Invasion of privacy?

Jan 31, 2018

ICE gets access to a massive amount of license plate data. Will California take action?

 

Electronic Frontier Foundation's DAVE MAASS: "The news that Immigrations & Customs Enforcement is using a massive database of license plate scans from a private company sent shockwaves through the civil liberties and immigrants’ rights community, who are already sounding the alarm about how mass surveillance will be used to fuel deportation efforts."

 

"The concerns are certainly justified: the vendor, Vigilant Solutions, offers access to 6.5 billion data points, plus millions more collected by law enforcement agencies around the country. Using advanced algorithms, this information—often collected by roving vehicles equipped with automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that scan every license plate they pass—can be used to reveal a driver’s travel patterns and to track a vehicle in real time."

 

"ICE announced the expansion of its ALPR program in December, but without disclosing what company would be supplying the data. While EFF had long suspected Vigilant Solutions won the contract, The Verge confirmed it in a widely circulated story published last week."

 

California bullet train project faces audit as costs climb

 

AP's KATHLEEN RONAYNE: "Lawmakers approved an official audit of California's high-speed rail project Tuesday with the goal of understanding whether the ambitious infrastructure plan can be completed on time and without more dramatic cost increases."

 

"What we are all trying to do is to get past all of the noise, to get past all of the politics, to get down into a thorough audit that is going to give us a very good heads up as to what is coming and what has happened," said Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno."

 

"State auditor Elaine Howle said her evaluation would take six to nine months. Meanwhile, the California High-Speed Rail Authority will release a highly anticipated biennial business plan in February or March, which could showcase a significant shift in costs or the timeline of the project. It will be the first business plan under new chief executive officer Brian Kelly, who most recently led the state transportation agency."

 

READ MORE related to Transportation: Federal agents searching Lodi Parachute Center -- Sacramento Bee's CATHY LOCKE; Traffic deaths in LA are down, but well short of city's goal. What's next for Vision Zero? -- Daily News' ELIZABETH CHOU/MEGAN BARNES

 

Investigator pressed on why UC president not blamed for audit interference

 

The Chronicle's MELODY GUTIERREZ: "State lawmakers on Tuesday questioned retired state Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno over why an investigation he conducted last year did not find University of California President Janet Napolitano responsible for her office’s interference with a state audit."

 

"Lawmakers told Moreno it was clear to them he had evidence that Napolitano did intentionally and improperly interfere with the state auditor’s review of her office’s spending and business practices in 2016."

 

"But Moreno told lawmakers that as a former trial judge, he “just didn’t think there was enough there” to conclude that Napolitano should be held accountable. His probe pinned the blame on her two top staffers, who resigned."

 

SF mayor, supervisors ask governor to restore money for new court facility

 

The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA: "An outsize group of San Francisco politicians, city officials and private law firms has asked Gov. Jerry Brown to send $1.6 billion back to the state’s judicial branch to help fund the design and construction of a new facility to house San Francisco Superior Court’s Criminal Division. That department is currently located in the troubled Hall of Justice on Bryant Street."

 

"In a letter sent to the governor’s office last Thursday, Mayor Mark Farrell, District Attorney George Gascón and Board of Supervisors President London Breed joined a long list of city leaders and lawyers asking Brown to reinstate the money, which they said had been “repurposed” to address state budget shortfalls since 2009."

 

"Meanwhile, facing increasingly squalid conditions at the Hall of Justice, city officials have begun moving personnel out of the building, which has housed a variety of law enforcement staff and jail inmates for decades. Once the inmates are relocated, according to the letter, the only department that will remain in the building is the Superior Court’s Criminal Division."

 

READ MORE related to Local Politics: SF's Brooks Hall: Mayor made a mountain out of Mole Hall moniker -- The Chronicle's BILL VAN NICKERKEN; SF county clerk replaces new mayor on Board of Supervisors. will run for seat -- The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN

 

CA treasurer and attorney general move on plan to create public bank for pot businesses

 

Sacramento Bee's BRAD BRANAN: "California’s treasurer and attorney general plan to move forward with plans to create a state bank for the cannabis industry."

 

"Because of the federal prohibition on marijuana, banks generally will not provide accounts to cannabis companies, forcing them to pay taxes and other expenses in cash. The resulting safety problems and accounting complications have been brought to the fore by the Jan. 1 start of legal recreational pot sales in California."

 

"Cannabis firms are forced to deal almost entirely in cash, creating a rich environment for violent crimes, money laundering and other illegal activity,” said a statement from the office of state Treasurer John Chiang."

 

SF tourist industry struggles to explain street misery to horrified visitors

 

The Chronicle's HEATHER KNIGHT: "As president of the Handlery Union Square Hotel, part of Jon Handlery’s job is to scour travel websites to find out what tourists are telling one another about his hotel and San Francisco."

 

"He tries to respond, thanking his customers for their patronage and acknowledging their gripes. But he’s stopped even trying to explain the No. 1 complaint: the city’s miserable street scene that’s made all the more stark against the backdrop of so much wealth and luxury."

 

"Tiffany’s and tents. Neiman Marcus and needles. Macy’s and mental illness."

 

Navy plans to re-examine soil at Hunters Point after false data reporting

 

The Chronicle's JK DINEEN: "The U.S. Navy is preparing a comprehensive re-examination of the potentially toxic soils and buildings at San Francisco’s former Hunters Point Shipyard, a time-consuming and costly step it says is necessary after finding a pattern of fraudulent manipulation or falsification of data collected by a contractor hired to clean up the former Superfund site."

 

"The work will slow the redevelopment of the second phase of the property by at least a year and is raising concerns among residents who have moved into homes in the burgeoning new neighborhood, as well as the artists and others who have worked there for years."

 

Sexual assault of exchange student results in 183-year prison sentence

 

Sacramento Bee's CATHY LOCKE: "A man convicted of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old Macedonian exchange student in South Lake Tahoe has been sentenced to 183 years to life in prison."

 

"Manuel Ovidio Ramos-Munoz was accused of assaulting the young woman, who had been in the United States little more than a week, on June 11, 2015, according to an El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office news release.. He was convicted by a jury in November following a three-week trial and was sentenced Jan. 19 by El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Melikian."

 

"The victim was sitting on the front steps of her hotel room, talking on the phone, when Ramos-Munoz sneaked up behind her and put a knife to her throat, the news release said."

 

Was Pico Rivera Councilman Gregory Salcido's anti-military rant protected by the First Amendment? Here's what experts say

 

SGV Tribune's HAYLEY MUNGUIA: "While thousands called for a Pico Rivera teacher’s firing after video of his rant about the military was published on Facebook, there’s no definitive answer on whether the school district can fire him for expressing his views."

 

"Gregory Salcido, a history and government teacher at El Rancho High School who also is a Pico Rivera City Council member, was placed on administrative leave while the school district investigates his conduct."

 

"But what disciplinary measures teachers like Salcido should face over the opinions they share in their classrooms remains open to debate."

 

Skid Row activists attack Trump in 'alternative state of the union' address

 

LA Times' GALE HOLLAND: "Skid row activists on Tuesday aimed what they called their "alternative state of the union" address squarely at President Trump, blaming him for the homeless tents that flanked them as they spoke."

 

There's still time to sign up for health coverage -- barely

 

Sacramento Bee's CATHIE ANDERSON: "Still need health coverage for 2018? You’re got until 11:59:59 Wednesday night to enroll in insurance policies offered through the Covered California marketplace."

 

"While the federal marketplace closed enrollment in dozens of other states on Dec. 15 this year, California maintained the Jan. 31 deadline. As of Jan. 21, Covered California announced, 342,000 new consumers had signed up for health insurance, and the pace of new enrollees for the current open-enrollment period remains ahead of last year. It was Jan. 23, 2017, when new sign-ups surpassed 320,000."

 

"In addition, officials said, more than 1.2 million existing Covered California members have renewed their coverage for 2018."

 

READ MORE related to Health & Health Care: Brain scans reveal that friends really are on the same wavelength -- LA Times' KAREN KAPLAN

 

3 dead, 2 injured as helicopter crashes into California home

 

AP's AMY TAXIN/AMANDA LEE MYERS: "Three people were killed and two injured when a helicopter crashed into a house in a suburban Southern California neighborhood just a few minutes after taking off, officials said."

 

"The helicopter crashed into the house with such force that it was barely recognizable. The crushed metal sat in a heap on the side of the house, its tail rotor sticking out of the roof of a nearby home and a 6-foot chunk landing in the street in front of yet another house."

 

"All of a sudden the house just shook and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, we're having an earthquake,'" said Marian Michaels, who lives behind the home in a gated community in Newport Beach where the helicopter crashed."

 

They 'pointed guns at our entire family.' Terror witness recalls airport stop

 

Sacramento Bee's SAM STANTON: "The court fight over Hamid Hayat’s terror conviction is evolving into a reminder of the challenges Muslim Americans faced after the Sept. 11 attacks and the creation of the government’s secret “no-fly list."

 

"For the second consecutive day Tuesday, a witness from Lodi’s Muslim American community broke down on the witness stand in federal court while recalling how authorities blocked him from returning home to the United States."

 

"Jaber Ismail, a Lodi native and close friend and relative of Hayat’s, testified that as a young man he spent time in Pakistan from 2001 to 2006 studying and memorizing the Quran out of devotion to his mother."

 

Touring LA's old Chinatown before it's too late with a man who knows all the secrets

 

LA Times' STEVE LOPEZ: "On a recent day with a rare threat of rain, I forgot my hat at home. So I stopped in Chinatown on the way to work."

 

Nassar to face another sentence, victims in return to court

 

AP's ED WHITE/DAVID EGGERT: "Larry Nassar, the former sports doctor accused of sexually assaulting more than 150 women and girls, will be confronted again by scores of victims as he faces another prison sentence for molesting gymnasts, this time at an elite Michigan club run by an Olympic coach."

 

"Judge Janice Cunningham has set aside several days for roughly 60 people who want to confront Nassar or have their statement read in court. The hearing starting Wednesday could unfold much the same as a hearing last week in another county that ended with Nassar getting sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison — what a different judge described as signing the doctor's "death warrant."

 

"The practice of allowing accusers to speak even if they are not tied directly to a case has raised questions about fairness. But attorneys say the victim statements probably pose little risk on appeal, especially since Nassar pleaded guilty, agreed to allow the statements and is expected to get another long prison sentence as part of his deal with prosecutors."

 

A year of key leader absences at DOJ 'almost mind-blowing,' officials say

 

McClatchy DC's KATE IRBY: "President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized the return of the rule of law during his presidency, but the department dedicated to enforcing the law has remained without key leaders since he took office."

 

"Under the George W. Bush administration, executive branch nominees below the attorney general would be “dismayed” at having to wait two or three months between being named by the president and starting their new job, recalled a former U.S. attorney. Now, that “seems lightning fast."

 

"Among Justice Department positions still requiring Senate confirmations, assistant attorneys general and U.S. attorneys represent some of the most glaring absences. Taken together, less than half those slots have Senate-confirmed leaders."

 

In State of Union, Trump calls for unity in hopes of altering a threatening tide

 

Tribune's NOAH BIERMAN: "President Donald Trump tried to shed the polarizing image and words that have stunted his popularity and thwarted his ability to pass bipartisan legislation, attempting to recast himself on Tuesday as a unifying figure in his first State of the Union address."

 

"Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people,” he said at the top of his roughly hourlong speech. “This is really the key: These are the people we were elected to serve."

 

"It was a striking difference in tone for a president who came into office decrying “American carnage” at his inaugural, and who has since then spoken and tweeted in harsh terms about his perceived enemies, including lawmakers of both parties and his vanquished opponent, Hillary Clinton."

 

READ MORE related to POTUS45/KremlinGate: Porn actress Stormy Daniels jokes with Jimmy Kimmel about Trump -- Sacramento Bee's MICHAEL FINNEGAN; Dems' response to SOTU: 'Bullies may land a punch' but don't win -- AP; In SOTU, Trump calls for unity in hopes of altering a threatening tide -- LA Times' NOAH BIERMAN; Trump caught on camera saying he's '100%' going to release hotly contested Republican memo -- LA Times' CHRIS MEGERIAN; Dueling Trumps deliver a State of the Union speech likely to widen a deep partisan divide -- LA Times' MARK Z. BARABAK; Colbert savages Trump's SOTU speech: 'Better luck next year' -- LA Times' LIBBY HILL; Trump's SOTU speech made Twitter history -- LA Times' JESSICA ROY; Analysis: Trump's call for bipartisan approach likely to come up short -- The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH; Editorial: Trump stays on script, but for how long? -- The Chronicle's EDITORIAL BOARD; Mueller seeks to interview Trump legal team ex-spokesman: source -- REUTERS; Trump's lawyers are reportedly trying to squirrel Trump out of an interview with Robert Mueller -- The Week; The real aim of the Secret Memo is the Mueller investigation -- NYT's CHARLIE SAVAGE; Trump's lawyers argue Mueller has not met threshold for presidential interview -- CNN's PAMELA BROWN/GLORIA BERGER; Trump just decided not to sanction Russia for its election meddling -- VOX's ALEX WARD; Even if Trump is blatantly ignoring the Russia sanctions law, there's not a lot Congress can do about it -- WaPo's AMBER PHILLIPS; Trump's plans for immigration, infrastructure meet swift resistance in Congress -- WaPo's ROBERT COSTA; We measured Trump's first year according to his own goals. Here's what we found. -- FiveThirtyEight's ANDREA JONES-ROOY/RACHAEL DOTTLE; Seeing through the fog of outrage surrounding the Mueller probe -- NRO's JONAH GOLDBERG; The (Tea) Party is Over -- NRO's JONAH GOLDBERG; The void in Trump's speech -- NRO's RAMESH PONNURU; The State of our Union wants to be Normal -- NRO's DAN MCLAUGHLIN