The terrifying forces that created a California monster storm
LAT, HAYLEY SMITH: "It appeared like a swirling specter off the coast of California.
For days, forecasters warned of life-threatening effects as an atmospheric river prepared to unleash a firehose of moisture from Northern California to the Mexican border."
READ MORE -- Here’s how much it has rained in California -- LAT, SEAN GREENE, SANDHYA KAMBHAMPATI; Death toll at 9 as storm destruction mounts in Southern California -- LAT, GRACE TOOHEY, PRISCELLA VEGA, ASHLEY AHN; L.A.’s flood-control system survived epic storm. But it’s losing battle with climate change -- LAT, LOUIS SAHAGUN
PG&E storm outages: Why power restoration was challenging
The Chronicle, JULIE JOHNSON: "About 1 million Bay Area households and businesses lost power over the past few days when a stronger-than-forecast bomb cyclone storm hit the region Sunday. Schools closed and at least one hospital emergency room went dark.
Most have now been restored, as Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said Tuesday afternoon that fewer than 57,000 customers still had no power."
A new oral history of Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle
Capitol Weekly, DAN MORAIN: "Curt Pringle, who arrived in Sacramento as a brash 29-year-old conservative Republican in 1988, became the first Republican Assembly speaker in a generation, and likely the last Republican to hold that post for many years to come.
In this newly published oral history interview, conducted by journalist Dan Morain in Pringle’s Anaheim office, the former Assembly leader provides a first-hand account of the battle for the speakership following the 1994 election in which Republicans gained a shaky 41-39 seat majority in the 80-seat Assembly, but lost that majority when Republican Paul Horcher sided with Democrats to retain Willie Brown as speaker."
Rising Stars: Judy Yee, office of Assemblymember Luz Rivas
Capitol Weekly, LISA RENNER: "At the same time as she advances in her career, Judy Yee is focused on bringing up those behind her.
Yee, the 31-year-old legislative director for Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley), makes mentoring a top priority. “I really enjoy helping build a team,” she said. “I want to invest back into them and I love seeing them grow.”"
The candidate raising the most in 2026 California governor’s race hasn’t officially jumped in yet
The Chronicle, SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Among the contenders to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026 when he terms out of office, the one raising the most money in recent months hasn’t even officially launched his campaign.
Attorney General Rob Bonta has said he’s “seriously considering” a run for governor but hasn’t officially declared his candidacy. But in the last seven months, the Democrat has brought in more money than the four major candidates who have opened campaign accounts for the 2026 governor’s race."
Who’s funding campaigns of Sacramento councilman Eric Guerra and his challenger?
Sacramento Bee, THERESA CLIFT: "The California Real Estate Association has poured $65,000 toward keeping Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra in office and to keep his challenger — a real estate agent herself — off the dais.
As of Jan. 20, Katherine “KC” Schuft’s campaign had $1,068 in cash on hand, while Guerra’s campaign had $118,827. Some of Guerra’s cash is from checks he received during his unsuccessful run for state assembly in 2022, then transferred to his council account, which is legal."
California ammunition background checks to resume after 9th Circuit pauses court order
Sacramento Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "California gun owners will once again be required to submit to background checks when buying ammunition, after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on the ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez, who issued a permanent injunction against it.
The judge’s ruling prompted a surge in ammunition purchases in the state, as gun owners sought to take advantage of it."
California’s pursuit of clean air just got much harder: New soot standards set
CALMatters, ALEJANDRO LAZO: "The Biden administration today set a new, more rigorous standard for a dangerous air pollutant that has plagued vast swaths of California for decades: Fine particles, commonly called soot.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new annual soot standard could throw seven new California counties out of compliance, totaling 29 counties, according to EPA information released today based on 2020 through 2022 data."
‘Daylighting,’ a new law that California drivers must know to avoid a ticket next year
LAT, NATHAN SOLIS: "California drivers will need to double-check where they park this year as a new law on the books has created a no-parking buffer around marked and unmarked pedestrian crosswalks.
Drivers are typically not allowed to park their vehicles in the middle of an intersection, on a crosswalk, in front of marked curbs, in a way that blocks access to fire hydrants or too close to a fire station entrance, among other prohibited parking spots."
Newsom asked for a bill to legalize psychedelic therapy. Lawmakers move to give him one
CALMatters, ANA B. IBARRA: "Gov. Gavin Newsom last fall signaled he was ready to bring psychedelic drugs into the mainstream of California’s mental health system, and a pair of lawmakers today submitted a bill to hold him to his word.
Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, and Assemblymember Marie Waldron, a San Diego Republican, are carrying a bill that would legalize psychedelic therapy. It would allow adults 21 and older to use the hallucinogenic drugs psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, DMT and mescaline in a controlled setting and under the supervision of a licensed and trained facilitator."
Boeing 737 Max 9 plane that lost door plug was missing bolts, NTSB says
LAT, SAMANTHA MASUNAGA: "Four bolts were missing from a door panel that blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight last month while the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane was flying over Oregon, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The bolts are there to prevent the non-operational panel, known as a door plug, from moving upward, the NTSB said. But last year, before the plane was delivered to Alaska Airlines, the door panel had to be opened and four bolts removed at Boeing’s Renton, Wash., factory to replace damaged rivets nearby, the report says."
Loneliness declared health emergency in San Mateo County
BANG*Mercury News, RYAN MACASERO: "San Mateo County recently became the first county in the country to recognize loneliness as a public health emergency. The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week to approve a resolution introduced by Supervisor David Canepa declaring loneliness a health emergency.
In the resolution, Canepa outlined several strategies to address loneliness. These include strengthening social infrastructure, implementing pro-connection public policies, mobilizing the health sector, conducting research to deepen knowledge, reforming online environments, and fostering a culture of connection."
Exclusive: San Francisco school district to make monumental changes in face of legal threat
The Chronicle, JILL TUCKER: "A Bay Area attorney is demanding that San Francisco school officials make the seismic shift from citywide board elections to smaller district races by November or face a massive and expensive legal battle that could result in paying millions of dollars in legal fees.
In a testament to the power of a landmark state voting law, the seven-member school board is expected to accede to the lawyer’s demands — approving a hurried adoption of individual district elections based on legal advice and the likelihood of losing a court fight, the Chronicle learned Tuesday."
AT&T seeks to shut down landline service for most of the Bay Area, much of California
BANG*Mercury News, ETHAN BARON: "A proposal by telecommunications giant AT&T to withdraw landline service from most of the Bay Area has sparked widespread fear among residents, many of whom live where cell service is spotty, power outages are frequent and losing connectivity is “very scary.”
Oakland senior Carla Vinciguerra lives in a three-story home with a landline on each floor. If she suffered a medical emergency, and her cell phone were on a different floor, she could possibly crawl to a landline, she said, but without that option, she would have no way to summon help."
Why San Francisco is ‘fine’ despite mass tech layoffs and store closures
The Chronicle, ROLAND LI: "Mass tech layoffs at Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and many other companies. An ongoing exodus of shops from downtown San Francisco, including five closures in the city’s biggest mall.
San Francisco is seeing a gloomy start to 2024, a pivotal year that includes a mayoral election and looming budget deficits."
Labor, health costs lead Santa Clara County to project $250 million deficit in upcoming fiscal year
BANG*Mercury News, GRACE HASE: "Santa Clara County is projecting a $250 million deficit in the next fiscal year as the cost of labor grows and a slow turnover in property ownership curbs tax revenue.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors received the bleak financial news Tuesday during a mid-year update on the current $11.3 billion budget."
Las Vegas mayor: A’s should ‘stay in Oakland,’ Fisher’s plan ‘doesn’t make sense’
The Chronicle, JOHN SHEA: "Amid all of Oakland Athletics’ owner John Fisher’s delays, postponements and mishaps during his relocation bid, the mayor of Las Vegas powerfully and pointedly suggested it doesn’t make sense for the A’s to move to the desert and ought to stay in Oakland.
“I’ve lived in this town 60 years, and so I know the town like the back of my hand,” Mayor Carolyn Goodman said. “I personally think they’ve got to figure out a way to stay in Oakland and make their dream come true.”"
Gavin Newsom increases state police in Oakland to address rising crime
The Chronicle, SOPHIA BOLLAG, DAVID HERNANDEZ: "Gov. Gavin Newsom is sending 120 additional CHP officers to Oakland and the East Bay to crack down on crime, including carjacking, retail theft and violence.
The added officers will represent a ninefold increase in the number of state police patrolling the region, including those already assigned before the surge in crime, according to Newsom’s office. The officers will be concentrated in Oakland, where violent crime has surged."
Has S.F. cracked how to fix the car break-in crisis? Here’s what is driving the decline
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "San Francisco police officer Andrew Lucas was patrolling near Alamo Square — a neighborhood known for its car burglaries as well as its sloping rows of Victorians — when his radio crackled. He heard “852,” the police code for an auto break-in, and a description of a suspected getaway car: black four-door Dodge Charger, no plates.
It was midmorning on Nov. 14. A man later identified as Daevon Hudson had allegedly broken into a Cadillac Escalade parked at Grove and Steiner streets. Using a punch tool to shatter the rear window, Hudson swiped tablets, jewelry and a Lululemon bag from the back seat, police said. The owner of the SUV returned just in time to see glass on the pavement — and a burglar speeding off."
“Mind-boggling”: Santa Clara County supervisor blasts secrecy of state report in baby Phoenix’s death
BANG*Mercury News, JULIA PRODIS SULEK, SCOOTY NICKERSON: "Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian railed against the California Department of Social Services on Tuesday for refusing to release an investigation of the county’s child welfare agency, calling it “mind-boggling” that a state report into the fentanyl overdose death of a San Jose infant is being kept secret.
“You can’t fix the system if you don’t know what the problem is,” Simitian said during a Board of Supervisors meeting. “And if you can’t see the report, you can’t tell what the problem was.”"
Why California legislators of both parties want to ban homeless encampments
CALMatters, LYNN LA: "Describing California’s homelessness crisis as “inhumane” and “unhealthy,” Senate GOP leader Brian Jones of San Diego and Democratic Sen. Catherine Blakespear of Encinitas today announced a bipartisan bill to ban homeless encampments near “sensitive community areas” statewide.
Modeled after San Diego’s “Unsafe Camping Ordinance,” Senate Bill 1011 prohibits encampments within 500 feet of schools, open spaces and major transit stops. It also bans camping on sidewalks if shelter space is available; requires cities or counties to give an unhoused person 72-hour notice before clearing an encampment; and mandates “enforcement personnel” to provide information about homeless shelters in the area."
‘None of these candidates’ wins most votes in Nevada GOP primary, more than Nikki Haley
AP: "The “none of these candidates” option has won in Nevada’s symbolic Republican presidential primary contest, an embarrassing result for Nikki Haley, who was the only major candidate on the ballot.
The former U.N. ambassador opted to compete in the state-run primary election Tuesday instead of the party’s presidential caucuses, the only contest in the state that awards delegates toward the nomination. Former President Trump is the only major candidate competing in the caucuses on Thursday night and is expected to sweep all of Nevada’s delegates as result."
