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

California Policy and Politics Sunday

Newsom leaves the Vatican with pope’s praise for refusing to impose the death penalty -- “I was struck by how he immediately brought up the issue of the death penalty and how proud he was of the work we’re doing in California,” Newsom said afterward. “I was struck by that because I wasn’t anticipating that, especially in the context of this convening.” Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/24

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, under fire for shooting dog, describes making ‘hard decisions’ at California GOP gathering --Once on former President Trump’s shortlist of potential running mates, Kristi Noem also repeated allegations about cartels using Native lands that have resulted in tribes barring her from their property. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/19/24

Garofoli: California GOP, dog-killing speaker Kristi Noem equally out of touch with voters -- Booking South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the marquee speaker at this weekend’s California Republican Party convention must have seemed like a great idea at the time. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/24

Barabak: Don’t cancel those summer plans yet. Who knows if the presidential debates will come off -- Two prospective Biden-Trump debates came together quickly after Biden issued a challenge and Trump accepted. But there are still a lot of details to be worked out and either could walk away. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/24

Calmes: Whatever Big Oil wants, Big Oil gets. As long as it bankrolls Trump -- The still-insufficient progress the U.S. is making on climate change could be undone with the wrong outcome in November. Jackie Calmes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/24https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/newsom-s-budget-cuts-devastate-california-19465005.php

Mayor Breed says opponents want to ‘keep us in a doom loop’ while she is ‘lifting San Francisco up’ -- The mayor kicked off her campaign at the Fillmore auditorium, telling an enthusiastic crowd that she is leading San Francisco to a better future. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/24

UCSF pro-Palestinian encampment again disbands after administrator’s request -- The demonstrators “disbanded peacefully,” a spokesperson for the Parnassus campus said. Police later placed a fence around where the encampment had been. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/24

Teachers, school boards threaten to sue over Gov. Newsom’s fix for revenue shortfall -- Powerful organizations argue governor would address immediate problem but deny schools additional funding they're entitled to. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 5/19/24

Newsom’s budget cuts could devastate public health programs in California -- During the pandemic, the governor directed $300 million annually to chronically underfunded state and county services. Angela Hart KFF Health News in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/24

Workplace

Pharmaceutical giant Takeda is shutting down its San Diego office -- The plant closure is part of a broader restructuring at Takeda. The closure affects more than 300 San Diego workers who will either be laid off or relocated. Natallie Rocha in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/19/24

Disneyland costumed character employees vote to unionize -- The unit, which consists of 1,700 people, voted 953 in favor of unionization and 258 against, Actors’ Equity said Saturday night on the social media platform X. Of the votes tallied, 79% were pro-union. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/24

Street

Supporters say ‘warmhearted’ Mexican Mafia member deserves bail. Wiretaps reveal murder threats -- Prosecutors say Johnny Martinez was caught on a wiretap boasting of several murders, but he still has prominent voices calling for his release, including two L.A. County probation officials. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/24

Also

Former Angel David Fletcher bet with the bookie used by Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, sources say -- A former teammate of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani may have made bets with the same bookie used by Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, ESPN has reported. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/24

Why S.F. drivers say owning a car in the city is ‘miserable’ -- Who gets priority on the streets has long been a source of conflict in the nation’s second densest major city, but the fights have only escalated over the past five years. Ricardo Cano, Michael Barba in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/19/24

Tight-rope walker is latest problem for downtown L.A.’s graffiti towers -- A performance artist who goes by the name Reckless Ben filmed himself on a slackline between two downtown L.A. skyscrapers 40 stories above Figueroa Street. Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/19/24

 

California Policy and Politics Saturday

UC officials charge that academic workers’ strike over pro-Palestinian protests is illegal -- As the 48,000-member UC academic workers union announced a Monday strike at UC Santa Cruz over alleged free speech violations during pro-Palestinian protests, the University of California on Friday filed a labor complaint to stop what they say is an illegal action, heightening tensions roiling the university system. Jaweed Kaleem and Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/18/24

UCLA Academic Senate rejects censure and ‘no confidence’ vote on Chancellor Gene Block -- On a “no confidence” resolution, 79 faculty members approved, 103 opposed, five abstained, and seven members were present but did not vote, with 43% of representatives voting against UCLA’s top leader. Jaweed Kaleem, Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ Jill Cowan in the New York Times$-- 5/18/24

Inside a Gaza hospital: A Los Angeles doctor’s story -- Mohamad Abdelfattah, a critical-care doctor, was in the southern city of Rafah with no way of leaving. He was at the end of a two-week trip volunteering in one of the few hospitals that has remained open in the besieged city. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/18/24

California addressing larger budget gap than what Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan estimates, report says -- The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects the new budget proposal contends with a $55 billion shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, which beings July 1. Newsom’s plan said it was overcoming a $44.9 billion gulf. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$-- 5/18/24

Sisters in Christ group pays property taxes on Senate candidate Steve Garvey’s home -- The taxes on the home listed as Steve Garvey’s Palm Desert address are being paid by Sisters in Christ LLC, an organization that includes his sister-in-law as a manager. The group, based in Utah, has paid $119,203 since 2017 in taxes on the property, according to Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector records. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$-- 5/18/24

After Assembly issues apology for California’s role in slavery, some reparations bills die in Senate -- The California Senate killed some reparations bills for Black residents on Thursday amid a budget deficit after the Assembly issued a formal apology for slavery. Mackenzie Mays in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/18/24

What science tells us about Biden, Trump and evaluating an aging brain -- The 2024 presidential race has been dominated by allegations of mental decline. Scientists and doctors offer cautionary notes. Joel Achenbach, Mark Johnson in the Washington Post$ -- 5/18/24

Hep A

L.A. County investigating reported hepatitis A case at Beverly Hills Whole Foods -- Officials said they were investigating a reported case of hepatitis A affecting an employee of a Beverly Hills Whole Foods, just days after announcing that several cases had been detected among unhoused people in L.A. County. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$-- 5/18/24

Breathe

California’s effort to plug abandoned, chemical-spewing oil wells gets $35-million boost -- The Biden administration funding is among the “largest ever in American history to address legacy pollution,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/18/24

California school district becomes first in nation to go all electric buses -- The days of diesel fumes choking the air for hundreds of Bay Area students appear to be in the rearview, thanks to a partnership deal struck by Oakland Unified School District. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/18/24

AI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he can no longer eat in public in S.F. -- OpenAI’s Sam Altman reveals how fame has altered his personal life and discusses the new AI model, GPT-4o, on a new podcast. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$-- 5/18/24

Workplace

As job growth in California falls back, unemployment rate remains highest in the country -- California posted another month of anemic job growth in April, keeping the state’s unemployment rate the highest in the country, 5.3%, the government reported Friday. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$-- 5/18/24

Bay Area and California add jobs in April — but the gains are puny -- East Bay leads Bay Area in April, South Bay is flat, San Francisco area loses jobs. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$-- 5/18/24

San Diego jobless rate falls to its lowest level all year. Leisure, hospitality hiring lead the pack -- The San Diego region gained 6,600 jobs in April. The unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, its lowest since summer 2023. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$-- 5/18/24

Troubled EV maker Fisker closing Manhattan Beach headquarters -- Troubled EV maker Fisker Inc. is closing down its Manhattan Beach headquarters and moving employees to La Palma in Orange County in a bid to save money and stave off bankruptcy. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$-- 5/18/24

GA$

California gas prices could go up thanks to a little-known program -- A little-known climate program could make gasoline more expensive in California next year — but exactly how much is unknown. One expert says the program, known as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, could boost prices at the pump by 9 cents per gallon next year if air quality regulators approve updates to help the state meet its climate goals. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$-- 5/18/24

Eduction

Teachers criticize Newsom’s budget proposal, saying it would ‘wreak havoc on funding for our schools’ -- California’s largest teachers union on Friday turned up the pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom, announcing a public campaign aimed at blocking part of his plan to balance the budget because they say it “would wreak havoc on funding for our schools.” Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/18/24

'Rust'

New Mexico weighs whether to toss Alec Baldwin criminal charges in ‘Rust’ shooting -- New Mexico First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer on Friday said she would soon make a ruling on whether grand jury proceedings against Baldwin were conducted in a fair and impartial manner. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$-- 5/18/24

Street

Jail Death Lawsuit Is Settled for $7.5 Million Amid California Inquiry -- A violent encounter captured on video was part of a surge in jail deaths that spurred an inquiry into the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Christopher Damien in the New York Times$ -- 5/18/24

Supporters say ‘warmhearted’ Mexican Mafia member deserves bail. Wiretaps reveal murder threats -- Prosecutors say Johnny Martinez was caught on a wiretap boasting of several murders, but he still has prominent voices calling for his release, including two L.A. County probation officials. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/18/24

Also

California bans salmon fishing for the season in Sacramento-area rivers and Klamath basin -- This is the second consecutive year the commission has voted to ban in-river salmon sport fishing in the Klamath River Basin and Central Valley rivers, according to a news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$-- 5/18/24

Capitola Wharf, wrecked in huge winter storms, set to reopen after $10 million upgrade -- Historic structure, popular with tourists and locals for generations, is a landmark in Monterey Bay. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$-- 5/18/24

Arellano: L.A.’s only Spanish-language children’s bookstore will soon get más grande -- Cool stuff was everywhere I looked. A compendium of Latin American folk tales. A young-adult version of radio legend Maria Hinojosa’s memoir. Picture books teaching Spanish speakers words in Nahuatl and Maya. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/18/24