It's Wednesday. California lawmakers are promoting a package of gun legislation following the mass shooting in Sacramento. Plus, a heat wave begins. |
 | | A vigil in Sacramento on Monday after six people were fatally shot downtown.Max Whittaker for The New York Times |
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Despite its strict gun laws, California is by no means spared from the pains of gun violence. |
The deadliest of these came over the weekend, when six people were killed and a dozen wounded in a crowded late-night strip of downtown Sacramento. The tragedy has fueled a push to further clamp down on guns in California. |
"We're standing right outside our great Capitol building, just blocks away from the horrific scene of the worst mass shooting in Sacramento history," State Senator Robert Hertzberg said in a news briefing Tuesday afternoon. "The alarm bells are blazing. We could not have a clearer call for action on gun violence." |
 | | "The alarm bells are blazing. We could not have a clearer call for action on gun violence," State Senator Robert Hertzberg said.Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press |
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Arguably the most controversial of these proposals called for by Gov. Gavin Newsom is modeled after a Texas abortion ban that allows private citizens to sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion. |
California's proposal, S.B. 1327, would offer $10,000 bounties to encourage lawsuits from private citizens against anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells assault weapons, .50-caliber rifles, ghost guns or ghost gun kits. (If you're unfamiliar with ghost guns, I recommend this Times article on the recent proliferation of these untraceable, homemade firearms.) |
Hertzberg, the bill's lead author, said he opposed the Texas law, which he said had been "horribly upheld" by the Supreme Court. But, he added, "every gun that we can take off of the street — if that's a ghost gun or an assault weapon — through any creative means, to me is a good thing." |
After the Sacramento shooting, President Biden called for movement on federal gun legislation. He pleaded with Congress to ban ghost guns, require background checks for all gun sales, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. |
"We must do more than mourn; we must act," Biden said in a statement. |
 | | A dry landscape at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in California's drought-stricken Central Valley.Robyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
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- Warner executive leaving: Ann Sarnoff, the first woman to hold the role of chief executive at WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, will leave the company as it merges with Discovery.
- San Diego evictions: San Diego lawmakers passed a no-fault eviction moratorium that will protect tenants through Sept. 30, CBS 8 reports.
- Universal income: Palm Springs will provide monthly payments to some transgender and nonbinary residents, NBC Los Angeles reports.
- Price gouging: The grocery store Smart & Final will pay $175,000 in penalties for price gouging eggs, The Associated Press reports.
- Special election: Six candidates were vying to succeed Representative Devin Nunes, who resigned to work for Donald J. Trump's media company. The race will go to a runoff June 7 between the two top vote-getters.
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 | | Christopher Testani for The New York Times |
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 | | An outdoor dining area at a restaurant in Sausalito.Eric Risberg/Associated Press |
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Today's tip comes from Lyndon Conrad Bell, who recommends the Bay Area town of Sausalito: |
"Though a mere 11 miles north of San Francisco at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, the quaintly seductive hillside village of Sausalito feels as though it is thousands of miles away from the city. Strolling with someone you love along Sausalito's waterfront, which radiates a vibe reminiscent of Italy's Amalfi Coast, is the stuff of which lifelong memories are made. The town's eclectic mix of restaurants, shopping and inns, punctuated by some of the most attractive scenery on the West Coast, makes time spent in Sausalito wholly satisfying. To travel to San Francisco and fail to make that short drive across the bridge to visit Sausalito is to miss out on one of the most charming experiences California has to offer." |
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. |
What's the best part of spring in California? Email us at CAToday@nytimes.com and your submission may be included in a future newsletter. |
And before you go, some good news |
When Joshua Miele was a freshman at U.C. Berkeley in 1987, he discovered a hideaway in a library basement. It had a "sofa" made of seats pulled from a van, and smelled of takeout and coffee and books. |
The room's university-sanctioned name was the blind students study center, but most people called it the Cave. |
Today, Miele is a MacArthur fellow who builds adaptive technologies at Amazon. He is just one of a generation of leaders, innovators and creatives who are reshaping the world — and have roots in the Cave. |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Soumya |
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