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Racist campaign to slur SF attorney Sikh GOP candidate: Terrorist sympathizer, “Taj Mahal princess” -- San Francisco attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who has won support from major party leaders in her drive to be the California GOP’s first female vice chair, has also become the target of a nasty racist effort to slur her as a Muslim terrorist sympathizer and a “Taj Mahal princess.” Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics -- 2/28/13 Chavez challenges GOP on immigration, marriage -- Count Oceanside Assemblyman Rocky Chavez as one of a growing number of Republicans who believe the party’s biting rhetoric on border security and immigration issues has driven off Latinos and lost elections. Michael Gardner UT San Diego$ -- 2/28/13 Women, minorities each make up a third of Jerry Brown's judicial appointments -- Women accounted for slightly more than one-third of Gov. Jerry Brown's judicial appointments since he took office in 2011, with minorities claiming a similar share, according to data released today by the governor's office. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 Obama administration urges Supreme Court to strike down Prop. 8 -- California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriages in the state, should be overturned, the Obama administration plans to tell the Supreme Court. Christi Parsons and David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 Assembly Speaker John Perez files brief seeking to overturn Prop. 8 -- Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez joined the legal fight against California’s same-sex marriage ban on Thursday, partnering with several law professors on his own pitch for overturning Proposition 8. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Field Poll: Same-sex marriage support climbs sharply, hits 61% -- Support for same-sex marriage in California has moved beyond 60 percent, with approval from voters in virtually every category growing substantially over the past three years. Dan Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 Oakland tries to keep medical marijuana fight against feds burning -- The city refuses to give up its fight against the federal government's attempt to shut down the nation's largest medical marijuana dispensary. Two weeks after a federal magistrate judge ruled Oakland does not have a legal argument in the fight, Oakland filed an appeal saying the ruling was "unjust and absurd." Paul T. Rosynsky in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/28/13 Sierra Nevada snow survey offers 'gloomy' picture -- A new Sierra Nevada snow survey on Thursday puts hard numbers on what is already plain to the eye: Winter has turned bone-dry in California. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 California trails other states in legalizing Internet gambling -- With New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's signature Tuesday, three states have now approved Internet gambling bills -- a concept the California Legislature has kicked around for a few years without taking any action. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 California lawmakers propose rules, tax breaks for drone aircraft -- Anticipating the day when drones will be a routine sight in California skies, lawmakers have proposed tax breaks to encourage companies to build the unmanned aircraft in this state and restrictions to protect the public from invasions of privacy. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Rep. Duncan Hunter Introduces Bill To Demote Drone Medal -- Rep. Duncan Hunter of San Diego County has introduced a bill in Congress that would demote a controversial new military medal for drone pilots. Beth Ford Roth KPBS -- 2/28/13 California county jails house 1,100 long-term inmates -- California counties are housing more than 1,100 inmates on long-term sentences in jails designed for stays of a year or less, according to the first report detailing the growth in that population under Gov. Jerry Brown's criminal justice realignment strategy. DON THOMPSON Associated Press -- 2/28/13 Two former California officials fined for conflicts of interest -- The state’s ethics watchdog agency on Thursday levied $10,000 in fines against two former state officials over conflict of interest violations. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 CalBuzz: Barrales Will Need Eons to Change the GOP’s Face -- The California Republican Party, which gathers this weekend in Sacramento to elect a new chairman, has something of a problem. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 2/28/13 Quinn: It’s Time to Get Rid of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act -- The US Supreme Court seems poised to declare Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, at least according to Wednesday’s oral arguments. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 2/28/13 Fox: Pink Slip the Teacher Pink Slip -- A simple common sense change to the law requiring notification to teachers that their jobs might be in danger has to sidestep political opportunists who wouldn’t mind keeping the current law intact. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/28/13 L.A. Votes: Mayoral rivals talk like supply-siders; spending roars -- With just days to go before the mayoral primary election, two of the liberal candidates’ support for the elimination of a city business tax is a notable signal to commerce. Wendy Greuel’s and Eric Garcetti’s pushing for the move as a way to kick start economic growth recalls supply-side economic policy and puts them at odds with many Democrats’ beliefs. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Kevin James, the conservative talker, looks for an upset in LA mayoral race -- After earning a law degree from the University of Houston, James arrived in L.A. in 1993. Ironically, the conservative Republican came to Los Angeles in part because he wanted a more liberal environment. James is gay. Frank Stoltze KPCC -- 2/28/13 'Record majority' in California backs same-sex marriage, poll finds -- As state officials make their case for gay marriage, a new Field Poll showed record support in California for same sex unions. Maura Dolan, Shelby Grad and Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Southland aerospace firms brace for defense cuts -- California is expected to take a $3.2-billion hit if Congress can't reach a deal by Friday on the federal deficit. Smaller companies stand to suffer the most harm. W.J. Hennigan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 »0|0«
Public records law faces budget ax -- The public’s right to know may again become the victim of California’s budget troubles. Christopher Cadelago UT San Diego$ -- 2/28/13 Oil exec involved with former Sen. Michael Rubio in real estate deals -- Before resigning to head California governmental affairs for Chevron Corp., Democratic Sen. Michael Rubio participated in two real estate deals with a Kern County oil executive who has contributed to his campaign. Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 Skelton: Voters weren't told about plan to redistribute education money -- Gov. Jerry Brown wants to use Prop. 30 tax revenues to help poorer students. It's a laudable goal but shouldn't come at the expense of more prosperous school districts. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 California suppressed consultant's report on inmate suicides -- Gov. Jerry Brown has pointed to reams of documents to make the case in court and on the stump that California's prison crisis is over, and inmates are receiving good care. But there is at least one document the administration wanted to hide. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 California files anti-Prop. 8 brief with Supreme Court -- California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Wednesday filed the state's amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Proposition 8 and give gay couples the "respect and dignity to which they are entitled." Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee$ Maura Dolan and Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Divergent views on illegal immigration emerge in state GOP -- As the party prepares for its state convention this weekend, some members are putting a higher priority on winning over Latino voters. Richard Simon and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Latinos May Be Key To Future Of GOP In California -- The California Republican Party holds its convention in Sacramento this weekend as it continues to pick up the pieces after a disastrous election last November. Marissa Cabrera, Peggy Pico, Alison St John KPBS -- 2/28/13 Lawmaker proposes misdemeanors for heroin, cocaine possession -- Charging that the "war on drugs’’ has failed, state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) has introduced legislation that would allow prosecutors to file misdemeanor instead of felony charges in cases of simple possession of heroin, cocaine and other hard drugs. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 Outside spending in L.A. mayor's race tops $3M -- Spending by independent groups in the Los Angeles mayor's race has topped $3 million as of Wednesday, according to new City Ethics Commission filings. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Eric Garcetti's Solyndra: Mayoral Candidate Pushed $1 Million Deal to Lure Troubled Electric-Car Company -- On Nov. 10, 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown came to Los Angeles to help open the new headquarters of CODA Automotive. The company was rolling out its CODA Sedan, which boasted new battery technology that would deliver unprecedented range for an all-electric car. The company claimed it would bring 650 high-tech jobs to L.A. Gene Maddaus LA Weekly -- 2/28/13 State political watchdog agency seeks to expand searchable online conflict of interest database -- Seeking to improve transparency and revolutionize the way residents interact with their government, the state's political watchdog agency on Thursday will discuss a new application software that it says can help the public better gauge where potential conflicts of interest may exist with their elected officials. Tracy Seipel in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/28/13 L.A. mayoral candidates discuss ways to improve schools at education summit -- The five candidates running to succeed Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa each vowed Wednesday to continue his commitment to public education, along with his strong support of LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy and vision for reform. Barbara Jones in the Los Angeles Daily News Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Salomon Fuentes USC Neon Tommy -- 2/28/13 Jan Perry's stance on development draws critics in L.A. mayor's race -- Along the campaign trail, L.A. mayoral hopeful Jan Perry frequently hears concerns over tall buildings or digital billboards. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/28/13 Eric Garcetti showed political savvy during busy student years -- The L.A. City Council member and mayoral candidate was a committed young progressive known on campus for gliding between different worlds and liberal causes. Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 Los Angeles City Council accused of bias in drawing new districts -- A prominent civil rights attorney accused the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday of bias in the drawing of new political boundaries, saying they were done to increase African-American voting in one district at the expense of the Asian-American community. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/28/13 Ninth District Race May Determine Fate Of Women On L.A. City Council -- Seven people sat onstage last Saturday at a candidate forum for Los Angeles City Council’s 9th District, each trying to win the hearts—and votes—of a crowd of nearly 300 South L.A. residents. Only one of the seven candidates, Ana Cubas, was a woman. Chrystal Li USC Neon Tommy -- 2/28/13 Curren Price Benefits From Sacramento Donors -- Major organizations normally focused on influencing the state Legislature have donated more than $177,000 to independent committees supporting State Senator Curren Price’s bid to represent South L.A. on the city council. That’s about $20,000 more than Price’s campaign had raised on its own through Feb. 16. Paresh Dave USC Neon Tommy -- 2/28/13 Feds Inspect San Onofre’s Cyber Security Training Amid Years of Employee Complaints -- Just before sunrise on April 18 of last year, a San Onofre worker sent an anonymous message to the nuclear plant’s majority owner Southern California Edison. The worker said more than half of San Onofre’s employees were not up to date or had not completed the plant’s cyber security training. Amita Sharma KPBS -- 2/28/13 Bay Bridge party OKd, but financing uncertain -- Bay Area transportation officials voted Wednesday to spend up to $5.6 million in bridge toll revenues to help pay for an opening celebration for the new east span of the Bay Bridge over Labor Day weekend. But the approval came with a condition - that private sponsors may have to help defray that expense - and the possibility that a fee will be charged for the public to walk on the bridge. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/28/13
FAA’s Air Traffic Control Sequester Cuts Would Hit Calif. Airports -- The FAA is planning to close air traffic control towers at commuter airports in San Diego, Santa Monica, Sacramento and Riverside if the sequester takes effect. It's also looking at eliminating overnight service at three large California airports. Rich Ibarra Capital Public Radio -- 2/28/13 Sequester threat prompted little planning -- For a law enacted in the summer of 2011, there has been little planning by local, state and federal officials for the across-the-board federal spending cuts due to take effect Friday under the sequester. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/28/13 Sequester cuts worry Bay Area students, seniors, moms, air traffic controllers -- From college dorm rooms to busy airport runways to South Bay senior centers to East Bay preschools, it seems that nearly everybody in the Bay Area fears they'll be on the losing end of the looming federal sequester cuts. Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/28/13 Threat of sequester looms over Orange County -- Sequestration could cause delays at John Wayne Airport, cuts at schools and smaller unemployment checks. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 2/28/13 Ports of L.A., Long Beach warn of delays if sequestration occurs -- Operations at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach may slow if automatic spending cuts go into effect Friday, port officials said, as fewer U.S. customs officers would delay the flow of international cargo through the massive sea ports. Ricardo Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 LAX arrivals could be cut 20% under sequestration, warns air traffic controllers union -- Air traffic controllers are warning the budget gridlock in Washington could mean gridlock at LAX and other airports, with major flight delays on the way. Ben Bergman KPCC -- 2/28/13 Stanford professor warns Costa Mesa about pension debt -- An outside expert on public employee pensions told the City Council Tuesday that it should take "drastic" actions to lower its retirement fund debt, which he said was slightly worse than neighboring cities. MIKE REICHER in the Orange County Register -- 2/28/13 A vote that cost Costa Mesa $15 million -- Costa Mesa officials Tuesday traced about $15 million of the city's unfunded pension liability to a single 2008 City Council vote. MIKE REICHER in the Orange County Register -- 2/28/13 Another suitor emerges for the Sacramento Kings -- With the seconds ticking toward NBA approval of a Kings sale in April, at least one more suitor for the Kings is trying to make his move. Tony Bizjak, Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 Treasurer renews bond-agency reform effort -- A Bay Area assemblyman and state Treasurer Bill Lockyer are pushing to reform the operations of the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, an obscure government agency that has issued billions of dollars in tax-free bonds over the years. BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register -- 2/28/13 State's Indian casinos saw gains in 2011 -- Following three years of decline, California's Indian casinos enjoyed a comeback in revenue during 2011, according to a new report. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13 Filner’s proposals for surprise surplus -- Flush with a projected budget surplus of $3.6 million, San Diego should spend at least some of that money on new police and fire equipment, keeping the winter homeless shelter open through June and financing a plan to remove cars from Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama, Mayor Bob Filner said Wednesday. Lori Weisberg UT San Diego$ -- 2/28/13 Imperial County betting its future on renewable energy -- The county, which has the state's highest jobless rate, needs the construction boom to spur its economy. But some farmers and Native Americans are crying foul. Shan Li in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13
Two L.A. mayoral candidates unlikely backers of business tax cut -- Liberal Democrats Wendy Greuel, the city's controller, and Councilman Eric Garcetti advocate ending the tax on businesses' gross receipts to boost the economy. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 L.A. Sales Tax Hike: Will $211 Million Increase Fix City's Problems? -- Wesson's biggest power play yet goes before voters March 5, in the form of Proposition A. He wants L.A. voters to raise the city sales tax on themselves by one-half percent, bringing it to 9.5 percent — among the highest in California, equaling Culver City and Santa Monica. Hillel Aron LA Weekly -- 2/28/13 Landfill funds could pay for jail beds -- Riverside County may have found a way to help pay for new jail space and other public services by transferring millions of dollars from a special fund that pays for landfills. JEFF HORSEMAN in the Riverside Press -- 2/28/13
Nine districts submit waiver for relief from NCLB -- A collaborative of nine California school districts is submitting today a first-of-its-kind waiver seeking relief from the harshest sanctions of the No Child Left Behind law. Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald EdSource -- 2/28/13 Court rejects appeal seeking $2B more for schools -- An appeals court has rejected a petition from a coalition of school districts and education groups that sought to redirect more than $2 billion in state funding to public schools and community colleges, state officials announced Wednesday. JUDY LIN Associated Press -- 2/28/13 Student panel offers expert advice to lawmakers on evaluating schools -- If the state wants an accurate accounting of how its schools are performing, it should find a way to include student input in its Academic Performance Index, said those perhaps closest to the issue – the students themselves – at a state hearing Wednesday. Kimberly Beltran SI&A Cabinet Report -- 2/28/13 Brentwood school board votes to fire superintendent -- The board's actions followed major public outcry from Brentwood parents over the district's handling of special education teacher Dina Holder, who was convicted of kicking a 5-year-old student with autism in 2010 but allowed to continue teaching. Paula King in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/28/13 Elementary School Principal Named New San Diego Unified Superintendent -- Cindy Marten, principal of Central Elementary School in City Heights, will succeed San Diego Unified Superintendent Bill Kowba, the San Diego Unified School District announced Wednesday. Kyla Calvert, Claire Trageser KPBS -- 2/28/13
Insurers not covering behavioral therapies for autism, California says -- Insurers have been skirting their obligation under recently enacted state law to provide costly behavioral therapies for autism, according to the Department of Insurance, which is proposing emergency regulations aimed at enforcing the law. Alan Zarembo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 After reform, a million more kids will be insured – but will they be able to find a dentist? -- When Maggie Cardenas heard she could get her children’s teeth cleaned at her Women, Infants and Children’s Program (WIC) office in Yreka, she brought three of her children in right away. Callie Shanafelt HealthyCal.org -- 2/28/13 California bill would ban smoking in multi-unit housing -- Millions of Californians would not be able to smoke tobacco inside their own homes under new legislation that would raise the bar nationwide for fighting secondhand smoke. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13
Clarity of Lake Tahoe water improves, UC Davis researchers find -- The clarity of the alpine lake improved for the second year in a row, according to the University of California, Davis, researchers. The lake's waters are the clearest in 10 years. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/13
DHS Official Retires After Immigrants Are Freed -- The senior Homeland Security Department official in charge of arresting and deporting illegal immigrants announced his retirement the same day the agency said that hundreds of people facing deportation had been released from immigration jails due to looming budget cuts, according to a letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. The government said he had told his bosses weeks ago that he planned to retire. ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press -- 2/28/13 How much does ICE save by releasing immigrant detainees? -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have shocked people on both sides of the immigrant debate this week by releasing hundreds of detainees from the agency's detention centers, a move officials say was done in light of "fiscal uncertainty" over looming federal budget cuts. Leslie Berestein Rojas KPCC -- 2/28/13
Who Will Buy the Los Angeles Times? -- Why do so many rich men want to buy it? And how did it get to this point anyway? Hillel Aron LA Weekly -- 2/28/13 San Diego Architect Envisions A Vertical Farm For Downtown -- A farm in the heart of downtown San Diego. That’s the vision of Brandon Martella. But the 24-year-old architect’s farm doesn’t stretch outward, it rises upward 500 feet -– like a skyscraper greenhouse. Susan Murphy KPBS -- 2/28/13 Slain officers didn't know the danger -- The man suspected of killing two police officers who knocked on his door in Santa Cruz was a high school honor student, won medals as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the Army and struck his former boss at an Oakland cafe as a "perfectly fine worker." Vivian Ho, Demian Bulwa, Kevin Fagan and Henry K. Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/28/13 Oakland's First Fridays resume after homicide -- As Oakland gears up for the return of the popular First Fridays street and arts festival this week, chilling details are emerging about the shooting death of high school senior Kiante Campbell at this month's event - and they aren't likely to make the public feel any safer. Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/28/13 Feds to target medical pot deliveries -- A federal crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries is expanding to target the many mobile delivery services that have sprouted up around San Diego County in recent months, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official said Tuesday. Kristina Davis UT San Diego$ -- 2/28/13 L.A. to ask high court to overturn ruling on homeless belongings -- City cites public health threat in seeking the reversal of a lower-court ruling barring random removal and destruction of unattended personal property. Andrew Blankstein and Alexandra Zavis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13 TED 2013: Sergey Brin talks Google Glass -- There's no question about what the ultimate accessory was this week at TED 2013 in Long Beach: Google Glass. Chris O'Brien in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/13
Biden, Bloomberg, Feinstein push hard to strengthen gun control -- Advocates of strengthening gun control laws continued to make a public push for change as attention in Washington has begun to swing toward sequestration and immigration. GINGER GIBSON, REID J. EPSTEIN and JENNIFER EPSTEIN Politico -- 2/28/13
Obama warns looming spending cuts are 'going to take a big hit on our economy' -- President Obama warned on Wednesday evening that the spending cuts set to take place at the end of the week are "going to take a big hit on our economy." Amie Parnes The Hill -- 2/28/13
Issa tries to broker deal on violence act -- All eyes are on Washington Friday for operators of domestic-violence programs. The focus is not on looming sequestration budget cuts but on renewal Violence Against Women Act, sweeping legislation that changed the way domestic violence and sexual assault victims are treated and how their cases are investigated and prosecuted. Mark Walker UT San Diego$ -- 2/28/13 Dual Senate sequester votes expected to fail -- Washington’s Great Sequester pregame show ends in the Senate on Thursday with Republicans still divided over how to disarm the doomsday budget machine they built in the previous Congress with Democrats and President Barack Obama. DAVID ROGERS Politico -- 2/28/13 |
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