Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Dec. 9.
- ICE arrests Afghan immigrants after DC shooting.
- Climber weathers storm in historic Yosemite ascent.
- And a killing rattles Imperial Valley farming community.
Statewide
1.
Almost immediately after taking office last January, President Trump issued an executive order banning federal permits for wind energy projects. “We’re not going to do the wind thing,” he said at the time. On Monday, a federal judge threw out the order, calling it “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law” in a case brought by California and 16 other attorneys general. California has committed to adding enough offshore wind farm capacity to provide more than 10% of the state’s energy portfolio by 2045. L.A. Times | A.P.
2.
“Massacred.”
“Demoralized.”
“Obliteration.”
After a decades-long slide of political power in California, the state’s Republicans are facing a new low. Congressional gerrymandering is expected to leave the party’s members with just four safe districts out of California’s 52 House seats. Now they’re fighting each other for scraps. “I’m sure Gavin Newsom and the Democrats are sitting back laughing and enjoying the havoc they’ve wreaked on the Republicans in California,” said Dave Gilliard, a Republican consultant. “It’s going to be crazy next year, no doubt about it.” Politico
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, is surging. A new poll found his favorability rating has risen 10 percentage points since June. Politico
3.
“Elliot, I’m scared.”
The elite rock climber Sasha DiGiulian spent three years preparing for a career-defining ascent up one of El Capitan’s hardest routes. But when she and a partner finally went for it in November, an unforeseen storm hit on the 10th night. Roughly 2,600 feet above the valley, the pair clung to the wall as the sky unleashed rain, snow, lightning, and powerful winds for the next nine days. Terrified, they discussed bailing off the wall to safety. But they had come so far. The Guardian
- See a great video recap of DiGiulian’s groundbreaking climb.
Northern California
4.
Since an Afghan man shot two National Guard members on Nov. 26, ICE has been summoning Afghan immigrants for surprise check-ins, then handcuffing them on the spot. At least 17 such arrests have been reported in Northern California, home to a large Afghan community in the Sacramento area. Many of those detained had fled Afghanistan under threat by the Taliban in the last two years. Other legal immigrants, on the cusp of taking their citizenship oaths, have been told they cannot proceed because of their country of origin. S.F. Chronicle | A.P.
5.
An innovative project in Sea Ranch was short-listed for Architectural Review’s international House awards, which honors originality and excellence in home design. The House of Four Ecologies, as it’s known, is a shared residence conceived by a group of architect friends. Four structures weave between the Douglas firs in a pattern intended to maximize socializing while also allowing privacy. Architectural Review
6.
In Cameron Airpark Estates, cars and airplanes mingle on the same roads. Located in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento, the community was built in the 1960s specifically for aviation enthusiasts, with extra wide roads and hangars attached to the homes. Pilots taxi directly to and from an adjacent airstrip. “People near airports complain about noise,” said Carl Gremlick, a former Air Force squadron commander. “I tell everyone we pay extra for the noise. We love being here.” ABC10’s John Bartell paid a visit.
7.
There’s a gorgeous historic mansion hiding under the Bay Bridge. The Nimitz House was built in 1900 on Yerba Buena Island as a residence for the commandant of a Naval Training Station. In 1998, it became a flashpoint in the construction of the new Bay Bridge as the Navy delayed work over objections that the span would despoil the home. A quarter century later, the Nimitz House still stuns, but any hope of its reinvention as a public space has been all but foreclosed by the hulking, noisy bridge overhead. KQED told the story of the neglected treasure.
Correction
Monday’s newsletter misstated when death cap mushrooms first arrived in North America. First suspected sightings were reported at least as early as the early 1900s, not 1997.
Southern California
8.
A dangerous section of Mulholland Highway known as the “snake” reopened last Tuesday, and a motorist crashed driving it on Wednesday. A thrill-seeker’s delight, the 2.2-mile stretch was closed for six years after it was damaged by the 2018 Woolsey fire and subsequent rains. Officials used the time to add new curve warning signs, safety bollards, rumble strips, and other safety improvements in an effort to curb dangerous driving. Residents said the crash involved a young driver who tumbled down an embankment. He was said to be unhurt. KTLA
9.
Last month, the wife of a powerful Imperial Valley farming baron was found dead from a gunshot wound inside a home the couple owned in Arizona. Mike and Kerri Ann Abatti had been embroiled in an acrimonious divorce battle in which she sought greater spousal support. The authorities have not named Mike Abatti a suspect, but last week they served search warrants at several of his family’s El Centro properties. “There are numerous things being looked at to try to find the truth,” said Brian Swanty, of the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office. L.A. Times
10.
Days after Warner Bros. Discovery agreed to sell to Netflix, Paramount on Monday launched a hostile bid for Warner, setting off speculation that a politicized Justice Department could play favorites for Paramount’s Trump-allied owners. Paramount revealed an crucial backer of its bid: a private equity firm founded by Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law. While it’s highly unusual for presidents to influence major corporate deals, Trump said he planned to “be involved” in the regulatory fate of a blockbuster transaction. N.Y. Times | Semafor
11.
Since 2024, the 93-year-old real estate tycoon Donald Bren has been offloading his San Diego office buildings. This fall, he sold the last of his half-dozen downtown towers at a deeply discounted price. The exit of the district’s largest office landlord has sent an unmistakable message to the city: growth prospects are dim. It signals that the current downturn is not just a cycle, said Norman Miller, a real-estate professor emeritus at the University of San Diego: “This is expected to be a long-term issue.” Wall Street Journal
12.
For at least two weeks now, a 550-pound bear has been living in the crawl space beneath Ken Johnson’s Altadena home. Johnson first discovered his house guest when he checked a security camera on Nov. 25. He tried scaring it away by blasting a radio and tossing ammonia-drenched towels into the crawl space — to no avail. Wildlife officials tried scented lures. The bear stayed put. “It’s been getting more and more stressful,” Johnson said on Monday. O.C. Register
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.