Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Aug. 30.
- Forecast calls for longest and hottest heat wave of year.
- Lawmakers approve bill to create fast-food labor council.
- And Jack Black yells “Do a kickflip!” at Los Angeles skaters.
Statewide
1.
“A lot of records are forecast to either be tied or broken.”
Meteorologists predicted the hottest and longest heat wave of the year as temperatures climb through the week then peak over Labor Day weekend. A sampling of predicted highs for Sunday: 104 degrees in Santa Rosa; 110 in Modesto; 108 in Paso Robles; and 100 in Los Angeles. It should make for great beach weather, but emergency officials are bracing for a surge of heat-related illness and wildfire risk. Washington Post | L.A. Times
2.
State lawmakers are engaged in frenetic negotiations as the legislative session nears its scheduled adjournment on Wednesday. Some notable bills headed for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk:
- A landmark bill approved on Monday would create a government panel to set wages for fast-food workers. Debate split along party lines, with Republicans opposed. A.P. | Sacramento Bee
- Because businesses generate more property taxes than homes, local governments are often reluctant to rezone vacant commercial areas for housing. Two new bills would allow residential developers to bypass those zoning laws. L.A. Times | CalMatters
- Other measures would subject doctors to punishment for spreading false information about Covid-19, give farmworkers the right to vote by mail in union elections, and make kindergarten mandatory for children.
3.
In 2018 and 2020, overwhelming majorities of California voters rejected rent control measures at the ballot box. But that hasn’t dampened enthusiasm for such policies among local leaders across the state. Among the cities that have set new limits on rent increases or placed measures on their November ballots: Richmond, Antioch, Pasadena, Oxnard, Pomona, Santa Ana, Santa Monica, and Bell Gardens. L.A. Times
4.
Last year, more than half of California’s Republican congressional delegation co-sponsored a bill that would establish a right to life at every stage of prenatal development, “including the moment of fertilization.” But since the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade in June, the representatives have been quiet on the issue. Reps. Michelle Steel, Mike Garcia, and David Valadao — all facing competitive races — declined or ignored a reporter’s interview requests. L.A. Times
Northern California
5.
Thousands of dead fish, including sharks and sturgeon, have been piling up after an algal bloom spread across the San Francisco Bay. As of Monday, an estimated 10,000 fish deaths were reported in Oakland’s Lake Merritt alone. San Francisco Baykeeper speculated that treated wastewater helped the algae grow. “From a fish’s point of view, this is a wildfire in the water,” said Jon Rosenfield, a scientist with the group. S.F. Chronicle | Oaklandside
6.
A 12-year-old boy shot a 13-year-old classmate at a school in Oakland on Monday, police said. The reason for the shooting was unclear, but Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong told reporters that the suspect initially fled before being taken into custody. An eighth grader who was identified as a friend of the victim told KTVU that the boy was shot in the stomach. He was said to be in stable condition. KTVU | A.P.
7.
San Francisco’s struggling art market is getting increasingly overshadowed by the vibrant scene in Los Angeles. The Gagosian Gallery closed in San Francisco last year, and Pace will close its Palo Alto gallery next month. The San Francisco Art Institute recently shut its doors after 150 years. “When I opened my gallery in the ’90s, San Francisco was an arts destination,” said Karen Jenkins-Johnson. She’s now planning to move her gallery to Los Angeles. N.Y. Times
8.
“SF became a gay Mecca because marines found to be gay got discharged largely at our port.”
“Chinese Fortune Cookies were invented in San Francisco and originally were Japanese, not Chinese.”
“SF is the only city in California where rents get cheaper the closer you get to the beach.”
In a San Francisco discussion group on Reddit, locals answered the prompt: What is a fact about San Francisco that sounds made up but is true? Reddit
Southern California
9.
A judge on Monday ordered three City Councilmembers removed from office in Mission Viejo, a stunning move that came after a resident accused the council of illegally extending their terms. The lawmakers — Ed Sachs, Greg Raths, and Wendy Bucknam — were elected to two-year terms in 2018. But in 2020, their terms were changed to four years while officials worked to implement a new voting system. Voice of OC | O.C. Register
10.
In a profile titled “Meghan of Montecito,” Meghan Markle talked about her life on the Central Coast — Harry found a polo team in Santa Barbara — and her strained relationship with the royals. She also lashed out at the British press: “Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child? You tell me how that makes sense and then I’ll play that game.” The Cut
11.
Shouting “Do a kickflip!” at skaters from a car window has become the equivalent of yelling “Freebird!” at guitarists. In a recent video, an infectiously joyful Jack Black belts out made-up songs as he cruises around Los Angeles in search of skaters he can try to convince to do a kickflip. It’s impossible to watch without smiling. 👉 YouTube (~10 mins)
12.
In America’s car capital, Los Angeles, the stars of the road are the lowriders, supercars, and antiques. The photographer Spencer Starnes was drawn to another corner of the region’s automobile culture: the work trucks of Hollywood. See a few images from his ongoing project below. 👇
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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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