Newsom signs bill to provide $131.1M in emergency relief, including safe water
Sacramento Bee's RORY APPLETON: "Gov. Gavin Newsom signed his first bill, which will provide $131.3 million in immediate relief from the state’s general fund for emergencies such as a lack of clean drinking water, while surrounded by children at a Parlier elementary school – all of whom must drink from water bottles due to unsafe drinking fountains."
"His signature on AB 72, which passed the Legislature unanimously, was briefly in jeopardy. Prior to signing, he polled the students at Riverview Elementary School on whether he should put pen to paper. One young man dissented."
"What is it?” Newsom said to the 6-year-old, dropping down to a knee to speak to him face-to-face. “It’s the money, isn’t it? You don’t want any new taxes. You wonder if we’ll just have to spend more money down the line."
READ MORE related to High Speed Rail: In Merced, some are bewildered by Newsom's high-speed-rail decision -- The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER; Newsom is right to scale back the bullet train, and it's good politics too -- LA Times's GEORGE SKELTON
Bay Area roads washed out by floods, wind advisories in effect
The Chronicle's ASHLEY MCBRIDE: "Intense rainfall and high winds early Thursday continued to cause flooding, mudslides and severe traffic alerts around the region to create havoc on the roads."
"Several areas of the Sonoma County experienced major flooding, shutting down lanes of traffic. The California Highway Patrol reported flooding on Highway 1 between Valley Ford Road and Middle Road in Petaluma and on the highway between between North Bay Hill Road and South Harbor Way in Bodega Bay."
"Flooding on Highway 121 between Fremont Drive and Eighth Street East, outside of Sonoma, also shut down all lanes of traffic, as well as both directions of Highway 12 between Watmaugh Road and Millerick Road."
READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: PG&E says it's still trying to limit power shutoffs under expanded program -- The Chronicle's JD MORRIS; 'It's a mess.' Atmospheric river brings record-setting rain to Sacramento, Northern California -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN SABALOW/DALE KASLER; 18.6 million more California trees died in 2018, US Forest Service says -- Monterey Herald's JAMES HERRERA
Trump demands California return $3.5B from 'disaster' high-speed rail project
Sacramento Bee's BRYAN ANDERSON: "President Donald Trump is demanding California return billions of dollars to the federal government following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to scale down the state’s costly high-speed rail project."
"In a tweet on Wednesday, Trump called the project a “’green disaster."
"California has been forced to cancel the massive bullet train project after having spent and wasted many billions of dollars,” Trump added. “They owe the Federal Government three and a half billion dollars. We want that money back now."
Maxine Waters has a powerful new House position -- and freshmen who could make it challenging
LA Times's JIM PUZZANGHERA: "Rep. Maxine Waters had toiled 28 years in Congress for the moment last month when she presided over the powerful House Financial Services Committee for the first time as its chairwoman — and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect."
"So the Los Angeles Democrat cleared her throat, prepared her notes and adjusted a thin microphone before declaring, “the committee will come to order."
"But after quickly promising a “new agenda” under her leadership, Waters made a subtle move to diffuse a potential obstacle to her success — a crop of high-profile, freshmen panel members intent on shaking up the Washington establishment that Waters has navigated to reach her important committee chair."
5 key ways Newsom is differentiating himself from Brown
CALMatters: "A month after being inaugurated, Gov. Gavin Newsom used his State of the State speech Tuesday to make his strongest showing yet that Jerry Brown is no longer in charge."
"He proposed scaling back two of Brown’s legacy projects—a high-speed train and a pair of tunnels to move water from north to south. He rescinded Brown’s deployment of California National Guard troops to the Mexican border. He voiced support for education and housing policies that Brown stayed away from."
Anti-fascist protesters want assault charges thrown out in 2016 Capitol melee
Sacramento Bee's DARRELL SMITH: "Attorneys for the anti-fascist protesters charged with assaulting white nationalists during a 2016 clash at California’s Capitol will ask a judge to dismiss the case when they return to court in March."
"Teacher-activist Yvonne Felarca, Porfirio Paz and Michael Williams, arrested after the year-long investigation that followed the June 16, 2016, melee, were to be arraigned for trial Wednesday, but will now return March 6 before Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jaime Roman."
"Attorneys for the three say the protesters acted only to defend themselves against attack from Traditional Worker Party and Golden State Skinhead s members at the violent rally that left 10 injured and will ask Roman to throw out the charges at the March 6 arraignment."
Chico ER's RISA JOHNSON: "Lawyers representing the state Department of Water Resources will make their case Friday for striking portions of lawsuits over the spillway crisis filed by the city of Oroville,several farms, businesses and other plaintiffs."
"The state is arguing that certain “inflammatory and irrelevant” allegations should be removed from the lawsuits, including allegations about racist actions, sexual harassment and petty theft by DWR employees and conspiracy to cover up or destroy documents. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Sacramento County Superior Court, with Judge James McFetridge presiding."
"This comes as a trial has been set for these lawsuits and others related to the spillway crisisfor June 1, 2020."
64 percent of California LGBT students are buillied. A new bill would train teachers to help
Sacramento Bee's ANDREW SHEELER: "Anti-LGBTQ bullying is an epidemic in California schools: 64 percent of such middle and high school students surveyed by the California Department of Education last year reported being bullied. Nearly half had seriously considered suicide."
"Now, California lawmakers have re-introduced a bill aimed at giving teachers and school districts tools and funding to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students."
"Assembly Bill 493 is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Todd Gloria, vice chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. The bill would require every county office of education, school district and charter school to provide annual in-service training to all teachers grades seven to 12."
READ MORE related to Education: Is California really ranked 41st in education spending nationwide? -- Sacramento Bee's MICHAEL FINCH II
Chico ER: "The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced his resignation Wednesday."
"Brock Long, appointed FEMA administrator by President Donald Trump in April 2017, will be replaced by Deputy Administrator Peter Gaynor as acting administrator."
"Last year, the Department of Homeland Security determined that Long’s improper use of government resources cost taxpayers more than $150,000 between staff salary, travel expenses and vehicle maintenance."
Tech billionaire Henry Nicholas is charged with drug trafficking in Las Vegas
LA Times's RICHARD WINTON: "Billionaire Henry T. Nicholas III was charged Wednesday in Las Vegas with multiple charges of narcotics trafficking six months after police discovered heroin and meth in the Broadcom co-founder’s massive suite at the Encore hotel."
"Based on the quantities of the narcotics found inside the suite in August, the Clark County district attorney charged Nicholas, 59, and Ashley Fargo, a woman present in the suite with the billionaire, each with five felony counts of trafficking and two of possession."
"Court documents said investigators recovered 82.5 grams of meth and 4.24 grams of heroin."
Valentine's Day: For couple married 75 years, love is the answer
Chico ER's MARY NUGENT: "This Valentine’s Day, Kenneth and Marion Geiger can say they’ve been married 75 years. They have always been a good team, the husband said. So why has it been successful, all these years? The answer is not complicated."
"I love her,” he said. “We’re married — that’s it."
"“That goes two ways. We just love each other,” added his wife."