California tries to cap oil company profits. Figuring out how is a challenge
LA Times, TARYN LUNA: "Nearly five months after Gavin Newsom initially called for a penalty on excessive oil company profits, the governor and lawmakers in Sacramento appear no closer to deciding how to prevent the kind of gasoline price spikes that Californians experienced last year.
At the first legislative hearing on the governor’s proposal at the state Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers shared concerns about potential unintended consequences of his desire to cap the industry’s earnings.
Some oil market experts said Newsom’s idea to limit oil refinery profits wouldn’t solve the problem — and one called it a “tax gimmick.” Other economists agreed with the Newsom administration about demanding more transparency from oil refiners on pricing, maintenance, supply contracts and inventory."
California lawmakers to talk oil profit penalty — months after Newsom called special session
Sacramento Bee, LINDSEY HOLDEN/MAGGIE ANGST: "Five months after Gov. Gavin Newsom said California needed to address a historic surge in gas prices with a “sense of urgency,” lawmakers are finally set to begin weighing his proposal to levy new penalties on oil companies.
The Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee will hold an informational hearing Wednesday titled “Petroleum Windfall Profits Penalty: Will Californians Get Relief at the Gas Pump?” It will mark the first legislative discussion of Newsom’s proposal to penalize oil companies that earn profits over a certain threshold. Money from the fines would be refunded to residents.
The hearing is also the start of what will likely be a months-long debate over where blame for the spikes in gas prices rests: with oil companies — as Newsom contends — or the state’s rigorous environmental policies, as the industry asserts."
The growing push for major action on mental health and homelessness
Capitol Weekly, SIGRID BATHEN: "Brian Bloom was an Alameda County public defender for nearly three decades, part of a specialized mental health unit whose clients suffered from severe mental illness, many unable to understand – or even acknowledge – that they were sick, becoming mired in an overwhelmed criminal justice system ill-equipped to help them.
Often deemed “incompetent to stand trial” by the courts, they stayed in jail, because there was nowhere for them to go, despite judges’ orders that they be released to treatment. The vast network of state mental hospitals, widely criticized as inhumane and abusive – were mostly closed in the 1960s and ‘70s – and those that remain primarily house defendants judged criminally insane, leaving little room for inmates stuck in jails and prisons, awaiting evaluation and treatment.
The “community care” touted to replace the hospitals in landmark 1967 “reform” legislation never materialized, and seriously mentally ill patients suddenly discharged after decades in state hospitals, ended up on the streets in a rapidly spiraling homelessness crisis."
California bill would reform ‘failing’ system serving adults and kids with disabilities
Sacramento Bee, MAGGIE ANGST: "A state lawmaker has joined with parents and advocates in an ambitious effort to reform the system that serves adults and children with disabilities, a vast network of nonprofits that is “failing in significant ways,” according to a new bill.
Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, last week introduced a bill designed to provide greater transparency, accountability and increased confidence in California’s $13 billion developmental disability service system.
The measure follows a series of recent reports, a state audit and public hearings that revealed racial disparities, inadequate oversight and limited accountability at California’s regional centers — a network of 21 nonprofits that coordinate services for about 400,000 children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities."
California Assembly leaders assign DOJ budget to new committee after Bonta conflict concerns
Sacramento Bee, MAGGIE ANGST/LINDSEY HOLDEN: "A subcommittee led by Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, will no longer oversee her husband’s Department of Justice budget, legislative leaders announced Wednesday, amid a flurry of questions about a potential conflict of interest.
Assembly Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, announced that he was “temporarily” reassigning all DOJ funding matters from the public safety budget subcommittee, led by Bonta, to a different panel. Ting said that the change will remain in effect “for as long as Bonta is chair” of her subcommittee.
“We thought it was the cleanest thing to do,” Ting said in an interview, adding that he consulted with Bonta and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, before making the move. Rendon’s spokesperson, Katie Talbot, said he agreed with the decision."
Gavin Newsom visits San Quentin State Prison — for an interview with Jon Stewart
Sacramento Bee, MAGGIE ANGST: "Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday visited San Quentin State Prison for a one-on-one interview with comedian and political commentator Jon Stewart.
According to Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon, the governor sat down with Stewart to discuss “corrections, rehabilitation, and the Governor’s decades-long work strengthening public safety in California’s communities.”
In June 2019, Newsom signed an executive order placing a moratorium on the death penalty in California. He called the death penalty “ineffective, irreversible and immoral.” State officials are now in the process of working to transfer San Quentin’s nearly 700 death row inmates to other state prisons."
With Skinner out in 2024 election, California state Senate race is on for East Bay seat
The Chronicle, SARAH RAVANI: "The race is on to replace State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, who will vacate her seat due to term limits in 2024.
Two East Bay leaders are early contenders for the seat. Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín announced Wednesday that he plans to run, and Oakland Council Member Dan Kalb confirmed to The Chronicle that he is also planning to make a bid.
Skinner first won the seat in 2016. Her coming departure opens the race up to local politicians eyeing their next political steps. Both Arreguín and Kalb are giving up their current positions to run."
A Mayor Breed nominee improperly billed federal taxpayers for personal expenses. He says it was 'a grave mistake'
The Chronicle, TRISHA THADANI: "A technology executive nominated by Mayor London Breed to sit on a key city board improperly billed the federal government for expenses and put other officials’ names and fictitious names on receipts when he was an appointee in former President Barack Obama’s administration, according to a 2018 government report.
The report, from the Office of the Inspector General, also alleged that Vikrum Aiyer misrepresented his educational credentials on a resume."
Whiskey can be considered a weapon in arson cases after state Supreme Court order
The Chronicle, BOB EGELKO: "Whiskey is usually mentioned in criminal court only when someone drinks too much and then goes driving. But after a state Supreme Court order in a Bay Area case Wednesday, it can also be considered a weapon used to start an arson fire.
Chasity Hope Johnson was convicted of arson for a fire in January 2021 at her former boyfriend’s house in Cotati. She was sentenced to five years in prison, including three years for using a “device designed to accelerate the fire” — the whiskey in an open bottle that was found in her car, along with two torch lighters. Officers said they also found a trail of liquid around the cat door that allowed pets in and out of the house."
Anderson Dam retrofit project receives big federal loan; troubled Pacheco Dam project remains in limbo
BANG*Mercury News, PAUL ROGERS: "Two huge dam projects are being planned in Santa Clara County at a price tag in the billions. The Biden administration has decided to help fund one of them but — at least for now — not the other.
At a news conference scheduled for Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to announce it has approved $727 million in low-interest loans to the Santa Clara Valley Water District to help fund the rebuilding of Anderson Dam near Morgan Hill. The largest reservoir in Santa Clara County, Anderson has been drained for earthquake repairs since 2020, exacerbating Silicon Valley’s water shortages. Federal dam safety officials were concerned that its 240-foot earthen dam, built in 1950, could fail in an earthquake.
But the water district also asked the EPA for twice as much in other low-interest loans — $1.45 billion — to help fund construction of a huge new dam near Pacheco Pass and Henry W. Coe State Park."
Winter storm brings snow, hail and freezing weather to the Bay Area — and it's likely to get worse
The Chronicle, CLAIRE HAO/JACK LEE: "Hail — and even some snow — began falling in the Bay Area on Wednesday, a day that saw San Francisco's highest temperature hit a record low for the day and weather officials issue a winter storm watch for parts of the region for the first time since at least 2006.
As unusually cold storms moved in carrying strong winds and thunderstorms, snow laced Mount Hamilton in the South Bay at around 2,800 feet in breezy, brisk air with the temperature hovering around 30 degrees. Afternoon snow showers across the Santa Cruz Mountains left an inch in some locations, the National Weather Service said, with snowfall at 1,600 in Redwood Estates along Highway 17. Small snowflakes also fell on Mount Tamalpais in Marin County.
San Francisco’s Wednesday high temperature of 48 degrees was 13 degrees below the 30-year normal high of 61 degrees for Feb. 22, the National Weather Service said. It beat the previous record for the lowest high temperature for the day — 49 degrees — set in 1880."
Snowmaker storm of epic proportions moving into SoCal: ‘We’re getting the full brunt’
LA Times, HAYLEY SMITH/GRACE TOOHEY/MELISSA GOMEZ/SUSANNE RUST: "It has the potential to be a snowmaker of epic proportions: A brutal winter storm moving through California is slated to drop rain, sleet and snow from the Oregon border down to the deserts near Mexico.
Forecasters say “all eyes” are on Thursday through Saturday, when even Southern California could see several feet of fresh powder in the mountains around Los Angeles. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning in the L.A. and Ventura County mountains — only the second time such a warning has been issued, following a similar storm in 1989.
“It’s bringing all of that cold air down to Southern California — we’re getting the full brunt,” said meteorologist David Sweet of the incoming system."
These images show intensity of winter storms headed for California
The Chronicle, GERRY DIAZ: "Winter storms are lining up thunderheads and snow squalls just off the West Coast on Wednesday, and they’ll make landfall in California over the next three days. This weather setup will bring strong winds, rain, hail and thunder along the coast, with cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles slated to see 1 to 3 inches of rain.
These storms will also ferry cold air to California, and weather models are forecasting the chance for snow showers at elevations as low as 500 feet in the foothills of the Bay Area and 1,000 feet in Southern California."
24,000 PG&E Bay Area customers are without power as frosty storms loom
BANG*Mercury News, GEORGE AVALOS: "PG&E crews toiled early Thursday morning to restore power to tens of thousands of the utility’s customers in the Bay Area after ferocious winds whipped through the region this week.
As of very early Thursday morning, around midnight, about 24,100 PG&E customers in the Bay Area remained without power, the utility reported."
Gender-neutral bathroom bill introduced for California schools
BANG*Mercury News, ELISSA MIOLENE: "State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) has introduced legislation which, if passed, would require all K-12 schools in California to have at least one gender neutral restroom – the first bill of its kind in the nation.
“It’s hard enough to be questioning your gender or sexuality at that age. But to not be able to use the bathroom without some combination of anxiety, stigma, shame, bullying? That’s just a terrible place to put kids,” said Newman, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Education.
Introduction of the bill, SB 760, comes just days after a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found staggering rates of violence and mental health challenges among LGBTQ+ youth. In 2021, nearly one in four LGBTQ+ students were bullied at school, compared to just over one in ten of their heterosexual counterparts. Rates of sadness among LGBTQ+ students were nearly double that of their straight peers. And almost half of LGBTQ+ students seriously considered suicide, the report found."
School districts can’t require COVID vaccines, California Supreme Court affirms
The Chronicle, BOB EGELKO: "The state Supreme Court rejected a challenge Wednesday to a ruling that said school districts in California cannot require their students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 because only the state government can issue such a mandate.
While public health agencies have recommended the vaccinations for children as young as 6 months old, legislation calling for vaccine mandates in schools has stalled in Sacramento. Gov. Gavin Newsom initially proposed requiring students to be vaccinated as of last July but has dropped that plan. And courts have stopped local school districts from acting on their own."
These rural schools face a financial ‘cliff.’ Will partisan bickering cut off a lifeline?
LA Times, HAILEY BRANSON-POTTS: "Anmarie Swanstrom had driven four hours along twisting mountain roads, through the fire-scarred Shasta-Trinity National Forest, to Sacramento to catch a red-eye flight.
Now, here she was — a school superintendent from impoverished Hayfork, Calif. — clutching a pair of black high heels, power-walking in bare feet across Capitol Hill.
She had come to plead for money for the 340 students of the Mountain Valley Unified School District, where she also is a principal."
L.A. Unified data breach last year includes at least 2,000 student records, officials say
LA Times, HOWARD BLUME: "The Los Angeles Unified School District disclosed Wednesday that “approximately 2,000 student assessment records” were posted on the dark web as a result of a recent cyberattack, including those for 60 who are currently enrolled.
The posted records also included an unspecified number of driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers. The district statement did not say to whom those numbers belonged, but the school system does not routinely collect Social Security numbers from students.
The acknowledgment came in the wake of an article by the 74 website asserting that detailed and sensitive mental health records of “hundreds — and likely thousands — of former Los Angeles students” were published on the dark web, containing “personally identifiable information about students who received special education services, including their detailed medical histories, academic performance and disciplinary records.”"
Here's what students are learning in sex ed in S.F. — and why some of it is banned elsewhere
The Chronicle, JILL TUCKER: "The ninth graders in Joe Rubin’s health class at San Francisco’s Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School have learned more about sex and sexuality in their health class than the vast majority of their peers across the country.
Over several weeks in the fall, they studied sexual anatomy, how to say yes or no to sex, how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, how to have a healthy sexual or nonsexual relationship, and what sexuality looks like in its many forms."
Emotions run high during East Bay school debate over banning LGBTQ+ books
BANG*Mercury News, RACHEL HEIMANN MERCADER: "A controversial debate over banning books from an East Bay school district’s libraries reached a peak late Tuesday as dozens of residents packed a school board meeting with some accusing district leaders of allowing literature with “pornographic” material into the hands of children.
One by one, public speakers stepped to the podium inside the San Ramon Valley Unified School District boardroom, turning a discussion about the district’s book acquisition and guidelines policy and how parents can challenge specific content into a debate over books dealing with LGBTQ+ topics.
Emotions ran high in a debate rarely seen in the progressive Bay Area. More than once board members paused the meeting due to outbursts from audience members, some of whom brought signs reading, “Latest SRVUSD Scandal: Pornographic Books in the District’s High School Libraries.”"
Astronaut-in-training infuses space science into West Contra Costa Unified middle school classes
EdSource, ALI TADAYON: "West Contra Costa Unified science teacher Olaoluwalotobi “Tobi” Thomas is pursuing his lifelong dream of going to space, and in a way, he’s taking his students with him.
For the past six years, the 34-year-old has been traveling the world to attend training sessions and conferences to become an astronaut. He’s been able to mix his love of teaching and his goal of going to space someday by incorporating space research into his lessons at the district’s fully online school, Vista Virtual Academy. By doing so, he hopes to grow his students’ curiosity not just about space, but science in general.
“I just try to show my passion for space science and hope that it resonates with them,” Thomas said. “I really do try to foster that in my students because that’s what helped me to really start chasing my dreams, when I found intrinsic motivation.”"
California wants Spanish speakers for these state jobs. Here’s what they pay and how to apply
Sacramento Bee, MATHEW MIRANDA: "The state of California wants bilingual Spanish-speakers to apply for jobs.
State jobs are known for offering great benefits and enrollment in the nation’s largest state public pension plan.
There are currently 10 state jobs in Sacramento looking for Spanish-speaking applicants. Seven of the positions require you to pass a Spanish fluency certification, which is a verbal test. Certification leads to a $200 monthly bonus."
Some employers are snatching back job offers, blaming the economy
LA Times, SAMANTHA MASUNAGA: "After a successful summer internship at a mortgage tech company, Alana Klopstein was thrilled to get a job offer.
She signed the contract in January 2022, giving her peace of mind during her final year at UC San Diego. Then in June, three months before her start date, she got an email from the company. The market downturn had forced the firm to make difficult decisions, it read. Her offer was being rescinded.
“It was really devastating,” said Klopstein, 22, who lives in San Diego. “I had a vision of what my life would look like, what kind of adjustments I would have to make to transition into the working world after doing so many years of school, and that just wasn’t a thing anymore.”"
Tesla will base engineering HQ in Palo Alto at former H-P site
BANG*Mercury News, GEORGE AVALOS: "Tesla has decided to base its engineering headquarters in Palo Alto at a former Hewlett-Packard site, the company’s top boss Elon Musk announced on Wednesday.
Musk made the announcement in Palo Alto during an unusual joint appearance with Gov. Gavin Newsom. The pair have sparred in the past over California’s business climate.
“We’re excited to announce that Tesla’s global engineering headquarters will be right here in the former headquarters of Hewlett-Packard,” Musk said. “This is a poetic transition from the company that founded Silicon Valley to Tesla.”"
Google excludes thousands of workers from benefits: report
BANG*Mercury News, ETHAN BARON: "Google’s minimum wage and benefits for contractors are withheld from thousands of its U.S. contract workers, a new report from a union alleges.
Google’s parent firm Alphabet in 2019 announced that, “All our suppliers and staffing partners working with Google in the U.S. are required to provide a benchmark of benefits for their workers, including a $15/hour minimum wage, 12 weeks of paid family leave, eight days of paid sick leave, $5000/year in tuition reimbursement, and comprehensive healthcare.”
But that announcement, made under pressure from direct employees angered about the firm’s treatment of contractors, contained a link to a company document restricting which contract workers are actually eligible for the minimum wage and benefits. And some vendors to Google find ways around complying with Google’s wage-and-benefits standards, according to the Alphabet Workers Union, which issued the survey-based report."
Crips gang member sentenced to 60 years in prison in murder of Nipsey Hussle
LA Times, JAMES QUEALLY: "A Crips gang member was sentenced to at least 60 years in prison Wednesday for killing beloved rapper Nipsey Hussle outside his Crenshaw clothing store in 2019.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke sentenced Eric Holder Jr. to 25 years to life in state prison for murdering Hussle and an additional 25 years to life based on a sentencing enhancement because he used a gun. Holder must serve an additional 10 years in prison on assault convictions for shooting two other men who were with Hussle the day of the killing, Jacke said.
Holder, 33, was on a date with a woman who would become his unwitting getaway driver on March 31, 2019, when he approached Hussle in front of the Marathon Clothing store near Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard."
Handyman confesses to killing L.A. Bishop David G. O'Connell, district attorney says
LA Times, REBECCA ELLIS/SALVADOR HERNANDEZ/RACHEL URANGA/RICHARD WINTON: "A 61-year-old man who prosecutors said has admitted that he killed Bishop David G. O'Connell was charged Wednesday with one count of murder in the shooting death of the much lauded religious leader.
Carlos Medina, a handyman whose wife worked as a housekeeper for the bishop , also faces a special allegation of using a firearm during the crime, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced during a news conference Wednesday. If convicted, he could face 35 years to life in prison.
In detailing the charges, Gascón said Medina admitted to the killing to investigators."
