Forcing people accused of a crime to pony up money or stay behind bars while they await court appearances is a major flaw in the legal system, some experts say.
Capitol Weekly's ANNA FRAZIER: "Bail is supposed to make sure that a defendant returns for the court date, although critics say bail merely punishes people for being poor."
"Legislation is moving through the Capitol to try to resolve this issue, but it is fiercely opposed by the bail agents and bounty hunters who make their living assuring the courts that skittish defendants will show up."
"The California Money Bail Reform Act was introduced in the form of two identical bills, SB 10, authored by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), and AB 42 authored by Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland). AB 42 was defeated in an Assembly floor vote, leaving the Senate bill as the principal legislation."
Speaking of money, a farmer claims the Oroville Dam crisis cost him $15 million, and he wants his dough.
Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER/RYAN SABALOW: "A Butte County farmer Wednesday filed a $15 million claim with the state over the crisis at Oroville Dam, saying water rushing down the Feather River wiped out part of a walnut orchard."
"The claim was filed by JEM Farms and Chandon Ranch, which run a 2,000-acre walnut farm downstream of the dam."
"Farmers along the Feather complained earlier this year that dramatic fluctuations in water flows from the dam in the aftermath of the February crisis caused damage to properties as riverbanks caved in. The claim by JEM and Chandon said water releases from Oroville led to “lost acreage, lost production and cleanup/remediation costs.”
There have been a record number of whales entangled off California coast because of crab fishing.
Daily News' LAUREN WILLIAMS: "Some of the largest mammals on Earth have been increasingly disabled by fishing lines off the West Coast, prompting one environmental nonprofit to threaten a lawsuit against the state over the problem."
"The Center for Biological Diversity argues the California Department of Fish and Wildlife violates the Endangered Species Act by continuing to allow crab fishers to put down gear that’s injuring humpback and blue whales, among other threatened species."
"The nonprofit conservation group put the agency on notice Friday that it intends to sue."
For beer aficionados, this comes as a shock: San Francisco's venerable Anchor Brewing has been acquired by Sapporo. Cheers ...
The Chronicle's ALYSSA PEREIRA: "Anchor Brewing, San Francisco’s beloved 121-year-old brewery and creator of the city’s most famous beer, is being sold to Japan’s Sapporo Holdings Ltd. in a landmark deal."
"According to Keith Greggor, Anchor’s president and CEO, the move was a year in the making and the result of speaking with “many, many” larger breweries all over the world to find the right fit."
"Anchor Brewing Co. is considered the leading pioneer of the craft beer movement, and is credited with reviving and modernizing some of today's most popular American beer styles. The price of the deal was not disclosed. Anchor Distilling, which produces spirits such as Junipero Gin and Old Potrero whiskey, is not involved in the deal and will become a separate company."
California's power to preserve environmental rules is tested as Congress takes aim at the Clean Air Act.
LA Times' EVAN HALPER: "California is confronting the limits of its power to save federal environmental protections as Congress and the Trump administration take aim at a landmark law the state has relied on for decades to clean the air of noxious smog."
"A push by Republicans to roll back parts of the Clean Air Act would affect California more than any other state, rattling its lawmakers and regulators. And their legal authority to pick up the fight against California’s smog on their own is constrained."
"The House last month passed a bill fiercely opposed by doctors and public health groups, including the American Lung Assn. and the American Academy of Pediatrics, that would delay for years new anti-pollution standards aimed at ultimately preventing 160,000 childhood asthma attacks and as many as 220 premature deaths in California each year."
READ MORE related to Environment: How your pet is contributing to global warming -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN SABALOW/DALE KASLER; A beloved Gold Country covered bridge is teetering. Here's the $3 million plan to save it -- Sacramento Bee's TONY BIZJAK; What's behind Southern California's summer rain and thunderstorms? -- LA Times' PAUL DUGINSKI
There is something of a musical chairs thing going on here: President Trump nominates Jamie McCourt to be ambassador to France, Monaco.
Daily News: "Former Los Angeles Dodgers President and CEO Jamie McCourt won’t become the U.S. ambassador to Belgium after all."
"President Donald Trump Wednesday withdrew McCourt’s nomination for the post, and instead nominated her to serve as ambassador to France and Monaco."
"No explanation was given for the change. There was no immediate response late Wednesday to a request for comment from the White House."
READ MORE related to Beltway: How Trump-backed bill on legal immigration could affect California -- The Chronicle's HAMED ALEAZIZ/TRISHA THADANI; Trump's cabinet seeks spiritual guidance from minister with a dim view of female politicians -- LA Times' EVAN HALPER
Meanwhile, Democrats are searching for veterans to lead them out of wilderness.
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "Tom Tarantino has a certain quality Democrats these days are craving in a candidate, particularly in the suburban Contra Costa-Alameda County district where Tarantino will file paperwork Thursday to run for the Assembly."
"He’s a military veteran."
"“I’m looking for my next mission,” Tarantino, 39, told me this week in San Francisco, where he works as a policy manager for Twitter."
NASA has a job opening to defend Earth from aliens, and it comes with a six-figure salary. Where can I get an application?
Sacramento Bee's DON SWEENEY: "If “Independence Day” and “War of the Worlds” are among your favorite films, this might be your dream job."
"NASA has posted a job opening for a planetary protection officer. The job involves preventing alien contamination during NASA space missions and stopping alien micro-organisms from reaching Earth. It also covers avoiding contamination of alien worlds by probes or other missions."
"OK, so maybe it’s less about blasting alien invaders than in the movies. Also, in order to qualify you must have an advanced degree in engineering, science or math, plus be a recognized expert in planetary protection. You’ll also need to have at least one year of experience as a top-level civilian government employee."
Rent control battles are emerging in California.
Sacramento Bee's ANGELA HART: "As housing costs soar across California, rent control fights are erupting in cities seen as ground zero for the state’s affordability crisis."
"In 2016, voters in the Bay Area cities of Richmond and Mountain View enacted rent control, coupled with companion measures that make it harder for landlords to evict people. Tenant advocates hailed their success at the ballot box as a demonstration of “renter power” building throughout the state."
"The wins dealt a significant blow to the California Apartment Association, which has pumped millions of dollars into anti-rent control campaigns. It worked in Alameda, Burlingame and most recently, Santa Rosa, where opponents pumped nearly a million dollars into the campaign committee against rent control."
Sticking with the rent theme, a 5% rent increase would push 2,000 Angelenos into homelessness, study warns.
LA Times' GALE HOLLAND: "A5% rent hike in Los Angeles County would push 2,000 more residents into homelessness, a study of the effect of rising housing costs warns."
"The study was conducted by the real estate firm Zillow using census figures and homeless counts for the 25 largest U.S. metropolitan areas."
"Research has shown that rising rents drive up homeless rates, particularly in cities with severe housing shortages such as Los Angeles. Zillow said it applied its own rental rate data to the established formula reflecting the connection to come up with new estimates."
California officials want to help prevent racial profiling by police in the state. Here's how they plan to do it.
LA Times' LIAM DILLON: "This week, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra revised rules for how police officers in the state will have to track data aimed at preventing racial profiling."
"Starting with the Los Angeles Police Department and other large law enforcement agencies in July 2018, officers will collect information detailing race, gender and other demographic details every time police pull someone over in their cars or otherwise detain them."
"Here’s why the plan exists, what its author hopes its will accomplish and how the new rules will work"
