California Policy and Politics Wednesday

‘Universal frustration’: In California, a crisis so dire Republicans and Democrats are working together -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has an unusual ally in his Proposition 1 ballot measure to boost funding for mental health: an outspoken Donald Trump supporter and Kern County lawmaker who co-chaired the committee that led the failed 2021 recall effort against the governor. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

What is Prop 1, California’s mental health and homelessness ballot measure? -- Here are some arguments for and against the proposition voters will decide on in the March primary. Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register -- 1/31/24

Poll suggests trouble for San Francisco’s mayor with ranked-choice voting -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s reelection fight could be that much tougher thanks to the city’s complex ranked-choice voting system and challenger Daniel Lurie picking up support — even if he’s the second choice of many voters. Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 1/31/24

Garvey effect: how a Republican outsider became a solid U.S. Senate contender -- Star power, style and favorable odds propelled ex-Dodger Steve Garvey in primary polls. Clara Harter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/31/24

He investigated neo-Nazi ‘Zoom bombs’ in the Bay Area. Then he became their target -- Santa Rosa Press Democrat reporter Phil Barber investigated the “Zoom bombs” hijacking government meetings with hate speech. Then a person or persons began using his name to spread antisemitic conspiracies. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

California Democrats want solitary confinement reform. Why Gavin Newsom may be a roadblock -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom and key lawmakers at the Capitol are struggling to find a consensus over solitary confinement reform, and there are few solutions in sight. Lindsey Holden in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/31/24

Bronze plaque ripped from monument at Bruce’s Beach; police seek public’s help -- The bronze plaque was installed last February to acknowledge the dark history of a Southern California beach city that ran a Black family out of town, shattering their haven for Black beachgoers. Now that plaque is gone. Karen Garcia, Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Can San Francisco Solve Its Drug Crisis? Five Things to Consider -- A comparison with Portugal’s approach to decriminalization shows why many liberal cities have struggled to match its success. German Lopez, Josh Katz, Alicia Parlapiano in the New York Times$ -- 1/31/24

Allen Media Group Makes $14.3 Billion Offer for Paramount Global -- Media entrepreneur Byron Allen is throwing his hat in the ring for Paramount Global, the home of CBS and the Paramount Hollywood studio. Jessica Toonkel, Gareth Vipers in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/31/24

Dianne Feinstein’s Longtime Washington, D.C., Home Hits the Market -- The late senator’s Spring Valley estate joins two other significant properties coming up for sale in the city. E.B. Solomont in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/31/24

Walters: Sacramento joins San Francisco as California’s slowest cities to recover from the pandemic -- San Francisco is coping with a “doom loop” of declining employment and business activity in its downtown core, but a new study suggests Sacramento may be in worse shape. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/31/24

Storm Train

Bay Area storm to bring extreme downpours, damaging winds. When to expect worst impacts -- A strong storm, fueled by an atmospheric river, is on target to impact the Bay Area on Wednesday. Widespread heavy rain and gusty winds could lead to flooding, mudslides, downed trees and power outages. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

California braces for inundation as atmospheric rivers barrel in from Pacific Ocean -- Fire crews, swift water rescue teams and other first responders have been moving into place throughout the state in preparation for the storms. Susanne Rust, Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Hundreds of homeless people live by the San Diego River. Do they know about the coming storm? -- Shelters are preparing for more water after last week’s rainfall triggered evacuations downtown and by Balboa Park. Blake Nelson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/31/24

California flood risk map: See which neighborhoods near you are danger zones -- The map in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Cannabis

A massacre that killed 6 reveals the dangerous world of illegal pot in SoCal deserts -- Six people were shot to death last week in a desert community in San Bernardino County. The proliferation of illegal marijuana grows across California in recent years is leading to increasing violence, experts say. Summer Lin, Salvador Hernandez, Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Policy & Politics

UC Berkeley law school dean, academic leaders urge SCOTUS to ban Trump from 2024 ballots -- UC Berkeley’s law school dean and other legal scholars are disputing Trump’s argument that his disqualification would violate his freedom of speech. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Two Democrats battle to keep Katie Porter’s Orange County U.S. House seat blue -- Stakes are high in California’s 47th Congressional District race, with Democrats Dave Min and Joanna Weiss and Republican Scott Baugh among top contenders for the seat. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Billionaire and former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg donates $200,000 to Breed’s S.F. mayoral race -- Campaign finance documents show Bloomberg recently donated the money to Forward Action SF, Supporting London Breed for Mayor 2024, an independent political committee that is not directly affiliated with Breed’s re-election campaign. St. John Barned-Smith, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Here’s why S.F. legislators tried to force Mayor Breed to build a new library at a specific location -- Supervisor Ahsha Safaí previously accused Breed of blocking the library project at its originally planned location because he’s running for mayor against her. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Trump’s PACs Spent Roughly $50 Million on Legal Expenses in 2023 -- The former president is facing four criminal indictments and potential trials that could drive his legal bills even higher as he seeks to lock up the Republican presidential nomination. Maggie Haberman, Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 1/31/24

Abortion Pills

Gavin Newsom joins group of governors urging SCOTUS to preserve abortion pill access -- Gavin Newsom and other Democratic governors urged the Supreme Court to maintain women's access to the pills used in more than half of all U.S. abortions. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Climate

Business and agricultural groups sue California over new climate disclosure laws -- Business and agricultural groups sued California on Tuesday over the most sweeping climate disclosure mandates in the nation, arguing the policies signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year overstep on the federal government’s authority to regulate emissions nationwide. Sophie Austin Associated Press -- 1/31/24

Roth: Karen Bass faces a big climate test as she chooses the DWP’s next leader -- With the L.A. Department of Water and Power’s current general manager, Marty Adams, set to retire March 1, Bass is mulling her options. And a coalition of climate advocacy and environmental justice groups want to know who those options are. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Workplace

Which entertainment jobs are most likely to be disrupted by AI? New study has answers -- An estimated 62,000 entertainment jobs in California spanning film, TV, music and gaming will be disrupted by the rise of artificial intelligence within the next three years, a new study says. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Bay Area tech layoffs: PayPal, Block announce thousands of new cuts -- PayPal informed its employees of a significant workforce reduction on Tuesday, with approximately 2,500 employees, constituting 9% of the company’s workforce, set to be laid off. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Huge Oakland business launches new safety measures for employees amid concerns about rising crime -- Representatives of Clorox, the cleaning product manufacturer that opened its global headquarters in Oakland 110 years ago, said they have hired uniformed security guards to chaperone employees to the office from BART stations, parking garages, restaurants and coffee shops. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Should state government jobs require a college degree? Why California is rethinking its rules -- Many California government jobs don’t require a college degree. That list may grow longer as agencies face a rise in job vacancies. Adam Echelman CalMatters -- 1/31/24

Ousted California National Guard general fires back at state in lawsuit -- Jeffrey Magram, a retired brigadier general, seeks to clear his military record and collect damages from the state, the National Guard, his former commanding officers and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who oversees the California Military Department. Sarah Grace Taylor Politico -- 1/31/24

California college students petition to remove Starbucks from campuses -- They want the licensing agreements suspended until the company ends its alleged union-busting campaign. Kevin Smith in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/31/24

San Diego just OK’d a sweeping new labor pact to govern all big city projects. Here’s what it will do -- The new project labor agreement sets wages, safety protocols and regulations for contractors and all their subcontractors and sets goals for hiring disadvantaged local workers. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/31/24

The Companies Calling Workers Back to the Office Five Days a Week -- UPS, Boeing and other employers are insisting on full-time attendance as some bosses lose patience with remote work. Chip Cutter in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/31/24

Companies Brought in Robots. Now They Need Human ‘Robot Wranglers’ -- Lost and confused automatons create work for people. Bots wander off ‘like a child’ and irritate workers by following them or ‘trying to get under their desk.’ Liz Young, Elijah Nouvelage in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/31/24

Homeless

This S.F. program only helped 4 homeless people get treatment. Here’s why the number is so low -- City officials were optimistic about a state law designed to compel unhoused people with mental illness and addiction into treatment. “It did not live up to what we had hoped,” a supervisor said. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

The Bay Area is set to receive more than $190 million in new federal homelessness funding. Is it enough? -- The money comes as the region’s homeless population has swelled 35% since 2019. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/31/24

Housing

State OKs San Jose’s housing element, restoring local control over zoning -- After missing deadline, city provides blueprint to build 62,200 homes in next decade. Kate Talerico in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/31/24

Education

Sacramento State to create first-of-its-kind Black Honors College in fall semester -- Sacramento State will become home to a new school designed to support Black and African American students later this year that its president says will be the first of its kind in the nation. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/31/24

For the first time, California law will protect students’ right to recess -- That law, Senate Bill 291, defines what “recess” really means: free, unstructured time to play and socialize. Kori Suzuki, Charlotte Radulovich KPBS -- 1/31/24

Advice from former superintendents on retaining those still on the job -- Proposed solutions included a dedicated support system and training on the role of superintendents and school board members. Betty Márquez Rosales EdSource -- 1/31/24

School and Guns

‘It’s happening again?’ Sacramento community groups respond to Grant Union High shooting -- On Tuesday morning, a 14-year-old Grant High student shot a fellow 17-year-old student in a parking lot on campus, police said. The 17-year-old suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his arm, and the 14-year-old was arrested in connection with the shooting. Rosalio Ahumada, Renée C. Byer in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/31/24

A San Diego high schooler threatened a shooting. Cops found explosives, ghost guns at teen’s home -- San Diego police took a Poway high schooler into custody Friday after fellow students alleged that the teen threatened to shoot up their school. But the teen’s father also became entangled in the criminal investigation soon after, when officers found illegal explosives, untraceable guns and other weapons at the family’s home, police said. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/31/24

Border

‘A partner that never sleeps’: Surveillance towers extend Border Patrol’s California reach -- The federal government is investing millions on border surveillance towers, while migrants in California face harsh conditions and delays in processing. Wendy Fry CalMatters -- 1/31/24

Water

Here’s where California’s snowpack stands with winter half over -- California has received barely half of the snow it typically gets by this point in winter, reinforcing concerns of a “snow drought” as the wet season moves into its second half and time grows shorter to produce cold, powder-producing storms. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24

Street

L.A. County backs a legal path for street vendors in unincorporated areas -- For five years, vendors hawking grilled meats, fresh fruit and used clothes on the streets of unincorporated L.A. County have been stuck in a strange legal gray area: no longer banned, but not yet regulated. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Just do what? Man arrested after $5 million worth of Nike gear found in warehouse -- In most cases, Nike tells customers to “just do it.” However, when it comes to stealing the brand’s merchandise, the company might advise otherwise. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

L.A. man’s violent, antisemitic texts made woman fear for her life, prosecutor says -- He threatened to “exterminate” Jewish people and Asian Americans. He said he would shoot up synagogues. He said that “Hitler was right about you people.” Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

TB

Why TB cases are rising in California after decades of decline -- The rebound does not represent a dangerous outbreak but rather the scattered re-emergence of a hidden health risk that is being detected in the wake of the COVID pandemic, according to health experts. Diagnoses may have been missed, misdiagnosed or delayed, they said. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/31/24

Also

Hector Becerra named managing editor of The Times -- Interim Executive Editor Terry Tang announced the appointment Tuesday, delivering on her promise to quickly install a second-in-command to stabilize a newsroom that has been rocked this month by significant layoffs, a one-day strike by journalists and several high-level departures. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Sip, sip, hooray! New bill would allow drinking on public streets in designated areas -- Imagine a California where you can buy a beer at your favorite bar or restaurant, take it outside and drink it on the street with a friend. That could soon be a reality, if state and local officials clear the way. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the sky, takes final position as star of new museum wing -- The final journey for the last space shuttle ever built is complete. Andrew J. Campa, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/31/24

Universal Music Group, Taylor Swift’s label, says it will pull tunes from TikTok -- Santa Monica-based UMG and Chinese-owned TikTok made an agreement in 2021 that allowed the popular video-based social media platform access to UMG’s recorded music from artists on its labels, as well as songwriters with Universal Music Publishing Group. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ Meghan Bobrowsky, Anne Steele in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/31/24

Probe into $40 million California insurance, telemarketing scam ends with final sentencing -- The breakup of a network of telemarketers and scammers who fraudulently billed insurance carriers to the tune of $40 million — after fooling thousands of Californians into obtaining unneeded drugs and devices — concluded Tuesday with the sentencing of the final defendant, authorities said. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/31/24

San Francisco, Giants team up to honor Willie Mays, No. 24, on 2/4/24 -- Thanks to a mathematical marvel in the calendar, we get a chance to further celebrate Willie Mays. On Feb. 4, the stars — or superstars, in Mays’ case — will align for a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Unless you’re 100 years old, that is. John Shea in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/31/24