Political Stories
Top stories
House Republicans reopen the bidding on California water bill — House Republicans intent on storing more California water and redirecting it to farms have resurrected some familiar and controversial ideas, this time as part of a must-pass spending bill. The provisions, including a freeze on an ambitious San Joaquin River restoration program and mandated pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, are now folded into a Fiscal 2017 energy and water appropriations bill. It’s a new tactical move, designed for leverage. McClatchy Newspapers article
California soda tax bill pulled without a vote – Elections come and go, legislative leaders rise and fall, but one constant remains in Sacramento: Soda taxes can’t get traction. A bill to impose a two-cents-per ounce tax on sugary beverages was pulled by its author ahead of its scheduled first committee vote on Tuesday, with Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, concluding he lacked the votes. Assembly Bill 2782 is likely done for the year, the latest setback for a protracted but largely unsuccessful public health campaign. Sacramento Bee article
Valley politics
Merced candidates call public safety top priority – Four of the five candidates invited to a forum Tuesday in Merced said public safety is their No. 1 priority during a debate that also touched on tax sharing and a new transportation measure. Merced Sun-Star article
Stockton Record: Political pressure on a local level – Don’t allow the numbers to dissuade you from listening to the Stockton mayoral candidates’ views on the issues. Much remains at stake in Stockton. Stockton Record editorial
State’s political watchdog dings Madera County for missed filings — The state’s political watchdog is proposing to fine Madera County $425 because it failed to report a $2,500 payment to its lobbyist. At this point, the fine is just a proposal from the state Fair Political Practices Commission staff. Commissioners will consider the recommendation at their April 21 meeting and either approve or reject the proposed fine. Fresno Bee article
Apple/FBI
Comey: FBI, Apple court clash created unproductive ‘emotion’ — FBI Director James Comey said Tuesday he was glad a court fight in California over access to a locked iPhone had ended because it “was creating an emotion around the issue that was not productive,” likening the rhetoric and passion surrounding the discussion to the debate over gun control. AP article
FBI paid professional hackers one-time fee to crack San Bernardino iPhone — The FBI cracked a San Bernardino terrorist’s phone with the help of professional hackers who discovered and brought to the bureau at least one previously unknown software flaw, according to people familiar with the matter. Washington Post article
Other areas
California phone decryption bill defeated – A national debate over smartphone encryption arrived in Sacramento on Tuesday as legislators defeated a bill penalizing companies that don’t work with courts to break into phones, siding with technology industry representatives who called the bill a dangerous affront to privacy. Sacramento Bee article
Bill to shed light on California’s gang database moves forward – Legislation that would open California’s gang database to more public scrutiny advanced in the state Assembly Tuesday, despite significant opposition from law enforcement. Center for Investigative Reporting article
After Cosby’s accusers testify, Legislature weighs eliminating statute of limitations for sex crimes – After wrenching testimony that included accounts from three alleged victims of comedian Bill Cosby, a Senate committee on Tuesday gave its first approval to a bill that would allow sex crimes to be prosecuted no matter how long ago they occurred. LA Times article; Sacramento Bee article
Bill requiring disciplined physicians to notify patients advances in Sacramento – Doctors who are on probation after being disciplined by state regulators would have to share that information with patients before providing care under a bill making its way through the state Senate. KQED report
Matt Cate: California counties require cash from state for primary – The executive director of the California State Association of Counties writes, “For the first time in decades, it looks like California’s June primary will affect the presidential contests in both major parties. This will mean a larger turnout of existing voters along with many new voters. While that’s certainly good news, it also creates a much larger workload for county election officials at the same time they must review millions of petition signatures from more than 20 initiatives seeking to qualify for the November ballot.” Cate op-ed in Sacramento Bee
California Republicans give Congress lower marks than Obama – When the three remaining Republican presidential hopefuls converge on California in the coming weeks, they will have to win over an electorate whose anger at Washington, D.C., burns across the partisan divide, a new Field Poll finds. San Jose Mercury News article
Is presidential race dimming Californians’ view of the nation? – Californians are souring on the overall direction of the country, with a strong majority now believing the U.S. is seriously heading in the wrong direction, according to a new Field Poll. Sacramento Bee article
Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones amends disclosures in House race – Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, a top recruit of congressional Republicans seeking to oust Democratic Rep. Ami Bera, fleshed out his financial interests in an amended form filed this week with House officials. Sacramento Bee article
California representative reimburses campaign for payments to oral surgeon and kids’ school – Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Alpine) says he has written personal checks totaling almost $12,000 to reimburse his campaign treasury for personal and mistaken expenditures in 2015 and the first quarter of this year. LA Times article
Donald Trump names Sacramento strategist as state director – With the presidential race heating up in California, Republican Donald Trump on Tuesday named veteran GOP strategist Tim Clark as his state director. Clark has more than two decades of experience running statewide and district campaigns, and will take a leave of absence as chief of staff to conservative state Sen. John Moorlach of Costa Mesa. Before coming to the Capitol, Clark guided Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin’s 2014 bid for state controller. Sacramento Bee article; Capital Public Radio report
Pro-Trump ‘Build the Wall’ messages at UC San Diego Latino center spark outrage — Messages supporting Donald Trump and attacking Mexican immigrants were written in front of a Latino community center at UC San Diego, sparking outrage on campus. LA Times article
California Government Today:
News Stories
Top Stories
Letting teachers carry guns? Fresno County school districts have mixed views — Kingsburg Joint Union High School District trustees approved a policy this week to allow teachers to carry guns on campus – but there’s no sign that other districts in Fresno County plan to follow Kingburg’s lead anytime soon. Fresno Bee article
Kern supervisors vote to appeal pot shop ruling — The Kern County Board of Supervisors isn’t backing down after a stinging appeals court decision that held Kern flouted election law and the will of the voters by pursuing a defacto ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated county areas. Bakersfield Californian article
Merced County insists its tax-sharing offer is ‘fair’ – The words “fair” and “equitable” were tossed around repeatedly Tuesday during a Merced County Board of Supervisors discussion on tax sharing with the city of Merced, but the two governing bodies still don’t agree on what those words mean. Merced Sun-Star article
Jobs and the Economy
Hanford Costco land deal could close this week – Hanford officials say the sale of a piece of Hanford property to Costco is slated to close this week, potentially clearing the last major obstacle before major construction on the much-anticipated project can start. Hanford Sentinel article
The gender pay gap: In California, it adds up to $39 billion – The divide in pay has narrowed since 1996, but women in the U.S. still make about 79 cents for every dollar a man earns, according to Census data. Here are some basic facts about that persistent gap. LA Times article
California has nation’s highest gas prices, Fresno costs rising – AAA of Northern California released its monthly gas price report Tuesday. The state’s average price rose 28 cents to $2.77 for a gallon of unleaded. That puts California prices ahead of Hawaii and Alaska, which are often more expensive. In Fresno, prices rose 43 cents to an average $2.70 a gallon. In the Visalia-Tulare-Porterville area, prices rose 26 cents to $2.64 a gallon. Fresno Bee article
U.S. agency predicts cheapest summer gasoline prices in 12 years – Drivers across the nation this summer may pay less than they have in years at the pump and that goes for motorists in California, which consistently ranks as the most expensive place in the continental United States to gas up. LA Times article
Report: Local office market ‘riding the momentum wave’ – Good times have come roaring back to the Valley’s commercial real estate sector.“We just finished three solid years, with 2015 the best of the three years so far,” said Brian Decker, president at Colliers International, one of Central California’s leading commercial real estate brokers. The Business Journal article
Report: Rates declining but California still among national foreclosure leaders — According to a new report issued today by real estate information tracking firm CoreLogic, in February 2016, foreclosure inventory declined by 23.9 percent and completed foreclosures declined by 10 percent compared with February 2015. The Business Journal article
Hotels, restaurants near Save Mart hope Paul McCartney means business – In the last song ever recorded by the Beatles, Paul McCartney wrote and sang that “in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” Hospitality businesses in Fresno hope the love that McCartney takes from fans will equal money to make this week as the ex-Beatle has his first ever concert appearance in Fresno at the Save Mart Center on Wednesday night. Fresno Bee article
Save Mart puts energy drink 51FIFTY back on its shelves – Save Mart is putting the energy drink 51FIFTY back on its shelves, saying it’s satisfied the drink’s maker is addressing concerns over its name. The Modesto-based grocery store chain discontinued the drink three weeks ago after mental health advocates said the name, 51FIFTY, is offensive. Fresno Bee article
Fresno County sheriff’s deputies clear homeless encampment – A homeless encampment west of Fresno was cleaned up Tuesday by Fresno County sheriff’s deputies and county workers. The encampment was located at the southeast corner of Shields and Valentine avenues. Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said that county workers, the Poverello House and theFresno-Madera Continium of Care first worked to find housing for the people who had been living in the area. Fresno Bee article
CalPERS state worker increase: $602 million – CalPERS actuaries recommend that the annual state payment for state worker pensions increase $602 million in the new fiscal year to $5.35 billion, nearly doubling the $2.7 billion paid a decade ago before the recession and a huge investment loss. Calpensions article
LA workers would get 6 paid sick days under new proposal – Workers in Los Angeles could get at least six paid sick days annually under a proposal backed by a committee of city lawmakers Tuesday — twice as much as the California state minimum. LA Times article
Shawn Hubler: Who will take Big Gulp of soda cash? — Say what you will about soda taxes. Call them a buzzkill, call them intrusive, call them anti-Big Gulp. On at least one count, you’ve gotta hand it to them. They generate money. And not in a bad way. At least that’s how things are shaping up in Berkeley, which is so far the only U.S. city to have slipped a soda tax past the industry’s political muscle, and which is on track to generate a healthy $1.5 million or so for the general fund in its first year. Hubler in Sacramento Bee
BART critic says agency needs to do more to win bond support — An East Bay lawmaker who has been a leading critic of BART and its unions says a tentative contract is a good start toward restoring public confidence in the agency — but he wants to see more before he drops his opposition to a BART bond measure expected to appear on the November ballot. KQED report
BART ordered to pay $1.1 million for contracting out union work — BART officials last month had to cough up nearly $1.1 million to civilian members of the agency’s police union for work the district had already paid rented guards to do, according an arbitration award obtained by The Chronicle on Tuesday. San Francisco Chronicle article
Uber released rider information, raises privacy concerns – Uber released information about more than 5 million California passengers to state regulators during the second half of 2015, according to a report Tuesday that raises new questions about the scope of data the government collects from on-demand companies. San Jose Mercury News article
LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl pushes back against critics during budget talk – In their first public discussion of Los Angeles County’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, supervisors touted the plan as fiscally responsible, and one took a shot at critics who have warned that a leftward shift on the board would lead to loosened purse strings. LA Times article
Stockton Record: New slogan is full of flavor – View the slogan “Stockton: Stocked Full of Flavor” as a starting point in the same manner you would view buying the worst house in the best neighborhood. Roses can grow among the concrete. Stockton Record editorial
California won’t get money from estate of CalPERS bribery figure — The late Alfred Villalobos, the central figure in the CalPERS bribery case, always insisted he did nothing wrong and he didn’t owe the state of California a dime. Now it appears Villalobos and his defunct company won’t be paying the state anything to settle civil fraud claims filed six years ago, officials connected with the case said Tuesday. Sacramento Bee article
American Apparel lays off hundreds workers and considers outsourcing some manufacturing — American Apparel is laying off hundreds of workers as it retools its production process — including possibly outsourcing the production of some clothing to another U.S. manufacturer. LA Times article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
New state law to bring arsenic-free drinking water to Tulare County community – Many valley residents struggle to access drinking water—some don’t have enough, while others face contamination. Now, a new law allows the state to step in and help those in need. In its first success story, the law didn’t just bring water to a community; it helped end a standoff with a neighboring city. KVPR report
Climate change rules to start hitting dairies – Kern County dairies will be asked to upgrade their manure management practices, if they haven’t already, as part of a strategy proposed this week for cutting California’s emissions of methane and other short-lived but powerful greenhouse gases. Bakersfield Californian article
Michael Fitzgerald: Big Bad Wolf has moved into the neighborhood – Well, there goes the neighborhood. Southern California’s biggest, thirstiest and most powerful water district is buying a big chunk of the Delta, the very estuary that is dying because outfits like them take too much water. Fitzgerald column in Stockton Record
Steven E. Gomes and Tom Changnon: State hasn’t considered impacts of its water plan on poor children – In a letter to Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board, Merced County Superintendent of Schools Gomes and Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools Changnon write, “We are both concerned and disappointed that the State Water Resources Control Board is now in the process of updating the Bay-Delta Plan, but has failed to contact anyone from our offices to discuss how the plan will affect our students, who – with small exception – rely on groundwater as their source of drinking water.” Gomes/Changnon op-ed in Merced Sun-Star
Lemoore approves water sale — Lemoore is the first Kings County city to provide temporary water to residents outside city limits who are suffering from failed wells. The Lemoore City Council unanimously approved a contract last week with Self-Help Enterprises of Visalia to sell water to the nonprofit organization for an emergency dry well assistance program. Hanford Sentinel article
Acreage for genetically modified crops declined in 2015 — It was the first recorded decline as efforts to expand use of biotechnology to crops other than corn, soybeans, cotton and canola have been hindered by opposition. New York Times article
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Villapudua modifies initiative; is legal challenge next? – Mayoral candidate Carlos Villapudua has modified his proposed police retention ballot initiative, but the changes may not be enough to surmount potential legal obstacles. Stockton Record article
Man shot by Modesto Police involved in custody dispute – The man who was fatally shot by Modesto Police on Sunday had been embroiled in a year-long child custody dispute with his wife and had a court order to stay away from her when he showed up at her house with a gun, court records show. Modesto Bee article
Delhi residents ask Merced County supervisors for more deputies – Delhi residents on Tuesday pleaded with the Merced County Board of Supervisors to take action and add deputies to help combat growing violence in the community. Merced Sun-Star article
Burbank to tackle police staff shortage with new recruitment plan – Police officials this week plan to present the City Council with a recruitment plan that includes accelerated testing for military personnel and sworn officers seeking transfers from other departments, as well as hiring more human resources employees to process and test applicants. LA Times article
Merced County supervisors reject claims from family of inmate beaten to death – The Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected three claims seeking unlimited damages for the death of Alejandro Vega, a confidential witness for the Merced Police Department, who in September was beaten to death in the Merced County Jail. Merced Sun-Star article
LAPD killing of unarmed man in Venice was unjustified, Police Commission says – A video contradicts a Los Angeles police officer’s claim that he fatally shot an unarmed homeless man in Venice last year because the man was grabbing his partner’s gun holster, according to police records made public Tuesday. LA Times article
Oakland cops quietly acquired social media surveillance tool – Without public hearings or civilian oversight, the Oakland Police Department acquired a powerful social media monitoring tool called Geofeedia in 2014 and has used it to conduct surveillance on large public gatherings, possibly including political protests. East Bay Express article
Santa Clara County supervisors unanimously approve jail reforms — The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has unanimously accepted recommendations from a group tasked with evaluating county jails. They include appointing an “inspector general” to provide independent jail oversight, and a major overhaul in the inmate grievance and complaint process. KQED report; San Jose Mercury News article
Education
The plan to get every California kid into preschool – Three billion dollars may sound like a lot of money to spend on preschool — but maybe it isn’t enough. That’s what a group of advocates, former policymakers, researchers and business executives is saying in its push to remake the state’s early childhood education landscape. LA Times article
Bills aim to increase college readiness among state’s low-income students – High schools that increase access to college preparation courses to help more low-income students gain admission to the University of California andCalifornia State University could become eligible for additional state funds under a new state bill. EdSource article
Fresno State discusses new student union building – Fresno State leaders hosted about 100 students, community members and staff on Tuesday to gather feedback on sweeping campus changes currently under discussion by the administration – most notably a new, state-of-the-art student union. Fresno Bee articl
Dos Palos teacher rally expresses frustration with contract impasse – A chorus of “Be smart, pay more, before we’re headed out the door,” and other chants rang outside the Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified School District office Monday afternoon as teachers and other district employees picketed during the first day for new Superintendent William Spalding. Los Banos Enterprise article
UC Berkeley to eliminate 500 staff jobs – Financially troubled UC Berkeley will eliminate 500 staff jobs over two years to help balance its budget by 2019-20, The Chronicle has learned. San Francisco Chronicle article
Nan Austin: Stanislaus project finds many children not ready for kindergarten – As of last year’s state testing, 71 percent of third-graders in Stanislaus County did not read at grade level. The striking similarity in percentage starting behind in kindergarten and finishing behind in third does not mean no kid ever catches up, but it surely points to the difficulty. Austin in Modesto Bee
Fresno Pacific launching software engineering program at Bitwise — Fresno Pacific University (FPU) will begin offering a software engineering major hosted at Bitwise Industries’ South Stadium facility next fall. The building is home to many of businesses within Fresno’s developing tech-sector and FPU students will also be exposed to various training programs. The Business Journal article
3 Raisin City school board members recalled in special election — Three out of four Raisin City Elementary School District board members facing recall, including the board president, were ousted in a special election Tuesday. In addition, a vacant seat was filled on the Golden Plains Unified School District board. Fresno Bee article
Energy/Environment
Lois Henry: Time to take the chaos out of air quality – If you want to glimpse a small bit of rational thought occurring in Congress, tune in to the Energy and Commerce Committee at 7:15 a.m. our time Thursday for a hearing on H.R. 4775, which aims to tweak the Clean Air Act. Why would you want to be alert that early for something as un-scintillating as a congressional hearing on the Clean Air Act? Henry column in Bakersfield Californian
Modesto Irrigation District sues over power rates – More than 100,000 families and businesses buying electricity from the Modesto Irrigation District eventually could be represented in a class-action lawsuit filed this week against the nonprofit utility. Modesto Bee article
Too much solar in California? Not if you bottle it – The cost of solar power has plummeted in recent years, which has led to a renewable energy boom in California. But there’s a big hang-up: solar energy doesn’t provide a 24-hour supply. When the sun sets, the power from solar farms drops off, just as California needs it most. That’s sparked new interest in technology that stores electricity. And the energy storage technology race is going far beyond your typical battery. KQED report
North Valley rivers make ‘endangered’ list – The San Joaquin River and its three main tributaries ranked second on a list of “endangered” streams released Tuesday by a national group. Modesto Bee article
‘Year-round fire seasons,’ due in part to policy choice – Once largely confined to a single season, fires have become a constant threat in some places, burning earlier and later in the year, in the United States and abroad. New York Times article
Meet the man giving the Fulton Mall trees a second life — Crews are currently hard at work cutting down many of the over 100 dozens of trees that line the Fulton Mall. They are being removed as part of the project to turn the mall back into a street. But some of the trees will find a new life. KVPR report
LA poised to adopt environmental protections for polluted communities – In a groundbreaking attempt to bring environmental justice to polluted neighborhoods, the Los Angeles City Council is poised to adopt new land-use restrictions to ease health risks in communities where a heavy concentration of industry operates close to homes, schools and day-care centers. LA Times article
Health/Human Services
New study tracks changes, consolidation in Fresno health care market — A new report released Tuesday shows that Fresno’s health care market is changing. The number of people with health coverage has seen a significant increase, which has been good for the bottom line of local hospitals. Other market forces are pushing local physicians to consolidate their private practices into larger medical groups, often affiliated with hospitals. KVPR report
San Joaquin County: Hospital nurses take negotiations to supervisors — Several nurses from San Joaquin General Hospital’s trauma center say morale is low, working conditions are appalling and co-workers are leaving in droves for greener pastures. Nearly three dozen trauma and emergency room nurses decked out in red shirts holding signs that read “Invest in Safe Patient Care” urged the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to address the problem, which they said is endangering patients, as well as the county hospital’s future. Stockton Record article
Sacramento Bee: Profit motive and mental health care in California – Issues raised by housing mentally ill patients in nursing homes merit legislative oversight. Sacramento Bee editorial
Silicon Valley entrepreneur launches initiative to advance cancer immunotherapies – Fueled by a $250-million commitment of funds by Napster cofounder Sean Parker, researchers from more than 40 laboratories and six of the nation’s leading cancer research centers have entered into a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the development of cancer immunotherapies. LA Times article; AP article
State Sen. Ed Hernandez: California needs sunshine on rising drug prices – The Azusa Democrat writes, “I’ve introduced Senate Bill 1010, which would require drug companies to give at least two months’ notice to state programs such Medi-Cal and CalPERS when prices increase by more than 10 percent and to give 30 days’ notice for new drugs priced higher than $10,000.” Hernandez op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Kaiser to open clinic beside new downtown Sacramento Kings arena — Health care giant Kaiser Permanente said Tuesday it would open a sports medicine clinic beside Sacramento’s new downtown basketball arena to serve both Kings players and the public. Sacramento Bee article
Get the lead out: Despite fears of lead poisoning, it’s still here, but rare – Warnings about lead exposure, especially among young children, have been around for decades. While lead has been banned from household paints, canned foods and gasoline, it remains an undetected danger in unsuspecting places. Sacramento Bee article
Costa honors Denim Day early at Valley Crisis Center in Los Banos — Rep. Jim Costa made sure he wore his denim jeans to support awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence when he visited the Valley Crisis Center’s Los Banos office Monday. Los Banos Enterprise article
Land Use/Housing
City of San Francisco says it’s illegal to live in a box — Last month, the story of a 25-year-old man who’s living inside a plywood box parked in his friend’s living room became the latest installment in San Francisco’s crazy housing market. In a city where the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is currently $3,590, Peter Berkowitz’s tale of paying only $400 a month in rent and squeezing into some 32-square-feet of space became the stuff of legend. San Francisco Chronicle article
Transportation
San Fernando Valley residents sound off on proposed bullet train routes – Another chapter in the war over the California bullet train erupted Tuesday at a board meeting of the state’s high-speed rail authority as San Fernando Valley residents said the proposed routes would devastate their communities, jeopardize endangered species and cause visual blight. LA Times article
Amtrak adds trains to Valley-Bay route – The Central Valley-based San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority that operates Amtrak’s San Joaquin trains is ready to launch the seventh daily round-trip train along the San Joaquin corridor. The new train will connect Bakersfield and Oakland, and will have a stop in Hanford. Visalia Times-Delta article
Sacramento Bee: Sacramento must be smart on funding transportation – If voters are going to be asked to pay higher sales taxes to fund Sacramento County’s transportation network, it must make sense in our era of global warming and sustainable development. That means boosting public transit and encouraging infill housing, not paving new highways that will lead to more sprawl. Sacramento Bee editorial
Big changes coming to Muni service across San Francisco — Muni will be increasing frequency and expanding service hours on many of its core lines starting next weekend, a set of changes transit officials say will be some of the biggest in the system’s history — to the tune of $20 million. San Francisco Chronicle article
Other areas
Fresno County supervisors weigh $3 million animal control donation – Fresno County supervisors said Tuesday they’re willing to accept an offer from businessman Derrel Ridenour for $3 million and free land in northwest Fresno for a new county animal shelter – but they first want to see what he has in mind before they seal the deal. Fresno Bee article
Visalia cuts ties to SPCA – The Valley Oak SPCA and the city of Visalia are parting ways. The two failed to reach an agreement on a new three-year contract late last year and, starting April 23, the city will take over managing the newly-built Animal Care Facility and providing animal control services. Visalia Times-Delta article
Tracy city attorney leaves – City Attorney Daniel Sodergren, who has been with the city for 11 years, is leaving to become city attorney for Pleasanton, according to a news release from Tracy. Stockton Record article
Stockton Record wins 10 CNPA awards – The Record has won 10 first-or second-place awards in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2015 Better Newspaper Contest. Whether each is a first- or a second-place award will be revealed during an April 30 luncheon in San Francisco. Stockton Record article
What makes the best ballpark food? Fresno Grizzlies have wild new eats – The Fresno Grizzlies know a good thing when they see it: Wacky stadium foods are a hit. So this year, they are upping their food game with their own food truck, a trio of wild-flavored fries and a pulled pork slider with a Coca-Cola and Pop Rocks barbecue sauce, they’ve dubbed the Urban Legend. Fresno Bee article
San Francisco supervisors tackle alleged police misconduct, safe housing – The San Francisco Board of Supervisors took on a diverse agenda Tuesday, and weighed in on matters ranging from decrepit buildings to police misconduct and a 100-foot height increase at a Transbay development in exchange for more affordable housing. San Francisco Chronicle article
New Centennial Plaza fountain gushing – The new circular fountain is gushing and renovations at Centennial Plaza, the downtown Bakersfield public area outside the Rabobank Arena and Convention Center, are expected to be finished in four to six weeks. Bakersfield Californian article
Trayvon Martin’s father on black lives: ‘We’re on the brink of extinction’ — When 17-year old Trayvon Martin was shot to death in 2012 by Florida neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, he became a symbol of a burgeoning “Black Lives Matter” movement, a flashpoint in a national conversation about race relations and use of force and a martyr to a cause. Bakersfield Californian article