Good morning. It’s Thursday, Aug. 25.
- California plans to ban the sale of new gasoline cars.
- San Francisco merchants threaten to withhold taxes.
- And Vanessa Bryant awarded $16 million in photos case.
Statewide
1.
“This is huge.”
California regulators are poised Thursday to approve a sweeping plan to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035, a landmark move that could hasten a global transition to electric vehicles. Because 17 states typically follow California’s lead on emissions, the restrictions are expected to reverberate across about a third of the U.S. auto market, forcing the auto industry to adapt. N.Y. Times | Washington Post
2.
Even traditionally conservative parts of California support a proposed constitutional amendment that would add protections for abortion rights. A UC Berkeley poll found at least 65% of voters backed the measure in all geographic regions of the state, including the Central Valley, Inland Empire, and the Sierra. Altogether, more than 80% of California voters said they considered abortion an important issue in the upcoming election. Mercury News | Politico
3.
Millions of Californians are expected to qualify for the student loan debt forgiveness announced by the Biden administration on Wednesday. The plan calls for erasing $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 a year, or under $250,000 for married couples. Recipients of Pell Grants, awarded to low-income students, could get another $10,000 forgiven. An economist estimated that 92% of California’s 3.8 million borrowers would be eligible. L.A. Times | EdSource
4.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has made a sport of publicly heaping scorn on conservatives around the country. In a column, the California writer Conor Friedersdorf dubbed Newsom “the Ron DeSantis of the Left”: “He’s the governor of a disaster-prone state with 39 million residents, and he’s bragging about trolling MAGA sycophants on an off-brand Twitter?” The Atlantic
Northern California
5.
A group of merchants in San Francisco threatened to withhold taxes unless the city addresses mental illness and drug addiction on the streets. In an Aug. 8 letter to city leaders, the Castro Merchants Association said vandalism of shops and harassment of customers had become routine. “It’s next to impossible to run a successful business in the Castro right now,” said Dave Karraker, a gym owner. Bay Area Reporter | KGO
6.
Northern California ranchers are defying orders to cut their use of water from the Shasta River. In a letter to state officials, the Shasta River Water Association, an irrigation group, said it looked forward to helping protect the health of the river, but added: “At this time, we are choosing to protect the health of livestock, wildlife, and families.” Local tribes demanded that the state water authorities intervene. Courthouse News Service | A.P.
7.
The wife of Northern California congressman Tom McClintock died in December after taking an herbal remedy touted for treating high cholesterol. Lori McClintock, 61, was found unresponsive by her husband after he returned home from Congress for the Christmas holidays, a coroner’s report said. Her death was attributed to dehydration caused by “adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion.” White mulberry can cause vomiting and diarrhea, but deaths are virtually unheard of. Kaiser Health News | L.A. Times
8.
For years, an Oakland librarian has been collecting the to-do lists, doodles, and other ephemera nestled between the pages of returned books. Sharon McKellar scans and posts the items online, where they have attracted a following of people charmed by the forgotten finds. “I love the little peek into somebody’s life in that moment,” she said. Washington Post | Hyperallergic
Southern California
9.
A federal jury awarded Vanessa Bryant $16 million on Wednesday, finding that Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and fire officials had shared grisly photos of her husband Kobe Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter, and others killed in a 2020 helicopter crash. Another plaintiff whose spouse and daughter died, Christopher Chester, was awarded $15 million. Bryant wept as the verdict was read, then turned and nodded to the jury in thanks. Courthouse News Service | L.A. Times
10.
Anaheim has recognized what is being described as America’s first formal Arab American cultural district. A stretch of Brookhurst Street where businesses cater to Orange County’s large Middle Eastern and North African diasporas has been known informally for years as Little Arabia. Councilman Jose Diaz, who had opposed making the name official, joined a unanimous majority vote on Tuesday, saying he had been swayed by the community’s passion. “The Arab community exists,” he declared. “Little Arabia exists.” Voice of OC | LAist
Syrian. Yemeni. Palestinian. Here are 10 delicious destinations in Little Arabia. 👉 Eater Los Angeles
11.
☝️ Maja Wrońska, an illustrator, shared this charming animated watercolor of a street scene in Santa Monica.
See more of her work. 👉 @majatakmaj
California the beautiful
12.
Head west out of Silicon Valley and you’ll encounter a ribbon of asphalt along the spine of the Santa Cruz Mountains that seems a world away from the urban sprawl below. You can drive the picturesque ridgetop portion of Skyline Boulevard, as it’s known, in about an hour. But you should stop and stretch your legs on one of many accessible trails, such as the 5-mile loop through Castle Rock State Park, which the outdoors writer Tom Stienstra once declared “the most stellar walk in the Bay Area.”
👇 Some views from Castle Rock.
Thanks for reading!
The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
Get a California Sun mug, T-shirt, or hoodie.
Forward this email to a friend.
Click here to stop delivery, and here to update your billing information or cancel your support.
The California Sun, PO Box 6868, Los Osos, CA 93412
Wake up to must-read news from around the Golden State delivered to your inbox each morning.