Obama nominates Merrick Garland to Supreme Court
President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland, who is respected across political lines, to the Supreme Court Wednesday, in an epic power play targeting the resolve of Republicans who have vowed to block any replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia until a new president takes office.
GOP leaders, caught in the undertow of an election in which the conservative grass-roots are already in revolt, immediately renewed their refusal to consider Garland, 63, saying their reservations were not personal but motivated by a desire for the American people to weigh in on Scalia’s replacement. The showdown is even more fraught than most Supreme Court fights, since Obama’s choice could tilt the ideological balance of the court away from conservatives — possibly for years.
In a speech in the evocative ceremonial surroundings of the White House Rose Garden, Obama praised Garland as “one of America’s sharpest legal minds,” making a case that he was so eminently qualified for the job in terms of legal learning, experience and temperament that any attempt to ignore his appointment could only be the result of base political motivations.
“I have selected a nominee who is widely recognized not only as one of America’s sharpest legal minds, but someone who brings to his work a spirit of decency modesty, integrity, evenhandedness and excellence,” Obama said. These qualities and his long commitment to public service have earned him the respect and admiration from leaders from both sides of the aisle.”
Senate Republicans do not plan to vet or have hearings on Garland, let alone a vote on his nomination. Obama and Democrats argue that with 10 months left in his term, there is plenty of time for the Senate to take up and confirm a new justice. The gravity of Obama’s announcement on Wednesday was part of an attempt to pressure Republicans, especially senators with an eye on their own legacies or those who face tough re-election fights, to peel away from their leadership.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the GOP chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, have both expressed little leeway in their determination to forgo hearings for Obama’s nominee.
“The American people may well elect a president who decides to nominate Judge Garland for Senate consideration,” McConnell said Wednesday. “The next president may also nominate someone very different. Either way, our view is this: Give the people a voice in the filling of this vacancy.”
McConnell spoke with Garland this afternoon by phone.
“Rather than put Judge Garland through more unnecessary political routines orchestrated by the White House, the leader decided it would be more considerate of the nominee’s time to speak with him today by phone,” McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said. “And since the Senate will not be acting on this nomination, he would not be holding a perfunctory meeting, but he wished Judge Garland well.” (CNN)
Southern California housing numbers improve in February
Southern California home sales jumped higher in February with a 9.1% gain compared with last year, partly because of an increase in sales for mid- to high-range houses, according to real estate data released Wednesday.
A total of 15,373 new and existing homes and condominiums were sold last month in Southern California, up from 14,096 in February 2015. That amounted to a 5.1% increase over January’s sales, according to data firm CoreLogic.
The Inland Empire saw some of the biggest increases. Riverside County home sales were up 12.5% compared with last year, and San Bernardino County jumped 10.8%. San Diego County saw the lowest increase, with a 2.1% jump compared with February 2015.
In Los Angeles County, 5,186 homes were sold in February, a 10.4% increase compared to last year.
February sales typically increase 0.9% between the months of January and February, said Andrew LePage, a CoreLogic research analyst.
“So far this year, Southern California home sales are off to a stronger start than last year,” LePage said. “The caveat is that the picture varies by price category.”
LePage noted that January and February sales above $500,000 rose 18%, while sales below $300,000 fell 4% compared with last year.
But he cautioned that the sales numbers are not necessarily indicative of what’s to come. Sales in January and February are typically low because many people prefer not to buy or sell during the winter months.
“We’ll really start to see over the next few months what sort of home-buying season we’re going to have,” LePage said.
The $430,000 median price paid for homes in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties in February was little changed. It was up 3.7% from the same month a year earlier, but down 0.5% from January’s $432,500. (LA Times)
Man Charged In Heroin Death of Pregnant Mom and Unborn Child
The DEA has arrested a man they say gave heroin to a pregnant woman, killing both the woman and her unborn child.
Anthony Vita of Virginia Beach, Virginia, faces charges of dealing drugs in the Syracuse, New York, area, and causing the overdose death of 24-year-old Morgan Axe of Camillus, New York, who was five months pregnant when her family found her dead next to a syringe and a bag of heroin last November.
The arrest comes as local and federal law enforcement agencies are rushing to address the rise of heroin overdoses and addiction throughout the Northeast.
One of the more troubling trends authorities say they are trying to address is the rise in heroin-addicted pregnant women. A Reuters /NBC News Investigation found that in 2013, there were 27,000 drug-dependent newborns in the U.S., while a recent study showed that as many as one in five mothers enrolled in Medicaid used opiates during pregnancy between 2000 and 2007.
The DEA was able to get Axe’s iPad with the permission of her family and review messages between Axe and Vita. They say he told her, “Call me I got the best of it all” and “They are called the king of torts.”
According to the affidavit the bag of heroin found next to Axe was labeled “king of torts.”
She told Vita, “Are you sure they are good I haven’t used in 5 months having a bad day need something good.”
In her obituary, Axe’s family wrote, “it was with that fiery spirit, she endeavored to conquer her demons in this life.”
They say, “Her dreams were to someday open a dog rescue, while also helping others with their battles against addiction.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Northern New York says Vita waived his hearings in Virginia and will be brought back to upstate New York to face the charges. He could be sentenced to 20 years to life in a federal prison if convicted.
Police across the Southland plan to be out in force on St. Patrick’s Day
Police across the Southland plan to be out in force tomorrow, cracking down on motorists who decide to try their luck driving while under the influence on St. Patrick’s Day.
Multiple Southland agencies have announced plans to saturate streets with officers, as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” anti-DUI campaign.
St. Patrick’s Day is among the most deadly in terms of alcohol-fueled collisions, according to the federal agency. During St. Patty’s periods from 2010 to 2014, 266 people were killed nationwide in DUI-related wrecks, according to the NHTSA.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the agency made more than 120 DUI arrests on St. Patrick’s Day last year, down from 489 in 2014 and 430 in 2013.
“Any decline in drunk driving arrests is certainly good news, especially if it truly indicates an increase in responsible behavior,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “However, one years does not necessarily show a trend, and the CHP will continue to remind people of the dangers of drunk and impaired driving.”
CHP officials offered a series of tips for people planning to head out for St. Patrick’s Day:
— designate a sober driver if you plan to imbibe at a St. Patrick’s Day party or anywhere else;
— consider using a taxi, or other pay-to-go ride service, such as Lyft, Curb or Uber, instead of driving after drinking;
— don’t let a friend leave a party under the influence;
— call 911 if you see a someone who appears to be driving impaired; and
— research if a particular city offers a safe-rides program.
