5 ways Trump’s presidency could come right for California’s way of life

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

• A new Trump presidency could affect life in California, from wildfires to Hollywood.
• Residents in the foothills above Camarillo are grappling with scenes of utter destruction caused by the Mountain fire.
• Stressed about the election results? Here are 36 ways to ease your anxiety in L.A.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

California braces for a new Trump era

As political pundits and online influencers debate what the election means for the nation and world, reporters and editors at The Times are looking at how a second Trump presidency could impact California, from wildfires to Hollywood.

Here’s what my colleagues have found.

Then-President Trump and Paradise Mayor Jody Jones view damage from the Camp fire in Paradise in November 2018. The Camp fire killed more than 80 people and decimated the city.

(Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)

Trump could cut off federal disaster aid for wildfires

The president-elect has repeatedly threatened to stop sending California federal firefighting aid unless Gov. Gavin Newsom enacts his policies, such as providing more water to farmers and homeowners.

Presidents have extraordinary power over disaster aid, my colleague Alex Wigglesworth reported. Trump considered using federal relief as a political bargaining chip during his first term, Politico’s E&E News reported at the time.

State officials have been looking at contingency plans in case Trump follows through on this threat, such as creating an account in the state’s budget that can immediately be tapped for disaster relief if federal aid isn’t available, Alex reports.

Access to reproductive healthcare could be curtailed despite state protections

Trump’s return to the White House is expected to bring sweeping changes in health policies, my colleagues Karen Kaplan, Corinne Purtill and Emily Alpert Reyes report.

And while California’s state Constitution names abortion as a fundamental right, a new Trump administration could limit access to mifepristone, one of the most common drugs used in medication-induced abortions.

Conservative groups have been trying to get courts to withdraw the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug. And Project 2025 has suggested bringing back a 19th century law called the Comstock Act, which prohibits sending any “instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing” that could be used in an abortion.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have said they would not enforce the law, but Vance was among a group of Republican lawmakers who urged the Department of Justice to do just that.

California’s plan to ban new, gasoline-powered cars by 2035 is now in jeopardy

Some of the state’s most ambitious clean air rules now face a hazy future, my colleague Tony Brisco reports.

There are eight clean air rules that currently need approval from the Biden administration, including a ban on new gasoline-powered car sales by 2035 and a prohibition against diesel-fueled trucks visiting state ports and railyards in 2036.

Climate leaders in California are now bracing for rejection under Trump if the Biden administration doesn’t sign off on the rules by Jan. 19.

The rules are estimated to prevent 11,000 premature deaths and provide $116 billion in health benefits over three decades, according to the American Lung Assn.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Trump is unlikely to give Hollywood a lifeline as it struggles to rebound

The entertainment industry could be in for a bumpy ride even as state officials consider plans to revive film and television production after the pandemic and last year’s dual strikes by writers and actors, my colleague Samantha Masunaga reports.

Newsom recently proposed upping the annual cap on state film and TV tax credits to $750 million, from its current total of $330 million. He and others have called for the federal government to step in and keep the U.S. competitive in global production.

But Trump may not want to get involved, especially after many of Hollywood’s biggest stars and executives backed his Democratic opponent in this week’s election, Vice President Kamala Harris.

And if Trump follows through on his threat to slap tariffs on foreign goods, nations such as China could ban U.S. imports, including film and TV shows, Samantha reports.

Trump’s win is already ushering in a new world for California

Newsom has already launched a preemptive strike in an effort to shield the state from Trump’s agenda.

The governor this week called state lawmakers back to Sacramento to boost legal funding to protect state policies — on civil rights, climate change, abortion access and disaster funding — from the incoming Trump administration.

California sued Trump’s administration more than 100 times during his first presidency.

Other stories to check out about how Trump could affect residents in California:

• Trump’s win could reshape UC research, LGBTQ+ rights and student loan forgiveness.
• The next LAPD chief faces questions about immigration enforcement after this week’s election.
• For transgender Americans, Trump’s win after a campaign targeting them is terrifying.

The week’s biggest stories

Standing in the rubble of his mother’s house, Tim Francis, right, gets a hug from neighbor Bradley Seller.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Staggering devastation as the Mountain fire levels hillside neighborhoods in Ventura County

• Residents in the foothills above Camarillo are grappling with scenes of utter destruction after the Mountain fire flattened more than 130 homes and structures.
• Days after moving into their new Camarillo house, the Mountain fire left young parents with no home, no money and no belongings.
• The Mountain fire has fouled the air, forcing a wood-burning ban just as a fall cooldown began.
• New satellite images show a before-and-after view of several sections of Camarillo Heights.

Assessing the 2024 election results

• What went wrong for Harris? Democrats are debating why she lost to Trump.
• Trump’s support among Latino men signals the immigrant experience is less of a factor than pocketbook and quality-of-life issues like crime.
• Meanwhile, California’s political identity is questioned as progressive ballot measures are on track to fail.
• In the San Francisco mayor’s race, the victory of political outsider Daniel Lurie is part of a broader centrist shift for this famously liberal city.
• Harris’ defeat opens a bumpy path to the White House for Newsom, columnist George Skelton writes.
• With a new Trump presidency, California is in for the fight of our lives, columnist Anita Chabria argues.

At Mater Dei, a unique link to USC’s secret admission system for donors’ kids

• The former president of this Orange County school helped affluent students enter USC as walk-on athletes — a route that the university now acknowledges as fraud.
• A Times investigation found that USC quietly offered wealthy and well-connected families an alternative path to admission with much lower academic expectations.
• Meanwhile, USC President Carol Folt to retire in July after cleaning up scandals but drawing dissatisfaction over her handling of pro-Palestinian protests.

More big stories

• Humberto Duran spent 30 years in prison, where he was beaten and shot. But was he actually innocent?
• Climate change was identified as a main driver of worsening drought in the Western United States.
• Emissions from private jets are skyrocketing, and monitoring them is about to get much harder.
• Beverly Hills High issued new rules after students celebrated Trump’s win.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

This week’s must reads

(Patrick Hruby / Los Angeles Times)

Microdosing Ozempic? Some patients are using lower-than-recommended dosages of generic weight-loss drugs to slim down while saving money.

More must reads

• Are famous people more likely to die at 27, or does dying at 27 make them more famous? Researchers have taken a fresh look at the phenomenon.
• Here’s a look at the best freebies and discounts for L.A.’s 50-plus crowd.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your weekend

Patrons can mingle, play games, do puzzles and drink as much tea as they’d like at Tea at Shiloh, one of the best places in L.A. to ease anxiety.

(Kailyn Brown / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• 🗳️ Stressed about the election results? Here are 36 ways to ease your anxiety in L.A.
• 🎁 If you’re looking to get a head start on your holiday shopping, check out The Times’ highly curated gift guide that’s all about showcasing L.A.
• 👟 Need to take a walk? The Times put together a guide to essential walking paths that will show you the best of L.A.
• ☃️ It’s winter in Stars Hollow! Stroll through the “Gilmore Girls” town on this cozy Warner Bros. tour.
• 🎶 Oddball opera is having a glorious moment in L.A. right now.

Staying in

• 🎧 Beyoncé made history (again) with 11 nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards.
• 👜 Here’s a look at how the eye-catching, maximalist costumes on “Elsbeth” are used to disarm the unsuspecting.
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for weekday breakfast burritos with seared tomatoes and avocado.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

(Times staff and wire photos)

After a Netflix show and documentary profiled the three-decade-old case of the Menendez brothers, tourists began flocking to the former family home on Elm Drive in which affluent SoCal community? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor

Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.