Some are calling it the “shamrock shake.”
A 4.4 earthquake jolted folks in Los Angeles this morning… with hilarious results for morning news.
From KTLA’s Web Staff: “At least 6 aftershocks have been reported since the initial earthquake, seismologist Egil Hauksson said during a news conference at Caltech shortly after 8:30 a.m.”
President Obama this morning ordered sanctions against several Russian government officials.
Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons report for the Los Angeles Times: “In a statement, the White House said Russia's incursion in Crimea undermined "democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity."
“The sanctions are intended to "impose costs on named individuals who wield influence in the Russian government and those responsible for the deteriorating situation in Ukraine," the White House added. "We stand ready to use these authorities in a direct and targeted fashion as events warrant."
At this weekend’s state Republican Party convention, GOP gubernatorial candidates met with delegates and some congressional hopefuls steered clear of the event.
From the Associated Press’ Juliet Williams: “A conservative state assemblyman and gun rights enthusiast was the crowd favorite among the party faithful on Sunday as the Republican candidates seeking to challenge Gov. Jerry Brown for the governorship addressed delegates at the state party’s convention, promising to get the government out of their way.”
And from the Sacramento Bee’s Christopher Cadelago: “Major California Republican congressional challengers steered clear of the state party convention, but the weekend of activism helped bring early definition to some of the state's most contested House races.”
“Republicans Doug Ose of Sacramento, Brian Nestande of Palm Desert, Jeff Gorell of Camarillo and Carl DeMaio of San Diego stuck to the campaign trail rather than rubbing elbows with the hundreds of delegates gathering here.”
The state Republican Party is refocusing on local elections.
Carla Marinucci reports for the San Francisco Chronicle: “The GOP leaders at the convention were equally pragmatic, with most acknowledging their party's chances of taking back statewide posts from Democrats who now hold them all are long shots at best.”
“In a convention with the theme of "Rebuild, Renew, Reclaim," Harmeet Dhillon, the state party's vice-chair, made it clear that the GOP's top priority this year would be downsized to real deliverables - winning local races and with local faces.”
A bill that would require political donations provide greater disclosure heads to the Senate.
Patrick McGreevy and Melanie Mason report for the Los Angeles Times: “Efforts to expand or restrict disclosure of the sources of campaign money have been political flash points for years. The issue was inflamed, in part, by the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision that eased limits on political spending by independent groups.”
“Under existing California law, an organization such as a nonprofit group is not necessarily required to reveal the identities of its donors if it has never spent money in a state election before.”
A San Diego Assembly member will step up to the post of Speaker today.
Mike Gardner reports for UT-San Diego: “San Diego Democrat Toni Atkins on Monday is expected to take her second step in her climb up to a pinnacle of power: speaker of the Assembly.”
“The full Assembly is expected to vote in Atkins, nearly two months after her fellow Democrats united behind her candidacy following weeks of wrestling between other contenders for the job.”
California’s restrictions on law enforcement records limit criminal defendants more so than anywhere else in the United States.
Jim Miller reports in the Sacramento Bee: “Eighty-three percent of voters backed enshrining the state’s open-records law in the Constitution a decade ago. Even so, open-records advocates say California residents today have some of the least access to law enforcement records of anywhere in the country. Bills to tighten the restrictions, pushed by politically influential law enforcement unions, routinely sail through the Legislature. Attempts to provide more disclosure have been few and unsuccessful.”
The man accused of being the godfather of bitcoin is taking legal steps to clear his name.
Chris O’Brien reports for the Los Angeles Times: “According to Nakamoto, he heard the term bitcoin from his son only in February after he had been contacted by the reporter working on the Newsweek story.”
“When that story was published in early March, Nakamoto, 64, found himself at the center of a media circus as well as a raging online debate about whether he could in fact be the programmer who had created the virtual currency that has become a billion-dollar global phenomenon.”
An entire Southern California Little League has been indefinitely suspended, with little explanation as to why.
The Associated Press reports: “The Orange County Register reported that 700 boys and girls registered to play baseball in the Newport Beach Little League have been left to wonder when they may next take the field. The league includes about 70 teams for children ages 5 to 13.”
“Organizers told the newspaper they are unsure why regional coordinators put their season in limbo Wednesday.”
