“I wish you’d be angry.” California Democrats face voter fury over Trump, Elon Musk
LAT, LAURA J. NELSON: "About 20 minutes into a town hall in El Monte this week, Melissa Morgan of San Dimas picked up the microphone to address her congressman, Democrat Gil Cisneros.
“You seem like such an affable, kind, nice man,” Morgan said, her voice hesitant at first. “But I am so angry. I am so scared. I feel our democracy is in danger. ... I wish you’d be angry.”"
CA state worker return-to-office FAQ: What does Gavin Newsom’s order actually do?
Sac Bee, WILLIAM MELHADO/STEPHEN HOBBS: "More than two weeks have passed since Gov. Gavin Newsom surprised the state workforce by announcing a new return-to-office order.
Public employees still have a host of questions for their boss. One common line of inquiry: Where’s the evidence?"
Gavin Newsom’s MAGA-curious podcast mystifies listeners — and sets Democratic lawmakers on edge
CALMatters, ALEXEI KOSEFF: "When Gov. Gavin Newsom launched his new podcast last month, he touted it as an opportunity to understand the MAGA movement’s motivations and figure out a path forward for Democrats after the party’s bruising losses in the 2024 election.
But the early response has predominantly been bewilderment — from supporters, critics and the public alike — as listeners struggle to make sense of Newsom’s intentions, his political evolution and what the show signals for his leadership of California."
What Nancy Pelosi’s digs at Chuck Schumer reveal about her post-leadership career
The Chronicle, SHIRA STEIN: "After days of frustration with Senate Democrats and calls for Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi directly addressed her party’s turmoil over a recent government funding bill.
“I myself don’t give away anything for nothing,” Pelosi told reporters Tuesday, referring to Schumer’s decision to support Republicans’ government funding extension last week — a resolution created without Democratic input."
Mayor Lurie taps Google, Open AI, Giants execs for group to help fix S.F.'s economy
The Chronicle, JD MORRIS: "Senior executives from some of the largest and most well-known companies in San Francisco are banding together in a new bid to save the city’s beleaguered economy.
At the urging of Mayor Daniel Lurie, a group of 26 corporate leaders have formed an organization called the Partnership for San Francisco that will serve as a kind of CEO council to collaborate with public officials on ways to improve the city’s quality of life and business climate."
Private foster agencies look to the state to offset rising insurance costs
Capitol Weekly, BRIAN JOSEPH: "Private foster agencies are seeking $47 million through the state budget process after their primary insurer decided to stop covering them last fall.
In August, the Nonprofit Insurance Alliance, which insured 90 percent of the 220 private foster agencies in California, announced that it would not renew coverage of the organizations."
They were banned from assisted living. They stayed in the caregiving business.
LAT, EMILY ALPERT REYES/BEN POSTON: "Rats had infested the assisted living facility in Van Nuys, state investigators said. Elderly residents wandered off without supervision, medications weren’t properly administered, and emergency pull cords in some bedrooms didn’t work, the state alleged.
One blind resident, who had no way to call a caregiver for help, had to defecate repeatedly in a trash can, according to allegations made by the California Department of Social Services, which said the home had been smeared throughout with residue from human feces."
UC to freeze hiring systemwide, citing Trump threats and potential state funding cuts
The Chronicle, NANETTE ASIMOV/JESSICA FLORES: "The University of California will soon impose a systemwide hiring freeze in response to the Trump administration’s threat to halt or reduce federal funding for academic research at universities across the country — and because the state is considering an 8% funding cut to UC, President Michael Drake announced Wednesday.
“A reduction of this magnitude would be alarming under any circumstances — but even more so when considered along with new federal policies and actions that could have devastating effects on the university,” the outgoing president said in an impassioned, 15-minute speech to the UC regents during their meeting at UCLA."
As Trump attacks DEI, UC bans ‘diversity statements’ in faculty hiring
LAT, JAWEED KALEEM: "University of California leaders said Wednesday they are eliminating a years-old practice of requiring faculty job applicants to submit “diversity statements,” a move that comes after the Trump administration threatened to revoke federal funding from schools and universities that maintain diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
As part of job applications or promotions, many departments at UC campuses have asked job seekers to submit written testimonials of one or two pages about how they have worked to enhance and support racial and other kinds of diversity in their fields. The essay requests started to appear in some UC applications in the early 2000s and gained popularity in the 2010s, attracting both praise and controversy."
These are the most popular majors at every UC and CSU — and how to get accepted into them
The Chronicle, NANETTE ASIMOV: "The last thing a high school student needs when applying to California’s famously accessible public universities is a huge roadblock that says: Don’t even think about trying to get accepted here.
But that’s how it can feel to students hoping to major in the most popular subjects, from computer science to psychology, at University of California or California State University schools."
Schools in this California town won acclaim for their pandemic comeback. How they did it
CALMatters, CAROLYN JONES: "Some of California’s most acclaimed schools right now aren’t in elite suburbs or wealthy urban enclaves. They’re in a small city in the San Joaquin Valley, an outpost on Highway 99 surrounded by almond trees and orange groves.
Delano, a city of 50,000 at the northern edge of Kern County, is celebrating academic triumphs at its elementary school district and at one of its high schools this spring. César E. Chávez High School was selected by the California Department of Education as a national “distinguished school,” and last month researchers recognized Delano Union Elementary School District as one of at least 100 districts nationwide with math and reading scores that have rebounded from the pandemic."
READ MORE -- Covid’s long shadow in California: Chronic absences, student depression and the limits of money -- EdSource, JOHN FENSTERWALD
California's weather in for a big shift. Here's how warm it could get
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "California’s first significant warmup of 2025 is on deck, but it will take a few days before the weather shift begins in earnest.
Periods of rain and high elevation snow will continue to dot the California-Oregon border through Saturday. While the precipitation won’t quite reach the Bay Area, partly cloudy skies will prevent temperatures from spiking significantly. Highs will generally be in the upper 50s to upper 60s Thursday and Friday before some 70-degree readings begin to appear Saturday."
Here’s where California reservoir levels stand after recent storms
The Chronicle, JACK LEE: "Steady storms continued to benefit California in March, with reservoirs across the state gaining 200,000 acre-feet of water from the beginning of the month to Tuesday — that’s enough to fill 100,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Across California, reservoir storage is well above average for this time of year, according to the Department of Water Resources. Statewide storage was 115% of normal, as of Tuesday."
CALMatters, ALEJANDRA REYES-VELARDE: "When Maria Reyes migrated from Mexico and settled in West Long Beach in the late 1980s, she thought it would be the perfect neighborhood to raise her growing family.
As her three children grew up and started being more active in school, they started developing strange symptoms — nose bleeds, difficulty breathing and headaches, one after the other."
‘We will hunt you down’: Why ads targeting immigrants are blanketing Bay Area airwaves
The Chronicle, KO LYN CHEANG: "Oakland resident Lisa Hix was driving to the city’s Fruitvale neighborhood to run errands Monday, when she heard a woman’s voice on her radio praising President Donald Trump before vowing to “hunt” down people in the country illegally. She later learned it was Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Let me deliver a message from President Trump to the world: If you are considering entering America illegally, don’t even think about it,” Noem said in the television version of the ad. “Let me be clear, if you come to our country and you break our laws, we will hunt you down. Criminals are not welcome in the United States.”"
What’s it like to defend a Mexican cartel boss? Reputed drug lords seek lawyers in U.S.
LAT, KEEGAN HAMILTON: "On a single day late last month, the Mexican government shipped 29 accused drug lords north across the border to face U.S. justice.
Plucked from Mexican prison cells, hustled onto planes in shackles and express-delivered into the waiting hands of American authorities were several notorious capos, whose alleged narco exploits have been chronicled in films, TV series and federal indictments spanning decades."
Former LAPD assistant chief embroiled in AirTag scandal keeps license to carry badge
LAT, LIBOR JANY: "A former Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief who faced accusations he tracked a former romantic partner with an Apple AirTag has won a victory in his efforts to continue working as a cop.
Alfred “Al” Labrada saw his peace officer certification restored after an investigation by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, the state’s law enforcement accreditation body. The outcome allows Labrada to retain his license to carry a badge in the state."
TSA union denounces Trump administration’s canceling collective bargaining agreement
Sac Bee, WILLIAM MELHADO: "The local union representing transportation security officers denounced President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday morning outside the Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse over its decision to strip employees of collective bargaining rights.
Earlier this month, Secretary Kristi Noem announced the Department of Homeland Security had terminated a contract between the federal government and Transportation Security Administration employees to remove “bureaucratic hurdles” and make the organization more efficient."
Luxury at LAX? How Delta is going after the high-end market
LAT, CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN: "Tucked away from heavy foot traffic and noisy crowds, the Delta One Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport offers a different kind of travel experience.
Customers can enjoy hot towels, zero-gravity massage chairs and caviar-topped ice cream while waiting to board their flights. They also have access to private security lanes and baggage check, eliminating the need to wait in lines."
Cancel Jackie Robinson for making history? Only Team Trump would try that
The Chronicle, SCOTT OSTLER: "Oops, sorry, Jackie Robinson.
For several hours Wednesday, you disappeared from history. You were instantly downgraded from national hero to a blank page. Hey, a lot of us would like a fresh start, but that’s pretty extreme."