New research shows that California’s existing electric vehicle (EV) tax credits mostly benefit high-income individuals, while largely failing to reach other Californians. This is a problem for both our climate and people’s pocketbooks. Targeting EVs to low-income, high-mileage households would not only save low-to-middle-income Californians hundreds of dollars a year on fuel costs but also help cut emissions faster and more efficiently.

Universities across the country lost the right to consider the race of applicants in admissions decisions last year when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action in higher education.

But five California private schools, including Stanford and Santa Clara universities, continue to give preferential treatment to the children of alumni or wealthy donors who apply for admission, which was not part of the court’s ban.

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Starting July 1, credit card payment networks must provide a unique identifying code for gun and ammunition retailers. Those four-digit identifiers, known as “merchant category codes,” already appear on credit card statements for most types of businesses, including grocery stores, hotels and gas stations, and help payment networks offer rewards and track spending trends.

... In recent years, the state of California has seen an explosion in ADUs, also known as mother-in-law units or backyard cottages. In 2023, one out of every five homes built in the state was an ADU, according to recently released state data. Only three years ago, they represented just one in every 10 new units.

Ten years ago, San Francisco City Hall was brimming with Asian American representation, the culmination of years of progress from a generation of political and civic leaders knee-deep in the community.

Not only was Ed Lee in his first term as The City’s first Asian American mayor, but five of the 11 members of the Board of Supervisors were Asian American.

... The latest state budget proposal excludes acupuncture from the state-subsidized Medi-Cal services for low-income and vulnerable individuals, sparking a furious backlash from patients and the Chinese American community—especially in San Francisco.

... Phil Ting, a Chinese American Assembly Member from San Francisco, was a major supporter of restoring acupuncture benefits to Medi-Cal in 2016. He said he will push for acupuncture during the state budget process again.

A bill from a Bay Area lawmaker that would ban legacy admissions at public and private colleges in California has passed the State Assembly.

On Tuesday, lawmakers approved Assembly Bill 1780 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D- San Francisco). The bill now heads to the State Senate for consideration.