Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Sept. 4.
- Investigation finds Chinese repression in San Francisco.
- Gunman kills nearly 100 animals in Monterey County.
- And a thrilling sprint by Los Angeles man at Paralympics.
Statewide
1.
Three days after key slavery reparations legislation unraveled on the final day of California’s legislative session, reparations advocates on Tuesday seethed with anger. Insiders said members of the Legislative Black Caucus thwarted two bills because they feared a demoralizing veto by Gov. Gavin Newsom over cost concerns. On Tuesday, the chair of the state’s reparations task force, Kamilah Moore, called the inaction a “complete betrayal.” “They chose to prioritize their own ego and their own self-interest over the people they claim to serve,” she said. KCRA
2.
In recent years, California conservatives excluded from policymaking in Sacramento have sought to flex their power instead at the local level. State lawmakers, in turn, are now trying to shut them down. “On issues including abortion access, election rules, and LGBTQ rights, Democrats in Sacramento passed legislation this year to stifle emerging local policies that they argued undermine the state’s commitment to diversity, civil rights and other progressive values,” CalMatters wrote.
3.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is asking Californians to drive 20% less by 2030, citing the role of vehicle emissions in spreading asthma, worsening wildfires, and melting glaciers. And yet Newsom just moved his family from suburban Sacramento to Marin County, setting himself up for 90-mile commutes to the capital, wrote opinion columnist Tom Philp: “That’s our Gavin. Do as he says. Not as he does.” Sacramento Bee
Northern California
4.
Chinese diplomats and pro-Chinese activists organized demonstrations in San Francisco during the November visit of Xi Jinping in which groups of young men attacked and beat protesters opposed to Beijing’s policies, an investigation found. At least four of the diplomats were seen among the crowds of pro-Beijing protesters, sometimes interacting with aggressive actors. The Washington Post analyzed more than 2,000 photos and videos for a remarkable report on “how China extended its repression into an American city.”
5.
The mayoral candidate Mark Farrell has portrayed San Francisco as a place of sprawling tent encampments, rampant theft, and record overdose deaths. People are “sick and tired,” he told reporter Alec Regimbal. “Nobody across any political spectrum wants to feel unsafe in their own neighborhood.” Farrell sounds like he doesn’t much like San Francisco, wrote Regimbal, but his message of a city perilously off track has put him in a dead heat with Mayor London Breed. SFGATE
6.
A man shot and killed nearly 100 farm animals during a predawn rampage along a country road in Monterey County on Tuesday, authorities said. Vicente Arroyo, 39, was said to fire hundreds of rounds over a period of more than three hours in the rural community of Prunedale, methodically targeting animals that included chickens, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, ducks, and a miniature horse. No motive was disclosed. KSBW
7.
For Silicon Valley venture capitalists, some of the most coveted founders are alumni from a specialized unit of the Israeli army. Former members of Unit 8200, known for its cybersecurity expertise, have gone on to start dozens of companies, including at least five that are publicly traded in the U.S., together worth around $160 billion. The unit is said to foster a high-pressure culture that primes its soldiers for business. “It almost makes you feel like you can do anything,” said Kobi Samboursky, a Unit 8200 alum. Wall Street Journal
8.
Burning Man, the photogenic art bacchanalia born on the beaches of San Francisco, wrapped up over the weekend in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Here are a pair of picture galleries of the 2024 event’s larger-than-life sculptures, sunrise dance parties, and near-whiteout conditions caused by an epic dust storm. Reno Gazette Journal | SFGATE
9.
A San Francisco couple, both architects, bought a run-down property on the Russian River for $148,000 and replaced it with a compact modern house. Over time, what was intended as a second home became their primary residence. “It’s really hard to jump in the car when I’m here looking at the river and can hike the mountain every day,” said Johanna Grawunder. “I do go to the city, but kind of kicking and screaming, now that we’ve tasted the other side.” The New York Times has pictures.
10.
There’s a salamander that leaps from the tops of the world’s tallest trees in northwestern California. The wandering salamander — a slim, 5-inch creature with brassy coloring — inhabits the fern mats that grow in the canopies of coast redwoods. When agitated, perhaps by a curious Stellar’s jay, they turn into skydivers, leaping into the void and using their outstretched limbs and tail to steer to a safe landing spot. KQED featured the wandering salamander in its Deep Look science video series.
Southern California
11.
Jasveen Sangha, the woman accused of providing the ketamine that killed Matthew Perry last year, liked to flaunt her high-end tastes on social media, jet-setting around the world and posing in expensive jewelry and clothes. A business school graduate, she was a bit of an enigma to the acquaintances she met at electronic dance music parties and festivals, who said they didn’t know what she did for a living. The Wall Street Journal investigated the woman known in Hollywood circles as the “Ketamine Queen.”
12.
Ezra Frech, a 19-year-old from Los Angeles who was born without most of his left leg, expected to run the 100-meter final at the Paris Paralympics on Monday as a warm-up for Tuesday. That’s when the high jump — his real event, in which he holds the world record — was scheduled. But the warm-up went better than expected as Frech came from behind to clinch gold in a stunningly close race. He followed up with a gold in the high jump, setting a new Paralympic record in the process. Wall Street Journal | Olympics.com
- Watch Frech’s thrilling 100-meter win. 👉 NBC Sports/YouTube
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