"Everyone recognizes this is a key moment," said Feuer of the aftermath of the shooting that killed 17 people last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. "Every school district, especially in the wake of Parkland, should be doing everything it can to ensure its schools are as safe as possible."
READ MORE related to Gun Violence Pandemic: Feinstein renews effort to ban assault weapons -- The Chronicle's CAROLYN LOCHHEAD; Local schools gird for student walkout over gun violence -- Sacramento Bee's DIANA LAMBERT; NRA could lose gun fight to next generation -- The Chronicle's WILLIE BROWN; Police, district to add security at SF grade school after threat -- The Chronicle's MICHAEL CABANATUAN
California unions planning next steps if Janus ruling goes against them
The Chronicle's LAUREL ROSENHALL: "The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on a high-profile case that could slash the power of public employee unions. But California labor leaders are already planning to push for new state laws to blunt the impact of an unfavorable ruling."
"The case argued before the court last week, Janus vs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, challenges whether public employee unions can collect fees from workers who choose not to join the union. California is one of several states that allow unions to collect “fair-share fees” from workers who benefit from services such as contract negotiations but don’t want to pay for their union’s political activity."
"Plaintiff Mark Janus, a state child support specialist in Illinois, contends that all union activity is political when the workers’ boss is the government. He argues that requiring him to pay the fee infringes on his constitutional rights to free speech and association by essentially forcing him to support a group that advocates positions with which he disagrees — in particular, its push for boosting worker salaries in a state facing a budget crisis after reportedly mismanaging its pension program."
For mentally ill homeless patients, new center offers 54 beds and a dose of hope
The Chronicle's KEVIN FAGAN: "Few things are more appalling to anyone on San Francisco’s streets than being incoherently ranted at by agitated, psychologically unhinged homeless people. And few things are more appalling, somewhere deep inside those unfortunate human beings, than to be so trapped in the grip of mental illness that their self-awareness is destroyed."
"On Monday, city officials plan to announce a major step toward rescuing those severely mentally ill homeless people from their afflictions — the opening this month of 54 new lockdown psychiatric beds at St. Mary’s Medical Center."
"This will more than double the current number of beds in the city for mental patients who have been ordered by a judge into conservatorship, meaning they must involuntarily accept round-the-clock treatment because they are too ill to live on their own."
Oakland schools balance improving student performance while making deep budget cuts
EdSource's THERESA HARRINGTON: "Oakland Unified is struggling with a balancing act that requires it to improve its students’ academic performance next year while also slashing millions of dollars from its budget."
"At a school board meeting last month, Troy Christmas, the district’s financial services director, told the school board they must cut $5 million to $7 million from their budgetnext year or face insolvency."
"At the same time, the East Bay district is one of 28 in California that could face state intervention in the 2019-20 school year because of poor performance by students based on California’s new school accountability system. That’s because of a little-noticed provision in the law that enacted the three-tiered support system that is part of the state’s Local Control Funding Formula, or LCFF, the school funding system championed by Gov. Jerry Brown and implemented in 2013-14."
State may tear down major Sacramento bridges to build bigger ones for mega-trucks
Sacramento Bee's TONY BIZJAK: "Flush with new gas tax funds, state officials are exploring what could be the biggest Sacramento freeway redo in modern times – tearing down and replacing the twin freeway bridges that carry Interstate 5 over the American River."
"Caltrans says the half-mile spans just north of downtown are among 45 pinch-points the agency has identified on three major freight corridors – I-5, I-580, I-10/60 – that force oversized trucks onto sometimes long and costly detours."
"In some cases, overpasses are too low. A notorious one on I-80 in Berkeley less than 5 miles from the Oakland port is only 14 feet, 9 inches tall, more than a foot lower than the 16-foot modern federal standard for existing bridges. Federal standards for new bridges are 16 feet, 6 inches."
Why Sacramento erased 23 crosswalks, including one where a grandmother died after removal
Sacramento Bee's TONY BIZJAK: "Freeport Boulevard, one of Sacramento's busier thoroughfares, has become the epicenter in recent weeks for renewed debate over pedestrian safety in Sacramento."
"Four weeks ago, a 71-year-old woman was killed and her 6-year-old grandson seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver as they crossed the street at an intersection just north of Fruitridge Road."
"The intersection where it happened, Oregon Drive, holds a distinction that has left area residents and even some city leaders surprised and caused some to question the city's safety tactics:"
READ MORE related to Public Safety: Will a harassment complaint against a sheriff change how California treats its dead? -- Sacramento Bee's ANITA CHABRIA
Amazing 1906 footage of SF in ruins found at flea market
SFGate's AMY GRAFF: "A film reel with nine minutes of rare, startlingly clear footage of a San Francisco in ruins two weeks after the 1906 earthquake and fire has surfaced at a flea market."
"Film historians say the footage, a series of clips, was produced by an early San Francisco studio run by the Miles brothers — Harry, Herbert, Joseph and Earl. It’s a bookend to their most famous work, “A Trip Down Market Street,” a 13-minute movie shot from a cable car days before the earthquake."
"The newly found footage chronicles a similar trip down Market Street, from Fifth Street to the Ferry Building. But in this one, many of the buildings lining the city’s main thoroughfare have collapsed."
Trump says maybe US will have a president for life someday
AP: "President Donald Trump says he thinks it's great that China's president now holds that office for life and muses that maybe the U.S. will do the same someday."
"Trump's remarks were met with laughter and applause during a luncheon for Republican donors Saturday at his South Florida estate. CNN said it obtained a recording of the remarks."
"Chinese President Xi Jinping recently consolidated power. Trump told the gathering: "He's now president for life. President for life. And he's great." Trump added, "I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot someday."
READ MORE related to POTUS45/KremlinGate: Trump says North Korea 'called up,' seeking talks with the United States -- WaPo's ANNE GEARAN; OP-ED: Five things Trump could do to stop Russia's meddling -- L.A. Times's DOYLE MCMANUS
Elizabeth Warren seeks to neutralize 'Pocahontas' barbs
AP's STEVE LEBLANC: "U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is hoping to defuse an issue that has dogged her for years, her claims of Native American heritage, ahead of a possible run for president in 2020."
"Last month, Warren addressed the National Congress of American Indians, trying to cast her family's story in the larger context of challenges facing native peoples. The prominent Democrat has also met with tribal leaders, signed on to legislation supported by Native American activists, and called on Republican President Donald Trump to nominate a director for the Indian Health Service."
"The push is in part a rebuttal to Trump, who has repeatedly referred to Warren as "Pocahontas" to try to discredit a potential rival in 2020 by calling into question her claims of heritage."
