Former Congressman Doug Ose and incumbent Ami Bera squabbled over health care and the economy in a debate for the 7th congressional district seat
Christopher Caladelago and David Siders report: “The hourlong meeting was testy and at times personal, with the candidates clashing over jobs, immigration and foreign policy as they vie in one of the country’s most closely watched races for the House of Representatives.”
California’s new laws related to crude transportation have railroad seeking litigation.
Tony Bizjack reports for The Sacramento Bee: “The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento, contends federal laws largely prohibit states from imposing safety rules on railroads such as the ones California began imposing July 1 of this year. The plaintiffs in the matter are the Union Pacific Railroad, the BNSF and the Association of American Railroads.”
In 2013 Andy Vidak used then-opponent Leticia Perez’s contributions from big oil to tarnish her campaign. This time around, he’s getting the Chevron donations.
John Wildermuth reports for The SF Chronicle: “With Vidak facing a tough, well-funded re-election challenge from Fresno Democrat Luis Chavez, Chevron and two other oil companies have pumped $1.5 million into the Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class, an independent expenditure committee formed earlier this year. The committee has already spent $125,000 to back Vidak, a Hanford cherry farmer, with more probably on the way.”
“It was just over a year ago that Chevron’s cash was flowing to Vidak’s opponent, and the Republican was citing the contributions to bludgeon his opponent and win election to the state Senate.”
By next year, a new study predicts L.A. County will again reach pre-recession job numbers.
Chris Kirkham reports for The Los Angeles Times: “"As we look into 2015, we should finally hit our groove with growth that's closer to the long-run trends," said Robert Kleinhenz, chief economist for the nonprofit economic development group. "It has taken an extremely long time to get here."”
“The analysis projects that the state's unemployment rate will drop from its current rate of 7.4% to an average of 7% next year, which would be the lowest rate since 2007. Los Angeles County's unemployment rate is expected to fall to an average of 7.7% next year, the lowest since 2008.”
After high profile and gruesome bullying allegations, San Jose State works to improve the racial climate on campus.
Katy Murphy reports for Bay Area News Group: “The plans discussed at a Wednesday forum -- including culturally themed residence hall floors and more training for new students and resident advisers -- were the administration's answer to a much longer set of recommendations made in April by a task force on racial discrimination, chaired by Judge LaDoris Cordell.”
“San Jose State's response to those horrible events, President Mo Qayoumi told a small audience gathered in a campus auditorium, "should be based on action not words."”
“Late last year, four white SJSU freshmen were charged with misdemeanor hate crime and battery, accused of bullying their black roommate, snapping a bicycle lock around his neck and calling him a racial slur. The freshmen also displayed a Confederate flag in the suite, according to a public fact-finding report requested by the campus.”
As a result of California’s severe drought mountains are literally moving, among other ways the weather is changing our state.
Brian Resnick reports for The National Journal: “The California drought is so bad that...
◆ Since 2013, the Western United States has lost 240 gigatons of water, the journal Science has reported. One gigaton is 1 billion tons. 240 gigatons is equal to a 10-centimeter sheet of water covering the entire Western U.S., or 63 trillion gallons—roughly equivalent to the volume of 75,000 football stadiums.
◆ The loss of mass has altered California's gravitational field.
◆ Mountains rose up to a half an inch as the loss of water has made the earth more springy (i.e. less dense and able to expand).”