CIRM considers hold on grants amid deluge of applications
Capitol Weekly's DAVID JENSEN: "California’s $12 billion stem cell agency is under “’unprecedented strain” and is ready to impose a five-month hold on applications for the key, $15 million research awards that support the final steps in bringing revolutionary treatments to patients.
A “very large and unprecedented number” of applications for clinical trial awards has swamped the agency. The $4 million to $15 million grants finance clinical-stage work on stem cell and gene therapies, clearing the way for their use in patients."
Porter, Schiff attack each other in final Senate debate. Is it a November preview?
The Chronicle's SHIRA STEIN: "The top four candidates for the open California Senate seat made their last pitch to voters Tuesday night in the final debate before the March 5 primary.
The evening was either Rep. Katie Porter’s last gasp, or a preview of what the next eight months will look like if she and Rep. Adam Schiff face off in November."
READ MORE -- U.S. Senate contenders make their final debate arguments -- CALMatters' YUE STELLA YU; Garvey rockets into second behind Schiff in latest California Senate poll. Here’s how that could be good for Democrats -- BANG*Mercury News's JOHN WOOLFOLK; Fact checking the final California Senate debate: Who was right about the economy, oil and ads? -- Sacramento Bee's DAVID LIGHTMAN
California lawmakers face a ballooning budget deficit
CALMatters's SAMEEA KAMAL: "The biggest challenge facing lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom is the state budget deficit — and it just got bigger.
Today, the Legislative Analyst’s Office projected the shortfall as $15 billion higher, or $73 billion."
READ MORE -- California’s budget deficit is worse than anticipated — and much worse than Newsom projected -- Sacramento Bee's ANDREW SHEELER and LINDSEY HOLDEN
Bay Area storm: As heaviest rain moves past, here's what to expect this evening
The Chronicle's KATE GALBRAITH, ANTHONY EDWARDS and KURTIS ALEXANDER: "San Francisco saw nearly an inch per hour of rain Tuesday afternoon as a particularly intense wave of the multi-day storm system moved through, and thunderstorms boomed across downtown.
A flash flood warning for the city expired at 4 p.m. Video from KRON4 News at the peak of the squall showed water appearing to gush upwards from drains in the street at Franklin and Green streets. The problems had subsided by 3:30 p.m., after the bands of heavy rain had passed into the East Bay."
READ MORE -- Storm damage and flooding shut roads across Bay Area -- The Chronicle's MICHAEL CABANATUAN; Another storm pounds Southern California, triggering flood watch and fears of mudslides -- LAT's SUMMER LIN, HANNAH FRY and GRACE TOOHEY; As land slides alarmingly, Rancho Palos Verdes is seeking state and federal emergency declarations -- LAT's HANNAH FRY and GRACE TOOHEY; Scattered showers Wednesday in Bay Area to give way to sunnier skies later in week -- BANG*Mercury News's RICK HURD and ETHAN BARON
How freeing rivers can help California ease flood risks and revive ecosystems
LAT's IAN JAMES: "Throughout the Central Valley, California’s rivers have long been held within their banks by levees and berms, artificially disrupting the natural cycles of flooding and preventing streams from meandering across the landscape.
Natural floodplains — the lush green lands along rivers that historically flooded, retained water, and nourished life in the heart of the valley — were mostly drained and converted to farmland generations ago as the state’s waters were dammed and diverted."
Biden arrives in Los Angeles today for fundraiser at Israel supporter’s home
LAT's SEEMA MEHTA: "President Biden is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles today for a campaign fundraiser at the home of Israeli American media mogul Haim Saban, possibly setting off protests over the U.S. role in Israel’s war against Hamas.
Tension has been mounting within the Democratic Party over Biden’s support for Israel as it bombards the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel."
Supreme Court turns down challenge to N.Y. rent control with implications for California
LAT's DAVID G. SAVAGE: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down a major property rights challenge to rent-control laws in New York City and elsewhere that give tenants a right to stay for many years in apartments at below-market rates.
A group of New York landlords had sued over the laws, contending the combination of rent regulation and long-term occupancy violated the Constitution’s ban on the taking of private property for public use."
READ MORE -- California landlords wanted the Supreme Court to limit rent control laws. They won’t — for now -- BANG*Mercury News's KATE TALERICO
CALMatters's ALEJNADRA REYES-VELARDE: "It’s been 10 years since California decided to let low-income undocumented immigrants qualify for state subsidies of phone and internet services.
Today the California LifeLine program — which helps 1.2 million low income households get free or discounted services — still excludes hundreds of thousands of undocumented residents because they don’t have Social Security numbers."
SEIU workers union says S.F. mayor violated law by putting Prop. F on ballot
The Chronicle's JORDAN PARKER: "Attorneys representing a public employees’ union in San Francisco say Mayor London Breed violated the law by placing Proposition F on the March ballot because she did not meet with the union first to discuss impacts to workers.
In a letter Tuesday to the city attorney’s office, attorneys for Service Employees International Union Local 1021 argued that Prop. F would negatively impact employee work conditions and workload."
California offered $57 million to help this hospital reopen. Now, it finally has a plan
CALMatters's ANA B. IBARRA: "A California hospital that left a county of 160,000 people without critical emergency care when it shut down 13 months ago took a significant step toward reopening last week, and it could begin accepting patients as early as this summer.
That’s good news for the residents of Madera County, but the court-approved deal to revive the hospital elicited mixed reactions among some San Joaquin Valley leaders who wanted a different option."
Mayor Breed scraps plan for S.F. sober living facility near Chinatown after opposition
The Chronicle's KO LYN CHEANG: "Mayor London Breed scrapped a plan Tuesday for a sober living facility on the edge of Chinatown for people recovering from addiction after vigorous opposition from local advocates and merchants.
The proposal to transform the 150-unit hotel at 935 Kearny St. was the latest push by Breed to fight the drug crisis that caused record overdose deaths in the city last year and sparked anger over open-air drug dealing and use. The facility would have provided housing well as onsite supportive services for homeless individuals who want to refrain from drug and alcohol use."
S.F. added hundreds of mental health and addiction treatment beds. So why are many sitting empty?
The Chronicle, MAGGIE ANGST: "Despite San Francisco expanding its capacity to care for those struggling with mental health issues and drug addiction, dozens of treatment beds are routinely sitting empty.
San Francisco over the past three years has added about 350 mental health and addiction treatment beds, marking a 16% jump in capacity and bringing the city’s total to about 2,550 beds. But from July through December 2023, the city estimates that 15%-20% of its short-term residential mental health beds went unused because of staffing shortages, according to a new report from the Department of Public Health."
University administrator steals $1.5M in tuition for gambling, ‘lavish’ trips, feds say
Sacramento Bee's JULIA MARNIN: "A University of California San Francisco administrator stole $1.5 million in tuition by deceiving nursing school students into paying her instead of the school, federal prosecutors said.
Sandra Eileen Le “did not do so out of necessity” as she “and her husband had stable jobs,” court documents say."
Farmers markets in this school district provide access to healthy food options
EdSource's LASHERICA THORNTON: "When the end-of-school bell rang, groups of students, parents and community members headed for the on-campus farmers market displaying plump green vegetables, potted seedlings and even boxes of free food.
Reflecting the community’s diversity, signs in the booths advertised crops not often seen in mainstream grocery stores, such as chijimisai (a hybrid Asian green that’s packed with nutrients) and other items popular with Asian or Latino families, alongside the standard fare."