YubaNet.com

Federal Judge Says Army Corps Not Taking Needed Action to Aid Yuba Salmon

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:45:08 PST

Last week, Federal Judge Lawrence Karlton issued another ruling in the Endangered Species Act lawsuit brought by the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and Friends of the River that aims to protect threatened salmon, steelhead and green sturgeon on the Yuba River.

Judicial Council Appoints Jody Patel Interim Admin. Director of Courts

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:22:17 PST

Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye today announced that the Judicial Council has approved the appointment of Ms. Jody Patel as Interim Administrative Director of the California Courts, effective Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Ms. Patel will succeed Mr. Ronald G. Overholt, who announced his resignation as Interim Director earlier today. Ms. Patel does not intend to apply for a permanent position as Administrative Director. She will stay in the interim position until the nationwide search is completed.

3-D laser map shows earthquake zone before and after

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:21:32 PST

Geologists have a new tool to study how earthquakes change the landscape down to a few inches, and it’s giving them insight into how earthquake faults behave. In the Feb. 10 issue of the journal Science, a team of scientists from the U.S., Mexico and China reports the most comprehensive before-and-after picture yet of an earthquake zone, using data from the magnitude 7.2 event that struck near Mexicali, northern Mexico in April, 2010.

Health Reform to Require Insurers to Use Plain Language in Describing Health Plan Benefits, Coverage

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:53:37 PST

People in the market for health insurance will soon have clear, understandable and straightforward information on what health plans will cover, what limitations or conditions will apply, and what they will pay for services thanks to the Affordable Care Act – the health reform law – according to final regulations published today.

Statewide Medi-Cal quality improvement program established

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:40:27 PST

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today that it has established a partnership with the Institute for Population Health Improvement (IPHI) at UC Davis Health System to improve the quality of care provided by the state's $46 billion per year Medi-Cal program.

Allison Fisher: With Japanese Nuclear Crisis Still Unfolding, New Nuclear Reactor Approval Is Move in Wrong Direction

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:31:54 PST

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) approval today of a proposal for the construction and operation of two new reactors in Georgia is a move in the wrong direction. The license granted to Southern Company is the first in 30 years and comes nearly one year after an earthquake initiated a still-uncontained nuclear crisis in Japan.

Tar Sands Oil Pipeline Report Released

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:30:48 PST

A special internal review by the State Department inspector general faulted aspects of the department's handling of a proposal to build a crude oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Steve Cohen last Nov. 7 asked the inspector general to examine apparent conflicts of interest in the department's handling of an environmental impact statement. "The findings confirm once again why the project should not be rubber stamped for approval, despite efforts by Republicans in Congress to do just that," said Sanders.

The National Black Justice Coalition Stands With Community to Condemn Recent Anti-LGBT Attacks

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:28:55 PST

Our community is now at a crossroads. Our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth are calling out to us. This is the moment we make it unequivocally clear that we are here, we are listening and we are ready to take action. In light of the recent anti-LGBT attacks and murders of our Black youth, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black LGBT people, is standing with community members to demand that this pattern of violence against our own end now.

Truckee PD, DEA Arrest 2 in downtown Truckee

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:54:38 PST

Following a 4-month investigation, the Truckee Police Department's Investigations Division arrested two Truckee residents for ongoing sales of cocaine. On 2/7/2012, with the assistance of the DEA, Truckee detectives and officers executed two felony arrest warrants and a residential search warrant.

Boxer Calls on Bank of America to End Delays in Processing Refinances

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:53:08 PST

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today called on Bank of America to end the delays that borrowers have encountered in attempting to refinance their mortgages. According to a new report in Bloomberg News, some homeowners are being asked to wait between 60 and 90 days to submit a refinance application.

Tiny Primate is Ultrasonic Communicator, Dartmouth Professor Finds

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:38:14 PST

Tarsiers are pint-size primates from Southeast Asia who produce some of the most extreme ultrasonic calls in the animal kingdom, well beyond the threshold of human hearing.

Interim Administrative Director of the Courts Resigns

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:33:03 PST

The Interim Administrative Director of the California Courts submitted his resignation to Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye on Wednesday, citing both personal reasons and the need for the judicial branch to keep its focus on restoration of the judicial branch budget.

Aanestad Announces Candidacy - McClintock his Campaign Co-Chair

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:30:10 PST

Today longtime conservative North State Senator, Assemblyman, and Oral Surgeon Sam Aanestad announced he is officially running for the open 1st Congressional District being vacated by retiring Congressman Wally Herger.

Bird Populations Near Fukushima Are More Diminished Than Expected

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:55:31 PST

Low-level radiation in Fukushima Prefecture appears to have had immediate effects on bird populations, and to a greater degree than was expected from a related analysis of Chernobyl, an international team of scientists reported today in Environmental Pollution.Low-level radiation in Fukushima Prefecture appears to have had immediate effects on bird populations, and to a greater degree than was expected from a related analysis of Chernobyl, an international team of scientists reported today in Environmental Pollution.

How the zebra got its stripes

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:47:47 PST

If there was a 'Just So' story for how the zebra got its stripes, I'm sure that Rudyard Kipling would have come up with an amusing and entertaining camouflage explanation. But would he have come up with the explanation that Gábor Horváth, Susanne Åkesson and colleagues from Hungary and Sweden have: that zebra's stripes stave off blood-sucking insects?

Big boost for wildlife conservation: 23 new SOS projects

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:45:46 PST

Top wildlife experts from around the world have allocated $US 3.3 million to 23 species conservation projects. Gorillas, cockatoos, and frogs are some of the many threatened species that are receiving a helping hand from SOS (Save Our Species), a global conservation fund initiated by IUCN, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Iraq: 65 Executions in First 40 Days of 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:44:22 PST

Iraqi authorities should halt all executions and abolish the death penalty, Human Rights Watch said today. Since the beginning of 2012, Iraq has executed at least 65 prisoners, 51 of them in January, and 14 more on February 8, for various offenses.

Asia: Indigenous groups - stateless and sick

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:34:39 PST

The health of millions of indigenous people across Asia is at risk, experts say, as lack of recognition of their legal status hinders data collection, making their medical problems invisible in most national health surveys.

Israel: The tribulations of being an Ethiopian Jew

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:32:43 PST

Growing up in Israel, Shai Siun became accustomed to being called a "nigger".

Siun, 32, has lived in Israel most of his life, but says he and other Ethiopian Jews are treated differently from other Israelis: factories do not want to employ them; landlords refuse them; and certain schools turn away their children.

Sierra College Friends of the Library present Pearl Harbor Survivor Louis Conter in Lecture at Nevada County Campus, March 14

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:12:17 PST

The Sierra College Friends of the Library will present a lecture by Louis Conter, Pearl Harbor survivor from the U.S.S. Arizona on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, at 7 PM in the Multipurpose Center (Building N-12) on the Sierra College-Nevada County Campus in Grass Valley.

Nevada County BOS Agenda for Feb. 14, 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:54:49 PST

Agenda for a Regular Meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, February 14, 2012, at 9:00 a.m., in the Board Chambers, First Floor, Eric Rood Administrative Center, 950 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City, California.

Caleb Dardick - SYRCL: Today, People Saved the Park!

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:23:37 PST

A delegation of over 100 people from Nevada County caravanned on the "Yuba Express" to the State Capitol and hand-delivered over 10,000 letters and petition signatures to Governor Jerry Brown, Resource Secretary John Laird, and Parks Director Ruth Coleman requesting that the South Yuba River and Malakoff Diggins State Parks be removed from the parks' closure list.

As Trapping Season Comes to a Close, Possible Record High in Non-Targeted Animals Being Crushed

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:18:19 PST

Millions of fur-bearing animals are barbarically killed each year in body-crushing traps set for recreational and commercial purposes, fueling a highly unregulated industry that dates back to the 1600s. Born Free USA, a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, estimates that in addition to those animals, there are hundreds of thousands of non-targeted animals who are the unintended victims of these traps.

BLM Appoints Second Supporter of Horse Slaughter to National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:17:00 PST

The Cloud Foundation strongly protests the appointment of another pro-slaughter member to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. On February 5, 2012, Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, named Callie Hendrickson of Grand Junction, Colorado as the newest member of the Board. Hendrickson will fill the General Public position, replacing Janet Jankura of Ohio who applied to serve another term but was denied.

Bank Settlement Will Help Californians, Greenlining Institute Says

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:08:20 PST

The "robo-signing" settlement announced today represents real help for California homeowners who suffered due to misdeeds by loan servicers and other financial institutions, but more must still be done to help struggling families and stabilize the housing market, policy experts at The Greenlining Institute said today.

Feds Approve California Sewage Ban and Create Largest Coastal No-Discharge Zone in the Nation

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:05:56 PST

U.S. EPA's Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld will today sign a rule that will finalize EPA's decision and approve a state proposal to ban all sewage discharges from large cruise ships and most other large ocean-going ships to state marine waters along California's 1,624 mile coast from Mexico to Oregon and surrounding major islands. Today's action establishes a new federal regulation banning even treated sewage from being discharged in California's marine waters.

Insurance Company Sued for Denying Elderly & Sick Their Home Care Benefits

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:03:46 PST

Senior Health Insurance Company of Pennsylvania (SHIP) is refusing to honor thousands of long-term care insurance policies it sold to Californians, leaving the elderly and infirm without the care they need, according to a lawsuit filed today by lawyers for Consumer Watchdog and Shernoff, Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP.

Sacramento Area Prepares for Electric Vehicles With Energy Commission Grant

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:02:54 PST

The Sacramento region about to become much more friendly to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), thanks to a $200,000 planning grant from the California Energy Commission.

State's Energy Policy Report Goes to Governor, Legislature

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:01:37 PST

The California Energy Commission today approved the 2011 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), the state's main energy planning document. The report makes recommendations to ensure reliable energy supplies for the state's growing population and economy, achieve clean energy goals, and promote clean tech jobs and investments.

Yuba County Museum of History Dinner Theatre Fundraiser on Feb. 25

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:43:20 PST

The Yuba County Museum of History is hitching up with the "Sweet Gristle" Comedy team for a dinner theatre at Pad Thai restaurant. Dinner Theatre starts at 6:30PM on Saturday February 25th at 415 4th Street in Marysville, and will fund the opening of the new Yuba County Museum of History.

Daryl Cagle | The New York Times Cartoon Kerfuffle

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:36:25 PST

There was a "cartoon kerfuffle" this week as The New York Times announced that they would begin running traditional editorial cartoons again, in an email invitation to selected, top political cartoonists. It was good news that one of America's biggest newspapers would again embrace our art form, but their offer was so lousy it only made the cartoonists angry.

Victoria Lafont | True Heart Health

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:34:22 PST

In the heart friendly spirit of February I thought I'd focus on how to really take care of the the heart and cardiovascular system. There is so much information available about heart health, much of it contradictory. Obama has proclaimed February American Heart Month, and just in time; cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. Since 1963, for nearly 50 years, our nation has been aware of rising rates of cardiovascular disease. And, for nearly 50 years doctors and special interest funded researchers have been promoting protocols that have not only NOT improved the state of cardiovascular health in this country, but studies show that our heart health is WORSE. Essentially, we are doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

CA Part-Time Legislature

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:29:32 PST

CA Part-Time Legislature - cartoon by Monte Wolverton

Gisele Bundchen fumbles

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:27:57 PST

Gisele Bundchen fumbles - cartoon by Taylor Jones

Fracking Congress

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:26:33 PST

Fracking Congress - cartoon by Bill Day

Ellen Addresses Her JCPenney Critics

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:22:01 PST

Since the announcement that Ellen would be a new spokesperson for JCPenney, there's been an outpouring of support. There have also been a handful of critics. Ellen addressed them head-on in her monologue.

Assembly drops bill that would have helped hold polluters responsible

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:19:43 PST

Under pressure from construction, architect and other industry groups, state legislators killed a bill that would have closed a loophole used by businesses to evade pollution lawsuits.

Gay Marriage in California

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:14:44 PST

Gay Marriage in California - cartoon by Daryl Cagle