Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Aug. 21.
- Forecasters say Sierra could see rare August snow.
- Data shows Twitter takeover was terrible for banks.
- And a real-estate buying spree unsettles sleepy Sonoma.
Statewide
1.
Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered California’s delegate votes for Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago on Tuesday. His brief remarks from the floor stood in contrast to the prominent speeches given by other California politicians from the stage. Since Harris secured her place atop the ticket, wrote politics reporter Sophia Bollag, “other Democratic governors, most notably Harris’ running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have taken Newsom’s place in the national spotlight.” S.F. Chronicle | Sacramento Bee
- “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?” Barack and Michelle Obama delivered speeches that showed they still have singular star power, wrote Jim Rutenberg. N.Y. Times
2.
Vice presidential hopeful Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, said in a interview published Tuesday that they may drop out of the race and endorse former President Donald Trump. Shanahan, a former Bay Area lawyer, said they were weighing two options: stay the course with hopes of forming a third party, or join forces with Trump. “Not an easy decision,” she said. Hours later, Trump said he would consider giving Kennedy, who said in April that he opposes Trump “and all he stands for,” a position in his administration. Washington Post | Axios
3.
California school districts are increasingly banning students’ cellphones. But in many cases, enforcement has been a struggle. At Bullard High School in Fresno, some students place dummy devices in the locked pouches where they are required to stow their phones. Others have ripped the pouches open. “It’s great to say no phones, but I don’t think people realize the addiction of the phones and what students will go to to tell you ‘No, you’re not taking my phone,’” said principal Armen Torigian. CalMatters
- L.A. Times editorial board: “The 2024-25 school year may be the tipping point when adults act to curb kids’ phone addiction and regain their attention. It’s about time.”
4.
With a month to go until the autumnal equinox, California is expected to get snow on Friday as an exceptionally rare August storm drops down from Canada, forecasters said. The National Weather Service predicted that the snow line could descend as low as 7,000 feet in the northern Sierra, delivering an inch or so of accumulation to Tahoe’s ski resorts. The interlude will be brief, wrote climatologist Daniel Swain, citing models that suggest the next “heat event” will arrive the following week. S.F. Chronicle | SFGATE
5.
Nepenthe, the cliffside restaurant in Big Sur, is famous for its sweeping views of mountain and sea. With an outdoor fire pit and cushioned seating, it’s also a fine place to devour a book. Literary Hub recommended Nepenthe along with Susan Straight’s novel “Mecca” in an itinerary for a literary road trip across America.
- Hear Straight on the California Sun Podcast.
Northern California
6.
The $13 billion that Elon Musk borrowed to buy Twitter in 2022 has become the worst merger-finance deal for banks since the 2008-09 financial crisis, an analysis found. Banks that provide loans for takeovers typically sell the debt quickly to other investors, making money on fees. But the social media company’s miserable financial performance led the banks to hold onto the debt. At Barclays, the fallout caused members of the mergers and acquisitions team to see their annual pay cut by at least 40%. Dozens quit. Wall Street Journal
7.
In recent years, a pair of out-of-town partners amassed a portfolio of more than 100 properties in and around the sleepy wine country town of Sonoma. At first, local leaders welcomed the investment. Then things went sideways. Locals spread rumors that the real-estate spree was part of a Christian nationalist takeover; investors alleged fraud; the Justice Department opened an investigation; and the partners, lifelong friends, sued each other. “Every community needs a Bernie Madoff,” said Sonoma Mayor John Gurney. “I guess we got ours.” Wall Street Journal
8.
For nearly a century, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco has catered to the faithful with Sunday services, baptisms, weddings, and funerals. But in the last couple years, the French Gothic structure has started to welcome a new, younger crowd through an arts program that operates like a museum membership. Grace Arts members now outnumber regular church congregants, signaling a craving in the city for real-world community. They come for yoga, laser art, and song circles led by Bobby McFerrin. N.Y. Times
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9.
Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a 7-foot-tall turquoise-and-chrome sculpture in the likeness of his wife, Priscilla Chan. Sebastian Smee, the Pulitzer-winning art critic, had some thoughts: “The sculpture by Daniel Arsham, a brand-friendly New York-based artist with his own fashion line, is really bad — but it’s interestingly bad. When you look at it, it just sort of collapses in your brain, like a bouncy castle pierced by a falling tree branch.” Washington Post
Southern California
10.
A campaign in San Bernardino County to secede from California has drawn wide support, in part, on the belief that the county gets cheated out of its fair share of state funding. So in 2022 voters approved a measure to study the issue. The preliminary findings were released on Tuesday: San Bernardino County actually receives about $66 more per person than the statewide average. The secession leader Jeff Burum said he is undeterred: “As long as I’m on this bright green earth, there’s always a path forward.” CalMatters | San Bernardino Sun
11.
It’s not entirely clear why dolphins leap out of the water. Biologists have hypothesized that the behavior could conserve energy during travel, reaffirm social bonds, or herd prey. Another possibility: it’s fun. The whale-watching outfit Gone Whale Watching recently posted some incredible video of dolphins flying out of the ocean off the coast of San Diego. 👉 @gonewhalewatching | CBS8
12.
The New York Times Style Magazine published a photo spread on a gorgeous Los Angeles bungalow built in 1956 by Cliff May, father of the California ranch house. The power couple that owns it has been so committed to preserving “the soul” of the house they’ve refused to tear up the terra-cotta tiles to fix the heating or add lighting sufficient to read at night. “You can’t make new things look old in the way that old things look old,” said the wife, Amy Pascal, a former Hollywood producer.
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