Top manager of California’s largest water supplier placed on leave after sexism, harassment allegations
IAN JAMES, LA Times: "The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted to place General Manager Adel Hagekhalil on leave Thursday while the agency investigates accusations of harassment against him by the agency’s chief financial officer.
Chief Financial Officer Katano Kasaine made the allegations in a confidential letter to the board, which was leaked and published by Politico. She said Hagekhalil has harassed, demeaned and sidelined her and created a hostile work environment."
The dirty secret of California’s legal weed
LAT's PAIGE ST. JOHN, ALEX HALPERIN: "An investigation by The Times, in conjunction with cannabis industry newsletter WeedWeek, found alarming levels of pesticides in cannabis products available on dispensary shelves across the state, including some of the most popular brands of vapes and pre-rolled weed.
Twenty-five of 42 legal cannabis products that The Times and WeedWeek purchased from retail stores and had tested at private labs showed concentrations of pesticides either above levels the state allows or at levels that exceed federal standards for tobacco. The contaminants include chemicals tied to cancer, liver failure, thyroid disease and genetic and neurologic harm to users and unborn children."
First California fire weather watch of 2024 issued
ANTHONY EDWARDS, Chronicle: "Dry, gusty winds are in the forecast across Northern California this weekend, prompting the first fire weather watch of 2024.
The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch for the Sacramento Valley, northern Sierra Nevada foothills and Lake County, which is in effect from 11 p.m. Saturday through 5 p.m. Monday. The most recent fire weather watch in the Sacramento Valley was in October 2023.
Redding, Red Bluff, Chico, Yuba City, Marysville and Davis are all included in the fire weather watch. Fire weather watches are issued up to 72 hours in advance of critical fire weather conditions."
Californians less likely to vote cite a common reason: They don’t like the presidential candidates
LAURA J. NELSON, LA Times: "Most Californians say they’re likely to vote in the November election, but among those who aren’t sure, there’s a common reason: They don’t like the presidential candidates.
That finding comes from a poll released Friday by the UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies, which asked 5,095 registered voters across California to reflect on their likelihood of voting in the Nov. 5 general election that will feature a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump.
The poll, conducted for the nonprofit Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, found that about 78% of California’s registered voters say they’re highly likely to vote. The poll also found that the intent to vote varies widely by age, race and political affiliation — as do the reasons why people say they aren’t likely to cast a ballot."
Gavin Newsom and top Democrats are deciding California’s budget behind closed doors
ALEXEI KOSEFF, CalMatters: "After legislative leaders failed to reach an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom about how to close California’s projected multibillion-dollar deficit, the Legislature passed a placeholder state budget today, just ahead of a mandatory deadline.
With only a few weeks left until the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, both sides refuse to publicly discuss what specific issues are holding up a deal."
Bill that bans schools from outing students passes California Senate. Will Newsom sign it?
ANDREW SHEELER, SacBee: "After some impassioned testimony on both sides, California senators voted on party lines Thursday to approve a bill that would ban school districts from passing policies requiring staff to notify parents if their child uses a different name or pronouns at school.
Critics call those policies “forced outings,” noting that they don’t take the student’s consent or personal well-being at home into account."
What the Supreme Court ruling on the abortion pill means for access in California
CALMatters's KRISTEN HWANG: "Medication abortion will remain widely available to Californians after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by anti-abortion groups and doctors to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug.
In a unanimous vote, the high court today said plaintiffs did not have standing to claim the FDA had inappropriately expanded access to mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill. In doing so, justices temporarily upheld FDA regulations allowing clinicians to prescribe the pill via telehealth appointment and mail order delivery of the drug and sent the case back to the lower courts."
A Hollywood Heavyweight Is Biden’s Secret Weapon Against Trump
PETER BAKER, NY Times; "When President Biden made clear last year that he was planning to run for another term, some important Democratic contributors expressed doubt. He was too old, they feared. He was not up to another four years.
It fell to Jeffrey Katzenberg to tell them they were wrong. When some still did not believe him, Mr. Katzenberg challenged them to come to Washington and find out for themselves — then arranged to bring the dubious donors to the White House to sit down with the octogenarian president to convince them he was still sharp enough."
Feds arrest 2 California execs accused of running giant Adderall scam
The Chronicle's MEGAN CASSIDY: "Two top executives of a digital health care company were arrested in California on Thursday for what federal officials said was a $100 million scheme to fraudulently prescribe Adderall and other stiMedication abortion will remain widely available to Californians after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by anti-abortion groups and doctors to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug.
In a unanimous vote, the high court today said plaintiffs did not have standing to claim the FDA had inappropriately expanded access to mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill. In doing so, justices temporarily upheld FDA regulatccions allowing clinicians to prescribe the pill via telehealth appointment and mail order delivery of the drug and sent the case back to the lower courts.mulants over the internet.
‘Wouldn’t be where I am today:’ California’s small business owners fight to save state aid
CALMatters's LEVI SUMAGAYSAY: "Lina Mills recalls how she came to this country from Colombia at age 16 having never worked a day in her life.
Once she arrived, she found work in restaurants. “I had to provide for myself,” Mills told CalMatters recently. “I basically ran from home.”"
Legislature adds to suspension of school, community college funding in 2024-25 placeholder budget
EdSource's JOHN FENSTERWALD: "California lawmakers on Thursday passed a budget for 2024-25 that incorporates the framework of a deal the governor negotiated last month with teachers union officials over how to deal with part of the state’s big revenue problem.
Many details of the spending plan will be hashed out in the coming days and weeks, but Thursday’s action will allow lawmakers to continue getting paid because it meets the constitutional requirement that they pass a budget before June 15."
UCLA commencement goes on amid campus tension over protests, violence and policing
LAT's JAWEE KALEEM, TERESA WATANABE: "More than 15,000 UCLA graduates will receive degrees during commencement ceremonies Friday and through the weekend, capping off a tense quarter at the Westwood campus that been the center of national controversy over campus policing, vigilante violence, pro-Palestinian protests and accusations of antisemitism.
The graduation events, which began Thursday evening with academic honors and athletics receptions, kick into high-gear at 11 a.m. with the first of three ceremonies for the Colleges of Arts and Sciences — the university’s largest division — that will take place through the evening at the Pauley Pavilion sports arena."
Luxury airline for dogs expands service area
The Chronicle's AIDIN ZIRI: "A luxury airline exclusively for dogs and their owners is expanding to the Bay Area. Bark Air announced plans on Thursday add to add five newdestinations.
The first Bark Air flights began last month, serving New York, Los Angeles and London. Starting in October, flights also will be available from Paris, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and San Jose."
Did Sacramento council illegally discuss new raise for city manager? Councilwoman wants probe
THERESA CLIFT, SacBee: "After learning information from The Sacramento Bee, a Sacramento city councilwoman is calling for an investigation into whether the city violated state law when it shut out the public from a portion of its most recent meeting.
Ahead of Tuesday’s 3 p.m. closed session meeting, the city in its agenda notified the public it would be discussing a performance evaluation for City Manager Howard Chan — one of the few reasons the state’s Brown Act allows elected leaders to talk behind closed doors."
