Google's mind-boggling computing breakthrough // Republican takeover of Huntington Beach

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, December 10.

State leaders push warning labels for social media.
Google unveils mind-boggling computing breakthrough.
And Republicans complete Huntington Beach takeover.

Scheduling note: There will be no newsletter on Wednesday. Regular programming will resume Thursday.

Statewide

1.

An analysis estimated that import tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump could erase as much as a quarter of California’s agricultural exports, translating to $6 billion in annual losses. California farms — which export large quantities of nuts, dairy, wine, and other commodities to China — are especially vulnerable to a trade war, researchers said. “The worst-case scenario is pretty bleak,” said Sandro Steinbach, a study author. “Basically, tariffs are harmful to U.S. agriculture, and to California agriculture in particular, because they will invite tariff retaliation.” L.A. Times

Farmers who chose Trump said they see him as a bulwark against an environmental movement run amok. “I can’t afford an electric truck. Period,” said Tom Barcellos, a dairy farmer in Tulare County. The Guardian

2.

Harmeet Dhillon spoke to reporters during a Republican National Committee meeting in Dana Point on Jan. 27, 2023. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday nominated Harmeet Dhillon, a San Francisco attorney and top official in the California Republican Party, to be assistant attorney general for civil rights in the U.S. Department of Justice. Dhillon, 56, has been a loyal Trump surrogate, advancing his claims of election fraud and waging culture-war battles through her nonprofit Center for American Liberty, which bills itself as a defender of civil liberties. If confirmed, Dhillon would have a prominent role in enforcing voting rights. N.Y. Times | S.F. Chronicle

3.

A University of California workers union spent more than a $1 million fighting the reelection bid of Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman after he failed to support a bill it backed in the Legislature. The union got its wish: Newman lost, despite his otherwise strong pro-union track record. But taking his place now is a Republican who has consistently opposed labor priorities. Newman said the union’s membership should be “furious” with its leaders. “It’s really stunning,” he said. L.A. Times

4.

Democratic state leaders unveiled a bill on Monday that would force social media companies to put warning labels on their apps. The proposed text: “The Surgeon General has advised that there are ample indicators that social media can have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” Jim Steyer, the CEO of Common Sense Media, which is sponsoring the legislation, called it a “tobacco moment for the country.” An industry spokesman said the requirement would amount to unconstitutional “compelled speech.” KQED | A.P.

5.

Rob Schanz, a Sausalito photographer, did a four-day, 32-mile hike with a few friends through the High Sierra’s John Muir Wilderness. “The loop,” he wrote, “pretty much beat the hell out of us.” The rewards included soaring granite peaks, pristine alpine lakes, and breathtaking meadows, like the one pictured above — all with hardly another soul in sight. Schanz shared a trip report with some fantastic photos. Field Magazine

Northern California

6.

Luigi Mangione, the suspect arrested in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive, was reported missing by his mother in San Francisco last month, a police source told the San Francisco Standard. Mangione, 26, hails from a prominent Maryland family, and his last known address was in Hawaii. But he spent the summer of 2019 working at Stanford University as a counselor, reports said. His ties to San Francisco were unclear. Public records suggested he may have relatives in the city. SF Standard | Mercury News

7.

Google’s quantum computing cooling system chills the device to 460 degrees below zero. (Erik Lucero / Google Quantum AI)

Google unveiled a mind-boggling advance in computational power on Wednesday. The New York Times reports:

“Google said its quantum computer, based on a computer chip called Willow, needed less than five minutes to perform a mathematical calculation that one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers could not complete in 10 septillion years, a length of time that exceeds the age of the known universe.”

8.

In March, a parcel of land in Tiburon sold at auction for $6,600 — an astonishingly low sum for the picturesque city on San Francisco Bay where the median home is around $3 million. The county offered up the property, a common area with a swimming pool for surrounding residents, after the neighborhood’s homeowner association failed to pay about $1,600 in taxes and penalties. Outraged, the association, which said it wasn’t notified before the auction, has demanded the property be returned. The buyer’s asking price: $1 million. Marin Independent Journal

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9.

Look toward eastern slopes of San Bruno Mountain on the San Francisco Peninsula in December and you’ll see a galaxy of giant illuminated five-point stars. The holiday display traces back to 1940, when Brisbane’s chamber of commerce gave out 20 free stars for residents to affix to their rooftops. The tradition caught on and over time became a part of Brisbane’s identity, so much so that it adopted the nickname “City of Stars.” To this day, the chamber gives out free stars to any resident who asks. KQED

See photos of Brisbane’s stars from past years. 👉 Smugmug

Southern California

10.

In the next few months, a huge, $2 billion solar and storage facility in the Mojave Desert is expected to start supplying 7% of Los Angeles’ electricity. The facility will join a mix of energy sources powering the West Coast’s largest city that include nuclear, wind, hydropower, and geothermal power. Columnist Sammy Roth argued that Los Angeles is doing it right:

“This is what every utility should be doing to fight the climate crisis: going big on solar and battery storage, while still investing in diversity — technological and geographic.” L.A. Times

11.

While the state’s Democrats position themselves to spearhead the country’s anti-Trump resistance, Huntington Beach’s leaders have formed what could be a bastion of MAGA resistance inside California. Last week, three new Republican members joined the City Council, meaning all seven seats are now held by members of the party. They marked the occasion by posing for a photograph in MAGA-style “Make Huntington Beach Great Again” hats, above. Councilmember Tony Strickland dubbed it the “MAGA-nificent 7.” SFGATE

12.

In 2023, the Dodgers stunned the sports world when it announced that Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s greatest two-way player, would be paid $700 million over 10 years. “Insane,” is how sports writer Will Leitch put it. But in the months that followed, a cascade of Japanese sponsorship deals rolled in: All Nippon Airways, Toyo Tires, Kowa, Daiso, and more. Ticket sales also surged. Some analysts now estimate Ohtani-related revenue to be in the range of $100 million a year. “It really transcended any of our plans,” said team president Stan Kasten. “It just did.” L.A. Times

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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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