Updating . .   

Governor signs contentious nursing home licensing bill that splintered advocates -- A controversial bill aimed at fixing aspects of California’s broken nursing home licensing system was signed Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who faced dueling pressure from advocates who typically are aligned. Jocelyn Wiener CalMatters -- 9/28/22

Gov. Gavin Newsom says Prop. 30 was devised to benefit one company. Is that actually true? -- Max Baumhefner, a San Francisco attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, has heard Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claim that Proposition 30 was “devised by a single corporation to funnel state income taxes to benefit their company.” Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/28/22

No elected incumbent supervisor has lost in San Francisco in two decades. Here’s why -- The last time any previously elected incumbent supervisor lost a subsequent re-election bid was in 2000, when contests for supervisor switched from at-large to district elections. J.D. Morris, Nami Sumida in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Water  

Four in a row: California drought likely to continue -- After its driest three-year stretch on record, California braces for another year with below-average snow and rain. Conditions are shaping up to be a “recipe for drought.” Rachel Becker CalMatters -- 9/28/22

Education  

These Sacramento-area parents were fed up with COVID closures. Now they’re running for office -- Jen Tarbox’s two children were in high school when the coronavirus pandemic shut schools across the world. In pivotal teenage years, they lost out on sports, activities and in-person classes at Folsom High School. Sawsan Morrar and Jenavieve Hatch in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/28/22

Campus advocates provide key support to sexual assault survivors — but ‘superheroes’ are in short supply -- Fifty years since then-President Richard Nixon signed the country’s landmark gender discrimination law known as Title IX — and in the aftermath of a leadership shakeup within California’s largest public university prompted by a sexual harassment scandal — there’s fresh scrutiny over how the state’s colleges handle sexual misconduct. Mallika Seshadri and Zaeem Shaikh CalMatters -- 9/28/22

Arellano: He helped thousands of Latino students, including me. Do they remember him? -- It was a small, intimate funeral at the small, intimate Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Redlands on Monday morning. Humble, unassuming. The deceased was Ernest Z. Robles, who died of heart failure Sept. 5 at age 92. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

California eyes making girls flag football a school sport -- Flag football already is a sanctioned high school girls sport in states including Alabama and Nevada. And it was added as a collegiate sport by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, with colleges in Florida, Georgia, Kansas and elsewhere fielding teams. Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 9/28/22

Climate  

Chabria, Smith: Climate change is fueling extremism, raising tempers along with temperatures -- It’s hard to explain just how much some people in rural California dislike and distrust the rest of us, especially Gov. Gavin Newsom. Anita Chabria, Erika D. Smith, Francine Orr in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

Develop   

How much will taxpayers have to pay for Oakland A’s $12 billion ballpark development to get built? -- Now, years into the team’s bid to build a $12 billion project that includes a 35,000-seat ballpark, housing, retail, a hotel and more, with the team pushing to get a vote on the project by year’s end, it’s still not clear exactly how much public money is involved. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Man who plotted to blow up Democratic HQ to be sentenced -- A California man who pleaded guilty to plotting to firebomb the state Democratic Party’s headquarters and other buildings in Northern California after the defeat of former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday by a federal judge. Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press -- 9/28/22

Sirhan   

RFK assassin Sirhan Sirhan challenges his parole denial -- Newsom said in January that Sirhan remains a threat to the public and hasn’t taken responsibility for a crime that changed American history. But his attorney, Angela Berry, says there is no evidence her now 78-year-old client remains dangerous. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 9/28/22

Street  

Teen, woman in custody in PnB Rock’s fatal shooting at Roscoe’s; 3rd suspect sought -- A teenager and a woman are in custody in the slaying of rapper PnB Rock, who was gunned down two weeks ago at Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles in South L.A., Los Angles police confirmed to The Times on Wednesday. Authorities are searching for a third suspect whom they describe as armed and dangerous. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

Bloody police beating reignites outrage over policing in Bay Area’s most segregated neighborhood -- Behind a Mexican restaurant in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood lies an industrial backstreet where people like to hang out after work. A group of men — day laborers — were there chatting over Coronas and Heinekens when a police officer arrived, questioning them about drinking in public. Joshua Sharpe, Joel Umanzor in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

A 17-year-old died from a fentanyl-laced pill. Was it an accident or a homicide? -- Nobody quite knew what compelled Zachary Didier, a floppy-haired, straight-A high school student from Placer County, to buy what he thought were opioid painkillers from a dealer over Snapchat. But what was likely an impulsive decision, made during a pandemic lockdown, changed everything for the Didier family. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

California Policy and Politics Wednesday  

Abortion  

Newsom signs abortion protections into law -- As other states restrict or ban abortions, the California laws aim to improve access and protect patients and clinicians. They will also expand services to accommodate an expected influx from other states. Kristen Hwang CalMatters Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Beam Associated Press Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

California attorney general warns Temecula not to pass abortion ban -- California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta warned there will be “legal action” against the Temecula City Council if it passes an abortion ban in the city in an attempt to override state law. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill barring prosecution for pregnancy loss -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Tuesday that shields from prosecution those who have lost pregnancies. Assembly Bill 2223, authored by Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, was part of a package of bills signed by Newsom aimed at shoring up abortion and reproductive health rights in California. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/28/22

One way California is responding to abortion restrictions? Making vasectomies cheaper -- California will require health plans to cover vasectomy costs starting in 2024 under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Tuesday. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Policy and Politics  

Newsom signs bill allowing California IDs for immigrants in the country illegally -- Throughout her life in California, Kassandra Merlos has relied on her Mexican passport as her sole form of identification. Brittny Mejia, Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

Beer and wine will cost more per bottle under new California law. But you can get your money back -- California wine and liquor drinkers will soon pay up to 10 cents more when they buy an adult beverage at the store after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Tuesday to expand the state’s bottle-deposit program. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/28/22

New California law seeks to bridge a gap exposed by child torture Turpin case -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, Sept. 23, signed a bill that allows adult and child protective services to share information about clients and their families. Previously, laws intended to protect clients’ privacy prevented those agencies from comparing notes on the same people. Jeff Horseman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/28/22

Despite scandals, key California politicians glide toward reelection -- Three of California’s eight statewide constitutional officers up for reelection in November — all Democrats — have had missteps or faced allegations of misconduct during their first four years in office, but voters don’t seem to mind. MacKenzie Mays, Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

Rep. Katie Porter draws scrutiny for calling Irvine police ‘disgrace’ in 2021 -- Rep. Katie Porter’s Irvine event in July 2021 was memorable not because it was her first in-person town hall since the COVID-19 pandemic started but because a physical altercation broke out after far-right opponents disrupted the gathering. Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register -- 9/28/22

Goodbye ‘pink tax’: California prohibits charging premiums for women’s products -- Women across California should no longer be forced to pay a premium when purchasing toiletries and other products, under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday outlawing the so-called “pink tax.” Maggie Angst in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/28/22

California bans unnecessary pesticide, chemical testing on dogs and cats -- California will ban the testing of harmful chemicals on dogs and cats, effectively becoming the first state in the U.S. to remove the option for companies seeking to learn about the harmful effects from their products. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

Walters: State puts lipstick on its porcine IT project -- The state government’s chronic inability to employ high technology in a timely and cost-effective manner is nowhere more evident than in a project called “Financial Information System for California.” Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/28/22

Gas  

California gas prices are rising again. Here’s why, and how high experts say they could go -- Gas prices are rising yet again in California — one of several regions in the U.S. where refinery problems have squeezed supplies and caused local spikes severe enough to reverse an extended decline in the U.S. average gas price, according to experts. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Guns  

Gun groups challenge California gun law modeled on Texas abortion measure -- The widely-anticipated lawsuit will test the legal underpinnings of a gun restriction that California Gov. Gavin Newsom explicitly framed as a rebuke to Texas and the U.S. Supreme Court. The outcome could affect both California’s gun constraints and the anti-abortion law that inspired them. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 9/28/22

Workplace   

Hundreds of tech-linked job cuts jolt Bay Area, flying car firm fails -- Hundreds of job cuts linked to the tech sector have rattled the Bay Area economy, according to official state reports, raising questions about the strength — or weakness — of the region’s employment market. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/28/22

Caravan pressures Gavin Newsom to extend unemployment benefits to undocumented Californians -- With hundreds of bills awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto or approval, dozens of undocumented immigrant workers and allies are crossing the state in a two-day vehicle caravan to pressure him to sign legislation that would extend unemployment benefits to all Californians regardless of immigration status. Laura S. Diaz in the Fresno Bee$ -- 9/28/22

California companies must share salary ranges with employees, potential hires under new law -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a bill from Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, that will compel firms with 15 or more workers to include pay scales in job postings and provide them to employees upon request. Lindsey Holden in the Sacramento Bee$ Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Homeless

Unhoused San Francisco Residents Sue City Over Displacement, Rights Violations -- A group of unhoused San Francisco residents is taking the city to court over its sweeps of homeless encampments, arguing that forced displacements and destruction of property violate their constitutional rights. Vanessa Rancaño KQED Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Study: San Francisco’s fragmented city services are harming — and killing — the most vulnerable -- A small number of San Franciscans — almost all of them unhoused — are responsible for overly heavy use of both the city’s medical and legal systems — but the systems’ fragmented approach is failing, according to a new study. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Meta/Facebook  

Lawsuit accuses Meta of secretly tracking Facebook users’ internet activity without consent -- Apple Inc. told its millions of iPhone users last year that Facebook and other apps could no longer follow their internet activity without their consent — but Facebook's parent company, Meta, is still tracking them without asking their approval, according to a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Water  

Three homes have become the first in the Bay Area to be publicly named as using too much water -- Three East Bay households this month became the first in the Bay Area to face fines for using too much water during the drought, a group that will probably swell to hundreds as bills with a novel “excessive use” charge continue to go out. Kurtis Alexander, Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Wildfire  

New fire in Siskiyou County leads to evacuation orders -- A new fire in Siskiyou County has prompted the evacuation order of residents just north of Weed in the Juniper Valley and Lake Shastina areas, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office. Joel Umanzor in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22

Mountain Lion  

Pico Canyon Park closed after mountain lion attack on 7-year-old boy -- Pico Canyon Park in Stevenson Ranch has been closed indefinitely as wildlife authorities track a mountain lion that reportedly bit a 7-year-old boy, state wildlife officials said Tuesday. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

Street  

Homeless man charged with murder, defiling corpse in L.A. probation officer’s slaying -- The man who broke into an off-duty L.A. County probation officer’s home and killed her early Sunday morning was trying to sexually assault her and defiled her remains, prosecutors said. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

'Absolutely Horrifying': Civil Rights Advocates React to Admission That Alameda Sheriff Hired Deputies Who Failed Psych Exams -- Bay Area civil rights advocates were reeling after Monday's revelation that dozens of Alameda County sheriff's deputies had failed the required psychological exams administered during the hiring process. Sara Hossaini, Emma Silvers KQED -- 9/28/22

Self-described ‘incel’ charged with hate crimes in attacks on women in Orange County -- A 25-year-old Anaheim man is facing felony assault and hate crime charges in connection with two violent attacks against women in Orange County, prosecutors said Tuesday. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

Four homicide deaths in 12 hours: What we know about Sacramento’s current violence spree -- A trio of fatal shootings bludgeoned Sacramento neighborhoods late Monday and early Tuesday, from the city’s north end to south of Broadway. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/28/22

18-year-old charged with murder in teen’s fentanyl overdose death in San Bernardino County -- Alfred Urrea of Bloomington pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $1-million bail Monday. His charges stem from the Aug. 23 death of Adrian Alloway of Victorville, who died from an overdose on fentanyl. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/28/22

California murder suspect, teen daughter killed in shootout -- An abducted 15-year-old girl and her father — a fugitive wanted in the death of the teen’s mother — were both killed amid a shootout with law enforcement Tuesday on a highway in California’s high desert, authorities said. Stefanie Dazio and Robert Jablon Associated Press Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register -- 9/28/22

Celebrity attorney Geragos subject of fraud probe -- The State Bar of California said Tuesday it is again investigating Mark Geragos, one of California’s best-known celebrity lawyers, and another prominent attorney over how money was spent from a multimillion-dollar insurance settlement related to the Armenian Genocide. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 9/28/22

Education  

California reverses course, will release Smarter Balanced test scores next month, official says -- Changing its earlier position, the California Department of Education will release Smarter Balanced test scores next month and not wait to incorporate them into other data as planned, a department official said Tuesday. Thomas Peele EdSource -- 9/28/22

Dire California student housing shortage in search of solutions -- Timothy Vidales was desperate for housing, so he applied to a Craigslist ad for a room in a warehouse in Santa Cruz. The room had neither amenities nor furniture, but it was listed for $800 per month by a landlord who suggested that the occupant bring a tent. Michael Burke, Ashley A. Smith, Betty Márquez Rosales, and Ashleigh Panoo EdSource -- 9/28/22

Also . . .   

Here’s why giant Doggie Diner heads are popping up along JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park -- Cars may be gone from John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park , but some San Francisco icons from the past have taken up residence — three Doggie Diner dog heads that once loomed over outlets of the long-defunct Bay Area fast food chain. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/28/22