Sacramento Bee's RYAN LILLIS/ANGELA HART: "California leaders, already preparing to fight the Trump administration on climate change and health care, struck defiant tones Wednesday against two executive orders signed by the president toughening federal laws targeting undocumented immigrants."
"Top officials from the Capitol to city halls around the state fired back against executive orders signed by Donald Trump seeking to build a wall on the border with Mexico and to block federal aid to local governments that do not cooperate with federal authorities to track and report undocumented immigrants."
"California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León said the state is ready to sue the federal government to defend California’s laws and prevent mass deportations of its residents. Mayors from Sacramento to San Diego said they would also defend the rights of immigrants, even as Trump sought to cut off federal grants to so-called sanctuary cities."
READ MORE related to Immigration: Trump orders feds to start building wall along Mexican border -- The Chronicle's MELODY GUTIERREZ ; UC Board of Regents discusses Trump administraton, undocmented students -- Daily Californian's AUDREY MCNAMARA; SF Mayor Lee stands up to Trump, says city remains a sanctuary -- The Chronicle's EMiLY GREEN/KEVIN FAGAN; 6 celebrities who were once unauthorized immigrants -- Union-Tribune's MORGAN COOK; Would Trump punish San Diego as a 'sanctuary' for unauthorized immigration? -- Union-Tribune's KRISTINA DAVIS; Some support Trump's immigration moves, others decry them -- Union-Tribun's KATE MORRISSEY; 9 border barrier boondoggles -- The Chronicle's JAMES DEHAVEN; Border wall wouldn't be America's most expensive -- Union-Tribune's LAURYN SCHROEDER
Covered California has a bit of FUBAR in its tax credit information, resulting in inaccurate bills for at least 25,000 policy holders.
Sacramento Bee's EMILY BAZAR: "Thousands of people enrolled in Covered California face higher-than-expected bills from their insurers because the exchange sent incorrect tax credit information to the health plans."
"The exchange confirmed it gave insurers wrong subsidy information for about 25,000 policy holders, resulting in inaccurate bills. Insurers now are sending new bills correcting the errors, and in most cases that means higher premiums than consumers initially anticipated."
“It feels like this is a bait-and-switch,” said Beth Freeman, 53, of San Bruno. “Now what am I going to do? I don’t know if I can afford it.”
PG&E's criminal history may now possibly be a mandatory display on future advertisements.
The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO: "Ever since the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion in 2010, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has proclaimed, in public statements and advertisements, its renewed commitment to safe operations — as the company’s website declares, “At PG&E, nothing is more important than safety.”
"But the ads may soon include a less-welcome message: the utility’s status as a criminal violator of pipeline-safety laws."
"U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson of San Francisco is scheduled to sentence PG&E on Thursday for six felony convictions handed down by a jury in August. In addition to a fine of $3 million, the maximum allowed by federal law, Henderson said at a hearing Monday that he was inclined to order the company, as a condition of probation, to disclose its criminal record whenever its ads mention safety issues."
Nancy Pelosi has some comments about Trump team's viewpoint on 'alternate facts.'
The Chronicle's CAROLYN LOCHHEAD: "House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has met President Trump twice in the past week, and on Wednesday she described the new president as “so insecure” that it might be difficult to get anything done."
“For a person who is newly elected president of the United States to be so insecure as to declare — he’s now the president, ensconced in the White House and saying, ‘I won the popular vote and 3 to 5 million Americans voted illegally in our country’ — to suggest and undermine the integrity of our voting system is really strange,” the San Francisco Democrat said."
"I frankly feel very sad about the president making this claim,” Pelosi said. “I felt sorry for him. I even prayed for him. But then I prayed for the United States of America."
Donald Trump has disconnected the White House phone line to the public, but Bernie Sanders has developed a work around.
Mashable's SASHA LEKACH: "With the White House comments phone line still closed, the digital team from Bernie Sanders' campaign have built a convenient workaround."
"For anyone who has been trying to make a call only to be redirected to the White House website or Facebook page, now there's a calling tool to deliver you to the businesses run by the same man currently running our country."
"WhiteHouseInc.org was created last year with a PAC to push Trump to divest from his businesses while in office. The team that worked on Sanders' digital presidential campaign, Revolution Messaging, is behind the project."
READ MORE related to Beltway: President Trump tells ABC News' David Muir alleged voter fraud probe has 'a lot to look into.' -- ABC News' ARLETTE SAENZ; Mexican president condemns Trump's border wall order -- Sacramento Bee's DENIS DUETTMAN/ANNE WALTERS/; President Trump: 'World is a total mess' and 'the country has a lot of problems' -- Sacramento Bee's BRIAN MURPHY; Trump announces 'major' voter fraud -- AP's JULIE PACE/JONATHAN LEMIRE
The local eastern Sacramento brewery under fire for its Women's March social media dissent has now lost investors as a result of its political views.
Sacramento Bee's BLAIR ANTHONY ROBERTSON: "Three co-owners of the restaurant Red Rabbit surrendered their minority ownership stake at Twelve Rounds Brewing and said the beer would not be served at their bustling midtown eatery and bar after brewery founder Daniel Murphy’s diatribes on Facebook touched off an angry backlash."
"Murphy faced the wrath of many people late Monday after a Facebook post on his personal page disparaged the Women’s March events on Saturday that drew several million protesters throughout the country challenging the statements and positions of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump."
"Murphy later issued an apology on the brewery’s Facebook page and asked that people give him and his East Sacramento business another chance. But it was too late for many, including Red Rabbit’s Matt Nurge, Sonny Mayugba and John Bays, who said Murphy’s incendiary views and angry rants throughout his Facebook page prompted them to get out of the deal in a hurry."
Sacramento State has a lead problem with its water fountains.
Sacramento Bee's DIANA LAMBERT/NASHELLY CHAVEZ: "Students at Sacramento State returned to school after winter break this week to find drinking fountains, bottle-filling stations and sinks in six classroom buildings and two dormitories shut down after elevated lead levels were discovered in the water."
"The high lead levels were found by students and professors working on a research project during their tests of 449 sinks and fountains on the campus over a three-day period earlier this month. The testing revealed 27 water sources had lead levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s allowable limit of 15 parts per billion, according to California State University, Sacramento, officials."
"The university shut down 85 sinks and fountains in “an abundance of caution” on Jan. 13, including 58 water sources that emitted lead levels between 5 and 15 parts per billion, said Steve Leland, CSUS director of environmental health and safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration limit for bottled water is 5 parts per billion."
A local nun has left Loaves & Fishes to begin a new homeless ministry.
Sacramento Bee's CYNTHIA HUBERT: "Sister Libby Fernandez was alone at her campsite in the Lassen National Forest this summer, “with nothing but my Bible, my journal, and God,” she said, when she had an epiphany."
"She had spent 20 years working at the sprawling Loaves & Fishes agency near downtown Sacramento, serving the poorest of the poor, fighting their battles for housing, food and medical care."
“I think I’m ready to move on,” she wrote in her journal."
BART's customer satisfaction is at a historical low.
The Chronicle's MICHAEL CABANATUAN: "To the surprise of few, including commuters who faced another major delay Wednesday morning, BART’s customer satisfaction ratings have dropped to the lowest level in the 20 years riders have been asked to rate the transit system."
"A biennial survey of BART riders released Wednesday shows that 31 percent of those polled said they were not completely satisfied with the transit system’s service or declined to give it satisfactory marks. Although 69 percent of riders said they were satisfied with the service, it represents a dip of five percentage points since the last survey in 2014."
"Dissatisfied riders said they were most upset with the breakdowns and delays that have beset the aging system as well as the surge in ridership that has left more passengers standing, packed onto crowded trains and stations and lining up at times to exit stations."
Speaking of the historic, the Dow Jones industrial average has hit its highest point ever.
The Chronicle's KATHLEEN PARKER: "Investor enthusiasm over Donald Trump’s victory helped propel the Dow Jones industrial average above 20,000 for the first time Wednesday. But will stock market gains, which mainly benefit higher-income households, be followed by job gains that will benefit the unemployed and underemployed without stoking inflation?"
"Only 48.8 percent of American families owned stock directly or indirectly in 2013, down from 53.2 percent in 2007, according to the Federal Reserve’s most recent survey of consumer finances. “The decrease in stock ownership rates was most pronounced for the bottom half of the income distribution,” the report said. About one-fourth of that group owned stock, compared with 92 percent of families in the top 10 percent of the income distribution."
"James Paulsen, chief investment strategist with Wells Capital Management, said the economy and corporate earnings started improving last summer, which laid the groundwork for the market’s push through 20,000. But the election of a “pro-business president who promised less regulation and lower corporate taxes is adding to confidence,” he said."
The increasing homelessness epidemic has claimed another life near Sacramento City Hall in a week.
Sacramento Bee's ANITA CHABRIA: "A transient man has died on Sacramento City Hall grounds for the second time in a week, increasing pressure for city leaders to find quick solutions for a vexing issue that has grown more visible as heavy rains displace homeless campers from hideaways along the rivers."
"A man identified by a friend as “Binny” was found dead early Wednesday morning lying on the concrete just east of the steps of the old City Hall building on I Street. The man, who had unruly white hair and wore athletic shoes, was lying on his right side facing the building. He was partially covered by a small red blanket and wore a blue-and-black flannel shirt, but had no shelter."
"Sacramento temperatures dipped to a low of 34 degrees overnight, according to the National Weather Service."
Police have arrested a suspect in a 35-year-old murder case.
AP: "A suspect was arrested in the slaying of a Northern California teenager who went missing after attending a neighbor's party 34 years ago, police said Wednesday."
"Marvin Ray Markle, 51, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the 1982 killing of 14-year-old De Anna Lynn Johnson. A longtime suspect in the case, Markle was 17 years old at the time, Vacaville Police Chief John Carli said."
"Markle is serving a sentence of 80 years to life for the 2001 killing of Shirley Pratt in Butte County."
Trump's battle against the environment has not demovitated the National Park Service.
AP: "The National Park Service employees' Twitter campaign against President Donald Trump spread to other parks Wednesday with more tweets on climate change on official social media accounts."
"A day after three climate-related tweets sent out by Badlands National Park were deleted, other park accounts have sent out tweets that appear to defy Trump. One, by Redwoods National Park in California, notes that redwood groves are nature's No. 1 carbon sink, which capture greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming."
"More redwoods would mean less #climatechange," the park said in a tweet."
READ MORE related to Enviornment: Pacifica granted $3 million for repairing storm damage -- The Chronicle's SARAH RAVANI
