Environmentalists, local agencies file lawsuits against California Delta tunnel project
Sacramento Bee, ARI PLACHTA: "A month after California’s water regulator gave its seal of approval to a controversial water infrastructure project that could replumb the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the plan is coming under renewed legal fire.
Eight lawsuits filed by several counties, local water agencies and a coalition of environmental advocates claim the Department of Water Resources violated laws protecting the beleaguered estuary when it approved the project."
California’s most improbable water project rebrands itself as a crusader for environmental justice (COLUMN)
LA Times, MICHAEL HILTZIK: "It’s hard to think of a California company that carries more toxic baggage than Cadiz Inc.
The Los Angeles firm has been trying for more than 20 years to advance a plan to siphon water from under the Mojave Desert and pump it to users throughout Southern California. It has long been stymied by environmental objections, but kept on life support by wielding political influence and regular financings such as private stock placements and junk bond-rated debt."
What a GOP fight over undocumented health care says about California’s changing politics
CALMatters, ANA B. IBARRA: "Two California lawmakers publicly blew up at each other earlier this month, hitting a nerve on an issue that has long-divided the state’s elected leaders: Whether and how much to offer government-subsidized health benefits to undocumented residents.
In one corner, Corona Assemblymember Bill Essayli declared that he wanted to unravel a new law that offers subsidized health coverage to undocumented immigrants."
Changes to California home, auto insurance rate process expected to be unveiled soon
Sacramento Bee, STEPHEN HOBBS: "Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara told state lawmakers on Wednesday that his office would soon begin unveiling the first in a series of highly-anticipated rule changes that could affect the price and availability of home and auto insurance in California.
Lara said insurers would be required to submit complete applications with the state when they are asking for customers to pay different rates for policies, under a new proposal that will be released “in the next few weeks.” The applications aren’t always finished when they are sent to the Department of Insurance, Lara said, which has caused delays."
READ MORE -- California insurance crisis: Another company stops offering new home policies -- The Chronicle, CLARE FONSTEIN
Sex Trafficking: an NBA G Leaguer’s arrest provides glimpse into an evil subculture
Capitol Weekly, BRIAN JOSEPH: "In the slow days leading up to the end of the year, the shocking arrest of a Sacramento Kings G League player for murder in Las Vegas grabbed headlines nationwide for its sensational mix of murder and professional sports in America’s adult playground.
But the Chance Comanche case provides a window into something more: America’s pimp-prostitute subculture, which is the arena for much of the sex trafficking that occurs in our nation today. Moreover, it illustrates why it can be so challenging for law enforcement and lawmakers to tell the difference between victims and victimizers."
Groundwater levels are falling in parts of California and food-growing regions worldwide
LA Times, IAN JAMES, GABRIELLE LAMARR LEMEE: "From California’s Central Valley to the croplands of Iran, groundwater depletion has accelerated over the last four decades across the world’s arid food-producing regions.
In many parts of the western United States, India, Chile, Spain, Mexico and other countries, groundwater levels have been rapidly declining as water is heavily pumped to irrigate farmlands, according to a new study analyzing measurements from 170,000 wells in more than 40 countries."
READ MORE -- California ranks high worldwide for rapidly depleted groundwater -- CALMatters, RACHEL BECKER
SoCal sees two ‘thousand-year’ storms within weeks. More could be coming
LA Times, HAYLEY SMITH, GRACE TOOHEY: "Weather officials had been warning Californians about the wrath of El Niño for months — even as some residents had begun to think the typically soaking climate pattern had gone AWOL.
But after an anemic start to the state’s rainy season, those admonitions have come to bear in brutal fashion as fast-moving storms have inundated portions of Ventura, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, flooding neighborhoods, spurring water rescues, triggering evacuations and stunning experts with their strength and magnitude."
Warming trend begins across Northern California but rain persists for some
The Chronicle, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "An area of high pressure will expand across California during the next five days, bringing springlike temperatures to the Bay Area by the weekend.
The warming trend begins Thursday, but at first it will be subtle. After patchy, dense morning fog, sunshine should break through during the afternoon, particularly in Solano County, the East Bay and South Bay. A mix of sun and clouds is expected in Wine Country, San Francisco and the Peninsula due to a distant weather system."
California relaxes COVID isolation guidance. What you need to know
LA Times, RONG-GONG LIN II, LUKE MONEY: "With COVID-19 no longer the widespread public health emergency it was in years past, public health officials at both the state and Los Angeles County levels have relaxed their guidance on how long individuals need to isolate from others after they are infected.
Both agencies note that earlier guidelines were implemented to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. But most policies are now focused on protecting those most at risk for serious illness while reducing social disruption."
Biden administration quietly opposes policy to allow hiring of UC undocumented students
EdSource, MICHAEL BURKE: "Officials in President Joe Biden’s administration are privately opposing a proposal to allow the hiring of undocumented students for campus jobs across the University of California, Politico reported Wednesday.
Citing anonymous UC officials, Politico reported that the Department of Homeland Security has urged UC to reconsider the idea, which the system’s board of regents could take a vote on during a meeting Thursday. If UC does approve the policy, they could face a lawsuit from the White House. The DHS officials have warned UC that the administration might sue or take other action to block the policy if approved, according to Politico."
UC moves to ban political statements on its websites by faculty and others
EdSource, MICHAEL BURKE: "University of California faculty and other staff could be banned from publishing political statements, including those stemming from the Israel-Hamas conflict, on university websites and other university channels under a policy that UC’s board of regents could consider as soon as Thursday.
The consideration of such a policy comes after some units, including at least two ethnic studies departments, posted statements on their websites last fall supporting Palestine and condemning Israel."
Fresno City College professors continue to speak out against colleague
EdSource, LASHERICA THORNTON: "The Fresno City College community continues to reel from an EdSource report revealing that Tom Boroujeni, a tenured communication arts instructor and president of the school’s academic senate, was found to have committed an “act of sexual violence” against a professor and colleague at nearby Fresno State in 2015.
The fallout was laid bare during Wednesday’s academic senate meeting when several professors challenged the body’s leadership, criticizing the executive board and demanding change, despite a plea by the acting president that attendants not use the public comment period to “prosecute this (Boroujeni) case or any other case.”"
Plan to build harbor in front of S.F.’s Marina Green may be scrapped after protests by neighbors
The Chronicle, DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "Opponents of a controversial plan to put a new harbor in front of San Francisco’s Marina Green promenade are likely to soon score a win, officials say.
Legislation that would prevent the relocation of nearly 200 boat slips to Marina Green as part of the cleanup and renovation of nearby Gashouse Cove is likely to pass its first hurdle on Monday — and its prospects to get full approval are good, according to Supervisor Aaron Peskin."
200 beds for 5,000 homeless people: Were promises made by Sacramento and the county pointless?
Sacramento Bee, ARIANA LANGE, THERESA CLIFT: "As a humanitarian crisis spiraled on Sacramento’s streets, city and county officials celebrated a “groundbreaking” homelessness agreement that went into effect one year ago.
Through a binding contract, both the city and the county accepted certain obligations as they collaborated to address homelessness concentrated within the city of Sacramento."
Approaching Bay Area deadline a ‘test case’ for California’s housing crisis
CALMatters, BEN CHRISTOPHER: "It’s put up or shut up time for dozens of cities across the San Francisco Bay Area.
Last January, local governments across the region were required to submit “housing elements” to state regulators — future development blueprints that spell out how each jurisdiction intends to make room for its share of the more than 2.5 million new homes the Newsom administration wants to see built across California by the end of the decade."
‘Pure fear’: Violent crime in Oakland rose 21% last year. Residents worry it will define the city
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "Oakland police Sgt. Sean Hall addressed the quiet, watchful crowd gathered at a church near Lake Merritt on a recent Wednesday evening. Eyes sweeping the audience, Hall flashed an unassuming smile.
He was there to outline the department’s new patrol strategy to Grand Lake Neighbors, a group that meets monthly to discuss everything from street safety to parking enforcement. The sergeant’s mission: present a friendly face and try to instill optimism at a moment when crime is surging."
Code words, smuggled phones, $50 tips: Mexican Mafia micro-manages drug deals from prison
LA Times, MATTHEW ORMSETH: "When an imprisoned gang member used a contraband cellphone to ask Miguel Maciel Jr. if he wanted to make some money, the 18-year-old jumped at the offer.
“Of course,” Maciel told the prisoner, Carlos Guadalupe Reyes, according to WhatsApp messages shown in court. “I’m always interested in money.”"
