California's chief marijuana regulator predicts more issues with supply
Sacramento Bee's BRAD BRANAN: "California’s top cannabis regulator said the state deserves credit for a successful rollout of retail marijuana sales, but acknowledged that significant issues loom in the near future."
"One month after the start of recreational marijuana sales, Lori Ajax, chief of the state Bureau of Cannabis Control, gave an assessment of the state’s performance for a few hundred people at the International Cannabis Business Conference."
"She praised her employees, who worked through the weekend before the Monday, Jan. 1 beginning of legal sales, granting licenses to dispensaries eager to start. Employees continued to work on Jan. 1, expecting to receive complaints from license applicants and holders, but they never came, Ajax said."
READ MORE related to Cannabis: Why is Big Sur's weed legendary but still not legal? -- Mercury News' LISA M. KRIEGER
California Senate's first woman leader: 'It's going to take real work' to fight harassment
Sacramento Bee's TARYN LUNA: "Sen. Toni Atkins becomes the first woman and openly gay leader of the California Senate next month, tasked with guiding the house through an involuntary and overdue culture change after the “Me Too” movement rocked the Capitol."
"The challenge for the San Diego Democrat and former Assembly speaker is sizable. As pro tem, she’s expected to clean up the house and win back public trust while defending Senate Democrats’ two-thirds majority at the polls. Sen. Josh Newman is facing a recall election, and two men in her caucus – Sens. Tony Mendoza and Bob Hertzberg – are under investigation for sexual harassment heading into the June primary."
"Respected for her pragmatism, Atkins will lead a little differently than Kevin de León, her ambitious predecessor, who was known for jamming through tough legislation and helping lead their party’s resistance to President Donald Trump. Perhaps taking a cue from Gov. Jerry Brown, Atkins didn’t mention the president once in our interview, her first sit-down to discuss her new role and the Legislature’s sexual harassment problem. The 55-year-old rural Virginia native takes the reins of the upper house March 21."
Universal health bill unlikely given need to 'heal relationships,' says new Senate leader
Sacramento Bee's TARYN LUNA: "The infamous image of the California grizzly bear stabbed with a butcher knife inscribed with the last name of Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon may have done more than blow up the Twittersphere last year."
"The chances of reviving the Legislature’s universal health care bill don’t look good this year, said Sen. Toni Atkins, the incoming Senate leader and a co-author of Senate Bill 562."
"It doesn’t look like it right now, but I never give up,” said Atkins, who knows firsthand how hard it is for low-income families to afford care. “I think given the dynamic that exists as result of SB 562, we’ve clearly got a lot of work to do to heal relationships and I don’t know how well that will go given circumstances on the ground."
READ MORE related to Health & Health Care: Former Google, Facebook employees step up to battle against tech addiction -- Mercury News' LEVI SUMAGAYSAY
A view from the east: Think California politics is on the far-left fringe? Just wait for the next elections
From WaPo's SCOTT WILSON: "For those who think California politics is on the far-left fringe of the national spectrum, stand by. The next election season, already well underway here, will showcase a younger generation of Democrats that is more liberal and personally invested in standing up to President Trump’s Washington than those leaving office."
"Here in the self-labeled “state of resistance,” the political debate is being pushed further left without any sign of a Republican renaissance to serve as a check on spending and social policy ambitions. Even some Republicans are concerned about the departure of Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who proved to be fiscally cautious after inheriting a state seven years ago in deep recession."
"The race to succeed him, as well as contests for U.S. Senate and statewide offices, probably will feature a November ballot exclusively filled with Democrats. The top two primary finishers compete in the state’s general election regardless of party, setting up several races between the Democrats’ left and even-more-left wings in the nation’s most-populous state, races that could signal the direction of the party’s future."
Ripped by his ex-campaign conmsultant, Jeff Sheehy fights back
The Chronicle's MATIER & ROSS: "Talk that the fight has gone out of embattled San Francisco Supervisor Jeff Sheehy looks to be premature."
"Sheehy was appointed last year to his District Eight seat by the late Mayor Ed Lee. If he loses his June election battle against City College of San Francisco Trustee Rafael Mandelman, the balance of power at the Board of Supervisors could tip in progressives’ favor."
"Mandelman has lined up an impressive list of supporters on the left, including mayoral candidate and former state Sen. Mark Leno, former Assemblyman Tom Ammiano,former Mayor Art Agnos and all five of the board’s sitting progressives."
READ MORE related to Local Politics: Left bounced Breed for Conway ties. Turns out he invested in Farrell's firm -- The Chronicle's MATIER & ROSS
Green card backlog puts lives in, on the line
The Chronicle's TRISHA THADANI: "Lemuel Dsouza no longer sees the point of staying in the U.S."
"If he stayed here on an H-1B visa, waiting for a green card, he would be stuck in the same job for years, stagnant in his career. But back home in India, he’ll be free to create his own company, apply for any job he wants and take full advantage of the country’s burgeoning tech sector. So in a search of better opportunities, he’s moving back home this month."
"The irony doesn’t escape him."
READ MORE related to Immigration: In Trump era, 'Rapid Responders' protect undocumented immigrants from ICE -- Mercury News' TATIANA SANCHEZ; New bipartisan immigration plan to be introduced in the Senate -- WaPo's ED O'KEEFE
Trump to pull nominmation of top environmental adviser
AP's DARLENE SUPERVILLE: "The White House late Saturday confirmed plans to withdraw the nomination of a climate change skeptic with ties to the fossil fuel industry to serve as President Donald Trump's top environmental adviser."
"Kathleen Hartnett White was announced last October as Trump's choice to chair the Council on Environmental Quality. She had served under former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now Trump's energy secretary, for six years on a commission overseeing the state environmental agency."
"But White's nomination languished in the Senate, and was among a batch of nominations the Senate sent back to the White House at the end of 2017 when Congress closed up for the year. Trump resubmitted White's nomination in January."
READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: Major water projects hit funding barriers as California questions value -- The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER; Future forest health needs fire to fight fire -- Sacramento Bee's DEBBIE ARRINGTON; Super hot! Sacramento sets record temperature duriung game -- Sacramento Bee's HUDSON SANGREE; Karma's power evident in the outdoors -- The Chronicle's TOM STIENSTRA; Bay Area's summery weather sets records; no rain in forecast -- The Chronicle's LIZZIE JOHNSON/SARAH RAVANI; San Bruno blast neighborhood's message to Wine Country: It's a long recovery -- The Chronicle's KEVIN FAGAN; California ponders costs of decommissioning offshore oil rigs -- The Chronicle's LAUREL ROSENHALL; 'June-uary' turns Yosemite Valley into private jewel -- The Chronicle's TOM STIENSTRA; California bakes as winter temperatures set new records across the state -- LA Times' RONG-GONG LIN II/ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN; Winter warmth and dryness persists -- due to ridge, redux -- Mercury News' LISA M. KRIEGER
Island of Alameda weighing license-plate readers at entry and exit points
The Chronicle's SOPHIE HAIGNEY: ":Frustrated by a wave of auto break-ins and thefts plaguing the Bay Area, police officials on the island of Alameda have proposed a strategy that would take advantage of the city’s unique geography, even as it raises the ire of privacy advocates."
"They want to scan the license plate of every vehicle that enters the city from Oakland, and every one that leaves."
"The Alameda City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to spend $500,000 on 13 license plate recognition systems, which would be installed over the traffic lanes of several bridges, two underwater tubes and two intersections near city limits. The devices create records of when vehicles come and go, while immediately flagging stolen and wanted vehicles."
READ MORE related to Transportation: North Bay's SMART rail service exceeds expectations in first 6 months -- The Chronicle's MICHAEL CABANATUAN; BART's brand-new cars take another trip to the repair yard -- The Chronicle's MATIER & ROSS; Vacant lots, empty homes and dying orchards on bullet train route attract squatters, vandals and thieves -- LA Times' RALPH VARTABEDIAN
Amazon was offered hundreds of millions by Sacramento area governments in HQ2 bid
Sacramento Bee's RYAN LILLIS: "To convince Amazon to locate its second North American headquarters in the Sacramento region, local officials put together an elaborate package of architectural drawings, produced a virtual reality video and purchased a 30-second radio ad in Amazon’s hometown of Seattle asking for a meeting with CEO Jeff Bezos."
"But the core of the bid was a financial incentive package likely larger than any other produced in the Sacramento region."
"Local governments offered more than $500 million in job grants, land donations and infrastructure financing to lure Amazon. Despite those offers, Sacramento was not among the 20 finalists for Amazon’s HQ2, losing out to cities and states willing to spend even more to recruit the online retail giant. More than 200 cities bid, seeking to land Amazon’s promise of 50,000 jobs and a $5 billion investment."
READ MORE related to Economy: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appears to shed its aggressive reputation -- LA Times' JAMES RUFUS KOREN
Delta Shores complex in South Sacramento filling up with new tenants
Sacramento Bee's MARK GLOVER: "Last summer, the evolving Delta Shores shopping complex was being billed as a welcome retail boost to the south Sacramento area."
"In September, the first of a projected 70 stores and restaurants started going into the massive, 1 million-square-foot “power center” along Interstate 5 at the Cosumnes River Boulevard interchange. The pace has picked up since then."
"A flurry of arrivals popped up since the dawn of 2018, including the Jan. 26 opening of a 170,000-square-foot RC Willey home furnishings store at 8340 Delta Shores Circle South. It employs about 150 and is one of only a dozen “full-service” stores in the Utah-based chain."
READ MORE related to Housing & Homelessness: SF proposes turning Moscone garage into affordable housing, hotel tower -- The Chronicle's JK DINEEN; Huge increase in arrests of homeless in LA -- but mostly for minor offenses -- LA Times' GALE HOLLAND/CHRISTINE ZHANG; Cupertino mayor says housing shortage isn't 'dire.' Local activists disagree -- Mercury News' MARISA KENDALL; Housing shortage: New report shows how California cities and counties stack up -- Mercury News' KATY MURPHY
How our reporter uncovered a lie that propelled an Alt-Right extremist's rise
NYT's EMMA COTT: "I had pictured the phone call going a lot of different ways, but I hadn’t quite prepared for this."
"I thought he might swear at me and then hang up. Maybe he would try to turn the conversation around, attacking me and the credibility of The New York Times. Or maybe he would become contrite and emotional, and finally answer some real questions. But I never thought he would just deny it."
"As a reporter and video producer, I had been following Elliott Kline, a.k.a. Eli Mosley, for almost five months at this point. He played a key role in organizing the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., where a 32-year-old woman, Heather Heyer, was killed and about 20 others were wounded when a white nationalist drove his car through a crowd of counterprotesters."'
Trump lashes out at Schiff over Russia probe memo
AP's HOPE YEN/CATHERINE LUCEY: "President Donald Trump lashed out at the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee Monday, a day after Democrats and Republicans said Trump was wrong to assert that a GOP-produced classified memo on FBI surveillance powers cleared him in the Russia investigation."
"The House intelligence panel plans to meet Monday afternoon and is expected to consider whether to release a Democratic rebuttal memo. The committee rejected that move last week, with one Republican member saying revisions were needed so the memo would not endanger national security."
"Trump would decide whether to release the memo if it contains classified information."
READ MORE related to POTUS45/KremlinGate: Rep. Adam Schiff, leading Democrat in Russia probe, gets a Trump nickname -- LA Times' NOAH BIERMAN; Some GOP lawmakers question Trump's claim of vindication from memo -- LA Times' LAURA KING
Foles, Eagles outshoot Patriots for 1st Super Bowl, 41-33
AP's BARRY WILNER: "As their delirious fans sang their theme song and their owner lifted the Lombardi Trophy, the Philadelphia Eagles finally could breathe freely."
"Yo, Philly, you really did beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a thrilling Super Bowl that rewrote the offensive record book."
"Nick Foles guided the drive of a lifetime, Zach Ertz made a bobbling touchdown catch that had to survive replay review, and an exhausted defense came up with two stands in the final moments Sunday for a 41-33 victory. For the first time since 1960, the Eagles are NFL champions."
Maryland police sergeant faces 20 years in prison for stealing paralyzed woman's pain medication
AP: "A police sergeant in Maryland has been charged with stealing prescription opioids from a paralyzed woman after she and a friend caught him on video."
"The Herald-Mail reports that the paralyzed woman noticed her pain pills missing after Sgt. Christopher Barnett questioned her about an unrelated case."
"Documents say Barnett returned to her bedside minutes later after she called Hagerstown Police and asked for the name of the officer who stole her medicine. She told him she couldn't afford more pills. He asked what he could do "to make this right," and said he'd be back in 15 minutes."
