Park officials say the park will remain closed at least through Sunday, March 3 at noon, or possibly later depending on conditions.

Visitors currently in the park are being told to leave as soon as possible, and no later than noon on Friday, March 1.

Officials say the National Weather Service is forecasting several feet of snow throughout the park. Badger Pass may receive over seven feet of snow with very high winds.

The feature, which launched in cities like Las Vegas, Washington D.C. and Chicago in 2023, officially made its California debut on Thursday.

The new account feature allows teens 13- to 17-year-olds to set up their own personal accounts through their families’ profiles.

The company said that only experienced and highly rated drivers are eligible to take on rides from teens, and drivers can also opt out of driving a teen.

The special account allows parents to live-track their child’s trip so they will know exactly where their teen is going and who is behind the wheel. They can also contact their teen’s drivers directly during trips and contact the company’s support team to report an issue on behalf of their teen.

Other safety features will be automatically turned on during trips and teens will have the option to activate the audio recording feature as well. Parents can also set spending limits.

Teens riding alone in Ubers is nothing new, but the new features change how the company deals with under-aged passengers.

Parents have long used Uber as a carpool alternative, and teenagers have set up their own accounts even though users technically need to be 18 to do so.

The decision on whether to check IDs to verify the age of riders has primarily been left to drivers, The Hill reported.

Teen accounts will also be made available on Uber Eats.

The new law doesn’t recognize places that operate “a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread” as fast food, according to the law’s text.  

Why the line was drawn at bread remains unclear.

“That’s part of the sausage-making,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference when asked about the exemption, Insider reported.

However, Newsom pushed for the exemption, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. One of the primary beneficiaries of the exemption is Greg Flynn, a billionaire and longtime Newsom donor who has two dozen Panera Bread locations in California.

Flynn has also been involved in Newsom's campaigns, donating $100,000 in 2021 to help Newsom fight against a recall and $64,800 in 2022, which went to the governor’s reelection campaign, according to The Sun.

Flynn denies that he played a role in crafting the bread exemption, Bloomberg reported.

However, people who spoke to Bloomberg under the condition of anonymity said “he urged the governor’s top aides to reconsider whether fast-casual chains such as Panera should be classified as fast food.”

While the fast-casual exemption wasn’t adopted, the bread-making exemption was. The rationale for adopting the exemption was due to “the governor’s longstanding relationship with a Panera franchisee,” one person said.

"This legislation was the result of countless hours of negotiations with dozens of stakeholders over two years. Staff in the governor’s office met with dozens of business owners as well as union representatives, as is expected when policies of this consequence are moving through the Legislature," Alex Stack, a spokesperson in the Governor’s Office, said in an emailed statement to KTLA.

KTLA reached out to Panera Bread and Flynn Group, the company that operates multiple Panera locations in California, but didn't hear back in time for publication.

Even with the exemption, the new law will benefit about 500,000 fast-food workers statewide.

California’s fast-food workers will have the highest guaranteed base salary in the industry. The state’s minimum wage for all other workers — $15.50 per hour — is already among the highest in the United States, the Associated Press reported last September.

As of Jan.1, the current minimum wage in California is $16.

In 2022, the minimum wage for fast-food workers in California was $16.21, or just over $34,000 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California and the Stanford Center on Poverty and Equality, that income is just below the California Poverty Measure for a family of four.

At lower elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 feet, 1 to 4 feet of snow is expected. Accompanying wind gusts could hit 65 mph over higher ridgetops.

This weekend's blizzard has the potential to bring record-breaking snowfall, according to the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. A blizzard warning is in effect for areas above 2,000 feet beginning Thursday and lasting through Sunday. The NWS is advising people to "avoid mountain travel this weekend," and to "be prepared if you live there."

KRON4 Meteorologist John Shrable advises Sierra Nevada residents to be prepared for possible power outages as a "major system" could dump "feet upon feet" of snow on the region.

"No travel into the Sierra these next few days," Shrable advised. "Roadways will be almost impossible to traverse."

Snow level could drop to as low as 1,500 to 2,000 feet on Saturday morning, potentially dropping snow on some Bay Area mountain tops. The storm will also bring pockets of heavy rain to the Bay Area in the coming days.

The NWS advises to be on the lookout for downed trees, branches and powerlines, particularly on Friday and Saturday.

The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted Feb. 24 - 27.

It found Rep. Schiff with the support of 28% of likely voters. Republican former Major League Baseball player Steve Garvey had 20% support followed by Democrat Rep. Katie Porter with 17% and Democrat Rep. Barbara Lee with 8%.

Seventeen percent remained undecided.

“Both Garvey and Porter are within the poll's margin of error for second place in a race where a top-two finish would place them on the ballot in November,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.

The winner of the November runoff will succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who held the seat from 1992 until her death in September 2023.

Among those who have already voted, the survey found 47% supported Schiff, 19% Porter, 18% Garvey, and 10% Lee. Among those who have yet to vote but are likely to do so, 30% support Schiff, 22% Garvey, and Porter 20%.

The survey also showed a vast majority of Californians, 69%, support California Proposition 1, a ballot measure that authorizes $6.38 billion in bonds to build treatment facilities for those with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Other poll results:

• Independents split: 27% support Schiff, 24% support Garvey, and 20% support Porter.
• A quarter (25%) of voters under 30 support Katie Porter, while 21% support Lee, and 20% Schiff.
• Schiff’s support is highest among voters over 70: 49% support Schiff, while 30% support Garvey.
• The economy is the top issue for 25% of voters, followed by housing affordability (15%), immigration (12%), healthcare (10%), crime (9%), threats to democracy (8%), and education (7%).
• President Biden holds a 50% job approval among likely California primary voters, and 38% disapprove of the job he is doing.
• Governor Gavin Newsom holds a 49% job approval while 39% disapprove of the job he is doing as Governor.
• In a potential 2024 matchup, Joe Biden leads Donald Trump 57% to 35%, while 9% are undecided.

A California Highway Patrol Coastal Division Air Operations Unit conducted an aerial search of the rugged coastline and spotted the man waiving a makeshift flag below Hurricane Point on Tuesday. His vehicle had plummeted 400 feet down to a beach below.

The crash victim is an employee of Post Ranch Inn, a luxury resort that attracts celebrities for its world-class ocean views. The employee left Post Ranch Inn around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, the CHP said.

Someone later alerted authorities that the man never made it home.

On Tuesday morning, the CHP's helicopter search and rescue team was notified by the Pacific Grove Police Department that the man was still missing. Officers were informed that the missing man could be anywhere between Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, and Monastery Beach in Carmel.

Investigators had a hunch that he may have crashed somewhere along Highway 1. The coastal highway is infamous for beautiful landscapes and major crashes.

From the air, the CHP Coastal Division Air Operations Unit spotted the wrecked vehicle 400 feet down a cliff near the beach below. "A solo male was standing next the vehicle franticly waving a makeshift flag," the CHP wrote.

An hour later, a Big Sur Fire Chief used a rope to climb down to the victim.

"The driver stated that while driving home late Sunday night, he swerved to miss some deer in the roadway causing him to veer off ... and roll several hundred feet down the cliffs edge. The driver reported that he was ejected through the sunroof as his car rolled down," the CHP wrote.

The man was stranded at the collision site because it was impossible to climb back up the 400-foot cliff, investigators said. A narrow stretch of sand separated the cliffs from powerful breaking waves.

The helicopter crew hoisted up the victim and the Big Sur Fire Chief before flying to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas.

The CHP wrote, "Even though the victim had been over the side for two days, he appeared to be stable and suffered moderate injuries."

Video of the incredible Big Sur crash rescue can be viewed in the video player above. (Video courtesy CHP Coastal Division Air Operations).

At about 6:21 p.m., CHP officers responded to a crash on Highway 9 south of Glengarry Road.
An 85-year-old woman from Boulder Creek was driving a Kia Forte northbound as four bicyclists were traveling southbound on the eastern dirt shoulder, north of the Kia's location.

According to CHP, the Kia veered off the roadway and collided with the bicyclists, then traveled in an easterly direction and crashed into a tree, where it came to rest.

The Kia driver sustained minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital, but two of the bicyclists suffered major injuries and were transported by air ambulance to a nearby hospital. The other two bicyclists also suffered injuries and were transported by ambulance to nearby hospitals.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and at this time, alcohol and/or drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash, CHP said.

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc.

A lethal dose of fentanyl is 2 milligrams, says the Drug Enforcement Administration. With over 60,000 pounds of fentanyl, 2023's drug seizure could have hypothetically killed the global population twice over. 

The drug seizure is especially prevalent for San Francisco, as SF has not only recorded its highest number of overdoses in 2023, but fentanyl was the highest contributor to the city’s drug overdoses, recording over 600 overdoses in 2023 alone.

“Fentanyl is a poison, and it does not belong in our communities. California is cracking down – increasing seizures, expanding access to substance abuse treatment, and holding drug traffickers accountable to combat the immeasurable harm opioids have caused our communities,” Governor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

Since Governor Newsom took office in 2019, California has invested over $1 billion to crack down on opioid trafficking. Many of these recent efforts are part of Newsom’s “Master Plan For Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis”.

Among the plan's efforts, the state will be working with CalRx, an initiative aiming to make prescription drugs more affordable. CalRx and supporting partners will be given $30 million to aid in the distribution of naloxone, what the Center for Disease Control dubs a “lifesaver” tool for opioid overdoses against drugs like fentanyl.

In other efforts to prevent future drug overdoses, the Governor also announced recent legislation increasing penalties around trafficking the drug “xylazine,” otherwise known as “tranq”-- an animal tranquilizer with no approved human use -- that is increasingly being found in the illicit drug supply and has been linked to rising overdoses nationwide.

After the 2023 winter and spring flooding, forest officials say Miracle Hot Springs along the Kern was inaccessible after being under a high water mark. Since the river levels have dropped, the previously removed tub area was exposed again.

On Saturday, Feb. 17, the forest service reported one person was found dead in one of these exposed tubs. Previously, on Oct. 17, 2022, a dead person was found in the same area.

For the sake of public health and safety, rangers have decided to close Miracle Hot Springs indefinitely.

“Public safety is of utmost importance to Forest Service officials. With a second death that can be attributed in part to the hot springs, the area will remain closed until a sustainable long-term solution is reached,” says District Ranger Al Watson.  

The forest service will issue an area closure order to soon prohibit access to the hot springs, tubs, and general area. Sandy Flat Campground near the day-use area is still open to the public.

Samuel Brannigan Stone, 20, made his first court appearance on Tuesday and he declined to enter a plea. Police said officers found Stone next to the victim's body near the surfline at Seabright State Beach around 1 a.m. on February 23.

The UC Santa Cruz student did not have a pulse, and Stone allegedly told police that he "murdered his girlfriend," court documents state.

The student and Stone were in a dating relationship, the Santa Cruz Police Department said.

The victim was later declared deceased at a nearby hospital. She was identified as Zainab Mansoor, 21, of San Ramon, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office told KRON4.

Stone is currently homeless and suffers from "mental health issues," according to a motion filed in court seeking to keep him behind bars without bail. Stone "committed an extremely violent act, seemingly (without) cause. I am concerned suspect poses a threat to public safety (and) is a flight risk," a detective wrote in the motion.

UC Santa Cruz officials confirmed to KRON4 that Stone is a former UCSC student. He was enrolled with the university between the summer of 2021 and the fall of 2023. He pursued a BA degree in business management economics, assistant vice chancellor Scott Hernandez-Jason said.

University officials said they are cooperating with SCPD's investigators. UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive wrote in a message to the campus community, "I offer my sincerest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, teachers and classmates."

On Tuesday, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Guy Denine ordered the accused killer to return to court on March 13 for arraignment.

Investigators said the beach homicide happened after 1 a.m. on February 23 at Seabright State Beach. Santa Cruz Police Department officers said they found the 21-year-old woman unconscious on the sand near the water.

Samuel Stone, 20, was still on the beach and next to the woman's body when officers arrived, police said.

"Investigators learned that Mr. Stone and the victim were in a dating relationship. Mr. Stone was later booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on a charge of homicide," SCPD wrote.

The victim was pronounced deceased at nearby Dominican Hospital. University officials said she was a University of California Santa Cruz student.

Stone is a former UC Santa Cruz student, assistant vice chancellor Scott Hernandez-Jason told KRON4 on Monday.

Hernandez-Jason wrote, "We are shocked to learn that a former student has been arrested on suspicion of homicide by the Santa Cruz Police Department. We mourn the tragic loss of life and send our deepest condolences to the victim's family and friends. We are fully cooperating with investigators."

Stone attended UCSC between the summer of 2021 and the fall of 2023. As a student, he pursued a BA degree in business management economics, according to Hernandez-Jason. Stone is not currently enrolled at the university, he added.

UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive wrote in a message to the campus community, "It is with the deepest sorrow that I share the news that one of our students succumbed on Friday to fatal injuries she endured early that morning at Seabright State Beach. I offer my sincerest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, teachers and classmates. Her loss is heartbreaking. At the family’s request, we are not sharing her name."

Other than a minor traffic ticket, the accused killer has a clean prior criminal record within the county, court records show. Stone remained in custody on Monday afternoon.

Larive said students can reach out to Slug Support or counseling services in the wake of the tragedy. "Please know that we have resources in place if you need help dealing with this tragic loss or processing the news," the chancellor wrote.

"We have been monitoring the chance for a significant storm Thurs-Sun this week," the snow lab tweeted. "There is still time for the forecast to change but we're currently expecting 6-9 feet of snow."

Most of the snow is expected to fall Friday into Saturday morning, the snow lab said.

KRON4 Meteorologist John Shrable said we could be in for "one of our biggest snow makers of the season."

"We're going to be talking about multiple inches," said Shrable. "In fact, getting close to 100 inches of snowfall at the very crest of the Sierra."

"All that snow is going to result in likely a lot of closures, especially as we work into Friday and Saturday," Shrable continued. With snow even expected in some lower elevations, routes like I-80 and Highway 50 could be impacted, Shrable added.

After a warm weekend and a relatively dry start to the week, the approaching weather system is expected to bring increased chances for rain to the Bay Area later this week, according to the National Weather Service.

A group of conservative activists announced they intended to serve the governor with official recall papers on Monday — the first step in the long and expensive process to put their effort back before California voters.

In a release, the citizen-led group, which is led by Rescue California, pointed to Newsom's perceived presidential ambitions and engagement in national politics while a $73 billion budget deficit looms over the state as rationale for their effort.

They also contend that Newsom's response to issues facing the state, such as homelessness and immigration, has been inadequate.

“California needs a full-time governor who is fully focused on the serious problems the state and its citizens are facing," the campaign's director Anne Dunsmore said in a statement. "This may be our last opportunity to rescue and restore our state, while we highlight for the rest of the country the destruction Newsom has left in his wake."

This will be the fifth attempt to recall Newsom since he was elected. However, only one has made it onto the statewide ballot — the initiative brought in 2021 as a response to the his adoption of aggressive public health safety measures at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newsom easily beat back the recall after framing the contest and his apparent successor should he have been ousted, conservative talk-show host Larry Elder, as part of the larger national ballot for progressive values and continued threats of "Trumpism."

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Newsom echoed this messaging, saying "Trump Republicans are launching another wasteful recall campaign to distract us from the existential fight for democracy and reproductive freedom."

According to Rescue California, about 400 people "from every political persuasion" have signed on as official proponents of the recall effort. This includes several Californians behind the 2021 campaign, such as Orrin Heatlie.

To qualify for the statewide ballot, a recall petition will need valid signatures equal to 12% of the turnout in the last election for governor. In this case, the group will need to collect about 1.38 million verifiable signatures by May to get on the November ballot.

The students across the 23 campuses voted in favor of organizing one of the largest student worker organizations in the country so they could fight for better pay, working conditions, sick and paid leave, and more work hours.

The students overwhelmingly voted 7,050 to 202 in favor of joining the CSU Employees Union (CSUEU).

"This is for all of us and for all of our futures," said Cameron Macedonio, a student assistant at CSU Fullerton. "Student assistants were increasingly fed up with the CSU administration's treatment of us. They undervalue us. On one hand, they act as if we're dispensable, but on the other hand, they expect us to do the work of full-time staff but for minimum wages and no benefits."

Student assistants often work for minimum wage, are limited to 20 hours or less a week, and don't receive sick or paid leave.

Danny Avitia, a senior majoring in sociology and leadership development at San Diego State, said he's found it difficult to survive on $16.50 an hour while working in the campus Office of Employee Engagement. He assists the director of that office with organizing events, newsletters, graphics, media and communications.

Avitia said he's had to take on two more jobs and whenever he's gotten sick, he "shows up to work and gets everyone sick" because he doesn't receive any leave or paid time off.

Unionizing "means better access to discounts like parking and transit," he said. "It means that I can fight for a better living wage because, again, meeting the basic needs of people is simply not enough here in California anymore."

Now, they will need to decide what they want to bargain for, assemble a negotiating team and leadership, and present their demands to the Cal State administration. As part of the CSUEU, they'll have assistance from that organization and the Service Employees International Union or SEIU.

"With 20,000 student assistants joining CSUEU's 16,000 CSU staff members, university management will no longer be able to divide students and staff or exploit student labor to degrade staff jobs," said Catherine Hutchinson, president of CSUEU. "Joining together is a win for students, for staff, and for all Californians who have a stake in the CSU's mission."

Many of the student assistants feel unionizing was just one step in a long process to better pay and working conditions. They all recently watched the California Faculty Association, which represents 29,000 professors and, lecturers go on strike twice for a better contact.

"There will be some struggles that will come with it," said Alejandro Carrillo, an international business junior at San Diego State. "We just had the CFA strike and saw how hard it was for them to fight and the struggles that came with it. I'm not expecting anything less than that for student workers."

In the meantime, the chancellor's office said it would maintain the current standards and requirements for student assistants.

"The CSU has a long history of providing on-campus jobs to students through student assistant positions, which give our students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while they pursue their degrees," said Leora Freedman, CSU's vice chancellor for human resources. "The CSU respects the decision of student assistants to form a union and looks forward to bargaining in good faith with the newly formed CSUEU student assistant unit."

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc.

According to the SFPD’s own analysis, officers stopped Black individuals at six times the rate of white individuals, searched Black individuals at more than ten times the rate of white individuals, and used force on Black individuals at more than twenty-one times the rate of white individuals, a SFPD quarterly report states. 

According to Vice President of the SFPD Board of Commissioners Max Carter-Oberstone, police often use certain traffic codes as a “pretext” to look for evidence of other unrelated crimes without legal justification. However, two of the nine infractions being removed -- one related to license plates and the other to registration tags -- accumulate more than 8,000 reports every year, with only a 1% arrest-conversion rate.

“All the commission has went on the record, and it is clear we all want to end bias stops in San Francisco,” said SFPD Attorney and Commissioner Jim Byrne, "the difference of opinion is how we get there.” Byrne believes "changing the culture" will lead to success, rather than changing "designated general orders."

The passing of the policy also came with critique. When asked for a public statement, President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, Tracy McCray, called the commission's decision "a huge boost to their (the commission's) egos," calling the decision a "colossal bust for public safety for San Franciscans." Mccray continued by calling the commission an "unelected body with zero law enforcement experience."

Members of the Coalition to End Biased Stops, which includes over 110 traffic safety and civil rights groups that pushed for the commission to address the racial disparities in police stops, commented on the "historic" vote:

“I applaud the courage of the independent Police Commissioners who put politics aside and voted to protect communities of color in San Francisco during this important month that we celebrate Black history,” said Deputy Public Defender Brian Cox, Director of the San Francisco Public Defender Integrity Unit. “These modest but important changes will help turn the tide on the unacceptable racial disparities in police stops and spare countless individuals and families the trauma of unlawful searches, needless detentions, and police violence.”  

At the end of the SFPOA statement, McCray said:

"(The Commission) is not only telling San Francisco Police officers how to enforce the law, but they are also picking and choosing which laws to enforce. The Police Commission has effectively told the criminals preying on our city that they’re safe from arrest if they obey the speed limit and keep expired tags on their cars.  Fewer stops will equal fewer legitimate searches, which means more guns and drugs will be on our streets.”

SFPD has 90 days to implement the policy, but if the department does not feel “adept” by the 75th day, then they can ask for an additional maximum of 30 days, the SFPD Police Commission stated.

“Vote Centers offer a traditional voting experience, with the added benefit of giving voters the freedom to cast their ballot at any location in the county,” said Shannon Bushey, Registrar of Voters. “All Vote Centers are fully-equipped to handle any voting need, and our staff is happy to help all voters make their voices heard.” 

There will be a total of 104 Vote Centers open across Santa Clara County for the March 5 Presidential Primary Election. In addition to the 23 that will open this Saturday, an additional 81 will open next Saturday, March 2.

Vote Centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., depending on the location. On Election Day, Tuesday, March 5, all vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Voters in Santa Clara County will be able to return ballots by mail or drop it off at any of the 102 Official Drop Boxes, which are open 24 hours a day, and on Election Day until 8 p.m.

To find a Vote Center location near you, visit rovservices.sccgov.org.

CHP says they responded to the crash with reports of possible ejection around 6:30 a.m. on Avenue 7 west of Road 22 in a rural area of Madera County.

Officers say a Chevrolet pickup from Auberry and a GMC van from the Fresno/Kerman area collided head-on. Investigators say the van had eight men inside, who were heading to work in the Firebaugh area. The pickup had one person inside.

CHP says initial investigations suggest the pickup crossed over and collided with the van - killing the driver of the pickup and seven others in the van. When the crash took place, multiple men in the van were not wearing their seatbelts, officers say.

One man in the van was transported to a local hospital and their condition is unknown.

CHP says the wife of one of the victims in the van was following in another van immediately behind and witnessed the crash.

The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing.

A bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year allowed both the city and county of San Francisco to designate special areas for the "consumption of one or more types of alcoholic beverages on public streets, sidewalks, or public rights-of-way adjacent to and during a special event permitted or licensed by the department."

The new bill, in its current form, would expand this power to all cities and counties.

“Getting people back out in the streets is key to the economic recovery of cities across California,” said Senator Scott Wiener, who introduced Senate Bill 969. “By creating Entertainment Zones, we’re giving people a reason to go back to areas where recovery has been slow while creating a vital new revenue stream for bars and restaurants.”

The bill also does away with the requirement of a special event or extra permission from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Generally, the bill allows beer manufacturers, wine growers and other sellers of alcohol to allow customers to leave the premises where the alcohol was sold so long as the customers exit into the designated "entertainment zone."

The bill, formally known as AB 3038, was introduced by Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) as part of a trio of public safety bills the lawmaker announced during a Tuesday news conference.

“California has experienced 96 school shootings between 2018 and 2023. If we want to get serious about preventing school shootings and stopping them before they can happen, we need good guys and girls with guns, ready to act,” Essayli said.

The American Civil Liberties Union has previously spoken out against having permanent police officers on public school campuses after a 2021 study detailed the dangers of having more police officers at public schools.

The report found that Black students’ arrest rates are 7.4 times higher, Latino students’ arrest rates are 6.9 times higher, and students with disabilities’ arrest rates are 4.6 times higher in schools with assigned law enforcement than in schools without.

The report also noted that Black, Latino and students with disabilities also had higher law enforcement referral rates.

“No school in California should have a permanent police officer. School districts should not be able to create their own police departments or reserve forces, nor should they coordinate with any outside law enforcement agency to station law enforcement on a school campus,” the organization recommended at the time.

The other two bills Essayli introduced, AB 3037 and AB 3039, are designed to “restore firearms sentencing enhancement and remove anti-police bias from juries.”  

The lawmaker highlighted data from the Public Policy Institute of California, which found that “an overwhelming majority of California adults say violence and street crime is either a big problem or at least somewhat of a problem in their community.”

He also added that a report from California DOJ found that “from 2017 to 2022, the homicide rate increased 23.9% while the robbery rate decreased 14.6%.”

Essayli was joined by law enforcement and public officers to introduce the trio of bills.

The bill is intended to “bar property owners from asking about pets on applications, prohibit additional monthly fees for pet owners, also known as 'pet rent,' and limit pet deposits,” KQED reported.

Haney's communications director, Nate Allbee, confirmed this news to KRON's sister station KTLA.

The bill would also address a problem Haney sees in the rental world: an overabundance of tenants with pets and a shortage of landlords willing to accept pets.

Haney said his staff analyzed Zillow apartment listings and found that many rental units won’t allow tenants to have dogs and cats of all sizes. Specifically, only 26% of apartment listings in Los Angeles, 20% in San Francisco and 18% in Sacramento would accept such pets, according to KQED.

However, other surveys found that two in three households own pets nationwide and 72% of renters say that finding pet-friendly housing is difficult.

“A two-tiered system that punishes people for having pets, or treats them differently, or has a greater burden on them just for that fact should not be allowed in the law,” Haney told KQED.

According to Allbee, The Humane Society of the United States is a sponsor of the bill since they say apartments unwilling to accept tenants with pets are one of the main reasons pets are abandoned at shelters.

While some support the bill, others like the Berkeley Property Owners Association, are against it.

Krista Gulbransen, executive director of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, told KQED that risk is the driving factor behind her opposition.

“Pets have the potential to damage property, and limiting owners’ discretion to take on that added risk while stripping them of the pet deposit safeguard puts them in a terrible position.”

Exceptions to the proposed bill will be made for landlords “who have a reasonable rationale for excluding pets from their properties" such as health reasons.

The proposed legislation is expected to be fleshed out more in the coming weeks and months.

Last month, the Mountain View-based autonomous vehicle company announced plans to expand to other Bay Area cities outside of San Francisco. Waymo submitted an application to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for review.

The CPUC said this month it has suspended its review of Waymo's application to operate in San Mateo County and parts of Santa Clara County. State officials added they needed more time for "further review."

The delay will push back Waymo's expansion efforts by at least four months. CPUC will review Waymo's application no earlier than June 19.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) did approve Waymo's request for expansion, according to a letter sent on Jan. 11 from the DMV to Waymo. However, Waymo cannot move forward with expansion until it receives approval from the CPUC.

Experts say the delay in expansion approval does not come as a surprise.

Waymo, along with other autonomous vehicle companies like Cruise, has had incidents that may have caused the public to lose trust in AVs.

Earlier this month, a driverless Waymo car collided with a cyclist in San Francisco. In April 2023, a Waymo vehicle in the city blocked a fire truck's path.

Here is a map of the proposed expansion in the Bay Area and Southern California.

“Since Waymo has stalled any meaningful discussions on its expansion plans into Silicon Valley, the CPUC has put the brakes on its application to test robotaxi service virtually unfettered both in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties,” San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice President David J. Canepa said in a statement. “This will provide the opportunity to fully engage the autonomous vehicle maker on our very real public safety concerns that have caused all kinds of dangerous situations for firefighters and police in neighboring San Francisco.”

KRON4's Catherine Heenan contributed to this report.

Drive to any part of the Sierra after this last winter storm, and you’ll see a lot of white. This is a departure from the start of winter, where lead scientist at the Central Sierra Snow Lab for UC Berkeley, Andrew Schwartz, was concerned about a lack of snowpack.

Scientists are now much more comfortable with snow totals.

“In the lab we’re about 90 to 92 percent of average depending on which metric we’re using, which is really fantastic. And this most recent storm gave us about 31 inches overall. So, it kind of came in right between that two-to-four-foot range that we were forecasting,”

Percentages are in a very good place, increasing from 79% up to 100%, equating to a 60% increase from the state’s first snowpack survey of the year.

Schwartz says in a state with constant drought concerns like California, we can’t get too comfortable.

“Even though we have additional storage in our reservoirs, we want to carry that forward so we want an average snowpack this year and we want to make sure we are conserving our water as well to ensure we can carry that benefit forward as far into the future as possible.”

He remembers last year’s snow totals well: the second largest snowpack year on record with 754 inches. We’re not close to that yet, as Palisades Tahoe recorded a total of around 209 inches.

According to Schwartz, back-to-back record years are uncommon, but not impossible: “If it does happen, it’s not unprecedented, but we’ll just have to see how the next four to six weeks play out and what snow fall we do end up getting through the rest of the season.”

The largest snowfall on record happened in the winter of 1951-1952, which had about 812 inches, translating to over 68 feet of snow.

An investigation by the California Department of Justice found that DoorDash sold its California customers’ personal information– including names, addresses, and transaction histories – of California consumers to a marketing cooperative, without providing notice or an opportunity to opt out of that sale.

Bonta says selling personal information without the consumer’s consent violates both the California Consumer Privacy Act, a privacy or data protection law, and the California Online Privacy Protection Act, a state law requiring online services to include a privacy policy on their website. 

“As my office has stressed time and time again, businesses must disclose when they are selling personal information and offer Californians a way to opt out of that sale,” Bonta said. “I hope today’s settlement serves as a wakeup call to businesses: The CCPA has been in effect for over four years now, and businesses must comply with this important privacy law.“

As part of the settlement, DoorDash will both pay a civil penalty and comply with strong injunctive terms such as annual reports to the Attorney General that monitors any potential sale or sharing of consumer personal information.

Attorney Bonta also announced an “investigative sweep” last month, focusing the state’s efforts on streaming services and their compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act. “Violations cannot be cured, and my office will hold businesses accountable if they sell data without protecting consumers’ rights.” Bonta said.

DoorDash wrote this statement to KRON4 as a reply to the lawsuit: “DoorDash ended its relationship with all marketing cooperatives in 2020, and we’re pleased to have resolved this years-old matter. This settlement arises out of a single incident involving a vendor over four years ago, the same month the California Consumer Privacy Act went into effect, and the terms reflect our good faith and deep commitment to privacy.”

State Highway 9 in the area of Glengarry Road is shut down, the CHP said on social media around 6:10 a.m.

The CHP did not give an estimated time for when it will reopen. Motorists are asked to use alternate routes.

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc.

San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener is a Democratic rising star who's considered a leading candidate to replace one of the right's biggest villains, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, should the former House speaker retire from Congress.

The pair may not seem to have much in common, but they have formed an unlikely bipartisan partnership on an unusual issue: legalizing psychedelic drugs to treat mental illness.

Waldron has appeared twice beside Wiener in recent weeks. Most recently, they addressed reporters at a press conference to announce a new bill they coauthored that would allow adults 21 and older to use psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, DMT and mescaline under the supervision of a licensed and trained facilitator.

In January, they sat side-by-side before the Assembly Health Committee to advocate for Waldron's bill which would convene a workgroup to study psychedelic-assisted therapy with the goal of making recommendations for regulating treatment by Jan. 1, 2026. Waldron's Assembly Bill 941 advanced without opposition through the Assembly and will be taken up by the Senate this year.

Both pieces of legislation are in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom's October veto of Wiener's bill that would have decriminalized the use of plant-based hallucinogenic drugs. Waldron along with fellow Republicans Heath Flora of Ripon and Bill Essayli of Corona last year cast "yes" votes to advance the measure out of the Assembly prior to Newsom's veto.

In his veto message, Newsom said, "This is an exciting frontier and California will be on the front-end of leading it." First, however, he asked legislators to draft another bill with "regulated treatment guidelines" that included dosing information and rules to prevent patients from being exploited and ensure patients with psychoses wouldn't be harmed.

"We're grateful that the governor didn't simply say 'no,' but indicated what he would say yes to, which was a therapeutic-focused bill." Wiener told the health committee.

Wiener, Waldron are unlikely partnersIt may not come as a surprise that Wiener would advocate for legalizing psychedelics. After all, he represents San Francisco, a city known for its liberal politics, with a reputation for embracing hallucinogenic drugs dates to the 1960s.

Their most famous champion, Timothy Leary, in 1967 told 30,000 hippies in the city's Golden Gate Park to "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out." The gathering called the "Human Be-In" was held in response to California banning LSD the year prior. Leary's remarks became an instant counterculture slogan. The federal government banned possessing psychedelics the following year.

Wiener told the health committee that the state and federal decisions 50 years ago to shut down research into psychedelic drugs were a mistake. Therapists "working in the shadows" have amassed evidence that the drugs can save the lives of those suffering from trauma, he said.

"We want to make sure that our folks, including our first responders who are suffering, have access - not in the shadows but in the sunlight - to therapies that ... (are) literally saving people's lives and stopping them from killing themselves," Wiener told the health committee.

It's perhaps more surprising that Waldron has taken on the issue. She represents a safe Republican district in San Diego, in a region known for its straight-laced, military presence. San Diego County is the home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet, tens of thousands of Marines and seven military bases.

In an interview with CalMatters, Waldron said it was actually military veterans who brought psychedelics to her attention.

On Veteran's Day 2021, Waldron attended a fundraiser for a veteran's group at the Hotel Del Coronado resort on the edge of the San Diego Bay. There, she heard from a group of Navy SEALs who described crippling PTSD and depression when they came back from combat. Psychedelics, Waldron said, helped them cope with their trauma.

"They were saying ... how it changed their life and actually ended their desire to commit suicide, restored their family," Waldron said. "They had a normal life; they didn't have the triggers that brought on PTSD."

Psychedelics in therapeutic settings, Waldron said, take a person's mind "back to the scene of the trauma" and "actually break the trauma in a way.

"When you come out the other end," Waldron said, "you're able to deal with it." She notes that she's hardly the first Republican to embrace the therapies. Republican U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, the eye-patch-wearing Navy SEAL veteran from Texas, and Matt Gaetz, the conservative firebrand from Florida, have supported the use of psychedelics. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a bill in 2021 to study the drugs' therapeutic benefits.

Waldron's bill may have advanced to the Senate without a single vote against it, thanks in part to Wiener's support. But at least one Democrat had reservations. Assemblymember Akilah Weber, a physician from La Mesa, abstained from voting.

At the health committee hearing last month, she peppered Waldron and Wiener with questions and appeared skeptical there was enough legitimate medical research for California to craft a set of therapeutic guidelines by 2026. She noted the federal government only recently approved clinical research.

"What kind of studies are they going to be evaluating, especially given the fact that the regulations or the guidelines of how these clinical trials should be done just came out in June of 2023?" Weber asked.

"There are already a number of peer-reviewed studies in places like the New England Journal of Medicine," Wiener said. "So I don't want anyone to walk away thinking there are no scientific peer-reviewed studies. There are."

None of Waldron's 17 Republican colleagues voted against Waldron's bill when it was on the Assembly floor, though 12 abstained or were absent. The Republicans might not have wanted to go on record opposing a bill championed by their former leader. Some Republicans may also fear the vote could be used against them in a campaign.

Waldron doesn't have to worry about what a challenger might say, since she's serving her final term in the Legislature due to term limits.

Nonetheless, she said she would have worked with Wiener on the issue of psychedelics even if she was up for reelection. She notes she was a coauthor with Wiener on mental-health legislation that passed in 2020, and she fought for legislation that provides prison inmates with state Medi-Cal services in the months before their release in the hopes they transition easier into drug treatment when they re-enter society.

"It makes me kind of an outlier in many ways on the Republican side of things," Waldron said of wanting to help inmates. "But I've always tried to figure out how to help people when they come home to be able to stay home and not ... go back to prison."

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted several days after the top four candidates participated in an Inside California Politics debate that aired on all six local Nexstar television stations in the Golden State.

Since January, Rep. Schiff has increased his support from 25% to 28%. Garvey’s support increased from 18% to 22%; Rep. Katie Porter has climbed from 13% to 16%, while Rep. Barbara Lee’s support remained largely flat at 9%, the poll found.

17% of likely voters said they were still undecided, down from 24% in the previous Emerson College/Nexstar poll, and a handful of other candidates remain in the low single-digits.

The poll has an error margin of three percentage points.

“Candidate support varies by age group,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “Schiff’s support is highest among voters in their 60s, at 45%, and those over 70, with 39%, whereas Porter’s strength is among young voters, where she holds 23%. Notably, this group has the highest share of undecided voters at 28%. Garvey’s strength is also with older voters, with 33% support among voters over 70.”

Voters were also asked if they knew about or watched last Monday’s debate and, if so, who they believe won. 69% of those surveyed were familiar with the debate. 33% said Schiff won, followed by 19% for Porter, 18% for Garvey, and 9% said Lee.

21% of those surveyed said no candidate emerged as the clear winner.

The top two candidates from the March 5 primary will face each other in November’s general election to determine who will succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Other poll findings:

• The economy remains the top issue facing California voters (27%), followed by immigration (14%), housing affordability (14%), crime (11%), healthcare (9%), homelessness (8%), education (7%), threats to democracy (5%), and abortion (3%).
• Independent voters are split between Garvey (23%) and Schiff (22%).
• Voters were asked which candidate they trust to do the best job on a series of issues, regardless of which candidate they plan to vote for.
  • Crime: 32% Schiff, 25% Garvey, 19% Porter, and 12% Lee.
  • Homelessness: 29% Schiff, 26% Garvey, 20% Porter, and 13% Lee.
  • War in Israel and Gaza: 33% Schiff, 25% Garvey, 14% Porter, and 12% Lee.
  • Immigration: 32% Schiff, 27% Garvey, 17% Porter, and 11% Lee.
  • Abortion: 26% Porter, 25% Schiff, 23% Garvey, and 11% Lee.

California Highway Patrol describes a Feather Alert as a suspicious or unexplainable disappearance of an indigenous woman or indigenous person.

Murguia-Martinez is described by police as being five foot, eight inches tall and 250 pounds. Police said Murguia-Martinez has brown hair and green eyes. 

Murguia-Martinez was last seen on Jan. 14 at 11:40 a.m. in Ukiah. Murguia-Martinez was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black shoes, a gray hat, and eyeglasses.

If anyone sees Murguia-Martinez, CHP asks to call 9-1-1. 

They also warn that more snow is on the way to the area Sunday night through Wednesday and ask drivers to be prepared.

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc.

Despite its remote location in NorCal's wilderness, the natural wonder is far from being a hidden gem. Last summer, throngs of visitors numbering in the thousands treaded along hiking trails that lead to Burney Falls while the natural wonder was gushing from last winter's record-breaking storms.

The trails were damaged by a heavy volume of visitors, erosion from storm damages, and by people who ventured into sensitive habitat off-trail, California State Parks officials said. On Friday, parks officials announced that the main trails that provide access to the 129-foot high waterfalls will be closed in April indefinitely.

The park typically experiences extremely high visitation beginning in April and continuing through October. But this year, no visitors will be welcomed in. The indefinite closures include Falls Loop Trail and Burney Creek Trail.

"Visitors will have no access to the waterfall or fall’s pool area with limited views from the viewing area at the top of the falls," California State Parks officials wrote.

"The $835,000 project and trail closures are estimated to begin on April 1, pending weather conditions, and will remain in place for the duration of the 2024 summer season and most likely the fall season. The closure is to address critical repairs and improvements to the trails and natural slopes that have been impacted by high visitation and substantial use of these sensitive areas for foot access to the pool," parks officials wrote.

"Additionally, if planning a trip to the area, please be aware that Caltrans will be performing a major Highway 89 rehabilitation project during the same period which will significantly add traffic congestion, delays, and intermittent traffic closures near the park entrance," parks officials wrote.

It is illegal to park along Highway 89 outside of the park for a mile in either direction.

State parks officials said Burney Falls is not the highest nor largest waterfall in California, but it's "possibly the most beautiful." Burney Creek originates from the park's underground springs and flows to Lake Britton, getting larger along the way to the majestic falls and mist-filled basin.

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park's landscape was created by volcanic activity. Created over 1 million years ago, layered volcanic rock retains rainwater and snow melt, which forms a large underground reservoir.

The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. near Kiln Road in Santa Cruz County. The driver's vehicle landed so far down the mountainside that it was not visible in the darkness to rescue crews, according to Cal Fire CZU.

"Responding firefighters couldn't see anything due to pitch black conditions in the forest and heavy rain, but they could hear faint yelling," Cal Fire CZU officials wrote.

"They determined the vehicle location by sound of yelling and tire tracks. They quickly set up a rope rescue system. In (a) cold downpour surrounded by potentially compromised trees in slippery mud, they lowered firefighters to find it in a creek. They pulled one patient to safety," fire officials wrote.

Rescue crews with Cal Fire, Santa Cruz County Fire Department, Felton Fire Department, state parks, and the California Highway Patrol completed the challenging rope rescue two hours later. The driver suffered minor injuries and was hospitalized.

Cal Fire officials wrote, "This is why our firefighters constantly train rope rescue techniques in many locations."

Known as “Deal Days,” users can receive free items with a $1 minimum purchase. The first "Deal Day" occurred on Feb. 15. when customers were able to receive a free Double Cheeseburger.

Here’s the free food California customers can receive:

• Feb. 22: Sausage McMuffin with Egg
• Feb. 29: Big Mac
• March 7: Happy Meal
• March 14: Sausage McMuffin with Egg
• March 21: 6pc. Chicken McNuggets

App users in California can also get 20% off any $10+ order using Mobile Order & Pay and a $0 delivery fee for all orders over $15, a news release said.

The chain recently brought back “Filet-o-Fish Fridays,” which allows customers to purchase the fish sandwich for $2.99 every Friday at participating restaurants in Southern California.  

App users can get the fish sandwich on Fridays for $2.50.

The deal ends on March 29.

Assembly Bill 1850, introduced by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, would see the banana slug recognized as an emblem of the state.

“The banana slug is an iconic symbol of California’s temperate rainforest and is popular among both children and adults," Pellerin said.

"However, despite this cultural fascination, there is a dearth of academic research into this mollusk which can shed light on the evolutionary history of the state. Designating the banana slug as the state slug will highlight the important role that they play in the ecological health of the state."

According to the bill's fact sheet, banana slugs, scientific name Ariolimax, live as far north as Del Norte County and as far south as San Diego County.

The bill notes that banana slugs eat plants that compete with seedlings of the state tree, the California redwood, for nutrients.

According to the bill, there are at least seven species of banana slug found within California, only one of which is found outside of the state.

In 1986 the University of California, Santa Cruz, adopted the banana slug as its mascot which the bill notes was "famously showcased in the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction."

The banana slug would join other state symbols inducted into the California code such as the state bat, the pallid bat, and the state mushroom, the Californian Golden Chanterelle.

The FBI is searching for Mario Guadalupe Vasquez, who allegedly fled prosecution for homicide in Fairfield.

Court documents allege that he fatally shot 20-year-old Jesus Adrian "Jessie" Gutierrez Amaya during an attempted robbery that occurred in February 2012, according to the FBI.

Vasquez is described as being 31 years of age, measuring 5 feet 7 inches, weighing 200 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

The FBI said he has connections to communities in the Mexican state of Jalisco and California, and that he may have fled to Mexico.

The agency said it received a federal arrest warrant for Vasquez in Feb. 2022.

Anyone with information about him is asked to contact a local FBI office, submit a tip online, or United States embassy or consulate.

The blast, which was caught on video, occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in Los Angeles' Wilmington neighborhood. The video recorded by Noel Jordan and shared with KTLA showed flames and smoke from the explosion rising high into the air.

“That explosion was significant. The ball of flame was as high as telephone poles, and it did explode one of the [power] transformers nearby,” Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott said during a news conference shortly after the blast.

Firefighters had responded to the scene after getting reports that cylinders believed to be compressed natural gas (CNG) were on fire.

"There are two 100-gallon tanks on that vehicle, one of which exploded while our firefighters were putting out the fire," Scott said at a mid-morning news conference.

The natural gas, Scott said, was the truck's fuel, and the tractor was not hauling a trailer at the time.

"That explosion was significant. The ball of flame was as high as telephone poles, and it did explode one of the [power] transformers nearby," said Scott.

KTLA aerial footage showed the charred wreckage of the big rig with burned debris scattered around the area, including firefighting gear.

Scott said the injured firefighters were quickly triaged and treated at the scene before getting transported to a local hospital.

"Two of them are in critical condition as we speak," Scott said.

The Los Angeles Department of Health Services later said that a total of nine people, including two in critical condition, were sent to Harbor UCLA Medical Center in connection with the blast.

The DHS did not say whether all of the injured patients were firefighters.

“One of the victims in critical condition has now been transferred to our sister hospital, Los Angeles General Medical Center where we operate one of only 3 Burn Center units in Los Angeles,” the DHS stated in a news release.

The other seven patients were being treated for general injuries.

The second CNG tank remained intact at 9 a.m., forcing fire crews to keep a safe distance.

The driver appeared to escape unharmed before the blast.

"Our heart and concern remain with our dear firefighters who suffered those significant traumatic injuries,' Scott said.

Motorists were asked to avoid the area.

Search warrants were issued for 10 Los Angeles-based cannabis businesses, which together owed more than $14.4 million in unpaid taxes. Nine of the businesses were operating illegally, while the other one was a legal dispensary.

This is the first time the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, or the CDTFA, will auction off personal property seized during cannabis enforcement operations. Proceeds from the auction will apply toward the liabilities owed by each of the 10 debtors, a news release said.

The items auctioned off will include three glass bongs, one monitor, five televisions, one speaker, one ladder, two sandwich boards, one projector, six crowd control poles, one snow cone machine, two cameras, one raffle wheel, and at least two shelves.

An air purifier, soundboard, a refrigerator, a La-Z-Boy chair, a portable air conditioner, framed art and expensive sound equipment.

Bidders can’t buy pieces individually but instead will have to buy an entire collection of items, according to the report.

Items will be sold “as is” and go to the highest bidder. State officials didn’t specify where the bidding would begin.

Items need to be collected on Friday and can be purchased with cash, money order, or cashier’s checks, according to a news release.

The auction will be held at a CHP parking lot at 777 W. Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles. An auction preview and bidding registration will begin at 9 a.m. and bidding will start at 10 a.m.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Lori Wilson, Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber, and members of the California Legislative Black Caucus introduced the bill. 

This new bill mandates healthcare facilities to administer anti-bias training to ensure that Black pregnant women get the medical attention they need without having to ask for it. 

“Black women in California face alarming disparities in maternal health outcomes. As a Black mother and as Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, the fight to improve these outcomes is personal to me,” said Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D–Suisun City). “I look forward to collaborating with our Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber and other stakeholders to push this accountability measure across the finish line as we seek to make strides in improving Black maternal health outcomes throughout California.”

AB 2319 would establish firm deadlines for when trainings need to be finished and require compliance data to be posted online.

The bill will also establish administrative penalties for noncompliant facilities, conferring enforcement powers to the California Department of Public Health and the Attorney General, along with accountability measures.

The bill implementation will include training to include inclusive language for nonbinary people and men of transgender experience who also carry children and give birth. 

In his answer, Garvey revealed he has voted twice for Trump - but would not say if he would vote for him again. Garvey said on the podium that "the greatest single currency we have as Americans is the right to vote."

"I think it's personal. I'll make that decision when the time comes," he said. "And I hope this puts to an end the constant badgering and the use of the former president's name as an attack against me."

Garvey continued to say it would also be his personal decision to make if he was ever offered an endorsement from Trump - without revealing if he would accept an endorsement from him.

"These are personal choices. I only answer to God, my wife, family, and to the people of California - and I hope you would respect that I have personal choices."

That's how Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre described the decades-long problem of sewage flowing into her community from Mexico.

It's a problem that worsens when it rains as was evident when severe storms recently pummeled the Tijuana-San Diego region.

The International Boundary & Water Commission has said that on Jan. 22 alone, more than 14.5 billion gallons of water tainted with sewage made its way from Tijuana into California's Tijuana River Valley.

But the issue is nothing new, and lawmakers have long been urged to help.

On Monday, the four leading candidates vying to fill the California seat long held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein -- Democratic U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, and political newcomer Republican Steve Garvey -- were asked about the sewage problem.

Border Report correspondent Salvador Rivera asked the question from the Mexico-Californa border.

"Behind me is Smuggler's Gulch," Rivera says. "When it rains it turns into a raging river. This is one of the areas where a lot of raw sewage from Mexico enters the Tijuana River Valley on the U.S. Side of the border. My question to you candidate is: What are you prepared to do about the situation?"

Up first was Schiff, who said there are two problems.

"One is that you have this waste coming from south of our border. But there's another problem, which is there is a sewage plant in the United States in California that is broken that is also not doing its job," he said. "We need to fix this problem on both sides of the border. It's probably going to cost us about $300 million, which I've been urging President Biden along with the California delegation to provide to remediate this problem. And we need to take strong action because it is endangering the public, people are getting ill when they're swimming, beaches are shut down and we need to bring urgency to this issue."

Porter, of Orange County, called the situation a "crisis of oversight."

"We have failed to do the work to make sure that this sewage treatment facility on the U.S. side as well as the sewage treatment facilities on the Mexico side are functioning as they are supposed to be. There are years of deferred maintenance. That's the reason we have more of a need to put additional resources there. I have met with the mayor of Imperial Beach and other leaders both on the ground to see the problem for myself, as well as met with them in Washington. We can solve this problem
if we put the resources in place but we have to deliver the accountability to go with it.

Lee said there needs to be a focus on environmental justice.

"It is very important that we ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency, with its investments in our environmental justice funds, that the EPA invest in cleanup, first of all. And also, understand that in the Imperial Valley -- and I have visited also and met with the mayor and Tijuana and saw what is taking place -- and it is a huge problem because you have low-income people, you have people of color, you have Latinos, you have Mexicans on the Mexican side. All are being affected by this, and so we need to have a focus on environmental justice, also."

Garvey started by saying that he's the only one on the stage who's "actually been down to the border," to which his fellow candidate quickly said, "not true" and "incorrect."

"Recently," Garvey said. "You can't just go once years ago."

"The poor people of San Diego and Southern California, are the ones that are at the brunt of this dumping of waste that's coming across. You see signs that say you can't walk on the beach, you can't swim on the beach. So we have to take great actions in terms of protecting our people by speaking to where it came from and how we're gonna go about stopping it."

Efforts to address the issue are underway.

In August of 2022, the United States and Mexico agreed to spend almost $500 million from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.

The U.S. has since allocated over $300 million to upgrade the California sewage treatment plant and other sewage infrastructure on both sides of the border. President Joe Biden has also requested additional funding, but that money remains stuck in Congress.

On the Mexican side, officials last month broke ground on repairs to the Punta Bandera Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was built in 1978. The facility is located on the coast about 6 miles south of the border, and it's supposed to treat at least 25 percent of the city's raw sewage.

In a debate Monday night, Rep. Barbara Lee defended her previous advocacy for a $50 minimum wage.

"In the Bay Area, I believe it was the United Way that came out with a report that very recently $127,000 for a family of four is just barely enough to get by," Lee said. "Another survey very recently: $104,000. For a family of one, barely enough to get by low income because of the affordability crisis."

A wage of $50 an hour would total $104,000 over the course of a year.

"Just do the math. Of course we have national minimum wages that we need to raise to a living wage," Lee said. "We're talking about $20, $25 – fine. But I have got to be focused on what California needs and what the affordability factor is when we calculate this wage."

Republican Steve Garvey said he was not in favor of changing the minimum wage.

"Again, minimum wage is where it is and should be," Garvey said. "If you look at what California has done to fast food franchises right now, increasing the minimum wage to $20. Then what’s going to happen? That’s going to increase costs for hard-working Californians to go to a franchise.”

In the past, Schiff and Porter offered a more measured approach.

At a previous debate in January, Porter suggested the minimum wage should be around $20 at the national level and $25 in California.

In the same debate, Schiff suggested a $25 national minimum wage.

Imperial Beach, or I.B. as the locals refer to it, is the American city most impacted by the sewage that comes in from Mexico every day.

A lot of this effluent ends up in the ocean, forcing the closure of California beaches in city's like I.B. and Coronado to the north.

"It’s the worst it’s ever been, it’s the border crisis nobody is talking about," Aguirre said.

The mayor told Border Report that recent storms dropped a tremendous amount of rain bringing with it staggering levels of raw sewage from the south side of the border.

Aguirre says the city of Tijuana doesn't have the infrastructure to handle sewage generated from its 2 million residents. She added that the sewer system is tied to the storm-runoff network, so when it rains, a heavy volume of harmful raw sewage is released and flows downhill into California's Tijuana River Valley.

On Jan. 22, approximately 14.5 billion gallons of water tainted with raw sewage made its way into the United States, according to figures published by the International Boundary and Water Commission.

In the past week, IBWC says, numbers show about 1 billion gallons of stormwater containing a small percentage of raw sewage pouring in daily.

"All of that flow impacts us all the way from the border north of Coronado, sometimes all the way to Point Loma, so that’s the entire south county of San Diego," she said. "We've had the southern end of Imperial Beach closed for over 800 consecutive days, and in this stretch of beach where we’re at has been closed every single day this year and every single day last year.”

Aguirre fears more flows and more beach closures will continue to happen if a wastewater treatment plant on the north side of the border isn't fixed soon, so it can handle the sewage that comes in from Mexico.

"This plant has been operating on the verge of collapse, the plant needs to be expanded to double its capacity,” she said.

Money for these repairs is said to be in the works. More than $300 million have been allocated to upgrade the plant as well as other sewage infrastructure on both sides of the border.

President Joe Biden has also requested additional funding, but that money remains stuck in Congress.

"Beach closures have a tremendous impact on the quality of life for the 750,000 residents that use these beaches, beaches of south San Diego County," Aguirre said.

She's also concerned with the ongoing health problems she blames on bacteria that comes from the sewage, pathogens that get in the air and are pushed by the wind to areas away from the coast or the Tijuana River Valley.

Aguirre says the pollution is also endangering the lives of Border Patrol agents who work in the valley. Border Report reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection seeking comment about the polluted waters affecting agents in the field, but did not hear back.

"They are being impacted by chemical burns, asthmatic attacks, they have even received hazard pay for having to function in these conditions,” Aguirre said.

And just up the coast from Imperial Beach is the brand-new Navy Seals facility where, according to the Navy, the contamination is making an impact on training.

In a written statement to Border Report, the Navy wrote: "When water is contaminated, in-water training evolutions are delayed, moved or canceled."

Aguirre says this is affecting the Seals' military readiness.

"Every single Navy Seal has to come and train in Coronado, their readiness is being impacted by the sewage pollution."

At 9:11 a.m., officers arrived at the 500 block of Roger Avenue after reports were received of an unresponsive person. CPR was being administered to this person before police arrived.

Two people were pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived, and life-saving measures were being performed on two other people before they were also pronounced dead.

The four people have been identified as three men and one woman between the ages of 30 and 40, with the suspected cause of death being substance abuse-related, according to law enforcement. Two other people were in the house, and they are cooperating with the investigation.

The cause of death has not been confirmed and an ongoing investigation is being conducted by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, the El Dorado District Attorney's Office and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee and Los Angeles Dodgers legend Steve Garvey will be sparring over the issues and trying to make themselves stand out in a crowded field.

The four leading candidates are all looking to fill the seat previously filled by longtime Democrat powerhouse Dianne Feinstein, who died in September 2023 after serving in the Senate for more than three decades.

Her seat in the U.S. Senate is currently being occupied by Laphonza Butler, who was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve in an interim capacity until the voters could weigh in and elect their next U.S. Senator.

Feinstein's death leaves California in an unfamiliar spot in one of the most high-profile statewide elections in years.

KRON4's sister station in Los Angeles, KTLA 5 News, spoke with Jim Newton, lecturer in communications and public policy at UCLA and editor of UCLA Blueprint, to discuss what's at stake in this history-making election.

For one, whoever fills Feinstein's seat will have large shoes to fill, both as a member of the U.S. Senate and as a voice in their respective political party.

"Feinstein was among the most respected members of Congress in either house, in my lifetime," Newton said. "And so losing her and her experience is significant for California."

Feinstein had one of the longest tenures in the Senate and seniority in the chamber brings with it major influence. Whoever wins her seat in November won't have that luxury.

"Even a very capable senator to replace Feinstein will have to kind of start the clock over again, in terms of seniority," Newton said. "So in that sense, California has lost a historic representative, and the next person won't be that, at least right away."

In some ways, though, at least politically, Newton doesn't expect a whole lot to change if the state elects another Democrat, which he says is far and away the most likely outcome.

Another Democratic Senator would however likely land slightly left of Feinstein on the political spectrum, which may be a welcome sight to Californians in 2024.

"California is more liberal than she was," Newton said. "So in that sense, it may align the ideological position of California a little more closely to its representation."

While Newton expects a relatively easy win for the Democrats come November, the March primary is where things could get interesting.

Schiff, Porter and Lee, the three leading Democrats, will most assuredly siphon votes off from one another which would give the most high-profile Republican a chance to advance in a runoff.

"If Republicans consolidated around Garvey, you could imagine him getting 30% or so of the vote. So he could even finish first, in the first round," Newton said. "The problem for him is the second round."

A united Democratic front, with additional help from registered Independents, likely leaves Garvey with little chance of winning in November. Republicans haven't won a statewide race in California since 2006. The last time the party won a U.S. Senate race was Pete Wilson's re-election bid in 1988.

Although left of Feinstein, Schiff, who recent polling shows is the frontrunner, will have his own battles with his fellow party members both in March and possibly in November.

Porter and Lee are considered to be the more progressive options for the Democrats and, although Newton believes Schiff would probably come out on top in a runoff against either of them, he won’t rule out an upset.

"Porter or Lee might sort of catch fire and run a progressive campaign to Schiff's left, and that might pose a danger for him in the runoff," he said.

So how do the three Democrats stand out in Monday's debate?

Newton expects Porter to bank on her values and her refusal of corporate campaign contributions as she tries to "cast herself as the only populist, economic liberal, the only one to stand against money."

For Lee, expect her to pitch herself in a "biographical way," Newton said, someone who has overcome countless challenges in her life.

"She has been homeless, she's raised children on her own, she's experienced discrimination in ways that the other two just haven't," he said. "So I think that hers is a more personal way of distinguishing herself from the field."

And for Schiff, staying on message as the mainstream Democrat seems like the obvious path to take.

Newton expects the three Democrats to try and pitch themselves to voters while going after Garvey, rather than each other.

The sole Republican on stage, Garvey will likely be challenged often. He's already drawn some ire after he refused to say if he would vote for President Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the November General election, prompting Porter to taunt him with, "Once a Dodger, always a Dodger."

Newton hopes Garvey will come with answers to Monday's debate, rather than try to walk the tightrope between not angering his Trump-leaning base while running a campaign with broader appeal.

"I just don't know what Steve Garvey stands for, or why he's running in this race," Newton said. "He's asking people to invest their confidence in him and for him to represent their views in Washington, but he won't say what his own views are."

While Newton expects that one of the Democrats on stage will eventually be California's next Senator, but unless two Democrats are in the runoff, there will be uncertainty.

"You get into a runoff, you're one out of two, something can always happen, right?" he said. "The candidate can say something just astronomical, can just ball up. So it's not crazy to think that there might be something so disruptive, that you end up backing into the Senate seat."

The hourlong live debate takes place Monday, Feb, 12 starting at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by Inside California Politics hosts Frank Buckley and Nikki Laurenzo.

Viewers can watch the debate on any of these Nexstar California TV stations or websites: KRON in San Francisco, KTLA in Los Angeles, KSWB in San Diego, KTXL in Sacramento, KSEE in Fresno and KGET in Bakersfield.

Viewers can join the conversation by using the hashtag #CASenDebate.

The candidates in Monday night's debate were Democrats Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), Rep. Katie Porter (D-Orange County) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), along with Republican front-runner Steve Garvey.

The debate began with the candidates offering opinions on whether President Joe Biden should issue an executive order to secure the border. Rep. Schiff called the idea of a border wall "draconian," but said he supported executive action on the border. Rep. Porter called for a "lawful, orderly and humane" immigration system but declined to directly say she supported executive action on the border.

Rep. Lee called for "comprehensive" border reform while saying that she supported executive action on the border.

Garvey laid the blame for the current situation on the border on President Biden and called for a clampdown on illegal migrants entering the country.

Watch the exchange on the border below

Recent polls have seen Schiff maintain his status as front-runner. In a recent ad, the Burbank representative, who established a national profile leading the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump, has tried to cast the race as a binary choice between himself and leading GOP candidate, Garvey.

Garvey, a former Major League Baseball great with no political experience, has pulled level with Porter in second place, according to recent polls. Porter, meanwhile, the SoCal rep famous for her whiteboards, needed a breakout moment in Monday's debate, according to one political analyst.

The same might be said for Lee. The Bay Area progressive has fallen behind in both fundraising and the polls, having seen her support among voters surveyed drop to single digits.

In Monday's debate, she addressed her calls for a $50 minimum wage.

"Just do the math. Of course, we have national minimum wages that we need to raise to a living wage, we're talking about $20-$25, fine. But I've got to be focused on what California needs," the congresswoman said.

Candidates weigh in on minimum wage

The other candidates on the stage offered differing views on minimum wage, with Garvey distinguishing himself by saying he didn't believe minimum wage needed to be changed.

'Once a Dodger, always a Dodger'

After being hit by a zinger from Rep. Porter in the first debate over whether he planned to vote for Trump, Garvey was again evasive when it came to the former president. This time, the former MLB great refused to say whether or not he'd accept an endorsement from former president Donald Trump. (Watch his answer below)

Candidates on Israel-Hamas conflict

Whether very little daylight between the race's three leading Democrats on most issues, the question of how they viewed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas offered them a chance to differentiate themselves.

While all four candidates supported Israel's right to defend itself, they offered differing opinions with Lee calling for a permanent ceasefire, Porter pushing for a bilateral ceasefire, and Schiff calling for a "humanitarian pause."

Garvey was the only candidate on stage who declined to back a two-state solution, saying that "to think that there would be a two-state solution is naive, because one of those states will always try to annihilate Israel."

The debate was moderated by Inside California Politics hosts Nikki Laurenzo and Frank Buckley.

Steve Garvey, the leading Republican candidate vying for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat, doesn't have a career in elected office like his fellow front runners. His name is better known on the baseball diamond than Capitol Hill.

Garvey, 75, grew up outside California but came to the Golden State when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968.

The first baseman played with the Dodgers until 1982 – even collecting a World Series win along the way – before moving a few hours south to play with the San Diego Padres. His nickname was "Mr. Clean," according to MLB.com. Garvey's MLB career spanned nearly two decades.

Outside of baseball, Garvey hosted a morning radio show, made a few TV show appearances (including one episode of "Baywatch"), and started a marketing firm, according to CalMatters.

His political involvement, until now, has largely involved fundraising for other candidates, CalMatters reports.

Garvey has touted that political outsider status in this run for U.S. Senate, his first time going for elected office. He laments violent crime, homelessness and "failing schools" in his statement written for the state voter guide and blames politicians for letting Californians down. His campaign promises include increasing funding for law enforcement, support for Israel and Ukraine, and investing in water-saving infrastructure.

But his Democratic opponents depict him as a political novice who is unprepared for the Senate at a time of global unrest. Garvey also has seen attacks on his character tied to 1980s sex scandals that sullied his reputation as “Mr. Clean,” the nickname that referred to his buttoned-down image from his Dodger days. At the time he admitted to having two children with women he wasn’t married to, then married another woman, his current wife.

He has said of those days, “I think our life is a journey. … I’ve gone through a difficult time here and there. I’ve learned from it.”

Garvey's will be one of more than two dozen names to appear on the Senate primary ballot in California, though many of them are political unknowns. Under state rules, Democrats and Republicans appear on the same primary ballot and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of political party.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Over the past week, Republican candidate Steve Garvey has garnered the most interest on Google, thanks possibly in part to rival Rep. Adam Schiff's campaign including him in a new political ad.

Garvey is easily the least known to voters of the top four candidates. The three Democratic contenders are all U.S. Congressional representatives, two of whom have served more than 20 years.

Garvey was likely a better-known name in the state throughout the 70s and 80s when he played professional baseball in Southern California, first for the Los Angeles Dodgers and then with the San Diego Padres.

Over the last 12 months, however, it's Schiff that drives the most Google searches.

Schiff made a name for himself nationally over the past few years as an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump. The representative from Burbank led the first impeachment inquiry into Trump in 2019, making him a go-to target for Republicans.

Indeed, by far the highest number of Google searches any candidate pulled this year was when House Republicans censured Schiff in July over his role in the investigations into Trump.

Garvey earned the least amount of searches over the course of the year, though. Unlike the other candidates, he only announced his campaign in October. The campaign announcement surged the number of Garvey-related Google searches, earning him the second-largest spike of the year.

Lee also had her time in the national spotlight, though the moment has mostly since faded from the national consciousness.

The representative from Oakland cast the only vote in either House of Congress against the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 following the Sept. 11 attacks. This move drew national attention and bipartisan criticism at the time. In recent years, Lee's vote against what her office continues to call a "blank check for endless war" is more often seen as prescient.

Katie Porter, the youngest top candidate by more than a decade, has only been in Congress since 2019 but has managed to make a slight impression on the national stage through her use of visual aids and by asking pointed questions to business executives and government leaders in congressional hearings.

Beyond the top four, more than 20 other candidates are vying for the Senate seat formerly held by Dianne Feinstein. Search interest for even the most recognizable names among those contenders, such as former KTLA reporter Christina Pascucci or perennial candidate Attorney Eric Early, remains minimal.

The hour-long debate, airing exclusively on KRON 4 and other California stations in the Nexstar Media Group, will be the second chance for candidates to face off on the stage in hopes of earning a spot in November’s general election. 

“This next debate will make a big difference,” said Dr. Christian Grose, a professor of political science and public policy at USC. 

The difference, Grose says, will impact the race for second place between Democratic Rep. Katie Porter and Republican Steve Garvey, who each polled at 15% in a California Elections and Policy poll from USC California State University, Long Beach and Cal Poly Pomona released on Thursday. The two candidates receiving the most votes in the March primary will be on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election, regardless of party affiliation. 

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff maintained his solid grip on the lead with the support of 25% of the more than 1,400 likely voters surveyed. Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee remained in fourth place with 7% support. 

While Schiff isn’t the inevitable, without-a-doubt winner of the primary just yet, Grose said, it appears that the deadlocked race for second between Porter and Garvey should be the focal point Monday. 

“Who comes in second is really important,” Grose said. “If Porter comes in second, it’s going to be really competitive with two Democrats running against each other in the general election. All voters will be up for grabs. 

“If Garvey comes in second and faces Schiff, it’s also consequential. At first, it would seem like it’s Schiff’s race to win pretty easily because the state is overwhelmingly Democratic.” 

Garvey’s performance in the first debate on Jan. 22 came under scrutiny for his refusal to commit to vote for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election — despite admitting he’d voted for him in 2016 and 2020. 

Porter weaponized that hesitancy while pulling from Garvey’s history as a star baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1970s and early 80s. The 2024 U.S. Senate race is the 75-year-old's first official run for public office. 

“Once a dodger, always a dodger,” Porter said in response to Garvey’s reluctance to endorse the former President. 

The second debate on Monday could be Garvey’s chance to show California’s republican voters which side of the party he tows, Grose said. 

“The more right-wing Republicans in the state are unsure about him, the more middle and left-wing voters in the state are unsure about him,” Grose said. “I think he’s got to pick a lane.” 

Grose said a focus on policy and an eagerness to engage in battles with his Democrat competitors could help the Republican, who is at risk of “losing the energy” he built up among California’s right ahead of the first debate. 

“Garvey did not help himself in [the first] debate,” Grose said. 

Garvey’s loss could be Porter’s gain as she contends for a spot on the general ballot.  

“This debate is really critical for her,” Grose said. “I think Katie Porter has to break out now and decide does she really want to go after Schiff directly, or does she want to present herself as the alternative to Schiff and to Garvey in order to make it to the general election.” 

As for Schiff, he could use Monday to decide who he wants his main opponent to be for the rest of the primary season. 

“I think what he’s going to try to do is play up Garvey even more like he’s been doing in his ads, make it a Schiff vs. Garvey race — a Democrat vs. a Republican,” Grose said. “If it’s Schiff vs. Porter, it creates a little more risk for Schiff.” 

The debate airs live on KRON 4 and on kron4.com on Monday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, movie crews and the famed actor were spotted in the area near the Sacramento Superior Courthouse and Sacramento County Administration Building on H and 8th streets.

Singer and actress Teyana Taylor and director Paul Thomas Anderson were also in the area filming scenes of an upcoming movie referred to as “BC Project.” The plot of the movie is under wraps, but it’s reportedly based on the Thomas Pynchon novel “Vineland,” which is set in California in 1984.

Before shooting scenes in Sacramento, production of the Warner Bros. movie took place in Eureka and the surrounding area, about 300 miles north of Sacramento. On Monday, production of the movie reportedly moved south to downtown Stockton.

Photographer Armando Alvarez, who spoke to KRON4's sister-station FOX40.com on Monday, caught a glimpse of the Oscar-winning actor near the Sacramento courthouse while production was taking place. Photos and a video taken by Alvarez also show Taylor and Anderson.

“I went on my own scavenger hunt to see where they were going to film... I’m usually off on the weekends, so I was driving around downtown, seeing if I could spot anything myself,” Alvarez said. “I kind of noticed by the railyards, there was a hefty amount of semi trucks, work trucks and all kinds of vans.”

Alvarez said that when he heard of initial reports of Warner Brothers filming in Sacramento, he was curious about what was being shot, as the community was speculating it would be the new DiCaprio-led film.

Alvarez said that he and his family were walking around downtown Sacramento Saturday when he heard activity going on near the courthouse. 

When they got to the corner of 8th and H streets, Alvarez was advised to stay away from the camera angles and that’s when he saw DiCaprio step out of a van. 

Alvarez calls it being at “the right place at the right time” and describes capturing the renowned actor as a "surreal moment."

“He was immediately attended by the cast members, the makeup artists, and once he met with Teyana Taylor, one of the other actresses, he met with the director, and they kind of went over of where they were going to start filming,” Alvarez said. “Everybody was ready in place for him, they started rolling, took several takes and it was a really cool experience to see Hollywood in our backyard in Sacramento.” 

The city of Sacramento’s Film Office previously told FOX40.com that Warner Bros. obtained permits to film downtown, and nearby residents received a notice of road closures taking place due to the project.

Although there was speculation about whether or not the Sacramento filming was related to the DiCaprio project, it wasn't confirmed until the renowned actors and director were spotted in the capital city by Alvarez and other onlookers.

It comes after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year vetoed legislation that would have decriminalized the possession and personal use of several plant-based hallucinogens, including psychedelic mushrooms. It was the first time the proposal by Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener made it through the legislature after years of stalling. In his veto message, Newsom, who championed legalizing cannabis in 2016, asked lawmakers to work on therapeutic guidelines and regulations.

Now Wiener has teamed up with Republican Assemblymember Marie Waldron on a proposal to allow participations to consume psilocybin — the hallucinogenic component in what’s known as psychedelic mushrooms — under the supervision of a licensed therapist. The bill also would include dimethyltryptamine (DMT), MDMA and mescaline.

Colorado and Oregon have already decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms and establish regulated systems for therapeutic use of the substances. In California, San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz have effectively decriminalized possession of psychedelic mushrooms, meaning a person cannot be arrested or prosecuted for possessing limited amounts of plant-based hallucinogens.

“We know that Californians are struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, and we know that psychedelics, particularly when combined with therapeutic support, can be a powerful tool to help people get their health back,” Wiener said at a Monday news briefing. “We know that California veterans and first responders have particularly benefited from these substances, and we know that many more people can as well.”

Waldron, who introduced a different bill to study the use of psychedelic therapy, said the bipartisan bill aligns with Newsom’s vision by providing safeguards around psychedelic therapy. A person would have to go through a comprehensive screening to determine if they’re fit to consume hallucinogens for therapy and engage in follow-up assessments.

The bill also would shift the state’s response to mental health crisis away from criminalization and punishment, Waldron said.

California already has “a massive network" of underground therapists who provide psychedelic therapy, Wiener said. He added the bill would “bring them above ground” through a new state licensing board that regulates the services.

The legislation does not allow for personal possession and use. That means clients can't buy the substance to go. The drugs would still be illegal under federal law. Wiener said he doesn't want to wait on actions from the federal government and that state lawmakers could authorize such regulated psychedelic use, similar to previous efforts to legalize therapeutic use of cannabis to treat cancers or HIV.

Touted as a mind-bending drug in the 1960s, psychedelic mushrooms have been used in religious or spiritual practices in some cultures for centuries and possibly thousands of years. Some researchers believe psilocybin and other drugs show promise in treating depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Food and Drug Administration in 2018 designated psilocybin a “breakthrough therapy” and published draft guidance last year for researchers designing clinical trials for psychedelic drugs.

The bill is sponsored by Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit working with veterans to overcome trauma. Juliana Mercer, a Marine Corps veteran and a Heroic Hearts Project board member, said she's used psychedelics to manage her PTSD through programs outside of the U.S. Her organization recently sent a group of veterans to Oregon for regulated psilocybin use.

“Through education and through regulation, we'll be able to take people from doing this underground, where it may not be safe, into a place where they can do it safely,” Mercer said.

She added that will allow them to “access the healing that they deserve without fear of negative repercussions.”

The California Coalition for Psychedelic Safety and Education, which opposed the measure to decriminalize psychedelics last year, also joined to support the bipartisan bill this year. Susan Sagy, executive director of the group, called it an approach “that balances the potential benefits of therapeutic treatment with the potential risks to public health.”

Proponents of the bill anticipate it would take 18 to 24 months to implement the program if the bill becomes law. The bill would also create an education program to help reduce the stigma around psychedelics.

Voting is about to start, with a Monday deadline for counties to mail ballots.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, has built up a a dominant advantage in fundraising while consistently topping polls. But a large chunk of voters remains undecided heading toward the March 5 election.

Under California rules, Democrats and Republicans appear on the same primary ballot and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of political party. Schiff, who has warehoused plenty of money to blanket the state with ads on TV, cable and streaming services, appears to be in the strongest position to gain one of those two November slots.

He’s being pursued by two other well-known Democratic House members, Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, and Republican and former Los Angeles Dodgers star Steve Garvey, a former National League MVP who is making his first run for public office 37 years after retiring from baseball.

In all, more than two dozen names will appear on the Senate ballot for the six-year term that begins next year, though many of them are political unknowns.

Come November, the seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands in a state where Republicans haven’t won a U.S. Senate election since 1988.

With Schiff appearing poised to take one of the November spots, Porter's campaign has been routinely targeting Garvey, with a recent fundraising email warning the former MVP's fame threatened to “be the reason we lose Katie’s voice in Congress for good.”

Schiff, meanwhile, is running ads statewide that call Garvey “too conservative for California,” which might be intended to lift Garvey's profile with conservatives and dampen Porter's chances since Garvey would be a longshot in the fall.

Porter said in a statement that Schiff is trying “to game the system to get an opponent they have the best chance of defeating” in November.

Feinstein died in September, ending a long career in which she broke gender barriers and was a passionate advocate for abortion rights and gun control. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler, a longtime Democratic organizer, to fulfill Feinstein's term, and Butler chose not to seek election to the seat.

The race is unfolding at a time when the state's once-soaring population has been in decline, and polling shows many Californians are unhappy about the direction of the state, inflation and an unchecked homeless crisis in Los Angeles and other big cities.

The presidential race could color the outcome — and possibly depress turnout on both sides.

While running against only token opposition in the primary, President Joe Biden's popularity has been sagging and he is struggling with key voting groups, including Latinos and independents, California polling has found. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is the heavy favorite to claim the Republican nomination, which could dampen GOP turnout if it appears the contest is essentially over by early March.

Garvey brought a jolt of celebrity to the race, but his challenge is first consolidating the GOP base – he’s dueling for Republican votes with attorney Eric Early, who previously has run unsuccessfully for state attorney general and Congress. Democrats have sought to inflame GOP tensions and discourage independents from choosing Garvey by spotlighting his indecision on the White House contest: Garvey has declined to say if he will vote for Trump this year, after supporting him in 2016 and 2020.

He’s one of the few Republicans with a widely recognizable name to run for statewide office in years. In 2016 and 2018, GOP Senate candidates performed so poorly that two Democrats appeared on the November ballot. In 2022, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla had a walkover win against little-known Republican Mark Meuser.

While Garvey is well-known to an older generation of baseball fans, Democrats e depict him as a political novice unprepared for the Senate at a time of global unrest. Garvey also has seen attacks on his character tied to 1980s sex scandals that sullied his reputation as “Mr. Clean,” a moniker that referred to his buttoned-down image from his Dodger days. At the time he admitted to having two children with women he wasn’t married to, then married another woman, his current wife.

He has said of those days, “I think our life is a journey. … I’ve gone through a difficult time here and there. I’ve learned from it.”

The leading Democrats are mostly indistinguishable on policy issues but the contest has highlighted fissures on the party's left wing, including over the Israel-Hamas war and so-called congressional earmark funds.

The attorney Porter has presented herself as a suburban soccer mom who keeps a keen eye on corporate excess from Capitol Hill — often using a whiteboard to break down complex information at congressional hearings. Schiff, a former prosecutor, has emerged as the establishment favorite and counts former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi among his supporters. Lee often spotlights her compelling life story — she fought to become her high school’s first Black cheerleader and was once homeless, after fleeing an abusive marriage. And she also was the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In a recent televised debate, Lee called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, while Schiff has been outspoken in support of Israel's right to defend itself. Porter opposes earmarks — where lawmakers direct federal spending to a specific project or institution back home — while Schiff and Lee endorsed them.

Schiff, a former federal prosecutor, made clear at the start of his campaign that he intended to anchor his candidacy to his role as Trump’s chief antagonist in Congress. In his campaign kickoff video, he said the “biggest job of his life” was serving as impeachment manager, and he promised to continue to be a “fighter” for democracy.

In June, Schiff was censured by the Republican-led House on a party-line vote for comments he made during the investigations into former President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. During that time, the congressman was a frequent presence on TV and rolled out online fundraising pitches, including on the day of the vote when he urged supporters to “become a founding donor” of his Senate campaign.

One towering tree in Boulder Creek crashed into a one-story house on the 14100 block of Highway 9 and killed a person inside at 3:20 p.m., the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office confirmed to KRON4.

The storm fatality victim was identified as 45-year-old Robert Brainard III of Boulder Creek, according to SCCSO.

A second resident inside the house was able to escape and survived. Brainard had been trapped by the tree, SCCSO spokesperson Ashley Keehn said.

"One resident made it out of the house, but another was trapped inside. Unfortunately, the resident inside sustained injuries from the tree falling into the home and was pronounced deceased at the scene," Keehn wrote.

Images from the scene show Boulder Creek Fire Department firefighters climbing through mangled branches with chainsaws to reach the destroyed house.

Local Boulder Creek residents said trees fell on several houses in their area during the wind storm. One local resident, who identified himself as Badger, said he heard trees falling outside of his house Sunday night. "I can't call nobody. Tree came down and knocked out the powerline that goes up the road. So, nobody is talking to nobody," he said.

Hurricane-force wind gusts reached 98 miles-per-hour on Loma Prieta peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. "Winds have gusted to 70-90 mph in many peaks across the entire San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast ... with similar gusts along the Big Sur coast," the National Weather Service said. A High Wind Advisory issued by the NWS expired at 8 a.m. Monday.

Crews were still working to clear storm debris from Highway 9 as of Monday afternoon.