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Meg Whitman voices support for gay marriage in Prop. 8 case -- Former GOP gubernatorial hopefully Meg Whitman has changed course on California's ban on same-sex marriage, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee$ Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics -- 2/26/13 Head Start administrators get little guidance on impact of sequester -- Just weeks after President Barack Obama proposed a massive expansion of preschool in his State of the Union address, Head Start administrators are bracing for sequester cuts that could reduce enrollments by thousands of children. Lillian Mongeau EdSource -- 2/26/13 All bets are on: Sports wagering on the table -- As California's economy starts tentatively to recover, backers of legalized sports wagering are betting that this is the year that the practice becomes lawful. State Sen. Rod Wright, an Inglewood Democrat and the lawmaker viewed as the most knowledgeable on gaming issues, is crafting a new version of SB 1390, a bill he submitted last year that was blocked. Cindy Baker Capitol Weekly -- 2/26/13 Soda tax is among 2,189 bills introduced by California lawmakers -- State Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) has introduced legislation that would levy a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages, including sodas, as part of an effort to fight obesity among young people. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Field Poll: California voters favor gun controls over protecting Second Amendment rights -- Fueling the Golden State's gun-control debate, a new statewide poll says a wide margin of California voters favor beefing up what already are among the country's toughest gun laws. They back tighter controls and taxes on ammunition sales and outright bans on more weapons, according to the new Field Poll, and strongly reject training teachers to carry concealed weapons at schools. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/26/13 Wildermuth: Education Plan Tests Brown’s Popularity -- A new Field Poll shows that California voters are feeling good about Gov. Jerry Brown, with 61 percent saying that he “can be trusted to do what is right.” John Wildermuth Fox & Hounds -- 2/26/13 California Braces For Deep Cuts From Federal Sequestration -- California is bracing for massive cuts to federal spending from so-called sequestration, including a $3.2-billion hit to the region's defense industry, unless Congress acts by midnight on Thursday. Susan Murphy KPBS -- 2/26/13 $600,000-a-month lease hits the market in Beverly Hills -- The current luxury real estate market is redefining “extravagant.” Lauren Beale in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Tribune Co. hires investment bankers to explore sale of newspaper unit -- Tribune Co. has hired investment bankers to advise the media company on the sale of its newspaper publishing unit, according to a source familiar with the matter. Andrew Tangel and Walter Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 ›0|0‹
Field Poll: More women than men want to crack down on guns in California -- A little more than half the state's male voters support tighter gun control, but the numbers soar to nearly seven of every 10 female voters, according to a Field Poll released today. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/13 CEQA future tied to Oakland's experience -- Gov. Jerry Brown wants to loosen requirements on the state's 43-year-old landmark environmental law and is willing to stare down his core backers in labor and environmental circles, in large part because of what he learned as mayor of Oakland more than a decade ago. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/26/13 Walters: Sen. Michael Rubio's departure stirs California's Capitol -- Ordinarily, the resignation of a state senator - particularly one not tinged with scandal - is of no more than passing interest. In fact, two senators had already resigned early this year to take their seats in Congress. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/13 Lots of legislation at state Capitol, but less than before -- Just shy of 2,200 proposed laws were introduced in the two houses of the California Legislature by the constitutional deadline -- which sounds like a lot, until you consider it's the smallest batch of bills in years. John Myers News10 -- 2/26/13 Despite stumbles, Baca named 'Sheriff of Year' by national group -- His department is being investigated by the feds. A county commission examining abuse in Baca's jails found him to be disengaged and uninformed, saying he probably would have been fired in the private sector. Secret deputy cliques with gang-like hand signs and matching tattoos have surfaced. And Baca has been accused of using his office for the benefit of friends, relatives and donors. Robert Faturechi in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Bill would bar some athletes from California workers' comp claims -- Proposed legislation would ban retired athletes from seeking California workers' comp benefits after they've played relatively few games in the state. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Does Eric Garcetti keep his word? Accounts vary -- The L.A. mayoral candidate says he never wavers from a promise, but some constituents feel burned. A supporter says Garcetti 'tries to make people happy, and ... people hear what they want to hear.' Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Perry, a financial underdog, makes race a three-way contest -- With the Los Angeles mayoral primary a week away, an aggressive mail campaign by Jan Perry has helped push her into a three-way fight with Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti for two spots in a May runoff. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Jan Perry in some ways a classic Angeleno -- An African American who is Jewish and speaks Spanish, Jan Perry thrived in L.A. But her campaign faces a lack of name recognition and complaints that she's too pro-business. Seema Mehta and Kim Christensen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Pro-James 'super PAC' receives $200,000 donation -- An independent committee supporting Kevin James in the mayoral contest received a new infusion of cash, according to disclosure documents filed with the city over the weekend. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 California bill would cut tax exemptions for Boy Scouts, other youth organizations that prohibit gay members -- State Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, has proposed removing the tax-exempt status of the Boy Scouts of America if the group continues to forbid gay, bisexual and transgender members. Eric Bradley in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/26/13 Republicans Sign Brief in Support of Gay Marriage -- Dozens of prominent Republicans — including top advisers to former President George W. Bush, four former governors and two members of Congress — have signed a legal brief arguing that gay people have a constitutional right to marry, a position that amounts to a direct challenge to Speaker John A. Boehner and reflects the civil war in the party since the November election. SHERYL GAY STOLBERG in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/13
California braces for impending cuts from federal sequestration -- California's defense industry is bracing for a $3.2-billion hit with the federal budget cuts that are expected to take effect Friday. But myriad other federally funded programs also are threatened, and the combined effect is expected to slow the momentum that California's economy has been building over the last year. Ricardo Lopez and Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Sequestration: What Southern California stands to lose -- The Southland is bracing for massive cuts in federal spending at the end of the week, with education and airport officials in particular worried about the impact of the impending reductions. Eric Bradley, Rick Orlov, Kelly Puente and Andrew Edwards in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/26/13 San Diego Tourism May Have Rough Landing If Sequester Goes Through -- San Diego attracts 32 million visitors a year and the visitor industry employs 160,000 people. That could shrink if federal cutbacks make it too difficult to fly here. Erik Anderson KPBS -- 2/26/13 Sequester cuts could trigger control tower changes at Sacramento airports -- Sacramento International Airport might lose its air traffic controllers overnight if big federal budget cuts materialize - but officials say that won't interfere with airport operations. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/13 John Wayne Airport has best January in 5 years -- John Wayne Airport saw passenger traffic jump 9.7 percent in January, the airport's best beginning to a year since 2008. MARY ANN MILBOURN in the Orange County Register -- 2/26/13 Sacramento City Council to consider different deal on Kings arena than last time -- Sacramento's new plan to finance a downtown sports arena may wind up being vastly different than the deal reached last year between the city and the owners of the Sacramento Kings. Ryan Lillis, Tony Bizjak and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/13 Tesla team mulls plan to boost image after New York Times review -- Tesla Motors's top brass, including Chief Executive Elon Musk, this week are considering a strategy to recoup market value and boost demand after a critical review of the automaker's Model S sedan in New York Times this month. Nichola Groom Reuters -- 2/26/13 Rising housing prices are driving down affordability in California -- Statewide, San Bernardino and Kings counties were the most affordable, while San Francisco was the least affordable. Alejandro Lazo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Sacramento's rising home prices hurt affordability -- Rising home values in Sacramento and throughout California have been a welcome sign of recovery from the recession-fueled real estate meltdown, but there is another side to that coin. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/13
Black students' learning gaps start early, report says -- African American pupils are far less likely to take college prep classes and more likely to miss school because of suspensions, a group finds, calling for strong intervention. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 LAO would cut money from basic aid districts, other programs Brown would protect -- The Legislative Analyst’s Office has added its endorsement of Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal for sweeping school finance reform, praising the simplicity and clarity of Brown’s funding formula and the “reasonable” amounts of extra money he’d direct to high-needs students. At the same time, in an analysis released last week, the LAO is suggesting a half-dozen changes to the plan, including two that would stir up controversies that Brown woud just as soon avoid. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 2/26/13 NYC mayor Bloomberg named as Stanford commencement speaker -- Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City and founder of a global multimedia empire that bears his name, was announced Monday as the 2013 commencement speaker at Stanford University. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/26/13 Hinkley's only school slated for closure at Tuesday meeting -- The award wining Hinkley Elementary/Middle School is slated for closure at Tuesday night's meeting of the Barstow Unified School District. Thomson Elementary School in Barstow is also slated for closure - for the same reason, which is falling enrollment. Jim Steinberg in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/26/13 Rosenblatt: Brown’s new funding formula should be just the first step -- I want to like the governor’s proposal — I really do. Seth Rosenblatt EdSource -- 2/26/13
Healthcare overhaul may threaten California's safety net -- If public hospitals and clinics lose too much funding, county health leaders say, who will treat the uninsured? About 10% of Californians could still lack coverage after the law takes full effect. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Coordinated healthcare could save California $110 billion, group says -- California could cut $110 billion in healthcare spending over the next decade, saving the average household $800 a year, by quickly moving away from conventional fee-for-service medicine and embracing more coordinated care, a new report says. chad terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 California coalition's report calls for overhaul to rein in health care costs -- California's health industry heavyweights, warning that insurance premiums will soon consume a third of people's incomes, today threw their weight behind a plan to revamp the health care delivery system. Cynthia H. Craft in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/13 Mediterranean diet's benefits confirmed -- The Mediterranean diet has long been touted as healthy. Now a study released Monday of the effects of a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, vegetables, fruits and fish confirms that. Victoria Colliver in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/26/13 California controller pegs state retiree medical costs at $64 billion -- California faces a $63.84 billion obligation to cover state retirees' medical expenses over the next three decades, according to state Controller John Chiang. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/13 Study: Independent Group Calls for Targeted Research on Breast Cancer Prevention, Environmental Risks -- As the number of women and men diagnosed with breast cancer continues to rise, an independent committee of medical researchers, community stakeholders and advocates are urging for more research that zeroes-in on preventive and environmental causes of the disease. Rosa Ramirez HealthyCal.org -- 2/26/13 Downtown L.A. TB outbreak: LAPD urges officers to wear masks -- Los Angeles police over the weekend warned officers who patrol the skid row area to wear protective masks and minimize face-to-face contact with suspects or the public if there is reason to believe that they are infected with tuberculosis. Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13
Report: California Should Remove Limits on Net Metered Solar -- Net metering is the term used to describe arrangements by which property owners feed power from their own solar arrays back into the grid through their electric meter, running it backward toward zero. California currently limits net-metered energy from rooftop and similar solar arrays to five percent of peak customer demand; this artificial cap, say the authors of the IREC report, will be filled statewide very shortly, reducing the incentive for distributed solar development. Chris Clarke KCET Rewire -- 2/26/13 Recipe for a Perfect Photo: Clear Sky, Sunset and Water -- For about one week each February, the setting sun hits the water of Horsetail Fall at such an angle that it glows, looking like a stream of lava against the darkened rock. MALIA WOLLAN in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/13
Labor and Religious Groups Join Drive for Immigration Reform -- Jessica Bravo has changed the nation’s immigration debate in a fundamental way. With immigration legislation once again in play, Bravo has come out of the shadows and is urging more than 11 million other undocumented U.S. residents to do the same. NORBERTO SANTANA JR VoiceofOC.org -- 2/26/13 Horses Offer Border Patrol A Tactical Advantage -- For decades, the Border Patrol has relied on horses as an old-fashioned, low-tech solution to police U.S. borders. They offer what the Border Patrol refers to as a "tactical elevation advantage"—that is, agents can see better when they're perched high on horseback. Erin Siegal KPBS -- 2/26/13
State trying to count parolees who have ditched GPS trackers -- California corrections officials, expressing concern over a rise in paroled sex offenders disabling their GPS tracking devices, said Monday that the problem may be larger than they believed. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13 Wrongly convicted Oakland man harbors no ill will -- Remarkably, Ronald Ross is not angry. Locked in prison for almost seven years for a crime he never committed, Ross, now free, said he harbors no ill will toward the criminal justice system that wrongfully convicted him of attempted murder. Paul T. Rosynsky in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/26/13 Cities await court decision on medical marijuana dispensaries -- Until the state Supreme Court decides if cities are allowed to ban medical marijuana dispensaries through municipal codes, San Bernardino County and many Inland Empire cities are continuing to enforce their laws. Sandra Emerson and Wes Woods II in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 2/26/13 Cities find ways to deal with unwanted medical marijuana dispensaries -- Local officials claim success in shutting down illegal medical marijuana dispensaries but admit tracking them down in the first place is the most difficult task. Most city and county officials praise their own efforts to close down dispensaries they can locate, but sometimes it takes a little luck to find them. Wes Woods II and Sandra Emerson in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 2/26/13 Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's ban on telecommuting sparks a firestorm -- Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's decision to order telecommuting employees back to the office has sparked a passionate debate over the increasingly common practice of working from home. Brandon Bailey in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/26/13 Drakes Bay Oyster Co. gets reprieve -- A federal appeals court granted a reprieve Monday to an oyster farm that challenged the federal government's refusal to renew its lease at Point Reyes National Seashore, site of a proposed marine wilderness. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/26/13 Stockton, California Went Broke As Quarter Of Workers Earned More Than $100,000: Report -- In the same year that Stockton, Calif., became the largest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy, roughly one-fourth of the city’s employees earned more than $100,000 annually, according to local Stockton news outlet The Record. Huffington Post -- 2/26/13 Bob Hope Estate in Palm Springs Is Up for Sale -- The huge Palm Springs estate of Bob Hope, the comic icon of midcentury film and television, and his wife, Dolores, is being brought to market for the first time this month, at an asking price of $50 million. MICHELLE HIGGINS in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/13 Parents of Sherri Rasmussen can't sue LAPD over her murder in Van Nuys at hands of detective Stephanie Lazarus, court rules -- The parents of a woman murdered by a Los Angeles police officer have lost their last attempt to sue the department over the way it handled the high-profile investigation. Paul Elias Associated Press -- 2/26/13 An Unholy Union? -- What to make of would-be media mogul Todd Vogt’s audacious run on three San Francisco newspapers. Ron Russell San Francisco Magazine -- 2/26/13 Boonville's quirky dialect fading away -- Wes Smoot was bahl harpin' the other day with some kimmies at a gormin' region - i.e., chatting with pals at a restaurant - and nobody more than 4 feet away could understand what he was saying. Soon, in all likelihood, nobody will understand any of the words he was using. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/26/13 A cosmic gift to L.A. -- Col. Griffith J. Griffith had a life-changing experience when he peered through a telescope on Mt. Wilson. It inspired him to fund an observatory for the people of L.A. Larry Harnisch in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/13
Unprecedented role for celebrity first lady -- Michelle Obama is playing a starring role in her husband’s second term at a level that is unprecedented for first ladies. Emily Goodin The Hill -- 2/26/13
Rothenberg: Can Obama Put the House In Play in 2014? -- Over the past few weeks, I have heard some people suggest that President Barack Obama’s strategy in pursuing his legislative agenda is more about creating issues for the 2014 midterm elections than about passing legislation. Stuart Rothenberg Roll Call -- 2/26/13 John Boehner's big bet -- House Speaker John Boehner has dug in. If the let-the-cuts-happen approach on the sequester seems risky — especially with President Barack Obama blaming Republicans for everything from kids not getting vaccines to long lines at the airport — the alternative for Boehner is worse. JAKE SHERMAN Politico -- 2/26/13 Obama’s sequester strategy: Divide and conquer -- President Barack Obama broke Republicans once on taxes — and his risky strategy for winning the sequester fight assumes he’ll do it again. He will divide, isolate and defeat Republicans using all the powers of his office and all his skills as a political campaigner. CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN Politico -- 2/26/13 |
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