Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Dec. 21.
- Forecasts predict warm-weather Christmas in California.
- Earthquake causes extensive damage in Humboldt County.
- And a revolt over street conditions in San Francisco.
Statewide
1.
Gov. Gavin Newsom offered what seemed like an odd response on Monday after a judge struck down a California gun-control law: He celebrated the ruling. That’s because the law was modeled on a Texas abortion measure as part of a bid to provoke a court fight over the constitutionality of both measures. “We have been saying all along that Texas’ anti-abortion law is outrageous,” Newsom said. “Judge Benitez just confirmed it is also unconstitutional.” Some legal scholars say the strategy could backfire. S.F. Chronicle | Politico
2.
While much of the country braces this week for a massive storm system with frigid Arctic air and howling winds, forecasters said California would enjoy a warming trend culminating with toasty Christmas Day temperatures in the 60s and 70s. San Diego was expected to be the warmest place in America over the holiday weekend, reaching as high as the low 80s in inland valleys. Fox 5 San Diego | @NWSSanDiego
3.
In August, California legislators passed a ban on oil drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, parks, and healthcare facilities — a win for environmental groups decades in the making. Last week, Big Oil struck back. A trade group representing drillers announced that it had gathered enough signatures — paying as much as $16 for each one — to force a referendum on the 2024 ballot. Whether it succeeds or not, the maneuver would count as a victory for the industry by halting the law for two years. Grist
4.
The Bay Area journalist Erica Hellerstein wrote a moving piece about the grief of living in a state on fire. She recalled her first encounter with the term solastalgia, coined by an environmental philosopher in 2003 to describe a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at home. “Finally,” Hellerstein wrote, “I felt like I had found a single word that embodied my complicated and often sad relationship with California, a place I couldn’t imagine leaving but also cannot bear watching burn year after year.” Coda Story
5.
You can camp in a remote ghost town founded by outlaws at the edge of Death Valley. Panamint City, pictured above, was a silver-mining town tucked in the folds of the Panamint Range in the 1870s. In its heyday, it had 2,000 fortune-seekers, a newspaper, a hotel, a red-light district, and a reputation so tarnished Wells Fargo refused to open a branch there. The hike in, roughly 5 miles, is said to be grueling, but you’re likely to have the whole town to yourself. Backpacker | Hiking Project
Run-down cabins. Dozens of mines. Native pictographs. The photographer Sean Goebel posted a great picture tour.
Northern California
6.
“This was a scary one.”
A powerful earthquake in Humboldt County at 2:34 a.m. on Tuesday left two people dead, caused widespread damage, and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes. The 6.4 magnitude quake, centered just offshore near Ferndale, was followed by dozens of aftershocks ranging from 2.5 to 4.6, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Bottles fell from store shelves, roads crumpled, and shattered glass spilled onto sidewalks. A fire official said the damage to homes in the Eel River hamlet of Rio Dell would displace as many as 100 families. The two people killed, 72 and 83, died from medical emergencies, officials said. Eureka Times-Standard | Lost Coast Outpost
7.
In August, merchants in San Francisco’s Castro threatened to withhold taxes if the city failed to address homelessness and open-air drug use. Last week, Tenderloin merchants petitioned to have their taxes refunded for the same reason. Now the Fillmore district is revolting. At a meeting Monday, community leaders said the situation was untenable. “When homeless folks cause problems, their freedom ends,” said the Rev. Amos Brown. “That’s not being mean, it’s being what I call engaging in responsible compassion.” SF Standard | CBS Bay Area
8.
The Washington Post did a forensic analysis of those pictures of Elon Musk and Jared Kushner at the World Cup final in Qatar on Sunday. It included this paragraph:
“Kushner was spotted entering the stadium with former Austrian chancellor and leader of the far-right Austrian People’s Party, Sebastian Kurz, according to media reports. After stepping down amid a corruption scandal in October 2021, Kurz took a job with Thiel Capital, run by the right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel, who worked with Musk during the early days of PayPal. Last month, Kurz joined an advisory council affiliated with the Kushner-founded Abraham Accords Peace Institute.”
Give something they’ll open every day.
Give the gift of the California Sun.
9.
Elon Musk said Tuesday that he would resign as Twitter’s CEO as soon as he finds someone else “foolish enough to take the job.” The move came after nearly 58% of respondents to a Twitter poll called for him to step down, a result he pledged to honor. Bantering with Twitter followers, Musk said his replacement “must like pain a lot” to run a company that he said has been “in the fast lane to bankruptcy.” A.P. | Wall Street Journal
10.
One of the Bay Area’s most unusual living situations just opened up to applicants. Located in the northern San Francisco Bay, the East Brother Light Station, pictured above, is a historic bed-and-breakfast that has been operated for decades by a lineage of resident innkeepers. With the current innkeepers set to sign off in March, they are seeking two replacements. The pay is $140,000 a year: No internet, no TV, no neighbors. Mercury News | Richmond Standard
Southern California
11.
Members of the jury in the Harvey Weinstein trial explained why they delivered a mixed verdict, convicting him of raping one accuser, acquitting him in another case, and deadlocking on charges involving two more women, including Jennifer Siebel Newsom. After 10 days of deliberation, four of the 12 jurors voted against conviction in Newsom’s case. “Several jurors said they were troubled that she had exchanged dozens of emails with Weinstein after the alleged rape,” Variety reported.
LAist: “Weinstein’s trial revealed in a very public forum why survivors of sexual assaults are so hesitant to speak out.”
12.
The dominant landmark on California’s Central Coast is a hub of life, including endangered peregrine falcons that nest in its crevices and sea otters that splash in the waters below. But humans are prohibited from Morro Rock — with one exception. Members of the Salinan tribe are allowed to ascend the rock on the solstices of summer and winter, which arrives today. Just a small group makes the actual climb, which can be tricky. The rest of the tribal members gather below, where they build a fire, eat, and play a drum. The public is welcome. Atlas Obscura
Thanks for reading!
The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
Make a one-time contribution to the California Sun.
Get a California Sun mug, T-shirt, phone case, or hoodie.
Forward this email to a friend.
Click here to stop delivery, and here to update your billing information or cancel your support.
The California Sun, PO Box 6868, Los Osos, CA 93412
Wake up to must-read news from around the Golden State delivered to your inbox each morning.