California heat wave isn’t over. Here’s how long it will continue
The Chronicle's ANTHONY EDWARDS: "A long-lasting California heat wave will peak for a third and final time Wednesday through Friday, prompting a new round of excessive heat warnings and potentially record-breaking temperatures.
Earlier this week, the heat dome shifted toward the Pacific Northwest and Great Basin, exposing places like San Jose, Concord and Sacramento to a relatively cooler marine breeze. Meanwhile, Seattle, Portland, Reno and Las Vegas all broke temperature records."
Gavin Newsom is a dynamic campaigner. A presidential bid may be a tough sell
CALMatters's ALEXEI KOSEFF, YUE STELLA YU: "In the nearly two weeks since President Joe Biden’s catastrophic performance in a televised debate, the Democratic freakout over whether he can continue as their presumptive presidential nominee has not abated.
Even as Biden insists that he is committed to finishing out the race, speculation continues among the party faithful and political observers over who might be best positioned to defeat Republican former President Donald Trump instead. Among those frequently cited is California’s own Gov. Gavin Newsom, a dedicated Biden surrogate who recently completed a tour on the president’s behalf through Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire."
The Supreme Court took powers away from federal regulators. Do California rules offer a backstop?
CALMatters's BEN CHRISTOPHER: "Tucked between headline-grabbing opinions on presidential immunity, Jan. 6 rioters and homeless encampments, the U.S. Supreme Court closed out a momentous session late last month with a series of body blows to the federal bureaucracy.
Under three back-to-back rulings, regulations that touch nearly every aspect of the American economy and American life (see: rules on food safety, water quality, overtime pay, medical billing, carbon emissions, fisheries monitoring and housing discrimination, to name a few) may soon be harder to enforce, more convenient to challenge in court and easier to strike down once challenged. For the conservative legal movement and for major business interests who bristle under what they see as an overreaching federal regulatory apparatus, the rulings mark a once-in-a-generation victory against the “administrative state.”"
Why Congress isn’t pushing Biden out despite private worry
LAT's NOAH BIERNMAN: "Democratic lawmakers have tried all manner of responses to their Biden dilemma — some evasive, some creative.
The Tuesday walkback from Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, who had called for a new candidate only two days earlier: Whether I have concerns or not is beside the point."
Should Biden take a cognitive test? Here’s what it would — and wouldn’t — tell us
LAT's KAREN KAPLAN: "It seemed like a sensible suggestion for assessing the capabilities of an 81-year-old man seeking voters’ approval to remain in the White House until January 2029.
To reassure the American people, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked President Biden, would he be willing to take a cognitive test and share the results with the American people?"
Candidate for Governor, Betty Yee
Capitol Weekly STAFFF: "Today we introduce a new series of interviews with the 2026 California gubernatorial candidates. First up, California gubernatorial candidate Betty Yee.
Yee boasts nearly four decades of public service. In 2006 she began a stint on the Board of Equalization, followed by two terms as California State Controller (2015-2023). She is he tenth woman to be elected to statewide office in California. She has also served as the Female Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party since May 2021. Yee announced her candidacy for California governor in March; we spoke with her in May about her campaign, about the 2024 elections, and what unique perspectives she brings to the race."
Capitol Spotlight: Senate photographer Jeff Walters
LISA RENNER in Capitx ol Weekly: "Whether state senators are discussing legislation, leading a press conference, or giving a presentation, official Senate photographer Jeff Walters is often called on to capture the scene.
Walters takes pride in producing the best images he can at any assignment."
Does setting my AC to 78 degrees save money during California heat wave? What expert says
Sacramento Bee's BRIANNA TAYLOR: "As much of California copes with scorching temperatures, residents are switching on their air conditioners and fans to keep cool.
The Golden State’s rising heat levels have made this age-old question resurface: Does setting my thermostat to 78 degrees actually save me money in the summer?"
DWP ratepayer advocate predicts fee increases, recommends delaying city’s 100% clean energy timeline
LAT's DAKOTA SMITH: "Los Angeles residents and businesses will face higher electric bills as the Department of Water and Power transitions to 100% clean energy, according to a report by the city’s Office of Public Accountability.
Monthly bills could rise 7.7% annually in the coming years if the city sticks to its goal of 100% clean energy by 2035, according to the report, which deems the cost “not reasonable” for customers and recommends delaying the 2035 benchmark."
Oakland has been publishing misleading crime data for years
The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN: "In recent months, it seemed that Oakland — a city famously grappling with a rise in crime — had course-corrected in remarkable fashion.
Statistics published by the police department showed year-to-year crime had dropped by 33% overall by the end of April, a dramatic shift after last year’s spike. Mayor Sheng Thao praised the city for turning a corner. Gov. Gavin Newsom quoted the 33% figure in a press release touting Oakland’s partnership with the California Highway Patrol. The news spread through social media posts and optimistic headlines, including stories in the Chronicle."
California is late on its own financial health report for the 6th straight year
CALMatters's SAMEEA KAMAL: "California — a state whose officials love to tout it as the world’s fifth largest economy — is a year late in producing a report on its own financial health for the sixth year in a row.
The most recently available such report, from 2022, blamed the chronic lateness of the reports on, among other things, a state software changeover that started in 2005, the year the first YouTube video was uploaded."
‘Oakland is in a crisis’: Residents say it’s the worst they’ve ever seen — and want change
The Chronicle's ELI ROSENBERG: "JJ Jenkins, who owns three bars in Oakland, got the text message in the early hours of the morning.
The bartender at Smitty’s, the popular watering hole Jenkins owns near Lake Merritt, wrote to say the place had closed early that night, Juneteenth, after a shooting."
‘We’ve created medical refugees.’ LGBTQ+ healthcare workers fight for gender-affirming care amid rise in anti-trans laws
LAT's JIREH DENG: "Nico Olalia had just finished her initial nurse training in the Philippines when she realized her aspirations were growing bigger than her home archipelago.
“There are a lot of trans Filipinos, but they’re always known in the beauty industry, and they’re very seldom found in the professional side,” Olalia said."
A major portion of this year’s California wine harvest could go to waste
The Chronicle's JESS LANDER: "In late 2020, following a particularly severe fire season, many California vineyards were a sobering sight. They’d become temporary grape graveyards, where clusters — dried-up and wrinkly like prunes — clung to leafless vines or littered the frosty ground. Tainted by smoke, the grapes were ruined before wineries could harvest them and thus abandoned.
This year, many vineyards face a similar fate, though not because of smoke. While an early start to fire season is cause for concern, there’s a more pressing issue: Growers can’t sell their grapes."
California’s ‘weak’ job market propped up by public money as private sector sheds jobs
CALMatters's LEVI SUMAGAYSAY: "Gains in public-sector and other jobs largely supported by public money have cloaked a dismal California labor market, which has seen a big decline of private-industry jobs since their post-pandemic peak, a new analysis shows.
The state Legislative Analyst’s Office looked at employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics through April, and concluded that private-sector industries in California have lost a total of 340,000 jobs since reaching their peak a couple of years ago."
L.A. robber stole Rolex, got no-prison deal from D.A. Now he’s accused of killing tourist at mall
LAT's RICHARD WINTON/MATTHEW ORMSETH: "The alleged leader of an armed robbery crew charged with killing a New Zealand tourist last week outside Newport Beach’s Fashion Island mall had been placed on probation for stealing a Rolex at gunpoint in Santa Monica.
He avoided prison time in that case after Los Angeles County prosecutors agreed to a three-year suspended sentence, according to interviews and records reviewed by The Times."
