Terry Cunningham, president of the nation's largest police chief organization, issued a statement yesterday apologizing for the ''historical mistreatment'' of minorities.
JAWEED KALEEM with L.A. Times: "The president of the country’s largest police chief organization formally apologized Monday for the “historical mistreatment” of racial minorities — one of the strongest statements a national police figure has made to date on race."
"Law enforcement officers have been the “face of oppression for far too many of our fellow citizens,” Terrence Cunningham, president of the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, told thousands of police chiefs from across the country at the group’s annual conference in San Diego. He said that police have had “darker periods” in their history, and that mistrust between police and minorities is the “fundamental issue” facing police today."
READ MORE related to Public Safety: Reactions are mixed to police leader's apology -- ELLIOT SPAGAT with AP in O.C. Register
Meanwhile, the director of the FBI, James Comey, doesn't agree with Cunningham's assertion and rejects the media-fueled belief that there is an epidemic of racial bias in policing.
DAN FROSCH with Wall Street Journal: "FBI Director James Comey gave an impassioned defense of police officers Sunday, saying most are overwhelmingly good people working during a “uniquely difficult time in American law enforcement.”
Gov. Brown has endorsed a Democratic Assembly seat candidate against a Republican candidate in a local Bay Area move--a rare move, according to experts.
MELODY GUTIERREZ with The Chronicle: "Gov. Jerry Brown took the unusual step Monday of wading into a local election by endorsing a Democratic candidate for an Assembly seat now held by the Bay Area’s lone Republican legislator."
"Brown endorsed Cheryl Cook-Kallio, a former Pleasanton City Council member and retired high school government teacher, who is challenging Catharine Baker as the Dublin attorney seeks a second term representing a district that stretches from Walnut Creek and Lafayette to Pleasanton and Livermore."
The Department of Justice is going to find themselves pressed come election day from the top Latino civic engagement group in the country--all in the hopes of having a disruption-free voting on November 8th.
LESLLE BERESTEIN ROJAS with KPCC: "The nation's leading Latino civic engagement organization plans to press the federal Department of Justice this week to help ensure disruption-free voting on election day."
"Arturo Vargas, executive director of the nonpartisan National Association of Latino Elected Officials Educational Fund headquartered in Los Angeles, said he is concerned about possible violence and other problems at the polls as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump steps up claims that a vote against him will be "rigged."
"Trump, whose poll numbers have been slipping, is charging that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and media organizations are collaborating to rob him of a victory in the Nov. 8 election."
And when it comes to elections, PACs are supposed to be a large part of a candidate's bread and butter. Unfortunately, for the state's U.S. Senate race in contrast to the presidential election, the candidates have yet to see much bread from their supporters.
PHIL WILLON with L.A. Times: "The super PACs dabbling in California’s U.S. Senate race between Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Orange) and state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris aren’t exactly breaking fundraising records."
"A right-leaning PAC backing Sanchez has raised just $26,000 in the current two-year election cycle,according to its filings with the Federal Election Commission."
"The Jobs, Opportunity and Freedom PAC made a splash in June when its GOP consultant, Dave Gilliard, announced the organization was supporting Sanchez because there was no Republican candidate on the November ballot. Sanchez and Harris are Democrats, but the PAC considered the congresswoman to be the more moderate of the two."
Tom Steyer is not only funding ads, he's appearing in them as well. Some believe it's political posturing for 2018's gubernatorial bid.
BEN BRADFORD with CPR: "California has a wealth of millionaire and billionaire donors opening their checkbooks this election season. And it’s common for these donors to bankroll campaign ads, but Silicon Valley Democrat Tom Steyer has taken the unusual step of appearing in them."
"Steyer is not only a top California donor, the Washington Post found the former hedge fund manager is the top donor to Super PACs in the entire nation this election cycle. Last week, Steyer released an ad in support of California’s Proposition 56, which would raise tobacco taxes."
"Steyer talks to the camera throughout the spot,"If we can save even a few lives, it’s worth it."
Speaking of money, Peter Thiel's $1.25m donation to Donald Trump has caused a fracture amongst Silicon Valley's elite.
MICHELLE QUINN with Silicon Beat: "Peter Thiel‘s $1.25 million donation to Donald Trump‘s presidential bid has touched off a Silicon Valley firestorm."
"Should companies and organizations associated with Thiel, a major investor, entrepreneur and adviser, not just back away from him but sever ties?"
"And if these entities refuse to boot Thiel, should consumers, job candidates, partners and others end their relationship with them?"
Scott Jones and Ami Bera are scheduled to debate for their 7th District Congressional seat tonight.
CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO with The Bee: "Democratic Rep. Ami Bera of Elk Grove is set to debate his Republican challenger Scott Jones Tuesday in the only televised confrontation of the contest."
"The 7 p.m. event at KVIE-TV studios in Natomas is sponsored by the public television station, along with The Sacramento Bee, Capital Public Radio, Folsom Lake College and the Los Rios Community College District. "
"Bera, who has the upper hand in fundraising, is campaigning for a third term in the highly competitive 7th district, which stretches across suburban Sacramento. Jones, the county sheriff, comes into the debate having newly disavowed his party’s controversial standard-bearer, Donald Trump."
READ MORE related to Congressional Race: Scott Jones falsely claims judges ruled on allegations of unwanted sexual advances -- Chris Nichols with Politifact
With cannabis under the legalization spotlight, many local measures across the state aim at taxing and regulating the plant.
JULIA MiTRIC with CPR: "There are 52 local measures on the November ballot. They propose a range of taxes and regulation of pot-related sales and business in cities and counties including taxing grow operations and limiting dispensaries."
"Tim Cromartie is a lobbyist for the League of California Cities. The League had previously opposed legislation regulating medical marijuana. But now - as Cromartie puts it - they've pivoted."
"This is coming. And if it's going to come, we don't want to get run over by it. It's better for us to embrace it with the agenda of having local control," says Cromartie. "And having local jurisdictions set the rules up to and including are we going to have these businesses in our community, as opposed to say 'no' to everything and marginalizing ourselves."
READ MORE related to Cannabis: California capital could reap billions from legalized pot, study says -- SHARON BERNSTEIN with Reuters
And when it comes to casting a ballot, vagabondism has no bearing on registration eligibility.
STEVEN CUEVAS with KQED: "Billy Cunningham has been eligible to cast a ballot almost as long as he’s lived in San Francisco."
“I’ve been here overs 40 years. I came to San Francisco about 10 or 11,” says Cunningham, sitting in an office at the nonprofit Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco."
"The thing is, though: He hasn’t voted. Not even the chance to vote for America’s first black president could move him."
California's superintendent of public instruction is calling for an end to the California high school exit exam.
TOM CHORNEAU with Cabinet Report: "The state’s high school exit exam, long a source of litigation and conflict, would become a thing of the past under a policy recommendation made late last week by Tom Torklakson, California’s superintendent of public instruction."
"Intended to serve as a hardedge performance evaluation when it was first proposed by former Gov. Gray Davis in 1999, the goal of the exam became less aggressive over the years in accommodation of public outcry and court rulings that the test posed an unfair challenge to some subgroups."
"Because of the shift to the Common Core State Standards in 2010, the requirement that seniors pass the exit exam as a condition of receiving a diploma was suspended beginning with class of 2015-16. The suspension is set to expire after the 2017-18 school year." (Ed's Note: This post corrects affiliation of reporter Tom Chorneau to Cabinet Report)
READ MORE related to Education: California college grads incur less school debt than national average -- LARRY GORDON with EdSource; Prop. 58: Initiative puts bilingual education back in spotlight -- ASHLEY HOPKINSON with EdSource
Dental care access for low-income citizens is abysmal according to a recent release by CHR.
STAFF: "One third of California residents and half of the state’s children qualify for Denti-Cal, the state’s Medi-Cal dental program. So leaders in counties like Santa Cruz, where 82 percent of the dentists don’t take Denti-Cal, are seeking new ways to serve this long-suffering low-income population."
"Most California dentists want nothing to do with Denti-Cal,” stated an April report by the Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency. It hammered Denti-Cal — calling it a broken system that has alienated its partners in the dental profession. Less than half of Denti-Cal beneficiaries use their benefits because they simply can’t find a dentist who will see them."
"That has left counties, community clinics, nonprofits and private dentists to cobble together programs and safety nets for thousands of residents. Some of those are showing promise and some counties plan to expand them by applying for part of the $740 million state and federal agencies have allocated for the new Dental Transformation Initiative. It is meant to incentivize more dentists to offer preventative dental care to children."
And now for a page from our "Red Red Wine" file ...
Consider yourself an oenophile? Your hobby may be causing you to spend more than you should.
Mirror.co.uk: "The day you order the second cheapest bottle of wine in a restaurant can truly seem like the day you've made it in life."
"You can keep those mega-pricey vintages with their unpronounceable names lurking towards the bottom of the menu, the second cheapest bottle is bound to be nicer than the house wine, right?"
"Well, not according to food critic Jay Rayner."