What’s Blowing Up in California (Literally and Politically)

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In this week’s dispatch from the Golden State of contradiction: Californians say they want civics, but not too much. LA will soon crown a king or queen with a $50B scepter, while our hapless bullet train suffers its latest derailment, this time by the feds. Oakland's crime spiral is tanking its economy (and its municipal budget). Castroville buries its beloved Artichoke Festival. And in podcast land: Lassen Peak may look chill now, but its explosive history says otherwise — listen in as the experts unpack California’s quietest ticking time bomb.

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Onward!

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SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK

Most Californians say they want civic education, but act like it’s salad — good for you, just not the main course. So says a new report by our friends at the Public Policy Institute of California on Californians and civic education. While 92% support teaching the Constitution and a majority back spotting election disinformation, only 11% of parents think civics should be schools’ top priority. Schools get passing grades for churning out “engaged citizens,” but let’s not get carried away — more voters seem worried about college apps and life skills than collapsing democracy. The PPIC report lays out a clear case: without better civic ed, we’re breeding a generation primed to scroll, vote wrong, or not vote at all. The report is a call to arms: make civics central, or suffer the consequences.

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<READ THE REPORT>

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🤫 Everything you should know

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🗳️ 🏄 👑 - A GAME OF THRONES — Los Angeles County is auditioning for its George Washington — a unifying figure to helm a newly minted office with sweeping executive powers over 10 million residents and a $50 billion budget. After voters narrowly passed Measure G last November, a 13-member task force now faces the thankless task of designing the most powerful local government role in the country. With minimal checks and plenty of room for ego, LA’s next political throne is set to attract every climber with a crown in mind. — POLITICO

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🚄 💸 🤷🏼 - TRAIN WRECKED? — Don’t look now, but California’s pricey bullet train just suffered another misfire. This time it’s not permitting delays or construction problems; it’s the wages of those blown deadlines and ballooning costs, which have spurred the fed-up feds to yank $4 billion in funding for the project. Once envisioned as a sleek LA-to-Bay ride, the project has since been whittled down to a lonely Central Valley test track between Bakersfield and Merced. The Trump crowd holds CA HSR up as the exemplar of California ineptitude; Governor Newsom insists it’s still on track — eventually. With 30 days to prove otherwise, California’s high-speed dream now hinges on paperwork, politics, and a miracle of infrastructure follow-through. — NY Times

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🚨 👮 👀 - CRIME & FISCAL PUNISHMENT — Oakland’s fiscal tailspin and public safety crisis are now inseparable, according to an eye-popping new report from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. Violent crime remains higher than in 2003, property crime is 75% above the national average, and Oakland ranks 21st out of 26 peer cities in police staffing. The result? A 14% drop in business tax filings, a 70% plunge in downtown office prices, and two-thirds of downtown workers staying home due to safety concerns. Six in 10 East Bay residents visit downtown Oakland less to shop or dine, with most citing crime as the main reason. The report offers a 10-step roadmap, because without urgent action, Oakland’s collapse won’t be theoretical. — Bay Area Council Economic Institute

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🎧 🔊 🎧 - ON THE POD: LASSEN PEAK’S VOLCANICS

Lassen Peak: not just a scenic stop, but a legit volcano with a temper. Between 1914–1917, it blew its top enough to earn national park status. This episode of the National Parks Traveler podcast dives into the mountain’s fiery past and present risks with two U.S. volcano experts who know exactly when the mountain’s just gassy — or about to explode. — National Parks Traveler

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😞 🪦 👋 - FAREWELL TO THE ARTICHOKE FESTIVAL

Gone to that great fryer in the sky, the Castroville Artichoke Festival has passed at the ripe old age of 65, felled not by the widespread adoption of the carnivore diet, but by escalating operational costs. Born in 1959 with a heart of thistle and a flair for flair, it crowned Norma Jean Mortenson — better known as Marilyn Monroe — as its first queen. Through decades of parades, farmer’s markets, and deep-fried dreams, this quirky veggie pageant stole countless hearts. May its legacy live on in aioli-graced bites. Castroville Artichoke Festival

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🏃‍♂️ 💨 ✋ FAST FIVE

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1. 🥑 California’s avocado industry struggles to survive. LA Times
2. 🥹 Black architects, students unite to rebuild Altadena. CalMatters
3. ⛔ Big Sur businesses reeling from latest massive landslide. Wall Street Journal
4. 😮‍💨 Cheaper inland living comes with a side of risk. SF Gate
5. 🔋 CA has gotten really good at building giant batteries. The Economist

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