Red states could be the biggest victims of Trump’s plan to kill off FEMA
The Chronicle, SHIRA STEIN: "President Donald Trump’s call to dissolve the Federal Emergency Management Agency would upend the emergency management paradigm and make future responses more difficult, experts say. Some of the states likely to be hit hardest by such a shift would be red states that support Trump.
“FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic, and it's very slow,” Trump said during a Jan. 24 event in Fletcher, N.C., following Hurricane Helene."
The return-to-office question on California state workers’ minds: ‘Why now?’
Sac Bee, STEPHEN HOBBS/WILLIAM MELHADO: "Jonah Paul, like many of his peers, is loath to work in-person four days a week.
The marketing analyst for the Employment Development Department lives in Oakland. The trip to and from Sacramento to work in person is a 14-hour affair."
Could a Republican actually be the next California governor?
Capitol Weekly, BRIAN JOSEPH: "The 2023 Netflix documentary series “Arnold” was not surprisingly cast as a celebration of its titular subject, but it could just as easily serve as a time capsule for a bygone era of Sacramento politics.
The series’ third installment, which focused on Arnold Scwharzengger’s time as California governor, touches on once-common features of the Capitol that have disappeared in recent years: contentious budget battles, press conferences in Room 1190 and former Senate pro Tem John Burton swearing like a %#^ing sailor."
Technology wasn’t responsible for west Altadena alert failures, company says
LAT, REBECCA ELLIS: "The failure to send evacuation alerts to west Altadena in the early hours of the Eaton fire was not the result of a technological error, according to the company that provides L.A. County with emergency alert software.
Until the statement by Richard Danforth, head of Genasys, it was unclear whether the failure was due to software issues — or if, during a chaotic night, county officials made mistakes and bungled the alerts."
READ MORE -- Meltdowns, nightmares and regressions: The L.A. fires are taking a traumatic toll on kids -- LAT, JENNY GOLD
Bidwell Mansion arsonist sentenced to prison and owes millions for Chico blaze
Sac Bee, JAKE GOODRICK: "On a cold December day, Kevin Alexander Carlson walked the streets of downtown Chico, weighed down by discontent.
Hours later, the city’s most storied landmark was an inferno, reduced to little more than charred remains of its 150-year legacy."
What does the California resistance look like in a second Trump administration?
Sac Bee, JENAVIEVE HATCH: "The day after Donald Trump’s first inauguration in January 2017, an estimated 20,000 people marched through downtown Sacramento, from Southside Park to the steps of the state Capitol, chanting “Enough is enough!” and “We won’t go back!” They wore matching, bubblegum pink knit pussyhat beanies, carried signs decorated with Princess Leia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and slogans such as “Nasty Woman” and “A woman’s place is in the resistance.”
The event, which lasted all day from about 9:30 a.m. to after 4 p.m., jammed traffic, public transportation and data service. It was one of hundreds of Women’s Marches across the country; the Women’s March on Washington was held in Washington, D.C., and drew at least 470,000 people — an estimated three times more than the number of attendees at Trump’s first inauguration. In California, local Women’s Marches were so popular that one in 45 people attended one."
Wildfires. Sex abuse lawsuits. Trump. L.A. County budget is under “enormous” pressure
LAT, REBECCA ELLIS/KERI BLAKINGER: "The L.A. County government is considering a hiring freeze as its $45-billion budget faces “enormous pressures” from devastating wildfires, a flood of sex abuse lawsuits and a White House threatening to slash funding.
Without a hiring freeze, Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport warned county supervisors in a March 4 letter that “the situation could devolve into a fiscal crisis.”"
Troubling misconduct by S.F. city workers detailed in whistleblower reports
The Chronicle, ALDO TOLEDO: "Selling contraband on city property. Showing up to work intoxicated. Bullying and harassing other workers.
These are just a few examples of the numerous alleged incidents of misconduct by city employees in 2024 as outlined in whistleblower reports that also highlighted accusations of nepotism, illegal behavior and conflicts of interest."
SoCal immigrants, allies can learn what to do when ICE shows up. Here’s how
LAT, KAREN GARCIA: "Amid increased reports of immigration authorities in Los Angeles, organizations are hosting informational workshops and events to inform residents of their rights and detail what to expect during interactions with ICE agents.
The need for such resources is apparent, advocates say. During a recent City Council meeting, council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents part of South L.A., said when agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were in his district, “neighbors were on the street helping neighbors. People who didn’t know their rights, neighbors were telling them their rights.”"
READ MORE -- Northern California town declares itself a ‘non-sanctuary city’ in opposition to California laws -- The Chronicle, KO LYN CHEANG
California is spending billions on mental health housing. Will it reach those most in need?
CALMatters, KRISTEN HWANG: "The Newsom administration is moving swiftly to distribute by May billions of dollars from the 2024 mental health bond narrowly approved by voters, but concerns are emerging about whether areas of the state that have the greatest need will be left behind, according to testimony at legislative oversight hearing this week.
Proposition 1, championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, pledged to inject $6.4 billion into the state’s overburdened mental health and addiction treatment system. Newsom promised voters the move would help the state address its homelessness crisis, which is often publicly associated with unaddressed mental health and substance use issues."
Should babies get a ‘bonus dose’ of the measles vaccine? Doctors say it depends
LAT, SONJA SHARP/JENNY GOLD: "Like many anxious parents, Beth Spektor spent the last few weeks fretting over how to protect her infant daughter from the first deadly measles outbreak to hit the U.S. in a decade.
Her 9-month-old was too young for the first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, typically given to American toddlers shortly after their first birthday."v
Ex-CapRadio GM’s lawyer says any financial errors were ‘unintentional’ as station sues
Sac Bee, ISHANI DESAI: "Jun Reina, a former general manager of Capital Public Radio and a central figure in the station’s financial woes, has largely remained silent as questions mounted over a scathing audit’s findings of questionable expenses and financial mismanagement.
But on Wednesday, Reina in a court filing denied allegations lodged by the station in a civil lawsuit late last year. CapRadio accused him in the theft of at least $370,000 in station funds for luxury vacations and extensive home renovations, among several other personal expenses. He “surreptitiously” opened corporate credit cards only he could access without informing the board, according to the nonprofit’s lawsuit filed in December."
CALMatters, ADAM ECHELMAN/ERICA YEE: "$390,000 to Jaylon Tyson, a former basketball guard at UC Berkeley, from a group of private donors.
$3,000 to Jordan Chiles, a UCLA gymnast and Olympic gold-medal winner, from Grammarly, an AI writing company."
Student test score descriptions get a makeover: Advanced, Proficient, Developing, Minimal
LAT, HOWARD BLUME: "The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved new labels to inform families and teachers about how students are performing on state standardized tests, aiming to provide clear descriptions that will not be demoralizing for lower-performing students.
Student scores will be ranked in one of four categories on California’s annual tests in math, reading and science. The new categories will be: Advanced, Proficient, Developing and Minimal."
Job hunting is awful. California believes its ‘Career Passport’ can change that
EdSource, EMMA GALLEGOS: "Travon Reed is currently a housing navigator in South Los Angeles who helps those who live on the street to find housing through the Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System (HOPICS). He credits the classes he took at East Los Angeles College for preparing him for his career in social work.
He described his classes at East L.A. as “the gifts that keep on giving.”"
Department of Justice investigates allegations of antisemitism at UC
EdSource, STAFF: "The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it has launched a civil rights probe into allegations of antisemitism at the University of California, saying its attorneys argue there is a “potential pattern” of discrimination against Jewish employees at the state’s flagship higher education system, the LA Times reported.
The investigation seeks to determine if UC “engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses,” the department said in a statement."
California must not miss critical deadline to tackle plastic pollution (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly, JULIE PACKARD/WENDY SCHMIDT: "California has long been a leader in environmental protection. From cutting tailpipe emissions, to keeping our coastline accessible to all, and incorporating environmental justice as a core principle in our laws, the state has been the benchmark to which others aspire.
Our actions to curb plastic pollution are second to none. California outlawed microplastic beads in personal care products and banned single-use plastic grocery bags. Three years ago, California enacted the most far-reaching legislation anywhere to cut plastic pollution at the source and hold producers responsible for the plastic they create. Senate Bill 54 (Allen, 2022) was a monumental bipartisan accomplishment. When he signed it into law, Gov. Gavin Newsom clearly laid out the stakes– and the significance:"
Unsettled Bay Area weather continues with a chance of thunderstorms, small hail
The Chronicle, GREG PORTER: "The unsettled weather isn’t over yet. Following a weak system that brought light rain to the South Bay on Wednesday, a second upper-level storm will drop down the California coast and push through the Bay Area on Thursday, bringing scattered storms with brief downpours, small hail and even a few snowflakes.
This system will carry a pocket of cold air aloft, dropping freezing levels to between 2,500 and 3,500 feet above the Bay Area on Thursday morning. That will set the stage for two key impacts. The cold air will allow for light snowfall or flurries on the higher peaks of eastern Santa Clara County, including Mount Hamilton and Mount Isabel, which should have a light dusting of snow visible by Thursday afternoon. More substantial snow amounts will fall across the Sierra Nevada and mountains around Los Angeles where winter weather warnings are in place."
Surge in California electric vehicle sales could hurt state’s fight against pollution
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "California leaders who want to fight pollution now face a quandary — and it stems, oddly, from the rise of electric cars.
As more people buy fuel-efficient or zero-emission vehicles, the public’s consumption of gas has declined, and so has the revenue that California draws from gas taxes."
Exclusive: S.F. AI company to invest $1 billion in the city over the next three years
The Chronicle, LAURA WAXMANN: "Databricks is the latest artificial intelligence startup to give San Francisco’s beleaguered economy a jolt: The 12-year-old company confirmed to the Chronicle that it is investing more than $1 billion into the city over the next three years.
The investment will come in the form of an office expansion as Databricks has signed a long-term lease at 1 Sansome St. for a new, larger headquarters in the city’s vacancy-riddled downtown. The company said it will use the 150,000-square-foot space to double its team over the next two years. It plans — and has options — to eventually grow its footprint in the building."
Los Angeles stops accepting new applicants for Section 8, citing budget uncertainty in Washington
LAT, ANDREW KHOURI: "The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles has stopped accepting new applicants for the Section 8 voucher program that subsidizes rent for tens of thousands of tenants in the city.
The local authority, which is funded by the federal government, said it made the move because it doesn’t expect Congress to provide enough cash this year to maintain current operations."
AARP ranked the best places for older Americans — the top one is in the Bay Area
The Chronicle, JESSICA ROY: "What’s the best big city for older Americans to live in? According to the AARP, it’s San Francisco.
The AARP’s Public Policy Institute’s Livability Index Platform measures every neighborhood in America across 61 different indicators of livability across seven categories. The AARP broke up the rankings by community size – small, midsize, large and very large, where San Francisco landed in the top spot. Most of the places listed are cities, though the AARP also indexes counties, suburbs, small towns and other types of communities."
Daniel Lurie wants to expand S.F.’s homeless shelters. Not everyone likes his plans so far
The Chronicle, JD MORRIS/MAGGIE ANGST: "The most ambitious part of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s agenda — a pledge to add 1,500 homeless shelter beds in just six months — is running into its first political speedbumps.
In the Tenderloin, Lower Nob Hill and Bayview districts, some community members are pushing back on plans from Lurie’s administration to either extend the operation of controversial shelter sites or build a large new shelter."
How a law to ban homeless encampments threw a California city into chaos
LAT, HANNAH WILEY: "Dominating one corner of a sprawling homeless encampment on an abandoned lot next to Fremont’s rumbling BART tracks, Michael Austin has built his own kind of palace.
His makeshift home — a tent fortified with wood paneling, steel poles and chain link fencing — rises two stories high, with a day bed on the first floor and a queen mattress on the second, plenty of cushioning for his 18 cats to get cozy. He’s built a fire pit out front, and planted a long pole in the middle of camp to fly the American flag. Scattered throughout his camp, along with piles of dried cat food, is an assortment of tools, scrap metal and motor gear that Austin, 60, transforms into mini go-karts, motorized bikes and scooters."
San Jose mayor unveils plan to arrest homeless residents who refuse shelter
The Chronicle, JOE GAROFOLI: "San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan will introduce a proposal Thursday making it a crime for people who are homeless to refuse an offer of shelter three times.
Mahan said his intention isn’t to send people to jail, but to force people who have been refusing shelter into drug court where they could be steered into receiving the health or addiction counseling services that they may need."
Tesla makes step toward robotaxi services in California. What to know
LAT, SANDRA MCDONALD/CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN: "As robotaxis become a more familiar sight on the streets of Los Angeles, Tesla has taken a step that could bring it closer to building its own fleet of self-driving electric vehicles, the California Public Utilities Commission confirmed last week.
In November, Tesla applied for a permit that would allow the electric vehicle manufacturing giant to deploy transportation services with company-owned vehicles and human drivers. The permit would be required for Tesla to advance to autonomous cabs."