Administration Plans Demands for California Coastline

California's grip on its shoreline is being tested by the White House in a way legal experts say hasn't been tried in the 50-year history of federal coastal law. A draft federal review obtained by the Los Angeles Times shows the Trump administration is threatening to cut off funding and revoke the state's authority under the Coastal Zone Management Act unless California agrees to more than a dozen "corrective actions" that would ease the path for offshore drilling, oil and gas projects, and SpaceX launches that would benefit President Trump's allies.

The review accuses California regulators of overreach and political bias and orders them to meet with companies including SpaceX and Texas-based Sable Offshore. It also demands the state pledge not to broadly oppose oil, gas, or offshore drilling projects. California officials and legal scholars called the move a politicized attack on states' rights, warning it could reshape how coastal protections work nationwide. The full Times report can be found here.