Latest news with #AndersonForecast
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Altadena ICE raid highlights fears that roundups will stymie rebuilding efforts
LOS ANGELES - When ICE agents raided the construction site of a burned property in Altadena earlier this month, they made no arrests. The man they were after was not there. But the mere specter of them returning spooked the workers enough to bring the project to a temporary halt. The next day, half of the 12-man team stayed home. The crew returned to full strength by the end of the week, but they now work in fear, according to Brock Harris, a real estate agent representing the developer of the property. "It had a chilling effect," he said. "They're instilling fear in the workers trying to rebuild L.A." Harris said another developer in the area started camouflaging his construction sites: hiding Porta Potties, removing construction fences and having workers park far away and carpool to the site so as not to attract attention. The potential of widespread immigration raids at construction sites looms ominously over Los Angeles County's prospects of rebuilding after the two most destructive fires in its history. A new report by the UCLA Anderson Forecast said that roundups could hamstring the colossal undertaking to reconstruct the 13,000 homes that were wiped away in Altadena and Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7 - and exacerbate the housing crisis by stymieing new construction statewide. "Deportations will deplete the construction workforce," the report said. "The loss of workers installing drywall, flooring, roofing and the like will directly diminish the level of production." The consequences will spread far beyond those who are deported, the report said. Many of the undocumented workers who manage to avoid ICE will be forced to withdraw from the labor force. Their specialties are often crucial to getting projects completed, potentially harming the fortunes of remaining workers who can't finish jobs without their help. "The productive activities of the undocumented and the rest of the labor force are often complementary," the report said. "For example, home building could be delayed because of a reduction in specific skills" resulting in "a consequent increase in unemployment for the remaining workforce." Jerry Nickelsburg, the director of the Anderson Forecast and author of the quarterly California report released Wednesday, said the "confusion and uncertainty" about the rollout of both immigration and trade policies "has a negative economic impact on California." Contractors want to hire Americans but have a hard time finding enough of them with proper abilities, said Brian Turmail, a spokesperson for the Associated General Contractors of America trade group. "Most of them are kind of in the Lee Greenwood crowd," he said, referring to a county music singer known for performing patriotic songs. "They'd rather be hiring young men and women from the United States. They're just not there." "Construction firms don't start off with a business plan of, 'Let's hire undocumented workers,'" Turmail said. "They start with a business plan of, 'Let's find qualified people.' It's been relatively easy for undocumented workers to get into the country, so let's not be surprised there are undocumented workers working in, among other things, industries in construction." The contractors' trade group said government policies are partly to blame for the labor shortage. About 80% of federal funds spent on workforce development go to encouraging students to pursue four-year degrees, even though less than 40% of Americans complete college, Turmail said. "Exposing future workers to fields like construction and teaching them the skills they need is woefully lacking," he said. "Complicating that, we don't really offer many lawful pathways for people born outside the United States to come into the country and work in construction." The recently raided Altadena project had plenty of momentum before the raid, Harris said. The original house burned in the Eaton fire, but the foundation survived, so the developer, who requested anonymity for fear of ICE retribution, purchased the lot with plans to rebuild the exact house that was there. Permits were quickly secured, and the developer hoped to finish the home by December. But as immigration raids continue across L.A., that timeline could be in jeopardy. "It's insane to me that in the wake of a natural disaster, they're choosing to create trouble and fear for those rebuilding," Harris said. "There's a terrible housing shortage, and they're throwing a wrench into development plans." Los Angeles real estate developer Clare De Briere called raids "fearmongering." "It's the anticipation of the possibility of being taken, even if you are fully legal and you have your papers and everything's in order," she said. "It's an anticipation that you're going to be taken and harassed because of how you look, and you're going to lose a day's work or potentially longer than that." De Briere helped oversee Project Recovery, a group of public and private real estate experts who compiled a report in March on what steps can be taken to speed the revival of the Palisades and Altadena as displaced residents weigh their options to return to fire-affected neighborhoods. The prospect of raids and increased tariffs has increased uncertainty about how much it will cost to rebuild homes and commercial structures, she said. "Any time there is unpredictability, the market is going to reflect that by increasing costs." The disappearance of undocumented workers stands to exacerbate the labor shortage that has grown more pronounced in recent years as construction has been slowed by high interest rates and the rising cost of materials that could get even more expensive due to new tariffs. "In general, costs have risen in the last seven years for all sorts of construction" including houses and apartments, said Devang Shah, a principal at Genesis Builders, a firm focused on rebuilding homes in Altadena for people who were displaced by the fire. "We're not seeing much construction work going on." The slowdown has left a shortage of workers as many contractors consolidated or got out of the business because they couldn't find enough work, Shah said. "When you start thinking about Altadena and the Palisades," he said, "limited subcontractors can create headwinds." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Altadena ICE raid highlights fears that roundups will stymie rebuilding efforts
When ICE agents raided the construction site of a burned property in Altadena earlier this month, they made no arrests. The man they were after was not there. But the mere specter of them returning spooked the workers enough to bring the project to a temporary halt. The next day, half of the 12-man team stayed home. The crew returned to full strength by the end of the week, but they now work in fear, according to Brock Harris, a real estate agent representing the developer of the property. 'It had a chilling effect,' he said. 'They're instilling fear in the workers trying to rebuild L.A.' Harris said another developer in the area started camouflaging his construction sites: hiding Porta Potties, removing construction fences and having workers park far away and carpool to the site so as not to attract attention. The potential of widespread immigration raids at construction sites looms ominously over Los Angeles County's prospects of rebuilding after the two most destructive fires in its history. A new report by the UCLA Anderson Forecast said that roundups could hamstring the colossal undertaking to reconstruct the 13,000 homes that were wiped away in Altadena and Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7 — and exacerbate the housing crisis by stymieing new construction statewide. 'Deportations will deplete the construction workforce,' the report said. 'The loss of workers installing drywall, flooring, roofing and the like will directly diminish the level of production.' The consequences will spread far beyond those who are deported, the report said. Many of the undocumented workers who manage to avoid ICE will be forced to withdraw from the labor force. Their specialties are often crucial to getting projects completed, potentially harming the fortunes of remaining workers who can't finish jobs without their help. 'The productive activities of the undocumented and the rest of the labor force are often complementary,' the report said. 'For example, home building could be delayed because of a reduction in specific skills' resulting in 'a consequent increase in unemployment for the remaining workforce.' Jerry Nickelsburg, the director of the Anderson Forecast and author of the quarterly California report released Wednesday, said the 'confusion and uncertainty' about the rollout of both immigration and trade policies 'has a negative economic impact on California.' Contractors want to hire Americans but have a hard time finding enough of them with proper abilities, said Brian Turmail, a spokesperson for the Associated General Contractors of America trade group. 'Most of them are kind of in the Lee Greenwood crowd,' he said, referring to a county music singer known for performing patriotic songs. 'They'd rather be hiring young men and women from the United States. They're just not there.' 'Construction firms don't start off with a business plan of, 'Let's hire undocumented workers,'' Turmail said. 'They start with a business plan of, 'Let's find qualified people.' It's been relatively easy for undocumented workers to get into the country, so let's not be surprised there are undocumented workers working in, among other things, industries in construction.' The contractors' trade group said government policies are partly to blame for the labor shortage. About 80% of federal funds spent on workforce development go to encouraging students to pursue four-year degrees, even though less than 40% of Americans complete college, Turmail said. 'Exposing future workers to fields like construction and teaching them the skills they need is woefully lacking,' he said. 'Complicating that, we don't really offer many lawful pathways for people born outside the United States to come into the country and work in construction.' The recently raided Altadena project had plenty of momentum before the raid, Harris said. The original house burned in the Eaton fire, but the foundation survived, so the developer, who requested anonymity for fear of ICE retribution, purchased the lot with plans to rebuild the exact house that was there. Permits were quickly secured, and the developer hoped to finish the home by December. But as immigration raids continue across L.A., that timeline could be in jeopardy. 'It's insane to me that in the wake of a natural disaster, they're choosing to create trouble and fear for those rebuilding,' Harris said. 'There's a terrible housing shortage, and they're throwing a wrench into development plans.' Los Angeles real estate developer Clare De Briere called raids 'fearmongering.' 'It's the anticipation of the possibility of being taken, even if you are fully legal and you have your papers and everything's in order,' she said. 'It's an anticipation that you're going to be taken and harassed because of how you look, and you're going to lose a day's work or potentially longer than that.' De Briere helped oversee Project Recovery, a group of public and private real estate experts who compiled a report in March on what steps can be taken to speed the revival of the Palisades and Altadena as displaced residents weigh their options to return to fire-affected neighborhoods. The prospect of raids and increased tariffs has increased uncertainty about how much it will cost to rebuild homes and commercial structures, she said. 'Any time there is unpredictability, the market is going to reflect that by increasing costs.' The disappearance of undocumented workers stands to exacerbate the labor shortage that has grown more pronounced in recent years as construction has been slowed by high interest rates and the rising cost of materials that could get even more expensive due to new tariffs. 'In general, costs have risen in the last seven years for all sorts of construction' including houses and apartments, said Devang Shah, a principal at Genesis Builders, a firm focused on rebuilding homes in Altadena for people who were displaced by the fire. 'We're not seeing much construction work going on.' The slowdown has left a shortage of workers as many contractors consolidated or got out of the business because they couldn't find enough work, Shah said. 'When you start thinking about Altadena and the Palisades,' he said, 'limited subcontractors can create headwinds.'
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
California's Economy Has a Trump Problem
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Californian economy is expected to undergo "a mild contraction," with unemployment expected to hit 6.1 percent this year according to a new report by UCLA's Anderson Forecast, which makes projections about both the state and the national economy. The report attributes the contraction in part to the impact of the White House's policies on tariffs and its crackdown on illegal immigration, which it projects will fuel inflation and drag on economic growth for the remainder of 2025. Why It Matters President Donald Trump was inaugurated for the second time in January with the promise of delivering a new "golden age" for the United States. However, if the Anderson Forecast is correct, and his flagship policies on tariffs and immigration are causing economic growth to drag, the president will come under pressure to explain how this pledge will be met. The Anderson Forecast, produced by UCLA's Anderson School of Management, is one of the most closely watched set of predictions for the economy of California. What To Know The forecast projects that the Californian economy "will grow slower than the U.S.'s in 2025, with several quarters of negative job growth" and says it is "already experiencing a mild contraction, with job losses and stagnation in key sectors." This, and the projected slowdown in the national economy resulting in "near zero" real GDP growth in the second half of 2025, are attributed to "aggressive trade policies, fiscal instability and labor market disruptions" fueled by the federal government. The forecast projects the national economy will make only a "modest recovery" through 2027. According to the Anderson Forecast, the Californian economy will grow by just 0.1 percent in 2025, followed by 0.8 percent in 2026 and 2.5 percent in 2027. Non-agricultural payroll jobs will decline slightly in the state this year, while inflation will hit 6.1 percent in 2025 before falling back to 4.4 percent in 2027. Stock image of the California state flag hanging from a downtown office building in San Francisco. President Donald Trump, inset. Stock image of the California state flag hanging from a downtown office building in San Francisco. President Donald Trump, inset. Smith Collection/Gado/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GETTY The report says that the sectors "that have historically driven California's superior growth," such as technology, entertainment and durable goods manufacturing, "are either stagnant or contracting." It reports that the Californian housing sector is also under pressure as a result of "rising input costs owing to tariffs" and "deportations reducing the construction workforce." On the national level, the forecast says tariffs "are increasing costs across manufacturing and trade-related sectors, contributing to inflation and weakening the competitiveness of U.S. goods." On April 2, which he dubbed "Liberation Day," Trump introduced sweeping new tariffs targeting most of America's trade partners, including levies of 20 percent on the European Union and 34 percent on China, which came on top of another 20 percent he had already imposed. Following a negative market reaction, most of these tariffs were paused and replaced with a flat 10-percent rate, but some higher duties remain in place, including a 25-percent rate for automobile-related imports. Trump has also imposed a major crackdown targeting illegal immigration, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement stepping up raids across the country and speeding up deportation proceedings. What People Are Saying Speaking to Newsweek, Professor Jerry Nickelsburg, director of UCLA's Anderson Forecast, said: "In the first three months of 2025, California lost 50,000 payroll jobs. The growth sectors over the past year have stopped growing and tech, manufacturing and entertainment have yet to take off. Income growth will be positive, but it is likely that employment growth will be slightly negative." Professor Chris Tilly, who teaches at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, told Newsweek that "the impact of President Trump's tariff policies and immigration crackdown will be severe nationwide, and especially severe in California." He said: "In California, one in three jobs is filled by an immigrant, and a large minority of California's immigrant workforce is undocumented. Critical California industries such as agriculture, construction, restaurants and hotels, and manufacturing are dependent on immigrant workforces, including undocumented workers. "Undocumented families in California, most of whom are long-term residents at this point, also make up an important part of the consumer base. Already, many undocumented migrants are not showing up for work, and are shopping less. Even legal immigrants and Latino citizens are going out less, and therefore spending less, out of fear of being stopped and questioned. If this continues, the effects on the California economy—as well as the economy of many other states—will be devastating." Tilly added: "The probable impact of Trump's tariffs is less certain, in part because there is so much uncertainty about what his tariff policy will end up being. But already there are major depressing effects on the ports and warehousing that are important contributors to California's economy. To the extent that other countries retaliate with tariffs on key California exports such as agricultural goods and high-tech products, that will further batter the economy." Professor Robert Blecker, an economist who used to teach at the American University in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek: "Trump's massive deportations of immigrant workers are likely to cause labor shortages and drive up labor costs in key sectors such as agriculture, construction, and services, while his on-again, off-again tariffs have depressed consumer and business confidence and threaten to drive up costs for households and firms alike." What Happens Next It remains to be seen if the Anderson Forecast's projections for the U.S. and Californian economies for the remainder of this year are correct. If they are, Trump is likely to come under heightened pressure over his economic and social policies, including tariffs and mass deportations.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UCLA Anderson Forecast: As economic and geopolitical uncertainties persist, U.S. and California economies slow
The national economy, while resilient in early 2025, faces a period of deceleration owing to aggressive trade policies, fiscal instability and labor market disruptions. California is already experiencing a mild contraction, with job losses and stagnation in key sectors undermining the state's economic momentum. LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The UCLA Anderson Forecast's second quarterly report of 2025 presents a sobering view of the economic landscape for both the United States and California. The national economy, while resilient in early 2025, faces a period of deceleration owing to aggressive trade policies, fiscal instability and labor market disruptions. Meanwhile, California is already experiencing a mild contraction, with job losses and stagnation in key sectors undermining the state's economic momentum. At the national level, the economy is grappling with a volatile policy environment. The effective tariff rate remains elevated at approximately 15%, and the threat of further escalation looms. These tariffs are increasing costs across manufacturing and trade-related sectors, contributing to inflation and weakening the competitiveness of U.S. goods. In California, where the economy has, up to this year, consistently been outperforming the nation as a whole, the economic picture is even more concerning. The state lost 50,000 payroll jobs in the first four months of 2025, and the unemployment rate remains above 5.3%, more than a full percentage point higher than the national average. The National Economy The current economic forecast is subject to numerous risks, given the unprecedented levels of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Geopolitical tensions remain elevated because of ongoing conflicts around the world, including in Ukraine, Iran and Gaza. Concerns about a broader conflict in the Middle East persist, and China's 2027 deadline to annex Taiwan is looming. In addition, tensions between the U.S. and China have increased as the U.S. has taken a more hostile stance toward China's geopolitical and economic agendas. The trajectory of tariffs remains unpredictable. Many tariffs are imposed merely to provoke a reaction, and as observed with the temporary decoupling from China, this strategy does not always yield the desired results. Other tariffs are implemented to promote domestic industries in the name of national security and are likely to be more enduring. As tariffs shook financial markets, a rapid sell-off in the Treasury market prompted the administration to pause most of the newly announced tariffs. While this stemmed the bleeding, yields on U.S. government debt continued to climb as the administration criticized the independence of the Federal Reserve. Furthermore, the pending House bill on taxes and spending contains Section 899, which would give the administration new discretionary powers to tax foreign entities at will, and which will make the U.S. an even less desirable place for investment. This situation, in which the U.S. will need to borrow increasingly larger amounts while simultaneously increasing its perceived investment risk, suggests that greater strains are likely to appear within the financial system. Although the labor market showed strength through the spring with robust job growth and low unemployment claims, this momentum is not expected to last. The unemployment rate is projected to rise to 4.6% by the end of the year, with further increases likely to continue into 2026. Inflation, which had been moderating, is expected to exceed a 4% seasonally adjusted annual rate in the second half of 2025 as tariff-related costs ripple through supply chains. Long-term interest rates are also on the rise, with the 10-year Treasury note projected to peak at 4.7% before gradually declining. Real GDP growth, which contracted slightly in the first quarter, is expected to slow to near zero in the second half of the year, with only modest recovery anticipated through 2027. In California The sectors that have historically driven California's superior growth — technology, durable goods manufacturing, entertainment and logistics — are either stagnant or contracting. Healthcare, education and government, which supported growth in 2024, have likely reached their peak. The housing sector is also under pressure, with deportations reducing the construction workforce, rising input costs owing to tariffs and high interest rates constraining new home development. Despite strong demand and rising prices, new permits remain subdued, and developers are cautious amid economic uncertainty. The logistics sector, a major employer in regions such as Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, is also slowing. A surge in port traffic earlier this year was driven by pre-tariff stockpiling, and with no sustained growth in trade volumes expected, logistics employment is unlikely to expand in 2025. The forecast for the California economy is that it will grow slower than the U.S.'s in 2025, with several quarters of negative job growth. A recovery from California's 2025 economic doldrums could begin in mid-2026, and economic growth is expected to increase in 2027. The unemployment rate is expected to hit a peak of 6.1% this year. The averages for 2025, 2026 and 2027 are expected to be 5.8%, 5.6% and 4.4%, respectively. The forecast for 2025, 2026 and 2027 is for total employment growth rates to be 0.1%, 0.8% and 2.5%, respectively. Non-farm payroll jobs are expected to grow at a rate of -0.1%, 0.4% and 1.9%, respectively, during the same three years. Real personal income is forecast to grow by 1.6% in 2025, 1.3% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027. Higher interest rates, a shortage of construction labor and the rebuilding of damaged and destroyed homes lowered our residential construction forecast from March. Our expectation is for permitted new units to be 102,000 this year and grow to 115,000 by the end of 2027. This level of homebuilding means that the prospect of the private sector building out of the housing affordability problem over the next three years is nil. About UCLA Anderson Forecast UCLA Anderson Forecast is one of the most widely watched and often-cited economic outlooks for California and the nation and was unique in predicting both the seriousness of the early-1990s downturn in California and the strength of the state's rebound since 1993. The Forecast was credited as the first major U.S. economic forecasting group to call the recession of 2001 and, in March 2020, it was the first to declare that the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had already begun. About UCLA Anderson School of Management UCLA Anderson School of Management is a world-renowned learning and research institution. As part of the nation's No. 1 public university, its mission is to advance management thinking and prepare transformative leaders to make positive business and societal impact. Located in Los Angeles, one of the nation's most diverse and dynamic cities and the creative capital of the world, UCLA Anderson places more MBAs on the West Coast than any other business school, and its graduates also bring an innovative and inclusive West Coast sensibility to leading organizations across the U.S. and the world. Each year, UCLA Anderson's MBA, Fully Employed MBA, Executive MBA, UCLA-NUS Executive MBA, Master of Financial Engineering, Master of Science in Business Analytics and doctoral programs educate more than 2,000 students, while the Executive Education program trains an additional 1,800 professionals. This next generation of transformative leaders will help shape the future of both business and society. Follow Us @UCLAForecast @uclaanderson View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE UCLA Anderson Forecast Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
11-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
‘I'm so scared': Readers share their trade war anxieties
Good morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day. Who else wants off this roller coaster? After unleashing financial chaos last week with his so-called reciprocal global tariffs, President Trump on Wednesday paused many of them for 90 days. This could be different by the time you're reading this, but as of Friday morning, the Trump administration has maintained a base 10% tariff on nearly all global imports. Previously announced tariffs on Mexico and Canada — two major U.S. trading partners — stand at 25% for most imports, with some exemptions. But the big news is imports from China, which Trump slapped with a 145% tariff. Trump initially announced a 125% import tax on Chinese products, writing on his Truth Social platform that it was 'based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World's Markets.' Asked by reporters Wednesday why he paused the other tariffs, Trump said 'people were jumping a little bit out of line … they were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid.' After plummeting in the aftermath of Trump's initial tariff plan, the U.S. stock market surged Wednesday when he announced the pause on many global tariffs, then fell again Thursday as fears of a brutal trade war with China set it. For economist Clement Bohr, Trump's walk-back is only a 'marginal relief.' 'There was significant concern about a financial crisis, [which is] why you saw the president eventually backing off … we were close to a precipice there and it was scary,' he said. 'Now we're in a massive trade war with China [that] is basically ripping apart the main artery of the global trading system.' Bohr is an assistant professor of global economics and management at UCLA and issued a 'Recession Watch' last month at the university's Anderson Forecast. I interviewed him for some tariff reporting earlier this week, but given the whiplash from the White House, I called him back to ask: Does this change anything about the risk of a recession? 'From the perspective of the 'Recession Watch,' things haven't really changed much,' he said. 'The main discussion right now is whether this tariff policy, which is now mainly a trade war with China but also across-the-board 10% tariffs … is in and of itself enough to lead to a recession in the U.S.' I asked Bohr what he would tell the public during this ambiguous economic climate. He didn't have good news, but cautioned against reading too much into the 'erratic' swings of the market. 'There's as much uncertainty as there ever has been,' he said. 'Expect this volatility to keep happening in the stock market.' How is all this uncertainty affecting Californians? We asked, you answered. Dozens of our readers answered our survey this week, sharing their concerns about rising prices and the impact tariffs will have on their livelihoods. Here's what some of you had to say (edited for clarity and brevity): '[I worry about] being able to pay my rent because it is have food or have a home. I am afraid. I am old enough and wise enough to see [that] the president's behavior exhibits no concern for me and others, old and young, and our desire to live.' — Emily N., Fresno 'We bought a car two weeks ago in anticipation of prices going up because of tariffs. Our 401(k) and other investments are losing money. I feel the trade war is making our country and the world less safe. I am in my seventies; I can't believe this is how my life is going to end.' — Debra V., Thousand Oaks 'I recently started an [e-bike] business, and I had to pause pre-orders because I don't know what my final costs will be at port. I've given up hope of making a profit or even recouping my startup costs — I just hope to pass my e-bikes along to customers at cost and maybe close the business after that.' — Kate M., Visalia 'These new tariffs could quietly reshape everything we do at my work's interior design and retail store. So much of our work relies on finding unique, often vintage or handcrafted pieces from abroad. I'm also worried about us expanding and opening more retail outlets, because it just doesn't make sense to expand business in a contracting market.' — Noah V., San Diego County 'I can barely afford food and gas and utilities. I live a very simple life. If prices continue to rise, I will not be able to support my most basic needs. I run a service business that is modeled on people hiring me to help with their pets and homes while they are away. Since January my clients have been canceling bookings/travel and my income has dropped dramatically.' — Bernadette V., Eureka 'My husband and I are seniors. We barely make it now. Tariffs are terrifying and if we don't have our [Social Security] checks we will be in the streets. I seriously don't know how we will survive. I'm sure there are many in our position. How is this happening? I'm so scared.' — Rosemarie C., Pittsburg, Calif. 'The stress of watching the trade war and stock market is disconcerting. Many of the folks I know have just stopped watching the news… This is unprecedented. I am losing sleep.' — Laura R., Sebastopol 'I am mainly reacting with quiet panic. And despair. It is wholly demoralizing to work to shape our lives and our futures and our careers and our financial safety nets and our homes and our livelihoods — all while the bad economic policy of a megalomaniacal despot can tank all of it in a matter of a few weeks.' — Andrew B., Los Angeles Worried or wondering how Trump's trade war (however it shapes out) will affect you? Our survey is still open and we'd like to hear from you. We may feature your voice in upcoming editions of the newsletter. You can read more of The Times' trade war coverage here: Hantavirus caused three recent deaths in California. Here's what to know about the virus A rich L.A. neighborhood donated surveillance technology to the LAPD — then drama ensued Coachella 2025 kicks off this weekend. Everything you need to know What else is going on Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. A battle between California truckers leads to a twisted murder-for-hire plot. Authorities claim they hired a hit man to make a business competitor 'disappear.' What they didn't know was that the would-be assassin was talking to the FBI. Other must reads How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Going out Staying in Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. 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. Today's great photo is from former Times photographer Mel Melcon as part of a photo essay about how L.A.'s pay phones have faded into history. Have a great day, from the Essential California team Ryan Fonseca, reporterAndrew Campa, Sunday reporterKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorHunter Clauss, multiplatform editorChristian Orozco, assistant editorKarim Doumar, head of newsletters Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
