Trump's incoming administration has cast a shadow of uncertainty on California's budget forecast.
Sacramento Bee's JIM MILLER: "The well-being of California’s volatile revenue mix is a constant of state budgets, and Gov. Jerry Brown has regularly warned of looming red ink since returning to the statehouse six years ago."
"But this month’s inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, along with his fellow Republicans retaining control of Congress, has injected a heavy dose of trepidation into the Democrat-controlled budget process that formally begins Tuesday when Brown releases his proposed spending plan for the year beginning July 1."
"The shift in Washington and questions about the state’s revenue stream mean the budget crystal ball is hazier than usual."
An analysis of Donald Trump's speaking trail during the closing weeks of his election campaign reveal that he discussed WikiLeaks 164 times between October 10th and November 8th, 2016.
The Week's PETER WEBER: "On Friday, in its unclassified report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the FBI, NSA, and CIA concluded that Russian President Vladimir "Putin and the Russian government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him," and that Russian military intelligence "relayed material to WikiLeaks," then "used trolls as well as RT as part of its influence efforts to denigrate Secretary Clinton," an effort that "amplified stories on scandals about Secretary Clinton and the role of WikiLeaks in the election campaign."
"Trump was particularly interested in asserting that even if Russia (and "China, other countries, outside groups, and people") did hack Democrats and the Clinton campaign, it didn't affect the election."
"In fact, the intelligence agencies said in their report that they "did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election," and that "Russia collected on some Republican-affiliated targets but did not conduct a comparable disclosure campaign." In any case, Trump's insistence that the election wasn't affected sort of clashes with his repeated insistence during the campaign that the Russian-fed WikiLeaks leaks should disqualify Clinton."
READ MORE related to WikiLeaks: Is Edward Snowden a spy? A new book calls him one. -- New York Times' NICHOLAS LEMANN; Surprise! WikiLeaks' Assange backs Trump on Russia hacking report -- Mother Jones' AJ VICENS; Julian Assange accuses Obama administration of destroying records in WikiLeaks livestream -- The Daily Express' JON AUSTIN; WikiLeaks proposes database of verified Twitter users' info, sparks uproar -- Fox News' ROB VERGER; Jim Rutenberg: Assange's vision of the WikiLeaks effect has come to pass -- The Scotsman's JIM RUTENBURG
A young Native American girl has been relocated from her foster family due to a federal law known as the Indian Child Welfare Act, and now her adopted parents are frantically planning a battle strategy after their pleas for a Supreme Court review were shot down.
Daily News: "The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the case of a Santa Clarita family fighting to regain custody of a 6-year-old foster girl of partial Choctaw lineage who was relocated by social workers so she can live with relatives in Utah."
"The girl, Lexi, was taken away from foster parents Rusty and Summer Page on March 21, 2015, after about four years living with the family. The move was made under the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, which was enacted in the 1970s to help protect the interests of Native American children."
"The Pages, however, have been continuing to fight for the girl, saying she became a part of their family in the time she lived with them."
With his term as Vice President coming to a close, Joe Biden made a pledge on Monday in San Francisco to campaign against cancer in the wake of his son's 2015 death.
The Chronicle's ERIN ALLDAY: "With less than two weeks left in office, Vice President Joe Biden told health care leaders in San Francisco on Monday that he has “genuine reason for open optimism” about the state of cancer research — a special cause to him since his son’s death in 2015."
"Biden has led the Cancer Moonshot Initiative since it was announced by President Obama last January in his final State of the Union address. Over the past year, Biden worked to secure a $6.3 billion funding bill for cancer and other health research that was approved by an overwhelming majority in the Senate last month."
"That bill will help guarantee that the work he started continues long after he’s left office and a new administration has taken over the White House, Biden said Monday at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, speaking before hundreds of health care providers and investors at the Westin St. Francis hotel at Union Square."
READ MORE related to Healthcare: In search of a vaccine to vanquish the plague -- California Healthline's LYDIA ZURAW; For some patients in marketplace plans, access to cancer centers is elusive -- MICHELLE ANDREWS with California Healthline; HHS Secretary Give Medicare authority to negotiate drug prices -- RACHEL BLUTH with California Healthline
A Sacramento State professor finds himself at the center of attention after a blog post rebuking science deniers landed him a guest spot on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
Sacramento Bee's DIANA LAMBERT: "Sacramento State history professor Joseph A. Palermo set off a conservative firestorm after writing that people who deny climate change “shouldn’t be allowed” to use social media, GPS-directed drones or nuclear weapons."
“I’ve always believed that people who dismiss science in one area shouldn’t be able to benefit from science in others,” he wrote Dec. 27 on the Huffington Post website. “If Trump and his cohort believe the science of global warming is bogus then they shouldn’t be allowed to use the science of the Internet for their Twitter accounts, the science of global positioning for their drones, or the science of nuclear power for their weaponry.”
"Palermo began to receive hate mail when conservative websites ran stories about the column. He subsequently agreed to appear on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox News because he wanted to clear up a misconception that he wanted Trump censored, he said."
READ MORE related to Education: Counseling leader says many students unserved; urges early start to college planning -- EdSource's LARRY GORDON
A weir is a special dam built to regulate a body of water's upstream water level and/or flow; Sacramento is unique in that it has the only manually operated weir on the entire Sacramento River system. This is how it works.
Sacramento Bee's NATHANIEL LEVINE: "The Sacramento Weir is the only manually operated weir on the Sacramento River system."
"While the system’s five other weirs overflow automatically once the river reaches a certain elevation, the 1,920-foot-long Sacramento Weir consists of 48 gates that must be opened with a long hooked pole. The gates are opened when the river level at the I Street Bridge reaches 29.87 feet. The weir, built in 1916, was last opened in December 2005."
READ MORE related to California Water Crisis: EDITORIAL: Too soon to call an end to California's drought -- The Chronicle's STAFF;
Speaking of water, the megastorm's hardest punches have been thrown -- this is what we can expect for the remainder of the aerial-aqua-assault.
Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER, RYAN SABALOW, TONY BIZJAK and PHILLIP REESE: "Northern California’s major rivers swelled and then began receding during a pause between rainstorms Monday, leaving a trail of toppled trees and damaged roadways but no major urban flooding in Sacramento or elsewhere. The weekend’s big rainfall, the most Sacramento has seen in a two-day stretch since 2000, put another dent in the drought and left precipitation totals for the season at twice the average for this time of year."
"With a second storm expected to hit late Monday or early Tuesday, emergency officials remained watchful. Some rivers were expected to rise again to levels at or near flood stage, including the Cosumnes River in south Sacramento County and the Russian River near Guerneville in Sonoma County."
"Four miles north of downtown Sacramento, officials planned to open the gates of the Sacramento Weir late Monday for the first time in 11 years, a move that would send water gushing into the Yolo Bypass floodplain. Although the Sacramento River was expected to remain 3 to 4 feet below flood stage, opening the century-old weir helps retain a margin of error on the river while alleviating pressure on levees."
READ MORE related to California Megastorm: Mop up hampered by landslides and floods as more rain on the way -- The Chronicle's EVAN SERNOFFSKY, PETER FIMRITE and JILL TUCKER; Storm brings widespread flooding across Northern California with more rain on the way -- L.A. Times' MATT HAMILTON, LOUIS SAHAGUN, PAIGE ST. JOHN and SOUMYA KARLAMANGLA; Roughly 500 homes flood along Russian River near Guerneville -- The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER and STEVE RUBENSTEIN
The Nevada Irrigation District has proposed a new reservoir on the Bear River -- which serves two California counties -- in an effort to combat the detrimental effects of accelerated climate change on the Sierra Nevada snowpack.
Water Deeply's MATT WEISER: "AMERICANS HAVE HAD one primary reason for building dams over the past century: capturing water for growth, whether on farms or in cities."
"Now a new dam proposed on California’s Bear River offers another reason: adapting to climate change."
"The Centennial Dam project, proposed by the Nevada Irrigation District, is intended to capture rainfall at lower elevations to make up for declining snowpack at higher elevations. It would be built at an elevation of about 2,000 feet between two existing reservoirs on the Bear River – Rollins and Combie – in a region of the Sierra Nevada where winter rainfall can be prolific but snowfall is light."
Capitol Weekly starts 2017's podcast series off with lobbyist David Quintana as the team discusses the Back to Session Bash.
Capitol Weekly's STAFF: "We kick off 2017 with a visit to lobbyist David Quintana, the brains behind the Back to Session Bash — the hottest political party of the season — which is on track for Thursday, Jan. 12. We get the lowdown on the origin of the bash, the best and worst moments of past Bashes, what, exactly, Coolio was buying at Rite Aid while he was supposed to be performing — and unsuccessfully dig for details about this year’s SPECIAL GUEST.(Spoiler: NOT Beyonce.) Also featuring Viviana Becerra as official BtSB fact checker!"
In an unexpected move, Backpage has shut down it's adult section due to constantly being under intense government pressure.
L.A. Times' Matt Hamilton: "Backpage.com, one of the world’s largest classified ad websites and a frequent target in the political battle against sex trafficking, closed its adult ads section Monday in the United States, claiming to be the victim of a government witch hunt."
"The extraordinary move came shortly after the release of a scathing U.S. Senate report that accused Backpage of hiding criminal activity by deleting terms from ads that indicated sex trafficking or prostitution, including of children."
"The abrupt closure came on the eve of the scheduled testimony of Backpage’s founders, Michael Lacey and James Larkin, and the site’s CEO, Carl Ferrer, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ subcommittee on investigations."
Los Angeles finds itself in debt and needing upwards of $70M in loans to cover legal payouts in numerous lawsuits.
L.A. Times' Dakota Smith: "The Los Angeles City Council in recent years has repeatedly settled costly, high-profile lawsuits, agreeing to spend millions of dollars to end litigation brought by grieving families, disability-rights groups and people wrongfully convicted of crimes."
"City Hall leaders championed some of the settlements as having a silver lining for taxpayers, such as one in 2015 that created a program to fix L.A.’s buckling sidewalks."
"But a surge in legal settlements, along with court judgments against the city, is outpacing the city’s ability to keep up."
Sacramento's new mayor mulls over Sacramento's art scene and how to utilize it to pragmatically bolster the city's appeal.
Sacramento Bee's ANITA CHABRIA: "With rain pouring down on his blue suede shoes, Mayor Darrell Steinberg on Sunday stepped inside a cavernous warehouse on lower Broadway hoping it contained the answer to an image question that has plagued Sacramento for decades: Will this city ever be cool?"
"The building is the site of Art Street, a sequel to the unexpectedly popular and experimental Art Hotel that last year drew more than 13,000 visitors and turned away thousands more, according to organizers."
"The 10-day show took over the condemned Jade Apartments near Golden 1 Center two months before its demolition. Art Hotel used the Jade’s rooms, hallways and public spaces for a collaboration of more than 130 visual and performing artists that was edgy by local standards."
Delegate elections took place throughout the state this weekend as preparation is underway for the California Democratic Party convention in May.
The Chronicle's DAVID TALBOT: "On soggy, windy Sunday, I witnessed American democracy — in its raw and primal form — in action at a San Francisco labor hall. It was beautiful, and it was ugly."
"The occasion was the Assembly District 17 delegates election, a generally obscure exercise in democracy that took place throughout the state this weekend. The 14 delegates selected at the District 17 level, which covers the eastern half of San Francisco, get to attend the California Democratic Party convention in May, where they will swill beverages and rub elbows with minor and major political personalities, as well as vote on resolutions that might or might not influence policy. Normally, these district elections excite interest among only party hacks and political wonks. But in case you hadn’t noticed, things are anything but normal these days."
"On Sunday morning, while the rest of the city was still enjoying its coffee, a shockingly long line of San Francisco Democrats braved the rain and wind to cast their votes in the District 17 delegate race at the Laborers International Union hall in the Mission. The line snaked out of the building on 18th Street, rounded the corner on Shotwell, and turned right on 19th, where it finally ended in the wet and gloomy distance. Many people waited for as long as two hours under the leaky skies to vote."
San Francisco's new Supervisor Hillary Ronen is strengthening legislation to protect the city's Latino businesses from encroaching gentrification.
The Chronicle's J.K. DINEEN: "The city’s efforts to protect the Mission’s historic Latino business district from displacement and gentrification would be strengthened under legislation to be introduced Tuesday by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and new Supervisor Hillary Ronen."
"The legislation — Ronen’s first bill after taking her place on the board — would impose zoning regulations on new businesses looking to open within the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, which is bordered by Mission and Potrero streets to the west and east, and 22nd and Cesar Chavez streets to the north and south."
"Businesses would be required to obtain a conditional-use authorization — an extra layer of scrutiny that can take six to nine months — in two situations:"
The Golden Globes became a political platform on Sunday night as Meryl Streep gave a speech reflecting on the 2016 presidential election.
WaPo's ELAHE IZADI and AMY B. WANG: "It’s no secret that Hollywood skews liberal, and there were probably few Donald Trump fans in the audience at Sunday’s Golden Globes. And although the awards show kicked off with a few jokes at the president-elect’s expense, Meryl Streep took a serious tone to address the recent presidential election."
"Streep accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award — basically a lifetime achievement award — but didn’t say much about her career. Instead, she spent the minutes allotted to her to speak critically of the current political climate and Trump, although she did not mention the president-elect by name."
“There was one performance this year that stunned me,” she said. “It sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good. There was nothing good about it. But it was effective, and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth."
READ MORE related to Beltway: Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is named a White House senior advisor -- AP; Democrats to press AG pick as hearing opens -- AP's ERIC TUCKER and MARY CLARE JALONICK; GOP pushing 3 bills in Congress to restrain federal regulations -- The Chronicle's CAROLYN LOCHHEAD; Congressman wants Hunter charged with theft of painting -- Union-Tribune's GARY WARTH; Donald Trump says he's not surprised by Meryl Streep's Golden Globes speech -- New York Times's PATRICK HEALY; Donald Trump called Meryl Streep one of his favorite actresses in 2015 -- Vanity Fair's JULIE MILLER
A U.S. marshall is embroiled in a bizzarre criminal case in Orange County after his wife attempted to frame his ex-fiancee using 'rape fantasy' personal ads on Craigslist.
L.A. Times' CHRISTOPHER GOFFARD: "When officers arrived at Angela Diaz’s condo last June in response to her 911 call, police say, they found her in tears, with a ripped shirt and red marks on her neck. A man had just tried to rape her in her garage, she said."
"Anaheim police believed this was the gruesome result of a recent Craigslist ad, in which someone had posed as Diaz and invited men to visit her condo to participate in her “rape fantasy” encounters, even if she screamed and fought back."
"Detectives became convinced the electronic trail led to her husband’s ex-fiancee, Michelle Hadley, who soon faced 10 felony charges and the possibility of life in prison."
READ MORE related to Public Safety: Stricter oversight pushed for SFPD's work with FBI on terrorism -- The Chronicle's VIVIAN HO; Off-duty L.A. sheriff's deputy opens fire during 'altercation' in San Bernardino -- L.A. Times' MATT HAMILTON and RICHARD WINTON; San Jose cops justified in killing armed murder suspect, DA says -- The Chronicle's SARAH RAVANI
Leading biomedical engineer firm Illumina has developed an impressive new line of instrumentation that can sequence the human genome in one hour -- improving upon the old time by over 2,000%.
Union-Tribune's BRADLEY J. FIKES: "SAN FRANCISCO — DNA sequencing giant Illumina on Monday introduced a powerful new line of its instruments, bringing down the average time of sequencing a human genome to one hour — from more than one day just a couple of years ago."
"The San Diego company’s announcement is the latest step toward the dream of making genomic analysis a near-universal part of medicine, enabling easier and less costly detection of rare diseases and the ability to link genetic variations with health and illness. As sequencing prices fall and capacity rises, uses of the technology that were once impractical become feasible."
"And “one day,” Illumina chief executive Francis DeSouza said, the company’s NovaSeq line is expected to reduce the cost of sequencing to $100 per human genome. That would be one-tenth the figure that Illumina announced in 2014, when it achieved the milestone of $1,000 per genome. A decade ago, the expense was about $10 million."
