Tag Archives: California

NYT: How LGBTQ Voters Could Help Flip CA House Seat

The New York Times reports: Tucked away in the California desert, where windmills line the sprawling hills and rainbows adorn the crosswalks, a sizable progressive L.G.B.T.Q. community has turned a once reliably Republican stronghold into a battleground in the fight for control of Congress, giving Democrats hope for picking up a House seat that has long been beyond their reach. …

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Coroner: Rep’s Wife Died From Dietary Supplement

The Sacramento Bee reports: Lori McClintock, wife of Rep. Tom McClintock, died in December after suffering “adverse effects” related to her consumption of the herbal supplement white mulberry leaf, a Sacramento County coroner’s report found. The two-page report says the cause of death was “dehydration due to gastroenteritis due to adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion.” It noted that …

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California To Ban Sales Of New Gasoline Cars By 2035

The New York Times reports: California is expected to put into effect on Thursday its sweeping plan to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, a groundbreaking move that could have major effects on the effort to fight climate change and accelerate a global transition toward electric vehicles. “This is huge,” said Margo Oge, an electric vehicles expert …

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Conservatives Fail In Bid To Recall Los Angeles DA

The Guardian reports: A campaign to recall the progressive Los Angeles district attorney, George Gascón, did not get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot and will not move forward, election officials announced on Monday. The failure of the initiative to remove Gascón in the middle of his first term is a victory for criminal justice reform advocates and a …

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CA Accuses Tesla Of Falsely Advertising Self-Driving

The Los Angeles Times reports: The California Department of Motor Vehicles has accused Tesla of false advertising in its promotion of the company’s signature Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies. The agency alleges the electric carmaker misled customers with advertising language on its website describing Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies as more capable than they actually are. The company “made or …

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CA Gov Declares State Of Emergency On Monkeypox

The Associated Press reports: California’s governor on Monday declared a state of emergency to speed efforts to combat the monkeypox outbreak, becoming the second state in three days to take the step. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the declaration will help California coordinate a government-wide response, seek more vaccines and lead outreach and education efforts on where people can get treatment …

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CA Gov Declares Emergency Over Wildfire [VIDEO]

The Associated Press reports: In California’s Klamath National Forest, the fast-moving McKinney fire, which started Friday, went from charring just over 1 square mile (1 square kilometer) to scorching as much as 62 square miles (160 square kilometers) by Saturday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday as the fire intensified. The proclamation allows Newsom more flexibility …

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Sex Offender CA Pastor Arrested On Child Sex Charges

The Fresno Bee reports: A Fresno County minster was arrested Thursday for alleged sex crimes, deputies said. Arrested was 64-year-old Bernardino Villalobos of Del Rey who is a registered sex offender and previously served time in prison for convictions of rape and sodomy. Detectives received information that Villalobos allegedly abused a child in 2017. Villalobos was booked into the Fresno …

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CA Gov Signs Bill Allowing Citizens To Sue Gun Sellers

The Hill reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill into law on Friday to allow private citizens to sue those who make, sell, transport or distribute certain illegal firearms, modeled after Texas’s recent anti-abortion law. A release from Newsom’s office states that the law will award at least $10,000 per each illegal assault weapon and ghost gun — …

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Pharmacist Gets 11 Years In $27M COVID Fraud Plot

Courthouse News reports: A Southern California pharmacist was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him of trying to seek $27 million in pandemic relief loans for companies that had no employees. Robert Benlevi, 53, of Encino was given a 135-month sentence Tuesday. He had been found guilty this past March of multiple counts …

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Gavin Newsom Opposes Expanding Supreme Court

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: On Thursday, Newsom separated himself from the more progressive faction of his party when he said he didn’t support expanding the U.S. Supreme Court from nine justices to 13, a position that’s become more talked about since the court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last month. Newsom told a reporter from The Hill that …

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Newsom Signs Bill Allowing Victims To Sue Gunmakers

Los Angeles’s NBC affiliate reports: Californians affected by gun violence will soon be able to sue firearm manufacturers and sellers for the harm done by those weapons. The change comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1594, co-authored by state Assemblymembers Phil Ting of San Francisco, Mike A. Gipson of Carson, and Chris Ward of San Diego. The …

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Yosemite Wildfire Threatens Ancient Sequoias [VIDEO]

CBS News reports: Some of the oldest and largest trees on earth are under threat after a wildfire in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day. Blistering temperatures, low humidity, and heavy terrain have made it difficult for firefighters to gain control of the Washburn Fire, which has grown to over 2,000 acres. More than 500 …

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Tesla Sued Again Over Alleged Racism At CA Plants

Bloomberg News reports: Tesla Inc. was sued by 15 Black current or former employees who allege a racist work environment including harassment and intimidation at plants in California, the latest in a string of such lawsuits against the electric-car maker. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in state court in Alameda County, extensively details racist slurs and graffiti and other acts the …

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Dozens Of CA Priests Accused Of Child Sex Abuse

San Francisco’s NBC News affiliate reports: Dozens of Northern California Catholic priests and church employees – some still working, others retired or deceased – are being publicly accused for the first time of sexually abusing children in their care. The allegations suggest startling new depths to the decades-long scandal that continues to rock the church and its followers. Those new …

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False Gunfire Report Sparks Panic At SF Pride [Video]

San Francisco’s ABC affiliate reports: San Francisco’s Pride Festival was temporarily interrupted Sunday when a fight broke out near Civic Center, ensuing panic as the crowd ran from what they thought was an active shooting. Police say they were unable to locate any victims or witnesses, adding that there is no evidence of a shooting that took place during Sunday’s …

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West Coast States Sign Pact To Protect Abortion Access

The Hill reports: Three West Coast states signed a multistate commitment to protect abortion access on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled earlier to overturn Roe v. Wade. The governors of California, Oregon and Washington — all of whom are Democrats — vowed to expand abortion access for those seeking the medical procedure, refuse to extradite individuals to other states …

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Cosby Civil Jury Must Start Their Deliberations Over

CBS News reports: Judge Craig Karlan, who had promised one juror when she agreed to serve that she could leave after Friday for a prior commitment, decided over the objections of Cosby’s attorneys to accept and read the verdict on the questions the jury had answered. But he had to change course when deputies required him to clear the courtroom …

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Avenatti Pleads Guilty To Stealing Millions From Clients

CNN reports: Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti pleaded guilty Thursday to embezzling millions of dollars from four of his clients, taking another step closer toward resolving a flurry of federal charges against him. Judge James Selna set Avenatti’s sentencing for September 19. Avenatti faces a statutory maximum of 83 years in prison, although his sentence would likely fall below the maximum. …

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San Francisco Recalls Progressive District Attorney

The New York Times reports: Voters in San Francisco on Tuesday put an end to one of the country’s most pioneering experiments in criminal justice reform, ousting a district attorney who eliminated cash bail, vowed to hold police accountable and worked to reduce the number of people sent to prison. Chesa Boudin, the progressive district attorney, was removed after two …

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