Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Published: March 30, 2016 – Updated: 10:52 a.m.
Passenger traffic at Ontario International Airport increased nearly 5.7 percent in February over the same month in 2015, with 295,948 passengers using the Inland facility.
To read article by Richard K. De Atley in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: March 30, 2016 – Updated: 11:07 p.m.
Freezing spending, holding the line on across-the-board raises and shifting existing money are key to Riverside County’s plan to stop escalating costs from drying up reserves and causing a $100 million shortfall.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 03/30/16 – 10:47 AM PDT |
SAN BERNARDINO >> Amazon is planning to add more than 1,000 jobs to the region, announcing Wednesday that it will build a second fulfillment center in the city.
By Don Thompson, Associated Press
Mar. 31, 2016 – 2:22 AM ET
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California state lawmakers are poised to enact the nation’s highest statewide minimum wage on Thursday, with gradual increases to $15 by 2022.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 03/29/16 – 9:15 PM PDT |
San Bernardino will pay the holders of its pension obligation bonds 40 percent of what they’re owed, reducing the total payments to one of its largest creditors by about $45 million, according to a settlement between the bankrupt city and those creditors.
By Hudson Sangree and Hector Amezcua
hsangree@sacbee.com
March 29, 2016 – 6:44 PM
A landmark plan to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could create sweeping changes across the industries that rely on low-wage workers and improve the living standards for millions of Californians employed in farm fields, restaurants and retail stores.
David G. Savage
March 29, 2016
A well-planned legal assault on public unions collapsed Tuesday when the Supreme Court deadlocked over a California woman’s lawsuit to strike down mandatory fees, the strongest evidence yet that Justice Antonin Scalia’s death has stymied the court’s conservatives.
By Kyle Cheney
Published: 03/29/16 – 09:48 PM EDT
Updated: 03/29/16 – 10:47 PM EDT
Donald Trump has rescinded his pledge to support the Republican nominee for president.
Capitol Alert
By Jim Miller and Jeremy B. White
jmiller@sacbee.com
March 28, 2016 – 7:30 AM
Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic leaders and labor leaders Monday touted an agreement that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022, saying the pact should avert an expensive ballot fight this fall.
Phil Willon
March 28, 2016
California’s U.S. Senate campaign appears stuck in a political stasis, with nearly a third of voters still undecided about who to support in a race lost in the shadow of the nation’s presidential contest, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.
Joel Rubin , James Queally and Paresh Dave
March 28, 2016
Federal officials on Monday dropped their legal fight against Apple after unlocking the iPhone used by an assailant in last year’s San Bernardino terror attack, leaving unsettled a vexing debate over privacy and security amid rapid advances in technology.
Published: March 25, 2016 – 6:03 p.m.
California’s 36th Congressional District reflects how much Riverside County’s political landscape has changed.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 03/27/16 – 7:52 PM PDT |
ONTARIO >> UPS has unveiled plans to add 500 jobs, growing its operations at LA/Ontario International Airport over the next five years in a bid to keep up with the growth in e-commerce.
By Ed Mendel
March 28, 2016
Following new accounting rules, the annual state financial report issued this month shows a “net pension liability” of $63.7 billion, a dramatic increase from the $3.2 billion “net pension obligation” reported last year.
Chris Reed
March 28, 2016
Is the California Public Employees’ Retirement System about to make another big mistake with a mistimed investment strategy, this time in the industrial solar sector?
John Myers and Liam Dillon
March 26, 2016
Lawmakers and labor unions have struck a tentative deal to raise the statewide minimum wage to $10.50 an hour next year and then gradually to $15, averting a costly political campaign this fall and possibly putting California at the forefront of a national movement.
Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
March 25, 2016 – 12:38 PM
The concept of legalized marijuana is rapidly gaining in popularity, a new poll finds.
Friday, March 25, 2016 – 11:00 a.m.
The Inland Empire’s economic cheerleader was out touting the region’s job growth this week.
But he didn’t say much about all-important wage growth.
Published: March 24, 2016
Updated: March 25, 2016 – 6:22 a.m.
Supporters of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders will be out in force Saturday for rallies about 20 miles apart.
To read article by Michael J. Williams in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: March 24, 2016 – Updated: 5:58 p.m.
Changes in how the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responds to calls and deploys its deputies and corrections officers can save taxpayers money and improve service, according to a much-awaited outside review of the county’s public safety spending.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Capitol Alert
By Jeremy B. White
jwhite@sacbee.com
March 24, 2016 – 5:57 PM
California’s campaign finance watchdog will investigate whether a top aide to Gov. Jerry Brown accurately disclosed the status of her stock holdings in a major utility.
Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
March 24, 2016 – 2:28 PM
There’s been little positive buzz of late about California’s high-speed rail system.
Joel Rubin
March 24, 2016
The criminal trial of Paul Tanaka, a once powerful figure in Los Angeles policing, is set to open with the former undersheriff facing charges he deliberately thwarted an FBI investigation into jail abuses.
By Matthew Cabe, Staff Writer
Posted Mar. 23, 2016 – Updated at 11:18 PM
SAN BERNARDINO — Public access to online criminal court records in San Bernardino County has significantly decreased as of late.
Phil Willon
March 23, 2016 – 09:00 p.m.
New York billionaire Donald Trump enjoys a sizable lead over other GOP presidential candidates among California Republican voters, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.
Phil Willon
March 23, 2016 – 09:00 p.m.
With just over three months to go before the state’s June primary election, Democrats Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris and U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Santa Ana have more voter support than their Republican rivals in the race for U.S. Senate, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.
David Garrick
By David Garrick | March 23, 2016 – 8:35 p.m.
San Diego — In a decision that could have a sweeping impact across California, a new state appeals court ruling may ease approval of local tax increases if they are placed on the ballot by citizen’s initiative instead of by a government agency.
Business & Real Estate
By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com
March 23, 2016 – 1:46 PM
CalPERS said Wednesday that it’s buying a significant stake in a solar energy company with operations near Palm Springs.
Water & Drought
By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com
March 23, 2016 – 11:10 AM
The water releases from Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville don’t mean the drought is over. But they represent the latest evidence that drought conditions are easing as El Niño has brought meaningful amounts of rain and snow to Northern California for the first time since 2012.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016 – 08:00 a.m.
The delegate math is inching GOP Front-runner Donald Trump’s way after his decisive win in the state of Arizona on Tuesday night.
Technology | Wed Mar 23, 2016 – 6:53am EDT
By Tova Cohen
Editing by Elaine Hardcastle
Israel’s Cellebrite, a provider of mobile forensic software, is helping the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s attempt to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California shooters, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Wednesday.
By David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 03/22/16 – 6:40 PM PDT |
Rancho Cucamonga isn’t the only local city scrambling to implement district elections for its city council due to a legal threat: Chino and Upland are known to be doing the same.
John Myers
March 22, 2016
State lawmakers now face a political ultimatum over California’s minimum wage: quickly take action to boost it above the current $10 an hour, or stand aside for a fall campaign in which voters are urged to do it themselves.
By Sean Cockerham
scockerham@mcclatchydc.com
March 22, 2016 – 10:50 AM
WASHINGTON —
Whether she’s sending out cat Christmas cards, mimicking a Native American war whoop, or suggesting that up to 20 percent of Muslims might resort to violence to overthrow the Western way of life, U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez of California is known as much for her personality as her policy.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
March 21, 2016 – 3:41 PM
California’s voter turnout has been drifting downward for decades, finally reaching a record-low level in 2014.
Calls for presidential primary debates and strong candidates add interest to 31st District battle
Published: March 20, 2016 – Updated: 9:54 p.m.
Two years ago, an open San Bernardino County congressional seat drew seven candidates, national attention and millions of dollars in spending by out-of-town groups.
The 31st Congressional District race is heating up this year.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Shea Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted March 20, 2016 at 5:38 PM
VICTORVILLE — The City Council recently approved what City Manager Doug Robertson described as a “fairly small reorganization” — one expected to give Robertson more time to focus on development and work through the strategic plan adopted last week on the dais.
By Matea Gold and Anu Narayanswamy
March 20 at 10:35 PM
Follow @mateagold Follow @anu_narayan
Donald Trump put $6.9 million more of his personal money into his presidential campaign in February, significantly increasing his investment as he began racking up wins in the Republican presidential primary contest, new filings show.
By Joe Garofoli
March 20, 2016
Updated: March 20, 2016 – 8:15pm
With no statewide officeholders, little pull in the Legislature and a dwindling number of registered voters, California Republicans have teetered on the brink of irrelevancy for years.
By Ed Mendel
March 21, 2016
Social Security recipients get no raise this year because inflation last year was near zero. But more than half of CalPERS pensions will get a raise in May of 1.5 to 4 percent.
Jim Erwin
Sunday, March 20, 2016 – 11:30 a.m.
The race for the republican nomination for president continues to be the talk these days after Front-runner Donald Trump won five of six delegate contests on Tuesday.
March 19, 2016
The Colonies Corruption Case, which has been dragging along now for over six years, may finally be coming to an inglorious end.
Published: March 19, 2016 – Updated: 11:27 p.m.
With the presidential race dividing the Republican Party, Inland conservatives gathered in Riverside on Saturday to network, rail against the left and boost their spirits in a Democratic-leaning state.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: March 18, 2016
Updated: March 20, 2016 – 9:39 a.m.
Amid a shake-up of top finance employees, Riverside officials hope that changing the way they handle budgets and financial projections will help the city emerge from a surprise multimillion-dollar deficit.
To read article by Alicia Robinson in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 03/19/16 – 4:36 PM PDT |
RIVERSIDE >> In an unprecedented move, an appellate court has found Upland residents deserve the chance to overturn the city’s ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in a special election.
By Shea Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted Mar. 19, 2016 at – 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 19, 2016 at – 6:57 PM
More than $5 million in settlements were paid out in San Bernardino County between 1989 and 2012 for “faulty” felony convictions, according to a UC Berkley School of Law study.
By Jeff Collins and Jonathan Lansner
March 19, 2016 – Updated 10:50 p.m.
Attorneys for The Orange County Register’s owner filed a motion Saturday asking a bankruptcy judge to approve the company’s sale to Digital First Media, the second-highest bidder in last week’s newspaper auction.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
March 19, 2016 9:00 AM
California voters will be hammered by a perfect political storm this year, facing at least a dozen major, high-dollar ballot measures.
By Bob Egelko
Posted: March 18, 2016
Updated: March 18, 2016 – 7:09pm
When U.S. Justice Department officials warned state courts this week that soaring financial penalties for low-level wrongdoing might be damaging people’s lives, they could have had Mariah Robinson in mind.
Jim Erwin
Saturday, March 19, 2016 – 01:30 p.m.
Hates off to the Super-PAC consultant class.
This consulting cadre, the brain trust behind the $200 million in failed efforts to stop GOP Front-runner Donald trump, has meticulously fleeced the richest of America’s political class.
Joseph Turner
Saturday, March 19, 2016 – 10:15 a.m.
This will be a fairly brief post about the 2012 electoral map as I am preparing to write a series of posts in the future analyzing some swing states.
Most people are seemingly unaware of how close Mitt Romney came to winning the presidential election. Much has been written and it has often been described as a very convincing or solid victory for Obama.
Joseph Turner
Friday, March 18, 2016 – 07:38 p.m.
Conventional wisdom, for what that is worth, says that Ross Perot’s third party run in 1992, when he got nearly 20 percent of the total national vote, cost George H. W. Bush the election and handed it over to Bill Clinton.
Andrew Khouri
March 18, 2016
A U.S. District Court judge has approved a temporary restraining order to block Tribune Publishing’s purchase of the Orange County Register and Riverside Press-Enterprise, a decision that the owner of the Los Angeles Times has described as a “death-knell” to its bid.
Ralph Vartabedian
March 18, 2016
The state has enough money to build an initial operating segment of the bullet train from San Jose to the Central Valley but faces major uncertainties about funding for the entire 500-mile system and whether the initial system will be profitable, according to a new report by researchers for the Legislature.
Capitol Alert
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
March 18, 2016 12:07 PM
Although its 2014-15 budget was balanced, California’s state government ended the fiscal year $175.1 billion in the red, thanks largely to state retirement obligations that had to be included in its balance sheet for the first time.
Capitol Alert
By Taryn Luna
tluna@sacbee.com
March 17, 2016 – 12:17 PM
The Fair Political Practices Commission voted Thursday to change a ride-along rule to curb abuse of state lobbying regulations.
Andrew Khouri
March 17, 2016
The owner of the Los Angeles Times was selected as the top bidder for the Orange County Register and Riverside Press-Enterprise during the papers’ bankruptcy auction, but the U.S. Department of Justice immediately filed a lawsuit to block the deal Thursday on antitrust grounds.
Published: March 15, 2016 – Updated: 10:51 p.m.
The field is set for two Riverside County supervisorial seats on the June 7 primary election ballot now that the candidate filing deadline has passed.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Joseph Turner
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – 04:00 p.m.
Donald Trump crushed his opposition on Tuesday and extended his delegate lead over Ted Cruz setting the table for something rather remarkable – Republican voters in the state of California may very well have some say in picking who the next presidential nominee will be.
Thursday, March 17, 2016 – 08:00 a.m.
There’s new coverage of developments in a high-profile, long-running San Bernardino County court case.
To read the article by Joe Nelson in The Sun, click the following link: Appellate court opens door again to San Bernardino County corruption case
By Don Thompson
Mar. 16, 2016 4:41 PM ET
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The union representing most California state prison guards says it has agreed to a new labor contract that includes a 9 percent salary increase over three years.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
March 15, 2016 – 4:15 PM
Thanks to new accounting standards, California’s state and local governments are being forced to acknowledge tens of billions of dollars in previously obscure debt for unfunded pension liabilities.
Jonathan Lansner / Staff Writer
March 15, 2016
Updated: March 16, 2016 – 9:55 a.m.
The U.S. Justice Department sees “serious” antitrust issues with Tribune Publishing’s bankruptcy bid for The Orange County Register and The Press-Enterprise and would take action to keep any merger from hurting local newspaper readers and advertisers, according to a letter to Freedom Communications.
Associated Press
March 15, 2016
Volkswagen Group’s big institutional investors, including California’s huge public pension fund, are suing the German automaker for $3.57 billion in damages over its handling of the emissions scandal, which has seen VW’s stock price shrivel by a third.
Associated Press
March 16, 2016
Tens of thousands of California drivers have had traffic fines and court fees reduced under an amnesty program pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown to help the poor.
Christopher Goffard
March 15, 2016
Attorneys for a man accused in a Lake Forest assault have asked that the Orange County district attorney’s office be thrown off the case, citing “a pattern of intimidation” against defense witnesses — most recently when one of the district attorney’s investigators bloodied an attorney in a courthouse hallway.
By Shea Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted: Mar. 14, 2016 at 8:58 AM
Updated: Mar. 14, 2016 at 2:59 PM
SAN BERNARDINO — The terms of a settlement agreed upon sometime after Feb. 9 could be approved Tuesday in three civil cases brought against the county and law enforcement officials by family members of Dan’te Parker, the former Daily Press pressman who died in sheriff’s custody after being stunned with a Taser as many as 12 times in August 2014.
By Beau Yarbrough, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 03/14/16 – 2:33 PM PDT |
SAN BERNARDINO >> The last Democratic presidential debate before California’s June 7 primary might be held in San Bernardino.
By Shea Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted: Mar. 14, 2016 at 2:22 PM
Updated: Mar 14, 2016 at 3:46 PM
ADELANTO — Interim City Manager Cindy Herrera has been named to the position on a permanent basis, several months after becoming the second city employee to assume the interim role following Jim Hart’s resignation early last year, city spokesman Michael Stevens said.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
March 14, 2016 – 3:27 PM
Slowly – perhaps too slowly – but surely, California is shining some much-needed light into the darker corners of its political system.
Published: March 11, 2016
Updated: March 13, 2016 – 7:48 p.m.
Between 1989 and 2012, Riverside and San Bernardino counties paid a combined $10,653,000 in settlements and legal fees in 193 cases where defendants claimed they were wrongfully arrested or prosecuted.
To read article by Brian Rokos in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Paul Rogers, progers@mercurynews.com
Posted: 03/13/2016 – 06:18:16 PM PDT |
Sunday’s storms brought more rain to Northern California, but they also helped the state hit a key milestone in its efforts to recover from the historic four-year drought.
By Phil Willon
March 13, 2016
Welcome to your guide to the 2018 California governor’s race. The election may be far away, but listening tours are already underway, political consultants are doling out advice and pundits are handicapping favorites and wildcards.
Laurence Darmiento
March 13, 2016
Digital First Media, owner of the Los Angeles Daily News, was selected Sunday as the bidder to beat in an auction for the assets of Freedom Communications, the bankrupt owner of the Orange County Register.
Jim Erwin
Sunday, March 13, 2016 – 01:15 p.m.
Did anyone really think that GOP Front-runnerDonald Trump’s polling numbers would start to dip?
That idea may have been wishful thinking.
Jim Erwin
Sunday, March 13, 2016 – 01:00 p.m.
An attention-gathering theory propelled by an Amicus Curiae or Friend of the Court Brief, filed in support of U.S. Government attempts to force Apple Inc. to unlock the encryption of an iPhone 5c, is still being called out for what it is.
By Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts
Posted: 03/10/16 – 6:16 PM PST |
HIGHLAND >> The Highland City Council has approved plans for the Mediterra residential development.
By Monica Rodriguez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 03/12/16 – 7:48 PM PST |
After meeting Friday’s deadline for submitting nomination papers to county Registrar of Voters offices, scores of candidates seeking seats at the local, state and federal level are gearing up for the June 7 primary election.
Christine Mai-Duc
March 12, 2016
What happens when a Democratic lawmaker strays from party leaders on a key piece of Gov. Jerry Brown’s policy agenda? One assemblywoman who held back support for a sweeping climate-change bill last year is starting to find out.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
March 12, 2016 – 8:00 AM
Americans of a certain age may remember the term “peace dividend.”
Published: March 11, 2016 – 05:27 p.m.
Eight Riverside County departments spent at least $1 million on overtime during fiscal 2014-15, and five of those departments have seen overtime costs rise 52 percent or more in the past five years, according to a new report from the county auditor-controller.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: March 11, 2016
Updated: March 12, 2016 – 6:08 a.m.
Union Bank of California has provided the city of Beaumont access to financial records needed to determine how former city officials spent hundreds of million of dollars in city bond funds.
To read article by David Danelski in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Jeff McDonald & Patrick McGreevy |
March 11, 2016 – 6 p.m.
A consumer advocacy group filed a complaint Friday with the state ethics agency seeking an investigation into whether the top aide to Gov. Jerry Brown influenced appointments to the state Public Utilities Commission while she owned stock in PG&E, an allegation rejected immediately by the Governor’s Office.
David Zahniser and Sarah D. Wire
March 11, 2016
Former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon, who saw his convictions for perjury and voter fraud thrown out two months ago, has another curve ball in store for the San Fernando Valley: He’s running for Congress.
Capitol Alert
By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
March 11, 2016 2:59 PM
Former Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, a tea party favorite and unsuccessful candidate for governor, said Friday he is running for Congress, bidding to unseat fellow Republican Paul Cook in Southern California’s desert region.