Good morning. It’s Thursday, June 9.
- San Francisco ousts its progressive district attorney.
- Forecast calls for most intense heat wave of the year so far.
- And a long-tailed weasel’s unlikely journey into the city.
Please note: Today’s newsletter has a refreshed look. I’m sending this new version as part of a test to a segment of my longest subscribers — which includes you. I’d be grateful for any feedback you can share. (Please note your email provider and the device you are using): mike@californiasun.co.
Election 2022
1
Chesa Boudin is out.
Early returns in the Tuesday recall election showed that 60% of voters wanted to remove San Francisco’s district attorney just two and a half years into his four-year term. Several polls foreshadowed the result, yet it was a stunning fall for Boudin, 41, a former public defender and son of political radicals who embodied a surging progressive movement to reduce mass incarceration. Narrowly elected amid the fervor of Black Lives Matter, he faced a backlash from residents upset by property crime and open drug use. S.F. Chronicle | KQED
2
Rick Caruso, a billionaire real estate developer, and Rep. Karen Bass will square off in a November runoff to become mayor of Los Angeles. Both candidates pulled far ahead of the rest of the field, while Caruso, with 42% of the vote, held a lead of several percentage points over Bass, once seen as the frontrunner. Speaking to supporters, Caruso sounded a note of optimism. “We are not helpless in the face of our problems,” he said. “We will not allow this city to decline.” L.A. Times | N.Y. Times
3
Results from other key races, in which the top two vote-getters face off in the November general election regardless of party affiliation:
- Gov. Gavin Newsom dominated a field of scarcely known challengers, setting up a runoff with Brian Dahle, a Republican state lawmaker and farmer from Lassen County. Newsom’s 57% win on Tuesday did not bode well for Dahle’s chances. KQED | A.P.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta also advanced easily, as two Republicans battled for the second spot. Anne Marie Schubert, the Sacramento County district attorney who had strong support from law enforcement, trailed badly with just 8% of the vote. Sacramento Bee | CBS13
- Also moving forward: Sen. Alex Padilla, who will face Mark Meuser, a Republican lawyer; Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who failed to reach a 50%-plus-one threshold needed to avoid a runoff; and Lanhee Chen, a Republican candidate for state controller. McClatchy | L.A. Times | KTLA
See full results for California’s statewide races.
Find local results for San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles County, the Bay Area, Sacramento County, and other counties.
Statewide
4
The most intense heat wave of the year so far is expected to bake California and the West this week, peaking on Friday. Caused by a meteorological phenomenon known as a heat dome, temperatures were forecast to soar into triple digits across much of the state’s interior, with highs in the 80s and 90s near the coast. Officials issued a flurry of health and fire warnings. The National Weather Service in Sacramento put it this way: “Heat like this only happens a few times each year.” CNN | SFGATE
5
Cool off without the crowds. Californiabeaches.com compiled a solid list of the state’s best hidden beaches. Included is Seal Cove in Moss Beach, reached through an enchanting cypress tree tunnel. 👇
6/12
After two years of drought and the driest start to a year since the late 19th century, coastal Southern California increased its water usage by 26% in April, data released on Tuesday showed. Statewide, urban residents used 17.6% more water than during the same period in 2020, the first year of the current drought. Peter Gleick, of the Pacific Institute, said officials have failed to convey the seriousness of the crisis. “We’re in unprecedented conditions historically, and that does hint that maybe our responses ought to be unprecedented as well,” he said. L.A. Times | Courthouse News Service
Northern California
7/12
In a sign of how dire the heroin scourge has become along California’s North Coast, a local rapper has released a catchy new track called “Orange Cap City,” offering the nickname for Eureka in reference to the orange syringe caps discarded by addicts. “If you visit, watch where you’re walkin’, might step on a needle,” the performer known as Hiway raps. In Humboldt County, the opioid death rate has been roughly triple the state average over the five-year period ending in 2020. Lost Coast Outpost
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Southern California
8/12
Democratic allies close to Mayor Eric Garcetti warned Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona that he could find himself cut off from donor networks if he declined to back Garcetti’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to India, according to unnamed sources cited by Politico. Kelly, who frequently raises funds in Southern California, was infuriated by the outreach. Jacob Peters, a spokesman for Kelly, noted that the senator served as a combat pilot in Iraq, adding, “so there’s a zero percent chance he’d be intimidated by this.” Politico
9/12
Lake Gregory, tucked in a forested park in the San Bernardino Mountains, lacks the name recognition of Big Bear or Arrowhead. But regulars say the getaway an hour or so east of Los Angeles is every bit as blissful, with fishing, kayaking, hiking, and a giant inflatable water park. Danny Jensen, author of the book “Secret Los Angeles,” said Lake Gregory feels straight out of a classic summer movie. KCET
Below, a few photos.
12/12
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The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
Please tell us how we can make the newsletter better. Email mike@californiasun.co.
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