'Serious marital infidelities' charged in California governor's race
Sacramento Bee's CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO: "Republicans competing for California governor assailed the leading Democrats as immoral philanderers in a debate Tuesday, pillorying the rivals over their past affairs."
"Republicans John Cox, Doug Ose and Travis Allen for the first time addressed what they described as character stains on the records of Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Democrats who polls show are holding the top-two positions ahead of the June primary."
"Newsom has repeatedly apologized since his affair with his appointments secretary came to light in 2007. Ruby Rippey-Tourk, the aide to the then San Francisco mayor, was married at the time to Newsom’s campaign manager and one of his closest strategists. Newsom himself was going through a divorce."
READ MORE related to State Politics: GOP candidates for governor tear into one another as they seek traction -- The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI; Californians won't get to vote for 12,000 elected officials in 2018 -- Sacramento Bee's CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO
House passes Speier bill to crack down on sexual harassment in Congress
The Chronicle's CAROLYN LOCHHEAD: "The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to crack down on sexual harassment in Congress with legislation so strict that the Peninsula congresswoman who instigated the effort declared that the problem is fixed."
“This is a problem that has plagued this institution for generations, and it’s over,” said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough."
"The key to the bill, she said, is a requirement that any member of Congress who settles a sexual harassment claim personally pay the amount in full within 90 days."
Fundraising at USC tumbles amid medical school scandals
LA Times' HARRIET RYAN/MATT HAMILTON/PAUL PRINGLE: "USC, known nationally for its aggressive fundraising operation, saw contributions tumble in the second half of 2017, a period in which scandals roiled its medical school."
"An internal accounting reviewed by The Times shows donations to the university were down nearly $100 million between July and December of last year compared with the same period in 2016. The falloff represents a 22% decline and was particularly severe at the Keck School of Medicine, where donations dropped 55%, or roughly $45 million."
Controversial plan to expand Elk Grove's urban boundary to be heard Wednesday
Sacramento Bee's HUDSON SANGREE: "A controversial proposal that could let Elk Grove spread outside its current city limits goes before a regional planning group Wednesday."
"The plan, put forward by landowners and opposed by environmentalists, would expand the city’s sphere of influence by more than 1,100 acres to the south near Highway 99 and Kammerer Road."
"If approved by the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission, the expansion would indicate a probable new limit for Elk Grove’s urban growth."
READ MORE related to Local Politics: County is state's first to require panic buttons for hotel workers. Will city follow? -- Sacramento Bee's ED FLETCHER; Memo from Farrell's employer cites 'benefits' of him being SF mayor, supervisor -- The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN; RecycLA and other reasons to wonder who's in charge at LA City Hall -- LA Times' STEVE LOPEZ; Pomona puts process seeking proposal for city attorney services on hold -- SGV Tribune's MONICA RODRIGUEZ
Time to get rid of two outdated water words: 'Drought' and 'Normal'
The Met's TOM PHILP in Water Deeply: "WATER POLICY IS becoming a prisoner of its own limited vocabulary, particularly when it comes to the weather. Here is a case that “drought” and “normal” belong in the dustbin of history, for their overuse can lead to the wrong conversation. These words are not so sinister as to be banned from the dictionary. But they tend to miss the mark as to what seems to be happening with our weather this century."
"First, the case against “drought."
"In California, a drought only happens when a governor declares it to be so. It is invariably announced via an executive order when the state is already well into a publicized dry pattern. Likewise, Sacramento declares the drought over after it has been raining like mad."
READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: Mass die-off of farmed salmon linked to climate change -- Oceans Deeply's MATTHEW O. BERGER; Scientists watch ocean plastic hotspots form in real time -- Oceans Deeply's ERICA CIRINO; CAL WATER FIX ... Latest ruling letter from the State Water Board: All motions for continuance denied -- Maven with Maven's Notebook; Could oil firms be forced to pay for climate change? California cities hope so -- CalMatters' JULIE CART; Locals seeking more than $27 million from DWR in lawsuit -- Appeal-Democrat's JAKE ABBOTT; Memo shows seven state-operated damns need a closer look in wake of Oroville Dam incident -- NBC's STEPHEN STOCK/RACHEL WITTE/MICHAEL HORN; A central valley farming tycoon seemed to weather the drought, but how did he do it? -- KPBS' MAUREEN CAVANAUGH/MICHAEL LIPKIN; Congress wants 'resilient' rebuilding. What does that mean? -- E&E News' ARIANNA SKIBELL; Floods are getting worse, and 2500 chemical sites lie in the water's path -- NYT's HIROKO TABUCHI/NADJA POPOVICH/BLACKI MIGLIOZZI/ANDREW W. LEHREN; OP-ED: California's great Sierra forests are dying. We all have a stake in saving them -- Sacramento Bee's EDITORIAL BOARD
They considered themselves white, but DNA tests told a more complex story
WaPo's TARA BAHRAMPOUR: "As more Americans take advantage of genetic testing to pinpoint the makeup of their DNA, the technology is coming head to head with the country’s deep-rooted obsession with race and racial myths. This is perhaps no more true than for the growing number of self-identified European Americans who learn they are actually part African."
"For those who are surprised by their genetic heritage, the new information can often set into motion a complicated recalibration of how they view their identity."
"Nicole Persley, who grew up in Nokesville, Va., was stunned to learn that she is part African. Her youth could not have been whiter. In the 1970s and ’80s in her rural home town, she went to school with farmers’ kids who listened to country music and sometimes made racist jokes. She was, as she recalls, “basically raised a Southern white girl."
READ MORE related to Immigration: How Trump plans to make Mexico pay for the wall. Yes, really. -- McClatchy DC's FRANCO ORDONEZ/ANITA KUMAR; In new TV ad, group slams Graham and Trump on immigration -- Sacramento Bee's ANITA KUMAR/EMMA DUMAIN; 'It's so hard right now': For a mother who self-deported to Mexico, days of feeling lost -- LA Times' BRITTNY MEJIA; San Gabriel to terminate agreement with ICE -- SGV Tribune's CHRISTOPHER YEE; Why refugees are an 'ideal talent source' for multinationals -- Refugees Deeply's LARA SETRAKIAN
Flu outbreak closes East Sacramento elementary school
Sacramento Bee's MOLLY SULLIVAN: "St. Mary School in East Sacramento closed Tuesday after 40 kids came into the office with fever or other flu symptoms, according to Diocese of Sacramento officials."
"Monday, 11 faculty and staff members were also absent because they weren’t feeling well, said Kevin Eckery, spokesman for the Diocese of Sacramento."
"Since so many kids were absent and they couldn’t find any more substitute teachers, the principal decided to close the school, Eckery said. Parents were notified of the closure via an email alert and the school will remain closed until Thursday morning so classrooms can be disinfected."
READ MORE related to Health & Health Care: New Pomona Valley Health Center brings convenience to La Verne, San Dimas residents -- SGV Tribune's JIM STEINBERG; Skip the rocking chairs for these rock stars -- CHL's BRUCE HOROVITZ
Golden State Water tells impacted customers in Claremont to boil water after service interruption
SGV Tribune's LISET MARQUEZ: "A total of 2,000 Golden State Water Company customers in Claremont have had their service interrupted most of Tuesday due to planned maintenance at a treatment plant."
"The scheduled shutdown wasn’t anticipated to impact service to customers if not for a higher demand for water in recent days, said Benjamin Lewis, Foothill general manager with Golden State Water in an email statement."
"Based on available information, it appears that the spike in system demand was likely tied to unseasonably warm conditions Monday and Tuesday,” he said."
Grand plan for Golden Gate Park tennis center: Will it serve the public?
The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA: "Weekend hackers and professionals alike have been playing on the courts at the historic Golden Gate Park Tennis Center for 124 years, so it’s no surprise the place is showing its age. That could change soon."
"On Wednesday, the Recreation and Park Commission’s Capital Committee is expected to approve a handful of proposals, including the main design plans for the $26.3 million project, with a potential groundbreaking next February."
"Envisioned as a way to expand the sport’s appeal — particularly to the city’s youth — and to renew the center’s status as the flagship facility for public tennis in San Francisco, the proposed renovations sprang out of a three-way partnership among the Tennis Coalition of San Francisco, the San Francisco Parks Allianceand the city’s Recreation and Park Department."
READ MORE related to Economy & Development: No vacancy: Residents of Tahoe tourist town seek to limit vacation rentals -- Sacramento Bee's ED FLETCHER; Who is Patrick Soon-Shiong? An LA billionaire with big ideas -- and mixed achievements -- LA Times' JAMES RUFUS KOREN/THOMAS CURWEN/MELODY PETERSEN; Value of LA, OC small businesses up 32% since recession -- SGV Tribune's JONATHAN LANSNER
Quentin Tarantino faces Hollywood backlash
The Guardian's RORY CARROLL: "It started with Uma Thurman revealing that Quentin Tarantino bullied her into driving an unsafe car that crashed and now days later it is Tarantino’s reputation and possibly career that is skidding at dangerously high speed."
"With accusations flying at the Pulp Fiction director from all over Hollywood, his status as one of America’s most revered auteurs is at risk, prompting speculation about his future."
"Tarantino apologised on Monday for putting Thurman in harm’s way during the filming of Kill Bill, calling it “the biggest regret of my life”, but by Tuesday he was facing a growing outcry over other perceived offences."
READ MORE related to Boy's Club/Me Too: Casino mogul Steve Wynn resigns amid sexual misconduct claims -- AP
SpaceX successfully launches the world's most powerful rocket, the Falcon Heavy, as it sends a Tesla on a path near Mars
WaPo's CHRISTIAN DAVENPORT: "SpaceX successfully launched what is now the world’s most powerful rocket Tuesday, a towering behemoth known as the Falcon Heavy that tore through the sky with the thundering force of 18 Boeing 747 jetliners."
"Lifting off at 3:45 p.m. from the same launchpad that sent the crew of Apollo 11 to the moon, the rocket sent up a mountain-sized plume of smoke and a rattling roar across Florida’s Space Coast, where thousands gathered to watch. The mission represented the first test of the massive rocket, powered by 27 engines in three first-stage boosters that are essentially strapped together."
"The maiden flight also marked the first time a privately financed venture ever attempted to launch a rocket so powerful that it was capable of hoisting a payload out of Earth's orbit. As a promotional stunt, SpaceX founder Elon Musk loaded the Falcon Heavy with his own cherry-red Tesla Roadster carrying a spacesuit-clad mannequin named "Starman" in the driver's seat. Musk said he planned to send the convertible, built by another one of his companies, into an orbit around the sun that would take it near Mars."
READ MORE related to Transportation: Toyota failed to fix defect that can cause Prius to overheat and lose power, dealer claims in lawsuit -- LA Times' RALPH VARTABEDIAN; California drivers are -- believe it or not -- putting down their cellphones -- Sacramento Bee's TONY BIZJAK
How Squaw Valley snatched the 1960 Winter Games from under Innsbruck's nose
The Chronicle's BILL VAN NIEKERKEN: "The Squaw Valley Ski Resort wasn’t always the place of world-class grandeur we now know. It took the Olympic Winter Games in 1960 — the first to be televised — to bring it and the areas surrounding Lake Tahoe to the prominence it currently enjoys."
"Those Games, the only Winter Olympics held in California, initially were not heading toward Squaw, which had only one ski lift at the time. “I got to Europe, and I was told the Games were going to Innsbruck (Austria) as a foregone conclusion,” said Squaw Valley manager Alex Cushing. “They had just come out from under the yoke of the Soviet Union in 1955. They were extremely popular with everyone. The European alpine nations were solidly behind Innsbruck,” said Cushing, who died in 2006."
"In June 1955, Cushing went to Paris for the International Olympic Committee vote, armed with a huge scale model of the proposed Olympic site. It was so big it needed a charter airplane flight and took up much of the lobby of the U.S. Embassy. Cushing used his vision and salesmanship to persuade the IOC to instead choose Squaw Valley, 32-30. It would be only the second Winter Olympics held outside of Europe."
READ MORE related to Olympics: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister part of delegation traveling to Olympics -- AP
Christopher Dorner: Following a vengeance-driven madman's killing spree through SoCal 5 years later
OC Register's DAVID WHITING: "It’s moments after midnight Feb. 7, 2013 and the town of Big Bear is quietly anticipating some new snow. For resort operators, the upcoming weekend could be big, with crowds of skiers and boarders. And for the locals it could be big, too, with Police and Fire Appreciation Day on schedule."
"But unknown to anyone in town, 7,000 feet below, a vengeance-driven madman is on a zig-zag killing spree through Southern California that eventually will bring him into their town."
"Over the next 24 hours, disgraced ex-cop Christopher Dorner — who by Feb. 7 has already killed a couple in Irvine and gone public with an unhinged manifesto about why he needs to kill more — will kill very much non-disgraced Riverside Police Officer Michael Crain and wound two other officers."
Calm returns to global markets but Wall Street set to drop
AP's PAN PYLAS: "Global financial markets were a lot calmer Wednesday. However, a sense of unease lingered following this week's turmoil, with Wall Street expected to fall again."
"In Europe, the main stock indexes have recovered some — but by no means all — of their losses from earlier this week following a rebound on Wall Street Tuesday. Germany's DAX was up 0.7 percent at 12,482 while the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares rose 1 percent to 7,214."
"However, with Wall Street expected to post another triple-digit drop on the open, that could change. Futures markets are pointing to 0.4 percent declines on both the Dow and the S&P 500."
Democrat flips deep-red House seat in Missouri
Daily Beast's GIDEON RESNICK: "Democratic candidate Mike Revis on Tuesday flipped what had been a deep-red State House seat in Missouri by a 108-vote margin over his Republican opponent."
"Revis defeated GOP candidate David C. Linton in the special election to replace Rep. John McCaherty, who left the office to focus on his run for Jefferson County executive."
"President Trump won the heavily Republican district by a 61-33 margin in the 2016 election. There were three other special elections in the state on Tuesday night, all of which the Republican party defended. However, there were major net swings towards Democrats."
Donald Trump orders Pentagon to plan grand military parade
The Guardian's DAVID SMITH: "Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to plan a military parade that would see soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the streets of Washington, it was reported on Tuesday."
"The move was instantly criticised, with one veterans’ group comparing the president to “a wannabe banana republic strongman”."
"Trump is seeking a grand parade similar to the Bastille Day celebration in Paris, according to the Washington Post. He outlined the plan at a meeting at the Pentagon on 18 January that included defense secretary Jim Mattis and joint chiefs of staff chairman General Joseph Dunford, the paper said, citing an unnamed military official."
POTUS45/KremlinGate: Pentagon readies the 'Father of all Bombs' for use against North Korea -- The Nation's MICHAEL T. KLARE; Hero or hired gun? How a British former spy became a flash point in the Russia investigation -- WaPo's TOM HAMBURGER/ROSALIND S HELDERMAN; GOP starts to hope Trump bounce-back can save the House -- McClatchy DC's ALEX ROARTY/KATIE GLUECK; For privacy advocates, Nunes' criticism of the FBI brings mental whiplash -- LA Times' EVAN HALPER
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Ed's Note: The Roundup is compiled each weekday by Associate Editor Geoff Howard. Comments? Questions? Complaints? Email him at geoff@capitolweekly.net.
