Good morning. It’s Friday, July 17.
- Series of traffic violations preceded Paul Pelosi crash.
- Streets turned into raging rivers in West Hollywood.
- And the Trump superfan killed outside his Escondido home.
Statewide
1.
This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to tighten eligibility for a little-known workers’ compensation program after a surge of applicants who collected as much as $1,700 a week over ailments such as allergies, hemorrhoids, and erectile dysfunction. In the span of roughly a decade, total payouts grew nearly 12-fold to $326 million in 2025. Consequently, the taxes that fund the program — paid by employers — skyrocketed. “It’s 100% a cottage industry,” said Jerry Azevedo, an advocate for reform. “Word got out and it’s almost a gimme.” O.C. Register
2.
When thousands of Californians were told they would have to retake driving knowledge tests to keep their licenses, many were confused. When they learned that the reason was suspected cheating, confusion turned to anger. Yet despite demands from both test-takers and state lawmakers, the DMV has refused to share information on the alleged cheating. “Number one, I didn’t cheat,” said Sam Burgin, 35. “Number two, it would be helpful to understand what those irregularities are in like slightly more detail.” L.A. Times
3.
During a rare prime-time speech that portrayed America’s election system as vulnerable to foreign and “deep state” malefactors, President Trump on Thursday singled out California. He claimed that more than 250,000 noncitizens were registered in California and three other states, while offering no evidence to back the assertion. Gov. Gavin Newsom responded on X: “We have no idea where this latest claim comes from.” He followed up by calling Trump a “mad king” whose real purpose is to sow doubt heading into the November midterm elections. N.Y. Times | S.F. Chronicle
Northern California
4.
As three generations of the Boisa family boated toward a San Francisco marina after scattering the ashes of a relative Tuesday, the sky was still clear but winds were picking up. “Suddenly, a big wave crashed into the Volare, causing it to pitch to the side. Two passengers seated in the cabin were thrown onto their backs, and another was struck in the head by an unknown object. The boat was sinking.” The San Francisco Chronicle reconstructed the moments leading up to the deadly sinking of the Volare.
5.
Investigators identified iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell by Salinas-based Taylor Farms as a potential source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people in 34 states. With about $7 billion in annual revenue, Taylor Farms is one of the world’s largest fresh vegetable producers. It has been involved in foodborne illness outbreaks in the past, including a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to salad mix in 2013 and an E. coli outbreak tied to onions in 2024. N.Y. Times | Wall Street Journal
6.
Paul Pelosi, the husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, committed a series of driving violations in the years before he slammed his car into a parked Tesla in Napa Valley this month, court records showed. In at least eight incidents, Pelosi, 86, was caught speeding, driving the wrong way down a one-way street, and blowing through red lights. The latest crash has led some longtime associates to conclude that Pelosi’s ability to operate a vehicle has succumbed to age and infirmity, the New York Times reported.
7.
The iconoclastic architect Mickey Muennig gave the Big Sur region its signature flowing architecture. One of his most celebrated homes sits at the lip of a canyon, enveloped by oak and Monterey pines, on the Monterey Peninsula. In the last few years, the Owl House has undergone a thorough restoration, with a new stone driveway, copper roof, and glass doors. New furnishings aimed to avoid crowding the architecture, said the designer Nicole Hollis:”You want it to sing.” Wallpaper published photos.
8.
On this week’s California Sun Podcast, host Jeff Schechtman talks with Erika Anderson, the creator of HumaneBench, a tool that measures how artificial intelligence systems affect well-being. As humans increasingly develop relationships with bots, it’s crucial to be clear-eyed about the motives of companies behind them, she said: “The product gets built in a way that doesn’t make us more connected to each other as fellow humans, but makes us more dependent on the technologies themselves.”
Southern California
9.
A water main break in West Hollywood before dawn on Thursday transformed streets into raging rivers, flooding apartment building garages and submerging dozens of cars. As the water receded, an enormous sinkhole came into view along Sunset Boulevard, pictured above. The ruptured line was 110 years old and due for replacement, officials said. “Over time rust, corrosion and those sorts of things sets in,” said David Feldman, professor emeritus of urban planning and public policy at UC Irvine. L.A. Times | KABC
- See incredible aerial video of the flooding.
10.
Kerry Sheron, 69, was a Trump superfan. He covered his Escondido home with American flags and banners venerating the president. He would often be outside, waving to passersby who responded with both approval and vitriol. Then one day in May, a 32-year-old Navy veteran named Thomas Butler beat Sheron to death in the street, according to authorities. What sparked the violence remains a mystery. The New York Times painted sensitive portrait of Sheron, an affable man who worked as a cook in retirement communities and knocked on neighbors’ doors with packages of cookies.
11.
Five years ago, Los Angeles scaled back its street sweeping to every other week, instead of weekly, as a result of budget constraints. Yet they kept handing out parking tickets during off weeks. An analysis found that the city issued more than 12,500 street sweeping tickets on days when there wasn’t actually any sweeping, amounting to $910,000 in fines. Much of the ticketing was concentrated along a single corridor in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, where the $73 citations hit especially hard. L.A. Material
In case you missed it
12.
Five items that got big views over the past week:
- Monsoonal moisture yielded a run of magnificent sunsets over the Bay Area, as wispy, low-hanging cloud formations exploded in brilliant pinks, oranges, and purples. Locals posted a flood of pictures and videos on social media. A few standouts:
- Oakland’s International Boulevard, sometimes known as “the Blade,” is the Bay Area’s most notorious corridor for street prostitution. But neighbors and merchants say the trade has never been so rampant as it is now. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Kate Talerico investigated why Oakland has allowed sex traffickers to take over the Blade.
- “She got her a customer.” A vlogger took a bike tour of International Boulevard.
- For years, law firms have extracted settlements of up to $25,000 from mom-and-pop businesses across California over small violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2023 and 2025, lawmakers introduced bills that would give businesses time to fix problems. Both measures had bipartisan backing. And both were killed by one lawmaker. CalMatters investigated.
- Oakland firefighters saved a pigeon. Early Sunday, the firefighters were responding to a burning vehicle when they encountered a pigeon in distress. They cupped a mask to its face and administered oxygen. A video of the rescue posted to social media swiftly caught the attention of millions of viewers. Oaklandside
- A new pop-up book at Los Angeles’ Central Library cannot be checked out — or even held. “Luceros y Penumbras” is said to be the largest pop-up book ever created: 11 feet tall, 31 feet wide, and more than 1,800 pounds. It takes about a dozen people to turn the page. LAist
- See video of “Luceros y Penumbras” being propped up.
Get your California Sun T-shirts, phone cases, hoodies, hats, and totes!
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.