Good morning. It’s Thursday, June 15.
- California seeks to atone for Native American genocide.
- Tech darling of Central Valley fires all 900 employees.
- And another governor sends migrants to California.
Statewide
1.
The Republican-led House on Wednesday rejected an effort to impose a $16 million fine against Rep. Adam Schiff, Democrat of Burbank, for pressing allegations that former President Trump colluded with Russia. The vote to kill the resolution, 225-196, was helped by more than 20 Republicans who sided with the Democrats or voted “present.” In a surprise, five Democrats also voted “present.” “I’m flattered they think I’m so effective they have to go after me in this way,” said Schiff, who is running for Senate. Washington Post | A.P.
2.
“The genocide of Native Americans was nowhere more methodically savage than in California. Nowhere was there such an explicit intention to ‘exterminate’ — the word is used over and over again in state records — the inhabitants of a land supposedly ‘discovered.'”
In a reported essay, the writer Ed Vulliamy recounted the slaughter and dispossession of California’s native peoples as the state’s new “truth and healing” council weighs initiatives to atone for the past. New York Review of Books
3.
When heavy rains fall on arid mountains, rushing water pushes accumulated sediment through the canyons onto the basins below, where it radiates out in the shape of fans. They’re called alluvial fans and some of the world’s most spectacular examples are in Death Valley, where mountains ring the sprawling salt flat known as Badwater Basin. Watch geology professor Shawn Willsey talk alluvial fans on the ground in Death Valley. 👉 YouTube
And below, see a photo tour.
Northern California
4.
Bitwise Industries, a tech incubation hub that symbolized the revitalization of Fresno’s downtown, officially fired all 900 of its employees on Wednesday. The termination notices cited “unforeseeable business circumstances.” The turmoil at Bitwise erupted into view in late May, as workers were furloughed, company leaders fell silent, and a drumbeat of news stories reported on financial troubles at the startup. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer called the firings a “betrayal” and said a criminal investigation seemed warranted. Fresno Bee | L.A. Times
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5.
Nathan Chasing Horse, an actor known for his portrayal of Smiles A Lot in the 1990 movie “Dances With Wolves,” was arrested in January and accused of being a cult leader who sexually assaulted young Indigenous girls for more than a decade. Billing himself as a traveling medicine man, Chasing Horse made dozens of visits to Sonoma County, a journalism investigation found. Fernando Trujillo, a singer at his ceremonies, said men were forbidden to look at Chasing Horse’s wives, said to number as many as seven. “If they were coming, you had to look straight to the ground,” he said. “Or else, he said, you’d go blind.” Press Democrat
6.
Two days after the owner of San Francisco’s biggest mall announced plans to surrender the downtown property to its lender, the mall’s movie theater said Wednesday that it would shut down. Cinemark, the owner of the 10-theater movie house, said the decision followed a “comprehensive review of local business conditions.” A new analysis by SF Standard found that nearly half of the mall’s storefronts and eateries have closed since 2020 as foot traffic failed to bounce back from the pandemic. SF Standard | SFGATE
7.
If Ansel Adams offered an objective version of California’s landscapes, Terri Loewenthal specializes in what she has called “sublime subjectivity.” The Oakland photographer’s process involves filters and reflective optics that produce dreamlike scenes with psychedelic colors and what appear to be double exposures. But the images are actually single shots. She calls them psychscapes. designboom | Terriloewenthal.com
Southern California
8.
A busload of 42 migrants sent by the state of Texas arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday in the latest political protest by a Republican governor against Democratic immigration policies. “Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on social media, “particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the action a “despicable stunt.” L.A. Times | A.P.
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9.
San Diego’s City Council narrowly approved a controversial policy late Tuesday that bans homeless encampments on public property. During eight hours of testimony, lawmakers heard from supporters who shared stories of unnerving encounters with homeless people, and critics who argued that a ban would be cruel and unworkable. Mayor Todd Gloria pushed hard for the ordinance. “The message will be sent that it’s no longer acceptable to deteriorate on the sidewalk,” he said. Voice of San Diego | S.D. Union-Tribune
10.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appears to be making substantial progress on her pledge to move the city’s homeless population off the streets. More than 14,000 people have been housed so far this year, Bass said Tuesday, putting her well ahead of a campaign goal to find shelter for 17,000 homeless people during her first year in office. The effort, backed by an unprecedented $1.3 billion in city funding, has involved the clearing of 19 encampments, temporary shelter in hotels and motels, and emergency vouchers for permanent housing. Bloomberg | L.A. Times
11.
West Coast dockworkers reached a tentative contract deal on Wednesday after 13 months of negotiations that led to work disruptions at multiple cargo terminals. Details of the deal weren’t disclosed. But both sides said Julie Su, the acting U.S. Labor Secretary, helped broker the deal. President Biden issued a statement of congratulations. “As I have always said, collective bargaining works,” he said. A.P. | Wall Street Journal
12.
The Southern Baptist Convention affirmed its rejection of female pastors on Tuesday, voting to uphold the expulsion of Saddleback Church, an Orange County megachurch that ordained women. The results were resounding, with 88% of roughly 12,700 church representatives confirming the ouster. In a passionate appeal ahead the vote, Saddleback’s former pastor Rick Warren condemned the idea that women pastors were sinful. “If doctrinal disagreements between Baptists are considered sin,” he said, “we all get kicked out.” A.P. | Washington Post
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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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