California Latino leaders criticize Kamala Harris' message to migrants
Sac Bee, KIM BOJORQUEZ and DAVID LIGHTMAN: "Two Democratic leaders of the California Latino Legislative Caucus on Wednesday criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent remarks discouraging Guatemalans from traveling to the U.S-Mexico border during her first foreign visit to Guatemala this week.
“Seeking asylum in the United States is not only legal but a matter of life and death for many,” said state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, and Assemblyman Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, in a statement. “We should not discourage asylum seekers from seeking a better life. They are doing what they need to do to survive.”
“As such, we urge the Biden-Harris administration and Congress to follow the moral and legal imperative to create a process to allow all asylum seekers to come to this country as a part of a larger, long-overdue comprehensive reform of our immigration system.”"
Mandatory water restrictions on the way for millions in the Bay Area
The Chronicle, JESSICA FLORES: "Officials declared a water shortage emergency in Santa Clara County on Wednesday afternoon, setting the stage for mandatory water restrictions for the county’s 2 million residents.
Board members from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the main provider in Santa Clara County, voted unanimously to declare the emergency, target a 33% countywide reduction in water use from 2013 levels, and urge county officials to proclaim a local emergency.
Drought conditions are worsening in California and the Bay Area. Marin County was the latest in the region to declare a state of emergency as parched conditions forced ranchers to truck in water."
California drought has moved up 2021 wildfire season far ahead of schedule, PG&E warns
Sac Bee, DALE KASLER: "California’s drought is accelerating the start of the 2021 wildfire season — and intensifying the pressure on PG&E Corp. to prevent more mega-fires of the sort that drove the state’s largest utility into bankruptcy.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. executives said Wednesday they’ve begun gearing up for wildfire season weeks earlier than usual, including putting helicopters in the air to practice for PG&E’s “public safety power shutoffs.”
Scott Strenfel, the utility’s director of meteorology and fire science, said in an interview that the drought is drying out California’s vegetation more quickly than normal. Gov. Gavin Newsom has officially declared that 41 of the state’s 58 counties are in drought, including the greater Sacramento region and the Central Valley."
California has the largest drop in spring college enrollment numbers in the nation
COLLEEN SHALBY, LA Times: "California leads the nation with the largest drop in spring 2021 college enrollment numbers largely due to a steep decline in community college students, who have particularly struggled with pandemic hardships, according to a report released Thursday.
The state’s overall community college and university headcount dropped by about 123,000 students — the largest numeric decrease of any state. The percentage decline was 5.3% The numeric downturn reflects California’s stature as the most populous state, but does not account for the entirety of the loss, researchers said.
College enrollment across the nation dropped by 3.5% — or about 603,000 students — from spring 2020 to spring 2021, marking the biggest decline on record with the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which has tracked higher education enrollment and degree data since 2011. The calculation takes into account a decline of undergraduates and an increase in graduate students, the report by the organization says."
Sonoma Academy graduates detail sweeping allegations of improper behavior by former teacher
KAYLEE TORNAY and MARTIN ESPINOZA, Press Democrat: "Seven women who graduated from Sonoma Academy, one of North Bay’s most prestigious private high schools, are accusing a popular former teacher of inappropriate, sexually charged behavior and misconduct — from improper touching to soliciting one-on-one meetings off-campus and routinely asking about their romantic lives and intimate feelings.
The women, who graduated within the past dozen years or so, say Marco Morrone, a humanities teacher at Sonoma Academy for 18 years, took advantage of his position as a trusted mentor and instructor and repeatedly crossed emotional and physical boundaries with them.
They accuse him of harassment and repeated requests to share and discuss with him their most personal feelings, often in journal-like assignments that were seen by no one else."
California workplaces must continue to enforce mask, saffety guidelines used before vaccines
The Chronicle, CHASE DIFELICIANTONIO: "Californians will have to keep bringing their masks to work, at least for a few weeks.
That’s because the board that oversees workplace safety standards in California voted unanimously Wednesday night to keep strict rules requiring universal masking and social distancing — guidelines passed in November, before widespread vaccinations — as it retools them to be more in line with the state’s plan to lift most pandemic restrictions June 15.
The standards board for California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, voted last week to lift masking and other requirements in some workplace settings. But a letter from the California Department of Public Health appeared to reverse its course."
Commentary: Robust economy and climate goals can go hand in hand
Capitol Weekly, JENNIFER HALEY and MICAH WEINBERG: "We do not have to sacrifice our prosperity to achieve California’s climate goals. Quite the opposite is true.
To put California on an equitable and prosperous path to a carbon neutral economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a $750 million Community Economic Resilience Fund. California needs this robust investment program to act with the urgency and intention necessary to execute on a successful net zero transition.
This investment will be the catalyst to achieving California’s bold climate goals in a way that generates economic growth and inclusivity. It will empower regions to capitalize on their unique strengths recognizing that California is not a one size fits all state and never has been. And it will create a space for regional stakeholders to collaborate, centering the voices of under-served communities that too often do not have a meaningful seat at the economic planning table."
Anti-vax protesters stormed a Marin town hall. Are public meetings safe post-COVID?
The Chronicle, TAL KOPAN: "A disruption at a town hall held by North Bay Rep. Jared Huffman is raising questions about safety and security as the country reopens after the coronavirus pandemic, especially in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
The San Rafael Democrat held the constituent event Tuesday afternoon in Marin County, one of the first in-person town halls held by a politician since COVID-19 closed down much of daily life a year ago. The event was intended to be capped at 100 attendees, socially distanced in an auditorium, with masks required. It was advertised as requiring proof of vaccination, but Huffman said that admission was later based on an honor system.
Shortly after the town hall began, according to the live-streamed video of the gathering, anti-vaccination activists stormed the door, disrupting the event. For several minutes, Huffman pleaded with the group to respect the other attendees as the protesters displayed crude signs decrying vaccinations and public health mandates and chanted “medical freedom now.” Jeers went back and forth between the masked, orderly crowd and the door-crashers, including a counter-chant of “go away.” At one point, a female protester attempted to pull the mask off one of the attendees. Another woman holding a sign about dead ferrets jumped onstage and sat in front of Huffman for some time."
Katie Hill fights to make revenge porn a federal crime and ponders another run for office
SEEMA MEHTA, LA Times: "Katie Hill has faced deep lows since resigning from Congress after nude images of her were disseminated around the globe without her consent. She feared for her physical safety during her divorce; she had suicidal ideation, nightmares, mounting legal debt and anxiety about being recognized.
The 33-year-old is now channeling her energy and using her infamy to try to ensure that what happened to her does not happen to others, by making the nonconsensual dissemination of intimate pictures a federal crime.
“It hasn’t been easy. I think I’m somebody who has to kind of latch on to a cause ... or a purpose. So this is giving me something that I know that I can be fighting for on behalf of other people,” Hill said in a Zoom interview from the East Coast. “And I think that that’s a really important thing for me personally, too, and for my recovery.”
Newsom's opponents say his actions are driven by the recall. Are they right?
Sac Bee, SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Standing in front of a sparkling gold curtain and a colorful game show prize wheel, Gov. Gavin Newsom cracked jokes and grinned last week as he announced the winners of the state’s vaccine lottery.
He held up the winning numbers theatrically, appearing to relish the opportunity to hand out the $50,000 prizes. In the room, he drew laughs from an easy crowd of administration staff.
Online, some were skeptical."
Column: California is sitting on a massive surplus. It’s time for Newsom to spend on gun control
GEORGE SKELTON, LA Times: "Sacramento’s vault is overflowing with tax money, and a big chunk of it should be spent on efforts to reduce shooting deaths.
A tiny fraction of it will be, under plans by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers who control the Legislature. But a lot more should.
A good place to spend the money would be on boosting local “red flag” programs aimed at seizing firearms from people judged by a court to be potential killers, based on their threats and actions."
Assault rifles needed to 'fight against invaders, terrorists and tyrants," California judge writes
Sac Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "In his decision to strike down California’s assault weapons ban, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez described the AR-15 rifle as “good for both home and battle.”
“Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment,” Benitez wrote in his opinion.
The language Benitez employed in striking down a gun control law crafted in response to a 1989 shooting at a Stockton elementary school drew condemnation from gun control advocates and Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom."
Bay Area's rattlesnake season is here early. Here's what you need to know
The Chronicle, ANNIE VAINSHTEIN: "For the Bay Area, rattlesnake season came early this year.
Across the region, but especially in the East Bay, people are reporting more rattlesnake sightings on hiking trails and even in their backyards.
“Beware!” a post on Berkeley’s Nextdoor read. “Just wanted to remind everyone to keep their eyes peeled as you hike up on the Claremont Canyon and Strawberry Canyon trails. I have run into two rattlesnakes in less than a week. Both were right in the middle of the trail.”"
California is about to lose a seat in Congress. How it could shift the balance of power
Sac Bee, KIM BOJORQUEZ: "California’s once-a-decade redrawing of congressional boundaries is underway, and the stakes are high with the state preparing to lose a congressional seat for the first time in its history.
The expected loss in congressional power would give California a delegation of 52 members in the House of Representatives, down from 53. That’s a bigger delegation than any other state, but the decline means at least one incumbent won’t be in office after the 2022 election.
The balance of power in Congress is also on the line, as states like New York, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania each face losing a seat, while Florida, Montana, Oregon, Colorado, North Carolina stand to gain a seat. Texas is gaining two."
California's community colleges took a massive hit during the pandemic
The Chronicle, NAMI SUMIDA: "Student enrollment in higher education took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an annual decrease in undergraduate enrollment by 3.6 percent nationwide.
In California, changes in enrollment at the three state-financed university systems — California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), and California Community College (CCC) — varied greatly. While the CSU and UC systems had slight increases in undergraduate enrollment, the community college system’s enrollment decreased dramatically, according to a recently released study from economists at the UC Santa Cruz.
The California Community College system is the largest higher education system in the U.S., educating 2.1 million students per year at 116 colleges across the state. In contrast, the CSU and UC systems combined educate about 650,000 undergraduate students across 32 campuses."
California families confronted COVID and became invested in education
EdSource, STAFF: "Patience, resilience and a fierce determination to succeed in school — and life. That’s what California families said they learned after enduring a school year like no other.
In EdSource’s final installment of “Education During Covid: California Families Struggle to Learn,” we asked parents and students to reflect on distance learning and the impacts of Covid-19 on their education and personal lives. Even the families who had suffered the most, who lost loved ones or grappled with financial hardship or were stymied by technology, found they gained valuable insights about their children’s education and themselves.
“I think if the pandemic wouldn’t have hit, I would still have been caught up in that mindset of living to survive instead of just actually living in the moment and enjoying (my daughter) at the age that she is,” said Miriam Arambula, a parent in Fresno whose mother died of Covid-19 in August. “I wouldn’t have that revelation or clarity of: Hey, life is going by fast. You don’t get time back.”"
From murder to Aryan Brotherhood to documentary star, he now faces EDD fraud charges
Sacramento Bee, SAM STANTON: "Michael Lynne Thompson spent 45 years in California prisons after his conviction in two murders in Orange County in 1973, eventually becoming a leader in the notorious Aryan Brotherhood prison gang before he turned on the group.
Thompson was paroled in 2019 and began a life as a prominent ex-con, life coach and drug counselor. He was featured in several documentaries, and has touted himself as a symbol of redemption after “45 years behind the iron gates.”
“I’m the quintessential square,” Thompson told one podcast."
CHP pay to be restored in agreement with Newsom administration
Sac Bee, WES VENTEICHER: "The California Association of Highway Patrolmen has reached an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration to undo the pay cuts patrol officers took last year.
Newsom and the Legislature imposed pay reductions on officers along with the rest of state employees last July, when lawmakers were expecting a $54 billion budget deficit from the coronavirus. The state instead ended up with a large surplus going into the new budget year, and Newsom’s administration has been negotiating new union agreements to lift the pay cuts in July.
The officer union’s new agreement with the administration will undo a 4.62% reduction the officers took last year, according to a copy of the agreement posted on the state Human Resources Department website."
Police reform bill to strip bad cops of badge stuck on who should decide
The Chronicle, ALEXEI KOSEFF: "The legislative push to establish a system in California for stripping badges from bad cops has become a battle over how much authority law enforcement should be given to regulate itself.
Despite public support for the idea from police groups, a year of heated debate at the state Capitol has failed to produce consensus on how best to stop problem officers from shuttling between agencies when they’re guilty of misbehavior. The final months of the legislative session threaten to erupt into a lobbying and messaging slugfest that could sink the effort for the second year in a row.
Law enforcement organizations contend that the proposed system is slanted against them, giving too much power to a civilian-controlled advisory board that could be stacked with biased members. That concern has resonated with even some supportive legislators, who are seeking changes as the measure moves toward a September deadline for final approval."
