UCLA, UC Davis brace for strike as union alleges free speech violations in pro-Palestinian protests
HANNAH FRY, HOWARD BLUME and JAWEED KALEEM, LA Times: "Academic workers at UCLA and UC Davis are poised to strike beginning Tuesday, alleging their workers’ rights have been violated by University of California actions during pro-Palestinian protests and encampment crackdowns.
United Auto Workers Local 4811, which represents 48,000 graduate student teaching assistants, tutors, researchers and others at the 10 UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, launched the rolling strike last week at UC Santa Cruz. The walkouts unfold at a critical time in the academic year, as classes end and capstone projects, finals and grading are ahead — work in which union members play a key role."
Steph Curry, Steve Kerr, others hail Bill Walton as ‘icon’ and ‘legend’ after death
JORDAN PARKER, Chronicle: "NBA champion and broadcaster Bill Walton, who died Monday, is being remembered for his larger-than-life personality and his impact both on and off the court, as athletes and sports teams in the Bay Area and people across the country mourned the former star center and celebrated his legacy.
Walton’s death was announced shortly after 10 a.m. by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who said Walton had a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 71."
READ MORE: How the Grateful Dead inspired Bill Walton and shaped his life’s perspective -- TRACY BROWN, LA Times
‘Aggressive shark behavior’ closes ocean access in San Clemente
JULIA WICK, LA Times: "Water access at all San Clemente beaches was closed Monday due to “aggressive shark behavior,” according to city officials. The Memorial Day edict came after a shark knocked a surfer off their board Sunday evening.
The ocean will remain closed until 8 p.m. Monday night, pending no additional shark sightings, according to the city. Beaches in the Orange County city are still open, but visitors will not be able to wade into the waves or swim.
A San Clemente lifeguard first received a report of a shark encounter at the popular surfing destination T-Street Beach just before 8 p.m., according to San Clemente Marine Safety Lt. Sean Staudenbaur."
Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down 101 Freeway in downtown L.A.
KEVIN RECTOR, LA Times: "Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters briefly shutdown the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
The protesters blocked traffic as they held Palestinian flags and signs reading “Stop the Genocide” and “End the Occupation Now!” and chanted “Eyes on Rafah!” according to video posted to social media, including by journalist Ben Camacho. The protest came a day after what appeared to be one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas."
Bay Area cities suspend natural gas bans on new buildings
STEPHANIE LAM, East Bay Times: "Bay Area cities and counties are holding off on enforcing natural gas bans in new buildings following a recent federal ruling, a controversial move environmental groups worry will delay achieving key climate goals.
The Sunnyvale City Council recently temporarily suspended its ban on natural gas in new buildings, which was first adopted in 2022 to help cut Sunnyvale’s greenhouse emissions in half by the end of the decade."
Senate confirms Joe Biden’s historic pick for Sacramento-area federal judgeship
ANDREW SHEELER, SacBee: "Judge Dena M. Coggins was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week to the federal court that covers Sacramento.
Coggins, who since 2021 has been a judge on the Sacramento County Superior Court, will be the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. She is also of Asian American descent."
South Lake Tahoe split over proposal to tax property owners who leave homes vacant
RUBEN VIVES, LA Times: "Owning a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe could get more costly if residents approve a ballot measure that imposes a tax of up to $6,000 on housing units left vacant for more than half a year.
The measure, dubbed the “South Lake Tahoe Vacancy Tax,” aims to penalize homeowners who leave thousands of homes empty in the mountain resort town; the tax penalties would go toward affordable housing, road repair and public transportation. The measure is an attempt to incentivize homeowners to rent properties out rather than leaving them vacant."
‘Huge deal’: New trail to Northern California river will open to public after conservation pact
GREGORY THOMAS, Chronicle: "Just outside the Placer County community of Auburn, one of the largest concentrations of private land along the North Fork American River was recently purchased for conservation, a deal that will soon open a new hiking trail to one of Northern California’s most popular summertime river destinations.
This spring, the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land and Placer Land Trust closed a $6.4 million deal to acquire 1,567 acres skirting the river’s western edge between Interstate 80 and the sprawling Auburn State Recreation Area. The property is consolidated in four large, undeveloped blocks of pine- and oak-studded hillsides covering 6 miles of river frontage, including along the banks of sparkling Lake Clementine. Though undeveloped, it had effectively walled off public access to a gorgeous area in the remote river canyon that is suitable for sunbathing and swimming."
Hollywood crews in ‘crisis’: ‘Everyone’s just in panic mode’ as jobs decline
KAITLYN HUAMANI, LA Times: "After more than two decades in the industry, Keith Dunkerley still loves nothing more than working on a set. The 47-year-old director of photography and camera operator, who’s had consistent work since he moved to Los Angeles 23 years ago, said his is “the best job in the world.”
Since the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year and the slow restart of production, though, Dunkerley said his work opportunities look quite different than in past years: He has worked only 18 days during the first five months of 2024."
Environmentalists urge California wildlife officials to investigate bottled water operation
IAN JAMES, LA Times: "Environmental activists have opened a new front in their long-running fight against a company that pipes water from the San Bernardino Mountains and bottles it for sale as Arrowhead brand bottled water.
In a petition to the state, several environmental groups and local activists called for an investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, arguing that the company BlueTriton Brands is harming wildlife habitat and species by extracting water that would otherwise flow in Strawberry Creek."
Sacramento workers allege $30,000 wage theft by employers with history of labor violations
MATHEW MIRANDA, SacBee: "Daniel Mejia and Edgar Cortez spent last summer working long days in the heat to renovate houses across Sacramento. Sometimes, they mowed lawns, mulched yards and painted. Other days, the men installed doors, cabinets and fences.
Occasionally, they fixed irrigation pipes and performed electrical work at the request of their employers...
Mejia and Cortez are two of four workers alleging roughly $30,000 in unpaid wages. They have reported the wage theft violations by supposed C&H Hauling owners Maria Perez and Sandra Vilchez to the California Labor Commissioner, but remain stalled in the waiting process."
California ZIP code with highest average income is a mansion-free area of S.F.
CHRISTIAN LEONARD, Chronicle: "One of San Francisco’s smallest ZIP codes has the highest average income in California.
The 94104 ZIP code, which includes a handful of blocks in the city’s Financial District with such buildings as 555 California St. and the Ritz-Carlton residences, had an average household income of about $5.5 million in 2021, according to recently released tax data from the IRS. Only one ZIP code in the United States had a higher average household income: 33109 of Fisher Island, Fla., where about 300 filers, totaling 500 people, made an average of $6 million."
Home insurance was once a ‘must.’ Now more homeowners are going without.
PATRICK COOLEY, Washington Post: "Jamie Lafollette found out State Farm was dropping her policy from reading the news.
After she saw a story about the insurer pulling out of Santa Cruz County, her longtime home, she called her agent to confirm that her plan would lapse — setting off a desperate search for a replacement policy that is ongoing.
“Our first quote came in at over $10,000 a year, and that was bare bones coverage,” she said. “And then I kept pressing, contacting other brokers … contacting all these weird companies you’ve never heard of.”
