Updating . .   

Forest Service opens criminal investigation into Mosquito Fire’s start, PG&E says in filing -- The U.S. Forest Service has started a criminal investigation into the cause of the Mosquito Fire and seized equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric Co., according to a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission from PG&E. Brianna Taylor in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/26/22

Policy and Politics  

Health plan shake-up could disrupt Medi-Cal coverage for low-income Californians -- Almost 2 million of California’s poorest and most medically fragile residents may have to switch health insurers as a result of a new strategy by the state to improve care in its Medicaid program. Bernard J. Wolfson Kaiser Health News in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/26/22

Insurers say California’s inaction threatens auto policies -- Top U.S. insurance companies and associations say California is risking a crisis in the nation’s largest automobile insurance market by refusing to approve any rate increases for more than two years, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 9/26/22

Gavin Newsom has made a lot of promises to Californians. What has he delivered? -- A little more than a year after a Republican-led recall attempt, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is back on the ballot. Unlike some past political races, however, he appears set to win re-election by a landslide in November. Maggie Angst in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/26/22

Workplace   

SFO food workers launch strike for higher pay -- Around 1,000 food workers at San Francisco International Airport went on strike on Monday morning demanding higher pay after contract negotiations stalled out. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/26/22

Housing 

Modular homes cost less and are used all over California. Why not in San Francisco? -- While the factory’s workforce is primarily made up of 300 union carpenters — who make an average of $44 an hour — San Francisco building trades object to the fact that its workers are doing some of the work of trained electricians, plumbers and others who are paid more and go through rigorous apprenticeship programs. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/26/22

This Oakland neighborhood used to be majority Black. Dramatic change is sparking tension -- In some ways, the story of Longfellow reflects wider trends in Oakland: As housing prices spiked in San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area, residents moved to the East Bay city for more affordable homes and apartments and robust public transportation that allowed easy access to job centers. But rising rents and home prices in Oakland have in turn shut out many longtime residents. Sarah Ravani, Dan Kopf in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/26/22

Education  

UC housing crisis forces students into multiple jobs to pay rent, sleeping bags and stress -- As most University of California campuses start classes this month, the acute shortage of affordable housing is pushing many students into desperation, including living in trailers or working multiple jobs to cover high rents. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

Mud  

In San Bernardino mountains, residents hit by devastating mudslide fear more to come -- Officials said 16 homes were damaged or destroyed after a mudslide Sept. 12. One woman was found dead in her home. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

Street  

D.A. Jenkins appoints her first member to S.F. Innocence Commission -- San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Monday announced the appointment of a member to the Innocence Commission as well as shoring up procedural matters that she says will make the panel stronger. Joshua Sharpe in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/26/22

 

 

California Policy and Politics Monday  

Newsom vetoes bill to make kindergarten mandatory, citing costs -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed Senate Bill 70, saying it had a “laudable” intent but would cost California up to $268 million a year. Mackenzie Mays in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

Smith: Isn’t Karen Bass the victim? Why all the questions about her stolen guns? -- Ever since Karen Bass announced that she was running for mayor of Los Angeles, she has mostly downplayed the historic implications of her candidacy. Erika D. Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

Newsom signs bills to cut catalytic converter thefts -- The legislation, authored by two Southern California lawmakers, makes it illegal for recyclers and brokers to buy used catalytic converters from anyone but licensed auto dismantlers, dealers or owners of the vehicles. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ Hanh Truong in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/26/22

After uproar, S.F. mayor says she’ll stop making appointees sign undated resignation letters -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed will stop making appointees sign undated letters of resignation, her office said Sunday — just days after revelations of such a requirement caused an uproar, with supervisors calling it an effort to strip oversight bodies of their independence. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/26/22

New law will remove the word ‘squaw’ from California place names -- In a ceremony joined by Native American tribal leaders, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill that will remove the word “squaw” from nearly 100 geographic features and place names across California. Louis Sahagún in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

California reparations task force starts to dig in on specifics -- If California is to make reparations to Black residents whose families have been harmed by slavery and its ongoing economic repercussions, how should the program be structured? Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

McManus: Biden sent the wrong message on COVID. He can still fix it -- “The pandemic is over,” President Biden declared last week as he toured the Detroit Auto Show. “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over.” Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

Obama: Republicans embracing rhetoric on immigration that is ‘dangerous’ for the country -- Obama’s comments came during an in-person question-and-answer keynote at San Diego’s annual L’Attitude conference at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The event spotlights Latino business, innovation and consumers. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/26/22

Walters: Pressure builds for workers’ compensation overhaul -- Fair warning: This column will be about workers’ compensation, a topic that’s very complicated and totally lacking in sex appeal, but one that involves many billions of dollars and potentially affects millions of workers. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/26/22

Workplace   

Therapists on strike refuse Kaiser’s offer as contract dispute enters second month -- Any sign of a quick resolution to a month and a half long strike by Kaiser Permanente therapists evaporated late Saturday after union members overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer by the healthcare giant in a dispute over staffing and long wait times for those seeking mental health services. Gabriel Greschler in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/26/22

Housing 

Sacramento faces an alarming shortage of senior affordable housing. Some new units are on the way -- Violeta McCloskey was homeless before she moved into her apartment at a senior affordable housing community near Tahoe Park in 2011. Chris Nichols Capital Public Radio -- 9/26/22

LGBTQ seniors can struggle to find affordable housing. A Sacramento development is trying to help -- After two years of housing instability, Dixon was poised to become one of the first tenants at Lavender Courtyard. The site is the first-of-its-kind affordable housing complex aimed at LGBTQ seniors in Sacramento, and one of less than a dozen such places in California, advocates say. Felicia Alvarez Capital Public Radio -- 9/26/22

Street  

Chico police arrest man on suspicion of planning ‘Las Vegas style’ mass shooting -- Authorities said they obtained an arrest warrant after learning that Dallas Marsh was also allegedly “making criminal threats to kill specific individuals, specified law enforcement officers.” Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

It just got harder in California to steal and then sell catalytic converters -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Sunday that he signed legislation to crack down on rampant vehicle catalytic converter theft by making it illegal for recyclers to buy the valuable car part from anyone other than the legal owner or a licensed dealer. Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

Author makes case for most compelling Zodiac Killer suspect in decades -- Zodiac Killer suspects are a dime a dozen, but author Jarett Kobek may have stumbled onto one of the more substantive cases in decades. The October cover story for LA Mag details Kobek’s investigation — or descent down a rabbit hole, depending on how you view it — into Paul Alfred Doerr. In the process, it lays out a fascinating circumstantial case. Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/26/22

Education  

LAUSD makes push to bring chronically absent students back to school -- For eighth grader Cloud Mejia, this school year feels like a reset. Kate Sequeira EdSource -- 9/26/22

Also . . .   

Encinitas may extend no-smoking ban to sidewalks and streets -- It may become illegal to smoke anywhere but on private property in Encinitas under a proposal that’s now undergoing city review. Barbara Henry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

Shuttered historic Huntington Hotel on S.F.’s Nob Hill faces threat of foreclosure -- The luxury hotel at 1075 California St. atop Nob Hill is in default on its mortgage of $56.2 million, according to a notice filed Aug. 16 with the San Francisco County Assessor-Recorder’s Office. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/26/22

‘A total loss’: Fire destroys S.F. Mission District’s 113-year-old Double Play Bar & Grill -- The Double Play Bar & Grill, a beloved watering hole in San Francisco’s Mission District that first opened in 1909, was destroyed by a fire Saturday morning. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/26/22

Hundreds in Sherman Oaks protest the death of Iranian woman who was in police custody -- Hundreds of protesters gathered Sunday at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in remembrance of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, whose death while in the custody of Iran’s morality police has sparked a global outcry over the state of women’s rights in that nation. Andrew J. Campa, Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/26/22

 

Sunday Updates   

California cities took over their houses, then a private company drove them into debt -- The company is supposed to return homes to their owners after fixing the code violations, but its fees can grow so high that the homeowner cannot afford to pay them, according to people whose properties went into receivership. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/25/22

Housing 

Do tiny homes really work as a solution to homelessness? Here’s what the data shows -- When Robert Hernandez unpacked his meager belongings into one of San Jose’s celebrated tiny homes, finally getting a bed and access to a shower after more than a decade on the street, he had reason to be elated. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/25/22

Policy and Politics  

Newsom denies presidential ambitions in Texas visit, attacks Greg Abbott, Ron DeSantis -- Gov. Gavin Newsom denied he is running for president Saturday in an interview in Texas where the California Democrat also attacked two Republican governors viewed as potential 2024 presidential contenders. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/22

S.F. mayor made Police Commission appointee sign undated resignation letter. Supes want to ban practice -- After learning a police commissioner was asked to sign an undated letter of resignation to the mayor’s office before receiving a reappointment to the post, two San Francisco supervisors are vowing to ban the practice, calling it an effort by Mayor London Breed to strip oversight bodies of their independence. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/22

S.F. firefighter seen wearing ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ T-shirt on duty faces disciplinary action -- A San Francisco firefighter will face disciplinary action after he was seen wearing a T-shirt with the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” while on duty — a violation of the Fire Department’s uniform policy, a spokesperson said. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/22

Garofoli: There’s little doubt that Prop. 1 will win. But abortion rights advocates need it to win big -- A big win — as in at least 60% of support — will send a national message that advocates hope will inspire other states to fight back against the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/22

Even the richest San Franciscans think economic inequality is out of control. Here’s how bad it is -- But while some may think that this is an issue that only worries the have-nots, a recent poll by The Chronicle found that the majority of San Franciscans, both rich and poor, agree: economic disparity in the city is a growing problem and it needs to be addressed. Adriana Rezal in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/22

Mental Health  

Does anyone else feel like they’re drowning? Mental health is suffering -- There’s no way to sugarcoat it: These are challenging times to live in Los Angeles. Deborah Netburn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/22

COVID  

Do COVID vaccine mandates still make sense as other pandemic orders wind down? -- The president says the pandemic is over, and mask and social distancing orders have largely ended. But Monica Pirozzoli was disciplined this month and almost lost her job as a Gilroy middle school teacher after 35 years because, though she’s had COVID-19, she hasn’t had the vaccine. John Woolfolk, Elissa Welle in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/25/22

Is the pandemic over? Pre-covid activities Americans are (and are not) resuming -- Biden says the pandemic is over — and when it comes to casinos, concerts and cosmetic procedures, Americans seem to agree. For theater, therapy and funerals though, not so much. Marc Fisher and Taylor Telford in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/22

Bark Beetle    

Wine Country is reeling from ‘mass attacks’ on trees -- The loathed bark beetle has munched its way into the Wine Country hills. The beetle, which recently caused a massive die-off of conifers in the Sierra Nevada, is doing the same thing in Napa County and nearby areas — stirring grave concerns about fire risk and ecological turmoil. Kate Galbraith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/22

Japanese American National Museum  

‘There’s our family name’: Sacred book honors Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII -- The book weighs 25 pounds and is more than 1,000 pages long. It is roughly the size of the Gutenberg Bible. Instead of the word of God, it contains names — 125,284 names. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/22

How the pandemic saved one of California’s smallest public schools -- In Kneeland, which isn’t so much a town as a rural fire station and a smattering of homes in the forest, the school has long been the lifeblood of the community. And it has long felt a little fragile. Hailey Branson-Potts, Myung J. Chun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/22

Also . . .   

Silicon Valley Slides Back Into ‘Bro’ Culture -- Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Marc Andreessen show how the tech industry’s insular culture remains largely unchanged. Erin Griffith in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/22

Rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters face neglect at L.A. city shelters, volunteers say -- When the Harbor Animal Care Center faced a food crunch in August, volunteer Jan Bunker logged on to Nextdoor to plead for donations. Dakota Smith, Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/22