Voters in poll side with Newsom, Democrats on Prop. 50 — a potential blow to Trump and GOP
LAT, SEEMA MEHTA: "A Nov. 4 statewide ballot measure pushed by California Democrats to help the party’s efforts to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives and stifle President Trump’s agenda has a substantial lead in a new poll released on Thursday.
Six out of 10 likely voters support Proposition 50, the proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies to redraw the state’s congressional districts to try to increase the number of Democrats in Congress, according to a survey by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies that was co-sponsored by The Times. About 38% of likely voters oppose the ballot measure."
READ MORE -- Still unsure about Prop. 50? You might be the only one -- LAT, ANITA CHABRIA; Would Prop. 50 really flip two Central Valley seats? It’s a gamble -- Sac Bee, NICOLE NIXON
Gavin Newsom’s biggest political test yet is on the ballot next Tuesday
CALMatters, JEANNE KUANG: "As President Donald Trump prepared to send a phalanx of federal immigration agents into the Bay Area, Gov. Gavin Newsom bemoaned the lack of outrage about Trump’s actions and ramped up his own warnings about election manipulation.
“He is going to try to rig this election,” he told reporters last week, referring to Trump’s pursuit of Republican gerrymandering in red states to ensure the party holds onto its slim majority in Congress next year."
What happens when an election skeptic runs elections? In this California county, they’re finding out
Chronicle, RAHEEM HOSSEINI: "It was a typical appearance for one of California’s least typical elections officials.
Two weeks before the Nov. 4 election, the first he will oversee, Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis stood inside an event space at Win-River Resort & Casino in Redding backdropped by signs opposing Proposition 50. Snowy-haired in a blue blazer and bright red tie, Curtis assailed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to redistricting grabs in Texas and other red states and stumped for a proposed Republican initiative that would require Californians to obtain new government documents to vote."
These Bay Area businesses rely on SNAP customers. What happens when food benefits end?
Chronicle, KO LYN CHEANG/ROLAND LI: "Two days before SNAP food assistance benefits were set to expire, Oakland Chinatown grocery store owner Pei Ming Qi was worried.
He estimated that 90% of his customers in the low-income, aging neighborhood use SNAP. He’d noticed that his stream of afternoon shoppers, while steady, have been opting to buy less groceries than normal. It seemed they were saving what little money they had remaining in their EBT cash cards, he said."
Trump cuts tariffs on China after meeting Xi in South Korea
LAT, JOSH BOAK/CHRIS MEGERIAN.MARK SCHIEFELBEIN: "President Trump described his face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China, while Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans.
The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that the U.S. would lower tariffs implemented earlier this year as punishment on China for its selling of chemicals used to make fentanyl from 20% to 10%. That brings the total combined tariff rate on China down from 57% to 47%"
What makes a rebellion? Trump’s troop deployment may hinge on one man’s dictionary
LAT, SONJA SHARP: "At the center of the sprawling legal battle over President Trump’s domestic military deployments is a single word: rebellion.
To justify sending the National Guard to Los Angeles and other cities over the outcry of local leaders, the Trump administration has cited an obscure and little-used law empowering presidents to federalize soldiers to “suppress” a rebellion, or the threat of one."
SB 41: getting deep in the weeds on pharmacy benefit managers
Capitol Weekly, BRIAN JOSEPH: "For years, pharmacy benefit managers – prescription drug middlemen often referred to by the shorthand term PBMs – have gone virtually unregulated in California. With Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature on October 11th of a PBM regulation bill (SB 41) authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), that is going to change significantly.
For the uninitiated, PBMs are companies that contract with health insurers and employers to manage the prescription drug benefits for millions of Americans. They’re responsible for a variety of tasks, including maintaining formularies and processing claims, but their biggest job is arguably negotiating with both manufacturers and pharmacies."
An orientation to the California Capitol for lobby day attendees
Capitol Weekly, CHRIS MICHELI: "This edition of the Micheli Files is intended to provide an orientation to the California State Capitol and its accompanying Swing Space for individuals participating in a lobby day. Part II of last week’s Micheli Files, More insights on drafting legislation in California, will run next week.
The State Capitol
The California State Capitol is the seat of state government, located in Sacramento. The building houses the chambers of the State Legislature, which is comprised of the Assembly and the Senate. We often refer to this building as the historic side of the Capitol."
With Phil Serna not seeking reelection, who will run to replace him?
Sac Bee, EMMA HALL/THERESA CLIFT: "With longtime Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna announcing he won’t seek reelection, several political heavy hitters are interested.
Longtime Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra is interested in running for the seat, he told The Sacramento Bee Wednesday. Councilmember Karina Talamantes and Flojaune Cofer, who narrowly lost last year’s election for mayor, said they are considering running for the role."
OpenAI just cut a deal with California. Critics say it’s full of holes
CALMatters, KHARI JOHNSON/LEVI SUMAGAYSAY: "OpenAI said Tuesday it would restructure as a for-profit company in a way that addresses concerns from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who signed off on the transformation.
But details of the move could revive worries that OpenAI is misusing charitable tax exemptions, experts and advocates told CalMatters. The ChatGPT maker is putting its nonprofit arm nominally in control of the for-profit entity, but there are numerous ways the for-profit company could end up calling the shots, these people said. There are also important, unanswered questions about the safeguards that are supposed to keep that from happening."
California consumers the big winners in Frontier acquisition (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly, SUNNE WRIGHT MCPEAK: "California has another opportunity to expand high-speed internet for millions of residents — while strengthening the industry for the future. But time is of the essence to make this happen.
A year ago, Verizon requested that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approve its acquisition of Frontier, another major internet provider serving many Californians. The Commission has led a thoughtful, systematic process considering the evidence and consumer input. As a part of this process, Verizon has made commitments that’ll deliver big wins for California: connecting 75,000 households to fiber, add 250 new 5G cell sites that’ll improve wireless communications, create 600 new jobs for skilled union workers, generate $40 million to get 100,000 low-income households online, and invest $500 million for small businesses."
Wave of RSV, particularly dangerous for babies, washing over U.S.; doctors urge vaccination
LAT, RONG-GONG LIN II: "A wave of the highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus is beginning to wash over the United States — sending greater numbers of babies and toddlers to the hospital, recent data show.
The onset of RSV comes as the country heads into the wider fall-and-winter respiratory virus season, also typically marked by increased circulation of ailments such as COVID-19 and the flu. But RSV, the leading cause of infant hospitalization nationwide, presents particular risk for the youngest babies, a major reason health experts recommend pregnant women either get vaccinated near their delivery date or immunize their newborns."
California’s next university has a plan and programs. All it needs is a campus
CALMatters, DEBORAH BRENNAN: "By 2027 students in South County San Diego County will be able to earn eight different bachelor’s degrees from three public universities while enrolled in the new Chula Vista University. That’s before it even has a campus.
The university, which opens for class next year, promises a novel approach to higher education, as a hybrid institution with programs from San Diego State, Cal State San Marcos, UC San Diego and Southwestern College."
Which University of California employees were paid the most last year? See top 25
Sac Bee, WILLIAM MELHADO: "The highest paid state employees work for the University of California system as coaches, doctors and leaders of medical centers. The Bee’s state worker salary database has been updated to include the 2024 numbers for University of California employees.
The salaries for the top 25 most well-compensated university employees ranged from $1.7 million to $4.7 million. Cal’s Golden Bears head football coach, Justin Wilcox, took home the highest salary last year."
UC Berkeley animal rights activist found guilty in ‘chicken rescue’ trial
Chronicle, CONNOR LETOURNEAU: "A UC Berkeley senior has been found guilty for taking four chickens valued at around $24 from a Petaluma-area poultry processing facility, a verdict that figures to send shockwaves through America’s animal rights movement.
On Wednesday afternoon, after about 3½ hours of deliberation, jurors convicted Zoe Rosenberg on all charges: felony conspiracy and three misdemeanors. The 23-year-old San Luis Obispo native faces up to five years in jail when she returns for sentencing on Dec. 3, though probation remains a possibility."
Why a small change in paperwork is generating a big fight over hazardous waste in California
CALMatters, ALEJANDRA REYES-VELARDE: "Just as consumers can track a package from a warehouse to their doorstep, California regulators keep tabs on the movement of hazardous waste, even on a short journey.
Now the Department of Toxic Substances Control is considering whether to lift some of those tracking requirements in situations where companies transport hazardous waste within their own properties and along some public roads."
Days before Palisades inferno, firefighters were ordered to leave smoldering burn site
LAT, PAUL PRINGLE/ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN: "Firefighters mopping up a small brush fire that authorities say reignited as the Palisades fire five days later were ordered to leave the original burn scene even though they complained the ground was still smoldering and rocks remained hot to the touch, according to firefighter text messages reviewed by The Times.
To the firefighters’ surprise, their battalion chief ordered them to roll up their hoses and pull out of the area on Jan. 2 — the day after the 8-acre blaze was declared contained — rather than stay and make sure there were no hidden embers that could spark a new fire, the text messages said."
A ‘dry’ cold front is moving toward the Bay Area. Here’s how it will impact weather
Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "Winds are set to reverse and blow cooler air back into the Bay Area on Thursday, putting a temporary hold on a spell of warm weather.
A “dry cold front” is forecast to move over the region early Thursday. Fall cold fronts often drop precipitation as they move across Northern California, but this one won’t bring any rain with it. However, winds will shift from offshore to onshore, allowing marine air to pour back toward San Francisco, dropping temperatures and raising humidity levels."
What does the latest Fed interest rate cut mean to California consumers?
Sac Bee, DAVID LIGHTMAN: "The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lowered its key interest rates, but it could be tough for Californians to see much impact.
“Consumers shouldn’t expect to feel much relief immediately,” said Amy Crews Cutts, economic consultant at Primerica, a financial services company."
Exclusive: S.F.’s Presidio plans first new housing in 20 years with 196-unit apartment project
Chronicle, J.K. DINEEN: "San Francisco’s historic Presidio will be getting its first new ground-up development in more than two decades, with a 196-unit, six-building apartment complex planned on 4.6 acres of the 60-acre district once occupied by the Army’s Letterman General Hospital.
The project represents a major effort by the Presidio to generate the revenue needed to keep the federal entity self-sufficient and create more housing in a one-of-a-kind national park that has 1,400 housing units that are more than 97% percent occupied. The housing at the Presidio currently brings in about 35% of the revenue needed to operate the park, according to Joshua Bagley, deputy chief business officer for the Presidio Trust."
Marysville officer death sparks legal battle over Cal-OSHA’s police oversight
Sac Bee, JAKE GOODRICK: "A legal battle between the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office and California’s workplace safety agency has called into question the latter’s authority to investigate law enforcement, including potential workplace safety violations related to an officer’s death.
The dispute stems from the death of Marysville Police Officer Osmar Rodarte, who was killed in the line of duty in March during a multi-agency operation. The California Division of Occupational Safety subsequently opened an investigation into the incident, which local law enforcement agencies have pushed back against and resisted cooperation, prompting six-figure fines and a legal standoff.
Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article312683949.html#storylink=cpy"
More than 1,000 items stolen from Oakland Museum of California storage facility in huge art heist
Chronicle, ANNA BAUMAN: "Burglars stole more than 1,000 items, including jewelry and historic artifacts, from the Oakland Museum of California this month in a major art heist now being probed by a special FBI team, according to authorities.
Someone broke into an off-site storage facility for the Oakland museum around 3:30 a.m. Oct. 15 and left with hundreds of collection items, including Native American baskets and other artwork donated to the museum, the Oakland Police Department said Wednesday."
15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road
CALMatters, ROBERT LEWIS/LAUREN HEPLER: "The state of California gave Sylvester Conway every opportunity to kill.
He already had two DUI convictions by 2019, when the California Highway Patrol arrested him for driving drunk in Fresno County. The jail released him three days later. Conway didn’t show up to court and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest."