The Florida school shooting was the 18th school shooting of the year. It's only February.
Time's JAMIE DUCHARME: "Wednesday’s school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., was the 18th school shooting of 2018 — a year that’s not even two months old."
"While many of these incidents — including the most recent before Wednesday’s shooting, one on Feb. 8 at New York City’s Metropolitan High School — did not result in any fatalities or injuries, schools nationwide have been rocked by gun violence in recent days. There have been school shootings in 13 states so far this year, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit that advocates for gun control. Texas, California and Michigan have each seen at least two school shootings."
"On Jan. 23 in Kentucky, a 15-year-old student killed two of his peers and injured almost two dozen others. Just the day before, a 15-year-old girl was wounded in a shooting in Texas."
READ MORE related to School Shooting Pandemic: Florida school shooting death toll is at 17 and could rise -- NYT's AUDRA D.S. BURCH/PATRICIA MAZZEI; Nikolas Cruz charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in Florida school shooting -- The Guardian's OLIVER LAUGHLAND/RICHARD LUSCOMBE/JON HENLEY; Florida school shooting suspect made 'very, very disturbing' social media posts, sheriff says -- AP; Florida teen charged with 17 murders legally bought AR-15 -- AP's TERRY SPENCER/KELLI KENNEDY; Mass shootings are getting deadlier. And the latest ones all have something new in common: The AR-15 -- LA Times' MATT PEARCE; School superintendent chokes up during interview -- AP; Gun sales are plummeting and Trump wants to help -- The Nation's GEORGE ZORNICK; Report of gun-toting bicyclist prompts American River College lockdown -- Sacramento Bee's CATHY LOCKE
Risk of disastrous heat, floods and fire skyrockets with warming, Stanford professor finds
The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER: "The extreme weather that brought record floods and ruinous wildfires to the United States in the past year is just a taste of what’s to come, new research out of Stanford University shows."
"Owing to global warming, increasingly brutal spells of heat and drought as well as rain and snow are up to five times as likely to occur over large stretches of the planet in coming decades, according to a study published Wednesday,"
"The work was led by Earth system scientist Noah Diffenbaugh, who is at the fore of a growing cadre of researchers working to pinpoint the largely amorphous effects of climate change."
READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: Santa Rosa mobile home park won't be rebuilt after fires, but affordable housing coming -- The Chronicle's LIZZIE JOHNSON; Fire scorches vacant greenhouses on site of historic San Gabriel nursery -- SGV Tribune's BRIAN DAY; Warning issued after pesticide-poisoned nopales from Mexico are found at Stater Bros., other locations -- SGV Tribune's SUZANNE HURT; February has been bone dry. Has drought returned to California? -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN SABALOW/DALE KASLER
If Republicans have their way, California highways stand to lose big under Trump's infrastructure plan
LA Times' GEORGE SKELTON: "President Trump's infrastructure proposal isn't worth much. And what it is worth for California, the state's Republican delegation in Congress is trying to destroy."
"That's the irony. More precisely, it's cynical politics outweighing needed public works."
"A bill that would replace the existing health care system with a new one run by a single payer—specifically, the state government—and paid for with taxpayer money remains parked in the Assembly, with no sign of moving ahead. An effort by activists to recall Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon for shelving the bill has gone dormant. And an initiative that would lay the financial groundwork for a future single-payer system has little funding, undercutting its chances to qualify for the ballot."
"But even if single payer is a lost cause in the short term, advocates are playing a long game. For now, it may well be less a realistic policy blueprint than an organizing tool."
SJ State prof announces lieutenant governor run, takes swipe at Newsom
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "A Republican economics professor at San Jose State University announced her candidacy in California’s increasingly crowded lieutenant governor’s race Wednesday, pledging to make college affordable and “restore dignity to the halls of our state Capitol."
"Lydia Ortega, who has never held public office, was one of 137 economists who signed an open letter to Congress last year in support of Republican tax reform legislation, saying it would stimulate economic growth."
"In her introductory video released Wednesday, the 59-year-old Ortega touts her upbringing in a “tough neighborhood in East L.A.” and says she knows “what women in the MeToo movement have gone through. This has to stop. We have to hold leaders accountable to oaths and vows they make."
READ MORE related to State Politics: Top Clinton aide to run for California governor -- Sacramento Bee's CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO; 'It's time for a divorce': Calexit supporters relaunch California independence bid -- Sacramento Bee's ALEXEI KOSEFF
Effort to recall Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs moves forward
Sacramento Bee's NOEL HARRIS: "Last month, Stockton residents began an effort to recall Mayor Michael Tubbs."
"Brenda Vasquez, who is leading the effort, on Tuesday posted on Facebook a letter she received from the Office of the City Clerk, saying “WE DID IT, WITH TEARS OF JOY!"
"The letter from Stockton City Clerk Bret Hunter was posted by Vasquez on the public Stockton Politics group page, which has nearly 1,500 members."
Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia accused of improper workplace behavior by anonymous ex-staffers
LA Times' MELANIE MASON: "A lawyer representing four anonymous former staffers of Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) filed a letter with the Assembly on Wednesday, alleging the legislator had created an inappropriate workplace environment."
"The allegations, unveiled in an unusual news conference on the steps of the state Capitol, involve alcohol use in the office and raunchy conversations about sex."
"The letter comes on the heels of accusations by two men that Garcia made improper advances on them. Garcia has denied wrongdoing and went on unpaid leave while the matter is investigated."
READ MORE related to Me Too: Women target seats held by California lawmakers accused of sexual harassment -- Sacramento Bee's ALEXEI KOSEFF; Turns out Shaun White, world's best snowboarder, can be a creep. A hero would cop to his own bad behavior -- LA Times' ROBIN ABCARIAN; Female entrepreneur, 29, accuses VC, 73, of sexual assault on plane -- The Chronicle's KATHLEEN PENDER; The #MeToo movement meets the Olympics -- The Chronicle's ANN KILLION
Bipartisan group reaches deal on immigration, fulfilling some Trump demands
WaPo's ED O'KEEFE/DAVID NAKAMURA/MIKE DEBONIS: "A bipartisan group of senators reached a deal on immigration Wednesday as President Trump attempted to preemptively undercut the proposal by delivering an ultimatum: Pass my plan or risk a veto."
"The self-dubbed “Common Sense Caucus” of senators late Wednesday circulated legislation that would fulfill Trump’s calls to grant legal status to 1.8 million young immigrants and would appropriate $25 billion for southern border security construction projects over the next decade — not immediately, as Trump wants. The bill also would curb family-based immigration programs, but not to the extent Trump is seeking, and would not end a diversity visa lottery program that he wants eliminated."
"Word of an agreement came as formal debate on immigration policy is set to intensify Thursday. The new bipartisan plan is slated for a vote, as is the GOP proposal sought by Trump, another Republican bill that would punish “sanctuary” cities and a bipartisan idea that would significantly water down Trump’s demands."
READ MORE related to Immigration: OP-ED: This is a test for Mitch McConnell. Let's see how he does. -- WaPo's EDITORIAL BOARD; ICE launches new immigration sweep in LA area; at least 100 detained so far -- LA Times' CINDY CARCAMO; ICE reportedly arrests 100+ in 'uncooperative' LA area as part of operation that began Sunday -- Daily News' ELIZABETH CHOU; Ryan struggles on Dreamers as GOP fractures -- Politico's RACHAEL BADE/JOHN BRESNAHAN
Berkeley cuts its cannabis tax rate in half to attract, keep businesses
The Chronicle's KIMBERLY VEKLEROV: "In a boost to a fledgling industry, the Berkeley City Council slashed the city’s recreational cannabis tax rate in half Tuesday to attract and keep businesses in town."
"The tax rate, now 5 percent, is among the lowest in the Bay Area and could put pressure on neighboring cities to cut theirs, too."
"Critics decried the move as a relinquishing of vital funds after just six weeks of legal adult-use sales. They pointed out that no formal analysis had been done to show whether the possible benefits spurred by new business creation would offset the losses in city revenue."
READ MORE related to Cannabis: Pot growers are flooding Sacramento with applications. Some areas say enough is enough -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN LILLIS/BRAD BRANAN
Milo Yiannopoulos' UCLA talk on what he hates about Mexico canceled
LA Times' TERESA WATANABE: "Milo Yiannopoulos, the right-wing rabble-rouser whose campus appearances have sparked widespread protests, is no longer headed to UCLA this month."
"Less than 24 hours after putting tickets for the event on sale, the Bruin Republicans voted Wednesday to cancel his Feb. 26 talk, "10 Things I Hate About Mexico," Yiannopoulos told The Times in a series of text messages."
'We would literally not survive': How Trump's plans for the social safety net would affect America's poorest
WaPo's CAITLIN DEWEY/TRACY JAN: "Since the day in January 2010 when teenager Courtney Bias and her 1-week-old daughter were kicked out of her mother’s house, the young family has slept wherever they can: under bridges. On strangers’ floors. In city parks."
"Today, 25-year-old Bias, her boyfriend and their three young children are renting part of a friend’s apartment outside Baltimore. They scrape by on his wages from construction and landscaping jobs, relying on federal food stamps to help feed their children and Medicaid for doctor’s visits. Bias has also been on a wait list for subsidized housing for the past seven years and was told 2018 would be the year she could finally move into her own apartment."
"But after hearing the Trump administration’s plans to overhaul the social safety net, Bias is afraid that she and her family could wind up on the streets, where they started. “My kids and I were in a lot of sticky situations before,” Bias said. “We can’t wait another seven years to get off that list."
Police Commission faults LAPD officer who shot and killed 70-year-old man holding metal pipe
LA Times' KATE MATHER: "A veteran Los Angeles police officer violated department rules for using deadly force last year when he shot and killed a 70-year-old man holding a pipe in downtown L.A., an oversight panel determined."
"Siding with Chief Charlie Beck, the Los Angeles Police Commission unanimously faulted Officer Charles Garcia for firing his gun and for some of the tactics he used before pulling the trigger."
The Disappearing Strike
Jacobin Mag's DOUG HENWOOD: "According to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released on Friday, last year saw the second-smallest number of major strikes in recorded history: seven. This is close to the record low set in 2009, five — in the depths of the Great Recession, when the unemployment rate was approaching 10 percent. Last year’s average unemployment rate was less than half that, 4.3 percent."
"Here’s the grim history of the decline of labor’s most powerful weapon in two graphs:"
"The number of days of “idleness” — a curiously moralizing word for an instrument of class struggle — wasn’t as close to a record low. There were four years in which this measure (the number of workers involved times the length of the strike) was lower — all recent years (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014)."
READ MORE related to Economy & Development: The Arroyo Seco was once snubbed for money for local restoration projects. That could soon be fixed. -- SGV Tribune's STEVE SCAUZILLO
The governor of Pennsylvania rejects Republicans' new map
The Economist's S.M.: "THE best thing that can be said about a new Republican-drawn congressional map for Pennsylvania is that none of the districts resembles a cartoon character. But erasing the lines of a comically gerrymandered district dubbed “Goofy kicking Donald Duck” was not enough to satisfy an order from Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, said Tom Wolf, the state’s Democratic governor, on February 13th."
"When the court ruled on January 22nd that the map in use since 2011 was an extreme partisan gerrymander that violates Pennsylvania’s constitution, it gave legislators until February 9th to send Mr Wolf a fairer map. The redrawn districts, the court advised, should be “composed of compact and contiguous territory” and should not gratuitously divide cities and counties. Curiously, the initial order said nothing about fixing the map’s skew toward Republican candidates, which has afforded their party a reliable 13-to-5 advantage in a state with more registered Democrats than Republicans."
With fealty to frailty, the Federalist Party of America launches
National Review's WILLIAM F.B. O'REILLY: "new political party is rolling out in America. It’s tiny, unfunded, understaffed, and it’s not really a party at all, at least not yet. Sounds promising — right?"
"There’s more. Its name is stodgy, akin to blowing dust from an old tome in a Philadelphia attic: the Federalist Party of America. What’s next? Powdered wigs?"
"And if the party ever draws real breath, everyone who’s anyone in Washington will try to strangle it in its crib. How can it miss?"
Adam Schiff says House Russia investigation has 'abundance' of evidence against Trump
The Guardian's JULIAN BORGER: "Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said Wednesday that the panel had seen an “abundance” of evidence of collusion with Russia and obstruction by Donald Trump’s campaign and administration that is not yet public."
"Speaking to reporters in Washington, Schiff said a lot of information was already in the public domain that pointed to extensive contacts between the Trump campaign team and the Kremlin, and later efforts by the Trump entourage to cover up those contacts. But Schiff said there was much more to come out."
"He said: “There is certainly an abundance of non-public information that we’ve gathered in the investigation. And I think some of that non-public evidence is evidence on the issue of collusion and some … on the issue of obstruction.”
READ MORE related to POTUS45/KremlinGate: White House counsel walks a fine line in serving Trump's demands -- WaPo's JOSH DAWSEY?ROSALIND S. HELDERMAN/MATT ZAPOTOSKY; Schiff complains FBI, Justice Department making too many demands on Russia memo -- Politico's KYLE CHENEY; Why Romney plans to lay off Trump -- Politico's ALEX ISENSTADT; Kelly's uphill battle for redemption -- Politico's JOHN F. HARRIS/ELIANA JOHNSON; Progressive poll shows support for Trump impeachment -- McClatchy DC's ALEX ROARTY; Trump can fire Mueller, but not a grand jury -- Politico's DAVID YASSKY/BENNETT L. GERSHMAN; CNN launches new ad trolling Trump on Mueller -- The Hill's JOE CONCHA; Trump legal team builds case against Mueller interview, cites Clinton precedent -- Washington Time's ROWAN SCARBOROUGH; Bharara trolls WH: Every member of Mueller's team has a permanent security clearance -- The Hill's BRANDON CARTER
Olympic celebrations of Korean unity belie the state of anxiety on the DMZ, a short drive north
LA Times' MATT STILES: "The aging, two-story blue structure stands just across the eerie border separating North and South Korea, inside the broader buffer area known as the demilitarized zone."
"The building has a military telephone, set up so that international troops under the United States’ command can relay messages to their North Korean adversaries in the hope of avoiding any unintended conflict."
