Half of those surveyed in the latest Field Poll say California is headed in the right direction, reflecting a more optimistic view than we've seen in nearly a year. Maybe the snow and rain had something to do with it.
From David Siders in the Bee: "Fifty percent of registered voters say things in California are generally going in the right direction, up 10 percentage points from May, according to the poll. Forty-two percent of voters say the state is seriously off on the wrong track."
"The poll brings California voters’ assessment of the overall direction of the state back in line with February 2015 measures, before Gov. Jerry Brown ordered the first mandatory water cutbacks in California history."
“The May figures declined due to the drought, and now that we’re having rain again, it’s kind of a return to normalcy,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the poll.
The 2010 San Bruno gas explosion, the story keeps on giving: PG&E management ordered the destruction of records after the blast, according to a new report.
From the Chronicle's Jaxon Van Derbeken: "A former Pacific Gas and Electric Co. official hired after the San Bruno gas-pipeline explosion to clean up the company’s records said management ordered her to destroy documents, and that she found a telltale preblast analysis of the pipe in the garbage, according to a federal court filing."
"Prosecutors say they intend to use Leslie Banach McNiece’s testimony during a trial of PG&E on a dozen counts of pipeline safety violations and one count of obstructing the federal investigation into the September 2010 blast, which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes."
"PG&E’s record keeping is at the heart of the case, which is scheduled to go to trial in March in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office allege that the company relied on records that executives knew were suspect to vouch to government regulators before 2010 that the San Bruno transmission pipe and other gas lines were safe."
For the
LAT's George Skelton, President Obama's State of the Union speech -- his final SOTU as president -- wasn't exactly a stem-winder and it had at least one major failing --
the president fell short on gun control.
"The speech was mostly on target, especially the slap at climate deniers and the call for reducing the influence of private money in politics — an evil you exacerbated by rejecting public campaign funding in 2008."
"But just one complete sentence or two about guns, 10 seconds' worth, could have inspired a few million citizens to press their state legislatures and city councils to get tougher."
"Something beyond the throwaway line about continuing to push for progress on immigration, equal pay, paid leave, the minimum wage and "protecting our kids from gun violence."
Sex education is now a requirement in California's public school system. We thought it already was mandatory, but no. The new law took effect this year.
From KQED's Ana Tintocalis: "Parents who don’t want their kids to learn about issues like body image, contraception and HIV awareness and prevention will have to formally opt out by submitting a document to their school or district."
"For years, sex education has been optional. If parents wanted their children to take a sexual health class, they had to sign up for the instruction."
"The law, called the California Healthy Youth Act, attempts to standardize and update sex education in the state, which also now must include gender identity."
The wining ticket in the $1.6 billion Powerball lottery frenzy was sold at a Los Angeles area mini-market, whose owner said divine intervention played a role.
From the LAT's Steve Rubenstien: "An owner of the 7-Eleven store in suburban Los Angeles that sold a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket said God and the angels had something to do with it."
“Nothing happens without God,” said Balbir Atwal. “He controls everything. And the angels, too.”
"The Almighty might have been the only soul in Chino Hills, a small community in the southwest corner of San Bernardino County, who did not buy a Powerball ticket this week for the record $1.6 billion drawing Wednesday night."
"For the past three days, store employees said, the line of Powerball ticket buyers stretched out the front door of the store and around the side of the building. Hundreds of buyers, maybe thousands."
And finally, from our "Portland is For the Birds" file comes word of the Poopmaster 6000. It battles crow poop which, it turns out, is the scourge of the city. And here you thought Portland was really cool.
"Portland Mall Management said the Poopmaster 6000 will drive up and down the city's downtown five days a week to clear the crow feces that has become a public nuisance."
"The organization said the Poopmaster is being given a six-month trial in the city at the cost of a few thousand dollars per month. The city will have the option to buy the Poopmaster for $60,000 at the end of the trial."
"Officials said the initial results from the Poopmaster have been positive."
"Our crews have given us a nice, clean sidewalk," said Jerry Jenkins of Portland Mall Management. "And the crows leave a few hours later and who knew anybody cleaned."
So when you visit Portland, wear a hat...
