Breaking: Former Celebrity Attorney Guilty of Wire Fraud

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A federal court jury in Los Angeles has found disgraced former attorney Tom Girardi guilty of wire fraud for embezzling more than $15 million from clients.

The Details

• The 85-year-old estranged husband of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne was found guilty of four wire fraud charges.

• He was accused of stealing money from clients over a decade, including $3 million from family members of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash that killed 189 people.

• He pled not guilty to the charges in Los Angeles last year.

NEWSOM AND THE DNC ELECTION PROCESS

Governor Newsom's recent comments on "Pod Save America" have stirred speculation about tensions within the Democratic Party and their support of Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee.

Newsom Bitter Much?

Discussing the DNC, Newsom sarcastically described Vice President Kamala Harris’s rise to the top of the ticket as a “very inclusive process,” hinting at discontent with how she was nominated without a primary. Despite his public praise, his tone has left many questioning his support for Harris.

Newsom continued by sarcastically calling the event a “30-minute convention”.

You can see the entire interview- it starts at the 31:44 minute mark here:

Reminders

• While Newsom had Presidential ambitions of his own, just hours after President Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, Newsom endorsed Harris.

• But Harris and the DNC didn’t let Newsom speak at the convention on the main stage, maybe that is why he was so bitter.

SAN DIEGO POLICE OFFICER KILLED

In San Diego, a terrible situation. A police officer died and another is fighting for his life following a crash that occurred after a high-speed chase.

Quick Catchup

📌The incident took place just after 11:30 p.m. Monday on the 5200 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

📌SDPD Chief Scott Wahl reported that the pursuit began when an officer attempted to stop a speeding vehicle after the driver refused to pull over.

📌Officials say the driver collided with the officers following behind.

EXPANDING THE BAN ON PLASTIC BAGS

State lawmakers could sign two new laws that would outright ban plastic bags altogether from grocery store checkouts.  Senate Bill 1053 and Assembly Bill 2236 are awaiting a final vote, as early as this week.

Why it Matters

• If passed, these bills would prohibit stores from providing plastic bags to any customers, except pharmacies and stores that use bags without handles to contain unwrapped food items.  

• They would allow only recycled bags or bags made of cloth, woven textiles, and other washable materials to be sold at the point of sale.

• A state law that has been in effect since 2014 requires that people pay 10 cents per plastic bag.

JUDGE PLACES HOLD ON “PAROLE-IN-PLACE” PROGRAM

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily put on hold a Biden administration program aimed at helping undocumented immigrants gain US citizenship.

Quick Catchup

The government began accepting applications last week for this citizenship program- it has two names- “Keeping Families Together” (a nice branding name the Biden administration gave it) and the “Parole-in-Place” program (the official name the government calls the Green card process).

Reminder, these are the requirements for anyone applying for it:

• Roughly 500,000 people who are in the U.S. without legal status could apply for citizenship.

• A U.S. District Court Judge issued the stay for 14 days in response to a request from attorneys general from 16 states (led by Texas).

• The court filing argued the program was harmful and would encourage more unauthorized migration.

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BEST VALUE FOR COLLEGES

Are you one of the many Californians sending a child off to college this month? Let’s hope they're happy and thriving because that's what matters most. But naturally, you're also wondering: is this a good investment in their future?

The latest "Best Value Colleges" ranking by Niche has several California institutions in the top 25. The ranking considers factors like return on investment by age 30 and economic mobility, as well as net price, graduation rates, loan default rates, and median earnings post-graduation.

For the second year in a row, Harvey Mudd College in Claremont takes the top spot, with graduates starting at an impressive $112,000 salary. Close behind is Stanford University, where the average starting salary for alumni is just over $98,000.

BEST USED CAR BRANDS

In the market for a new/used car? Consumer Reports’ first-ever brand ranking for used cars is out and Lexus tops the list.

The report focused on the reliability of 5- to 10-year-old models. Investigators looked at 20 potential trouble areas, such as squeaky brakes and broken interior trim—to major issues, such as potentially expensive out-of-warranty engines, transmission, electric vehicle batteries, and EV charging problems. 

Toyota came in second, and Mazda third. Tesla didn’t even make the top 10.

 🗓THIS DAY IN CALI-HISTORY

In 1964, “Mary Poppins” premiered the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, marking Julie Andrews’ dazzling screen debut. Walt Disney was so captivated by her Broadway performance in Camelot that he delayed production to accommodate her pregnancy, ensuring she would bring Mary Poppins to life.

Walt Disney and Julie Andrews are interviewed together in this archival video of the film premiere around the 15:25 mark.