How Meta brings in millions off political violence
Colin Lecher and Tomas Apodaca, CalMatters: "Trump, fist in the air, face bloodied from a bullet, appeared on everything. Coffee mugs. Hawaiian shirts. Trading cards. Commemorative coins. Heart ornaments. Ads for these products used images captured at the scene by Doug Mills for the New York Times and Evan Vucci for the Associated Press, showing Trump yelling “fight” after the shooting. The Trump campaign itself even offered some gear commemorating his survival.
As the Secret Service drew scrutiny and law enforcement searched for a motive, online advertisers saw a business opportunity in the moment, pumping out Facebook ads to supporters hungry for merch."
Prop. 5 could unleash a flood of new affordable housing, road repairs, fire stations — and tax hikes
LAT's LIAM DILLON: "Money for new fire stations, repaved roads, renovated libraries and more is on the ballot in the city of Santa Clara next month. Voters in the Silicon Valley suburb of 127,000 will decide if they’ll pony up for a $400-million bond measure to finance the improvements.
Californians have made hundreds of decisions like these over the decades, but this time there’s a twist. No one knows how many votes it will take to win."
Californians broadly support Prop. 36 to get tough on crime, new poll finds
LAT's ANABEL SOSA: "A solid majority of likely California voters support Proposition 36, the November ballot measure that would impose stricter penalties for retail theft and crimes involving fentanyl, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by The Times.
Imposing harsher punishment on repeat offenders drove that support, far outweighing voters’ desire to increase overall prosecutions or deter future crime, the survey found."
Bond measures submitted to voters
Capitol Weekly's CHRIS MICHELI: "On occasion, bond measures are submitted to voters in the State of California, such as this November 5 when the statewide electorate will consider two different $10 billion bond measures, one on climate change and one on school facilities.
What are the statutory rules for these bond measures that are placed on the ballot by the state or local governments? The Elections Code, in Division 9, Chapter 5, provides several statutes related to bond issues. They are contained in Sections 9400 to 9405."
California lauds as itself pro-immigrant. Why did Newsom veto bills to help the undocumented?
MATHEW MIRANDA, SaCBee: "Since taking office, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has positioned himself as a defender of immigrant rights, and — at times — upheld that promise. Under his leadership, California has expanded its safety net for the state’s 2 million undocumented residents. They now have access to Medi-Cal, tax credits and received state stimulus checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Still, Newsom blocked new efforts to extend state programs to undocumented immigrants last month. He vetoed bills that proposed unemployment benefits, opening campus jobs to college students without legal work permits and allowing undocumented Californians to apply for first-time homebuyer assistance.
Northern lights could be visible in California again. Here’s when to look
The Chronicle's JACK LEE: "Recent bursts of solar activity could mean the northern lights are visible from Northern California as early as Thursday night, experts say.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued watches for strong geomagnetic storms Friday through Sunday, with a severity of 3 out of 5. This means Californians could have additional viewing opportunities throughout the weekend."
Downtown Sacramento sees hottest October day ever amid heat wave. How high did temp go?
ISHANI DESAI, SacBee: "Downtown Sacramento made history Thursday as meteorologists recorded the hottest temperature experienced in October since weather record keeping began nearly 150 years ago.
Downtown sizzled as the mercury shot to 103 degrees, becoming the hottest day in October since scientists began jotting down temperatures in July 1877.
Hiker trapped on mountain ledge high above Northern California forest freed in helicopter rescue
DARRELL SMITH, SacBee: "A hiker trapped on a mountain face in Northern California was plucked to safety by sheriff’s deputies Tuesday in a daring helicopter rescue.
Video from El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department shows the ordeal and the painstaking rescue effort. The hiker was off trail high above Angora Lakes when he became stuck on the side of a steep granite face."
The growing cost of health care continues to vex state policymakers
Capitol Weekly's BRIAN JOSEPH: "In a sign of the times, Capitol Weekly’s annual health care conference on Thursday focused broadly on expenses and efficiency, befitting for an American health care system that has become one of the most expensive in the world.
Keynoting the event was Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), the former longtime chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, who noted that there are some estimates that 20 to 30 percent of health care spending is wasted."
Some California stem cell clinics use unproven therapies. A new court ruling cracks down
ANA B. IBARRA, CalMatters: "Stem cell clinics have popped up throughout California, promising cures and relief for arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other conditions through cutting-edge technologies. Some, however, are offering services that have not been approved by federal health regulators.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week gained a significant court win against stem cell clinics that promote and administer unproven therapies."
California collects millions in stolen wages, but can’t find many workers to pay them
JEANNE KUANG, CalMatters: "Nearly a year after California settled a major wage theft case with The Cheesecake Factory, most of the money hasn’t reached the workers, underscoring the state’s challenges in helping employees get back pay.
Only 42 of the former janitors who worked for the restaurant chain’s contractors have received their cut of the settlement, a spokesperson for the Labor Commissioner’s Office said. More than 500 workers haven’t been found, leaving nearly $700,000 of the $1 million settlement unclaimed in state accounts."
Grocery giants agree to pay nearly $4 million for overcharging California customers
The Chronicle's JORDAN PARKER: "Three of the nation’s largest grocers agreed to pay nearly $4 million in fines to settle a civil lawsuit that accused them of overcharging customers for grocery items and falsely advertising the weight of certain products.
Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced the settlement Thursday between prosecutors across California and Safeway Inc., Albertsons Cos. and the Vons Cos., which combined operate nearly 600 stores in the state. The settlement requires the grocers to pay $3.2 million in civil penalties and $749,500 in costs and restitution, prosecutors said."
How to deal with S.F.’s top retail theft hotspots? What store owners say about Prop 36
The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN, DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "Security guards rove the sidewalks near Powell and Ellis streets in San Francisco, an area known for its posh name-brand boutiques and cable cars — and more recently, its struggles with retail theft.
The guards add a uniformed presence, supplementing an already high concentration of police patrols. But having all those eyes on the street didn’t seem to matter on a recent Wednesday morning, when thieves struck two stores at the intersection."
S.F. officials to demand answers about public safety nonprofit that imploded
The Chronicle's ALDO TOLEDO: "Months after a San Francisco nonprofit with close ties to the city imploded and its executive director was arrested for allegedly misusing funds, unanswered questions remain about how the taxpayer-funded organization unraveled.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin is seeking answers next week at a much-anticipated oversight hearing where he said he will compel SF SAFE’s former board president to appear if he doesn’t do so voluntarily. SF SAFE worked closely with the San Francisco Police Department for years on community public safety programs."
Mayor to select Jim McDonnell as new LAPD chief
LAT's LIBOR JANY, RICHARD WINTON, DAVID ZAHNISER, DAKOTA SMITH: "Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is expected to announce that she has selected Jim McDonnell to serve as the city’s next police chief, ending a months-long search process and ushering in a new era for one of the country’s largest police departments.
In picking the longtime lawman — who helped implement a federal consent decree as an LAPD assistant chief and later was elected Los Angeles County sheriff — Bass is getting a steady hand as the massive security challenges of the World Cup and the Olympic Games loom on the horizon."
University of California sued over not offering jobs to undocumented students
EdSource's ZAIDEE STAVELY: "An alumnus and a lecturer from UCLA filed a lawsuit against University of California, accusing the institution of discriminating against students based on their immigration status, because they are not considered for on-campus jobs.
The lawsuit comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented students to be hired for on-campus jobs, including internships and research jobs that students say would help their careers."
UC Regents sued for discriminating against undocumented students
Daily Californian's ELISE FISHER: "Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto of the Opportunity For All Act earlier this week, a UCLA alumnus and lecturer sued the UC Board of Regents for discriminating against undocumented students.
Currently, the regents’ policy prohibits hiring undocumented students at UCs, which the Opportunity For All Act sought to change."
ASUC joins BDS coalition and demands UC system divest from Israel
Daily Californian's NOLAN ZILS, ESME HYATT: "At a special ASUC Senate meeting Tuesday night senators voted to join the UC Berkeley Boycott, Divest and Sanction, or BDS, Coalition and sign onto its statement.
The Senate already passed a bill in May to uphold its divestment from companies on the BDS list, which includes Starbucks, Disney and more. The meeting lasted two hours and 46 minutes, in contrast to last spring’s meeting in which lasted only 28 minutes."
