Top stories
California Assembly approves climate change law — After an intense floor debate, a bill extending California’s greenhouse gas emission targets squeaked by in the Assembly on Tuesday. Senate Bill 32 was seen as a crucial step for reauthorizing the state’s cap-and-trade program. Gov. Jerry Brown, who said he will sign the measure once it is approved by the Senate, attempted to include an amendment specifically extending cap-and-trade authority but was rebuffed by lawmakers. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article; Sacramento Bee editorial; KQED report;
Report: Delta tunnels fail financially – The costs of Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed Delta tunnels vastly outweigh the benefits of building them, according to an analysis released Wednesday by University of the Pacific economist Jeff Michael. “I don’t think there’s a project that’s economically feasible here. And it’s not close,” said Michael, director of the university’s Center for Business and Policy Research. Stockton Record article; Sacramento Bee article
Vidak, Patterson score wins in legislative efforts on high-speed rail — Two vocal critics of California’s high-speed rail project – both Valley Republicans – scored significant wins this week with legislative efforts aimed at the controversial bullet-train program. Fresno Bee article; The Business Journal article
Valley politics
Fresno city spokesman hits mayoral candidate in epic Twitter rant – Mark Standriff, spokesman for the city of Fresno, said he couldn’t stay quiet after mayoral candidate Henry R. Perea said in a campaign ad that northeast Fresno water was “polluted.” So he lashed out on Twitter in a string of 14 tweets, saying Perea has the facts wrong about the water. Perea is running against Lee Brand, a city councilman whose district is northeast Fresno. Fresno Bee article
Goh, Carter spar, discuss job of mayor at forum – Bakersfield’s two remaining mayoral candidates, ex-home builder Kyle Carter and former Kern County Supervisor Karen Goh, offered personal insights at a mayoral forum Tuesday night and glimpses at how their different types of business experience could enable them to lead the state’s ninth largest city. Bakersfield Californian article
Merced mayoral candidate worries vandalism fueled by racism — A Merced mayoral candidate said vandals have damaged or stolen a half-dozen campaign signs that depict her image and she is concerned the destruction is racially motivated. Businesswoman Necola Adams, who is the only black candidate running for mayor, said a large sign on Martin Luther King Jr. Way appears to have been slashed. Another sign, which was in a friend’s yard on Donna Drive, was set on fire. Several other signs have been stolen, she said. Merced Sun-Star article
Stockton Record: Hatred on the sidewalk – Stockton Unified School District candidate Doug Vigil remains resilient amid hurtful words. Stockton Record editorial
Holding public office without being elected — Martisa Castellanoz will serve at least two more years on Tulare’s City Council. Appointed to serve a temporary term in 2014, Castellanoz was set to run for the seat she was appointed to. But, the councilwoman went unchallenged in the November election nomination period, which ended last week, and became the first incumbent to win her seat back, without a challenge. Visalia Times-Delta article
Recall election of Los Banos trustee too close to call — Initial results from Tuesday’s special election suggest it’s too close to call if John Mueller will keep his seat on the Los Banos Unified School District Board. Los Banos Enterprise article
Statewide politics/Ballot Measures
California’s political map panel may seek some changes — The redrawing of California’s political boundaries is still five years off, but members of the panel that crafted the current lines have put forward suggestions for their successors who will produce the next ones. Sacramento Bee article
Loretta Sanchez ducks first U.S. Senate debate with Kamala Harris — Despite saying she wanted plenty of U.S. Senate debates, Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s campaign consultants have not responded to a formal request from media partners, including The Sacramento Bee, which was first issued in June. Sacramento Bee article
PolitiFact CA: Kamala Harris slightly off in claim about veterans suicides – In her campaign for U.S. Senate, California Attorney General Kamala Harris has pledged to “clean up” the scandals and reduce wait times at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The issue, Harris has said, is a matter of life and death. PolitiFact CA article
Tobacco companies mislead voters in radio ad — If you listen to the radio, you’ve probably heard a new ad from cigarette companies Phillip Morris and R.J. Reynolds that makes strong claims about a November ballot measure to increase tobacco taxes by $2. The one-minute ad, titled “Grab,” prompted the main proponents of the measure to send cease-and-desist letters to stations airing the piece. Sacramento Bee article
Immigration
Children seeking U.S. asylum should be given a lawyer, state senator urges – Children who are in the United States without legal residency and facing complex legal problems should not be forced to represent themselves in court, a state senator said Tuesday in asking for federal intervention. LA Times article
California’s immigrant detention bill moves forward — The state Assembly gave the green light to a bill Tuesday that would make it illegal for California cities and counties to contract with private prison companies for immigrant detention. KPCC report
Other areas
Dan Walters: Assembly Oks 2030 carbon goal, but cap-and-trade auction a bust – Coincidence? Just moments after the state Assembly approved legislation setting a new 2030 target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions Tuesday, the Air Resources Board released results of its latest quarterly auction of emission allowances, and they were another financial debacle for the state. Walters column in Sacramento Bee
Climate plan’s advocates win a victory on Tuesday, but the Capitol fight isn’t over — Advocates for California’s sweeping climate change law scored a major victory Tuesday when the Assembly approved a measure to extend the state’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But they’re not breathing easy just yet. LA Times article
More than a dozen assembly members flipped their votes from last year to support climate change bill – Seventeen California assembly members on Tuesday flipped their votes from last year to back a major bill to extend the state’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, including some members of a business-aligned bloc of Democrats and one Republican. LA Times article
California’s cap-and-trade carbon program sputters again — California’s embattled cap-and-trade program sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of carbon-emissions credits in the latest state-run auction, but once again many credits were left on the table, officials said Tuesday. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article
Effort to roll back daylight savings time defeated in California Senate – Californians may not get to weigh in on daylight saving time after all. The state Senate on Tuesday rejected Assembly Bill 385, which would have placed a measure on the ballot asking voters to dump the twice-annual changing of the clocks and keep California on standard time year-round. Only 17 members voted for the bill, four short of what it needed to advance. Sacramento Bee article
Kings supervisors oppose ag overtime bill – Kings County supervisors are unanimously opposing a farmworker overtime bill that would put farm laborers on the same eight hours in a day/40 hours in a week overtime schedule as workers in other California industries. Hanford Sentinel article
All the police body camera bills have failed this year in the California Legislature — For the second straight year, California lawmakers have failed to pass any major legislation regulating police body cameras after a bill to allow families of fallen police officers to block the release of body camera footage revealing their deaths stalled in a legislative committee Tuesday. LA Times article; Sacramento Bee article
Bills to help human trafficking victims in court head to Assembly for final vote – Five bills that aim to help human trafficking victims caught in the criminal justice system moved out of the Senate on Tuesday and are headed back to the Assembly for a final vote. LA Times article
Improved data on Latinos in the juvenile justice system could soon be available under bill sent to governor – The state Assembly on Tuesday sent a bill to Gov. Jerry Brown that seeks to capture a broader picture of young Latinos in the juvenile justice system. LA Times article
Gov. Jerry Brown to again weigh access to experimental drugs for terminally ill – For the second consecutive year, Gov. Jerry Brown will have to decide on a measure that would allow gravely ill patient access to experimental drugs. LA Times article
Government travel to states believed to discriminate against LGBT people could soon by banned in California – California lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban government travel to states believed to discriminate against LGBT people. LA Times article
Ricardo Chavez: Delano residents ask Assemblymember Salas to vote for clean air – Delano’s mayor writes, “I urge Assemblyman Salas to do the right thing for the residents of Delano and all the people he represents by voting for climate solutions, cleaner air and environmental justice bills in the remaining weeks of the legislative session.” Chavez op-ed in Bakersfield Californian
Uber and Lyft drivers could use rental cars under bill heading to governor’s desk – The state Legislature on Tuesday cleared the way for potential drivers to lease cars to work for Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies. LA Times article
State Senate votes to ban trademarks at California state parks — The California Senate is backing legislation prohibiting trademark claims at state parks following a dispute that led to renamed landmarks in Yosemite National Park. AP article
Measure to end ‘tampon tax’ heads to Gov. Jerry Brown — Gov. Jerry Brown will have the chance to decide whether California should eliminate its sales tax on feminine hygiene products. The Assembly on Tuesday unanimously approved Assembly Bill 1561, which would make the products exempt from sales taxes. It cleared the Senate on another unanimous vote last week. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article
Bill would ban ‘Pokemon Go’ while driving — The state Assembly on Tuesday sent Gov. Jerry Brown a measure that would expand the ban on texting while driving to include other distracting operations of smartphones, including searching for “Pokemon Go” characters. LA Times article;
Presidential Politics
Can Donald Trump really round up and deport 11 million people? – Independent groups have expressed widespread skepticism that a Trump administration could dramatically ramp up that process without disrupting key sectors of the economy, tearing apart millions of families and violating civil liberties on a mass scale. LA Times article
Apple’s Cook hosting Clinton Silicon Valley fundraiser – Hillary Clinton’s late-summer fundraising tour is coming to the Bay Area Wednesday with two galas, including one hosted by Apple CEO Tim Cook. San Jose Mercury News article
Anger over Trump no guarantee of Latino voter wave in California —
Voter registration among California Latinos skyrocketed this year as Donald Trump labeled Mexican immigrants as “rapists,” but that doesn’t mean the Democrats can count on a tsunami of Latino votes in the November general election. McClatchy Newspapers article
California Government Today:
News Stories
Top Stories
Kern supervisors approve budget, throw sheriff an extra $1.5 million — Supervisors approved Kern County’s 2016-2017 budget Tuesday and, for the most part, resisted demands for more money from the Kern County District Attorney and Sheriff’s offices. They rejected a request for an additional $630,000 for staffing in the D.A.’s office but agreed to shift $2.8 million from county reserves to the active budget on behalf of Sheriff Donny Youngblood. Bakersfield Californian article
Water woes in northeast Fresno could be the ‘canary in a coal mine’ — The problem with the water in some homes in northeast Fresno might seem isolated but it could actually be the proverbial ‘canary in the coal mine’ of problems to come for the rest of the valley or perhaps the entire state. That’s the assessment of experts and state officials who are trying to get a handle on the discolored or lead contaminated water. KVPR report
Jobs and the Economy
Here’s what happens when George ‘Star Wars’ Lucas is told ‘no’ – An epic but ultimately failed proposal by filmmaker George Lucas to build a museum in San Francisco was properly handled by the Presidio Trust, federal investigators have concluded. Despite complaints from allies of the “Star Wars” creator – and Modesto, California, native – Interior Department officials detected no serious problems with the 2014 rejection of Lucas’ ambitious proposal, which had drawn the support of some of the state’s most prominent politicians. McClatchy Newspapers article
Interview: It’s a sad week for Bakersfield baseball – Minor League Baseball has been a tradition in Bakersfield for over 75 years. But it looks like it’s a tradition that will soon come to an end. The California League announced Monday that the Bakersfield Blaze will be contracted – eliminated from the league at the end of the season. KVPR report
Stockton mayor downsizes homeless plan but urges action – Mayor Anthony Silva unveiled new details of his plan to help Stockton’s homeless population at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, scaling back his goal to provide housing but continuing to plead with city leaders to “make this happen.” Stockton Record article
Fresno County task force working to clean up homeless encampments – Fresno County is making strides to combat homelessness as encampments grow on rural private properties across the county. An eviction late last year of an encampment on land owned by the Westlands Water District in Mendota spearheaded the county’s move to be more proactive. Fresno Bee article
A Schwarzenegger-era casino deal will cost state $36.3 million — California will pay $36.3 million after losing a years-long legal fight with a Southern California tribe over a casino deal negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that traded permission to add slot machines in return for millions of dollars in payments to the General Fund. Sacramento Bee article
CalCheese on hold, Converse coming to town – Construction of Tulare’s $250 million CaliCheese plant is on hold pending both financing and resolution of California dairy policy on how much cheesemakers are to pay producers for milk needed in their cheese vats, said Robert Moultrie, who represents the company. Visalia Times-Delta article
LA City Council asks Gov. Brown to declare homelessness a statewide emergency — In the latest effort to shake more money out of the state for the local fight against homelessness, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to press Gov. Jerry Brown to declare homelessness a statewide emergency. LA Times article
Mark Ridley-Thomas and London Breed: California is in a homeless crisis – Ridley-Thomas, a Los Angeles County supervisor, and Breed, a San Francisco City and County supervisor, write, “It is time to address this critical moral, civil rights and social justice issue with immediate and extraordinary action. The governor must recognize the threat that this humanitarian crisis poses, declare a statewide emergency and take immediate steps to provide decent housing with supportive services to restore dignity and well-being to those who have been caught in the vicious cycle of homelessness for far too long.” Ridley-Thomas/Breed op-ed in Sacramento Bee article
More people of color visit national parks than previously thought – In a new study by New American Media and the NEXT 100 Coalition 900 African-American, Asian and Hispanic voters were polled. The groups found that four out of five voters of color like the idea of President Obama’s goal to protect public land like National Parks. Anthony Williams is the special projects director for the company that conducted the poll. KVPR report
Like to recline while watching a movie? Check out these comfy new seats coming to Manchester — Changes are on the way for the Regal Manchester Stadium 16. Just weeks after the local theater complex applied for a license with Alcohol Beverage Control to sell beverages like wine and beer, Regal Entertainment Group has revealed a renovation plan that will mean replacing every seat in the local movie complex. Fresno Bee article
Michael Fitzgerald: The Sherman proves hard to evict – It’s been more than a year since The Sherman, that checkered character of a boat languishing on Stockton’s waterfront, received an eviction notice from the city. The Sherman is still there. What gives? The situation involves hot-tubbing homeless people, new Las Vegas owners and a possible future on Sacramento’s waterfront. Or in court. Fitzgerald column in Stockton Record
Even more Ludicrous: Elon Musk says Tesla now has the world’s fastest production car — Tesla Motors Chief Executive Elon Musk held a news conference Tuesday to announce that the company had shaved a few tenths of a second off its fastest car. A Tesla Model S P100D equipped with “Ludicrous” mode will now go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds, Musk said. The current model makes that jump in 2.8 seconds. The car costs about $135,000. LA Times article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
Lawmakers pass drought bill to help homeowners drill deeper wells – A drought relief bill providing $15 million in loans and grants to homeowners to deepen dry wells passed the Assembly unanimously, Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, said Tuesday. Fresno Bee article
Madera County crop value declines 11 percent to $2 billion – Lower prices for nuts, milk and grapes contributed to an 11 percent decline in the overall value of Madera County’s 2015 crop value, which was $2 billion. Fresno Bee article
With water, one era ends and another begins in East Porterville — In 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency as wells across the state began to run dry. This just two years after California became the first state to legally recognize water as a human right. And yet, thousands of residents remain without water, as the state estimates 2,000 wells have run dry. While temporary relief has come to many, permanent relief has still been slow to arrive. Last Friday, a solution finally came to one of Tulare County’s hardest hit communities—but it wasn’t easy, and it’s not the end. KVPR report
Kings River groundwater agency nears formation to guard against overdrafts — A bill that would create a groundwater management agency for the Kings River basin in Fresno and Tulare counties has been approved by the Legislature and awaits signing by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill was introduced by state Sen. Andy Vidak, R-Hanford. Co-sponsors were state Sen. Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, and Assemblymen Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, and Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield. Fresno Bee article
Science non-fiction: parasitic wasps released to go after psyllid — Thousands of tiny, parasitic wasps originating from Pakistan are being released in residential areas throughout Bakersfield in the latest effort to protect Kern citrus from the dangerous and stubbornly reappearing Asian citrus psyllid. Bakersfield Californian article
The newest challenge to family farms: Low milk prices — According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the price of milk in June was about $15 per 100 pounds – more than a 40 percent drop from 2014. Meanwhile, the USDA estimated milk production costs were about $22 per 100 pounds. Medill News Service article
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Fresno ‘Black Lives’ town hall calls for police accountability – About 25 people gathered at a Black Lives Matter town hall meeting Tuesday in southwest Fresno to discuss the need for police officers to be held accountable for their actions. Fresno Bee article
Sheriff’s Office: Boy, 10, responsible for sending death threats – A 10-year-old boy used his mother’s cell phone to send a threatening message to a classmate at Emilie Ross Middle School last week, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. Modesto Bee article
LAPD to create program to reach out to families killed by police – The Los Angeles Police Department will create a novel program to reach out to the families of people killed during encounters with officers and help them navigate the often-complicated aftermath of such incidents, officials announced Tuesday. LA Times article
Accused rapist sentenced to no jail time so he can have a ‘college experience’ – His nickname in high school was “David the Rapist,” according to one of his victims. Two seniors at a Massachusetts high school told police they were at a party with David Becker, 18, in April when they went upstairs to a bedroom and talked to Becker until they fell asleep. They said they woke up to Becker sexually assaulting them, and he apologized to one of the victims in a text message the next day, saying “Sorry, it’s my fault.” McClatchy Newspapers article
Education
California’s students beat the national average on ACT, but huge gaps remain – California’s graduating class of 2016 outperformed peers on the ACT college-entrance test nationally across all four subject areas, according to a report released by the test company Wednesday. LA Times article
Stockton Unified teachers: Additional hours ‘dangerous’ for students – For almost an hour on Tuesday night, frustrated Stockton Unified School District teachers made their voices heard — and their presence felt — as talks over a new collective bargaining agreement have stalled. Stockton Record article
Lois Henry: No end to Kern High district hijinks – OK, wait a minute. The Kern High School District Police Department discovered that administrators — repeat, administrators — apparently illegally accessed information from a law enforcement database to run checks on students and employees and Superintendent Bryon Schaefer — a longtime administrator — thinks it’s a good idea for him to take over the police department? Huh? Henry column in Bakersfield Californian
More than 100 students enroll in Fresno State’s new Hmong program – Fresno State’s newest minor program has already attracted more than 100 students. The long-awaited minor in Hmong language studies is now being offered through the Linguistics Department in the College of Arts and Humanities. The Business Journal article
Joel Fox: Status quo stands as Supreme Court stays out of education fights– The state’s teachers’ unions had a good day at the hands of the California Supreme Court Monday but then so did the state’s taxpayers. Fox in Fox & Hounds
Community colleges hiring lots of new full-time faculty, but some say it’s not enough – An influx of $62 million in new state funds is prompting many campuses in the California Community College system to go on a new faculty hiring spree to repair some of the damage from recession-era budget cuts. KPCC report
Nan Austin: The case for burbling, warbling, wondering aloud – In-basket buffet: New parents get some help finding the joy in their little bundle with a free app and website. Head Start changing lives through next generation, especially for kids with dropout parents. Blue v. Red: The presidential map over the last 50 years. Austin in Modesto Bee
LA Unified finds money to expand health benefits despite budget worries — The Los Angeles Board of Education on Monday voted to extend health benefits to two groups of part-time employees despite ongoing concerns about the school system’s long-term financial health. LA Times article
New computer science course’s challenge is finding qualified teachers to teach it – Expansion of a new Advanced Placement computer science course aimed at drawing young women and minorities into high-tech fields is being hampered by a nationwide shortage of teachers qualified to teach it. EdSource article
Grad students move closer to forming their own union — In reversing a 2004 ruling, the National Labor Relations Board said that teaching and research assistants at private universities have a federally backed right to unionize. New York Times article
Energy/Environment
Protecting structures and roads among priorities as Cedar Fire continues to grow – Firefighters protected structures around Wofford Heights and Panorama Heights overnight as the Cedar Fire grew to 21,017 acres and remains 5 percent contained. Crews also kept the blaze from crossing Highway 155, which fire officials said is a “top priority.” Tuesday, firefighters will work on all areas of the fire, protect structures, construct hand and dozer lines and hold the fire as it backs toward established roads and lines, according to authorities. Bakersfield Californian article
Chimney Fire burns more homes, grows to 38,956 acres – The erratic, wind-whipped Chimney Fire grew to 38,956 acres as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, continuing a relentless push to the north and east around Lake Nacimiento and destroying nine more homes and four outbuildings in its path. San Luis Obispo Tribune article
New blazes break out in southern Sierra as crews battle Cedar Fire – New troubles emerged Tuesday for weary firefighters battling a string a major blazes across the state as another wildfire was reported near Springville in Tulare County. Fresno Bee article
Striped bass off the hook, for now – Delta water exporters late Tuesday withdrew their request to weaken protections for striped bass, a popular sport fish in the estuary. No immediate explanation was given. The California Fish and Game Commission had been set to consider the request on Thursday. Stockton Record article; Sacramento Bee article
Trout decline on Stanislaus River raises concern – Ill-timed releases from New Melones Reservoir led to a 75 percent drop in rainbow trout on the lower Stanislaus River last year, according to two water purveyors that could have used some of the supply. Modesto Bee article
Steve Lopez: A dangerous confluence on the California coast: Beach erosion and sea level rise – Two things are happening simultaneously along the coast, Guza explained, and it’s critical that we know more about each of them. One is beach erosion, the other is sea level rise. Lopez column in LA Times
California’s ocean waters due for a cooling trend after period of damaging heat, scientists say — As a series of marine heat waves linked to climate change has thrown ocean ecosystems out of whack from Australia to the coast of California, a cooling trend called La Niña has given scientists hope that water temperatures could come back into balance. LA Times article
Health/Human Services
In many states and among some groups of Americans, cancer is now the leading cause of death – Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in California and 21 other states, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. LA Times article
Berkeley sees a big drop in soda consumption after penny-per-ounce ‘soda tax’ – Five months after the city implemented its penny-per-ounce tax on all manner of sugar-sweetened beverages, lower-income residents had reduced their consumption by 21%, compared to the pre-tax days. Meanwhile, their counterparts in neighboring Oakland and San Francisco increased the amount of sugary drinks consumed by 4% during the same period, according to a study published Tuesday in the American Journal of Public Health. LA Times article; San Francisco Chronicle article
Sacramento County expands services for people in mental health crisis: ‘I just want to feel happy’ – Over the next year and a half, the county will use $5.7 million in state funding to build three similar facilities, increasing crisis residential capacity to 72 beds. That’s enough to serve about 1,100 people annually, said Uma Zykofsky, director of Behavioral Health Services for the county. Sacramento Bee article
State audit slams California officials’ weak oversight of psych drugs for foster kids — Mirroring findings by the Bay Area News Group’s years-long series “Drugging Our Kids,” a highly critical state audit released Tuesday concluded that California and its counties have failed to adequately oversee the prescription of psychotropic medications to foster care children. San Jose Mercury News article
Margaret Emerson: Heat, humidity and asthma management – The final year student pharmacist at LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy who previously attended CSU Bakersfield writes, “August is a challenging month for asthma patients living in Bakersfield. The high heat and humidity levels cause air pollution and smog to stick around and trigger symptoms. Bakersfield is located at the end of the San Joaquin Valley and is bordered by three mountain ranges, which also contributes to poor air quality. Therefore, it is especially important to protect your lungs on hot and humid days. Some general tips to remember.” Emerson op-ed in Bakersfield Californian
Land Use/Housing
San Joaquin County supervisors unanimously approve wine ordinance – After nearly two years of debate and discussion, revisions to San Joaquin County’s Winery Ordinance were adopted Tuesday afternoon. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved ordinance revisions that limit the number of guests at smaller, accessory events wineries can hold and requires outdoor amplification to end at 9 p.m. Stockton Record article
Madera County: Final vote for the Austin Quarry is approaching — Drive north from Fresno along Highway 41 and you’ll see thousands of acres of rolling farmland. One day, those ranches, vineyards and orchards will become thousands of new homes. It’s all part of an ambitious plan by developers and Madera County leaders to grow a major new city in the area. But building a city the size of Modesto takes a lot of materials, including things like gravel and concrete and asphalt. KVPR report
In LA, walkable neighborhood comes at a price – Nobody walks in L.A., as the saying goes. But many people want to and will pay more to live in more walkable neighborhoods where they can stroll to work, shops and restaurants from home. It’s a rare luxury in most metropolitan areas and one worth thousands of dollars on average, according to new research. LA Times article
Transportation
Bay Bridge bike path: Still the road to nowhere – Already two years behind schedule, the opening of the Bay Bridge eastern span bike path connector to Yerba Buena Island is being delayed another month, until mid-October — this time because the landing area is still a mess. San Francisco Chronicle article