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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Gunman hijacks L.A. Metro bus with hostages; wild chase ends with 1 killed -- A gunman hijacked a Metro bus and led Los Angeles police on a wild chase that ended with one passenger dead in downtown L.A. early Wednesday, according to police. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Gavin Newsom has not solved California’s housing crisis. Three lessons for Kamala Harris -- Kamala Harris pledges to build 3 million affordable homes and apartments in her first term as president, but Gov. Newsom has fallen short on a similar campaign promise in California. What lessons can she learn? Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 9/25/24
The FBI’s corruption probe in Oakland raises questions about Rob Bonta and a $700,000 mistake -- The pitch had it all: a biodiesel plant in West Oakland that would turn grease and vegetable oils into renewable fuel, bringing green energy and union jobs to an area that needed both. And then-Assembly Member Rob Bonta was listening. Rachel Swan, Sarah Ravani, Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/24
It Was the Pro Sports Capital of America. Now It’s Been Wiped Off the Map -- Oakland was titletown in the 1970s, as the A’s, Raiders and Warriors delivered championships in five straight years. Now, in the same span of time, all three have abandoned the city they once called home. Jared Diamond in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/25/24
Several L.A. County sheriff’s deputies relieved of duty in connection with federal investigation -- The Sheriff’s Department confirmed the move was linked to a probe “involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office” but declined to provide information about the exact number of deputies or the nature of the investigation. Keri Blakinger and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Barabak: How Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California recall inform the Harris-Trump race -- No one, as Donald Trump might say, has ever seen anything like it. Mark Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Los Angeles settles with Monsanto for $35 million over PCBs in waterways -- Contamination of key Los Angeles waterways such as the Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles Harbor and Echo Park Lake due to the spread of toxic chemicals is at the heart of a $35-million settlement between the L.A. City Council and agriculture giant Monsanto and two smaller companies. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
O.C. Board of Supervisors censures embattled member Andrew Do -- The Orange County Board of Supervisors censured Andrew Do on Tuesday — marking another significant, if ceremonial, rebuke of the embattled politician. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Judge halts construction of massive warehouse project after scores of homes already demolished -- A Southern California developer must halt construction of a controversial industrial park in San Bernardino County that has displaced scores of homes, after a judge found flaws in the project’s environmental impact report. Rebecca Plevin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Is recycling beyond fixing? Here’s why California thinks so -- California’s lawsuit against ExxonMobil says plastic recycling is broken. The oil giant agrees, but blames the state. Anna Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/24
Canceling subscriptions will be a ‘one-click’ snap in California under new law -- Music on demand. Television programs. Mobile phone service. Professional sports telecasts. Audiobooks. News. Videogames. Computer software. Jon Healey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
S.F. tourism, still down since the pandemic, could see 23.9 million visitors in 2025 -- San Francisco tourism is expected to rebound nearly to pre-pandemic highs in 2025 following a slow, yearslong recovery, officials said Tuesday. Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/24
Can California’s skyscrapers survive a huge earthquake? L.A. County is about to find out -- The Gas Company Tower, one of Los Angeles’ tallest skyscrapers, may get a new lease on life if a sale goes through. But officials want to make sure it’s seismically safe. Rong-Gong Lin II and Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Workplace
SAG-AFTRA calls strike against ‘League of Legends,’ the latest move in video game actors’ battle -- SAG-AFTRA has added “League of Legends” to its list of struck video games in an effort to punish audio company Formosa Interactive for allegedly violating terms of the ongoing strike by video game actors. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Tens of thousands of L.A. County workers could go on strike Oct. 10, union announces -- Union leaders say the county isn’t following the terms of its 2022 labor pact. County officials say the union has made “unfounded accusations” that jeopardize vulnerable people. Emily Alpert Reyes and Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Gov. Newsom signs bills meant to bolster scarce farmworker housing -- The new laws aim to encourage more farmworker housing in the South Bay and ease housing woes for migrant workers. Luis Melecio-Zambrano in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/25/24
Homeless
Critics call Oakland mayor’s order on homeless encampments ‘a political stunt’ -- Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao issued an executive order Monday directing police, fire and city workers to enforce existing city policy to clear homeless encampments. But critics questioned the mayor, saying her announcement was a “political stunt” ahead of a tense recall election. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/24
Rent
Single-family landlord Invitation Homes misled consumers over cost of a home, the FTC alleges -- The company, which owns or manages more than 100,000 homes nationwide, including more than 11,000 in California, did not include mandatory “junk” fees when advertising its rental rates, according to the FTC. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
L.A. City Council votes to strengthen law against tenant harassment -- The Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance was adopted in 2021 to better protect renters from being intimidated or threatened by their landlords. But advocates said it was ineffective. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
New California law gives tenants more time to respond to eviction notices -- Tenant advocates say giving renters 10 days to respond to eviction notices, up from 5, will help those who live in rural areas and have trouble finding legal help. Some landlords argue it will increase their costs. Felicia Mello CalMatters -- 9/25/24
Wildfire
California firefighter charged with arson was former inmate -- Robert Hernandez’s criminal record and history of working as an inmate firefighter emerged in a court filing ahead of his first hearing in Sonoma County Superior Court on five felony charges of setting fires in Sonoma and Mendocino counties in August and September. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 9/25/24
Education
Only 1 in 5 California community college students makes it to a university, audit says -- Community colleges are designed to help students get an associate degree and transfer to a four-year university. Most community college students never graduate or transfer, a state audit found. Adam Echelman CalMatters Michael Burke EdSource -- 9/25/24
Walters: Hitch in higher ed master plan: California’s colleges still don’t work well together -- The three systems often have been more competitive than cooperative, particularly when vying for money from governors and state legislators. They’ve erected barriers that make transfers difficult and squabble over academic turf. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/25/24
Cal State campuses brace for ‘severe consequences’ as budget gap looms -- Cal State officials are projecting a 2025-26 budget hole of about $400 million to $800 million. They are warning of layoffs and academic cuts. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 9/25/24
How a new California law will shield student athletes from heat -- A change in California law has set new rules for when young athletes can play and practice in high temperatures, affecting schools and teams across the state. Deborah Brennan CalMatters -- 9/25/24
Cannabis
L.A. County calls on Yelp, Google to ‘deplatform’ illegal cannabis dispensaries -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion that calls on several popular websites ‘to voluntarily cease advertising illegal cannabis dispensaries.’ Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Kelseyville
A centuries-old California massacre sits at the heart of a political showdown -- A ballot initiative in an area 100 miles north of San Francisco aims to reckon with one town’s horrific past. Will McCarthy Politico -- 9/25/24
Top of the ticket
Trump is losing his edge on the economy among voters -- After years of discontent, Americans appear to be feeling better about the economy. What’s changed? Abha Bhattarai in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/24
Trump’s rhetorical walkabouts: A sign of ‘genius’ or cognitive decline? -- In recent weeks, Trump has said he would deport Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, “back to Venezuela.” He said he was being supported by “the vice president’s family” — meaning relatives of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is running for the office but is not vice president. James Rainey and Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Republicans’ Electoral College Edge, Once Seen as Ironclad, Looks to Be Fading -- A review of the evidence that Donald Trump’s advantage relative to the national popular vote has declined significantly. Nate Cohn in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/24
‘He should be doing better’: Even some Trump allies see him veering off course -- While polls show an incredibly close race, some of Trump’s allies are concerned about his lack of focus. Alex Isenstadt and Meridith McGraw Politico -- 9/25/24
Trump’s Low-Tax, High-Tariff Strategy Could Clash With Economic Realities -- The former president’s efforts to compel companies to remain in the United States had limited success while he was in the White House. Alan Rappeport in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/24
How will Kamala Harris vote on California’s Prop. 36 to toughen some criminal penalties? She won’t say -- Vice President Kamala Harris, a California voter and former attorney general, is declining to say how she will vote on one of the most consequential criminal justice ballot measures to come before state voters in years. Noah Bierman and Anabel Sosa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Fake Russian news site falsely claimed Kamala Harris was in hit-and-run accident -- Using a fictitious San Francisco news outlet, Russian surrogates have disseminated “fabricated videos designed to sow discord and spread disinformation” about the Kamala Harris presidential campaign, Microsoft said in a statement last week. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/24
Americans are more worried about political violence under Trump -- New polling from CNN suggests that the effort to draw equivalence between right and left isn’t yet working. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/24
Judge Rejects Trump’s Last-Minute Bid to Delay Assessment of Jan. 6 Case -- Federal prosecutors can come ahead with a lengthy filing containing evidence backing their argument that the indictment of the former president can survive the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/24
Trump keeps talking about criminalizing dissent -- Four times in recent weeks, the former president said it is or should be illegal to criticize judges, despite his long history of doing just that. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/24
Behind Kamala Harris’s Rise: Silicon Valley’s Wealthiest Woman -- The alliance between Kamala Harris and Laurene Powell Jobs is a genuine friendship that has thrust the press-shy billionaire philanthropist into the political spotlight. Theodore Schleifer in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/24
Experts throw cold water on Donald Trump's idea to ‘dampen the forests’ to prevent wildfires -- Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that wetting California forest floors would reduce fires. The latest version came earlier this month, when he suggested that the Columbia River could be diverted to help California to soak the ground. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/24
GOP asks court to change voting rules in one state, with impact for all -- The case in Mississippi is one example of a nationwide effort by Republicans to invalidate mail ballots over issues unrelated to whether they were cast by a legitimate voter. Patrick Marley and Colby Itkowitz in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/24
Trump promises in Georgia speech to ‘take other countries’ jobs’ -- Trump previewed a sprawling manufacturing overhaul aimed at “relocating entire industries” into the U.S. Irie Sentner Politico -- 9/25/24
Also
One of S.F.’s luxury hotels is scheduled for auction -- The mortgage attached to the swanky hotel near the city’s Embarcadero, which was given a multi-million dollar makeover during the pandemic, is slated to sell in the shadow of City Hall on Van Ness Avenue to the highest bidder on Oct. 10, public records show. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/24
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Mark Hamill, Jane Fonda, J.J. Abrams urge Gov. Newsom to sign AI safety bill -- Hollywood celebrities, including “Star Wars” star Mark Hamill, director J.J. Abrams and SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher sign a letter urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign AI safety bill SB 1047. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
This swing Central Valley congressional district will cross party lines for ‘best’ candidate -- Voters in Congressional District 22 say the hard-fought race between GOP incumbent Rep. David Valadao and his challenger, Democrat Rudy Salas, will come down to the man not his party. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Democrats Lead in California Battleground Districts That Could Decide Control of Congress -- Democratic candidates are leading their GOP opponents in four of the six battleground congressional districts in California, according to a new poll — races that could determine the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 9/24/24
California House Democrats seek to tie Trump to conservatives’ controversial Project 2025 -- California Democrats hope to link President Trump to the unpopular Project 2025 policy plan with a task force hearing focusing on its impact on Americans. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
California orders schools to restrict cellphone use amid student distractions, anxiety -- Gov. Newsom signed the Phone-Free Schools Act into law. It requires California school districts to draft policies restricting or banning student cellphone use. Jaweed Kaleem and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Shawn Hubler and Troy Closson in the New York Times$ Blake Jones Politico -- 9/24/24
Climate protesters arrested outside Kamala Harris’ Brentwood home -- Sunrise Movement activists brought charred couch cushions from a house that burned in the Airport fire. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
HUD gave $10-million tenant organizing grant to L.A. landlord who tenants say blocked their organizing -- For nine months, Nash Stabolito has tried to organize a tenant union with fellow residents of his Skid Row single-room occupancy hotel and nearby properties owned by his landlord. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Reggie Bush lawsuit accuses USC, Pac-12, NCAA of profiting from his NIL ‘without compensating Bush one penny’ -- Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush sues USC, the Pac-12 and the NCAA over name, image and likeness compensation he alleges he lost while in college and after he left. Chuck Schilken in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Walters: California’s expensive explosion of real estate fraud hits home -- Rana Robillard came very close this year to losing her life’s savings and with it her dream home, when she wired nearly $400,000 to an internet scammer. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/24/24
Water
$1.5 billion project to expand major Bay Area reservoir collapses -- Stunning setback for water storage as local agencies abandon once-promising project to enlarge Los Vaqueros Reservoir. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/24/24
Workplace
Southern California News Group journalists vote to authorize strike -- Journalists employed by Southern California News Group, including the Orange County Register and L.A. Daily News, have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, their union announced Monday. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Amazon demands a lot from its drivers. Now they’re pushing back -- Instead of hiring delivery drivers directly, Amazon relies on a network of outside companies. Drivers are pushing back and taking steps toward unionizing. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Push to unionize U.S. pharmacies gets boost in Redlands -- Dozens of employees at a CVS specialty pharmacy in Redlands filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday seeking to hold a union election. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
A's
Shaikin: This Congresswoman tried to save the Oakland A’s. Here’s why she says she couldn’t -- On the eve of the Athletics playing their final home series in Oakland, Rep. Barbara Lee shares her thoughts on the team leaving and what comes next. Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Bird Flu
Concern grows as bird flu outbreaks continue to rise among California dairy herds -- Reports of H5N1 bird flu outbreaks at California dairy herds are continuing to rise as the nation’s largest milk producer scrambles to contain the spread. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
D68
Virus that can cause paralysis in children is on the rise in California: A few safeguards -- A respiratory virus that in rare cases can cause polio-like paralysis in children is on the rise in California and across the nation, according to wastewater analyses. Enterovirus D68 was detected in 207 out of 268 samples taken from wastewater sites across the nation in the last 10 days, says the nonprofit WastewaterSCAN. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Cal Bar
California wants to give a new, cost-saving bar exam. Law schools have ‘grave concerns’ -- The State Bar, which licenses California’s 199,000 practicing lawyers, is trying to dig itself out of a financial hole by revamping its bar exam and allowing it to be taken remotely rather than in huge auditoriums. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/24/24
Education
Big drop in enrollment of low-income undocumented students at California’s public universities -- The number of low-income undocumented students newly enrolled in the University of California and California State University plummeted 50% between 2016-17 and 2022-23, according to a study released this month. Amy DiPierro EdSource -- 9/24/24
Street
Gun used in shooting of 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall was recently purchased — in another state -- The gun that a teenager allegedly used to fire a bullet through the chest of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on a Union Square sidewalk was a semiautomatic pistol purchased legally in Phoenix seven months earlier, the Chronicle has learned. Megan Cassidy, Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/24/24
Man shot near his Lamborghini at South Coast Plaza. Gunman reportedly wanted car, Rolex -- A man was shot Sunday alongside his Lamborghini during an attempted robbery outside Bloomingdale’s at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa police said. The suspect is still at large. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
As a judge he sentenced a sexual predator to probation. Now he’s indicted on sexual battery charges -- Todd Thomas was none too pleased when Fresno County Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona gave his daughter’s abuser a no-jail sentence in 2017. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Wildfire
Hanson: How a California community helped prevent the Bridge fire from destroying their town -- On the evening of Sept. 10, things looked bad for the mountain ski town of Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of Los Angeles. Chad Hanson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24
Top of the ticket
Key Nebraska Republican Rejects Trump’s Push to Shake Up Electoral Map -- Mike McDonnell, a state senator, said he would not support an effort to change the state’s electoral system to winner take all, an outcome that could have cost Kamala Harris an electoral vote. Reid J. Epstein in the New York Times$ -- 9/24/24
Trump likens DOJ’s Jan. 6 filing to pre-election special counsel report -- Trump’s lawyers opposed the special counsel’s plan to file up to a 180-page brief Thursday explaining why Trump can be criminally prosecuted in the Jan. 6 case. Spencer S. Hsu in the Washington Post$ -- 9/24/24
Trump foments distrust of federal law enforcement over assassination attempt probe -- Republican nominee Donald Trump further escalated his long-running bid to discredit federal law enforcement by accusing agencies on Monday of mishandling the investigation of last week’s apparent assassination attempt and demanding Florida officials take over the case. Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/24/24
Vance, Declining to Denounce Robinson, Lashes Out at Media Instead -- JD Vance, campaigning in North Carolina, criticized journalists for asking about Mark Robinson, the embattled Republican running for governor there. Chris Cameron in the New York Times$ -- 9/24/24
Trump Issues Fresh Trade Threats, Targeting Deere -- At a campaign event in Pennsylvania Monday the Republican presidential nominee said, if he were elected, Deere would face tariffs of 200% if it sold made-in-Mexico equipment previously made in the U.S. Trump said that Deere is moving a majority of its production to the country, a point which the company disputed. Bob Tita in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/24/24
Harris Is Set to Visit Border, Trying to Cut Into Trump’s Immigration Edge -- During a trip to Arizona, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to make her first visit to the southern border since becoming the Democratic nominee. Reid J. Epstein and Nicholas Nehamas in the New York Times$ -- 9/24/24
Trump in Pa.: Digressions, threats and vows to be ‘protector’ of women -- The former president meandered through a range of topics during a Monday rally, and sought to shore up support in a part of the electorate that largely backs Vice President Harris. Marianne LeVine in the Washington Post$ Neil Vigdor and Simon J. Levien in the New York Times$ -- 9/24/24
Russia, Iran use AI to boost anti-U.S. influence campaigns, officials say -- American intelligence officials say Moscow’s efforts, aimed mostly at undermining Harris, are the most aggressive. Joseph Menn in the Washington Post$ -- 9/24/24
Their job is to combat Chinese-language misinformation. Inside this S.F. group’s operation -- A three-person team of fact checkers is monitoring online misinformation targeting Chinese-speaking Americans, part of the fastest-growing group of eligible voters. Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/24/24
Also
‘One pistol clip can change the balance of power’: Congress is wholly unprepared for a mass casualty event -- Over the past 15 years, members of Congress have survived two near-deadly shootings, a train crash with dozens of them on board, and a Capitol riot that had hundreds of lawmakers fearing for their lives. Katherine Tully-McManus Politico -- 9/24/24
Tesla plans Cybertruck-inspired bear statue at Palo Alto headquarters -- Tesla is seeking to construct a Cybertruck-inspired grizzly bear statue outside its engineering headquarters in Palo Alto, paying homage to its former home state of California. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/24/24
Desperate California wine growers are slashing prices on grapes. No one is buying -- For the first time in three decades, Lisa Graul hasn’t been able to sell her coveted Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which she farms with her husband at their home in Calistoga. Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/24/24
L.A. rehab staff gave Nazi salutes, made racist remarks and gave ‘white power’ gang signs, lawsuit says -- Seven former and current staff members of the Executive Recovery Group Inc. alleged that the abuse and harassment began after an executive manager was hired, according to a news release from the Los Angeles civil litigation attorneys who filed the lawsuit. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/24