Proposition 47, approved in 2014 to reclassify certain felony drug charges as misdemeanors in an effort to improve prison conditions and ease overcrowding, has had its critics. But to many, it is showing signs of success.
Ali Tadayon with Press-Telegram reports: "Even with four years of sobriety under his belt and his criminal past behind him, Freddie Harris of Corona struggles."
"A record riddled with felony drug convictions and prison time has made it tough for the 55-year-old to hold down a job, get an education or secure stable housing for him and his family."
"But Harris’ life took a turn for the better in 2014 with the passage of Proposition 47, which turned certain felonies into misdemeanors. Several of his prior drug-possession convictions from years ago were reclassified as misdemeanors. Harris said he still has felonies on his record from incidents in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties and is working to get those reclassified as well."
READ ALSO in Policy: Is Prop. 47 working? Depends on whom you ask -- Brian Rokos with The Press-Enterprise; 30-plus drug citations equals zero felonies, thanks to Prop. 47 -- Brian Rokos with The Press-Enterprise
A new policy would prevent the prosecution of minor-aged prostitutes believed to be the victims of sex traffickers -- a move that some legislators say will make finding and punishing pimps harder.
Melody Gutierrez reports in The Chronicle: "California would no longer prosecute minors for prostitution under a bill in the state Legislature, a move law enforcement agencies say would make it more difficult to prosecute pimps."
"Supporters of SB1322 say many children caught selling sex are the victims of human traffickers and that prosecuting them for prostitution is not the appropriate or ethical response."
"The bill could come up for a vote this week in the Assembly after having already passed the state Senate."
The latest controversy to unfold in the UC school system re-examines a law known as anti-SLAPP, after a woman let go from the Davis residency program accused the school of harassment and discrimination.
Sac Bee's Denny Walsh writes: "On paper at least, Dr. Un Hui Nam appeared to be an unlikely candidate for expulsion from UC Davis Medical Center residency program."
"Before joining the center’s anesthesia department, she distinguished herself as a general surgery intern at the UCLA Medical Center. She graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine’s surgical honors program. She held a doctorate in pharmacy from Purdue University."
"Yet, in January 2012, she was deemed a disruptive, unruly and unpleasant person and dismissed from the UCD program."
Meanwhile, a YMCA pilot program in the Silicon Valley is introducing 'pop-up preschools' in public places for children of low-income families.
AP's Kathryn Baron reports: "Cindy Rivera entered the family resource center in the Hillview neighborhood library at 10 a.m. and began transforming it. She replaced chairs and tables with furniture half the size, unfurled colorful round rugs, and unpacked boxes of books and blocks, clay and costumes, and math and science games."
"At 11 a.m., she opened the door and greeted 13 children by name as they rushed inside, pulling a parent or grandparent by the hand behind them."
"The library room is one of six "pop-up" preschools in Silicon Valley, so named because each is housed in a non-traditional school setting in the community. They are part of a national YMCA pilot program to provide free preschool programs for young children from low-income families."
Speaking of education, in November, California voters will decide whether to toss out English-only instruction, which is really a big deal.
From Tom Chorneau in the Cabinet Report: "Eighteen years ago, bilingual education was about as hot a political topic as there was in California – today, not so much, despite the best efforts of Donald Trump to make immigration a wedge issue."
"Many voters were still smoldering in June 1998, over the federal courts throwing out major portions of Proposition 187, a divisive constitutional amendment that would have restricted noncitizens’ access to many public services. It wasn’t a big shock then that nearly 60 percent of the electorate that spring backed another initiative, Proposition 227, which generally required instruction in the public schools to be conducted in English only."
"This November, the question comes back as voters have been asked by the Legislature to repeal the English-only mandate by approving yet another ballot measure, Proposition 58."
READ MORE related to Education: Two conflicting California school improvement systems feared -- John Fensterwald with EdSource writes in Daily News
And in healthcare news, Alzheimer's disease may have met its match after the latest research suggests we can soon administer treatments that hinder the spread of the disease--the only thing left is to figure out how to eradicate it completely.
Claudia Buck in Sac Bee writes: "For decades, Alzheimer’s has been silently ravaging brains, stealing memories and shortening the lives of millions of Americans. Now, researchers say they may be on the brink of tantalizing treatment breakthroughs that could for the first time at least slow the disease’s deadly progression."
"It could help patients such as David Johnson, a 59-year-old former truck driver in Sacramento, who wasn’t surprised when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2012. The debilitating disease had already taken his father, six aunts and uncles, and a cousin."
"Four years ago, “I resigned myself to dying. I knew I had three to five years left,” said Johnson, a trim, goateed grandfather."
And now a page from our "Trump International" file ...
A Scottish street performer is going viral after his latest impersonation-roast of Donald Trump, where the man don's a fiery orange wig and creates his own version of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer". NOTE: NSFW (Language)
HuffPost: "It’s globalization in action: A Scotsman in Ireland is getting attention around the world for singing about the American presidential campaign."
"Eric Gudmunsen has been serenading tourists in Killarney with songs about both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and the Trump tune went viral."
"(NOTE: The song and video above, and lyrics below contain more than a few naughty words.)"
