| Metro board drops support for controversial 710 Freeway tunnel |
| The fight over how to connect the stub ends of two freeways has spawned anger and litigation for decades, pitting neighbor against neighbor in the San Gabriel Valley and nearby areas.
On Thursday, the proposed 710 Freeway tunnel — most recently the leading option — effectively died.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted unanimously to withdraw its support and funding for a five-mile, $3.2-billion tunnel through El Sereno, South Pasadena and Pasadena connecting the 710 and 210 freeways. [Article] |
| by DAN WEIKEL, Los Angeles Times. 2017-05-26 |
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| Missing from President Trump's budget: Funds for California's earthquake early warning system |
| President Trump’s budget would eliminate federal funding for an earthquake early warning system being developed for California and the rest of the West Coast which, if enacted, probably would kill the long-planned effort.
The budget proposal for the year ending in September 2018 also seeks to eliminate U.S. funding for critical tsunami-monitoring stations in oceans and reduce funds for a next-generation weather forecasting system.
Scientists said the loss of federal funding would derail the early warning system, which officials hope would one day send public earthquake alerts to smartphones seconds or even minutes before a temblor. [Article] |
| by RONG-GONG LIN II, Los Angeles Times. 2017-05-26 |
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| Jerry Perenchio: 'Perhaps the most philanthropic person I’ve ever worked with,' LACMA chief says |
| Media mogul and philanthropist Jerry Perenchio, one of the richest men in Los Angeles, lived in a Bel Air mansion filled with art — paintings by Claude Monet, Edouard Manet and Pablo Picasso.
And among those who reacted to news Wednesday that Perenchio had died at 86 was the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Throughout his life, Perenchio was a generous donor to charities, foundations and building projects, and he had a particularly close relationship with LACMA, which stands to benefit greatly from that generosity. [Article] |
| by DEBORAH VANKIN, Los Angeles Times. 2017-05-26 |
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| Federal agents nab nearly 200 people in L.A.-area immigration raids targeting criminals |
| Federal immigration agents arrested nearly 200 people in the Los Angeles area during a five-day dragnet targeting criminal offenders living in the country illegally, U.S. officials said Thursday.
Agents arrested 188 people in an operation targeting “at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives,” according to a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nearly 90% — 169 — of those arrested in the operation, which ended Wednesday, had prior convictions, officials said. Those arrested included nationals from 11 countries. The majority, 146 people, are from Mexico. Others are nationals of El Salvador, Armenia, Honduras, Thailand, Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Russia and the Philippines, according to ICE. [Article] |
| by SARAH PARVINI and JOEL RUBIN, Los Angeles Times. 2017-05-26 |
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| Where bills go to die: Lawmakers begin clearing the 'suspense file' with hundreds of measures in limbo |
| From a sales tax exemption on tampons to healthcare rules and marijuana regulation, a massive stack of proposed laws faces a major deadline Friday morning at the state Capitol.
To survive, they must clear what's known as the "suspense file" -- the place where bills that would cost taxpayers money are held in legislative limbo.
By law, bills with a fiscal impact must be sent to the floor of the Assembly and Senate by the close of business on Friday. That means it's decision time for more than 800 pieces of legislation. [Article] |
| by JOHN MYERS, Los Angeles Times. 2017-05-26 |
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| After criticism, civilian oversight panel calls for improved transparency by the L.A. sheriff |
| Renewing a call for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to be more open about use of force, deputy discipline, complaints and other information, the agency’s civilian oversight commission adopted a formal resolution Thursday to push the department to post the data — which could include video of incidents — on the department’s website and report on its progress in 60 days.
The resolution came a month after the agency’s primary watchdog accused the department of dragging its feet in carrying out recommendations made more than two years ago intended to make the department more transparent. Inspector Gen. Max Huntsman told the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission last month that he felt he was “getting slow-walked” by department officials who’d failed to post data on how many deputies were being punished and how many people were logging complaints against deputies, among other types of information. [Article] |
| by MAYA LAU, Los Angeles Times. 2017-05-26 |
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| For many millennials, it could take a decade to save up enough money to afford a home |
| If you’re a millennial looking to buy a home or condo in the Los Angeles area, you may have a long wait on your hands.
A new survey from ApartmentList reveals that millennials in many of the nation’s large metro areas will need at least a decade to save enough money for a 20 percent down payment on a condominium.
The situation is even worse in the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose and Austin. Based on their current rate of monthly savings, millennials in those cities each face a wait of at least 19 years. In Los Angeles it’s nearly 21 years. [Article] |
| by KEVIN SMITH, San Gabriel Valley Tribune. 2017-05-26 |
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| No one knows how many untested rape kits there are in California. This bill aims to fix that |
| Tens of thousands of rape kits are sitting on shelves in police and sheriff’s department evidence rooms nationwide. And no one has tested them to see what crimes they could help solve.
A bill by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) would help determine how many of those unanalyzed exam kits exist in California, part of a national backlog that federal officials have grappled with for nearly two decades. [Article] |
| by JAZMINE ULLOA, Los Angeles Times. 2017-05-26 |
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| At Risk: CA National Parks, LA’s Angeles Crest on Trump’s Hit List |
| NATIONAL PARK POLITICS--I’m writing this from Yellowstone National Park (photo above). Established in 1872, this was our first National Park. The world’s first, in fact.
In an interesting window into how politics worked then (and now, arguably), Congress agreed to preserve this land only after being assured that it was entirely “worthless.”
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Of course, that was an utter lie. But for once in our nation’s history, lying in politics did some good.
The real value of this park wasn’t known then, you see. Nobody knew that it set a precedent for the establishment of an entire National Park system that would encompass a network of public lands across the country. [Article] |
| by JILL RICHARDSON / OPINION, CityWatchLA. 2017-05-26 |
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| CalPERS: Is It Melting Down? |
| EASTSIDER-Ever since Anne Stausboll suddenly announced her retirement effective August 2016, I have wondered what’s going on with CalPERS. She was seemingly at the peak of her powers running the pension giant, and there was no particular event that precipitated her leaving. Now we have a new CEO, Marcie Frost, as of October 2016, fresh from Washington State’s Department of Retirement Systems (DRS.)
Obviously she is not familiar with the insides of CalPERS, and has been very quiet to date. This major leadership change, coupled with two recent developments have me seriously worried about CalPERS. [Article] |
| by TONY BUTKA / COLUMNIST, CityWatchLA. 2017-05-26 |
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| Malibu advocates give unfiltered feedback on purified water fountains |
| Malibu parents want permission from local officials to replace water fountains at Malibu schools with specialized water stations that provide electrolyte fortified, filtered water.
The May 18 meeting of the Santa Monica – Malibu Unified School District featured a significant discussion of sustainability efforts within the district and a group of Malibu advocates took the opportunity to request installation of the FloWater hydration system at Malibu High School, Malibu Middle School, and Juan Cabrillo Elementary. [Article] |
| by MARINA ANDALON, La Canada Valley Sun. 2017-05-26 |
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| Audio: LA Sheriff's oversight panel asks for shooting, discipline data |
| The civilian panel overseeing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department voted unanimously Thursday to urge Sheriff Jim McDonnell to release more shooting, use of force and discipline data.
The nine-member Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission approved a motion asking the department to place a wide swath of information on its website: [Article] |
| by FRANK STOLTZE, KPCC Southern CA Public Radio. 2017-05-26 |
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| Audio: Bill aims to train daycare workers to care for traumatized foster kids |
| The California legislature is considering a bill that would train childcare providers in how to better take care of children who've been traumatized.
Nearly 20 percent of Los Angeles County’s children have experienced at least two traumatic events, including abuse, neglect, or poverty. And that number spikes when you're talking about kids in foster care. Nine out of ten children served by the nation's welfare system have been exposed to violence. [Article] |
| by BONNIE PETRIE, KPCC Southern CA Public Radio. 2017-05-26 |
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| Audio: Metro board votes to deep-six 710 tunnel option |
| The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board today unanimously voted to kill the 710 freeway tunnel option that has been a controversial project pitting communities against communities for decades.
Instead, the board decided to redirect funding for the project to other transportation needs, including street improvements in communities like San Gabriel Valley, East L.A., and Northeast L.A. [Article] |
| by MEGHAN MCCARTY CARINO, KPCC Southern CA Public Radio. 2017-05-26 |
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| Sheriff’s Deputies Take the Fifth During Jailhouse Snitch Hearing |
| Two Orange County Sheriff’s deputies, Benjamin Garcia and William Grover, invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at a court hearing Thursday rather than answer questions about their dealings with jailhouse informant records.
“It’s disappointing, but that’s his constitutional right,” said Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals of Grover. [Article] |
| by THY VO, Voice of OC. 2017-05-26 |
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| DA’s Former Top Investigator Seeks Records of Pulido, Do, and Nguyen Probes |
| A former chief investigator at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, who recently accused DA Tony Rackauckas of interfering in political corruption investigations, is now seeking records about the DA’s criminal probes of three high-profile elected officials: Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, county Supervisor Andrew Do, and state Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove). [Article] |
| by NICK GERDA, Voice of OC. 2017-05-26 |
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| Opioid maker agrees to $1.6 million settlement in deceptive-advertising case, officials say |
| A pharmaceutical company has agreed to a $1.6 million settlement with Southern and Northern California prosecutors over allegations of deceptive advertising of opioid painkillers, Santa Clara officials announced this week. [Article] |
| by SEAN EMERY, Orange County Register. 2017-05-26 |
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| Low Turnout For Public Hearing On SDG&E's Gas Line Replacement |
| Few people took advantage of a public scoping meeting in Escondido on Wednesday to find out about a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cost ratepayers nearly $640 million.
The California Public Utility Commission is preparing the Environmental Review of the project. Staff said they sent out nearly 50,000 postcards inviting elected officials and residents who live near the proposed construction in Fallbrook, Escondido and Poway to three public scoping meetings. [Article] |
| by ALISON St. JOHN, KPBS - San Diego. 2017-05-26 |
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| New downtown high-rise passes for high-end apartments but is reserved for affordable housing |
| SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Hundreds of San Diegans are moving into the downtown’s newest high-rise. Atmosphere officially opens May 31 with studio to three-bedroom apartments ranging from $525 to $1250 a month.
“Atmosphere” on 4th Avenue is the newest affordable housing project from Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation. The $80 million 12-story high-rise has 205 apartments reserved for people who make less than $48,000 a year. It could easily be mistaken for any other high-rise in “Condo Canyon” that demands upwards of $4,000 a month in rent. [Article] |
| by JOE LITTLE, KNSD NBC San Diego. 2017-05-26 |
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| Cal Fire suspends burn permits in unincorporated areas of San Diego County |
| SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Heightened wildfire danger posed by ample dry vegetation and increasingly warm, arid weather in the San Diego area prompted Cal Fire to suspend all burn permits for local outdoor residential fires in unincorporated areas beginning Friday.
This temporary ban prohibits the burning of leaves, branches and other landscape debris. [Article] |
| by STAFF REPORT, KFMB-TV - CBS8-San Diego. 2017-05-26 |
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