SoCal water agency agrees to spend $11 billion on Delta tunnels - again
Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER: "Southern California's powerful water agency reaffirmed its commitment to the Delta tunnels project Tuesday, agreeing for a second time to spend nearly $11 billion on a majority stake in the twin tunnels."
"The vote by the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California keeps the controversial $16.7 billion project moving forward, although plenty of hurdles remain before construction can begin, including numerous court challenges."
"Metropolitan's board already voted in April to approve a $10.8 billion investment in the project, known officially as California WaterFix, which is designed to shore up deliveries of Northern California river water to the south state while reducing the environmental harm done to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta."
London Breed has short term as SF mayor to prove herself for re-election
The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA: "After a grueling, nearly five-month campaign capped off by eight anxiety-riddled days of ballot-counting, London Breed will have ample cause for celebration once she takes the oath of office Wednesday, becoming San Francisco’s 45th mayor."
"But despite her historic achievement — she’s the first African American woman to hold the office — she won’t have much time to enjoy that victory."
"On top of fulfilling her pledge to move quickly to rid the city of tent camps, build the thousands of units needed to put a dent in the city’s housing crisis and move forward on other ambitious policy goals, Breed must also confront the fact that she will be up for re-election in just over a year."
Sanctuary state battle rages on in Placer County after court ruling upholds law
McClatchy DC's EMILY CADEI: "A federal court ruling upholding California's controversial sanctuary state law hasn't quieted a debate on the state's immigration policies that is playing out in the Sacramento area."
"Placer County residents crammed a Board of Supervisors' meeting in Auburn Tuesday afternoon to air their opinions on Senate Bill 54, the state law that limits the ability of state and local law enforcement to help federal agents enforce immigration law."
"Local officials estimated more than 150 people turned out for the 1 p.m. meeting, filling the auditorium and two overflow rooms, to provide feedback on a resolution opposing SB 54. Public testimony went on for hours. A handful of officers from the Placer County Sheriff's office patrolled the gathering, which was occasionally testy but never violent."
READ MORE related to Immigration: Some migrant children are reunited with parents as Trump administration misses court deadline -- LA Times's MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE/VICTORIA KIM/ELIZA FAWCETT; DHS, Central American governments gather to talk immigration -- AP's COLLEEN LONG; Contra Costa immigration uproar -- The Chronicle's BILL VAN NIEKERKEN; No, Oakland residents did not protest ICE busting child sex traffickers -- The Chronicle's KIMBERLY VEKLEROV; 'You don't love me anymore?': A son is separated from his father at the border, then comes a wrenching call -- LA Times's ESMERALDA BERMUDEZ
Protesters pack Dixon City Council meeting over Vice Mayor Hickman's comments about gays
Sacramento Bee's DIANA LAMBERT: "Almost 200 people showed up at Dixon City Hall on Tuesday night to call for the resignation of Vice Mayor Ted Hickman, who has been the subject of escalating outrage since a controversial column calling for a Straight American Pride Month and referring to gay men as “faries” and “tinkerbells” went viral."
"We are different from them…. We work, have families (and babies we make) enjoy and love the company (and marriage) of the opposite sex and don’t flaunt our differences dressing up like faries (sic) and prancing by the thousands in a parade in nearby San Francisco to be televised all over the world,” he wrote in the June 29 column."
"A small group of protesters grew larger as the evening progressed and the weather cooled. The LGBT supporters, residents of towns around the region, waved signs and called for Hickman to resign."
California needs more mental health professionals -- and the shortage will get worse, experts say
Sacramento Bee's HANNAH HOLZER: "California is suffering a shortage of mental health professionals – and it's expected to get worse in the next decade."
"In 2013, California had a shortage of 336 psychiatrists, according to national projections from the Health Resources and Services Administration, cited by the state Governor’s Office."
"That shortage is forecasted to grow to between 729 and 1,848 by 2025,” said Brian Ferguson, Gov. Jerry Brown's deputy press secretary."
SF supes reject Joe Marshall for Police Commission; board leadership changes
The Chronicle's TRISHA THADANI: "The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday once again rejected the nomination of Joe Marshall to the San Francisco Police Commission."
"In an 8-3 vote, the board rejected Mayor Mark Farrell’s attempt to reappoint Marshall, originally named to the commission in 2004, to the Police Department’s policy-setting body. Supervisors London Breed, Catherine Stefani and Ahsha Safaí were in dissent."
"Tuesday’s vote comes one day after the Rules Committee voted to send Marshall’s nomination to the full board with no recommendation, after the board initially rejected him and another appointment by Farrell, Sonia Melara, in May."
Legal clock ticking for Slavador Dali museum in Monterey
The Chronicle's STEVE RUBENSTEIN: "Salvador Dalí, who loved anything that called attention to himself, would surely be overjoyed at what the lawyers have cooked up on his behalf here."
"His heart, like his famous clocks, might even be melting."
"A Spanish foundation that claims to own the artist’s legacy filed suit in San Francisco to force a small Dalí museum on the Monterey waterfront to stop using Dalí’s name and likeness and to turn over all souvenir Dalí T-shirts, Dalí coloring books and Dalí mustache wax boxes in the gift shop for immediate destruction."
This West Coast governor is gaining 2020 presidential attention
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "Washington Gov. Jay Inslee isn’t a household name outside the Pacific Northwest, but that could soon change — the 67-year-old Democrat is starting to be mentioned as a possible 2020 presidential candidate."
"He’s got progressive cred as the head of a state that legalized same-sex marriage and recreational cannabis before California, although he was initially opposed green-lighting legal weed. Washington declared itself a sanctuary state before California, and Inslee and other state leaders were among the first to sue the Trump administration over its initial plan to ban travel to the U.S. from several majority-Muslim nations."
"Now, as the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, Inslee travels the nation as one of its loudest critics of President Trump."
Fox strikes $32.5-billion deal for Sky TV service, topping offer from Comcast
LA Times's MEG JAMES: "Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox swooped in Wednesday with a higher bid for Sky that values the London pay-TV company at $32.5 billion. The move was designed to keep the popular satellite television service out of the hands of Fox’s rival, Comcast Corp."
How key senators reacted to Trump's SCOTUS pick
LA Times's FELICIA SONMEZ: "President Trump's selection of Brett Kavanaugh as his choice for the next Supreme Court justice sets into motion an intense battle over the future of the court — and all eyes are now on the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-to-49 majority."
