Sign in

Dan Morain

@danmorain.bsky.social
1.6K followers 1K following 403 posts

My book about the mental health care system coming in March ‘27. Author of "Kamala's Way, An American Life." Ex-Sac Bee editorial page editor, ex-LAT reporter, ex-CalMatters.org, current grandpa, dog walker.

PostsRepliesMedia
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 10h
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2222 to provide money to help journalism. That’s great and much appreciated. Some of those journalists will write critical pieces about Newsom’s policies. That’s how journalism works. Much as he gets annoyed by some coverage, he understands that. I wish all pols did.
091
Reposted by Dan Morain
Capitol Weekly @capitolweekly.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Listeners to a discussion focused on Behavioral Health moderated by @danmorain.bsky.social last week might have missed the big news if they weren’t dialed into one important and complex facet of CA's mental illness crisis... danmorain.substack.com/p/settlement...
danmorain.substack.com
Settlement helps people with mental illness, to a point
Judge ends an 11-year-old lawsuit focused people deemed incompetent to state trial
001
Reposted by Dan Morain
Capitol Weekly @capitolweekly.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
An 11-year lawsuit that helped transform how California cares for people who have committed crimes and struggle with mental illness has come to a quiet conclusion. @danmorain.bsky.social in CW capitolweekly.net/lawsuit-that...
capitolweekly.net
Lawsuit that prompted better care for mentally ill inmates ends - Capitol Weekly
An 11-year lawsuit that helped transform how California cares for people who have committed crimes and struggle with mental illness has come to a quiet conclusion. In a five-page order issued last Mon...
012
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I love this story by @shawnhubler.bsky.social Laurel Canyon Wants Its Beloved Hippie Store Frozen in Time www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/u...
nytimes.com
‘You Can’t Buy Vibe’: Laurel Canyon Tries to Save a Beloved Store
The country store that was a hub for rock musicians like Jim Morrison and Graham Nash faces challenges and change. Supporters are trying to make it a landmark.
011
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
There are many infuriating aspects to Tom Philp’s powerful column. Assemblywoman Mia Bonta and her committee gutted important legislation is one. Another is that Chatham Asset Management gutted the Bee’s opinion staff. Who will write such pieces next yesr? www.sacbee.com/opinion/arti...
sacbee.com
Liberal Democrats gutted California’s CARE court, so homeless addicts just say ‘no’ | Opinion
A Sacramento father petitioned CARE court seeking treatment for his homeless daughter. She refused to cooperate, and a weak law is on her side.
011
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I was at the Sacramento Bee eight years ending in 2018. I wasn’t there during its heyday. But it was a damned good paper. Here’s an ode to it, as the hedge fund Chatham Asset Managment dismantles what remains. danmorain.substack.com/p/what-chath...
danmorain.substack.com
What Chatham Asset Management discarded
Photos on the walls of The Sacramento Bee’s editorial boardroom told a tale
040
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Cerebral and soft-spoken, Bryon Sher was the antithesis of politicians nowadays. www.latimes.com/california/s...
latimes.com
Byron Sher, an uncomfortable politician who left an indelible mark on California's environment, dies at 98
Byron Sher, a Stanford law professor-turned California legislator who wrote some of the state’s most far-reaching environmental laws, died Saturday. He was 98.
001
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I didn’t always agree with the Bee’s opinion journalists’ takes but that’s not the point. Their opinion pieces and endorsements were informed, reported and honest, and they were a vital part of the civic discourse. The layoffs will weaken democracy in Sacramento and California.
032
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Stephen Cloobeck initially toyed with running for governor as a Democrat, then backed Democrat Eric Swalwell before he flamed out. On Labor Day, Sept. 7, Cloobeck donated the maximum, $39,200 to Republican Steve Hilton for governor, a California Secretary of State campaign finance report shows.
011
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Having downloaded Mapquest, I like it more than the other two. It’s very easy to use.
100
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I just finished “Nerd Reich.” Helluva story on many levels. It’s scary and infuriating. Gil Duran, @gilduran.com, writes clearly and gets to the point. Thiel, Musk and the rest of them have fled California where they made their riches and live wherever they want, Argentina, Texas, New Zealand.
140
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I wonder what Congressman Tom McClintock says about this deal. It’s in his district. Trump Administration Looks to Give a Swath of Yosemite to a Developer www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Looks to Give a Swath of Yosemite Park to Developer
The proposed land swap would allow easy access to the crown jewel of the national park system. Democrats and former Park Service officials are incensed.
121
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
In California, the death penalty is not a front-burner issue. There hasn't been an execution in 20 years and probably won't be another one. But Gov. Gavin Newsom could have a final word on capital punishment in his final days in office: danmorain.substack.com/p/gov-newsom...
danmorain.substack.com
Gov. Newsom’s life-or-death decision
Governor could grant clemency in 565 death penalty cases. Or not
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
youtu.be/0md7zsUjPgY?...
youtu.be
Nanci Griffith on Austin City Limits "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go"
YouTube video by Austin City Limits
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
A conservative Illinois billionaire has throw down $10.5 million to require Californians to prove they’re eligable to vote. Of course, he did. substack.com/@danielmorai...
substack.com
California's Voter ID initiative goes national
Illinois billionaire Richard Uihlein's $6.5 million donation boosts Carl DeMaio's Prop. 39
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Reading about Iran’s latest demands about opening the Strait of Hormuz, can you imagine if Vice President Kamala Harris had said such a thing: x.com/Acyn/status/...
x.com
Acyn (@Acyn) on X
Vance: The coolest thing about the progress we’ve made over the last few weeks is that you’re seeing people within the Iranian system—senior leadership, even IRGC officials—say, “You know what? We rec...
020
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
I remember when the California Republican Party all but printed money. Not so much these days: open.substack.com/pub/danmorai...
open.substack.com
California's GOP falls onto even harder times
Once upon a time, the California Republican Party all but printed money
001
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Tom Philp of the SacBee writes about Carlos Reales Dominguez, the former UC Davis student who stabbed to death two people in Davis in 2023, and his medical marijuana card, which he obtained "thanks to the most dubious of authorizations from a doctor" www.sacbee.com/opinion/arti...
sacbee.com
California should rethink teen access to cannabis after Davis stabbings | Opinion
Carlos Dominguez started legally using cannabis at age 19. Four years later and with schizophrenia, he went on a stabbing spree in Davis.
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
In Kansas, Melinda Henneberger derails the ballot fight for the independence of the state supreme court. Vote is next week. open.substack.com/pub/kansasci...
open.substack.com
Current and "retired" KCK archbishops have different messages on Kansas Amendment 5
But only one of them is in your mailbox.
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
In other news, four dozen elephant seals slept on the beach south of Cambria, California.
021
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Former UC Davis student Carlos Reales Dominguez found guilty of invol manslaughter in stabbing deaths of a UC Davis honors student Karim Abou Najm and “Compassion Guy,” Davis Breaux and wounding a homeless woman. Originally faced 1st degree murder. He has schizophrenia and was a heavy weed smoker.
100
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Alex Padilla had a personal story to tell when we met 20 years ago. I recall it as he attacks Trump’s bogus claims of voter fraud. An essay: danmorain.substack.com/p/alex-padil...
danmorain.substack.com
Sen. Alex Padilla and our most fundamental right
Padilla had a personal story to tell when we met 20 years ago
021
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
@capitolweekly.bsky.social-Open California published another in its series of oral histories, this one with a pioneer in the mental health care field, Areta Crowell. Check it out on my Substack, or go to the source: danmorain.substack.com/p/a-pioneer-.... capitolweekly.net/oral-histori...
danmorain.substack.com
A pioneer details California's mental health care system origin story--and its flaws
Areta Crowell and Open California's oral history series
010
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Reading this headline, “U.S. and Iran Edge Toward War Again,” I’m having a hard time understanding the definition of “war.” Maybe this is the editor in me, but if one country drops bombs and another shoots missiles, isn’t that a war?
020
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
I'm so sorry to read of the passing of George Cotliar. His name probably is not well known today. But he was one huge reason why the Los Angeles Times became great in the 1980s and '90s. Truly, a towering figure: www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
latimes.com
George J. Cotliar, managing editor of the Los Angeles Times for 19 years, dies at 94
George J. Cotliar, who served as managing editor of the Los Angeles Times for 19 years, died Monday at his home in Newport Beach. He was 94 years old.
010
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Amy Wallace, ghost writer of the must-read "Nobody's Girl," writes about another important book, "Careless People," and how Facebook's effort to silence its author--Sarah Wynn-Williams--is backfiring spectacularly. www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
latimes.com
Contributor: Facebook's effort to silence a critic is backfiring spectacularly
Recent tactics of the social media site's parent company, Meta, made at least 8 million people curious to read the very book that the company is trying to suppress.
065
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
California’s $351 billion budget includes $25 million to help fund journalism projects including reporting fellowships. It’s budget dust but a start. Thanks to legislators, Gov Newsom—and former Sen. Steve Glazer @senatorglazer.bsky.social Steve Glazer who led effort to support it.
100
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I’m probably not going to have a beer in a bar where customers are packing, or watch a or watch a movie in a theater. I wonder if Alito would. Supreme Court Overturns Hawaii Gun Law www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/u...
nytimes.com
Supreme Court Overturns Hawaii Gun Law
010
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
@tomfilp.bsky.social breaks down housing politics in my town: eedition.sacbee.com/shortcode/LM...
eedition.sacbee.com
Davis just perfected NIMBY politics. Why the rest of the region should care
Thu Jun 25th 2026 - 1am Edition
020
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Such an important story: The Deadly Rise of Giant Trucks and S.U.V.s www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
The Deadly Rise of Giant Trucks and S.U.V.s
The vehicles on American roads have grown larger — and they are killing thousands more pedestrians, a Times investigation found.
030
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Mariel Garza asks: Is Los Angeles trying to bait election deniers? Noncitizen voting is bad idea. Council expansion is a great one. Guess which the City Council decided to put on the November ballot? open.substack.com/pub/goldenst...
open.substack.com
Is Los Angeles trying to bait election deniers?
Noncitizen voting is bad idea. Council expansion is a great one. Guess which the City Council decided to put on the November ballot?
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
A reminder: In June 1983, President Reagan hosted the Special Olympics on the South Lawn. Then, the big controversy was that the Beach Boys performed. His interior secretary had banned the band from July 4 festivities because the Boys attracted an unsavory element. www.youtube.com/watch?v=whmn...
youtube.com
President Reagan’s Remarks during the Ceremony for the Special Olympics on June 12, 1983
YouTube video by Reagan Library
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
California’s next governor will need to decide whether to extend or rescind Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on executions. The LAT’s Phil Willon asked Xavier Becerra and Antonio Villaraigosa what they would do. Their answers start at Minute 32: www.c-span.org/program/camp...
c-span.org
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
I’m in good company. When George Skelton struggles, it’s clearly a tough call. George’s column: My pick for California governor is ... I’m still working on it: www.latimes.com/california/n...
latimes.com
Column: My pick for California governor is ... I'm still working on it
Like millions of Californians, I haven’t voted yet in the primary election.
011
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
I’ve turned off SF Giants notifications. Too predictable and painful. I’ve been watching since 1962. McCovey’s liner still hurts. There have been great teams, and not great teams but at least they were fun to watch. This may be the most unwatchable team I’ve seen.
020
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Who Should Be the Next Governor of California? www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Who Should Be the Next Governor of California?
Times Opinion convened a panel of state experts to weigh in on the primary.
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
So interesting that the San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee endorsed Katie Porter for governor. If only the LA Times were still in the business of endorsing. I'm still undecided. Here's the Chron's view: www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/edit...
sfchronicle.com
Endorsement: Xavier Becerra isn’t the leader California needs now. Here’s who is
OPINION: With Newsom’s presidential run sucking up the media oxygen, California needs a governor with ideas to solve problems. The editorial board says there are two candidates worth considering.
111
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
This is sad and maddening. www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...
sacbee.com
Homeless count in Sacramento County increases 13% from 2024, report shows
The homeless population rose in the unincorporated areas of Sacramento County, the survey found.
021
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Giants: 13 strikeouts. 0 walks. Painful.
010
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
CalMatters, Abridged/KVIE with the Steinberg Institute asked candidates for governor what they'd do about homelessness and the related issue of untreated mental illness. Villaraigosa, Mahan, Hilton & Bianco gave their takes. Becerra, Steyer, Porter, Thurmond ducked. calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org
How will California’s next governor handle homelessness?
We asked candidates for California governor tough questions about homelessness and mental health. Here’s what they said.
020
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
The Sacramento Bee editorial board issued more than 20 endorsements in this primary, from local races to statewide and congressional contests. I don’t agree with them all but each is thoughtful, reasoned and civil, a true public service. Thanks @marcosbreton.bsky.social and your team.
120
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
The Giants are unwatchable.
140
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Voters aren’t paying attention to the race for California lieutenant governor but here’s a very interesting endorsement of Josh Fryday by the Sacramento Bee: www.sacbee.com/opinion/elec...
sacbee.com
The lieutenant governor is more than a backup. Here’s the best person for the job | Opinion
Electing a lieutenant governor gives voters a chance to pick a second-in-command, along with an opportunity to add a member to influential boards and commissions
142
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Telling that Betty Yee didn’t hop aboard Becerra’s train or Porter but instead chosen Steyer. Becerra and Porter clearly would have wanted her endorsement. Thoughts on why? www.abc10.com/article/news...
abc10.com
Betty Yee backs Tom Steyer for governor after exiting race
Former California State Controller Betty Yee endorses Tom Steyer for governor, citing his dedication to working families and the climate fight.
120
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
All kinds of surprising details in Matt Hamilton’s great piece on Trump’s man in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli. lamaterial.com/p/bill-essay... h/t @lamaterial.bsky.social
lamaterial.com
Trump's Man in L.A.
Bill Essayli is the face of Trump’s immigration and fraud crackdown in Southern California. Defending his own family’s fraud case, with the ACLU’s help, pitted him against the office he now leads.
010
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Gov. Newsom endorsed Josh Fryday for lieutenant governor over Michael Tubbs and Fiona Ma. The race has gotten no attention and the job has few responsibilities. But 2 of the past 4 governors have been lite guv. joshfryday.com/governor-new... No word on who Newsom will endorse in the race to succeed.
joshfryday.com
Governor Newsom Endorses Fryday for California Lieutenant Governor | Josh Fryday for California Lieutenant Governor 2026
Weeks before voting starts, Governor Gavin Newsom today weighed into the Lieutenant Governor’s race—announcing his endorsement of Josh Fryday. “Seven years ago, I asked Josh Fryday to serve in my admi...
110
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
This is a big deal for independent media. I hope it stands on appeal: Federal Court Temporarily Freezes Nexstar’s Merger With Tegna www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/b...
nytimes.com
Federal Court Temporarily Freezes Nexstar’s Merger With Tegna
141
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
What makes them think they're invisible? www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...
sfchronicle.com
Eric Swalwell resigns from Congress
Rep. Eric Swalwell announced Monday that he would resign from Congress as he faces a mounting effort to expel him over allegations of sexual misconduct.
110
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
CBS-Los Angeles conducted very interesting interviews with candidates for California governor about what they'd do about chronic homelessness. Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Controller Betty Yee said locked institutions are among the answers. The pendulum swings: youtu.be/EHkU_NAZJZ4?...
youtube.com
The California governor candidates discuss how they’ll address homelessness.
YouTube video by CBS LA
000
Dan Morain @danmorain.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Well, now. It will be a very crowded field, with Californians. www.politico.com/news/2026/04...
politico.com
000