News you don’t want to miss for Mar. 11:
1. Oakland and the East Bay political world is mourning the death of 21-year-old Victor McElhaney, the son of Oakland Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney. NBC Bay Area was the first to report the tragedy, which occurred early Sunday morning in Los Angeles. Victor McElhaney was fatally shot during a failed robbery attempt. He was a student at U.S.C. An outpouring of support quickly rushed all over social media for McElhaney, her family and friends.
2. California lost more acreage to wildfires in 2018 than any other year in its history, the Los Angeles Times reports. Last year 1.8 million acres of the state burned. What is now the second-most? The year prior. $$
3. “A proposed law that would phase out diesel trucks in California was introduced Friday in an ongoing effort by state legislators to control pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, but it will likely face major opposition from trucking companies and other businesses that transport products in big rigs,” Peter Fimrite writes in the San Francisco Chronicle. The bill is authored by East Bay state Sen. Nancy Skinner.
4. YouGov, an Oakland company that will charge you up $94.95 to save you the hassle of waiting in notoriously long DMV lines by doing it for you, is receiving push back from a state assemblymember, the San Jose Mercury News reports. $$
5. Former Oakland Councilmember Desley Brooks paid $79,623 in punitive damages to civil rights icon Elaine Brown last January, the East Bay Times reports. But Brown’s attorney is still seeking $139,000 from Brooks for attorney fees and other costs. $$
6. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis. R. Taylor, Jr. takes a look at the problems that still exist even after the end of the week-long Oakland teachers strike. $$
7. A rough stretch for the Golden State Warriors continues after the woeful Phoenix Suns beat the world champs for the first time in more than four years. Klay Thompson blamed the fans. Meanwhile, the Oakland (Las Vegas) Raiders reportedly acquired All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for two draft picks.
$$ = Stories you may have to pay to read.
.Monday’s Briefing: Oakland Councilmember Lynette McElhaney loses son in tragic shooting in LA
Desley Brooks paid off damages to Elaine Brown, but may still owe more
