Good morning. It’s Monday, Sept. 26.
- State delays the release of student test scores.
- Deadly bark beetles spread to wine country forests.
- And an oil company tries to buy homes in buffer zone.
Statewide
1.
California education officials are withholding the results of tests students took in the spring, postponing what would be an election-year issue as state schools chief Tony Thurmond seeks reelection on Nov. 8. The scores, shared as early as August in years past, are expected to show record declines as a result of school closures. An education official said the data was still being reviewed, an explanation that a media lawyer called implausible. EdSource
2.
A pair of articles warned that the near blackouts of September were just the start of grid problems for years to come in California:
- Politico: “California’s recent decisions to postpone the closure of its last nuclear plant and to extend the life of some natural gas-fired facilities highlight what officials and experts say is the fact that the state with the most ambitious energy goals is far from achieving them.”
- N.Y. Times: “Despite adding new power plants, building huge battery storage systems and restarting some shuttered fossil fuel generators over the last couple of years, California relies heavily on energy from other states.”
3.
The latest developments on legislation sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature:
- Newsom vetoed a bill that would have made kindergarten mandatory in California. Dozens of school districts and education groups supported the measure, but he said its costs were not accounted for. L.A. Times | A.P.
- He approved a measure that orders the removal of the word “squaw,” a term many Native Americans regard as a slur, from dozens of geographical and place names across the state. That includes the town of Squaw Valley in Fresno County, where residents have opposed the change. Fresno Bee | L.A. Times
- He also signed a measure making it illegal for recyclers to buy used catalytic converters from anyone other than the legal owner or a licensed dealer. The move is designed to quash a black market for the car part that has exploded in recent years. L.A. Times | Sacramento Bee
Northern California
4.
The Bay Area has invested big in tiny homes as a solution to its homelessness crisis. Reporters analyzed three years of data on the experiment, which places homeless people in tiny homes as a final step on the path to permanent housing. In Alameda County, they found, participants failed to find stable housing nearly three-quarters of the time. Robert Hernandez, 55, was a typical case. He became stir-crazy in his tiny home and eventually moved back to his tent. Mercury News
5.
The bark beetles responsible for killing tens of millions of conifers in the Sierra Nevada have now chewed their way to Northern California wine country. The beetles are opportunistic killers, infesting trees weakened by drought or disease. But Jake Ruygt, a botanist, said the population has grown so dense over the last few years that they are even attacking healthy trees. Around the town of Angwin, he said, “I’m seeing 15-25% die-off of conifers.” S.F. Chronicle
6.
California’s K-12 population has been plummeting for years, dipping below 6 million for the first time last fall. Tiny Kneeland Elementary in Humboldt County was on the verge of closing. But the pandemic saved it. As other schools remained closed in 2020, Kneeland quickly resumed in-person classes. “Then, up the mountain came the pandemic kids, who had been withering away in front of Zoom screens,” wrote Hailey Branson-Potts. L.A. Times
7.
Davis experienced a different kind of pandemic than virtually anywhere else in the country. Thanks in part to the purchase of two $450,000 testing machines, UC Davis began testing its students and staff every week and made free testing available throughout the town by the fall of 2020. The result: likely the highest per-capita Covid testing rate in the country, and some of the nation’s lowest infection rates. Politico Magazine
8.
On Friday, San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow urged people to avoid a funeral planned for the Hell’s Angels club founder Sonny Barger at Stockton’s 99 Speedway on Saturday, warning of the potential for “shooting, stabbing, and homicide.” An estimated 7,000 people showed up anyway. There was a constant roar of engines, a lot of tears, and some heartfelt eulogies for the Modesto native, including one from Tucker Carlson. But no serious incidents were reported, the authorities said. Stockton Record | KCRA
Southern California
9.
Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring buffer zones of 3,200 feet between oil wells and homes. So a Texas oil company is now trying buy up homes near its operations in Kern County. Berry Petroleum sent letters offering “market value plus premium” to homeowners in tiny McKittrick, home to roughly 100 residents, most of them renters. State Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a co-author of the setback law, said big oil “would rather line their pockets and uproot entire families” than operate safely. Bakersfield Californian | KGET
10.
As Los Angeles’ homeless population soared, three local agencies working to fight homelessness returned $150 million in federal funds between 2015 and 2020. Asked why, one agency leader cited “a climate where the rental market is so hard to access.” Critics blamed red tape and government inefficiency. Responding to an article about the givebacks, Rep. Karen Bass, a candidate for Los Angeles mayor, called them “absolutely ludicrous.” L.A. Times
11.
When Angel City began planning in 2020, the National Women’s Soccer League expansion team in Los Angeles aimed for 5,000 season tickets in its first season, which concluded Sunday. It sold nearly 16,000, and season-ticket renewals for 2023 are near 90%. The team hoped for $3.25 million in corporate partnerships. It sold $11 million. Helping the buzz around the team is its glamorous cast of founders, including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria, Jessica Chastain, and Gabrielle Union. Wall Street Journal
12.
There’s a pair of curious red cubes on the plaza at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. The art installation by Larry Bell, known as “Bill and Coo at MOCA’s Nest,” comes to life with light — sun during the day and illumination at night — creating dramatic overlapping reflections and shadows. The art critic Christopher Knight was so impressed by the sculpture that he included it in a list of 17 must-see artworks across the county. L.A. Times | MOCA.org
A few angles.👇
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The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
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