Updating Wednesday . . .

California proposal would sideline a prolific ballot measure player -- California’s trade group for landlords is preparing to spend millions on a ballot initiative to vanquish one man. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 8/30/23

Silicon Valley power players behind Bay Area land grab begin to reveal details about plans for a new city -- Jan Sramek, whose LinkedIn account says is a former Goldman Sachs trader, and Andrew Acosta, a Sacramento-based political consultant, told the congressman that the secrecy surrounding the project was to allow for the group to purchase the amount of land they needed, he said. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

State’s broadband plan could leave out one of its least connected communities: East Oakland -- Digital equity advocates say California’s downsized internet infrastructure plan will disenfranchise historically redlined East Oakland and South Central Los Angeles. Danny Nguyen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Crime victims assail bill they say could free some of California’s worst killers -- San Jose lawmaker’s bill is one in a wave of criminal justice reform measures ruling Democrats have pushed recently. John Woolfolk in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Coachella Valley farmworkers lost hundreds of dollars during storm Hilary. Financial aid options are slim -- Many farmworkers in Coachella Valley lack legal status as citizens and don’t qualify for most federal and state disaster aid. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Nicole Foy CalMatters -- 8/30/23

Psychedelics have 3 paths to going mainstream in California. Here’s what you need to know -- Psychedelics are having a moment. A nationwide push to bring magic mushrooms and other psychedelics into the mainstream is gaining traction, and some Californians want in. Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters -- 8/30/23

You compost 3,000 tons, what do you get? Less trash — and a coming crackdown on green-waste scofflaws -- With the rollout of the city’s new program nearly complete, more than 200,000 green bins have been delivered, and organics recycling has more than doubled year over year. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/30/23

Mitch McConnell Freezes Again in Press Appearance -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze again during a media gaggle Wednesday, prompting new concerns about his health in the wake of a fall earlier this year. Lindsay Wise in the Wall Street Journal$ Marisa Iati in the Washington Post$ -- 8/30/23

Workplace

California state scientists begin strike authorization vote as contract talks continue -- The union representing California state scientists will vote on whether they want to authorize a strike, should the state and the union reach an impasse at the table. Maya Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/23

California prison guards on track for $1 billion in perks and raises -- The corrections union said the contract negotiation process is ‘going smoothly,’ while reform advocates called the current proposal ‘disheartening.’ Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

Hollywood’s working class turns to nonprofit funds to make ends meet during the strike -- Batey — who used her grant to pay her rent, phone bill and electric bill, and other expenses — is one of 2,600 film or television workers that the Entertainment Community Fund has helped during these strikes, granting $5.4 million as of Aug. 25. Thalia Beaty Associated Press -- 8/30/23

Wildfire

Critical fire weather in arrives Northern California’s interior; PG&E cuts power to 8,400 customers -- Gusty winds and low humidity brought high risk of wildfires to the interior of Northern California on Wednesday and a utility proactively cut electricity to approximately 8,400 customers to prevent potential ignitions in the blustery conditions. Olga R. Rodriguez, John Antczak Associated Press Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Environment

After more than 100 years, gray wolves reappear in Giant Sequoia National Monument -- The sudden appearance of the so-called Tulare Pack in Giant Sequoia National Monument comes with a number of complications, including concerns for livestock. Louis Sahagún in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

Education

S.F. school district charts map for district overhaul. Families and educators are already frustrated -- The San Francisco school board started to map out an overhaul of the district Tuesday evening to address nearly every aspect of how it operates, including how it staff schools and where it spends money. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Why new UC Berkeley housing law, if approved, won’t clear the way to build dorms yet -- Assemblymember Buffy Wicks proposed legislation to help get around a court’s rejection of a UC Berkeley housing plan. But even if the law is approved, its fate is in the hands of the state Supreme Court. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 8/30/23

Too hot to learn? Orange County school with A/C problems raises concern for parents -- Parent Jennifer Rea considers the lack of air conditioning in her child’s Crescent Elementary School classroom during this week’s heat wave “unsafe for everyone,” she said. Annika Bahnsen in the Orange County Register -- 8/30/23

Also

‘Hypocrisy of rich’: S.F. woman trying to shut down pickleball court has one in her backyard -- As an anti-pickleball crusader, Presidio Heights resident Holly Peterson would hardly seem unusual. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

West Nile virus is a growing threat this summer in California. What you need to know -- A woman tested positive for the West Nile Virus infection, becoming the first human case in Orange County this year, according to health officials. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

Inside the company that has been bringing California fun to the world for the last 75 years -- Wham-O, the Frisbee and Hula Hoop toy company founded by two USC grads, is 75 and embracing nostalgia while striving for relevance with a new generation — and dogs. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

The weird and wonderful life of L.A.’s most bizarre celebrity photographer -- John Verzi was obsessed with celebrities for years, taking 12,500 photos and gathering ‘the greatest autograph collection ever seen.’ He kept them all to himself — until his death. Jeffrey Fleishman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

L.A. City Council backs effort to regulate ‘vanlords’ who rent RVs to homeless people -- The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday backed an effort to regulate the leasing of RVs and crack down on so-called vanlords who rent them to homeless people. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

Gavin Newsom calls ban on S.F. homeless sweeps ‘preposterous’ and ‘inhumane’ -- The court order preventing San Francisco officials from clearing homeless encampments is “preposterous” and “inhumane,” Gov. Gavin Newsom told the Chronicle on Tuesday. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

‘Google has no scruples.’ Employees protest Google Cloud’s Israeli military contract -- Google workers and community activists protested Tuesday, demanding that Google and Amazon cancel Project Nimbus, a $1.2-billion contract with the Israeli government and military. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

A California Land Mystery Is Solved. Now the Political Fight Begins -- Tech industry investors spent roughly $900 million buying land to build a dream city in a rural part of the Bay Area. It could be years, though, before they can do anything with it. Conor Dougherty, Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 8/30/23

Where Tech Investors Are Buying Up Land, Locals Are Worried -- In a rural slice of California’s Solano County, between the cities of the Bay Area and Sacramento, rumors have been swirling for years about “the Flanneries,” a mystery company buying up mostly undeveloped land. Holly Secon in the New York Times$ -- 8/30/23

California could make it easier to scrub your personal data from the web. Businesses are pushing back -- Privacy advocates say it should be easier for people to delete personal information held by data brokers. Businesses say doing so will “destroy California’s data-driven economy.” Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

As challenges loom, L.A. City Council approves $150 million in ‘mansion tax’ spending -- The expenditure plan will be directed to six programs: short-term emergency rental assistance, eviction defense, tenant outreach and education, direct cash assistance for low-income seniors and people with disabilities, tenant protections, and affordable housing production. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

Smith: Mark Ridley-Thomas is going to prison. But don’t expect him to lose public support -- A judge sentenced the longtime L.A. politician to 3½ years as a deterrent to government corruption. Some still argue he shouldn’t have been charged. Erika D. Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

S.F. eyes Mid-Market for mental health center but there’s already pushback about location -- San Francisco is contemplating buying a mostly vacant building in the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood and converting it into a mental health center for homeless and uninsured residents. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Marc Benioff: Next month’s Dreamforce could be last in S.F. if it's affected by homelessness, drug use -- Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, said that the future of his company’s huge Dreamforce conference in San Francisco could be jeopardized if it’s affected by the city’s homelessness and drug use challenges next month. Roland Li, Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Tough-on-crime group says it will grade S.F. judges before 2024 election -- A tough-on-crime organization that sends volunteer “court watchers” to San Francisco courtrooms says it will be issuing a report card on the sentencing practices, character and conduct of the 13 Superior Court judges seeking new terms in city elections next March. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Thought San Jose’s 2022 mayor’s race was expensive? Experts say brace yourself -- Candidates running for public office in San Jose will now be able to get back all the money they loaned to their campaign through the use of pre and post-election contributions. Previously, candidates could only claw back up to $20,000. Gabriel Greschler in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/23

Walters: California law treats some violent crimes as nonviolent, letting offenders off the hook -- California law classifies some violent crimes, such as spousal abuse, as nonviolent for punishment purposes, and the Legislature has so far refused to make changes. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 8/30/23

Workplace

Fallon, Kimmel, Colbert and more assemble to create a podcast to support striking late-night staffers -- The five major late-night show hosts are banding together to financially help out their currently unemployed staffers who have been on strike since the onset of the writers’ strike in May. Carlos De Loera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

Wildfire

With fire risk high, Northern California braces for power shutoffs amid smoky skies -- Officials are warning that thousands across Northern California could lose power Wednesday in planned outages as the region faces a critical fire threat — while already dealing with poor air quality amid smoky skies and growing devastation from multiple ongoing wildfires. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/23

Map: Smith River wildfire at edge of Northern California town -- The Smith River wildfire complex has passed 70,000 acres, and the fire line is being held at the edge of the evacuated community of Gasquet. The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/23

Housing

Nearly half a billion dollars in mortgage relief is still available in California. Here's who qualifies -- Cash grants to help Californians who have missed mortgage payments because of the pandemic have been expanded, with nearly half the $1 billion in federal funds still available. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

San Diego leads the West in home price gains. Will it last? -- San Diego home prices are still worth less than a year ago, but are rising fastest among West Coast markets. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/30/23

Environment

This coastal California property was designated a national monument six years ago. But it’s still closed to the public -- Overly optimistic expectations by federal officials and concerns from nearby communities have put the opening of Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument in Santa Cruz County behind schedule. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

COVID

New variants linked to swell in California COVID cases. Here’s when to get next booster -- Over the past month, hospitalizations jumped by nearly 81%, rising from a daily average of 186 admissions to 336, according to state health department data published Friday. The state’s test positivity rate is also up to 13.2% after falling as low as 3.4% at the beginning of the summer. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Education

As California community colleges struggle with transfer, some find success -- Proactive counseling and on campus involvement seen as keys to a strong transfer culture. Michael Burke EdSource -- 8/30/23

Street

Oakland elementary school evacuated after a bomb threat with ‘racial undertones’ -- The bomb threat was emailed to the Oakland elementary school principal just days after the school drew scorn from right-wing groups online. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ Jakob Rodgers in the East Bay Times$ -- 8/30/23

‘Sea of lawlessness’ prompts Lower Haight restaurant owner to hit pause after more than 30 years -- The owner of a Lower Haight cafe is determined not to be the latest business to leave San Francisco. But first, she says, she needs a break after witnessing too much crime. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/23

Judge dismisses charges that Newport Beach doctor, girlfriend drugged a woman -- Judge Michael Leversen, however, gave prosecutors with the Attorney General’s Office 10 days to refile charges against Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 43, and Cerissa Riley, 36. Prosecutors said they intend to do so. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 8/30/23

Also

Breweries, farms, spas? To fill empty offices, downtowns get creative -- Forget turning offices into apartments. Some cities are looking at more unusual ways to use up vacant commercial buildings, from data centers to urban farms. Teo Armus in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/23