Hilary brings heavy rain, threat of overnight flooding

BRITTNY MEJIA, CONNOR SHEETS, JEONG PARK, RONG-GONG LIN II, HANNAH WILEY, KERI BLAKINGER , RACHEL URANGA, SUSANNE RUST and KATE MORRISSEY, LA Times: "Tropical Storm Hilary, after barreling through Baja California, struck Southern California on Sunday, causing widespread, often heavy rain, flooding, downed trees, road closures and power outages.

At around 8:15 p.m., the center of the storm had jogged west and was circulating directly over Dodger Stadium, according to Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist.

As the storm stalled off Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and its southern edge moved north, new flash flood advisories popped up throughout southern and southeastern California, while the National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds of 45 mph near the coast of Southern California."

Tropical Storm Hilary’s effects seem minimal for many, but others face evacuations and road closures

BRIAN ROKOS and SCOTT CAIN, O.C. Register: "Southern California residents dealt mostly with an array of inconveniences on Sunday — high water in spots, road closures and even the suspension of some DoorDash deliveries — as they braced for Tropical Storm Hilary to enter its most intense chapter that night.

“It’s just like a normal storm. It’s a little bit rainy and windy,” Lynette Paoli, a resident of the San Bernardino Mountains community of Forest Falls, said late Sunday afternoon as she looked out her windows. “I hope it’s nothing like they are saying it’s going to be. I’m praying it bypasses us.”

RONG-GONG LIN II, SUSANNE RUST and HANNAH WILEY, LA Times: "For days, forecasters have tried to determine the path of Hilary as it morphed from a Category 4 hurricane in the Pacific Ocean to an exceedingly rare tropical storm that entered Southern California.

But the trail of Hilary took an interesting turn Sunday night, as the storm made a trek from the Inland Empire to the heart of Los Angeles."

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake strikes Ojai area, rattling nerves as Hilary pounds Southland

RICHARD WINTON, RONG-GONG LIN II, CHRISTIAN STONE and SUSANNE RUST, LA Times: "A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck near Ojai on Sunday, rattling the larger Southern California region as residents were dealing with intense rains from Tropical Storm Hilary.

JUDSON JONES and MADISON DONG, NY Times: "Hilary weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Sunday and then to a post-tropical storm overnight, bringing heavy rains to Northern Mexico and Southern California.

The storm tracked across Southern California, and then north into Nevada... Torrential rainfall has been the biggest threat. Rain was forecast to continue in parts of the Southwest on Monday."

MARLENE CIMONS and KIM BELWARE, Washington Post: "Many people escaped the deadly Maui wildfires — some in harrowing fashion — but their ordeal may not be over.

The harmful effects of wildfire exposure don’t disappear once the flames are extinguished, experts said. There is growing research that suggests breathing in the tiny particles from wildfire smoke can produce cognitive deficits, which may appear in as little as six to 12 months or even years later."

Goodbye, starter home: First-time home-buyers struggle with California prices, lack of inventory

JEFF COLLINS, Riverside Press-Enterprise: "Buying a Southern California home is “crazy and competitive — and almost overwhelming,” first-time home shopper Imelda Pastrana said.

Even with two incomes, savings and little debt, the nurse and her husband still can’t afford an entry-level house."

66-year-old shot dead over Pride flag hanging outside her store, California officials say

DON SWEENEY, SacBee: "A clothing shop owner near Lake Arrowhead died after being shot over her store’s rainbow Pride flag, California sheriff’s officials said.

Deputies responded to a reported shooting at the Mag.Pi in the Glen store in Cedar Glen at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release."

State prison inmate walks away from a Northern California camp and remains missing

GRACE SCULLION, SacBee: "A 19-year-old inmate walked off a minimum-security conservation camp in Nevada County on Friday and was still missing as of Saturday afternoon, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said. C

DCR staff determined that Malachi D. Thomas was missing from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp at 11:30 p.m. Friday."

OPINION: Gavin Newsom channels Jerry Brown with constitutional amendment proposal

DAN WALTERS, CalMatters:"When Proposition 13, California’s iconic property tax limit measure, went before voters in June 1978, the state’s governor, Jerry Brown, denounced it.

“It’s a ripoff,” Brown declared. “It’s a long-term tax increase.”

Two months later, after voters overwhelming endorsed the measure, Brown did a 180-degree pirouette, declaring himself a “born-again tax cutter.”

Safeway was caught overcharging. How to find out if your grocery store is doing the same

KELLIE HWANG, SF Chronicle: "Grocery stores and other retailers across the Bay Area have recently been caught overcharging customers, according to county inspectors — a problem that experts say happens far more than most people realize.

In early August, SFGate reported that several Safeway stores in Marin County were charging customers too much for items such as produce, cheese and laundry detergent. And that was after Safeway paid out a $2.25 million settlement in 2014 when inspections revealed pricing inaccuracies at stores throughout the state, and last year, Target similarly reached a $5 million settlement with several California counties."

‘Scary’: Critics say Humboldt initiative could wipe out cannabis farms

LESTER BLACK, SF Gate: "Pot farmers in Humboldt County, one of the largest pot-growing counties in California, say they’re facing an “existential threat” to their livelihoods, but this time, it isn’t a contagious crop disease or crashing wholesale prices — it’s their own neighbors.

The local cannabis industry is on high alert after a new ballot initiative — which would limit the size of pot farms and severely restrict any modifications to existing ones — qualified for a March 2024 election. The local farmers are warning that passing the initiative would destroy the local commercial cannabis industry."

DMV tells Cruise to reduce its driverless vehicle fleet in SF by 50%

STEPHEN COUNCIL, SF Gate: "The California Department of Motor Vehicles has ordered Cruise to cut its vehicle fleet in San Francisco in half after one of the company's self-driving taxis was involved in an accident with a fire truck Thursday night, according to TechCrunch.

In a statement released Friday night, the DMV said it is investigating “recent concerning incidents” involving Cruise's vehicles in San Francisco. In addition to halving the number of vehicles in the city, the DMV called for Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, to have no more than 50 vehicles operating during the day and 150 vehicles driving at night until the agency's investigation is complete."

Media panel in Truckee explores needs and challenges of local journalism

MIRANDA JACOBSON, Tahoe Daily Tribune: "Good Morning Truckee’s media panel discussion presented by the Truckee Chamber of Commerce offered a unique look into the triumphs and challenges of local journalism in the basin.

Featuring members from local media stations including CC Media, Moonshine Ink, The Sierra Sun, Tahoe Truckee Media, and KTKE 101.5 Radio, the panel was able to discuss the importance of local journalism, and the role each agency plays in distributing news to the wide variety of people who live and play in the basin."

It Ain't Over Yet

The Roundup: