As California swelters, climate officials declare Summer 2024 the hottest on record
LAT's HAYLEY SMITH: "As Southern California swelters under its most punishing heat wave of the year, international climate officials have confirmed that summer 2024 was Earth’s hottest on record.
The global average temperature in June, July and August — known as the boreal summer in the Northern hemisphere — was a record-breaking 62.24 degrees, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The season was marked by explosive wildfires, sizzling heat waves and heat-related deaths in California and many other parts of the world."
New California water measures aim to increase fines for violators, protect wetlands
LAT's IAN JAMES: "Under California law, anyone caught diverting water in violation of a state order has long been subject to only minimal fines. State legislators have now decided to crack down on violators under a newly approved bill that sharply increases penalties.
Assembly Bill 460 was passed by the Legislature last week and is among the water-related measures awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. Other bills that were approved aim to protect the state’s wetlands and add new safeguards for the water supplies of rural communities."
Cashing in? A California tribe bought campaign ads for lawmaker who cast key gambling vote
CALMatters's RYAN SABALOW: "Assemblymember Evan Low represents a Silicon Valley district that could lose tens of millions of dollars in local tax revenues if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill that would allow casino-owning tribes to sue their competitors, private card rooms.
So it was surprising that Low, a Democrat who’s running for Congress, twice voted this summer for the measure and against the card rooms."
In California hearing about the border, House GOP seeks to attack Harris in her home state
LAT's ANDREA CASTILLO: "House Republicans are in California on Friday for a field hearing, bringing their 2024 election campaign message about Democrats’ handling of the border to Vice President Kamala Harris’ home turf.
The House Judiciary Committee’s hearing “The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: California Perspectives,” takes place in Santee, Calif., a city in eastern San Diego County."
Trump returning to California for big-dollar fundraisers next week
LAT's SEEMA MEHTA: "Former President Trump is scheduled to return to California next week for a pair of high-dollar fundraisers, one notably hosted by relatives of the wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to invitations obtained by The Times.
On Sept. 13, donors are being asked to pony up as much as $500,000 per couple for an afternoon fundraiser in the Bay Area community of Woodside hosted by Tom and Stacey Siebel. Tom Siebel, a billionaire software developer and businessman who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump’s 2024 campaign, is a second cousin once removed of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the Democratic governor’s wife."
Newsom urges emergency rules to rein in sale of easily purchased hemp products with potent high
LAT's CONNOR SHEETS: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed emergency regulations aimed at reining in the manufacture and sale of illegal hemp products that contain intoxicating cannabinoids such as THC.
The new rules would close loopholes that manufacturers in the “intoxicating hemp” industry have exploited to skirt restrictions on hemp products, allowing them to sell consumable goods with heavily inebriating effects, Newsom’s office said in a statement Friday morning."
What drove California Democrats to seek stiff bills governing retail theft? Experts explain
Sacramento Bee's ISHANI DESAI: "Crest whitening strips, pregnancy tests, underwear and Slim Jims.
All of those were locked away behind plastic at Walgreens in Land Park. Target in Rancho Cordova encased Olay skincare lotions and several brands of razors — Gillette, Philips, Braun — in plastic boxes. And Walmart in West Sacramento barricaded nearly every brand of makeup behind clear doors."
London Breed’s wealthy allies — led by Michael Bloomberg — come to defend her S.F. reelection bid
The Chronicle's J.D. MORRIS: "San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s wealthy allies are ramping up their efforts to make the case for her reelection bid as the campaign enters its final two-month stretch — but she’s still being outspent by one of her leading rivals.
Forward Action SF, a pro-Breed political action committee backed by the billionaire and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced Thursday that it will spend at least $2 million to promote Breed and her “prosperous vision” for San Francisco. Committees like Forward Action SF are allowed to accept unlimited amounts of money from deep-pocketed donors as long as they don’t directly coordinate with the candidates they support."
Capitol Spotlight: A legacy of public service continues for Yee family
Capitol Weekly's LISA RENNER: "For the Yee family, service to California is a family tradition dating back seven generations.
One of their ancestors was an herb doctor in the Gold Rush era who saved the governor’s wife. Another served on the state dental board and was a prominent philanthropist and community leader. Now, Dr. David Yee, a Roseville cancer surgeon, and his daughter Sarah Yee, a Harvard University freshman, are both serving on state commissions."
In tight Inland Empire race, first transgender candidate could oust first Republican Latina
LAT's MACKENZIE MAYS: "Nearly an hour into a fundraiser in a tidy gated community just outside Palm Springs in late May, a soft-spoken Lisa Middleton — who could become California’s first out transgender state lawmaker if elected in November — acknowledged her historic run for office matter of factly and without fanfare.
It wasn’t until after she addressed pedestrian safety, public transportation, college access and climate change over plates of deviled eggs and sweaty glasses of lemonade in the desert city she once served as mayor that she mentioned her gender identity."
What California lawmakers did to regulate artificial intelligence
CALMatters's KHARI JOHNSON: "California legislators just sent Gov. Gavin Newsom more than a dozen bills regulating artificial intelligence, testing for threats to critical infrastructure, curbing the use of algorithms on children, limiting the use of deepfakes, and more.
But people in and around the AI industry say the proposed laws fail to stop some of the most worrisome harms of the technology, like discrimination by businesses and government entities. At the same time, the observers say, whether passed bills get vetoed or signed into law may depend heavily on industry pressure, in particular accusations that the state is regulating itself out of competitiveness in a hot field."
AB 3190 will undo California’s progress on affordable housing (OP-ED)
JENNA ABBOTT in Capitol Weekly: "When asked what issues Californians are most worried about, you will almost always hear about the cost of housing. Research from 2022 showed that California has failed to build enough housing to meet the demand, and with the statewide median price for a single-family home in 2021 at $800,000, it should be no surprise that Californians are concerned. That’s exactly why AB 3190 should not become law.
It’s only recently that California has started to see progress to make housing more affordable, largely because Governor Newsom has arguably done more than any governor in history to put real resources into addressing California’s affordable housing crisis."
AB 2364 will only skyrocket commercial cleaning costs (OP-ED)
MELANIE BAMBA MILINKEVICH in Capitol Weekly: "After COVID-19, many companies adopted work-from-home policies, leading to smaller office footprints. As a result, the commercial real estate industry, as a whole, has taken a major economic hit. We see it with our own eyes, and the statistics reinforce what we already know: California’s downtown commercial districts are vacant and struggling.
Instead of working with the real estate industry to solve these pressing challenges, Assemblymember Luz Rivas introduced AB 2364, a bill that would study the amount of square footage a janitor is allowed to clean in a given time. The bill claims to be about worker safety, but the actual result would be skyrocketing cleaning costs for commercial properties, adding to an already dire situation."
Among Hispanics, women are more likely than men to vote Democrat. Reason may surprise you
Sacramento Bee's MAX GREENWOOD, SYRA ORTIZ BLANES: "At a recent election results party for Miami-Dade County mayoral candidate Alex Otaola, Santiago Machado wore custom shirts that he and his wife had designed for the right-wing, Cuban-born influencer’s campaign.
Otaola lost the race that night. But Machado, a 41-year-old healthcare worker, still plans to cast his vote for former President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. He donned a baseball cap supporting the GOP nominee at the watch party."
Should California community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing? Universities say no
CALMatters's MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN: "Is there a nursing shortage in California? Now, yes, though in a few years, probably not.
By 2027, the state is projected to have as many nurses as it needs because of a rise in nursing program enrollment, according to UC San Francisco projections compiled for the state agency that regulates nursing programs. The report was published last year."
Stockton Unified superintendent has been on the job for a year. What’s changed?
EdSource's LASHERICA THORNTON: "Stockton Unified, a mostly poverty-stricken community in San Joaquin County, has become known for its legal troubles, financial issues and superintendent turnover, which have, for years, distracted the low-performing school district from addressing student achievement. Most of the district’s nearly 40,000 students have failed to meet state standards in English and math.
Becoming superintendent in July 2023, Michelle Rodriguez knew those facts to be true. Rodriguez, the 14th superintendent to lead the district in less than two decades, said she was determined to change SUSD’s troubled reputation by focusing on students, creating stability, restoring public trust and engaging the community “one interaction, one decision, one day at a time.”"
U.S. job growth improves in August; unemployment edges back down
LAT's DON LEE: "Job growth picked up in August from the sluggish pace of hiring the previous month, providing a bit of relief after sharp declines earlier in the summer roiled financial markets and threatened to disrupt the momentum Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign had built up.
The government said Friday that the American economy added 142,000 jobs last month — slightly below analysts’ expectations but a marked improvement from the downwardly revised growth of 89,000 in July."
MLB players, agents wrap their heads around A’s playing in Sacramento: ‘It’s going to suck’
The Chronicle's SUSAN SLUSSER: "In June, Hayden Birdsong was going through his normal workout in the weight room at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Ballpark when suddenly, the wall began to shake.
“I was in there, and all of a sudden a drill came straight through,” the San Francisco Giants rookie said. “I couldn’t believe it — they were taking it down while we were in there working.”"
California cities, counties may need to consider wildlife connectivity in development plans
LAT's LILA SEIDMAN: "California lawmakers have passed a pair of bills aimed at making the landscape safer for wildlife threatened by habitat fragmentation and ubiquitous rat poison.
AB 1889, known as the Room to Roam Act, directs cities to consider and protect wildlife connectivity in their land-use plans. Meanwhile, AB 2552, dubbed the Poison-Free Wildlife Act, puts restrictions on certain types of rat poison, including removing them for over-the-counter purchase and limiting their use in wildlife areas."
California braces for weekend of heightened fire weather amid storms, intense heat
The Chronicle's GREG PORTER: "The intense heat wave scorching Southern California and a subtle shift in Northern California’s weather pattern will converge with the same outcome: dangerous fire weather. Over the next few days, the state will face heightened fire risks for entirely different reasons."
State intervention is needed to fix LA county’s probation crisis (OP-ED)
STACY FORD, REGINO TORRES, JR., FRANK PAREDES in Capitol Weekly: "The California State Auditor’s recent report on Los Angeles County’s Probation Department highlights a critical crisis that demands immediate state intervention. The audit revealed that only $9.7 million of the $88 million allocated for youth rehabilitation since 2021 has been spent, primarily due to the County’s failure to establish essential programs like job training and gang intervention.
For years, the County has blamed probation officers, supervisors, assistant probation directors, special assistants, and probation directors for the department’s shortcomings, but the Auditor’s report makes it clear that the root cause lies with the LA County Board of Supervisors. The delays in spending, failure to implement critical programs, lack of hiring which has resulted in severe understaffing, and lack of oversight are symptoms of deeper issues rooted in the County’s leadership. These problems are too entrenched to be resolved by the same local leaders who have allowed them to persist."
L.A.’s ‘mansion tax’ has collected $375 million. Where is the money going?
LAT's PALOMA ESQUIVEL: "Nearly two years ago, voters in Los Angeles approved Measure ULA, increasing taxes on the sale of multimillion-dollar properties with the aim of raising hundreds of millions of dollars each year to help address the city’s housing crisis.
Its fate has been uncertain from the start, with opponents pursuing multiple pathways to try to invalidate it. But the so-called “mansion tax” remains in place and has brought in $375 million in revenue since it went into effect last year."
This S.F. park shows how cities and nature can grow together
The Chronicle's JOHN KING: "In the best possible way, San Francisco’s Salesforce Park can feel detached from the tower-spiked district around it — a lush, 5.4-acre garden floating 70 feet above the asphalt streets.
Here’s another way to approach the urban aerie that continues to grow in popularity: a rare perch from which to learn about cities, natural forces and how each can shape the other."
This S.F. developer is ‘betting the house’ on the city’s recovery
The Chronicle's J.K. DINEEN: "Oisin Heneghan has heard all the reasons why most developers won’t touch San Francisco with a 10-foot pole right now.
High construction costs. A wobbly pandemic recovery. A drug epidemic playing out in plain view on downtown streets. Empty storefronts and half-filled office buildings."
LAX shifts focus from terminal expansion to infrastructure updates as passenger forecasts drop
LAT's COLLEEN SHALBY: "Plans to improve Los Angeles International Airport will shift from a focus on terminal expansion projects to modernizing outdated infrastructure as passenger forecasts for 2028 have dropped below previous estimates, airport officials said Thursday.
“We previously expected 110 million passengers in 2028. We now expect slightly more than 90 million,” Los Angeles World Airports Chief Executive John Ackerman said. “While our traffic’s improving, it’s not improving at the rate that we need it to be successful. So we simply don’t need additional capacity at this point. We don’t need additional terminals — we need to fix our core infrastructure.”"
