Good morning. It’s Monday, Aug. 26.
- Kamala Harris erases Berkeley from her biography.
- High Sierra gets a rare dusting of August snow.
- And three drown at Seven Teacups near Kern River.
Statewide
1.
When telling her life story, Vice President Kamala Harris seldom utters the name of her hometown: Berkeley. In the 2019 speech announcing her first presidential run, her first words were, “I am so proud to be a daughter of Oakland, California.” While Harris was indeed born in an Oakland hospital, she grew up in the neighboring city where many residents embrace the nickname “People’s Republic of Berkeley.” Locals seemed to understand. “Oh, people would definitely think Berserkeley!” said Anna Natille, who was walking her dog in Harris’ old neighborhood. N.Y. Times
2.
After Kevin McCarthy was toppled from his House speakership, the Bakersfield Republican went on a multimillion-dollar revenge tour to boost the rivals of the eight Republicans who voted him out. It didn’t go well. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, McCarthy’s chief nemesis, won his primary on Tuesday by about 45 points. Four others also won handily, while two more retired. Rep. Bob Good was the only one to lose, but that’s because he crossed Donald Trump. Politico
3.
☝️ This is what Mammoth Mountain looked like on Saturday as a rare August storm dusted the high Sierra and Cascades with a thin layer of snow. Below the mountains, the storm system soaked much of Northern California, delivering record rain totals in Redding, Red Bluff, and Stockton. Robert Foxworthy, a Cal Fire spokesman, said the precipitation helped in the fight against ongoing wildfires, even if “You can’t call this a season-ender.” Next up this week: a resurgence of summer heat. S.F. Chronicle | KCRA
Northern California
4.
Twitter was once so coveted in San Francisco that officials passed a tax break in 2011 to lure the company. But under Elon Musk’s ownership, the company renamed as X has come to symbolize right-wing views at odds with those of many San Franciscans. So there’s been little hand-wringing over his plan to move the company out of the city. “I share the perspective that most San Franciscans have, which is good riddance,” said City Attorney David Chiu. N.Y. Times
5.
In 2019, Elon Musk said he wasn’t partisan. On Twitter, he posted roughly nine times a day, mostly about his business interests in cars and space. But around the pandemic, he made a hard turn. He now posts to his nearly 200 million followers roughly 60 times a day, mostly about politics, the media, current events, or cultural issues. The Wall Street Journal analyzed the metamorphosis of the world’s richest man from a businessman who largely avoided politics to one of former President Trump’s most vocal supporters.
6.
After voters approved a 2016 initiative aimed at reducing prison overcrowding by expanding parole eligibility, thousands of inmates were given the opportunity to prove that they were ready for early release. But the releases came to a sudden halt on May 29 when a judge ruled that corrections officials had gone too far in relaxing the criteria for parole. One inmate set for release had already changed into his civilian clothes when the order came down. His family was waiting outside the gates. “He was taken back to his cell,” KQED reported.
7.
There are approximately 1.5 billion cows on the planet. Each one burps up roughly 220 pounds of methane a year, or around half the emissions of an average car. Researchers have tried altering the diets of cattle to cut the powerful greenhouse gas, with limited success. Now a team at UC Davis is testing a more radical solution: genetically reengineering the cow’s gut microbiome. “It’s completely out of the box,” said Ermias Kebreab, a professor of animal science. “Nobody has done it before.” Washington Post
8.
Petaluma has introduced the nation’s first citywide reusable cup program. From Starbucks to local cafes, 30 businesses opted into the program, replacing single-use cups with 12-ounce purple plastic cups that can be returned at drop-off bins throughout the city. Sam Gearhard, a barista at Avid Coffee, said customers have so far been surprisingly receptive to the change: “I was worried that people wouldn’t take to it as well as they have.” The Guardian
9.
☝️ Wander California’s forests at night with a ultraviolet flashlight and you may happen upon a sight like this. The sulphur tuft gathers in clusters on dead wood throughout the state. The reason for the mushroom’s bright green glow is not entirely certain, but researchers believe it could attract insects that in turn disperse the fungus’ spores. The nature writer Hayley Davis included the sulphur tuft in a piece on her favorite Bay Area mushrooms. Bay Nature
Southern California
10.
The owner of Langer’s Deli, a Los Angeles institution that opened in 1947, said he is considering shutting the restaurant down because of lawlessness in the neighborhood. In MacArthur Park, across the street, it has become common to see open drug use and groups of people in various states of stupor. Norm Langer said he would like to stay, but he has grown exhausted after years of cajoling City Hall to clean up the area. “Let them get their act together, and I won’t go anywhere,” he said. “How does that sound?” L.A. Times
11.
Three friends from Utah drowned on Friday while canyoneering along Seven Teacups, a series of naturally carved pools that spill along a tributary of the Kern River. The geological wonder is known as one of the world’s finest destinations for the sport that combines hiking, rappelling, and sometimes jumping off waterfalls. Family members said Jeannine Skinner, 34, jumped into a pool and appeared to get caught in a whirlpool. Her friends — Peter On, 48, and David Bell, 48 — leapt in to help her and found themselves similarly struggling. KSL | Daily Mail
- See a drone view of Seven Teacups. 👉 YouTube
12.
The Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race has been called an ultramarathon of the sea. Athletes paddle 32 miles across the open ocean from Catalina to Manhattan Beach. In the 47th annual race, held Sunday, Jack Bark shattered the record to earn first prize, becoming the first to cover the distance in under five hours with the time 4:54:45. Bark, the son of a renowned paddleboard shaper, grew up sweeping the floors of his dad’s workshop in Torrance. See video highlights from his record race. 👉 @catalinaclassicpaddleboardrace
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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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