One of the biggest obstacles to building new CA housing has now vanished
CalMatters, BEN CHRISTOPHER: "A decade-spanning political battle between housing developers and defenders of California’s preeminent environmental law likely came to an end this afternoon with only a smattering of “no” votes.
The forces of housing won. With the passage of a state budget-related housing bill, the California Environmental Quality Act will be a non-issue for a decisive swath of urban residential development in California.
‘This tax could kill this industry.’ California cannabis operators brace for increase
CalMatters, ALEXEI KOSSEF: "A substantial tax hike for California’s faltering legal cannabis market is set to take effect today, despite an aggressive industry campaign to suspend the increase that won the support of Gov. Gavin Newsom and other political leaders.
The excise tax for weed is 19% as of July 1, up from 15% — the result of a political deal three years ago that was intended to buy more time for the legal market to stabilize but which cannabis business operators now warn could chase away customers and push them over the edge."
California proposal would allow soft helmet pads in youth football leagues
CalMatters, RYAN SABALOW: "Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, a former tight end for San Jose State, had mixed feelings last year when he voted to support a short-lived proposal that would have banned tackle football for preteens.
While he credited football for enriching his life, Valencia, a Democrat representing the Anaheim area, said he believes the game is too dangerous for young players’ developing brains. Gov. Gavin Newsom ended up taking the rare step of intervening in the Legislature to quickly spike the proposal."
California colleges can now pay athletes directly. Why taxpayers may foot some of the bill
CalMatters, ADAM ECHELMAN: "Starting today, California’s top universities can pay their athletes directly — a dramatic shift in college sports that blurs the line between amateur and professional play. Schools have yet to say how much individual students will actually make or when checks might arrive, though a CalMatters estimate suggests some student-athletes at UC Berkeley could make roughly $200,000 a year.
In some ways, these payments are unprecedented. As part of a settlement to a class-action lawsuit, which goes into effect today, a school will be able to dole out up to a combined $20.5 million this year in payments to any or all of its athletes. Almost all of the money will go to football players and to a lesser extent, men’s basketball players."
Chris Lehane: The promise of AI -- Capitol Weekly podcast
Capitol Weekly Staff: "Chris Lehane has a solid gold resume in professional politics: consultant and oppo research in the Clinton White House, Press Secretary to VP Al Gore, and the source of the report on the “vast right wing conspiracy” so infamously cited by Hillary Clinton. Lehane also handles a wide array of corporate, Labor, entertainment and sports clients.
Until recently he was Head of Global Policy and Public Affairs for Airbnb, and since 2024 has been VP of Global Affairs and a member of the executive team at OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence organization based in San Francisco. Lehane joined us to talk about the opportunities and dangers of this fascinating new technology and to make the case for the importance of California maintaining its role as a global leader in AI."
Sacramento council members at odds with mayor over new homeless proposal
SacBee, MATHEW MIRANDA: "An effort to reinvent the region’s approach to homelessness and housing has divided the Sacramento City Council, with multiple members in support and the mayor pushing back. The disagreement stems from legislation unveiled last week by California state Sen. Angelique Ashby.
Under her Senate Bill 802, a new agency for housing and homelessness management would be created in Sacramento County. This new system would effectively replace the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, which has distributed federal money to the county and city of Sacramento since 1982."
Dianne Feinstein’s lavish S.F. mansion has sold. Here is what we know
THE CHRONICLE, LAURA WAXMAN: “The longtime home of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her late husband, financier Richard Blum, in a stretch of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood known as “Billionaire’s Row,” has a new owner.
The three-story, 1917 Italianate mansion at 2460 Lyon St. sits on the famed Lyon Street steps, at the foot of Vallejo Street. Among its distinguishing features are meticulously manicured gardens, stunning views of the bay and proximity to San Francisco’s national park site, the Presidio.”
Gov. Newsom’s return-to-office order is here, but only for a few state workers
SacBee, WILLIAM MELHADO: "The long-awaited first day of California’s return-to-office order is here — but only for a handful of state workers.
In the month after Gov. Gavin Newsom called labor groups representing public employees back to the bargaining table, unions announced deals in which their members could continue working primarily from home for one more year to help California reduce its payroll cost."
California colleges can now pay athletes directly. Why taxpayers may foot some of the bill
CalMatters, ADAM ECHELMAN: "Starting today, California’s top universities can pay their athletes directly — a dramatic shift in college sports that blurs the line between amateur and professional play. Schools have yet to say how much individual students will actually make or when checks might arrive, though a CalMatters estimate suggests some student-athletes at UC Berkeley could make roughly $200,000 a year.
In some ways, these payments are unprecedented. As part of a settlement to a class-action lawsuit, which goes into effect today, a school will be able to dole out up to a combined $20.5 million this year in payments to any or all of its athletes. Almost all of the money will go to football players and to a lesser extent, men’s basketball players."
California Republicans urge Trump to ‘focus deportations on criminals’
SacBee, MOLLY GIBBS: "Just days after six Republican lawmakers sent a letter to President Donald Trump, asking him to focus immigration enforcement efforts on violent criminals, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies.
In the letter sent Friday, lawmakers expressed support of efforts to deport violent criminals, but told Trump that raids targeting criminals have resulted in fear among non-criminal migrants."
‘Holy Grail reform’: California passes major overhaul of CEQA
THE CHRONICLE, SOPHIA BOLLAG: “Gov. Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers on Monday enacted some of the most significant changes to the state’s environmental review law since its inception that supporters say will lessen a major barrier to building housing and which the governor called “Holy Grail reform.”
Reforming the state’s landmark environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act, has been discussed for years, but has proven to be particularly challenging because the law has staunch supporters among powerful environmental and labor groups. Despite many attempts by the Legislature to speed up housing construction, California home production remains stubbornly slow, something that has dogged Newsom.”
READ MORE -- Newsom pushes major housing reform through California Legislature – LAT, TARYN LUNA/LIAM DILLON
Trump administration sues Los Angeles in latest attack on sanctuary cities
THE CHRONICLE, BOB EGELKO: “President Donald Trump escalated his war against sanctuary policies on Monday in a lawsuit blaming alleged “rioting, looting and vandalism” in Los Angeles on the city’s refusal to allow its police to enforce immigration law or cooperate with federal agents. The suit comes two months after a judge barred Trump’s administration from denying federal funds to sanctuary cities, and five years after the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s challenge to California’s sanctuary law.
“The United States is currently facing a crisis of illegal immigration,” Trump’s Justice Department said in its lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court. “But its efforts to address the crisis are hindered by Sanctuary Cities such as the City of Los Angeles, which refuse to cooperate or share information” with immigration agents.”
READ MORE -- California Republicans tell Trump ICE raids should focus on criminals, not ordinary workers – LAT, CLARA HARTER
U.S. military asks Trump administration to return some National Guard troops to California command
LAT, CLARA HARTER: “The military commander of the National Guard troops deployed to respond to immigration-related unrest in the Los Angeles area has asked the Trump administration to return 200 troops to California’s command, a U.S. official told The Times.
The request, first reported by the Associated Press, comes as fire season returns and the National Guard unit assigned to combating wildfires is at just 40% of its regular staffing levels, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. The level of protest-related unrest has also decreased since demonstrations began on June 6 in response to a series of surprise immigration raids.”
Trump administration shuts down U.S. website on climate change
LAT, IAN JAMES/NOAH HAGGERTY: “The Trump administration on Monday shut down a federal website that had presented congressionally mandated reports and research on climate change, drawing rebukes from scientists who said it will hinder the nation’s efforts to prepare for worsening droughts, floods and heat waves.
The U.S. Global Change Research Program’s website, globalchange.gov, was taken down along with all five versions of the National Climate Assessment report and extensive information on how global warming is affecting the country.”
Trump administration freezes $6.8 billion in federal education funds; California hit hard
LAT, HOWARD BLUME: “The Trump administration on Monday moved to withhold a projected $6.8 billion nationwide in education funds — including at least $811 million from California — money appropriated by Congress to boost teacher training, after-school programs and classroom technology and to help students who are learning English and those who are from migrant families.
Although the frozen funds make up less than 1% of California’s total education budget, they have an outsize cumulative effect. And they involve dollars that already are accounted for in terms of staff hired and programs planned. The disruption would be substantial — and state education leaders, including Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, said Monday evening that the problems are unfolding immediately.”
UC considers adopting semester system at all schools
LAT, JAWEED KALEEM: “Facing an unprecedented boom in enrollment nearly 60 years ago, the University of California switched its campuses from semesters to faster-paced quarters, aiming to make space for more students by packing the calendar with a greater number of shorter classes.
The move was part of a national trend to join state campuses across the U.S. that were aligning with private universities, including Stanford, that had operated on quarters since World War I to accommodate students in military training programs.”
Employers say AI skills aren’t just for tech majors anymore. How colleges are responding
LAT, ARIEL GILREATH: “By the time Christian Vivas enrolled in a new artificial intelligence program at Miami Dade College, he had already experimented with using ChatGPT to help him write emails to clients of the creative media studio he owns.
Vivas, 37, said most of his classmates were like him — adults well into their careers looking to learn how to use AI, or use it better. Thanks to his classes, Vivas, who has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, has advanced way beyond using ChatGPT. He now employs AI in nearly every aspect of his work: generating images, videos, marketing plans and social media captions.”
Parts of California could be spared extreme heat, July forecast shows
THE CHRONICLE, GREG PORTER: “July 2024 shattered temperature records across California and registered as the hottest month on record but this year might be a different story. New forecast data for July 2025 suggests parts of California may catch a brief respite, at least compared to last year.
The Climate Prediction Center's latest outlook shows scorching temperatures likely for much of the nation this month, with coastal California standing as the lone exception. There, residents face equal odds of experiencing above or below average temperatures, a striking departure from the blistering heat expected inland. For now, the first day of the month will start out with a lot of murk in the morning and relatively average temperatures across the Bay Area.”
Stinson Beach gets its first-ever price tag for coping with sea level rise — and it’s gigantic
THE CHRONICLE, TARA DUGGAN: “By 2060, a third of Stinson Beach’s fabled sandy beach could be permanently underwater. By 2085, when sea levels are expected to rise by 3.3 feet, nearly all seaside homes could flood in a major storm.
Those are some of the conclusions of the most comprehensive sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation plan yet for Stinson Beach, released by Marin County this month. Different approaches to mitigating those expected climate change impacts could add up to at least $1.2 billion, the report finds — the equivalent of $2.4 million apiece for each of its approximately 500 residents. But the cost of doing nothing would be much worse, planners say — and because the town already sees regular beach erosion and flooding, they recommend that some measures be taken right away.”
S.F. Sheriff’s Office sees largest increase in ranks in a decade
THE CHRONICLE, DAVID HERNANDEZ: “The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office last year saw its biggest hiring surge in at least the past decade, a welcome boost to the agency’s ranks as the mayor and sheriff try to hire and keep more deputies.
The office hired 96 deputies during the latest fiscal year, which ended Monday, a total that marked the highest number of hires in the past 10 fiscal years, according to an internal memo obtained by the Chronicle. The hires outpaced the number of separations for the first time since fiscal year 2018-19 and, taking into account 46 resignations and retirements, marked the largest gain in the last 10 years.”
Golden Gate Bridge toll to hit $10 for most drivers
THE CHRONICLE, AIDIN VAZIRI: “Starting Tuesday, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and commuting by ferry or bus will cost Bay Area travelers more.
Bridge tolls will rise by 50 cents across all vehicle types, part of a multiyear increase schedule adopted by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.”