California’s next atmospheric river-fueled storm could be more extreme. Here’s the outlook
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "The first in a series of atmospheric river storms caused flooding and landslides throughout coastal California on Wednesday and Thursday, but it may have just been a preview of what’s to come from the second storm. For now, the risk of scattered thunderstorms and rain showers throughout the Bay Area persists Friday and Saturday.
While the storm earlier this week was associated with an atmospheric river, a narrow plume of moisture in the sky, this second atmospheric river will be more extreme due to its slow-moving nature. A south-to-north orientation of the moisture plume will cause the storm to take direct aim at south-southwest facing regions for a long duration. Areas between Santa Cruz County and Los Angeles could experience moderate to heavy rain for 24 to 48 consecutive hours, long enough to cause widespread flooding and landslides."
Atmospheric river inundates roads, forces water rescues across SoCal. The next storm looks worse
LAT, GRACE TOOHEY, RUBEN VIVES: "Heavy rain from a major atmospheric river storm moved across Southern California on Thursday, causing significant flooding and road closures — as well as several water rescues.
Even before the storm system had moved on, however, officials were shifting attention to another one tracking not far behind, expected to bring even more intense and sustained precipitation."
Jerry Brown joins Newsom in urging California Supreme Court to remove tax measure from ballot
The Chronicle, BOB EGELKO: "Former Gov. Jerry Brown has joined his successor in asking the California Supreme Court to remove a November ballot measure that would require voter approval for all new state or local taxes or fees, saying it would tie the Legislature’s hands and weaken the state’s ability to fight climate change.
The court has agreed to consider disqualifying the business-sponsored initiative from the November ballot, an action it last took in 2018 by barring an initiative that sought to divide California into three states. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature’s Democratic majority contend the current proposal would so drastically weaken the powers of the state’s elected leaders that it would amount to a “revision” of the California Constitution, which would require two-thirds legislative approval before being submitted to the voters."
How Katie Porter harnesses her blunt style and single-mom experience in her Senate campaign
LAT, BENJAMIN ORESKES: "One busy morning last summer, Rep. Katie Porter timed her flight back to Washington with one to Oregon so her three kids could visit their father, whom they had not seen in months.
As she shepherded her children through the metal detector at Santa Ana’s John Wayne Airport — peeling off jackets and separating iPads — a woman in line at the checkpoint asked to take a photo together. Porter politely declined."
This number explains why the Biden-Trump rematch is so tight
LAT, DAVID LAUTER: "Want to know why the election rematch between President Biden and former President Trump starts out so close? One number goes a long way toward an answer.
57%: That’s the share of Americans who rated the economy as good or excellent in January 2020 — just before the COVID-19 pandemic blew things up. That number, from polling by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, reflects a key fact that shapes today’s campaign: A majority of Americans look back at Trump’s presidency and remember an economy that worked well for them."
Two Sacramento mayoral candidates want to hire 100 cops. Another wants to cut the police budget
Sacramento Bee, THERESA CLIFT: "As Sacramento faces a $50 million budget deficit, the four viable mayoral candidates have vastly different views on how to fund its most costly and controversial department.
Flojaune Cofer wants to over time cut $70 million from the police budget. Steve Hansen and Dr. Richard Pan want to hire at least 100 cops in year one. Kevin McCarty falls in the middle with a desire to keep staffing levels steady to start, only hiring new cops if city revenue grows."
Californians bought record numbers of electric cars as industry eyes slowdown
CALMatters, ALEJANDRO LAZO: "Has California’s transition to electric cars hit some bumps in the road? Even though Californians are buying them in record numbers, several industry setbacks have been reported in recent months.
The rental car company Hertz is selling about a third of its global electric vehicle fleet, replacing them with gas-powered vehicles. Ford in January announced that it was reducing production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck after scaling it up last year."
Catalina deer in the crosshairs: Will compromise avert a planned slaughter?
LAT, LOUIS SAHAGUN: "After months of intense community outrage over its planned slaughter of thousands of nonnative mule deer, Catalina Island Conservancy officials have indicated that they may be open to considering optional plans, such as relocating the deer and reducing the population through sterilization.
“There is always room for compromise,” said Kim Sudhalter, a conservancy spokeswoman. “There are a lot of viewpoints on this issue and, yes, we’re listening to them. ... Should we find the need to make adjustments, we may do that.”"
Cannabis grower to pay $750,000 for violating state water, wildlife regulations
CALMatters, RACHEL BECKER: "A Humboldt County cannabis grower has agreed to pay $750,000, remove unpermitted ponds and restore streams and wetlands after state officials accused him of violating regulations protecting water supplies, wildlife and waterways.
Of the total, $500,000 is a record penalty for a water rights violation in California. State officials say the violations by Joshua Sweet and the companies he owns and manages, Shadow Light Ranch, LLC and The Hills, LLC, continued for years and were “egregious,” damaging wetlands and other resources."
California lawmakers unveil sweeping legislative proposals aimed at slavery reparations
CNN: "Lawmakers in California have revealed a sweeping set of legislative proposals aimed at providing reparations for state residents who are descendants of enslaved Africans.
The California Legislative Black Caucus announced the 2024 Reparations Priority Bill Package Wednesday, which lists 14 measures, including providing a formal apology for “human rights violations and crimes against humanity on African slaves and their descendants.”"
Column: California finally has a plan for reparations. But why does it seem so disorganized?
LAT, ERIKA D. SMITH: "On Thursday morning, state Sen. Steven Bradford sat down alone at a table inside the Capitol in Sacramento.
He fiddled with a stack of papers while waiting for reporters in the room to quiet down and then, with self-assured gravitas, announced a detailed plan for legislation that would provide reparations for Black Californians."
‘High-quality public schools’ initiative pushed back to 2026 ballot
EdSource, JOHN FENSTERWALD: "Voters likely facing a November election ballot crowded with education-related initiatives will now have one fewer issue to decide.
The author of a vaguely defined proposed constitutional amendment to require the state and school districts to “provide all public school students with high-quality public schools” has decided to postpone the campaign two years."
Expanding Cal Grants? Tight state budget makes it unlikely this year
EdSource, MICHAEL BURKE: "A long-awaited expansion to financial aid in California, once expected to go into effect this year, is now facing uncertainty.
As part of California’s 2022 budget deal, lawmakers agreed to reform the Cal Grant, the state’s main financial aid program, to make it easier to understand, and expand eligibility by about 150,000 additional students, most of them low-income community college students."
Why are California pay raises now bigger in the south?
SCNG*OC Register, JONATHAN LANSNER: "Buzz: California pay raises have made a decidedly north-south switch.
Source: My trusty spreadsheet looked at the Employment Cost Index tracking what bosses pay nationwide and in 15 big job markets, including a seven-county Southern California area and a 10-county Bay Area region. This quarterly data dates to the end of 2006."
Gavin Newsom discusses shoplifting incident he witnessed. ‘Where’s your manager?’
Sacramento Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom saw a shoplifting at a local Target. But the real controversy came when a clerk did nothing—and blamed the governor for motivating her not to act.
Newsom was shopping at a Sacramento area Target. It’s unclear when the alleged incident occurred. Target Corporation did not respond to The Bee’s request for comment by deadline."
Warner Bros to film new movie in Sacramento, city says. Here’s what we know so far
Sacramento Bee, HANH TRUONG: "Hollywood is coming to Sacramento once again, as crews prepare to film a new movie downtown.
Warner Bros. has permits to film its latest project, according to city officials."
‘Battle Royale’ looming for housing development on Marin County waterfront
The Chronicle, JK DINEEN: "A proposed condo complex in the heart of Sausalito’s historic waterfront district is set to ignite a political and legal battle that could determine whether the Marin County city will preserve its historic status as a development no-go zone or open itself up to a new generation of housing production.
This week, property owner Linda Fotsch submitted an application to redevelop a half-acre site at 605-613 Bridgeway, now home to four storefronts. The project, marketed as Waterstreet, would consist of 41 market-rate condos as well as six “very low income” affordable units, Fotsch said."
Another top S.F. landlord parts with housing portfolio. Why the city’s rental market is in trouble
The Chronicle, LAURA WAXMANN: "Much has been made about the distress plaguing San Francisco’s downtown in the wake of the pandemic — with increasing office vacancy rates, retail decline shuttering stores and prominent hotels defaulting on loans. The fallout from remote work and maturing debt have caused a number of office owners to hand the keys to buildings back to lenders, or sell once highly-valuable properties at bargain prices.
It’s also taken a toll on multifamily home properties, the large scale apartment buildings and condo complexes that also fill in the city’s downtown grid. In recent months, great swaths of rental properties have changed hands as owners are seeing their real estate empires shrink significantly for the first time in decades — thanks to high interest rates and a drop in occupancy and rental income fueled by the same pandemic factors."
Column: ‘My life cannot be ruined by this scammer.’ Two victims lost everything and sued their banks
LAT, STEVE LOPEZ: "In a span of just three weeks in the summer of 2022, Alice Lin was swindled out of her life savings in an internet scam that began on a Chinese-language chat app. She lost more than $720,000 and sank so low that the 80-year-old two-time widow and mother of four considered taking her own life.
In the same year, Artemis Yaffe was targeted by a scammer posing as an IRS agent, losing her $1.8-million nest egg and — eventually — her home. It took less than two months for her life to be upended, sending the 77-year-old widow into a tailspin from which she has yet to emerge."
BANG*Mercury News, NATE GARTRELL: "Inmates across California are being confined to their cells after a major riot involving an estimated 200 incarcerated people left eight staff members and one prisoner with serious injuries, authorities said.
The Jan. 31 riot at Ironwood State Prison in the Riverside County city of Blythe started when an estimated 200 prisoners rushed corrections officers, attacking them with fists and rocks. During the fracas, officers say they fired a “warning shot,” and deployed tear gas and “non-lethal impact rounds” at the inmates. Eight prison staff members and one incarcerated person were hospitalized with injuries, and later released."
Lies, homicides, a getaway plan: Gripping details emerge in case of cop who catfished Riverside teen
LAT, ERIN B. LOGAN, SUMMER LIN: "She was 15. He told her he was 17, just a few months shy of 18. They met on Instagram during the summer of 2022.
The girl, who lived with her mother, younger sister and grandparents in Riverside, kept their “relationship” a secret from her family. They would send messages through Instagram and talk over Discord, an instant messaging platform that allows voice calls."
Recording Academy, which hosts the Grammys, reckons with claims of sexual abuse by former officers
LAT, AUGUST BROWN, STACY PERMAN: "On Saturday, on the eve of the Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy will bestow its Trustees Award on prominent music industry attorney Joel Katz, a former chairman and general counsel of the organization who has represented Michael Jackson’s estate and Willie Nelson.
Not everyone thinks it’s deserved."