Good morning. It’s Tuesday, July 9.
- Residents fret over dire situation in Oakland.
- Los Angeles students welcome cellphone ban.
- And a new glamping destination near Yosemite.
Statewide
1.
Hundreds of tourists flocked to Death Valley National Park to experience the blazing temperatures on Monday, two days after the heat was blamed in the death of a motorcyclist. The high touched 127 degrees, shy of the world record of 130 (based on reliable modern records; past higher measurements are contested). “It’s impressive,” said Thomas Mrzliek of Basel, Switzerland. “It’s like a wave that hits when you get out of the car.” A.P.
2.
For most of its history, the Watsonville berry grower Driscoll’s would throw out its sweetest berries. There’s a negative correlation between sweetness and yield, making the best-tasting berries the least commercially viable, chief executive Soren Bjorn explained. But Driscoll’s set out to see if people would pay more for those ultraflavorful strawberries and raspberries. “Most shoppers buy regular berries. Others splurge on organic berries. But more are now filling their carts with these luxury berries,” wrote the Wall Street Journal.
3.
For the race known as the Western States 100, participants run more than 100 miles through the Sierra foothills, climbing nearly three miles and descending more than four. Participants acknowledge that it’s masochistic, but they also swear that it changes your life. Luanne Park, a 63-year-old retired teacher from Mt. Shasta, just ran the Western States for the 13th time. “I want to see what my potential is at this stage,” she said. “I can still challenge myself. I just happen to have gray hair now and some wrinkles.” L.A. Times
4.
The Yosemite gateway town of Mariposa has a new glamping destination, and the views are said to be magnificent. Wildhaven Yosemite has a mix of cabins and heavy canvas tents that open up to sweeping views of the surrounding ranch land and distant mountains. A clubhouse sells barbecue plates, beer, and s’more-making provisions. The New York Times included Wildhaven in a feature on new glampsites across the country.
- SF Standard: “5 ridiculously nice glamping spots within a few hours of SF.”
Northern California
5.
In Oakland, a budget crisis has tied up business at City Hall. The downtown is plagued by slow foot traffic and restaurant closures. Rising crime has become a vexing concern for residents. And the mayor is facing the double punch of a recall vote and FBI investigation. Dr. Ken Chambers, a pastor who has lived in Oakland for 58 years, said he’s never seen the city in such dire straits. “There is a day of reckoning coming this summer for the city.” S.F. Chronicle
6.
Ken Wayne, a familiar face of Bay Area television news for more than 30 years, found a way to combine his two favorite things — flying and animals — since retiring in the spring. Wayne, a Navy veteran, got into volunteering as an animal rescue pilot years ago. Now he flies all over the state under the banner of his nonprofit Flying Tails, transporting injured dogs, bears, birds, and other animals to rescue groups. “When I go to bed at night, I sleep better after a rescue flight,” he said. Mercury News
7.
Hakai Magazine published a beautifully written piece on how logging created an opening for barred owls to inundate northern spotted owl habitat in Northern California — and how an extreme plan to fix the problem is dividing environmentalists:
“The same patchy post-logging habitat that has caused northern spotted owl populations to plummet created an opportunity for barred owls. The bigger barred owls even prey on northern spotted owls and appropriate their nest cavities. And when not making war, they make love, which can be just as dangerous.”
Southern California
8.
The L.A. Times interviewed dozens of students about an impending ban on cellphones in Los Angeles public schools. Many expressed a surprising reaction: relief. They described girls comparing their weight on social media; classmates secretly scrolling during class; students who regularly spend the equivalent of a full work day engrossed in their screens. A Quindel Peral, a middle schooler, noted that kids are impressionable: “It’s really important that we not abuse the power phones give us.” L.A. Times
9.
Hollywood’s newest mogul is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison. As a young man, David Ellison competed in acrobatic air shows and left college to try acting, landing a few minor roles. Using his family’s wealth, he turned to producing, bankrolling films such as “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.” The value of his company Skydance soared to more than $4 billion. On Sunday, Skydance and Paramount announced a merger with Ellison as boss. Here’s an introduction to the man poised to become one of the most powerful people in entertainment. N.Y. Times
10.
In a spoof “employee orientation” video shown during a SpaceX holiday party, an employee coached another on how to spank a co-worker. The person who acted out getting spanked is now the rocket maker’s vice president for human resources. The office culture at SpaceX has been said to echo that of a frat house, and two years ago a group of engineers complained about it an open letter. In response, Elon Musk had them fired, according to a new lawsuit. Bloomberg wrote about how “Elon Musk’s own brand of cancel culture is thriving.”
11.
Nearly 50 years ago, Andre Simpson didn’t want to go to his high school prom, but he did anyway, bringing a female classmate. “I just felt social pressure,” he said. “I really didn’t want to go with a girl.” A couple weeks ago, Simpson was one of more than 300 seniors who got a chance to redo their prom nights during an event hosted by the Los Angeles LGBT Center. It was meaningful, Simpson said afterward: “It’s a wonderful thing to be in a place where you’re totally accepted for who you are.” Washington Post
12.
Fun fact: A blue whale eats as much as 16 tons of food a day — but it can’t eat you. The largest creature in Earth’s history feeds primarily on krill, trapping entire schools of the tiny crustaceans in their giant mouths. But they have relatively tiny throats — about six inches in diameter — which act as filters, allowing the krill to enter while keeping larger indigestible items out. The whale watching group Gone Whale Watching captured some amazing drone footage of blue whales feeding off San Diego during their summer migration. See a highlight reel. 👉 YouTube (~4 mins)
Correction
Monday’s newsletter misstated the location of a Northern California wildfire. The Royal fire was burning near the Lake Tahoe Basin, not within the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Thanks for reading!
The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
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