Rough & Tumble ®
A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics
 
   
   
 
 

California Policy and Politics Saturday

Encampments spread across California universities. Are they living on borrowed time? -- After police forcibly removed Pro-Palestinian encampments at two universities this week, college leaders across California are grappling with how to move forward with protests on other campuses. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Ashley Ahn, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/24

Will college graduation ceremonies be disrupted in the Bay Area? -- With graduations looming — and pro-Palestinian encampments at many Bay Area universities — seniors and families are wary about campus unrest. Nanette Asimov, Ko Lyn Cheang, Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

UCLA’s top cop, accused of security lapse, faces calls to step aside. He defends his actions -- The UCLA police chief is facing growing scrutiny for what three sources told The Times was a string of serious security lapses before a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian student encampment this week. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/24

Before mob attack, UCLA police chief was ordered to create security plan but didn’t, sources say -- On the morning before a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian student encampment at UCLA, campus Police Chief John Thomas assured university leadership that he could mobilize law enforcement “in minutes” — a miscalculation from the three hours it took to actually bring in enough officers to quell the violence, according to three sources. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/24

Activist Groups Trained Students for Months Before Campus Protests -- Left-wing groups and veteran demonstrators provided guidance and support before rise of pro-Palestinian encampments. Tawnell D. Hobbs, Valerie Bauerlein, Dan Frosch in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/4/24

How Counterprotesters at U.C.L.A. Provoked Violence, Unchecked for Hours -- The New York Times used videos filmed by journalists, witnesses and protesters to analyze hours of clashes — and a delayed police response — at a pro-Palestinian encampment on Tuesday. Neil Bedi, Bora Erden, Marco Hernandez, Ishaan Jhaveri, Arijeta Lajka, Natalie Reneau, Helmuth Rosales, Aric Toler in the New York Times$ -- 5/4/24

After canceling commencement, USC will host event at L.A. Coliseum, rolls out new campus security -- After canceling its mainstage commencement ceremony amid pro-Palestinian protests, USC has announced plans for a “Trojan Family” graduation event next week at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/24

Policy & Politics

As protests roil college campuses, young voters’ support for Biden hangs in the balance -- Polls show that college-educated youth voters are focused on the war in Gaza, which poses possible electoral problems for the president. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/24

California settles opioid lawsuit with same company selling the state overdose meds -- Amneal Pharmaceuticals will sell the state fentanyl overdose medication at a discounted rate under a new contract. Separately, it’s paying states to settle claims that it contributed to the nation’s opioid epidemic. Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters -- 5/4/24

Arellano: Watch your step, Democrats. O.C.’s purple shine hides a red underbelly -- In 2016, my beloved homeland of Orange County shocked political observers by favoring Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, the first time we went with a Democrat for president since FDR. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/24

‘We needed Wonder Woman’: Newsom cuts to foster care, child services worry families -- Some programs helping foster kids and families in crisis could lose all funding as lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom address budget shortfall. Wendy Fry CalMatters -- 5/4/24

Nancy Pelosi, ‘San Francisco’s tireless champion,’ awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom -- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the first female speaker of the House and has been the driving force behind landmark legislation, received the nation’s highest civilian honor Friday. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

California retail theft captured the Capitol’s attention. How major stores have lobbied for it -- Since the beginning of the year, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, have both proposed multi-bill packages to address shoplifting and organized retail theft. Lindsey Holden in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/24

Workplace

Intel, Amazon, Kaiser, EV charging firm chop hundreds of Bay Area tech jobs -- Bay Area tech layoffs top 40,000 in two-plus years. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/24

Taxes

California doesn’t have an ‘exit tax’ — but it can still tax some people who move away -- More people appear to be fleeing California for states with no income tax. But California can still go after some — or all — of their income. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

Insurance

California’s insurance crisis is rattling the real estate market. It could impact ‘almost every sale’ -- Expensive and increasingly elusive insurance has made buying a home in California even costlier. Some say they feel “at the mercy of the insurance industry.” Megan Fan Munce, Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

Water

California groundwater levels got a huge bump from 2023’s historically wet weather -- New data shows a wet 2023 helped replenish California’s diminished aquifers, but groundwater levels still remain in long-term deficit. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

Downtown

One of S.F.’s biggest office buildings sees value plunge by 80% after departure of Uber, Block -- The value of 1455 Market St., a huge 1 million-square-foot office complex, has plunged around 80% after the departure of Uber and Block, formerly Square. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

A tale of two downtowns in L.A.: As offices languish, apartments thrive -- A new luxury residential tower in downtown L.A. reflects an unusual disconnect: While office rentals continue to struggle, downtown as a residential center is thriving. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/24

Homeless

S.F. still can’t get a grip on its homeless spending, left crucial housing units empty, audit says -- San Francisco’s homelessness department fails to adequately track money it spends on housing indigent people or to hold its nonprofit operators to performance goals, and it left hundreds of permanent supportive housing units vacant last year, a new city audit has found. Kevin Fagan, Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

Oakland Mayor Thao joins mayors from across country in D.C. asking for homelessness resources -- Thao wants more federal housing vouchers to help cover low-income residents' rent. Ethan Varian in the East Bay Times$ -- 5/4/24

Foster Care

These L.A. foster kids defied the odds when they aged out: ‘This isn’t the end of my story’ -- In an intimate new documentary, two Los Angeles teens in foster care tackle the typical challenges of adolescence, while addressing childhood trauma, a constant threat of instability and dreams to overcome the odds and finish college.

Robotaxi

Waymo to begin testing its driverless robotaxis in these seven Bay Area cities -- Waymo’s driverless robotaxis will soon be driving outside San Francisco’s borders to cities north of San Mateo, as the company begins its expansion to the Peninsula. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

Guns

Rebranded ‘ghost gun’ machine is being sold illegally in California, says county lawsuit -- San Diego County is suing a company it says is flouting state law by selling milling machines primarily used to create parts used to assemble untraceable “ghost guns.” Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/24

Street

San Diego jury finds two Los Angeles men guilty of ‘antifa’ conspiracy in unique prosecution -- Both defendants counter-protested at a 2021 “Patriot March” in Pacific Beach that included scuffles with Trump supporters. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/24

Woman convicted of stealing $60K from Target store in S.F. -- A San Francisco woman has been convicted of felony grand theft for a series of retail thefts at the Stonestown Galleria’s Target store. Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

Shasta

How 2 climbers survived an avalanche on Mount Shasta -- Two climbers who planned to snowboard down Mount Shasta got caught in a high-elevation avalanche, necessitating an 11-hour rescue with about 20 responders. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/24

Also

Watch live: Peregrine falcon webcam up and running on Alcatraz Island -- World’s fastest bird now lives where Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly once were cooped up. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/24

 

California Policy and Politics Friday

Who were the masked men behind the UCLA camp attack? Online sleuths vow to find out -- A collective research effort has cropped up to name and shame the pro-Israel demonstrators who carried out violence at UCLA. Distrusting police to deliver justice, people are taking it upon themselves. Brittny Mejia, Jessica Garrison, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

‘Do not engage’: As violence erupts elsewhere, Bay Area campuses keep a fragile peace -- Pro-Palestine protesters at Stanford say counter-protesters are trying to provoke, ‘but we don’t want that’ Caelyn Pender, Sierra Lopez, Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/3/24

With remains of UCLA camp tossed in dumpster, Gaza activists assess the future -- “There’s a lot of anger and frustration and desire to keep protesting, but we’re really still figuring out what that would look like,” said a 19-year-old UCLA freshman who declined to give her name. Outside Dickson Court, pro-Israeli students also gathered, watching the cleanup process. Summer Lin, Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

Is my right to protest protected on university grounds? ‘It depends,’ California expert says -- While the First Amendment protects your right to protest, there are limitations when it comes to exercising this right on California university campuses. Angela Rodriguez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/3/24

Jailed students, a canceled commencement, angry parents: USC’s Carol Folt takes on critics -- When USC trustees selected Carol Folt as their next president, they gave her one of the most challenging mandates in American higher education: Restore trust in a university diminished by scandals. Matt Hamilton, Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

UCLA Chancellor Widely Criticized for Slow Response to Campus Violence -- Gene Block is accused of being too lenient and failing to call law enforcement in time after chaotic week. Christine Mai-Duc in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/3/24

Colleges Have a New Source of Protest on Their Hands: Irate Parents -- Whether their kids are protesting, counterprotesting or trying to stay out of it, parents are demanding that schools do more to keep them safe and learning. Clare Ansberry, Oyin Adedoyin, Katherine Hamilton in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/3/24

California Republicans want to take financial aid from protesters if they were violent -- In the wake of campus protests, Republican leaders in the Legislature say that students who committed violent or criminal acts shouldn’t receive Cal Grants. Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 5/3/24

As protests surge across college campuses, student journalists report from the front lines -- Budding reporters, editors are balancing round-the-clock news coverage, school assignments and threats of violence. Betty Márquez Rosales, Mallika Seshadri EdSource -- 5/3/24

California GOP brushes off Kristi Noem dog controversy ahead of convention -- Noem has defended her actions, repeatedly accusing the news media of misleading reports. Dustin Gardiner, Lara Korte Politico -- 5/3/24

Pelosi to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom, nation’s highest civilian honor -- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the first female speaker of the House and has been the driving force behind landmark legislation, will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor Friday. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/3/24

Long Beach health officials declare tuberculosis outbreak a public health emergency -- Long Beach Health officials declared a public health emergency on Thursday afternoon after one person died and nine others were hospitalized due to a tuberculosis outbreak. The spread was contained to one single-room occupancy hotel. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

LGBTQ+ people in Huntington Beach fearful of what they say is a rise in hostility -- Kanan Durham never wanted to be an activist. But the trans Orange County’s man and other LGBTQ+ people in Orange County feel called to speak out against a climate of hostility in Huntington Beach. Tyrone Beason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

2024 billionaires list: Here are the top 20 richest Californians, according to Forbes -- Billionaires are richer — and more numerous — than ever this year, according to Forbes, which counted a record 2,781 people worth 10 figures or more this year on its annual World’s Billionaires List, including 813 in the United States. And many of the most wealthy Americans are California residents. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/3/24

Trump defense suggests he was shakedown target, not hush money schemer -- During contentious questioning of Stormy Daniels lawyer Keith Davidson, Donald Trump’s lawyers portray their client as the victim in the case. Devlin Barrett, Shayna Jacobs, Mark Berman in the Washington Post$ -- 5/3/24

Why the Senate GOP is downplaying the chances of a red wave -- Republicans have a shot at more than a half-dozen Senate seats, but they’re purposefully tempering expectations after failures in 2020 and 2022. Burgess Everett Politico -- 5/3/24

Workplace

The Era of ‘No-Show’ Fees Is Here—and It’s Going to Cost You -- These days, missing an appointment can cost customers up to $100—double the price of a normal haircut. Krupa doesn’t care if the new policy at his Huntington Beach, Calif., barbershop earns some negative reviews or costs him a few customers. Imani Moise in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/3/24

California’s EDD is notoriously hard to contact. AI may offer a solution — if the state allows it -- AI chatbots could cut down on wait times at the EDD, where call center workers routinely field tens of thousands of calls a week and hold times can stretch to hours. But will they be allowed to? Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/3/24

Walmart’s plan to close East Bay store will result in 169 job cuts -- The retail giant is closing one of its two Fremont locations due to its poor retail performance. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/3/24

The Fed Is Looking for a Job Market Cool-Down. It Just Got One -- Wage growth and hiring slowed in April, evidence of the job market slowdown that Federal Reserve officials have been waiting on. Jeanna Smialek in the New York Times$ -- 5/3/24

Insurance

California State Farm customers anxious as insurer starts major policy cuts. ‘There’s panic’ -- State Farm said it is dropping policies across California for financial reasons and is ending coverage in areas with wildfire hazards, among other factors. A company spokesman declined to explain further how it decided which homes to drop. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/3/24

Homeless

Residents of Sacramento homeless camp persuade city to delay Camp Resolution closure -- The decision, which the city detailed in a letter received Thursday morning by the camp’s lawyer Mark Merin, comes after homeless people came to City Council Tuesday in tears begging officials to not close the camp until they all get permanent housing. Several even said they were prepared to be arrested. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/3/24

Housing

Affordable housing at the expense of existing tenants? L.A. council seeks new protections -- Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez wants to keep tenants from being pushed out of 17 rent-controlled apartments in Eagle Rock. The site is slated to become affordable housing. David Zahniser, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

Conception Disaster

Captain gets four-year sentence for Conception boat disaster -- Jerry Boylan, the captain of the Conception dive boat where 34 people died amid smoke and flame over Labor Day weekend in 2019, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for negligence that contributed to the disaster. Christopher Goffard, Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

AI

Meta now has an AI chatbot. Experts say get ready for more AI-powered social media -- Artificial intelligence experts said social media users can expect to see more of chatbots and other AI technology influencing their experience — for better or possibly worse. Jireh Deng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

Street

‘Folks, it’s bad’: Merced sheriff warns of public safety crisis as deputy vacancies mount -- In Merced County, which stretches from the Sierra Nevada foothills west across vast acres of orchards and farmland, Sheriff Vern Warnke increasingly finds himself the only law enforcement officer available to answer a call for help. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

People can’t be detained just for trying to avoid police, California Supreme Court says -- The decision has immediate implications for police officers working all across the state, restricting the grounds under which they can stop and hold people for questioning. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24

Education

California could require kids to learn how to manage money. Should voters decide curriculum? -- A ballot initiative that would require a personal finance class in high school circumvents the usual process for curriculum changes. Carolyn Jones CalMatters -- 5/3/24

Also

Mike Yastrzemski channels family history to power SF Giants over Red Sox at Fenway -- Yastrzemski, the grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, slugged a home run in the Giants’ 3-1 win Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/3/24

Bay Lights installation set to return in 2025 with twice as many LEDs -- The Bay Bridge is set to sparkle once more. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/3/24

Morrison: Palos Verdes Peninsula landslides can tell us a lot about L.A. history -- A complex mixture of human and geological factors mean that this stunningly beautiful peninsula of seaside Southern California homes is also, at times, perilous. Patt Morrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/24