In State of the Union speech, a feisty Biden battles hecklers and calls for bipartisanship
LA Times, COURTNEY SUBRAMANIAN: "A feisty and occasionally combative President Biden sparred with Republicans over his legislative record, the federal deficit and border security in a State of the Union address that began as an appeal for bipartisanship.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) at one point appeared to try to quiet hecklers who shouted as the president called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and help him address border security.
Biden, who spoke for roughly an hour, sought to reassure Americans that he has repaired the economic damage wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. He reminded his critics that he has repeatedly defied predictions that he would be unable to work across the aisle."
Shoring up support? Porter invites Gonzalez Fletcher to 2023 SOTU
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "Congresswoman Katie Porter, who is seeking Dianne Feinstein’s senate seat, has invited the head of the California Labor Federation – and former state legislator – Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, as her guest for President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address tonight.
Porter, who narrowly eked out a win in November against Republican Scott Baugh, is a favorite of Progressives, popular for her “white board” breakdowns of complex issues. She faces challengers from her left: liberal firebrand, Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee is expected to announce soon; and her right: Congressman Adam Schiff of the San Gabriel Valley. Schiff was endorsed last week by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
While Feinstein has not said whether or not she will seek another term, California Democrats are preparing for an epic battle over the seat."
Why Bono Was at the State of the Union Address
Newsweek, SHANNON POWER: "Rock star Bono was one of the big names in the crowd when President Joe Biden gave his State of the Union address.
The U2 front man was one of 26 people on first lady Jill Biden's personal guest list and sat in the crowd at a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, February 7.
The White House released a statement last week crediting the rocker as a "ground-breaking activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty.""
Brandon Tsay, still grieving, gets the ‘hero’ treatment in Washington
LA Times, NOAH BIERMAN: "Brandon Tsay, the 26-year-old who made worldwide headlines for disarming the Monterey Park gunman last month, stood and waved to the crowd of lawmakers as President Biden labeled him a “hero” and called for new gun control measures in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.
“He thought he was going to die, but then he thought about the people inside,” Biden said as Tsay won a rare bipartisan ovation. “In that instant, he found the courage to act and wrestled the semiautomatic pistol away from a gunman who had already killed 11 people at another dance studio.”
“He saved lives,” Biden added. “It’s time we do the same. Ban assault weapons once and for all.”"
L.A. County passes gun control measures after mass shootings
LA Times, REBECCA ELLIS: "The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a series of gun control measures Tuesday on the heels of last month’s mass shooting in Monterey Park, just eight miles away from the boardroom.
The package included roughly half a dozen measures aimed at curbing fatal shootings within the county. Most will need to go through additional vetting before they become county law.
Only two ordinances discussed Tuesday are expected to take effect soon. One would prohibit the sale of .50-caliber handguns — firearms with half-inch-thick bullets — in unincorporated L.A. County. (The state had banned most .50-caliber rifles nearly two decades ago.) The second would prohibit carrying firearms on county property, which includes beaches, parks and buildings — even if the person has a concealed carry permit. There is an exception for law enforcement."
Allan Zaremberg: A remembrance
Capitol Weekly, DAN MORAIN: "Allan Zaremberg, who died early Saturday, shaped California’s policy and politics for the better part of four decades on issues ranging from the nation’s first assault weapons ban to who should become Supreme Court chief justice.
In a way, it all began with a dog, as related by former California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, one of Zaremberg’s good friends.
In about 1979, shortly after graduating from McGeorge Law School, Zaremberg crashed his car when he swerved to avoid hitting a dog on a Sacramento freeway."
California Secretary of State says state can ‘lead the nation’ in Black reparations
Sac Bee, MARCUS D. SMITH: "Progress starts with the conversation.
With continued discussion and engagement, California can “lead the nation” in reparations for its Black residents. That was at the core of California Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s efforts to create a reparations task force.
“The process of creating this whole task force … was to create some sense of equity and fairness in the conversation, to create an opportunity for this state to basically lead the nation in what needs to happen with reparations,” she said Tuesday during Sacramento State’s Green & Gold speaker series at the university."
California's fir trees are dying at an alarming rate
The Chronicle, CLAIRE HAO: "An estimated 36.3 million trees died across California in 2022, a 282% increase from 2021 and the highest number since 2016, according to a new report from the U.S. Forest Service.
An intense three-year drought, which is only now easing with the January storms, is the main culprit. The lack of water has weakened the state’s trees, making them easy targets for pathogens and insects to kill off, said Jeffrey Moore, program manager of the annual aerial survey over California’s forested lands."
California hasn’t seen a catastrophic earthquake recently. But ‘quiet’ period won’t last
LA Times, RONG-GONG LIN II: "This week’s catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria is just the latest warning of the potential risks for California and other seismically active areas.
Some California cities have retrofitted or demolished problem buildings following quakes in the 1980s and 1990s. But many buildings in the state have not endured the same kind of intense shaking experienced in Turkey and Syria."
15 million people live under threat of glacial floods, study finds
LA Times, SETH BORENSTEIN: "As glaciers melt and pour massive amounts of water into nearby lakes, 15 million people across the globe live under the threat of a sudden and deadly outburst flood, a new study finds.
More than half of those living in the shadow of the disaster called glacial lake outburst floods are in just four countries: India, Pakistan, Peru and China, according to a study in Tuesday’s Nature Communications. A second study, awaiting publication in a peer-reviewed journal, catalogs more than 150 glacial flood outbursts in history and recent times.
It’s a threat Americans and Europeans rarely think about, but 1 million people live within just 6 miles of potentially unstable glacial-fed lakes, the study calculated."
Natural gas prices have sent Californians’ utility bills soaring. Regulators are mulling next steps
The Chronicle, JULIE JOHNSON: "California utility regulators Tuesday began to look at how the state might limit soaring natural gas prices during the next extended cold snap like the one that hit this winter, bringing widespread sticker shock to Californians trying to heat their homes.
In Northern California, average utility bills – combining both natural gas and electricity – have risen to an estimated $328 per month for the period of November 2022 through March 2023 – a 32% uptick compared to the average of $248 during winter months a year ago, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co."
Huntington Beach bars LGBTQ pride flag from flying over City Hall
LA Times, MATT SZABO/SARA CARDINE/GRACE TOOHEY: "A rainbow flag will no longer be flown each spring at Huntington Beach City Hall in honor of Pride Month.
Huntington Beach City Council members voted Tuesday night — after two hours of sometimes tense public comment — to reverse a 2021 decision to raise the rainbow flag for six weeks each spring. A narrow majority supported a proposal from newly elected Councilmember Pat Burns to limit which flags can fly on city property.
Despite a large crowd packing Tuesday night’s meeting for the flag issue — the majority calling for council members to continue flying the pride flag each spring — city leaders voted 4 to 3 to remove the standard from the city’s rotation."
Death, blindness, eye drops recall: California, other states report bacterial infections
Sac Bee, BRIANNA TAYLOR/DAVID J. NEAL: "Certain eye drops are being recalled in California, New York, Texas, Florida and eight other states after an “extensively drug-resistant” bacteria outbreak led to permanent blindness and death.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa — a strain that’s never been reported in the U.S. before the recent outbreak — is associated with several infections including eye infections. The rare germ has killed one person and blinded at least five others, according to a February health advisory statement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s what you need to know about which brands of artificial tears are being recalled and the health risks associated with using the drops."
Can you prevent long COVID? It may depend on your lifestyle, study suggests
Sac Bee, JULIA MARNIN: "Preventing long COVID and its array of potential symptoms that can afflict the body could depend on a person’s lifestyle, a new Harvard-led study suggests.
Sticking to simple, healthy habits such as getting good sleep is not only beneficial to one’s overall health, but may also significantly lower the chances of developing long COVID, according to research published Feb. 6 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
In the study of 1,981 women who tested positive for COVID-19, there was a 49% lower risk associated with developing long COVID for those who adhered to five to six healthy lifestyle factors compared with women who didn’t, according to the study from researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health."
Developmental disabilities system needs sustained funding (OPINION)
Capitol Weekly, AMY WESTLING: "With a critically important mission, California’s developmental disabilities services system serves nearly 400,000 individuals or about 1 percent of the state’s population. Through 21 community-based regional centers funded with state and federal dollars, individuals and their families have access to professionals who connect them to services and resources to meet their unique needs. Service for these individuals starts at the regional center, making them the vital link between individuals, their families, and the services they need to support them in all stages of life.
While the need is growing, a recent State Auditor report noted funding shortfalls are a root cause of a severe shortage of service coordinators. This dynamic impacts efforts to improve on the delivery of consistent, efficient, and timely services to children and adults with developmental disabilities.
People with developmental disabilities are among the most vulnerable in our society. The state budget must prioritize increased and sustained funding for these individuals, regardless of a budget deficit, to ensure these individuals and families have the opportunity to progress."
LAUSD's new magnet film school gives students hands-on learning about entertainment industry
EdSource, KATE SEQUEIRA: "Freshman Aiyanna Randolph wants to be a screenwriter, inspired by her neighbor who was a producer for the ABC show “Black-ish.” That’s why she’s chosen to commute eight miles from her Los Angeles neighborhood to attend the Roybal Film and Television Production Magnet high school in downtown Los Angeles.
“I really enjoy writing stories, creating scenarios and stories for us to film,” Randolph said about her experience at the school so far. She also hopes the magnet — part of Los Angeles Unified — will provide as much access as possible to the industry where she wants to work in the future.
The Roybal magnet teaches students hands-on how to work as screenwriters, producers, directors, camera operators and more through the school’s classes and its partnerships with big names in Hollywood. The magnet program is in its first year, having pivoted from a prior focus that also included music to one now solely focused on the film industry. So far, it has 140 students enrolled in 9th and 10th grades with intentions of extending to 12th."
Lawsuits link long-ago child abuse to schools in San Jose, Mountain View and Santa Cruz
BANG*Mercury News, JOHN WOOLFOLK: "Five men and three women have filed lawsuits claiming they were sexually abused decades ago by two teachers who worked at public schools in San Jose, Mountain View and Santa Cruz.
One lawsuit brought on behalf of five men ages 37 to 64 alleges they were sexually abused as boys by a man who worked as a teacher at Mountain View Whisman School District and Santa Cruz City Schools. A second lawsuit brought on behalf of three women ages 56 to 58 alleges they were sexually abused as girls by a first-grade teacher at Alum Rock Union School District.
The lawsuits were brought under Assembly Bill 218, which opened a three-year period that ended in December making it easier for adults to file lawsuits over long-ago sexual abuse otherwise barred by the statute of limitations. The law has led to scores of lawsuits against schools and other institutions with youth programs, including the Boy Scouts and Catholic dioceses."
Why the IRS says Californians may want to hold off on filing tax returns
The Chronicle, KATHLEEN PENDER: "The IRS still has yet to answer the question of whether the California middle-class tax refund is taxable on federal returns — but it has finally acknowledged the issue and could provide guidance this week.
Without the IRS’ formal guidance, confusion has set in over how to handle these payments as tax season begins in earnest. Some major tax-preparation companies have been treating it as not taxable, while other tax professionals believe it is."
California taxpayers wait for IRS guidance on inflation relief, Kiley issues 2nd letter
Sac Bee, JACQUELINE PINEDO/HANH TRUONG: "U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley is pushing the Internal Revenue Service once again to issue guidance on whether or not Californians need to claim Middle Class Tax Refunds issued in 2022 as income on their tax returns.
Following national media coverage about the IRS guidance telling taxpayers to wait to file until additional guidance is available, the Rocklin Republican issued a follow-up letter to IRS Commissioner Doug O’Donnell.
The Bee reported on Friday the IRS’ statement telling taxpayers to wait for guidance before filing."
Biden seizes on the rare bipartisan rallying cry: Regulate Silicon Valley
The Chronicle, JOE GAROFOLI: "President Biden tried Tuesday to capitalize on a rare sentiment that Republicans and Democrats agree on: They’re both frustrated with Silicon Valley.
Members of both parties – and most Americans – think Big Tech controls too much of our personal data, isn’t transparent and targets children in an unseemly way in the pursuit of profits."
Fed Chair Jerome Powell: Strong hiring could force further rate hikes
AP, CHRISTOPHER RUGABER: "Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said Tuesday that that if the U.S. job market further strengthens in the coming months or inflation readings accelerate, the Fed might have to raise its benchmark interest rate higher than it now projects.
Powell’s remarks followed the government’s blockbuster report last week that employers added 517,000 jobs in January, nearly double December’s gain. The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in 53 years, 3.4%.
“The reality is if we continue to get strong labor market reports or higher inflation reports, it might be the case that we have to raise rates more” than is now expected, Powell said in remarks to the Economic Club of Washington."
Zoom thrived during the pandemic. Now it’s laying off more than 1,000 employees
The Chronicle, CHASE DIFELICIANTONIO: "Zoom, the San Jose-based videoconferencing software company that became ubiquitous during the pandemic, said Tuesday it would lay off 1,300 employees, or around 15% of its workforce.
The cuts are the latest among Bay Area tech companies large and small that have slashed staff — many after going on hiring sprees during the past few years."
OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong demands reinstatement to his job
The Chronicle, JORDAN PARKER: "Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, who was placed on paid administrative leave last month after an independent report revealed deficiencies within the department, released a statement Tuesday once again rejecting any wrongdoing and demanding that Mayor Sheng Thao reinstate him.
Thao placed Armstrong on leave Jan. 19, after the report detailed his department’s mishandling of two officer misconduct cases."
This is S.F.'s plan to cut through red tape and get 82,000 housing units built
The Chronicle, J.K. DINEEN/J.D. MORRIS: "Mayor London Breed will introduce an executive order Tuesday that lays out in explicit terms how and when the city will make the changes needed to build 82,000 housing units over the next eight years. The goal was laid out in a road map to building more housing approved by the state last week.
The directive calls for a series of executive and legislative actions aimed at eliminating much of what makes San Francisco among the most expensive and difficult places to build housing in the United States.
“San Francisco needs to fundamentally change how we approve and build housing,” the directive reads. “The causes of this shortage are broad, and they include blatant obstructionism and well-intentioned but ill-advised laws that have choked housing production.”"
One of skid row’s largest housing providers faces financial implosion
LA Times, BENJAMIN ORESKES/DOUG SMITH: "Skid row’s flagship owner and operator of subsidized housing is on the verge of financial collapse and seeking a lifeline to keep its doors open for more than a thousand low-income tenants.
Skid Row Housing Trust, a pioneer in the decades-old movement to revive aging downtown real estate as homeless housing, has been working with other housing providers to take over its 29 buildings.
In a series of meetings Tuesday briefing the staff on the organization’s impending changes, interim chief executive Joanne Cordero sought to assure the 165 employees that other philanthropic and housing organizations are stepping in to ensure that their work will continue and that no one will lose their home."
S.F. Muni faces massive $214 million deficit. Here’s what might happen next
The Chronicle, RICARDO CANO: "San Francisco’s transportation agency could face a massive budget deficit beginning in 2025 as federal money runs dry while fare and parking revenues slowly recover, according to a new budget forecast.
The dismal budget outlook could bring a doomsday scenario where Muni service is cut by 25% if the Municipal Transportation Agency’s parking and fare funds stagnate and the agency fails to find new revenue sources before its deficit balloons by hundreds of millions of dollars.
So-called fiscal cliffs have loomed in the periphery for the SFMTA and other Bay Area transit agencies that have kept trains, buses and ferries running during the pandemic thanks to $4.5 billion in federal aid. Now, the extent of transit’s financial distress is coming into sharp relief as agencies plan for steep deficits once they no longer have federal money to cushion the blow."
BART to close this East Bay station over Presidents Day weekend for track repairs
The Chronicle, JOEL UMANZOR: "BART riders traveling through Contra Costa County during Presidents Day weekend should expect delays due to trackway repair closures in Orinda, the agency announced Monday.
Rail workers will be replacing about 7,200 feet of trackways between the Rockridge, Orinda and Lafayette stations until regular service reopens on Feb. 21, according to BART officials."
Navy divers begin pulling up Chinese spy balloon debris
AP, TARA COPP: "Navy divers began pulling pieces of the downed Chinese spy balloon from the depths of the ocean floor on Tuesday, using sophisticated reconnaissance drones dubbed the Kingfish and the Swordfish to locate the debris.
After collecting all of the balloon’s white fabric and shell structure found floating on the surface, the Navy has now shifted to an all-underwater search for the remnants of the massive balloon that a U.S. fighter jet shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, officials said.
Navy and Coast Guard personnel were using underwater drones to locate and map the debris field, and divers were in the water gathering what they could, officials said."
Sacramento-area groups offer ways to help earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria
Sac Bee, ROSALIO AHUMADA: "Sacramento-area community groups say rescuers right now are focused on searching for survivors buried in earthquake rubble in Turkey and Syria, but relief efforts will need support for months and maybe years to help the region fully recover.
Demet Candas Green, president of the Turkish American Association of California Sacramento Chapter, says Turkish Americans living in the capital region have reached out to her group. They’re frantically seeking information and help with finding missing loved ones.
“A lot of them can’t reach their families there,” Green said Tuesday. “It’s been really hard on a lot of people. It’s just a big mess.”"
What’s happening with the Trump special counsel investigation?
LA Times, SARAH D. WIRE: "Jack Smith, a veteran Justice Department prosecutor, is tasked with overseeing criminal investigations into former President Trump’s handling of classified documents after he left the White House, and a separate probe into attempts to stop President Biden from assuming office after the 2020 election.
Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland said he appointed a special counsel because Trump and Biden have both indicated they intend to seek another term as president. Garland appointed Smith on Nov. 18. In January, Garland named a separate special counsel to investigate classified records found at Biden’s home and office.
Here’s what we know."
Russian forces hit more civilian targets as Ukraine foresees a renewed assault
AP, SUSIE BLANN: "Russian shelling damaged a hospital and apartment buildings in Ukraine, local officials said Tuesday, while military analysts expressed skepticism about the potential impact of what Kyiv says is a brewing offensive by Moscow’s forces around the anniversary of its invasion.
The shelling caused multiple fires in the northeastern town of Vovchansk, including at its two-story municipal hospital, the State Emergency Service in the northeastern Kharkiv region said in an online statement.
Emergency crews evacuated eight civilians from the site before putting out the blaze, which caused no casualties, authorities said."
Gustavo Dudamel will leave the L.A. Phil for the N.Y. Philharmonic
LA Times, JESSICA GELT/MARK SWED/DEBORAH VANKIN: "Gustavo Dudamel, the celebrated conductor who led the Los Angeles Philharmonic to prominence as the nation’s most important orchestra, said Tuesday that he will leave L.A. to join the New York Philharmonic in 2026.
Dudamel said in an interview that the decision to leave when his L.A. Phil contract expires was extremely complex and difficult. He has three seasons remaining as music and artistic director in L.A., he said, and his focus — and heart — will stay here.
But by the end of his L.A. run, Dudamel said, he will be 45 years old and have been music director here for 17 years — the right time for a new challenge."