California lawmakers pass bill to decriminalize some psychedelic drugs
The Chronicle, SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide whether to let Californians possess limited amounts of psychedelic mushrooms, DMT and peyote under a bill lawmakers passed Thursday.
The bill is San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener’s second attempt to decriminalize psychedelic drugs. A previous version of the bill died last year in the state Assembly."
California moves to decriminalize use of magic mushrooms and other natural psychedelics
LA Times, HANNAH WILEY: "California lawmakers on Thursday narrowly approved a bill supported by veterans and criminal justice reform advocates to decriminalize the possession and personal use of a limited list of natural psychedelics, including “magic mushrooms.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom will now decide the fate of Senate Bill 58, which would remove criminal penalties for the possession and use of psilocybin and psilocin, the active ingredients in psychedelic mushrooms, mescaline and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, known as ayahuasca. The bill also would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to study the therapeutic use of psychedelics and submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the Legislature."
California Democrats pass state tax on guns and ammunition after nearly a decade of attempts
Sac Bee, LINDSEY HOLDEN: "California lawmakers will send a state excise tax on guns and ammunition to Gov. Gavin Newsom after years of failed attempts by Democratic legislators.
The Senate voted 27-9 on Thursday to approve Assembly Bill 28, which would require manufacturers, vendors and dealers to pay an 11% tax on guns and ammunition to fund violence prevention efforts. The bill passed with exactly the two-thirds threshold needed for approval of a tax."
Schiff leads Porter, Lee — and Steve Garvey — in race to succeed Feinstein in U.S. Senate, but many undecided
BANG*Mercury News, JOHN WOOLFOLK: "The latest poll in the race to succeed Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate gave a boost Thursday to Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, putting him ahead of fellow Southern California Democrat Rep. Katie Porter and double digits in front of Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee, who’s struggling to get voters’ attention.
But Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll director Mark Di Camillo said the race remains a “wide-open affair.”"
Deal to rescue insurance companies in fire-prone California is dead, lawmaker says
The Chronicle, JULIE JOHNSON, JOE GAROFOLI: "An eleventh-hour bid to ensure more property owners can obtain home insurance in wildfire-prone California fell apart Thursday when lawmakers and insurance companies failed to strike a deal, according to a key lawmaker involved in negotiations.
State Sen. Bill Dodd, whose North Bay district is on the front lines of the state’s wildfire crisis, said talks fell apart after weeks of work by a small contingent of politicians and other stakeholders. Their mission, he said, was to prevent more companies from fleeing the state by striking an agreement that would have allowed insurers to increase rates as long as they guaranteed to cover a certain percentage of properties in areas where the risk of wildfires are high."
TikTok ban on state worker phones won’t happen in California this year
LA Times, SAMEEA KAMAL: "California won’t join more than 30 other states and the federal government in banning the TikTok app on state phones and devices — at least not this year.
Senate Bill 74 — a bipartisan effort between Sens. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat, and Brian Jones, a San Diego Republican — was shelved while it was on the Assembly floor for a vote before the Legislature adjourns next Thursday, even though it had a relatively smooth path."
Hurricane Jova path: Satellite images show storm swirling in Pacific Ocean
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS, GERRY DIAZ: "A meteorological marvel continues to spin harmlessly in the eastern Pacific Ocean, providing stunning images from space.
Hurricane Jova, a Category 4 storm located nearly 600 miles away from the Baja Peninsula, continues its path away from North America."
COVID outbreaks hit workplaces, schools across California as summer illnesses worsen
LA Times, RONG-GONG LIN II, EMILY ALPERT REYES: "The summer COVID bump is worsening in California, with infections spreading at schools and workplaces, and hospitalizations ticking up.
While health officials continue to say the numbers are no cause for alarm, the infections are beginning to bring more disruptions to everyday life."
Officials in California city vote to ban mask and COVID vaccine mandates
The Chronicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "Officials in one California city have voted to ban mask and vaccine mandates, despite steadily increasing COVID-19 metrics across the state.
The Huntington Beach City Council passed the motion, introduced by Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark, with a split 4-3 vote early Wednesday during a marathon meeting that ended at 2:48 a.m."
Covid cases rise as LAUSD tries to improve attendance
EdSource, MALLIKA SESHADRI: "COVID-19 cases are on the rise throughout Los Angeles Unified and the county. Public health experts are urging caution while school officials are looking to keep children in the classroom for their academic progress and emotional well-being.
“We want kids in the classrooms learning,” said Sarah Van Orman, the University of Southern California’s vice president and chief campus health officer. “That’s what we’re all doing — whether that be in K-12 or in higher ed — balancing the need to prevent … respiratory illnesses within our communities with the need for people to … engage in the activities that they need to engage in, which includes learning at the K-12 levels.”"
Group including Laurene Powell Jobs interested in buying S.F. Art Institute
The Chronicle, SAM WHITING: "A group of nine arts and business leaders, including philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, is pursuing the purchase of the vacant and bankrupt San Francisco Art Institute campus on Russian Hill.
David Stull, president and CEO of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, confirmed that he is part of a group that has been working on a plan for the last four months, with members including Powell and Brenda Way, founder of the ODC/Dance Company."
Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life for raping former Scientologists
LA Times, JAMES QUEALLY: "After a pair of trials focused on the Church of Scientology’s alleged attempts to shield one of its celebrity members from prosecution, actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on Thursday morning after having been convicted of raping two former members of the church.
Masterson, 47, was convicted of two counts of rape in May, and a jury deadlocked on a third woman’s accusations. The assaults took place in the early 2000s, but Masterson’s victims said they waited years to come forward because Scientology doctrine forbade them to report a fellow member to police."
Warner Bros. has suspended producer deals. Will it spur a breakthrough in WGA talks or deepen the conflict?
LA Times, MEG JAMES: "Warner Bros.’ suspension of high-profile producer deals — including prolific filmmakers Greg Berlanti, J.J. Abrams and Mindy Kaling — highlights heightening tensions as the writers’ strike enters its fifth month.
The Burbank studio alerted several top showrunners late Wednesday that it was halting payments to producers for their staff salaries, office space and other compensation, due to the bitter Writers Guild of America work stoppage that began May 2, said numerous people familiar with the matter but not authorized to comment."
How to avoid a costly S.F. home buyer nightmare: Unpermitted work
The Chronicle, NORA MISHANEC: "You just bought a house in San Francisco and discovered unpermitted work. Are you on the hook for bringing it up to code?
The answer is yes, according to Department of Building Inspection rules."
Biden administration considers forcing migrant families to remain in Texas
LA Times, HAMED ALEAZIZ: "The Biden administration is considering forcing some migrant families who enter the country without authorization to remain near the border in Texas while awaiting asylum screening, effectively limiting their ability to travel within the United States, three U.S. officials told The Times.
Administration officials have been considering the idea as a way to stem recent increases in the numbers of migrant families crossing the southern border, which reportedly reached an all-time high last month. Supporters of the remain-in-Texas idea, which has yet to be finalized, hope that it would help the administration advance its goals of quickly deporting families who fail initial asylum screenings and deterring other families from crossing in the first place."
Fulton County DA rips Rep. Jordan for ‘partisan misrepresentations’
AP: "The district attorney who brought charges against former President Donald Trump and others over their efforts to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 election sent a scathing letter to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan on Thursday, accusing him of interfering in a state case and pushing “outrageous partisan misrepresentations.”
The letter from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee and a close ally of Trump’s, came in response to one he sent last month expressing concerns about the motivations behind her investigation and demanding that she provide certain documents by Thursday. Instead, Willis sent him a nine-page retort detailing the “inaccurate information and misleading statements” in his letter."
Pentagon: U.S. moving troops within Niger as ‘precautionary measure’
UPI, DARRYL COOTE: "U.S. troops stationed in Niger are being repositioned within the country as a precautionary measure, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the military coup in the West African nation nears 45 days old.
"This is simply a precautionary measure," Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon press secretary, told reporters during a press conference Thursday, adding that some non-essential personnel and contractors have left the country."
