Updating Monday . .   

Jealousy, personal dispute probed as possible motives in Monterey Park shooting -- The investigation into a mass shooting in Monterey Park is focused on the gunman’s prior interactions at two dance studios he targeted and whether jealousy over a relationship was the motive, law enforcement sources said. Richard Winton, Matthew Ormseth, Hannah Fry, Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

How the Lunar New Year massacre unfolded: A night of ballroom dancing, terror, manhunt -- The burst of pops sounded, at first, like the firecrackers expected to cap a day of celebration. Jeong Park, Julia Wick, Marisa Gerber, Summer Lin, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

A Coder Wrested a Pistol From the Gunman’s Hands, Preventing Greater Tragedy -- Brandon Tsay, 26, is being credited with preventing further violence by subduing the gunman before he could kill more people. Victoria Kim in the New York Times$ Richard Winton, Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

All killed in Monterey Park shooting were 50 or older; two identified by coroner -- Officials on Monday identified two of the 10 people killed in Saturday’s mass shooting at a ballroom in Monterey Park amid Lunar New Year celebrations. The victims have been identified as My Nhan, 65, and Lilan Li, 63, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. Brittny Mejia, Summer Lin, Grace Toohey, Alexandra E. Petri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Shooter targets ‘establishments of joy’ in Monterey Park Lunar New Year mass shooting -- Star Ballroom Dance Studio is where international ballroom competitors teach their moves. Where retirees learn how to waltz, tango and samba. Where elderly and middle-aged couples while away Saturday nights. Where they feel safe. And happy. Brittny Mejia, Gabriel San Román, Debbie Truong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Mass shooting in Monterey Park shatters the hope and joy of Lunar New Year -- It was supposed to be a day of heralding the birth of spring with symbolic rituals like wearing red for good luck and eating long-life noodles to ensure good health. Anh Do, Deborah Netburn, Jen Yamato, Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Shyong: The aftermath of shootings often shows us how politically insane our discourse has become -- A few minutes into following my colleagues’ coverage of a mass shooting that left 10 dead and 10 wounded during a Lunar New Year dance party, I started to wonder if years of being a journalist had compromised my humanity. Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Policy and Politics  

We asked Kevin de León’s constituents what they’ve heard about him. Here’s what they said -- A few responses were positive. The vast majority, however, reflect the disaffection many in the district feel toward De León. The poll found that by more than 2 to 1, voters with unfavorable views of De León outnumber those who view him favorably. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Workplace   

Amazon discloses fresh wave of Bay Area job cuts as tech layoffs worsen -- The e-commerce behemoth is eyeing more than 200 layoffs, consisting of more job cuts that are expected to top 100 in both Sunnyvale and San Francisco, Amazon revealed in official WARN notices the company sent to the state Employment Development Department. All told, Amazon has decided to chop 261 jobs in the Bay Area, the WARN letters, dated Jan. 18, show. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/23

For Tech Companies, Years of Easy Money Yield to Hard Times -- One largely unacknowledged explanation: An unprecedented era of rock-bottom interest rates has abruptly ended. Money is no longer virtually free. David Streitfeld in the New York Times$ -- 1/23/23

Rain Train  

These ‘bioswales’ were built to help prevent flooding. Here’s how they fared in Bay Area storms -- When San Francisco’s new Southeast Community Center opened in October, the three acres of parkland included an expansive landscaped bioswale that, in theory, would handle the water running off even the most extensive storm. Less than a month later, the theory was put to the test — and it passed with flying colors. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Skelton: Uncaptured water isn’t wasted. But more could be stored for a non-rainy day -- A gazillion gallons of stormwater have been rampaging down rivers into the sea. But that uncaptured bounty hasn’t been “wasted.” George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

‘Dry’ California got big rains. Was it really an epic weather forecasting fail? -- For decades, El Niño seemed synonymous with wet winters for Southern California, while La Niña was a heralder of drought. But the would-be model didn’t hold up this winter. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

PG&E wanted to cut down a tree it says poses a fire risk. But a bald eagle nest stirred opposition -- PG&E said the dead tree is at risk of falling and striking a PG&E power line in a high fire-threat area but community and environmental groups say the tree contains a bald eagle nest that must be protected. By Jordan Parker Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Housing 

Falling Bay Area home prices expected to keep tumbling amid high interest rates -- The beleaguered Bay Area housing market is showing few signs of a turnaround. Home prices are falling faster here than anywhere else in California, a new report shows, and real estate experts expect them to continue tumbling well into 2023. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/23

S.F.’s plan to build 82,000 housing units has been approved by the state -- While the potential punishments for not having a certified housing element are severe — they include losing out on state funding for affordable housing and transportation, approving the plan is just the start of what will likely be an intense and politically controversial three-year process of rezoning entire neighborhoods in order to allow multi-family buildings. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Street  

S.F. police often use these marijuana-related words to justify unfounded searches of Black people -- San Francisco police officers regularly claim they suspect marijuana or smell a suspicious odor to justify unfounded searches of Black people in the city, a Chronicle analysis of more than three years of stop data has found. Susie Neilson , Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Oakland police chief requests reinstatement from administrative leave -- Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong will ask on Monday to be reinstated immediately, less than a week after he was placed on paid administrative leave over a new report that said the department mishandled two officer misconduct cases. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

COVID+  

Has California avoided another devastating winter COVID wave? -- In the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, winter holidays were marred by a pair of devastating waves that ripped through California, sending case counts soaring, residents to the hospital in droves and, ultimately, leaving thousands dead. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

FDA proposes switching to annual coronavirus vaccine, mimicking flu model -- The proposed change is designed to reduce the complexity of the vaccine regimen for the public, doctors and manufacturers. Laurie McGinley in the Washington Post$ -- 1/23/23

Education  

S.F. middle school blasted for ‘staffing chaos’ in legal complaint: ‘Inaction is not an option’ -- A civil rights law firm filed a complaint against the San Francisco school district over the “staffing chaos” at Marina Middle School, describing the conditions as the worst they’ve seen in over 20 years. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Pelosi's Desk  

Jury Convicts Jan. 6 Rioter Richard Barnett Who Put Feet on Desk in Nancy Pelosi’s Office -- After three hours of deliberation, the jurors convicted Richard Barnett on all eight of the charges he faced, including interfering with a police officer, obstructing an official proceeding and remaining in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Jan Wolfe in the Wall Street Journal$ Paul Duggan in the Washington Post$ -- 1/23/23

Environment  

‘A treasure’: Land trust preserves 839-acre property with redwoods and panoramic ocean views south of Silicon Valley -- Not all of the most breathtaking pieces of property in Northern California are public parks. Some have been in the same family, nurtured and loved for generations, even before parks existed in California. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/23

California Policy and Politics Monday  

Authorities identify 72-year-old man as suspected gunman in Lunar New Year mass shooting -- Authorities have identified the man responsible for a deadly shooting inside a Monterey Park dance studio as Hemet resident Huu Can Tran, 72. Tran died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a strip mall parking lot near Sepulveda and Hawthorne boulevards in Torrance, law enforcement sources said. Summer Lin, Jeong Park, Rebecca Ellis, Richard Winton, Libor Jany , Rong-gong Lin II, Julia Wick, Hayley Smith, Debbie Truong, Grace Toohey, Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ Josh Cain, Hanna Lykke, Kristy Hutchings in the Orange County Register -- 1/23/23

Two ‘heroes’ grabbed Lunar New Year suspect’s gun, likely preventing second attack, sheriff says -- After opening fire at a Monterey Park dance studio Saturday night, the Lunar New Year gunman went to a second dance facility not far away in Alhambra, which officials said appeared to be his next target. But when he arrived at Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra, he faced resistance. Richard Winton, Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Lunar New Year massacre raises fears of anti-Asian hate even as detectives seek motive -- Asked whether the case was being investigated as a hate crime, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said: “Everything is on the table. ... Who walks into a dance hall and guns down 20 people?” Rong-gong Lin II, Debbie Truong, Summer Lin, Julia Wick, Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Mass shooting in Monterey Park shatters the hope and joy of Lunar New Year -- It was supposed to be a day of heralding the birth of spring with symbolic rituals like wearing red for good luck and eating long-life noodles to ensure good health. Anh Do, Deborah Netburn, Jen Yamato, Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Lunar New Year shooting: A grim moment in Monterey Park, America’s first suburban Chinatown -- Sometime between 1970 and 1990, Monterey Park became America’s first suburban Chinatown, where swift demographic changes heralded conflicts over language, signs, a changing business scene and political voice. In 2023 it is a city once again in flux, but as a tight-knit community whose residents typify what it means to be an Asian American — and the spectrum within. Jeong Park, Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Monterey Park tranquility ‘shattered’ as families await news on shooting victims -- Eric Ching didn’t know anyone who had been hurt in Saturday night’s mass shooting at a Monterey Park dance studio, but he made his way to a local senior center Sunday morning to see if there was anything he could do to help. Nathan Solis, Luke Money, Summer Lin, Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Monterey Park mass shooting: S.F. officials pledge extra safety measures for Lunar New Year events -- The mass shooting that left 10 people dead and at least 10 injured overnight in Southern California spread unease Sunday over events marking Lunar New Year in San Francisco, where officials said they planned to increase police presence at large gatherings and upcoming festivities. Jessica Flores, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Gabriel Greschler, Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/23

Policy and Politics  

Walters: California housing shortage triggers cycle of despair -- California’s chronic shortage of housing manifests itself in sky-high housing costs, the nation’s worst poverty and its highest level of homelessness. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/23/23

Education  

When Students Change Gender Identity, and Parents Don’t Know -- When she asked about the name, the teenager acknowledged that, at his request, teachers and administrators at his high school in Southern California had for six months been letting him use the boy’s bathroom and calling him by male pronouns. Mrs. Bradshaw was confused: Didn’t the school need her permission, or at least need to tell her? Katie J. M. Baker in the New York Times$ -- 1/23/23

Also . . .   

Rescuers use chopper to pluck surfer to safety amid high tide -- Video released by Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit on Sunday afternoon showed a helicopter hovering above an oceanside cliff pulling up two people, one of whom appeared to be a rescuer, via a cable and lifting them safely to higher ground. No one was injured, officials said. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23