Welcome to my home office. My back yard, a mug of coffee, a laptop, Cristina Mendonsa and Sam Shane on The KFBK Morning News streaming on the iHeartRadio app and a full inbox from overnight. Let's see what's new in our state and our world today:
- Mother Nature is giving us a break. The return to triple-digit temperatures this week has been dropped from the forecast. 95 in Sacramento today, 98 tomorrow, then between 88 and 92 the rest of the work week.
- Condolences to CNN and 60 Minutes' Anderson Cooper on the passing of his mother, renowned fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt. She was 95.
- CAL Fire's union has begun a TV ad campaign intended to pressure Governor Gavin Newsom to hire more firefighters. Newsom's new budget adds 131 firefighters to the ranks, but the union says they still need 1,000---not a typo---one thousand---more.
- Speaking of the governor, he gave an interview to POLITICO in which he says the GOP is "destined for the waste bin of history."
- Brian Dahle was elected to the State Senate just 13 days ago---but he's already embroiled in a controversy. He hosted a town hall in Redding---but appeared to have only invited Christians to attend.
- There's zero chance it will happen, but read why a New York Times Op-Ed contributor thinks the Supreme Court justices should take a field trip to California before ruling on the citizenship question the Trump Administration wants to add to next year's census.
- A disturbing investigation from the non-profit Center for Investigative Reporting reveals a shocking involvement in online hate groups by law enforcement officers---including in at least one major California city's police department---prompting 50 departments to launch internal investigation.
- A new UC Berkeley IGS poll commissioned by the Los Angeles Times finds 52 percent of California support Governor Newsom's moratorium on executions---but 61 percent say we should have the death penalty available as an option.
- 25 years ago today, California came to a standstill---as did much of the nation---as our TV screens were suddenly all showing the same thing---a white Ford Bronco driving slowly on the freeways of Southern California with several CHP units close behind. It was the O.J. Simpson chase---and there's a backstory to how that wound up being broadcast live.
Let me hear from you on these stories or others. There's a "comment" button at the bottom. And I'd love for you to follow me on Twitter and like my page on Facebook.
I hope you'll join KittyO'Neal, Dana Hess, Kelly Brothers and me today from 4:00 to 7:00 on The KFBK Afternoon News at 93.1 FM, 1530 AM and on the iHeartRadio app.