A federal judge slashed the potential fine that PG&E may face in its upcoming trial for pipeline safety violations and obstruction of justice related to the 2010 San Bruno explosion that killed eight. Jaxon Van Derbeken has the story at the San Francisco Chronicle:
“The ruling by U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson in San Francisco means PG&E will face a maximum fine of $562 million when it goes to trial on 27 felony counts of pipeline safety code violations and one felony count of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors still must justify that sum to Henderson in January, two months before the trial is scheduled to begin.
“Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office had sought to levy a $1.13 billion fine, a figure they arrived at by doubling the $565 million that PG&E paid out in litigation related to the Sept. 9, 2010, blast that left eight people dead, 58 injured and 38 homes destroyed.”
The resignation last month of Assemblyman Henry Perea (D-Fresno) left the Assembly’s Moderate Democrat Caucus without a leader. The Mods fixed that situation last weekend, choosing Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) and Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) as their new leaders. Jeremy White, Sacramento Bee:
“The decision, which took place during a policy retreat at Torrey Pines in San Diego, followed Assemblyman Henry Perea, D-Fresno, the current leader of the business-friendly group, announcing last week that he would renounce his Assembly seat. It was not yet clear how Cooper or Salas would share leadership duties.”
Dem consultant Steve Maviglio took the opportunity to tweak the group on Twitter about their ties to Big Oil, leading to a spat with Minnie Santillan, Perea’s Chief of Staff. Fight! Fight! Fight!
Perea’s resignation announcement shocked many who had watched the Central Valley Democrat go from freshman Fresno City Councilman to one of the most powerful members of the Assembly. Looking at term limits and a new incoming Speaker, Perea decided it was time to go. Cynthia Moreno, Vida en el Valle:
“’I wasn’t necessarily looking for a job because I had another year left in my term. But, the opportunity came up and after a lot of soul searching and talking to my wife (Yahaira) and trying to decide if it was something I wanted to do, we made the decision to move on with my career and take this opportunity,” said Perea.
“There was another person he also spoke to before his resignation. His father Henry R. Perea, who is a Fresno County Board Supervisor.
“’My wife and my father; they are the two that I go to for a lot of things. They were the two I talked to the most. It was definitely a tough call. I had a really good year last year in the legislature. Ultimately, I think I made the right call for me and my family and we look forward to starting a new chapter,’ said Perea.”
One of Perea and the Mods’ signature achievements this year – with help from the oil industry - was blocking a provision of SB350 that would have mandated reduction by half of gasoline use in the state by 2050. While Governor Brown promotes his climate change agenda in Paris, Perea ally, Chevron CEO John Watson loudly dismissed the state’s greenhouse gas policies. James Nash, Bloomberg Politics:
“Watson, who heads California’s eighth-largest company by market value, dismissed state laws requiring greenhouse gas emission levels return to 1990 levels by 2020 and establishing a cap-and-trade market to auction pollution credits. He said hydraulic fracturing of natural gas and improvements in internal-combustion engines are responsible for more reductions in carbon emissions than any government policies. He said that California is responsible for just 1 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
“’The rest of it is noise,’ Watson said. ‘I’ll give you an example. The United States has an economy that’s twice the size of China’s. But they’re emitting twice the greenhouse gases of the United States. The low-hanging fruit is around the world.’”
Cal Fire continues in its role as the gift that keeps on giving – for the Bee’s Jon Ortiz, anyway. A new report finds that two academy fire captains were demoted for cheating – and promptly regained their rank.
“During a sweeping Cal Fire academy investigation last year, Capts. James Michels and Frank Schonig admitted that they won their jobs as instructors after receiving text-messaged interview questions and answers. The investigation also found that employees drank on duty, misused state time, stored and shared inappropriate photos on state cellphones and, in one instance, used state property to hook up with prostitutes, among other things.
“The department demoted Michels and Schonig one rank, but specifically kept them eligible to repromote because of their “honesty” during the investigation. Within weeks, that’s exactly what they did. Embarrassed, Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott withdrew their single-rank demotions from the academy, then demoted both men two ranks. They and their union are fighting the second punishments.”
Three centuries after a treasure-laden Spanish galleon hit the bottom of the sea off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, researchers say they have found the remains of the ship, estimated to carry over $1 billion in gold and jewels.
“The evening of May 28, 1708 was moonless and stifling, with little in the way of wind to fill the massive sails of the Spanish treasure ship San Jose as it maneuvered in the calm waters off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. Not far off, barely visible in the fast-fading light, a British warship streaked toward the Spanish galleon, slowly but steadily gaining ground.
“The ships angled toward one another, guns at the ready, battle flags raised. Billions of dollars in jewels and precious metals and the outcome of what some consider the first modern global war hung in the balance.
“The confrontation would end in a cacophony of cannon fire and a final, fatal blast that sent the Spanish ship and its costly cargo plummeting to the sea floor. Neither the British nor the Spanish and their French allies would be able to use the loot to finance their efforts in the bloody War of Spanish Succession; the fight would drag on for six more years and end inconclusively, leading to 100 years of power struggles between the European nations.
“Meanwhile, the San Jose and its riches remained submerged somewhere at the bottom of the Caribbean. The “Holy Grail of shipwrecks” — thought to contain at least $1 billion and as much as $14 billion in emeralds, silver and gold — has figured in novels, histories and even an international legal battle, but proved as elusive to treasure hunters in the 21st century as it was in the 18th.”
And speaking of treasure, we have to mention a golden opportunity: We’re right in the middle of our annual fund drive, and the California Endowment has offered to match every donation we receive today (up to $2500)!
This special matching offer is only good for donations made on Wednesday, December 9 – today is the day if you want to double your giving power and support public policy journalism!
