Dozens of California cities cancel Fourth of July fireworks after deadly warehouse blast
THE CHRONICLE, AIDIN VAZIRI: “A deadly explosion at a fireworks storage facility in Yolo County has forced cities across Northern California to cancel or scale back their Fourth of July celebrations, leaving many communities scrambling ahead of the holiday.
The blast occurred Tuesday evening at a warehouse operated by Devastating Pyrotechnics near Esparto. The explosion ignited a wildfire that burned nearly 80 acres and left seven people unaccounted for, according to state and local fire officials. “
Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ megabill wins final approval after marathon overnight session
LAT, MICHAEL WILNER: “After an overnight session and hours of floor debate, the House voted Thursday to approve the “Big Beautiful Bill” — clearing its final hurdle in a landmark achievement for President Trump, who wrangled Republican lawmakers to pass the most expensive legislation in history by the Fourth of July.
The 218 to 214 vote, which saw two Republican members side with the Democrats in opposition, was delayed by a record-breaking speech on the House floor by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries that lasted eight hours and 44 minutes. “I’m going to take my time,” Jeffries said before launching into a marathon excoriation of the legislation, its Medicaid cuts and its Republican backers. “Shame on this institution if this bill passes.””
What does Trump’s tax bill mean for your money? Here are the biggest impacts for Californians
THE CHRONICLES, Jessica Roy: “Congress on Thursday passed its version of the massive Republican tax cut and spending bill, just ahead of President Donald Trump’s July 4 deadline. The legislation now heads to Trump’s desk to sign.
The bill passed 218-214, with Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania voting no, along with all 212 Democrats.”
How the record cuts coming to Medicaid could devastate California health care
CHRONICLE, CATHERINE HO: "Millions of Californians who get health insurance through Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for low-income residents, will probably lose or see major cuts to their health benefits under the Republican tax and spending megabill passed by Congress on Thursday.
The tax and policy bill, which now heads to President Donald Trump to be signed into law, slashes federal Medicaid funding nationwide by about $1 trillion over the next decade, the largest reduction in the program’s history. That could result in nearly 12 million Americans without health insurance by 2034, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
Before LA immigration raids, California prisons tried to help ICE deport its top targets
CALMATTERS, WENDY FRY/ BYRHONDA LYONS: “After launching immigration sweeps that sparked weeks of protests in Los Angeles, the Trump administration faulted California policies for protecting those they described as “the worst of the worst,” meaning immigrants convicted of violent crimes.
“Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a news release announcing a group of LA detentions.”
Politicized kids? Rogue teachers? A contentious education battle hasn’t calmed in S.F.
THE CHRONICLE, JILL TUCKER: “As the U.S. has split into divisive camps over racial issues, transgender rights, the war in Gaza, women’s health and more, the teaching of ethnic studies has become among the most contentious educational fights in California and other states, dividing communities and turning formerly friendly PTA parents into adversaries.
Not even liberal-minded San Francisco has escaped the battle.”
Bay Area is dodging extreme heat. Here’s what to expect over the holiday
THE CHRONICLE, GREG PORTER: “It’s the Fourth of July and much like it was in 1776 in Philadelphia, the weather across most of the country is pretty forgettable. No record heat, no major storms, and a quiet Atlantic hurricane season ,unlike the more active Eastern Pacific. But as usual, the Bay Area isn’t playing along with the national script.
We’ve got the usual grab bag of microclimates on display today. A stubborn upper-level pattern is keeping the coast and hills locked in a cooler, cloudier setup through the holiday weekend, while inland areas will start to feel a little more summer-like, though not exactly scorching like last July 4th. In fact, parts of the Tri-Valley and Santa Clara Valley may struggle to crack 80 degrees today. If that holds, it would be the coolest July 4th in the interior East Bay since 2018.”
Should bioplastics be counted as compost? Debate pits farmers against manufacturers
LAT, SUSANNE RUST: “Greg Pryor began composting yard and food waste for San Francisco in 1996, and today he oversees nine industrial-sized composting sites in California and Oregon that turn discarded banana peels, coffee grounds, chicken bones and more into a dark, nutrient-rich soil that farmers covet for their fields and crops.
His company, Recology, processes organic waste from cities and municipalities across the Bay Area, Central Valley, Northern California, Oregon and Washington — part of a growing movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing food waste in landfills.”
This Bay Area park is popular with campers. Could the ocean wash it away?
THE CHRONICLE, JULIE JOHNSON: “For about a half-century, Denise Longacre’s family has dug for clams and stoked seaside campfires on Doran Beach, a crescent swoop of sand jutting out of the Sonoma County coast at the mouth of Bodega Bay.
The Pacific Ocean’s relentless winds have been the only constant — apart from camaraderie. Beach sands shift dramatically season-to-season and year to year. Clam populations have plummeted. Storms seem more dramatic.”
23 homeless people jailed for living outside in Sacramento County, recent records show
SACBEE, ARIANE LANGE: "Twenty-three individuals were booked into the Sacramento County jail on charges related to being homeless over a period of four weeks, an analysis of April and May booking data shows. Collectively, the records show that these 23 people spent just over 20 days behind bars. About 74% were arrested under Sacramento City Code.
Using the average daily cost of housing a person in one of Sacramento County’s jails — the Main Jail downtown and the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center near Elk Grove — jailing those 23 people in connection with camping violations cost taxpayers about $4,060. That cost does not include any medical care. It also does not include the cost of detaining unhoused people in police custody before booking. According to the records, those periods usually lasted about two hours."
Massive sea creature puts on show off California coast. See the ‘acrobatic’ one
SACBEE, PALOMA CHAVEZ: "On July 3, the “bay was alive,” giving onlookers the chance to spot “one of the largest species of whales”: a fin whale, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
Fin whales are the second-largest whale species on the planet and have a “distinctive coloration — black or dark brownish-gray on the back and sides and white on the underside,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That wasn’t the highlight of the day, though. Later, an “energetic and acrobatic” humpback whale decided to put on a show for boaters, the group said."