By Robin Harding in Washington
Published: November 21 2010 20:07 | Last updated: November 21 2010 20:07

The US Federal Reserve will slash its growth forecasts and predict higher unemployment when it releases updated economic projections this week.

The Fed will release the latest forecasts made by members of its rate-setting open market committee on Tuesday, alongside the minutes of their November meeting, giving a complete picture of why they launched a new $600bn round of asset purchases.

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Monday, November 22, 2010 – 11:30 a.m.

Last weeks debt sale by the State of California was nothing but a success.

Thirty year debt produced a federal and state tax-free yield of 7.50%. An amazing spread over its U.S. Treasury counterpart, which yielded 4.25% on Friday.

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Monday, November 22, 2010 – 08:10 a.m.

The only reason the White House could be looking at this blog is dirt on Congressman Jerry Lewis. A potential chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

I said potential.

.

Monday, November 22, 2010 – 05:30 a.m.

A federal investigation into allegations that various current and former San Bernardino County officials received special “V.I.P.” care at county-owned and operated Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has many people asking one big question.

Why?

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Monday, November 22, 2010 – 05:10 a.m.

A federal grand jury is now probing allegations related to various procedures and treatment given to various current and former San Bernardino County officials at the county-owned and operated Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC).

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Monday, November 22, 2010 – 05:00 a.m.

San Bernardino County’s criminal defense conflict panel has been the subject of harsh criticism on this blog and at iePolitics.com.

The reason?

Conflicts of interest related to more than $100,000 in contributions to San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos and allegations of misconduct related to plea agreements, involving conflict panel defendants, which were negotiated by non-attorneys.

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4,311,121                        4,268,598

46.0%                               45.5%

Monday, November 22, 2010 – 04:30 a.m.

San Francisco County District Attorney Kamala Harris should be feeling pretty good right now.

Harris, a democrat, will likely be California’s next attorney general.

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10:00 PM PST on Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Press-Enterprise

Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge was in the nation’s capital last week to be formally inducted as a new fellow to the National Academy of Public Administration.

Loveridge, spotted strolling through the swanky lobby of the Washington Renaissance Hotel, called the induction an honor, given that few elected officials serve as fellows to the academy.

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Cox’s lawyer found dead in home
Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/21/2010 08:19:24 PM PST

SAN BERNARDINO – A long-awaited trial for former Hesperia Councilman Tad Honeycutt and Steven Cox, founder of the now-defunct California Charter Academy, is expected to face delays after a defense lawyer in the case was recently found dead in his home.

Honeycutt and Cox are named in a special grand jury indictment from September 2007, which includes more than 100 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds and grand theft.

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Mediha Fejzagic DiMartino, Staff Writer
Created: 11/21/2010 10:01:14 PM PST

The Thanksgiving holiday week will kick off with Tuesday’s report from the Upland City Council, which will tackle midyear budget transfers, reductions as well as changes to the city’s reserve policy.

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By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Nov. 22, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 1A

One of Gov.-elect Jerry Brown’s more specific post-election pronouncements was that he may not appoint a chief of staff.

The title “kind of conjures up, you know, Eisenhower’s Cabinet,” the 72-year-old former governor said the morning after the election, as if the Capitol had become a more title-conscious place since Brown was last governor, from 1975 to 1983.

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A group of business people, academics and environmentalists wants the incoming governor to coordinate data-gathering and monitoring of sea levels and water supplies.

By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times
November 22, 2010

A task force of California politicians, business people, academics and environmentalists is calling on incoming Gov. Jerry Brown to appoint a climate risk council within his office to focus statewide attention on adapting to the effects of global warming.

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By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Nov. 22, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 1B

Since voters approved Proposition 26 in November, local agencies and governments have wondered whether it will jeopardize fees used to deliver public services.

Now the early analyses are starting to roll in on the measure, which converts some local fees to taxes requiring two-thirds voter approval.

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November 22, 2010

By Ed Mendel

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders dropped the big one on public pension advocates last week, proposing that all new city employees except police and firefighters get a 401(k)-style individual investment plan instead of a pension.

The mayor’s announcement that he plans to put an initiative on the next city ballot is the most far-reaching proposal to emerge so far after voters approved seven of eight local pension reforms this month.

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Students may take more time out, switch to other schools or drop out altogether because of the repeated increases at UC and CSU, experts say. But research on the issue is lacking.

By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times
November 22, 2010

Since he entered UCLA in 2006, Carlos Juarez has interrupted his studies at the Westwood campus four times in response to increasing fees.

At Cal State Fullerton, the rising cost of her education has caused Michelle Santizo to reduce her status to part time, and the health science major will leave the school next semester to complete her coursework at a less-costly community college.

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Posted at 05:35 PM on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010
By MARCUS WOHLSEN – Associated Press

As numerous cities get set to levy voter-approved taxes on medical marijuana retailers, some municipalities in Northern California are already moving aggressively toward creating government-sanctioned marijuana farms to help supply them.

Cities hope to rake in even more tax revenue from medical marijuana cultivation, which has remained in the shadows although it has been legal in the state since 1996.

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