Tag Archives: California

Law & Crime reports: Police in California say a man sprayed other people with bear repellent at an event on Saturday afternoon at the Santa Monica Pier. Video purportedly of the event shows a man in a red “Make America Great Again” hat using a spray at the confrontation. At least one witness at the incident described this as “pepper …

NPR reports: Scientists cannot yet predict when the next deadly earthquake will strike, but emergency response authorities in California plan to unveil the first statewide quake warning system Thursday, which marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The warnings will be issued in two ways: a cellphone app called MyShake and the more traditional wireless notification system …

The Sacramento Bee reports: Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed new gun control laws that expand the availability of gun violence restraining orders and place stricter limits on the number of firearms Californians can buy each month. Starting in July 2021, Californians will be allowed to purchase one long gun per month. People younger than age 21 won’t be allowed …

NBC News reports: A wind-whipped wildfire in the San Fernando Valley grew to over 4,000 acres overnight, hours after a blaze in neighboring Riverside County tore through a mobile home park. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in the San Fernando Valley, parts of major highways were shut down and at least 10 schools were closed Friday. In the earlier blaze Thursday, …

The Associated Press reports: Millions of people in California woke up in the dark Wednesday after Pacific Gas & Electric started shutting off power to prevent what the utility called an unprecedented wildfire danger. PG&E said it cut power to more than 500,000 customers in Northern California and that it plans to gradually turn off electricity to nearly 800,000 customers …

The Associated Press reports: Pharmacists in California will be able to dispense HIV prevention pills to patients without a doctor’s prescription after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday that supporters say will greatly reduce the spread of infection. Advocates of Senate Bill 159 say that California is the first state to authorize pre-exposure prophylaxis, also called PrEP, and post-exposure prophylaxis, …

The Sacramento Bee reports: The Trump administration is ratcheting up its threats against California with a letter warning the state faces sanctions – including cuts in federal highway funding – over its “failure” to submit complete reports on its implementation of the Clean Air Act. In the letter to the California Air Resources Board, Andrew Wheeler [photo], administrator of the …

Capitol Weekly reports: The latest monthly tracking poll for California’s March 2020 Democratic primary election shows Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren increasing her share of the vote, for the first time pushing former Vice President Joe Biden down to third place among likely voters. This survey again shows there are a set of leading candidates, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and …

The Sacramento Bee reports: California and 22 other states sued the Trump administration Friday over the federal government’s revocation of California’s authority to impose stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The suit came a day after federal officials formally revoked California’s powers under the federal Clean Air Act. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and other state …

The Los Angeles Times reports: A federal judge ordered a temporary injunction Thursday against California’s first-in-the-nation law requiring candidates to disclose their tax returns for a spot on the presidential primary ballot, an early victory for President Trump but a decision that will undoubtedly be appealed by state officials. U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. said he would issue a …

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration is barring California from setting its own auto emissions standards, setting up a fresh struggle over the president’s push to unravel restrictions on businesses. In tweets announcing the move, the president said the White House “is revoking” a federal waiver that allowed the state to craft its own rules …

Politico reports: A chorus of mostly white women sang the gospel song “We Shall Overcome” in the California State Capitol, an anthem of the civil rights movement. Mothers rallied outside the governor’s office and marched through Capitol corridors chanting “No segregation, no discrimination, yes on education for all!” Some wore T-shirts that read “Freedom Keepers.” But this wasn’t about racial …

CNN reports: Local TV in Fresno, California, now features two public service announcements created by the Fresno Unified School District aimed at educating students and parents on social media threats. The PSAs warn that online threats can result in a student’s suspension, expulsion or even arrest. The school district has also posted an electronic billboard at one of the local …

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: The California Senate was forced from its chamber and halted work for more than three hours on the final day of its session after an opponent of mandatory childhood vaccinations poured what appeared to be blood on lawmakers from the gallery Friday evening. Stunned lawmakers left the chamber and security officers cleared the gallery and …

The New York Times reports: California lawmakers approved a statewide rent cap on Wednesday covering millions of tenants, the biggest step yet in a surge of initiatives to address an affordable-housing crunch nationwide. The bill limits annual rent increases to 5 percent after inflation and offers new barriers to eviction, providing a bit of housing security in a state with …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump has ordered White House officials to conduct a sweeping crackdown on homelessness in California, citing the state’s growing crisis, according to four government officials aware of the effort. The talks have intensified in recent weeks. Administration officials have discussed using the federal government to get homeless people off the streets of Los Angeles and …

Courthouse News reports: Signaling an uphill battle in the fight to revive a blocked California law that requires a popular entertainment industry website take down actors’ ages upon request, a Ninth Circuit panel on Monday struggled to understand how the restriction will deter age discrimination in Hollywood. “No one disputes your compelling interest, but how does the statute accomplish this?” …

Bloomberg reports: The Trump administration is preparing a plan to strip California’s authority to set tougher auto efficiency regulations than the federal government, even while agencies continue finalizing a rollback of national standards, according to a person familiar with the matter. The matter is still under consideration and no final decision to proceed has been made but is expected in …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Jacob Wohl, a conservative provocateur who once lobbed bogus claims of sexual assault against special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, appeared in court in Riverside County late Wednesday after it was revealed that prosecutors had issued a warrant for his arrest on a felony financial crime, officials said. Wohl, 21, of Corona, faces one count …

Roll Call reports: California Rep. Susan A. Davis announced Wednesday that she is not running for reelection, opening up a safe Democratic seat in San Diego. Davis, who was first elected in 2000, is the third House Democrat to retire so far this cycle. “My decision today represents a desire to live and work ‘at home’ in San Diego,” the …