Inauguration of the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, will begin today @ 8:30am PST.
ABC 7 New York: "On Friday morning, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, but the ceremony is only part of the festivities. There are official events in and around Washington D.C. for the next few days to mark the transition."
"Here's a look at the major events scheduled in Washington, D.C. for the week of the inauguration."
"11:30 a.m. ET: Swearing-in ceremony"
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And in case you can't watch it on television, the Sacramento Bee will be streaming the inauguration live on its website.
Sacramento Bee: "Donald Trump is being sworn in as the nation’s 45th president on Friday, and you can watch live streaming video at Sacbee.com. The livestream will cover the entire day of activities, including the evening inaugural balls."
"Trump’s morning will begin with a stop at church. The swearing-in ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time, 9:30 a.m. Eastern. His inaugural address (expected to last about 20 minutes) is planned for approximately 9 a.m. Pacific. Watch for Hillary Clinton sitting on the inaugural podium next to husband Bill Clinton."
"After lunch in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, 8,000 people will march in the 1.5-mile inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House."
Two Golden State Republicans encourage California to give the incoming President a chance, because according to them, he doesn't present himself to the public accurately and has a different persona in private.
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "Two politically powerful Californians who have gotten to know Donald Trump say liberals shouldn’t fear him. They promise that Trump behaves a lot differently than the bullying, blustery presence he cuts when he’s before the public."
"He’s really a nice guy when you’re with him,” said Rep. Devin Nunes, the Tulare Republican who is a member of Trump’s transition team and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committe on Intelligence. “He’s very inquisitive. He really works very hard."
SEIU Local 1000 has approved a new 42-month contract with some hard-earned raises for its members.
Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON: "A month after calling off a threatened strike, state government’s largest union announced on Thursday that its members had approved a new 42-month contract that will get its members a $2,500 bonus and a cumulative raise of 11.5 percent."
"SEIU Local 1000 reported in a video it posted to its website that 90 percent of the people who voted favored the contract. It did not disclose the number of votes that were cast."
"The agreement next must be ratified by the Legislature before the roughly 96,000 workers that the union represents will receive their bonus checks."
Trump's team is moving to get a start on their hardline immigration reform as soon as he takes office.
L.A. Times' BRIAN BENNETT: "Aides are clearing the way for President-elect Donald Trump to take the first steps toward transforming the immigration system as soon as he takes office Friday, fulfilling a major campaign pledge while deepening the fears of immigration advocates about what’s to come."
"Gone will be the temporary protections of the final Obama years for people in the country illegally. In their place, say immigration advocates and people familiar with his plans, expect to see images on the evening news of workplace raids as Trump sends a message that he is wasting no time on his promised crackdown."
"In addition to the high-profile raids, those people said in interviews, Trump will also widen the range of people singled out for deportation, focusing on those with criminal convictions, and he could move immediately to reduce the number of refugees allowed into the U.S."
A Paramount company has suspended its operations after a Chromium 6 pollution limit violation.
L.A. Times' TONY BARBOZA: "A Paramount metal-finishing plant was forced to suspend some operations Thursday after violating limits on a potent cancer-causing air pollutant."
"Aerocraft Heat Treating Co., Inc. shut down operations that had the potential to emit Chromium 6 after levels of the pollutant outside the facility exceeded a specified threshold."
"The company had agreed to the limit and other restrictions last month in an order with the South Coast Air Quality Management District."
New research indicates that having a job at a young age is likely to reduce the change of a young women to get pregnant 'prematurely'.
L.A. Times' MELISSA HEALY: "It doesn’t work to stop pregnancy like the birth control pill or an intrauterine device. But for teenage girls flipping burgers, sorting widgets or working retail, a bit more bling in the paycheck appears to reduce the likelihood of becoming a mother before her time."
"In an analysis that looked at teen birth rates and changes in minimum wages across the country between 2003 and 2014, an Indiana University researcher concluded that a dollar-an-hour raise in the minimum wage reduces adolescent birthrates by roughly 2%."
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L.A. may see a budget increase for a downtown subway project.
L.A. Times' LAURA J. NELSON: "Three years ago, when transportation officials began an ambitious project to connect a tangle of light-rail lines beneath downtown Los Angeles, they said construction would cost $1.36 billion."
"Since then, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has twice sought more funding for the Downtown Regional Connector, including a request this week for an additional $199 million. "
READ MORE related to Transportation: Bay Area transit agencies planning for inauguration-protest crowds -- The Chronicle's STEVE RUBENSTEIN; Unstable cliff causes road closure for 2nd day in San Francisco -- The Chronicle's SARAH RAVANI; Trump protests expected to impact VTA service -- East Bay Times' JASON GREEN
Nefarious drug kingpin and bloodthirsty leader of the Sinaloa cartel believed to be personally responsible responsible for ~3,000 murders, El Chapo, has been extradited to the United States where he faces severe punishment.
L.A. Times' PATRICK J. MCDONNELL/KATE LINTHICUM/DEL QUENTIN WILBER: "Mexico’s most notorious drug kingpin, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who gained fame for his daring prison escapes and an interview with Hollywood stars while a fugitive, has been extradited to the United States to face trafficking and other charges, authorities from both countries said."
"A plane carrying Guzman landed Thursday night at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., according to the U.S. Department of Justice."
"The long-awaited extradition of the leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel came on President Obama’s last full day in office and the eve of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration."
Disturbing footage shows a squad of Fontana officers cornering a blind and mentally disabled man in a convenience store before allegedly murdering him.
L.A. Times' MATT HAMILTON/RICHARD WINTON: "Graphic surveillance video released this week shows a throng of Fontana police officers surrounding a legally blind and mentally ill man in a convenience store before an officer opens fire, killing him."
"The muted video of the Nov. 22, 2015, incident was made public by lawyers for the man’s family and marked the latest in a series of police shootings captured on video over the last few years that has generated debate about whether officers are too quick to use lethal force."
"The case also highlights the struggles of law enforcement agencies in dealing with mentally ill people. Several agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, have been developing ways to reduce the number of violent encounters, An LAPD study released last year found that more than a third of the people shot by Los Angeles police in 2015 had documented signs of mental illness."
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We could see a repeat of Wednesday's storm today, according to experts.
Sacramento Bee's CATHY LOCKE/LORETTA KALB/BILL LINDELOF: "Sacramento area residents and utility crews used Thursday’s lull between storms to clean up and take stock of damage inflicted by high winds that moved through the region Wednesday night, and which could resume on Friday."
"Power outages and apparent storm-related problems forced closure of five area schools Thursday morning and cut communications to more than three dozen campuses in the Sacramento Unified School District, officials said."
"Sacramento Municipal Utility District crews worked overnight through the day to restore power to neighborhoods where power lines were toppled by wind or falling trees. Sacramento officials reported Thursday morning that they had received 249 tree-related calls from Wednesday night’s storm. High winds and soggy soil were blamed for much of the damage."
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The Superintendent of the SCUSD will be leaving at the end of the school year.
Sacramento Bee's LORETTA KALB: "Jose Banda, hired 30 months ago as Superintendent of the Sacramento Unified School District, announced Thursday night during a trustee meeting that he will leave the district at the end of the school year."
"Jay Hansen, president of the district’s trustees, said Banda’s announcement came at the start of the public session during Thursday night’s regular board meeting."
"Hansen said the district will begin an immediate search for a replacement."
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If you've seen a racoon cluster near the Yolo Bypass and have expressed concern for their safety, environmental experts say 'not to worry.'
Sacramento Bee's CYNTHIA HUBERT: "After spotting clusters of raccoons huddled in trees above the flooded Yolo Bypass after the recent heavy rains, Heather Jorgensen took to Facebook and tried to organize a rescue mission."
"She contacted an animal welfare group, which agreed to try to snare the animals. But the California Department of Fish and Wildlife nixed the effort, arguing it would be dangerous to both the raccoons and their rescuers."
"Raccoons, a wildlife specialist with the agency said, are perfectly adapted to their riparian habitat, and are doing what comes naturally to them."