As drought continues, Southern California offers millions to buy Sacramento Valley water
DALE KASLER, SacBee: "The drought drags on, and the thirsty residents of Southern California are preparing again to spend heavily to buy water from the farm fields of the Sacramento Valley.
The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California directed its staff Tuesday to start negotiating the purchases of as much as 100,000 acre-feet of water from the Valley — deals that would be worth millions of dollars. Metropolitan has bought water from Northern California in eight of the past 16 years.
The purchases can be a sensitive point in farm country, where water sales will result in fewer acres of crop grown and damage done to the local economy. Critics have long accused Metropolitan and its 19 million customers of trying to engineer “water grabs” along the lines of the movie “Chinatown” — the fictional account of Los Angeles’ infamous theft of water from the Owens Valley in the early 1900s."
Huntington Beach oil spill inspires legislation to ban California offshore drilling
PHIL WILLON, LA Times: "Alarmed by damage caused by a major oil spill off the Huntington Beach coast in October, an Orange County legislator on Wednesday introduced a bill to end offshore oil production from rigs in California-controlled waters by 2024, a proposal sure to face fierce opposition and potential legal challenges from the petroleum industry.
The legislation would affect 11 oil leases, all off the Orange and Ventura County coastlines. It would also allow the State Lands Commission, the agency with oversight of those contracts, to negotiate a voluntary relinquishment of the leases by oil companies before the state takes action. The cost of buying out or rescinding those leases is unclear, though the size of the industry suggests that the price tag could possibly cost the state tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars.
State Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine) said the action is necessary to protect the California coastline from another catastrophic oil spill similar to the one in October, which caused widespread environmental damage and led to beach closures that hurt the economies of Orange County coastal communities. The oil rigs off the coast and their aging infrastructure continue to pose a serious threat to California’s coast, he said."
Brush fire near Laguna Beach threatens homes, prompts evacuations
The Chronicle, HANNAH FRY: "A brush fire that broke out in the hills in Laguna Beach amid high temperatures and winds forced residents to flee their homes early Thursday.
The fire was initially estimated at about seven acres but officials said they expect that number to increase significantly. By 6:45 a.m., thick clouds of smoke blanketed the entire beachside community.
The blaze comes during a heat wave in the region. Temperatures were expected to rise into the high 80s on Thursday. The National Weather Service also issued a wind advisory, warning of northeast winds between 15 and 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph."
The Chronicle, MICHAEL CABANATUAN: "Bay Area residents could expect the uncommonly warm, windy February weather to linger into the coming weekend, meteorologists said Wednesday.
Record or near-record high temperatures in the 70s — about 10 to 20 degrees higher than usual — were expected across the Bay Area through at least Friday before cooling off toward the end of the weekend and into next week.
Temperatures in downtown Oakland set a record Wednesday after reaching 75 degrees, breaking the old high of 74 degrees set on Feb. 9, 2006."
UC Davis equine director — who oversees state racehorse safety — suspended for alleged doping
RANDY DIAMOND, SacBee: "The license of University of California Davis Equine Director Jeff Blea, who oversees the medical safety of racehorses in the state, is under suspension over allegations that he previously injected horses with performance enhancing drugs.
Blea only took office on July 1 in the position jointly appointed by UC Davis Veterinary School and the California Horse Racing Board. The charges by the California Veterinary Board stem from his tenure as a horse track veterinarian between January and March 2021 in Southern California.
Doping scandals have plagued the horse-racing industry for years and the Blea controversy comes after the sudden death in December in California of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and questions about whether he was injected with drugs."
Want to conserve water and make clean energy? Build more solar farms in San Joaquin Valley
LAT, GEORGE SKELTON: "One surefire formula for making clean energy is lots of sun and less hay.
Or fewer tomatoes and — heaven forbid — a reduction in almonds.
Plow over some San Joaquin Valley croplands and plant solar panels. Turn alfalfa fields and nut orchards into solar farms."
Who will replace Jim Cooper in the Legislature? 3 Democrats want the Elk Grove seat
LARA KORTE, SacBee: "After weeks of speculation and prodding from fellow Democrats, Assemblyman Jim Cooper revealed Wednesday he will not seek reelection to the California Legislature, opting instead to run for Sacramento County sheriff.
The field now narrows to three Sacramento-area Democrats who want to represent the 10th Assembly District, which includes Elk Grove and parts of south Sacramento : Eric Guerra, Sacramento’s mayor pro tem, Stephanie Nguyen, an Elk Grove city council member, and Tecoy Porter, a Sacramento pastor.
A clear front runner has yet to emerge among the three Democrats currently in the race. Cooper’s departure means one less moderate Democrat in the Legislature, and the district is unlikely to elect a Republican.
Paying by the mile for California roads, infrastructure
DARYL HOPKINS, Capitol Weekly: "Keeping roads pothole free has been a challenge in California for decades.
But an unusual solution has emerged — a per-mile-driven fee on motorists, called a Road Use Charge, with the money going to build and maintain infrastructure, including roads and highways.
Four years ago, the state authorized a little-known pilot program for the Road Use Charge, or RUC, and 5,000 motorists participated over a nine-month period."
Capitol Weekly Podcast: Irvine Leadership Awards
CW Staff: "Each year, the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards recognize Californians whose innovative projects improve people’s lives, create opportunity, and contribute to a better California. The Foundation spotlights these leaders, helps share their approaches with policymakers and peers, and provides each of their organizations with a grant of $250,000.
We invited Charles Fields, Irvine’s VP of Program Implementation, to speak with us about this year’s award recipients, about the program and about the history of the Irvine Foundation."
State Farm doesn’t have to refund $100 million to homeowners, state Supreme Court rules
The Chronicle, BOB EGELKO: "State Farm Insurance will not have to refund $100 million to homeowners after the state Supreme Court denied appeals Wednesday by California's insurance commissioner and a consumer organization, which both contended the customers had been overcharged.
Then-Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones declared in 2016 that State Farm’s rates were excessive, based on its expenses and investment income. He ordered the company, which covered 20% of the state’s policyholders, to lower its rates by 7% and refund about $100 million to customers over the next 17 months.
State Farm reduced its rates from November 2016 until May 2018, when Jones granted a rate increase. The company withheld the refunds while it challenged Jones’ decision, a challenge that a state appeals court granted last October."
Omicron in California: Newsom working on updated masking guidance for California schools
The Chronicle, STAFF: "Eight of the Bay Area’s nine counties plan to lift universal masking rules next week, in keeping with guidance from state health officials. Santa Clara County, however, will not, choosing to follow its own set of metrics before changing its masking rules. Families in Bay Area suburbs are facing a wave of evictions in cities with few tenant protection laws.
Latest updates:
CDC wants 10 million COVID doses ready quickly if vaccine for young children wins approval: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it expects around 10 million COVID-19 vaccination doses will be made readily available starting as early as Feb. 21 if federal officials authorize vaccines for children under 5. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision on an emergency-use authorization for under-5 vaccinations in the coming week."
COVID eviction battles have moved to the Bay Area suburbs
The Chronicle, LAUREN HEPLER: "At her apartment down the street from San Pablo City Hall, Anita Mendoza wondered if the eviction lawsuit she was served last month will push her out of her home of 28 years.
In downtown Palo Alto, middle school teacher Mohamed Chakmakchi worried that his 7-year-old would have to go live with family if he was forced out of his two-bedroom rental.
At her Antioch kitchen table blanketed with eviction notices and anti-anxiety medication, Carmen Ponce was once again terrified of ending up living in her car with her daughter and granddaughter."
Santa Clara County isn’t following California in lifting its mask mandate. Here’s why
The Chronicle, DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "While eight of the nine Bay Area counties announced Wednesday that they would be following the state’s new mask guidance allowing vaccinated people to unmask in most indoor situations, Santa Clara County announced that it wouldn’t be following suit.
Instead, the Bay Area’s largest county will keep its indoor masking requirement and use its own metrics — based on vaccination, case numbers and hospitalizations — to determine when to drop the mandate instead.
“We must continue to base our decisions on the risks COVID-19 presents to our community, and we look forward to lifting the indoor mask requirement as soon as we can do so without putting vulnerable people at undue risk,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s top health official."
Police Commission rips into Chief Scott, says the agreement with D.A. Boudin should not be severed
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN/MEGAN CASSIDY: "The San Francisco Police Commission appears to be leaning toward forcing Police Chief Bill Scott to reverse his decision to sever an agreement that grants District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s office lead authority over police use-of-force investigations.
The commission plans to vote on the matter next week.
Scott fielded hours of grilling and upbraiding by police commissioners on Wednesday evening, as the commissioners expressed shock and disappointment that the chief pulled out agreement without first consulting them."
Truckee moves forward with plan to limit number of vacation rentals through Airbnb, Vrbo
The Chronicle, GREGORY THOMAS: "Truckee is poised to approve several new restrictions on short-term vacation rentals, including a hard limit on the number allowed to operate in the resort town. It would be a first for the popular mountain destination, which has long catered to ski tourists and second homeowners from the Bay Area.
At a town council meeting Tuesday night, civic leaders discussed several measures that would apply to homeowners who rent their condos and cabins on marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo. The rules are expected to be approved at a follow-up meeting this spring and would take effect in June.
The centerpiece is a cap on the number of short-term rentals, or STRs, at about 1,250 — the number currently registered with the town — which amounts to 9.1% of Truckee’s 13,674 housing units."
The Chronicle, SAM WHITING: "Growing up in suburban Detroit, Lindsay Bierman was a self-described “architecture nerd,” who spent his childhood building things out of Legos and Lincoln Logs.
So he is looking forward to spending quality time in the Tinkering Lab at the Exploratorium during breaks from his new job as Executive Director and CEO of the science museum and educational institution on the San Francisco waterfront.
“Tinkering is the antidote to to all of the time-wasting digital ephemera that consumes so much of our attention,” said Bierman, who is 56 and spent the last seven years as Chancellor of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and as CEO of PBS North Carolina."
Red flags missed? Critics raised concerns years ago about DWP lawsuit settlement
The Chronicle, DAKOTA SMITH: "In June 2015, attorney Tim Blood and other lawyers representing Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers over inaccurate charges caused by a new billing system were growing increasingly suspicious of the city attorney’s office.
The city had entered into settlement discussions with an out-of-state attorney who was also suing over the faulty charges. Attorneys representing other plaintiffs couldn’t get details about the agreement.
Blood called City Atty. Mike Feuer to talk about his concerns, but the city attorney quickly became angry and passed the phone to a top deputy, Blood recalled in a recent interview."
L.A. voters are angry, think elected officials aren’t equipped to solve homelessness
LAT, BENJAMIN ORESKES/DOUG SMITH: "“The degradation of life in L.A. is exponential, and I don’t see an end. The politicians are doofuses,” a white male voter said.
“California is the fifth-largest economy in the world. Why can’t we do anything?” a Black voter wondered.
“I run into one or two every day, and I wonder: This is someone’s son. Did he refuse help? How can you help them? We’re failing them,” a Latino voter remarked."
L.A. gives the Super Bowl, 2028 Olympics high marks but questions economic benefits
LAT, CONNOR SHEETS/ANDREW J CAMPA: "Sunday’s Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics enjoy broad support among residents of the Los Angeles region, despite skepticism about claims that the events will bring significant economic benefits to local communities, a new Los Angeles Times/SurveyMonkey poll has found.
By hosting these two mega-events in relatively rapid succession — shortly after the opening of SoFi Stadium, one of the world’s most expensive venues — greater L.A. has positioned itself as America’s premier sports destination. The region is also slated to host the college football national championship game next January and is in play to host the World Cup in 2026.
But the process leading up to these spectacles, much like the construction of the arenas that will host them, is naturally divisive. Some Angelenos and experts take issue with tax breaks and other perks for developers. Others worry that the benefits of extravagant sports palaces and contests will not be shared by locals."
U.S. inflation jumped 7.5% in the past year, a 40-year high
AP, CHRISTOPHER RUGABER: "Inflation soared over the past year at its highest rate in four decades, hammering America’s consumers, wiping out pay raises and reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s decision to begin raising borrowing rates across the economy.
The Labor Department said Thursday that consumer prices jumped 7.5% last month compared with 12 months earlier, the steepest year-over-year increase since February 1982. Shortages of supplies and workers, heavy doses of federal aid, ultra-low interest rates and robust consumer spending combined to send inflation accelerating in the past year.
When measured from December to January, inflation was 0.6%, the same as the previous month and more than economists had expected. Prices had risen 0.7% from October to November and 0.9% from September to October."