Tariffs, Salmon, and Student Homelessness

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This week’s edition is a California cocktail of policy Band-Aids, ecological facepalms, and economic indigestion. Students are sleeping in cars; salmon are vanishing; and LA’s global hustle is getting kneecapped by tariff tantrums. Oh, and a homeless man just became a millionaire. Forget the Silicon Valley IPOs; this week’s success stories range from sardines to scratchers.

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But first…

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NEW PPIC SURVEY SHOWS MIXED FEELINGS ON CA EDUCATION

A new statewide survey from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) finds fewer than half of Californians think the state’s K–12 system is heading in the right direction, with 50% calling for major changes. Meanwhile, strong majorities oppose President Trump’s executive order to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, and most support “safe zone” sanctuary school policies. Approval for state leaders on education hovers around 50% — just enough to avoid detention. The numbers are well worth digging into.

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🤫 Everything you should know

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🧑‍🎓 🚗 😴  -  DORM ROOMS BY TOYOTA? — Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more dystopian… California Assemblymember Corey Jackson has proposed a bill requiring community colleges and Cal State campuses to offer overnight parking for homeless students — because apparently, institutionalizing car-camping is easier than confronting the housing crisis head-on with the urgency it deserves. With nearly 25% of community college students experiencing homelessness, Jackson calls it a humane “interim solution.” Meanwhile, universities balk at the “constant surveillance” that would be required to ensure student safety and the additional administrative burden placed on an already reeling higher education system — not to mention the cost.  —  POLITICO

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🎣 🙅 😞 -  SALMON SEASON SHUT DOWN — California’s once-mighty Chinook salmon population is circling the drain — for the third straight year, commercial fishing is shut down. Recreational fishing? A token weekend or two. The culprit: a century of ecological malpractice — dams, diversions, drained wetlands, and agricultural thirst have left spawning grounds fried and fish counts in freefall. Experts warn a comeback will take decades and massive restoration. Meanwhile, coastal economies reliant on salmon are gutted, and federal relief? Still MIA.  —  CalMatters

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🌎 💸 😧  -  TARIFF TERROR IN LA  — Los Angeles, the global city built on imports, immigrants, and international entanglements, is feeling queasy on Trump’s tariff roller coaster. From Michelin-starred Thai tacos to kosher daycare snacks, rising costs and trade chaos are gutting businesses that rely on goods from abroad. Once-racist suburbs now populated by the very immigrants they once rejected are rethinking overseas investments. The region’s economic lifeblood—globalization—is under siege, and everyone from fish sauce makers to real estate agents is bracing for impact.. — LA TIMES

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🎧 🔊 🎧 ON THE POD: CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY

Tucked away in the heart of Sonoma, *California Wine Country* is a low-key podcast where winemakers show up with bottles, stories, and zero pretension. Hosted by Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, it’s part tasting, part storytelling, part insider hangout. Whether you want to know about oak vs. steel-barreled Chardonnay, or how Trump’s tariffs are going to impact the regional economy and the overall wine market, Steve and Dan have you covered. California Wine Country

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🤑🤑🤑  - WINNER WINNER!

It’s the stuff of a Hollywood script: A homeless San Luis Obispo man walks into a convenience store and purchases a lottery ticket. The store manager describes the scene: “I grabbed the ticket out of his hand, went to the machine over there. He's like, 'Man, I'm not homeless anymore!' I'm like, 'Man, you hit the jackpot.' He's like, '$100,000' and I'm like, 'No, bro. That’s $1 million. Congrats brother,' so, and we gave each other a high five." - KSBY

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🏃‍♂️ 💨 ✋ FAST FIVE

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1. Elon and Zuck, coming at you from a Palo Alto crosswalk button  - The Verge
2. Live results in hotly contested Oakland mayor’s race - SF Chronicle
3. LA County Announces $17M grant program for job training initiatives - LA County DEO
4. Red Bluff welcomes Red Rock the bull, immortalized in gleaming bronze - KRCR‍
5. California to Sue Trump Administration Over Tariffs - Wall Street Journal