Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Feb. 8.
- Visalia opens largest Catholic parish church in U.S.
- Growing support for red-light district in San Francisco.
- And LeBron James becomes NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Statewide
1.
Roughly 36 million trees died across California in 2022, a dramatic increase over prior years, according to a survey released Tuesday by the U.S. Forest Service. The same survey in 2021 found 9.5 million dead trees. Experts blamed overcrowded forests and years of drought, which have weakened defenses against bark beetles and disease. “Some of this is driven because we’ve normalized these very dense forests,” said Ryan Tompkins, a forester. S.F. Chronicle | L.A. Times
2.
Researchers are rewriting the genetic code of pests in hopes of protecting California’s farms. The gene-altering technology known as CRISPR has been used for experiments in cancer immunotherapy, apple breeding, and human embryos. Now California scientists are tinkering with glassy-winged sharpshooters and fruit flies, rendering them incapable to harming crops. Supporters say the techniques could have an added benefit: making harmful pesticides obsolete. MIT Technology Review
3.
Several of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s House colleagues have announced that they are running for her seat. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, publicly endorsed one of them. Yet Feinstein has yet to say she is leaving. “God bless her,” said Garry South, a Democratic strategist. “But the most pathetic part of politics is when somebody doesn’t know when it’s time to leave.” Politico
4.
“We have our own little Vatican.”
While Catholic church membership has been on the decline nationally, it’s booming in California’s Central Valley. Since 1980, the number of parishioners in the Diocese of Fresno, which covers an area larger than Ireland, has risen from 307,000 to 1.2 million, thanks largely to Latino and Asian immigration. In a sign of that growth, the country’s largest Catholic parish church just opened its doors in Visalia: St. Charles Borromeo church, with room for 3,200 worshippers. The Guardian
Gallery: Inside St. Charles Borromeo. Visalia Times Delta
Northern California
5.
A movement to create a red-light district in San Francisco’s Mission District now has support among community organizers, sex worker advocates, and some residents. Supporters say the move could contain what has become an unchecked market for prostitution. Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the area, said she’s drafting a resolution urging state legislators to legalize sex work. “I do feel that society’s acceptance and (ability) to get away from the morality issues is growing,” she said. S.F. Chronicle
6.
A coalition of pro-housing legal groups on Tuesday announced lawsuits against 11 Bay Area cities and one county, accusing them of failing to meet state deadlines to submit plans for new housing. The lawsuits aim to force compliance with the law and remind cities that they are now subject to what’s known as the builder’s remedy, allowing developers to bypass local zoning standards. “These cities are trying to push the responsibility onto other communities and avoid having to welcome new neighbors,” said Sonja Trauss, of YIMBY Law. Courthouse News Service | S.F. Chronicle
7.
The Central Valley town of Modesto began as a railroad stop between Sacramento and Los Angeles. In 1870, the Central Pacific Railroad initially planned to name the city Ralston in honor of William Ralston, an influential banker who played a major role in Gold Rush San Francisco’s growth. But Ralston objected. As the story goes, a Spanish-speaking railroad worker declared Ralston “muy modesto,” or very modest. When the railroad executive Charles Crocker heard this, he said, “Modesto, Modesto, that’s a good name.” It was added to the city map. Manteca Bulletin | MID.org
Southern California
8.
With states at an impasse on how to conserve the depleted Colorado River, environmentalists are drawing attention to alfalfa. In Imperial County, the largest user of the river’s water, one out of every three farmed acres is used to grow alfalfa, a water-intensive type of hay used to feed farm animals. It’s time to stop, wrote Gerald McKenna, a water official in the Coachella Valley. “We can do one simple thing and our water supply crisis will be over,” he wrote. Desert Sun | L.A. Times
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Give the gift of the California Sun.
9.
The Lakers’ LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. In a loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, James scored 38 points, giving him a career total of 38,390 that surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387. After he hit the record-setting basket at the end of the third quarter, a fadeaway 14-foot jumper, the crowd at Crypto.com Arena roared ecstatically as James extended his arms to the rafters. He had tears in his eyes. On his walk to the bench he pointed to Abdul-Jabbar, sitting courtside. L.A. Times | A.P.
See the shot. 👉 @NBA
10.
Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan maestro of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, has been called the savior of classical music. On Tuesday, the orchestra announced that he will leave Los Angeles to join the New York Philharmonic in 2026. Dudamel, 42, said it was the right time for a new challenge. Violinist Bing Wang said the musicians were shocked by the news: “He’s the conductor that everybody wants to have. … He’s just one of us. He feels like he belongs to L.A.” L.A. Times | N.Y. Times
11.
In 1990, the head and feet of gay porn actor Billy London were found in a Hollywood dumpster. For the next 30 years, the brutal murder went unsolved as investigators ran into repeated dead ends. But in an incredible twist, a group of amateur internet sleuths helped crack the case. On Monday, detectives confirmed that they had gotten a confession from another former gay porn actor in West Hollywood. The suspect was identified by a stay-at-home dad who became obsessed with the case. L.A. Times
12.
The golden poppies of spring have already begun running riot on the hillsides of Lake Elsinore. California’s wet winter has raised hopes for the rare floral explosion known as a superbloom. But local officials vowed to prevent a repeat of the chaos of 2019, when massive crowds overran Walker Canyon. On Tuesday, Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson announced that the canyon would be closed to all visitors for the duration of the bloom. “We know that people want to see a beautiful sea of color. We also want the land in our community to thrive,” she said. Press Enterprise | A.P.
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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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