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In this episode of News Too Real, news show host, Julia Ann Dudley Najieb, reviews the latest mass sewage contamination of Southern California beaches, Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, having a 54 % bacteria rate; San Luis Creek Mouth in San Luis Obispo having a 35% bacteria rate and  Imperial Beach in San Diego, having a 100% bacteria contamination rate.

The City of Imperial Beach is in San Diego County shares the Mexico-California border, specifically Tijuana; in just five years, over 100 billion gallons of untreated sewage, industrial waste, and urban runoff have spilled across the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Last year, labs run by Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force processed 9,538 water samples collected from 567 distinct sampling sites around the U.S. Of the 567 beaches sampled, 362 of them yielded at least one high bacteria result that exceeded state health standards.

Part 3: Is California out of its water scare?:
California residents are having to adapt to a new way of life when it comes to water conservation: the Newsom administration is urging Californians to adopt a new style of living when it comes to water, according to Governor's Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) press secretary, Ashley Williams.  In a a final part three discussion, Williams discusses ways residents can conserve water.


ONME News Headlines as of June 11, 2024:
Hate crime trends in California are on the rise: Reported anti-Black, anti-Latino, and anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 156% overall from 2019 to 2022Replenishing Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley: Here's a 2024 updateCOMMENTARY: Governor must OK expanded Cal Grant access for struggling students With newly digitized slave ship logs, Berkeley Ph.D. student examines race, power — and literacyFresno’s eviction protection program might survive, but advocates say the city still needs rent control 

ONME News Headlines June 7, 2024:
FRESNO: Upcoming Black Music Month event this weekend will honor three Fresno community and local leaders

EPA finalizes order with California Department of Corrections Regarding San Luis Obispo Treatment Plant 

What Biden’s border order means for California   

California’s highest court rejects ‘people as pollution’ argument for UC Berkeley housing

Is California out of its water scare? California residents are wondering if the drought is over; the numerous atmospheric rains and unseasonal snowfalls have Californians feeling more relaxed about the water situation.  However, experts suggest that we may not be out of the woods due to climate change.

In this episode of News Too Real, news host, Julia Ann Dudley Najieb talks with Ashley Williams; Press Secretary for the Governor’s Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC.)  

Ashley Williams serves as Press Secretary for the Governor’s Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) and works on some of the state’s priority public awareness efforts.   Prior to joining OCPSC, Ashley worked at a boutique public affairs firm managing strategic communication campaigns across the firm’s client portfolio. Ashley has over a decade of experience building successful communications programs for a variety of clients, from government associations and non-profits, to major corporations and high-visibility individuals.   Ashley is a member of the Greater Sacramento Urban League Young Professionals and is a founding member for industry association Black Ownership Matters. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a BA in Political Science.   https://saveourwater.com/how-to-save-water/around-the-house/    

New bill SB 478 to take effect this July bans restaurants' hidden 'junk fees'

Food & Wine reports that California is banning hidden restaurant fees, in addition to other surcharges.  The rule would also require companies to disclose upfront whether fees are refundable.
Some people call them “junk fees.” While some places disclose the surcharges up front on menus and table cards, many others don’t. 

That’s led to accusations that restaurants are hiding them and making meals more expensive than diners realize. Now, California is stepping in to stop them. Last October, the state legislature approved a measure that bans hidden fees for hotel stays, as well as tickets to concerts and sporting events.  The new law, SB 478, aimed at banning hidden fees, takes effect in July, according to the office of State Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Authored by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, the new law comes after California’s fast-food law took effect in April. Under the new law, the minimum wage for fast-food workers increased from $16 per hour to $20, a move that prompted fast-food companies to raise prices to keep up with labor costs.

PG& E's prominent energy rate hikes are due to excessive wildfires happening throughout California
On January 1, 2024 PG&E implemented a significant rate increase for all customers; the rate hike has already taken affect, where customers may have noticed the difference in February and March bills. According to the California Public Utilities Commission, the top drivers of PG&E’s proposed increases are inflation and significant investments in undergrounding electric lines to decrease wildfire risk. According to PG&E, the change is an increase of approximately 12.8% in 2024, with the typical bill increasing by about $34.50 per month (which uses about 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month per typical household), according to the company's estimates.. This is on top of other significant PG&E rate increases in recent years.

For instance, on March 7, the Public Utilities Commission approved a PG&E rate hike that will add about $5 a month to the average bill, to begin as soon as April 2024.   The newly approved hike is to expected to compensate for PG&E’s previous vegetation management efforts dating back to 2020. The spending was part of PG&E’s efforts to limit the risk of wildfires after a string of disastrous blazes that started in 2017 and ultimately led to the utility filing bankruptcy. 

PG&E said it expects total rate hikes in 2024 will total about $50 more per average customer.


State law enforcement makes 500+ arrests, removes nearly 700 pounds of fentanyl as part of San Francisco Operation

Marking one year since Governor Newsom deployed California Highway Patrol and California National Guard personnel to a multiagency special operation in San Francisco, the Governor announced this week over 500 arrests made and nearly 700 pounds of fentanyl seized as part of this effort.
 As part of its operations, the CHP issued 6,200+ citations for illegal activity, made 500+ arrests, and recovered 115+ stolen vehicles.

“Our coordinated work to shut down drug markets in San Francisco is making a difference, but we have more work to do,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

Building on the Newsom Administration’s efforts to improve public safety throughout California, including Oakland and Bakersfield, violent crime and property crime are significantly down year-over-year in San Francisco. This reduction reflects the work of local law enforcement and state and federal efforts.

“The California Highway Patrol has been a valuable partner in our work dismantling the drug markets in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods,” said San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott. “The SFPD and CHP have...

In this episode of News Too Real with news host, Julia Ann Dudley Najieb, the latest California headlines include:  New bill SB 478 to take effect this July bans restaurants' hidden 'junk fees'; PG& E's prominent rate hikes are due to excessive wildfires happening throughout California; State law enforcement makes 500+ arrests, removes nearly 700 pounds of fentanyl as part of San Francisco Operation.

Feature:  Dudley Najieb reviewed the state of California's budget deficit and what it will take to get the state budget balanced.  California has depended on the the volatile, one-percent wage earners in tech jobs in California--the demise that boomed during the pandemic, has now sloped.

The Senate has a membership of 40 Senators elected for 4-year terms, 20 to begin every 2 years.

During his or her lifetime a person may serve no more than 12 years in the Senate, Assembly, or both, in any combination of terms.

Since the passage of Prop 28 in 2012, legislators first elected on or after November 6, 2012, are limited to a maximum of 12 years.

Prop 140, passed in 1990, affects any members elected prior to November 6, 2012, and limits them to a maximum of two four-year terms (eight years total). Voters in the 20 odd-numbered districts of the California State Senate will elect their representatives. There are 16 Democratic-held senate seats up for election in 2024, 3 Republican-held seats, and 1 open seat with no incumbent.

Here is a review of the first set of California state senate candidates.

The Senate has a membership of 40 Senators elected for 4-year terms, 20 to begin every 2 years.

During his or her lifetime a person may serve no more than 12 years in the Senate, Assembly, or both, in any combination of terms.

Since the passage of Prop 28 in 2012, legislators first elected on or after November 6, 2012, are limited to a maximum of 12 years.

Prop 140, passed in 1990, affects any members elected prior to November 6, 2012, and limits them to a maximum of two four-year terms (eight years total). Voters in the 20 odd-numbered districts of the California State Senate will elect their representatives. There are 16 Democratic-held senate seats up for election in 2024, 3 Republican-held seats, and 1 open seat with no incumbent.

Here is a review of the first set of California state senate candidates.