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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?