California salmon fishing banned for second year in row
CALMatters's RACHEL BECKER: "In a devastating blow to California’s fishing industry, federal fishery managers unanimously voted today to cancel all commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast of California for the second year in a row.
The decision is designed to protect California’s dwindling salmon populations after drought and water diversions left river flows too warm and sluggish for the state’s iconic Chinook salmon to thrive."
An unusual Bay Area House race just got even weirder
The Chronicle's SHIRA STEIN: "The race to replace Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, just got even weirder.
After two people tied for the No. 2 spot, three candidates are set to run in November; now, a recount has been requested and one candidate is accusing another of attacking democracy."
Here’s what we know about the recount brewing in the Congressional District 16 race
BANG*Mercury News's GRACE HASE: "In yet another twist to an extraordinary congressional race to replace outgoing Rep. Anna Eshoo, two individuals have asked for the votes in the March primary to be recounted, but questions remain as to whether either of them will pay Santa Clara and San Mateo counties a hefty sum to make it happen.
The Congressional District 16 race ended in a stunning fashion, with Assemblymember Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian in a historic 30,249-to-30,249 tie for second place after a month of counting votes and frequent lead changes between the two. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo came in first with a healthy lead of more than 8,000 votes."
Did Democratic Bay Area congressman encourage East Bay mega-donor to join RFK Jr. ticket?
BANG*Mercury News's JOHN WOOLFOLK: "Nicole Shanahan, the East Bay mega-donor turned vice presidential running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., accused Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna in recent social media posts of privately supporting her political aspirations before “flipping the switch” and publicly urging her through the media to drop out.
Shanahan, a lawyer with Silicon Valley connections as the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, said she was contacted by CBS about a letter to her from Khanna urging her to drop out of the race to avoid pulling votes from President Biden and helping former President Donald Trump return to the White House. She indicated that she hadn’t personally received the letter, and she posted on the social media platform X that the congressman initially encouraged her to run."
Return to office: State workers ordered back this summer — read Gov. Gavin Newsom’s memo
Sacramento Bee's LINDSEY HOLDEN: "Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration on Wednesday announced plans to require state workers to return to the office for at least two days a week beginning this summer, ending the possibility of full-time telework.
A memo from Cabinet Secretary Ann Patterson said state agencies and departments would need to implement a hybrid telework policy with mandatory in-office days starting June 17. Patterson said requests for more than three telework days per week “should continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis.”"
Reparations rift? California’s Black lawmakers divided on how far to go
CALMatters's WENDY FRY: "As California becomes the first state to publicly grapple with the complexities of reparations, a conflict has emerged between reparations advocates and some lawmakers backing bills to implement a state task force’s recommendations.
Leading Black lawmakers are advancing different sets of bills, raising questions about whether they have competing visions. But the chairperson of the California Legislative Black Caucus on Wednesday said there’s no rift between caucus members, just a strategic discussion over which bills to prioritize this year."
Explosive levels of methane have been detected near a Berkeley landfill-turned-park
LAT's TONY BRISCOE: "Brimming with wildlife and offering panoramic views of San Francisco Bay, César Chávez Park welcomes visitors who might never suspect this stretch of shoreline was built atop a municipal landfill.
But beneath the sprawling grasslands and charming hiking trails, decomposing waste continues to generate methane gas. That’s why the city of Berkeley operates an underground system that collects this flammable gas and torches it at a large mechanical flare near the center of the park."
New study shows bipartisan agreement on guns: safe storage makes for good neighbors
LAT's GABRIELLE LAMARR LEMEE: "Though few issues are as polarizing, a new study published Monday found some common ground in how Americans view guns in their local communities. Traditionally pro-gun respondents did not have a preference for gun-owning neighbors, and all respondents were averse to their neighbors owning AR-15s. All groups, including pro-gun groups, were also uncomfortable with neighbors storing their guns unlocked and loaded for quick access.
According to a 2023 survey by the Department of Public Health, 12% of households in Los Angeles County reported having at least one firearm in or around their home. That translates to one out of every 9 households and, because of self-reporting bias, is likely an undercount."
Public school choice exists in California, but few districts offer it
EdSource's JOHN FENSTERWALD: "An underused, little-known public school choice program allowing students to enroll in other districts that open their borders has been reauthorized six times in the past 30 years. Under a bill winding its way through the Legislature, it would become permanent, with revised rules.
Under the District of Choice program, districts announce how many seats they make available to nonresident students by the fall of the preceding year, and parents must apply by Jan. 1. By statute, enrollment is open to any family that applies, without restrictions – and with a lottery if applications are oversubscribed. The program bans considering academic or athletic ability or, if an applicant is a student with special needs, the cost of educating a student."
UC Berkeley’s new chancellor faces budget crisis, campus protests, housing shortage
The Chronicle's NANETTE ASIMOV: "UC Berkeley, which faces a massive budget gap, is getting a new chancellor with economic chops.
The University of California announced Wednesday that it has chosen Richard Lyons, its chief innovation officer and former dean of the Haas School of Business, as the 12th chancellor of UC Berkeley, following a six-month search."
Mayor Breed wants a Chinese university to set up in downtown S.F.
The Chronicle's J.D. MORRIS: "Mayor London Breed will embark Saturday on a one-week trip to China, where she will try to secure investments in San Francisco’s struggling economy and boost tourism as part of an effort to accelerate the city’s slow pandemic recovery.
Breed told the Chronicle on Wednesday that she would use the trip to advocate for more direct flights from China, the expansion of a Chinese university to downtown San Francisco and for the country to send pandas to the San Francisco Zoo."
Disruption at UC Berkeley dean’s home is latest campus flashpoint over Gaza
The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO: "UC Berkeley’s law school dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, and his wife, law professor Catherine Fisk, invited third-year students to their home for a dinner to celebrate the students’ upcoming graduation. But it became a scene of anger when a student arose to denounce the school’s financial support for Israel’s government — just the latest in a series of confrontations at the university over Israel and Palestine.
Malak Afaneh, leader of Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine, stood up in the couple’s backyard Tuesday evening to denounce the university’s investments in manufacturers of weapons for Israel and had just spoken the words “as-salamu alaykum” — meaning peace and blessings to you — when Fisk grabbed her and tried to take away her microphone, according to the Bay Area Palestine Youth Movement."
High-ranking Oakland cops, including deputy chief, face serious discipline for allegedly botching investigation
BANG*Mercury News's SHOMIK MUKHERJEE, JAKOB RODGERS and DAVID DEBOLT: "High-ranking Oakland police officers are facing serious discipline for alleged misconduct related to an internal investigation of a detective accused of bribing a confidential witness in a murder case, and later lying about it, multiple sources have confirmed.
Oakland Police Department Deputy Chief Drennon Lindsey — the wife of former OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong — and lead internal affairs investigator Sgt. Mega Lee were served with notices of intent to terminate, according to the sources, who spoke to the Bay Area News Group on the condition of anonymity."
LAPD interim chief Dominic Choi: Quiet reformer or ‘Michel Moore 2.0’?
LAT's LIBOR JANY: "Nearly two hours into a welcome ceremony last month at the lavish home of a Korean diplomat in Hancock Park, the guest of honor — the first Asian-American to lead the Los Angeles Police Department — had yet to step on stage.
Dominic Choi took over last month as LAPD’s 58th chief, and since then he has managed to keep a relatively low profile, so far avoiding the kinds of headline-grabbing controversies that plagued the department in recent years. After a performance by a traditional nanta-buk drum troupe at the diplomat’s soiree, more than a dozen speakers paraded to the microphone to tell about Choi’s open-mindedness and modesty."
All-cash offers, wealthy buyers push Southern California home prices to a record
LAT's ANDREW KHOURI: "Southern California home prices hit a record in March amid sky-high mortgage interest rates, a combination that’s creating the most unaffordable housing market in a generation.
The average for the six-county region reached $869,082 in March, according to Zillow. That’s up 9% from a year earlier and 1% higher than the previous all-time high in June 2022."
Santa Monica luxury towers, HOA fees, alleged theft: Where did the millions go?
LAT's JAMES QUEALLY, ANDREW KHOURI: "The man on the phone with Omar Spahi in March 2020 was in a panic. His best friend, Omar, had called to warn that he might start receiving phone calls from lawyers about a construction company named Progressive.
Apparently, the company was in the man’s name. But he had never heard of it."
6-story parking garage approved for Sacramento airport. When will the $229M project be built?
Sacramento Bee's ROSALIO AHUMADA: "Sacramento International Airport’s expansive renovation plan hit another milestone Tuesday with the approval of a nearly $230 million contract for the construction of a new parking garage that could add up to 4,500 new spaces.
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the $229 million contract to be awarded to Sacramento-based Otto Construction."
