It's Thursday. There are competing proposals for the new name of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Plus, some Californians frustrated with power utilities are leaving the grid. |
 | | The rooftop of the U.C. Hastings Cotchett Law Center in San Francisco.Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times |
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When a New York Times article last year detailed the involvement of the founder of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in state-sponsored massacres of Indigenous Californians, an outcry ensued. The law school's board swiftly and unanimously agreed to change the school's name. |
But in the months since, university administrators have learned that deleting a tainted name might be the easy part. Choosing a new one is proving to be a fraught and costly process. |
There is disagreement on what the new name should be, a debate that encapsulates an era in America in which we are reassessing our history, reanalyzing our heroes and trying to agree on who should be honored by institutions — and who should not. |
A small but vocal group of people at Hastings believe that the university should keep its name after all. "It seems like it would make more sense to use the money for things that would be more beneficial," said Marsha N. Cohen, a professor at the law school who has also worked in the admissions office. |
(A spokeswoman for the law school, Liz Moore, says it will cost at least $2 million to $3 million to change the name on building signage, email and web addresses, stationery, brochures and more.) |
The law school's board has proposed that the new name should be the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, according to David Faigman, the chancellor and dean. |
"San Francisco is a world-class city, well known for dynamism and innovation — qualities that distinguish our law school as well," Faigman said in a written answer to my questions. "The San Francisco name also conveys the useful information of where we are located and aligns us with the naming convention of every other campus of the University of California." |
A group of Yuki tribe members is pushing back on that name. It was Yuki Indians who were massacred in campaigns in the mid-1800s that historians say were bankrolled and masterminded by Serranus Hastings, the founder of the law school. |
Some members of the Yuki tribe are urging Hastings to rename the school with a name from the Yuki language. Steve Brown, the president of the Round Valley Yuki committee, proposes "Powen'om," which means "one people." |
"I want payback," Brown told me. "You can call it reparations or social justice or whatever. I want our name on there." |
Brown and other Yuki tribe members say the massacres did much more than decimate the Yuki populations. The area now suffers poverty and drug abuse. "Our futures were stolen," he said. |
 | | The Round Valley in Mendocino County.Alexandra Hootnick for The New York Times |
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The massacres occurred in the Round and Eden Valleys in Mendocino County. Today the Round Valley Indian Tribes are an amalgam of seven distinct tribes, including the Yuki, that was created after a coerced 19th-century relocation by the U.S. government. |
This creates a challenge for the law school as it seeks to change the name and put together a package of reparations and restorative justice initiatives. Who should be the school's interlocutors? The Yuki or the legally recognized Round Valley Indian Tribe? The university has decided to deal with both. |
The leadership of the Round Valley Indian Tribes met on Wednesday to discuss the name but did not reach a decision, Brown said. |
Ultimately it is up to the California Legislature to choose the name. The law school says a lobbying firm that it retains in Sacramento will be involved in pushing through the legislation. |
James C. Ramos, the only Native American member of the Legislature, says it is important for all sides — the law school, the Yuki and the broader Round Valley leadership — to sit down and discuss the new name. He organized a hearing in Sacramento this month where the issue was discussed. |
For Ramos, the issue has a personal resonance. His great-great-grandfather Pakuma survived a deadly 1867 campaign by a settler militia in the mountains of San Bernardino. "Our clan dwindled down to less than 30 members," Ramos said. |
"This is not just about Hastings changing their name," Ramos said. "This is about the state of California coming to terms with a horrid past and history of atrocities inflicted upon California Indian people." |
 | | Diane and Pepe Cancino are in the process of building their off-grid home in Nevada County.Christie Hemm Klok for The New York Times |
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If you read one story, make it this |
- Pandemic housing aid: The Biden administration pulled $377 million in federal emergency housing aid from some states and redirected it to others, including California.
- Social media use: Companies like Instagram and TikTok could face lawsuits for deploying features and apps that addict children to their detriment under a new California proposal, Politico reports.
- Theranos: Elizabeth Holmes's ex-boyfriend and business partner, Sunny Balwani, will stand trial on Wednesday for his role with the blood testing company, The Associated Press reports.
- Water use: Despite the persistence of a statewide drought, urban California residents used 2.6 percent more water in January 2022 than they did in January 2020, CalMatters reports.
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- Mask mandates: A group of parents upset about the mask mandate at Los Angeles schools rallied outside the teachers' union headquarters, The Los Angeles Daily News reports.
- Traffic holdup: Santa Barbara is considering declaring its local Chick-fil-A drive-through a public nuisance because of its impact on traffic, KTLA reports.
- Police killing: Los Angeles County will pay $3.8 million to the family of a man who died after a sheriff's deputy shocked him with a stun gun seven years ago, The Associated Press reports.
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- Special election: Next month, voters in the 22nd Congressional District will decide on a new U.S. representative to replace Devin Nunes, who resigned to lead Donald J. Trump's media company, The Associated Press reports.
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- Pasadena ordinance: The city of Pasadena is violating a new California law intended to increase affordable housing, The Associated Press reports.
- Sheriff resigns: A Del Norte County sheriff is leaving his position after being charged with voter fraud, The Associated Press reports.
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 | | Cleaning the smooth cooktop of an induction range is an absolute breeze.Karsten Moran for The New York Times |
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Today's tip comes from Alicia Springer, who lives in Berkeley. Alicia recommends Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley's Tilden Park, which is devoted exclusively to native plants of California: |
"In those 10 acres you can visit every region in the California Floristic Province, from the southern deserts to the northern redwoods to the Sierras and the Channel Islands, and on. Wildcat Creek bisects the garden, and W.P.A.-era rock walls and pathways offer a magical, compact meander through the botany of the entire state. The brilliant botanists who manage it coax a sample of every biome within a small footprint. Plus, it is a public garden, free for all." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
 | | An unpublished illustration of three colorful, smiling hummingbirds from the Dr. Seuss archive at the University of California, San Diego.Ted Geisel/Dr. Seuss Enterprises |
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And before you go, some good news |
Hundreds of unpublished sketches by Dr. Seuss are housed at U.C. San Diego, preserved in an archival section of the school's library. |
There's a drawing of colorful, smiling hummingbirds, and one of a mouse-like creature with fuzzy, elongated ears. The images never made it into Dr. Seuss's whimsical books — until now. |
The company that oversees the author's estate recently announced that the sketches will serve as the inspiration for a new series of children's books to be written and illustrated by a diverse group of emerging artists. |
Thanks for reading. We'll be back tomorrow. |
Soumya Karlamangla, Briana Scalia and Mariel Wamsley contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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