California Policy and Politics Sunday  

Earthquake: Magnitude 5.4 quake hits Northern California days after deadly temblor -- A magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit Humboldt County on New Year’s Day, rattling an area that was hit hard by a deadly temblor just before Christmas. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/1/23

Storm pummels Northern California, compromising levee and leaving thousands without power -- Northern California took the brunt of the weekend pounding. Flash flooding kept major roads closed just south of Sacramento on Sunday, including Highway 99. Electricity remained cut off Sunday morning for more than 41,000 customers. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ Konrad Putzier in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/1/23

Highway 99 closed in Sacramento County, flash flood warning extended -- A fierce “atmospheric river” storm cleared away from Sacramento and Northern California on Sunday after walloping the region on New Year’s Eve with drenching rain, treacherous winds and dangerous flooding on the Valley floor while slippery roadways and impressive snow totals dominated the higher elevations. Ryan Lillis, Daniel Hunt in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/1/23

Motorist missing in south Sacramento County after floodwaters overwhelm roadways -- Dan Quiggle, deputy fire chief for operations for Cosumnes Community Service District Fire Department, said Cosumnes and Wilton fire crews were searching for a missing motorist who was reported washed off Dillard Road near Highway 99 overnight. The item is in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/1/23

Bay Area storm: Flooding, hazards, road closures remain after pounding deluge -- The Bay Area transitioned into cleanup mode on Sunday, waking up in the new year to clear skies that revealed the scale of damage from near-record rainfall and ongoing hazards from the deluge that hit San Francisco particularly hard. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/1/23

San Francisco sees historic deluge as atmospheric river slams California -- A powerful atmospheric river drenched Northern and Central California on New Year’s Eve, unloading copious amounts of lowland rain and mountain snow. San Francisco posted its second-wettest day in over 170 years of records because of this fire hose of tropical moisture. Matthew Cappucci in the Washington Post$ -- 1/1/23

Another series of winter storms is headed to California — here's when the first will hit in 2023 -- In other words, California is likely to see another two to four winter storms roll into the coast during the first two weeks of the year, each one bringing concerns for urban flooding and heavy snowfall, and slowly raising the risk of debris flows in burn scars. Gerry Díaz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/1/23

Policy and Politics  

For the first time in state history, a woman will likely lead California’s emergency response -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday appointed Nancy Ward as director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. She will replace Mark Ghilarducci, who served in the role for a decade and announced his retirement earlier this year. Ward’s appointment needs to be confirmed by the California Senate. Jeong Park in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/1/23

Exit interview: Jackie Speier, voice for women, leaves Congress after unique and tragic career -- In her 50 years of public service, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, has survived five gunshot wounds at the Jonestown massacre; became the first member of Congress to speak openly about an abortion; shared her experience with sexual harassment during #MeToo; and has been outspoken on efforts to stop sexual assault in the military. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/1/23

Smith, Chabria: White supremacy comes in all colors. 2023 will make this impossible to ignore -- Kanye West. Nick Fuentes. Herschel Walker. Kyrie Irving. Enrique Tarrio. Erika D. Smith, Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/1/23

Walters: A new year, but California’s old crises still abound -- It’s a new year, but the Democratic politicians who dominate the state Capitol face a raft of old problems that, if anything, worsened during 2022. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/1/23

A timeline of Pelosi’s career in Congress -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) broke Congress's glass ceiling as the first woman to hold the top position in the House. She announced earlier this year she would not seek reelection as the House Democratic caucus's top leader, ending one of the most consequential leadership tenures in American political history. Paul Kane in the Washington Post$ -- 1/1/23

Why California’s much-touted CARE Court is ‘no one-and-done program’ -- They point to the logistical and financial challenges of launching a labor-intensive program from scratch, as well as the limiting effect of a decades-old law already on the books governing the treatment of mentally ill people in California. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/1/23

Abortion  

Demand has quadrupled at some California abortion clinics since Roe fell -- One woman had never flown on a plane before and was petrified to make the journey from Texas to California. Another drove all night from El Paso to make her appointment because she couldn’t miss work. A third was so worried about getting in trouble that she asked the staff at Planned Parenthood if they could wipe her phone and destroy all evidence of her abortion. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/1/23

Water  

California’s snowpack near decade high. What’s it mean for the drought? -- As the new year begins, California’s Sierra is closing in on the second-largest snowpack we’ve seen at this time of year in the last two decades, with more snow expected to pummel the mountain range in the coming days. Scooty Nickerson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/1/23

Education  

Lockdowns, shootings, prostitution. How a school fought a ‘crime magnet’ motel and won -- When a next-door motel and a KIPP charter school could not work out problems, the school found an unusual way to succeed. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/1/23

Hepatitis C  

Hepatitis C is a slow-moving killer that can be stopped. What’s getting in the way? -- Hepatitis C can now be cured in most cases with antiviral medication. Yet in the U.S., only a fraction of people who are found to be infected promptly start treatment. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/1/23