Big changes at Social Security? Here’s what’s in store for California’s seniors
Sac BNee, DAVID LIGHTMAN: "Big changes are coming that will affect how the public deals with Social Security.
Benefits won’t be cut, and virtually all California offices are likely to stay open. But there will be new policies that critics say will make getting personal service more difficult."
Has Trump created a 'constitutional crisis'? This is what the experts say
The Chronicle, BOB EGELKO: "As confrontations increase and tensions mount between President Donald Trump’s administration and the judiciary, there are growing debates in legal and political circles about whether the nation is approaching, or has reached, a “constitutional crisis” — a threat to the very essence of U.S. government, as defined in its founding document.
It depends, of course, on how one defines the term. Could a president’s repeated disparagement of judges who rule against him, and calls for their impeachment, create a constitutional crisis? Or his attempts to sidestep unfavorable rulings, accompanied by the president’s Napoleonic declaration that “he who saves his country does not violate any law”? Or would it require outright defiance of a Supreme Court decision?"
Katie Porter and Barbara Lee are running for executive roles. Did Congress prepare them?
The Chronicle, SHIRA STEIN: "Former Rep. Barbara Lee has made her ability to steer funds to Oakland — something she did throughout her three decades in Congress — a central pitch of her campaign to become the city’s mayor. Former Rep. Katie Porter, meanwhile, has said her time holding the “Trump administration’s feet to the fire when they hurt Americans” has prepared her for leading California as he repeatedly attacks the state.
But making the leap from Congress into an executive role isn’t an apples-to-apples transition. In fact, if successful in their races, Porter and Lee would be taking on roles with little similarity to their time in Congress — and the likelihood that they will be blamed for anything that goes wrong, even if it isn’t directly their responsibility or fault."
What do the city records show about the alleged bribe in the Sacramento mayor’s race?
Sac Bee, JOE RUBIN: "Three weeks before allegedly offering a bribe to Sacramento mayoral candidate Flojaune Cofer, California Black Chamber of Commerce President Jay King had a previously undisclosed 90-minute lunch meeting with then-City Manager Howard Chan and developer Paul Petrovich.
During a September phone call, Cofer said she was asked by King to extend Chan’s contract. If she did, she said, King promised that Petrovich would make a substantial campaign contribution."
Barbara Lee has avid fans in Oakland mayor’s race. But Loren Taylor is making it a contest
LAT, HANNAH WILEY: "On a recent Saturday in March, several hundred people filled the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland for a quintessential party to honor longtime Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee.
Oakland’s Youth Poet Laureate Ella Gordon recited a powerful poem about the magic of living in the diverse East Bay city, while performances from Destiny Muhammad, a.k.a. the Harpist from the Hood, and young dancers in the African Queens Dance Company ignited the venue with the kind of soulful, grassroots energy for which this town is renowned."
With billions at stake, lawyers pour into Altadena and race to courthouse
LAT, MATT HAMILTON: "She is the nation’s most famous legal secretary, whose real-life advocacy on toxic groundwater was portrayed by Julia Roberts to Oscar-winning acclaim.
He is the most recognizable civil rights attorney of his generation, winning millions of dollars for Black and brown families whose loved ones — George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown — died at the hands of police and sparked a global outcry."
Dan Walters Marks Fifty Years Covering the Capitol (PODCAST)
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "Longtime political columnist Dan Walters joins us to talk about his fifty years covering state capitol politics. Walters began covering politics in 1975 – just months after Jerry Brown was sworn in for his first term as Governor – and hasn’t stopped since. He began writing his column for the Sacramento Union in 1981 and continued when he moved to the Union’s crosstown rival The Sacramento Bee in 1984. He has been with CalMatters since 2017. Walters spoke with us about how the capitol has changed in the half century he has been covering it, shared his favorite Jerry Brown story, and finally came clean about how he scooped the rest of the press corp on the state Budget story, over and over again. Plus – Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics?"
Capitol Weekly, LEAH LENTZ: "Ray LeBov is well known around the Capitol—not just for his prowess as a lobbyist and former legislative counsel but also for his kindness, generosity and joy he brings everywhere he goes. Over the last 50 years, he has shaped the lobbying community, both through his work in the legislature, as a lobbyist and as a mentor to thousands of advocates.
Hollywood often portrays lobbyists as collusive dealmakers, but LeBov sees the profession differently. He says it’s not about twisting arms but being prepared, strategic, and honest. Those who work with him or have taken his seminars praise how he approaches lobbying the right way."
Unions ask California to play a more powerful role in labor disputes
CALMatters, LYNN LA: "They’ve introduced a bill that would give the state a new role in union disputes. Assembly Bill 288 by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor would give the state jurisdiction over union elections, accusations of employer retaliation and other cases between employers and unions — in the event the federal board doesn’t or can’t respond.
The proposal by the Inglewood Democrat is likely to face pushback from businesses and legal challenges, primarily over the question of whether the bill would infringe on federal law."
Women are at much higher risk of long COVID than men. Why?
The Chronicle, CATHERINE HO: "Five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, long COVID — one of the most mysterious and debilitating consequences of the virus — remains with us, and is disproportionately affecting women.
An estimated 15 million to 20 million Americans have had long COVID, which is defined as having symptoms that last more than three months, often including fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath."
USC calls for hiring freeze, austerity efforts amid budget woes and Trump investigations
LAT, DANIEL MILLER/JAWEED KALEEM: "Roiled by multiple investigations from the Trump administration, USC has announced a slate of cutbacks — including a staff hiring freeze — as it braces for what it called “federal funding uncertainty” in a letter released Monday.
Among the nine austerity measures are a reassessment of capital spending projects and restrictions on discretionary spending, according to the letter signed by university leaders including outgoing President Carol Folt."
Rural California schools and roads lose millions in federal funding after latest cuts
CALMatters, CAROLYN JONES: "For more than a century, Congress has given extra money to counties with large tracts of federal land to help pay for schools, roads and other critical services. Now that financial lifeline appears to be dead after Congress didn’t include it in the budget passed this month — a victim of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures.
The Secure Rural Schools Act would have brought in at least $33 million to California counties that have land owned by the federal government, such as the U.S. Forest Service. The money is intended to compensate counties for tax revenue they can’t collect on federally-owned land."
Trans girls sports: exclusion is a solution to a non-problem
Capitol Weekly, ABBY ROSS: "Governor Gavin Newsom has expressed support for excluding trans girls from girls’ sports. This is a tempting position because it would seem “fair” to keep boys out of girls’ sports and “unfair” to let them play.
This seductive idea appeals to emotions. But the premise is wrong."
Bay Area weather in for dramatic shift after record-breaking heat
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "San Francisco is set to experience a dramatic swing in temperatures the next two days as a brief, yet record-setting March warm spell comes to an abrupt end.
Tuesday will make another run at 80 degrees in San Francisco — specifically, at the city’s official weather station in Duboce Triangle — nearly 20 degrees above average for late March. But temperatures will crash to the low 60s Wednesday as ocean-chilled winds pick up and introduce a chance of drizzle to the forecast."
CALMatters, BEN CHRISTOPHER: "New bursts of yellow dot the hills of Mendocino County.
Smears of burnt orange now span the aqueduct near Bakersfield."
After L.A. wildfires, experts offer a road map for how to speed up recovery
LAT, ROGER VINCENT: "A prominent group of academics and real estate industry experts has crafted a far-reaching plan to hasten the recovery of Los Angeles County neighborhoods devastated by the January wildfires.
The authors identified roadblocks to recovery and proposed such solutions as speeding construction approval processes; addressing labor and supply chain issues; and stabilizing California’s property insurance market."
23andMe files for bankruptcy protection: Here’s how to delete your genetic data
The Chronicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "23andMe, the Bay Area genetic testing company that once enjoyed a $6 billion valuation, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Missouri federal court.
The filing, made Sunday night, marks a dramatic turn for the company, which has faced mounting financial difficulties and operational challenges."
How looming tariffs are worsening California’s alcohol industry hangover
LAT, ANDREA CHANG: "Back in December, alcohol importer Raza Zaidi in San Francisco placed an order for a pallet of gins, liqueurs and bitters from a Mexican spirits producer.
As the truck made its way north toward the border several weeks later, it was up against the clock: On Feb. 1, President Trump had announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada."