Oil giants sell thousands of California wells, raising worries about future liability
LAT, MARK OLALDE: "The price of oil produced in California this year reached its highest level in a decade. President Biden is releasing millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to keep prices in check. And fossil fuel companies’ earnings are so high that Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a windfall tax on their profits.
It might seem like a lucrative time to drill for oil in the Golden State. Yet, some of the world’s largest oil companies, several of which have done business in the state for more than a century, are selling assets and beginning to pull out of California.
Even with strong cash flow in the short term, producers have more to gain from offloading wells and the associated liability — chiefly expensive environmental cleanup — than from pumping more oil and gas, experts say."
California might levy a new tax on oil companies. Here’s what to know
CALMatters, GRACE GEDYE: "Few things agitate drivers — and make politicians sweat — like rising prices at the pump.
Gas prices in California are consistently higher than the rest of the country, thanks to state taxes, a cleaner fuel blend, an isolated gas refining market and more. But in September, California prices jumped even higher and that gap grew wider.
Gov. Gavin Newsom pointed the finger at the gas industry when he talked to reporters in early October, saying companies were “fleecing” drivers and called for a new “windfall profit” tax on oil companies."
PPIC survey: Dems hold edge in key House districts, Prop 30 slips
Capitol Weekly, PPIC: "In the final weeks before Election Day on Nov. 8, support for Proposition 30, the state ballot measure on funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has slid to less than a majority.
On the congressional front, Democrats hold an overall edge across the 10 competitive districts that could determine which party controls the US House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, fewer than half of the state’s voters are satisfied with how democracy is working in the US. These are among the key findings of a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California."
Bay Area experiment captures data on California’s most dangerous wildfires
The Chronicle, JACK LEE: "Canyon wildfires produce some of the most challenging conditions for fire crews working to suppress blazes. Steep inclines in hard-to-reach areas can make it extremely difficult for firefighters to get to the flames. On top of that, the topography can produce “eruptive” fire behavior — when flames at the bottom of the canyon rapidly accelerate up the canyon’s sides, potentially trapping responders.
“Any fire in a canyon is probably the most dangerous place to be,” said Brice Muenzer, fire chief with the Cal Fire San Benito-Monterey Unit.
Canyon wildfires have historically been under-studied and are responsible for a large number of firefighter fatalities."
RSV cases are surging nationwide. Here’s what it means for the Bay Area
The Chronicle, DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "Bay Area pediatric hospitals are seeing a rise in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a common viral illness that can cause trouble breathing for infants and young children — part of a nationwide surge that has grown particularly severe in some parts of the country, doctors said.
Surveillance shows RSV detections, emergency-room visits and hospitalizations are increasing “in multiple U.S. regions, with some regions nearing seasonal peak levels,” according to an alert on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
In the Bay Area, beds at both the San Francisco and Oakland campuses of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are “quite full” amid the spike in RSV cases, said Dr. Ted Ruel, chief of pediatric infectious diseases, on Wednesday."
CDC’s move paves way for California to require school COVID vaccines — but lawmakers have given up for now
CALMatters, ELIZABETH AGUILERA: "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccination advisors voted last week to recommend all children get the COVID-19 vaccine, a move that does not change California’s list of vaccines required for children to attend school.
The addition of the COVID-19 vaccine to the CDC’s recommended vaccines for kids is not a mandate for states’ school attendance requirements. Any additions to California’s list must be made by the state Legislature or the state Department of Public Health. In the last 12 months, the Newsom administration and the Legislature separately tried to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for kids to attend school, and both failed.
People involved in those efforts said they do not expect the Legislature to consider a mandate for children again next year, barring a big spike in hospitalizations or deaths."
City Council censures De León, Cedillo, Martinez after police clear out demonstrators
LAT, DAKOTA SMITH/DAVID ZAHNISER: "The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to censure three current and former council members for their part in an incendiary conversation that contained racist remarks.
The vote appeared to mark the first time that the City Council has censured one of its own members, a move that carries no legal weight but adds to the public pressure on Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin De León to resign. Councilmember Nury Martinez stepped down two weeks ago.
Before the vote, police officers cleared the council chamber of about two dozen protesters who were demanding that the council stop meeting until Cedillo and De León resigned. The police issued a dispersal order to empty the room, a tactic usually reserved for handling street protests, and demonstrators eventually filed out."
These California congressmen are in tight races, but they have a big election advantage
Sac Bee, GILLIAN BRASSIL/DAVID LIGHTMAN: "Republican Congressman David Valadao is sitting on a nice pile of campaign cash two weeks ahead of the election in a left-leaning congressional district.
So, too, is Democratic Congressman Josh Harder in a district that, during a Republican-friendly year, analysts say could flip.
Valadao, R-Hanford, reported more than $1.4 million on hand at the end of September, according to the Federal Election Commission. His challenger, Democratic Assemblyman Rudy Salas, had about a third of that amount — almost $518,000."
Ambition keeps him loyal to Donald Trump. But what does Kevin McCarthy stand for?
LAT, JEFFREY FLEISHMAN/NOLAN D MCCASKILL: "Kevin McCarthy was weeks away from the biggest election of his life when he pulled up to Don’s Machine Shop in Pennsylvania. It was the sort of place campaign consultants crave, a factory with 35 workers founded in 1981 in a one-car garage with a milling machine and a lathe. The business has since grown to 100,000 square feet. Not far from Joe Biden’s birthplace in Scranton, it made the perfect setting to attack Democrats for ruining America.
Tanned and dressed in a blue suit, the Bakersfield Republican, who is likely to be the next speaker of the House, stepped out beneath an American flag. He shook hands with workers and kids, a woman on crutches, a man wearing a Trump hat. He was not rushed. A naturalness lifted off him, an ingratiating sense that after he was done, he might stroll over to the local VFW hall, have a beer and reminisce about high school sports or whose sister just got married.
McCarthy was there to inspire on that September day. But — as sometimes happens with the congressman — a phrase in his speech lacked the poetry he was reaching for: “The electric cord of liberty still sparks in our hearts.”"
Two Oakland mayor candidates form a strategic alliance as outside money floods the race
The Chronicle, JOE GAROFOLI: "The up-for-grabs Oakland mayoral race just got a little crazier.
On Wednesday, first-term Oakland City Council Members Loren Taylor and Treva Reid encouraged their supporters to pick the other as a second choice.
As the candidates head into the final stretch before Election Day, alliances are forming and deceptive mailers funded by massive independent donations are flooding Oakland homes."
California correctional officer union paid $2.3 million for property where its president lives
Sac Bee, WES VENTEICHER/DARRELL SMITH: "The union representing California state correctional officers spent $2.3 million early this year to buy a 5-acre Elk Grove property with a four-bedroom house, a swimming pool and two large warehouses, according to Sacramento County records, an online listing and union representatives.
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association bought the property in February, but many of the union’s members learned of it Friday, when a law enforcement-focused Instagram account spotlighted the purchase after the union’s board of directors discussed it at a meeting in Sacramento.
Some people commenting on the social media post questioned using union dues to buy the property. Others wondered whether members would be able to visit."
Bass, Caruso differ on crime issues and policing -- but not as much as many think
LAT, LIBOR JANY: "On a campaign stop last spring in the San Fernando Valley, billionaire developer and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso was flanked by a who’s who of old-school heavyweights from the Los Angeles Police Department.
Former Chiefs William J. Bratton and Charlie Beck — joined by Jim McDonnell, an LAPD veteran who later became Los Angeles County sheriff — were there to send a message, one that’s a bedrock of the campaign: Only a tough-minded leader can clean up the city and get crime under control — and Caruso is that man.
The sight of Caruso next to the law enforcement notables further cemented the image of him as a law-and-order candidate and a world apart from his opponent in the race for mayor, the more progressive Rep. Karen Bass, who has sought to strike a balance between increasing safety and implementing criminal justice reforms. But while Bass and Caruso have offered different visions on crime, public safety and policing, in some ways they are not as far apart as they appear."
Citing ‘public safety,’ S.F. D.A. is still removing veteran jurist from juvenile cases
The Chronicle, BOB EGELKO: "San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has confirmed that she is removing J. Anthony Kline, one of California’s most experienced judges, from all new cases in Juvenile Court, explaining only that she has a duty to “promote more public safety.” Her action is being denounced by two of Jenkins’ opponents in the Nov. 8 election.
Kline retired at the end of 2021 after 40 years on the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco, where he became the state’s senior appellate presiding justice, then began a one-year stint as a Juvenile Court judge in San Francisco, where he had served in 1980-81. Since Oct. 17, Jenkins’ office has filed papers disqualifying him from overseeing all new prosecutions in the court, declaring in a sworn statement by the prosecutor that the office believes it “cannot have a fair and impartial hearing” because Kline is “prejudiced” against the prosecution. Under state law, each side in a case, without further explanation, can issue a single such challenge to the assigned judge, who must then step aside from the case.
Jenkins, appointed by Mayor London Breed in July after District Attorney Chesa Boudin was recalled by the voters, is running to finish the remainder of Boudin’s term, which ends in January 2024 or a year later if a ballot measure passes that will move certain city elections to presidential election years. She initially refused to discuss her challenge to Kline, but confirmed her action Thursday in a short-lived debate at San Francisco State University."
Sacramento sheriff deputies stop Black people 4½ times as often as whites, report says
Sac Bee, JASOIN POHL: "A new analysis by the ACLU contends Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office deputies spend an exorbitant amount of time pulling over drivers for minor traffic violations, a practice that disproportionately harms Black and brown communities while wasting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars each year.
Roughly two-thirds of time that deputies spend on stops is for traffic violations — namely things like busted tail lights or expired registration tags — according to the report from Catalyst California and the ACLU of Southern California. Those relatively minor violations often serve as a pretext for deputies to pull over drivers suspected of other crimes, the report says, even though there are often no other offenses reported.
Among the deputy-initiated stops for traffic violations, the organizations found approximately 75% of hours are spent on stops that result in a warning or no action at all — something the organizations said undermines law enforcement’s argument that traffic stops are a vital part of keeping the public safe.
‘He said, she said’: Police investigating alleged attack on Bay Area mayor, but no arrests made
The Chronicle, NORA MISHANEC: "A day after Antioch’s mayor said a man punched him following a speech, police said they have not determined whether a crime was committed.
The man Mayor Lamar Thorpe said hit him denies striking the mayor, Antioch police spokesperson Darryl Saffold said Wednesday.
“We have one party saying one thing and another party saying something else,” Saffold said. “It’s a ‘He said, she said’ situation.”"
New literacy standards for teacher candidates could be pivotal to improving student reading scores
EdSource, DIANA LAMBERT: "As cratering test scores intensify California’s resolve to improve student reading, one thing appears certain: the state’s newest teachers need to know how to teach literacy using foundational reading skills, including phonics.
A set of new literacy standards and teaching performance expectations, approved by the California commission that issues teaching credentials, should ensure all universities are on the same page when it comes to training future educators. It also is the first step toward replacing the unpopular Reading Instruction Competence Assessment, which teachers are required to pass before earning a credential.
The literacy standards, mandated by state legislation, put a greater emphasis on teaching foundational reading skills that include phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency. The new standards also included support for struggling readers, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs. The California Dyslexia Guidelines have been incorporated for the first time."
Violent clash at UC Davis between protest groups cancels conservative speaker event
Sac Bee, MICHAEL MCGOUGH "A melee broke out Tuesday evening at UC Davis between about 100 protesters and counterprotesters assembled ahead of a planned event by a conservative student organization, according to university officials.
Allegedly among the counterprotesters were some wearing apparel linking them with the far-right Proud Boys, the university said in a statement. Photos circulating on social media showed some wearing black-and-yellow hooded sweatshirts and hats assembled on the campus shortly after sunset.
The planned event featuring podcast host Stephen Davis, nicknamed “MAGA Hulk,” had been planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday."
Sacramento County schools fell further behind on state test scores after COVID closures
Sac Bee, ARIANE LANGE/SAWSAN MORRAR: "California students fell behind on English and math scores during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the state’s first release of testing data since the coronavirus interrupted two years of in-class education.
Sacramento school districts generally fared even worse, lagging behind the lackluster statewide averages.
Data released by the California Department of Education Monday showed that only two of 14 districts, Folsom Cordova Unified and Elk Grove Unified, outperformed the state.
Tesla faces U.S. criminal probe around self-driving claims
LAT, TOM SCHOENBERG: "U.S. prosecutors are investigating whether Tesla made misleading claims about the capabilities of its Autopilot driver assistance system, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The Justice Department’s Washington and San Francisco offices are looking into statements by the electric-car company and its executives about Tesla automobiles’ ability to drive themselves, said the person who asked not to be named discussing the investigation. The Justice Department declined to comment and Tesla representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests to comment on the investigation, which was first reported by Reuters.
Tesla has faced increasing scrutiny from U.S. regulators over the safety of its automated driving systems and is poised for its first jury trial in February over a driver fatality blamed on Autopilot. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating the feature and has demanded answers from the company on how it’s monitoring and enforcing driver engagement and attentiveness, including its use of in-car cameras."
This mall was a suburban Sacramento icon for a generation. Now it’s being redeveloped
Sac Bee, RYAN LILLIS: "Sacramento has its Downtown Commons arena and entertainment district. The El Dorado Hills Town Center is an upscale development of shops, restaurants and apartments. Roseville, Folsom and West Sacramento have all built — or are building — new “downtowns,” places where they hope residents will want to live, play and work.
Is it finally Citrus Heights’ turn?
The aging Sacramento suburb that boomed in the 1970s around Sunrise Mall is in the advanced stages of redefining that troubled shopping center at Greenback Lane and Sunrise Boulevard. A plan approved unanimously last year by the City Council will allow the development of 2,200 units of housing, restaurants, breweries, job centers and an outdoor entertainment venue on the 100-acre site."
Urban farm vs. housing in San Francisco? Tug over key site ends after developer rejects a deal with nonprofit
The Chronicle JK DINEEN: "In the end, housing trumped urban farming in San Francisco’s Portola District.
A quixotic neighborhood dream of building an urban farm and agricultural education center on the site of abandoned greenhouses in the heart of San Francisco’s Portola District has fizzled out after the property owner couldn’t agree on a price for the 2.2-acre site with community organizers. Instead, the property owner, Group I, plans to go ahead with an approved 62-unit development on the parcel at 770 Woolsey St.
Urban farm backers envisioned a place where schools kids could learn about sustainable farming, neighbors could buy produce and the isolated, blue-collar neighborhood — which is cut off from much of the city by Interstate 280 and U.S. Route 101 — could gather at a town square."
35 ways to celebrate Día de Muertos in L.A. and O.C.
LAT, KAREN GARCIA: "From community events like one in Lynwood to large-scale festivals including Olvera Street’s nine-day event, people are coming together across Los Angeles and Orange counties to celebrate Día de Muertos, the traditional holiday with deep roots in Mexican Indigenous culture.
Día de Muertos (also called Día de los Muertos) is a celebration, a time to honor and remember the life of a deceased loved one. But it’s not limited to departed family members and friends; people also honor singers, actors and even their pets by building ofrendas, or altars, in their homes or in community spaces.
Altars come alive with colorful papel picado, fresh or paper marigolds, food and drink and mementos. The ofrenda is a portal for the souls of the departed to return to the land of the living for a day and be with the friends and family who loved them."
If China declares war, these ham radio enthusiasts could be crucial
LAT, STEPHANIE YANG: "On Tuesday nights, BX2AN sits near the Xindian River, motionless but for his thumb and middle finger, rhythmically tapping against two small metal paddles. They emit a sound each time his hand makes contact — from the right, a dit, or dot; from the left, a dah, or dash, the building blocks of the Morse code alphabet.
“Is anyone there?” he taps.
The replies come back in fits and starts: from Japan, then Greece, then Bulgaria. Each time, BX2AN, as he is known on the radio waves, jots down a series of numbers and letters: call signs, names, dates, locations. Then he adjusts a black round knob on his transceiver box, its screens glowing yellow in the dark."
