Sure, California’s got problems, but this week, it’s also got a lot of positive movement. We kick things off at UC Berkeley, where a new initiative is torching the false god of scarcity. Meanwhile, 40 miles to the south, corporate titans led by the inimitable Apple are ponying up stacks of cash for affordable housing construction. It can’t be all good news of course: In this week’s episode of the unfolding DC/CA drama, the feds are yanking tens of millions from California’s transportation budget in a clash of language and politics. We’re also flagging the groundbreaking of California’s first commercial carbon sequestration project, and we’re turning a spotlight on San Diego’s Little Italy district, which proves that espresso and civic innovation go hand-in-hand. Oh, and for anyone wondering about the veracity of claims that San Francisco has descended into violent anarchy: The city is on track to record the lowest homicide rate since the 1950s. Just saying…

‍

ACCELERATING ABUNDANCE

Why not start off this week’s newsletter with some encouraging — dare we say exciting — news? The Abundance Accelerator, born from UC Berkeley’s policy-focused Possibility Lab, is out to kill the American myth that scarcity is inevitable. In a country teeming with wealth but starved for affordable housing, childcare, healthcare, and sanity, the initiative champions policy that actually builds things people need. Led by Cal dynamos Amy Lerman and Lindsay Maple, it mixes data, pragmatism, and irreverence for partisan binaries. (Could it get more “NCC” than that?) The mantra? “Build fast. Build fair.” From housing reform to environmental pragmatism, the movement is gaining traction — and even Gavin Newsom’s budget signature. It’s not kumbaya politics; it’s a recalibration of what government is for. Abundance, they argue, isn’t utopian, it’s doable. If we stop regulating everything into oblivion and start investing in the people who make society function, we might finally get somewhere. The Accelerator is still young, but it’s already stirring up both bipartisan buy-in and ideological ire. And in today’s gridlocked America, that’s as close to a revolution as it gets.

‍

<READ MORE>

‍

🤫 Everything you should know

‍

🍎 🏗️ 🏘️ - AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE HOUSING CRISIS AT BAY  — Silicon Valley’s housing crisis is getting a $200 million booster shot, courtesy of Housing Trust Silicon Valley’s latest fund aimed at creating or preserving 7,400 affordable homes across the Bay Area. The new initiative, pitched as “landmark” in ambition, targets lower rent, less car reliance, and more housing near jobs and transit. Apple, crowned by the Trust as its 2025 Housing Champion, is a major backer, alongside U.S. Bank, PNC, Wells Fargo, and Mechanics Bank. It’s a rare coalition of capital with a conscience, wrapped in policy wonkery and, yes, Apple’s signature clean design sensibility. Who knew that expanded affordable housing was part of the new iOS update? — Mercury News

‍

🚛 🪪 💸  - FREIGHT EXPECTATIONS  — Another day, another gut punch from the federal government: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is yanking $40 million from California, claiming the state isn’t doing enough to enforce English-language rules for truckers. The trigger, apparently, was a deadly Florida crash involving a driver licensed in California who, post-accident, allegedly failed an English test — though he had a valid work permit and was filmed speaking clearly to police weeks earlier. California insists it followed every rule; Duffy says that’s not good enough. Officially, it’s about safety. Unofficially, it’s about sending a message: fall in line with federal immigration priorities or get run off the road. — Associated Press

‍

⛽ ⚰️ 🌍  - FIELD OF SEAMS — California just broke ground on its first commercial carbon sequestration project, turning past-their-prime gas fields near Bakersfield into high-tech storage lockers for the climate sins of today’s industry. The $85M state-backed bet is that carbon capture will help hit California’s net-zero goals without kneecapping its economy. Oil execs, labor leaders, and climate officials all turned up to recognize the moment. Critics, unsurprisingly, aren’t sold. But in this uneasy alliance of drillers and decarbonizers, California’s hedging: drill now, sequester later, pray it pencils out. — POLITICO Pro($)

‍

We rely on word of mouth to expand our Bear Essentials community. If you know others who share our desire for common sense, pragmatic solutions to California’s biggest problems, please urge them to subscribe for free! Just send them here.

‍

🎙️ 💬 🎧 - ON THE POD: GOOD SEATS STILL AVAILABLE — CALIFORNIA DREAMING

California: land of sunshine, second acts, and sports teams with commitment issues. In episode 294 of the podcast “Good Seats Still Available,” host Tim Hanlon unearths Golden State sports obscurities with Dan Cisco, author of California Sports Astounding. From the Raiders’ last-minute name change (thank God), to Ted Williams flaming out as a pitcher in pre-MLB San Diego, to an NBA legend moonlighting as volleyball commissioner — it’s a history lesson in how California teams come and go like celebrity marriages: fast, flashy, and frequently forgotten. — Good Seats Still Available

‍

🇮🇹 ☕ 🤌 - SAN DIEGO: THAT’S AMORE!

‍

San Diego’s Little Italy is much more than a charming cluster of pasta joints and espresso bars. In fact, it’s one of the most vibrant Italian heritage  districts in America. Once a tuna fishing hub, it’s now a swaggering urban village lined with trattorias, art galleries, and piazzas that actually feel alive. It was also one of the primary sparks for California’s Community Benefit District movement, thanks in large part to Marco Li Mandri, the civic whisperer who — since 1988 — has evangelized for property owners to take a stronger role in managing and activating their public spaces. Look closer, and you’ll see that Li Mandri has been arguing for an abundance mindset long before the idea became en vogue. He’s since launched more than 100 districts nationwide, but San Diego is where the sauce started to simmer. — Little Italy Association of San Diego

‍

🏃‍♂️ 💨 ✋ FAST FIVE

‍

1. 📉 San Francisco’s homicide rate on track to lows not seen since 1950s. SF Chronicle
2. 🚀 Newsom rips Trump plan to fire missiles over I-5 during military celebration. Forbes
3. 🎃 A new Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival champion has been crowned. Coastside News
4. 🙅 USC rejects Trump’s “compact” to push school to the right.  LA Times
5. 💧 Subsidence photo op stirs tensions in groundwater clash. SJV Water