Good morning. It’s Friday, March 11.
• | Meta says it will allow some calls for violence against Russians. |
• | U.S. senator cites “credible allegations” against L.A.’s mayor. |
• | And the artistry of an elite slackliner from Sacramento County. |
Statewide
1
Kevin Faulconer, the former San Diego mayor, said on Thursday that he would not contest Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reelection push. With that, every high-profile Republican who ran to replace Newsom in the 2021 recall has opted out of the 2022 campaign. One candidate that has stepped forward: Michael Shellenberger, the author of “San Fransicko.” The polarizing Bay Area figure has argued that progressive policies are exacerbating the crises of homelessness and drug addiction. Politico | S.F. Chronicle
2
On May 1, 2020, Elon Musk announced plans to sell his physical possessions, including his real estate empire, tweeting, “Will own no house.” Almost two years later, he’s finally unloaded all seven of the homes he owned in California for a total of about $130 million. Musk now rents in Texas, where he relocated Tesla’s headquarters from the Bay Area. Wall Street Journal
Grimes on Musk, her on-again, off-again partner: “Bro does not live like a billionaire. Bro lives at times below the poverty line.” Vanity Fair
3
Ryan Robinson, an elite slackliner from the Sacramento area, has been on a yearslong quest to walk through the air on a narrow strip of nylon in the world’s most spectacular settings. Slacklining is both a sport and an art. In October, Robinson pulled off one of his most awe-inspiring works, walking an incredible 4,429 feet along a line strung between two points at the edge of the Indian Wells Valley. See the video. 👉 @handsomerobinson
Northern California
4
In a suspension of its hate speech policy, Meta said it would allow Facebook and Instagram users in a dozen countries to call for violence against Russians in the context of the Ukraine invasion. Russia’s embassy in the United States responded to the change by demanding on Friday that Washington “stop the extremist activities of Meta and take measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.” Reuters | Washington Post
5
UC Berkeley students have been described as akin to an environmental hazard.
Jane Tyska/East Bay Times via Getty Images
A New York Times story on UC Berkeley’s forced enrollment freeze portrayed it as a battle over the California Dream:
“The dispute in a famed liberal bastion has aroused passions, with some asserting that the university has finally been called to task for driving legions of students into neighborhoods not built to hold them. Others liken the lawsuit to generational theft by the older, whiter baby boomers who dominate the propertied classes in college communities throughout California.”
6
Construction workers discovered a body inside a wall at the old Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland on Wednesday, police said. Describing it as “mummified,” Sgt. Ray Kelly said it had been there for many years. “It could be anything from someone who got in behind the wall and became trapped and died to someone put the person there,” he said. “God only knows.” The auditorium dates back to 1914 and has hosted James Brown, the Grateful Dead, Elvis Presley and other major performers. KGO | NBC News
7
On this week’s California Sun Podcast, host Jeff Schechtman talks with Libby Schaaf, the mayor of Oakland. Asked about how the problem of homelessness is weighing on the morale of the city, Schaaf said Oaklanders are a compassionate people. But she added: “I see compassion fatigue setting in, when people can’t bring their children to a park because they’re stepping over needles.”
Southern California
8
Ukrainian citizens walked in Tijuana after being rejected from entering the U.S. on Wednesday.
Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images
Two million Ukrainian refugees have fled their country since the Feb. 24 invasion by Russia, and some are turning up at the San Diego border. On Wednesday, at least three families were turned away under the Biden administration’s restrictions for seeking humanitarian protection. In a reversal on Thursday, however, a Ukrainian woman and her three children were allowed to cross after political leaders expressed outrage over her case. A.P. | CBS 8
9
Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office has been privately investigating allegations against Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Chuck Grassley, a top Republican senator from Iowa, said he has received “numerous credible allegations” that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ignored sexual harassment allegations against a close aide. Grassley said he would object to Garcetti’s nomination to serve as ambassador to India, which has been languishing since July. “The United States owes it to the Republic of India to send them a qualified ambassador that will represent the values of the United States,” he wrote. Politico | A.P.
10
After the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, 2021, it seemed possible that Donald Trump might become a pariah as banks, insurers, and other business partners all cut ties. But a year later, a San Diego bank’s decision to loan him $100 million this week suggests that the former president might survive the backlash. The lender, Axos Bank, is led by Greg Garrabrants, a Trump donor. A.P. | Insider
11
Josh Jackson walked the Bodie Hills in the Eastern Sierra.
Josh Jackson, via SFGATE
In 2015, a furniture maker named Josh Jackson was looking for a place to camp around Los Angeles, but everything was booked. Out of desperation he went to the otherworldly Trona Pinnacles, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Captivated, he went on a quest to document every BLM property in the state. Nearly 10,000 miles later, he’s amassed a large following on Instagram and plans to publish a book about his travels. “I’m trying to tell the story of what makes BLM land so special,” he said. SFGATE
In case you missed it
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Will Ferrell warmed up with Klay Thompson in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Jed Jacobsohn/A.P.
Five items that got big views over the past week:
• | Klay Thompson is known to be a big fan of the basketball comedy “Semi-Pro,” starring Will Ferrell. Before a Warriors game Tuesday, Thompson got the surprise of a lifetime when Ferrell jogged out onto the floor in character as Jackie Moon and warmed up with the team. 👉 YouTube (~2 mins) |
• | A Michelin-starred restaurant perched at the edge of wild Mendocino coastline, a “damp netherworld” along the Noyo River, and a Yurok-led trip down the Klamath River. A travel writer shared 22 of his favorite Northern California destinations. L.A. Times |
• | Along much of the California coast, cities where the typical home is at least $1 million are now the norm. Still, California earned a spot in a feature on “5 cool beach towns where you can still buy a house under $400K.” Eureka has stunning natural beauty, a lively art scene, and Victorian charm. Marketwatch |
• | Gregory Bojorquez’s photo subjects were people from his East Los Angeles neighborhood, with rich back stories that he knew. That authenticity stands out in “East Siders,” Bojorquez’s new project on 1990s East Los Angeles. GregoryBojorquez.com | i-D |
• | You’ve heard of California’s marquee John Muir and Pacific Crest trails. National Geographic is now asking whether a little-known route along the Central Coast could become the next great thru-hike. The Condor Trail winds 400 miles along towering peaks and dense redwood stands from near Santa Clarita to just south of Carmel. |
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