Updating . .   

Laguna Woods church shooting suspect charged with murder, attempted murder -- The Orange County district attorney on Tuesday filed a murder charge that could carry the death penalty against a man accused of fatally shooting one man and wounding five other people at a Taiwanese church in what authorities have characterized as an apparent political hate crime. Hannah Fry, Luke Money, Richard Winton, Cindy Carcamo, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times $ Sean Emery in the Orange County Register -- 5/17/22

This doctor was killed saving his mother’s congregation in Laguna Woods church shooting -- Dr. John Cheng was known for always putting others first. The Orange County sports medicine physician answered text messages from patients on the weekends. He was a good listener who spent time during appointments learning about patients’ lives and families. And he gave his time and money to high school athletic programs, serving as a team doctor for teenage athletes. Anh Do, Hannah Fry, Christopher Goffard, Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ Erika I. Ritchie, Steve Fryer in the Orange County Register -- 5/17/22

Suspect’s life was collapsing before Laguna Woods church shooting -- His wife had returned to Taiwan in December, to seek treatment for cancer but also to leave Chou in the midst of a divorce, according to their next-door neighbor, Balmore Orellana. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Shyong: Treating mass shootings as political discourse only gives killers more influence -- Ours is the only democratic country on Earth in which regular mass killings are tolerated. This weekend was brutal, but it must be said that it was not particularly out of the ordinary. Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Policy and Politics  

Mike Feuer drops out of L.A mayor’s race, endorses Karen Bass -- With just three weeks remaining until election day, the field of leading mayoral candidates has rapidly contracted in recent days. City Councilman Joe Buscaino also dropped out last week and endorsed developer Rick Caruso. Julia Wick, Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

California’s progressive laws take a tumble in the courts -- As California pushes the envelope with progressive, first-in-the-nation policies, the courts are pushing back. The latest casualty: a controversial law requiring all publicly held companies headquartered in the Golden State to have at least one woman on their board of directors. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 5/17/22

San Jose poll: Measure B likely to succeed with changes to the mayoral election year -- The ballot initiative would align the city’s mayoral election with presidential elections starting in 2024 and elect the new mayor in November for a two-year term. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/17/22

COVID  

COVID eviction bans are lapsing, but other protections for California renters remain -- Some of the state restrictions on landlords have now expired, leaving eviction bans and rent deferrals in place only in Los Angeles and other select cities. The result is a patchwork of rules that vary according to where you live, when you started renting your unit and when you missed your rent payments. Jon Healey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Small California school district reinstates indoor masking -- Pacific Grove Unified School District at the south end of Monterey Bay announced the requirement Monday after the Monterey County Health Department reported a seven-day average test positivity rate of 5.2% and a seven-day average of 12.4 cases per 100,000 residents. Associated Press -- 5/17/22

COVID Workplace   

Apple delays plans to bring workers back to office three days a week -- Apple has indefinitely postponed plans to require its workers to return to office three days per week amid rising COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/22

How will California health care workers get state bonuses? Here’s what we know about proposal -- To get retention bonuses proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, California front-line health care workers will have to be currently employed by one of California’s hospitals or skilled nursing facilities. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/22

Unvaccinated Virtual Academy teachers at LAUSD may lose jobs in a few months -- For 36 years, teacher Janet Bregman has worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Now, three years shy of her planned retirement date, she said she’s being forced to get the COVID-19 vaccine or retire early. Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/17/22

Street  

Decades later, former foster children allege abuse at MacLaren Children’s Center -- When she was a teenager, the woman spent three weeks at MacLaren Children’s Center in El Monte. On many of those nights, she said, an employee at the long-troubled facility for foster children crawled into bed beside her. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Border Tunnel   

Big cross-border tunnel found linking Tijuana, San Diego -- U.S. authorities on Monday announced the discovery of a major drug smuggling tunnel — running about the length of a six football fields — from Mexico to a warehouse in an industrial area in the U.S. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 5/17/22

Diesel    

Bay Area diesel prices are soaring. Could they push the cost of consumer goods even higher? -- As the energy expert at the UC Berkeley’s business school, Severin Borenstein always remembers what he paid to fill his gas tank, but on Monday it was the price of diesel that stuck in his mind — $6.49, or 14 cents higher than for the most expensive gas at the Chevron on Ashby Avenue where he fills up. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/22

Environment  

Scientists find new and mysterious DDT chemicals accumulating in California condors -- Now, after years of study, Tubbs and a team of environmental health scientists have identified more than 40 DDT-related compounds — along with a number of unknown chemicals — that have been circulating through the marine ecosystem and accumulating in this iconic bird at the very top of the food chain. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Also . . .   

‘Like torture’: For Californians with special needs, getting to see a dentist can take years -- Jones, now 19, has severe autism and an intellectual disability. She’s among tens of thousands of patients across the state whose disabilities — ranging from cognitive and physical disabilities like autism and cerebral palsy to complex health conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s — require sedation during dental procedures, making basic dental care largely inaccessible. Kristen Hwang CalMatters -- 5/17/22

Mammoth Mountain extends ski season into June -- The current base depth is 18 inches at the mountain’s Main Lodge and 42 inches at the summit. The total season snowfall this year has been 260 inches, beating last year’s 244.5 inches of snow measured. Laylan Connelly in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/17/22

 

California Policy and Politics Tuesday Morning  

L.A. coronavirus hospitalizations start rising again; officials urge mask-wearing -- L.A. County already requires mask-wearing on public transit and at its airports, and Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer urged residents Monday to wear masks inside schools, stores and workplaces. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Policy and Politics  

Arellano: I’m part of the ‘great replacement.’ It’s not what believers say it is -- Twenty-three years ago on a hot August evening, I stood before the Anaheim Union High School District board of trustees. They were about to discuss whether to sue Mexico for $50 million and ask the country for an annual $10-million payment for educating the children of undocumented immigrants. Children like me. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

A top police group gave $250,000 to Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta -- A political action committee representing one of California’s largest law enforcement unions just contributed $250,000 to an independent organization supporting Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta — on the same day it gave the same amount to the California Republican Party. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/22

Walters: Newsom’s rosy budget ignores troubling trends -- The truly astonishing tax revenue numbers cited by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week as he unveiled a revised state budget bring to mind an old adage: “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Dan Walters CalMatters -- 5/17/22

CA120: Reading the tea leaves as early votes come in -- Ballots have been mailed to all 22 million California voters and many have already been returned. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 5/17/22

Street  

Gunman allegedly lurked in church for hours before opening fire in deadly attack -- Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, whose members were the target of an attack authorities allege was a politically motivated hate incident, released a letter that offered new insights into the events of the hours before the shooting and its direct aftermath. Hannah Fry, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Doctor killed in Laguna Woods shooting was trying to disarm suspect, save others -- The churchgoer killed when a gunman opened fire at a Laguna Woods church Sunday was a sports medicine doctor and master of martial arts who was slain while trying to stop the shooting, authorities said Monday. Orange County sheriff’s officials said that when the suspect began shooting, Dr. John Cheng put himself in the line of fire and tried to prevent others from being shot. Hannah Fry, Jeong Park, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Erika I. Ritchie and Steve Fryer in the Orange County Register Amy Taxin and Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 5/17/22

Laguna Woods church shooter attacked parishioners over China, Taiwan tensions, OC Sheriff says -- Sometime after the prayer service ended and before the luncheon began on Sunday, May 15, authorities believe David Wenwei Chou entered the dining hall at a Laguna Woods church carrying a life-long hatred of Taiwanese people and enough weaponry to kill dozens. Erika I. Ritchie, Todd Harmonson, Josh Cain and Sean Emery in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Amy Taxin, Ken Ritter and Deepa Bharath Associated Press -- 5/17/22

California cop killer gets minimum sentence, prompting El Dorado DA to rebuke judge -- The man who fatally shot El Dorado County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Ishmael in October 2019 has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for second-degree murder, California’s statutory minimum for the crime. Juan Carlos Vasquez-Orozco, 22, was convicted last month by a jury for killing Ishmael as the deputy responded to a midnight 911 call at an illegal marijuana grow site near Somerset. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/22

Workplace   

California law requiring women on corporate boards is ruled unconstitutional -- In a 23-page ruling filed Friday, Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis found the state could not prove that the “use of a gender-based classification was necessary to boost California’s economy, improve opportunities for women in the workplace, and protect California taxpayers, public employees, pensions and retirees.” Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/22

Homeless  

Long-awaited Bay Area homelessness numbers show a worsening crisis -- Multiple Bay Area counties saw their homeless populations swell during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data released Monday, despite an increase in federal and state funding for new shelters, housing and other resources. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/17/22

Sacramento County names potential sites for homeless shelters, from downtown to suburbs -- Sacramento County officials have flagged a handful of properties as potential shelters for homeless individuals — signaling a significant change to the way the county responds to the homeless crisis. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/22

Wildfire  

California properties at risk of wildfire expected to see sixfold increase in 30 years -- Just over 100,000 properties in the state currently have a 1% or greater annual chance of being affected by wildfire. The number is expected to reach about 600,000 by 2052, according to the data from First Street Foundation. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Is my California home at risk for wildfires? New tool lets you check your ZIP code -- You can see where your California home stands in wildfire risk over the next 30 years, as well as flood risk, by using the online tool, Risk Factor, provided by First Street Foundation. Hanh Truong in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/22

Guns  

U.S. appeals court vacates gun conviction because COVID rules had closed trial to the public -- In a 3-0 decision, a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the district court’s restrictions last year — which provided the public with an audio stream of the trial, but not video — had violated defendant James David Allen II’s right to a public trial under the 6th Amendment. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Angel Stadium  

State attorney general asks for hold on Angel Stadium land sale amid corruption probe -- Harry Sidhu made it his business and his campaign promise in 2018: I’m the mayor that is going to keep the Angels in Anaheim for decades to come. Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/22

Education  

In the San Joaquin Valley, rapidly growing school districts endure overcrowding -- When it was time to put down roots and buy a home for their family, Bay Area residents Mandeep Kaur and Jimmy Singh decided it was time to leave their cramped apartment in Fremont and purchase a home in the San Joaquin Valley. Emma Gallegos EdSource -- 5/17/22

Environment  

California drought could mean ‘devastation across the board’ for fowl on Pacific Flyway -- California’s worsening drought is spreading misery among Sacramento Valley farmers, their workers and a host of businesses that revolve around Valley agriculture. Then there’s the potential environmental disaster. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/22

 

Monday Updates   

Authorities: Hate against Taiwanese led to church attack -- A gunman in deadly attack at California church was Chinese immigrant motivated by hate for Taiwanese people, authorities said. The shooting killed Dr. John Cheng, 52, and five others were wounded in an attack at a Southern California church, authorities said at a Monday news conference. Amy Taxin and Deepa Bharath Associated Press Hannah Fry, Richard Winton, Anh Do, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ Todd Harmonson, Josh Cain and Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 5/16/22

Judge Strikes Down California Law Mandating Women on Boards -- Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis of the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles ruled that the 2018 law was unconstitutional because it violated the equal protection clause of the state’s constitution, according to a copy of the verdict. Theo Francis in the Wall Street Journal$ Brian Melley Associated Press -- 5/16/22

Behind Newsom’s $301 billion budget, big financial concerns -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers have less than a month to reach an agreement on how they should spend $300.7 billion — an exercise in compromise every bit as existential as it is financial. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 5/16/22

Skelton: I covered the first $3-billion budget in 1963. Now Newsom could crack $300 billion -- The two most striking things about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget proposal are the immense size and mad money. He’s seeking the first state budget to crack $300 billion — $300.6 billion to be exact. Billion with a “B.” George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22

Walters: Newsom hops on inflation and abortion issues -- The two hottest political issues this year are inflation and abortion and California Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted his response to both while unveiling a revised state budget. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 5/16/22

In rural California, Republican Brian Dahle plants the seeds of a campaign for governor -- With no water to irrigate his crops, Brian Dahle’s success as a farmer depends heavily on the whims of rain clouds drifting over the grassy valleys and frostbitten mountains of California’s northeastern frontier. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22

Who will become Sacramento County’s next DA? Election puts career prosecutor against reformer -- In the race to succeed Anne Marie Schubert as Sacramento County district attorney, candidates Thien Ho and Alana Mathews are both banking on their experience, but of different types. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/16/22

Barabak: Fight or find common ground? Oregon race a referendum on the direction of Democrats -- Kurt Schrader, a seven-term congressman from central Oregon, has belittled Nancy Pelosi, defended Donald Trump and voted against many of the Democratic Party’s top priorities. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22

Election 2022: 7 things to know for California’s primary election -- Your ballot has made its way from the mailbox to the kitchen counter or coffee table. Now it’s time, California voters, to start wrapping your brain around how to vote in next month’s primary election. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/22

How much does Yvonne Yiu want to be California controller? Count the cash -- In the crowded primary for California controller, Yvonne Yiu is betting that spending millions of her own money is her ticket to the top two. But the track record of self-funding candidates in statewide races is mixed. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 5/16/22

Goldberg: A decade ago, California adopted a strange top-two primary system. How’s it working out? -- It’s no secret that we’re living in a moment of extraordinary political polarization and government dysfunction. Growing rancor, distrust and partisan disagreement among elected officials have led to an unwillingness to compromise or forge solutions to pressing policy challenges. Nicholas Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22

Garcetti’s nomination remains stalled in Senate -- Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) office issued an informal “temperature check” to Democratic senators on May 6 to see where lawmakers stood on the nomination coming to the floor for a vote. Several of them indicated concerns, according to Democratic aides. Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22

Homeless  

Homeless populations surge 11% in San Jose and 8% in Marin County during COVID -- San Jose’s homeless population surged 11% and Marin County’s rose more than 8% over the past three years amid twin public health and affordability crises, according to new data released Monday. Lauren Hepler, J.D. Morris, Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/22

New data shows fewer people are homeless in San Francisco -- Despite expert predictions that local homelessness rates have soared due to the pandemic, new data released Monday showed that San Francisco’s unhoused population has fallen 3.5% since 2019, the first such decline the city has reported in years. Andres Picon, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/22

Staying Afloat   

With inflation, California worries about progress on poverty -- As the state’s Democratic leaders weigh how to spend a record $97.5 billion budget surplus, they also are grappling with how best to keep many vulnerable Californians out of poverty with federal stimulus dollars waning and high inflation devouring household budgets. Alejandro Lazo CalMatters -- 5/16/22

COVID  

With COVID cases rising, how close is California to new mask rules, restrictions? -- The numbers suggest such action is still some ways away, because infection and hospitalization rates are still far from what officials consider the danger zone. While coronavirus-positive hospitalization rates in some parts of California are starting to rise, overall rates remain relatively low. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22

U.S. reaches 1 million COVID deaths — and the virus isn’t done with us -- David Dowdy hunches in front of his laptop at his kitchen table as he watches COVID-19 data trickle in. One death. Then another. And another. And another. That’s a typical day for the Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist, his screen propped up on board game boxes and magazines, the clock progressing through another 12-hour day. Emily Baumgaertner, Kurtis Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22

How Often Can You Be Infected With the Coronavirus? -- A virus that shows no signs of disappearing, variants that are adept at dodging the body’s defenses, and waves of infections two, maybe three times a year — this may be the future of Covid-19, some scientists now fear. Apoorva Mandavilli in the New York Times$ -- 5/16/22

Also . . .   

After plane crashes and close calls, pressure mounts to close this L.A. airport -- The day the plane fell from the sky, Eva Avalos was sipping coffee under her Mulberry tree. Metal flashed in the corner of her eye as the Cessna 182 hit the ground in front of her house and exploded. The tree went up in flames and the heat singed her hair. Her two dogs vanished. Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/22