Key question in deadly Tahoe avalanche: Why did skiers leave shelter in blizzard conditions?
CHRONICLE, MEGAN FAN MUNCE: "With nine people feared dead northwest of Lake Tahoe in California’s deadliest avalanche in decades, authorities and experts are seeking to understand what led a group of backcountry skiers, including four professional guides, to venture into the snow and away from shelter amid blizzard conditions.
Among the questions: What went into the 15-member group’s decision Tuesday morning to leave the ski huts where they had been staying? And how far apart were they as they traveled, given that maintaining space is recommended when there is avalanche risk, so that an entire group is not buried?"
READ MORE -- Fatal Castle Peak avalanche deadliest recorded in California -- SACBEE, DON SWEENEY; Two days after an avalanche near Truckee buried 15 skiers, what do we know? -- SACBEE, CAMILA PEDROSA; Amid historic avalanche tragedy, backcountry skiers and riders confront worst fears -- SACBEE, ANDREW GRAHAM
Bernie Sanders kicks off billionaires tax campaign with choice words for the ‘oligarchs’
LAT, SEEMA MEHTA: "Populist Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday formally kicked off the campaign to place a billionaires tax on the November ballot, framing the proposal as something larger than a debate about economic and tax policy as he appeared at a storied Los Angeles venue.
“The billionaire class no longer sees itself as part of American society. They see themselves as something separate and apart, like the oligarchs,” he told about 2,000 people at the Wiltern. The independent senator from Vermont compared them to kings, queens and czars of yore who believed they had a divine right to rule."
Billionaires Spielberg, Zuckerberg eyeing East Coast, stirring concerns about California’s wealth-tax proposal
LAT, SEEMA MEHTA: "California may be losing two of the state’s most famed residents and generous political donors.
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg recently moved to New York and Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is eyeing purchasing a new property in Florida, stirring speculation about whether their decisions are tied to a proposed new tax on California billionaires to fund healthcare for the state’s most vulnerable residents."
L.A. fire victims say state regulators ignored complaints about State Farm
CHRONICLE, PAIGE ST. JOHN: "Last spring, victims of the Los Angeles wildfires complained loudly and en masse over how State Farm General was handling their insurance claims, especially for smoke damage.
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara urged them to lodge formal complaints with the department."
Former prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein
LAT, DANICA KIRKA: "Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
While Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to the late financier have dogged the royal family for more than a decade. But the arrest of a brother of a monarch was an extraordinary development with no precedent in modern times that will no doubt put more pressure on the crown."
Pressure mounts on Wasserman to resign as head of LA28 Olympics
LAT, DAKOTA SMITH: "Casey Wasserman faced more calls Wednesday to resign from his position leading the 2028 L.A. Olympics — the latest push to oust the embattled mogul in the aftermath of the recent Jeffrey Epstein files release.
During a gubernatorial forum in Sacramento, candidates were asked whether Wasserman should step down. Former Assemblymember Ian Calderon, former state Controller Betty Yee, San José Mayor Matt Mahan and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra all replied “yes.”"
Most of Sacramento council endorses Matsui over Councilmember Mai Vang
SACBEE, ASHANI DESAI: ""A majority of the Sacramento City Council on Tuesday endorsed Rep. Doris Matsui’s re-election bid for Congress, supporting the incumbent over their fellow Councilmember Mai Vang, who is vying for the same seat.
The support by Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and councilmembers Roger Dickinson, Eric Guerra, Rick Jennings, Lisa Kaplan and Phil Pluckebaum for the Sacramento Democrat comes as the 81-year-old seeks her 11th consecutive term in the House of Representatives representing the Sacramento region since 2005."
Meet Darshana Patel, the scientist shaping education in the California Legislature
EDSOURCE, JOHN FENSTERWALD: "A first-term Assembly member with a scientist’s temperament and a veteran school board member’s blend of pragmatism and empathy will lead the Assembly Education Committee.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas appointed Darshana Patel, a Democrat from northern San Diego County, to the position, effective March 2. She will also serve on the Budget Committee’s key Subcommittee on Education Finance."
San Diego teachers cancel strike as deadline neared; district to address demands over special education
CALMATTERS, DEBORAH BRENNAN: "San Diego teachers cancelled a district-wide strike after reaching an agreement with the district to invest in special education staffing and services.
The teacher’s union had planned to strike on Feb. 26 to protest overcrowded special education classes, inadequate student services and lack of assistance for teachers."
With literacy policies on the books, advocates target early math
EDSOURCE, JOHN FENSTERWALD: "Buoyed by their successful strategies for early literacy, California legislators and advocacy groups are calling for a parallel approach to math.
This week, they proposed that all school districts be required to screen children for math difficulties annually in the early grades, as the first step toward adopting a comprehensive statewide approach to math achievement."
Predawn Bay Area storm brings damaging winds before one of winter’s coldest mornings
CHRONICLE, GREG PORTER: "A fast-moving band of thunderstorms, known as a squall line, was expected to sweep across the Bay Area between 1 and 4 a.m., bringing a brief but intense burst of heavy rain and wind gusts over 50 mph in some spots. The strongest winds and any potential for water spouts were forecast to be focused closer to the Central Coast and Monterey Bay, where atmospheric instability is greatest.
With freezing air just a few thousand feet above the surface, the atmosphere will be unstable enough to support strong storm cells. These storms could produce brief downpours and small hail. Snow will fall along the higher hills of the Bay Area, with a few inches likely in the Diablo range in Santa Clara County."
Storms dump snow across Sierra Nevada. See season totals at Tahoe ski resorts
SACBEE, ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "Rolling thunderstorms and powerful winds swept across California as the “coldest storm of the season” dumped heavy snowfall on the Sierra Nevada.
As snow continues to accumulate at higher elevations, avalanche danger is rising."
Here’s how much tariffs are costing Californians, according to experts
CHRONICLE, JESSICA ROY: "How much are tariffs costing you?
A pair of recent studies suggest the average American household is being subjected to a four-figure annual cost increase as a result of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies — and in California, economists say it’s even higher."
Exclusive: Presidio Trust CEO Jean Fraser to step down this year
CHRONICLE, SAM WHITING: "Jean Fraser, who has led the Presidio Trust in San Francisco through a decade of rapid development and financial transformation, will step down as CEO this year, she said in a recent exclusive interview.
Fraser, who since 2016 has headed the independent federal agency that runs and protects the Presidio, said she believes the 1,492-acre national park is on solidfinancial footing and that it’s the right time to hand the reins to a successor. A national search begins this week, and she will remain on the job until a permanent replacement is hired."
Why do California roads get slippery in rain? What to do if your car hydroplanes
SACBEE, ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "As rain continues to fall across California, drivers should be prepared for slick and hazardous road conditions, according to the National Weather Service.
Wet pavement can lead to slower traffic and “longer-than-normal commutes,” the weather agency wrote in an X post on Tuesday, Feb. 17."
Why is the driver in fatal West Portal crash likely to avoid jail? Experts weigh in as outrage erupts
CHRONICLE, ANNIE VAINSHTEIN: "A torrent of outrage and confusion has followed in the wake of a hearing last week in which a San Francisco judge signaled he was unlikely to impose prison time, home detention or community service on a woman accused of killing a family of four while speeding down a residential street in 2024.
Backlash erupted on social media against San Francisco Superior Court Judge Bruce E. Chan as users across the country expressed indignation at what they perceived to be inexplicable leniency after the driver, Mary Fong Lau, changed her plea to no contest Friday. She had previously pleaded not guilty to four counts of vehicular manslaughter."
Why do California roads get slippery in rain? What to do if your car hydroplanes
Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article314729939.html#storylink=cpy
