[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The LAPD is standing by its decision to map area Muslims. "This is not... targeting or profiling," said Police Chief William J.Bratton. That's a relief. I suppose we can expect to see members ofother religions mapped as well, then?

Officials of PRG-Schultz International are defending audits by the Atlanta-based company that rejected hospital claims. Auditorsrejected more than 90 percent of claims made by rehabilitationhospitals treating elderly patients recovering from knee and hipreplacement surgery.

The Coast Guard has some 'splaining to do. Officials acknowledged that they had made amistake in waiting to issue an advisory about the 58,000 gallons of oilreleased in Wednesday's spill, but they insist that the Coast Guard'sresponse was appropriate.

There's more...

Image courtesy of latimes.com  

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Schwarzenegger has ordered all state departments to plan for 10% budget cuts after state officials warned that the housing market will create a shortfall.

Democratic leaders have agreed to parts of the governor'shealthcare plan, including individual requirements to buy insurance.Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) outlined a fundingproposal Monday that calls for a 2 to 6.5 percent sliding scale ofemployer contribution and a $2 per pack tax on cigarettes.

Henry Aaron, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, explains why healthcare reform has failed in the past. "If there's any chance of success this time, we need to understand the barriers that prevented reform in the past."

There's more...

Image courtesy of Calitics.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Legislature's African American, Latino, and Asian caucuses gathered at a town hall meeting to decry disparities in health care. "The simple explanation for health care disparities is just plainracism," said Dr. Richard Williams, professor of medicine at UCLA.

The city of Ventura has pledged to reduce its reliance on gasoline and retrofit citybuildings to meet greater environmental standards. The City Councilwill hear a presentation on the Get Your Green On campaign tonight atCity Hall.

Issue activistsin Iowa are trailing presidential candidates to different events. Theactivists aim to gather attention to causes as varied as gay rights,global warming, and defense spending.

There's more...

Image courtesy of Sacbee.com

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In this Democratic weekly radio address Assemblymember Pedro Nava talks about his legislation, signed into law by the Governor, which will help save the California condor. As Assemblymember Nava notes in the radio address, the image of a California condor is featured on the California quarter alongside images of John Muir and Yosemite National Park. Assembly Bill 821, authored by Nava, bans big game hunters from using lead ammunition when hunting in the condor’s range. Researchers say lead ammo consumed by the scavenger condors is killing the endangered species. Assemblymember Nava says “We must make sure the condor on your quarter is a living testament to the pristine beauty of California and not a fading memory of a lost era.”

You may listen in English or Spanish. The transcript is below.

By Pedro Nava
Member, California State Assembly
Hello. This is Assemblymember Pedro Nava.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Legal immigrants are pushing to raise the number of visas issued every year. Kim Berry,president of the Programmers' Guild, said, "It takes years for thegreen card sponsorship to happen, and they can't leave, can't ask for araise unless they want to lose their place in line." Green cards arelimited to 140,000 each year.

California's share of federal spending is at the lowest it has been in decades. Observers attribute the trendto changes in Pentagon spending from aerospace manufacturing to groundsupport.

Today's LA Times reports on Barack Obama's "star power," and why Clinton is consistently fielding better poll numbers than Obamadespite his image. "He's raised money in unbelievable amounts,generated tremendous enthusiasm . . . and vast amounts of publicity.And those advantages were not given to him on a silver platter. Heearned them. There is something unique and special about this guy, andI don't know why that has not translated into more support," saidDemocratic pollster Mark Mellman.

Image courtesy of the LA Times. 

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Wildfires continue to scourge southern California for the third day today. Morethan half a million residents of San Diego County have been instructedto evacuate their homes. Only one person is known to have died.

Hillary Clinton drew a crowd in Fresno yesterday. It's good toknow that being called "scary" by the Republicans in Sunday's debatehasn't slowed her down. Campaign officials say that the Fresno rallywas the largest political rally in the city's history.

Senator George Runner and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner (R-Lancaster) --the same husband-and-wife team who brought Jessica's Law to California-- have announced an initiative to crack down on gang violence to the tune of $1 billion annually.California Majority Report's own Steve Maviglio is quoted in the LATimes article, calling the plan "ballot-box budgeting which will puteven more pressure on our already crowded prisons."

There's more... 

Image courtesy of latimes.com 

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Ick.

A prostitute whom prosecutors say a defense contractor provided to former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham testified Wednesday that the congressman fed her grapes as she sat naked in a hot tub before they headed to a bedroom at a Hawaiian resort.

Is dry heaving due to something I read that's not work-related on company time covered on my group plan?

(This came out in the Brent Wilkes trial, by the way, as just one of the gifts offered in bribe from the defense contractor to members of Congress.  But if you're reading this far, you have an AMAZINGLY strong stomach.)