New Alternatives, a major foster care charity, has racked up dozens of citations for health and safety violations, while it has also been stashing millions of dollars in its Montana foundation, our Will Huntsberry reports.
Earlier this month, Huntsberry revealed that New Alternatives’ Montana foundation does very little — other than pay New Alternatives’ CEO Michael Bruich. New Alternatives has received 98 percent of its funding from taxpayers in recent years. During the same period, it has parked nearly $20 million in the foundation.
The citations have been for incidents that ranged in severity. Several were related to New Alternatives providing inadequate supervision.
In one instance, a girls’ wing of a group home was shorter staffed than usual. Two girls took large amounts of Xanax and had to be taken to the emergency room.
In another, one child beat another so badly that they needed five staples in their head.
At its Chula Vista facility, New Alternatives was cited for poor living conditions.
An official “observed the carpeting was dirty, ripped and stained throughout; paint was peeling on walls, doors and ceilings throughout facility; there were holes in the ceiling, window sills and walls in most rooms; graffiti was present in nine of thirteen bedrooms on walls,” according to one citation report.
Scott Peters: ‘I Didn’t Think It Would Be This Good’
Our Scott Lewis caught up with Rep. Scott Peters after the Democratic Convention for the latest Politics Report. Peters was one of the first members of Congress to call on President Biden to drop out of the race.
Since then, Bidden stepped down and Vice President Kamala Harris stepped up.
So, how’s he feeling now?
“I thought it would be better, but I didn’t think it would be this good,” Peters told our editor. “This is the convention I wanted. It has been flawless – she’s done an amazing job.”
Read more in the Politics Report here.
VOSD Podcast: Certified Unburdened
For the latest VOSD Podcast episode, our crew dusted off an old recording from when Todd Gloria was running for mayor and Kamala Harris, then a U.S. Senator, came through to support him.
Our hosts react to the vice president’s words for San Diego’s mayor.
The crew also gets into whispers about whether Gloria could be headed to Washington if Harris wins in November. Then, reporter Will Huntsberry joins the show to talk about his latest story on a foster care charity.
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your pods.
Google and State to Chip in Funds to California Newsrooms
State lawmakers reached a deal with Google to fund California journalism organizations and jump-start AI development. But critics call it a backroom deal that falls far short of what’s needed.
The settlement agreement replaces a bill by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks of Oakland, which would have forced big tech companies to pay fees to news organizations for using their content. In the
Google balked at the bill and the compromise was reached, promising nearly $250 million over five years. Wicks called it a “cross-sector commitment to supporting a free and vibrant press” but Media Guild of the West condemned it as a “shakedown” that lets Google off cheap. Capitol reporter Deborah Brennan explains what we know about the deal in the latest Sacramento Report.
In other news, she also looks at a suite of crime bills that passed, and another one on sexually violent predator placement that failed for the third time.
Read the Sacramento Report here.
In Other News
- Our annual policy summit is almost here and our managing editor previewed a debate she’s moderating in her latest Cup of Chisme. Do you have questions for candidates? Send them her way. Read Cup of Chisme here.
- Don’t expect the Ocean Beach Pier to reopen anytime soon. A recent engineer’s report found that emergency repairs would be too costly to justify, so the city is skipping the Band-Aid and has plans to replace the crumbling icon entirely. (Union-Tribune)
- Councilmember Kent Lee is set to revive San Diego’s stalled proposal to ban rodeos within city limits, though the final legislation may be less strict than originally planned. While Lee remains committed to banning rodeo activities, there has been pushback from tribal leaders and charro groups that argue the ban threatens cultural traditions. (Union-Tribune)
- Legislators are considering a ban on plastic grocery bags at store checkouts throughout California. The bill is aimed to close the loophole that allows stores to sell thicker plastic “reusable” bags. The new bill would require stores to only offer recyclable paper bags. (KPBS)
- A waste disposal shipment bound for a disposal site in Utah was returned to the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) after a leak was discovered during a stop at the San Bernardino Railyard. Southern California Edison, the owner and operator of SONGS, is conducting further investigation into what went wrong. (KPBS)
- Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography have completed an animal autopsy on the oarfish found in La Jolla waters. The rare deep-sea fish, which was found last week, was examined to learn more about the species’ biology. The Birch Aquarium has also opened a temporary exhibit for more information on the oarfish. (Times of San Diego)
The Morning Report was written by Will Huntsberry, Deborah Brennan, Andrea Lopez-Villafaña and Emily Ito. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.