Ben Christopher
@frombenc.bsky.social
Housing reporter @calmatters.org. Occasional dad tweets. Tell me things: Ben@calmatters.org / signal: BenC.2017
"I am very tired, very stomachy & hate nearly the whole world" is almost, verbatim, something my four-year-old says on a regular basis.
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
February 12, 2026 at 7:24 PM
"I am very tired, very stomachy & hate nearly the whole world" is almost, verbatim, something my four-year-old says on a regular basis.
"By withdrawing its own so-called 'endangerment finding,' the EPA is abandoning its justification for federal tailpipe standards, power plant rules and fuel economy regulations.
California...is expected to sue over the decision."
calmatters.org/environment/...
California...is expected to sue over the decision."
calmatters.org/environment/...
Can California Set Its Own Car Emissions Standards? Trump's Climate Reversal May Force the Issue
Withdrawal of federal climate authority could ironically give California broader power to regulate emissions and sue oil companies.
calmatters.org
February 12, 2026 at 7:23 PM
"By withdrawing its own so-called 'endangerment finding,' the EPA is abandoning its justification for federal tailpipe standards, power plant rules and fuel economy regulations.
California...is expected to sue over the decision."
calmatters.org/environment/...
California...is expected to sue over the decision."
calmatters.org/environment/...
In 2023, the state's fire marshal was tasked with putting together a report with recommendations on if/how the state should change its building code to allow for taller single stair apartments.
The deadline was Jan. 1.
Still waiting...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
The deadline was Jan. 1.
Still waiting...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
February 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM
In 2023, the state's fire marshal was tasked with putting together a report with recommendations on if/how the state should change its building code to allow for taller single stair apartments.
The deadline was Jan. 1.
Still waiting...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
The deadline was Jan. 1.
Still waiting...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
I appreciate the journalistic effort here, but don't let Newsom off easy here. We need PRAs.
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
Newsom says Trump is pissing on what?
www.politico.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:27 PM
I appreciate the journalistic effort here, but don't let Newsom off easy here. We need PRAs.
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
ah yes, this old chestnut:
"The latest push to become a charter city was started by a coalition of Atherton residents working on the town’s housing element, hoping to avoid some housing requirements imposed by the state."
www.almanacnews.com/atherton/202...
"The latest push to become a charter city was started by a coalition of Atherton residents working on the town’s housing element, hoping to avoid some housing requirements imposed by the state."
www.almanacnews.com/atherton/202...
Atherton takes another look at becoming a charter city
Atherton is reviving a long-debated push to become a charter city, even as some city officials acknowledge they are uncertain whether the change would actually help the town avoid some state-mandated ...
www.almanacnews.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:49 PM
ah yes, this old chestnut:
"The latest push to become a charter city was started by a coalition of Atherton residents working on the town’s housing element, hoping to avoid some housing requirements imposed by the state."
www.almanacnews.com/atherton/202...
"The latest push to become a charter city was started by a coalition of Atherton residents working on the town’s housing element, hoping to avoid some housing requirements imposed by the state."
www.almanacnews.com/atherton/202...
Measure ULA* is here to stay for now.
And so our state once again turns its eyes to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
And so our state once again turns its eyes to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
Los Angeles won’t be tweaking its ‘mansion tax.’ Now the debate is likely to go statewide
The ballot measure do-over for LA's 'mansion tax' was intended to ward off a statewide anti-tax crusade.
calmatters.org
January 27, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Measure ULA* is here to stay for now.
And so our state once again turns its eyes to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
And so our state once again turns its eyes to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association...
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
Reposted by Ben Christopher
Sometimes it takes a bit for national (or really, any) media to catch up with a story but now the New York Times is noting the video did not show Alex Pretti brandishing a gun as ICE has claimed. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
January 24, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Sometimes it takes a bit for national (or really, any) media to catch up with a story but now the New York Times is noting the video did not show Alex Pretti brandishing a gun as ICE has claimed. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Reposted by Ben Christopher
L.A. politicians tried to stop SB 79, a state law allowing more apartments near transit stops. It passed anyway. But L.A. leaders aren't done fighting.
Today the L.A. Metro Board of Directors voted to oppose local implementation. More details in my @laist.com story:
Today the L.A. Metro Board of Directors voted to oppose local implementation. More details in my @laist.com story:
LA transit agency seeks to override state law allowing more homes near train and bus lines
The L.A. Metro Board of Directors voted to oppose implementation of SB 79, calling for a countywide exemption.
laist.com
January 22, 2026 at 9:45 PM
L.A. politicians tried to stop SB 79, a state law allowing more apartments near transit stops. It passed anyway. But L.A. leaders aren't done fighting.
Today the L.A. Metro Board of Directors voted to oppose local implementation. More details in my @laist.com story:
Today the L.A. Metro Board of Directors voted to oppose local implementation. More details in my @laist.com story:
This morning Gov. Newsom is announcing the release of $419 million for local homelessness programming, funded back in 2024.
But in the coming months, the Legislature will be fighting over the NEXT round of HHAP funding — and on the conditions that will come with it.
calmatters.org/housing/home...
But in the coming months, the Legislature will be fighting over the NEXT round of HHAP funding — and on the conditions that will come with it.
calmatters.org/housing/home...
California counties must jump through new hoops to get homelessness funds
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is pressuring local leaders to pass ordinances regulating homeless encampments, among other requirements.
calmatters.org
January 16, 2026 at 6:40 PM
This morning Gov. Newsom is announcing the release of $419 million for local homelessness programming, funded back in 2024.
But in the coming months, the Legislature will be fighting over the NEXT round of HHAP funding — and on the conditions that will come with it.
calmatters.org/housing/home...
But in the coming months, the Legislature will be fighting over the NEXT round of HHAP funding — and on the conditions that will come with it.
calmatters.org/housing/home...
Reposted by Ben Christopher
Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened many times to withhold state homelessness funds from cities and counties that aren’t doing enough to get people off the streets.
This year, those threats seem more real than ever. bit.ly/3Ljqu0l
📸 Jungho Kim
This year, those threats seem more real than ever. bit.ly/3Ljqu0l
📸 Jungho Kim
January 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened many times to withhold state homelessness funds from cities and counties that aren’t doing enough to get people off the streets.
This year, those threats seem more real than ever. bit.ly/3Ljqu0l
📸 Jungho Kim
This year, those threats seem more real than ever. bit.ly/3Ljqu0l
📸 Jungho Kim
Reposted by Ben Christopher
Holy hell, what an obituary
Renfrew Christie Dies at 76; Sabotaged Racist Regime’s Nuclear Program
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Holy hell, what an obituary
In a virtual press conference with affordable housing groups, @buffywicks.bsky.social:
"I have been, since I got into the Legislature in 2018, almost a crazy woman when it comes to housing."
"I have been, since I got into the Legislature in 2018, almost a crazy woman when it comes to housing."
January 15, 2026 at 8:23 PM
In a virtual press conference with affordable housing groups, @buffywicks.bsky.social:
"I have been, since I got into the Legislature in 2018, almost a crazy woman when it comes to housing."
"I have been, since I got into the Legislature in 2018, almost a crazy woman when it comes to housing."
"Among the state’s 10 largest cities, only Los Angeles and San Francisco have wholly separate building and planning departments."
Didn't know that!
missionlocal.org/2026/01/s-f-...
Didn't know that!
missionlocal.org/2026/01/s-f-...
S.F moves to combine building inspection, planning and permitting into one department
Of state's 10 largest cities, only San Francisco and L.A. have separate building and planning departments. Mayor Lurie wants to change that.
missionlocal.org
January 15, 2026 at 8:07 PM
"Among the state’s 10 largest cities, only Los Angeles and San Francisco have wholly separate building and planning departments."
Didn't know that!
missionlocal.org/2026/01/s-f-...
Didn't know that!
missionlocal.org/2026/01/s-f-...
An unlikely meeting of the minds of two political foes who, in a race to head off the electorate’s concerns about affordability, have landed upon the same populist message.
Newsom and Trump agree on something: Blame Wall Street for the housing crisis
Political foes Newsom and Trump are both targeting corporate landlords this week. Newsom plans to address the issue during Thursday’s State of the State.
calmatters.org
January 8, 2026 at 12:36 AM
An unlikely meeting of the minds of two political foes who, in a race to head off the electorate’s concerns about affordability, have landed upon the same populist message.
Reposted by Ben Christopher
Gavin Newsom will go after Big Landlord in Thursday's State of the State address, report @frombenc.bsky.social and @jeannereporter.bsky.social:
Newsom and Trump agree on something: Blame Wall Street for the housing crisis
Political foes Newsom and Trump are both targeting corporate landlords this week. Newsom plans to address the issue during Thursday’s State of the State.
calmatters.org
January 8, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Gavin Newsom will go after Big Landlord in Thursday's State of the State address, report @frombenc.bsky.social and @jeannereporter.bsky.social:
Reposted by Ben Christopher
Former reality television personality Spencer Pratt announced from the stage of a protest on the one-year anniversary of the LA wildfires that he’s running for mayor of Los Angeles. He didn’t take questions but I asked him if he actually submitted paperwork and he showed me
January 7, 2026 at 8:41 PM
Former reality television personality Spencer Pratt announced from the stage of a protest on the one-year anniversary of the LA wildfires that he’s running for mayor of Los Angeles. He didn’t take questions but I asked him if he actually submitted paperwork and he showed me
Horseshoe theory something something
January 7, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Horseshoe theory something something
“It turns out that mostly when people say ‘New York is noisy’ they really mean ‘cars are noisy.’”
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Congestion pricing after one year: How life has changed.
How life has changed in the New York area, according to data on traffic, transit and the responses of 600 readers.
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:34 PM
“It turns out that mostly when people say ‘New York is noisy’ they really mean ‘cars are noisy.’”
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
I wonder if this is a phenomenon outside oil and gas where you find politicians taking, say, an anti-regulatory posture that may not be embraced by all, even most, members of the regulated industry. Literally not pro-business, but a pro-businessism aesthetic with a political signaling function.
This is part of a bigger trend of the political valence of oil disconnecting from the actual economics of O and G. I keep telling people to do a little humorous anthropology and read the industry sub Reddit. Half the posts are joking that the industry boosters are morons or old and out of touch.
The amount of “this is clearly about oil” posting across all platforms as story after story comes out where the oil industry is saying that the oil isn’t worth extracting is making me feel a little insane
January 5, 2026 at 12:57 AM
I wonder if this is a phenomenon outside oil and gas where you find politicians taking, say, an anti-regulatory posture that may not be embraced by all, even most, members of the regulated industry. Literally not pro-business, but a pro-businessism aesthetic with a political signaling function.
Reposted by Ben Christopher
Yes, as a nation we are bad at bringing up our children and the childless amongst us treat their dogs like the children they would bring up badly if they had them.
January 1, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Yes, as a nation we are bad at bringing up our children and the childless amongst us treat their dogs like the children they would bring up badly if they had them.
Reposted by Ben Christopher
🧵 on a big new CA Court of Appeal decision that's going to make CEQA attorneys think twice when they're next asked to challenge a housing approval on contingency.
threadreaderapp.com/thread/20065...
threadreaderapp.com/thread/20065...
Thread by @CSElmendorf on Thread Reader App
@CSElmendorf: New decision from CA Court of Appeal on the fee-shifting provisions of AB 1633 has big implications for NIMBYs' incentive to challenge housing approvals under CEQA & beyond. This one bel...
threadreaderapp.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:55 PM
🧵 on a big new CA Court of Appeal decision that's going to make CEQA attorneys think twice when they're next asked to challenge a housing approval on contingency.
threadreaderapp.com/thread/20065...
threadreaderapp.com/thread/20065...
Sold razor blades to John Cleese while working as a drug store cashier in high school.
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
December 29, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Sold razor blades to John Cleese while working as a drug store cashier in high school.
You are not going to believe how much I had to go out-of-pocket for targeted crab massage to treat my acute tummy ache (the doctor didn’t even wash her hands before administering!)
But that’s American healthcare for you smh
But that’s American healthcare for you smh
December 29, 2025 at 7:50 PM
You are not going to believe how much I had to go out-of-pocket for targeted crab massage to treat my acute tummy ache (the doctor didn’t even wash her hands before administering!)
But that’s American healthcare for you smh
But that’s American healthcare for you smh
