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Bear Essentials May 9th: We’re talking about actual grizzly bears here. (And the economy.)

May 9, 2025

We’re talking about actual grizzly bears here. (And the economy.)

California’s economy is wobbling like a three-legged stool — job losses, rising unemployment, and federal chaos all taking a swing. This week, we scan the cracks: Trump proposes to gut housing aid, Newsom courts Hollywood with an offer Trump can’t refuse (maybe), tourism stumbles, and grizzlies might actually return to the California woods. Plus: athletic frogs, a “Black Mirror” dating app, and a total BART meltdown.

Hoo boy, let’s get into it…

BENEATH THE SURFACE, REASONS FOR WORRY

Another day, another concerning set of data from our friends at the Public Policy Institute of California. A recent rundown by PPIC shows that California’s job market is putting on a brave face while quietly bleeding from its core. Since January, the state has lost 33,000 jobs, mostly in tech, Hollywood, and admin roles. Unemployment’s creeping up—now at 5.3%. Growth lags behind national trends, with health care and local government carrying the weight. Trade policy and federal budget cuts loom ominously. Without public sector hiring, the numbers would be uglier. The engine’s still running — but it’s misfiring more than it’s moving.

<GO DEEPER>

🤫 Everything you should know

😐 🏠 💸  -  TRUMP BUDGET BUSTS HOUSING — President Trump’s 2026 budget wishlist takes a buzzsaw to federal rental aid, proposing a 43% cut to housing assistance like Section 8 — programs already underfunded and overstretched. The plan replaces direct funding with state-level block grants, caps aid for “able-bodied adults” at two years, and expects cash-strapped states to pick up the slack. Critics say it’s a blueprint for skyrocketing homelessness wrapped in “streamlining” rhetoric. Supporters call it reform; renters call it eviction with extra steps. Time will tell… LA Times

🎥 💰 🤗  -  NEWSOM’S HOLLYWOOD CHARM OFFENSIVE — With the President of the United States threatening a 100% tariff on foreign-made films — because apparently Paddington is now a national security threat — Governor Newsom slid in with a Hollywood-saving counteroffer: a $7.5 billion federal film tax credit. Modeled on California’s expanded state program, it’s the first proposed national subsidy of its kind, aiming to keep productions (and paychecks) on U.S. soil. Details are TBD, but Newsom, California’s most decorated political gymnast, has baited his hook with MAGA lexicon — “Make America Film Again” — in hopes that Trump will bite. Hollywood Reporter

🏄 🌉 🧳  CA TOURISM SLOWS DOWN — California’s golden tourism streak is losing its lustre. For the first time since the pandemic, visits are projected to dip — down 0.7% overall, and a bruising 9.2% for international tourists. Blame inflation, global sour vibes, Trump-era trade hangovers, and a Canadian dollar that’s only trading for $0.72. Mexico? Also pulling back. The domestic crowd? Holding steady, if unenthusiastically. Meanwhile, India and Japan might offer a little lifeline. We should hope so; last year, tourists spent more than $157 billion in California. KQED

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🎧 🔊 🎧 ON THE POD: WESTERN EDITION

Launched in 2021 — a podcast from the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West and hosted by its director William Deverell, historian of the American West — seeks to engage Angelenos, Californians, and Westerners as critical thinkers, conscious consumers, and informed community members. The podcast tells the fascinating stories of the people and communities of our region, connecting the past to the present, and demonstrating the tightly woven fabric of history. Western Edition

😲 🐻 😳 - BEAR MARKET REBOUND

Once California’s apex icon, the grizzly was hunted to oblivion a century ago—but new research suggests it could make a comeback. With enough space, public land, and science-backed optimism, rewilding these 800-pound bruisers could reboot ecosystems and state identity. The question isn’t feasibility — it’s whether Californians want their mascot back for real. The Guardian

🐸 HARNESS YOUR INNER TWAIN — IT’S FROG TIME.

A century-old county fair with a Twain-sized twist, the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee (May 15-18) combines fried food, livestock, and a leaping amphibian spectacle inspired by The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Since 1928, frogs have been airborne — and since 1937, so has the hype. 40,000 visitors hop into Angels Camp annually for the spectacle. Frogtown USA

🏃‍♂️ 💨 ✋ FAST FIVE

  1. 🛑 Court blocks Trump from tying homeless aid to policy demands. SF Chronicle
  2. 🎸 Ty Segall to release benefit album for wildfire relief. Pitchfork
  3. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 UC Berkeley dropouts found “Black Mirror” dating app sweeping CA colleges. SFGate
  4. 💦 Water deliveries endangered by sinking Central Valley. CA Dept. of Water Resources
  5. 🚄 The entire BART system went down for hours. It was bad. KTVU