Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Oct. 16.
- Avian flu tears through the Central Valley dairies.
- Police say renowned photojournalist was killed by son.
- And the Kafkaesque experience of getting towed in L.A.
Statewide
1.
California has been gearing up for battle in the event that a Donald Trump administration tries to dismantle its climate laws. But Trump may have already won, Politico reported. No matter who wins the White House, the Supreme Court is now stacked with appointees hostile to climate regulation. Industry leaders have vowed to challenge California’s rules through the courts even if Vice President Kamala Harris wins. “They’re getting sued no matter what, is kind of the end result,” said Matt Schrap, a truck industry spokesman. Politico
2.
Avian flu has torn through dairies across California’s San Joaquin Valley and is spreading north, officials said. To date, the virus has infected 105 California herds, up from just a few known cases in August, according to the Department of Agriculture. While not deadly in cattle, the flu causes loss of appetite, dehydration, and fever. The financial losses associated with sick cattle can be crippling, said Anja Raudabaugh, of Western United Dairies. If farms were already struggling, she added, “I don’t see them coming through this.” GV Wire
- Among those infected in California are at least six humans, all of whom had contact with cows. Public health officials say there is no evidence that the virus spreads easily among humans. Reuters | USA Today
3.
The veteran columnist Dan Walters accused the governor of political theatrics on gas prices:
“Gov. Gavin Newsom has been gaslighting Californians about gas prices for the last couple of years, bypassing the simple fact that taxes and other mandated costs are key factors in high prices and insisting that refiners are gouging motorists. He never offered proof — nor have legislators insisted that he provide it — before enacting new laws that he says will prevent price spikes.” CalMatters
4.
In April, organizers announced the cancellation of the Skull & Roses festival in Ventura just 10 days before its start date. In June, the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in Boonville was cancelled. Also called off this year: WinterWonderGrass Tahoe, Desert Daze in Lake Perris, and the Lucidity Festival in Santa Barbara. Whether because of shifting tastes, economic pressures, or both, festivalgoers are waiting longer to commit to plans and buying fewer tickets when they do. SFGATE investigated the bursting of California’s music festival bubble.
5.
As photographic subjects, California’s homeless are often presented as emblems of societal dysfunction. In portraits made by South African photographer Pieter Hugo, people living on the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco appear at times tormented and beaten down, but also more than that: They are vibrant, stylish, beautiful. See selections from Hugo’s newly published project, “Californian Wildflowers.” AnOther magazine | PieterHugo.com
- Hugo’s photos are now on view through Nov. 9 at the Jonathan Carver Moore gallery in San Francisco.
Northern California
6.
The California Republican Party has backed Denise Aguilar, an Assembly candidate in the Central Valley, despite her being identified as a participant in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol siege. Now video has surfaced that shows Aguilar pushing an antisemitic conspiracy theory in which “the Rothschilds” secretly control PG&E and hide trafficked children by the thousands in tunnels under Sacramento. “You’re not going to find this on CNN,” she said. The party did not respond to a reporter seeking comment on Tuesday. Sacramento Bee
7.
In a move that surprised political observers, San Francisco’s hometown newspaper spurned Mayor London Breed with an endorsement of challenger Daniel Lurie, a political newcomer and Levi Strauss heir. Breed’s shortcomings, the Chronicle’s editorial board wrote, have included “waffling” on fentanyl overdoses and “getting caught flatfooted” on the evisceration of the city’s tax base. Supporting Lurie is a risk, the board acknowledged: “But if you genuinely think San Francisco would benefit from a change, as we do, then Lurie is a risk worth taking.” S.F. Chronicle
8.
In 2022, a leaked slide deck showed what appeared to be plans to turn a historic Tahoe ski area, known as Homewood, into a private members-only resort. Enraged, local businesses and residents formed a coalition to keep Homewood open to the public. Then, last Friday, the resort announced that it would not open this winter, citing financial pressures. During a community meeting over the weekend, residents reacted with dismay. “At this point, you’re up against a Goliath,” said Maryann Ernst. “They can do this all day long.” S.F. Chronicle | KCRA
Give something they’ll open every day.
Give the gift of the California Sun.
Southern California
9.
A Santa Monica College employee shot a coworker on campus Monday then died of a self-inflicted gunshot after being cornered by police on Tuesday, authorities said. The suspect was identified as Davon Dean, 39, who had a history of contacts with law enforcement, including a 2011 arrest on suspicion of attempted murder that did not lead to a conviction. The victim, a custodial operations manager, was in critical condition, officials said. A student who heard gunshots on campus recounted fleeing in panic. “I was running in my socks,” he said. “I left my laptop upstairs, my cash, everything.” Santa Monica Daily Press | KABC
10.
A man who authorities said was fatally stabbed by his 19-year-old son near a popular waterfall in the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday was identified as Paul Lowe, a renowned British war photographer. Lowe was best known for his work from the 1992 siege of Sarajevo and published widely in outlets including Newsweek, Life, and The Sunday Times Magazine. In an Instagram post, the prestigious VII Photo Agency called him “a courageous and beloved comrade.” Emir Lowe was charged with murder. The Guardian | KTLA
11.
Some residents of the street where Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff share a home in Los Angeles are so fed up with the annoyances surrounding her presence that they have discussed moving if she wins in November. Protesters commonly crowd the street, chanting slogans and blocking cars. When Harris is in town, said one resident, “We have to go through security. The street becomes one-way. If she’s about to leave or enter, we have to wait outside 45 minutes.” L.A. Times
12.
When the adult daughter of columnist Mary McNamara had her car towed, she spent the next six hours playing phone-tag with government agencies trying to locate the vehicle. Directed to the LAPD website Official Police Garages, she was informed that she used up all of her allotted chances to locate a vehicle in a 24-hour period. She would be unable to check again until the next day. That was just the start of a Kafkaesque odyssey that would bring her to tears, McNamara wrote. L.A. Times
Get your California Sun T-shirts, phone cases, hoodies, hats, and totes!
Thanks for reading!
The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
Make a one-time contribution to the California Sun.
Give a subscription as a gift.
Get a California Sun mug, T-shirt, phone case, hat, or hoodie.
Forward this email to a friend.
Click here to stop delivery, and here to update your billing information. To change your email address please email me: mike@californiasun.co. (Note: Unsubscribing here does not cancel payments. To do that click here.)
The California Sun, PO Box 6868, Los Osos, CA 93412
Wake up to must-read news from around the Golden State delivered to your inbox each morning.