Steve Garvey isn’t swinging at much in California Senate race
The Chronicle, JOE GAROFOLI: "For a guy who had 2,599 hits in his two-decade baseball career, Steve Garvey — as a Republican U.S. Senate candidate — is not going to take a lot of swings.
Not at his opponents. Not at detailed policy proposals. And not even at a second term. The 75-year-old Palm Springs resident told me Thursday that he will serve one six-year term if elected. And, no, he’s not concerned that power in the Senate is all about seniority. He’s banking on his personal brand of celebrity to be able reach consensus with others."
‘I’m not a typical realtor:’ KC Schuft challenges Eric Guerra for Sacramento council seat
Sacramento Bee, THERESA CLIFT: "Realtor Katherine “KC” Schuft is seeking to unseat longtime Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra in this year’s election.
Schuft became interested in running for council after her Colonial Heights neighborhood lost a designated council member in 2022 due to a once a decade redistricting process."
California says its new gun law is about public safety. But what about these women? (COLUMN)\
Sacramento Bee, ERIKA D. SMITH, ANITA CHABRIA: "Kismet Jackson used to carry her handgun just about everywhere in San Bernardino County. To get her nails done. To pick up her prescription. To hang out with her grandchildren.
For her, it was all about staying safe."
Is a $51 monthly charge coming to your PG&E bill?
BANG*Mercury News, TERI SFORZA: "Don’t know about you, but our painful January electric bill left us cursing those cheerful December holiday lights.
It’s no secret that California electric bills are among the highest in the nation. Changes are coming that may make the monthly ritual less painful for some — and more painful for others (say, folks who aren’t in low-income programs and solar panel owners)."
Several storms to bring heavy rain to the Bay Area. Here’s a timeline of impacts
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "The storm door is now open in the Bay Area thanks to El Nino’s influence, and the parade of wet, windy weather kicks off Friday. Three separate pulses of energy will be responsible for the wet weekend, but due to the unsettled nature of the atmosphere, rain could happen at any time.
Here’s what to know about the wet and windy weekend weather."
READ MORE -- Another snow dump is coming for Tahoe ski areas — but what about avalanche danger? -- The Chronicle, MICHAEL CABANATUAN; Widespread rainfall comes to the Bay Area beginning on Friday -- BANG*Mercury News, AUSTIN TURNER; Back-to-back winter storms to drench Northern California. Here’s the timeline and forecast -- Sacramento Bee, BRIANNA TAYLOR
Sludge compost is an increasing source of microplastics, researchers say
LA Times, SUSANNE RUST: "A team of UCLA researchers has put a new spin on the 1970s rock classic “Dust in the Wind” — only this one is grimmer and grimier than the original hit by Kansas.
They found that wind picks up microplastics from human-sewage-based fertilizers at higher concentrations than previously known, and may be an “underappreciated” source of airborne plastic bits, flakes and threads."
As an OHV user, I support expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly, DON AMADOR: "Growing up in Northern California, it was easy to enjoy the outdoors – hunting, fishing, and beachcombing were typical weekend activities. As the son of a motorcycle enthusiast, I found my way into off-highway vehicle recreation at a young age and never looked back. Still, I don’t just rely on the outdoors for recreation. It’s where I built my business and where I have served my community by advocating for sustainable OHV use and helping with post-wildfire recovery and response efforts.
That’s the beauty of the great outdoors: they offer something for everyone. That’s why I’ve always felt so strongly about our responsibility to give back to the communities and public spaces in which we gather. It’s why I took my previous role as the Chair of the CA State Park Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission so seriously, and why I’ve dedicated myself to expanding access to responsible recreation."
READ MORE -- California PUC service quality rules won’t age well for small business innovation (OP-ED) -- Capitol Weekly, BRETT KLEIN
California ends COVID isolation rule for asymptomatic cases as winter infections climb
CALMatters, KRISTEN HWANG, CAROLYN JONES: "Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.
California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week quietly rescinded the state’s previous order, which encouraged people infected with COVID-19 to isolate for five days."
UC enrolls record number of California undergrads in fall 2023, cuts out-of-state students
LA Times, TERESA WATANABE: "The University of California enrolled a record number of California undergraduates in fall 2023, reducing the number of students from other states and countries as it met public and political demands to give more of the system’s highly sought-after seats to state residents.
California undergraduate students climbed to 194,571, or 83.4% of the enrolled fall class last year, according to UC data released Friday. That included 42,058 first-year students, a 5% increase over fall 2022, with higher numbers at eight of the nine undergraduate campuses. UC San Diego enrolled the largest number of California first-year students — 5,547 — while UC Irvine and UC Santa Cruz saw the biggest growth of state students, each adding more than 500 students to their fall 2023 first-year class."
READ MORE -- University of California enrolled a record number of California residents in the fall -- EdSource, MICHAEL BURKE
Malls have rebounded thanks to an unlikely source: Gen Z
LA Times, ASHLEY AHN: "Gen Z hasn’t crossed over into the metaverse just yet.
Retail experts say these young shoppers have helped malls bounce back after the downturn brought on by the pandemic, in part because the digital space has turned Gen Z into a generation that expects instant gratification. The immediacy of touching, trying out and buying products may be the thing driving them to physical stores."
Why the L.A. Innocence Project wants to exonerate Scott Peterson
The Chronicle, KEVIN FAGAN: "The Los Angeles Innocence Project has filed court papers in an effort to exonerate Scott Peterson, contending that key evidence was withheld from the 2004 trial that found him guilty of killing his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son.
The filings made Wednesday in San Mateo County Superior Court contain nearly 1,000 pages of evidence the project says will show that other suspects weren’t fully considered and that a mysterious van that was set on fire across from the Petersons’ Modesto home contained blood spatter that might have cleared the convicted man."
READ MORE -- L.A. Innocence Project is looking into case of convicted murderer Scott Peterson -- LA Times, CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ
CALMatters, FELICIA MELLO: "California will dole out $250 million more in down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers this spring, while making changes to its 1-year-old program aimed at reaching a more diverse group of borrowers across the state.
Last year frenzied homebuyers hoovered up nearly all $300 million budgeted for the California Dream for All loan program in just 11 days. While the new program was wildly popular, some realtors and lenders reported that clients who received the funds were already far along in the home purchase process, fueling speculation about whether the loans were going to people who already could afford to buy homes."
Another S.F. nonprofit under scrutiny — this time for luxury gifts, Tahoe trip under SFPD contract
The Chronicle, ALDO TOLEDO: "A nonprofit group that provides crime-prevention services to the San Francisco Police Department spent nearly $80,000 in grant money on ineligible or excessive expenses including a Lake Tahoe trip, luxury gift boxes and limo service, according to a report released Thursday by the city controller’s office.
An analysis of about $910,000 paid by the police department during a nine-month period to SF Safe found that the department “did not adequately review invoices or supporting documentation” to make sure expenses filed were allowable."
Mistrial declared in case of L.A. cop who fatally shot mentally disabled man at Costco
LA Times, SALVADOR HERNANDEZ, JEREMY CHILDS, CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ: "A mistrial was declared after a jury deadlocked Thursday in the case of a former Los Angeles police officer who shot and killed a mentally disabled man in a confrontation at a Costco store in Corona.
Kenneth French, 32, was killed during the June 2019 shooting moments after former LAPD Officer Salvador Sanchez claimed he was knocked to the ground by French."