Judge sets March trial date in Donald Trump’s New York hush-money case
AP, MICHAEL R. SISAK: "A New York judge says former President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial will go ahead as scheduled with jury selection starting on March 25.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan said Thursday that he made the decision after speaking with the judge in Trump’s now-delayed federal election interference case in the nation’s capital."
California EV sales are falling. Is it just temporary, or a threat to state climate goals?
LAT, RUSS MITCHELL: "After years of rapid expansion, California’s booming EV market may be showing signs of fatigue as high vehicle prices, unreliable charging networks and other consumer headaches appear to dampen enthusiasm for zero-emission vehicles.
For the first time in more than a decade, electric vehicle sales dropped significantly in the last half of 2023. There are even signs that Californians may be growing tired of Tesla — or at least weary of its outspoken chief executive, Elon Musk — as state Tesla sales fell 10% in the final quarter of last year."
Legislators wanted 1,100 reports on how California’s laws are working. Most haven’t arrived
CALMatters, SAMEEA KAMAL, JEREMIA KIMELMAN: "Talk to any California legislator about the budget deficit the state is facing, and you might hear a familiar refrain: It’s not just about new programs. It’s also how well existing laws are working.
But that can be difficult to track — for the public and lawmakers, alike."
Fact check: Did McCarty accept over $300,000 in state money for 10-minute commute?
Sacramento Bee, THERESA CLIFT: "The first negative mailer of this year’s Sacramento mayoral race is now in voters’ mailboxes. Its target? Kevin McCarty."
Mayor Karen Bass’ plan for rebuilding the size of the LAPD has fallen short so far
LAT, DAVID ZAHNISER: "When Mayor Karen Bass laid out her budget proposal for the Los Angeles Police Department last year, she had big plans for rebuilding the size of that agency’s workforce.
The mayor’s budget called for the LAPD to end the 2023-24 budget year with about 9,500 police officers — a target that would require the hiring of nearly 1,000 officers over a 12-month period."
With a venture capitalist running for S.F. mayor, the race is on to tap tech and business donors
The Chronicle, J.D. MORRIS: "As former San Francisco mayor Mark Farrell campaigns to unseat current Mayor London Breed in November, he is expected to leverage his connections and track record from his dual careers in government and venture capital — even as his critics question both.
Farrell, who officially declared his candidacy this week, is likely to tap into his extensive connections in the business world as he looks to raise the funds necessary to compete with Breed and her two other challengers: nonprofit founder and Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Ahsha Safaí."
‘Frustrated’: S.F. voters overwhelmingly feel city is on the wrong track, new poll finds
The Chronicle, ROLAND LI: "San Francisco voters continue to fret about the state of the city, with just over half arguing that crime, drugs and homelessness are the biggest issues, according to a new poll. Nearly three quarters feel the city is on the wrong track, a gloomy sentiment that could endanger Mayor London Breed’s reelection bid.
And downtown is at the heart of those worries."
Placer County opposes Gavin Newsom-backed homelessness and mental health measure. Here’s why
Sacramento Bee, JENAVIEVE HATCH: "The Placer County Board of Supervisors has voted to formally oppose Proposition 1, a ballot measure that would reroute $6.4 billion in bonds into spending on homelessness and behavioral and mental health.
Californians will vote on the measure in the March 5 primary election."
One of California’s largest auto insurers hikes prices 30%
The Chronicle, CLARE FONSTEIN: "After pausing its direct sale of auto insurance policies in California, Allstate is back, but with higher prices for customers.
Allstate’s sale of auto insurance policies, via its website or phone, resumed early this month but with an average rate increase of 30%. Some people will see increases as small as 10% and others will be hit with rates going up as much as 55%, according to a California Department of Insurance spokesperson."
Mudslide danger high in Southern California as rain-saturated hills are ready to give
LAT, RONG-GONG LIN II, HANNAH FRY, SALVADOR HERNANDEZ: "Already inundated by record rainfall, Southern California is facing another major storm Presidents Day weekend that could bring new risks for mudslides and flooding in vulnerable areas saturated with water.
The region saw 2 to 15 inches of rain last week — precipitation that weakened hillsides, closed roads and damaged homes. And while the strength of this new storm is still far from clear, experts say it underscores the dangers for slide-prone areas in the weeks and months ahead."
Bay Area to see warmer weather ahead of holiday weekend storms
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "After Wednesday’s widespread rain, a two-day stretch of dry weather is expected for the Bay Area before a stormy holiday weekend.
Lingering drizzle is possible over the North Bay on Thursday morning, but by afternoon, the entire Bay Area should be dry under partly cloudy skies. Highs will be slightly below normal, in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Lows will drop to the mid- to upper 40s."
California waterfall dubbed ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ will close to visitors this year
The Chronicle, GREGORY THOMAS: "A picturesque waterfall in Northern California that President Theodore Roosevelt once called “the Eighth Wonder of the World” will be closed to visitors for the year, beginning in April.
About an hour east of Redding is Burney Falls, a 129-foot-high spring-fed cascade that tumbles out of the volcanic highlands near Lassen Peak at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park. Though in a remote part of the mountainous north state, the falls are easily accessible and have in recent years become mobbed during the spring and summer months by day visitors. Some wade in the chilly, crystalline pool at the base of the falls, others fly-fish downstream, but most just hang out in the misty air and snap a selfie."
Thousands of Californians got a shot at better careers through this program. Is it working?
CALMatters, ADAM ECHELMAN: "At 47, Ibrahim Mohamed doesn’t fit the typical image of a college intern. When he arrived in the U.S. from Sudan in 2016, he went online to look for a steady job and decided he wanted to be an electrician at a water treatment facility.
A few years later, he started his internship, which is part of a state program known as a “High Road Training Partnership.” The focus is on training workers for “high road” jobs, defined as those that pay a living wage, provide opportunities for promotion, guarantee safe working conditions, and may offer other benefits, such as a union."
Warren Buffett protege among outside investors betting on downtown S.F. Could it signal a buying frenzy?
The Chronicle, LAURA WAXMANN: "It’s a good time to buy office space in San Francisco, at least for well-capitalized and patient investors who believe the city’s downtown business ecosystem will bounce back in a meaningful, and eventually profitable, way.
Some local owners working with wealthy funders like Presidio Bay Ventures, SKS Partners and San Mateo-based investor Roger Fields have already taken the plunge, snatching up mostly empty buildings in prime locations at a fraction of their peak values: Discounts of up to 70% have become the norm."
Who’s behind these mysterious deliveries? Woodside man showered with products he didn’t order
BANG*Mercury News, LISA M. KRIEGER: "Daniel Williams, come pick up your junk.
For more than six months, a parade of unsolicited Amazon packages — large and small, cheap and expensive, free or fraudulently billed — have arrived at John DeFiore’s rural Woodside home, addressed to a mysterious Mr. Williams."
Column: Older drivers reveal strategies for passing that ‘ridiculous’ California DMV renewal test
LAT, STEVE LOPEZ: "I wouldn’t call it an atmospheric river, because those come and go. DMV mail falls in a never-ending rain, without regard to seasons.
Not that it’s all bad news from readers who, like good soldiers, dutifully report every development from the front lines of the battle to renew their driver’s licenses."
