Kamala Harris’ book fuels debate about 2024, but offers little clarity about 2028
LAT, MICHAEL WILNER: "In an interview with Rachel Maddow this week promoting her new memoir, Kamala Harris was asked whether her book tour is part of a strategy to run again for the presidency in 2028.
“That’s not my focus at all,” Harris replied, dismissive of the idea. “It really isn’t.”"
Orange County wants to know: Are any dogs or cats registered to vote?
LAT, SALVADOR HERNANDEZ: "There are Democrats, Republicans and Independents, but now Orange County officials are trying to identify how many dogs and cats may be registered to vote.
On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed staff to cross-reference voter rolls with pet registration data in the county in order to make sure there are no four-legged voters with names like Fido, Fifi, Spot, Sparky or Lucky casting ballots in the next special election in November."
California lawmakers wanted to get tough on data centers. Here’s what survived
CALMatters, KHARI JOHNSON: "California lawmakers started the year signaling they were ready to get tough on data centers, aiming to protect the environment and electricity ratepayers. Nine months later, they have little to show for it.
Of four data center bills in play, two never made it out of the Legislature, including one that would have required data centers to publicize their power use and another that would have provided incentives for them to use more clean energy."
Reform of “insurance middlemen” is overdue for Californians (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly, DEBBIE SHAEFFER: "At a time when the cost of living continues to rise, vulnerable California patients are the most at risk—often forced to choose between paying for groceries and rent or affording the medications they need. For patients with mental health disorders, who often rely on multiple prescriptions to prevent life-threatening crises, affordability is not optional—it is critical. Yet unregulated pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are driving up drug prices on the backs of patients. Now is the time to rein in drug costs and protect thousands of Californians.
PBMs act as intermediaries between insurance companies and drug manufacturers. They determine which drugs are covered by health insurance plans, negotiate pricing, and process claims. In theory, PBMs should lower costs for patients. In practice, their business model often does the opposite. PBMs frequently pocket rebates intended for patients, impose additional fees, and steer consumers toward higher-priced medications to maximize their profits. These practices directly inflate drug costs and disproportionately harm patients who rely on expensive, specialized treatments, including many living with serious mental health conditions."
How LA Unified is trying to protect immigrant families during Trump’s pervasive crackdown
CALMatters, CAROLYN JONES: "As the Trump administration has ratcheted up immigration enforcement, school districts across the country have rallied to support students and families without legal status. But perhaps none more so than Los Angeles Unified.
The nation’s second largest school district — under the guidance of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, himself formerly an immigrant living in the country illegally – has emerged as a national model for how school districts can help families gripped by fear."
ICE detainee killed in Dallas shooting; dead sniper identified
Sac Bee, HARRIET RAMOS/EMERSON CLARRIDGE/AMY MCDANIEL: "A shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas on Wednesday morning killed one detainee and critically injured two, officials said. The shooter, who fired from a rooftop, is also dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Dallas police officers responded to the shooting at the ICE Field Office, located at 8101 N. Stemmons Freeway near I-35E, about 6:30 a.m."
Does another education bond stand a chance with voters? California colleges hope so
CALMatters, MERCY SOSA: "Aging buildings, failing infrastructure, earthquake safety issues, and a severe lack of campus housing are straining California’s public higher education systems. As they face high-cost fixes, lawmakers have introduced a bond bill that ambitiously intends to fund both the modernization of academic facilities and the addition of affordable student housing throughout the state.
The College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2026, AB 48, would start to address a growing $17 billion maintenance backlog within California’s university systems and the need for more affordable student housing in the state. The bill’s lead author, Assemblymember David Alvarez, a Democrat from San Diego, said it likely won’t include a dollar amount for the bond until it goes to the Senate next year to give the three public higher education systems in California time to report how much they need and a plan for spending it. If passed by the state Legislature, the bond would be placed on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide."
California colleges lost millions in humanities purge. Their projects might not recover
CALMatters, LYLAH SCHMEDEL-PERMANNA: "California colleges and universities are still missing over $5 million worth of humanities grants, despite one federal district court order to return funds to University of California campuses. For at least 19 other campuses, the money remains out of reach as lawsuits continue to challenge the Trump administration’s abrupt halt of promised funding in April, when the National Endowment for the Humanities canceled over $10.2 million to already-awarded projects in California.
Now campuses must scramble for limited, alternative funding if they want to keep their projects alive."
Bay Area parents: Tell us your thoughts on private school — and help shape our coverage
Chronicle, JESSICA ROY: "Bay Area parents, we want to hear from you.
If your child attends a private K-12 school in the Bay Area, we’re interested in how you made that decision, and how tuition costs impact your family. Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey at the bottom of this story."
Trump’s campaign against wind and solar is exposing his ‘energy dominance’ lies
LAT, SAMMY ROTH: "For nearly a decade, President Trump has promised “energy dominance” — a vague but alluring slogan hinting at a world in which the U.S. is king. A world in which other nations depend on us for their power, ensuring economic prosperity in the form of domestic jobs, cheap gasoline and low electric bills.
The problem is, it’s a breathtaking lie."
READ MORE -- Trump’s bid to scrap EPA climate finding may hit CA car emissions, experts warn -- Sac Bee, CHAEWON CHUNG
Millions of Californians are getting a refund on their electric bill. What you need to know
LAT, KAREN GARCIA: "Your October electric bill could be reduced by more than $50.
Every April and October, millions of Californians receive a utility bill credit through the California Climate Credit program."
The storm over California won’t budge. Here’s how it will impact weather
Chronicle, GREG PORTER: "The upper-level low-pressure system that cooled the Bay Area and sparked showers Wednesday isn’t done yet. Unlike most California weather systems that sweep through in a day or two, this one has been unusually persistent, lingering offshore before sliding inland toward the Sierra on Thursday. That slow drift keeps the low in charge of California’s weather through the weekend.
A typical upper-level low latches onto the jet stream and races east. This one, by contrast, has acted like an anchor, cut off from the main flow and reluctant to budge. The result has been days of influence that cooled Bay Area highs by 15 to 20 degrees, stirred up Central Coast thunderstorms and are now driving weather farther south. On Thursday, Tahoe, Yosemite and Mammoth Lakes could all see strong afternoon thunderstorms with lightning and bursts of heavy rain."
Controversial Bay Area recycling startup ‘highly likely’ to leave California
Chronicle, JULIE JOHNSON: "Following loud community opposition, a North Bay plastics recycling startup announced Thursday it would be moving its equipment out of a Sonoma County business park “within weeks” and is likely to shift its operations out of California.
Resynergi has developed a method of breaking down hard-to-recycle items, such as plastic bags and yogurt containers, that often can’t be handled by most traditional recycling methods. But public notices alerting neighbors that the Rohnert Park plant could soon start recycling plastic touched off persistent protests by residents concerned the plant could subject them to harmful emissions, despite Resynergi’s assurances it would not."
CA’s recycling revolution must include Hispanic-owned businesses (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly, JULIAN CANETE: "Latino entrepreneurs are at the heart of communities across California, from family-owned restaurants to small logistics companies and neighborhood markets. They create jobs, bring vibrancy to our neighborhoods, and keep local economies moving. When we talk about California’s future and all of the opportunities available to our citizens, we cannot leave these businesses out of the conversation.
Yet, despite their importance, Latino entrepreneurs face systemic challenges that limit their ability to grow and thrive. Access to capital is often more difficult, and regulatory compliance can be far more burdensome for small operators without large teams or resources. These barriers can affect whether businesses can expand, hire new employees, or even keep their doors open."
After 56 years on air, California TV station abruptly shutters news operations
LAT, SUHAUNA HUSSAIN: "A local television station based in Salinas abruptly shut down its news operations on Tuesday after 56 years on the air.
KION-TV, which serves Monterey, Salinas and Santa Cruz regions on California’s Central Coast, announced on its website that it would no longer produce its own local newscasts. Instead, it would partner with Bay Area CBS station KPIX to air its broadcasts, effective 5 p.m. that day."
One of S.F.’s trophy towers is for sale. It could reset the city’s high-end real estate market
Chronicle, LAURA WAXMANN: "San Francisco’s slumping commercial real estate market just hit a new milestone: For the first time since the pandemic, one of the city’s most coveted office towers is for sale.
The 48-story skyscraper at 101 California St., a 1.2 million-square-foot design icon near the Embarcadero, is on the market. With its bold cylindrical form and full-block footprint, it’s one of the city’s most recognizable buildings, home to a mix of tenants including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Chime. A $75 million ground-floor renovation, which revamped the tower’s outdoor plaza and lobbies and added hospitality-style amenities, was completed a few years ago to help keep it that way."
A delivery robot collided with a disabled man on L.A. street. The aftermath is getting ugly
LAT, CLARA HARTER: "A Southern California man with cerebral palsy used his iPhone to record his frustration as a delivery robot continuously swerved into the path of his mobility scooter before suddenly braking, resulting in a bot-on-chair collision. He had no clue the explosive impact the video would have.
Mark Chaney, a disability advocate, said he shared the video of the Sept. 12 collision in West Hollywood to raise awareness about challenges faced by people with disabilities and hold the company accountable for the robot’s behavior."
She was almost deported as a child. Now she holds a key post overseeing the LAPD
LAT, LIBOR JANY: "Teresa Sánchez-Gordon was just a girl when federal immigration agents came for her.
She and her mother had been on their way to drop off a jacket at the dry cleaners when they spotted a group of suspicious-looking men, watching intently from down the street."
Atherton police dispute claim that tip line stopped Bay Area school shooting
Chronicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "Bay Area law enforcement officials are pushing back on early reports that a national gun-violence prevention nonprofit’s tip line helped prevent a planned school shooting, saying the threat never amounted to an imminent attack.
The Atherton Police Department said Tuesday that an account from Sandy Hook Promise, which initially credited its anonymous reporting system with stopping a shooting at Menlo-Atherton High School, overstated the danger."
Black prison official sues CA, claims retaliation after reporting discrimination
Sac Bee, WILLIAM MELHADO: "A Black prison official was unlawfully demoted from an administrative position in a retaliatory act after he reported racial discrimination and harassment, a recent complaint filed against the state’s corrections department alleges.
Kevin Robinson, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employee with over two decades of experience, was demoted from associate warden to lieutenant, according to the complaint, after he raised concerns about racist comments others in the department made about Black men, which a CDCR administrator warned him would negatively impact his career."
LAX has fallen in global airport rankings. Will a pre-Olympics transformation help?
LAT, COLLEEN SHALBY: "Earlier this summer, a sewage blockage at Los Angeles International Airport shut down the restrooms and customs facility at Terminal 7. More than 12,000 international travelers arriving in Los Angeles, some for the first time, had to be shuttled elsewhere through LAX for processing, adding extra time at the airport already notorious for traffic.
The issue lasted multiple weekends in August. Los Angeles World Airports Chief Executive John Ackerman was consumed by the thought that during this period, thousands of people in Los Angeles would be talking about this incident as their introduction or reunion with Los Angeles — a far cry from the premiere experience his team has been trying to build."
