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U.S. report backs bullet train revenue forecasts -- The California bullet train project has reasonable ridership and revenue forecasts, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office, but it could be doing a better job at producing cost estimates. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ Christina Villacorte in the Los Angeles Daily News Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/30/13 Caltrans suggests 3-person carpools, tolls -- Drivers planning to use the carpool lanes on Orange County freeways would have to find two passengers – not just one – or pay a toll under one plan Caltrans is considering to ease congestion in the fast lanes. DOUG IRVING in the Orange County Register -- 3/30/13 Endorsements help define Garcetti and Greuel -- With much in common, the Democratic rivals are counting on their supporters to help differentiate them and attract voters. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Northern California House members slam Delta plan -- Soon after Gov. Jerry Brown this week unveiled more details of his draft plan to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, members of Congress from Northern California reacted no differently than they had earlier this month when the first part of it became public - they threw cold water on it. Curtis Tate in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/30/13 Brown administration cites low snowpack to tout water plan -- Officials in Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration say another dry winter underscores the need for the state to overhaul its water system. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Inmate shuffle results in budget realignment squabbles -- Fewer released prisoners appear to have re-offended during the first year of California's historic "inmate realignment," but the legislation mandating the prison-system overhaul has led to new budget fights at the local level as some question whether a plan meant to ease overcrowding in state prisons is adequately funded. SEAN EMERY in the Orange County Register -- 3/30/13 State auditor: California's net worth at negative $127.2 billion -- Were California's state government a business, it would be a candidate for insolvency with a negative net worth of $127.2 billion, according to an annual financial report issued by State Auditor Elaine Howle and the Bureau of State Audits. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/30/13 Castaneda, Gonzalez square-off in Assembly race -- San Diego labor leader Lorena Gonzalez and former Chula Vista City Councilman Steve Castaneda square off in a May 21 special election to fill a vacancy in the 80th state Assembly District. Mark Walker UT San Diego$ -- 3/30/13 Gay marriage in U.S.Supreme Court: justices as split as rest of the country on same-sex marriage rights -- As the U.S. Supreme Court last week weighed its many options in deciding the historic legal battle over gay marriage, the justices repeatedly revealed they are as divided as the rest of the country on when -- and whether -- to end the furor and give gay and lesbian couples the right to clutch a marriage license. Howard Mintz in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/30/13 Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg seeking bigger voice in public issues -- After building the world's leading online social network, taking his company public and cementing his position as one of the wealthiest 20-somethings on the planet, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg is increasingly showing signs that he wants to exercise clout on public policy matters. Brandon Bailey in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/30/13 Former president George W. Bush to speak at Morongo -- Former President George W. Bush will be the keynote speaker at a regional conference scheduled for this summer at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. JEFF HORSEMAN in the Riverside Press -- 3/30/13 Ransomware computer virus attacks on rise, authorities warn -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a warning Friday about an uptick in complaints about an Internet virus that locks computers and demands payment after falsely alleging the user is guilty of a crime. Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 CalBuzz: Op Ed: Ban Fundraising During Legislative Sessions -- If you operate under the premise that it’s better to be one mile outside of Hell heading out than one hundred miles away heading in, then the state legislature’s current approval rating — 30 percent in the most recent USC Dornsife/LA Times poll — is good. Dan Schnur CalBuzz -- 3/30/13 Hiltzik: San Francisco all wet in regatta deal -- Stop me if you've heard this one: Billionaire comes to City Hall. Says that if the city will get behind him, he'll bring a major sports enterprise to town and might even renovate some decrepit municipal infrastructure as part of the bargain. Huge economic boost foreseen. Won't cost taxpayers a dime. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Garamendi’s ‘Learning Tour’ of Africa Comes in at $40,000 -- World traveler Rep. John Garamendi is gaining on fellow Rep. Jim McDermott. Coming in at just more than $40,000, Garamendi’s recent four-day trip to South Sudan and Tanzania rivals McDermott’s $45,000 trip last year to Jakarta, Indonesia. Neda Semnani Roll Call -- 3/30/13 L.A. County sheriff's officials investigate 'stupid joke' -- A deputy from the agency's jailhouse intelligence unit allegedly sent an email containing the words 'Black Panther LASD' that singled out two African American colleagues, department spokesman says. Robert Faturechi in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Director John Upton killed by neighbor during dispute, police say -- Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker John Upton was fatally shot by a neighbor in what appears to be some type of property dispute, authorities said. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13
Sequestration cuts starting to roll out -- The fog surrounding the San Diego region’s share of $85 billion in sequestration spending cuts ‑ estimated by a local economist at $2 billion or more is slowly lifting. Mark Walker UT San Diego$ -- 3/30/13 California budget cuts keep women from recovering from Great Recession -- Four years since the Great Recession officially ended, women, hit hardest by the sharpest economic crisis in generations, still lag behind in the recovery, according to a report by the California Budget Project. Angela Woodall in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/30/13 Minority owner won't bid for Kings -- Sacramento Kings minority owner John Kehriotis said Friday he has pulled the plug on his effort to put together an investment team to bid for control of the team. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/30/13 Panel of L.A. insiders will address budget gap and unemployment -- A panel made up mostly of Los Angeles political insiders will spend the next six to eight months developing strategies for addressing two problems that have bedeviled City Hall — how to eliminate a persistent budget gap and create more jobs after a deep economic downturn. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Hollywood employment picture weakens in January -- Like the sluggish box office, the jobs picture in Hollywood isn't looking pretty so far this year. Richard Verrier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Unintended Consequences: Is U.S. Law Inadvertently Hurting Apple? -- Last week, Congress quietly passed a bill that will make it much more difficult for the US government to buy computer equipment from Chinese companies, amid a spate of cyber attacks linked to Beijing. But the unintended consequences could ensnare Apple's iPhone and other devices sold by US firms that are assembled in China. ADAM PASICK The Atlantic -- 3/30/13 Chevron cuts bonus for CEO, other execs -- Chevron Corp.'s board on Wednesday cut the annual bonus for CEO John Watson and several other top executives in response to a string of accidents at the oil company's facilities, including a refinery fire in Richmond that sent thousands of people to hospitals complaining of breathing problems. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/30/13
Sales taxes set to rise in many California cities -- For money-minded shoppers, it could be a great weekend to buy a car, stock up on gardening tools, maybe spring for a new washer/dryer or even a few pair of designer jeans. Claudia Buck in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/30/13
The Growing Burden of College Fees -- At the University of California Santa Cruz, where tuition runs to nearly $35,000 for non-residents, students every year pay more than 30 additional fees — including a small charge for what's billed as "free" HIV testing. Marian Wang ProPublica -- 3/30/13 Bill would guarantee 5-year athletic scholarships, raise stipends -- When Sacramento Kings coach Keith Smart debated pursuing coaching in the National Basketball Association or college athletics, there was a lump in his throat that sent him to the professional ranks. Melody Gutierrez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/30/13
Health plans in California rated in new state report card: Which ones got the most stars? The least? -- California's largest health plans are now immunizing more children and meeting other quality measures, but many patients report they are not able to get the care they need quickly and easily. Sandy Kleffman in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/30/13 Doctors allege they're being blackballed by Chino medical center -- A group of Inland Valley doctors who say they have not been able to fully treat their patients have filed a lawsuit against Chino Valley Medical Center and its director James M. Lally. Lori Fowler and Sandra Emersonin the San Bernardino Sun -- 3/30/13 Healthcare law threatens California jobs, business group says -- California could lose more than 26,000 jobs as a result of a tax provision in the federal healthcare law, a small-business advocacy group said. Adolfo Flores in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13
L.A. planning panel OKs project to build Hollywood skyscrapers -- Despite a last-minute intervention by Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti, the city's Planning Commission moved forward Thursday with a bold development project that could add two towering skyscrapers to the Hollywood skyline. Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Nobody is declaring a state of drought in California, but ... -- Surveyors in the Sierra find only half the snowpack that is normal for the date. But it could have been worse, considering the last three months have been the driest January-March period on record. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/30/13 California groups seek ban on rice pesticide -- California environmentalists say a proposal by state pesticide regulators to allow spraying of a controversial pesticide on rice fields in the Sacramento Valley could harm aquatic organisms and honeybees. Associated Press -- 3/30/13 Protesters take port railyard fight to home of Los Angeles mayor -- Carrying signs reading "more pollution is no solution" and "diesel pollution is no joke," a group protesting a proposed rail yard at the Port of Los Angeles rallied Friday outside the Los Angeles mayor's official residence. Brian Sumers in the Long Beach Press -- 3/30/13 In long-dry stretch of the San Joaquin, a sign of hope for salmon -- Agriculture and the Friant Dam, built in the 1940s, dried up a 60-mile stretch of the river. After a long, tortuous effort, a chinook spawns 10 miles downstream from the dam. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13
Obama uses executive power to move gun control agenda forward -- The president has used his executive powers to bolster the national background check system, jumpstart government research on the causes of gun violence and create a million-dollar ad campaign aimed at safe gun ownership. Jordy Yager The Hill -- 3/30/13
Schumer: ‘Very close’ on guest worker agreement -- A key senator said Friday that labor and business leaders are drawing close to settling an impasse over a new work visa program for foreigners that is considered crucial to an immigration reform bill that lawmakers hope to unveil next month. David Nakamura in the Washington Post -- 3/30/13 Main Street and Silicon Valley find themselves united around immigration reform -- Not always concerned with the same issues in Washington, small businesses and technology start-ups suddenly find themselves united on immigration reform. J.D. Harrison in the Washington Post -- 3/30/13
Facebook: 2.7 Million People Showed Their Support for Marriage Equality by Changing Their Profile Pictures -- If you are friends with a generally pro-marriage equality bunch, you probably saw your Facebook News Feed morph into a stream of red and white equals signs earlier this week as the Supreme Court heard two cases on the rights of gays to marry in this country. Was *everybody* seeing this, or was it just you and your liberal friends? REBECCA J. ROSEN The Atlantic -- 3/30/13
'Supergraphics' lawsuit settled between city of L.A. and Sky Tag sign company -- The civil action was brought against the company for alleged violations of city building and safety codes, including creating and maintaining public nuisances and hazardous conditions in buildings having windows covered or "wrapped" with large vinyl supergraphics. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/30/13 Santa Rosa driver guilty of hitting cyclist -- An 82-year-old Santa Rosa man pleaded no contest Friday to assault with a deadly weapon for running down a bicyclist with his car on a Santa Rosa golf course. Henry K. Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/30/13 Unarmed Oakland barber shot by OPD was fleeing because he was scared, attorney tells jurors -- Derrick Jones, the East Oakland barber killed by police in 2010, was shot in cold blood in the street running for his life from officers, according to the attorney who is suing the department on behalf of Jones' widow. Angela Woodall in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/30/13 Orange County Register's university ad deals pose credibility questions -- UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and Chapman University each agreed to pay $275,000 for ads in weekly sections packed with positive news about their schools. Kim Christensen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Drugs, guns and cash seized in latest nitrous oxide crackdown -- A week after federal and local law enforcement officials raided more than a dozen businesses suspected of illegally selling nitrous oxide, investigators have turned up more. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 The Best Cartoons of the Week -- Time Magazine -- 3/30/13
In Miami, Obama pushes for infrastructure plan -- President Obama urged Congress to take up his proposals to improve the nation’s infrastructure, saying his plan would encourage private investment and put construction workers back to work. Making a quick day trip to the Port of Miami, Obama argued that restoring neglected bridges, roads and other infrastructure could spur economic growth with minimal government spending. Kathleen Hennessey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/13 Obama creates voting commission -- As promised in the State of the Union, President Obama has signed an executive order establishing a voting commission to improve access to and efficiency at the polls, a response to the hours-long lines some voters suffered through in the fall. Rachel Weiner in the Washington Post -- 3/30/13
House Democrats See Potential Gains in 2014 Without Obama on the Ticket -- Midterm elections, by their nature, are usually bearish for Democrats. Key constituencies like young people and minorities turn out in fewer numbers, giving Republican-friendly seniors and whites greater sway at the ballot box. Alex Roarty National Journal -- 3/30/13 The House GOP's Strategy to Starve the Senate -- A strategy by House Republican leaders to bottle up revenue bills until a comprehensive overhaul of the tax code is finished is being sold to GOP lawmakers as a tactical way to hobble Senate Democrats. Billy House National Journal -- 3/30/13 House GOP energy plan: drill more, mine more -- The common theme is the importance of fossil fuels to the nation’s energy mix, whether it’s extracting them at home, shipping them in from Canada or exporting them overseas. Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post -- 3/30/13 |
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