Political Stories

Top stories

California Democrats are using ‘Trump Republican’ to insult their opponents – Democrats targeting two San Joaquin Valley, California, congressional incumbents are placing their bets on Donald Trump. In a preview of coming campaign attractions, the challengers to Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock and David Valadao of Hanford joined with Democratic strategists Thursday in trying to wrap Trump around the necks of their Republican opponents. McClatchy Newspapers article

Strict state gun-control measure close to making November ballot — Californians will vote in November on far-reaching new restrictions on firearms, including the nation’s first requirement of background checks for buyers of ammunition, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday. San Francisco Chronicle article; Sacramento Bee article; KQED report

State budget

Watching and waiting as California’s April revenue rolls in — April’s returns will produce about a fifth of California’s general fund revenue for the current fiscal year. The vast majority of this filing season’s 15.3 million returns, about 91 percent, arrive electronically and went straight into the tax board’s servers. The rest, about 1.4 million returns, continue to be opened, sorted and scanned by hand. Sacramento Bee articl

Valley politics

Merced County Board of Supervisors candidates, District 4: Rich Ford — Rich Ford of Gustine says his experience in local government combined with his knowledge as a business owner makes him a fit candidate for District 4 supervisor. Merced Sun-Star article

Merced County Board of Supervisors candidates, District 4: Fidel Cervantes — Fidel Cervantes, a trustee on the Delhi school board, said running for supervisor is an “extension” of his public service focused on youth. Cervantes, 24, has lived his whole life in Delhi after his parents, Cecilia and Cuauhtemoc, immigrated from Michoacan, Mexico. Merced Sun-Star article

Merced County Board of Supervisors candidates, District 4: Ramon Prado — As a survivor of gang violence, Ramon Prado is making it his mission to improve his community and the Merced County Sheriff’s Office. Prado has lived in Merced County his whole life, born to Mexican immigrants who moved to Delhi to work in the fields. Merced Sun-Star article 

Merced County Board of Supervisors candidates, District 4: Lloyd Pareira — Lloyd Pareira considers Merced County a “hidden jewel” and is hopeful he can help the county realize its full potential by winning a seat on the Board of Supervisors. Pareira, 53, has lived on his family’s farm off Highway 59 near the Merced River nearly his whole life. He earned his bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in dairy science. Merced Sun-Star article 

Merced County Board of Supervisors candidates, District 4: Jack Mobley — Jack Mobley is concerned about the state of California and doing business here, so he’s hoping to concentrate his efforts locally to make a positive impact in Merced County. Mobley, 58, grew up in Tennessee, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee. He came to Merced County in 1982 while he was in the Air Force and stationed at Castle Air Force Base. During that time, he met his wife, Sandra. Merced Sun-Star article

Statewide politics/Ballot Measures

California Politics Podcast: Sleepy Senate race — This week: California’s sleepy U.S. Senate race gets briefly roused for a debate, and a preview of the presidential race coming to this weekend’s California GOP convention. With John Myers of the Los Angeles Times and Anthony York of the Grizzly Bear Project. California Politics Podcast
Immigration

Project aims to pair U.S. citizens with immigrants to vote ‘together’ — A fledgling voter project aims to bring two groups together for the November election. The idea is to pair nonvoters who can’t cast ballots with people who can. KPCC report

Apple/FBI

FBI says it won’t tell Apple how hackers got into terrorist’s iPhone because it doesn’t know – The FBI will not tell Apple how it unlocked an iPhone used by one of the terrorists in the San Bernardino attack because the bureau does not possess enough of the technical details about the hack to make such a disclosure worthwhile, a top agency official said Wednesday. LA Times article

San Bernardino Shootings 

FBI arrests brother of San Bernardino terrorist and 2 others on marriage fraud charges — Federal agents arrested three people, including the older brother of San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook, on charges of marriage fraud, conspiracy and lying to federal investigators on Thursday morning, according to a criminal complaint. LA Times article

Other areas

Protests rage outside Trump rally in Orange County; 17 arrested, police car smashed — Hundreds of demonstrators filled the street outside the Orange County amphitheater where Donald Trump held a rally Thursday night, stomping on cars, hurling rocks at motorists and forcefully declaring their opposition to the Republican presidential candidate. LA Times article;  

Donald Trump hits immigration hard in California opening – Donald Trump, touching off his presidential campaign in California ahead of the state’s critical primary, said Thursday that California has suffered more than any other state from “open borders,” while pinning crime in the Los Angeles area to illegal immigration. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article

Convention marks start of epic battle for state’s GOP delegates – It is now all but certain that California’s June 7 primary will be Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s coronation – or the day it becomes clear that the GOP will head to its national convention in Cleveland this summer without a clear nominee. Fresno Bee article; KQED report 

Trump, Cruz and Kasich land in Burlingame for key GOP convention – California political consultant Mike Madrid has been working for 25 years to get Republicans elected, but he can’t envision voting for presidential front-runner Donald Trump in the state’s June 7 primary. Or for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. And while Ohio Gov. John Kasich seems more palatable, Madrid said “he doesn’t have a chance to win.” San Francisco Chronicle article

California Republicans fired up to hang out with Trump and Cruz – Not since Barry Goldwater and Nelson Rockefeller competed for the party’s nomination in 1964 have California Republicans been so relevant in a presidential primary, and the action at this weekend’s convention is the result. Sacramento Bee article

Revealed: Inside the tug-of-war to run Donald Trump’s campaign – Tim Clark was asked if he was interested in running Donald Trump’s campaign inCalifornia earlier this month. “Interested?” he recalls telling an emissary for the Republican frontrunner. “You bet I’m interested. I’m about to fall out of my chair.” The Guardian article

Trump’s Bay Area challenge: Turning popular support into loyal delegates — Assembled party officials, delegates and activists will hear from the three leading Republican candidates for president, starting with a Friday luncheon speech from front-runner Donald Trump. Trump’s arrival at the convention will mark the first time his campaign has focused on the region since last summer, when the candidate zeroed in from afar on the horrific killing of Kathryn Steinle at San Francisco’s Pier 14 to highlight his strict views on immigration policy. KQED report

Joel Fox: Cruz’s Fiorina pick a play for California — Ted Cruz’s choice for vice-president was made with California in mind. With Donald Trump running swiftly toward the nomination, his closest rival, Senator Ted Cruz, tried to grab the spotlight by naming his vice-presidential nominee, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. Fox in Fox & Hounds

Tom Steyer calls GOP presidential candidates ‘dangerous people’ – Launching a statewide voter-registration drive Thursday, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer offered a harsh assessment of the GOP presidential field. Sacramento Bee article 

California Democrats will meet to choose national delegates – While much of the political attention is focused on the California GOP convention this weekend, Democrats are holding important meetings around the state to select delegates to the national convention in Philadelphia. AP article

John Wayne Day: Not in California, lawmakers say — The California Assembly refused Thursday to honor actor John Wayne after a sharp debate in which he was accused of being a racist. Sacramento Bee article

Steinberg tops $2 million in campaign for Sacramento mayor — Former state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg reported Thursday he has raised just more than $2 million in his bid to become Sacramento mayor, the most raised for a single city campaign. Sacramento Bee article

Sacramento Bee: Legislators, casino interests smell money with online gaming bill — Once again, insiders are smelling money and are all-in to pass a bill they cynically call the Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2016. Sacramento Bee article

News Stories

Top Stories

State officials make Merced high-speed rail stop official — State high-speed rail planners made Merced’s station official on Thursday. The chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority admitted the train’s planners made a mistake in pushing Merced’s stop back further than the initial plans. Merced Sun-Star article; AP article; LA Times article

ADA ‘baby step’ reform passed Legislature, heads to governor’s desk – Senate Bill 269, backed by three lawmakers from this area, would allow some small businesses time to fix minor, technical violations of laws requiring access for the disabled. It falls far short of the meaningful reform sought by opponents of predatory lawsuits, but represents their first potential victory after many years of unsuccessful effort. Modesto Bee article

Jobs and the Economy

ADA serial plaintiff probed by IRS, federal prosecutors in criminal probe – IRS and federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into serial disability access plaintiff Scott Johnson, who has moved his lawsuit operation to the Bay Area in recent months, to determine whether he has paid taxes on his alleged millions of dollars in settlements, multiple sources told this newspaper. San Jose Mercury News article

Bakersfield economic renewal program approved but funding delayed — A city program years in the making as a successor to Bakersfield’s redevelopment agency has been approved, but won’t immediately be funded because of continuing declines in sales tax revenue, officials have decided. The Economic Opportunity Area Plan will use tax increment financing to stimulate development and attract new business to areas around the city-owned municipal airport, Highway 58 and Mount Vernon Avenue, and downtown. Later, it will expand to include parts of Old Town Kern, 34th Street and the East Hills Mall area. Bakersfield Californian article 

Raiders owner to Las Vegas: Build it and we will come – Mark Davis was beaming as he posed with fans behind a black and silver “Las Vegas Raiders” banner. He made a few jokes before delivering a $500 million commitment to a new stadium in the city for his team. Then the owner of the Raiders got serious about the prospects of getting fellow NFL owners to allow him to move from Oakland to a city the league has long shunned because it has legal sports betting. AP article; LA Times article 

Sacramento transportation tax moves toward public vote – A plan to put a half-cent Sacramento County transportation sales tax measure on the November ballot took a key step forward Thursday. Sacramento Bee article

Steve Westly and Jack Scott: Preparing workers in California at the speed of business – Westly, the founder The Westly Group and former California controller, and Scott, the former chancellor of the California Community Colleges system, write, “In November 2015, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors unanimously adopted25 ‘Strong Workforce’ recommendations. These recommendations came from a statewide, year-long state wide task force on Workforce, Job Creation and a Strong Economy. The recommendations would help community colleges better deliver on the need for 1 million more industry valued middle-skill credentials. In particular, the Board of Governors emphasized one fundamental point: we must do a better job of teaching students the skills they need to win the jobs of the future. To do that, we need to do three things. Westly/Scott op-ed on California Economic Summit website

Mystery in jobs rebound: What’s everyone doing? – Actual economic output is merely moving in lock step with the number of hours people work, rather than rising as it has throughout modern history. New York Times article

Pitman Farms keeps building up in Hanford – Poultry producer Pitman Family Farms continues to build on its new industrial campus in Hanford’s industrial park. In 2013 Sanger-based Pitman bought the Cargill feed mill and yard along the BNSF rail line, and now has completed a unit-train loop line to bring in Midwest grain and other products. The Business Journal article

John Lindt: Taking the pulse of Kings County – The 98,000 square-foot retail building that housed Forever 21 at the Hanford Mall has been sold to a developer, Jim Gortikov of Santa Monica in a deal that closed April 7. Gortikov owns a number of shopping centers including several in Santa Clarita, four in Bakersfield and one in Tulare. Hanford Sentinel article

Vendors at mall food court back open after inspections — After two days of plumbing woes and a roach infestation in the basement below it, the entire food court and nearby food businesses in Valley Plaza Mall were back up and running as of Thursday afternoon, said a spokeswoman from the Kern County Environmental Health Services Division. Bakersfield Californian article

Why LA shelters were rarely at full capacity this winter – Dozens of emergency shelters popped up in Los Angeles County when El Niño was an expected threat to the homeless community. The city spent an extra $1.7 million on winter shelters because of the impending storm. But, the torrential rains never came, leaving many emergency shelters underutilized throughout the winter months. KPCC report 

Rocks placed below San Diego overpass to deter camps: ‘We’re not anti-homeless.  We’re pro-resident’ – Jagged rocks installed to deter homeless encampments below a freeway overpass have sparked a debate between people arguing for compassion and residents demanding safer, cleaner streets. LA Times article

Comcast’s NBCUniversal buys DreamWorks Animation in $3.8-billion deal – NBCUniversal on Thursday said it has reached an agreement to acquire DreamWorks Animation in a deal valued at $3.8 billion. LA Times article

Proposed rule would delay questions about criminal history — The Obama administration is proposing a rule that would prohibit federal agencies from asking certain job applicants questions about criminal and credit history until a conditional offer of employment has been made. AP articl

Agriculture/Water/Drought

Court rejects lawsuit to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir – A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to force the city of San Francisco to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a key part of the water system for 2.6 million Bay Area residents from Hayward to San Jose to San Francisco. San Jose Mercury News article; AP article; San Francisco Chronicle article

Spring storms help snowpack as California drought persists — There was no change in drought conditions last week in California and Nevada, but spring storms added snow to the northern Sierra Nevada. Capital Public Radio report 

Kern’s almond dominance threatened by neighboring county – Fresno County cut further into Kern’s almond dominance last year, according to a new report detailing continued expansion of California farmland dedicated to producing the nut. Bakersfield Californian article

City council eases watering rules in Riverbank – Despite the city’s uninspiring record on water conservation, city leaders voted to relax outdoor watering restrictions even more than their staff had proposed. Modesto Bee article

Fresno looks to use recycled water to irrigate landscaping — Fresno is taking another step toward easing its reliance on water pumped from underground, awarding a $2.47 million contract Thursday for plans for a new pipeline system to carry recycled water for outdoor irrigation. Fresno Bee articl 

Water relief comes to neighborhood north of Visalia — Gearing is among the residents just north of Visaliawho will benefit from a project that calls for the installation of a new water main on Avenue 322, east of Highway 63. The project will also bring water meters and fire hydrants. The residents benefiting had their domestic well go dry nearly two years ago. Visalia Times-Delta article

Criminal Justice/Prisons

In letter, mayor exhorts San Francisco police officers to fight bigotry — Mayor Ed Lee sent an open letter Thursday to all San Francisco police officers, calling upon them to remember their pledge to “serve the people of San Francisco faithfully and honestly without predjudice.” San Francisco Chronicle article

Top aide’s emails pose a sensitive test for LA Sheriff Jim McDonnell — As the fallout builds over jokes emailed by a top Los Angeles County sheriff’s official, Sheriff Jim McDonnell finds himself in a tight spot. LA Times article

Education 

Katehi sought meeting with firm hired by UC Davis to eradicate pepper spray posts – UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sought a meeting in January 2013 with an online reputation firm that promised to help eradicate negative online postings about the university and Katehi, newly released documents state. The documents, released to The Sacramento Bee following a Public Records Act request filed six weeks ago, appear to bolster a statement UC President Janet Napolitano made in a letter Wednesday that accused Katehi of “material misstatements” to her and the media about contracts with two online reputation management firms. Sacramento Bee articl 

Probe of nepotism, conduct and lying targets UC Davis head – Investigators hired by the University of California will look at whether UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi misused her position so that her son and his wife received advantages in their campus jobs — including $50,000 in raises to the wife, according to a letter from UC President Janet Napolitano. San Francisco Chronicle article; Sacramento Bee article

Gavin Newsom says ‘it’s time’ for UC Davis Chancellor Katehi to quit – A day after UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi was placed on investigatory leave, at least one member of the University of California’s governing board has joined the calls for her to resign. “We’re frankly past that point,” Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday in an interview with The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento Bee article

Key players in the investigation of UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi – Here are the key players in the story regarding the investigation of UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and events leading up to it. Sacramento Bee article

UC Davis campus divided amid new questions on chancellor’s performance – On Thursday, the campus was abuzz with a central, perplexing question: How could such a brilliant woman stumble so badly with a string of such questionable decisions? LA Times article

In San Francisco, colleges and universities struggle to house students — The Planning Department says there are about 9,000 on-campus beds available to students across campuses citywide. AnMarie Rodgers, a senior policy adviser with the department, said at the hearing that even though colleges have built more housing and have plans to build more, the city would need 28,000 more beds to house just half of those attending school here. KQED report

School districts struggling to retain teachers amid housing crisis – Lines is among the many teachers throughout the Bay Area struggling to find stable, affordable housing near their jobs. Many are commuting long distances to work; some, like Lines, are taking in roommates; and still others are working extra jobs to make ends meet. The situation has grown so severe that some are considering moving away or leaving the profession altogether. San Jose Mercury News article

Supply lags booming demand for career technical teachers – In appropriating nearly $1.5 billion over five years for career technical education opportunities, the Legislature made an assumption that funding would make them happen. That’s probably true for students, who are enrolling in high school programs in intriguing fields like drone technology, bioengineering and digital arts. What’s not certain is whether there will be enough teachers with the expertise to staff them. EdSource article

California clarifies new law: Provide special ed to unvaccinated students – In response to confusion among some school districts, California’s departments of public health and education have updated the explanation of the state’s new immunization law to clarify that unvaccinated special needs kids must receive all of the services required by their Individualized Education Programs. KPCC report

Tornado shakes up school day in Waterford — Wednesdays usually mean catechism class for 9-year-old Bernardo Saldana. But after his experience that afternoon at school, he didn’t want to leave his house again that day, even to visit the house of God.  Modesto Bee article

Lyles Center at Fresno State to get its first ethicist in residence – The Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State has named Andrew Fiala as the program’s first ethicist in residence. Fiala, who is the chair of the Fresno State philosophy department, will provide insight into topics such as business and professional ethics, stewardship and citizenship. The Business Journal article

Charter schools sharing LA Unified campuses: Nobody loves it, everyone has to live with it — The political friction between L.A. Unified and charter schools makes it easy to forget the two sides are often so much more than neighbors — they’re practically roommates. More than 19,000 students attend a charter school that operates on a school district site. One out of every three independent charter schools in Los Angeles is co-located, many under Prop 39 — and some of the arrangements are peaceful and mutually beneficial. KPCC report

Longtime Panama-Buena Vista trustee resigns — Longtime Panama-Buena Vista Union School District board member Linda Brenner resigned her position after 15 years during a board meeting Tuesday, district officials announced this week. Brenner will be moving to Florida to help take care of her grandchildren, a twin boy and girl, who are expected to be born early next month, her husband, Brian, confirmed. Bakersfield Californian article

State honors Jamison High School — Jamison High School in Lemoore received special recognition by the state after the school was named one of 37 model continuation high schools for providing excellent education to at-risk students. Hanford Sentinel article

Navy College Office at Lemoore base to close — The Navy College Office at Lemoore Naval Air Station will close Oct. 1 as the Navy tells sailors seeking tuition assistance to go online for help. Fresno Bee article 

Compost couch reflects students’ ingenuity, creativity – Grass isn’t just for walking at Visalia Technical Early College High School On Thursday, 700 square-feet of sod was delivered to the campus as part of an end of the year senior project. This isn’t your typical senior project, either. As their goodbye, 35 seniors designed and built a 50-foot grass couch in the campus’ garden. Visalia Times-Delta article

30 million reasons to kiss a pig – A bet is a bet. Ruth McMaster, principal at Creekside Elementary School in northwest Stockton, challenged her students at the start of the school year that if they collectively read 30 million words, she would plant a kiss on a pig. Stockton Record article

Survey: 15 percent of San Diego State students report unwanted sexual violence or contact – About 15 percent of San Diego State University students reported experiencing some form of unwanted sexual contact or violence — mostly “unwanted fondling, kissing or rubbing” — according to the college. KPBS report

Protestors slam San Diego State’s response to ‘Palestinian terrorists’ fliers — San Diego State University officials are assessing how to move forward after a protest late Wednesday that involved dozens of students surrounding President Elliot Hirshman and preventing him from leaving campus for about two hours. LA Times articl

Energy/Environment 

California blames PG&E for deadly Butte Fire, seeks at least $90 million – California officials demanded more than $90 million Thursday from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. after concluding the company’s power lines sparked a historic fire in Gold Country last year that killed two people and destroyed more than 900 structures. San Francisco Chronicle article; Sacramento Bee article; Stockton Record article; LA Times article 

Assembly approves moratorium on injecting gas into Aliso Canyon wells — Amid concern over the months-long leaking of natural gas in Aliso Canyon near Los Angeles, the Assembly on Thursday formally approved strict rules preventing injection of new gas into old wells until experts determine the operations are safe. LA Times article

PG&E begins removing soil from former power plant – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced this week it has begun removing soil as part of an environmental remediation project at its former Kern Power Plant along Coffee Road south of Rosedale Highway. Bakersfield Californian article

California considers expanding cap-and-trade to prevent global deforestation – Deforestation accounts for approximately 15 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions every year. The California Air Resources Board is considering allowing companies regulated under cap-and-trade to purchase carbon offsets to protect tropical forests. Capital Public Radio report

Company applies to remove nuclear waste from Rancho Seco power plant — The long-sought removal of nuclear waste stored at the decommissioned Rancho Seco power plant came a step closer to occurring Thursday as the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced it had received an application to open a nuclear waste storage facility in Texas that would receive the material. Sacramento Bee article

Health/Human Services 

Dameron Hospital: Maternity shutdown saddens many – Reactions ranged from shock to dismay to profound sadness at Wednesday’s sudden announcement that 104-year-old Dameron Hospital was closing its Maternal Child Health services and would no longer deliver babies or admit children up to 14 years old for treatment. Stockton Record article 

Stockton Record: Dameron news a punch to community’s gut – There are many news stories that impact the community. But there are some that come as a punch to the gut. That happened this week with venerable Dameron Hospital, the caring and challenged facility tucked in one of central Stockton’s historic neighborhoods. Stockton Record editorial

Todd Suntrapak: We must stop cycle of child abuse right here, right now – The president/CEO of Valley Children’s Healthcare writes, “Child Abuse Awareness Month has given us the opportunity to focus national attention on this horrific problem. But it’s something that we must focus on every month, every week, every day if we are truly going to make an impactful difference.” Suntrapak op-ed in Fresno Bee 

Deadline to vote on Visalia’s Kaweah Delta hospital nears – Residents of Visalia have just a few more days to decide if they will approve a bond known as Measure H for Kaweah Delta Hospital to build a new earthquake resistant acute care wing. KVPR report

Crowd forms at Tulare Regional Medical Center board meeting – Two conference rooms were needed Wednesday at Tulare Regional Medical Center, after a standing-room-only crowd showed up for the board’s monthly meeting. Visalia Times-Delta article

Robots are now handling pills. Will pharmacists be liberated or out of work? — Filling prescriptions is a repetitive, often mundane task: the perfect job for a robot. And artificial intelligence has finally matured to the point where doctors trust robots (with human supervision) to do it. For five years now, the UCSF Medical Center has relied on an almost entirely automated “robot pharmacy” to fill prescriptions, and a fleet of thousands of autonomous robots to deliver them. KQED report 

Hospitals ranked by health group – Kaweah Delta Medical Center received a top grade in patient safety for the third time in the last year. To the south, Tulare Regional Medical Center received an “F” in the Leapfrog bi-annual patient health scoring. Hospital staff, though, says LeapFrog and the survey shouldn’t be take seriously. Visalia Times-Delta article

Sutter plans closure of Berkeley’s Alta Bates Hospital, ER — Sutter Health, owner of Alta Bates, said it will close the inpatient hospital and its emergency department sometime in advance of 2030, when state seismic standards kick in. Those standards require that all inpatient hospitals are built both to withstand a major quake and to remain fully operational after the event. KQED report

Land Use/Housing

Fresno council passes new rules aimed at illegal housing sublets, tenant crimes — To get tougher on blighted properties, Fresno wants to beef up its rules overseeing real estate management by expanding its authority to go after whoever is responsible for problems at sites that are considered chronic “nuisances” within the city. Fresno Bee article

Stockton Record: STANDing strong — The work being done by STAND Affordable Housing continues to make Stockton a better place to live — one house at a time. Stockton Record editorial

Transportation

Anti-high-speed rail group shifts focus — After failing so far to stop the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s bullet train plan through lawsuits, Kings County-based Citizens for California High Speed Rail Accountability is trying a different strategy. Members of the group are collecting signatures to get an initiative on the ballot that would divert billions in high-speed rail funding to new water storage projects. Hanford Sentinel article

Other areas

Stanislaus County CEO Stan Risen’s future is unclear after Dec. 31 – Stanislaus County Chief Executive Officer Stan Risen has an employment contract through Dec. 31, which raises questions about his future in the county’s top job. Modesto Bee article 

Michael Fitzgerald: A pot author’s ‘reeference’ book – When marijuana becomes legal, scads of obscure pot slang will suddenly become everyday language. Will you know a slanger from a space cake. Enter Jason Porter Collinsworth. The Tuolumne resident has compiled “The Doobieous Dictionary,” a new dictionary of pot terms. Fitzgerald column in Stockton Record 

Dan Walters: State Bar of California’s dirty linen gets airing — Joe Dunn’s ears must have been burning Tuesday. At 10:31 a.m., the former Orange County state senator, who is now running for a seat in Congress, dispatched a campaign news release touting his support by a school union. At that very moment, 416 miles to the north, the Assembly Judiciary Committee was delving into dysfunction in the State Bar leading up to Dunn’s dismissal as its executive director in 2014. Walters column in Sacramento Bee

Fresno’s first-ever youth commissions appointed by council — Sixteen high school and college students from across Fresno were formally appointed and sworn in Thursday afternoon as the first members of the city’s Youth Commission. Fresno Bee article