Good morning. It’s Monday, June 27.
- Crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics.
- A deal to provide up to $1,050 to California families.
- And 21 incredible Airbnb cabins worth bookmarking.
Please note: You’ll notice today’s newsletter has a refreshed look. I’d be grateful for any feedback: mike@californiasun.co. (The missing “Open in browser” link is a known issue that will be fixed).
Roe ruling
1.
California is home to a quarter of the nation’s abortion clinics. Yet they are still outnumbered by crisis pregnancy centers, facilities designed to draw in pregnant women considering abortion and dissuade them from getting one. Critics say the centers exist to spread misinformation. But activists are hoping to expand their role as state bans drive more patients across state lines. California Democrats have “made it easy for women to get abortions,” said Karen England, president of the anti-abortion Capitol Resources Institute. “I don’t know why they’re not satisfied with that and why they now are afraid of women choosing life and giving them another option.” S.F. Chronicle
Vandals smashed windows and spray-painted anarchist symbols at a pregnancy center in Paso Robles, police said. KSBY
2.
“This is a losing issue for Republicans.”
While many Republican leaders publicly delighted in the toppling of Roe v. Wade, party strategists acknowledged that the issue poses a risk for their resurgent party leading up to the November midterms. The Southern California congressman Mike Garcia, one of the nation’s most endangered Republican incumbents, has been an ardent opponent of abortion access. Yet in a statement, he sought to reassure voters. “The events today will not change access to abortions as constituents in California,” he said. Mercury News | Politico
3.
At the Houses of Light church in the San Fernando Valley, the pastor called the Roe ruling an answer to prayer. “We are thanking God that this injustice has finally been rectified,” Pastor Netz Gómez said. About 30 miles away at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Rev. Alfredo Feregrino portrayed the decision as hypocritical: If it was truly about protecting babies, he said, there would be “months and months of parental leave for everyone,” free diapers, and universal preschool. Here’s a look at how the reaction at California churches ranged from jubilation to sorrow. 👉 L.A. Times
4.
Other developments:
- “It’s not about life, it’s about power over women.” Protests filled city streets across California through the weekend, from San Diego to Eureka. L.A. Times | A.P.
- California has made itself into a fortress of abortion rights. But the columnist Joe Garofoli explained how easily it could crumble: If Republicans take back Congress, then win the White House in 2024, “a federal ban could be coming.” S.F. Chronicle
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, after the Supreme Court decision: “Our work is far from done.” Bloomberg
Statewide
5.
Legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an agreement on Sunday to provide payouts of up to $1,050 to California families by late October to offset rising gas prices and inflation. The roughly $9 billion cash relief package would tie the payments to income, with larger refunds to households that earn less money. Newsom had hoped to send payments over the summer, but discord among Democrats delayed the timeline for months. CalMatters
6.
The National Park Service is usually associated with natural treasures, but about 60 of the roughly 425 properties managed by the agency are designated as “national historical parks,” commemorating people or events. A federal bill introduced this month envisions a new park that includes a constellation of California landmarks central to the civil rights story of Mexican Americans. The proposed name: César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park. HuffPost | S.F. Chronicle
7.
A cabin with walls of windows in the Mojave Desert, a hillside unit that faces an amazing view of Tahquitz Rock in the San Jacinto mountains, and a renovated oasis in South Lake Tahoe with a hot tub and bright red door. Architectural Digest named 21 Airbnb cabins worth bookmarking, with an eye toward thoughtful design features.
Northern California
8.
Three people were killed when the vehicle they were riding in was struck by an Amtrak commuter train in a rural part of the Bay Area on Sunday, officials said. The collision occurred at an intersection of a dirt road and tracks in Brentwood that is not guarded by gates or signals. “It’s a bad crossing,” said Steve Aubert, a fire marshal, noting that the trains commonly reach 80 mph. “It’s just a recipe for disaster, unfortunately.” S.F. Chronicle | The Press
A satellite view shows how exposed the crossing is. 👉 Google Maps
9.
“Just remember: you’re always welcome in San Francisco.”
San Francisco projected 4-mile laser beams in the colors of the rainbow flag down Market Street in honor of Pride weekend. 👇
10.
Sailplanes, aerodynamically streamlined aircrafts with no engine, gain altitude by catching currents of rising air. For hobbyists, few places in the world offer rides as thrilling as along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, where winds spill down the range, bounce upward, and produce updrafts that can soar into the upper atmosphere. But the real draw is the scenery, including a cluster of jagged peaks that surpass 14,000 feet in elevation. The pilot John Gonzalez captured some incredible views. 👉 YouTube
Southern California
11.
A Los Angeles police officer who suffered a fatal spinal injury during a training accident on May 26 had been beaten by fellow officers as part of an exercise meant to “simulate a mob,” his mother said in a lawsuit. Shirley Huffman said her son, 32-year-old Houston Tipping, was “repeatedly struck in the head severely enough that he bled” and suffered multiple breaks in his neck. The LAPD said Tipping was injured while “grappling” with an officer, but offered few other details. L.A. Times | A.P.
12.
“It’s an oasis in the middle of the desert.”
So much water is diverted from the Colorado River to supply farms and cities that it seldom meets the sea at its delta in Mexico, reducing once-vast wetlands to dry riverbed. But thanks to an agreement between the Mexican and U.S. governments, water releases from an irrigation canal have been pulsing once again into parts of the delta, triggering a remarkable transformation. Native trees are soaring, birds are returning, and beavers are building dams. L.A. Times
Thanks for reading!
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.
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.