University of California President Janet Napolitano says she will step down in August
From NANETTE ASIMOV in the Chronicle: "University of California President Janet Napolitano will step down in August from her post as head of the nation’s leading public academic research system, she announced at the UC regents meeting in Los Angeles on Wednesday."
“My time at UC has been deeply gratifying and rewarding,” Napolitano said. “The decision was tough, and this moment bittersweet, but the time is right.”
"Napolitano, 61, has led the $37 billion university of 10 campuses, five medical centers and three national laboratories since 2013. Though public — UC got $4 billion from the state this year — the autonomous university is led primarily by Napolitano and the Board of Regents. It has more than 280,000 students and 227,000 employees."
READ MORE about Janet Napolitano: University of California President Janet Napolitano to step down -- SOPHIA BOLLAG, SacBee; UC President Janet Napolitano to step down -- TERESA WATANABE, LA Times
Newsom signs bill rewriting California employment law, limiting use of independent contractors
From the LAT's JOHN MYERS: "California businesses will soon face new limits in their use of independent contractors under a closely watched proposal signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, a decision praised by organized labor but unlikely to quell a growing debate over the rules and nature of work in the 21st century economy."
"Newsom, who signed Assembly Bill 5 in a private ceremony in his state Capitol office, had already committed to embracing the new law. Legislators gave final approval to the sweeping new employment rules before adjourning for the year last week."
"The new law “will help reduce worker misclassification — workers being wrongly classified as ‘independent contractors’ rather than employees, which erodes basic worker protections like the minimum wage, paid sick days and health insurance benefits,” Newsom wrote in a signing message released by his office."
Hundreds Of Cameras Will Be Watching For Wildfires In California, Nevada This Fire Season
From BERT JOHNSON, Capital Public RadIo: "As fall approaches, bringing strong winds to California’s dry landscape, a coalition of universities, public safety agencies and utility companies is building a network of cameras in high fire risk areas like the foothills, coastal mountains and the rangelands of Nevada."
"ALERTWildfire began in 2013 when the University of Nevada, Reno installed several cameras around Lake Tahoe with the support of the Tahoe Prosperity Center and federal lands management officials."
"The project quickly grew to include UC San Diego and the University of Oregon, enabling more cameras to be installed across the West."
Speculation still swirls over CTA chief’s firing
From Capitol Weekly's CHUCK MCFADDEN: "California’s education world is abuzz with speculation about three recent developments, little of which has to do with schools."
"1. What led to the abrupt summer firing of Joe Nuñez as executive director of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association, one of the biggest and most powerful labor groups in California?"
"2. Who will the board of directors appoint as Nuñez’s permanent successor?"
"3. What caused the California Faculty Association, (CFA) with 19,000 members, to “disaffiliate” from the teachers association in July?"
Trump Defends Plan to Kill California’s Auto-Emissions Authority
From the NYT's CORAL DAVENPORT: "President Trump on Wednesday posted on Twitter an aggressive defense of his unprecedented move to abolish California’s legal authority to set its own standards on climate-warming automobile emissions."
"Mr. Trump was in Los Angeles for a fund-raiser when he boasted about the move, which California officials and environmental advocates have assailed as an illegal attack on states’ rights and on a major policy designed to fight climate change."
“The Trump administration is revoking California’s Federal Waiver on emissions in order to produce far less expensive cars for the consumer, while at the same time making the cars substantially SAFER,” Mr. Trump wrote in the first of three posts. He said the change would lead to increased auto production and new “JOBS, JOBS JOBS,” and claimed that the newer cars would be “extremely environmentally friendly,”
Can He Do That? Lawyers Doubt Trump Can Kill California's Clean-Air Powers
From KEVIN STARK, KQED: "The latest attempt by the administration to dismantle longstanding environmental regulations follows California's voluntary framework agreement in July with Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW on clean-car standards. That effort was supposed to circumvent the Trump administration’s efforts to loosen emission rules for new small cars and trucks set under President Barack Obama. The stronger pollution requirements were central to the Obama administration’s plans to address the climate crisis. In response, the Trump administration’s opened an antitrust investigation of the deal."
"During a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed the plan to revoke California's authority and accused the Trump administration of bullying the state and the car companies. He expressed confidence that California would prevail in a legal challenge."
"He added that the market, as well as the future of the auto industry, are on California's side. “The innovation genie is out of the bottle,” Newsom said. “Every single one of these companies know where the consumer is going and the world is going. That is the elimination of the internal combustion engine. California gets that because we are in the future business.”
911 call from man drugged at Democratic donor Ed Buck’s home key to criminal case, sheriff says
From the LAT's RICHARD WINTON: "Detectives were able to build a case against Democratic donor Ed Buck on drug charges by following the 911 call made by a man who authorities allege was drugged at Buck’s West Hollywood home."
"Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in an interview Wednesday that his department had been closely monitoring Buck after two men were found dead in his apartment, one in 2017 and the other earlier this year."
"Buck was arrested and charged this week with operating a drug house, with prosecutors calling him a violent sexual predator who preys on men struggling with addiction and homelessness."
The jury’s still out on Newsom as governor — but he did OK his first year
GEORGE SKELTON, LAT: "One question invariably asked over lunch around the state Capitol is: “How do you think Newsom is doing?” And the answer almost always is: “The jury’s still out.”
"When pressed, the consensus seems to be: “He’s doing OK, but not great.”
"Then there’s usually this observation: How could Gov. Gavin Newsom not be doing at least OK? No governor in modern times has entered the office with so many advantages."
It’s going to take some big cash to make Bay Area bridges cashless
From the Chronicle's PHIL MATIER: "All seven of the Bay Area’s state-run bridges will be tearing out their toll booths and converting to a cashless, all-electronic toll system within the next four years. The first changeovers are expected as early as 2022."
"And it’s not going to be cheap."
"The Open Road Tolling Plan that has been approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is expected to cost $55 million, interior memos reveal."
Trump’s bizarre SF attack: says needles flowing to ocean — but that’s unlikely, experts say
From LAUREN HERNANDEZ and KURTIS ALEXANDER: "President Trump said Wednesday his administration will issue San Francisco an environmental violation notice within a week for polluting the ocean with needles and other waste via the city’s sewer system — but city officials said such waste is unlikely to get into the ocean through the city’s grated drains."
"Storm drain runoff is piped to one of two city treatment facilities, the Southeast Treatment Plant in the Bayview neighborhood or the Oceanside Treatment Plant near the zoo. Any pollutants would be treated at those points if they haven’t already been filtered out at catch basins beneath city streets, according to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission."
“We haven’t had any (recent) problems with syringes,” said SFPUC spokesman Tyler Gamble."