A terrifying attack in France last night turned the beautiful city of Nice into a horrific nightmare as more than 80 people were murdered during a Bastille Day celebration.
Barney Henderson, Chris Graham and Josie Gurney-Read with The Telegraph: "A terrorist gunman killed 84 people and wounded scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice late on Thursday."
"The driver was shot dead after barrelling the truck two kilometres (1.3 miles) through the festive crowd on the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais, sending hundreds fleeing in terror and leaving the area strewn with bodies."
"Authorities said they found identity papers belonging to a 31-year-old French-Tunisian citizen in the truck, as well as "guns" and "larger weapons".
READ MORE related to Terrorism: Trump and Clinton both see U.S. at war with jihadists in aftermath of attack on France -- Michael Finnegan & Seema Mehta with L.A. Times; Everything we know so far about Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel -- Henry Samuel and Tom Morgan with The Telegraph. Terrorism by truck has long been feared by law enforcement -- Richard Winton with Sac Bee.
Teachers and the Hospital Assn. are the largest funders of Proposition 55 -- a measure on the November ballot aimed at extending the state's current income tax on its wealthiest residents.
John Myers with L.A. Times reports: "Backers of the effort to extend the lifespan of California's tax rates on the most wealthy boosted their campaign coffers Thursday, with a $10-million contribution from the California Teachers Assn."
"State campaign finance reports show the effort to pass Proposition 55 has now collected almost $28 million, bankrolled largely by teachers and by the California Hospital Assn."
"Prop. 55 would add 12 years to the lifespan of temporary taxes first approved by voters in 2012. Single filers earning more than $263,000 a year and joint filers reporting more than about $526,000 of income would continue to pay higher rates through 2030. The independent Legislative Analyst's Office has estimated Prop. 55 could bring in as much as $7.5 billion in tax revenues by 2019."
A study researching incidence reports from a very small number of police precincts suggests that police are more inclined to use force on non-whites.
Simone Shah with Daily Californian reports: "A study published by the Center for Policing Equity on Friday found that racial differences are often linked to the use of force by police."
"The research group, which included UC Berkeley public policy professors Steven Raphael and Jack Glaser, studied data from 12 police departments across the U.S. — all with different racial and ethnic demographics and different rates of crime. Of the 19,269 total incidents reported by these departments from 2010 to 2015, police were 2.5 times more likely to use force on Black residents than on average and 3.6 times more likely than on white residents."
"According to chair of the Berkeley Police Review Commission George Perezvelez, use of force is “the involvement of physical restraint from a member of law enforcement to gain control of an unruly person or situation.” He added that use of force could include anything from arrests to firing shots."
SEE MORE in Public Safety: L.A. Police Commission president calls for revisiting LAPD policy on body-camera videos -- Kate Mather with L.A. Times; At least 2 dozen SFPD officers tied to teen at center of sexual exploitation scandal -- Alex Emslie and Nicole Reinert with KQED; Critics assail SFPD in transfer of sergeant in fatal shooting -- Vivian Ho with The Chronicle.
A KKK official has confirmed that the flyer seen in the Haight neighborhood in San Francisco was a genuine recruitment attempt in response to recent Black Lives Matter protests.
Jenna Lyons with The Chronicle: "The Ku Klux Klan recruitment flyer that sparked outrage in San Francisco’s Haight neighborhood this week was legitimate, a Klan official said Thursday, adding that the organization had recently received a surge in interest amid police shootings and protests."
"On Tuesday, neighborhood news outlet Hoodline posted a picture of the flyer, which was reportedly being distributed around Haight and Clayton and Oak and Lyon streets."
"Will Quigg, grand dragon of the KKK’s West Coast region, said the picture showed one of the pamphlets that members tend to leave in driveways."
The U.C. system will be allocating more than $3 million in budget funds to battle food insecurity on the University's campuses across the state.
By Jessie Qian with Daily Californian: "On Monday, UC President Janet Napolitano approved $3.3 million in new funding over the next two years to combat food insecurity issues across the UC system."
"The funding includes $151,000 for each of the 10 UC campuses, which will be used for improving food emergency relief for UC students and for strategizing basic skills education for"
"UC students, according to Ruben Canedo, coordinating chair for the UC Berkeley Food Security Committee. Basic skills education, Canedo said, consists of financial wellness education for students to maximize living standards based on their income, as well as basic cooking education to address students’ nutritional needs."
"“Many students who are coming to (the) food pantry are always saying they don’t have enough time to support themselves,” Canedo said. “The question I’m always asking is, ‘Do you have the skills to allow you to make better time?’"
MORE in Education: LGBT history lessons headed for California classrooms -- Lisa Leff with Sac Bee; U.C. graduate student discovers key role of tails in evolution from water to land -- Cassie Ippaso with Daily Californian.
State Senator Sharon Runner has passed away after a bout with respiratory issues. Rest in peace, Sharon.
Sac Bee's Christopher Cadelago reports: "California Sen. Sharon Runner, who returned to the Legislature last year following a double lung transplant, died Thursday. The Lancaster Republican was 62."
"Runner’s family said in a statement that she died peacefully at home, surrounded by family and friends, following respiratory complications."
“Through her life, Sharon held tight to her favorite Bible verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, trusting in the Lord through all obstacles,” the Runner family said. “We take comfort in the fact that the Lord truly directed her path, and she is now home in the arms of her savior.”
And for the person who had the Worst week in California, #WorstWeekCA, we pick City of Commerce Councilwoman Tina Baca Del Rio. She was hit with the Fair Political Practice Commission's largest-ever judgment for campaign fund embezzlement.
