It’s local weather crunch time in California.
Starting at the moment and lasting by Thursday, mills and transmission-line operators ought to delay any scheduled upkeep to keep away from doable energy outages as Californians crank up their air conditioners to take care of an anticipated onslaught of 100-plus diploma warmth, the state’s electric grid operator said Friday.
The California Independent System Operator’s warning got here on the heels of draft legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom’s workplace unveiled late Thursday to increase the lifetime of Diablo Canyon, the state’s final nuclear energy plant in San Luis Obispo, by as a lot as 10 years — and provides its operator, PG&E, a forgivable loan of as much as $1.4 billion to do so.
Taken collectively, the 2 actions underscore the extent to which California is susceptible to repeating the occasions of 2020, when the state was unable to provide sufficient vitality to fulfill demand, triggering the primary rolling blackouts in practically twenty years.
Newsom — little doubt desirous to keep away from energy outages as he elevates his nationwide profile in what some suspect is preparation for a future presidential run — has for months pushed the thought of quickly extending Diablo Canyon’s lifespan previous its deliberate 2025 closure to assist shore up the state’s electrical energy provides.
But the draft laws makes specific the urgency behind his proposal: It would exempt the Diablo Canyon extension from evaluation below the California Environmental Quality Act and a number of other different environmental legal guidelines, limiting the authorized challenges that anti-nuclear advocates and different environmental justice teams might carry towards it, according to the Los Angeles Times.
And, until Newsom requires a particular legislative session, lawmakers should approve his plan earlier than the common session ends on Aug. 31 — giving them lower than three weeks to succeed in an settlement on the complicated difficulty. (That isn’t the one contentious environmental laws they’re grappling with: Newsom on Friday sent them an inventory of last-minute local weather proposals he desires enacted, together with accelerated greenhouse gasoline cuts, new interim targets for reaching 100% clear vitality and security zones round new oil and gasoline wells.)
- Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham, a San Luis Obispo Republican, told the Sacramento Bee: “I think (the Newsom administration is) pretty serious” about Diablo Canyon. “Serious enough to be briefing me about it, serious enough to be proposing some bill language in a trailer bill, serious enough to be expending some political capital to try to make the case and get the information to the voters and the public as to why we need it.”
- But the draft invoice has angered some environmental advocates: “Legislators should reject it out of hand,” Environment California, Friends of the Earth and the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a joint statement. “With Governor Newsom and the legislature working to appropriate climate budget funds and advance ambitious climate legislation in the waning days of the legislative session, this proposal is a dangerous and costly distraction.”
The swirl of proposals comes as California prepares to lose its prime local weather regulator. Newsom announced Friday that Jared Blumenfeld, secretary of California’s Environmental Protection Agency, will step down on the finish of the month to steer the Waverley Street Foundation, a new $3.5 billion climate change nonprofit founded by Laurene Powell Jobs. Newsom appointed Amelia Yana Garcia Gonzalez, a California Department of Justice particular assistant lawyer common centered on environmental points, to switch Blumenfeld, the most recent high-ranking official to depart the governor’s administration.
Other necessary local weather news:
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The coronavirus backside line: As of Thursday, California had 10,104,761 confirmed circumstances (+0.3% from earlier day) and 93,378 deaths (+0.2% from earlier day), in response to state data now up to date simply twice per week on Tuesdays and Fridays. CalMatters can also be monitoring coronavirus hospitalizations by county.
California has administered 79,191,867 vaccine doses, and 71.8% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated.
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Other Stories You Should Know
1
Kaiser psychological well being staff to strike
Today, greater than 2,000 Kaiser Permanente psychological well being staff are set to launch an open-ended strike in Northern California and the Central Valley to protest what they are saying are unsustainable clinician workloads and prolonged appointment waits in violation of a brand new state legislation requiring follow-up psychological well being care for many sufferers inside 10 enterprise days. The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents the putting clinicians, alleged in a Thursday complaint to state health regulators that Kaiser is canceling hundreds of behavioral well being appointments and isn’t offering sufferers with options in violation of state legislation. The union additionally mentioned it reached a take care of Kaiser on wages throughout Friday and Saturday bargaining classes however different points, akin to staffing and dividing suppliers’ time between affected person appointments and administrative duties, remained unresolved. Further bargaining classes haven’t been scheduled, in response to the union.
- Jennifer Browning, a licensed scientific employee at Kaiser Roseville and member of the union bargaining staff, mentioned in an announcement: “We’ve been telling Kaiser executives since Day One that this isn’t about money. It’s about our professional integrity and our ability to provide care that will help patients get better.”
- Deb Catsavas, senior vice chairman of human assets at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, mentioned in an announcement that some “nonurgent” appointments might must be rescheduled, although Kaiser has “expanded our network of high-quality community providers and will continue to prioritize urgent and emergency care.” She added, “The union is well aware that its’ (sic) decision to strike is intended to hurt Kaiser Permanente’s ability to meet the needs of our patients: that is the point of the strike. The reality is that this strike, like the union’s proposal to reduce appointment time, will only make fewer providers available for mental health care, at a time of unprecedented demand. This strike is an unnecessary tactic to increase the union’s leverage at the bargaining table, making it harder, not easier, to deliver mental health care.”
Speaking of psychological well being care, Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco mentioned Friday that he plans to desk his controversial invoice to decriminalize sure psychedelic medicine after it was amended in a secretive legislative course of to solely authorize finding out such a transfer. “I am looking forward to reintroducing this legislation next year and continuing to make the case that it’s time to end the War on Drugs. Psychedelic drugs, which are not addictive, have incredible promise when it comes to mental health and addiction treatment. We are not giving up,” Wiener said in a statement.
2
Health care value modifications coming to California
From CalMatters well being reporter Ana B. Ibarra: Rarely is there promising news in terms of well being care prices. But this week, President Joe Biden is set to sign into law the Inflation Reduction Act, a local weather, well being and tax invoice handed Friday by the U.S. House of Representatives that’s anticipated to supply aid for at the very least some Americans. Here’s a have a look at what a few of the measure’s well being care provisions imply for California:
- Enhanced federal subsidies set to run out on the finish of the 12 months might be prolonged for an additional three years. That implies that about 1.6 million Californians who purchase their well being protection by Covered California, the state’s insurance coverage market, will proceed to obtain the extra help that helps cut back their month-to-month premiums. Covered California officers had cautioned that if the federal authorities let the subsidies expire, premiums would have doubled for some low-income residents subsequent 12 months. Health insurance coverage firms are already set to hike premium charges by a median of 6% in 2023, the largest enhance since 2019.
- The federal invoice additionally caps out-of-pocket prescription prices at $2,000 per year for seniors on Medicare drug plans, which may gain advantage practically 115,000 Californians, in response to Health Access California, a well being care client advocacy group.
- And it caps insulin copays at $35 a month for individuals enrolled in Medicare, the federal insurance coverage program for seniors and other people with disabilities. The insulin cap is predicted to learn practically 333,000 Californians. Last week, state lawmakers killed a invoice that may have capped insulin copays for privately insured Californians.
- Anthony Wright, govt director of Health Access California, mentioned in an announcement: “When President Biden signs this landmark legislation, it will be just in time to ensure that those signing up for Covered California during this fall’s open enrollment won’t see premium spikes of thousands of dollars per year. It will also allow California to take extra steps to lower cost-sharing and potentially eliminate deductibles for some plans.”
In different well being care news:
3
Quartet of election news
With California’s Nov. 8 common election lower than three months away, keep updated on all the things it’s worthwhile to know by bookmarking CalMatters’ complete voter information, which is up to date with all the outcomes from the June 7 major and breaks down the place the ultimate two candidates for every statewide workplace stand on key points.
Now, for a rundown of the most recent election news:
- Sports institution versus legislative institution: Major League Baseball on Friday grew to become the primary main sports activities league to weigh in on California’s two dueling measures to legalize sports activities betting: It endorsed Proposition 27, which might permit on-line sports activities playing provided by giant, well-established betting firms and authorized Native American gaming tribes. But the Democratic and Republican leaders of the state Assembly and Senate oppose Prop. 27, arguing that it could usurp Native Americans’ tribal sovereignty. Some tribes are backing one other measure, Prop. 26, to permit in-person sports activities betting at tribal casinos and designated horse tracks.
- Words matter: In the most recent authorized wrangling over poll measure labels and summaries, supporters of Prop. 30 — which might elevate taxes on millionaires to fund a wide range of local weather initiatives — declared victory in a lawsuit over the wording of poll arguments submitted by the measure’s opponents. But the No on 30 marketing campaign also declared victory. The closing end result? Five wording modifications, together with three replacements of “will” or “would” with “could.”
- San Bernardino secession: Three Democratic state lawmakers are pushing again towards an initiative San Bernardino County supervisors positioned on the November poll asking voters in the event that they need to secede from California. Secession must be authorized by each the state Legislature and U.S. Congress. “Why are we spending public resources to put this before voters in the first place?” state Sen. Connie Leyva of Chino and Assemblymembers Eloise Gómez Reyes of San Bernardino and Freddie Rodriguez of Chino wrote in a letter to county supervisors obtained by the Los Angeles Times. The lawmakers mentioned they had been “shocked with the reasoning behind this initiative, concerned about the cost to taxpayers to essentially ask local officials to do their jobs, and disappointed in the narrative being created regarding our community.”
- San Francisco shakeup: It’s the “campaign that shall not be named,” San Francisco-based Democratic strategist Dan Newman told the New York Times: the behind-the-scenes race to ultimately substitute Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Among these seen as contenders for Pelosi’s extremely coveted seat: her daughter Christine Pelosi, a member of the Democratic National Committee govt committee; state Sen. Scott Wiener; and former supervisor Jane Kim, govt director of the California Working Families Party.
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L.A. Unified officers knock on doorways, urging chronically absent college students to return. // Los Angeles Times
Alameda County kids wait as caseworkers fail to urgently reply to studies of abuse. // Mercury News
Without a faculty bus, these San Diego kids are studying to get to high school by themselves. // San Diego Union-Tribune
Anti-gay race extremist runs unopposed for Bay Area faculty board seat. // San Francisco Chronicle
Man arrested for California school tuition scheme that focused veterans. // Los Angeles Times
California efforts to cut back jail inhabitants throughout COVID come to an finish as crime rises. // Wall Street Journal
Chesa Boudin, Contra Costa D.A. be a part of group urging California Supreme Court to overturn three-strikes ruling. // San Francisco Chronicle
State investigating marketing campaign finance grievance towards Chesa Boudin recall marketing campaign. // San Francisco Chronicle
Brooke Jenkins’ $100K pay might have been authorized, however was it moral? // San Francisco Standard
Accusing a cop: Inside LAPD’s secret self-discipline system. // Los Angeles Times
She helped put her abuser in jail. Speaking out introduced extra horror than she might have imagined. // San Francisco Chronicle
Stephon Clark household settles remaining lawsuit with metropolis of Sacramento for $1.7 million. // CapRadio
Caste in California: Tech giants confront historic Indian hierarchy. // Reuters
Newsom, out entrance on marriage and marijuana, faces ‘different animal’ on drug websites. // San Francisco Chronicle
Vacaville man is blind, homeless and schizophrenic. Why can’t California assist him? // Sacramento Bee
Officials criticized over lack of plan for Project Roomkey’s final 800 homeless residents. // Daily News
As monetary collapse looms, Westminster City Council places tax measure on November poll. // Los Angeles Times
Kamala Harris, Oakland leaders announce $50 million initiative to spend money on kids, finish poverty. // Los Angeles Times
What takes years and prices $20K? A San Francisco trash can. // Associated Press
First California Starbucks retailer to unionize simply grew to become the primary to go on strike. // San Francisco Chronicle
Scion of S.F. espresso dynasty makes an attempt run for district lawyer, realizes he must be an lawyer to qualify. // San Francisco Standard
Political group faucets Orange County small enterprise homeowners to assist seize Asian American vote. // Los Angeles Times
California’s important ocean present might quickly see main disruption. Here’s what’s at stake. // San Francisco Chronicle
Alameda County’s ban on wild cow-milking might affect rodeos. // Mercury News
California’s deserted homesteads fascinated me. My childhood house is one. // Los Angeles Times
New Sierra climbing path goals to revive mountain cities. // Los Angeles Times
Red Fire burning in Yosemite National Park grows to 250 acres. // San Francisco Chronicle
