California Policy and Politics Friday

PG&E to issue electric bill credits to millions of customers next month -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced Thursday that millions of residential and small business customers in California will receive a credit on their electric bill next month. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/27/24

Newsom OKs speed cameras for dangerous stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu -- This 21-mile stretch of PCH has long been known as a hot spot for crashes, including scores of fatalities, but it was the deaths of four Pepperdine University students almost a year ago that propelled renewed action to improve safety on the road. Karen Garcia and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24

Economists like Newsom’s plan to help control gas prices. Refiners don’t -- The governor wants new gas reserves to dampen seasonal price spikes. Refiners say the move would raise prices and require new storage tanks. Malena Carollo CalMatters -- 9/27/24

Would-be Kevin McCarthy successor is California Democrats’ favorite Republican -- Shannon Grove is a Trump-supporting, anti-abortion Republican from the beating red heart of California’s Central Valley. She’s also one of Democratic lawmakers’ most beloved colleagues in Sacramento. Lara Korte Politico -- 9/27/24

Gavin Newsom is vetoing 1 of every 5 bills. Here’s why -- The governor blocks a sizable chunk of bills passed by the Legislature. He cites a few common reasons why they shouldn’t become law in California. Jenna Peterson CalMatters -- 9/27/24

Alliance pushing California’s tough-on-crime plan is unraveling. Just weeks before election -- A partnership between retailers and prosecutors is fraying following a summer of tense negotiations and interventions by Democratic leaders. Emily Schultheis Politico -- 9/27/24

Track the money for Prop 33: Contributions for and against California’s ballot measure on rent control -- Propositon 33 would let cities and counties enact rent control by repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. Similar statewide rent control initiatives failed in 2020 and 2018. Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24

Newsom signs formal apology for California’s role in slavery -- The formal apology for California’s role in slavery is part of series of bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed this year that advocates for reparations said didn’t go far enough to atone for the state’s legacy of racism. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Shawn Hubler and Audra D. S. Burch in the New York Times$ Lindsey Holden Politico -- 9/27/24

How a conservative won on sex trafficking in California’s deep blue legislature -- Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield is one of the Democratic-majority legislature’s most conservative members, giving her little political power, but she has passed significant bills to combat sex trafficking. Anabel Sosa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24

Half Moon Bay farmworker advocate travels to White House for gun control executive order -- Over a year since the Half Moon Bay shootings, Arriaga said survivors and community members affected by the violence are “continuing to work on healing.” Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/27/24

Breed wooed SF tech leaders on zoo pandas by pitching AI and potential naming influence -- Mayor London Breed proposed using artificial intelligence and creating a “panda smart home” in letters she sent to tech leaders like Marc Benioff and Sam Altman this summer, even floating the idea that they could have a say in naming the animals. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/27/24

A billionaire’s son and his graffiti-scarred mansions roiling Hollywood Hills -- Property records show the mansions belong to a TV and film producer who city officials say has only recently responded to notices about the problem. Nathan Solis, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24

Walters: Trump killed a tax break popular in California. Now he agrees with Pelosi and wants to restore it -- More often than not, the two major political parties directly oppose each other on major issues, which explains why those issues tend to linger, unresolved, for years or even decades. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/27/24

Workplace

Disney cuts 300 corporate staffers in latest wave of layoffs -- Walt Disney Co. has initiated a fresh round of layoffs, with corporate employees emerging as the latest victims of the Burbank media and entertainment giant’s ongoing $7.5-billion cost-cutting operation. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24

A's

A’s exit Oakland with emotional 3-2 win over Rangers in last game at the Coliseum -- Emotions ran high at the Coliseum on Thursday as Oakland A’s fans, workers, staff and players said goodbye to the historic venue, many of them wiping away tears as the game got underway. Susan Slusser in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Justice delos Santos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/27/24

After A’s Oakland finale, fans gather for a wake worthy of a Last Dive Bar -- Fan group comes together to grieve: ‘More than anything, I just feel sad.’ Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/27/24

As A’s depart Oakland, logistical questions remain about Sacramento move. ‘Long way to go’ -- While the Oakland A’s say goodbye to the Coliseum after playing there for 56 years, there are still unanswered questions about their future home in West Sacramento. Chris Biderman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/27/24

Sac State Stadium

Sacramento State announces plan for new 25,000-seat football and multi-use stadium -- Wood and Orr said the new venue will be designed to host football, soccer and rugby and can host NCAA championship events, concerts, school graduations and more. Joe Davidson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/27/24

Education

As Cal State touts sex discrimination reforms, some students and employees question progress -- The California State University Board of Trustees heard positive reports on Title IX reforms at its meeting this week, including new campus audits and data collection. However, some faculty and students say they have yet to see improvements. Mercy Sosa CalMatters -- 9/27/24

Cannabis

Cheech and Chong sue California over new marijuana regulation -- It seeks to overturn Assembly Bill No. 45, which outlaws any detectable amount of the psychoactive compound THC or other intoxicating substances, including delta-8 THC found in consumable cannabis and hemp products — such as dietary supplements, food, beverages and pet food. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/27/24

Street

Crypto mogul known as ‘The Godfather’ used L.A. deputies for extortion, feds allege -- Adam Iza, who ran a cryptocurrency trading platform known as Zort, allegedly paid several L.A. County sheriff’s deputies — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars — to perform unlawful searches and arrests as part of an extortion scheme, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed this week. Keri Blakinger and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24

Mobs of bike-riding teens ransacking 7-Elevens swipe everything — but money -- They have the tastes of children and teens — escaping into the night with bags of chips and candy instead of wads of cash, drugs or weapons — and work with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24

Top of the ticket

Harris to accuse Trump of ‘playing political games’ with immigration in border visit -- When Vice President Kamala Harris makes her first trip to the southern border as the Democratic nominee, it will mark a major step in her effort to cut into Donald Trump’s strength with voters on immigration. Myah Ward Politico -- 9/27/24

Americans are more likely to see Harris’ gender as a hurdle than they were for Clinton: AP-NORC poll -- Americans are more likely to believe that being a woman will hurt Kamala Harris ' chances in the November election, compared with eight years ago when Hillary Clinton was running. And they are more likely to believe that Donald Trump ‘s gender will help him. Michelle L. Price and Linley Sanders Associated Press -- 9/27/24

Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have a turbulent history -- Friday’s expected high-stakes meeting between the Ukrainian leader and the Republican presidential nominee comes two months after Zelensky emphasized the importance of U.S. support in his country’s war against Russia in a call with Trump. Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ -- 9/27/24

Jack Smith files evidence in Trump 2020 election subversion case -- The special counsel’s submission is being kept under wraps, for now. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico -- 9/27/24

Trump’s Huge Civil Fraud Penalty Draws Skepticism From Appeals Court -- A five-judge New York appellate panel questioned both the size and validity of a judgment of more than $450 million against Donald J. Trump at a hearing. Colin Moynihan in the New York Times$ Julian Mark in the Washington Post$ Erica Orden Politico -- 9/27/24

Trump Campaign Is Said to Have Changed Rally After Secret Service Concerns -- The Trump campaign changed its plans for an outdoor rally in Wisconsin this weekend, according to a person familiar with the planning, and a senior official at the Secret Service said the agency had raised concerns about its ability to properly secure the initially planned outdoor venue. Michael Gold and Eileen Sullivan in the New York Times$ -- 9/27/24

Trump’s Plans Could Spur Inflation While Slowing Growth, Study Finds -- Former President Donald J. Trump’s proposals to deport millions of migrants and impose new tariffs on imports from around the world would slash U.S. economic growth and employment and cause inflation to rebound sharply, according to a new analysis published on Thursday by the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics. Alan Rappeport in the New York Times$ -- 9/27/24

Americans expect Harris to boost women … and Trump to boost the rich -- New polling from Pew Research Center shows interesting divides among supporters for both candidates about who would benefit from a Trump or Harris administration. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 9/27/24

Trump, without evidence, suggests possible Iranian involvement in two assassination attempts -- The Republican nominee called for threatening to blow the country to “smithereens” if it harmed a presidential candidate. Marianne LeVine and Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 9/27/24

Also

Southern California’s hottest commercial real estate market is for tenants that aren’t human -- Where Wilshire Boulevard begins in downtown Los Angeles, thousands of miles of undersea fiber-optic cables disappear into an ordinary-looking office tower. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/27/24