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California Policy and Politics Tuesday
California Assembly passes bill allowing Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes -- Assemblymember Matt Haney says the bill, which needs Senate approval before it heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom, would level the playing field for the highly taxed and regulated legal weed industry. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/24
It’s been one year since California launched a hate-crime hotline. Here’s what’s happened so far -- In the year since the hotline debuted, the state has received 1,020 reports of hate crimes — including discrimination and harassment claims. Anabel Sosa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/24
Gavin Newsom said he wants to help California’s home insurance crisis, but details are sparse -- “We’re working closely with Legislative leadership,” the spokesman said Monday, adding the governor’s office “will have more to share soon.” Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/21/24
Jesus is their savior, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president’s backers say he shares faith, values -- As Donald Trump increasingly infuses his campaign with Christian trappings while coasting to a third Republican presidential nomination, his support is as strong as ever among evangelicals and other conservative Christians. Peter Smith Associated Press -- 5/21/24
At GOP convention, ex-Trump lawyer says battle to keep California legal license cost $750k -- The prominent conservative lawyer could lose his license to practice in California after a judge recommended he be disbarred for “exceptionally serious ethical violations” stemming from his alleged role in advising Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence about strategies to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/21/24
Campus
UC academic workers’ strike begins as pro-Palestinian activism enters new phase -- Hundreds of academic workers at UC Santa Cruz became the first to walk off their jobs Monday, a rolling strike that immediately disrupted university operations as picketing union members forced classes online and restricted access to campus. Jessica Garrison, Jaweed Kaleem, Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/24
Street
He came to L.A. 3 months ago with his young family. A ride on a Metro bus led to his death -- A Metro bus passenger was killed in Commerce last week, three months after he arrived in the U.S. It’s the second fatal attack on the system in a month. Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/24
San Francisco is getting speed enforcement cameras. Here’s how they’ll work -- Scofflaw drivers in San Francisco will soon get speeding tickets from enforcement cameras set to be installed this year across high-risk corridors. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/24
General Sherman
California’s General Sherman, the world’s largest tree, may be at risk -- California wildfires aren’t the only thing killing the state’s majestic giant sequoia trees. So is a little-known bark beetle. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/24
Gas
How one Safeway controversy kicked off the spread of gas station bans around the Bay Area -- When Pinole made news last month for being the first East Bay city to ban new gas stations, the small community of 18,000 was tapping into a trend that has been spreading through the Bay Area for the last three years. Sierra Lopez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/24
Education
California bans public funding for religious schools. With the courts’ help, these families want to change that -- But now families in at least two federal lawsuits in California, encouraged by a Supreme Court that has been friendly to many religious liberty cases, are challenging that prohibition, which they argue discriminates against religious families. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/24
Also
Hiltzik: In a major rebuke to Exxon Mobil, CalPERS will vote against its entire board -- CalPERS says it’s acting because it judges the company’s campaign against the two investor groups to be “designed to punish” investors who “dared to speak truth to power.” Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/24
S.F. officials slam operator of two public housing projects over trash, deadly fire and alleged corruption -- S.F. supervisors lambasted the operator of two public housing projects Monday over a deadly fire, persistent squatting, mounting piles of trash and even allegations of corruption by a rogue employee. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/24
The magical California state park that doesn’t allow visitors -- About 60 miles north of Sacramento, the Sutter Buttes rise starkly from the floor of the Central Valley, the remnants of a volcano active more than 1.4 million years ago. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/24
Indigenous tribe sues L.A. County, archdiocese over the ‘desecration’ of more than 100 graves -- The Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians is suing L.A. County and others, saying ancestral remains were mishandled when La Plaza de Cultura y Artes was built in downtown L.A. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/24
California Policy and Politics Monday
California Democratic Party endorses ballot measures on same-sex marriage, taxes, rent control -- California Democratic Party leaders at their annual executive board convention this weekend took positions on a host of statewide measures that will — or may — appear on the November ballot. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/24
Garofoli: California Republicans look beyond Steve Garvey to lure voters. Their idea: Tap into crime fears -- Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey didn’t show up this weekend to the biggest Republican gig of the year, the three-day California Republican Party convention in Burlingame that ended Sunday. And the reaction among the 800 top grassroots activists and party leaders: Meh. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/24
Noncitizen voting, already illegal in federal elections, becomes centerpiece of 2024 GOP messaging -- One political party is holding urgent news conferences and congressional hearings over the topic. The other says it’s a dangerous distraction meant to seed doubts before this year’s presidential election. Ali Swenson Associated Press -- 5/20/24
Trump embraces mail-in-voting. Here’s how that fits into California Republicans’ playbook -- “It turned out to be not such a bad idea,” Trump said in a video message to California Republican delegates Sunday, on the final morning of their spring convention. Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/20/24
Trump is mainstreaming Christian nationalism. If elected, that agenda could greatly impact California -- Framing the United States as a Christian nation under siege, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is embracing the beliefs and soliciting the support of a once fringe element of Christianity, say religion scholars. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/24
Trump’s resilience gives California GOP dreams of payback in a state that has long been blue -- Members of the California Republican and Democratic parties met this weekend to hone their stratgies for the 2024 election. Seema Mehta, Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/24
Will Trump Run as a Felon? A Big 2024 Question Will Soon Be Answered -- The ruling in the trial of the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, which could come next week, could be a deciding factor in a tight race. Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 5/20/24
What drives California’s budget decisions? A lot of politics, not as much data -- State lawmakers often don’t know how well a program is working before deciding whether to cut or increase spending. Instead, they hear from advocates, interest groups and sometimes the public. Key budget hearings ramp up this week. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 5/20/24
Potential tough-on-crime ballot measure promises less homelessness. Experts aren’t convinced -- Backers of a tough-on-crime California ballot measure put homelessness at the forefront of their campaign to roll back Prop. 47. But would the measure actually help get people housed? Marisa Kendall, Yue Stella Yu CalMatters -- 5/20/24
California’s first Black land trust fights climate change, makes the outdoors more inclusive -- The 40 Acres Conservation League is on a mission to establish an open space where Black Californians and other people of color can feel at home in nature. Tyrone Beason, Brian van der Brug in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/24
How Kevin McCarthy is influencing this congressional race — without being on the ballot -- Rep. Kevin McCarthy resigned from Congress last year after being voted out as House speaker. But McCarthy’s political influence is still a major factor in this race. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/24
How your dog’s breed could ban you from getting home insurance in California -- Homeowners insurance often covers dog bite liability expenses, but some insurance companies will not insure homeowners with certain types of dogs. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/24
Deep Fake
This ‘Russian Woman’ Loves China. Too Bad She’s a Deepfake -- A.I.-manipulated videos on Chinese sites use young, supposedly Russian women to promote China-Russia ties, stoke patriotism — and make money. Vivian Wang, Siyi Zhao in the New York Times$ -- 5/20/24
OpenAI pauses ChatGPT voice over alleged similarity to Scarlett Johansson -- San Francisco artificial intelligence startup OpenAI is pulling one of the voices used for the spoken version of its ChatGPT chatbot after users pointed out that the option named “Sky” bears a striking resemblance to that of actress Scarlett Johansson. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/24
Workplace
Skelton: News business needs help in California. Is government the answer? -- Newspapers are dying. That’s old news. What’s new is that in California, they may get some state government life support. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/24
California Supreme Court to decide fate of Prop 22, possibly transform the gig economy -- The case could have a major impact on the ride-hailing companies, headquartered mostly in the Bay Area, and their workers. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/24
What happened to Silicon Beach? Why L.A.’s tech sector hasn’t lived up to the hype -- Investment in tech startups in the Los Angeles region were down 63% last year from 2021, as the city has struggled to promote itself as an alternative to Silicon Valley and New York. Samantha Masunaga, Wendy Lee, Thomas Suh Lauder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/24
Computer-Science Majors Graduate Into a World of Fewer Opportunities -- Those from top schools can still get jobs. They are just not all going to Facebook or Google. Katherine Bindley, Corrie Driebusch, Lindsay Ellis in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/20/24
Trump’s immigration plans could deal a major blow to the job market -- Immigration is a big reason the employment picture rebounded so strongly from the pandemic. That could be in jeopardy, economists say. Rachel Siegel in the Washington Post$ -- 5/20/24
Housing
Own a second home in South Lake Tahoe? Proposed vacancy tax could cost you thousands a year -- Taxing vacant homes has divided voters in South Lake Tahoe, often pitting young workers who can’t afford to plant roots in South Lake Tahoe against older, Bay Area-based vacation-home owners. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/24
5 charts that show which Bay Area cities are building the most housing -- The region’s cities aren’t all pulling their weight equally when it comes to building more housing. Kate Talerico, Scooty Nickerson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/20/24
Campus
UC Santa Cruz academic workers to strike over handling of pro-Palestinian protests -- Academic workers walk out to support participants in pro-Palestinian protests. UC officials call strike illegal. It could spread to other campuses. Howard Blume, Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 5/20/24
Education
Why one California university leader thinks year-round operations will aid enrollment -- Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo recently announced that it will become the first public university in the state to shift to year-round operations starting summer 2025. Ashley Bolter EdSource -- 5/20/24
California bans public funding for religious schools. With the courts’ help, these families want to change that -- The two federal lawsuits are part of a recent wave of such cases nationwide, encouraged by a Supreme Court seen as friendly to them. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/20/24
Also
Senate to Vote Again on Border Deal as Democrats Seek Political Edge -- The bipartisan border enforcement compromise, blocked by Republicans in February, is all but certain to be thwarted again. Democrats aim to tag the G.O.P. as the culprit in its failure. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 5/20/24