El Niño is predicted to return. Here’s what it could mean for California
The Chronicle, GERRY DIAZ: "The West Coast is still shaking off a historic wet weather pattern, with record levels of snowpack raising flood concerns in regions like the San Joaquin Valley as temperatures warm and melting increases — risks that will continue into the months to come.
Weather models suggest that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation in the Pacific Ocean, which just recently saw the end of its La Niña pattern, has a high chance of shifting to El Niño. This transition to El Niño may result in a restoration of wetter-than-normal patterns come fall and winter in California. But other weather patterns could be obstacles in this coming to fruition — just look at how La Niña turned out this year."
Steep, freezing and fast: California’s epic snowpack promises a whitewater rafting season for the ages
LA Times, JACK DOLAN: "Imagine racing down a steep river of recently melted snow toward a roaring rapid.
You’re sitting on the outside edge of an inflatable raft with a paddle in your hands, so you can’t hold onto anything else. All that’s keeping you in the boat — and out of the freezing water — are your feet wedged into slippery seams of rubber on the raft’s floor.
Then the guide at the helm, a world-class whitewater specialist who grew up on this stretch of the Kern River and whose intimate knowledge of the spot is all that stands between you and disaster, jumps to his feet, stares at the approaching rapid and says, “Wow, this changed.”"
California is changing how it goes after illegal cannabis farms
SCNG*OC Register, KURT SNIBBE: "It’s been five years since recreational cannabis sales began in California. Many have played by the rules, but the illegal growth and sale of the plant continue to undermine those obeying the laws.
Since its establishment in 1983, the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) has had more than 110 law enforcement agencies involved, making it one of the largest law enforcement task forces in the U.S.
But things are changing."
New poll: DeSantis — not Trump — leads Biden in battleground states
Sac Bee, ALEX ROARTY: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis narrowly leads President Joe Biden in the battleground states of Arizona and Pennsylvania, according to a poll of a hypothetical matchup between the two men in the 2024 presidential race.
The same survey, however, finds Biden leading former President Donald Trump in the two swing states, albeit by tight margins.
The poll, conducted from April 11 through April 13 by GOP firm Public Opinion Strategies and obtained by McClatchyDC, should bolster the argument from many DeSantis supporters that the Florida Republican is more electable than the former president. Trump lost reelection in 2020 and has continued alienating some moderate voters with his ongoing false claims that the race was stolen from him."
Tobacco sales phaseout withers in California without support from anti-tobacco advocates
CALMatters, ALEXEI KOSEFF: "Three years ago, advocates for reducing smoking and vaping in California won a major victory when they persuaded the state Legislature to adopt a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products despite an intense industry lobbying campaign.
But in recent months, those same groups have been largely silent as a first-term lawmaker sought to phase out tobacco sales in the state altogether. His proposal was shelved this week without even receiving a hearing, and he will instead pursue a bill this session to strengthen enforcement of the flavored tobacco ban.
The decision by major anti-tobacco organizations to sit out another legislative fight reflects a broader disagreement among advocates about the best way to reach what they call the “endgame” of a tobacco-free future — and whether that should be their primary goal. Concerns over public backlash, political feasibility and potential cuts to programs funded by tobacco taxes are all factors."
Spotlight on California leaders after abortion pill rulings
CALMatters, LYNN LA: "Doctors and patients in California can rest assured that the abortion pill mifepristone is legal to prescribe and take — for now.
Late Wednesday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the most significant part of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling last week out of Texas that the FDA’s approval of the drug more than two decades ago was “arbitrary and capricious.”
The appellate court’s ruling offers some clarity and security for abortion providers who were hit with a bewildering same-day ruling out of Washington state from a federal judge ordering the FDA to make no changes to the availability of mifepristone in the 17 Democratic-led states in the case. California wasn’t among them. Asked why, a spokesperson for Attorney General Rob Bonta refused to be identified and said they were “unable to comment on legal strategy.”"
Schiff reports major cash advantage over Porter and Lee in Senate race
LA Times, SEEMA MEHTA: "In an early test of strength in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Adam B. Schiff has a notable financial edge over Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, according to federal campaign documents released Saturday.
While Schiff was widely expected to have a large war chest because he had a relatively easy reelection campaign last year, he also raised millions of dollars more than Porter, who also is known as a prodigious fundraiser."
These cities are the allergy capitals of America, study says
The Hill, RACHEL TUCKER: "A new report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks the 100 largest cities when it comes to the worst seasonal allergies in the U.S.
The study looks at how challenging it is for residents to manage seasonal pollen allergies. Researchers analyzed the cities’ weed, grass and tree pollen scores, use of over-the-counter allergy medications and availability of immunologists and allergy specialists to determine their placement."
$62,000 and three years later: Long COVID continues to upend this California couple’s lives
LA Times, SANDHYA KAMBHAMPTI, ALLEN J. SCHABEN: "On a Monday morning in Irvine, Courtney Garvin eats her breakfast in bed, it having been set out by her partner before he left for work.
She finishes and heads to the bathroom. She sits down to brush her teeth and wash her face.
From there she takes her longest walk of the day: 25 steps to her unused office, where she lies down in a bed and begins to knit and pet her cat."
Cherry Blossom Festival finally gets its Grand Parade back in S.F. after COVID hiatus
The Chronicle, SAM WHITING: "It has been a long four years for the Clarendon Elementary School kindergarten, which traditionally gets the honor of riding on the school float during the Grand Parade at the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco.
There has been no Grand Parade since 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, and teacher Sean Ellsworth has avoided even mentioning the word “parade” in class. Then Sunday came and Ellsworth was as ebullient as Professor Harold Hill: He stood and conducted 39 singing and clapping and waving kindergarteners, seated on a flatbed trailer, with more than 50 Clarendon upper grade kids following behind on foot, like Professor Hill’s River City boys band.
“We’ve been practicing for weeks. The kids know all the Japanese dignitaries in the review stand will be watching them,” said Ellsworth, as students in the San Francisco public school’s Japanese bilingual bicultural program fell into line, some bravely wearing brightly colored summer kimonos despite the cool hard wind that was twirling their parasols."
Thousands of Californians are missing out on federal student aid. Here’s why
CALMatters, ADAM ECHELMAN: "Thousands of adult Californians without a high school diploma want to take college classes. Unfortunately, those classes aren’t free, and the lack of a high school diploma cuts off access to most financial aid.
The good news is, there’s a fix. The bad news is most students don’t know about the fix, and most college officials don’t understand the laws surrounding it.
Federal law has a special clause that allows students lacking a high school diploma to access financial aid money they would otherwise miss. Known as the Ability to Benefit, the provision opens up federal financial aid to adults without high school degrees who enroll in GED and college classes simultaneously."
Cal State undergraduate workers seek union representation
CALMatters, ROCKY WALKER: "California State University is the largest public university system in the country, so when sophomore Delilah Mays-Triplett decided working on the San Diego State University campus as a library assistant would be the best thing for her education, she didn’t expect to be paid less than the local minimum wage.
But when Mays-Triplett’s check came, she saw she was paid $15.50 per hour, nearly a dollar lower than the San Diego minimum wage of $16.30.
That reason, paired with others, is why Mays-Triplett decided to sign a union authorization card when organizers approached her. Undergraduate student assistants at the university are mounting a union organizing campaign, calling for more work hours, paid sick time and higher wages. The campaign could potentially affect more than 13,000 library assistants, clerical workers and other non-academic student employees across the system’s 23 campuses and comes at a time of heightened campus labor activism."
They spent their lives teaching California’s children. Now, they say they’re spending their retirement paying for it
BANG*Mercury News, ELISSA MIOLENE, MOLLY GIBBS: "For weeks, 73-year-old Ann Jaramillo had been bracing for the decision that could redefine her golden years. It had been nearly a decade since the retired Salinas teacher found out her benefits package had been miscalculated by her school district — and nine years since CalSTRS, the teachers’ state retirement agency, told her that she owed them $75,000.
But last month, the state Supreme Court declined to review the case of Jaramillo and 27 other teachers after five years of legal back-and-forth, dashing their hopes of overcoming a bureaucratic mess that has pitted thousands of California teachers against one of the country’s largest pension funds.
“It feels like fighting a dragon with a fork,” said Jaramillo. “You might get a poke in here and there, but it doesn’t bleed, and for sure, it feels no pain.”"
At 19, he won a local school board seat. His first civics lesson? Age discrimination
LA Times, MELISSA GOMEZ: "The protesters gathered early on a Friday morning in front of Culver City High School.
They were calling for increased safety precautions from the school district after multiple fights were reported on campus. One protester, captured on a livestream, asked where “the 19-year-old” is.
“Yeah, where’s Triston?” another jeered. ”He’s probably smoking weed. He’s probably hotboxing with all the other kids in that bathroom.”"
50 years after he was assassinated, why Marcus Foster is more relevant than ever
EdSource, CAROLYN JONES: "Marcus Foster, the revered superintendent of Oakland Unified in the early 1970s, has been a role model for generations of educators inspired by his courage, vision and passion for helping even the most marginalized students succeed.
But there was one thing he was especially good at.
“He could connect people who have money with people who don’t,” said Denise Saddler, an Oakland Unified principal whose family was close friends with the Fosters. “That money allowed teachers and students to be creative and see the possibilities and implement their dreams.”"
Start of Fox News defamation trial is delayed until Tuesday
LA Times, STEPHEN BATTAGLIO: "The start of the much-anticipated trial over Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6-billion defamation case against Fox News is being pushed until Tuesday, an indication that the two sides may be at work on an out-of-court settlement.
In a note sent from the Delaware Superior Court, Judge Eric Davis will announce Monday that the start of the trial has been pushed to Tuesday.
No reason was given by the court for the delay, and representatives for both sides did not comment."
This is what BART’s new fare gates will look like. Can they slash fare evasion?
The Chronicle, RICARDO CANO: "Many riders have called for this moment, while others remain skeptical, but almost everyone hopes it leads to a better riding experience: BART is finally replacing its fare gates.
The Bay Area’s regional rail system for years has grappled with endemic fare evasion that riders and some officials say has exacerbated quality-of-life issues such as crime and homelessness on BART.
On Thursday, the agency’s Board of Directors awarded a $90 million contract to STraffic America to replace the rail system’s 700 or so fare gates."
Why do all the new apartment buildings in the Bay Area look the same?
BANG*Mercury News, ETHAN VARIAN: "Walk through the heart of just about any Bay Area city and you can’t miss them: boxy, Lego-like apartment buildings with bright multi-colored paneling rising above downtown streets and suburban thoroughfares.
The creeping sameness of the new developments — decried as “ugly” or “soulless” by some and “gentrification buildings” by others — is true for luxury apartment complexes and low-income housing projects alike. And as the region plans for the addition of hundreds of thousands of new multifamily units over the next decade to ease its deepening housing shortage, the bulky designs are likely to become more ubiquitous.
“Even the most high-end buildings look the same,” said Mary Comerio, an architecture professor at UC Berkeley. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re designed by the average corporate firm or a more sensitive, well-known architect.”"
California cities are cracking down on homeless camps. Will the state get tougher, too?
CALMatters, MARISA KENDALL: "Technically, the encampment of about a dozen tents at W Street and Alhambra Boulevard in Sacramento is illegal.
The tents, tarps and associated debris — clothing, a discarded crib, boxes of rotting food — are blocking the sidewalk in violation of a new city ordinance. Located on a major thoroughfare and across the street from a neighborhood of houses, the camp is one of the most complained about in the city, said Hezekiah Allen with Sacramento’s Department of Community Response.
But on a recent Tuesday morning, his team wasn’t out there threatening to arrest people, or even telling them to move. Instead, city outreach worker Jawid Sharifi was greeting encampment residents, whom he knew by name, with fist bumps. Gently, he inquired whether they’d given any more thought to moving into a city-run trailer park for unhoused residents."
California attorney general investigating police shooting that killed 1 in Newark
The Chronicle, NORA MISHANEC: "California Attorney General Rob Bonta is investigating a fatal shooting by East Bay police who fired during what they called a "high risk" traffic stop involving a suspected carjacking.
The attorney general's office announced the investigation Friday, a day after the incident that involved officers from the Newark and Fremont police departments and the Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force. Officials have not said which department was responsible for the fatal shot."
These scuba divers have a macabre mission: find dead bodies underwater
The Chronicle, GREGORY THOMAS: "Plumbing the mucky bottoms of lakes, rivers and San Francisco Bay for dead bodies is highly technical, sometimes gruesome work. But a small cohort of East Bay forensic scuba divers has created a new nonprofit to do just that.
The organization, called California Recovery Divers, formed earlier this year and launched its website this month. It offers a lifeline to distressed families whose loved ones have drowned and can’t be found.
“It’s such an obscure situation for families to find themselves in that they don’t really know where to go for help,” said Kevin Haugh, a 51-year-old tax attorney in Oakland who founded the group."
Fathers shot, daughters killed in bombings: Ghosts of the blood-soaked Troubles haunt Northern Ireland
LA Times, LAURA KING: "By now, these walls were meant to have fallen.
Just as they did at the height of the Troubles — three blood-soaked decades of sectarian and political violence that shook Northern Ireland and transfixed a watching world — separation barriers still snake their way between neighborhoods of low-slung red-brick row houses, keeping mainly Roman Catholic Irish nationalists and Protestants loyal to the British crown physically separated from one another.
Nearly 50 feet tall in some spots, daubed with slogans and topped by metal spikes, the dividing lines are known, with scarcely a trace of irony, as “peace walls.” In the quarter-century since the Good Friday agreement, the landmark deal that largely ended the conflict, successive target dates for dismantling the barriers have slipped past, one after another."
Top House Republican: US has gone too far in allowing access to intelligence since 9/11
The Hill, STEPHEN NEUKAM: "Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said Sunday the U.S. has gone too far in disseminating classified information in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, saying it is something that must be revisited after classified defense documents were leaked online in recent months. "From the 9/11 Commission, we learned that we needed to more widely disseminate classified information so that people had actionable intelligence that they could piece together puzzles," Turner said on CBS's "Face The Nation." "Clearly, we've gone too far in where we have an instance where someone in Massachusetts who's looking at documents with respect to war plans in Ukraine." Turner was pointing to Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Massachucetts Air National Guardsman who was arrested last week in connection with the leaked information that first appeared in an online gaming community that the man allegedly led. The information showed NATO intelligence about the war in Ukraine."
GOP leader McConnell returning to Senate after head injury
AP, MARY CLARE JALONICK: "Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will be back at work in the U.S. Capitol on Monday, almost six weeks after a fall at a Washington-area hotel and extended treatment for a concussion.
The longtime Kentucky senator, 81, has been recovering at home since he was released from a rehabilitation facility March 25. He fell after attending an event earlier that month, injuring his head and fracturing a rib.
He visited his office Friday, the first time since his injury, and is expected to be working a full schedule in the Senate this week."
Dozens killed as army, rivals battle for control of Sudan
AP: "The Sudanese military and a powerful paramilitary group battled for control of the chaos-stricken nation for a second day Sunday, signaling they were unwilling to end hostilities despite mounting diplomatic pressure to cease fire.
Heavy fighting involving armored vehicles, truck-mounted machine guns and war planes raged in the capital of Khartoum, the adjoining city of Omdurman and in flashpoints across the country. The rival forces are believed to have tens of thousands of fighters each in the capital alone.
At least 41 civilians were killed Sunday, bringing the two-day death toll to 97, the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate said Monday. Hundreds of people have been wounded since fighting started Saturday, the group said. In addition, dozens of fighters are believed to have been killed, according to the group."
