Takeaways from the California budget deal between Newsom and Democratic lawmakers
LA Times, TARYN LUNA: "Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders on Monday agreed to a $310.8-billion budget spending plan that will reduce investments in fighting climate change and reflects a compromise on the governor’s last-minute proposal to speed up infrastructure projects across California.
The 2023-24 budget deal, which lawmakers will vote on in a series of bills this week, ends weeks of infighting among Democrats that began after the governor introduced a package of infrastructure bills into the tail end of the budget process, including making it easier to approve his highly controversial plan to build a $16-billion tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to transport water south."
Newsom, lawmakers agree to $5B for struggling transit agencies in budget deal
The Chronicle, SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has agreed to $5.1 billion in spending over several years for struggling public transit agencies in a budget deal with lawmakers, his office announced Monday.
The funding for BART and other transit agencies across the state includes $1.1 billion in new spending and a rejection of some cuts that Newsom had proposed in his May budget plan. The budget deal also establishes a Transit Transformation Task Force, charged with ensuring local transit agencies work to increase ridership and improve their services. The money represents just part of what transit agencies had asked for to help recover from a steep ridership decline since the COVID-19 pandemic began that has put them at risk of having to severely cut back on services."
Democrats walk off California Senate floor after Republicans honor Richard Grenell for Pride Month
LA Times, MACKENZIE MAYS: "Richard Grenell, a Republican advisor to former President Trump who has criticized the Equality Act and railed against transgender youth rights, was honored on the California Senate floor on Monday in the name of Pride Month.
The recognition of Grenell, who is gay, by California Republicans was protested by members of the state’s Democratic legislative majority, with several lawmakers quietly walking off the floor during the short ceremony honoring him as “the first openly gay presidential Cabinet member.”"
California reparations task force to hold final meeting in Sacramento. What comes next?
Sac Bee, MARCUS D. SMITH: "The California state reparations task force — which has been at work researching possible reparation for Black Californians who descended from slaves — is winding down after two years of work before making its final proposal to the Legislature before July.
The group will end its series of meetings aimed at compensating for harms caused by enslavement and racial discrimination practices with a hearing in Sacramento on Thursday before a final vote."
Closing the CALeg gender gap, with Susannah Delano
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "The California Legislature currently has the highest proportion of women in the state’s history: 50 of 120 legislators are women. While that percentage is impressive compared to the paltry 27 women in the California legislature after the 2016 election, it pales in comparison to some other states, including neighboring Nevada, in which women make up the majority of legislators in both houses.
Susannah Delano, Executive Director at Close the Gap California, a group that recruits progressive women to run for office, joined us to talk about the work of identifying and preparing women for candidacy, and about the very real challenges women face when they choose to enter public life."
Practical tips for working with the governor’s legislative unit
Capitol Weekly, CHRIS MICHELI: "In talking with staff from the Governor’s Legislative Unit the past few weeks, there are some practical tips that were shared with me for those working with the staff members of the Governor’s Legislative Unit. While some of these recommendations may seem obvious, many of them bear repeating.
The following are some of the suggestions shared with me these past few weeks:
Always identify the client(s) you are engaging on behalf of, the topic, and the position when requesting a meeting. In addition, provide the meeting participants in advance."
DeSantis vows to end birthright citizenship as part of immigration plan
The Hill, JULIA MANCHESTER: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a leading Republican presidential candidate, vowed to end birthright citizenship as a part of his immigration plan released Monday.
"We will take action to end the idea that the children of illegal aliens are entitled to birthright citizenship if they are born in the United States," the plan, which is titled "No Excuses," reads."
Judge in Ridley-Thomas case weighs ordering new trial or tossing out jury verdict
LA Times, MATT HAMILTON: "Lawyers for longtime Los Angeles politician Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was convicted of bribery, fraud and conspiracy, asked a federal judge Monday to set aside the jury’s guilty verdict and order a new trial or acquit their client outright.
Defense attorneys argued that prosecutorial misconduct, insufficient evidence and inaccurate and “improper testimony” by the lead FBI agent on the case warranted vacating the jury’s verdict."
Rising Stars: Maya Polon, Paschal Roth Public Affairs
Capitol Weekly, LISA RENNER: "Maya Polon stays focused on making sure the public realizes how the legislation she champions affects real people.
“What I really love getting to do is finding someone with an inspiring story and connecting a reporter to them,” said the 28-year-old senior strategist for Paschal Roth Public Affairs.
Her skill in that area has not gone unnoticed. Her colleague Randall Echevarria said her contributions have been “nothing short of exceptional, particularly in her ability to garner local, state and national earned media for our clients working on education, child care and labor issues.” He praises her “strategic thinking, innovative approaches and unwavering commitment to client success.”"
Should you chase the thrill? After Titan, adventurers weigh the risks of extreme travel
LA Times, CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS: "Where is your line? On your mental chart of risk and reward, where does yes become nope?
The Titan implosion on the sea floor off Newfoundland last week has many of us considering that question."
Cal/OSHA fines two Half Moon Bay farms where mass shooter killed 7
The Chronicle, STAFF: "State regulators announced Monday they are fining two farms in Half Moon Bay – where a mass shooter killed 7 employees in January – after an investigation found the employers had no safety plans to evaluate the threat of violence.
Cal/OSHA cited California Terra Garden and Concord Farms, Inc., for violations that resulted in a $113,800 fine against California Terra Garden and $51,700 against Concord Fams."
Updated COVID booster shots this fall aim to protect against newer coronavirus versions
The Chronicle, GABE CASTRO-ROOT: "If you’re worried that your COVID vaccine is wearing off or that you’re only protected against an obsolete strain of the virus, relief is coming.
Preparations for an updated COVID vaccine this fall that’s aimed at more recent versions of the coronavirus are already well underway. And according to Bay Area health care providers, it’s likely to be offered to patients alongside the annual flu jab, streamlining the inoculation process."
Can’t find Sriracha? Here’s why the shortage is a sign of our harsh climate reality
LA Times, NATHAN SOLIS: "Last summer, Uyen Le, owner and chef at Be U Vietnamese Street Food in East Hollywood, was scraping out her Sriracha bottles and trying to ration her supply. Huy Fong Foods had announced a shortage of the red chile peppers it uses to make the sauce, and the world was taking notice.
One of her employees suggested asking the public for help. Be U offered free meals in exchange for Huy Fong Sriracha sauce, and it got around 300 bottles during the promotion. A year later, the restaurant still has about 100 bottles left."
What was that fireball blazing across the Southern California sky?
LA Times, SUMMER LIN: "A fireball was spotted last week blazing across the Southern California sky, according to the American Meteor Society.
The scientific organization recorded 18 reports Friday across Arizona, California and Nevada. People sent in four videos and one photo of the fireball."
Supreme Court to decide on Biden’s student loan forgiveness soon. What’s next?
Sac Bee, CORTLYNN STARK, THE SUM: "The Supreme Court could rule on student loan forgiveness this week and new rulings from the court might indicate which way the court is leaning.
Here’s what you should know."
S.F. school board recall petition thief settles civil case with apology and $1 payment
The Chronicle, JILL TUCKER: "The two-year legal saga related to the theft of petitions during the San Francisco school board recall campaign is finally over, with a public apology and a payment of $1 ending the lingering civil case.
Jason Kruta was charged with stealing the petitions on May 30, 2021, at the Clement Street Farmer’s Market, where the victim, Kit Lam, was collecting signatures to recall three school board members."
Controversial San Jose State prof who posed with Native American skull to resign after settlement reached
BANG*Mercury News, JULIA PRODIS SULEK: "A controversial anthropology professor at San Jose State, who contended she was a victim of a “woke activist mob” for opposing the repatriation of Native American remains and posing in a photo with an ancient skull, has agreed to leave the university next year.
Prof. Elizabeth Weiss and the university reached a settlement that allows her to retire with full benefits at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, after she claimed in a lawsuit that the university retaliated against her and violated her First Amendment rights when it locked her out of the school’s collection of skeletal remains. But she lost her battle to force San Jose State to renew her access to that collection."
S.F. office vacancy rises to new record as city approaches one-third empty
The Chronicle, ROLAND LI: "San Francisco’s office vacancy rate rose to a new record high of 31.8% in the second quarter, marking three straight years of a market downturn fueled by remote work and plunging tenant demand.
A net 1.9 million square feet of vacant office space was added to the market in the last three months, according to preliminary data from CBRE, a real estate brokerage."
Most Californians are happy living here, poll says. So why do 4 in 10 want to move away?
Sac Bee, GRACE SCULLION: "Last week, Florida governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis posted an ad slamming California — its decreasing population, crisis-level homelessness, crime in San Francisco and gas prices.
“California’s liberal governance is a disaster,” DeSantis’ campaign tweeted alongside the video."
This California county now tops S.F. as the most expensive place for renters in the U.S., report says
The Chronicle, DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "Santa Cruz County has vaulted over the San Francisco area as the most expensive market in the country for renters, according to a new report.
The 2023 Out of Reach Report, published annually by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, found that the Bay Area and surrounding region dominate the list of U.S. markets least affordable for renters, with the metropolitan areas consisting of Santa Clara and Monterey counties following the Santa Cruz and San Francisco metros to round out the top four."
Tired of the Bay Area’s high cost of living? Here’s how much you could save in another city
The Chronicle, EMMA STIEFEL: "Have you ever sat in your too-small, too-expensive Bay Area home and imagined moving to an area that isn’t such a financial black hole?
This Chronicle tool shows you how much you might save on housing and expenses if you moved, and how your Bay Area salary might stack up against your new neighbors’. It assumes you keep your current income regardless of where you move, which may be possible for some digital nomads set adrift by remote work."
Sheriff’s Department gets $4 billion amid ‘unconscionable’ conditions in L.A. jails
LA Times, REBECCA ELLIS: "Los Angeles County supervisors approved a $43.4-billion budget Monday, saying they hoped it will fix the failing jails and juvenile halls while acknowledging the board’s failures to successfully oversee the departments in the past.
The budget for the fiscal year beginning Saturday is bigger than many state budgets and will fund a workforce of more than 114,000. Roughly $5 billion of the total will flow into the county’s two most troubled agencies — $4 billion for the Sheriff’s Department and $1 billion for the Probation Department."
S.F., state regulators dispute Waymo’s safety record ahead of key decision
The Chronicle, RICARDO CANO: "San Francisco and state regulators are at loggerheads over Waymo’s safety record ahead of a pivotal vote Thursday that would allow the company to operate driverless taxis 24 hours a day and charge for rides in the city.
Last month, the city’s transportation and planning agencies again protested Cruise and Waymo’s expansion in San Francisco, citing their AI-operated vehicles’ disruption to traffic, public transit and emergency response efforts on city streets."
Sideshow spectators could face jail under proposal in this Bay Area county
The Chronicle, JESSICA FLORES: "The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider an ordinance that would make it illegal to watch a sideshow, subjecting spectators to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail or both.
Board of Supervisors President Nathan Miley and Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez, co-authors of the proposal, described the ordinance as “another tool” for law enforcement to crack down on the illegal car events that often attract hundreds of spectators and can result in injuries or death, as well as damage to property and infrastructure."
$1.50 bridge toll hike? Bay Area drivers could be on the hook to help bail out BART and other transit
BANG*Mercury News, JOHN WOOLFOLK: "Bay Area drivers could soon be on the hook to help bail out BART and other regional transit agencies struggling to recover from the pandemic under a bill state lawmakers announced Monday that would hike tolls over most bridges by $1.50.
The proposal comes amid optimism among lawmakers that Gov. Gavin Newsom will accept basic terms of a short-term statewide transit bailout in the upcoming budget expected to be finalized this week."
New recording shows Trump discussing ‘secret’ documents he did not declassify: report
The Hill, LAUREN SFORZA: "A newly released audio recording obtained by CNN includes former President Trump discussing holding onto classified documents in a 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The recording, which first aired on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” offers new insights into a conversation that is a piece of evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment against Trump over mishandling classified documents and attempting to keep them from the government. According to the indictment, the conversation took place during an interview with a writer and publisher for a book at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey on July 21, 2021."
