Here’s who Kamala Harris might tap as VP if she wins the Democratic nomination
The Chronicle's SOPHIA BOLLAG, JOE GAROFOLI: "Soon after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday, speculation quickly turned to whom his chosen replacement, Vice President Kamala Harris, might select as her running mate if she wins the nomination.
Here’s a look at some possible contenders:"
Biden: Out. What now? We ask Paul Mitchell (PODCAST)
Capitol Weekly's STAFF: "We recorded this episode coming out of the most intense eight days in American politics in a generation. A week and a day after an assassination attempt nearly felled former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden announced that he was abandoning his bid for reelection, and endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris.
Political data expert Paul Mitchell has been polling Biden’s support in California since the president’s disastrous debate performance on June 27. The numbers were not pretty for Dems, with Biden underperforming his 2020 results, and appearing to create a drag on support for Dem candidates across the board. Would another candidate be stronger? On Friday, that was a hypothetical question, but no more."
California delegates help pick presidential candidates. Who are they? How are they chosen?
Sacramento Bee's ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "In November, Californians will cast their votes for the next American president.
Before that happens, however, state delegates at the Republican and Democratic national conventions must select their parties’ presidential candidates — determining who ends up on the ballot."
Harris appears to clinch Democratic presidential nomination as she rakes in record-breaking $81 million
LAT's FAITH E. PINHO, SEEMA MEHTA, NOAH BIERMAN: "Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination Monday night, as delegates in California and other states backed her White House bid and party leaders and donors coalesced around her candidacy.
The Democratic Party said it aimed to wrap up votes for a nominee by Aug. 7 through a virtual roll call of delegates. However, delegations from several states — including California — pledged their support for Harris, all but guaranteeing she would be named the party’s nominee for president."
How the coconut tree meme became the symbol of support for Kamala Harris
The Chronicle's AIDIN VAZIRI: "Ahead of President Biden’s decision to forgo a reelection bid, an unusual emblem of support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign began trending on social media: the coconut tree emoji.
But why the coconut tree? The origins trace back to a speech last year by Harris at a White House event dedicated to Hispanic American opportunities. Near the end of her remarks, Harris stressed the interconnectedness of individuals within communities, declaring, “None of us live in isolation.”"
With California Democrats’ backing, Kamala Harris secures enough votes for nomination
The Chronicle's SOPHIA BOLLAG, SHIRA STEIN: "With the endorsement of the California Democratic delegation, Vice President Kamala Harris has enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination for president, California Democrats said Monday night.
"California just voted unanimously to nominate our very own @KamalaHarris for President. Our delegates have put the VP over the required number she needs to be our nominee going into convention!" Rep. Robert Garcia said in a tweet posted after the Chronicle first reported the move."
Environmental groups ‘ecstatic’ over Kamala Harris’ candidacy and California climate record
LAT's HAYLEY SMITH, IAN JAMES: "Vice President Kamala Harris’ emergence as the leading Democratic presidential contender has garnered a renewed sense of optimism among environmentalists who say she offers a strong track record of climate and clean energy policies and would continue to advance that work in the White House.
“I’m ecstatic — I couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Leah Stokes, an associate professor of climate and energy policy at UC Santa Barbara, on Monday."
Under pressure from weed consumers, California regulators hustle to start testing for pesticides
LAT's PAIGE ST. JOHN: "Under intense pressure from millions of weed users, California officials are scrambling to test cannabis products for pesticides following a Times investigation last month revealing that regulators have failed to keep vapes and pre-rolls rife with toxic chemicals out of stores.
The revelation shook consumer confidence in the safety of legal products and panicked industry leaders: Three leading dispensary chains announced their own product testing programs in the absence of similar safety checks by regulators."
A casino project sparks conflict over tribal sovereignty and control of sacred lands
LAT's TYRONE BEASON: "The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians hail from neighboring lands that stretch from the vineyards of wine country to the redwood forests of Northern California.
Their ancestors spoke different languages, but for generations communicated through the universal gestures of dance. And both tribes have persevered despite a history of violence at the hands of outsiders and their forced removal from territory they’ve called home for centuries."
Are chemicals still spreading near Placer County missile site? New probe data show the latest
Sacramento Bee's ELISE FISHER: "The most recent data collected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Titan-1 missile silo site in Placer County found that despite longstanding concerns, new soil vapor monitoring probes closest to homes in the Sun City Lincoln Hills development do not show signs of trichloroethylene, or TCE, a chemical that can cause health problems.
The monitoring probes did, however, measure low levels of benzene — a chemical linked to cancer — at the wells nearest to the homes. Officials say the source of the benzene was not immediately clear, but that the amounts found do not appear to be dangerous."
Long COVID risk has decreased but remains significant, study finds
LAT's RONG-GONG LIN II: "The risk of developing long COVID — enduring, sometimes punishing symptoms that linger well after a coronavirus infection — has decreased since the start of the pandemic, a new study found, with the drop particularly evident among those who are vaccinated.
But the dip does not mean the risk of developing long COVID has vanished. And given the rise in new infections, particularly during periods like now, when data indicate transmission is elevated, even a lower rate of prevalence means many Americans risk developing symptoms that can last months or years after their initial infection clears."
Education has been a central interest of Kamala Harris since early in her career
EdSource's LOUIS FREEDBERG: "The likelihood that Vice President Kamala Harris will be the Democratic nominee for president is inviting scrutiny of her positions on every public policy issue, including education.
By her own accounting, those views have been profoundly shaped by her experiences as a beneficiary of public education, as a student at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley and later at the Hastings College of Law (now called UC Law San Francisco)."
UC Board of Regents discuss math admissions requirements, collegiate recovery programs
Daily Californian's KAILYN HOLTY: "The UC Board of Regents discussed recommendations high school math courses must comply with to fulfill the UC system’s math admissions requirements, leading to confusion among the Academic and Student Affairs Committee.
These recommendations are the final analysis of research by UC faculty Workgroup on Mathematics Preparation and the Academic Senate’s Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, or BOARS, which initially convened in fall 2023. This committee aimed to determine what math coursework prepares high school students the most and whether current UC Academic Senate regulations need to be modified."
High schools demand clarity about UC’s new math policies
EdSource's JOHN FENSTERWALD: "Twice this year, the University of California faculty broadly reaffirmed which high school math courses are required for admissions. However, many school counselors and students, along with the president of the State Board of Education, complain they’re confused by a lack of details.
High schools want to know if their specific course offerings comply with UC requirements. Depending on a student’s interests and intended majors, counselors want to know which courses to recommend. And students want to know if taking less rigorous math classes like statistics and data science could affect their chances of getting admitted the campus of their choice."
Silicon Valley billionaires put plans for new California city on hold
LAT's JESSICA GARRISON, HANNAH WILEY: "The tech billionaires backing a proposal to raise a brand-new city on the rolling prairie northeast of San Francisco Bay have agreed to pull their measure off the November ballot and will first fund a full environmental review of the project, officials announced Monday.
The pause — announced in a joint statement from a Solano County supervisor and the chief executive of California Forever, the group backing the development — marks a dramatic shift in what had been a relentless push to build a city from scratch in rural Solano County. Until recently, California Forever, whose roster includes tech giants such as LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, appeared set on taking the proposal directly to local voters this fall."
California Forever’s plan to build city in Solano County on hold to study project’s impact
The Chronicle's J.K. DINEEN: "The proponents of a ballot initiative that would allow a new city of 400,000 residents to be built in east Solano County have decided to withdraw the measure and instead prepare a full environmental report on the impact the project would have on everything from the traffic to water to the county’s budget.
In a statement, Solano County Supervisor Mitch Mashburn said the decision, which will delay a vote on the new city for two years, came after conversations with California Forever CEO Jan Sramek."
Elon Musk’s messy divorce with California leaves ugly grievances all around
LAT's JAMES RAINEY: "Like many before him, Elon Musk came to California to make his name and fortune.
He hit Silicon Valley during the 1990s and the first internet boom, and began building his fortune with startups like the information network Zip2 and the payments site Paypal."
Crime is rising at L.A. Metro. Is a new police force the answer?
CALMatters's JENNA PETERSON: "Late one recent morning at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, Metro riders waited patiently to catch their trains. They shared the platform with a slew of “ambassadors” wearing bright yellow jackets — uniformed Metro Transit Security Officers and homeless outreach providers.
One provider, Debora Latimer, spends her days walking the grounds of Union Station and engaging with homeless people. “We meet and greet and see if we can supply them with what they may need at that moment,” she said. This could include giving them kits of essential toiletries, connecting them with mental health providers or enrolling them in L.A. County’s Homeless Management System, depending on the situation."
Sloppy spycraft? The indictment of a former CIA analyst embarrasses South Korea
LAT's MAX KIM: "Meals at Michelin-starred restaurants. Designer handbags from Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton. More than $37,000 in cash in “covert funding” to an account that she controlled at a think tank.
These are some of the perks that Sue Mi Terry, a naturalized U.S. citizen who worked for the CIA before establishing herself as a foreign policy pundit, received in return for secretly aiding spies from South Korea, federal prosecutors alleged in a 31-page indictment unsealed last week."
