Three big ways Trump could collide with California

Good morning. I’m Karim Doumar, head of newsletters, filling in for Ryan Fonseca. Here’s what we’re covering today.

• These three California constituencies may be on a collision course with Trump.
• Marriage, service, TikTok fame: How the Menendez brothers spent 34 years in prison.
• The L.A. Times 2024 holiday gift guide.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

Farmers, Hollywood unions and EV drivers vs. Trump

By now, it’s old news: Trump’s reelection promises to revive his rivalry with California and its elected leaders. Ryan has covered that in this newsletter again and again and again, and we will continue reporting on the impact Trump’s new administration will have on your lives and wallets in the coming years.

Today, I want to get into some specifics. Three different groups of Californians are bracing for Trump 2.0: Farmers, Hollywood unions and electric vehicle drivers.

Let’s start with California’s farmers. They supported Trump, but his proposed mass deportation could decimate agricultural workforces.

Farmworkers listen to the Training Occupational Development Educating Communities members informing them during a “Know Your Rights” event in the field.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

At least half of the state’s 162,000 farmworkers are undocumented, according to estimates from the federal Department of Labor and research conducted by UC Merced. Without sufficient workers, food would rot in the fields, sending grocery prices skyrocketing, my colleagues Jessica Garrison and Rebecca Plevin wrote.

Farmers hope that the Trump administration will either focus its enforcement elsewhere, support a workforce legalization program or make it easier to hire temporary guest workers under the H-2A visa, the reporters found. Here’s what they wrote about how farmworkers feel:

Farmworkers and their advocates are anxious — both at the prospect of mass deportations and a huge expansion of guest worker programs that in the past have spawned complaints about shorted paychecks, unpaid travel time and unsafe housing.

Next, let’s talk about Hollywood unions, which are facing a triple threat: Trump, AI and the production slowdown

Video game actors, with many non-video game SAG-AFTRA supporters, walked the picket line.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Trump’s administration could give media executives latitude to take a harder line in bargaining, Christi Carras and Stacy Perman reported.

“Clearly there’s going to be less protections for workers and less regulatory oversight for business practices,” David Smith, professor of economics at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, told them. “When that goes into effect and whether that is a priority for the new Trump administration are open questions.”

The Hollywood unions are anxiously awaiting an answer, with big implications for Southern California’s economy.

Though the actors’ and writers’ guilds were able to secure contracts last year, technicians and craftspeople are pressing their own demands for a better deal. That means video game performers, visual effects artists, intimacy coordinators and more.

(The Animation Guild reached a tentative deal with Hollywood studios just yesterday.)

The labor discord has been fueled by several forces, including the rising cost of living in Southern California, the outsourcing of jobs to other states and countries, and the spread of artificial intelligence technology that many see as a threat to jobs, Christi and Stacy reported.

Finally, Trump says he wants to end tax rebates for EV drivers. Gov. Newsom plans to step in.

On the campaign trail, Trump promised to end EV tax credits. But in recent months, he has softened his tone a little, according to L.A. Times energy reporter Russ Mitchell. After all, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has his ear.

Here’s how Russ described how the tax credit works right now:

The credits run as high as $7,500 per car or truck, but only those assembled in the United States with a certain percentage of battery and other parts made in countries with which the U.S. has trade agreements.

Newsom released a statement yesterday saying he would try to revive a California electric vehicle tax credit that the state phased out in 2023, should the federal rebate be eliminated.

“We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute,” Newsom said in a statement.

The money “could come from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is funded by polluters under the state’s cap-and-trade program,” Newsom’s statement said. But Russ reports that the fund pays for clean transportation, sustainable housing, renewable energy, water recycling and other programs, and any new EV rebate would have to compete with those programs for funds.

Today’s top stories

Erik Menendez, center, listens to his attorney Leslie Abramson, right, as his brother Lyle looks on in Beverly Hills in 1991.

(Julie Markes / Associated Press)

The Menendez brothers’ push to be resentenced puts a spotlight on their time behind bars

• If a judge resentences Erik and Lyle Menendez, their lives behind bars in the past 34 years will play a role in whether or not they are paroled.
• Rehabilitation officials praised the brothers for creating and leading programs to improve the lives of incarcerated people. But some law enforcement officials say the brothers shouldn’t be released from prison.
• The brothers made their first court appearance Monday in their bid to be released. But a judge said he needed more time to consider the matter and scheduled a second hearing for Jan. 30.

California begins cracking down on a lucrative market for cannabis-adjacent drinks and gummies

• State regulators are starting to enforce a ban on hemp products that contain THC and other intoxicating compounds. The products were banned in September under emergency state regulations.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom has said the restrictions are necessary to protect the public from beverages, gummies and other products that contain hemp-derived THC. But hemp companies argue the governor has cast too wide a net.

Californians traveling for Thanksgiving will likely face frustrating crowds and congestion

• More than 6 million Californians are expected to hit the road for the holiday, a 2.8% increase from the 2023.
• LAX expects more than 2.2 million passengers to fly through it between Thursday and Monday, with the busiest travel day expected to be Sunday.
• Meanwhile, Americans are estimated to throw out 316 million pounds of food on Thanksgiving. Here’s how it fuels climate change.

What else is going on

• A San José State volleyball player at center of a transgender lawsuit can play, a judge ruled.
• Groundwater pumping is causing land to sink at a record rate in the San Joaquin Valley.
• A father who flew to LAX to find his missing daughter was found dead near the airport.
• A person of interest was identified in the possible road rage hit-and-run that killed a teen bicyclist in Los Angeles.

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

Commentary and opinions

• Trump pledged not to cut Social Security. Here are the ways he could breach that promise, business columnist Michael Hiltzik writes.
• Trump’s Cabinet picks look like revenge of the bros, columnist Robin Abcarian observes.
• What’s perfect for a hotter, drier planet this Thanksgiving? A bean you’ve probably never heard of, writes cookbook author Beth Dooley.
• College football is now just a business — and the fans are losing, argues ML Cavanaugh, a West Point graduate, former college athlete and author.

This morning’s must reads

(Chris Iovenko / For The Times)

Salvation Mountain, one of California’s great art oddities, partially collapsed this summer. Now, devotees are gathering to repair the desert landmark, which sits on public land.

“Even if I had been in 110-degree heat all day, every time I left Salvation Mountain, I felt totally refreshed driving home,” said Daniel Paul, an architectural historian who started visiting the mountain in 1995.

Other must reads

• Moo Deng is a worldwide phenomenon. How long can this global love affair last?
• A high-stakes battle is being waged for L.A.’s screening rooms during awards season.

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

For your downtime

The L.A. Times 2024 holiday gift guide provides ideas for Angelenos seeking adventure, respite or simply a way to celebrate L.A. hometown pride.

(Qianhui Yu / For The Times)

Going out

• 🎁 Looking to get some holiday shopping done this week? The Times’ highly curated gift guide offers ideas that are perfect for Angelenos with specific identities.
• 🛍️ And here are more than a dozen holiday markets in L.A. where you can find one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list.
• 🎶 Here’s the inside story on the “Wicked” musical number that could win Ariana Grande an Oscar.
• 👟 L.A. locals share their favorite walks in the city as part of The Times’ walking guide.

Staying in

• 📚 Here are some of the best book to give toddlers, young readers and teens for the holidays.
• 🦸 “The Franchise” showrunner Jon Brown wanted to capture the over-the-top aspects of superhero movies without losing the humanity of those working on them.
• 🍳 Here’s a recipe for bacon, egg and cheese tacos.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

A question for you: What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

There’s always at least one dish that really hits the spot. What do you enjoy eating on Thanksgiving?

Dorothy writes: “My favorite is the dressing. I make it the way my mom did with a mixture of corn bread and sliced bread, plenty of turkey drippings and spices.”

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might be included in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your great photo of the day

Today’s great photo is from Joseph Manning of Paso Robles: the vintage pier at Cayucos.

Joseph writes: “From finishing a 10K with my infant daughter to watching her play in the sand as she grew, the Cayucos pier anchors some of my best family memories.”

Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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