Controversies
California Has More Official Independent Voters that Aren't Actually Independent
As the November midterm elections draw near, the conventional wisdom assumes that voters rarely stray from their party affiliations, but that independents are fair game. Considering that most elections are decided by single-digit margins, it stands to reason that those 21.6% of voters who venture forth without party allegiance are the key to victory.
That is almost certainly not the case. read more
He's No. 3 in the Polls, but Journalists Exclude Green Party Candidate from Secretary of State Debate
“As we were discussing the best approach to take, Mr. Curtis began a tirade of insulting and threatening social media posts about our organization,” Press Club President Juliet Williams, an Associated Press reporter, said in a statement. “Upon receiving a phone call from our program director, Mr. Curtis became belligerent and rude, making a conversation impossible. Our decision was clear, given our intent to hold a civil and informative discussion on the issues in the race.” read more
Focus is on Pesticides as 80,000 Bee Colonies Damaged or Destroyed
The Sacramento Bee reported last week that 75 growers met with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last March and three-quarters of them said they had significant damage. Bee keepers indicated they thought the problem could very well be related to a practice by farmers of “tank mixing” multiple pesticides, including a couple of new ones: tolfenpyrad and cyantraniliprole. Suspicions were also raised about the spraying of insecticides during the day while bees were foraging. read more
State Commission Proposes Ban on Shooting Coyotes for Fun and Games
The decision came after it received 13,000 letters protesting the three-day February event at which around 40 coyotes were shot and submitted for prizes. Thousands of such contests reportedly take place across the country, but California tends to discourage killing contests in the wild. However, the fact is, just about anyone with a hunting license in the state can kill as many coyotes as they want any time and any place they can shoot a gun. read more
Water Company Fined for Sending Arsenic-Laced Sludge to Monterey County Landfill
An investigation began last year after an anonymous tip to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), according to the Monterey County Weekly. As Monterey County Deputy DA Dije Ndreu pointed out, “It's more expensive and a lot more work to do the proper channels and send it off as hazardous waste.” read more
Bogus “Job Killer” Bills Give Republicans and Corporate Democrats Something to Talk About
The California Chamber of Commerce calls them “job killer” bills and released its annual list of the 27 most egregious affronts to common sense and oligarchy in a state where “economic recovery is still the number one issue.” The chamber, which is a symbol as well as mouthpiece for business in the state, could not have enjoyed its success at killing these bills regularly without help from Democrats. read more
Want to Get High? Go to Prison
The Associated Press reported last week that drug screening last year showed that at least 23% of prisoners had used illegal substances. The number is considered on the low side because 30% of the inmates refused to take the test despite a promise that a positive result wouldn't be held against them. Marijuana was the drug of choice, showing up in half the positive tests, followed by morphine (20%), methamphetamine (14%), amphetamines (11%) and cocaine (2%). read more
Criminals Take Chain Saws to 1,000-Year-Old Redwoods
Burls, the knotty growth found on ancient redwoods, are the focus of the wanton destruction that has left massive scars on the trees and endangered their growth and reproduction. Poachers prize the burls because they contain intricate wood patterns sought by makers of tabletops, clocks and other home furnishings. Items made from burls can fetch hundreds if not thousands of dollars, making the collection of burls a lucrative—and often illegal—trade. read more
Federal Judge Rules California's “Horrific” Treatment of Mentally Ill Inmates Is Unconstitutional
U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton singled out the excessive use of pepper spray and solitary confinement as examples of cruel and unusual punishment—they are quite usual in California prisons—and gave corrections officials a number of directives in his 74-page order on how to better handle the inmates. He stopped short of banning the practices and gave the state 60 days to change its policies in coordination with the court-appointed special master. read more
LAPD Officers Sabotage Their Patrol Cars to Avoid Monitoring by Department
An in-house investigation by the LAPD found that half of the 80 cars in the Southeast Division were missing the car antenna that allows the department to hear and record the officers while they work. Spot checks found missing antennae in other divisions too. Investigators did not tell the civilian Police Commission about the discovery last year or pursue the officers who disabled their antennae. read more
SeaWorld Orca Show Goes on as Ban Dies in Legislature
The bill would have made “it unlawful to hold in captivity, or use, a wild-caught or captive-bred orca, as defined, for performance or entertainment purposes.” The orcas would be moved into a larger sea pen and could not be bred. The main issue debated, before the committee canned the bill, was whether the killer whales are thriving as performing show animals in a constrained habitat or being brutalized by it. read more
The Bay Area Enclave Where They Almost Never Catch Killers
The Contra Costa Times says that the 19 homicides in the 1.5-square-mile neighborhood works out to an average of 133 killings per 100,000 people annually. That compares most unfavorably to Richmond, one of the deadliest cities in America, where the rate is 19 per 100,000. Charges were filed in only five of the 19 homicides, and two of those were brought by an agency that doesn't patrol North Richmond. read more
State Reaffirms Approval of Newport Beach Hospital's Abortion Ban
Doctors at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach were shocked early last year to find out abortion was being banned at their facility despite assurances to the contrary they had been given for months leading up to a merger with St. Joseph's Health Services, a Catholic provider. The state attorney general reviewed the agreement it had approved 10 months earlier and re-approved it with a few modifications. read more
Maker of d-CON Sues California Regulators to Keep Rat Poison in Stores
United Kingdom-based Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of d-CON, sued the state Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) earlier this week after it formally announced the rat killer and “all second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) products” must come off the shelves by July 1. The new regulation limits acquisition of those products to certified professionals. read more
Storms Pile up the Sierra Snowpack to a Meager 32% of Normal
After the driest year on record and a short burst of precipitation, dozens of surveyors fanned out across the mountains, stuck their poles in the snow and brought a small measure of relief to trailing media and interested onlookers who strived to regard their glass as half-filled. It could have been worse. January measurements were at 20%. An April reading hasn’t been this low since 1988, when snows were at 29%.
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Judges Rule Government Workers Can Use Private Devices to Hide Their Communications
The judges said it wasn’t their place to open up that can of worms. They acknowledged that government officials concealing “their communications on public issues by sending and receiving them on their private devices from private accounts is a serious concern; but such conduct is for our lawmakers to deter with appropriate legislation.” read more