“There’s a high likelihood that people will be stranded if they try to drive up here from the Bay Area,” said Craig Shoemaker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, on Thursday afternoon. “It’s too late to even try. It’s a very dangerous, life-threatening situation that will be developing.”

At local stores in Lake Tahoe, people bought tire chains, snow blowers, shovels, flashlights, candles, battery-powered lanterns and telescoping roof rakes for pulling down accumulated snow on homes.

“Today most of the locals are saying, “There is something big going on,” and yesterday they were saying, “Are we really going to get 10 feet of snow?” said Brittney McClain, manager of Ace Hardware in South Lake Tahoe.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the Northern and Central Sierra continuing through 10 a.m. Saturday, the first such warning since Feb. 27 last year.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee issued a backcountry avalanche watch in effect from 7 a.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday for the Central Sierra, including the Lake Tahoe area, warning of “extremely dangerous” avalanche conditions.

Because of high winds and declining visibility, ski resorts were expected to close or severely limit operations this weekend.

Sierra-at-Tahoe closed Thursday and announced it also would be shuttered on Friday “to preserve the safety of our guests and employees.” Heavenly closed Thursday afternoon, and other resorts, such as Kirkwood and Palisades, had only a few chair lifts running Thursday, with most closed due to high winds.

Last winter, a series of massive atmospheric river storms dumped dozens of feet of snow on the Sierra Nevada, ending a three-year drought. The Sierra snowpack, which provides about 30% of California’s water supply, was at its deepest level in 40 years. Reservoirs around the state filled, and ski resorts stayed open well into the spring.

As a result, Tahoe locals, even newly arrived residents, have a lot of recent practice on how to prepare for blizzard conditions, McClain said. In some neighborhoods, people plan to dig out fire hydrants to stop them from being buried too deep in snow. In other areas, residents were tossing salt pellets on their roofs or plugging in electric roof cables to prevent huge amounts of snow and ice from building up.

Last March, the roof collapsed at the Raley’s supermarket in South Lake Tahoe under the weight of snow and ice.

“When you have too much snow on your roof, your doors and windows don’t open correctly. Eventually you can start having beams break down, and the roofs can collapse,” McClain said. “We had a huge mass of ice, 15 feet long and about 2 feet around, that formed on the roof of our house last winter. It was in front of our windows. If it had fallen, it could have broken through.”

On Thursday afternoon, Tricia Popky, a Carmel Valley nurse who has a cabin near Donner Lake, was in central Truckee buying winter gloves, firewood and kindling and a new firewood rack for the cabin. “I’m just going to be hunkering down,” Popky said. “I’m going to cook some soup. I’m so excited because I got my wood-burning stove working.”

The latest storm, a powerful cold front that is carrying an unusual amount of moisture, originated over the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia.

The National Weather Service said it will only bring 1 or 2 inches of rain to most Bay Area communities. But the storm is forecast to dump 5 to 10 feet of snow in the Sierra above 5,000 feet and 1 to 4 feet of snow at about 3,000 feet. In some high-elevation spots, 12 feet is possible by Sunday.

“If what we’re seeing from the models ends up happening, this is a truly remarkable storm system,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab near Donner Summit. “It’s one that we very rarely have had before. It could set a highest snowfall on a single day for us.”

Since modern records began in 1970, the most snow the snow lab, which sits at about 6,900 feet, has ever received in one day was 53 inches, on Feb. 3, 1989.

An early inkling of the meteorological mayhem came Thursday morning when Interstate 80, the main highway over the Sierra, was closed eastbound for more than three hours after a big rig overturned near Donner Lake interchange, blocking both lanes of traffic, just as the snow was beginning to fall. The driver suffered minor injuries.

“It was pretty nasty for a while,” said John O’Connell, a Caltrans spokesman. “He was going too fast.”

Cars sat for miles all morning in stopped traffic or attempted to navigate backroads to get around it.

San Jose truck driver Erik Lopez, making a run from Stockton to Reno, was putting chains on his 18-wheeler near Kingvale on I-80 Thursday amid increasingly heavy snowfall after getting stuck in the lengthy jam. At the top of his mind was making sure he would return home to his family.

“There’s no fear in my heart,” said Lopez, 34. “But there’s safety in my heart.”

Farther east, Truckee resident Brent Martin was pulling into his garage after a sketchy trip from Sacramento in his pickup truck, traveling via backroads because of the I-80 crash. He planned to keep off highways until the storm has passed but was not expecting snow-related problems at home.

The blizzard would be “nothing compared to last year,” he predicted. “I’d shovel four feet off my deck twice a day last year.”

Martin urged non-residents to stay away this weekend.

“Tell everyone not to come up — all the Teslas and the Priuses, stay down in the Bay Area,” said Martin, 32. “That’s what causes a lot of the problems. Teslas are the new minivans — we hate ’em up here.”

The disruption Thursday wasn’t just limited to Tahoe and Donner Summit. Yosemite National Park officials said the park would be closed Friday and will not open until at least Sunday afternoon.

While a headache for motorists and first responders, the storm was a godsend to water managers. On Thursday, the statewide Sierra snowpack was 80% of its historical average, up from 28% on Jan. 1 after a wet February.

“When all is said and done, it is likely the Sierra snowpack will be significantly above average just about everywhere in as little as a week,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA.

“This storm will certainly bolster the Sierra snow pack, but it is going to cause a lot of disruption.”

Elect Sally Lieber as
District 5 supervisor

As a long-time Santa Clara County resident and community advocate, I wholeheartedly endorse Sally Lieber for District 5 representative to the county Board of Supervisors. I have known Sally since her early days of serving on the Mountain View City Council. She has also been mayor of Mountain View and a state Assembly member. Sally currently serves on the state Board of Equalization.

Sally is honest, ethical, fair, collaborative, communicative and transparent in her decision-making and actions.

Sally has been the thoughtful champion for a variety of issues. When elected, Sally will be a pair of pragmatic boots on the ground. Sally has neither been bullied by nor beholden to self-serving special-interest groups, individuals or industries and will continue to champion important issues for those represented in District 5 and the county. Please vote for Sally Lieber for the Board of Supervisors, District 5.

Elinor Stetson
Sunnyvale

Casey is strongest
S.J. council candidate

George Casey is the best candidate for all of District 10.

He was the best candidate two years ago, when the other council members appointed someone else to temporarily serve our district, and he’s the best by far now. His life has been spent attaining the skills that will serve all of us in this position. He grew up in a couple of homes in two separate parts of the district, attained a high-quality education, including a law degree, master’s in urban planning and a master’s in real estate. He has used that knowledge and his negotiating skills to serve all of us for several years on the Planning Commission. He truly understands how the city functions and will use his negotiating skills to protect our neighborhoods while supporting Mayor Matt Mahan’s agenda to address crime, homelessness, and blight.

It’s time for us to select a strong council member.

Rich Crowley
San Jose

Tara Sreekrishnan for
Assembly District 26

Climate change is the issue of our times. We must elect leaders to the Legislature to reduce emissions and limit overall temperature increases.

Tara Sreekrishnan supports and champions the need for California to draw down carbon and move to a renewables economy. Her priorities include transitioning to solar, wind, EV adoption, sustainability and green buildings. Of particular note has been her effort to highlight the emissions from the Santa Clara Lehigh Southwest Cement Plant, and to move the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to dramatically increase oversight of the plant’s emissions reductions with a goal toward eventual closure.

Tara, a strong millennial voice and advocate for the environment, will work with the Legislature to champion change and push for climate solutions. Her proven record of leadership with grassroots environmental groups and youth is needed in the state Assembly.

Please join me in voting for Tara.

Carrie Levin
Sunnyvale

Return Zoe Lofgren’s
expertise to Congress

I am proud to serve with Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, the chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation and one of the most respected members of Congress. She is an expert on immigration law, science policy and a former chair of the House Ethics Committee.

I’m disgusted by Charlene Nijmeh’s campaign that is centered on disinformation — including the recent distribution of flyers with pictures of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries with the candidate, clearly meant to mislead voters. Both Pelosi and Jeffries endorse Zoe Lofgren.

Disinformation destroys democracy. Voters must stand with truth and vote to reelect Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren.

Rep. Anna Eshoo

Menlo Park

Liccardo will get things
done in Congress

Sam Liccardo’s recent eight years as a get-things-done mayor of San José showcased how effective he would be in Congress. Liccardo’s successful leadership of the nation’s then-10th largest city ⏤ from homeless mitigation to the high cost of living ⏤ was a doctoral treatise on how a major metropolitan area can prosper in difficult times. He explains online how he will do it again as a new member of the House.

Some may view District 16 as a Palo Alto and North County preserve. It is not. District 16 has evolved with exciting potential. With changes to California’s district maps following the 2020 census, District 16 is an engine of accomplishment and challenge from metropolitan San José to high-tech in Santa Clara County. Sam Liccardo has a track record of successfully dealing with the multifaceted demands of 2024 unmatched by any other candidate in this election.

John Heagerty
San Jose

Simitian best prepared
for seat in House

Re: “Crowded field raises more than $4M in bid to replace Rep. Eshoo” (Page A1, Feb. 16).

The article on the run for Anna Eshoo’s open congressional seat is a good comparison of candidate positions on important issues, including climate change.

Because of its urgency, climate change is the most important issue in this race for U.S. Congress. Please vote for Joe Simitian.

Rob Hogue
Menlo Park

House needs Lofgren
on agricultural policy

If we want the Salinas Valley to continue as the “Salad Bowl of the World,” we’d better elect to Congress a politician who supports agriculture.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren is a staunch advocate for the agricultural industry. She has experience, vision and a track record of support for AgTech.

She has already secured emergency relief for growers impacted by the 2023 storms and helped get $2.8 billion in support for farmers impacted by natural disasters, along with emergency USDA loans.

Addressing the agricultural labor crisis, she authored the Farm Workforce Modernization Act — the first agriculture labor reform legislation to pass the House since 1986. It helps grant 1.5 million farmworkers legal status, protects them and gives flexibility to employers.

She has led bipartisan efforts in crop science, precision agriculture and other research projects. She wants to reform specialty crop insurance.

Want District 18’s agricultural industry to flourish? Vote Zoe Lofgren.

Jim White
Salinas

Chunli Zhao, 67, spoke little during the brief hearing, which came a month after a San Mateo County grand jury indicted him in the January 2023 workplace massacre. Along with seven murder charges, Zhao faces a charge of attempted murder, to which he also pleaded not guilty.

The indictment — which superseded charges filed just days after the shooting spree — was sought as a way to “move the case along” after delays affected the timing of a key evidentiary hearing, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. As a result of the indictment, no such preliminary hearing is needed and the case is now bound for trial.

Zhao was ordered to appear again in court for a hearing April 19.

“The victims’ families deserve to have this move along,” said Wagstaffe, shortly after the indictment last month.

Wearing a red jail outfit with an orange long-sleeved undershirt, Zhao stood quietly during the hearing with his head bowed and his arms folded in front of him. He wore a blue face mask and black headphones, into which a Mandarin interpreter translated the court’s proceedings.

He only said the word “yes” in Mandarin, when asked whether he understood and agreed with his attorney’s decision to waive his right to a speedy trial.

Zhao had pleaded not guilty last year to the original charges and has been in custody since surrendering to authorities hours after the mass shooting. He remains held in the San Mateo County jail without bail.

Prosecutors say Zhao killed four workers and severely wounded a fifth at California Terra Garden, a mushroom farm in Half Moon Bay where he lived and worked for seven years, most recently as a forklift driver. The violence appeared to stem from a workplace grudge, according to authorities — one triggered by a $100 equipment bill from his boss for damage to heavy construction equipment.

Moments before opening fire, Zhao vented his frustrations at the supervisor and a co-worker whom Zhao blamed for a collision between his forklift and a bulldozer, prosecutors allege. After the confrontation, he allegedly shot the supervisor and the coworker, along with the co-worker’s wife and two others at the farm.

The shooting illuminated deep concerns about living conditions among migrant workers living on farms across San Mateo County. County and state officials have described the workers’ dwellings at California Terra Garden as “deplorable,” with families living in shacks with leaky roofs and no running water or kitchens.

A subsequent Bay Area News Group investigation found that laws meant to ensure livable farmworker housing often went unenforced in San Mateo County, allowing farm owners to neglect their struggling workforce, including the shooter and his victims.

The hearing was presided over by Judge Elizabeth Lee, after a previous judge, Sean Dabel, recused himself. Dabel was a former prosecutor at the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office and maintains close ties with the prosecutor overseeing Zhao’s case, Joshua Stauffer, according to Wagstaffe.

The first rain from a powerful winter storm moved into the Bay Area on Thursday morning.

A blizzard warning is in effect for the northern and central Sierra Nevada from 4 a.m. Thursday until 10 a.m. Sunday, with high winds and 3 to 8 feet of snow expected in the Tahoe area. Travel is not advised.

Updates on road closures and chain controls can be found on CalTrans’ website or mobile app or by calling (800) 427-7623.

The storm is expected to bring at least 1½ inches of rain to much of the Bay Area, and perhaps totals in excess of 2 inches in the North Bay and coastal ranges, according to the National Weather Service. The full onslaught for the first showers to reach the region was expected Thursday afternoon or evening.

“We’ve got the cold front knocking on the North Bay’s door,” meteorologist Dalton Behringer said Thursday afternoon. “It’s gonna come on in and then cover the whole region.”

Some rain fell early Thursday, but barely any of it was measurable by noon. Up to one-tenth of an inch fell in Marin County and areas of the Peninsula saw about five-hundredths of an inch.

But more was coming.

“After (the main band) goes through (Thursday), we will have scattered showers into Friday,” Behringer said. ” Then on Friday, we’re going to get another heavier push.”

Weather forecasters also expect at least 5 to 12 feet of snow to fall above 5,000 feet. Authorities urged anyone not already in the mountains not to go and said roads and highways are likely to be shut down.

A blizzard warning issued Tuesday for the Northern and Central Sierra Nevada went into effect at 4 a.m. Thursday and was set to last until 10 a.m. Sunday. The warning affects Lassen and Shasta counties, as well as Lake Tahoe to Tuolumne and Mono counties near Yosemite National Park.

PG&E in a statement said it was pre-staging crews and materials to tackle power outages that the storm may bring and that they are prepared to use helicopters, snowcats and vehicles with four-wheel drive to gain access to areas that need repair. Still, they said customers in remote areas “should prepare for extended outages given the unique circumstances of this storm.”

Early Thursday, widespread power outages affected the west San Jose and Campbell areas from south of Interstate 280  in the Meridian area over to south of I-280 at Bascom and south. Power also went out at one business corner of Hamilton Avenue and Bascom Avenue.

Power outages in Woodside, Redwood City and Campbell also had up to 500 customers in the dark in each of those stories, according to the utility.

The storms have been generated by a large low-pressure system that’s descending from the Gulf of Alaska and bringing cold air with it. Low temperatures are expected to dip daily until they go into the 30s in most places in the East Bay by Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Temperatures are expected to bottom out in the low 40s in San Jose.

The storm also is expected to bring wind gusts that could get as high as 40 mph. A high-surf advisory also is likely, according to the weather service.

Electronic Arts is cutting about 5% of its workforce, or approximately 670 employees, as layoffs in the technology and gaming sector continue after a surge of hiring in recent years.

The video game maker said in a regulatory filing that its board approved a restructuring plan that includes the layoffs, as well as closing some offices or facilities.

The Redwood City, California, company had 13,400 workers globally as of March, 31, 2023, according to a filing.

“While not every team will be impacted, this is the hardest part of these changes, and we have deeply considered every option to try and limit impacts to our teams,” said CEO Andrew Wilson. “Our primary goal is to provide team members with opportunities to find new roles and paths to transition onto other projects.”

He said the layoffs would be largely completed by early next quarter.

The announcement comes just days after Sony said that it would cut about 900 jobs in its PlayStation division, or about 8% of its global workforce. Sony cited changes in the industry as a reason for the restructuring.

The tech sector has been hit hard by layoffs. Microsoft said last month that it would cut nearly 2,000 workers after its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. And Riot Games, the developer of the popular “League of Legends” multiplayer battle game, said in January that it was laying off 11% of its staff.

Still, most large tech companies are much larger now than they were before the pandemic, when hiring surged in the sector.

1 WATCH : The ‘Dune’ we deserve

“Dune: Part 2” is finally in theaters and all we can say is, wow!

2 PLAY: Magic mustard season

It’s that time of the year in Napa when mustard blooms cast those rolling hills in a beautiful golden glow — but that’s not the only reason to visit the wine country these days.

3 DINE: Check out an exciting new seafood restaurant

Newly opened Hurrica Restaurant in Redwood City welcomes visitors by land or sea with first-rate seafood and a flashy jellyfish aquarium. We checked it out recently and here are our thoughts.

4 MAKE & SCARF: Umami bombs away

These crispy, healthy and utterly addictive lettuce wraps are so easy and quick to make, you won’t believe your tastebuds.

5 SEE & HEAR: Great shows are all over

From Smuin Ballet reviving two of its greatest hits to a “Magic Flute” in Livermore and free tunes at a beloved old bandshell, there are a lot of great shows and concerts to catch this weekend.

6 WATCH: A ‘Shogun’ for a new generation

James Clavell’s epic and compelling novel has been adapted for TV again, and this version is even better than the classic 1980 one.

7 PLAY: A hot, hot, hot new game

“Helldivers 2” is taking the video game world by storm — here’s why.

But a bill proposed in the California State Assembly this year could make it easier for those with furry friends to find a place to rent.

“Like it or not, humans have pets, they always have and they always will,” Assemblymember Matt Haney, a San Francisco Democrat who proposed the bill, said in a statement. “Blanket ‘no companion pet policies’ are causing landlords to miss out on good tenants who get rejected without even getting a chance to apply for a place to live. The current system is bad for everyone.”

About 57% of households in California own a pet, according to a 2019 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Thousands more adopted pets during COVID. Yet in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, just one in five apartments currently on the market allows for large dogs, while about two in five allow for small dogs and cats, according to a review by this news organization of Zillow listings.

In Oakland, Nina Foo, 30, has been searching for six months for a one-bedroom apartment in the Rockridge neighborhood that will accept her mini goldendoodle, Poppy.

“It’s been impossible to find something,” she said, holding a shaking Poppy — who becomes nervous around strangers — in her arms.

As many reasons as there are to love pets, property owners have plenty of their own for banning them in their buildings. Barking dogs can be a nuisance to neighbors. Unclipped claws can damage wooden floors. Too many cats can leave lingering odors. Owners who don’t pick up after their pets’ messes create extra work for maintenance staff. Lingering pet dander in carpets can make a unit uninhabitable in the future for someone with severe allergies.

“When you try to mandate sweeping legislation for inclusion of pets in a community, you have to think of the whole of the community — and that includes other renters,” said Derek Barnes, executive director of the East Bay Rental Housing Association, which opposes the bill.

The full text of the bill is still in the works, and its chances of becoming law are unclear — but Haney has said landlords would be exempted from the ban if they provide a reason for excluding pets from their property, such as concerns over health or nuisances, so long as they can provide documentation to a rent board if a tenant pushes back.

Krista Gulbransen, executive director of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, said the ability to ban pets, or certain types of breeds, helps landlords to mitigate their risk — whether that’s damage to the unit or potential issues with neighbors.

“While there are plenty of pets that are fine and don’t do damage, there are a few that aren’t that way,” she said. An animal-lover herself, Gulbranson allows pets in most of the units she manages — but it’s a decision that has come back to bite her on occasion, such as when she had to rip out new carpeting after a tenant’s cat seemed to pee “everywhere but the litter box.”

Plus, California law already requires landlords to accept emotional support and service animals without charging an extra fee, she said.

Owners of “companion animals” don’t have the same protection, though, and restrictions on pets can push them out of their homes.

That was the case for Tran Nguyen, a 26-year-old software engineer who decided to adopt a cat in 2020. A few months after she and her boyfriend brought Jules, a grey and white Ragdoll kitten, into their Menlo Park apartment, Tran took another look at her lease and spotted a clause that forbade pets. Worried that Jules’ loud meowing might tip off their property manager, Tran and her boyfriend decided to break their lease and move so they could keep Jules.

“There was a big fine if we did violate our lease, so we didn’t want to deal with that,” Nguyen said. They ended up finding an apartment building in San Mateo that allowed cats but charged an additional $60 per month in pet rent.

In other cases, people wanting to move may decide to stay put rather than brave a housing market unfavorable to pets.

Pali Boucher, who founded Rocket Dog Rescue, has lived in the same apartment in San Francisco for 22 years. The place needs work, and she sometimes wishes her landlord would be more responsive, Boucher said, “but I moved in here because they accepted my pets.”

Along with several birds, she also owns five dogs, including a Doberman and a pit bull mix — two of the most notorious breeds among landlords, as many insurance companies won’t cover a unit where one is living.

Some of the biggest supporters of opening up more rentals to pets are California’s animal shelters, which end up with many of the animals people are forced to give up when they can’t find a home that includes them.

“Housing issues are the number one cited cause of people surrendering their pets to shelters,” said Jill Tucker, CEO of the California Animal Welfare Association. “It’s devastating to the people and to the animal.”

Such animals make up just a portion of the animals at shelters, though — many are stray animals brought in by animal control or found by neighbors. Some families who need to re-home their pets can no longer count on shelters, as many of them have stopped taking “surrendered” animals, citing overcrowding and limited resources, Tucker said.

On Wednesday at the East Bay SPCA Oakland Adoption Center, several dogs abandoned by previous owners were still waiting on a new home, said Karalyn Aronow, the shelter’s vice president of operations. They include Lola, a pit bull whose owner had given her up when she moved to a new house, and Legend, a husky-shepherd mix whose owner, facing homelessness, wasn’t able to find a rental that would accommodate such a large breed.

“We’re hopeful that some sort of bill will be crafted that’s going to work out in the best interest of people and their animals, as well as the property owners,” Tucker said. “There’s got to be a path forward, because something has to give at this point.”

The District 16 race is now California’s most expensive House race, according to the nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets. The winner in November will succeed Eshoo, who held the seat for more than three decades, and will represent roughly 735,000 residents in parts of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

At the end of last year, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo held a healthy lead in fundraising, but earlier this month, tech entrepreneur and veteran Peter Dixon eclipsed the well-known politico and amassed nearly $2.8 million, more than half of that from his own bank accounts. In comparison, Liccardo has raised the second-most at $2.2 million. The former mayor, however, has the most cash on hand with $1.2 million still to spend.

Dixon, who is the founder of cybersecurity company Second Front Systems, has loaned $1.55 million to his own campaign. Financial disclosure forms filed with the clerk of the House of Representatives show pages of investments and other income sources and some debts for Dixon, who is carrying liabilities in the range of $1 million to $5 million owed to 137 Aggregator V, LLC. The venture capital firm, also known as 137 Ventures, has invested in companies like SpaceX and Uber.

Dixon and his campaign staff did not respond to several requests for comment.

Sean McMorris, the transparency, ethics and accountability program manager for good government group California Common Cause, said it becomes an accountability issue because some self-funded candidates don’t engage with voters as much because they don’t need to solicit as many donations.

“Money should not dictate who should run for office or who gets elected,” he said.

At the congressional level, money plays a large role in the election, and while McMorris said it’s not the “determining factor,” candidates need a minimum of a couple hundred thousand dollars to get their message out.

And for a lesser-known candidate like Dixon, outside money can make a big difference. Of the $2.4 million in total independent expenditures in the race, the largest spender has been the Next Generation Veteran Fund, which had spent nearly $1.3 million on TV ads, digital ads and mailers supporting Dixon.

When you follow the money spent backing Dixon, you find “quite a daisy chain of transfers,” said Saurav Ghosh, Director of Federal Campaign Finance Reform at the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign finance watchdog group. It goes back to a web of three other veteran-related super PACs; the Principled Veterans’ Fund, and two iterations of the With Honor Fund, Inc. PAC. The With Honor Fund, Inc. PAC got $10 million in seed funding from Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, in 2018, and another $12 million from Bezos’ parents since then.

Bezos’ father, Mike Bezos, serves on With Honor’s advisory board.

“It’s concerning that the money is being obscured in this way, particularly because the money seems to have originated from a Super PAC that the candidate himself established and ran for many years,” Ghosh said, referring to the fact Dixon co-founded With Honor, which has several arms: a 501(c)(4) organization, the With Honor Fund Super PAC and another federal PAC. The With Honor Fund, Inc. PAC was dissolved in September 2023, three months before Dixon declared his candidacy.

These independent expenditure committees and candidates are legally barred from coordinating with each other.

Other top fundraisers in the race include Assemblymember Evan Low, D-Cupertino, who has raised $1.3 million and spent a little over $1 million, and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who has raised roughly $1 million and spent $938,000. Simitian also loaned his campaign $250,000 on Feb. 23, according to campaign filings. Palo Alto City Councilwoman Julie Lythcott-Haims, who is the only woman in the race, has raised roughly $595,000 and spent $443,000.

The remaining candidates, who have raised and spent significantly less money, include former Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar — who has run for the seat in the past — attorney Ahmed Mostafa, Stanford graduate student and climate investor Joby Bernstein, Palo Alto City Councilmember Greg Tanaka and former Menlo Park Mayor Peter Ohtaki, who is one of two Republicans in the race. Karl Ryan, a businessman and the other Republican in the race, has not reported any fundraising or spending.

Aside from Next Generation Veteran Fund, several other outside groups have poured money into the race to back Liccardo, Low and Simitian.

Four different groups have spent a collective $547,662 to support Low’s candidacy: the Voter Protection Project, Equality PAC, Equality California Votes and the Golden State Leadership Fund PAC, which has spent nearly $400,000 and has major funding from PG&E and the California Apartment Association.

California Common Cause’s McMorris said it’s important that voters look at the bottom of mailers and ads to see if they’re being paid for by the candidate or special interest groups. And while candidates and PACs aren’t allowed to coordinate, McMorris said that “none of us are immune to the influence of money.”

“Voters should realize this is a special interest that is more likely than not who is supporting the candidate because they think the candidate will assist them in some way or they think they will have more access to this candidate,” he said. “At the end of the day, most of this comes down to those special interests wanting goodies”

Boys

Open Division

Wednesday’s games

No. 5 Modesto Christian 51, No. 4 De La Salle 49

No. 3 Clovis North 49, No. 6 Branson 48

Saturday’s semifinals

No. 5 Modesto Christian (28-5) vs. No. 1 Salesian (29-1) at Contra Costa College, 7 p.m.

No. 3 Clovis North (28-6) at No. 2 Archbishop Riordan (24-4), 7 p.m.

Division I

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Clovis West 79, No. 16 Dublin 57

No. 9 Serra 63, No. 8 Lincoln-Stockton 61

No. 5 St. Ignatius 67, No. 12 Rocklin 51

No. 4 Granada 58, No. 13 Inderkum-Sacramento 53

No. 3 Archbishop Mitty 75, No. 14 Dougherty Valley 54

 No. 6 Clayton Valley Charter 63, No. 11 Sacred Heart Prep 50

No. 10 Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 70, No. 7 University 68

No. 2 San Ramon Valley 67, No. 15 Vanden 64

Thursday’s second round

No. 9 Serra (20-8) at No. 1 Clovis West (27-6), 7 p.m.

No. 5 St. Ignatius (21-7) at No. 4 Granada (24-4), 7 p.m.

No. 6 Clayton Valley Charter (23-9) at No. 3 Archbishop Mitty (22-7), 7 p.m.

No. 10 Monterey Trail-Elk Grove (27-4) at No. 2 San Ramon Valley (26-7), 7 p.m.

Division II

Tuesday’s games

No. 16 Clovis East 78, No. 1 Branham 69

No. 9 Oakland 70, No. 8 Capital Christian-Sacramento 64

No. 5 Bellarmine 49, No. 12 Montgomery 41

No. 4 Bishop O’Dowd 76, No. 13 Los Gatos 49 

No. 14 Menlo-Atherton 70, No. 3 Sacramento 64

No. 6 Del Oro-Loomis 60, No. 11 Half Moon Bay 55

No. 7 Jesuit-Carmichael 54, No. 10 Benicia 53

No. 2 Oakland Tech 71, No. 15 Sacred Heart Cathedral 43 

Thursday’s second round

No. 16 Clovis East (21-11) at No. 9 Oakland (23-8), 7 p.m.

No. 5 Bellarmine (11-17) at No. 4 Bishop O’Dowd (20-9), 7 p.m.

No. 14 Menlo-Atherton (21-7) at No. 6 Del Oro-Loomis (25-8), 7 p.m.

No. 7 Jesuit-Carmichael (24-8) at No. 2 Oakland Tech (26-5), 7 p.m.

Division III

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Santa Cruz 61, No. 16 Head-Royce 47

No. 9 West Park 63, No. 8 Enterprise 49

No. 5 Carmel 76, No. 12 Venture Academy 58

No. 4 Ygnacio Valley 56, No. 13 Pleasant Valley 50

No. 3 Valley Christian 72, No. 14 Piedmont 43

No. 6 Bullard 53, No. 11 Central Catholic 43

No. 10 San Joaquin Memorial 66, No. 7 Christian Brothers 59

No. 2 Justin-Siena 59, No. 15 Ripon Christian 44

Thursday’s second round

No. 9 West Park (24-7) at No. 1 Santa Cruz (24-6), 7 p.m.

No. 5 Carmel (25-3) at No. 4 Ygnacio Valley (25-8), 7 p.m.

No. 6 Bullard (24-8) at No. 3 Valley Christian (14-14), 7 p.m.

No. 10 San Joaquin Memorial (20-11) at No. 2 Justin-Siena (27-3), 7 p.m.

Division IV

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Santa Teresa 79, No. 16 Kerman 76

No. 8 Palo Alto 60, No. 9 Ripon 58

No. 5 Foothill-Palo Cedro 45, No. 12 Urban 43

No. 4 Union Mine 66, No. 13 University Prep 61

No. 14 Monterey 67, No. 3 Sierra 51

No. 6 Lincoln-San Francisco 53, No. 11 Gridley 50

No. 10 Christopher 60, No. 7 Weed 55

No. 2 Natomas 62, No. 15 Menlo School 61

Thursday’s second round

No. 8 Palo Alto (19-8) at No. 1 Santa Teresa (19-7), 7 p.m.

No. 5 Foothill-Palo Cedro (19-10) at No. 4 Union Mine (29-3), 7 p.m.

No. 14 Monterey (21-6) at No. 6 Lincoln-San Francisco (22-10), 7 p.m.

No. 10 Christopher (16-12) at No. 2 Natomas (24-9), 7 p.m.

Division V

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Athenian (24-8), bye

No. 8 Mt. Shasta 60, No. 9 McKinleyville 49

No. 5 Summit Shasta 60, No. 12 Durham 41

No. 4 International 50, No. 13 Bradshaw Christian 49

No. 3 Oakwood 69, No. 14 Caruthers 53

No. 6 Colusa 56, No. 11 Fortune Early College 30

No. 7 Futures 78, No. 10 Orland 65

No. 2 San Domenico  57, No. 15 Lowell 38

Thursday’s second round

No. 8 Mt. Shasta (23-9) at No. 1 Athenian (24-8), 7 p.m.

No. 5 Summit Shasta (23-4) at No. 4 International (25-6), 7 p.m.

No. 6 Colusa (23-7) 56 at No. 3 Oakwood (14-14), 7 p.m.

No. 7 Futures (27-6) at No. 2 San Domenico (18-11), 7 p.m.

Division VI

Wednesday’s games

No. 1 Cornerstone Christian 97, No. 8 Valley Christian-Roseville 90

No. 5 Redding Christian 38, No. 4 Averroes 34

No. 6 Napa Christian 97, No. 3 Biggs 81

No. 2 Stone Ridge Christian 78, No. 7 Point Arena 67

Saturday’s semifinals

No. 5 Redding Christian (18-8) at No. 1 Cornerstone Christian (26-6), 7 p.m.

No. 6 Napa Christian (13-10) at No. 2 Stone Ridge Christian (24-8), 7 p.m.

Girls

Open Division

Wednesday’s games

No. 5 Folsom 54, No. 4 Cardinal Newman 48 

No. 3 St. Mary’s-Stockton 67, No. 6 San Ramon Valley 61 

Saturday’s semifinals

No. 5 Folsom (26-5) at No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (28-0), 7 p.m.

No. 3 St. Mary’s-Stockton (26-5) at No. 2 Clovis West (30-2), 7 p.m. 

Division I

Tuesday’s games

No. 16 McClatchy-Sacramento 66, No. 1 Pinewood 64

No. 8 Whitney-Rocklin 53, No. 9 Piedmont 41

No. 5 Sacred Heart Cathedral 61, No. 12 Salesian 41

No. 4 Carondelet 77, No. 13 Los Gatos 39

No. 3 Oak Ridge 47, No. 14 Priory 35

No. 11 Archbishop Riordan 64, No. 6 Acalanes 55

No. 7 St. Ignatius 45, No. 10 Marin Catholic 41

No. 2 Bishop O’Dowd 76, No. 15 St. Francis 27

Thursday’s second round

No. 16 McClatchy-Sacramento (25-6) at No. 8 Whitney-Rocklin (23-9), 7 p.m.

No. 5 Sacred Heart Cathedral (23-4) at No. 4 Carondelet (27-6), 7 p.m.

No. 11 Archbishop Riordan (17-10) at No. 3 Oak Ridge (25-7), 7 p.m.

No. 7 St. Ignatius (19-10) at No. 2 Bishop O’Dowd (21-6), 5 p.m.

Division II

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Branham 53, No. 16 Chico 47

No. 9 Maria Carrillo 59, No. 8 Monta Vista 52

No. 12 Redwood 52, No. 5 Evergreen Valley 48

No. 4 Colfax 67, No. 13 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 66

No. 3 Pleasant Valley 56, No. 14 Vista Del Lago 49

No. 11 Antelope 82, No. 6 Buchanan 68

No. 10 Oakland Tech 65, No. 7 California 53

No. 2 Vanden 52, No. 15 San Domenico 44

Thursday’s second round

No. 9 Maria Carrillo (21-10) at No. 1 Branham (23-3), 7 p.m.

No. 12 Redwood (26-8) at No. 4 Colfax (31-2), 7 p.m.

No. 11 Antelope (21-8) 82 at No. 3 Pleasant Valley (24-7), 7 p.m.

No. 10 Oakland Tech (12-16) at No. 2 Vanden (25-8), 7 p.m.

Division III

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 University 67, No. 16 Northgate 28

No. 8 Atwater 74, No. 9 Pioneer 48

No. 5 Mills 56, No. 12 Clovis East 53

No. 13 Cornerstone Christian 69, No. 4 Clovis 59

No. 14 Caruthers 85, No. 3 Christopher 52

No. 11 Heritage 54, No. 6 Grant 40

No. 7 San Joaquin Memorial 67, No. 10 Manteca 37

No. 2 Central-Fresno 61, No. 15 Justin-Siena 51

Thursday’s second round

No. 8 Atwater (25-7) at University (25-7), 7 p.m.

No. 13 Cornerstone Christian (26-7) at No. 5 Mills (20-8), 7 p.m.

No. 14 Caruthers (21-8) at No. 11 Heritage (20-9), 7 p.m.

No. 7 San Joaquin Memorial (19-7) at No. 2 Central-Fresno (19-12), 7 p.m.

Division IV

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 St. Bernard’s 55, No. 16 West Campus-Sacramento 39

No. 8 Lincoln-SF 56, No. 9 Lincoln-Lincoln 48

No. 5 Alisal 56, No. 12 Colusa 28

No. 4 Foothill-Palo Cedro 68, No. 13 Menlo School 64

No. 14 Notre Dame-San Jose 47, No. 3 Escalon 40

No. 11 Riverbank 70, No. 6 University Prep-Redding 52

No. 7 Mt. Diablo 81, No. 10 West Valley-Cottonwood 58

No. 2 Arcata 51, No. 15 Bear River 48

Thursday’s second round

No. 8 Lincoln-SF (24-4) at No. 1 St. Bernard’s (26-5), 7 p.m.

No. 5 Alisal (24-3) at No. 4 Foothill-Palo Cedro (20-9), 7 p.m.

No. 14 Notre Dame-San Jose (15-12) at No. 11 Riverbank (22-6), 7 p.m.

No. 7 Mt. Diablo (25-7) at No. 2 Arcata (20-8), 7 p.m.

Division V

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Mendota (25-8), bye 

No. 9 Woodland Christian 41, No. 8 Modoc-Alturas 30

No. 5 Valley Christian-Roseville 80, No. 12 Summit Shasta 70

No. 13 Oakland 58, No. 4 Half Moon Bay 50

No. 14 Lowell-SF 52, No. 3 Wood-Vacaville 48

No. 6 Trinity-Weaverville 40, No. 11 Winters 30

No. 7 Crystal Springs Uplands 75, No. 10 Quincy 22

No. 2 Lynbrook 68, No. 15 Ripon Christian 55

Thursday’s second round

No. 9 Woodland Christian (26-5) at No. 1 Mendota (25-8), 7 p.m.

No. 13 Oakland (19-10) at No. 5 Valley Christian-Roseville (21-7), 7 p.m.

No. 14 Lowell-SF (18-12) at No. 6 Trinity-Weaverville (20-11), 7 p.m.

No. 7 Crystal Springs Uplands (12-12) at No. 2 Lynbrook (19-9), 7 p.m.

Division VI

Wednesday’s games

No. 1 Weed 58, No. 8 Rio Lindo Adventist 27

No. 5 Faith Christian 46, No. 4 San Francisco Waldorf 40

No. 3 Fall River 84, No. 6 Mendocino 52

No. 2 Sacramento Adventist 59, No. 7 Point Arena 35

Saturday’s semifinals

No. 5 Faith Christian (26-5) at No. 1 Weed (27-5), 7 p.m. 

No. 3 Fall River (18-12) at No. 2 Sacramento Adventist (26-6), 7 p.m.