Here's your daily briefing...
Oakland fire kills 36, death toll on the rise: The number of people killed during a fire that broke out in an Oakland warehouse over the weekend is on the rise – at last report Monday morning the count was 36. According to the Associated Press, 11 victims have been positively identified. All names have not been publicly released, but teenagers, the son of a local sheriff’s deputy and young artists are all reported to be among the deceased. Work at the scene is currently stopped due to a wall that is posing a safety hazard to those conducting searches.
State workers have called off a planned strike: According to Capital Public Radio, the president of California’s largest public employees union – SEIU Local 1000 – wrote in a statement that the union has found a “pathway forward” with the Brown administration. The one-day strike had been planned for Monday. The state is offering a 12 percent over the next four years. The union wants higher pay.
New California legislature sworn in today: It’s the start of the 2017-2018 session and a new legislature convenes to start its two-year session. Capitol Bureau Chief Ben Adler reports that this year Democrats have the supermajority in both chambers. Adler says the new legislature has more Latino and Asian members. He said it will have four fewer women than the previous one.
Immigration and civil rights organizations plan for the upcoming Trump Administration: According to Capital Public Radio, a recent conference was hosted for such organizations on that topic. One of the main concerns expressed is what Trump’s policy will be on local law enforcement, the criminal justice system and federal immigration enforcement.
$15 million being given to California counties to help threat of wildfire: Cal Fire has said that 34 counties in the state will receive $15 million to mainly help remove dead and dying trees that fuel wildfires. According to Capital Public Radio, the US Forest Service estimates more than 100 million trees have died in the state’s forest since the drought started.