California's stem cell agency is considering going to the ballot to get voter approval for a $5 billion infusion of funds.
DAVID JENSEN in Capitol Weekly: "The man often called the father of the California stem cell agency all but said he is set to launch an effort to pump an additional $5 billion in state funding into the research effort, which is scheduled to run out of cash in about three years."
"Robert Klein, a wealthy real estate investment banker, told a packed audience on Thursday at the City of Hope in the Los Angeles area that a public opinion poll would be taken next fall in California to gauge support for a new bond measure to support the agency. He said that California has the “opportunity and privilege” to “lift the human condition.”
“A revolution is underway,” Klein said."
READ MORE related to Health: Failure on health bill also hurts prospects for tax overhaul -- AP's STEPHEN OHLEMACHER; UC Riverside scientists find possible link between MS patients' nerve-covering damage, seizures -- The Press-Enterprise's SUZANNE HURT; Lab-grown meniscus could one day prevent arthritis in knees -- Union-Tribune's BRADLEY J. FIKES
California Democrats seek congressional gains, but turnout is key.
Sacramento Bee's DAN WALTERS: "California’s Democratic Party leaders can be confident that their candidates will once again sweep statewide elections next year and retain strong majorities in the Legislature."
"They can also hope for more – that a blue state backlash against President Donald Trump’s so-far-erratic performance and a Republican-controlled Congress, keyed to hot-button issues such as immigration and health care, will shrink the California GOP’s already thin congressional ranks – just 14 of 53 seats."
"Nationwide, Democrat Hillary Clinton won in 23 Republican-held congressional districts and seven of those were in California, which puts their incumbents in the cross-hairs next year."
READ MORE related to Local: New Sacramento regional government chief talks Trump, transit -- Sacramento Bee's TONY BIZJAK; Trump delivers surprise to California -- Politico's DAVID SIDERS; Reps. Devin Nunes and Adam Schiff couldn't be less alike -- just like the two Californias they come from -- LA Times' GEORGE SKELTON; SF's voter-approved camp-sweep measure more symbol than substance -- The Chronicle's KEVIN FAGAN/EMILY GREEN
A Huntington Beach protest turned violent this weekend after a Trump protester punched an O.C. Weekly reporter in the face -- a women then intervened and was pepper sprayed; both sides clashed, leading to 3 arrests.
LA Times' ANGEL JENNINGS/ANH DO: "An OC Weekly reporter and two photographers said Sunday that they were physically assaulted by pro-Trump demonstrators at a Make America Great Again rally in Huntington Beach and are seeking the public’s help in identifying at least one of the people responsible."
"Frank Tristan, an intern at the paper, and photographers Julie Leopo and Brian Feinzimer were attacked before one of several counter-demonstrators pepper sprayed an organizer of Saturday’s event. After Jennifer Sterling was pepper-sprayed, several fights broke out."
"A video of the confrontation shows Sterling trying to intervene after a Trump supporter pushed and shoved Feinzimer, who was shooting pictures of Leopo being hit with an American flag, then repeatedly punched Tristan. A moment later, Sterling is pepper-sprayed and can be seen staggering around, rubbing her eyes before falling to the ground."
READ MORE related to Immigration: Bay Area tech executives indicted for H-1B visa fraud -- Mercury News' LOUIS HANSEN; Jerry Brown rips Trump's wall: 'We're not going to sit around and just play patsy' -- Sacramento Bee's CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO; From the border to Mexico's capital: San Diego chamber trip aims to build bridges -- Union-Tribune's SANDRA DIBBLE; With Trump in office, Cesar Chavez marchers move from 'si, se puede' to 'resiste' -- Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON; LA interfaith event shows solidarity with targeted communities -- Daily News' BRENDA GAZZAR; For immigrant Trump voter, tensions reach boiling point at home -- The Chronicle's SARAH RAVANI/TRISHA THADANI
California rejects Trump's anti-environment hardline as state regulators reaffirmed their commitment to GHG emission control.
Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER: "California environmental regulators, taking a defiant stand against President Donald Trump on climate change, reaffirmed their commitment Thursday to tough standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars."
"The California Air Resources Board voted unanimously to move ahead with progressively stricter tailpipe emissions regulations, along with a separate mandate that requires automakers to sell more zero-emissions vehicles."
"The vote on greenhouse gas restrictions suggests a potentially bruising legal battle with the White House could be coming. Trump last week ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review the greenhouse gas regulations, which were launched in California years ago and adopted as the nationwide standard by former President Barack Obama."
READ MORE related to Environment: Defying man and nature, the sea otters of Morro Bay have made a comeback -- LA Times' DIANA MARCUM; How leaky is your water utility? Soon Californians will know -- Water Deeply's MATT WEISER; Five reasons water efficiency and recycling are a perfect match -- Water Deeply's TRACY QUINN; Scorching Phoenix may be out of position to deal with climate change -- LA Times' WILLIAM YARDLEY
An area in Steinbeck country known as 'the Salad Bowl of the World' is now adding a new green leaf to the mix: commercial cannabis.
Sacramento Bee's PETER HECHT: "John Steinbeck’s quintessential California novel “East of Eden,” about pain and poverty in an agricultural paradise, cast this setting in near biblical tones, depicting it as a place of mystical breeze and light, “full of sun and loveliness” and warm like “the lap of a beloved mother."
"He wrote “the top soil lay deep and fertile” and “the whole valley floor, and the foothills too, would be carpeted with lupins and poppies.” Here, Steinbeck called the fields of lettuce “green gold,” and to this day, the productive valley – between the Gabilan Mountains to the east and the Santa Lucias to the west – is known as “the Salad Bowl of the World."
"But it has seen challenging times. In the 1980s, producers of cut flowers erected cavernous greenhouses south of Salinas. Heated and cooled by abundant sunshine and ocean breezes, these buildings created the perfect micro-climate for growing lilies, tulips, delphiniums and orchids. Then global competition, particularly from Latin America, decimated the market. The downturn, occurring over the past two decades, left tracts of vacant, collapsing structures and helped to push the recent unemployment rate to more than 11 percent, well above the state’s 5.1 percent average."
READ MORE related to Economy: Silicon Valley sends ambassador to Trump's coal country -- Politico's NANCY SCOLA; Why California stinks for first-time home buyers -- LA Times' JAMES F. PELTZ; Travel ban proposals making California tourism industry nervous -- Long Beach Press Telegram's RACHEL URANGA; Raiders' move to Las Vegas appears to be in the cards -- LA Times' SAM FARMER/GARY KLEIN/DAN WOIKE
California school district administrator pay increased 27% over the last few years, while teacher salaries barely saw half that figure.
Sacramento Bee's PHILLIP REESE: "Every so often, “clackers,” as teachers at Hiram Johnson High call them, will visit Mary Rodríguez’s class to watch her teach and make recommendations. These administrators, she said, wear shoes that aren’t ideal for Hiram Johnson’s floors, making it easy to hear them coming."
"A lot of them roam the halls these days: Sacramento City Unified has increased spending on administrators during the last several years while cutting spending on teachers."
“We are just putting our noses to the grindstone and trying to teach the kids, and it becomes exhausting,” Rodríguez said."
READ MORE related to Education: Some schools trading the blacktop for greentop as an innovative way to teach science -- EdSource's CAROLYN JONES; Granda Hills wins state academic title after high-profile Super Quiz is thrown out -- LA Times
The GOP has complete control of the federal government, but so far their major political plays have largely been unsuccessful.
AP's THOMAS BEAUMONT/BILL BARROW: "The Republican Party of "no" for Democrat Barack Obama's eight years is having a hard time getting to "yes" in the early Donald Trump era."
"The unmitigated failure of the GOP bill to replace Obamacare underscored that Republicans are a party of upstart firebrands, old-guard conservatives and moderates in Democratic-leaning districts. Despite the GOP monopoly on Washington, they are pitted against one another and struggling for a way to govern."
"The divisions cost the party its best chance to fulfill a seven-year promise to undo Obama's Affordable Care Act and cast doubt on whether the Republican-led Congress can do the monumental — the first overhaul of the nation's tax system in more than 30 years — as well as the basics — keeping the government open at the end of next month, raising the nation's borrowing authority later this year and passing the 12 spending bills for federal agencies and departments."
READ MORE related to Beltway: Meet Indivisible, the young progressives leading the resistance to President Trump -- LA Times' KURTIS LEE
A quadruple homicide suspect allegedly responsible for the deaths of 2 adults and 2 young teenage children -- a slaying that sent shockwaves through a pleasant neighborhood -- will face a judge in court this afternoon.
Sacramento Bee's NASHELLY CHAVEZ/DARRELL SMITH/TONY BIZJAK: "The man accused of murdering four people in a South Land Park home last week is scheduled to hear those charges read against him Monday afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court. Meanwhile, a shocked community is beginning the slow process of returning to normality after an emotional weekend vigil to mourn the victims."
"Salvador Vasquez-Oliva, 56, is being held in jail with no bail, accused of killing Angelique Vasquez, 45, her daughter Mia Vasquez, 14, son Alvin Vasquez, 11, and Vasquez’s niece, Ashley Coleman, 21."
"The crime occurred in the trim ranch-style home on 35th Avenue that Vasquez-Oliva shared with at least three of his victims, according to property records. Police have said little about the crime, including whether Vasquez-Oliva and Vasquez were married."
READ MORE related to Public Safety: Women veterans working to get overdue resources, benefits -- Sacramento Bee's STEPHEN MAGAGNINI; National Guard whistleblower says he was forced to retire for exposing misconduct -- Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON
Caltrans is conducting surveys on where to create new bike routes and local groups are encouraging commuters and cyclists to participate.
The Chronicle's TOM STIENSTRA: "Each year, 325,000 people, most on bikes, venture on the Crystal Springs Regional Trail on the Peninsula. That’s the route, mostly paved, that runs 15 miles along Crystal Springs and San Andreas lakes."
"It’s beautiful, spans through oak woodlands, riparian creek zones and along three lakes with a series of gorgeous views."
"It also shows the value of a bike on a path set aside from cars."
