Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 26.
- Pope issues challenge to Silicon Valley on AI.
- Catastrophic explosion risk eases in Garden Grove.
- And an artist finds beauty in everyday California.
Statewide
1.
“We’re in it for the long haul.”
California has not retreated from its offshore wind ambitions, even as the Trump administration mounts an extraordinary effort to kill such projects across the United States. Long Beach is now advancing a $4.7 billion plan to assemble and deploy massive turbines to be used off Morro and Humboldt bays. The project involves building a 400-acre terminal out of sediment dredged from the harbor. The aim, officials say, is to wait out the current administration in anticipation of an inevitable shift to renewable energy. L.A. Times
2.
Updates from the campaign trail:
- Saikat Chakrabarti, a tech centimillionaire running for the House seat held by Nancy Pelosi, frequently name-drops his former boss: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for whom Chakrabarti served as chief of staff. But while Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed multiple candidates, she won’t even utter Chakrabarti’s name. N.Y. Times
- Xavier Becerra, the Democratic front-runner in the race for governor, is also being snubbed by a former boss. Joe Biden said he would not be endorsing him or any other candidate. N.Y. Times
- “Yes, he has no experience in government — to me, that’s great.” L.A. Material interviewed the Democrats planning to vote for Spencer Pratt, the former reality TV star running for Los Angeles mayor.
3.
Memorial Day weekend offered a glimpse of the free-for-all to be expected this summer at Yosemite after the Trump administration eliminated the park’s reservation system. Wait times to get into the park were at least 90 minutes; parking was completely full by 7:30 a.m.; trails were clogged by human traffic jams; and dozens of cars were parked illegally, reports said. “It was a lot of shoulder to shoulder, a lot of chaos, a lot of angry people, a lot of oblivious people,” said visitor John Leerskov. ABC7 | Fresno Bee
Northern California
4.
In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV denounced the “culture of power” driving the artificial intelligence race and called for robust regulation of the new technology. The 42,300-word document amounted to a challenge to the Silicon Valley moguls who aim to shape the future of civilization. “When [technology] becomes the standard by which everything is judged,” the pontiff wrote, “it begins to dictate what matters and what can be discarded, reducing creation to an object of exploitation and human beings to mere cogs in a system driven toward ever greater efficiency.” Washington Post | N.Y. Times
- Read key passages from the “Magnifica Humanitas.”
5.
Stanford University students who rely on need-based federal aid earn median salaries of about $137,000 four years after graduation, new data showed. Similar graduates of the nursing program at Cal State East Bay earn about $151,000. Altogether, seven nursing programs across the Bay Area are churning out workers who substantially outearn graduates of Stanford as well as the Ivy League universities. A shortage of nurses is one factor driving good pay. Another is a powerful union known for hardball bargaining. S.F. Chronicle
- The median 10-year return on investment from a UC or Cal State degree is roughly twice that of the typical private California college. See which California colleges are the best investment.
6.
Waymos have been a game changer for blind people in the Bay Area. While the self-driving vehicles have been objects of frustration to some, they have provided a rare measure of independence. Before Waymos arrived two years ago, Ruben Brunt, 28, had never experienced being alone in a car. “It’s that feeling of independence and actually having the control,” he said. “Being able to play whatever music you want, feeling like you’re in your own car.” N.Y. Times
7.
Kelsey Pfendler, a 31-year-old Grand Canyon river guide, set off from Monterey in a rowboat last Thursday on an epic quest. If all goes according to plan, she’ll become the first American woman to row all the way to Hawaii. If she does it in under 86 days, she’ll become the youngest woman to do so. The challenge is harrowing: months of isolation in a world of sun, salt, and seemingly endless ocean. By Day 2, Pfendler’s hands were blistered. On Day 4, she said “big weather” was approaching. S.F. Chronicle
- Follow Pfendler on Instagram, and track her progress on a live map.
8.
Mendocino County is 100 miles of rugged coast, rolling vineyards, and hamlets so remote they created their own dialect. Well-situated for a weekend adventure is Mar Vista Farm + Cottages, a working farm with 11 Scandinavian-style fishing cottages on 9 acres abutted by forest and sea. Kids are invited to harvest berries and feed the goats. Multiple travel writers have raved about it.
Southern California
9.
The authorities declared on Monday that the threat of a massive chemical explosion has been “eliminated,” capping a five-day crisis over an overheating tank at a Garden Grove aerospace facility. Most of the 50,000 residents ordered to evacuate on Friday were allowed to go home on Monday. Residents described feeling a mix of confusion and anger, but Edward Cho, who sheltered in a high school gym, took comfort in the community response. “People are taking care of each other,” he said. “It’s like poison gas is bringing people together. That’s a good story, right?” L.A. Times | LAist
- Next up: lawsuits. A handful of firms were already taking claims from residents. Voice of OC | O.C. Register
10.
After fires swept through Altadena, hundreds of yard signs reading “Altadena Not for Sale” sprang up on burned lots. But many residents have since come to see developers as catalysts for neighborhood recovery. Teresa Fuller, an Altadena real estate agent, said the idea that investors would upend the city’s character is a myth: “There are a lot of developers who are really trying hard to do what they believe fits Altadena. It seems like only the real dingbats are not listening.” L.A. Times
11.
A Escondido man who covered his home in American flags and Donald Trump paraphernalia died after being punched by a man outside his home last Wednesday, reports said on Monday. “It was a single punch to the jaw. The victim then falls to the floor, and there are subsequent hits to the victim’s head area,” said Ross Garcia, a prosecutor. The authorities disclosed no motive. But the victim’s wife said she believes the attack was politically driven. “A lot of people, they don’t like the flags,” she said. “I don’t know why. I support America. My husband is a veteran.” CBS 8 | NBC 7
12.
The painter Jake Longstreth finds beauty in the everyday buildings and landscapes of California. They have titles like “View From Above The Glendale Sports Complex,” “Joshua Tree Walmart,” “Strip Mall Karate,” and “Along I-210,” above. The works suggest a commentary on suburban life. But in the artist’s own telling, he portrays what is “just there.” “I try to make beautiful paintings of these places that typically aren’t thought of as picturesque,” he told one interviewer.
- See a gallery of Longstreth’s paintings.
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