Cal Channel to end broadcasting after three decades
JESSICA HICE in Capitol Weekly: "The California Channel, a decades-old public broadcaster that has historically provided on-demand video access to the Legislature, the state Supreme Court and the Capitol community, will cease operations in October."
"Supported by the California Cable and Telecommunications Association since 1993, it’s one of the few services that offer one-on-one interviews with all candidates for the state’s elected offices. The Cal Channel has long been viewed as California’s version of C-SPAN, which covers Congress."
"Cal Channel President John Hancock says the decision to end broadcasting was due in part to the passage of Proposition 54 in 2016, which requires the Legislature to make audio and visual recordings of its legislative proceedings public within 72 hours. The Legislature has its own television and radio services that cover politicians and send stories to their districts."
READ MORE related to Cal Channel: California Channel is shutting down. Where will you get 'gavel to gavel' coverage? -- Sac Bee's MICHAEL MCGOUGH
Former LA planning director faces $281K ethics fine, the largest of its kind
LA Times's DAVID ZAHNISER/EMILY ALPERT REYES: "The former head of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning is facing a $281,250 ethics fine, the largest financial penalty ever sought by the city’s Ethics Commission for a current or former city employee.
"Michael LoGrande admitted to investigators that he repeatedly violated the city’s “revolving door” law, which prohibits high-level officials from lobbying elected officials, managers and other decision-makers during their first 12 months after leaving city employment, according to a report prepared by the enforcement arm of the City Ethics Commission."
"LoGrande left his government job in January 2016 after spending more than five years running the department, which reviews real estate development projects across the city. Within a few months, he was lobbying planning department officials on behalf of the clients he had picked up while operating his new land-use consulting business, LoGrande and Co., the report said."
Gig-worker bill: Newsom keeps his distance from California's big fight
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "Time is running out for Gov. Gavin Newsom to take a stand on an issue that is splitting Sacramento and affects 1 in 10 California workers."
"So far, at least publicly, Newsom hasn’t taken the lead on AB5, the state legislation that would turn Uber and Lyft drivers and other gig workers into company employees instead of independent contractors, with access to benefits such as health insurance and workers’ compensation. The Assembly has passed the measure, and if the state Senate does the same before this year’s session ends Sept. 13, it will land on Newsom’s desk."
"Newsom has long wanted something “audacious” when it comes to addressing one of his favorite subjects — the future of work. In his inaugural address, Newsom said that “it’s time to develop a new modern compact for California’s changing workforce.” He called for bringing together labor and tech to “come up with new ideas to expand worker opportunity without extinguishing innovation or flexibility."
'Small ball' housing aid in SF: It's better than nothing, Newsom says
The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH: "Gov. Gavin Newsom was back in San Francisco on Thursday to call for immediate action on the state’s housing crisis, and he brought some people who agreed with him."
"Teachers and safety workers joined Newsom and Mayor London Breed at Francis Scott Key Elementary School in the Sunset District to talk about their desperate efforts to keep living in San Francisco."
“My parents live here, and I was born and raised in the city,” said Joe Fazio, a San Francisco firefighter. “In my firefighters class, about half came from here, but only a quarter still live here.”
A law just for Trump's presidency? California measure aims to protect state's environment
Sac Bee's ELIZABETH SHWE: "California is considering a far-reaching law that would lock current environmental protections into place and would only be in effect until the end of Donald Trump’s presidency."
"The premise of the Senate Bill 1 is simple: to maintain environmental and worker safety standards that the state has had in place for decades, even if the federal government rolls them back."
"Standards that were effective before Jan. 19, 2017 (the day before President Trump took office) would be enforceable under state law until January 20, 2025, or when Trump would leave office if he wins a second term."
Democratic Party rebukes LA County sheriff; some feel 'misled, almost conned'
LA Times's MAYA LAU: "Thousands of people in Los Angeles County found fliers in their mailboxes last year touting a little-known candidate with an unusual advantage in his bid to become sheriff."
"Alex Villanueva, a Democrat running to unseat a well-established incumbent in the nonpartisan race, was described in the mailers as “the only candidate for sheriff endorsed by the Democratic Party.” The message helped propel Villanueva to an astonishing upset that was widely attributed to the endorsement and his promise to kick federal immigration agents out of jails in this deep-blue county."
"But nearly nine months into his term, Villanueva is facing a rare rebuke from the party amid concerns about his reinstatement of fired deputies, testimony by a former Sheriff’s Department official that Villanueva’s former chief of staff pressured her to alter records of misconduct, and his policy allowing inmates to be handed over to federal immigration agents through intermediaries."
Devin Nunes reports he owns small farm that earns no income
Sac Bee's KATE IRBY: "For the first time in more than a decade, Rep. Devin Nunes is reporting that he owns a stake in a farm."
"The new disclosure comes a year after Democratic groups accused Nunes, R-Tulare, of being a “fake farmer” and unsuccessfully challenged his description of himself as a farmer on California ballots."
"Nunes, R-Tulare, reported on a newly released financial disclosure form that he owns a Tulare County farm that generates no income for him and is worth less than $15,000."
California shows all states how to protect patients from Trump's attacks on Obamacare
LA Times's MICHAEL HILTZIK: "Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act exchange, announced some good news a few weeks ago."
"On July 19, the exchange said average premiums on its health plans would rise an average of 0.8% for 2020, the lowest annual increase in its history. In some regions, rates would increase even less or fall; customers who shop around when enrollment for 2020 plans opens on Oct. 15 could reduce their premiums by as much as 16.5%, depending on their home location, the exchange said."
Former CSU professor loses 10 years of CalPERS service credit
Sac Bee's WES VENTEICHER: "A former California State University Chico professor who arranged to accrue credit toward his public pension while only occasionally working won’t be able to collect benefits from that time, an appellate court judge has ruled."
"Abdel-Moaty Fayek sued the university and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System after he learned he would not receive a pension based on 32 years of service, according to court documents."
"The university and CalPERS denied him 10.5 years worth of credits toward his pension, which significantly reduced his expected retirement earnings."
California on alert for toxic algae that's killed dogs across the US this summer.
Sac Bee's DARRELL SMITH: "Toxic, blue-green algae blooms that poisoned dogs across the country this summer with deadly results have California water officials on alert for the dangerous bacteria."
"The bacteria are blamed for the deaths of three dogs after a swim in a Wilmington, N.C., pond that contained the algae beds, reported Raleigh-Durham television station WTVD-TV on Monday. The North Carolina dogs began having seizures at home and were dead within hours, according to the report. Another three dogs in Austin, Texas perished after swimming in a lake there earlier this month, city officials said."
"California Water Boards scientists took to Twitter to issue a danger advisory for harmful algal blooms at San Luis Reservoir in Merced County on Friday."
READ MORE related to Enevironment & Energy: Think this heat wave is bad? It's nowhere near the record -- Sacramento Bee's MICHAEL FINCH; The end of Cabernet in the Valley -- SF Chronicle ;;
Earthquake kits selling fast in Bay Area after recent tremors
The Chronicle's SHWANIKA NARAYAN: "The first time Natalie Downe felt an earthquake in San Francisco was in 2012, when she was visiting from England. It was a small tremor, but it rattled the engineer. Two years later, she moved to the Bay Area, just in time for the 6.0-magnitude Napa earthquake."
"The Napa earthquake really frightened me,” she said. “Everything shook, and I felt the world was ending.”
"She decided to assemble an earthquake kit — a bag packed with nonperishable food items, a reusable dust mask and an oxygen canister."