State officials are vowing to push ahead with legislation to provide state-funded pensions to private-sector employees, despite a recent GOP-led push in the Senate on regulations that would provide opposition to the bill.
LA Times' JAMES RUFUS KOREN: "Despite a setback in Washington last week, California leaders say they will push ahead with their plan for a state-run retirement program — a move that sets the stage for a legal battle with businesses, trade groups and possibly federal regulators."
"Business and investment trade groups have lobbied hard against the state plans, which offer retirement savings accounts to private-sector workers who don’t have access to one through their jobs."
"Federal guidelines that offered legal protection to the plans are on the verge of being revoked after a U.S. Senate vote last week led by the GOP. That potentially leaves states that plan to proceed anyway — including California, Illinois and Oregon — open to legal challenges from businesses or even the federal Department of Labor over whether their plans run afoul of federal retirement savings laws."
READ MORE related to Local: Here's how LA County citizens panel wants to spend $355m a year in homelessness fight -- LA Times' DOUG SMITH
Glyphosate is in the Environmental Health Hazard Assessment office's crosshairs as the agency attempts to get the cancer-linked compound banned.
Capitol Weekly's MATTHEW KRAMER: "California is deciding whether to add a popular herbicide’s ingredient to the list of officially recognized cancer-causing compounds — a move that has run into a legal road block."
"At issue is glyphosate, which for decades has been a prime compound in the Monsanto Company’s herbicide Roundup."
"In March, the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment announced plans to recommend adding glyphosate to its list of substances included in warning labels, as required by voters under Proposition 65. These labels list compounds known to the state of California to cause cancer."
READ MORE related to Environment: Oroville Dam: What state's forensics team has found in first analysis -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN SABALOW; California sets ambitious goal for fighting global warming -- LA Times STAFF; Residents voice distrust at DWR meeting in Yuba City -- Chico ER's RACHEL ROSENBAUM; Allergies stuffing up Bay Area, as rainy winter fuels revenge of the pollen -- East Bay Times' YASEMIN SAPLAKOGLU; LA, Ventura county firefighters warn that heavy winter rains didn't douse fire danger -- Daily News' WES WOODS
A former deputy sheriff has been convicted in federal court for trafficking cannabis.
Chico ER's STAFF: "A former Yuba County Sheriff’s deputy and Oroville resident was convicted of drug trafficking charges Wednesday in federal court."
"Christopher Mark Heath, 38, was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 100 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to launder drug proceeds, and an additional drug trafficking count after a two-day jury trial in Harrisburg before U.S. District Court Judge Yvette Kane, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania."
"Heath, along with Tyler Neil Long, 32, Ryan Jay Falsone, 27, and Ramona Marcel Long, 56, were accused of a conspiracy to transport marijuana from Butte County and sell it on the East Coast after Heath, Tyler Long and Falsone were arrested Dec. 2015 in York County, Pennsylvania, while driving two vehicles with 89.5 kilograms of marijuana worth just under $500,000, according to the release."
READ MORE related to Public Safety: California police looking to nab marijuana-impaired drivers with roadside saliva test -- Sacramento Bee's TARYN LUNA
Trump's swift removal of Comey as FBI director could possibly be his undoing.
WaPo's MARC FISHER: "Donald Trump has always acted in the moment, with little regard for the past and proud contempt for the way things are usually done."
"For half a century, he has believed that by refusing to be weighed down by precedent or procedure, he is liberated to come across as the brash truth-teller that the public craves. He has long said that he doesn’t care whether people believe he is dumb, ill-informed or a nasty rule-breaker; if his actions built up his bottom line, they were justified, he’d say."
"Trump appears to have expected that his sudden and dramatic sacking of FBI Director James B. Comey on Tuesday might be greeted the way audiences relished his ritual firings of job applicants on his hit TV show, “The Apprentice” — as a sign of power serving truth, and in this case as a politically incorrect roundhouse punch that Republicans and Democrats alike would welcome."
READ MORE related to Beltway: Dwayne Johnson considering run for the White House -- LA Times STAFF; Presence of Russian photographer at Oval Office meeting raises alarms -- WaPo's CAROL MORELLO/GREG MILLER; Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenas documents from Flynn in Russia probe -- WaPo's KAROUN DEMIRJIAN; Inside Trump's anger and impatience -- and his sudden decision to fire Comey -- WaPo's PHILIP RUCKER/ASHLEY PARKER/SARI HORWITZ/ROBERT COSTA; Former FBI director reportedly asked for more resources for Russia investigation before firing -- AP's JULIE PACE; Options for truly independent Russia probe are limited -- AP's EILeEN SULLIVAN; For Trump supporters, the real outrage is the Left's uproar over Comey -- NYT's JEREMY W. PETERS
A recently discovered coffin with the body of a young girl dated more than a century ago is a remnant of one of SF's most influential families.
The Chronicle's KATIE DOWD: "When Horatio and Edith Cook’s two-year-old daughter died in 1876, they placed a death notice in the San Francisco Bulletin."
"In this city, October 13, Edith Howard, daughter of Horatio N. and Edith Cook, aged 2 years and 10 months," it reads."
"The Cooks buried little Edith, their only daughter, in a bronze coffin in the Odd Fellows Cemetery near Lone Mountain. In her hands, they tucked a red rose, and in her curly blond hair, they wove lavender."
Despite being in the middle of a financial fiasco, Oakland's school board has picked their new superintendent.
The Chronicle's JILL TUCKER: "After a national search, the Oakland school board picked a city native and longtime employee to serve as superintendent and steer the district through a budget crisis."
"Kyla Johnson-Trammel, now the district’s interim deputy superintendent, was selected from among dozens of applicants and is the sole finalist for the job, President James Harris announced during Wednesday’s school board meeting."
"Johnson-Trammel, who turns 41 on Monday, was born and raised in East Oakland and has worked in Oakland schools for 18 years as a teacher, principal and administrator, district officials said."
A Pacifica woman is facing three decades in prison after embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer -- $437,000, to be exact.
East Bay Times' JASON GREEN: "
A Pacifica woman accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud Wednesday in U.S. District Court, authorities said.
Krisinda Messer, 37, faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million when she is sentenced Oct. 17.
Messer created 130 fraudulent checks totaling nearly $437,000 while working as a bookkeeper for San Francisco delicatessens between 2008 and 2011, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office."
READ MORE related to Economy: How Chinese tourism brings big benefits to LA area -- Daily Bulletin's NEIL NISPEROS; Butte supervisors place liens on more pot properties -- Chico ER's STAFF; 2024 or 2028? Olympic officials sidestep tricky issue during visit to Los Angeles -- LA Times' DAVID WHARTON
LAX employees will be wearing green vests (similar to the reflective vests that county workers wear) in an effort to raise visibility on the ground for travelers seeking assistance during the 'monumental five-day move.'
Daily News' RACHEL URANGA: "Los Angeles International Airport officials are hoping you’ll find it easy seein’ green."
"There is going to be lots of that color at LAX the during its monumental five-day move."
"Hundreds of volunteers and workers donning green vests will steer lost travelers to the appropriate terminals. Five green buses will ferry travelers to and from Terminals 2, 3, 5, and 6 where the big shifts unfold. And it will be hard to miss the flood of neon green signs posted throughout the terminal, warning of the move."
