Trump pleads not guilty to 4 felony charges in 2020 election case
LA Times, SARAH D. WIRE: "Former President Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to four federal felony charges in connection with accusations that he engaged in a multi-part conspiracy to overturn the will of voters and stay in power despite losing the 2020 election, resulting in an unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump appeared before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington, about a quarter-mile from where rioting supporters first attacked police officers and pushed down barriers on the west lawn of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021."
Why California cities use your tax dollars to lobby the Legislature
CALMatters, SAMEEA KAMAL, JEREMIA KIMELMAN: "The tiny Central Valley city of Farmersville reported lobbying on a contentious caste discrimination bill, even though it doesn’t have a large South Asian population. San Mateo County lobbied the state budget, plus one specific bill this session, focused on student meals, at the request of its health department. Rosemead in Los Angeles County lobbied on a stalled youth tackle football bill, at the urging of one city councilmember.
These are some of the more unusual and curious examples of one way business gets done at the state Capitol — local governments using taxpayers’ money to lobby the Legislature and state agencies, sometimes for more tax money."
Mayor Darrell Steinberg endorses a candidate in packed Sacramento-area Assembly race
Sac Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "In the crowded race for Assembly District 6, Democratic candidate Paula Villescaz has found a way to distinguish herself from the competition by securing endorsements from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang and City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela.
In a statement, Steinberg said Villescaz, a former assistant secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency, is a proven public servant."
California high court says Monterey County can’t enforce oil well ban as state debates future of fossil fuels
AP, SOPHIE AUSTIN: "The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Monterey County cannot enforce a voter-approved ban on new oil and gas wells, a decision that comes amid an ongoing battle over how the state should address the health and climate impacts of fossil fuel extraction.
The ruling comes a day after environmental advocates announced a plan to try to enshrine a state law banning new gas and oil wells near homes, schools and hospitals as the oil industry vies for voters to overturn it. Voters could face dueling measures on the November 2024 ballot."
Battle over Dianne Feinstein’s Stinson Beach home holds lessons for handing down real estate
The Chronicle, KATHLEEN PENDER: "Except for the fame and fortunes of the families involved, the fight that has erupted in court over the estate of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s late husband — the billionaire financier Richard Blum — is all too common among blended families, according to attorneys who have reviewed two lawsuits filed in June and July by Feinstein’s daughter Katherine.
“It’s not uncommon when the first spouse dies that there are differences of opinion between the surviving spouse and children,” said Jean Kohler, an estate planning attorney in Los Altos."
S.F., San Jose added to program that imposes curfews, tracking on migrant families
The Chronicle, SHIRA STEIN: "Migrant families who travel to San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego after crossing the border without authorization will be put under a home curfew, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the Chronicle on Thursday.
The three California cities are being added to a program, known as Family Expedited Removal Management, that tracks the families and allows them to avoid detention. It was first rolled out in Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Newark, N.J. in May."
California could borrow a record-breaking $35 billion to tackle the housing crisis. Will voters go along?
CALMatters, BEN CHRISTOPHER: "California voters regularly name out-of-reach housing costs and homelessness as among the most important issues facing the state.
Now lawmakers are calling their bluff. Next year the electorate will likely get the chance to put unprecedented gobs of money where its mouth is."
Housing First helps, but homelessness challenges remain
Capitol Weekly, SARAH CHUNG: "Confronted with the nation’s largest homeless population, Californians hold diverging viewpoints on what constitutes effective housing strategies.
According to the annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2022, California has over 171,000 homeless individuals, 115,000 of whom are unsheltered. That adds up to an astonishing 30 percent of the nation’s homeless population and 50 percent of all unsheltered people."
‘Heat dome’ to return to broil Southern California this weekend
LA Times, GRACE TOOHEY: "After a brief reprieve, a persistent “heat dome” that has broiled the Southwest since early July will return to Southern California this weekend, bringing another round of sweltering temperatures.
Highs are expected to peak Sunday in most of Los Angeles County, reaching triple digits in the valleys and deserts, and into the 90s downtown and the upper 80s along the coast."
California’s famed Joshua trees are burning up fast. They might be impossible to replace
LA Times, GRACE TOOHEY, HAYLEY SMITH: "A light rain fell on the Mojave National Preserve, where firefighters continued their nearly weeklong battle Wednesday against an unusual desert wildfire that has incinerated countless Joshua trees and threatens to forever alter California’s high desert landscape.
Crews were aided by the arrival of monsoonal moisture, which brought some rain and humidity that helped slow the spread of the 82,000-acre York fire, which was about 30% contained Wednesday."
The jet stream is weakening. Here’s why that’s a warning for California
The Chronicle, JACK LEE: "The past month has brought extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere, with scorching conditions in North America, Europe and China. Phoenix saw 31 consecutive days with temperatures of 110 degrees or higher. In Miami, July came in as the warmest month on record.
While Northern California endured notable heat waves in July, extreme temperatures didn’t linger for weeks like it did elsewhere. That’s because a slow-moving, wavy jet stream has trapped stifling high-pressure systems elsewhere, in places like the U.S. Southwest, Mexico and southern Europe."
Bats snack on annoying mosquitoes. Here’s how to invite them to your yard
LA Times, JEANETTE MARANTOS: "Welcome to the L.A. Times Plants Newsletter, with a list of plant-related activities and events for August and links to articles you might have missed.
But first, a few words about bats — those flying mammals with adorable little faces and absolutely voracious appetites for bugs that bother humans, like moths (whose young chomp our veggies), beetles, flies and even mosquitoes."
New COVID booster will arrive later than expected. Should you wait to get it?
The Chronicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "The anticipated release of the next round of COVID-19 booster shots has been pushed back, with updated vaccines targeting the XBB.1.5 omicron variant now expected to arrive later than expected.
Health officials initially had projected the doses would be delivered by September, aligning with this year’s flu shot rollout."
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block to step down after boosting enrollment, diversity, rankings
LA Times, TERESA WATANABE: "UCLA Chancellor Gene Block announced Thursday he is stepping down from the helm of the nation’s top-ranked public university after steering the Westwood campus through a financial crisis and global pandemic to reach new heights in expanding enrollment, diversity, philanthropy and research funding.
His tenure was also rocked by a huge sex abuse scandal involving former UCLA gynecologist James Heaps, which resulted in a $700-million settlement to hundreds of former patients, and controversy over leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten."
‘One decision, one day at a time': How Stockton Unified's new leader plans to rebuild trust
EdSource, LASHERICA THORNTON: "In north-central California, Stockton Unified School District, San Joaquin County’s largest school system, is headed toward at least a $30 million deficit, is at the center of an ongoing criminal investigation and has failed to retain a superintendent to lead the district long enough to enact positive change.
Compounding the situation, the district must educate almost 40,000 students — most of whom fall below state standards in English and math. Academic under-performance has been a persistent problem for Stockton Unified, but in the past few years, the district has been beset with legal trouble, financial issues and instability in leadership — all of which, many Stockton community members say, take away much-needed attention from student needs."
Taylor Swift won’t pay any fines for breaking curfew in Santa Clara–but her pyrotechnics company will
BANG*Mercury News, GRACE HASE: "When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stopped at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara last weekend, the pop star captivated the audience as she closed her sold-out shows with a bang, shooting off a cascade of fireworks.
Fans were thrilled. The city, not so much."
Hollywood actors on strike, but many A-list celebrities still working. Inside side deals debate
LA Times, MEG JAMES, WENDY LEE: "Hollywood’s hot labor summer has brought near-historic solidarity among thousands of union members, who have banded together on sweaty picket lines around Los Angeles and New York.
That is until SAG-AFTRA began granting permission to independent film projects and series — some involving A-list stars including Anne Hathaway, Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson, Glenn Close and Dakota Fanning — to continue production despite the twin strikes that have crippled Hollywood."
Major S.F. landlord compares city to drug addict who ‘hit bottom’ and wants to change
The Chronicle, J.D. MORRIS, ROLAND LI: "One of San Francisco’s major office landlords gave a frank assessment of the city when asked this week about its challenges around public safety, homelessness and its business climate.
“If you’ve ever been involved in an intervention of somebody who’s an alcoholic or a drug addict, you’re not going to get any place unless they … hit bottom. And they want to change,” John Kilroy, the CEO of Kilroy Realty, told analysts on an earnings call. “And that’s the way I would characterize San Francisco. San Franciscans across most of the political spectrum, the economic spectrum, the demographics spectrum, are fed up, and they’ve taken action.”"
New San Jose law would ban homeless encampments and RVs near schools
BANG*Mercury News, GABRIEL GRESCHLER: "Standing in front of a dozen tarp-covered RVs along Education Park Drive in East San Jose, Mayor Matt Mahan and Councilmember Peter Ortiz proposed new rules on Thursday to prohibit homeless encampments and vehicle dwellings within 150 feet of a school or daycare in the city.
The new ordinance, which would also include preschools, is the first time the mayor has officially proposed limitations on where the city’s homeless can reside — and is in line with suggestions he voiced earlier this year on stricter rules surrounding encampments and RVs."
Oakland’s crime rates are surging. Here’s how they compare with S.F. and other Bay Area cities
The Chronicle, SUSIE NEILSON: "San Francisco is an outlier by some measures — such as billionaires and car break-ins — but violent crime is not one of them. The city’s violent crime rate is lower than many other major U.S. cities and while some forms of violence have been trending up, its overall rate is still near historic lows.
Not so with Oakland. Three years after the pandemic upended life in the Bay Area, the East Bay city continues to grapple with surging reported crime rates that were already higher than most other big cities. And data from the first half of this year shows worrying trends."
George Lucas learned he’s not official owner of California driveway — so he’s suing
Sac Bee, JULIA MARNIN: "George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones,” recently learned he’s not the official owner of a paved driveway leading to one of his properties in California’s Bay Area, according to a lawsuit.
Lucas, and those permitted by his agents, have driven up the strip to the San Anselmo property over the past three decades — dating back to around 1990, a complaint filed Marin County Superior Court on May 15 says."
Carlos Dominguez going to state hospital; Yolo DA agrees Davis stabbing suspect not fit for trial
Sac Bee, DARRELL SMITH, ROSALIO AHUMADA: "Carlos Reales Dominguez will be taken to a state hospital, a judge ordered Thursday after Yolo County prosecutors conceded that the former UC Davis student is not fit to stand trial in the murderous stabbing rampage that left two Davis men dead this spring and another woman seriously wounded.
Reales Dominguez will be held at the state hospital until his competency is restored and then will be returned to Yolo County to stand trial, said Yolo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven."
S.F. DA Jenkins blasts criminal courts, says they’re freeing Tenderloin fentanyl dealers
The Chronicle, SAM WHITING: "San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins ripped the county’s criminal courts on Thursday, saying they free drug dealers from detention and have a poor conviction rate for those who do go to trial, specifically for dealing the deadly drug fentanyl.
“The courts are the biggest barrier,” Jenkins said at a Tenderloin Public Safety Town Hall, in her strongest criticism of the courts during her one-year tenure. She made the comments during a panel discussion that included both police chief Bill Scott and Sheriff Paul Miyamoto. She noted that arrests for drug dealings are way up and her office has been vigilant in requesting that repeat offenders be detained while awaiting trial. But only 16 of 100 requests for detention have been granted, she said."
Orange County judge in custody after woman fatally shot at Anaheim Hills home, sources say
LA Times, RICHARD WINTON, SALVADOR HERNANDEZ, JEREMY CHILDS: "An Orange County Superior Court judge was in police custody late Thursday after a fatal shooting in his Anaheim Hills home, according to law enforcement sources.
Anaheim police arrived at a home on the 8500 block of East Canyon Vista Drive shortly after 8 p.m. Authorities have released few details, but three sources with knowledge of the case said Judge Jeff Ferguson was in custody. Two sources said the victim was his wife."
How a Bay Area startup plans to build and sell the world’s first flying car
The Chronicle, RICARDO CANO: "Alef Aeronautics’ attempt to build and sell the world’s first flying car began in 2015 as many things do in Silicon Valley — inside a boutique coffee shop in Palo Alto.
At a Coupa Cafe, Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny sat at a table with his three future co-founders — Constantine Kisly, Oleg Petrov and Pavel Markin — as he drew his concept of a flying car on a napkin."
