Heat

As if getting heat from the enviros, fish folk and Delta dwellers wasn't enough, now some of Jerry Brown's fellow Democrats in California's congressional delegation also are hammering him over his $25 billion plan to move more northern California to the south.

From the Oakland Tribune's Josh Richman: "Five members of Congress held a news conference in Sacramento this morning to renew their staunch opposition to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown and the U.S. Department of the Interior."

"Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Napa; Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton; John Garamendi, D-Fairfield; Ami Bera, D-Rancho Cordova; and Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, all believe the plan would devastate the Delta and ignores concerns repeatedly raised by local stakeholders. Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, concurs but wasn’t at today’s news conference."

"The state has released a 20,000-page Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the BDCP. Chapters 1-7 were released in the last few months and Chapters 8-12, including the financing mechanism, were released yesterday."

Gov. Brown's attempt to take $300 million from the counties as part of his newly rewritten budget is coming under criticism from -- who else? -- the counties themselves, who say it will cripple their health care programs.

From the Mercury-News' Sandy Kleffman: "Brown wants to use the money to help pay for other programs the state is shifting to the counties."

"But county health leaders urged the governor not to shift the money until everyone has a clearer idea of how the national health care reforms will affect Californians."

"We're not greedy in San Mateo -- if there are savings, we're happy to share them with the state," said Jean Fraser, chief of the San Mateo County Health System. "But the governor is assuming everybody (who is eligible) will be enrolled and it will be a perfect world. Whether there are any savings is completely uncertain."

Mortgage interest rates, which were at record lows last year, are inching upward -- and that could increase the hot housing market as buyers scramble to get the lowest rates.

From the LAT's E. Scott Reckard and Alejandro Lazo: "In a weekly survey of what lenders are offering to solid borrowers, Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average rate for a 30-year fixed loan rose from 3.59% last week to 3.81% early this week. It was the highest in more than a year, contrasting with the record low of 3.31% set last fall."

"The rates remain extraordinarily low by historical standards. The typical rate exceeded 16% during inflationary times in 1981 and 1982, Freddie Mac's records show, and the annual average topped 8% as recently as 2000."

"The higher rates have arrived as rising home prices and the slowly improving economy also are delivering some good news for mortgage borrowers, who are being offered a wider range of loans on somewhat easier terms these days. That's allowing buyers without 20% down payments to avoid private mortgage insurance, and family members to sign on as co-borrowers without living in the homes, mortgage brokers say."

California, which seems to be first -- good and bad -- in so many things, now is requiring freighters to cut their power and go electric when they tie up.

From the AP's Gillian Flaccus: "In January, the state will become the first government body in the world to require container fleets docking at its major ports to shut off their diesel engines and use electricity for 50 percent of their visits — or face crippling fines. The requirements also include slashing fleet emissions by half, and those requirements rise to 80 percent in 2020."

"The regulations by the California Air Resources Board mark a sea change in the industry that has ports, shippers and terminal owners who do business in some of the busiest port complexes in the U.S. scrambling to meet the deadline and navigate new technological challenges."

"It also comes at a time when California's bustling ports are under increasing pressure to remain competitive while at the same time reducing pollution with initiatives that have, in some cases, been met with harsh opposition from the truckers and shippers that are their life blood."

Lately, it seems that LAX has almost as many legal challenges as it does airplanes.

From the LAT's Dan Weikel: "Los Angeles International Airport landed in court again Thursday when a labor union, four local governments and a neighborhood coalition filed lawsuits challenging the latest round of construction being performed at the aging facility, including a controversial plan to relocate the northernmost runway closer to homes."

And from our "It's Only a Word" file comes the tale of the National Spelling Bee and the guy who got it right.

"Arms behind his back in his signature stance, Arvind Mahankali spells on his hand, looking up at the pronouncer as he correctly spells "tokonoma."

"Arvind, since you are the only speller left in this round, if you spell this next word correctly you will be the 2013 Scripps Spelling Bee Champion," head judge Mary Brooks says from the judges table."

"Tracing letters on his hand with his finger, Arvind confidently looks up and spells a word meaning a small mass of leavened dough: "k-n-a-i-d-e-l." German words have led Arvind, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y., to his spelling-bee demise for the past two years, when he twice placed third at the bee."

Okay, but can he spell "onomatopoeia?" Got him!