“It’s amazing how destructive just one pig can be.”

The feral pigs ripping up parks and killing native fauna across California are not native to this continent. They descend from mingling domestic breeds with wild boars brought by Spanish missionaries in the 1700s. Some biologists call them “super pigs” — able to produce up to four litters per year. Susanne Rust wrote about California’s losing battle against what she described as a bands of “roving rototillers.” L.A. Times

A Los Angeles court struck down a 2020 California law that required corporations to diversify their boards with members of “underrepresented” communities, defined as Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, or LGBT. Judge Terry Green declined to explain his reasoning, but in one hearing he characterized the legislation as “a bit arbitrary.” Another lawsuit is challenging a state law requiring female corporate directors. A.P. | Reuters

Get ready for another hot week. Meteorologists said an early April heat wave would push temperatures well above normal across California, peaking on Thursday and Friday with highs in the 80s along the coast and approaching triple digits inland. San Diego was forecast to hit 90; Palm Springs, 98; Modesto, 97; and San Francisco, 84. KABC | Sacramento Bee

The heat is bad news for California’s mountain snow. Updated measurements showed the Sierra snowpack, a crucial source of crop and tap water, at a mere third of normal. Washington Post | A.P.

Salvation Mountain has been called a national treasure or just plain crazy. The psychedelic swirl of mud, hay, and thousands of buckets of paint near the Salton Sea was the life’s work of an eccentric from Vermont named Leonard Knight, who was compelled to spread the word of Jesus. The L.A. Times included a stop at Salvation Mountain in a list of six last-minute road trip ideas across California.

“You could see people were dropping to the ground.”

Sacramento police said they were searching for at least two people who opened fire around 2 a.m. Sunday outside crowded bars in downtown Sacramento, killing six people and wounding 12. The authorities pleaded with the public to come forward with tips and videos that could help find the suspects. They disclosed no possible motive. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg lamented “a sickness in our culture.” Gov. Gavin Newsom called the killings “horrendous.” President Biden said America was in mourning. They and others issued familiar calls for more gun control. KCRA | Sacramento Bee | A.P. | L.A. Times

Among the dead was Sergio Harris, a father of three. His wife, Leticia Fields, stood in the morning cold Sunday, tears rolling down her face. “I haven’t told our 11-year-old yet,” she said. S.F. Chronicle

The barrage of more than 70 gunshots erupted right after a street brawl. Several videos posted to social media captured the panic as shots rang out. 👉 YouTube | Reddit | @OsintUpdates

Apple has been quietly mobilizing its vast resources to lobby against legislation targeting gay and transgender people in at least nine states, strategizing with policymakers and filing court briefs. Progressive groups have celebrated the company as standing on the right side of history. In Iowa, Apple was the only business to report lobbying against a ban on transgender girls in girls’ sports; critics have accused it of imposing Silicon Valley values where they don’t belong. Politico

Mothers of people addicted to fentanyl are putting up a colorful billboard aimed at tourists in San Francisco’s Union Square shopping district. It reads: “Famous the world over for our brains, beauty and, now, dirt-cheap fentanyl.” Jacqui Berlinn, the co-founder of Mothers Against Drug Deaths, said the aim was to use tourism, a key to the city’s economy, to force a crackdown on open-air drug markets. S.F. Chronicle | SFist

“Almost everything you’ll read in the mainstream press is wrong.” In a viral tweet thread, a public defender challenged the narrative of pervasive crime in San Francisco. @petercalloway

In 1976, three men ambushed a school bus full of children in the Central Valley town of Chowchilla, then held the captives in a box truck buried in a quarry as part of a ransom plot. Now, 46 years later, the last of the kidnappers still behind bars has been recommended for parole. Among those supporting his release is Larry Park, a survivor who was 6 years old at the time of the kidnapping. He struggled for decades, Park said, but he made a decision to forgive and no longer live in bitterness. USA Today

The implosion of Eric Garcetti’s nomination to serve as Indian ambassador is looking increasingly likely. The office of Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, has now privately acknowledged that the Los Angeles mayor lacks the votes for confirmation after allegations that Garcetti ignored sexual harassment complaints in his office spilled into public view. Axios

One out of every five community college students in California has faced homelessness while in school. Long Beach City College took the drastic step last year of opening a parking lot where students living in their cars could park. “I know some people will probably look at [the program] and say, ‘Why don’t you try to find these student homes?’ But it’s not that easy,” said one student who slept in her car. It was helpful, she said, “just to have that stepping stone: ‘You’re safe for now.'” The Guardian

“As America runs on Dunkin’, Los Angeles runs on speed.”

In December 2020, prescriptions for Adderall in the U.S. soared from about 3 million a month to nearly 3.5 million — and stayed there. Evidence suggests that the pandemic drove more parents into psychiatrist offices as their children struggled with remote learning. “They know the other kids are taking it and they don’t want them having an advantage,” said Stephanie Zisook, a psychiatrist in Westwood. “Parents are crazy.” Los Angeles Magazine

“It’s like the hill is on fire.”

This year’s rainfall may have been paltry, but plenty of springtime wildflowers have still come alive at the Antelope Valley poppy reserve in Southern California. KABC | L.A. Daily News

Some recent views. 👇