Category: Regional & State News

Newsom’s Plan to Fine School District $1.5 Million Over Blocked Textbook Lacks Legal Grounds

There are currently no legal grounds for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to fine a local school district $1.5 million for rejecting what the school board says is an “inappropriate” social studies textbook, the state’s top education official confirmed July 20. The governor announced the fine in a July 19 statement, adding that the state…


Newsom’s $1.5 Million Fine to School District Over Textbook Rejection May Be Illegal

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to fine a local school district $1.5 million for rejecting what the school board says is an “inappropriate” social studies textbook could be illegal, according to several education leaders and lawmakers. The governor announced the fine in a July 19 statement, adding that the state is securing the textbook in question for all 1–5 grade…


Anaheim Hires New Chief of Police

Deputy Chief Rick Armendariz—who has served the Anaheim Police Department since 2019—will be sworn in on August 18 as the city’s new chief of police. The Anaheim City Council approved the contract with Mr. Armendariz—an Anaheim resident—on July 18. He will be the 37th chief in the 153-year history of the police department, according to…


Anaheim to Release Investigation Into Angel Stadium Sale to FBI, California AG

The Anaheim City Council has approved releasing details of its independent investigation into corruption allegations surrounding the sale of Anaheim Stadium to state Attorney General Rob Bonta and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Councilors voted unanimously July 18 to waive attorney-client privilege relating to a 200-page report by the JL Group, a Laguna Niguel-based…


Steve Wynn to Pay $10M Fine to Settle Complaint With Nevada Gaming Regulators

Gaming Executive Steve Wynn will pay a fine of $10 million and will agree to never again have any involvement in Nevada’s gaming industry, according to a settlement document filed Wednesday with the Gaming Control Board. If the Nevada Gaming Commission signs off on the settlement, possibly as soon as next week, it will end…


How Does Your Southern California City Rank on Fiscal Health?

Commentary Keeping track of your personal finances is important. But, we should also pay attention to the financial well-being of our local cities, as it can impact the community. Until now, we’ve looked at Southern California cities in six counties: Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Imperial. As the city of Huntington…


The Illinois Supreme Court Has Ordered the Elimination of Cash Bail to Proceed

The Illinois Supreme Court on July 18 upheld the Pre-trial Fairness Act that eliminates cash bail for criminal defendants awaiting trial. The landmark decision makes Illinois the first state in the nation to halt the use of cash bail. The Pre-trial Fairness Act was a provision of the SAFE-T ACT (pdf), a major criminal justice…


Nashville’s Elementary Schools to Lack SROs Despite $140 Million Allocation for Positions Statewide

Only one school district out of Tennessee’s four largest cities will not have SROs in every school this fall after the state legislature and Governor allocated $140 million for each district in the state to do so following the shooting at The Covenant School in March. The shooting, which happened in Nashville, inspired the legislature…


Extradited Chinese Billionaire Appears in US Court, Admits to Bribing San Francisco Official

SAN FRANCISCO—Chinese billionaire Zhang Li, who was extradited from London, appeared in the U.S. District Court on the night of July 18 and faces charges of bribing a top San Francisco public official, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California. According to an information filed on July 18, Mr. Zhang, 70, was…


Stanford University President Resigns After Failing to Correct Flaws in Academic Papers He Authored

Following months of investigation into allegations of research misconduct, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, president of Stanford University, announced his resignation July 19 after a report (pdf) released July 17 uncovered research manipulation in several labs he oversaw while publishing scientific articles and concluded he failed to correct mistakes, even after substantiated peer-reviewed criticisms were made. Twelve articles…