 |
 |
|
|||
|
 |
 |
 |
||
Six-person slate nominated to complete redistricting panel -- Six finalists were identified today to complete California's first-ever citizens commission charged with drawing legislative, congressional and Board of Equalization districts. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 12/10/10 Injunction issued against L.A.'s medical marijuana law -- A judge has ordered Los Angeles not to enforce key sections of its controversial medical marijuana ordinance, issuing a preliminary injunction that once again leaves the city with limited ability to control dispensaries and raises the possibility that new ones could open. John Hoeffel in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 IRS Auditing Oakland's Biggest Pot Dispensary -- In an ominous portent of the clash between federal and state law over medical marijuana, the IRS is auditing the Bay Area's largest medical pot dispensary, Harborside Health Center, The Bay Citizen has learned. Zusha Elinson Bay Citizen -- 12/10/10 Judge rules state buildings' sale may proceed; opponents vow appeal -- Superior Court Judge Charlotte Woolard rejected a bid for a temporary restraining order by two former building officials who claimed the sale is illegal and a waste of taxpayer money. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times JUDY LIN AP -- 12/10/10 Steve Poizner: "I would have been a much,much stronger candidate than Meg Whitman against Jerry Brown" -- The outgoing state insurance commissioner -- and former GOP candidate for Guv -- is taking a farewell lap past the state's Ivory Towers. Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics -- 12/10/10 Former President Clinton supports tax compromise -- Increasingly anxious to sell a compromise tax plan, President Obama enlisted former President Clinton for an endorsement of the fragile accord during an unusual joint appearance Friday in the White House briefing room. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times MICHAEL D. SHEAR in the New York Times -- 12/10/10 Barbara Lee, black caucus blast Obama’s tax plan -- Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Barbara Lee has disagreed before with President Barack Obama, whom she toiled to help elect, but rarely has the rhetoric been this heated. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 12/10/10 Study backs 'value-added' analysis of teacher effectiveness -- Teachers' effectiveness can be reliably estimated by gauging their students' progress on standardized tests, according to the preliminary findings of a large-scale study released Friday by leading education researchers. Jason Felch in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 California exports soared in October -- In October, the Golden State shipped abroad $12.91 billion in goods, which in inflation-adjusted terms is more than any other October, said Jock O’Connell, international trade adviser for Beacon Economics, which releases a monthly report on California’s international trade picture. Kelly Johnson Sacramento Business Journal Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 Data study finds wide variation in imprisonment rates -- In affluent, mostly white Marin County, about one-fourth of one percent of its adult population will be sentenced to prison each year, 261.1 felons per 100,000 population. In relatively poor, largely Latino Kings County, the imprisonment rate is six times as high, about 1.5 percent of its adult population, 1,546.4 per 100,000. The statewide rate is 684.1. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 12/10/10 Tentative ruling would allow state building sale -- Lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger authorized the sale of the properties as part of the 2009 budget agreement to raise more than $1 billion for state coffers, including buildings in San Francisco and Los Angeles that house state courtrooms. Dan Smith SacBee Capitol Alert -- 12/10/10 CalBuzz: Press Clips: Another Huge Award for Calbuzz -- Now that the Pulitzer Prize committee has finally decided to join the 21st century by opening their competition to all conceivable forms of digital reporting, it’s only a matter of time before Calbuzz captures the Big Enchilada for our Special Brand of Journalism. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 12/10/10 CalPERS praises health care reform’s effects -- California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) CEO Anne Stausboll wrote today to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius thank her for the department’s swift implementation of health care reform, which she said has helped the pension fund’s enrollees in several ways already. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 12/10/10 Podcast: Budgets Old, Budgets New -- Everything you always wanted to know, or maybe didn't want to know, about the state budget was hashed and rehashed this week -- by two different leading men. One on the way out, the other on the way in. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 12/10/10 Beverly Hills schools rocked by criminal charges, allegations of $5 million in misspent funds -- The Beverly Hills Unified School District has been rocked by criminal charges filed by L.A. prosecutors alleging its former superintendent and former facilities director misappropriated more than $5 million in public funds. Carla Rivera, Mike Reicher and Tom Ragan in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 Red-light cameras backed by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck despite shortcomings -- In a new report on Los Angeles' red-light camera system, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck insists the program is needed to reduce accidents and save lives, despite that it's losing millions of dollars because of unpaid tickets. Richard Winton and Rich Connell in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10
Schwarzenegger, leaders talk budget in late afternoon 'Big Five' -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special-session budget proposal was the subject of committee hearings and "Big Five" discussions Thursday, but by the end of the day it appeared clear the plan wouldn't budge before he leaves office early next month. Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee Wyatt Buchanan Chronicle Politics -- 12/10/10 Schwarzenegger's proposal for plugging budget shortfall stalls -- Lawmakers hold hearings but say they won't act until Jerry Brown takes office next month. The Democrats chairing the House and Senate budget committees criticize the lame-duck governor's plan. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 Jerry Brown budget forum in Los Angeles set for Tuesday -- The meeting with education leaders follows a summit with lawmakers and local officials in Sacramento yesterday. Brown's office described the event in an advisory as a meeting to "discuss the state's fiscal challenges in K-12 and higher education." It will be at UCLA. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 12/10/10 Walters: California's interior could gain under redistricting -- Drawing new legislative and congressional districts – whether done by the Legislature, the courts or California's new independent redistricting commission – is a zero-sum game. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/10/10 Another Feinstein Emerges in San Francisco Politics -- Some like Judge Katherine Feinstein, the senator's daughter, as the city's next district attorney. Gerry Shih Bay Citizen -- 12/10/10 San Francisco Mayor's Job Displays Rifts in City Hall -- The task of picking an interim successor to Mayor Gavin Newsom is tying San Francisco City Hall in knots, as several battles rage within the all-Democratic Board of Supervisors over who should lead the city. STU WOO in the Wall Street Journal -- 12/10/10 Rep. Waters backs off call for investigation of attorneys in ethics case -- South Bay Rep. Maxine Waters backed down Thursday from her efforts to force a House vote calling for an investigation into the suspension of two attorneys who worked on her stalled ethics case. Eric Bradley in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 12/10/10 Feinstein casino plan draws anger from tribes -- With just days left in a lame-duck Congress, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is stirring an uproar among Native American tribes across the country with her push to thwart them from gaining casino footholds in urban areas, or anywhere away from their clearly defined turf. John Simerman in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/10/10 U.S. shifts $624 million to California bullet train -- Sens. Boxer and Feinstein appealed to officials for money from states that canceled high-speed rail projects. Congress may seek to pull back funds over concerns on budget deficit. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 12/10/10
Bay Area Layoff Notices Fall Nearly 60 Percent from 2009 -- It may seem like small solace for the unemployed worker, but after three years of economic hemorrhaging in the Bay Area, the number of layoffs at large firms here fell by nearly 60 percent in 2010. Aaron Glantz Bay Citizen -- 12/10/10 Slow growth continues for state, capital area -- For the sixth year in a row, more people left California for other states than came here from them, according to California Department of Finance statistics released Thursday. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/10/10 State population growth slows -- California's population grew less than 1 percent this past fiscal year, continuing a modest growth trend, according to new state estimates released yesterday. Joanna Lin California Watch -- 12/10/10 Mercury to cut auto insurance rates more than 10% for some customers -- The Los Angeles-based company announced Thursday that state regulators approved a requested rate reduction for customers who buy a new policy or renew an old one after Dec. 15. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10
Villaraigosa takes on teachers union -- In a speech to state leaders, the mayor brands United Teachers Los Angeles as an obstacle to reform as the city stands at 'a critical crossroads.' Patrick J. McDonnell and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 State agrees to monitor ban on student fees -- Strapped-for-cash school districts will no longer be able to try to balance their budgets on the backs of students through charges and fees. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 12/10/10 State agrees to go “fee free” at public schools -- California will crack down on myriad illegal school fees charged to students taking part in such programs as art, athletics, band, cheer and gym if a landmark lawsuit settlement announced Thursday is approved. Maureen Magee in the San Diego Union-Trib Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times ROBERT JABLON AP -- 12/10/10 Orange County prosecutors file criminal charges against 19 UC Irvine protesters -- The action, which some students call overly harsh, stems from a demonstration last February in which protesters stormed into an administration building. The charges include disorderly conduct and false imprisonment. Nicole Santa Cruz in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10
State rolls back diesel pollution limits -- State officials are taking a step back from reducing air pollution. The California Air Resources Board is planning on rolling back diesel emission limits for trucks, buses, bulldozers, backhoes and other construction equipment. Susanne Rust California Watch -- 12/10/10 Here Comes Cap and Trade, California Style -- Next week, state regulators will act on the state's climate change law that limits greenhouse gas. Ngoc Nguyen Bay Citizen -- 12/10/10 Sewage plant upgrade ordered -- A strict new sewage discharge permit was approved late Thursday that local officials have warned could triple sewage treatment bills for 500,000 ratepayers in the Sacramento metro area. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/10/10 Bicycling up 58 percent in San Francisco since 2006 -- Despite San Francisco's famous hills and a court order that halted the striping of new bike lanes for three years, bicycling has increased 58 percent in the city since 2006, according to new data found in the city's 2010 Bicycle Count report. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/10/10 Black bears wreaking havoc in Lake Tahoe area -- William Hunter was in the dining room of his Lake Tahoe restaurant last month when he came face to face with a 500-pound black bear. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/10/10
California health insurers cite rising hospital costs -- As health insurers again increase premiums on thousands of subscribers, the industry is seeking to shift the debate over escalating health care costs to the rising price of hospital care. Bobby Caina Calvan in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/10/10
Exclusive: Prosecutor Says DA Is Sitting on His Report Critical of Crime Lab -- DA's Office Denies Memo's Existence, But Prosecutor and DNA Expert Says He Wrote It in March. Peter Jamison SF Weekly -- 12/10/10 Transgender woman says DMV clerk warned of hell -- A few days after Amber Yust visited the Department of Motor Vehicles in San Francisco to register her sex change from male to female, she got a letter at home from the DMV employee who had handled her application. Homosexual acts, he informed her, were "an abomination that leads to hell." Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/10/10 Narcotics agents raid multiple MediLeaf pot dispenseries -- More than 50 narcotics agents faced an outburst of protests as they swooped into Santa Clara County locations Thursday to serve warrants against MediLeaf medical marijuana dispensaries. Sean Webby in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/10/10
Obama's tax-cut deal upsets many major donors -- Some say they will withhold funds for the next election. Even if they come around before the campaign kicks into gear, the initial backlash could hurt early Democratic efforts to counter GOP-allied groups. Matea Gold in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 Obama 'confident' amid Dem tax revolt -- The House Democratic Caucus voted Thursday to oppose President Barack Obama’s tax plan, throwing into flux weeks of negotiations on an issue that has turned many congressional Democrats against the White House. JAKE SHERMAN & JOHN BRESNAHAN Politico -- 12/10/10 Obama Weighs Tax Overhaul in Bid to Address Debt -- President Obama is considering whether to push early next year for an overhaul of the income tax code to lower rates and raise revenues in what would be his first major effort to begin addressing the long-term growth of the national debt. JACKIE CALMES in the New York Times -- 12/10/10 Dems show signs of abandoning Obama elsewhere after frustration with tax deal -- Incensed over President Obama’s tax compromise, House Democratic leaders are showing signs of abandoning the administration and going their own way on critical issues such as national security. Susan Crabtree The Hill -- 12/10/10 Is Barack Obama triangulating? -- The naughty word is “triangulation,” and it does indeed sound like something that in some conservative locales might still be against the law, even if rarely prosecuted when practiced by consenting adults. JOHN F. HARRIS & BEN SMITH Politico -- 12/10/10
House Democrats in open revolt over tax-cut deal -- In a major challenge to President Obama, they say they'll reject his compromise with Republicans unless it's rewritten. Lisa Mascaro and Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/10 'Don't ask' repeal won't die -- The high-stakes move to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” through Congressional legislation has been pronounced dead so many times this year that gay rights advocates and pro-repeal lawmakers braced for a round of brutal political finger-pointing and recriminations as the latest attempt failed in the Senate Thursday. JOSH GERSTEIN & JEN DIMASCIO Politico -- 12/10/10 Boehner lights up in the Capitol -- The Ohio Republican was spotted puffing on a cigarette in the Capitol on Thursday afternoon, smoke billowing around his head, as he presided over a GOP steering committee meeting in the Capitol Visitor Center. That would be a violation of a House rule that prohibits smoking in public rooms in the building. SIMMI AUJLA & ROBIN BRAVENDER Politico -- 12/10/10 |
Follow on Twitter
