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Updating . . .
California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Ricky Pearsall shooting: S.F. DA charges 17-year-old suspect with attempted murder -- The 17-year-old boy suspected of shooting 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall in San Francisco’s Union Square over the weekend has been charged with attempted murder, robbery and other offenses, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Tuesday. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Gavin Newsom is riding gas prices right into the election -- His move Saturday to call a special legislative session in Sacramento focused on gasoline price spikes is something of a bet that running headlong into the Democrat-led state’s political vulnerabilities will turn them into an asset. Debra Kahn Politico Sophia Bollag, Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/4/24
California poised to become first state where cars must warn drivers when they’re speeding -- The speed governor proposal, SB961, by San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener was one of the last bills passed by the California Legislature before lawmakers adjourned for the session. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Mike Garcia campaign runs misleading ad on the House Republican’s role in Violence Against Women Act -- The race between the GOP incumbent and Democrat George Whitesides in northern L.A. County’s Congressional District 27 is one of the most competitive and consequential in the U.S. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Bill to ban solitary confinement for pregnant inmates now allows it. Its backers want a veto -- Advocates for women in California prisons were backing legislation that would have banned solitary confinement of pregnant inmates – until the author, under pressure from prison officials in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, amended it to allow them to be held in solitary for up to five days. Now many of its former supporters have changed sides. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/4/24
After key reparations bills stall, California lawmakers say they’ll try again next year -- Assembly Member Lori Wilson, the chair of California's Legislative Black Caucus, said she has always thought of reparations as a multi-year effort and that some bills will take multiple legislative sessions to get across the finish line. Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/4/24
Walters: Gavin Newsom returns to his duties in California and finds his status has diminished -- Gavin Newsom’s flirtation with national political status ended abruptly when Vice President Kamala Harris, often depicted as his rival, became the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/4/24
Workplace
California companies wrote their own gig worker law. Now no one is enforcing it -- Prop. 22 promised improved pay and benefits for California gig workers. But when companies fail to deliver, the state isn’t doing much to help push back. Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters -- 9/4/24
UC, CSU wary over legislation allowing them to hire undocumented students. Newsom to decide -- State legislation directing the UC and CSU systems to hire students without work permits may violate federal law and has put Gov. Gavin Newsom in a tough spot. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Job killer or neighborhood protector? Proposed warehouse rules divide Inland Empire -- Last-minute legislation would limit where distribution centers can go. Supporters say it would shield neighborhoods from traffic and deliver cleaner air. But business groups warn the bill could threaten jobs in a booming industry. Deborah Brennan CalMatters -- 9/4/24
Rancho Palos Verdes
California declares state of emergency over Rancho Palos Verdes landslide -- In the declaration, Newsom said land movement under the city that sits atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula has accelerated significantly following severe storms in 2023 and 2024 and “is now sliding at an average of 9 to 12 inches per week.” Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ Scott Dance in the Washington Post$ -- 9/4/24
Housing
Half a house, half a million: A tree-crushed home hits the market in Monrovia -- A few months after being crushed by a falling tree, a Monrovia home is on the market for $499,999. Repairs required. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Beverly Hills is dragging its heels on a new building. The governor says: Build it -- California officials are turning the screws on the city of Beverly Hills, where approval of a new hotel and apartment complex is moving too slowly for state housing bosses and the governor. Roger Vincent and Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Homeless
This Bay Area county made refusing a shelter bed a crime. Is it helping solve homelessness? -- So far, no one has been cited or arrested for turning down shelter. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/4/24
San Jose begins clearing part of troubled Columbus Park homeless camp -- San Jose began clearing part of one of its largest and most dangerous homeless encampments on Tuesday in an effort to move around 40 tents, vehicles and makeshift dwellings out of the flight path at San Jose Mineta International Airport. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/4/24
Street
Cars torched, window smashed in pair of South L.A. street takeovers. Neighbors are weary -- Two street takeovers in South Los Angeles veered into vandalism early Tuesday morning as the window of a local car dealership was smashed and cars were set on fire. Jireh Deng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Top of the Ticket
How Kamala Harris’ campaign wrestled the ‘family values’ narrative away from the GOP -- Democrats’ efforts to argue that they’re the true party of family values will reach a new level this week as Kamala Harris’ reproductive freedom tour makes its way into battleground states — and even red states. Shira Stein, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/4/24
Democrats target Trump’s muddled abortion message -- The Harris campaign launched a bus tour on reproductive rights in the former president’s adopted home state of Florida, where abortion laws are a centerpiece of the forthcoming election. Kimberly Leonard Politico -- 9/4/24
Harris pulls ahead of Trump in battlegrounds, poll finds -- Harris is polling ahead of Trump in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin — but her slight lead is either within or just barely outside the margin of error. Irie Sentner Politico -- 9/4/24
John McCain’s son says he will support Kamala Harris in November -- Jimmy McCain said he changed his voter registration from independent to Democrat and expressed outrage over an altercation at Arlington Cemetery involving Trump campaign staff. Maegan Vazquez and Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ -- 9/4/24
Harris, Proposing a Tax Break, Makes a Play for Small-Business Owners -- The plan, which Kamala Harris will announce on Wednesday in New Hampshire, would allow new companies to deduct up to $50,000 in start-up expenses, a campaign official said. Andrew Duehren and Nicholas Nehamas in the New York Times$ -- 9/4/24
Plunge in Trump Media Shares Wipes $4 Billion Off Former President’s Stake -- The stock price of Donald Trump’s social media company has often moved in tandem with investor perception of his standing in the presidential race. Matthew Goldstein in the New York Times$ -- 9/4/24
Pro-Trump group attacks Harris for murder that took place 14 years ago -- Harris at the time was the district attorney for San Francisco. The murder took place in Texas. But if viewers aren’t looking carefully at the date of the tombstone depicted at the start of the ad, they could easily conclude that this murder happened during the Biden administration as a result of its border policies. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 9/4/24
Trump Wants to ‘Drill, Baby, Drill,’ but Can He Cut Energy Prices? -- GOP nominee’s anti-inflation pitch focuses on lower costs for gas and electricity, areas where a president has limited control. David Uberti and Jennifer Hiller in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/4/24
Trump appears to have misled Gold Star families on troop deaths in Afghanistan -- Trump frequently suggests, as he did in a TikTok filmed at Arlington Cemetery, that an 18-month period without hostile-fire deaths took place entirely in his presidency. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 9/4/24
Trump Says There Was ‘No Conflict’ at Cemetery, Despite Official Accounts -- Speaking to Sean Hannity, Donald Trump contradicted his campaign’s prior statements about a confrontation involving his campaign at Arlington National Cemetery last week. Michael Gold and Chris Cameron in the New York Times$ Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ -- 9/4/24
Biden is suddenly seeing his best polls in years -- Precisely why is a valid question, and there are a number of possibilities. But if the trend holds, it could undercut a key Trump campaign strategy. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 9/4/24
Also
The Mexican Mafia Tapes: Secret recordings reveal greed, betrayal — and a deal with the feds -- Ralph Rocha made secret tapes documenting his tenure as an informant. Were they an insurance policy? A way to blow off steam? An early stab at a screenplay? Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
Kim Kardashian and sister visit Northern California inmate fire camp -- Kim Kardashian, who in recent years has become an advocate for criminal justice reform, paid a visit last week to a camp in the mountains of Northern California where incarcerated men serve as firefighters, often deploying to the front lines of the state’s biggest blazes. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/4/24
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Breed ‘is going to get blamed’: How Ricky Pearsall shooting complicates S.F. mayor’s race -- Mayor London Breed says she’s improving public safety as she seeks reelection. The high-profile shooting of a top 49ers pick complicates her message. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/3/24
S.F. nonprofit scandals: This is Mayor Breed’s plan to boost oversight -- San Francisco is moving to tighten controls on city contractors after a series of recent scandals involving misuse of taxpayer dollars by nonprofit organizations. Michael Barba in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/3/24
Ricky Pearsall shooting: Here’s what data shows about Union Square crime trends -- Robberies and other crimes have actually declined significantly in the district over the past six years, according to data maintained by the police and analyzed by the Chronicle. In fact, Union Square has seen steeper declines across most crime categories than the rest of San Francisco, which has itself experienced sharp drops in most crime types since 2018. Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/3/24
49ers’ Ricky Pearsall left hospital the day after being shot through the chest. How is that possible? -- It appears Pearsall managed to escape injury to the heart and spine, two of the most serious injuries from gunshot wounds to the chest. In a video from the scene on Saturday, he was seen clutching a large bandage on the right side of his chest as he walked to the ambulance. Aidin Vaziri, Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/3/24
Five years after 34 died in Conception boat fire, NTSB says Coast Guard hasn’t reformed -- Five years after California’s worst modern maritime disaster, relatives of the Conception boat fire victims are angry about what they call the slow pace of accountability, while a top U.S. safety official says the Coast Guard continues to stall on reforms. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
Skelton: Newsom’s power this election is at home, not away -- Here’s an important politician who’s suddenly without an important political gig in this extraordinarily important election season. But he could find a significant gig right here in California. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
Walters: California’s economy lags behind other states, here’s why it’s so sluggish -- California’s unemployment rate, 5.2% of its labor force in July, is no longer the nation’s highest after months of having that dubious distinction. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/3/24
California Democrats strike back against local conservative rebellions on LGBTQ rights, abortion -- Some California communities are resisting progressive policies from Sacramento. Democrats in the Legislature say they are going too far and are responding with bills to shut them down. Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 9/3/24
California lawmakers dismiss bill to give convicted murderers serving life without parole a chance at release -- SB 94 would have offered those serving life in prison without the possibility of parole petition for for re-sentencing. Stephanie Lam in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/3/24
First in nation attempt to fine social media for child harms collapses in California -- A California bill that attempted to penalize social media companies for harming young users is dead for the year, the author confirmed to POLITICO, arguing amendments had watered down the effort in a victory for Silicon Valley opponents. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 9/3/24
What Californians have at stake in the Trump-Harris election when it comes to health care -- Kamala Harris investigated the market power of huge California health care companies. Donald Trump compelled hospitals to disclose prices. Here’s a look at their 2024 priorities on health. Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters -- 9/3/24
In a Scenic California Town, Worsening Landslides Force Power Shutoffs -- The movement of the ground in Rancho Palos Verdes is threatening homes. But as the city searches for solutions, many residents are committed to staying. Corina Knoll, Loren Elliott in the New York Times$ -- 9/3/24
This Joshua Tree search and rescue team tries to head off calamity before it strikes -- Joshua Tree’s Preventative Search and Rescue Program seeks to protect visitors from extreme heat, razor-sharp cacti, thirsty bees — and their own ignorance. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
Workplace
Sheriff’s Department weighs demoting whistleblower for spreading ‘gossip’ -- A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department sergeant, who successfully sued for whistleblower retaliation in 2015, says she was transferred after filing another grievance. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
‘Get to know your enemy.’ How Hollywood workers are learning to use AI -- The Times spoke with a cinematographer, an editor, a costume designer and two voice actors about why they are taking steps to educate themselves about AI. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
Hot, dirty and dangerous: Aerial firefighting is a labor of love -- As fire season lengthens and intensifies across the West, the pilots who do the grueling, sometimes deadly work of aerial firefighting are in high demand. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
Oil
How a small California city scored a big payout from Chevron -- In mid-August, this Northern California city extracted a half-billion dollar payout from Chevron, one of the most powerful companies in the world. It didn’t require a lawsuit, or a refinery disaster, or years of negotiations. Will Mccarthy Politico -- 9/3/24
Plastic
Has a UC Berkeley chemistry lab discovered the holy grail of plastic recycling? -- Hartwig said there are some caveats to the work. For instance, the plastic has to be sorted before the process can be applied. If the products are contaminated with other plastics, such as PVC or polystyrene, the outcome isn’t good. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
COVID
Post-Labor Day poses new COVID risk for California. Will the wave get worse? -- COVID remains at stubbornly high levels in California, and officials warn that transmission could again accelerate following the busy Labor Day holiday weekend. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/2
Homeless
Sacramento closed its sanctioned homeless camp, evicting dozens who were promised housing. What happened? -- A unique lease gave a community of mostly disabled seniors a safe haven while they awaited promised permanent housing. The city evicted them last week. Ryan Fonseca in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/3/24
Gray Wolf
Gray wolf population growing fast in California — up sixfold in the past five years -- Recovery of iconic predator considered a wildlife success story by some, but a headache by ranchers. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/3/24
Education
What will it take to implement the English Learner Roadmap in all California schools? -- The policy is seen as groundbreaking, but many districts have yet to follow it. A new bill would change that. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 9/3/24
Street
Behind Matthew Perry’s Deadly Trade With L.A.’s ‘Ketamine Queen’ -- Prosecutors allege an M.B.A. graduate from an affluent Los Angeles suburb was the drug dealer at the center of the city’s ketamine craze. Sara Ashley O’Brien and Shalini Ramachandran in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/3/24
Willie Mays Highway
‘Willie Mays Highway’ bill approved by California Legislature -- The California Legislature approved a resolution from State Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and colleagues statewide to name a portion of Interstate 80 in San Francisco after the late baseball icon, Willie Mays. Thomas Gase in the East Bay Times$ -- 9/3/24
Top of the Ticket
House Democrats ask Trump if he illegally accepted $10 million from Egypt -- A recent Washington Post article detailed a now-closed Justice Department investigation spurred by intelligence from 2016 indicating that the Egyptian president sought to give Donald Trump money. Carol D. Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis in the Washington Post$ -- 9/3/24
Trump Got Lucky in His Campaign. Then Harris Did. Will Her Luck Run Out? -- The first presidential debate and a series of domestic and foreign challenges will test the vice president. Catherine Lucey in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/3/24
Harris to transfer nearly $25 million to help down-ballot Democratic candidates -- The boost to House, Senate and state-level candidates follows a $540 million fundraising haul for the vice president over six weeks. Michael Scherer in the Washington Post$ -- 9/3/24
Biden Plays Second Fiddle to Harris as They Rally for Union Support -- The president introduced his No. 2, Kamala Harris, at a Labor Day event in Pittsburgh as the Democrats campaigned in crucial Midwestern “blue wall” states. Jonathan Weisman and Nicholas Nehamas in the New York Times$ Holly Otterbein and Eli Stokols Politico -- 9/3/24
Kamala Harris Calls for U.S. Steel to Remain American Owned -- Vice president and President Biden visit company’s hometown of Pittsburgh for Labor Day, as Nippon Steel works to shore up support Bob Tita in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/3/24
With his 1776 Commission on patriotism, Trump helped spark a culture war -- Trump attempted to use federal power to define how America’s history is taught — and promises to try again. Laura Meckler in the Washington Post$ -- 9/3/24
Assessing JD Vance’s Appeals to the Middle Class on the Campaign Trail -- In rallies and interviews, Mr. Vance has sought to portray the Republican ticket as a champion of everyday people, first-time home buyers and autoworkers by misleadingly describing Vice President Kamala Harris’s policies and positions on housing, trade and manufacturing. Linda Qiu in the New York Times$ -- 9/3/24
A political summer like no other — and the photographs that defined it -- A look at the eight weeks that saw President Joe Biden leaving the presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in, an assassination attempt against Donald Trump, and the Republicans and Democrats securing their presidential nominees. Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 9/3/24