Controversies
Auditor Confirms Hundreds of Thousands of Jobless Claims Messed Up
Auditor Elaine Howle reviewed claims that were denied by the state Employment Development Department (EDD) during the past four years and found nearly half of those who appealed the decision won. The audit said the department improperly denied claims that may have been in error but weren’t screwed up on purpose. read more
One-Fourth of California Foster Care Kids Are on Psych Meds
One-fourth of the state’s 60,000 foster kids are receiving the powerful medications, about three and a half times more than children in general nationally. More than half of the kids in group homes were authorized to get the drugs, and those who refuse are often disciplined.
Kids as young as 5 have been prescribed psychotropic drugs. read more
L.A. Settles with Another Hospital over Patient Dumping on Skid Row
Glendale Adventist is said to have “illegally discharged and transported or caused to be transported homeless, mentally-ill, disabled, dependent adult patients who were unable to take care of themselves on Skid Row,” according to Courthouse News Service, which saw the 6-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The hospital settled with the city for $700,000 but denied everything. read more
Ex-Nuclear Inspector's Secret Report Urged Closure of Diablo Canyon Plant
When Dr. Michael Peck was the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) senior inspector at California’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant, he filed a report that said the facility should be shut down until its operators can prove it is able to withstand a strong earthquake. The document, written a year ago, wasn't made public by the environmental group Friends of the Earth until Monday after the Associated Press wrote about it. read more
California Reverses Decision that Let Insurance Coverage Exclude Abortions
California’s Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) sent letters to seven insurance companies that it had “erroneously approved or did not object” to language in insurance policies that “discriminate against women by limiting or excluding coverage for termination of pregnancies.” That means Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles and Santa Clara University, two Jesuit-run institutions, cannot exclude abortion coverage from employee insurance policies. read more
L.A. Schools Struggle to Open Year with Sputtering New Computer System
“To me it’s complete chaos,” special education teacher Kelly Flores told Yana Gracile at LA School Report two weeks after launch. “I don’t know how to access my students, and even if I could, I don’t know how because I haven’t been trained,” she said. My Integrated Student Information System (MiSiS) is responsible for “attendance, scheduling, grades, counseling, discipline, health, A-G course completion, and a great deal more,” according to LAUSD. read more
Solar Farm in the Mojave Seen Igniting One Bird Every Two Minutes
Observers call the birds that ignite in midair “streamers,” for the trail of smoke that follows behind them. The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that 28,000 birds are cooked annually at Ivanpah but BrightSource puts the number at 1,000. Ivanpah has 300,000 heliostat mirrors focusing the sun’s rays on 459-foot-high tanks of water, producing steam to run a conventional turbine that produces electricity. read more
You Have the Right to Remain Silent, but Anything You Don't Say Might be Used Against You
Richard Tom had the right to remain silent in the back seat of the Redwood City police car in 2007 after his speeding Mercedes slammed into a Nissan, killing an 8-year-old passenger—and he did. Justice Marvin Baxter, writing for the state Supreme Court majority, said Tom did not explicitly invoke his right to remain silent until later, so anything he didn't say before that could be used against him in a court of law. read more
Senate Committee Buries Statewide Medical Marijuana Regulation
One of the reasons federal officials give for cracking down on medical marijuana dispensaries and growers in California, besides possession and sale of the drug being a federal crime, is the state’s disjointed and chaotic local governance of the estimated $1.8 billion industry. The legislation would have created a licensing and regulatory framework much like the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. read more
Medi-Cal Patients Can’t Find Doctors; State Needs Audit to Find out Why
Howle will focus on three counties, but the California Health Report said it was uncertain if she would select the same three counties—Fresno, Butte and Imperial—that it used for a damning story in June. The report found that half the primary-care doctors on lists given to low-income patients by insurance companies weren’t taking new patients or couldn’t be reached by phone for one reason or another. read more
Exide Finally Gets Around to Cleaning Up Toxic Mess . . . at 2 of 39 Homes
After testing in the area late last year, the DTSC ordered Exide to clean up the property around 39 homes, although frustrated residents and environmental groups claimed hundreds of properties were dangerous. But Exide didn’t sign off on the March order and may not start on the other 37 homes before October, if then. In the meantime, the DTSC has added 144 homes to the list of those it wants tested within two months. read more
West Hollywood Rejects Second-Class Access for Poorer Residents in Swanky Development
The developers received waivers to bypass zoning restrictions by agreeing to include some “affordable” housing. Low-income residents would enter through separate gates and, staffers pointed out, they would be able to look out over the complex's swimming pool from their apartments, but would be denied access. Seventeen of the upscale project's 81 units are designated as “affordable housing.” read more
L.A. County Sheriff Watchdog Gets in One Last Snarl before Office is Closed
His final report was a scathing takedown of the department, coming just months after Sheriff Lee Baca resigned under fire and new oversight reforms were revved up but barely underway.
The board created a new Office of Inspector General last year and its boss has already complained that he is being blocked by the sheriff’s department from monitoring it. The board voted 3-2 last week not to add an additional civilian oversight commission to the mix. read more
LAPD Reports a Lot of Violent and Serious Crimes as Minor
A swarm of reporters at the newspaper poured through 94,000 officer reports between October 2012 and September 2013 and concluded that 2,000 serious crimes by FBI standards—these numbers go to Washington—were misclassified as minor. Seventy percent were violent and the rest were property crimes.
After running a sampling of its data past a team of experts, the paper reduced the number to 1,200 and showed the results to LAPD officials, who concurred and said they would fix the reporting. read more
LAPD Chief in Hot Water over Alleged Favoritism for Cop Daughter
People are whispering about Chief Beck's job being in jeopardy over a “misstatement” he made about his involvement in the department’s purchase of a horse from his daughter, Brandi (Scimone) Pearson, who is also a cop. It comes on the heels of allegations that he intervened in an internal investigation of a sergeant for having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, Officer Pearson. read more
San Jose Police Sort of Apologize for Sneaking in a Drone without Public Approval
San Jose police knew that law enforcement purchase of drones was a contentious issue. The apology sends a mixed message about what the department plans to do with the drone. After saying it was purchased primarily “to access potential explosive devices and avoid exposing police bomb squad personnel to possible hazards,” the department suggested another possible use: the all-encompassing threat to “public safety.” read more