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

California Policy and Politics Friday

Thieves snatch Rep. Adam Schiff's luggage in S.F. He gives dinner speech without a suit -- Hello to the city, goodbye to your luggage. That was Senatorial candidate Adam Schiff’s rude introduction to San Francisco’s vexing reputation for car burglaries Thursday when thieves swiped the bags from his car while it sat in a downtown parking garage. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Six California House races that could help determine control of Congress -- From the farm towns of the Central Valley to the beaches of Orange County, California is a battleground for control of the House of Representatives. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

A new California rule tries to hold down your health care costs. Here’s how it works -- California now is one of nine states with regulations limiting health care cost increases. Consumers won’t necessarily notice the changes, but supporters say they will make a difference over time. Kristen Hwang CalMatters -- 4/26/24

Walters: California once led in government transparency. It descended into secrecy and opacity -- California once was a national leader in making government more transparent, requiring state and local agencies to conduct their business in public meetings and giving Californians easy access to public records. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/26/24

Harvey Weinstein rape conviction overturned by N.Y. court; California conviction stays -- After Harvey Weinstein won an appeal to overturn his New York rape conviction, legal experts say he faces a tougher hill to climb as he attempts a similar strategy in his California case. James Queally, Richard Winton, Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

Stanford students erect pro-Palestine encampment in defiance of university’s rules -- A group of Stanford students took over White Memorial Plaza Thursday evening to erect a “People’s University For Palestine” encampment, similar to other demonstrations seen at U.S. universities over the past week to protest Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza. Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/24

Pro-Palestinian protests grow at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara -- Pro-Palestinian protests grew Thursday at California colleges and universities, including a new encampment at UCLA and demonstrations at UC Santa Barbara, a day after police in riot gear arrested 93 protesters at USC. Angie Orellana Hernandez, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Jenna Peterson, Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

Republicans hammer campus protesters, and Democrats, as unrest spreads -- An eruption of campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war has handed Republicans a way to hammer two of their favorite targets: Liberal academia, where pro-Palestinian sentiment has long flourished, and Democratic leaders, who are so far rebuffing calls to roll out the National Guard in response to disruptive demonstrations. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 4/26/24

California Senate candidate Steve Garvey calls student protesters ‘terrorists’ -- The former baseball star and Republican rival to Adam Schiff sharply condemned the student activism that has roiled colleges around the nation. Lara Korte Politico Yue Stella Yu CalMatters -- 4/26/24

Evan Low up by one vote over Joe Simitian as the Congressional District 16 recount continues -- The tie in the Congressional District 16 race has been broken yet again as more preliminary results for the ongoing recount pour in — Assemblymember Evan Low is now up one vote over Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian. Grace Hase, Harriet Blair Rowan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/24

California bill boosting domestic violence penalties fails again. Why Democrats aren’t on board -- Assemblyman Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, has tried this year and last year to make more types of domestic violence eligible for more prison time. But most Democrats refuse to go along, and they have the support of criminal justice reform groups. Lindsey Holden in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/24

Workplace

S.F. parking control officers are revolting against plan for ‘intensive’ ticket sweeps -- The parking control officers tasked with issuing citations are revolting against the plan to ramp up enforcement because the sweeps are set to happen at a time when officers say they’re facing increased aggression and threats of violence from upset drivers. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/24

S.F. traffic tickets skyrocket. Here’s where police are stepping up enforcement -- The first three months of the year showed a huge increase in citations compared to the first three months of 2023, welcome news to street safety advocates after a decade of plummeting ticket numbers. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/24

How a migrant farmworker built generational wealth, penny by penny -- My grandfather kept ledgers logging every day he worked in the U.S. The dry entries — “18 boxes of cherries, $4 per box” — tell a story of success against the odds. Xavier Martinez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

SunPower details Bay Area job cuts, will slash more than 100 jobs in region -- SunPower has decided to chop 100-plus Bay Area jobs, part of the company’s move to launch wrenching cutbacks and reduced costs in a California solar energy market whose outlook has darkened. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/24

Should California’s Supreme Court overturn new rooftop solar rules? -- The state’s high court has agreed to hear arguments from environmental groups that oppose the changes the California Public Utilities Commission made to the net energy metering program. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/26/24

Oakland Sports

Officials near landmark deal to bring pro soccer and World Cup guests to Oakland -- The city of Oakland and officials from Alameda County are nearing a landmark deal that will cement the future of professional soccer in the city and help attract a World Cup team to visit in 2026, ending months of impasse that had threatened the negotiations. Eli Rosenberg in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/24

Insurance

California bill that could change how companies insure, renew policies moves forward -- Senate Bill 1060 would force insurers to take that mitigation work into account if they use computer programs to figure out where they want to issue and renew coverage. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/24

PG&E

PG&E CEO defends rising utility bills as earnings increase -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. defended the company’s electricity rate hikes, despite widespread outrage from Californians shocked by soaring monthly utility bill charges. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/24

Summer Power

California battery storage increasing rapidly, but not enough to end blackouts, Gov. Newsom says -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that California continued to rapidly add the battery storage that is critical to the transition to cleaner energy, but admitted it was not enough to avoid blackouts during heat waves. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

Members of Congress launch investigation into Frontwave Credit Union’s treatment of young Marines, following KPBS reporting -- Members of Congress have launched an investigation into Oceanside-based Frontwave Credit Union, in response to KPBS reporting last month that revealed the credit union collects millions in overdraft fees from young Marines every year. Scott Rodd KPBS -- 4/26/24

Homeless

A deal to buy Skid Row homeless housing fell apart. Here’s why vulnerable tenants and taxpayers are at risk -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation abandoned its bid to buy six failing Skid Row buildings. The decision might leave the city on the hook for more funding. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

More migrant families with children sleeping in tents on Skid Row test official response -- Skid Row is a playground for children again, despite homeless officials’ assurances that it wouldn’t happen. Paloma Esquivel, Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

Housing

San Francisco Buyers Bring Its Luxury Housing Market Back to Life -- A recovery is under way in the Bay Area, as interest-rate shock finally wears off and stock-market gains fuel high-end home sales. E.B. Solomont in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/26/24

Climate

‘Rivers in the sky’ have drenched California, yet even more extreme rains are possible -- Despite considerably back-to-back rainy winters in California, new research finds the region has seen much wetter years in the last 3,000 years. Experts worry that variability, coupled with climate change, could leave the state unprepared. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

Yosemite

Yosemite National Park: $32 million in new upgrades renovate famed waterfall area, construct new visitor center -- Before they see Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, giant sequoias or other jaw-dropping attractions, the first stop for millions of visitors as they enter Yosemite National Park is Bridalveil Fall. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/24

Education

Rural counties far from universities struggle to recruit teachers -- Nine rural California counties, most struggling with student achievement and teacher recruitment, are in teacher education deserts, according to a report released Tuesday from the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 4/26/24

Also

Kern County supervisor investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting his child -- Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner is being investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his four children, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Ashley Ahn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

Hippies Settled This Unusual California Community. Now Its Homes Sell for Millions -- The Sea Ranch is secluded, architecturally distinct and doesn’t come cheap. ‘There’s no place like this anywhere.’ Erika Mailman, Jason Henry in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/26/24

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce spent the weekend at this coastal California town -- Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, enjoyed their time at the coastal hamlet of Carmel-by-the-Sea, joined by model Gigi Hadid and actor Bradley Cooper. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/24

Henry Cervantes, Mexican American farmworker turned WWII fighter pilot, dies at 100 -- Henry Cervantes was a Fresno-born, 19-year-old son of Mexican farmworkers when the Navy told him in 1942 that he could not fight for his country. Jireh Deng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/24

 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

USC cancels ‘main stage’ commencement ceremony -- USC announced Thursday that it is canceling its main May commencement ceremony, capping a dramatic series of moves that began last week after it informed valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who had been opposed by pro-Israel groups, that she would not be delivering the traditional speech. Jaweed Kaleem, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

Is Harvey Weinstein’s California conviction in jeopardy after N.Y. appeals ruling? -- Shortly after a New York appeals court overturned Harvey Weinstein’s conviction on rape charges in Manhattan, a defense attorney in the disgraced movie mogul’s Los Angeles case said the same should happen in California. James Queally, Richard Winton, Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/24

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

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