SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – California’s top schools official says he is working to re-imagine the role of police officers at the state’s 10,000 public schools. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday that some schools would still need officers on campus to protect students from serious dangers, including shootings or bomb threats. Thurmond, the…… MORE
Monsanto Settlement to Fund Water Cleanup in Calif. Cities
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Major California cities say they’ll use their share of a $650 million settlement to clean up the now-banned chemical PCB from polluted bays, lakes and other waterways. The giant chemical company Monsanto announced the tentative agreement Wednesday with government entities that had filed suit since 2015 over polluted waterways and estuaries.…… MORE
Disney Delays CA Theme Park Reopenings
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Disney is postponing the mid-July reopening of its Southern California theme parks until it receives guidelines from the state. The company announced Wednesday an indefinite postponement for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim. Disney hoped to reopen them on July 17 after a four-month closure due to the coronavirus. But…… MORE
Voters to Decide Fate of CA Affirmative Action Ban
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California voters will decide in November whether governments and public colleges and universities can consider race in their hiring and admissions decisions. The state has banned affirmative action policies since 1996 when voters approved a constitutional amendment that bans preferential treatment based on race and other factors. The state Senate voted…… MORE
Calif. Considers 1st-in-US Electric Truck Sales Rule
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California regulators are scheduled to approve new rules that would force automakers to sell more electric work trucks and delivery vans in the state. It’s a first-of-its-kind rule aimed at helping the nation’s most populous state clean up its worst-in-the-nation air quality. The rules would require a certain percentage of work…… MORE
5.8 Earthquake Rattles Central Valley, Centered Near Lone Pine
FRESNO, CA. (KMJ) — The USGS is reporting a magnitude 5.8 earthquake shook around 10:40 a.m. on Wednesday. Initially USGS reported a 6.0 magnitude quake, centered near Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierras. The quake centered in Inyo County, about 15- 20 miles south east of Lone Pine. Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones…… MORE
US Cites Rise in Iran-Backed and White Supremacist Attacks
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is claiming significant victories against global terrorism but says Iran continues to increase its support for extremists and that white supremacist attacks are on the rise. The State Department says in its annual report on terrorism that “dangerous terrorist threats persisted” throughout 2019. That assessment comes even as the…… MORE
South Valley Boy Allegedly Zip Tied By Father
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – The Kern County Sheriff’s Office says deputies rescued a 7-year-old boy found bound at the wrists and ankles and arrested his father. Neighbors in the Bakersfield area reported seeing the boy bound and hopping until he fell Saturday morning. Deputies found the boy’s wrists and ankles were bound with zip ties.…… MORE
Cal Ag Suffers Big Losses
According to a California Farm Bureau Federation news release, pandemic-related losses to California farms, ranches and agricultural businesses will range between $5.9 billion and $8.6 billion this year. That potential financial loss is part of an economic study released this week. The analysis says the state’s agricultural sector has already suffered $2 billion in losses so…… MORE
Appeals Court Orders Dismissal of Michael Flynn Prosecution
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday ordered the dismissal of the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said in a 2-1 ruling that the Justice Department’s decision to abandon the case against Flynn settles the…… MORE
