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I said we would get big things done this legislative session, and we did!

After six months — over two months longer than originally planned — we addressed some of the biggest issues facing our state and won:

• $1.3 billion in additional funding for our K-12 system
• A historic investment in early-childhood education and funding for all-day kindergarten
• $16 billion in crucial infrastructure funding through a transportation package
• Investments in our state parks
• The first cost of living adjustment for teachers since 2008

The Governor’s office was essential to producing this equitable budget and now more than ever, with a divided legislature, the Republicans understand the importance of who is Governor of our state.

Now our campaign has to make up for lost time. We just got out of a seven-month fundraising freeze. We have six months to go before the legislature resumes again. And we have one declared opponent with others looking to get into the race.

We need to make up for lost time. That’s why I’m kicking off our first week-long fundraising drive TODAY with a goal of $50,000 by ‌July 17. Will you contribute today?

Today’s Headlines

I’m Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. A drug kingpin’s prison break is a huge embarrassment for Mexico; and a look at where it’s riskiest to step off a curb in L.A. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss today.

To Live and Walk in L.A.
Walking is often risky business in car-crazy Los Angeles. Now, a Times analysis puts some startling data behind the conventional wisdom. From 2002 through 2012, more than 58,000 accidents involving pedestrians happened on L.A. County streets. Downtown, Hollywood and Koreatown are especially perilous. Here’s the story, with a detailed map and tips on how to avoid being hit.

‘Seeing’ with Clicks
It’s not like seeing, but for blind people it could be the next best thing — a few clicks away. Not computer clicks. Tongue clicks are at the heart of an unorthodox program run by Daniel Kish in Long Beach. He teaches blind people to send them out as sonar, like dolphins or bats, to get a read on their surroundings. Some of the results have been remarkable. It’s today’s Great Read.

— A bill making progress in the Legislature would allow work permits for farmworkers here illegally.

— More jail trouble: New reports of abuse of inmates and staff suspensions or reassignments underscore a tough problem for new L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

— Malibu takes steps to bring traffic mayhem under control on the Pacific Coast Highway.

— Facing another court showdown over solitary confinement, state prisons begin to ease up on the practice.

— The close divide between Supreme Court justices on same-sex marriage portends more tough legal disputes.

— Stay home when you’re sick? A study finds that many doctors don’t.

— A suicide bombing kills dozens of civilians near a U.S. base in Afghanistan.

— In a Paraguay slum, Pope Francis speaks of equality and solidarity for the poor.

— Families are dropping euphemisms in obituaries to help expose heroin’s deadly toll (N.Y. Times).

— Crosscut: “The racist roots of a Northwest secession movement.”

— For Disneyland’s 60th, Smithsonian looks at hidden stories behind some of the park’s wonders.

By CAP Action War Room

Here’s Some Common Sense In The Face Of Conservative Fearmongering

It has been 21 days since the first case of Ebola was confirmed in the United States. While the best way to combat the virus is to know the facts, some elected leaders have made misinformed claims that seem more apt to incite panic and score points rather than a healthy dose of vigilance.

These false claims got a boost this weekend from conservative columnist and Fox News contributor George Will, who wrongly suggested that Ebola could be transmitted through the air. Here are just three of the most irresponsible things conservatives have said about Ebola:

It is airborne: On Fox News Sunday this weekend, conservative pundit George Will claimed that the disease is airborne and that “in a sneeze or cough, some of the airborne particles can be infectious.” The independent fact checking organization Politifact analyzed this claim and rated it “False.”

It is more contagious than AIDS: Sen. Rand Paul has told Bloomberg News and CNN that the disease is more contagious than AIDS. In an interview with CNN he said, “[The Obama administration] has downplayed how transmissible it is. They say it’s the exchange of bodily of fluids. Which makes people think, ‘Oh, it’s like AIDS. It’s very difficult to catch. If someone has Ebola at a cocktail party they’re contagious and you can catch it from them. [The administration] should be honest about that.”

Terrorists will bring it across our border: New Hampshire Senate nominee Scott Brown told a local radio station, “We have a border that’s so porous that anyone can walk across it. I think it’s naive to think that people aren’t going to be walking through here who have those types of diseases and/or other types of intent, criminal or terrorist. And yet we do nothing to secure our border. It’s dangerous.”

BOTTOM LINE: In contrast to some conservative fearmongering, steps are being taken to fight Ebola, but more can be done. President Obama appointed Ron Klain to coordinate response among the various federal agencies. However, President Obama’s nominee for Surgeon General has stalled in the Senate because the NRA blocked it from moving forward. Former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin told MSNBC “The surgeon general is America’s doctor, delivering information to the American people in a language they can understand.” The Ebola outbreak is an all hands on deck moment. It should be a time when we come together to solve a problem, not spread false information to incite panic for political gain.

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Ebola continues to be a public health and national security priority, and President Obama is directing his Administration to take aggressive measures to respond.

In his latest weekly address, the President made it clear that, although Ebola is a serious disease, “we can’t give in to hysteria or fear — because that only makes it harder to get people the accurate information they need. We have to be guided by the science. We have to remember the basic facts.”

Find out what the U.S. is doing to combat this epidemic — and share this with someone who needs to know the facts.

President Barack Obama delivers a statement to the press after a meeting with Cabinet agencies coordinating the government’s Ebola response, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Oct. 15, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

A Small Business Owner’s Perspective: “A High Road on the Minimum Wage”

Paul Saginaw, the co-founding partner in the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, explains why he’s a spokesman for a fair minimum wage.

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Weekly Address: What You Need to Know About Ebola

In this week’s address, the President discussed what the United States is doing to respond to Ebola, both here at home and abroad, and the key facts Americans need to know.

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Q&A on America’s Response to Ebola

Every American should know exactly what we’re doing right now to keep everyone safe. So here are a few answers to some questions that many may be asking when it comes to the U.S. response to Ebola.

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