Rough & Tumble ®
A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics
 
       
 
 
 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

LAPD arrests 93 people at USC amid Israel-Hamas war protests -- Los Angeles police officers arrived in riot gear at USC on Wednesday evening, arresting 93 people on trespassing charges as they cleared an encampment at the center of campus formed in protest against the Israel-Hamas war. Angie Orellana Hernandez, Jaweed Kaleem, Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

USC students join national pro-Palestinian camps, bringing LAPD response -- An encampment in Alumni Park — where the university’s main-stage commencement is scheduled to take place next month — went up before sunrise and grew into the late morning as students, wearing kaffiyehs and holding “free Palestine” and “liberated zone” signs, banged drums and chanted. Angie Orellana Hernandez, Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

A Berkeley-born Israeli hostage hadn’t been seen since Oct. 7. His family finally glimpses him -- It is the first time the Israeli American citizen, who was severely injured when Hamas attacked the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, has been shown alive since his capture. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ Isabel Coles in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/25/24

Top advisor to Los Angeles D.A. Gascón is charged with illegal use of confidential police records -- Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta accused Assistant Dist. Atty. Diana Teran of improperly downloading confidential records of police officers in 2018 while she was working for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. James Queally, Keri Blakinger, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Proposed L.A. County budget adds mental health workers, homelessness funding -- The L.A. County Board of Supervisors deliberated over the $45.4-billion budget for the nation’s largest county, much of which is spent on crucial safety net services. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Are California police missing domestic violence murders? New bill would let families review cases -- A state senator says there’s a “hidden homicide” epidemic of killers making domestic violence murders look like suicides or accidents. Her bill would give families a right to seek an independent review of death investigations. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters -- 4/25/24

California wants better animal shelter conditions, stray population curbed -- Several bills making their way through the California Legislature seek to address overcrowded animal shelters and streamline how animals receive care. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Walters: California charter school battles intensify as education finances get squeezed -- California public school financing has been clobbered in recent years, and intensified a long-running battle over charter schools. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/25/24

Ex-Chapman Law dean, Trump advisor John Eastman indicted by Arizona grand jury -- John Eastman, a former dean of Chapman University’s law school and an advisor to former President Donald Trump, was indicted by an Arizona grand jury for his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 4/25/24

Border

San Diego is now the top border region for migrant arrivals -- Migrant arrests in San Diego reached 8,989 for the week ending April 16, according to figures the agency posted on X. Meanwhile, Tucson — which previously had been the top region for crossings — had 7,500 arrests for the week ending April 19. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein rape conviction overturned by N.Y. Court of Appeals -- In a dramatic reversal of the nation’s landmark #MeToo trial, a New York appeals court on Thursday overturned the sex assault conviction of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, citing errors by the trial judge. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Speed limit limits

California lawmakers rein in bill to limit car speeds -- A California bill to physically limit passenger vehicles from speeding would now only require a passive warning system under amendments approved Tuesday night. Alex Nieves Politico -- 4/25/24

Workplace

TikTok ban puts jobs of thousands of US workers in jeopardy, California senator warns -- California Sen. Laphonza Butler urged President Joe Biden on Wednesday to consider the fate of thousands of U.S. employees of TikTok hours after he signed legislation that will force a sale of the app or ban it from the U.S. Lara Korte, Ben Fox Politico -- 4/25/24

Tech workers leaving San Francisco have a new favorite destination -- Forget Austin and Miami: Young techies bailing out of the Bay Area are setting their sights on the pricey Big Apple instead for its nightlife and booming job market. Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

California is trying again to extend unemployment benefits to workers on strike -- Months after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the proposal, lawmakers in Sacramento are trying again to extend unemployment benefits to California workers who are on strike. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ Lindsey Holden in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/25/24

Biden administration adopts new rules to boost overtime pay. California was way ahead -- The Biden administration on Wednesday adopted new rules that starting July 1 will enhance overtime protections for millions of U.S. white-collar workers who receive salaries but typically work in relatively low-paying jobs. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Bay Area tech layoffs: Cancer screening company to cut 20% of workforce after securing $245 million -- Freenome, a South San Francisco-based biotechnology company, plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 20%. The decision will impact over 100 employees across various departments, part of an effort to streamline operations, the company said in a LinkedIn post Tuesday. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Bay Area gas station staffing company shutting down, laying off over 300 -- Walnut Creek-based Aura Management Co. said in a state filing this month that its contract with gas company BP was terminated, forcing Aura to “terminate all its active employees and cease operations” by June 26. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Insurance

Major California home insurer could resume writing new policies. Here’s what it would take -- An Allstate representative said the insurer planned to resume writing policies “in nearly every part of California” once new rules are in place. But what would the rates look like? Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/25/24

Amid homeowner insurance crisis, consumer advocates and industry clash at hearing -- The fault lines running through California’s spiraling homeowners insurance crisis were on display Tuesday at a state hearing, where consumer advocates clashed with industry firms over a plan to allow insurers to use complex computer models to set premiums — a move state officials say will attract insurers to the market. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Housing in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

California Democrats are embracing ‘drug free’ housing as a solution to homeless crisis -- The dynamic was on display at the Capitol Wednesday morning, when lawmakers voted to advance a bill by Assembly Member Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, that would allow drug-free housing programs to compete for state funding. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Affordable housing project in Oakland breaks ground after years of delays -- The six-story, 91-unit development will be 100% below market rate, financed by a combination of private investment and state and local grants and loans. Eli Rosenberg in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Big price tag: Construction starts on $98M affordable housing complex in City Heights -- Construction started Wednesday on one of San Diego’s most expensive subsidized housing developments in its history. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/25/24

Downtown SF

Greenways, food halls, go-karts: How Cal, Stanford students would redo S.F.’s Westfield mall -- With the slow death of San Francisco’s once prominent downtown shopping center, ideas to reimagine the former Westfield Centre’s future uses have included turning the 6-acre property into a soccer stadium, a university campus and even a life-sized Legoland. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Climate

Summer heat is coming. Here’s a new interactive tool to help you deal with your health conditions -- Despite the cooler temperatures across Southern California, the summer heat is just months away and a new interactive tool is available to help you assess how the impending high temperatures can affect your health and suggest steps to take avoid heat-related illnesses. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Will California’s historic storms get even more intense? New research may hold a clue -- Research led by the U.S. Geological Survey and published Wednesday provides a first-of-its kind glimpse into California’s multi-millennial history of atmospheric rivers. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Internet

Millions of Californians weigh options after losing an affordable internet subsidy -- A federal affordable internet subsidy is going away and 3 million Californians must decide whether to end access largely considered a human right. Khari Johnson CalMatters -- 4/25/24

Education

Serra High space team seeks to turn school into science destination -- This month, Junipero Serra High School in Gardena had a pep rally to celebrate the achievements of what might be its least conventional team: its cutting-edge space squad. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Street

Gang member charged with attempted murder after deputy shot in the back -- Raymundo Duran was charged with attempted murder in the ‘ambush’ shooting of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Samuel Aispuro. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Newsom sent CHP officers to fight crime in Oakland. Now he’s sending them to Bakersfield -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he’s sending Highway Patrol officers to Bakersfield, an expansion of a law enforcement campaign launched earlier this year with an effort rooted in tamping down crime in certain California cities. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Delaine Eastin

Delaine Eastin, education leader and only woman elected as California schools chief, dies at 76 -- A four-term state assembly member and the only woman ever elected to run the California public schools, Eastin brought order to a chaotic education system. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Linda Zavoral, Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/25/24

Also

Frontier myth vilified the California grizzly. Science tells a new story -- In April 1924, a road crew was working in Sequoia National Park, near the spectacular granite dome of Moro Rock, when a large shape emerged from the woods. Ian Rose in the Washington Post$ -- 4/25/24

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

California officials debate Prop. 47 changes to curb crime. On the street, the answer isn’t that simple -- How do you stop retail theft? For local and state elected officials, it’s a question of changing Proposition 47. Ask business owners and residents in Oakland and San Francisco, and the answer is much more nuanced. Yue Stella Yu CalMatters -- 4/24/24

California unveils plan opening door to Arizona abortion seekers and doctors -- Top California leaders will introduce a plan Wednesday to expand abortion access for Arizonans coming across the border, including opening doors to out-of-state doctors. Rachel Bluth Politico -- 4/24/24

California bill to restrict CLEAR at airports passes first legislative hurdle -- A California bill that would target the airport security screening company CLEAR passed its first legislative hurdle on Tuesday, though it was watered down amid steep industry opposition to avoid effectively placing a ban on the company. Eric He Politico -- 4/24/24

Garofoli: Campus activism is on full display in Berkeley. Voting, not so much -- One reason that pro-Palestine demonstrators are pitching tents at UC Berkeley and campuses elsewhere, shutting down freeways and interrupting social gatherings is the same reason that only 16% of young people voted in the California primary: They don’t trust politicians to get anything done quickly – or at all. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

‘We will not move.’ Pro-Palestinian encampments, protests grow at California universities -- Encampments and protests took place at UC Berkeley and Cal Poly Humboldt, and plans were shaping up for more pro-Palestinian protests at California colleges and universities. Hannah Wiley, Teresa Watanabe, Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Tensions grow at California universities as Gaza protests roil campuses from Berkeley to New York -- As sprawling pro-Palestinian protests and encampments escalate on university campuses across the United States, administrators respond with more discipline. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Google fired at least 20 additional workers after last week’s Gaza protest, group says -- The group that led protests last week at Google over a cloud computing contract with Israel said more Google workers were fired, bringing the total to more than 50. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Democrats back Republican effort to double fines for protesters in California -- Lawmakers in California want to double the penalty for protesters who block highways, a sign of increased frustration among both Republicans and Democrats with demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war such as the one that recently snarled traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. Eric He Politico -- 4/24/24

California lawmakers kill measure meant to keep politics out of customer utility bills -- State lawmakers rejected a measure to prohibit California’s major energy utilities from recovering expenses for political activities Monday evening, after most members of the senate energy committee abstained from voting. Ari Plachta in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/24

Supreme Court skeptical of siding with L.A. man denied visa over tattoos -- Supreme Court justices appear unwilling to support a couple’s claim that the wife’s constitutional rights were violated when her noncitizen husband was denied a visa. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Congressional recount: 16 ballots being challenged in San Mateo County — some of which went uncounted due to a ‘simple oversight’ -- San Mateo County is expected to rule on the previously excluded ballots on Wednesday. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/24/24

Speed

California proposal for speed governors in cars advances in Legislature — with one big change -- California lawmakers advanced a proposal requiring new vehicles sold in the state be built to automatically warn motorists when they’re driving 5 mph over the speed limit. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

Budget

Walters: Key questions about California’s budget deficit remain unanswered as deadlines loom -- California has a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, but we still don’t know how much and what should be done to close it with key deadlines quickly approaching. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/24/24

Workplace

‘Scary, unsafe’: Nurses at S.F. General argue understaffing is at crisis level despite hiring -- In the midst of contentious contract negotiations with the city, nurses employed by the city are once again raising the alarm over what they say are unsafe working conditions. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

Tesla mass layoffs slam Fremont and Palo Alto, with over 2,750 jobs lost -- The move is part of a broader 10% workforce reduction across the Elon Musk-led company, marking one of the most substantial layoffs in the Bay Area in the past year following cuts in the thousands at Google, Meta, Cisco, PayPal and Microsoft. Roland Li, Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

Oracle plans to move headquarters to Nashville, four years after departing Bay Area -- Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison announced on Tuesday that the company is relocating its world headquarters to Nashville as part of a strategic move aimed at being closer to the epicenter of the healthcare industry. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

F.T.C. Issues Ban on Worker Noncompete Clauses -- The rule would prohibit companies from limiting their employees’ ability to work for rivals, a change that could increase competition and boost wages. J. Edward Moreno in the New York Times$ -- 4/24/24

New law promises retail workers in unincorporated L.A. County ‘fair workweek’ -- L.A. County Supervisors voted for a ‘fair workweek’ ordinance, requiring retailers and grocers to tell workers their schedules two weeks in advance. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Housing

Exclusive details on Stonestown mega-project: 3,500 homes, acres of parks, ‘main street’ -- The development, including child care and senior housing, would sprout from the acres of asphalt around the Stonestown mall. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

These are the California cities where $150,000 still buys you a home. Would you live here? -- Amid California’s housing crisis, some small communities persist with property values well below the statewide norm. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Nonprofit accuses Orange of using unrealistic parcels in its housing plan -- A pro-housing group is challenging the viability of the state-approved housing plan filed by the city of Orange, saying the plan fails to show how more than 3,000 needed homes will get built on land where current deed restrictions allegedly forbid development. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 4/24/24

LADWP

New head of LADWP will make $750,000 a year — nearly twice as much as her predecessor -- The DWP panel backed a $750,000 salary for proposed General Manager Janisse Quiñones, far higher than the $447,000 earned by the current manager. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Empty Office Space

Empty S.F. office tower formerly valued at $62 million sold for $6.5 million -- Deeply discounted office towers have become the norm in San Francisco over the past year, but no recent deal has been as radical as one that closed in the city’s struggling Mid-Market neighborhood this month: An empty 16-story tower traded for just $6.5 million. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

Disney

Why Disney is doubling down on theme parks with a $60-billion plan -- Over the decades since Walt Disney opened his first theme park in 1955, the company’s tourism business has ballooned to an enterprise worth tens of billions in yearly sales, with sprawling locations in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Border

“Devastating” wait times at Mexico border strain California small businesses -- Billions in tax dollars are pouring into efforts to reduce the U.S.-Mexico border wait times, yet excessive delays continue. Local leaders say small businesses are struggling in border communities. Wendy Fry CalMatters -- 4/24/24

Privacy

Who’s selling your digital data? California gives you tools to protect your online privacy -- About 450 companies are on the data broker registry in California, and a law passed last year will make it easier to delete the data they collect about people. Khari Johnson CalMatters -- 4/24/24

School Safety

L.A. student dies after safety team member allegedly does not intervene to try to prevent fight -- An unarmed L.A. school safety worker allegedly does not intervene to stop a fight. A student dies. A one-off tragedy or a reason for school police to return to campus? Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Water

California increases water allocation after wet winter, but fish protections limit pumping -- California has increased water allocations to 40% of full allotments from the State Water Project. Officials say environmental regulations have limited pumping. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Hydrogen

The first big-rig hydrogen fuel station in the U.S. opens in California -- The first commercial hydrogen fuel station for big-rig trucks in the U.S. is up and running at the Port of Oakland, a baby step toward what hydrogen proponents see as a clean new future for long-haul trucking. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

Street

Carson sheriff’s deputies shot homeless man in the back, lawsuit alleges -- Attorneys for the family of a 34-year-old homeless man who they say was fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies while on his knees have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

She was saving money to move back to Nicaragua. Then she was killed on a Metro train -- Mirna Soza was killed while riding the train home from her night shift as a security guard at Original Tommy’s hamburgers in North Hills. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24

California to expand re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. Here’s how they work -- The state’s Corrections Department is touting its male and female community re-entry programs as among its most successful tools in helping former inmates become self-sufficient after they get out of prison. Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters -- 4/24/24

How some programs help with post-prison life: ‘I’m signing checks. This is crazy.’ --Anti-recidivism nonprofit helps formerly incarcerated people start businesses and get tech jobs. Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters -- 4/24/24

Also

Mayor Breed seeks to jump-start fundraising for S.F. panda enclosure -- But first, she needs to get the Board of Supervisors to temporarily lift restrictions on City Hall officials seeking private donations. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/24

AI-powered cameras installed on Metro buses to ticket illegally parked cars -- Testing is planned for this summer and the program is expected to go live by the end of 2024, Metro said, after two months of community outreach to “ensure that the public is aware of the purpose, timing and impacts of this new program.” Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/24