Major atmospheric river storm is barreling toward California: ‘Prepare for the worst’
LAT, RONG-GONG LIN II/HANNAH FRY: "A major atmospheric river storm — strong enough to potentially rival some of the extreme storms that have walloped Southern California in recent winters — is barreling toward the coast, raising the specter of damaging landslides and flooding across the region.
This storm, forecast to reach Southern California shortly before Valentine’s Day on Friday, is expected to be the strongest of the winter so far, according to the National Weather Service office in Oxnard."
READ MORE -- Powerful winter storm to slam California with heavy rain, winds and snow. Here’s what to expect -- The Chronicle, GREG PORTER
Powerful new rainstorm brings risk of debris flows to L.A. fire zones this week
LAT, RONG-GONG LIN II: "Southern California faces a risk of damaging debris flows this week, as a potentially strong atmospheric river is set to arrive in the region.
Rain is likely to arrive by Wednesday morning, but the bigger threat is expected early Thursday, and continuing through Thursday night or Friday morning. The storm threatens to drop significant amounts of rain, forecasters say — possibly 2 to 4 inches or more along the coast and in valleys, and 4 to 8 inches or more in the mountains and foothills."
California reservoirs gained billions of gallons of water in recent storms. Charts show where
The Chronicle, JACK LEE: "Atmospheric river-fueled storms that soaked California over the past week benefited the state’s water supply. In addition to providing a “much-needed boost to the statewide snowpack,” storms increased storage in California’s major water supply reservoirs, said Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources, by email.
Across the state, reservoir storage is well above average for this time of year, according to the Department of Water Resources. Statewide storage was 121% of average Friday, up from 115% of average a week earlier."
Newsom wants homeowners in burn areas to get interest earned on insurance payouts
LAT, EMILY ALPERT REYES: "As Los Angeles reels from the devastation of the Palisades and Eaton fires, Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to sponsor a bill that would ensure that homeowners, not lenders, benefit from interest earned on insurance payouts for destroyed or damaged properties, according to his office.
“Homeowners rebuilding after a disaster need all the support they can get, including the interest earned on their insurance funds,” Newsom said in a statement announcing the planned bill."
Trump directs the U.S. Treasury to stop minting pennies
LAT, JILL COLVIN: "President Trump says he has directed the Treasury Department to stop minting new pennies, citing the rising cost of producing the one-cent coin.
“For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful!” Trump wrote in a post Sunday night on his Truth Social site. “I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.”"
Trump’s executive orders on immigration are creating ‘fear’. What you need to know about them
CALMatters, JEANNE KUANG: "President Donald Trump returned to office last month with a major show of force on immigration, issuing numerous orders and directives to dramatically crack down on enforcement.
They’ve sparked glee from his supporters, condemnation from his opponents, fear from immigrant communities amid nationwide raids — and also plenty of false alarms."
Under Trump, Republican parts of California see opportunity to challenge state law
The Chronicle, SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Last month, Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns, a retired police officer, gave an impassioned speech about the importance of following the law.
“If somebody told me to do something that was illegal, I don’t care if I was a rookie or a 30-year experienced cop, you weren’t exempt from breaking the law,” he said from the City Council dais, where a bust of President Donald Trump perched next to his microphone. “If you broke that law, even if it was ordered by the chief of police, you were going to be held accountable for breaking the law.”"
The Micheli Minute, February 10, 2025
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "Lobbyist and author Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week in Sacramento."
Trump shut down public health communications & funding. ‘Unprecedented and unacceptable’
Sac Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "Nearly three dozen U.S. senators, including both members of California’s Senate delegation, last week signed a letter to Acting Health and Human Services Secretary Dorothy Fink, demanding an explanation for, and an end to, President Donald Trump’s freeze on external public health communications and funding.
Two days after Trump took office — Jan. 22 — he ordered all 13 agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) umbrella — including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — to cease all public communications and grant disbursements until Feb. 1."
Two U.S. senators slammed an S.F. telehealth company’s Super Bowl ad. Here’s why
The Chronicle, JD MORRIS: "A San Francisco online health company that recently faced local backlash over its donation to President Donald Trump’s inauguration is now in hot water over a Super Bowl ad.
Hims & Hers, a telehealth firm, is promoting the compounded weight loss drug it offers in a provocative 60-second commercial that’s set to air during Sunday’s NFL championship and is already watchable online. The drug is similar to Ozempic, except the medications are custom-prepared by specialized pharmacies before being sent to patients. Compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration."
California school districts are weighed down by new costs of old sexual assaults
EdSource, JOHN FENSTERWALD: "School districts’ costs for compensating students victimized by sexual assault are escalating by billions of dollars. Many cases date back decades and were revived by a 2019 state law that widely expanded liability exposure of schools and other public agencies for past child sexual assaults.
An independent analysis of that law indicates a severe impact. Litigation will siphon tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars from general funds. Adverse jury verdicts and settlements could cost districts millions, potentially forcing layoffs and program reductions. Most districts will face record assessments to sustain shared insurance risk pools they contribute to."
California loves Dungeness crab. But concerns over whale safety have put the industry in peril
LAT, HANNAH WILEY: "It was a calm January morning, the waters off Bodega Bay unusually smooth, but crab fisherman Dick Ogg couldn’t shake a grim feeling that the day wouldn’t go his way.
The Dungeness crab season had opened just a few weeks earlier — two months behind schedule — and was off to a slow start. “We’re working very hard to basically get nothing,” said Ogg."
How much more expensive are your groceries? This app does the inflation math
The Chronicle, JESSICA ROY: "How much has your grocery bill gone up in the past few years?
A lot? Too much? More than you’d like?"
It takes a while to save up for a home in the Bay Area. But not as long as here
The Chronicle, CHRISTIAN LEONARD: "In one coastal Californian county with a history of resisting new housing, saving enough money for a down payment on a home takes more than two decades. It’s not San Francisco.
It takes a middle-income household an estimated 21 years to afford a down payment for the typical home in Santa Cruz County, which comprises the Santa Cruz metropolitan area. That estimate, calculated by real estate company Zillow, is tied for the second-longest period of any metro area in the United States. The Santa Maria metro area, on the southern end of California’s Central Coast region, had the same estimate."