Trump rally at Madison Square Garden marked by bombastic, incendiary, racist commentary
LAT's SEEMA MEHTA, STEPHEN BATTAGLIO: "Days before the November election, when presidential candidates typically barnstorm battleground states, former President Trump delivered a fiery, bombastic closing argument that summed up years of grievances against his perceived enemies, including Democratic rival Kamala Harris, at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday.
Trump repeated attacks on Harris’ intellect, calling her a “very low-IQ individual” and “a vessel” who “can’t put two sentences together” during remarks that lasted well over an hour."
Californians head to Nevada and Arizona to knock on doors for Harris
LAT's SEEMA MEHTA, LAURA J. NELSON: "Laura Banuet, a former cashier at LAX, was incensed by the Supreme Court’s decision to end federal protection of abortion access.
Recalling women, including a cousin, who risked back-alley abortions in her native Mexico, Banuet moved from Compton to Arizona earlier this year to try to make a difference in a battleground state where the last presidential campaign was decided by 0.3% of the vote."
Trump claim against SJSU player refuted after he pledges to ban trans athletes from women’s sports
The Chronicle's MARISSA INGEMI: "Former President Donald Trump, referencing a play in a San Jose State women’s volleyball match last week, says he would ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports if elected.
San Jose State co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit last month seeking to overturn NCAA guidelines that allow transgender women to play under certain conditions. When she joined the suit, Slusser named a teammate she said is transgender."
Corporate profits vs. prison reform: the truth behind Props 36 and 6
Capitol Weekly's GEORGE GALVIS: "In a few weeks, California voters will decide the future of our state’s criminal justice system. Proposition 36 looms as a threat to the significant strides we’ve made in reducing overcrowded prisons and focusing on rehabilitation. This ill-conceived measure doesn’t just risk reversing crucial reforms, it also threatens to reinforce a system that fills corporate bank accounts by exploiting the labor of incarcerated individuals. The stakes are high, and the choice we make will have far-reaching consequences for justice, equality, and human dignity in our state.
Last week, alongside other justice reform activists, I led a protest outside a Walmart in San Leandro to shine a light on the corporate interests driving Prop 36. Walmart, the largest funder of this regressive measure, exemplifies how major retailers stand to profit from increased incarceration. The connection between corporate interests and the prison system is why we need Proposition 6, another reform initiative on next month’s ballot, which would abolish forced prison labor in California."
The Micheli Minute, October 28, 2024
Capitol Weekly's STAFF: "Lobbyist and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome."
Lithium-ion batteries causing fires, dangers on California freeways, sparking calls for safety improvements
LAT's CLARA HARTER: "For more than two days, a vital shipping passageway in the Port of L.A. was shut down, and the cause was surprising to some. A big rig overturned, sparking a fierce lithium-ion battery blaze that spewed toxic gases, snarled port traffic and resulted in what one official said was massive economic losses from delayed shipments.
The incident focused new attention, and fears, on the fuel cells helping drive the state’s clean energy transition."
California families battling addiction fight for their lives after insurance denials
CALMatters's JOCELYN WIENER: "Christine Dougherty heard the panic in her son’s voice.
“Mom, they’re going to release me soon,” Ryan Matlock told his mother over the phone from his addiction treatment center. She remembered him sounding like he was crying. “I’m not strong enough to do this. I need help.”"
Denied coverage for mental health treatment? Here’s what you can do
CALMatters's JOCELYN WIENER: "Your request for mental health treatment coverage was denied by your health insurance carrier.
Now what?"
New law moves toward better translation of special ed documents, but families want more
EdSource's ZAIDEE STAVELY: "California schools will soon have a template for special education programs translated into 10 languages in addition to English.
Advocates and parents of children with disabilities who speak languages other than English say it is a tiny step forward, but there is still work to be done to fix long waits and faulty translations experienced by many families statewide."
Coldest temperatures since May to hit Bay Area this week
The Chronicle's GREG PORTER: "It’s time to dust off your winter gear. Summer officially ended more than a month ago, but summer-like weather has continued through much of October for the Bay Area. That ends this week.
The coldest temperatures since last May are set to settle into the region by Tuesday morning, dropping down into the 30s and 40s. A brisk northwest wind will make it feel even colder."
California is banning sales of single-use propane canisters used by campers. Here’s what to use instead
The Chronicle's GREGORY THOMAS: "Anyone who camps in California will soon have to rethink the handheld propane canisters they use to fuel their camping stoves, lanterns and heaters.
A bill that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last month will make California the first state to ban the sale of single-use one-pound propane canisters — the dark green ones sold by brands like Coleman and Bernzomatic. The law takes effect in January 2028."
How Trump tariff threats might plunge Mexico into recession and stoke immigration
LAT's KATE LINTHICUM: "If former President Trump is reelected and follows through with his promise to slap new tariffs on all imports to the U.S., experts say much of the global economy could be upended. And few countries would be more vulnerable than Mexico.
The economy here is driven almost exclusively by trade, with 83% of exports sent north of the border."
California hails $544 million in illegal weed seizures. But it’s just a drop in the bucket
LAT's CLARA HARTER: "Two major state programs to combat illegal cannabis recently sent out news releases lauding their collective seizures of some $544 million worth of illicit weed.
But when it comes to reining in California’s sprawling black market, experts say it’s just a drop in the bucket."
In nationwide first, California plans to rev up sales of electric motorcycles
CALMatters's ALEJANDRA REYES-VELARDE: "At New Century Motorcycles in Alhambra, a handful of electric motorcycles are relegated to the back of the store, tucked behind the dirt bikes. The store sells one a month, at most, a salesperson said.
Motorcyclists have long loved their noisy, gas-powered machines that allow them to ride long distances on highways and remote roads with few fueling stops."
State Farm accused of funneling excess profits to parent as it seeks rate hike
LAT's LAURENCE DARMIENTO: "State Farm General, California’s largest home insurer, is being accused of boosting the profits of its parent company at the expense of state policyholders — while claiming it’s in financial distress and in need of a 30% rate hike.
The company bought hundreds of millions of dollars of excess reinsurance from parent State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. over the past decade, while getting little back in return, according to Consumer Watchdog, a Los Angeles group that is challenging the hike."
Maps show where a small group of owners is buying up Bay Area land
The Chronicle's EMMA STIEFEL: "Bay Area property is constantly changing hands. It can be difficult to tell who is buying and selling the most land as many owners operate through obscure LLCs, but a Chronicle analysis was able to identify some organizations that grew their portfolios over the past year. We used county assessor data and the Chronicle’s previous reporting to identify five owners that bought new property between mid-2023 and mid-2024, ranging from one of the world’s largest companies to a local supportive housing provider.
The property data was provided by Regrid, a company that aggregates and processes assessor rolls, or public information used to calculate property taxes. We compared the mid-2023 data to the mid-2024 data, grouping properties with the same owner name or mailing address. Many owners, however, use different owner names and mailing addresses on property records, making it difficult to accurately identify them."
LA has a different solution to homeless camps. But it’s not working for everyone
CALMatters's MARISA KENDALL: "For some who lived on the streets of Los Angeles, Inside Safe was a lifesaver — giving them a roof over their head for the first time in years, then helping them find a permanent home.
For others, it was a major disappointment."
Bay Wheels usage has surged this year. Here’s what is driving the uptick
The Chronicle's DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "IIt wasn’t long after Meagan Matthews moved to San Francisco that she began using Bay Wheels, the Bay Area’s bike share program operated by Lyft, to get around.
Now the Mission resident, who has lived in the city for a year, has become a prolific user: she’s taken nearly 100 bike rides around the city this year, both as part of her commute and on weekends."
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