From save our state to sanctuary, California’s immigration views have shifted dramatically
CALMATTERS // BEN CHRISTOPHER && MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN: "In 1994, a 26-year-old Alex Padilla, sporting a newly minted engineering degree from MIT, was back at home living with his parents in the San Fernando Valley when that fall’s most heated ballot measure campaign dragged him into a life of politics.
Proposition 187, the Save Our State initiative, would bar undocumented immigrants across California from using public schools, taxpayer-funded social services and non-emergency medical care."
Unsafe and inhumane: Surge of new detainees at Adelanto brings dire conditions, critics say
LAT // JENNY JARVIE && NATHAN SOLIS: "As federal immigration agents conduct mass raids across Southern California, the Adelanto ICE Processing Center is filling so rapidly it is reigniting longtime concerns about safety conditions inside the facility.
In less than two months, the number of detainees in the sprawling complex about 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles has surged from around 300 near the end of April to more than 1,200 as of Wednesday, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California."
Federal agents denied entry to Dodger Stadium parking lot: Here is what really happened
LAT // TERRY CASTLEMAN && JACK HARRIS: "Federal immigration agents in a line of unmarked white vans and SUVs attempted to enter the parking lots of Dodger Stadium on Thursday morning, sparking a wave of speculation online about potential immigration enforcement at the ballpark.
But, according to Dodgers officials, the agents were denied entry to the grounds."
From San Diego to the Bay Area, California restaurants are on edge over immigration raids
CALMATTERS // LEVI SUMAGAYSAY && LAUREN HEPLER: "Brandon Mejia usually spends his weekends conducting a symphony of vendors serving pupusas, huaraches and an array of tacos at his two weekly 909Tacolandia pop-up events.
Half food festival, half swap meet, the events draw 100-plus vendors a week in Pomona and San Bernardino. They offer a way to “legalize” street food — vendors get a reliable location, cities collect taxes and enforce health codes — while patrons enjoy delicacies from all over Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Spanglish music plays, people dance and kids flock to facepainting and pony rides."
L.A. bus ridership plummets amid fears of immigration arrests
LAT // CHRISTOPHER BUCHANAN && COLLEEN SHALBY && HANNAH FRY && LUKE JOHNSON (PHOTOS): "Reports of federal agents detaining commuters sitting at a bus stop in Pasadena this week have heightened concerns about immigration officials targeting public transportation — a key aspect of city life — in their efforts to carry out deportations across Southern California.
For the thousands of Angelenos, many of whom are Latino and rely on the city’s vast network of buses and trains to go about their daily lives, the incident in Pasadena has brought a new level of fear and uncertainty for public transportation riders."
This is the most detailed data on where Trump made gains in California
THE CHRONICLE // ASEEM SHUKLA && HARSHA DEVULAPALLI: "It’s been over half a year since Californians voted in the 2024 presidential election, but only now is the most granular look into the state’s vote available. The map below shows precinct-level vote data for nearly all of the state. To our knowledge, this is the most detailed data that has been published on California’s vote.
The Chronicle collected the data for this map from the Statewide Database, a research group based at UC Berkeley that warehouses the information used to redraw California’s legislative lines every ten years. Their work entails collecting data at the level of the voting precinct — the smallest geography at which vote data is reported, often consisting of just a few hundred votes — from each of the state’s 58 counties."
Mayor Lurie names new S.F. planning director, after a contentious approval process
THE CHRONICLE // J.K. DINEEN: "Sarah Dennis Phillips, a veteran San Francisco real estate executive who has had top roles in both the private and public sectors, has been named the city’s planning director, replacing Rich Hillis, who announced in May that he would be stepping down.
The appointment took place after a contentious closed-door Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, during which three of the seven commissioners walked out because they objected to the process by which the decision was made, according to department sources familiar with the hearing. The walk out was first reported by Mission Local."
As Los Angeles faces budget crisis, legal payouts skyrocket
LAT // NOAH GOLDBERG && PHI DO: "The amount of money that the city of Los Angeles pays annually for police misconduct, trip and falls, and other lawsuits has ballooned, rising from $64 million a decade ago to $254 million last year and $289 million this fiscal year.
The reasons are complicated, ranging from aging sidewalks to juries’ tendency to award larger judgments to possible shifts in legal strategy at the city attorney’s office to an increase in the sheer number of lawsuits against the city."
Time running out on prison jobs for disabled workers in SEIU dispute
CAPITOL WEEKLY // BRIAN JOSEPH: "A little more than two dozen disabled people, including veterans, who work as janitors at a state prison facility in Vacaville are poised to lose their jobs at the end of this month due to a protest lodged by the Service Employees International Union Local 1000.
The conflict has become complicated for Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the Legislature, who appear hesitant to step in given the union’s potential to sue over a situation that it flagged as a violation of civil service protections."
Price-gouging charges slowly mount after the fires, but some say it’s not enough
LAT // JACK FLEMMING: "California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta accused real estate agent Iman Shaghyan this week of increasing the price of a Beverly Hills rental by more than 30% in the days after the Jan. 7 fires. It’s the fourth charge Bonta has filed since price-gouging rules went into effect that prohibit rent hikes of more than 10% after a natural disaster.
“Profiting off Californians’ pain through price gouging is illegal and I will not stand for it,” Bonta said in a news release."
This California city has one of nation’s worst home insurance trajectories, report finds
THE CHRONICLE // MEGAN FAN MUNCE: " The cost of home insurance is rising at a much faster pace than the income of homeowners themselves, especially in Sacramento, according to new research from Zillow.
Since 2019, insurance premiums across the United States have risen by an estimated 38% while homeowner income has risen just 22%, the research found. The top five metro areas with the highest premium growth were all located in hurricane-prone Florida with just one exception: Sacramento."
They can’t get fire insurance. So California wineries are seeking out fire trucks and military tech
THE CHRONICLE // ESTHER MOBLEY: "As summer approaches and Napa Valley’s vineyards grow lush, the specter of wildfire looms.
The memory of Napa’s two most destructive wildfire years — 2017 and 2020 — is fresh, but preparing for future events has become difficult. Many property owners here can no longer access or afford fire insurance, and in April the Trump administration terminated a $34 million grant that the Biden administration had awarded to the county for fire mitigation efforts."
Canceling healthcare coverage for child care providers is a death sentence (OP-ED)
CAPITOL WEEKLY // PAMELA ROCHA: "When my doctor first said the word, “cancer,” my mind shot to my family – the two children I brought into this world and the 14 little learners who spend every weekday in my home‑based child‑care program. My husband – my best friend of 22 years – held my hand, tears in his eyes, and whispered, “we can do this together.” As my oncologist urged me to fight, I wondered how much strength I had left. I’d already served my country overseas, battled the relentless attacks of multiple sclerosis (MS), and spent years piecing together health coverage from partial veterans’ benefits and my husband’s insurance.
Three years on, I’m still in treatment for breast cancer and living with incurable MS. Yet every day I remind my children – and every child in my care – of the motto that carries me forward: “You may see me struggle, but you will never see me quit.”"
Layoffs at Sacramento-area charter school sparks fear for Afghan refugees
SAC BEE // ISHANI DESAI: "As a child growing up in Pakistan, Khalida Omar dreamed of wearing a doctor’s white lab coat to help anyone who asked. But her aspirations died when her brother forbid her from attending school, stopping her education at seventh grade. Omar eventually married, becoming busy with raising their child and caring for family in Afghanistan.
Then, her family fled home when the Taliban recaptured the country in August 2021 as American troops withdrew after a nearly 20-year occupation. Her husband, who obtained a Special Immigrant Visa while working with the U.S. military, settled in Sacramento, following a family member who had also relocated to the area."
District loses appeal, must pay $1 million for El Segundo middle schooler’s year of torment
LAT // ANDREW J. CAMPA: "A California appeals court sided with a former middle school student who sued the El Segundo Unified School District six years ago for failing to protect her from verbal bullying and cyberbullying.
In losing the appeal, El Segundo Unified will have to pay Eleri Irons, now in her 20s, the $1-million jury verdict she was awarded in 2022."
How changing ocean colors could impact California
THE CHRONICLE // JACK LEE: "Earth’s oceans have been getting greener at the poles and becoming bluer closer to the equator, according to a study published Thursday in Science. The shift reflects changes in marine ecosystems, which experts say could affect fish populations and create problems for fisheries, including in California.
“It has lots of potential implications for the way we use the ocean,” said Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences at UC Santa Cruz, who wasn’t part of the new study."
California will start losing daylight after summer solstice. Here’s how quickly
SAC BEE / HANNAH POUKISH: "Summer has officially begun in California.
The start of the new season is marked the summer solstice — an astronomical event that marks the longest day of the year."
Should irresponsible hikers be forced to pay for their rescue? This sheriff says yes
LAT // RONG-GONG LIN II: "The number of rescues in the wilderness areas around Mt. St. Helens keep going up — and the actions of some of those before they call for help have drawn criticism as reckless.
One man, 21, kayaked over a waterfall, suffering a spinal injury. A 54-year-old woman glissaded down Mt. St. Helens — sliding down a snow-covered slope — and suffered a head injury when she struck a rock."
Canadian tariffs on US steel and aluminum could rise depending on trade talks, Carney says
ASSOCIATED PRESS // ROB GILLIES: "Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he will impose new tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports on July 21 depending the progress of trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Carney, who met with Trump at the Group of Seven meetings in Alberta this week, reiterated Thursday that Canada and the U.S. "agreed to pursue negotiations toward a deal within the coming 30 days.""
It’s time for California to modernize public works penalties (OP-ED)
CAPITOL WEEKLY // DINA MORSI: "California’s public works construction market is worth a staggering $46 billion—and growing. But behind this impressive figure lies a problem that’s costing workers, taxpayers, and responsible contractors alike: outdated penalty and registration systems that effectively reward cheaters and leave regulatory agencies dangerously underfunded.
Here’s the crux of the problem. Despite a 41% increase in public construction spending over the past decade and a 42% jump in revenue among California’s top contractors, the penalties for breaking public works labor laws haven’t been updated in over ten years. It’s been more than five years since we updated the contractor registration fees that help fund enforcement."
Sacramento County seeks to end homelessness for seniors by 2030. Is it possible?
SAC BEE // EMMA HALL: "By 2030, Sacramento County wants to eliminate homelessness for all adults 60 and older and for people living with a disability.
Sacramento County’s Age and Disability Plan outlines strategies to provide affordable and accessible housing for both older residents and for residents with a disability, the plan stated. To accomplish this, Sacramento County seeks to provide equitable housing opportunities, said county spokesperson Macy Obernuefemann."
Hunger strike begins as California prisons hand down biggest restrictions since Covid
CALMATTERS // CAYLA MIHALOVICH: "The corrections department “significantly limited” the daily activities and movement of roughly 34,000 incarcerated people on June 12 in response to a recent uptick in violence, overdoses and contraband, according to its website.
Under the restrictions, incarcerated people are forced to remain primarily in their cell or dormitory. All in-person visitation, programming, phone access and tablet communications has been suspended. Medical care and other essential services will continue, the department said."