Good morning. It’s Thursday, March 21.
- Governor’s mental-health measure wins narrow victory.
- Shohei Ohtani’s lawyers accuse interpreter of theft.
- And a frugal traveler’s itinerary through Monterey County.
Statewide
1.
The Associated Press called the race for Proposition 1 on Wednesday, as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $6.4 billion strategy to address the state’s homelessness crisis squeaked by with 50.2% of the vote. The gap between yeses and nos was fewer than 30,000 votes out of more than 7.5 million cast. The pollster Mark Baldassare said heavily Democratic areas like the Bay Area and Los Angeles, where encampments are concentrated, supported the measure: “But a lot of the state did not.” N.Y. Times | CalMatters
Other election developments:
- A congressional race in Silicon Valley proved that every vote counts. On Wednesday, the battle between two candidates to advance to the November general election was separated by one vote: 30,211 to 30,210. S.F. Chronicle
- An analysis found that the state Senate is set to have a female majority for the first time, with 21 of 40 seats held by women. That’s up from 18. Politico
2.
“Disturbing.”
“Astonishingly excessive.”
“An absolute disgrace.”
Two Fresno City Council members called for a state investigation into executive salaries at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, after a report revealed that the compensation far surpasses that of comparable institutions. “There is a clear culture of enriching themselves at the expense of sick and poor children,” said Councilmember Garry Bredefeld. A hospital spokesman defended the salaries, saying the executives helped make the hospital “best in class.” San Joaquin Valley Sun | Fresno Bee
Northern California
3.
For several months, the FBI has been searching properties and demanding documents among some of the biggest names in Napa Valley wine circles. The targets of the highly secretive probe have included Hall Wines; Caymus Vineyards; Kathryn Hall, a former U.S. ambassador to Austria; Craig Hall, a former part-owner of the Dallas Cowboys; and Robin Baggett, a former general counsel for the Golden State Warriors. The L.A. Times tried to figure out what’s going on.
4.
The 3-month-old boy whose parents and brother were killed when a motorist barreled into a San Francisco bus stop over the weekend has died from his injuries, officials said Wednesday. Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who represents the area, confirmed that the entire family was now gone. “I have no words,” she said through tears. The parents were identified as Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, a Brazilian citizen working for Apple, and Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, 38, an executive producer at Ridley Scott Films. They were on their way to the zoo. S.F. Chronicle
- See pictures of the family. 👉 @itsmatilde
5.
Reddit is set to debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, making it the first major social-media company to go public in years. The San Francisco company, founded by a pair of students in a college dorm room in 2005, priced the offering at $34 a share, at the high end of expectations, giving it a valuation of around $6.4 billion. Analysts said the pricing was a favorable sign that the lull in initial public offerings could be turning a corner. N.Y. Times | Wall Street Journal
6.
Travel writer Elaine Glusac put Monterey County, a place known for luxury golf courses and exclusive towns, to the frugal test. She splurged on the Monterey Bay Aquarium ($59.95 and well worth it); rode an electric bike along scenic 17-Mile Drive ($40 for four hours); spent a sunny afternoon wandering Point Lobos State Natural Reserve ($10 admission); took a electric catamaran cruise among the otters of Elkhorn Slough ($45); and sipped an earthy pinot during a tasting at a winery in the Salinas Valley ($20). N.Y. Times
7.
The twisty 19-mile road to the top of Mount Hamilton, home of Lick Obervatory, is said to be among the finest drives anywhere in the Bay Area. Standing roughly 4,200 feet above sea level, Hamilton is a modest offering in the state of the Sierra and Cascade ranges. But the lookout offers expansive 360-degree views. On a clear day, you can even make out Half Dome rising from the Yosemite Valley 120 miles across the Central Valley. PUNCH magazine | SFGATE
Southern California
8.
The Dodgers fired Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter on Wednesday over accusations that he had stolen from the baseball star to settle gambling debts. The development unfolded after reporters asked Ohtani about $4.5 million in wire transfers from his bank to a bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation. His spokesman initially said Ohtani had covered the gambling debts of his longtime friend and interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Later, the spokesman disavowed that version of events and Ohtani’s lawyers accused Mizuhara of engaging in “massive theft.” ESPN | L.A. Times
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9.
Michael Pratt, a New Zealand native, came to San Diego in 2012 and began recruiting young women online as models and convincing them to have sex on camera. The women, according to prosecutors, were told the videos would go to private DVD collections overseas, but they were instead disseminated widely on Pratt’s GirlsDoPorn website. When he was sued, Pratt fled to the country. On Tuesday, after being extradited from Spain, he appeared for the first time in a San Diego federal courtroom to face a 19-count indictment. “There is an end in sight,” one victim said. NBC San Diego | Times of San Diego
10.
While driving home from his job as a teacher in Whittier one day last year, Emmett Brock casually threw up his middle finger at a sheriff’s deputy on the side of the road. Moments later, the lawman threw Brock to the ground in front of a 7-Eleven, then booked him in jail on three felonies, alleging Brock had bit him. Brock lost his job after authorities notified the school of his pending charges. More than a year later, a judge last week declared Brock “factually innocent,” saying there is no evidence he bit the deputy. Now Brock is suing the deputy. L.A. Times
11.
The new docuseries “Quiet on Set” has shined a harsh light on the sexual abuse of child actors on Nickelodeon shows in the 1990s and 2000s. In one episode, former child star Drake Bell identified himself as the unnamed victim abused by Brian Peck, a dialogue coach for Nickelodeon who was convicted of child sexual abuse in 2004. On sentencing day, Bell recounted, he arrived to find Peck’s side of the courtroom filled with supporters, including “some recognizable faces.” After Peck’s release, the Disney Channel hired him to work on a teen sitcom. N.Y. Times | Hollywood Reporter
12.
A developer is planning to build a flamboyant $1 billion office tower in Hollywood wrapped with multi-colored gardens that spiral from street to roof. The developer, Maggie Miracle, said the design was inspired by the remote work trend. “Since Covid, the importance of a healthy workplace and access to fresh air and outdoor space has been a driver,” she said. “The change in design is meant to respond to those demands.” L.A. Times | designboom
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