Updating . .   

Gavin Newsom survived a California recall. Is he a lock to win another term? -- The last time Gavin Newsom’s name was on the ballot in California, he faced dozens of opponents in a chaotic recall election that drew national attention and was sparked by opposition to his handling of the pandemic. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/22/22

Garofoli: Under Rob Bonta, the attorney general has become California’s top housing cop -- Housing advocates cheered when Attorney General Rob Bonta called BS on the bougie town of Woodside — median home listing price $5.7 million — after it tried to dodge a law that would allow more housing in single-family neighborhoods by claiming that the whole town was a mountain lion sanctuary. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/22/22

California’s schools chief could cruise to a second term, despite criticism -- Prolonged classroom shutdowns. Pandemic policies that at times frustrated parents and teachers alike. Allegations of a toxic workplace. Questionable hiring practices. Despite it all, state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond could end up coasting into reelection. Mackenzie Mays in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/22

Oil  

California oil regulator confirms methane leak at idle oil wells in Bakersfield -- State regulators have confirmed a methane gas leak at a pair of idle oil wells near a residential neighborhood in Bakersfield, raising the concerns of local environmental groups who fear the problem might be more widespread. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/22

Wildfire  

Quail Fire near Vacaville has stopped growing, with no injuries or damages reported -- The blaze, burning in a rural area near Quail Canyon Road and Pleasants Valley Road, was 53% contained Sunday morning, said Cal Fire spokesperson Tyree Zander. No injuries or structure damages were reported, fire officials said. An evacuation warning was still in effect. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/22/22

Street  

Walnut homeowner fatally shoots burglary suspect in home -- The incident began when residents heard footsteps around 4 a.m. inside the home in the 20000 block of East Country Hollow Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. When they went to check on the noise, the male homeowner was confronted by a man armed with a handgun. A shooting ensued, and the suspected burglar suffered gunshot wounds to his upper torso and was pronounced dead at the scene by the L.A. County Fire Department. The suspect’s gun was recovered. Ben Poston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/22

‘They’re not trying to die’: How drug checking aims to protect users in a messy market -- Inside a tent buffeted by the wind, Tara Stamos-Buesig unpacked her testing kit, hoping the shifting hues of its chemicals could help her save a life. Billy, a 38-year-old who first started using oxycodone as a teenager, handed her a set of baggies labeled “ketamine,” “heroin,” “crystal meth” and “fentanyl.” Emily Alpert Reyes, Nelvin C. Cepeda in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/22

COVID  

‘A million stories … just as heartbreaking as mine’: How humble death notices captured COVID’s historic toll -- But he had to work his way up to it. He and his brother, Jason, held warm childhood memories of their father teaching them to waterski at Lake Tahoe and drive off-road along the Rubicon Trail, but like many sons and fathers, their relationship was complicated. Their dad could be difficult – especially when it came to COVID-19. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/22/22

Housing   

‘NIMBYism is destroying the state.’ Gavin Newsom ups pressure on cities to build more housing -- Gov. Gavin Newsom defended his administration’s work on housing and homelessness during an interview with The Chronicle’s editorial board Thursday, promising to crack down on local opposition to housing projects. “Taxpayers deserve more in terms of results, not just inputs,” Newsom said. “They want to see results.” Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/22/22

 

California Policy and Politics Sunday Morning  

Laguna Woods church and community leaders join together to denounce politically motivated violence -- Local leaders gathered Saturday to express support for the Taiwanese congregation of a Laguna Woods church that was recently targeted by a gunman who killed one parishioner and wounded five others in what authorities have characterized as a “politically motivated hate incident.” Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/22

Taiwanese Presbyterian Church thankful for outpouring of support after deadly Laguna Woods church shooting -- Members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, along with Taiwanese community and local officials, gathered Saturday, May 21 in Laguna Woods to thank community members for their prayers and condolences six days after a gunman opened fire inside the church, killing one person and wounding five others. Nathaniel Percy in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/22/22

San Diego leaders will challenge state law prohibiting race, gender preferences in contracting -- The plan to challenge voter-approved Proposition 209 comes in the wake of a disparity study released last summer that showed women and people of color don’t get their fair share of the billions of dollars that San Diego awards in city contracts. David Garrick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/22

Baby formula crisis: Bay Area health officials offer advice on coping with shortage -- In a joint statement on Friday, officials from all nine Bay Area counties, plus San Benito and the city of Berkeley noted that while California is faring better than many other states in the shortage, parents having trouble finding their baby’s formula should use caution when looking for alternatives. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/22/22

California Politics: The state’s budget surplus is distracting -- No other activity of California’s government stirs together public policy and raw politics in the heaping amounts used to craft the state budget. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/22

Angels officials pressuring Anaheim to approve stadium deal; deadline given -- Anaheim city officials have been given a June 14 deadline by the buyer to approve the Angel Stadium sale – but if they move forward with the deal, they could face legal action from the state over an unresolved affordable housing dispute. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 5/22/22

Homeless  

Judge checks up on services for homeless near Mary’s Kitchen after city takes over -- A month after the city and Mary’s Kitchen came to an agreement in a federal lawsuit detailing how the city would replace vital services offered by the soup kitchen while the nonprofit prepares to leave the city-owned property, Carter had come to see the setup for himself. Tess Sheets in the Orange County Register -- 5/22/22

Housing   

Tenants struggle to find rentals as vacancies linger near 22-year lows -- The search for a Southern California rental has been about as frenzied this year as the home buying market, with renters sometimes offering to pay their rent in advance and, in some cases, offering more than the asking rent to beat out stiff competition. Jeff Collins, Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/22/22

Wildfire  

Evacuation order reduced to warning for Quail Fire north of Vacaville — same area ravaged in 2020 -- Officials allowed residents in an area north of Vacaville to return to their homes Saturday evening after a vegetation fire threatened a region that burned two years ago in a huge lightning-sparked wildfire. Lauren Hernández, Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/22/22

Develop  

With Rams coming to vacant Promenade mall, Woodland Hills is about to be transformed -- Over the course of a century, Warner Center went from a sprawling horse ranch owned by movie mogul Harry Warner to home of aerospace giants like Northrop Grumman and Rockwell International. Now it is about to see another transformation following news that billionaire Stanley Kroenke, owner of the Rams, bought the empty Woodland Hills Promenade mall. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/22/22

Capitol Riot  

Beverly Hills salon owner who admitted to role in Capitol riot is trying to back out of part of her plea deal -- Arguing that Gina Bisignano did not know a Senate hearing was taking place and had “smoked some marijuana and drank alcohol” prior to joining mob that breached the Capitol building, attorneys for Bisignano filed a motion on Friday asking a federal judge to allow her to withdraw her guilty plea for an obstruction charge. Sean Emery in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/22/22

 

Saturday Updates   

‘When is the next one?’: After Buffalo massacre, Black L.A. residents consider their safety -- But the Buffalo shooting, including the accused gunman driving hundreds of miles to target Black people and seeing community members gunned down while doing the ordinary act of weekend grocery shopping, is fueling anxieties among Black communities that their safety will always be compromised. Marissa Evans in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/22

Garcetti’s parents hire lobbyist to push for his ambassadorship -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s nomination as an ambassador to India has stalled because of fallout from allegations, which he has denied, that he ignored sexual misconduct by a top staffer — but it appears his parents are now trying to help. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/21/22

Water  

Why swimming pools are getting a break despite unprecedented water restrictions -- While most are limiting outdoor watering to one or two days a week, many said the rules governing pools will remain largely unchanged — at least for the time being. That’s left some residents scratching their heads and others complaining of mixed messaging during a time of worsening drought. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/22

COVID  

What is ‘Paxlovid rebound’ and should you be worried about it? -- When Berkeley resident Myriam Misrach tested positive for the coronavirus last month, she started taking the COVID antiviral pill Paxlovid the same day. Over the five-day course of treatment, her cough and shortness of breath mostly faded, but a couple days after taking the final pill, her symptoms came roaring back. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/22

Another bummer coronavirus summer for California? Cases keep rising along with concerns -- Coronavirus cases are increasing, in many areas at an accelerating pace. Authorities have not yet expressed alarm about the state of California’s hospitals or imposed far-reaching new rules to blunt the virus’ spread. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/22

Kaiser  

Kaiser behavioral health care on the hot seat after California complaints -- In an unexpected move, the California Department of Mental Health Care informed Kaiser Permanente that it will be examining whether the company is providing adequate mental health care services to its 9.4 million California members. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/21/22

Street  

Nine shot, one killed outside party in San Bernardino County, police say -- Outside a business in the 3600 block of East Highland Avenue, officers found one individual who had been shot and died at the scene, Thomas said. The victim’s identity was not released. Family members identified him as a 20-year-old who was at the party, which took place at a lounge in the Highland Square shopping center, KTLA-TV reported. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/22

Mix of laws limiting where people can protest is hitting close to home for judges -- The balance has played out somewhat differently in California, where courts have upheld local restrictions on residential picketing. The leading case is a 1995 appellate ruling rejecting a challenge by abortion opponents to a San Jose ordinance prohibiting demonstrations within 300 feet of a home targeted by the protests. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/22

Workplace   

California tribal casino workers could be one step closer to unionizing under new ruling -- In a case from San Diego County, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not rule on the central argument by the Sycuan Band of the Kumayaay Nation — that a contract it had signed with a union, under compulsion of federal and state law, on the rights of casino employees conflicted with uniform nationwide rules under the National Labor Relations Act. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/22

Housing   

Silicon Valley city wants to build affordable housing at ‘the least likely place’: the street where VCs made billions -- Pound for pound, the office buildings at 2200 and 2730 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park are among the most valuable office buildings in the world: storied, sun-dappled Silicon Valley enclaves where some of the biggest names in venture capital have made their billions. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/22

Education  

S.F. parents shelled out thousands of dollars to build this elementary school chicken coop -- Rosa Parks Elementary in the Western Addition neighborhood had chickens living in a dilapidated coop for years, but five years ago, parents and staff realized it was time to imagine a new building for the birds. After years of fundraising, designing and building, the structure opened this week to house a new flock. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/22

Klamath   

California is about to begin the nation’s largest dam removal project -- The first of four aging dams on the Klamath River, the 250-mile waterway that originates in southern Oregon’s towering Cascades and empties along the rugged Northern California coast, is on track to come down in fall 2023. Two others nearby and one across the state line will follow. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/22