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The California coast is disappearing under the rising sea. Our choices are grim -- The california coast grew and prospered during a remarkable moment in history when the sea was at its tamest. But the mighty Pacific, unbeknownst to all, was nearing its final years of a calm but unusual cycle that had lulled dreaming settlers into a false sense of endless summer. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
Inhaled | ‘And then the fire happened’ -- Commonly referred to as COPD, the diagnosis is a bit of a catchall term. It’s used to describe any sort of progressive, chronic lung disease that restricts air flow in a patient’s lungs. Two years ago, after a bout with lung cancer, Lutey started using supplemental oxygen, but only at night. “And then the fire happened.” Now, Lutey said, “it’s really difficult for me to even function.” Robin Epley in the Chico Enterprise-Record -- 7/7/19
Southern California on high earthquake alert, bringing anxiety and preparation -- The seismic one-two combo that hit Southern California last week left residents particularly unnerved because it robbed them of the single bit of solace that normally comes with a big quake: the sense that the worst is over. Sonali Kohli, Joe Mozingo, Laura J. Nelson and Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
For Ridgecrest, the ‘earthquake capital of the world,’ temblors shake but don’t break -- After the earthquake hit Chuck Pryor’s Ridgecrest ranch home Friday night, sending wine glasses crashing to the floor, the lifelong Californian said he wasn’t going to budge. “I have been through earthquakes my entire life,” said Pryor, 76. But he added that the magnitude 7.1 quake impressed him with its intensity: “It felt like Mother Nature had a bullwhip and cracked the whip at the end.” Paloma Esquivel, Mark Puente and Giulia MCDonnell Nieto Del Rio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
Earthquake researchers look for lessons in the Trona and Ridgecrest damage -- As the trio of researchers eyed the aging buildings in Trona, it was hard for them to tell which were severely damaged by the earthquakes that pummeled this San Bernardino County town in recent days — and which were simply old and abandoned. Giulia McDonnell Nieto Del Rio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
Bay Area Republicans getting together for Trump fundraiser — location a mystery -- Dede Wilsey, philanthropist, socialite and former chairwoman of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, along with Giants part owner Debby Magowan, Carole McNeil, and Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson, will host a fundraiser for President Trump’s re-election that will feature former San Francisco first lady and Fox TV host Kimberly Guilfoyle along with her beau, Donald Trump Jr. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/19
Chain store bans in San Francisco leave more shops empty, critics say -- San Francisco is home to some of fashion’s biggest names: Levi Strauss & Co., Gap and Old Navy. But in three neighborhoods — North Beach, Chinatown and Hayes Valley — those local companies are banned from opening new stores. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/19
SF Mayor Breed has one word to describe her management style — ‘harassment’ -- With her first full year anniversary as mayor just days away, London Breed sat in her San Francisco City Hall office and summed up her management style in a word — “harassment.” “I harass the department heads and staff constantly. I harass daily, even hourly sometimes,” Breed said with a laugh. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/19
The U.S. wants to dump 1.5 tons of rat poison pellets on the Farallon Islands. Biologists say it’s for the best -- For most humans, life on these jagged islands off the coast of San Francisco would be a nightmare: Waves lash the shore with treacherous force, the stench of guano fills the air, and the screech of seagulls is so loud that resident scientists wear earplugs to bed. But wildlife thrive on “the Devil’s Teeth” — the name given to the Farallon Islands by sailors over a century ago. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
17-year-old girl shot, killed by Fullerton police officer on 91 Freeway in Anaheim -- A Fullerton police officer shot dead a 17-year-old girl on the eastbound 91 Freeway in Anaheim Friday night, July 5, authorities said. Fullerton police said the shooting occurred just after 7 p.m. in the eastbound 91 Freeway just west of Tustin Avenue. An item appearing to be a handgun was found at the scene, Anaheim police said Saturday morning. The officer was in an “altercation” with the suspect, said Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the altercation was physical. Nathaniel Percy in the Orange County Register -- 7/7/19
Threat of immigration raids leads to flurry of know-your-rights forums -- If immigration agents knock on your door, don’t answer. If they have a warrant, have them slip it under the door. Stay calm and keep quiet. Speak only to cite the Fifth Amendment and your right to remain silent. Those are some of the tips immigrant-rights advocates are repeating again and again in a flurry of know-your-rights forums across Southern California. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 7/7/19
3,000 earthquakes since July 4, and more big ones likely coming -- Southern California could experience another sizable earthquake over the next week, seismologists said Saturday. The U.S. Geological Survey has calculated a 27% probability the region will be hit by a magnitude 6 or greater quake in the coming days, according to Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
Life is tough in Trona – and a pair of quakes just made it tougher -- Even before the July 4 6.4 earthquake and Friday’s 7.1 quake, the former company town of Trona was a ghost town, with vacant homes outnumbering occupied ones on many streets. With a population of less than 2,000, it’s dwarfed by nearby Ridgecrest, with its modest population of 29,000, just over the Kern County line. Beau Yarbrough in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 7/7/19
'This Town Can't Handle Any More': Ridgecrest Residents Reflect After Back-to-Back Earthquakes -- Darren Cloyd was in his car when he noticed the car began to shake. He thought it was his stereo until he looked outside and saw everything swaying side to side. “No exaggeration, it rolled for at least three to four minutes straight,” he said. It was the strongest earthquake he has ever witnessed. Saul Gonzalez, Vianey Alderete Contreras KQED -- 7/7/19
Trump commits to federal assistance after 7.1 quake shakes SoCal, rattles Bay Area -- Governor Gavin Newsom said at a news conference Saturday that President Donald Trump is committed to the region’s recovery from the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that rocked Southern California Friday and sent shock waves of concern throughout the quake-prone Bay Area. Speaking before reporters in Ridgecrest, Newsom said he spoke with the president “quite literally 5 minutes ago” and was told he and the state will get “whatever you need.” Jason Green, Erin Baldassari, Maggie Angst and Leonardo Castañeda in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/7/19
Cleanup begins after 7.1 quake rocks Kern County, governor requests federal aid -- As Mojave Desert residents swept up the mess Saturday after two powerful earthquakes in two days, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he expects to receive federal assistance, despite his political differences with President Trump. Steve Rubenstein and Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/19
This week’s back-to-back quakes unlikely to trigger the ‘Big One’ in Southern California -- Scientists at the University of California San Diego moved Saturday to tamp down public concerns that the large back-to-back earthquakes that hit near Ridgecrest released energy that will trigger the “Big One,” a catastrophic temblor on the southern San Andreas fault. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/7/19
Earthquake preparedness: What to do before — and during — a big one -- Two powerful earthquakes that hit Southern California this week have jolted many to think about how they can better prepare for a devastating temblor. The quakes were the biggest in nearly two decades, and they were felt over a wide area. So where to start to face the seismic threat? Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
Declaring emergency, Gavin Newsom says Trump administration will help in quake response -- After touring damage wrought by back-to-back earthquakes, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that the Trump administration has committed to helping the state with its disaster response in Southern California’s high desert. Sophia Bollag and Jaimie Ding in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/7/19
California governor says earthquakes are a ‘wakeup call’ -- The two major earthquakes that hit Southern California should alert people across the nation of the need to be prepared for natural disasters, the state’s governor said as officials expressed relief that the damages weren’t worse. John Antczak, Daisy Nguyen and Marcio Jose Sanchez Associated Press Brian Rokos, Beau Yarbrough, Ryan Carter and Tony Saavedra in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/7/19
Walters: California: Shining example or third-world state? -- Recent weeks have seen a debate of sorts about the image and reality of contemporary California. Is it, as Gov. Gavin Newsom contends, a nation-state proving that economic prosperity, multiculturism and social progress can advance together? Dan Walters Calmatters -- 7/7/19
Fear of immigration raids looms as plans for ICE ‘family operation’ move forward -- President Trump said his administration will move forward “fairly soon” with a plan to arrest thousands of migrant families in surprise roundups across major U.S. cities, with the two-week deadline he imposed on Democrats expiring Saturday. Nick Miroff, Maria Sacchetti, Arelis R. Hernández and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 7/7/19
Some charter school leaders made more money than San Diego Unified’s superintendent -- Leaders of some local charter school organizations made more money than superintendents of California’s largest school districts in 2016, the most recent year for which all of their salary information is available. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/7/19
Housing
Bay Area renters looking to flee high prices aren’t looking far -- When San Jose renters are looking to get out, they turn to San Francisco and the East Bay. And when San Francisco metro dwellers want to flee, they look to San Jose. An analysis released this month by Apartment List found Bay Area renters looking to move are searching other local cities far more often than out-of-state tech hubs like Seattle, Portland or Austin, Tex. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/7/19
Education
An Online Preschool Closes a Gap but Exposes Another -- David Cardenas, a mechanic and the mayor of Fowler, knows families in his town want high-quality and free daylong preschool. But options are thin. Nellie Bowles in the New York Times$ -- 7/7/19
Immigration / Border
This volunteer patrol warns immigrants if ICE is in their neighborhoods -- In San Diego, advocates respond to the Trump administration’s threats of more deportations by warning immigrants whenever Immigration and Customs Enforcement is nearby. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/7/19
This Hawthorne company finds security in border protection -- The man who forever altered airport security checks is an unassuming type who likes to chat up TSA officers in his spare time. “When I have to fly, I try to get there a little early and I talk to the screeners,” said Deepak Chopra, an engineer who shares a name with the holistic living guru. “I really want to know. ‘How are my machines doing? How are they performing?’” Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/19
Environment
North Coast mussel die-off an alarming sign of warming world’s threat to marine life -- In yet another sign of the toll exacted by rising temperatures on the ocean environment, a period of extreme heat last month appears to have killed off a large portion of the mussel bed in Bodega Bay. Mary Callahan in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 7/7/19
POTUS 45
‘A willingness to fight’: Win or lose, Trump’s push for a citizenship question in the census is red meat for his base -- The government had begun printing census forms, the Commerce Department had publicly announced its legal surrender, and Justice Department lawyers had rested their case in court. But President Trump wasn’t ready to give up the fight. Toluse Olorunnipa in the Washington Post$ -- 7/7/19
Aided by a strong economy, Trump approval rises, but a majority also see him as ‘unpresidential’ -- Aided by a strong economy and perceptions that he has dealt with it effectively, President Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest point of his presidency, though a slight majority of Americans continue to say they disapprove of his performance in office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Dan Balz and Emily Guskin in the Washington Post$ -- 7/7/19
Beltway
Kamala Harris tries to turbocharge her campaign but faces lingering questions -- When Sen. Kamala D. Harris arrived in Iowa for the first time since her attention-grabbing debate performance, she did so with a revamped stump speech and almost double her previous forces in Iowa and New Hampshire, all part of a retooled approach her campaign hopes will ensure her breakout moment fosters lasting momentum. Chelsea Janes in the Washington Post$ -- 7/7/19
Biden apologizes for remarks about segregationist senators -- Former Vice President Joe Biden apologized Saturday for his recent remarks about his ability to work with segregationists during his time as a Senator. The remarks are his first mea culpa over the comments this campaign cycle. Tal Axelrod The Hill -- 7/7/19
-- Saturday Updates
Willie Brown: Democrats’ dream ticket is Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg -- If the Democrats really want to generate some interest in the presidential race, the ticket should be Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg. I’m not saying a combo of the California senator and South Bend, Ind., mayor would win for sure. But it could, because it would certainly throw President Trump off his game. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/19
Earthquake batters Trona: Rockslides cut off town; water is scarce -- The small town of Trona, Calif., suffered more damage from Friday night’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake and was inaccessible because of rockslides, residents said. Trona resident Ivan Amerson said there was “significant damage,” with some houses knocked off their foundations. State officials said they had heard reports of at least one structure collapse. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said there were numerous gas leaks and that deputies were helping with evacuations. Anita Chabria, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ John Antczak, Daisy Nguyen and Marcio Jose Sanchez Associated Press -- 7/6/19
After two huge earthquakes, these Ridgecrest residents are afraid to go back into their house -- Matt and Denise Warren sat on the curb in front of their home on West Dolphin Avenue as they petted Hallie, a 4-year old lab. They feared going inside their home because of so many aftershocks. On Wednesday, the couple took their camper to a friend’s property to stay the night in the desert after driving all around. Mark Puente in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/19
Earthquake risk elevated in Southern California. Here’s why and what you can do -- It was the news no one in Southern California wanted to hear. After experiencing two major earthquakes in little more than a day — one 6.4 magnitude and the other 7.1 — seismologists said more significant quakes were likely and there was even a chance of another huge temblor. Rong-Gong Lin II and Karen Kaplan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/19
Cleanup begins after powerful 7.1 earthquake strikes Kern County -- Mojave Desert residents swept up the mess on Saturday following two powerful earthquakes in two days. Fires, broken glass, power outages and frayed nerves were reported in the Kern County town of Ridgecrest, near the epicenter of the 7.1-magnitude quake that hit on Friday night and a 6.4-magnitude quake that occurred on Thursday. Steve Rubenstein and Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/19
Prop. 13 reform headed to California ballot could swamp counties -- Progressives are excited about an initiative to change Proposition 13 that could generate billions of dollars every year for schools and local government — and it’s already qualified for the November 2020 ballot. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/19
When LAUSD’s random searches of students end, what’s next for school safety? -- In the early 1990s, five students at Belvedere Middle School in East L.A. were killed, recalled then-Principal Victoria Castro, in incidents off campus during a violent period when there were regular student fights, attacks on teachers and tensions throughout the area fueled by the L.A. riots. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/19
Co-living tower in SoMa could usher in wave of innovative housing projects -- Over the past few years, co-living housing developments have sprung up in major cities across the country. More than 3,000 new bedrooms are offering a cheaper place to live in what some have called “dorms for adults” or “coed frats.” J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/19
San Francisco: More homeless living in vehicles -- Most homeless people in San Francisco sleep in parks and on sidewalks but a growing number are living out of their vehicles, helping fuel an overall 17% increase in homelessness in the last two years, according to a report released Friday. Janie Har Associated Press -- 7/6/19
People of color are creating new kinds of cooperative cafes and restaurants in Oakland -- Tamarack is a worker-owned, cooperatively run restaurant, making it unique in the neighborhood’s bustling food scene. It operates with democratic principles and profit-sharing like other food co-ops — grocery stores like San Francisco’s Rainbow Grocery or Oakland’s Mandela Grocery Cooperative — but sells cocktails and pastries instead of kale and eggs. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/19