Dorner aftermath. No positive identification yet, but San Bernardino County authorities say they are all but certain the charred body found in the ruins on a burned vacation cabin is Christopher Dorner. Investigators now turn their attention to how the angry ex-cop managed to elude their manhunt. Dorner’s driver license and other personal effects were found in the burned cabin where the fugitive apparently made his last stand. Prior to that, Dorner appears to have been hiding in plain sight, hunkered down in another cabin in Big Bear a stone’s throw from a law enforcement command post. SB Sun
Family Services investigated. An investigation into the deaths of 15 children under the protection of L.A. County’s child welfare agency finds major errors by case workers in all but two cases. The confidential investigation, conducted by independent lawyers for the Board of Supervisors and was obtained by the L.A. Times, concludes that bureaucratic red tape at the Department of Children and Family Services and an inept workforce have kept children in unsafe homes and led to preventable deaths. L.A. Times
Edison allegations. A nuclear power watchdog group said Southern California Edison improperly billed taxpayers for losses caused by defective steam generators at the San Onofre power plant. Problems with tubes inside the generators kept the plant closed for more than a year. The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility accused Edison of violating federal securities laws by manipulating inflation estimates. The California Public Utilities Commission already is investigating costs related to the San Onofre outage. Edison declined comment. L.A. Times
Squabbling sisters. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl wants L.A. to sever its sister-city relationship with St. Petersburg. The Russian city recently passed laws targeting gay, lesbian and transgender citizens. Rosendahl, who is openly gay, says cutting official ties with St. Petersburg would send the message that Los Angeles does not tolerate discrimination. Marine del Rey Patch
Sweet drinks. Is the so-called “soda tax” a dead issue in California politics? Maybe not, according to the results of a new Field Poll. In an effort to fight obesity, the cities of El Monte and Richmond last year tried to enact measures imposing penny-per-ounce taxes on sugary drinks. Both efforts failed. But the Field Poll finds that Californians might support a statewide soda tax if the money is used to improve the childrens’ health. Only 40 percent of Californians support a soda tax on its own, but the number rises to 68 percent if the proceeds are earmarked for school nutrition and physical activity programs. The Field Poll