Senate leaders have called for a vote today to suspend Senator Leland Yee from the Legislature if he does not voluntarily resign. Yee was arrested earlier this week and charged with corruption and arms trafficking in an FBI sting that also netted an infamous San Francisco gangster known as Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow. Yee dropped out of the Secretary of State race yesterday, but the Bay Area Democrat has yet to say whether he will voluntarily leave the Senate. Majority leader Darrell Steinberg has been adamant that Yee must go. Yee is accused of soliciting $70,000 from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for political favors. Among other charges, he allegedly conspired to broker a gun deal that would have sent hundreds of assault rifles to the Philippines.
Southern California residents and business owners should get about $600 million in refunds stemming from the closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant. That’s according to a tentative settlement reached yesterday between consumer advocates and Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric. The companies wanted consumers to pay the $1.4 billion cost of the faulty generators that ultimately shut down San Onofre. Instead, investors will pick up much of the tab. More refunds could be on the way if Edison wins its lawsuit against the manufacturer of the steam generators, Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The deal must be approved by the Public Utilities Commission.
If you’re feeling more crowded than usual, it may not be your imagination. Sometime last July, L.A. County passed the 10 million population mark. To be precise, L.A. County had 10, 017, 068 residents, according to the Census Bureau. L.A. is the most populated county in country, with all most teice as many people as the runner up. Cook County in Illinois. But L.A. is far from the fastest growing county in the U.S. The Census Bureau says the growth rate here was just .7 percent between 2012 and 2013.
Palm Springs is saying Goodbye, Norma Jean. A giant statue of Marilyn Monroe is leaving town after a nearly two-year stay. The 26-foot-tall “Forever Marilyn” statue has been a hot spot for tourist snapshots, concerts, and even same-sex marriage rallies. But the bigger than life Marilyn Monroe will be packed up in a few days and sent to a sculpture park in Hamilton, New Jersey. The work by Seward Johnson was modeled after Marilyn’s classic pose from the 1955 movie “The Seven Year Itch,” with her dress billowing up around her waist.
It was a tough night for California teams in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. UCLA saw its title hopes dashed in a 79-68 loss to Florida in Memphis, Tennessee. It was the Bruins fourth loss to Florida in the tournament in less than a decade, including the 2006 championship game. Meanwhile, San Diego State lost a close one against Arizona, and Stanford was knocked out of the tournament by the surprising Dayton Fliers. All three California teams stalled out in the round of 16, after winning their first two games.