Good morning. It’s Thursday, Sept. 19.
- Troubled officers collect pensions in secret deals.
- Poll shows wide support for tougher crime penalties.
- And CEQA lawsuit threatens Alameda charity project.
Statewide
1.
In 2016, the Ventura Police Department demoted an officer, Josh Young, for lying in a police report. He responded by taking paid injury leave, claiming in part that the punishment left him too traumatized to work. Legal obstacles prevented the department from firing Young. So instead, it got him to retire by agreeing to clear his record and go along with the injury claim. Young has been collecting an annual $64,000 disability pension ever since. The San Francisco Chronicle uncovered numerous cases of disability pension abuse across California law enforcement.
2.
A new poll found runaway support among Californians for Proposition 36, a ballot initiative that would boost penalties for drug and theft offenses, unraveling the landmark 2014 measure Proposition 47. Despite fierce opposition from Democratic leaders worried about a return to mass incarceration, 71% of voters endorsed Prop. 36, the highest level of support among this year’s slate of 10 ballot measures, according to the survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. Support among Republicans was 85%; Democrats: 63%. Politico | Mercury News
3.
Hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced legislation banning deepfake political ads, the creator of a viral video that manipulated the voice of Vice President Kamala Harris sued, arguing that the law censors free speech. Newsom cited the video as an example of the sort of content the law would prohibit, even though its creator, Christopher Kohls, labeled it “parody.” “[Kohls] has an absolute Constitutional right to lampoon politicians he believes should not be elected,” his complaint argued. S.F. Chronicle | A.P.
4.
Rookie lawmakers in California’s capital learn an unwritten rule in the business of writing new laws: transparency is poor form. When David Alvarez, a first-term assemblymember from the San Diego area, talked about his bill during an open hearing this summer, he was admonished by another legislator. “We don’t negotiate amendments from the dais … I just don’t think it’s appropriate,” explained State Sen. Dave Min. CalMatters wrote about how California laws are negotiated: “in secret with lobbyists.”
5.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said Wednesday that it would not endorse a presidential candidate, a blow to the Democratic Party, which has relied on the group’s backing for years. The Teamsters cited internal polling that showed most of its 1.3 million members favored former President Trump. But minutes after the announcement, the Teamsters’ West Coast councils representing California, Nevada, and Hawaii broke ranks, backing Vice President Kamala Harris. Other locals followed suit, including those in Michigan and Wisconsin. Politico | N.Y. Times
6.
Roughly three out of five California community-college students are considered housing insecure. Yet legislative efforts to create safe parking options for students living in their cars have failed in the face of opposition from colleges worried about liability and cost. For Brad Butterfield, a Cal Poly Humboldt senior who lives in an RV, the result is a life on the run. Unable to stay on campus, he parks on the streets of Arcata, which requires him to move every 72 hours. “We don’t need, nor ever asked for, bathrooms, showers or security,” he said. “All we need is a place to park overnight.” CalMatters
Northern California
7.
Earlier this year, Alameda Food Bank, which feeds around 1,200 families per week, secured the perfect place to create a permanent home after years of operating out of an old naval hangar: a parking lot across the street. It won approvals from city staff to construct an 18,000-square-foot market and offices. But two residents have now imperiled the project with a lawsuit filed under CEQA, the environmental law that critics say is often abused by NIMBYs. Plaintiff Tod Hickman, who owns a nearby winery, insisted that he supports the food bank. “This location is a historic parking lot,” he explained. KRON | Alameda Post
8.
In Sonoma County, supporters of a November ballot measure to ban factory farming say they are taking a stand against harm to animals and the environment. But many restaurateurs who espouse ethical farming practices oppose the measure. Naomi Crawford of Petaluma’s Lunchette said shutting the farms down would force restaurants to source foods from farther away. “I don’t think legislation should be written by special interest groups,” she said. “I think legislation should be written collectively or cooperatively by stakeholders so that the outcome of the measure is a win-win for all involved.” Press Democrat
9.
All seven independent directors of the DNA-testing company 23andMe, once one of the hottest startups in the world, resigned on Tuesday. The Bay Area company’s valuation has plummeted from more than $6 billion in 2021 to just $7 million today. Explaining the unusual exodus, the directors said they differed with founder and Chief Executive Anne Wojcicki on the “strategic direction for the company.” Her latest plan to revive the company: prescribing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Wall Street Journal | S.F. Chronicle
10.
Mason Padilla is your 2024 USA Mullet Championship teen winner. The 14-year-old from Fremont impressed the judges with his 20-inch locks, grown for four years, which he dubbed “The West Coast Wave.” Padilla said he began his journey to mullet glory in 2019 after watching the cult comedy “Joe Dirt.” At one point, he shaved his head in response to the taunts of some classmates. But after some soul-searching, he hopped back on the mullet train and never looked back. Mercury News
Southern California
11.
Disasters in the San Bernardino Mountains have placed the region at the center of California’s insurance crisis. No place has a higher percentage of homeowners forced into using the state’s costly FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort. Still, many residents say they’ll never leave. Brian Gomez, 49, said he likes to watch the bright blue jays flit among the pine trees from the deck of his four-bedroom home in Running Springs. “I was born to be in the mountains,” he said. N.Y. Times
12.
The International Photography Awards announced their 2024 winners, and the curious geography of Los Angeles was featured in a winning shot of the “Architecture — Industrial” category. Brandon Yoshizawa captured the skyline after one of the largest snowstorms in decades buried the surrounding mountains in deep snow in February, 2023. He used a telephoto lens to compress the landscape from an oil refinery in Torrance to the downtown skyline and the distant whitened San Gabriels. IPA | My Modern Met
- Other honorees: Salton Sea moonrise, pastel Southern California, and geometric San Francisco.
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