Updating Thursday . .   

Kiley, Duarte among California Republican congressmen happy to land roles on key committees -- Kiley will be squarely in the center of congressional action when he joins the House Judiciary Committee. Kiley, a Yale Law School graduate, has worked as a private attorney. Gillian Brassil, David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/19/23

Skelton: Have no Prop. 1 water projects been built in California? No, but they are moving slowly -- California voters approved a ballyhooed $7.5-billion bond issue eight-plus years ago thinking the state would build dams and other vital water facilities. But it hasn’t built zilch. True or false? That’s the rap: The voters were taken. The state can’t get its act together. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

'Rust'  

Alec Baldwin and weapons handler to be charged with manslaughter in deadly ‘Rust’ shooting -- New Mexico prosecutors said they are filing felony criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin and the armorer of the low-budget western “Rust,” following the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

Rain Train  

How much did deadly storms cost California? $1 billion and counting -- After California’s powerful winter storms finally subsided, emergency officials and accountants have stepped in to start tallying the damage. One expert said he expects the total cost to California will be over $1 billion. Damage in Sacramento County alone likely topped $123 million, according to a preliminary estimate from the county. Ariane Lange, Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/19/23

For all their ferocity, California storms were not likely caused by global warming, experts say -- As California emerges from a two-week bout of deadly atmospheric rivers, a number of climate researchers say the recent storms appear to be typical of the intense, periodic rains the state has experienced throughout its history and not the result of global warming. Louis Sahagún in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

Warming to make California downpours even wetter, study says -- As damaging as it was for more than 32 trillion gallons of rain and snow to fall on California since Christmas, a worst-case global warming scenario could juice up similar future downpours by one-third by the middle of this century, a new study says. Seth Borenstein Associated Press -- 1/19/23

S.F. storm damages could top $46 million. How will city prepare for more climate-driven devastation? -- While the near-record rainfall that hit San Francisco was certainly a factor in the flooding, the city’s antiquated sewer system compounded the problem. Trisha Thadani, J.D. Morris, St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

How long will Bay Area storm repairs take? -- The worst of this season’s storms is behind us, but the repair work across the Bay Area — estimated to take weeks, months or even longer — is just beginning. A destructive vortex of flooding, mudslides and high winds cracked asphalt, shook bridge foundations and damaged other critical infrastructure. Gabriel Greschler, Katie Lauer, Rachel Heimann Mercader in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/19/23

How Do California’s Storms Weigh In Compared With History’s Big Ones? -- The storms that have walloped California in fierce waves since last month have left many communities cleaning up and digging out from flooding and landslides. By one metric, though, the state has seen much worse. Raymond Zhong and Mira Rojanasakul in the New York Times$ -- 1/19/23

Water  

One California county is almost fully out of drought -- Del Norte County, home to Crescent City and Klamath in the far northwest corner of the state, is 90% drought-free, according to the new map. The rest is considered “abnormally dry” — the lowest stage on the drought scale. Kate Galbraith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

Wildfire  

PG&E sued by El Dorado and Placer counties over destructive 2022 Mosquito Fire -- It destroyed 78 structures, including dozens of homes in the Placer County community of Michigan Bluff and the El Dorado County town of Volcanoville, before being contained Oct. 27, according to Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/19/23

These overgrown California forests will be thinned with new wildfire funds from feds -- Six of the 11 areas receiving assistance this year are in California, including the Klamath River Basin, where the McKinney Fire ignited this summer. The McKinney Fire was California’s deadliest of 2022. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/19/23

Capitol Riot  

Citing ‘Twitter Files,’ George Floyd protests, Jan. 6 defendant from California decries his prosecution -- Federal prosecutors say Northern California resident Sean Michael McHugh used bear spray to attack police officers outside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, that he shoved a metal sign against officers and directed rioters forward with a megaphone while declaring, “Right now we’re storming the Capitol.” Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/19/23

Housing 

Huge new BART housing development on the Peninsula will test if transit is still a draw -- For a quiet bedroom community known for its Chinese banquet halls, sleepy downtown and proximity to the airport, Millbrae plays an out-sized role in the Bay Area’s transportation network. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

LA City Council committee sends package of renter protections to full council -- Hundreds of thousands of renters could benefit if permanent tenant protections are adopted on Friday. Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/19/23

Mayors: Affordable housing demand is crushing us -- “At the end of the day, as mayors, people aren’t looking to their senators to solve homelessness. ... They’re looking to their mayor,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Marissa Martinez Politico -- 1/19/23

Also . . .   

Arellano: LA Weekly’s controversial publisher wants to revive OC Weekly. Should he? -- The fluorescent lights were bright and stark in the barren office near John Wayne Airport in Irvine where I met LA Weekly publisher Brian Calle. It felt like a morgue because it was: Before us was the corpse of my journalism past. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

The rare snowy owl won’t stay forever, but this California town is captivated -- Nobody is quite sure why a snowy owl, usually found in Arctic regions, decided to relocate to sunny Cypress, Calif. Everyone you talk to has a theory. Some speculate that recent storms blew the bird off course; others think perhaps it is an escaped pet. Jennifer Hassan in the Washington Post$ -- 1/19/23

California Policy and Politics Thursday  

Rain Train  

After epic rains, California will have time to dry out. But for how long? -- Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, said precipitation over the next two-plus weeks “is likely to be below average for most/all” of California. “This will give the state a needed opportunity to dry out, for rivers to recede, and for folks in the mountains to dig out from feet of snow,” he wrote Tuesday on Twitter. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

California rain totals: Charts show dramatic effect of recent storms -- January saw the wettest 10-day period in 25 years for many parts of the region. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

New map shows where rising groundwater in Bay Area adds flood risks -- During the recent storms that left widespread flooding in their wake, water wasn’t just coming down from the sky or in from the ocean. It was also bubbling up from underground into basements and inundating wastewater systems. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

So much rain and snow may boost hydropower — good news for California’s grid -- Rising reservoirs and a deep snowpack have officials crossing their fingers that the hydropower will have a good year, helping power grid operators. Rob Nikolewski in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

California storms feed systems set up to capture rainwater -- As Californians tally the damage from recent storms, some are taking stock of the rainwater captured by cisterns, catches, wells and underground basins — many built in recent years to provide relief to a state locked in decades of drought. The banked rainwater is a rare bright spot from downpours that killed at least 20 people, crumbled hillsides and damaged thousands of homes. Suman Naishadham, Brian Melley Associated Press -- 1/19/23

Official: LA County storm recovery may cost $100 million -- Cleanup efforts in L.A. County will largely involve Public Works, LADWP and private insurance companies. In total, according to Public Works, there are nine agencies affected by the recovery efforts. McGowan said repairs will involve fixing roads, clearing landslides and clearing debris; and may cost the county upwards of $100 million. Emily Holshouser in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/19/23

Biden to tour California storm damage, see recovery efforts -- The president, accompanied by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state and local officials, will visit Thursday the storm-damaged Capitola Pier in Santa Cruz County, where he will meet with business owners and affected residents. Biden will also meet with first responders and deliver remarks on supporting the state’s recovery at nearby Seacliff State Park. Zeke Miller Associated Press John Woolfolk, Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/19/23

Policy and Politics  

Oakland’s ex-Mayor Libby Schaaf finally lays out her next moves -- Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who left office at the end of 2022, has been named the interim executive director for Emerge California, an organization that trains women to run for elected office. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

SF Economy  

Downtown S.F. still has North America’s weakest pandemic recovery -- Downtown San Francisco continues to have the weakest recovery from the pandemic out of 62 North American cities as of November 2022, with only 31% of its fall 2019 activity based on mobile phone data, a new study shows. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

Workplace   

Here’s how many jobs Microsoft plans to cut in the Bay Area -- But the layoffs will apparently have little effect in the Bay Area, at least for now, according to a report the company filed with the state’s Employment Development Department that shows only 46 jobs will be cut statewide. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

Laguna Honda  

Beleaguered Laguna Honda asks feds to back off from forced patient transfers -- Laguna Honda, San Francisco’s beleaguered public nursing home, is asking federal regulators to extend their moratorium on mandated transfers of the hospital’s frail patient population, which is currently due to lift on Feb. 2. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

Staying Afloat  

San Mateo County could soon expand direct cash payments to some of its poorest residents -- As inflation and the blow back from the coronavirus pandemic continue to put pressure on low-income people in one of the wealthiest regions in the country, San Mateo County is exploring expanded guaranteed income programs to help more families in need. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/19/23

Homeless

Arrested: S.F. gallery owner captured on video hosing homeless woman taken into custody -- Gwin will be charged with misdemeanor battery “for the alleged intentional and unlawful spraying of water on and around a woman experiencing homelessness” on Jan. 9, District Attorney Jenkins said in a statement released after she had reviewed evidence from the San Francisco Police Department. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Christian Martinez, Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

Supervised Drug Use  

Breed: Nonprofits should move forward with supervised drug use site — on their own -- As pressure intensifies on Mayor London Breed to open a supervised drug-use site in San Francisco, she signaled Wednesday that nonprofits should move forward on that front — but without any city support or funding for as long as such sites remain illegal under state and federal law. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

Housing 

A new California housing law has done little to encourage building, report says -- A California law passed in 2021 was supposed to make it easier for homeowners to build duplexes, but few are taking advantage of it. Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

Street  

LAPD tased Keenan Anderson 6 times in 42 seconds, bringing scrutiny to Taser policies -- For a disturbing 42 seconds, a Los Angeles police officer repeatedly stunned a teacher with a Taser gun this month as other officers tried to pin and handcuff the man in the middle of a busy Venice street. The gaps between pulses were so brief that Keenan Anderson, 31, could get out only a few words — including “Help me, please” — as he repeatedly cried out in agony. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

‘Everyone’s worst nightmare’: What we know about the California massacre that killed 6 -- The massacre stunned the town of Goshen with the execution-style killings of a baby, his teen mother and her grandmother, but much is still unknown. Grace Toohey, Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

Prosecutors sought 33 years to life, but Mongols biker who killed cop may be freed by March -- David Martinez, who pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter charges, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being behind bars for over eight years. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

‘Victim of a brutal crime’: Family disputes Mexican authorities’ account of O.C. public defender’s death -- The death of an Orange County public defender at a Baja California resort last week, labeled an “unfortunate accident” by Mexican authorities, has raised several unanswered questions with little to no investigation by local police, the man’s family said in a statement. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

Education  

Laney College journalists sue Peralta College District in public records dispute -- Four student journalists from Laney College in Oakland are suing the Peralta Community College District to force administrators to produce documents — contracts, emails and credit card statements — that tax-funded agencies must make available under the California Public Records Act. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

Inside the child care crisis: Q&A with a veteran provider -- In her 20 years as a child care provider, Donise Keller has learned to take a lot in stride. She often puts in 12-hour days. She scrapes by on less than $20,000 a year. But she does it because she loves working with the children in her care, who she fondly refers to as her babies. Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 1/19/23

Environment  

Beware: King tides are about to hit California’s coast -- The atmospheric rivers may have subsided, but Mother Nature isn’t done flooding California just yet. On Saturday and Sunday, “king tides” of over 7 feet are expected to cause minor coastal flooding along low-lying areas, according to the National Weather Service Bay Area office. Claire Hao in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/23

Oil  

California oil regulator leaves job amid drilling fight -- Amid a statewide battle over the future of fossil fuels, Uduak-Joe Ntuk stepped down last week as California’s top oil and gas regulator after three years in the job, state officials confirmed Wednesday. Ntuk, a former Chevron engineer and petroleum czar for Los Angeles, was appointed as head of the California Geologic Energy Management Division by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019. Drew Costley Associated Press -- 1/19/23

Also . . .   

Actor Julian Sands identified as one of two missing hikers in San Gabriel Mountains -- Sands, 65, is known for his work in “A Room With a View” (1985), “Naked Lunch” (1991), “Warlock” (1989), “Snakehead” (2003) and dozens of other films and TV series. Born in the United Kingdom, Sands lives in North Hollywood. Christi Carras, Jonah Valdez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/23

Here’s how much a ticket costs for 49ers-Cowboys playoff game -- If you’re wondering just how massive Sunday’s renewal of the 49ers-Cowboys rivalry game is, one number should help make it clear. $500. Alex Simon in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/19/23

A news site used AI to write articles. It was a journalistic disaster -- The tech site CNET sent a chill through the media world when it tapped artificial intelligence to produce surprisingly lucid news stories. But now its human staff is writing a lot of corrections. Paul Farhi in the Washington Post$ -- 1/19/23