The massive California tales shaping up in 2025, in response to our newsroom

Good morning, and welcome to the Important California e-newsletter. Right here’s what it’s essential know to begin your weekend:

The massive California tales to look at in 2025, in response to our newsroom

Similar to that, we’re within the again half of the last decade.

I gained’t predict what 2025 will carry to the Golden State and wider world. However I’ll share the large tales I believe will outline life in California over the following 12 months:

• CA vs. DJT (Spherical 2). California fought President Trump always to safeguard its liberal insurance policies. How will previous battles and new fights play out in Trump’s second time period?
• California voters challenged the state’s deep-blue popularity within the 2024 election. How will the pendulum swing away from progressive insurance policies have an effect on crime, incarceration, housing, low-wage labor and different sides of life within the Golden State?
• What is going to the real-time results of local weather change seem like in California? How will our leaders and communities reply?
• Hollywood continues to be struggling. Will the business, a significant contributor to the state’s financial system, attain a wholesome rebound this 12 months?

However I don’t do that alone. Telling California’s story is a newsroom-wide activity, so I requested a few of my colleagues what tales they could be following in 2025 and why. Right here’s what they shared.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is maneuvering.

“The governor makes use of Trump as a foil to stoke his Democratic base,” Taryn Luna, who covers Newsom and state authorities, instructed me. Look ahead to Newsom to reap the benefits of each alternative this 12 months to distinction himself with the MAGA chief as buzz grows about his personal potential presidential run in 2028.”

Faculty campuses will virtually definitely be one other battlefield.

“President-elect Trump has mentioned that many universities are run by ‘Marxist maniacs’ and has promised to reel in what he sees as professors and faculties that veer too far to the left,” greater schooling reporter Jaweed Kaleem famous. “I’m curious if and the way he’ll try this in California, a state with a number of of the top-ranked private and non-private universities within the nation.”

Then there’s immigration.

“It colours this state from Silicon Valley to the Central Valley to the deep-blue politics that govern Sacramento,” columnist Gustavo Arellano shared. “Gov. Newsom, the State Legislature and plenty of municipalities have vowed to struggle no matter Trump could carry — however how will it really play out? As California goes…”

California moved proper on crime. Now what?

“Following a November election cycle that noticed Californians overwhelmingly assist harder penalties on sure crimes and outright reject progressive prosecutors and sentencing reforms, I’ll be carefully monitoring the impacts of those coverage shifts all through the state,” James Queally, The Occasions’ crime and policing reporter, instructed me.

“I hate to say it, however I believe the H5N1 chicken flu outbreak goes to proceed to pester us as we transfer into 2025.”

That’s enter from environmental well being reporter Susanne Rust. “Public well being, agriculture and wildlife officers are all hoping it is going to peter out like so many flu and viral outbreaks earlier than. However its attain into folks, wildlife and our meals provide make it seem to be its grasp is safe — a number of reservoirs inside which it has discovered protected harbor and room to mutate and evolve.”

Proudly owning a house might be not going to get any simpler.

“Structural elements underlying California’s affordability issues, akin to an insufficient provide of houses, ought to stay in 2025. And incoming-President Trump’s proposals are possible so as to add uncertainty within the broader market,” mentioned housing reporter Liam Dillon.

Newsom and Sacramento Democrats may pit local weather progress and low cost vitality in opposition to one another.

“With electrical charges persevering with to rise and gasoline costs at all times too excessive, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders have pledged to make vitality affordability a prime precedence in 2025,” local weather columnist Sammy Roth shared. “In concept, that must be excellent news for clear vitality, since photo voltaic and wind energy are already cheaper than fossil fuels, and electrical vehicles proceed to come back down in price. However the political realities are usually extra sophisticated.”

Hollywood limps on.

“Final 12 months, Hollywood’s crew members clung to the mantra ‘survive til ’25,’ however as we enter 2025, survival nonetheless seems like the secret. Strikes, streaming cutbacks, runaway productions and AI advances have left below-the-line staff scrambling for stability,” movie enterprise reporter Josh Rottenberg instructed me. “With variety features slipping and a fragmented viewers reshaping what will get made, this 12 months may very well be a turning level — or one other uphill battle — for the individuals who preserve the movie enterprise operating.”

Might Kamala Harris run for governor?

Politics reporter Julia Wick instructed me she’ll be taking note of what Kamala Harris does subsequent and the ramifications for California politics.

“If Harris will get into the 2026 gubernatorial race [a big if!] her presence would completely scramble the race and clear a number of the discipline,” she defined. “Her presence would additionally create a chaotic domino impact on down-ballot races, as different candidates reassess their probabilities and scramble to run for different issues.”

California’s massive transportation targets may face some bumps within the highway (and tracks).

From LAX’s $30-billion overhaul forward of the 2028 Olympics to high-speed rail to electrical vehicles, there’s loads of plans to chop site visitors congestion and clear the state’s terrible air.

However transportation reporter Colleen Shalby says we must always count on some friction with the incoming administration on a number of fronts.

“California’s high-speed rail mission has already confronted uncertainty, with tens of billions of unidentified {dollars} to complete the prepare and no clear deadline for completion as building has to date been remoted to the Central Valley,” she instructed me. “Trump’s Cupboard picks have recognized the mission as one which has wasted federal {dollars} and a state lawmaker plans to introduce laws to defund it,” she shared.

The week’s largest tales

Thriller surrounds the adorned Inexperienced Beret who killed himself and exploded a Tesla Cybertruck

• The case is being investigated as a doable act of terrorism, although officers mentioned they’re nonetheless looking for a motive for the violence.
• Here’s what we all know in regards to the Inexperienced Beret who has been recognized as the motive force of the Cybertruck.
• Federal officers say there isn’t a direct hyperlink between the explosion and the assault in New Orleans that killed not less than 14 folks, however the investigation continues.

Newsom goals to restrict unhealthy meals in California, getting forward of Trump and RFK Jr.

• Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an government order on Friday making an attempt to restrict entry to ultra-processed meals, a transfer he described as a continuation of California’s “nation-leading” diet and well being requirements.
• The governor didn’t point out Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has additionally been a vocal critic of ultra-processed meals. However Newsom’s order alerts his refusal to concede the problem to the incoming Trump administration.

Drug overdose deaths have plummeted in San Francisco. What’s modified?

• The town recorded 586 deadly overdoses within the first 11 months of 2024. That represents an almost 23% lower, or 174 fewer deaths, in contrast with the primary 11 months of 2023.
• Specialists credit score higher entry to overdose-reversal remedy and drugs that ease opioid dependancy, in addition to the waning results of the COVID pandemic.

The query sending shockwaves via Hollywood: How did Blake Vigorous get these damaging texts?

Extra massive tales

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This week’s should reads

Her mom’s killer, now sick with prostate most cancers, was launched final 12 months below California’s latest compassionate launch legislation. The daughter now desires to vary the state’s reform legal guidelines.

“The one who murdered my mom has been launched. That tells me one thing may be very, very incorrect in California,” the daughter mentioned.

Extra nice reads

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Have an important weekend, from the Important California workforce

Ryan Fonseca, reporter

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