Good morning. It’s Monday, Feb. 23.

• The shallow young men of tech’s new generation.
• President Trump demands firing on Netflix board.
• And the surfer who walked away from civilization.

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Statewide

1.

California Democrats are now openly warning that the overcrowded race for governor could lead to a Republican victory. With no clear front-runner, Democrats polling at the back of the pack have been reluctant to quit. As it stands, nine Democrats are splintering support, leaving two Republicans — Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco — in position to potentially collect the most votes in the June primary, which will advance the top two vote-getters regardless of party. “I’m very worried about it,” said Rep. Dave Min. L.A. Times | S.F. Chronicle

• Bay Area Rep. Eric Swalwell won the strongest support at the California Democratic Party convention on Saturday, with 24% of delegates. But some see San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a late entrant, as the one to beat. CalMatters

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2.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s son pleaded with him not to run for president. Asked during a CNN interview whether his family was on board with his political ambitions, Newsom, 58, said his son texted him a few months ago to ask whether he is running for president:

“I said, ‘No, we’ll make this decision as a family.’ And he goes, ‘You can’t.’ And I said, ‘Why?’ He goes, ‘I’m too young. You need to spend more time with us.’ I mean, how do you deal with that one?”

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3.

A Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn California’s “shield law,” which protects abortion providers from out-of-state legal actions, relies on a serial abuser of women. Jerry Rodriguez sued a Sonoma County doctor this month, accusing him of prescribing abortion pills to his girlfriend in violation of Texas law. Eight months earlier, Rodriguez was ducking a warrant for allegedly beating his girlfriend. Before that, he was convicted of assaulting one woman and threatening to kill another. His makeover as a star plaintiff came with the help of Jonathan Franklin Mitchell, a former Trump lawyer. S.F. Chronicle

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Northern California

4.

Updates on the Lake Tahoe avalanche:

• Officials identified three guides who died in the tragedy as Andrew Alissandratos, 34, Nicole Choo, 42, and Mike Henry, 30. They were all experienced backcountry skiers, certified by the American Mountain Guides Association. Alissandratos had earned the highest avalanche safety designation from the American Avalanche Association. S.F. Chronicle | Sacramento Bee
• “It’s just really tough.” Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in Truckee on Sunday evening. A small town, Truckee has been deeply shaken by the tragedy. Reporters said pretty much everyone is connected in some way to the victims or those involved in the rescue efforts. S.F. Chronicle | KCRA
• The Chronicle published a narrative account of the disaster: “Far from the groomed runs of Tahoe’s resorts, 11 skiers and four guides communed with raw California nature, until a shout of ‘Avalanche!’ signaled disaster.”

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5.

One of Sacramento County’s most notorious child molesters is set to be released from prison after being granted parole, and his victims are outraged. David Funston received three consecutive life sentences after being convicted of 16 counts of kidnapping and child molestation in 1999. He had seemed certain to die in prison. But the 64-year-old was approved this month for the state’s elderly parole program. “A lot of people get out of prison and I don’t scream about it, but this is one I’m screaming about,” said Anne Marie Schubert, the county’s former district attorney. L.A. Times | SFGATE

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6.

Urged to read Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” the entrepreneur Roy Lee balked: “‘I do not obtain value from reading books.’ And anyway, he didn’t have the time. He was too busy keeping up with viral trends on TikTok. … ‘It makes your life better,’ I said. ‘Why don’t you go to Turkey to get a hair transplant?’ Roy snapped. ‘That would make your life better.’ ‘I don’t care about my hair,’ I said. ‘Well,’ said Roy, ‘I don’t care about the Decanterbury Tales.'”

Harper’s Magazine published an engrossing feature on the lonely, shallow young men of Silicon Valley’s new generation.

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7.

Not long after the “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams died on Jan. 13, an “AI Scott Adams” appeared online, posting daily musings with a video simulation of the cartoonist’s voice and appearance. In one video, the deepfake Adams noted his back pain vanished. “So overall, I’d say death has been a productivity upgrade,” it said. Adams’ family has not been amused, calling the use “unauthorized.” The AI “Adams” has at least one argument in its favor: Adams had publicly urged fans to create AI versions of him after his death. Business Insider | S.F. Chronicle

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8.

President Trump demanded that Netflix fire board member Susan Rice or “pay the consequences” on Saturday, after the former national security adviser warned that corporations that cozy up to Trump would one day be held accountable. During an interview on former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s podcast, Rice said: “If they think Democrats are going to play by the old rules, they’ve got another thing coming.” Trump’s demand comes at a delicate time for the Los Gatos streamer, which is seeking regulatory approval for its acquisition of Warner Bros. assets. Wall Street Journal | Bloomberg

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9.

Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate in the 2024 presidential race, is making a comedy about the pandemic. Shanahan, a Bay Area lawyer who was married to Google’s Sergey Brin, has been said to share Kennedy’s fondness for fringe medical views. The script for the movie, “The Rash,” is by Walter Kirn, who wrote the novel “Up in the Air.” It stars a “no-nonsense” public health professor — mirroring Dr. Jay Bhattacharya — who speaks out against mass hysteria during a mysterious outbreak of a contagious skin condition. Politico

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Southern California

10.

Before releasing its official report on the Palisades fire, the Los Angeles Fire Department issued a confidential memo outlining plans to shield Mayor Karen Bass from “reputational harm” in connection with the city’s handling of the blaze. Printed on LAFD letterhead, the “strategic response plan” listed objectives to shape news coverage and “minimize tough Q&A.” “It’s our goal to prepare and protect Mayor Bass,” it read. Bass declined to directly answer questions about whether the PR effort was an appropriate use of city resources. L.A. Times

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11.

Glen Horn ran a surf shop in San Diego in the 1970s. He worked hard for about a decade, then at around 38 years old he walked away from everything to become a surf ascetic, living out of a van in Baja California. Now 67, he’s still at it. “When I’m 100 years old, I’ll be out there surfing and you won’t be able to tell if that’s a 100-year-old guy or if it’s a 20-year-old guy or a 40-year-old guy,” he said. “That’s going to be the classic moment that tells me that it’s all going according to plan.” Horn is the subject of a fantastic new short film, called the “The Bull.” YouTube (~13 mins)

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12.

Art lovers from around the world are descending on Los Angeles this week for Frieze Los Angeles. Now in its seventh year, the art fair held at Santa Monica Airport coincides with a host of art shows, talks, and parties across the sprawling metropolis. The New York Times recommended five standout shows, including an exhibition of sculptures at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House that combines sculptures, architecture, and city views. Guests can even picnic on the lawn.

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