The planet is dangerously close to this climate threshold. Here’s what 1.5°C really means
LAT, HAYLEY SMITH: "The alarm bells are loud and clear.
Federal and international climate officials recently confirmed that 2023 was the planet’s hottest year on record — and that 2024 may be even hotter."
California weather: Live updates on flooding, street closures and storm impacts
The Chronicle, JESSICA FLORES, JULIE JOHNSON: "Wednesday’s atmospheric river-fueled storm brought strong wind and heavy rain to Northern California, with intense downpours in San Francisco in the evening causing street flooding across the city. The Bay Area is expected to wake up to a messy morning commute, with the potential for flooded streets and highways and street closures.
A flood watch has been issued extending into Thursday for many areas of the state, including the Yosemite Valley and the San Diego and Orange County coastal areas. A winter storm warning is in effect through later Thursday for the Interstate 5 Corridor."
READ MORE -- Powerful storm drenches Southern California, bringing flooding, high winds -- LAT, GRACE TOOHEY; Turbulent Bay Area weather is not over. Here’s what to expect -- The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS; California flood risk map: See which neighborhoods near you are danger zones -- The Chronicle, HARSHA DEVULAPALLI, JACK LEE; Stunning satellite photos show ‘Pineapple Express’ storms heading for Southern California -- LAT, TERRY CASTLEMAN
Saving salmon: Newsom unveils blueprint for ending decades-long decline
CALMatters, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "With salmon populations throughout California declining for decades and facing the threat of extinction, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday unveiled a state strategy aimed at protecting and restoring the iconic species “amidst hotter and drier weather exacerbated by climate change.”
The blueprint calls for tearing down dams and improving passages for migrating salmon, restoring flows in key waterways, modernizing hatcheries to raise fish and taking other steps to help Chinook, coho, steelhead and other migrating fish."
California’s environmental grade slips in statewide report. Newsom got his lowest marks yet
Sacramento Bee, ARI PLACHTA: "Despite embracing the role of global climate champion this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking home a weaker environmental report card. That’s according to a statewide report released Thursday by one of the state’s largest environmental advocacy groups.
Newsom received a B- from the California Environmental Voters in its annual scorecard, his lowest marks since he took office 5 years ago. It’s a slightly lower grade than California as a whole, which came in at a B — last year both earned an A."
California nature needs investments on par with green energy and transit
Capitol Weekly, LAURIE WAYBURN: "While there’s no quick fix for the climate crisis, there is now solid scientific consensus that restoring the world’s forests is the fastest and most efficient way to capture enough carbon to meet the Paris Climate Accord goals by 2030. Last month’s UN climate summit in Dubai marked a crucial shift, with forests, wetlands, and other nature-based climate solutions finally getting the attention they deserve. And closer to home, California has the potential to lead the way in setting a global blueprint for implementing this overlooked part of the climate agenda.
A state-convened expert committee has proposed a first-in-the-nation effort to establish targets for carbon pollution reduction from California’s natural and working lands. Estimating that 400 million tons of carbon reduction can be achieved from these sectors in the very near term, the committee’s report calls on the Newsom administration and legislators to invest as much in nature-based climate solutions as it has in clean energy and transportation. By making nature an equally funded ally in the fight against climate change, the state will reap benefits beyond carbon pollution reduction—from the prevention of catastrophic wildfires and floods to the protection of biodiversity."
California’s new oil czar wants to end mysterious gas price spikes. Here’s his plan so far
Sacramento Bee, ARI PLACHTA: "California’s new gasoline industry watchdog wants to see mysterious price spikes at the pump come to an end. After months of investigation, he shared options for how energy regulators could stop them — penalties not yet included.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointed director of the new Division of Petroleum Market Oversight said the California Energy Commission should impose additional transparency in the daily gasoline market and require oil refineries to store supplies in a Wednesday lette"
Voters guide to the 2024 California primary election
LAT, STAFF: "California’s primary election takes place on March 5. Here is information Times reporters gathered about the races:"
Steve Garvey touts ‘family values’ in his Senate bid. Some of his kids tell another story
LAT, NATHAN FENNO, ADAM ELMAHREK: "The nickname “Mr. Clean” has lingered since the height of Steve Garvey’s fame as a sweet-swinging first baseman for the Dodgers and Padres, as much a reflection of his success on the field as the wholesome, All-American image that followed him off of it.
Charming. Handsome. Unfailingly polite. Eager to sign autographs. Devoted to helping charities. A media darling. A successful businessman. All with a made-for-television grin."
‘Do Not Rehire’: Panel finds Villanueva violated county discrimination, harassment policies
LAT, KERI BLAKINGER: "An oversight panel has recommended that former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva be deemed ineligible for rehire after officials found he discriminated against Inspector General Max Huntsman, according to records obtained by The Times.
In the initial complaint filed in March 2022, Huntsman accused Villanueva of “dog whistling to the extremists he caters to” when he repeatedly referred to the inspector general by his foreign-sounding birth name, Max-Gustaf. In an interview with The Times editorial board a few weeks later, Villanueva — without any evidence — accused Huntsman of being a Holocaust denier."
A bill for every problem? Why California lawmakers introduce longshots
CALMatters, SAMEEA KAMAL:As a Republican in the Democratic-controlled state Assembly, Bill Essayli doesn’t expect his bills to pass.
That isn’t going to stop him from introducing some, though. Most recently, the Corona lawmaker proposed repealing new state funding to provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants."
Passing ‘grave disability’ reform was hard – getting counties to implement it has been harder
Capitol Weekly, SIGRID BATHEN: "Diana Staros died at 28 after overdosing in the restroom of an East Oakland laundromat last September. She had been addicted to methamphetamine since she was in her late teens, likely “self-medicating” to escape the persistent voices in her head. Among her many delusions, she insisted she was pregnant (she wasn’t) and that meth was “good for the baby.” Toward the end, she said it was good for her too, and that doctors recommended it.
‘Just the beginning’: California reparations backers applaud bills, even without big cash payouts
CALMatters, WENDY FRY: "A group of California lawmakers is tackling reparations for Black descendants of enslaved people with a set of bills modeled after recommendations that a state reparations task force spent years studying and developing.
The legislative package — a set of 14 bills the California Legislative Black Caucus released Wednesday — addresses everything from criminal justice to food. It includes proposed laws that would require the governor and Legislature to apologize for human rights violations. One bill would provide financial aid for redlined communities while another proposal aims to protect the right to wear “natural and protective” hairstyles in all competitive sports."
Californians don’t have to pass a background check every time they buy bullets, federal judge rules
AP: "California residents don’t have to pay for and pass a background check every time they buy bullets, a federal judge has ruled.
The Tuesday ruling by U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez took effect immediately. California Attorney General Rob Bonta asked Benitez on Wednesday to delay the ruling to give him time to appeal the decision. It’s unclear if Benitez will grant that request."
This social service hotline you've never heard of could help pinpoint California's next big crisis
LAT, NOAH BIERMAN, GABRIELLE LAMARR LEMEE: "Months before the 2022 baby formula shortage drew congressional attention, operators at the nation’s 211 social service hotlines noticed an uptick in low-income parents pleading for help feeding their infants.
A decade earlier, before the mortgage crisis crippled the country’s largest banks, 211 hotlines were jammed with people unable to make house payments."
Should people test for exposure to ‘forever chemicals’? CDC offers doctors new guidance
The Chronicle, CATHERINE HO: "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidance for doctors on how to manage and test patients who may have been exposed to “forever chemicals” — potentially harmful substances found in drinking water, food wrappers, cookware and assorted everyday items that have been linked to high cholesterol, organ damage and other health problems.
The new guidance, issued Jan. 18 by the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, marks an expansion of the agency’s previous thinking on how health care providers should address patients’ concerns about exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS."
Should state government jobs require a college degree? Why California is rethinking its rules
CALMatters, ADAM ECHELMAN: "Many California government jobs don’t require a college degree. That list may grow longer as agencies face a rise in job vacancies.
Over the past decade, California cities, counties, and the state government have been changing the job descriptions for thousands of employees — either by removing the requirement for a high school, college, or graduate-level degree or by detailing alternative ways that candidates can gain the same skills. Studies show these changes can benefit workers and employers."
Is your student still struggling with pandemic setbacks? A state legal settlement offers help
LA Times, HOWARD BLUME: "A landmark settlement announced Thursday sets new accountability rules for how California public schools spend $2 billion to help students recover from pandemic learning setbacks: Educators must rely on proven academic strategies and track progress, which will be publicly disclosed — and if parents are not satisfied, they can file complaints.
The agreement brings an end to sweeping litigation that dates to the fall of 2020, when students were learning remotely from home, with campuses closed because of safety concerns. The lawsuit was silent on the merit of school-based COVID-19 safety measures and campus shutdowns. But it argued that students fell behind during online schooling and the state was not doing enough to remedy the harm."
H-1B: New rule aims to prevent gaming of visa lottery, and fees will skyrocket
BANG*Mercury News, ETHAN BARON: "The U.S. government on Tuesday issued two new rules on the controversial H-1B skilled-workers visa, one intended to prevent companies from scheming together to game the allocation lottery, and the other dramatically boosting fees for the visa.
After federal authorities streamlined the H-1B application process in 2020 by requiring submission of initial “registrations” that would then go into the lottery used for awarding visas, the registrations began to surge, nearly tripling over the next three years. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration said last year it had undertaken “extensive” fraud investigations and was making referrals to law enforcement for criminal prosecutions. Some companies, to boost their chances of winning the lottery, “may have tried to gain an unfair advantage by working together to submit multiple registrations on behalf of the same beneficiary,” the agency said."
Fed can’t fix 27% surge in California grocery prices
BANG*Mercury News, JONATHAN LANSNER: "Sometime in 2024, the Federal Reserve will declare it won its war on inflation.
Fears of a recession will ease. The news should boost stock prices. Lower interest rates likely will be a boon to house hunters."
Even more than $12.2 billion? Chief of BART San Jose says feds could raise extension’s estimated cost yet again
BANG*Mercury News, GABRIEL GRESCHLER: "South Bay residents shocked by last fall’s price jump for the San Jose BART extension — from $9.1 billion to $12.2 billion — may need to brace themselves again.
In a turn of events that could have major consequences for an extension already struggling with exploding prices and timeline delays, an independent assessment set to be released this month from federal officials may peg the project’s cost even higher than the agency’s $12.2 billion estimate, the Valley Transportation Authority’s chief megaproject officer told The Mercury News in an exclusive interview this week."
Can California police take your Ring doorbell footage? A new policy changes the rules
Sacramento Bee, ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "California law enforcement will not be able to access your Ring home security footage as easily after a change in the company’s policy and public safety agreement.
Beginning in February, Ring, a home security company owned by Amazon, will no longer give law enforcement access to video footage without the owner’s consent or a warrant except in extreme cases, such as imminent danger."
Retired Oakland judge has shocking theory about infamous Lindbergh kidnapping. And it’s catching on
The Chronicle, KEVIN FAGAN: "It’s been 91 years since celebrity aviator Charles Lindbergh’s baby was kidnapped, a crime that plunged the nation into a paroxysm of anguish that ended with the capture of a German immigrant named Bruno Richard Hauptmann. Prosecutors at the time said he snatched the child to squeeze a $50,000 ransom from the family, but to the day he was executed in the electric chair, Hauptmann insisted he was innocent.
Questions about Hauptmann’s guilt have swirled ever since his death, and now respected Bay Area historians are proposing a new, macabre theory about the case: that Lindbergh offered up his child as a subject for medical experiments and faked the kidnapping to cover up the child’s death."
How a Mennonite farmer became a drug lord
LAT, STEVE FISHER: "Franz Kauenhofen was once a pious member of his Mennonite community in this tropical stretch of southern Mexico. He read the Bible, tended to his fields and reared his three children to obey the teachings of the church.
“He never bothered anyone,” a childhood friend recalled. “He was a very kind, very noble person.”"
