u003ca href=\"https://lhc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/LHC-Report-292-Data-Centers-California-Electricity-Policy-FINAL-PUBLIC-3.3.26.pdf\">\u003cem>Data Centers and California Electricity Policy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a report that explicitly recommends making tech companies and data center developers cover their own grid-integration costs rather than shifting the burden to everyday ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California’s electricity rates are among the highest in the nation, and affordability remains a top concern for residents,” the report states.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“California’s electricity rates are among the highest in the nation, and affordability remains a top concern for residents,” the report states.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters — including The Utility Reform Network, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Natural Resources Defense Council and utility-worker unions — argued that companies building the facilities should pay for the infrastructure their electricity demand requires. Bill sponsor TURN pointed to a California grid-planning estimate that increased demand from data centers in PG&E’s service territory, where most of the state’s projects are concentrated, could generate as much as $1.8 billion in transmission-upgrade costs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters — including The Utility Reform Network, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Natural Resources Defense Council and utility-worker unions — argued that companies building the facilities should pay for the infrastructure their electricity demand requires. Bill sponsor TURN pointed to a California grid-planning estimate that increased demand from data centers in PG&E’s service territory, where most of the state’s projects are concentrated, could generate as much as $1.8 billion in transmission-upgrade costs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097519\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A flyer that says, “No Data Center,” is posted at the Church of All Faiths in Oakland, California, on Aug. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097519\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A flyer that says, “No Data Center,” is posted at the Church of All Faiths in Oakland, California, on Aug. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Data Center Coalition, which represents companies including Google and Microsoft, opposed the legislation, arguing that it unfairly singled out one type of electricity customer. PG&E also opposed the original approach, warning that it could increase costs for customers and delay infrastructure needed to meet the state’s broader energy demand. Business groups argued that California’s high energy costs, limited land and additional regulation could make the state less attractive for data-center development. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Data Center Coalition, which represents companies including Google and Microsoft, opposed the legislation, arguing that it unfairly singled out one type of electricity customer. PG&E also opposed the original approach, warning that it could increase costs for customers and delay infrastructure needed to meet the state’s broader energy demand. Business groups argued that California’s high energy costs, limited land and additional regulation could make the state less attractive for data-center development. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bills were substantially worked over in the final weeks of the session. Earlier drafts were far more prescriptive, including provisions for mandatory on-site batteries and 100% carbon-free power for data centers by 2030. Both were stripped out in favor of giving the CPUC until July 1, 2027, to establish special tariffs and rules. Newsom and regulators in turn secured more control over how the new rate structure will work. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bills were substantially worked over in the final weeks of the session. Earlier drafts were far more prescriptive, including provisions for mandatory on-site batteries and 100% carbon-free power for data centers by 2030. Both were stripped out in favor of giving the CPUC until July 1, 2027, to establish special tariffs and rules. Newsom and regulators in turn secured more control over how the new rate structure will work. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The final compromise drew criticism from some environmental and consumer advocates. They say data centers could find loopholes to avoid paying some grid costs and wriggle out of clean-energy requirements for facilities that generate their own electricity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The final compromise drew criticism from some environmental and consumer advocates. They say data centers could find loopholes to avoid paying some grid costs and wriggle out of clean-energy requirements for facilities that generate their own electricity. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom’s position has shifted noticeably during the course of the debate. Last year, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AB-93-Veto.pdf\">vetoed \u003c/a>legislation requiring data centers to disclose their water consumption, writing: “I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on businesses and the consumers of their technology.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom’s position has shifted noticeably during the course of the debate. Last year, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AB-93-Veto.pdf\">vetoed \u003c/a>legislation requiring data centers to disclose their water consumption, writing: “I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on businesses and the consumers of their technology.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom (left), looks on during an election night gathering at California Democratic headquarters in Sacramento, California, on Nov. 4, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087658\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom (left), looks on during an election night gathering at California Democratic headquarters in Sacramento, California, on Nov. 4, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year, however, Newsom became directly involved in negotiations over both bills. On Monday in the state Capitol, he said his administration had been working with lawmakers on several data-center bills, and that the final versions “landed fairly well,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/california-lawmakers-big-swing-newsom-data-centers-01058848\">\u003cem>Politico \u003c/em>reported\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year, however, Newsom became directly involved in negotiations over both bills. On Monday in the state Capitol, he said his administration had been working with lawmakers on several data-center bills, and that the final versions “landed fairly well,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/california-lawmakers-big-swing-newsom-data-centers-01058848\">\u003cem>Politico \u003c/em>reported\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’re seeing states all across this country leaning in,” Newsom said. “We’ll be leaning in.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You’re seeing states all across this country leaning in,” Newsom said. “We’ll be leaning in.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also said last month that companies, rather than other electricity customers, should bear the costs associated with their data-center investments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He also said last month that companies, rather than other electricity customers, should bear the costs associated with their data-center investments. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We believe that all of these investments, the costs, should be borne by the companies,” Newsom said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We believe that all of these investments, the costs, should be borne by the companies,” Newsom said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That makes a Newsom signature more likely here than it appeared earlier in the year, although the governor has not formally committed to signing either bill.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That makes a Newsom signature more likely here than it appeared earlier in the year, although the governor has not formally committed to signing either bill.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Social media’s addictive features",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social media’s addictive features\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social media’s addictive features\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Senate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1709\">voted\u003c/a> to bar social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok from offering certain addictive features to users younger than 16. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The California Senate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1709\">voted\u003c/a> to bar social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok from offering certain addictive features to users younger than 16. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), targets features on so-called “covered platforms” — which predominantly share user-generated content — designed to keep people engaged, including algorithmically driven feeds and other mechanisms that can encourage prolonged use. It also would establish an e-Safety Advisory Commission within the California Department of Justice to advise state officials on online safety and report annually to the governor and Legislature.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The measure, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), targets features on so-called “covered platforms” — which predominantly share user-generated content — designed to keep people engaged, including algorithmically driven feeds and other mechanisms that can encourage prolonged use. It also would establish an e-Safety Advisory Commission within the California Department of Justice to advise state officials on online safety and report annually to the governor and Legislature.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Common Sense Media, which sponsored the bill, is among its major supporters, along with Mothers Against Media Addiction and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill was amended as it moved through the Legislature, narrowing some of its provisions and changing how the state would oversee online safety. For supporters, the changes don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Common Sense Media, which sponsored the bill, is among its major supporters, along with Mothers Against Media Addiction and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill was amended as it moved through the Legislature, narrowing some of its provisions and changing how the state would oversee online safety. For supporters, the changes don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092171\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/common-sense-media-statement-on-passage-of-ab-1709\">wrote Monday\u003c/a> that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096647/why-metas-landmark-settlement-could-be-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment\">recent litigation\u003c/a> against major technology companies has exposed how deliberately social media platforms have been designed to keep children engaged.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/common-sense-media-statement-on-passage-of-ab-1709\">wrote Monday\u003c/a> that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096647/why-metas-landmark-settlement-could-be-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment\">recent litigation\u003c/a> against major technology companies has exposed how deliberately social media platforms have been designed to keep children engaged.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Social media companies have engineered their products to hook children, and their own researchers proved it worked,” Steyer said in a statement. “Parents cannot out-parent an algorithm built in a lab to keep kids scrolling.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Social media companies have engineered their products to hook children, and their own researchers proved it worked,” Steyer said in a statement. “Parents cannot out-parent an algorithm built in a lab to keep kids scrolling.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Civil Justice Association of California and trade group NetChoice, which represents major technology companies including Google, Meta and Snap, oppose the measure. Civil liberties advocates, in particular, have raised First Amendment and privacy concerns, particularly around how platforms would determine which users are under 16 and which features should be considered addictive.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Civil Justice Association of California and trade group NetChoice, which represents major technology companies including Google, Meta and Snap, oppose the measure. Civil liberties advocates, in particular, have raised First Amendment and privacy concerns, particularly around how platforms would determine which users are under 16 and which features should be considered addictive.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This well-intentioned, but deeply flawed piece of legislation, cuts young people off from essential information and experiences, particularly harming vulnerable youth and marginalized groups who often find safety in supportive online communities they can’t access offline,” the EFF \u003ca href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/eff-gov-newsom-veto-californias-ab-1709\">wrote\u003c/a> in a statement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This well-intentioned, but deeply flawed piece of legislation, cuts young people off from essential information and experiences, particularly harming vulnerable youth and marginalized groups who often find safety in supportive online communities they can’t access offline,” the EFF \u003ca href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/eff-gov-newsom-veto-californias-ab-1709\">wrote\u003c/a> in a statement.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom has already signed several California laws aimed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005803/newsom-signs-law-to-protect-children-from-social-media-addiction\">protecting children online\u003c/a>, including legislation requiring warning labels on social media platforms. But AB 1709 could face the same free-speech and age-verification challenges that have complicated the state’s broader effort to regulate social media. A federal judge has already blocked portions of California’s existing law restricting addictive social media feeds while a legal challenge proceeds.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom has already signed several California laws aimed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005803/newsom-signs-law-to-protect-children-from-social-media-addiction\">protecting children online\u003c/a>, including legislation requiring warning labels on social media platforms. But AB 1709 could face the same free-speech and age-verification challenges that have complicated the state’s broader effort to regulate social media. A federal judge has already blocked portions of California’s existing law restricting addictive social media feeds while a legal challenge proceeds.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom has not publicly indicated whether he will sign the bill, but he called on lawmakers to explore stricter youth online safety guardrails during his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069094/in-final-state-of-state-speech-gov-newsom-says-california-offers-model-for-the-nation\">final State of the State\u003c/a> address. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom has not publicly indicated whether he will sign the bill, but he called on lawmakers to explore stricter youth online safety guardrails during his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069094/in-final-state-of-state-speech-gov-newsom-says-california-offers-model-for-the-nation\">final State of the State\u003c/a> address. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California employers could face new limits on the use of AI to monitor workers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1883\">AB 1883\u003c/a>, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), would prohibit employers from using AI-powered workplace-surveillance tools to collect \u003ca href=\"https://law.stanford.edu/2024/12/02/what-are-neural-data-an-invitation-to-flexible-regulatory-implementation/\">neural data\u003c/a> — sensitive personal information from a user’s nervous system — or recognize an employee’s emotional state, with some exceptions. It also covers certain other AI-based inferences about workers and allows civil penalties of up to $500 per violation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1883\">AB 1883\u003c/a>, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), would prohibit employers from using AI-powered workplace-surveillance tools to collect \u003ca href=\"https://law.stanford.edu/2024/12/02/what-are-neural-data-an-invitation-to-flexible-regulatory-implementation/\">neural data\u003c/a> — sensitive personal information from a user’s nervous system — or recognize an employee’s emotional state, with some exceptions. It also covers certain other AI-based inferences about workers and allows civil penalties of up to $500 per violation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure is part of a small but growing effort by states to regulate how employers use AI to monitor and manage their workers. California’s bill is unusually focused on technologies that attempt to infer what is happening inside an employee’s body or mind. There is a narrower approach in Illinois, which regulates AI-analyzed video interviews in hiring, and in Maryland, which restricts the use of facial-recognition technology.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The measure is part of a small but growing effort by states to regulate how employers use AI to monitor and manage their workers. California’s bill is unusually focused on technologies that attempt to infer what is happening inside an employee’s body or mind. There is a narrower approach in Illinois, which regulates AI-analyzed video interviews in hiring, and in Maryland, which restricts the use of facial-recognition technology.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>AB 1883 was sponsored by major state labor unions and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Business groups representing various employers opposed the bill, ranging from the American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association to the Wine Institute.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>AB 1883 was sponsored by major state labor unions and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Business groups representing various employers opposed the bill, ranging from the American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association to the Wine Institute.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The legislation’s ambitions were softened in committees. The latest version exempts certain workplace-surveillance uses required by federal law, regulation or binding federal contracts involving aircraft, national security, military, space or defense work. Senate amendments also modified the bill’s enforcement provisions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The legislation’s ambitions were softened in committees. The latest version exempts certain workplace-surveillance uses required by federal law, regulation or binding federal contracts involving aircraft, national security, military, space or defense work. Senate amendments also modified the bill’s enforcement provisions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Workers should have a general expectation of privacy in certain areas,” said Lorena Gonzalez, who heads up the powerful California Federation of Labor Unions, to KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097046/california-labor-leader-on-ai-bills-and-billionaire-tax-measure-splitting-unions\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a> last week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Workers should have a general expectation of privacy in certain areas,” said Lorena Gonzalez, who heads up the powerful California Federation of Labor Unions, to KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097046/california-labor-leader-on-ai-bills-and-billionaire-tax-measure-splitting-unions\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a> last week. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Employers, Gonzalez said, are able to take advantage of outdated laws that don’t account for changes in technology. Labor interests have been at the forefront of legislation addressing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076608/what-do-san-franciscos-ai-vs-humans-billboards-say-about-our-working-futures\">AI anxieties\u003c/a> this session. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You don’t want the boss reading your mind,” Gonzalez added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure comes a year after Newsom vetoed the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would have required employers to notify workers when AI was used in disciplinary or termination decisions and let employees challenge certain AI-generated decisions. In his \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SB-7-Veto.pdf\">veto message\u003c/a> last year, Newsom wrote the bill “imposes unfocused notification requirements on any business using even the most innocuous tools.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The measure comes a year after Newsom vetoed the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would have required employers to notify workers when AI was used in disciplinary or termination decisions and let employees challenge certain AI-generated decisions. In his \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SB-7-Veto.pdf\">veto message\u003c/a> last year, Newsom wrote the bill “imposes unfocused notification requirements on any business using even the most innocuous tools.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>AB 1883 is narrower in scope. Rather than governing how AI makes decisions about workers, it bans a single, especially invasive use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom has not said whether he will sign it. With a widely expected presidential run ahead, his decision will signal whether he’s willing to side with workers over employers and draw a hard line against AI that tries to read a worker’s mind.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California lawmakers took on data centers, addictive social media features and AI-powered workplace monitoring with this legislative session’s bills. Which will Newsom sign into law?",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/politics\">legislative session\u003c/a> ended at midnight on Monday, and numerous bills ranging from housing to health care to technology cleared both the Senate and the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to decide whether he’ll veto or sign the measures. Here’s where some of the most closely watched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/technology\">tech\u003c/a> bills landed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Companion chatbots and children’s safety\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved a sweeping set of safety requirements for artificial intelligence chatbots used by children and teens. The bill, known as \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1119\">Adam’s Law\u003c/a>, builds on last year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052617/newsoms-tightrope-walk-between-ai-regulation-and-silicon-valley-cash\">SB 243\u003c/a>, which required chatbot operators to disclose when users were interacting with AI companions and to maintain protocols for detecting self-harm content. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Co-authored by San Diego Democrat Sen. Steve Padilla and Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the bill adds requirements for user age checks, safety-risk assessments before new or substantially modified companion chatbots are released, independent audits and crisis-support resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/GettyImages-2159671948-scaled-e1781542152687.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058035\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of a phone screen in Lafayette, California, on June 27, 2024, displaying Claude, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot from Anthropic powered by large language model (or LLM). (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill also requires default protections for young users, including limits on notifications, usage and persistent conversational memory. It restricts targeted advertising to children and imposes additional privacy protections. Chatbot operators could face liability for failing to take reasonable measures to prevent certain harmful outputs, including content involving self-harm, sexually explicit material, romantic role-playing and emotionally manipulative behavior. Families would have a private right of redress for certain violations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation is named for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080610/california-mom-who-lost-her-son-to-an-ai-chatbot-is-now-fighting-to-regulate-them\">Adam Raine\u003c/a>, a California teenager who died by suicide in 2025. Raine’s parents have said that Adam spent months discussing his loneliness and plans to harm himself with ChatGPT before his death. In a joint statement released after the bill successfully passed through the Legislature, Maria Raine called it “a serious and much-needed step forward for AI companion chatbot safety.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year, lawmakers also passed another bill by Padilla that enacts a four-year moratorium on the sale and manufacturing of AI-chatbot-powered toys over concerns that the technology can harm children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The technology industry has not been uniformly opposed. OpenAI supports SB 1119 and has urged Newsom to sign it, saying the legislation establishes meaningful safeguards while preserving young people’s ability to use AI for learning, creativity and other purposes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Teens are the first generation growing up with AI,” OpenAI said in a \u003ca href=\"https://openai.com/index/supporting-california-bill-advance-ai-youth-safety/\">statement\u003c/a>. “Nearly nine in ten teens who use ChatGPT turn to it for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity in a given week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That opportunity comes with a clear responsibility: teens should have experiences designed around their distinct developmental needs, with strong default protections and appropriate opportunities to learn, create, and explore.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Opponents of the legislation include the California Chamber of Commerce, the Software Information Industry Association and TechNet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom vetoed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059714/newsom-vetoes-most-watched-childrens-ai-bill-signs-16-others-targeting-tech\">stronger child-safety bill\u003c/a> last year after raising concerns that its restrictions could effectively prevent teenagers from accessing conversational AI. Though his office has not indicated whether Newsom will sign, the version now on his desk was negotiated with those concerns in mind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Data centers and ratepayer protections \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers on Monday approved two linked bills that would require the state to establish special rules for how large data centers pay for electricity and the infrastructure needed to serve them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb886\">SB 886\u003c/a>, also authored by Padilla, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2383\">AB 2383\u003c/a>, by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), would require the California Public Utilities Commission to create separate electricity rates and updated interconnection rules for data centers. The measures are designed to prevent electricity customers from bearing the costs of new power generation and grid upgrades needed to serve the facilities. AB 2383 is contingent on SB 886 becoming law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Big Tech keeps promising to be good neighbors, and these bills will make those promises legally enforceable,” Padilla said in a press release celebrating the passage of SB 886 and a related bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb887\">887\u003c/a>. “No more saying one thing in the White House and doing the opposite in our local communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1231\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-2267080472-1536x955.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Diego Democrat Sen. Steve Padilla. (Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation follows a year of intensifying political pressure over the expansion of data centers, which are being built to meet the enormous computing demands of AI. California has fewer giant data centers than Virginia and Texas, but the state still has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912379/californias-ai-data-centers-taking-growing-environmental-toll\">one of the largest counts overall\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The facilities have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028158/crackdown-on-power-guzzling-data-centers-may-soon-come-online-in-california\">generated growing concern\u003c/a> over their electricity and water use, as well as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064265/new-report-reveals-strain-of-data-centers-on-californias-grid\">lack of transparency\u003c/a> about their potential effect on utility bills. A Public Policy Institute of California poll released in July found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-the-environment-july-2026/\">73%\u003c/a> of Californians opposed building data centers in their communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2026, the Little Hoover Commission released \u003ca href=\"https://lhc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/LHC-Report-292-Data-Centers-California-Electricity-Policy-FINAL-PUBLIC-3.3.26.pdf\">\u003cem>Data Centers and California Electricity Policy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a report that explicitly recommends making tech companies and data center developers cover their own grid-integration costs rather than shifting the burden to everyday ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California’s electricity rates are among the highest in the nation, and affordability remains a top concern for residents,” the report states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters — including The Utility Reform Network, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Natural Resources Defense Council and utility-worker unions — argued that companies building the facilities should pay for the infrastructure their electricity demand requires. Bill sponsor TURN pointed to a California grid-planning estimate that increased demand from data centers in PG&E’s service territory, where most of the state’s projects are concentrated, could generate as much as $1.8 billion in transmission-upgrade costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097519\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260829-oakdatacentermeeting-TV00394_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A flyer that says, “No Data Center,” is posted at the Church of All Faiths in Oakland, California, on Aug. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Data Center Coalition, which represents companies including Google and Microsoft, opposed the legislation, arguing that it unfairly singled out one type of electricity customer. PG&E also opposed the original approach, warning that it could increase costs for customers and delay infrastructure needed to meet the state’s broader energy demand. Business groups argued that California’s high energy costs, limited land and additional regulation could make the state less attractive for data-center development. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bills were substantially worked over in the final weeks of the session. Earlier drafts were far more prescriptive, including provisions for mandatory on-site batteries and 100% carbon-free power for data centers by 2030. Both were stripped out in favor of giving the CPUC until July 1, 2027, to establish special tariffs and rules. Newsom and regulators in turn secured more control over how the new rate structure will work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final compromise drew criticism from some environmental and consumer advocates. They say data centers could find loopholes to avoid paying some grid costs and wriggle out of clean-energy requirements for facilities that generate their own electricity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s position has shifted noticeably during the course of the debate. Last year, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AB-93-Veto.pdf\">vetoed \u003c/a>legislation requiring data centers to disclose their water consumption, writing: “I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on businesses and the consumers of their technology.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom (left), looks on during an election night gathering at California Democratic headquarters in Sacramento, California, on Nov. 4, 2025. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year, however, Newsom became directly involved in negotiations over both bills. On Monday in the state Capitol, he said his administration had been working with lawmakers on several data-center bills, and that the final versions “landed fairly well,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/california-lawmakers-big-swing-newsom-data-centers-01058848\">\u003cem>Politico \u003c/em>reported\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re seeing states all across this country leaning in,” Newsom said. “We’ll be leaning in.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also said last month that companies, rather than other electricity customers, should bear the costs associated with their data-center investments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We believe that all of these investments, the costs, should be borne by the companies,” Newsom said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That makes a Newsom signature more likely here than it appeared earlier in the year, although the governor has not formally committed to signing either bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social media’s addictive features\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Senate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1709\">voted\u003c/a> to bar social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok from offering certain addictive features to users younger than 16. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), targets features on so-called “covered platforms” — which predominantly share user-generated content — designed to keep people engaged, including algorithmically driven feeds and other mechanisms that can encourage prolonged use. It also would establish an e-Safety Advisory Commission within the California Department of Justice to advise state officials on online safety and report annually to the governor and Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Common Sense Media, which sponsored the bill, is among its major supporters, along with Mothers Against Media Addiction and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill was amended as it moved through the Legislature, narrowing some of its provisions and changing how the state would oversee online safety. For supporters, the changes don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/common-sense-media-statement-on-passage-of-ab-1709\">wrote Monday\u003c/a> that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096647/why-metas-landmark-settlement-could-be-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment\">recent litigation\u003c/a> against major technology companies has exposed how deliberately social media platforms have been designed to keep children engaged.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Social media companies have engineered their products to hook children, and their own researchers proved it worked,” Steyer said in a statement. “Parents cannot out-parent an algorithm built in a lab to keep kids scrolling.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Civil Justice Association of California and trade group NetChoice, which represents major technology companies including Google, Meta and Snap, oppose the measure. Civil liberties advocates, in particular, have raised First Amendment and privacy concerns, particularly around how platforms would determine which users are under 16 and which features should be considered addictive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This well-intentioned, but deeply flawed piece of legislation, cuts young people off from essential information and experiences, particularly harming vulnerable youth and marginalized groups who often find safety in supportive online communities they can’t access offline,” the EFF \u003ca href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/eff-gov-newsom-veto-californias-ab-1709\">wrote\u003c/a> in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom has already signed several California laws aimed at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005803/newsom-signs-law-to-protect-children-from-social-media-addiction\">protecting children online\u003c/a>, including legislation requiring warning labels on social media platforms. But AB 1709 could face the same free-speech and age-verification challenges that have complicated the state’s broader effort to regulate social media. A federal judge has already blocked portions of California’s existing law restricting addictive social media feeds while a legal challenge proceeds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom has not publicly indicated whether he will sign the bill, but he called on lawmakers to explore stricter youth online safety guardrails during his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069094/in-final-state-of-state-speech-gov-newsom-says-california-offers-model-for-the-nation\">final State of the State\u003c/a> address. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workplace surveillance\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California employers could face new limits on the use of AI to monitor workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1883\">AB 1883\u003c/a>, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), would prohibit employers from using AI-powered workplace-surveillance tools to collect \u003ca href=\"https://law.stanford.edu/2024/12/02/what-are-neural-data-an-invitation-to-flexible-regulatory-implementation/\">neural data\u003c/a> — sensitive personal information from a user’s nervous system — or recognize an employee’s emotional state, with some exceptions. It also covers certain other AI-based inferences about workers and allows civil penalties of up to $500 per violation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure is part of a small but growing effort by states to regulate how employers use AI to monitor and manage their workers. California’s bill is unusually focused on technologies that attempt to infer what is happening inside an employee’s body or mind. There is a narrower approach in Illinois, which regulates AI-analyzed video interviews in hiring, and in Maryland, which restricts the use of facial-recognition technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut.jpg\" alt=\"""\" class=\"wp-image-11849216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/RS46155_GettyImages-1139953504-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Slack headquarters on April 2, 2019, in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AB 1883 was sponsored by major state labor unions and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Business groups representing various employers opposed the bill, ranging from the American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association to the Wine Institute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation’s ambitions were softened in committees. The latest version exempts certain workplace-surveillance uses required by federal law, regulation or binding federal contracts involving aircraft, national security, military, space or defense work. Senate amendments also modified the bill’s enforcement provisions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the core prohibition survived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Workers should have a general expectation of privacy in certain areas,” said Lorena Gonzalez, who heads up the powerful California Federation of Labor Unions, to KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097046/california-labor-leader-on-ai-bills-and-billionaire-tax-measure-splitting-unions\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a> last week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Employers, Gonzalez said, are able to take advantage of outdated laws that don’t account for changes in technology. Labor interests have been at the forefront of legislation addressing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076608/what-do-san-franciscos-ai-vs-humans-billboards-say-about-our-working-futures\">AI anxieties\u003c/a> this session. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You don’t want the boss reading your mind,” Gonzalez added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure comes a year after Newsom vetoed the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would have required employers to notify workers when AI was used in disciplinary or termination decisions and let employees challenge certain AI-generated decisions. In his \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SB-7-Veto.pdf\">veto message\u003c/a> last year, Newsom wrote the bill “imposes unfocused notification requirements on any business using even the most innocuous tools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AB 1883 is narrower in scope. Rather than governing how AI makes decisions about workers, it bans a single, especially invasive use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom has not said whether he will sign it. With a widely expected presidential run ahead, his decision will signal whether he’s willing to side with workers over employers and draw a hard line against AI that tries to read a worker’s mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "trump-cannot-deport-students-for-criticizing-israel-judge-rules",
"title": "Trump Cannot Deport Students for Criticizing Israel, Judge Rules",
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"headTitle": "Trump Cannot Deport Students for Criticizing Israel, Judge Rules | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Citing the importance of the First Amendment, a federal judge in \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California \u003c/a>says the U.S. government is unconstitutionally silencing critics of Israel’s war in Gaza and others as part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">Trump administration’s\u003c/a> quest to deport noncitizens who it says disrupted college campuses while expressing their views.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judge Noël Wise, in a ruling Friday, delivered a victory for The Stanford Daily, the student newspaper at Stanford University, which has said some international students were afraid to speak out because of the deportation threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Freedom of speech is illusory if we are only ‘free’ to express complementary views about the government and its leaders,” the judge wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cecil H Green Library at Stanford University in Palo Alto on December 10, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision largely piggybacks on findings from nearly a year ago by a U.S. district judge in Boston, who ruled that the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted people who are not citizens for deportation solely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wise wrote that the freedoms of speech and the press are “foundational to America’s enduring democracy.” The judge cited free-speech and vagueness flaws that violate the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment as she struck down portions of the provisions that the federal government follows regarding deportations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wise cited retaliation in March 2025 by U.S. immigration authorities against people who engaged in speech supporting the Palestinians and against \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinian-israel-thousand-days-war-ceasefire-f81c32c32a96cd7dd7952ef9b70b06b3\">Israel’s actions\u003c/a> — which a growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a U.N. body, have said \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-genocide-accusations-e6996472084cba5618e430d143f4b8d4\">amount to genocide\u003c/a>. The judge also cited retaliation against people who were\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055641/after-kirks-death-trump-targets-critics-in-expanding-free-speech-fight\"> critical of Charlie Kirk\u003c/a> after the Turning Point USA co-founder was \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd\">assassinated last September\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tomorrow, or perhaps even today, targets may include anyone in the United States who exercises their freedom of speech to simply express opinions the government does not like,” the judge in San Jose said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This downward spiral is antithetical to our Constitution that recognizes our right to speak freely,” she added. “Here you can simultaneously hate the content of a person’s speech and love the country that cherishes the freedom to allow it. Zealous protection of our Constitutional right to free speech is a provocative demonstration of our country’s powerful lack of fear.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department did not respond Saturday to a message seeking comment on the decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>George Porteous, the editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily, responded to the ruling by saying on X: “The reporters in our newsroom shouldn’t have to fear that writing a story will result in their deportation. Today’s victory means they won’t have to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which brought the lawsuit, praised the ruling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In America, free speech doesn’t just belong to the people who say things the government agrees with,” Fitzpatrick said in a release.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11986286\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The UC Berkeley pro-Palestine encampment outside of Sproul hall in Berkeley, Calif. on May 11, 2024. UC Berkeley students were among those on college campuses across the country who criticized Israel’s actions in its war in Gaza. (Aryk Copley for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In her decision, Wise said it was clear that the government’s tactics has had an effect on college campuses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government has offered a chilling message regarding protected speech — speak out against Israel or in support of Palestinians and we will revoke your visa and deport you. Behave. Noncitizen students heard the warning and heeded. And, as the idiom goes, the silence is deafening,” the judge wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At The Stanford Daily, lawfully present noncitizens at the paper have quit, withheld articles, refused assignments, requested articles be taken down, and asked for anonymity due to fear of adverse immigration consequences, Wise noted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said noncitizens have the same First Amendment rights as citizens and yet were left to guess what the U.S. foreign policy was at any given moment and on any given subject.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is an incomprehensible standard,” she said. “While the Court understands that the government has been granted considerable discretion on foreign policy and immigration matters, that discretion must nevertheless still ensure that ordinary people can understand what the law permits and prohibits.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wise added: “Our Constitutional right to freedom of speech guarantees people the right to express — through their words, actions, or assembly — opinions that may be repugnant, views that run counter to prevailing political norms, or beliefs that otherwise challenge the country’s domestic or foreign policy, military engagement, or war.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The decision largely piggybacks on findings from nearly a year ago by a U.S. district judge in Boston, who ruled that the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted people who are not citizens for deportation solely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tomorrow, or perhaps even today, targets may include anyone in the United States who exercises their freedom of speech to simply express opinions the government does not like,” the judge in San Jose said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This downward spiral is antithetical to our Constitution that recognizes our right to speak freely,” she added. “Here you can simultaneously hate the content of a person’s speech and love the country that cherishes the freedom to allow it. Zealous protection of our Constitutional right to free speech is a provocative demonstration of our country’s powerful lack of fear.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>George Porteous, the editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily, responded to the ruling by saying on X: “The reporters in our newsroom shouldn’t have to fear that writing a story will result in their deportation. Today’s victory means they won’t have to.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which brought the lawsuit, praised the ruling.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In America, free speech doesn’t just belong to the people who say things the government agrees with,” Fitzpatrick said in a release.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government has offered a chilling message regarding protected speech — speak out against Israel or in support of Palestinians and we will revoke your visa and deport you. Behave. Noncitizen students heard the warning and heeded. And, as the idiom goes, the silence is deafening,” the judge wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At The Stanford Daily, lawfully present noncitizens at the paper have quit, withheld articles, refused assignments, requested articles be taken down, and asked for anonymity due to fear of adverse immigration consequences, Wise noted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wise added: “Our Constitutional right to freedom of speech guarantees people the right to express — through their words, actions, or assembly — opinions that may be repugnant, views that run counter to prevailing political norms, or beliefs that otherwise challenge the country’s domestic or foreign policy, military engagement, or war.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The ruling was a victory for the student newspaper at Stanford University, which maintained that the threat of deportation had led some noncitizens to no longer work there or express their views.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Citing the importance of the First Amendment, a federal judge in \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California \u003c/a>says the U.S. government is unconstitutionally silencing critics of Israel’s war in Gaza and others as part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">Trump administration’s\u003c/a> quest to deport noncitizens who it says disrupted college campuses while expressing their views.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judge Noël Wise, in a ruling Friday, delivered a victory for The Stanford Daily, the student newspaper at Stanford University, which has said some international students were afraid to speak out because of the deportation threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Freedom of speech is illusory if we are only ‘free’ to express complementary views about the government and its leaders,” the judge wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00572_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cecil H Green Library at Stanford University in Palo Alto on December 10, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision largely piggybacks on findings from nearly a year ago by a U.S. district judge in Boston, who ruled that the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted people who are not citizens for deportation solely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wise wrote that the freedoms of speech and the press are “foundational to America’s enduring democracy.” The judge cited free-speech and vagueness flaws that violate the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment as she struck down portions of the provisions that the federal government follows regarding deportations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wise cited retaliation in March 2025 by U.S. immigration authorities against people who engaged in speech supporting the Palestinians and against \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinian-israel-thousand-days-war-ceasefire-f81c32c32a96cd7dd7952ef9b70b06b3\">Israel’s actions\u003c/a> — which a growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a U.N. body, have said \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-genocide-accusations-e6996472084cba5618e430d143f4b8d4\">amount to genocide\u003c/a>. The judge also cited retaliation against people who were\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055641/after-kirks-death-trump-targets-critics-in-expanding-free-speech-fight\"> critical of Charlie Kirk\u003c/a> after the Turning Point USA co-founder was \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd\">assassinated last September\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tomorrow, or perhaps even today, targets may include anyone in the United States who exercises their freedom of speech to simply express opinions the government does not like,” the judge in San Jose said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This downward spiral is antithetical to our Constitution that recognizes our right to speak freely,” she added. “Here you can simultaneously hate the content of a person’s speech and love the country that cherishes the freedom to allow it. Zealous protection of our Constitutional right to free speech is a provocative demonstration of our country’s powerful lack of fear.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department did not respond Saturday to a message seeking comment on the decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>George Porteous, the editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily, responded to the ruling by saying on X: “The reporters in our newsroom shouldn’t have to fear that writing a story will result in their deportation. Today’s victory means they won’t have to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which brought the lawsuit, praised the ruling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In America, free speech doesn’t just belong to the people who say things the government agrees with,” Fitzpatrick said in a release.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11986286\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/L1005168_qut-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The UC Berkeley pro-Palestine encampment outside of Sproul hall in Berkeley, Calif. on May 11, 2024. UC Berkeley students were among those on college campuses across the country who criticized Israel’s actions in its war in Gaza. (Aryk Copley for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In her decision, Wise said it was clear that the government’s tactics has had an effect on college campuses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government has offered a chilling message regarding protected speech — speak out against Israel or in support of Palestinians and we will revoke your visa and deport you. Behave. Noncitizen students heard the warning and heeded. And, as the idiom goes, the silence is deafening,” the judge wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At The Stanford Daily, lawfully present noncitizens at the paper have quit, withheld articles, refused assignments, requested articles be taken down, and asked for anonymity due to fear of adverse immigration consequences, Wise noted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said noncitizens have the same First Amendment rights as citizens and yet were left to guess what the U.S. foreign policy was at any given moment and on any given subject.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is an incomprehensible standard,” she said. “While the Court understands that the government has been granted considerable discretion on foreign policy and immigration matters, that discretion must nevertheless still ensure that ordinary people can understand what the law permits and prohibits.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wise added: “Our Constitutional right to freedom of speech guarantees people the right to express — through their words, actions, or assembly — opinions that may be repugnant, views that run counter to prevailing political norms, or beliefs that otherwise challenge the country’s domestic or foreign policy, military engagement, or war.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Seeking to lower California’s soaring electricity rates and improve payouts to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> survivors, Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and legislative leaders late Friday reached an eleventh-hour deal on changes to rules around wildfire liability.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the heart of the deal is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097383/newsoms-wildfire-gamble-and-two-voting-court-cases\">the question of who pays\u003c/a> when utility-owned equipment sparks a damaging wildfire — costs that have ballooned into the tens of billions of dollars in recent fire disasters. The plan, which comes after months of largely closed-door negotiations, seeks to protect ratepayers by stopping hedge funds from extracting massive payouts from utilities in the wake of wildfires, while also restricting utility executives from receiving bonuses when their equipment causes a fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is one of the most consequential pieces of legislation for victims and survivors of wildfires that we’ve ever done,” state Sen. Josh Becker, D–Menlo Park, told KQED on Saturday. “Getting them paid fairly and quickly, limiting the role of Wall Street in profiting off of these fires [and] holding utilities accountable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation authored by Becker, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB492\">Senate Bill 492\u003c/a>, would also create a program to speed up the payment of claims for wildfire survivors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the agreement fell short of Newsom’s original aim: to prevent insurance companies from suing utilities to recover the damages that insurers pay out to fire victims. That process, known as subrogation, has helped drive up the cost of electricity bills by adding massive liability costs to power companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of two cars after a fire passed by the area.\" class=\"wp-image-11882560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Power lines lay on the smoldering remains of vehicles during the Dixie Fire in an unincorporated area of Plumas County on July 25, 2021. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, lawmakers are hoping to restrict insurance companies from selling their right to sue to private equity firms, which under the current system can purchase claims at a discount and drive up payout costs through pricey litigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is all real progress for future fire survivors,” Newsom said in a statement on Saturday. “Nonetheless, this system needs full structural reform — not a partial one.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The agreement will require a two-thirds vote in the Assembly and Senate as soon as Tuesday under an urgency clause that allows it to be voted on after Monday night’s scheduled close of California’s legislative session. For Newsom, it will bookend a tenure as governor that began in crisis in the wake of the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in the state’s modern history. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California law holds power companies, such as PG&E and Southern California Edison, responsible for the damage caused by their equipment — even without any finding of negligence, unlike other states. Liability from the 2018 Camp Fire pushed PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879943/a-year-after-pge-left-bankruptcy-spending-by-fire-victim-trust-remains-a-mystery\">to declare bankruptcy\u003c/a> the following January, just weeks after Newsom took office. Damages from the 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076246/the-eaton-fire-ravaged-black-altadena-a-journalist-documents-its-resilience\">Eaton Fire in Altadena\u003c/a>, which was started by a SoCal Edison transmission line, could reach $45 billion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the last decade, investor-owned utilities have spent billions to both shoulder wildfire liability and protect power lines from sparking future blazes. That spending has been passed along to California’s utility customers, who pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">second-highest electricity rates\u003c/a> in the nation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wildfire-related charges now add roughly $41 a month to the average PG&E bill and $27 a month for SoCal Edison customers, according to a state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">report released\u003c/a> this spring that served as a jumping-off point for the utility negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the spending by power companies will not completely eliminate the risk of utility-sparked wildfires, said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That means there’s fire risk for people living in high-risk areas, close to power system infrastructure that they are not seeing in their insurance premiums,” Fowlie said. “We’re seeing them on our electricity bills.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While many California power customers, especially those in hotter inland areas, have few options in the face of escalating rates, Fowlie said homeowners can receive insurance discounts if they fire-proof their homes and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/19/nx-s1-5937926/california-wildfire-rules-zone-zero-vegetation\">increase the defensible space\u003c/a> around their property. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Shifting more of the risk onto homeowners and property owners in higher-risk areas does dial up the financial incentives to do more mitigation to reduce premiums via discounts,” she added. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Several homes and mobile homes sit on a hillsides where grasses have been removed.\" class=\"wp-image-11955391\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home in Nevada County that has created defensible space to help protect against damage due to wildfires on June 26, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But California’s insurance industry is in the midst of its own interwoven crisis. Wildfire losses have led many insurers to either stop renewing policies or leave the state — pushing residents in fire-prone areas onto \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094860/california-fair-plan-announces-29-1-rate-hike-for-homeowners-this-fall\">the FAIR Plan\u003c/a>, the state’s insurer of last resort. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s original plan, meanwhile, was also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized by wildfire survivor groups\u003c/a> and trial attorneys — the latter group holding particular influence among Democrats in the Legislature who were wary of signing on to a deal that could be perceived as a utility bailout. Wildfire survivor groups took aim at elements of Newsom’s original proposal that would have limited some claims of noneconomic damages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Survivors from across California came to Sacramento and asked our elected representatives to stand with the people whose homes, communities and lives have been devastated,” Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, said in a statement on Saturday. “They listened. And in the face of extraordinary pressure from some of the most powerful interests in our state, they centered survivors and California families.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deal Newsom reached with legislative leaders will prevent law firms from making unsolicited communications to survivors for 30 days after the disaster and cap attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The opponents [were] quite a strange grouping of bedfellows,” said Dave Jones, a former California insurance commissioner and director of the Climate Risk Initiative at the UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones said that if utilities remain forced to shoulder the financial liabilities for wildfires, they will be incentivized to invest in grid safety and vegetation management. Shifting more of the burden to insurers, he said, will put more stress on fire survivors, local taxpayers and insurance policyholders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Legislative rules prevent changes from being made to bills for 72 hours before a final vote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sen. Roger Niello, R–Fair Oaks, the Republican leader-elect, questioned whether three days was enough time for lawmakers to digest complex changes to wildfire rules. For the second consecutive year, lawmakers will be voting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055461/california-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deals-on-climate-energy\">consequential energy legislation\u003c/a> in the waning moments of the session.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve raised concerns before about major policy being pushed through at the last minute without public input,” Niello said in a statement. “I am committed to working with the next administration to craft financially sound solutions and double down on wildfire mitigation and prevention efforts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why did Newsom choose to close the final legislative session of his career with a complicated battle involving utilities, insurance companies and trial attorneys — all political heavyweights at the Capitol?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just weeks after Newsom took office in early 2019, PG&E declared bankruptcy. The utility giant was facing tens of billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities after its equipment sparked the Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise and left 85 people dead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company lacked sufficient cash, held inadequate wildfire insurance and ultimately suffered a credit crisis. As the extent of its liabilities became clear, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11716710/ratings-service-slashes-pge-credit-to-junk-status\">credit rating agencies downgraded PG&E\u003c/a> so that the value of its debt became almost worthless. It couldn’t get access to lines of short-term credit, so it couldn’t function day to day. It declared bankruptcy to halt the active lawsuits, pause servicing its debt and regroup. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He had a baptism by fire, so to speak, when he was elected right before the massive and deadly fires in Northern California,” said Becker, a longtime Newsom ally. “I think he feels a real obligation and responsibility to leave the state better than when he found it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the Camp Fire, Newsom and the Legislature designated $21 billion — half from utility shareholders, half from ratepayers — for a fund to compensate victims of fires sparked by utility equipment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was designed as a long-term safety net, but the massive claims stemming from the Los Angeles fires in early 2025 threatened to drain the fund entirely. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature replenished it with an additional $18 billion last summer, but another catastrophic fire could again threaten the solvency of the fund, providing the governor practical motivations for pursuing this deal. While the legislative session will end on Monday, Newsom’s final term runs through the fall months that constitute the heart of California’s modern wildfire season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That means another disaster could leave Newsom with a utility hurtling toward bankruptcy just as he leaves office — and prepares for an expected run for president.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s concerned about, ‘Hey, one big fire could take that [fund] out,’” Becker said. “Then what happens?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the agreement fell short of Newsom’s original aim: to prevent insurance companies from suing utilities to recover the damages that insurers pay out to fire victims. That process, known as subrogation, has helped drive up the cost of electricity bills by adding massive liability costs to power companies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of two cars after a fire passed by the area.\" class=\"wp-image-11882560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Power lines lay on the smoldering remains of vehicles during the Dixie Fire in an unincorporated area of Plumas County on July 25, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of two cars after a fire passed by the area.\" class=\"wp-image-11882560\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Power lines lay on the smoldering remains of vehicles during the Dixie Fire in an unincorporated area of Plumas County on July 25, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, lawmakers are hoping to restrict insurance companies from selling their right to sue to private equity firms, which under the current system can purchase claims at a discount and drive up payout costs through pricey litigation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, lawmakers are hoping to restrict insurance companies from selling their right to sue to private equity firms, which under the current system can purchase claims at a discount and drive up payout costs through pricey litigation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is all real progress for future fire survivors,” Newsom said in a statement on Saturday. “Nonetheless, this system needs full structural reform — not a partial one.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is all real progress for future fire survivors,” Newsom said in a statement on Saturday. “Nonetheless, this system needs full structural reform — not a partial one.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The agreement will require a two-thirds vote in the Assembly and Senate as soon as Tuesday under an urgency clause that allows it to be voted on after Monday night’s scheduled close of California’s legislative session. For Newsom, it will bookend a tenure as governor that began in crisis in the wake of the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in the state’s modern history. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The agreement will require a two-thirds vote in the Assembly and Senate as soon as Tuesday under an urgency clause that allows it to be voted on after Monday night’s scheduled close of California’s legislative session. For Newsom, it will bookend a tenure as governor that began in crisis in the wake of the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in the state’s modern history. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California law holds power companies, such as PG&E and Southern California Edison, responsible for the damage caused by their equipment — even without any finding of negligence, unlike other states. Liability from the 2018 Camp Fire pushed PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879943/a-year-after-pge-left-bankruptcy-spending-by-fire-victim-trust-remains-a-mystery\">to declare bankruptcy\u003c/a> the following January, just weeks after Newsom took office. Damages from the 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076246/the-eaton-fire-ravaged-black-altadena-a-journalist-documents-its-resilience\">Eaton Fire in Altadena\u003c/a>, which was started by a SoCal Edison transmission line, could reach $45 billion. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California law holds power companies, such as PG&E and Southern California Edison, responsible for the damage caused by their equipment — even without any finding of negligence, unlike other states. Liability from the 2018 Camp Fire pushed PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879943/a-year-after-pge-left-bankruptcy-spending-by-fire-victim-trust-remains-a-mystery\">to declare bankruptcy\u003c/a> the following January, just weeks after Newsom took office. Damages from the 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076246/the-eaton-fire-ravaged-black-altadena-a-journalist-documents-its-resilience\">Eaton Fire in Altadena\u003c/a>, which was started by a SoCal Edison transmission line, could reach $45 billion. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the last decade, investor-owned utilities have spent billions to both shoulder wildfire liability and protect power lines from sparking future blazes. That spending has been passed along to California’s utility customers, who pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">second-highest electricity rates\u003c/a> in the nation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the last decade, investor-owned utilities have spent billions to both shoulder wildfire liability and protect power lines from sparking future blazes. That spending has been passed along to California’s utility customers, who pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">second-highest electricity rates\u003c/a> in the nation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wildfire-related charges now add roughly $41 a month to the average PG&E bill and $27 a month for SoCal Edison customers, according to a state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">report released\u003c/a> this spring that served as a jumping-off point for the utility negotiations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wildfire-related charges now add roughly $41 a month to the average PG&E bill and $27 a month for SoCal Edison customers, according to a state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">report released\u003c/a> this spring that served as a jumping-off point for the utility negotiations.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, the spending by power companies will not completely eliminate the risk of utility-sparked wildfires, said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, the spending by power companies will not completely eliminate the risk of utility-sparked wildfires, said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That means there’s fire risk for people living in high-risk areas, close to power system infrastructure that they are not seeing in their insurance premiums,” Fowlie said. “We’re seeing them on our electricity bills.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That means there’s fire risk for people living in high-risk areas, close to power system infrastructure that they are not seeing in their insurance premiums,” Fowlie said. “We’re seeing them on our electricity bills.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While many California power customers, especially those in hotter inland areas, have few options in the face of escalating rates, Fowlie said homeowners can receive insurance discounts if they fire-proof their homes and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/19/nx-s1-5937926/california-wildfire-rules-zone-zero-vegetation\">increase the defensible space\u003c/a> around their property. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While many California power customers, especially those in hotter inland areas, have few options in the face of escalating rates, Fowlie said homeowners can receive insurance discounts if they fire-proof their homes and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/19/nx-s1-5937926/california-wildfire-rules-zone-zero-vegetation\">increase the defensible space\u003c/a> around their property. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Shifting more of the risk onto homeowners and property owners in higher-risk areas does dial up the financial incentives to do more mitigation to reduce premiums via discounts,” she added. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Shifting more of the risk onto homeowners and property owners in higher-risk areas does dial up the financial incentives to do more mitigation to reduce premiums via discounts,” she added. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Several homes and mobile homes sit on a hillsides where grasses have been removed.\" class=\"wp-image-11955391\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home in Nevada County that has created defensible space to help protect against damage due to wildfires on June 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Several homes and mobile homes sit on a hillsides where grasses have been removed.\" class=\"wp-image-11955391\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home in Nevada County that has created defensible space to help protect against damage due to wildfires on June 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But California’s insurance industry is in the midst of its own interwoven crisis. Wildfire losses have led many insurers to either stop renewing policies or leave the state — pushing residents in fire-prone areas onto \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094860/california-fair-plan-announces-29-1-rate-hike-for-homeowners-this-fall\">the FAIR Plan\u003c/a>, the state’s insurer of last resort. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But California’s insurance industry is in the midst of its own interwoven crisis. Wildfire losses have led many insurers to either stop renewing policies or leave the state — pushing residents in fire-prone areas onto \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094860/california-fair-plan-announces-29-1-rate-hike-for-homeowners-this-fall\">the FAIR Plan\u003c/a>, the state’s insurer of last resort. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom’s original plan, meanwhile, was also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized by wildfire survivor groups\u003c/a> and trial attorneys — the latter group holding particular influence among Democrats in the Legislature who were wary of signing on to a deal that could be perceived as a utility bailout. Wildfire survivor groups took aim at elements of Newsom’s original proposal that would have limited some claims of noneconomic damages.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom’s original plan, meanwhile, was also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized by wildfire survivor groups\u003c/a> and trial attorneys — the latter group holding particular influence among Democrats in the Legislature who were wary of signing on to a deal that could be perceived as a utility bailout. Wildfire survivor groups took aim at elements of Newsom’s original proposal that would have limited some claims of noneconomic damages.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Survivors from across California came to Sacramento and asked our elected representatives to stand with the people whose homes, communities and lives have been devastated,” Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, said in a statement on Saturday. “They listened. And in the face of extraordinary pressure from some of the most powerful interests in our state, they centered survivors and California families.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Survivors from across California came to Sacramento and asked our elected representatives to stand with the people whose homes, communities and lives have been devastated,” Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, said in a statement on Saturday. “They listened. And in the face of extraordinary pressure from some of the most powerful interests in our state, they centered survivors and California families.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The deal Newsom reached with legislative leaders will prevent law firms from making unsolicited communications to survivors for 30 days after the disaster and cap attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The deal Newsom reached with legislative leaders will prevent law firms from making unsolicited communications to survivors for 30 days after the disaster and cap attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The opponents [were] quite a strange grouping of bedfellows,” said Dave Jones, a former California insurance commissioner and director of the Climate Risk Initiative at the UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The opponents [were] quite a strange grouping of bedfellows,” said Dave Jones, a former California insurance commissioner and director of the Climate Risk Initiative at the UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jones said that if utilities remain forced to shoulder the financial liabilities for wildfires, they will be incentivized to invest in grid safety and vegetation management. Shifting more of the burden to insurers, he said, will put more stress on fire survivors, local taxpayers and insurance policyholders. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jones said that if utilities remain forced to shoulder the financial liabilities for wildfires, they will be incentivized to invest in grid safety and vegetation management. Shifting more of the burden to insurers, he said, will put more stress on fire survivors, local taxpayers and insurance policyholders. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Legislative rules prevent changes from being made to bills for 72 hours before a final vote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Legislative rules prevent changes from being made to bills for 72 hours before a final vote. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sen. Roger Niello, R–Fair Oaks, the Republican leader-elect, questioned whether three days was enough time for lawmakers to digest complex changes to wildfire rules. For the second consecutive year, lawmakers will be voting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055461/california-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deals-on-climate-energy\">consequential energy legislation\u003c/a> in the waning moments of the session.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sen. Roger Niello, R–Fair Oaks, the Republican leader-elect, questioned whether three days was enough time for lawmakers to digest complex changes to wildfire rules. For the second consecutive year, lawmakers will be voting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055461/california-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deals-on-climate-energy\">consequential energy legislation\u003c/a> in the waning moments of the session.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve raised concerns before about major policy being pushed through at the last minute without public input,” Niello said in a statement. “I am committed to working with the next administration to craft financially sound solutions and double down on wildfire mitigation and prevention efforts.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve raised concerns before about major policy being pushed through at the last minute without public input,” Niello said in a statement. “I am committed to working with the next administration to craft financially sound solutions and double down on wildfire mitigation and prevention efforts.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Why did Newsom choose to close the final legislative session of his career with a complicated battle involving utilities, insurance companies and trial attorneys — all political heavyweights at the Capitol?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Why did Newsom choose to close the final legislative session of his career with a complicated battle involving utilities, insurance companies and trial attorneys — all political heavyweights at the Capitol?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just weeks after Newsom took office in early 2019, PG&E declared bankruptcy. The utility giant was facing tens of billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities after its equipment sparked the Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise and left 85 people dead. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Just weeks after Newsom took office in early 2019, PG&E declared bankruptcy. The utility giant was facing tens of billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities after its equipment sparked the Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise and left 85 people dead. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company lacked sufficient cash, held inadequate wildfire insurance and ultimately suffered a credit crisis. As the extent of its liabilities became clear, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11716710/ratings-service-slashes-pge-credit-to-junk-status\">credit rating agencies downgraded PG&E\u003c/a> so that the value of its debt became almost worthless. It couldn’t get access to lines of short-term credit, so it couldn’t function day to day. It declared bankruptcy to halt the active lawsuits, pause servicing its debt and regroup. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The company lacked sufficient cash, held inadequate wildfire insurance and ultimately suffered a credit crisis. As the extent of its liabilities became clear, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11716710/ratings-service-slashes-pge-credit-to-junk-status\">credit rating agencies downgraded PG&E\u003c/a> so that the value of its debt became almost worthless. It couldn’t get access to lines of short-term credit, so it couldn’t function day to day. It declared bankruptcy to halt the active lawsuits, pause servicing its debt and regroup. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He had a baptism by fire, so to speak, when he was elected right before the massive and deadly fires in Northern California,” said Becker, a longtime Newsom ally. “I think he feels a real obligation and responsibility to leave the state better than when he found it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“He had a baptism by fire, so to speak, when he was elected right before the massive and deadly fires in Northern California,” said Becker, a longtime Newsom ally. “I think he feels a real obligation and responsibility to leave the state better than when he found it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the Camp Fire, Newsom and the Legislature designated $21 billion — half from utility shareholders, half from ratepayers — for a fund to compensate victims of fires sparked by utility equipment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the Camp Fire, Newsom and the Legislature designated $21 billion — half from utility shareholders, half from ratepayers — for a fund to compensate victims of fires sparked by utility equipment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It was designed as a long-term safety net, but the massive claims stemming from the Los Angeles fires in early 2025 threatened to drain the fund entirely. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Legislature replenished it with an additional $18 billion last summer, but another catastrophic fire could again threaten the solvency of the fund, providing the governor practical motivations for pursuing this deal. While the legislative session will end on Monday, Newsom’s final term runs through the fall months that constitute the heart of California’s modern wildfire season.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Legislature replenished it with an additional $18 billion last summer, but another catastrophic fire could again threaten the solvency of the fund, providing the governor practical motivations for pursuing this deal. While the legislative session will end on Monday, Newsom’s final term runs through the fall months that constitute the heart of California’s modern wildfire season.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That means another disaster could leave Newsom with a utility hurtling toward bankruptcy just as he leaves office — and prepares for an expected run for president.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He’s concerned about, ‘Hey, one big fire could take that [fund] out,’” Becker said. “Then what happens?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Negotiations pitted California utilities against insurers in a fight over who pays after a damaging wildfire. The deal fell short of Newsom’s aims to limit utilities’ liability.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Seeking to lower California’s soaring electricity rates and improve payouts to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> survivors, Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and legislative leaders late Friday reached an eleventh-hour deal on changes to rules around wildfire liability.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the heart of the deal is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097383/newsoms-wildfire-gamble-and-two-voting-court-cases\">the question of who pays\u003c/a> when utility-owned equipment sparks a damaging wildfire — costs that have ballooned into the tens of billions of dollars in recent fire disasters. The plan, which comes after months of largely closed-door negotiations, seeks to protect ratepayers by stopping hedge funds from extracting massive payouts from utilities in the wake of wildfires, while also restricting utility executives from receiving bonuses when their equipment causes a fire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is one of the most consequential pieces of legislation for victims and survivors of wildfires that we’ve ever done,” state Sen. Josh Becker, D–Menlo Park, told KQED on Saturday. “Getting them paid fairly and quickly, limiting the role of Wall Street in profiting off of these fires [and] holding utilities accountable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation authored by Becker, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB492\">Senate Bill 492\u003c/a>, would also create a program to speed up the payment of claims for wildfire survivors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the agreement fell short of Newsom’s original aim: to prevent insurance companies from suing utilities to recover the damages that insurers pay out to fire victims. That process, known as subrogation, has helped drive up the cost of electricity bills by adding massive liability costs to power companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of two cars after a fire passed by the area.\" class=\"wp-image-11882560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/GettyImages-1234187575-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Power lines lay on the smoldering remains of vehicles during the Dixie Fire in an unincorporated area of Plumas County on July 25, 2021. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, lawmakers are hoping to restrict insurance companies from selling their right to sue to private equity firms, which under the current system can purchase claims at a discount and drive up payout costs through pricey litigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is all real progress for future fire survivors,” Newsom said in a statement on Saturday. “Nonetheless, this system needs full structural reform — not a partial one.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The agreement will require a two-thirds vote in the Assembly and Senate as soon as Tuesday under an urgency clause that allows it to be voted on after Monday night’s scheduled close of California’s legislative session. For Newsom, it will bookend a tenure as governor that began in crisis in the wake of the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in the state’s modern history. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California law holds power companies, such as PG&E and Southern California Edison, responsible for the damage caused by their equipment — even without any finding of negligence, unlike other states. Liability from the 2018 Camp Fire pushed PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11879943/a-year-after-pge-left-bankruptcy-spending-by-fire-victim-trust-remains-a-mystery\">to declare bankruptcy\u003c/a> the following January, just weeks after Newsom took office. Damages from the 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12076246/the-eaton-fire-ravaged-black-altadena-a-journalist-documents-its-resilience\">Eaton Fire in Altadena\u003c/a>, which was started by a SoCal Edison transmission line, could reach $45 billion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the last decade, investor-owned utilities have spent billions to both shoulder wildfire liability and protect power lines from sparking future blazes. That spending has been passed along to California’s utility customers, who pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">second-highest electricity rates\u003c/a> in the nation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wildfire-related charges now add roughly $41 a month to the average PG&E bill and $27 a month for SoCal Edison customers, according to a state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">report released\u003c/a> this spring that served as a jumping-off point for the utility negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the spending by power companies will not completely eliminate the risk of utility-sparked wildfires, said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That means there’s fire risk for people living in high-risk areas, close to power system infrastructure that they are not seeing in their insurance premiums,” Fowlie said. “We’re seeing them on our electricity bills.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While many California power customers, especially those in hotter inland areas, have few options in the face of escalating rates, Fowlie said homeowners can receive insurance discounts if they fire-proof their homes and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/19/nx-s1-5937926/california-wildfire-rules-zone-zero-vegetation\">increase the defensible space\u003c/a> around their property. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Shifting more of the risk onto homeowners and property owners in higher-risk areas does dial up the financial incentives to do more mitigation to reduce premiums via discounts,” she added. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Several homes and mobile homes sit on a hillsides where grasses have been removed.\" class=\"wp-image-11955391\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66844_230626-HousingNevadaCoWildfire-74-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home in Nevada County that has created defensible space to help protect against damage due to wildfires on June 26, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But California’s insurance industry is in the midst of its own interwoven crisis. Wildfire losses have led many insurers to either stop renewing policies or leave the state — pushing residents in fire-prone areas onto \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094860/california-fair-plan-announces-29-1-rate-hike-for-homeowners-this-fall\">the FAIR Plan\u003c/a>, the state’s insurer of last resort. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s original plan, meanwhile, was also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093430/la-fire-survivors-say-newsom-is-trying-to-help-utilities-reduce-their-wildfire-costs-again\">criticized by wildfire survivor groups\u003c/a> and trial attorneys — the latter group holding particular influence among Democrats in the Legislature who were wary of signing on to a deal that could be perceived as a utility bailout. Wildfire survivor groups took aim at elements of Newsom’s original proposal that would have limited some claims of noneconomic damages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Survivors from across California came to Sacramento and asked our elected representatives to stand with the people whose homes, communities and lives have been devastated,” Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, said in a statement on Saturday. “They listened. And in the face of extraordinary pressure from some of the most powerful interests in our state, they centered survivors and California families.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deal Newsom reached with legislative leaders will prevent law firms from making unsolicited communications to survivors for 30 days after the disaster and cap attorney fees in insurance subrogation cases to 10% of the final settlement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The opponents [were] quite a strange grouping of bedfellows,” said Dave Jones, a former California insurance commissioner and director of the Climate Risk Initiative at the UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones said that if utilities remain forced to shoulder the financial liabilities for wildfires, they will be incentivized to invest in grid safety and vegetation management. Shifting more of the burden to insurers, he said, will put more stress on fire survivors, local taxpayers and insurance policyholders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Legislative rules prevent changes from being made to bills for 72 hours before a final vote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sen. Roger Niello, R–Fair Oaks, the Republican leader-elect, questioned whether three days was enough time for lawmakers to digest complex changes to wildfire rules. For the second consecutive year, lawmakers will be voting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055461/california-lawmakers-reach-last-minute-deals-on-climate-energy\">consequential energy legislation\u003c/a> in the waning moments of the session.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve raised concerns before about major policy being pushed through at the last minute without public input,” Niello said in a statement. “I am committed to working with the next administration to craft financially sound solutions and double down on wildfire mitigation and prevention efforts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why did Newsom choose to close the final legislative session of his career with a complicated battle involving utilities, insurance companies and trial attorneys — all political heavyweights at the Capitol?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just weeks after Newsom took office in early 2019, PG&E declared bankruptcy. The utility giant was facing tens of billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities after its equipment sparked the Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise and left 85 people dead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company lacked sufficient cash, held inadequate wildfire insurance and ultimately suffered a credit crisis. As the extent of its liabilities became clear, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11716710/ratings-service-slashes-pge-credit-to-junk-status\">credit rating agencies downgraded PG&E\u003c/a> so that the value of its debt became almost worthless. It couldn’t get access to lines of short-term credit, so it couldn’t function day to day. It declared bankruptcy to halt the active lawsuits, pause servicing its debt and regroup. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He had a baptism by fire, so to speak, when he was elected right before the massive and deadly fires in Northern California,” said Becker, a longtime Newsom ally. “I think he feels a real obligation and responsibility to leave the state better than when he found it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the Camp Fire, Newsom and the Legislature designated $21 billion — half from utility shareholders, half from ratepayers — for a fund to compensate victims of fires sparked by utility equipment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was designed as a long-term safety net, but the massive claims stemming from the Los Angeles fires in early 2025 threatened to drain the fund entirely. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature replenished it with an additional $18 billion last summer, but another catastrophic fire could again threaten the solvency of the fund, providing the governor practical motivations for pursuing this deal. While the legislative session will end on Monday, Newsom’s final term runs through the fall months that constitute the heart of California’s modern wildfire season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That means another disaster could leave Newsom with a utility hurtling toward bankruptcy just as he leaves office — and prepares for an expected run for president.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s concerned about, ‘Hey, one big fire could take that [fund] out,’” Becker said. “Then what happens?” \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As one of his last acts as governor, Gavin Newsom is trying to tackle the ongoing wildfire crisis, pitting regular Californians, including fire survivors, against utility and insurance companies. There’s a midnight deadline for any legislative action. Marisa and Guy sort out why Newsom picked up this political hot potato. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, they discuss movement in two big court cases this week. The California Supreme Court heard arguments in the dispute over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096491/california-supreme-court-appears-skeptical-of-biancos-ballot-seizure\">Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s\u003c/a> unprecedented seizure of more than 650,000 ballots in last year’s Proposition 50 election. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Trump to move forward with an attempt to restrict mail-in voting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As one of his last acts as governor, Gavin Newsom is trying to tackle the ongoing wildfire crisis, pitting regular Californians, including fire survivors, against utility and insurance companies. There’s a midnight deadline for any legislative action. Marisa and Guy sort out why Newsom picked up this political hot potato. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, they discuss movement in two big court cases this week. The California Supreme Court heard arguments in the dispute over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096491/california-supreme-court-appears-skeptical-of-biancos-ballot-seizure\">Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s\u003c/a> unprecedented seizure of more than 650,000 ballots in last year’s Proposition 50 election. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Trump to move forward with an attempt to restrict mail-in voting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Lorena Gonzalez heads up the powerful California Federation of Labor Unions, making her one of the most prominent voices for working people in the state. The group represents more than 1,300 unions and 2.3 million workers in sectors including manufacturing, retail, construction, hospitality, healthcare and entertainment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the federation’s priorities in Sacramento this year is Artificial Intelligence policy. In the final days of the legislative session, Marisa sits down with Gonzalez to talk about the AI and data center bills that have failed, the ones still on the table and working with unions across the country on these regulations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They also discuss the backroom negotiations behind a proposed ballot measure tax on California billionaires that has split the labor community. Despite the federation’s endorsement of the measure, Gonzalez said she’d prefer it not be on the ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLbvdWXuR3Y\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "San Francisco Democratic Party Endorses Manny Yekutiel for Supervisor After Sexual Assault Allegations",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic Party voted to endorse Manny Yekutiel for District 8 supervisor despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090065/sexual-assault-allegations-against-manny-yekutiel-roil-san-francisco-democrats\">sexual assault allegations\u003c/a> against the local cafe owner who has forged close ties with many of the city’s prominent political leaders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The endorsement arrived the same day the local party announced the conclusion of an investigation into allegations made by Brad Chapin, who claimed Yekutiel assaulted him at a party in 2020. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An ombudsperson tasked with reviewing Chapin’s complaint said that no judgment could be made about whether the alleged incident occurred. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel said in a statement that he was grateful for the party’s endorsement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny Yekutiel introduces U.S. presidential candidate Tom Steyer during Steyer’s appearance at Manny’s in San Francisco, California, on July 17, 2019. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our campaign is focused on delivering results on the issues voters care about most, making San Francisco more affordable, building the housing we need, supporting small businesses and keeping our neighborhood safe,” he said. “I’m proud of the momentum behind this campaign, and I’m going to keep taking that message directly to voters across District 8.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin’s case was one of the first tests for the San Francisco Democratic Party’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016733/sf-democrats-adopt-new-sexual-assault-reporting-policies\">newly created policy\u003c/a> for reporting sexual misconduct in political spaces. Chapin, a city gardener who previously worked as an organizer in local politics, filed a police report in April before reporting the incident to the local Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin said he did not receive a response through the reporting process until he came forward publicly with his story in the media, however. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An adjudication panel met on Tuesday to review the investigator’s findings, according to a letter sent to Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The accusation cannot be substantiated,” the letter said, stating that the event in question was not at an official meeting or event sponsored by a political club. “This is not a determination on the merits of whether a sexual assault occurred.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Speaking during public comment at Wednesday night’s Democratic Party meeting, Chapin called the process a “sham.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m really disappointed in your investigation,” he said. “You should all be…ashamed of yourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has powerful allies in City Hall, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, with whom he started the nonprofit Civic Joy Fund. His restaurant, Manny’s, serves as a civic gathering space that has hosted prominent political figures both local and national. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has endorsements from the majority of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who is a member of the Democratic Party’s committee on sexual assault, abstained from the vote on Wednesday night but has personally endorsed Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2278646743-scaled-e1782502896455.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086413\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor Daniel Lurie during a news conference on his budget proposal in San Francisco on June 1, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I support him because he embodies Democratic values and he’s lived through them for years doing civic engagement, bringing people together, championing equality and inclusion. He has truly built community,” a District 8 resident named Trey Gwen said at Wednesday’s meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel is facing off against three other candidates also running to represent District 8, which includes the Castro, Noe Valley and Glen Park neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They include Gary McCoy, a former aide for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi; Democratic Party member and lawyer Michael Nguyen; and former DoorDash employee Darshini Patel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Democratic Party narrowly voted against backing McCoy, who has an endorsement from Pelosi, as a second-rank candidate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know Gary very well. He is somebody I consider a friend, and I think he would be a terrific colleague,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who said the two met through drug recovery meetings. “It would mean a lot to people in the recovery community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Catie Stewart, a spokesperson for McCoy’s campaign, said in a statement on Wednesday that they share “grave concerns” about the Democratic Party’s process and findings around Chapin’s assault allegations against Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12020498\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-1020x1275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-1229x1536.jpg 1229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie walks with Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and Manny Yekutiel during a trash pickup in the Mission District on Jan. 5, 2025, during a weekend of service before his inauguration. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“Its conclusion on the day of a critical endorsement meeting, after months of initially ignoring Brad Chapin’s complaint, is suspect, bordering on absurd,” the statement said. “That the ombudsperson says they are both unable to substantiate the claim nor determine whether or not a sexual assault happened provides no meaningful information.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has asserted that Chapin’s complaint was politically motivated, which Chapin has denied outright. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Democratic Party created its sexual assault reporting policy following accusations against prominent political organizers including John Jacobo and Kevin Ortiz, two progressives who have both denied the allegations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The goal was to create an independent process for vetting complaints outside of the inherently political body. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But concerns around the reporting process more generally, including its appeal process and notification system, were echoed by members of the city’s political community after Wednesday’s endorsement vote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gina Roccanova, a professional mediator and arbitrator who chairs the Democratic Party’s judicial committee tasked with the investigation, declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The policy is sloppy and wasn’t adequately considered. They were not effective at creating an environment where they could hear from a variety of survivors about what our needs were, and so those needs are not reflected in the policy,” said a woman who has accused Ortiz of sexual assault and who requested anonymity to discuss the policy because she has not come forward publicly. “It’s a betrayal to all survivors because you can’t just pick and choose which assaults matter based on who politically aligns with you.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny Yekutiel introduces U.S. presidential candidate Tom Steyer during Steyer’s appearance at Manny’s in San Francisco, California, on July 17, 2019.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our campaign is focused on delivering results on the issues voters care about most, making San Francisco more affordable, building the housing we need, supporting small businesses and keeping our neighborhood safe,” he said. “I’m proud of the momentum behind this campaign, and I’m going to keep taking that message directly to voters across District 8.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Our campaign is focused on delivering results on the issues voters care about most, making San Francisco more affordable, building the housing we need, supporting small businesses and keeping our neighborhood safe,” he said. “I’m proud of the momentum behind this campaign, and I’m going to keep taking that message directly to voters across District 8.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chapin’s case was one of the first tests for the San Francisco Democratic Party’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016733/sf-democrats-adopt-new-sexual-assault-reporting-policies\">newly created policy\u003c/a> for reporting sexual misconduct in political spaces. Chapin, a city gardener who previously worked as an organizer in local politics, filed a police report in April before reporting the incident to the local Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chapin said he did not receive a response through the reporting process until he came forward publicly with his story in the media, however. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An adjudication panel met on Tuesday to review the investigator’s findings, according to a letter sent to Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The accusation cannot be substantiated,” the letter said, stating that the event in question was not at an official meeting or event sponsored by a political club. “This is not a determination on the merits of whether a sexual assault occurred.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Speaking during public comment at Wednesday night’s Democratic Party meeting, Chapin called the process a “sham.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m really disappointed in your investigation,” he said. “You should all be…ashamed of yourselves.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has powerful allies in City Hall, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, with whom he started the nonprofit Civic Joy Fund. His restaurant, Manny’s, serves as a civic gathering space that has hosted prominent political figures both local and national. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has powerful allies in City Hall, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, with whom he started the nonprofit Civic Joy Fund. His restaurant, Manny’s, serves as a civic gathering space that has hosted prominent political figures both local and national. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has endorsements from the majority of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who is a member of the Democratic Party’s committee on sexual assault, abstained from the vote on Wednesday night but has personally endorsed Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has endorsements from the majority of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who is a member of the Democratic Party’s committee on sexual assault, abstained from the vote on Wednesday night but has personally endorsed Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2278646743-scaled-e1782502896455.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086413\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor Daniel Lurie during a news conference on his budget proposal in San Francisco on June 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I support him because he embodies Democratic values and he’s lived through them for years doing civic engagement, bringing people together, championing equality and inclusion. He has truly built community,” a District 8 resident named Trey Gwen said at Wednesday’s meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yekutiel is facing off against three other candidates also running to represent District 8, which includes the Castro, Noe Valley and Glen Park neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They include Gary McCoy, a former aide for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi; Democratic Party member and lawyer Michael Nguyen; and former DoorDash employee Darshini Patel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I know Gary very well. He is somebody I consider a friend, and I think he would be a terrific colleague,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who said the two met through drug recovery meetings. “It would mean a lot to people in the recovery community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I know Gary very well. He is somebody I consider a friend, and I think he would be a terrific colleague,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who said the two met through drug recovery meetings. “It would mean a lot to people in the recovery community.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Catie Stewart, a spokesperson for McCoy’s campaign, said in a statement on Wednesday that they share “grave concerns” about the Democratic Party’s process and findings around Chapin’s assault allegations against Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Catie Stewart, a spokesperson for McCoy’s campaign, said in a statement on Wednesday that they share “grave concerns” about the Democratic Party’s process and findings around Chapin’s assault allegations against Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Its conclusion on the day of a critical endorsement meeting, after months of initially ignoring Brad Chapin’s complaint, is suspect, bordering on absurd,” the statement said. “That the ombudsperson says they are both unable to substantiate the claim nor determine whether or not a sexual assault happened provides no meaningful information.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has asserted that Chapin’s complaint was politically motivated, which Chapin has denied outright. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Democratic Party created its sexual assault reporting policy following accusations against prominent political organizers including John Jacobo and Kevin Ortiz, two progressives who have both denied the allegations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The goal was to create an independent process for vetting complaints outside of the inherently political body. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But concerns around the reporting process more generally, including its appeal process and notification system, were echoed by members of the city’s political community after Wednesday’s endorsement vote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gina Roccanova, a professional mediator and arbitrator who chairs the Democratic Party’s judicial committee tasked with the investigation, declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The policy is sloppy and wasn’t adequately considered. They were not effective at creating an environment where they could hear from a variety of survivors about what our needs were, and so those needs are not reflected in the policy,” said a woman who has accused Ortiz of sexual assault and who requested anonymity to discuss the policy because she has not come forward publicly. “It’s a betrayal to all survivors because you can’t just pick and choose which assaults matter based on who politically aligns with you.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Yekutiel, who owns a popular cafe in the Mission, has risen among the city’s political ranks with close ties to Mayor Daniel Lurie and other moderate Democrats. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic Party voted to endorse Manny Yekutiel for District 8 supervisor despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090065/sexual-assault-allegations-against-manny-yekutiel-roil-san-francisco-democrats\">sexual assault allegations\u003c/a> against the local cafe owner who has forged close ties with many of the city’s prominent political leaders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The endorsement arrived the same day the local party announced the conclusion of an investigation into allegations made by Brad Chapin, who claimed Yekutiel assaulted him at a party in 2020. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An ombudsperson tasked with reviewing Chapin’s complaint said that no judgment could be made about whether the alleged incident occurred. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel said in a statement that he was grateful for the party’s endorsement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny Yekutiel introduces U.S. presidential candidate Tom Steyer during Steyer’s appearance at Manny’s in San Francisco, California, on July 17, 2019. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our campaign is focused on delivering results on the issues voters care about most, making San Francisco more affordable, building the housing we need, supporting small businesses and keeping our neighborhood safe,” he said. “I’m proud of the momentum behind this campaign, and I’m going to keep taking that message directly to voters across District 8.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin’s case was one of the first tests for the San Francisco Democratic Party’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016733/sf-democrats-adopt-new-sexual-assault-reporting-policies\">newly created policy\u003c/a> for reporting sexual misconduct in political spaces. Chapin, a city gardener who previously worked as an organizer in local politics, filed a police report in April before reporting the incident to the local Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin said he did not receive a response through the reporting process until he came forward publicly with his story in the media, however. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An adjudication panel met on Tuesday to review the investigator’s findings, according to a letter sent to Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The accusation cannot be substantiated,” the letter said, stating that the event in question was not at an official meeting or event sponsored by a political club. “This is not a determination on the merits of whether a sexual assault occurred.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Speaking during public comment at Wednesday night’s Democratic Party meeting, Chapin called the process a “sham.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m really disappointed in your investigation,” he said. “You should all be…ashamed of yourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has powerful allies in City Hall, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, with whom he started the nonprofit Civic Joy Fund. His restaurant, Manny’s, serves as a civic gathering space that has hosted prominent political figures both local and national. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has endorsements from the majority of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who is a member of the Democratic Party’s committee on sexual assault, abstained from the vote on Wednesday night but has personally endorsed Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2278646743-scaled-e1782502896455.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086413\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor Daniel Lurie during a news conference on his budget proposal in San Francisco on June 1, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I support him because he embodies Democratic values and he’s lived through them for years doing civic engagement, bringing people together, championing equality and inclusion. He has truly built community,” a District 8 resident named Trey Gwen said at Wednesday’s meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel is facing off against three other candidates also running to represent District 8, which includes the Castro, Noe Valley and Glen Park neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They include Gary McCoy, a former aide for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi; Democratic Party member and lawyer Michael Nguyen; and former DoorDash employee Darshini Patel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Democratic Party narrowly voted against backing McCoy, who has an endorsement from Pelosi, as a second-rank candidate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know Gary very well. He is somebody I consider a friend, and I think he would be a terrific colleague,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who said the two met through drug recovery meetings. “It would mean a lot to people in the recovery community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Catie Stewart, a spokesperson for McCoy’s campaign, said in a statement on Wednesday that they share “grave concerns” about the Democratic Party’s process and findings around Chapin’s assault allegations against Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12020498\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-1020x1275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250105-LurieInaugurationCleanup-51-1229x1536.jpg 1229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie walks with Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and Manny Yekutiel during a trash pickup in the Mission District on Jan. 5, 2025, during a weekend of service before his inauguration. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“Its conclusion on the day of a critical endorsement meeting, after months of initially ignoring Brad Chapin’s complaint, is suspect, bordering on absurd,” the statement said. “That the ombudsperson says they are both unable to substantiate the claim nor determine whether or not a sexual assault happened provides no meaningful information.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has asserted that Chapin’s complaint was politically motivated, which Chapin has denied outright. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Democratic Party created its sexual assault reporting policy following accusations against prominent political organizers including John Jacobo and Kevin Ortiz, two progressives who have both denied the allegations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The goal was to create an independent process for vetting complaints outside of the inherently political body. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But concerns around the reporting process more generally, including its appeal process and notification system, were echoed by members of the city’s political community after Wednesday’s endorsement vote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gina Roccanova, a professional mediator and arbitrator who chairs the Democratic Party’s judicial committee tasked with the investigation, declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The policy is sloppy and wasn’t adequately considered. They were not effective at creating an environment where they could hear from a variety of survivors about what our needs were, and so those needs are not reflected in the policy,” said a woman who has accused Ortiz of sexual assault and who requested anonymity to discuss the policy because she has not come forward publicly. “It’s a betrayal to all survivors because you can’t just pick and choose which assaults matter based on who politically aligns with you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Splitting With State Party, San Francisco Democrats Oppose Billionaire Tax",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic Party has voted to oppose a proposed statewide \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">billionaire tax\u003c/a>, marking a rare divergence from the California Democratic Party, which endorsed the November ballot measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 40 has emerged as a lightning rod among Democrats, with the state party narrowly voting to endorse it while prominent moderate Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have come out against it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s vote came shortly after the majority-moderate San Francisco Democratic Party changed its bylaws earlier this summer to allow the local party to go against the state Democratic Party’s endorsements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters have said Proposition 40 would provide a much-needed injection of cash to California’s healthcare system at a time when federal cuts to Medicare have impacted residents across the state and city of San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088085\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs reading “A Billionaire Tax Now” rest on chairs at a Billionaire Tax Now rally where Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to speak in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But opponents say it’s a misguided effort to tax the wealthy and could result in billionaires fleeing to other states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Passing a billionaire tax in California is not a long-term viable solution to providing affordable healthcare,” member Lanier Coles said. “We need \u003cem>federal\u003c/em> tax reform to address the growing inequities and concentration of wealth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One member in the audience fired back: “That’s why you lost to Trump twice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 17-4 vote fell along moderate-progressive lines. The measure would create a one-time 5% tax on Californians with a net worth that exceeds $1 billion who lived in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax could generate about $100 billion and would be paid by roughly 200 billionaires, according to the campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure has garnered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095116/california-billionaire-tax-has-strong-support-of-democratic-voters-new-poll-shows\">strong support\u003c/a> from likely Democratic voters in California, according to a recent UC Berkeley poll. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s Democratic leaders are divided on the measure. In addition to the local and state Democratic Party split, Newsom and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner for governor, have both opposed Proposition 40. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Opponents of the measure say the one-time tax would not produce the long-term funding needed to backfill healthcare cuts from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Groups opposing Proposition 40 include Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the California Teachers Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California healthcare unions back the state billionaire tax and have received the support of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents parts of Silicon Valley.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Working families who are barely holding on here in San Francisco and across the state are paying their taxes,” San Francisco Democratic Party member Peter Gallotta said. “Billionaires making ungodly sums of money with more than they can spend in their lifetimes can afford to contribute more.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Progressive members slammed their moderate colleagues for playing defense for billionaires, including powerful tech donors who have helped elect members of the local Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut.jpg\" alt=\"An Asian man in a blue suit holding a microphone and speaking with protesters behind him in support of gig workers.\" class=\"wp-image-11932792\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former San Francisco Supervisor Gordon Mar, representing District 4, at a rally supporting the creation of a statewide union of Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig workers on Oct. 12, 2022. (Farida Jhabvala Romero/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A no vote on Proposition 40 “would reinforce the public perception that our local Democratic Party is more responsive to the billionaire interest who spent heavily to elect the current majority than healthcare workers and working families,” former Supervisor Gordon Mar said. “The federal healthcare cuts facing California are not minor … Prop. 40 is the only proposal before voters and on the table more generally that approaches the scale of this crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco Democratic Party members Emma Hare and Eric Kingsbury put forward a resolution calling for a national wealth tax, which Newsom has also proposed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“American government increasingly answers to an oligarchy of a few hundred households rather than to the more than three hundred million Americans it exists to serve,” reads the resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey and party member Joe Sangirardi. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If wealthy people know how to do anything really well, it’s to get through loopholes, and I think this measure has a lot of loopholes,” Hare said. “I think we can do better.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 40 has emerged as a lightning rod among Democrats, with the state party narrowly voting to endorse it while prominent moderate Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have come out against it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters have said Proposition 40 would provide a much-needed injection of cash to California’s healthcare system at a time when federal cuts to Medicare have impacted residents across the state and city of San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088085\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs reading “A Billionaire Tax Now” rest on chairs at a Billionaire Tax Now rally where Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to speak in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But opponents say it’s a misguided effort to tax the wealthy and could result in billionaires fleeing to other states.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Passing a billionaire tax in California is not a long-term viable solution to providing affordable healthcare,” member Lanier Coles said. “We need \u003cem>federal\u003c/em> tax reform to address the growing inequities and concentration of wealth.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Passing a billionaire tax in California is not a long-term viable solution to providing affordable healthcare,” member Lanier Coles said. “We need \u003cem>federal\u003c/em> tax reform to address the growing inequities and concentration of wealth.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The 17-4 vote fell along moderate-progressive lines. The measure would create a one-time 5% tax on Californians with a net worth that exceeds $1 billion who lived in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax could generate about $100 billion and would be paid by roughly 200 billionaires, according to the campaign. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure has garnered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095116/california-billionaire-tax-has-strong-support-of-democratic-voters-new-poll-shows\">strong support\u003c/a> from likely Democratic voters in California, according to a recent UC Berkeley poll. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the state’s Democratic leaders are divided on the measure. In addition to the local and state Democratic Party split, Newsom and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner for governor, have both opposed Proposition 40. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A no vote on Proposition 40 “would reinforce the public perception that our local Democratic Party is more responsive to the billionaire interest who spent heavily to elect the current majority than healthcare workers and working families,” former Supervisor Gordon Mar said. “The federal healthcare cuts facing California are not minor … Prop. 40 is the only proposal before voters and on the table more generally that approaches the scale of this crisis.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco Democratic Party members Emma Hare and Eric Kingsbury put forward a resolution calling for a national wealth tax, which Newsom has also proposed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“American government increasingly answers to an oligarchy of a few hundred households rather than to the more than three hundred million Americans it exists to serve,” reads the resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey and party member Joe Sangirardi. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“American government increasingly answers to an oligarchy of a few hundred households rather than to the more than three hundred million Americans it exists to serve,” reads the resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey and party member Joe Sangirardi. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If wealthy people know how to do anything really well, it’s to get through loopholes, and I think this measure has a lot of loopholes,” Hare said. “I think we can do better.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The state’s Democratic leaders are also divided on Proposition 40, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra opposing the measure.",
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"title": "Splitting With State Party, San Francisco Democrats Oppose Billionaire Tax | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic Party has voted to oppose a proposed statewide \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">billionaire tax\u003c/a>, marking a rare divergence from the California Democratic Party, which endorsed the November ballot measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 40 has emerged as a lightning rod among Democrats, with the state party narrowly voting to endorse it while prominent moderate Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have come out against it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s vote came shortly after the majority-moderate San Francisco Democratic Party changed its bylaws earlier this summer to allow the local party to go against the state Democratic Party’s endorsements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters have said Proposition 40 would provide a much-needed injection of cash to California’s healthcare system at a time when federal cuts to Medicare have impacted residents across the state and city of San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088085\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs reading “A Billionaire Tax Now” rest on chairs at a Billionaire Tax Now rally where Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to speak in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But opponents say it’s a misguided effort to tax the wealthy and could result in billionaires fleeing to other states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Passing a billionaire tax in California is not a long-term viable solution to providing affordable healthcare,” member Lanier Coles said. “We need \u003cem>federal\u003c/em> tax reform to address the growing inequities and concentration of wealth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One member in the audience fired back: “That’s why you lost to Trump twice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 17-4 vote fell along moderate-progressive lines. The measure would create a one-time 5% tax on Californians with a net worth that exceeds $1 billion who lived in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax could generate about $100 billion and would be paid by roughly 200 billionaires, according to the campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure has garnered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095116/california-billionaire-tax-has-strong-support-of-democratic-voters-new-poll-shows\">strong support\u003c/a> from likely Democratic voters in California, according to a recent UC Berkeley poll. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s Democratic leaders are divided on the measure. In addition to the local and state Democratic Party split, Newsom and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner for governor, have both opposed Proposition 40. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Opponents of the measure say the one-time tax would not produce the long-term funding needed to backfill healthcare cuts from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Groups opposing Proposition 40 include Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the California Teachers Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California healthcare unions back the state billionaire tax and have received the support of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents parts of Silicon Valley.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Working families who are barely holding on here in San Francisco and across the state are paying their taxes,” San Francisco Democratic Party member Peter Gallotta said. “Billionaires making ungodly sums of money with more than they can spend in their lifetimes can afford to contribute more.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Progressive members slammed their moderate colleagues for playing defense for billionaires, including powerful tech donors who have helped elect members of the local Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut.jpg\" alt=\"An Asian man in a blue suit holding a microphone and speaking with protesters behind him in support of gig workers.\" class=\"wp-image-11932792\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/11/RS59360_IMG_5938-qut-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former San Francisco Supervisor Gordon Mar, representing District 4, at a rally supporting the creation of a statewide union of Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig workers on Oct. 12, 2022. (Farida Jhabvala Romero/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A no vote on Proposition 40 “would reinforce the public perception that our local Democratic Party is more responsive to the billionaire interest who spent heavily to elect the current majority than healthcare workers and working families,” former Supervisor Gordon Mar said. “The federal healthcare cuts facing California are not minor … Prop. 40 is the only proposal before voters and on the table more generally that approaches the scale of this crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco Democratic Party members Emma Hare and Eric Kingsbury put forward a resolution calling for a national wealth tax, which Newsom has also proposed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“American government increasingly answers to an oligarchy of a few hundred households rather than to the more than three hundred million Americans it exists to serve,” reads the resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey and party member Joe Sangirardi. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If wealthy people know how to do anything really well, it’s to get through loopholes, and I think this measure has a lot of loopholes,” Hare said. “I think we can do better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
},
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
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"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
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"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"requestOutcomesReducer": {
"notFound": []
}
}
