No. 2 executive at California bullet train agency out after long investigation
RALPH VARTABEDIAN, LA Times: "In a major shake-up to the nation’s biggest transportation project, the chief operating officer of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, Joe Hedges, abruptly left his job this week after a lengthy investigation by the agency and an outside law firm, The Times has learned.
The investigation began at least as early as December, when the rail authority board received an anonymous letter from a state employee alleging that Hedges overruled employee decisions and awarded large unmerited payments to contractors building the project, according to a copy of the letter The Times reviewed.
“Monday was Chief Operating Officer Joe Hedges’ last day with the California High-Speed Rail Authority,” rail authority spokeswoman Melissa Figueroa said in a statement Tuesday morning. “Until a permanent replacement is appointed by the Governor, CEO Brian Kelly is making necessary personnel moves internally to ensure continued progress on construction in the Central Valley.”
Greater transparency urged for CA redistricting commission
Capitol Weekly, JAMES ARANGUREN: "A former member of the voter-approved commission that draws maps for California’s legislative and congressional districts said the panel should operate more in the open as it crafts the new boundaries.
“On the 2010 redistricting commission, we prided ourselves on the fact that we were very transparent,” says Jodie Filkins Webber. “At the time, it made it very difficult to hold public hearings because we were doing work in person. Now that meetings are being held via Zoom, it should be relatively easy to schedule these things and allow public participation.”
Several commissioners met with representatives from the secretary of state and legislators from both parties on April 21 to discuss the timeline for releasing district maps — a sensitive issue."
Biden officials, Newsom designate two areas off California coast for wind turbine development
The Chronicle, J.D. MORRIS: "The Biden administration and Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced a joint effort to bring offshore wind energy to the Pacific Ocean along the California coast.
Officials said they’ve designated two areas that can support sea-bound wind turbines: one 399-square-mile section northwest of Morro Bay and a smaller area off the North Coast near Eureka.
The two offshore wind zones — which would have turbines 20 miles from shore — could generate as much as 4.6 gigawatts of clean energy, or enough to power 1.6 million homes each year, officials said. People can only see a few miles out to sea, so the turbines would not be visible from shore."
New SEIU president wants to slash union dues, end politics spending. 'I have to produce.'
Sac Bee, WES VENTEICHER: "Richard Louis Brown acknowledged the difficulties that await him as the newly elected leader of California’s largest state worker union even as he basked in his election victory Tuesday.
Brown, 51, of Oak Park, inherits the challenges of uniting and invigorating the sprawling group of roughly 100,000 employees from all corners of state government who make up SEIU Local 1000.
Fractures within the union grew more pronounced over the last three years, as president Yvonne Walker remained at odds with a trio of vice presidents who were elected in 2018 on promises of change."
No, It Is Not Illegal For Businesses To Require Proof Of Vaccination
SASHA HUPKA, CapRadio: "An image shared on Instagram and Twitter claimed businesses cannot legally require customers to provide proof of vaccination or deny entry based on vaccination status.
The image cites the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Title III of the U.S. Civil Rights Act, but experts say the Fourth Amendment applies only to government entities and Title III of the U.S. Civil Rights Act makes no mention of discrimination based on a medical condition.
Private businesses cannot discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin or disability, but otherwise, they have the right to conduct transactions with whomever they choose."
More good news for Newsom in latest California poll -- he'd defeat a recall today
Sac Bee, LARA KORTE: "Gov. Gavin Newsom would keep his job if the election to recall him took place today, according to the latest poll.
A survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found 57% of voters would vote “no” to recalling the Democratic governor.
The percentage of voters who would vote “yes” to a recall — 40% — is unchanged from a similar March survey. Three percent of voters say they don’t know how they would vote."
'Expedited' budget request could help shorten California recall calendar
KEVIN YAMAMURA and CARLA MARINUCCI, Politico: "Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget officials on Tuesday asked California counties to fast-track their recall cost estimates by June 1, a move that could help put the state in position to have a recall election sooner than the fall.
Newsom's Department of Finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer said Tuesday that the request for "expedited" information was being made in response to counties asking the state for recall funding on May 4. He said Finance wants to provide an estimate to the state Legislature before it has to approve a budget by June 15.
"To support legislative consideration of these costs by the June 15th budget deadline, the Department of Finance is requesting estimated cost information from counties now on an expedited basis," states the Finance letter to county officials."
Why summer school in California will prioritize fun and reconnecting students
EdSource, DIANA LAMBERT: "Merced County Office of Education students will hike through a wildlife preserve, fish in the Merced River and take sailing lessons from a local yacht club as part of this year’s summer school program. Elk Grove Unified students have the option to learn to act, sing or perform slam poetry. San Francisco students can take archery at a local park or classes in a high-rise downtown building that is usually home to tech workers.
Although school districts are still offering academic programs, summer school this year is supposed to be fun. Experts say schools won’t be able to combat learning loss until they deal with the social and emotional needs of children who have been away from their peers and teachers for more than a year and may have experienced other trauma during the pandemic.
“Our kids haven’t been on campuses,” said Erin Sipes, a program specialist with Elk Grove Unified, the state’s fifth-largest district. “Our kids don’t recognize their teachers in real life. Our kids haven’t had authentic experience sharing learning. We still can’t share materials, but we can get kids in person and give them the opportunity to have structured social interaction, let kids be kids and have authentic play.”"
L.A. cut millions from the LAPD after George Floyd. Here’s where that money is going
DAKOTA SMITH, DAVZID ZAHNISER, LA Times: "One year after George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, Los Angeles city leaders on Tuesday finalized their plan for spending money that was moved last summer out of the police department and into programs aimed at helping communities of color.
The vote by the City Council means some $89 million originally slated to pay for police services will instead flow to antigang initiatives, universal income programs, homeless services, education and jobs initiatives and more.
The council’s action followed a drumbeat of calls from activists and community groups who sought a rethinking of the city’s budget following a tumultuous year of protests over police brutality and a health crisis that laid bare the inequality that plagues the city."
Asian pot growers face sheriff raids, bulldozers in NorCal. They blame racism
Sac Bee, RYAN SABALOW: "Day after day, sheriff’s deputies drive up and down the road outside Steve Griset’s 600-acre farm, pulling over anyone who appears to be hauling water for the thousands of marijuana greenhouses that have taken over the countryside here.
Griset has become a target, even though he grows alfalfa. Last year, investigators with the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office raided Griset’s house with a search warrant looking for his business records, and the DA followed up with a lawsuit in civil court.
Griset’s alleged transgressions? He was selling water from his well to his pot-farming neighbors, immigrants of Hmong descent who have helped turn this sparsely populated, volcanic-soiled section of California into a major source of cannabis production."
Rents in these 3 big Bay Area cities are all up for the first time in the pandemic
The Chronicle, KELLIE HWANG: "It appears that relatively rock-bottom rental prices in the Bay Area are coming to an end.
In May, for the first time during the pandemic, one-bedroom rental prices in three of the Bay Area’s biggest metropolitan areas all rose compared to the previous month, according to the latest national rent report from listings website Zumper.
San Francisco’s median one-bedroom rent rose 1.9% month-over-month to $2,650, while Oakland went up 1.5% to $1,980. San Jose saw the biggest jump of 6.3% to $2,180, which was the largest month-over-month rental increase in the country, according to the report’s author, Jeff Andrews."
Sacramento police Officer Tara O'Sullivan alleged killer faces preliminary hearing
Sac Bee, SAM STANTON: "The footage from Sacramento police Officer Daniel Chipp’s body camera shows the last moments before the partner he was training, Officer Tara O’Sullivan, was gunned down on June 19, 2019.
Chipp and O’Sullivan were in a backyard on Redwood Avenue helping a woman move her belongings out of a home she shared with Adel Sambrano Ramos, a troubled man with a history of violence against women.
“Hey, Adel, police department,” Chipp called out as he approached the door of a garage behind the home with his pistol in his right hand. “You’re not under arrest. You’re not in trouble.”"
