What A Trump Presidency Means For California

Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, November 12, 2024…

• President-elect Donald Trump made plenty of promises during his campaign that could affect the state of California. But California is already taking action to defend itself against potential Trump administration policies. Will it work?
• Federal health officials are making a new push to test more workers who might be infected with bird flu. 
• Republican incumbent Mike Garcia has conceded in the closely contested 27th Congressional District race in northern Los Angeles County.

California Took On Trump Before. They’re Ready To Do It Again

Elected officials and legal teams across California are mobilizing after former President Donald Trump won back the White House last week.

Near-constant battles with the Golden State, which sued him on average about every 12 days, marked Trump’s first administration, on a wide range of issues including immigration and environmental protection. In the second Trump administration, the state is poised to play a leading role in opposition.

Last week in San Francisco, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he’s spent months talking with his department and attorneys general across the country in preparation of a potential second Trump term. “We have thought through all of the possibilities of the attacks on our values, our people, our state, and we expect certain litigation to come or certain actions to come from the federal government and certain litigation that we will take in response,” Bonta said. “There’s a lot of different scenarios on a lot of different topics, from immigration to the environment to civil rights to gun safety … the list goes on, but we are ready.”

As Feds Recommend Ramping Up Bird Flu Testing, Are Human Cases Being Undercounted?

Federal health officials have changed their guidance on testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The virus, known informally as bird flu, ravaged poultry flocks for years before being found this spring in cattle and, most recently, humans. In California, the virus has been confirmed in 21 dairy workers — the largest caseload of any of the six states where human cases have been reported — as well as 278 dairies. 

Until recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended testing only those farmworkers who showed flu symptoms. As of last Thursday, however, the CDC changed their guidance to urge any worker to be tested after contact with an infected animal, regardless of symptoms — especially if they were not wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

Republican Congressman Concedes In Race For 27th District Seat

U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia, the last Republican congressman anchored in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County, on Monday conceded to Democrat George Whitesides, ending his reelection bid in a district north of Los Angeles.

In a statement, Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot, said he had congratulated Whitesides and will ensure a smooth handoff of office operations to the former NASA chief of staff.

If the results of the race are confirmed, it would be the first House seat in California to flip from Republican to Democrat in this election cycle.