Good morning. It's Thursday, Aug. 22.
Today's edition: 14 items, < 5 minutes

An anti-vaccine activist assaults a state lawmaker.

The government hides a report on risks to wildlife.

And the reinvention of California's last company town.

An anti-vaccine activist pushed state Sen. Richard Pan, the author of a bill that would restrict vaccine exemptions, in an attack he streamed himself live on Facebook. Then the activist, Kenneth Austin Bennett, said this: "If [Pan] got what he deserved, he would be hanged for treason, for assaulting children, for misrepresenting the truth." Bennett was arrested and cited for assault. Sacramento Bee | A.P.

Daniel Dahle is one of only two full-time physicians across a vast region of far Northern California. At 71, he's been delaying retirement for years. "He's a staple in our community," one local said. "He holds us all together."

California is facing a physician shortage. The government recommends 60 to 80 primary care doctors per 100,000 people. In remote parts the state, there are less than 40 — and it's expected to get worse. One reason: Loan-burdened medical students want higher-paying work. CALmatters

Federal officials suppressed a report that detailed how a plan to deliver more water to San Joaquin Valley farms would push endangered California salmon even closer to extinction. Struggling West Coast killer whales, which feed on salmon, would also be harmed. But the 1,123-page report was never released — and the team that wrote it was replaced. L.A. Times | Sacramento Bee

A study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that if California's biggest cities adopted so-called cool roofs — which bounce more sunlight back into space — it could offset increased heatwave exposure by half or more. It's a solution getting more attention as scientists predict that California cities will see double and triple the number of annual extreme heat days by 2050. Berkeley Lab

Police body cam footage surfaced showing a Fresno police officer pummeling a 17-year-old, seemingly without provocation, last January. "The video that I have reviewed certainly raises questions and raises concerns for me," Fresno's police chief said. The teenager, London Wallace, suffered a broken nose and was arrested for resisting arrest. Now he's suing. "He's a high school kid," his lawyer said. "He likes playing basketball. He's a nice, calm, timid person." Fresno Bee | KFSN

A developer wants to build 147 units of badly needed apartment housing for low-income seniors in south San Jose — and neighbors are trying to block it. The cited reasons are worries about crime and traffic. Mercury News

A Bay Area city planner is pushing a new idea for public consultation: Ditch public forums and get input from residents where they are. "The people whose voices are heard are wealthy homeowners," he said. "The voice that gets heard is the squeaky wheel." CityLab

San Francisco's crime problem has gotten so worrisome that Salesforce Tower, Ross Dress for Less, and other downtown businesses are paying millions of dollars to hire off-duty police officers as security guards. "It goes hand-in-hand with the homeless problem and the drug epidemic in the city," a retired officer said. S.F. Chronicle

The idea for a trail that forms a continuous, 500-mile ring around the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay was hatched back in 1986. Three decades later, 356 miles of the Bay Trail have been completed. Among the most whimsical stretches is in San Jose, where mysterious yellow doorways beckon visitors into nature. The Mercury News included the portals in its list of the "12 coolest Bay Area things you didn't know you could do." Mercury News

A Long Beach hotel cook was arrested after telling a colleague he planned to wreak havoc at his workplace. At his home, officers seized multiple high-powered firearms, 38 high-capacity magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and tactical gear. Officials said Rodolfo Montoya, 37, had clear plans and the ability to carry them out. Long Beach Post | Press-Telegram

At least 27 people have been arrested over threats to commit mass shootings since the El Paso and Dayton attacks. CNN

A deputy was wounded when a sniper took aim at the Lancaster station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, officials said. The deputy was struck in the upper body, which was protected by a bulletproof vest. A massive manhunt was underway for the suspect, who was believed to be holed up in a facility for people with mental health problems. L.A. Times | CNN  

Orange County school officials reopened an investigation into a group of high school students who were seen on video with their arms raised in a Sieg Heil salute. Since that video surfaced on Monday, several more videos of students engaged in hate speech have come to light. In them, students give Nazi salutes while on school grounds and goose-step with a German flag. Daily Beast | KABC

A hawk named Floyd has been trained to chase away pesky seagulls and pigeons from the grounds of a Laguna Beach resort. While falconry dates back thousands of years, only in the last decade or so has it become common for the birds of prey to be employed at California resorts, airports, and farms. "We are the winged security," one falconer said. "We are like the bird mafia." L.A. Times

"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."

Charles Bukowski, quoted above, was born in Germany, but he lived most of his life in Los Angeles, and made the gritty port city of San Pedro his final home. For years, international fans of Bukowski have made the pilgrimage to San Pedro and asked: Where is the monument to hard-living writer? There isn't one. But now, a quarter century after his death, the city is finally getting its act together with plans for a bronze statue. The Guardian | Daily Breeze

Pictured above is Scotia. Nestled along the banks of the Eel River in Humboldt County, it was California's last wholly owned company town, founded in 1863 to house the lumberjacks and mill workers who harvested the area's redwood forests.

The Pacific Lumber Company owned everything in Scotia: The grocery store, the churches, the barber shop, and the pastel saltbox homes, which were doled out to workers in accord with their rank.

It remained that way into the 2000s, when the Pacific Lumber Company spiraled toward bankruptcy. Since then, Scotia has been making the complex transition into a regular town.

A community services district was formed in 2011 to handle things like water and sewage. Then the town's 272 homes were prepared for sale. So far, 60 have been purchased at an average of around $230,000, said Frank Bacik, a land use lawyer who has been managing the transition. 

Among the buyers have been wildfire refugees and transplants from the Bay Area who have been drawn by the relative affordability and soaring natural beauty.

Another big attraction, Bacik told the Sun, is a community that seems frozen in a bygone era. Scotians sit on their porches and chat in the afternoons. There's no mail delivery, so neighbors see each other daily at the post office. Crime and graffiti are all but nonexistent.

"There's a saying in Scotia," he said. "You don't need to use your blinkers because everyone knows where you're going anyway."

An item in Wednesday's newsletter misstated the location of La Quinta Resort & Club. It's located about 30 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park, not within the park. 

Today's California Sun: An anti-vaccine activist assaults a state lawmaker, the government hides a report on risks to wildlife, and the reinvention of California's last company town.

Anti-vaxxer assaults lawmaker // Humboldt town frozen in time

Good morning. It's Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Today's edition: 14 items, < 5 minutes

Gay shopkeeper stands his ground in Mendota.

California's most beautiful national park hotels.

Do your friends get the Sun? Invite them to sign up!

President Trump is said to be enraged by California's pact with four automakers to oppose his rollback of auto emissions standards. Sources told the N.Y. Times that the administration summoned industry executives to the White House to press them to stand by the president's initiative. So far Honda, Ford, Volkswagen, and BMW have sided with California, and two more are expected to disregard the Trump proposal. "You get to a point where, if enough companies are with California, then what the Trump administration is doing is moot," an economist said. N.Y. Times

Responding to the Times report, Gov. Gavin Newsom called Trump's effort "pathetic." L.A. Times

California regulators knew homeowners in fire-prone areas were increasingly being dropped by insurers. Now there are statistics to prove it: More than 340,000 rural homeowners were dropped in four years. One expert said we are not far from a scenario where coverage for weather-related events simply becomes too expensive. "What happens then is the big question." Sacramento Bee | N.Y. Times

Homeowners say PG&E is going too far in its rush to cut back the forest to prevent wildfires. Redwoods near one man's home were stripped of limbs for 60 feet up their trunks. S.F. Chronicle

The U.S. Department of Education opened investigations into UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, and other universities over their use of female-only science programs. Many universities have offered scholarships and programs to women in an effort to redress gender imbalances in STEM fields. But some groups say they amount to sex discrimination against men. "We're not a society based on quotas," a critic said, "we're a society based on fairness." L.A. Times

Architectural Digest called The Oasis at Death Valley one of the world's 11 most beautiful national park hotels. Located just down the road from Zabriskie Point, it has spring-fed pools, horses for desert rides, and the world's lowest-altitude golf course. Also included in the top 11: La Quinta Resort & Club near Joshua Tree National Park. Architectural Digest

In Death Valley, the dunes literally groan with a sound akin to a Tibetan gong. Have a listen. National Geographic/YouTube

San Mateo is creating a sleeping barracks for its police force. Why? Officers have been forced by soaring housing costs to live so far away that they've been sleeping in their vehicles between shifts rather than driving home. Not helpful: San Mateo County has about 12 jobs for every one housing unit. S.F. Chronicle

A BART director is pushing to ban panhandling in the subway system — and not just the in-your-face style of solicitation. Buskers with a donation hat would be barred too. "In my mind, it comes down to: You're stuck in a railcar that's moving very fast, and there's nowhere you can go to avoid it," Director Debora Allen said. S.F. Chronicle | SFist

Are panhandlers getting rich? One survey found that the majority make less than $25 a day. SFGate.com

"No one else dresses like that here. He carries himself with confidence. I always shake my head a little and think, 'That dude is brave.'"

Far from the subcultures of San Francisco and Los Angeles, it can be hard to be gay in California. The L.A. Times profiled a gay shopkeeper who stands his ground in the hardscrabble Central Valley town of Mendota. By doing so, he's carving out a space for others. L.A. Times

Rep. Devin Nunes followed through on a vow to sue McClatchy, owner of the Fresno Bee, accusing it of a "scheme to defame plaintiff and destroy his reputation." Earlier this year, the Central Valley Republican launched a similar defamation lawsuit against Twitter, a Republican political strategist, and the authors of two parody social media accounts. He's also suing four Californians who challenged his credentials as a farmer. Fresno Bee

Silicon Valley executives, gripped by a crisis of conscience, are looking for answers at Esalen, the fabled laboratory of human potential on the Big Sur Coast. One puzzle: Are they the pariahs or the victims? "No CEO wants to go to sleep at night thinking, I built something that is causing massive psychological harm," one app maker said. New Yorker

San Francisco startup DoorDash vowed to change its ways after being exposed for pocketing workers' tips. Nearly a month later, they're still doing it. recode

“When the freeway went in, it cut off an ecosystem."

Southern California is planning a wildlife corridor across the U.S. 101 northwest of Los Angeles that will be the largest in the world — stretching 200 feet above 10 lanes of busy freeway. It will give mountain lions and other animals stuck in the Santa Monica Mountains a safe route to food and potential mates on the other side. Biologists hope it will help fend off extinction of species that require room to roam. A.P.

Fun fact: Mountain lions once ranged more extensively than any other mammal in the Western Hemisphere. That's why they have so many names — including puma, cougar, panther, and catamount. Mountain Lion Foundation

Wilfredo Vides was a gang intervention counselor, paid by a publicly funded nonprofit to keep kids out of gangs. But prosecutors say he was also an active MS-13 gang member who has now been accused of being a central figure in a series of brutal MS-13 killings across the San Fernando Valley. L.A. Times

"The Mountain," a magnificent Beverly Hills property with panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin, was once listed for an astronomical $1 billion. It was just auctioned off for $100,000. What happened? Any buyer would have had to bid at least $200 million to pay off the lender's debt on the property. None did. So it went to the lender — for 1/10,000th of a billion dollars. L.A. Times | Curbed Los Angeles 

"San Diegans File Lawsuit Against California's War on the Second Amendment"

"Governor Newsom and Other Democrats are Worsening the Housing Crisis"

"City Council Democrats Oppose Job-Creating Commercial Development"

Those are just some of the totally neutral headlines from San Diego News Desk, a recently launched news website. (According to the fine print, the publication is "paid for by the Republican Party of San Diego County.") S.D. Union-Tribune

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles native and newly signed Clipper, announced that he was teaming up with charitable partners to give away 1 million new backpacks. The recipients include every student in the Moreno Valley, Inglewood, and Los Angeles school districts. "This felt like the right way to get started," Leonard said. Sports Illustrated | CBSLA

An earlier version of this newsletter misstated the location of La Quinta Resort & Club. It's located about 30 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park, not within the park. 

Today's California Sun: Gay shopkeeper stands his ground in hardscrabble Mendota, property once listed for $1 billion sells for $100,000, and California's most beautiful national park hotels.

Being gay in the Central Valley // Beautiful national park hotels

Good morning. It's Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Today's edition: 14 items, ~4 minutes

More Orange County high schoolers give Nazi salute.

U.C. Irvine is ranked the best college in the nation.

And a legendary waterfall loop in the North state. 

California adopted one of the strictest rules in the country about when law enforcement officers can kill. Starting Jan. 1, officers may resort to deadly force only when deemed "necessary" to avert an imminent threat, rather than the old standard of "reasonable." "We are doing something today that stretches the boundaries of possibility," Gov. Gavin Newsom said. Yet several police agencies said the law simply codified policies already in place. Sacramento Bee | NPR

Wildfires in California have been surprisingly mild this year — so far. The acreage burned as of Sunday is down 90 percent compared to the average over the past five years and down 95 percent from last year. Experts have cited wet winters and cooler-than-average temperatures.  A.P. | Curbed San Francisco

California is using a novel approach in its war on wildfire: Deploying National Guard soldiers before the next disaster strikes, instead of after. Christian Science Monitor

The best university in the nation? U.C. Irvine, according to 19,000 data points on cost and quality. Setting it apart was its support for first-generation college students. A 2017 analysis by the N.Y. Times found that Irvine, followed by several other U.C. campuses, did more than any other university to provide access for low- and middle-income students. Money

A separate ranking named U.C. Berkeley the nation's top public university. Forbes

Mount Whitney was almost called "Fisherman's Peak." It was on this week in 1873 that three anglers from Lone Pine — Charley Begole, Johnny Lucas, and Al Johnson — completed the first recorded ascent of the Sierra Nevada summit, the highest peak in the lower 48 states. There was a push to change the name to "Fisherman's Peak," but the governor ultimately decided to keep the name of Josiah Whitney, the geologist who mapped the mountain a decade earlier. LonePinechamber.org

Last month saw another Whitney milestone: The youngest persons to climb the 14,505-foot peak. Matthew and Arabella Adams, pictured above, are 4-year-old twins. CBSLA | KABC 

Berkeley made a big stir when it became the first American city to prohibit natural gas in newly constructed buildings. But it almost certainly won't be the last. San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Petaluma are among the Bay Area cities looking to draft similar natural gas restrictions as a way to meet climate goals. San Francisco is looking at phasing in limits gradually. S.F. Chronicle

One player was cornered by the Camp Fire before driving himself through an inferno to safety. Another was told by his mother they were going to die. A third ran from the blaze carrying only his equipment bag. Nine months after the most destructive wildfire in California history, the Paradise Bobcats are starting an autumn training camp that is as much about healing as winning. L.A. Times

Megan Rapinoe, soccer star and pride of Redding, opened up about family friction over her opposition to President Trump. She said she thinks her father voted for him. "I don't get it," she said. "How are you simultaneously as proud as punch of me and watching Fox News all the time, [when they are doing] takedowns of your daughter?" Washington Post | The Guardian

The regulatory heat on Silicon Valley is intensifying. Citing anonymous sources, the Wall Street Journal reported that as many as 20 states are preparing to move forward with a joint antitrust investigation of big technology companies, expected to include Google, Facebook, and Apple. At issue: Whether they are using their marketplace power to stifle competition. Wall Street Journal | CNET

Here's Mossbrae Falls. Located in Northern California's Shasta-Cascade region, its spring-fed water seems to bleed out of a luxuriant moss-covered hillside. It's technically forbidden. An access trail cuts along an active railroad track. Even so, thousands of people each year take the risk. "It was the most beautiful experience of my life," a local official said of her first visit. Jefferson Public Radio | Outbound Collective

A legendary waterfall loop in the Shasta-Cascade region takes you to 13 epic falls in a single weekend. Active Norcal

A retired Cal State Fullerton administrator was fatally stabbed in a campus parking lot on the first day of the school year. Steven Shek Keung Chan, 57, was found with multiple stab wounds inside his car. A backpack with an incendiary device was discovered beneath the vehicle. The police said the attacker, who was still at large, appeared to have targeted the victim. O.C. Register | A.P.

A 2018 video surfaced showing a group of Orange County teenagers giving Nazi salutes as a German World War II-era song plays in the background. The students were members of the Pacifica High School boys' water polo team. School administrators said they addressed the situation without giving details. In March, another group of Orange County teens faced discipline after photos showed them playing beer pong with cups arranged in the shape of a swastika. Daily Beast | O.C. Register

The Central Coast has been among California's most water-depleted regions. So county officials approved a plan to blast silver iodide from planes into clouds to make it rain over Lopez Lake. It's called cloud seeding, and whether it works remains a subject of debate. The Tribune

A judge overturned the Los Angeles County sheriff's decision to reinstate a deputy who had been fired over domestic violence accusations. Sheriff Alex Villanueva set off howls of protest when he rehired Caren Carl Mandoyan, who served as Villanueva's personal driver during his election campaign. "The sheriff's decision to overturn Mandoyan's discharge substantially erodes public trust and confidence in the county’s law enforcement agency," the judge wrote. L.A. Times | LAist

The Los Angeles County Democratic Party supported Alex Villanueva's bid for sheriff. Now members are having second thoughts. L.A. Times

"Look at this! I love the colors. Rainbow is my favorite color."

"That's Trout? Swimming upstream, avoiding all the flies and sending one ricocheting through the universe!" 

"Woodstock. 50 years. '70s night. Full moons. Waterfalls. Exploding volcanoes. Baseball. White Sox and the Angels. Summertime. No rain on the horizon. Greg Gumbel. Sam Smith. David Axelrod. Wow."

Those are just a few real quotes from Bill Walton, basketball legend and lovable San Diegan, as he provided guest analysis during an Angels-White Sox game last Friday. Highlights of his commentary have been lighting up social media. MLB.com | NBC Sports

Today's California Sun: More Orange County high schoolers give Nazi salute, U.C. Irvine is ranked the best college in the nation, and a legendary waterfall loop in the North state.

More high schoolers Nazi saluting // A legendary waterfall loop

Good morning. It's Monday, Aug. 19.
Today's edition: 15 items, ~4 minutes

Remarkable wildlife revival across California.

How Santa Monica High School shaped Stephen Miller.

And the magic of the state's best swimming holes. 

California's job growth is now in its 113th month, the state's longest expansion since the 1960s. Not only that, the state has added an average of 29,200 jobs a month over that period, far more than the roughly 9,000 needed to keep up with its growing workforce. Year over year, California's job growth has outpaced the nation's, 1.8 percent to 1.5 percent. L.A. Times | A.P.

As federal policymakers push rollbacks of conservation laws, California has been a showcase of the power of wildlife protection. Populations of bears, elk, sharks, whales, eagles, and more are at their highest numbers in more than a century. "Certainly there are challenges," a wildlife official said, "but when you look close, it's just one terrific story after another." S.F. Chronicle

California legislators are pushing a law that would lock in environmental protections until the end of Trump's presidency. Sacramento Bee

Sign of the times: At least three leading Napa Valley wineries are planting experimental vineyards with grapes that thrive in warm climates. Why? Climate change has growers increasingly anxious about the future of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, the traditional lifeblood of the wine region. "There's going to come a point with Cabernet in Napa where you have it seared on the outside and completely raw on the inside," a winemaker said. S.F. Chronicle

Separately, a study predicted much more frequent "snow droughts" across the West within the next few decades. That's troubling news for water systems. National Geographic

Ships plying the West Coast are estimated to fatally strike more 80 whales annually. Now scientists are testing a new solution. They've lowered a listening station onto the floor of the Santa Barbara Channel that can hear whale calls and alert ships to slow down when a collision is looming. L.A. Times | A.P.

"The coast is a line, but a swimming hole is a dot on the map, a point in space and time." 

The N.Y. Times explored the magic of California's many swimming holes. The accompanying pictures are fantastic: From Southern California to Yosemite to Santa Cruz and Sonoma counties. N.Y. Times

Sacramento has filed a lawsuit to ban seven men considered to be a "public nuisance" from a popular business corridor. The lawsuit says the men are "drug users, trespassers, thieves ... and violent criminals" who are forcing the city to drain its police resources. A civil rights attorney's view: "This is a huge assault on civil liberties." Sacramento Bee | A.P.

The body of an experienced hiker who vanished during a solo trek in Northern California's Trinity Alps was found by rescuers after an intense five-day search. Officials said Daniel Komins, 34, appeared to have slipped and fallen on steep and rocky terrain. North Coast Journal | Sacramento Bee

Separately, an adventure photographer died in a paragliding accident in the Eastern Sierra. Cody Tuttle was 32. Outside magazine

In the 1960s, tiny shrimp were added to Lake Tahoe to help fatten up game fish. That triggered a chain reaction that has made the fish smaller and the lake's famed clear water increasingly murky. Turns out the shrimp dive too deep for many fish to eat them, and they feast on zooplankton that help keep the water clear. Now the lake has trillions of the invasive shrimp. Capital Public Radio

When San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid was completed in 1972, a lot of people hated it. A city planner called it an "inhumane creation" and warned of a "devastating effect of the tower on the fabric of the city." Now it's beloved — and for sale. For the first time in its history, the Transamerica building is seeking a buyer. Expected price: more than $600 million, with two smaller buildings included in the deal. Curbed San Francisco | SFist

Fun fact: The tip of the Transamerica Pyramid is made of glass. Here's a photo. SFGate.com

The great 1906 earthquake and fires destroyed roughly 28,000 buildings in San Francisco, wiping away much of its Victorian character. Here are a couple collections of photos of the more ornate architecture of the pre-quake city. Flickr | S.F. Chronicle

In a later wave of disruption, thousands of the city's Victorians were demolished to make way for high-rise developments. But preservationists saved as many as they could — by lifting the homes from their foundations and carting them off. A photographer captured the project. Timeline | Flickr

The L.A. Times published a four-part series, titled "The Street Within,” that follows the residents of a homeless encampment in Los Angeles as they transitioned from the streets into permanent housing. It included this fact: "Black people live on the streets of this city at a rate far greater than their share of the general population." An official study blamed "racism, discrimination, and unconscious bias in our public systems and institutions." L.A. Times

Rent control debates are having unintended consequences across Southern California. Worried that new tenant protections will be added, landlords have been preemptively raising rents to avoid getting trapped at below-market rates. "A lot of people are complacent and don't raise the rents year after year," the leader of a landlord group said. "Now they're scared." O.C. Register

The Washington Post and N.Y. Times both published profiles of Stephen Miller, the 33-year-old Trump adviser who has become a singular force behind the administration's immigration agenda. The Sept. 11 attacks unfolded at the start of Miller's junior year at Santa Monica High School, and became central to his political awakening. He waged a successful campaign to have the Pledge of Allegiance recited on a daily basis. "Osama bin Laden," he wrote in 2002, "would feel very welcome at Santa Monica High School." N.Y. Times | Washington Post

The former mayor of Palm Springs was indicted by a grand jury over accusations that he took $375,000 in bribes from real estate developers. Two developers were also charged. Steve Pougnet, who served as Palm Springs mayor from 2007 to 2015, faces up to 19 years in prison if convicted. Desert Sun | A.P.

Robert Redford, angel-faced actor and director, was born in Santa Monica on this week in 1936. He badly wanted the lead role in the 1967 film "The Graduate" but was rejected by the director, Mike Nichols, because he didn't think Redford could play a loser. According to Nichols, Redford said, "'Of course I can play a loser.' And I said, 'O.K., have you ever struck out with a girl?' and he said, 'What do you mean?'" Vanity Fair

As a test, this week I'm going to do between 12 and 15 items a day, instead of the usual hard 15. I want to see how it feels to vary the length depending on news. Feedback always welcome: mike@californiasun.co.

Today's California Sun: Remarkable wildlife revival across California, how Santa Monica High School shaped Stephen Miller, and the magic of the state's best swimming holes.

Remarkable wildlife revival // California's best swimming holes

Marathon cheating accusations and a tragic death.

Architectural treasures in Sea Ranch and Big Sur.

And living the California good life in Santa Barbara.

A survey last year found that 65 percent of voters thought Proposition 13 has been good for California. But four decades after the measure rolled back property tax assessments, voters also say they are ready to rethink the law. They're likely to get the chance next year. A proposed voter initiative would strip tax protections from commercial property. The L.A. Times's Sacramento bureau chief predicted "a political battle for the ages." L.A. Times | N.Y. Magazine

The N.Y. Times put California's debate over a high school ethnic studies curriculum on its front page. A Republican critic called the proposed education materials "progressive to the point of self-parody." An ethnic studies teacher who worked on the document said it aims to "honor students as young intellectuals." N.Y. Times

California's schools chief criticized lack of instruction on anti-Semitism in the curriculum. "There's no limit on groups who have experienced oppression," he said. L.A. Times | EdSource

California is poised to post a record $3.1 billion in licensed marijuana sales this year, making it the biggest legal market in the world, an analysis found. Still, it's dwarfed by the illegal market. Consumers are spending $3 in the black market for every $1 in the legal one. Among the reasons, according to sellers: high taxes and bans on cannabis stores in the majority of cities and counties. L.A. Times | A.P.

On June 23, Gov. Gavin Newsom said this: "The vast majority (of San Francisco's homeless people) also come in from — and we know this — from Texas. Just (an) interesting fact." That raised some eyebrows at PolitiFact, which truth-tested the comment. "In the end," they concluded, "we found Newsom made a ridiculous claim." PolitiFact

This Sea Ranch gem was designed by William L. Turnbull Jr., who helped pioneer the utopian community's natural aesthetic. It's the only Sea Ranch home listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Asking: $1.3 million. Curbed San Francisco

This Big Sur home has ridiculous views. Designed by the architect behind the famed Post Ranch Inn, it's wrapped in glass and perfectly perched above Garrapata State Beach. Yours for $6.9 million. Curbed

This midcentury post-and-beam in Pasadena was designed by Calvin Straub, a Case Study House architect. The U-shaped home underwent a thorough restoration with cork floors and walls of windows. Asking: $2.1 million. Curbed Los Angeles

The surveillance video is terrifying: A man violently attacking a woman outside her San Francisco apartment building. Yet when the suspect was brought before a judge days later, she let him go to await a Sept. 12 court date, a move the victim found incomprehensible. Now the mayor has weighed in: It was "clearly wrong," she said. "This man needs to be receiving mental health services under observation, not back out on the street." S.F. Chronicle | KPIX

Rep. Devin Nunes has faced criticism from Democratic groups for claiming to be a farmer. Now, for the first time in a decade, the Central Valley Republican reported in a financial disclosure that he owns a farm worth less than $15,000. "Either he had a tiny stake in this farm all along and he's been improperly filing financial disclosures," an ethics lawyer said, "or he bought a tiny, tiny farm this year in order to protect his reputation as a farmer in his district." McClatchy

Scooter companies have long pitched themselves as a means to democratize transportation. Scoot Networks, owned by Bird, made  "transportation for everyone" its stated mission. Yet the San Francisco company has literally drawn a red line around the poorer parts of the city like the Tenderloin and Chinatown. L.A. Times

On this week's California Sun Podcast, host Jeff Schechtman talks with Ariel Rubissow Okamoto, a Bay Area science writer who discusses the threat of the enlarging San Francisco Estuary. "The West Coast is going to suffer more from sea level rise than other coasts because of the way that the ice sheets are melting," she said. "So we're in the hot seat right now for the next 20 years. We need to really move fast to get people out of harm's way." California Sun Podcast

A United Nations observer on housing and homelessness has been touring the streets of San Diego. "It's as bad, if not worse, than I anticipated," she said. Especially galling, she said, are local laws aimed at the homeless. "The number of laws in place are really being used, in my opinion, to erase a population," she said. "It's a big claim, but I can't figure out the logic otherwise." S.D. Union-Tribune | KPBS

Frank Meza, a retired Los Angeles physician, was a devout runner who late in life began running marathons — and getting astonishingly fast times. Then doubts began to surface. They grew into amateur sleuthing, accusations, and in June, a front-page story in the L.A. Times that ran under the headline: "Is this 70-year-old marathon runner from East L.A. a record setter or a cheater?" Two weeks later, Meza was dead. He had jumped from a bridge onto the concrete bed of the L.A. River. L.A. Magazine

A woman who was caught on video dumping seven 3-day-old puppies into a recycling bin in the Coachella Valley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in the county jail. The case of Deborah Sue Culwell generated national media attention. The puppies were rescued by a passerby, but one of them died a week later. The authorities also impounded another 38 dogs found at Culwell's residence. Desert Sun | A.P.

"With its Mission-style facades and showy tropical foliage, Santa Barbara could be a commercial for the California good life."

The N.Y. Times gave the "36 Hours" treatment to Santa Barbara County, which it called surprisingly rural. Responding in comment threads, several locals gave their seal of approval to the suggested itinerary of vineyards, beaches, and markets. N.Y. Times

On this day 32 years ago, thousands of people tried to usher in world peace by unifying their souls. The Harmonic Convergence was said to be the first large-scale simultaneous multinational meditation in history.

It was the brainchild of José Argüelles, an art historian turned proselytizer of an eclectic philosophy drawn from Mayan and Aztec cosmology, the I Ching, the Book of Revelation, and more. Humankind, in his view, was thrown off kilter by adherence to the Gregorian calendar, resulting in war and depravity.

But according to Argüelles's cosmological calculations, Aug. 16-17 of 1987 offered a crucial window to correct Earth's "dissonances." If enough people meditated together, they would spare the planet a quarter century of calamity foretold in ancient writings.

While derided by scholars and members of the news media, the idea resonated with a generation of seekers riding the New Age wave of the 1980s. Harmonic Convergence celebrations were held at Mount Shasta, Mount Tamalpais, and other "power points" around the world, with much humming, drumming, and hand holding. Shirley MacLaine and John Denver took part. Johnny Carson had his audience chant "om."

Over the next few years, the Berlin Wall fell, dictatorship ended in Paraguay, and Taylor Swift was born, though it was unclear whether these events amounted to confirmation of a cosmic reboot. 

Argüelles believed it did. Later, as the 25-year cycle that began in 1987 winded down, he anticipated a new "galactic age" in which people would communicate by telepathy. But he didn't get the chance to welcome it. He died in 2011 while on retreat in the Australian bush. 

Argüelles's legacy lives on perhaps most brightly at U.C. Davis, where he taught art history. On the campus quad in 1969, he founded the Whole Earth Festival, whose musical vibrations now attract 30,000 people each year over Mother's Day weekend. N.Y. Times | Smithsonian

Five blurbs that got big views over the past week:

Underneath San Francisco is a network of old graffiti-covered tunnels. "Traversing large parts of [the city] entirely underground is not as difficult as you might think," one spelunker said. Sierrahartman.com | Thrillist

Here's an interactive map showing California schools with low vaccination rates. Red = not good. EdSource

Stretching 60 miles, the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway winds along sequoia forests, volcanic peaks, and alpine lakes. California's official tourism agency suggested a road trip with six stops. Visit California | Scenic4.org

A year after the Watts riots, LIFE magazine sent a photographer to revisit the scene of the devastation. He found a community still seething with resentments. Another theme: the stylishness of the young men. TIME | Considerable

The seaside hamlet of Trinidad enjoys an embarrassment of scenic riches. There are gorgeous beaches, abundant wildlife, and dramatic sea stacks, all nestled in the heart of old-growth redwood forest. S.F. Chronicle | VisitCalifornia.com

Today's California Sun: Tragic death after marathon cheating accusations, architectural treasures in Sea Ranch and Big Sur, and living the California good life in Santa Barbara.

Cheating accusations and a tragic death // Treasures in Sea Ranch and Big Sur

The fastest-warming counties in California.

Los Angeles’s priciest listing goes to auction.

And beguiling photos of San Francisco in the 1980s.

The Trump administration last month declined to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that its own experts have linked to serious health problems in children. Now California, the largest user of the chemical, is moving to ban it. "They have that same science," California's environmental chief said. "They have that same legal basis, and yet, based on what appears from the outside to just be politics, they've been foot-dragging." L.A. Times | The Week

California is fighting back against the federal government's proposal to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act. While wolf populations have recovered in parts of the continental U.S., only one pack frequents California. "Discounting California and other vital, historic habitats ignores science and the law," California's wildlife agency said. KQED

"Extreme climate change has arrived in America."

The Washington Post examined more than a century of temperature data to create a visualization of the country's fastest-warming places. Among them, Ventura County's average temperature has risen 2.6 degrees Celsius since 1895; Santa Barbara has risen 2.3C, and Los Angeles is up 2.3C. You can look up your own county. Washington Post

Scientists can't tell you when or where the next big earthquake will hit. But they can reasonably predict how possible scenarios could unfold. The L.A. Times worked with three USGS experts to create a searchable map that lets you view how 14 significant earthquake scenarios across California could impact your community. L.A. Times

Los Angeles's earthquake early warning app will now alert users to weaker shaking. The change followed complaints that two big July quakes didn't trigger alerts. A.P. | Curbed Los Angeles

Travel writer Tom Stienstra has called Independence Lake, above, "the prettiest lake most have never seen." Tucked in a deep forested canyon of the northern Sierra, the pristine lake has remained off the radar because its former owner largely blocked public access. Now managed by the Nature Conservancy, it's open year-round. Bonus: To make up for a ban on bringing in boats, the conservancy provides free loaner kayaks, inner tubes, and small motor boats. S.F. Chronicle | FS.usda.gov

Here are Stienstra's top 10 lakes in California. S.F. Chronicle

A 41-year-old man died after competing in a taco-eating contest at a minor league baseball game in Fresno, authorities said. A witness said Dana Hutchings appeared to be shoving tacos down his throat without chewing. Then, about seven minutes into the contest, he hit his face on the table and fell to the ground. Fresno Bee | A.P.

A Santa Rosa neurologist was arrested and charged with killing four patients by overprescribing opioids and narcotics. Investigators said Dr. Thomas McNeese Keller, 72, often prescribed the drugs — including Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, and morphine — at maximum dosages without a legitimate medical purpose. Press Democrat | A.P.

Santa Barbara County is making a run for California's cannabis capital. It's issued more cultivation permits — 843 — than any other county in the state. But the region's Santa Rita Hills also happen to be ideal for pinot noir, a notoriously finicky grape. And wine growers aren't thrilled about the new neighbors. NPR 

PG&E is warning that it may unilaterally shut off power to whole cities — including San Francisco and Berkeley — for as long as a week to avert the risk that its power lines could spark a fire during dry and windy weather. Critics cited the potential for severe consequences to businesses, first responders, and people with disabilities. "The financial incentive for the utility is to avoid liability," Sen. Scott Wiener said. S.F. Chronicle | Curbed San Francisco

A monitor found hundreds of cases in which PG&E contractors failed to trim trees that posed potential wildfire hazards. KQED

Photographer Janet Delaney moved into San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood in 1978. She gravitated there because it was blue-collar and cheap. As gentrification began in earnest, Delaney created a beguiling photographic record of the masons, blacksmiths, and artists of "old San Francisco." "Thirty years later," wrote WIRED, "her photos are especially poignant." JanetDelaney.com

The top watchdog of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is under criminal investigation — by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The inquiry is looking in part into whether the oversight agency unlawfully obtained internal records. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl called the investigation "bizarre." She added: "I think this is nothing but an intimidation tactic." L.A. Times

A 157-acre Beverly Hills parcel was listed for $1 billion last year, making it Los Angeles's priciest-ever real estate listing. It's drawn interest from Tom Cruise, Jeff Bezos, and others, but got no takers. Now the property known as "The Mountain" is set to be auctioned today, the Wall Street Journal reported, potentially bringing an end to a real estate saga that reads like it was scripted by Hollywood. Wall Street Journal | The Real Deal

Four women who have accused Danny Masterson of raping them opened a lawsuit against the actor, the Church of Scientology, and the church's leader, David Miscavige. The suit accuses the Masterson and the church of stalking, physical invasion of property, and conspiracy to obstruct justice, among other allegations. Speaking through his attorney, Masterson said he was being baited by an ex-girlfriend. "I will beat her in court," he said, "and look forward to it." Huffington Post | Hollywood Reporter

Today I learned: A solar plant in the California desert is notorious for incinerating birds mid-flight. The towers at the Ivanpah Solar Plant concentrate sunlight so powerfully that birds, and many more insects, are instantly cooked when they pass too close, leaving trails of white smoke in the sky. Workers call them "streamers." (Yes, there's video.) L.A. Times

Biddy Mason was brought to California as a slave in 1851. Then she became one of Los Angeles's wealthiest women. 

It was on this day in 1818 that Mason was born, most likely in Hancock County, Georgia. As a young woman she was enslaved by a Mississippi farmer named Robert Smith, a convert to Mormonism who joined his church's migration West in 1847. With Mason and her three children in tow, Smith went first to Utah, then the free state of California.

In time, Biddy became known to the small community of free blacks in Los Angeles, who convinced authorities to compel Smith to address the matter of Mason's status in court. The judge confirmed that she was free.

Mason found work assisting a doctor and midwifing hundreds of babies. She became known around town as "Aunt Biddy." By 1866, she had saved enough to buy a wood frame house on Spring Street, where she opened a day care and helped found the city's first black church. She also continued to invest in real estate, signing deeds with a flourished "X."

As her wealth grew, Mason became one of Los Angeles's great philanthropists. She sheltered needy settlers, made regular visits to inmates at the jail, and distributed groceries during a flood. By the 1880s, it was common to see a line of people seeking help at her gate. 

Mason died on Jan. 15, 1891, at the age of 72. Her fortune was estimated at $300,000 — about $8 million today. "It is not for this property," her lawyer said during a memorial, "but her sweet, helpful Christian character that Biddy Mason is remembered." Curbed Los Angeles

Miriam Pawel, Mike Davis, David Kipen, Audrey Cooper. The California Sun Podcast tells the state's story through interviews with its most fascinating personalities. Listen and subscribe.

Today's California Sun: The fastest-warming counties in California, Los Angeles’s priciest listing goes up for auction, and beguiling photos of San Francisco in the 1980s.

Extreme climate change arrives // Photos of San Francisco in the 1980s

Two counties sue to block Trump's green card test.

A view of California as an island unto itself.

And an impossibly beautiful hamlet in Humboldt. 

San Francisco and Santa Clara counties became the first to sue the Trump administration over a new rule that would deny green cards to migrants who use Medicaid, food stamps, and other public benefits. "This illegal rule is yet another attempt to vilify immigrants," San Francisco's city attorney said. "It makes it easier to unfairly target hard-working, lawful immigrants while sowing fear and confusion in our communities." N.Y. Times | Mercury News

Experts said the crackdown could hurt California's economy by prompting immigrants to forego public benefits: "That means fewer federal dollars coming into the state." L.A. Times

California and a coalition of 21 other states sued to block a Trump administration plan to gut Obama-era restrictions on coal-burning power plants. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the president was trying to rescue an outdated industry. "This is about generations that we are fighting for," he said. "This is about our kids and our grandkids. This is about clean air. This is about clean water. This is about endangered species." A.P. | Sacramento Bee

Many California police forces are eager to get their hands on facial recognition software. But lawmakers working to block the technology say it isn't ready for prime time. To prove the point, pictures of all 120 state legislators were run through a facial recognition program — and 26 were incorrectly matched with mugshots of criminals."I've heard of far too many cases of mistaken identity leading to arrests, in the worst cases death," one lawmaker said. Huffington Post | CNN

California lawmakers are poised to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement in high schools, the first in the nation. But critics have been alarmed by the proposed curriculum's association of capitalism with forms of oppression as well as its failure to discuss anti-Semitism. "To have a curriculum that has so much about various forms of racism and bigotry, and not have a single mention of anti-Semitism is extraordinary," a lawmaker said. Sacramento Bee | CALmatters

The proposed glossary is being called pedantic and impenetrable for high school teachers. Among the entries: hxrstory, cisheteropatriarchy, and misogynoir. L.A. Times

Two California cities added rent control measures as the state grapples with the affordability crisis. 

In Sacramento, an ordinance was approved limiting annual rent increases to 10 percent. One lawmaker called it "the most significant thing that any Central Valley city has done to stabilize the housing market." Sacramento Bee | Capital Public Radio

Culver City lawmakers capped annual rent increases at 3 percent, a "freeze" that will expire in one year. Officials said it would give them time to devise a more permanent form of rent control. LAist | L.A. Times

Today I learned: In the 17th and 18th centuries, California was depicted on world maps as an island. If the old maps committed an epic cartographic blunder, they also contained a kernel of truth, writer Rebecca Solnit argued. There is California's distinct identity, its isolating mountains and sea, its unique ecology. "There are so many important ways that California is a distinct and separate entity," she wrote. WIRED published 18 maps from when the world thought California was surrounded by water. WIRED

After weeks of public outcry, the San Francisco school board reversed a decision to destroy a historic school mural that depicts slavery and white settlers stepping over a dead Native American. During a tense meeting that including yelling and hissing, board members agreed instead to cover the mural with panels depicting "the heroism of people of color in America." S.F. Chronicle  | S.F. Examiner

The structures that once made Google Silicon Valley's happiest, most idealistic company are eroding. According to a deeply reported WIRED story, Google felt almost like a public works department, with perks, freedom, and lofty missions: "Over time, Google's leaders codified this radical culture and evangelized it to the outside world, as if Google had found a way to suspend the ordinary laws of management and commerce." WIRED

Also, Facebook has been paying hundreds of human contractors to listen to audio clips from its users and transcribe them. Bloomberg

A security researcher tried to prank California's DMV by getting a vanity license plate that reads "NULL." The hope was that it would confuse automatic license plate readers and the DMV's ticketing system. It did. When he tried to update his registration he got a surprise: $12,000 worth of other people's misentered tickets. Mashable | Gizmodo

Here's Trinidad. With fewer than 400 permanent residents, the tiny seaside hamlet in Humboldt County enjoys an embarrassment of scenic riches. There are gorgeous beaches, abundant wildlife, and sea stacks that stand offshore like fence pickets, all nestled in the heart of old-growth redwood forest. The drive from the Bay Area is a bit long to make a weekend trip worthwhile. But three days are enough to squeeze in the best of the region. Here are a couple suggested itineraries. S.F. Chronicle | VisitCalifornia.com

Los Angeles County supervisors voted to cancel a $1.7 billion contract to replace the Men's Central Jail downtown, even as Sheriff Alex Villanueva warned of potentially deadly consequences. Lawmakers cited a growing unease over whether enough attention is being focused on mental health treatment. "The contract with McCarthy Builders for a custody facility does not fit this board's vision of a care-first model," one supervisor said. The board chambers erupted in applause. Curbed Los Angeles | L.A. Daily News

The man suspected of killing a CHP officer during a traffic stop in Riverside was on the phone with his wife moments before the killing, telling her he didn't want to go to jail, she told the Press-Enterprise. Aaron Luther, 49, had a rifle he was barred from owning because he had a felony, she said. "Maybe it was suicide by cop," she said, crying. “He wasn’t out to kill cops." KTLA | Press-Enterprise

A memorial fund has been set up for Andre Moye Jr., the slain officer. CAHP Credit Union

Francine Salazar, 10, was killed abruptly last week when police say a driver blew through a stop sign in Tulare County, hitting her family's vehicle. Her family shared video of the emotional "honor walk" as Francine was wheeled down a hospital hallway lined with doctors, nurses, and loved ones to donate her organs. ABC30/Facebook 

Today's California Sun: Two counties sue to block Trump's green card test, a view of California as an island unto itself, and an impossibly beautiful hamlet in Humboldt.

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