$23 Billion Scientific Research Program Proposed in California
CAPITOL WEEKLY/DAVID JENSEN: "California would see the creation of a $23 billion state research agency under legislation proposed late last week, a new enterprise that could threaten the existence of the state’s 20-year-old stem cell and gene therapy program.
The legislation would support research ranging from wildfire prevention to autism. It would be embedded within existing state departments and be more subject to the vagaries of gubernatorial control than the existing California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which is more screened off."
White supremacists, death threats and ‘disgust’: Charlie Kirk’s killing roils Huntington Beach
LAT, HANNAH FRY/JENNY JARVIE: "People mourning the killing of Charlie Kirk carried candles and American flags in a solemn memorial last week at the Huntington Beach Pier, long a destination for conservative gatherings ranging from protests over pandemic-era lockdowns to rallies in support of President Trump.
But on this night, things took a dark turn when dozens of men joined the crowd, chanting, “White men fight back.”"
Redistricting effort reveals how politics is evolving
CAPITOL WEEKLY, STAFF: "Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting push – and the similar action in Texas that begat California’s effort – illustrates that in American politics today none of the old rules seem to apply.
How else would you explain a savvy career politician with a genuine shot at the White House openly advocating to disenfranchise the registered voters of a rival party?"
Gavin Newsom: Redistricting a response to Trump’s ‘authoritarian tendencies’
SAC BEE, LIA RUSSELL: "Redistricting is the only way to stop the White House’s broadsides on higher education, businesses, and immigrant communities. That was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s message to voters on Tuesday during an online rally for Proposition 50, his ballot initiative to redraw California’s congressional districts.
Newsom tapped a mix of Democratic politicians and friendly content creators and influencers to shore up campaign dollars and support for his initiative, which will be on the Nov. 4 ballot. YouTube personality Brian Tyler Cohen hosted the rally, with appearances from podcasters like Tommy Vietor, Jon Favreau, Katie Phang, and Ben Meiselas; Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Alex Padilla; Reps. Jamie Raskin, Jimmy Gomez, Eric Swalwell, and Robert Garcia; actor Martin Sheen; and former Texas Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke."
Is second time the charm for Bauer-Kahan’s menopause education bill?
CAPITOL WEEKLY, LEAH LENTZ: "When Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) began experiencing severe brain fog, she grew frightened about what could be wrong. After three doctors told her she was fine, it was a recommendation from a friend over lunch that led her to a menopause specialist. That specialist finally recognized her symptoms for what they were and provided treatment.
Bauer-Kahan said the experience left her shaken but determined."
Supervisor Engardio’s recall is just the beginning of a bigger fight in San Francisco
CHRONICLE, KO LYN CHEANG: "Two weeks ago, Sunset renter Lori Milburn knocked on door after door, armed with bright yellow Recall Engardio posters, to encourage District 4 residents to vote out incumbent San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio.
The recall, Milburn said, was not only about the Great Highway; it was also a battle for “the soul of the Sunset, for the city of San Francisco and for the average person.”"
‘Frivolous, unethical and unjustifiable’: San Francisco agency misspent $4.6 million, audit finds
CHRONICLE, MICHAEL BARBA: "A new audit of payments made by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission under former chief Sheryl Davis found that it misused more than $4 million in taxpayer dollars — spending the city controller deemed “frivolous, unethical and unjustifiable.”
The audit, released Tuesday by the controller and city attorney, concluded that the department’s routine and pervasive disregard for city purchasing controls and policies undermined the essential services it provided, often to needy communities."
Ancient history (and much, much more) with Mike Gatto
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Author, podcaster, gadfly and former Assemblymember Mike Gatto joins us to talk about the state of politics, Roman history, and the experience of being a crime victim… plus so much more."
L.A. County moves to keep ICE away from data that show where people drive
LAT, REBECCA ELLIS: "Los Angeles County is moving to add more checks on how federal immigration officials can access data collected by the Sheriff’s Department that can be used to track where people drive on any given day.
County supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a motion, introduced by Supervisor Hilda Solis, to beef up oversight of data gathered by law enforcement devices known as automated license plate readers."
Newsom to decide on health care proposals targeting insulin prices, privacy rights and more
CALMATTERS, KRISTEN HWANG/ANA B. IBARRA: "Several health care bills are now on the governor’s desk, aiming to improve access for Californians who can’t afford prescription drugs, shorten delays to medical decisions, and address threats to personal privacy.
This year, California lawmakers backed at least half a dozen bills that would change how consumers access drugs and health care – and set new protections for their medical privacy. Opponents of some of these efforts say more regulations will only make health care more expensive, while advocates say consumers need protection from the federal government and from powerful industry lobbies that drive up costs."
More than 1 in 10 California borrowers are now behind on their student loans
CHRONICLE, JESSICA ROY: "The number of Californians delinquent on their student loans has spiked into the hundreds of thousands, with older borrowers more likely to be behind than younger ones, according to a new report.
The nonpartisan California Policy Lab, a research institute at the University of California, released an analysis Wednesday indicating 11% of borrowers in the state are 30 or more days late on their student loan payments. That’s more than triple the number who were behind at the start of the pandemic in 2020."
Unions, faculty groups sue Trump administration over funding cuts, demands
EDSOURCE, MICHAEL BURKE: "A coalition of University of California and national unions and faculty groups is suing the Trump administration, arguing that the administration’s suspension of federal research funds and its policy demands of UC are unconstitutional.
The federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the Northern District of California by the American Association of University Professors, the American Federation of Teachers and more than a dozen UC faculty associations and unions."
Political tensions and tech shifts complicate roles on school boards, study shows
EDSOURCE, DIANA LAMBERT: "Partisan politics, shifting school policies, changing technology and uncertain school funding are making being a school board member more difficult than ever.
“Navigating Democracy in Divided Times,” a study released Tuesday by the USC EdPolicy Hub, analyzed the experiences of 10 California school board members and offered recommendations to strengthen school board governance."
Did San Juan Unified School District violate the Brown Act? Legal expert weighs in
SAC BEE, JENNAH PENDLETON: "San Juan Unified School District may have violated the Brown Act when investigating and reprimanding an elected board member.
The district board formally reprimanded Trustee Nick Bloise earlier this month for engaging in “inappropriate and excessive” personal disclosures during school site visits, according to a document obtained by The Sacramento Bee. Discussions of the investigation and a vote on the corrective actions issued to Bloise took place in meetings closed to the public."
How a dying tropical storm is impacting California lightning, rain risk
CHRONICLE, GREG PORTER: "Former Tropical Storm Mario may never make landfall, but it’s about to make California’s weather a lot more complicated. The storm’s remnants are pulling a surge of tropical moisture toward the state, raising the odds of thunderstorms, lightning and pockets of heavy rain later this week.
For the Bay Area, the first pulse of action could come late Wednesday night into Thursday morning as remnants of the former Tropical Storm Mario drift north along the coast. That spinning core of energy could act like a storm magnet, triggering lightning offshore and pushing it into the Central Coast and Bay Area before sunrise Thursday."
California issues advisory on a parasitic fly whose maggots can infest living humans
LAT, RONG-GONG LIN II: "A parasitic fly whose maggots can infest living livestock, birds, pets and humans, could threaten California soon.
The New World Screwworm has rapidly spread northward from Panama since 2023 and farther into Central America. As of early September, the parasitic fly was present in seven states in southern Mexico, where 720 humans have been infested and six of them have died. More than 111,000 animals also have been infested, health officials said."
Pentagon plan pits U.S. Marines against California off-roaders and civilian pilots
LAT, ALEX WIGGLESWORTH: "The U.S. Marine Corps tried once to occupy this remote stretch of California desert beloved by off-roaders — but officials managed eventually to broker a deal that allowed both leathernecks and dirt riders to share the same rocky canyons and wrinkled mountains of Johnson Valley.
Now, more than a decade later, the Marines are back — and this time, they want the skies."
Empty malls are being converted into housing. Why the 93% empty S.F. Centre won’t
CHRONICLE, ROLAND LI: "From Orange County to Rhode Island, dead malls around the country have been converted or demolished for new housing.
But don’t expect a similar transformation at the 93% empty, 1.5 million-square-foot San Francisco Centre mall, experts say."
Sacramento has over 4,000 vacant properties. Should the city tax their owners?
SAC BEE, THERESA CLIFT: "In a future election, Sacramento voters may consider a controversial measure aimed at spurring development on long-vacant properties — a special tax on the owners of those empty lots.
If Sacramento City Council members decides to move forward with the idea, they could vote as early as January to place a measure on the June local primary ballot."
S.F. encampment cleared under infamous ‘hairball’ highway tangle
CHRONICLE, ANNIE VAINSHTEIN/SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Encampments along the network of highway exits along Cesar Chavez Street in San Francisco were cleared in recent days in what state officials called the latest iteration of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to tackle homelessness.
For years, encampments have formed in small passageways or inlets along the noisy tangle of freeway arteries connecting Cesar Chavez Street, Potrero Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard, often referred to as “the hairball.” Caltrans and California Highway Patrol crews worked throughout the day Tuesday to clear debris left over from the encampments, whose residents were given 72 hours notice on Friday to clear out their belongings and work with local agencies to receive support."
Is the Norco prison a solution for the county jail crisis? Some prison guards think so.
CALMATTERS, AIDIN MCGLOIN: "Correctional officers at the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) in Norco have started writing Attorney General Rob Bonta to to keep the prison open, presenting it as an option to alleviate the overpopulation in county jails.
California began placing some convicted felons in county jails in 2011, after the Supreme Court ruled that the overcrowding in state prisons resulted in cruel and unusual punishment. Now, according to the lawsuit Attorney General Rob Bonta brought against Los Angeles County on Sept. 8, the county’s jails are overcrowded and uninhabitable."
L.A.’s online ‘hood’ culture turns real-world violence into viral content
LAT, LIBOR JANY: "A group of men was hanging around outside a liquor store in the strip mall on Manchester Avenue and Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles when they spotted a woman walk past.
As two of the men moved toward her, two others appeared in the parking lot. Surveillance video from the incident last month — since widely shared online — captured what happened next: A hail of bullets. People scrambling for cover. A body sprawled on the pavement."
Horror film ‘Dorothea’ shows fictionalized version of notorious Sacramento killer
SACBEE, GRAHAM WOMACK: "Chad Ferrin said he’d never seen Dorothea Puente’s episode of the Netflix series “Worst Roommate Ever,” nor had he visited her boarding house where she fatally poisoned residents in the 1980s. He’d been to Sacramento before, but it had maybe been a decade.
What Ferrin, a Los Angeles-based horror movie director, had was an interest in true crime and telling female-centric stories."