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PBC News & Comment: California Initiative Process Corrupted by Big Money

Voters in California must navigate minefield of ballot measures, fueled by million$ in corporate money flooding airwaves with deceptive ads….–reformer Hiram Johnson wanted to empower people over oligarchs, but today’s initiatives are mostly corporate power grabs

–GOP-driven gas tax repeal and effort to end ban on local rent control top the list

–voter-approved Prop. 57 will enable nonviolent 3-strike convicts to seek parole

–Catholic bishops get caught in attempted limited-hangout on predator priests, petition demands they all resign

–fired FBI agent Terry Albury gets 4-year prison sentence for trying to expose abuses by the rogue agency

–American student who says she no longer support BDS wins appeal to stay in Israel

–University of Michigan tenured professor who was punished for declining to write letter of recommendation over BDS gets some support from academic group

–no deaths reported so far today on Gaza border, following Israeli retaliation for rocket launch disowned by Hamas

–US closes Palestinian diplomatic mission, merges it into embassy in Jerusalem

–at Trumpmob rally in Montana, Donnie praises GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte for assault on reporter last year

–as Saudis concoct their cover story, Trump says Khashoggi is dead

–in defense of Khashoggi, WashPost exposes conservative whisper campaign against the dead man, but some of it is true

–Caitlin Johnstone warns us to be skeptical “when political/media class converges on a single narrative”

–in her first campaign debate in 18 years, Dianne Feinstein says she wants to investigate Kavanaugh further

–the candidate who challenged Feinstein 18 years ago, former Republican Tom Campbell, advocates for a new third party in California, in new interview here

–if Dems win the House, will they re-elect Pelosi Speaker?