Democrats’ Unity Convention Has One Giant Exception: The Gaza War
JONATHAN WEISMAN, NY Times: "Even as feel-good displays of joy and confidence are set to dominate the Democratic National Convention this week in Chicago, one painful issue is bitterly dividing the Democratic establishment from its left flank: Israel’s war in Gaza.
The specter of convention-upending protests that hovered over a gathering hosted for President Biden has receded somewhat with the rise of a new candidate in Kamala Harris, who is seen as more sympathetic to Palestinian rights activists. But tens of thousands of protesters are still expected to convene just outside the event’s security perimeter, and the potential for high-profile disruptions remains real."
READ MORE about the convention: The Democratic National Convention’s speeches will be a show. The protests will be a test, SARA LIBBY and JOE GARAFOLI, SF Chronicle; Democrats’ party platform doesn’t call for arms embargo on Israel, MARIANA ALFARO and MICHAEL SCHERER, Washington Post;
‘Not Another Bomb’: Protesters in Kamala Harris’ hometown demand DNC action, WARREN PEDERSON, SF Chronicle.
Inside Kamala Harris’s Enormous Fundraising Drive
MAGGIE SEVERNS, Wall Street Journal: "Heather Ahern Huish was so elated when she read online that President Biden was endorsing Kamala Harris for the White House that the English teacher in rural Maine did something she hadn’t done in years. She made a political contribution, clicking on a Harris Facebook ad and donating $100—about the same amount she spends on groceries each week...
Democratic donors have gone wild for Harris’s whirlwind bid for the presidency despite her tepid polling for years, invigorated by what they think is an Obama-esque opportunity to create generational change in the Democratic Party—and elect the first female president. While Biden’s fundraising efforts sagged for weeks amid questions about his age and fitness for office, his decision to leave the race jolted Democratic donors big and small into action; Harris later reported she had raised more than $200 million in her first week. Many big-money supporters will be piling into suites at the United Center and in Chicago’s luxury hotels this week as Harris accepts her party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention."
The 47 Seconds That Saved Kamala Harris’s Political Career
SHANE GOLDMACHER, NY Times: "The first thing to know about Kamala Harris’s campaign for California attorney general is that she was not necessarily favored to win.
It was 2010 — the pinnacle of the Tea Party’s power — and Ms. Harris was running statewide for the first time and struggling to shed the same San Francisco liberal label that Donald J. Trump is yet again wielding as an epithet."
Her grandfather, Cesar Chavez, taught her about activism. Now she’s running Harris’ campaign
COURTNEY SUBRAMANIAN and SEEMA MEHTA, LA Times: "When then-President Obama awarded California labor leader Dolores Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — one person was notably absent from the ceremony in the White House’s East Room: Julie Chavez Rodriguez.
Huerta has known Chavez Rodriguez, the granddaughter of the legendary Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union with Huerta, since she was an infant. Chavez Rodriguez was working in the Obama administration at the time, but those who know her said her absence from the ceremony was not the least bit surprising."
Some California cities will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote for school board this year
SUMMER LIN, LA Times: "Some older Bay Area teenagers will have a chance to make their voices heard this election — albeit in limited fashion.
While still barred from voting on higher-profile races such as those for president or Congress, 16- and 17-year-olds living in Oakland and Berkeley will be able to cast ballots in upcoming school board elections, which determine the leadership and policies of local districts."
Bay Area schools grapple with cellphone bans as Newsom pushes to expand them
JILL TUCKER and IDA MOJADAD, SF Chronicle: "Lunchtime at four high schools in the Mount Diablo Unified School District this fall might look a little strange at first, even if it’s not immediately clear why.
At one site, teens could be playing volleyball outside, said Superintendent Adam Clark. At the others, the kids might be showing off their double Dutch jump rope skills or playing a game of giant Jenga. At all of them, he added, the students are hanging out, reading books, joking with each other. What you don’t see are cellphones, he said."
Rare super blue moon is coming Monday. Here’s what to know about the ‘Sturgeon Moon
CAROLYN STEIN, SF Chronicle: "Bay Area residents will get to see a rare super blue moon at its peak this Monday around 11:26 a.m. The event will kick off the first of four supermoons for the year. The term supermoon typically refers to a full moon that appears closer than usual to Earth’s orbit, resulting in a moon that looks bigger and brighter, according to NASA.
While the super blue moon will reach its peak late Monday morning, at a time when it is not particularly visible,
Bay Area residents will still have an opportunity to see the moon when it is full later that evening. The super blue moon is supposed to last from Sunday to early Wednesday morning, giving people plenty of opportunity to catch a glimpse."
S.F. housing market sees unprecedented difference between cost of buying vs. renting
CHRISTIAN LEONARD, SF Chronicle: "The Bay Area is one of the most expensive regions in the United States to rent. But it’s even more costly to buy a home — even in the long term.
That’s not the case everywhere. In the United States, the median home price in June is roughly the same as the median price for a rental stretched over 20 years, about $352,000 compared to $338,000, according to June 2024 data from real estate companies Zillow and Apartment List."
Hiker runs out of water, collapses on blazing Death Valley trek, rescuers say
DON SWEENEY, SacBee: "A hiker who ran out of water after finding his exit route blocked called for help after collapsing and sliding down a scree in Death Valley, California rescuers reported.
The man, a Panamint Springs Resort worker in Death Valley National Park with extensive experience hiking in the desert, went for a hike to Panamint Butte on Tuesday, Aug. 13, rangers said in an Aug. 16 news release."
DA drops charges against defendant in 2022 downtown Sacramento shooting who died in jail
ROSALIO AHUMADA, SacBee: "Prosecutors on Friday formally dismissed criminal charges against Smiley Martin, who died in jail in June as one of three men accused of murder in a 2022 suspected gang-related shootout in downtown Sacramento that killed six people and wounded 12 others.
Deputies found Martin, 29, dead in his cell about 2:15 a.m. June 8 before at the Sacramento County Jail. Authorities have not determined how Martin died. On Friday, Sacramento County Coroner Rosa Vega said the cause and manner of Martin’s death were still pending."
Los Angeles could restrict tour buses near Marilyn Monroe home
EMILY ALPERT REYES, LA Times: "Los Angeles is exploring whether to clamp down on tour buses driving near a home once owned by Marilyn Monroe, under a proposal backed Friday by the City Council. The Brentwood home was designated by the city as a historic monument in June, a move that helps protect the residence from demolition, after its new owners began preparing to tear the house down.
Monroe bought the home for $75,000 in 1962 and died there of an apparent overdose six months later. Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the area where the home is located, argued that demolishing the home “would be a devastating blow for historic preservation.”
D.A. Gascón to announce charges Monday in killing of actor Johnny Wactor
BEN POSTON, LA Times: "Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón will announce criminal charges Monday in the slaying of “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor, who was killed in May by men suspected of trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car.
Los Angeles Police Department Interim Chief Dominic Choi will also be on hand at the press conference scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Hall of Justice downtown, according to a news release from the L.A. County district attorney’s office issued Sunday."
