Nation’s Second-Large District Refuses to Defund Campus Police

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The nation’s second-largest school district has rejected a proposal to defund campus police. The board of the Los Angeles Unified School District voted Tuesday against a measure that would have reduced the budget of the 460-officer Police Department by 90% by 2024. Critics say campus police disproportionately arrest Black students. But…MORE

2 Calif. National Parks Removing Robert E. Lee Mentions

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two national parks in California are removing all mention of Robert E. Lee from informational material even though several majestic sequoias are named for the Confederate general. The San Francisco Chronicle and Visalia Times Delta say Sequoia and Kings Canyon parks are removing references to Lee from exhibits and printed and…MORE

New WOTUS Rule Becomes Law

  The Trump Administration’s new and scaled-back Waters of the U.S. rule became law this week after last-minute attempts to block the rule. A federal judge late last week denied an effort to prevent implementation of the new regulation, called the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. The challengers claim the new rule removes protection from many…MORE

Protesters Try to Pull Down Andrew Jackson Statue in D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Protesters tried to pull down a statue of President Andrew Jackson near the White House Monday night before being dispersed by police. WUSA-TV in Washington reports that police used pepper spray to move protesters out of Lafayette Square, where the Jackson statue is located. Videos posted on social media show that the…MORE

Fauci Testifies at Fraught Time for COVID-19 Pandemic Response

WASHINGTON (AP) – Dr. Anthony Fauci is returning to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment for the nation’s pandemic response. Coronavirus cases are rising in about half the states and political polarization is competing for attention with public health recommendations. The government’s top infectious disease expert is testifying Tuesday before a powerful House panel, along…MORE

Rugged California City Considers Ditching Confederate Name

FORT BRAGG, Calif. (AP) – A rugged Northern California coastal city named for a Confederate general may ask voters to change the city’s name. The council of the city of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County debated Monday whether to put the renaming issue on the November ballot and the mayor asked for guidelines to create…MORE

CA Professor Who Asked Student To “Anglicize” Name Now On Leave

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – An official says a professor at a San Francisco Bay Area community college has been put on leave after asking a Vietnamese-American student to “Anglicize” her name because it sounded like a vulgarity. Laney College President Tammeil Gilkerson said that as soon as campus leaders learned of the comments, an unnamed…MORE

CA Governor, Lawmakers Agree on Closing Budget Deficit

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-controlled state Legislature have agreed on a budget deal that would cover the state’s estimated $54.3 billion deficit. Newsom and legislative leaders announced the agreement Monday. People with knowledge of the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss…MORE

Judge: California Can’t Require Cancer Label for Roundup

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A federal judge says California can’t require a cancer warning label on the weed killer Roundup. The San Francisco Chronicle says a judge in Sacramento issued a permanent injunction Monday barring the label requirement. California wanted the label because Roundup – the world’s most widely used weed killer – contains glyphosate,…MORE