Housing prices are rising but homeownership is down, a phenomenon driven in part by investors snapping up residential properties. This all doesn't sound good.
From the LAT's Alejandro Lazo: "Home prices are rising at levels not seen since the real estate boom, but American homeownership remains on the decline."
"The two trends underscore the nature of the housing rebound: Gains in pricing have been driven significantly by investors, leaving many would-be buyers behind. Prices are rising because of strong demand, a lack of supply and a sharp recovery in the hardest-hit markets. The number of foreclosed homes coming to market has also dropped dramatically. But because lending standards remain tight, the everyday home shopper is often losing out to investors able to pay cash."
"What we are seeing right now is definitely not normal," said Jed Kolko, chief economist for real estate website Trulia.com.
Nevada's penchant of dumping its psychiatric patients across the country is getting the attention of federal lawmakers, many of whom signed a letter demanding an investigation into "Greyhound Therapy."
From the Bee's Phillip Reese: "The letter, initiated by Rep. Ami Bera, an Elk Grove Democrat, states that "if this practice of shipping patients with a history of mental illness to other states, known colloquially as "Greyhound Therapy," is occurring, it would not only be unethical and disgraceful, but would also be an illegal attempt by Nevada to evict members of the state's most vulnerable population to benefit its bottom line."
"The letter cites a Bee investigation that found that Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada's primary hospital for the mentally ill, has bused about 1,500 patients out of southern Nevada since 2008, sending people to every state in the continental United States. Among them was James Flavy Coy Brown, a homeless, schizophrenic man who was bused to Sacramento two months ago despite having no ties or housing in the region."
"Nevada state officials initially said Brown's case was an anomaly. This week, they said an internal investigation had identified 10 cases in which a patient may have been improperly bused to another state. Five employees have been disciplined in response to the findings, including two who were fired, according to a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. Last week, the state announced mentally ill patients would no longer be bused out of state without a chaperone."
Californians may be car happy, but they used less gasoline in 2012 than they did the year before, continuining a six-year trend.
From the Bee's Mark Glover: "In 2012, 14.5 billion gallons of gasoline were used, down from about 14.6 billion in 2011."
"Even with reduced consumption, BOE member George Runner noted that "Californians paid a record $8.3 billion in fuel taxes last year."
"Gasoline consumption in the fourth quarter of 2012 totaled 3.57 billion gallons, down from 3.63 billion gallons in the final quarter of 2011."
More than 3,000 state prison inmates are staying put, at least for now, despite an order from the federal overseer to transfer them because of the threat of Valley Fever.
From KPCC's Julie Small: "Despite a directive from the federal receiver who oversees California prison healthcare, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections says the agency will not immediately transfer about 3,300 inmates from two Central Valley prisons rife with Valley Fever."
"Valley Fever — a fungal infection also called Coccidioidomycosis that can cause flu-like symptoms — is not contagious. People contract it by inhaling airborne spores dislodged from the soil. California’s Central Valley has the highest rates of the disease in the state. The rate inside Pleasant Valley and Avenal prisons is even higher."
"Over a recent five-year stretch, 36 inmates at those prisons died of Valley Fever. Some 71 percent of them were African-American. The disease contributed to the deaths of another 40 inmates and hundreds more were hospitalized for treatment."
A new student testing program is under consideration -- and yet another acronym is on the way.
From Cabinet Report's Tom Chorneau: "A key hearing is set today for consideration of what may prove to be landmark legislation that would replace the state’s existing statewide student performance testing program with one that is designed to be taken online and is also aligned with the new common core curriculum standards."
"The bill would also usher in another snappy new education acronym, the CalMAPP21 – or the California Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress for the 21st Century."
"AB 484 by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla would implement key parts of the new assessment plan released earlier this year by state schools chief Tom Torlakson. The bill is scheduled to receive its hearing today before the Assembly’s Education Committee."
And finally, from our "Circular Firing Squad" file comes the story of 13 people who were executed in Somalia -- wait, make that 14.
"Aden said one soldier who helped carry out the execution died after being struck by an errant bullet fired by a colleague."
"Six of the prisoners were convicted for the murder of Ahmed Abdirahman, a religious leader killed by gunmen in December 2011. The other seven were convicted of various other crimes, mainly targeted killings."
"Puntland, in northern Somalia, has escaped the decades of conflict seen in the country’s south and central regions. But Puntland has seen attacks and assassinations against government officials."
