California Policy and Politics Monday

Do Americans Have a Constitutional Right to an AR-15? Gun-Rights Groups Ask the Supreme Court -- Firearms advocates fight state restrictions on the most popular rifle in the U.S. Jacob Gershman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/26/24

VC accused of ‘hostile takeover’ of S.F. neighborhood. New proposal could help legacy businesses -- Displacing long-standing mom-and-pop businesses along the historic Upper Fillmore retail strip would get significantly more difficult under legislation proposed by Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who said he is responding to news that several establishments are being booted from their homes. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/26/24

Why California Is Considering Banning Food Dyes in Schools -- For decades, researchers have been trying to answer a hotly contested question: Do the synthetic dyes used to add vibrant colors to foods like certain breakfast cereals, candies, snacks and baked goods cause behavioral issues in children? Alice Callahan in the New York Times$ -- 8/26/24

Jack Smith appeals Judge Cannon decision to throw out Trump case -- Jack Smith appeals Judge Cannon decision to throw out Trump case. Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett in the Washington Post$ -- 8/26/24

Newsom’s hands-on approach to crime in California cities gains critics in Oakland -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken to using state resources to fight crime on a local level. Not everyone in the cities he’s taken an interest in is thrilled with the results. Felicia Mello CalMatters -- 8/26/24

Former FEC Chair Ann Ravel files election complaint against Evan Low’s congressional campaign -- Former Federal Election Commission Chair Ann Ravel filed a complaint on Saturday against state Assemblymember Evan Low’s congressional campaign, alleging he failed to report the use of a nonprofit’s email server and contact list as an in-kind contribution. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/24

California could be first state to help undocumented immigrants purchase homes -- A first-in-the-nation California proposal could make undocumented immigrants eligible for up to $150,000 in state-supported home loans just as immigration has become an incendiary topic in the presidential election. Eric He Politico -- 8/26/24

How much more water and power does AI computing demand? Tech firms don’t want you to know -- Every query on Chat GPT or another artificial intelligence app requires extraordinary amounts of electricity and water. Users have no way of knowing. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

Skelton: Newsom and lawmakers bow to Google, sticking it to the news industry -- Gov. Gavin Newsom once talked big about forcing internet giants to pay for the products they heist and profit off. But last week he scuttled legislation to require payment for news stories. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

When should police be involved at school? A California bill would let teachers make the call -- In the final week of session, legislators are debating whether to give more leeway to public school teachers when to report students to law enforcement. Supporters say disabled and students of color are unfairly disciplined, but opponents say school safety is at risk. Jenna Peterson CalMatters -- 8/26/24

Long Beach moves on homeless sites even as officials say they fear causing more harm -- Long Beach has begun enforcing its anti-camping laws. City officials say they are emphasizing compassion in the sweeps, but police say they won’t hesitate to issue fines and citations if needed. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

Sacramento’s Camp Resolution residents don’t know where to go as shutdown looms. ‘I will die’ -- A tight-knit group of homeless people who have lived on the city-owned land they call Camp Resolution were scrambling to make plans Sunday afternoon as the hours ticked down until the city of Sacramento has warned that they will be considered trespassers. Hannah Poukish in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/24

As COVID wave wallops California, new vaccines arrive this week. Will it be turning point? -- New COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available as soon as this week, a promising development amid California’s potent and enduring summer wave of the disease. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

‘It reeks’: Wastewater stench has plagued Bay Area city since March — relief could be months away -- On balmy Bay Area days all summer, Sheila Johnson has arrived home in Vallejo after work, thrown open the windows to air out her stuffy house — and instead gotten a blast of a strong and foul smell from outside. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/26/24

Supporters of American hostage held by Hamas rally on Berkeley overpass for his release -- A dance party in support of an American held hostage by Hamas drew several hundred people to a Berkeley highway overpass Sunday afternoon, days after the 23-year-old’s parents pleaded for his release at the Democratic National Convention. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/26/24

‘Can’t call this a season-ender’: Rain provides only brief respite to Northern California fire activity -- A rare August storm swept through Northern California from Thursday through Saturday and dropped considerable rainfall, temporarily suppressing fire danger and helping firefighters extinguish blazes. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/26/24

Fake QR codes posted on Redondo Beach parking meters to scam drivers, police say -- The QR codes, which appear to be connected to a ‘quishing’ scam, were found on about 150 parking meters along the Esplanade and in the Riviera Village area, police said. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

Workplace

Do Hollywood workers need a career pivot? These below-the-line artists have found other gigs -- Production designer Dave Blass wrapped his last big project, filming the Paramount+ series “Star Trek: Picard” in Toronto in 2022 before the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA walkouts hit last year. Even now, almost a year after those strikes ended, the two-time Emmy nominee for “Justified” says Hollywood’s production designers, set decorators and their crews still have little work. David A. Keeps in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

Campus

CSU cracks down on protest rules, bans encampments on all 23 campuses -- The 23-campus system has updated its policy on what is and is not permissible when protesting on school grounds. Andrea Valadez in the East Bay Times$ -- 8/26/24

Heat

As national heat deaths rise, California girds for worsening bouts of extreme temperature -- Heat-related mortality is on the rise in the United States, where high temperatures have caused or contributed to the deaths of more than 21,500 people since 1999, new research has found. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

 

Top of the Ticket

Trump suggests he might skip ABC debate with Harris -- The Sept. 10 debate with ABC is the only one both campaigns have agreed to do with one of the major networks. Marianne LeVine in the Washington Post$ Maggie Astor in the New York Times$ -- 8/26/24

Is this thing on? Harris and Trump battle over hot mics at debate -- Negotiations over the Sept. 10 spectacle have hit an impasse over whether to leave the microphones on. Eugene Daniels Politico -- 8/26/24

Why Kamala Harris might benefit from a focus on her identity -- Polling from Fairleigh Dickinson University finds a significant effect on support when voters are primed with mentions of race or gender. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 8/26/24

Behind the rhetoric, a presidential campaign is a competition about how to tell the American story -- Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination “on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth.” America, Barack Obama thundered, “is ready for a better story.” JD Vance insisted that the Biden administration “is not the end of our story,” and Donald Trump called on fellow Republicans to “write our own thrilling chapter of the American story.” Ted Anthony Associated Press -- 8/26/24

‘America is not a museum’: Why Democrats are going big on housing despite the risks -- Democrats are trying to turn a political vulnerability, housing affordability, into a winning issue for November. The strategy carries significant risk: It’s likely to spark a host of fights across blue cities and states. Jordan Wolman and Melanie Mason Politico -- 8/26/24

The Benefits of Shorter Campaigns -- Presidential campaigns are marathons. Not this year. Adam Nagourney in the New York Times$ -- 8/26/24

Trump’s foreign strategy still rests heavily on courting autocrats -- Trump and his allies have continued to court foreign autocrats, including several who would likely not get such treatment in a Democratic White House. Tracy Wilkinson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/24

Indian Americans conflicted about Kamala Harris pose campaign challenge -- In an immigrant community stratified by religion, language and class, Kamala Harris’s background is embraced by some but rings hollow for others. Anumita Kaur in the Washington Post$ -- 8/26/24

‘Can I Just Vote for Her Instead of Biden?’: Inside Kamala’s Scramble to Win the Latino Vote -- The vice president inherited a campaign that was in danger of falling off a cliff with Latino voters. Adrian Carrasquillo Politico -- 8/26/24

Biden keeps low profile on vacation as Democrats aim to capitalize on DNC -- Shrouded by vines and rolling hills in the heart of a private 8,000-acre ranch in Santa Barbara’s wine country, President Joe Biden last week sealed himself away from the public gaze. Abbie Cheeseman in the Washington Post$ -- 8/26/24

In the race to appeal to voters, Democrats want to conquer a new frontier: Group chat -- The four-day Democratic National Convention that wrapped Thursday was filled with good vibes, but top Democrats there hammered a consistent message: Good vibes aren’t going to beat Donald Trump. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/26/24

Smolens: Michael Smolens: Democrats take on GOP over border security. It’s a tall order -- Republicans unlikely to lose advantage on immigration, but Democrats seek to whittle it down. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$

Vance

How JD Vance Found His Way to the Catholic Church -- In his 30s, the Republican vice-presidential nominee read works on theology, mysticism, and political and moral philosophy. And he discovered his faith. Elizabeth Dias in the New York Times$ -- 8/26/24

Trump would veto legislation establishing a federal abortion ban, Vance says -- Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance says Donald Trump would not support a national abortion ban if elected president and would veto such legislation if it landed on his desk. Jill Colvin Associated Press -- 8/26/24

Walz

Republicans are combing Tim Walz’s record for misstatements -- Seeking to blunt the momentum that Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, have been experiencing in the polls and hoping to extend after an enthusiastic Democratic National Convention, Republicans have been highlighting small inaccuracies in Mr. Walz’s past descriptions of his résumé. Maggie Astor in the New York Times$ -- 8/26/24

 

Also

‘This is too much’: An unknown number of San Diego’s flood victims are still homeless -- Seven months after historic floods hit San Diego's most underserved communities, it's unclear how many have fallen into homelessness. Emily Alvarenga in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/26/24