July 24, 2016

Oakland mother of slain U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens tells Donald Trump to stop using her

Oakland mother of slain U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens tells Donald Trump to stop using her son's name

OAKLAND -- The mother of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who was killed during the 2012 attack in Benghazi, wants Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican Party to stop using her son's name.

Mary F. Commanday, of Oakland, wrote a letter published by The New York Times on Friday pleading with the Republican presidential nominee to refrain from using her son's name during his campaign.

Commanday said she was motivated to write the letter to the editor because she didn't want to hear her son's name and reputation connected with Trump's campaign.

"I wrote it because I felt that Chris' name shouldn't be involved with that whole campaign," Commanday said from her home Saturday evening. "It's happened before ... I decided enough was enough, and I didn't want to see that happen anymore."

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_30162361/oakland-mother-slain-u-s-ambassador-j-christopher

July 24, 2016

Close to 1 million gallons of sewage spilled into San Francisco Bay

SAN JOSE – An employee released 952,000 gallons of partially treated sewage – enough to fill 50 backyard swimming pools – by accident into the San Francisco Bay but the spill didn’t cause any harm to public health or the environment, officials said.

The employee at San Jose’s Alviso wastewater treatment plant turned the wrong valve Wednesday, releasing the partially treated water, the San Jose Mercury News reported Saturday.

Normally water from the toilets, showers, dishwashers, washing machines and other appliances of 1.4 million residents in eight South Bay cities flows into the plant, where it goes through three levels of treatment, San Jose’s director of environmental services Kerrie Romanow said.

Romanow said the spilled wastewater had gone through two of the three levels and that most of the impurities had been removed.

Read more: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/san-723432-wastewater-jose.html

July 24, 2016

As California Democrats party in Philly, state’s head teacher poised to lead Golden State

When former Republican state Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth introduced a bill eight years ago to add a few more names to the governor’s line of succession, he was worried about a cataclysmic event wiping out California’s top leadership.

Little did he know it would turn out to be the Democratic National Convention.

In a chain of events straight out of an episode of “The West Wing,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson is poised to take the helm as acting governor at some point in the next week when Gov. Jerry Brown and nearly all of his statutory replacements head out of state to their party’s convention in Philadelphia, which makes them constitutionally ineligible to serve as governor.

SB 1530, Hollingsworth’s obscure law approved in 2008, added the teacher-in-chief to the long chain of command that begins with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and ends with the Chair of the Board of Equalization, Fiona Ma.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article91402157.html

July 24, 2016

Race a factor in Obama’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, Loretta Sanchez says

Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez, in an interview with Univision 19 that aired this weekend, suggested that President Barack Obama’s endorsement of U.S. Senate rival Kamala Harris was in part based on race.

Sanchez was asked why the president had endorsed Harris in the unusual race between two Democrats this year. Speaking in Spanish, she noted that Obama and Harris are longtime friends, then added: “She is African American. He is, too.”

Sanchez, in a statement after the interview aired, said she “in no way” implied or intended to imply Obama endorsed Harris for racial reasons. “I was stating the fact that the endorsement was based on their long-term political relationship,” she said.

Her remarks come days after she ripped Obama for endorsing Harris, arguing he should be focused on helping Democrats win the presidential race rather than inserting himself in a contest between two party members.

Read more:: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article91430872.html

July 24, 2016

California to levy fee on rail cars carrying dangerous chemicals

California plans to levy a fee on rail cars carrying dangerous chemicals across the state, starting later this year.

The move follows several oil train derailments around the country, including in neighboring Oregon. A recent analysis conducted by the Office of Emergency Services found gaps in California's ability to handle such spills, prompting the state Legislature to order the fee program.

Railroad companies call the proposed fee illegal. Federal law prohibits states from imposing constraints on interstate commerce of railways.

The state compiled a list of 25 of the most hazardous materials shipped by rail. Each car carrying one of those materials is to face a $45 fee. The list includes substances dangerous to humans by direct contact or because they are highly flammable, such as oils, petroleum gases, fertilizers and acids.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-railroads-chemicals-20160722-snap-story.html#nt=oft02a-14li3

July 24, 2016

Trump’s trip to San Diego cost taxpayers $460K

SAN DIEGO — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rally and the related protests in San Diego cost local governments over $460,000, more than all other political rallies in the county combined.

The May 27 event, with hundreds of police officers as well as an occasionally contentious crowd, was unlike all others during the primary election season. It came with thousands of supporters, thousands of protestors, as well as officers who were put on duty to prevent riots similar to ones that broke out at Trump events across the country.

There were 33 arrests after clashes between supporters and protesters and police outside the event at the San Diego Convention Center.

As they have with past similar events, the city and county do not plan to seek reimbursement for the outdoor security and will absorb the cost. Just over $28,000 expenses for direct security inside the convention center was paid to the city by the convention center operating agency. Barbara Moreno, the executive director for communications at the convention center, said the cost was determined by speaking with the police department’s special events team, calculating how much security would be needed, and then a price to charge the campaign for that service.

Read more: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jul/22/trumps-trip-to-san-diego-cost-taxpayers-460/

July 24, 2016

State Bar urged to discipline lawyer accused of threatening council president

Two months ago, Encino attorney Wayne Spindler provoked widespread revulsion at Los Angeles City Hall, handing in a public speaker card featuring a series of racially incendiary drawings.

The card showed pictures of a burning cross and man hung from a tree — images typically associated with the Ku Klux Klan — and used the N-word to describe City Council President Herb Wesson, who was presiding over that day’s meeting. Spindler, 46, was soon arrested on suspicion of making threats against Wesson, who is African American.

A judge issued a restraining order against Spindler, forcing him to stay at least 100 feet away from Wesson anywhere but council meetings. Yet Wesson allies and longtime City Hall watchers remained perplexed.

How, they asked, could a lawyer who uses threatening words and imagery -- he has repeatedly worn a Klan hood with a swastika to council meetings -- remain in good standing professionally? They called on the State Bar, the licensing arm of the state’s judicial branch, to have Spindler disciplined and possibly disbarred.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawyer-threats-wesson-20160720-snap-story.html

July 24, 2016

Fire near Santa Clarita continues to burn out of control, explodes to more than 20,000 acres

A wildfire in the Santa Clarita Valley area has grown to more than 20,000 acres, prompting new evacuations Saturday for hundreds of homes in canyon areas, authorities said.

The evacuation order was issued about 3:15 p.m. for residents in Sand and Placerita canyons, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

At least 1,500 homes are threatened, fire officials said.

The Sand fire, which was reported about 2 p.m. Friday, is still only 10% contained, fire officials said.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santa-clarita-fire-20160722-snap-story.html

July 24, 2016

Drivers on most-traveled roads in Arizona to get new, improved freeways

Some of the most-traveled roads in the state are being upgraded under a five-year plan from the Arizona Department of Transportation. Drivers will temporarily encounter construction delays but ultimately end up with longer, wider freeways and other improvements.

Building the South Mountain Freeway in the southeast Valley and improving roads near Tucson, Scottsdale, Wickenburg, northern Arizona and along the Mexico border are part of a $4.5 billion construction plan. Some projects will start as soon as this year.

The high-priority projects will ease traffic woes, add jobs and spur other economic development, said Laura Douglas, ADOT spokeswoman.

Read more: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/article_4d3d88f8-4f85-11e6-aa18-a7bf96a79709.html

July 24, 2016

Former state senator and GOP delegate Frank Antenori convicted of trespassing at Fort Huachuca

A former Arizona state senator pleaded guilty last month to illegally accessing military property. But the federal misdemeanor hasn't slowed him down.

Frank Antenori traveled to Cleveland as one of Arizona's Republican delegates supporting presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention.

According to federal court records, Antenori, a retired Army special forces soldier, was charged in January with illegally hunting on Fort Huachuca property in southern Arizona. On June 20, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of illegally accessing the military-base land. According to records, he said he was retrieving equipment. He could have faced up to six months in jail. He was given a $489 fine. Antenori is still allowed to visit the military base to access services and for military business, but he cannot hunt on the base.

With no probation or jail time, Antenori was free to travel to Cleveland and make Hillary Clinton jail jokes to his heart's content.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/politicalinsider/2016/07/21/former-arizona-lawmaker-frank-antenori-convicted-federal-trespassing-fort-huachuca/87403082/