Eric Roth to receive screenwriting award at PS International Film Fest
Palm Springs Art Museum to hold annual Art Party fundraiser
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Thursday, December 21-December 27, 2023
City Council approves design, budget for Museum of Riverside downtown By Staff
VOL. 9,
NO. 152
A 'delicate matter': Clarence Thomas’ private complaints about money sparked fears he would resign By Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan, Alex Mierjeski and Brett Murphy, ProPublica
| Image courtesy of Pfeifer Partners
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he City Council last week approved the design approach for the $45 million renovation and expansion of the Museum of Riverside’s downtown site, paving the way for a grand re-opening in 2026. Museum of Riverside Director Robyn G. Peterson presented the design Dec. 12 for the facility at 3580 Mission Inn Ave. Museum of Riverside Board members and area residents spoke in support of the project prior
to the council's 5-0 vote. “The new Museum of Riverside blends old and new, allowing us to learn about our past in an inviting and modern setting,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement. “Riverside residents, students and visitors will now have a chance to experience our city’s history with engaging exhibits and meaningful storytelling.” According to a city statement, the revamped museum "will incorporate
the 1912 historic structure that currently faces Mission Inn Avenue, which was originally built as a U.S. Post Office. A two-story addition on the back of the building will replace multiple later additions. The new museum will include new galleries with high standards of environmental and security controls as well as flexibleuse galleries in the historic structure."
Upon entry, visitors to the new facility will get to see an expanded Nature Lab with indoor and outdoor space, officials said. In addition to "green building technologies" that are incorporated in the building design, a dedicated classroom and roof terrace will be entirely new features of the 32,000-square-foot museum. After reopening, the approximately Museum
See Museum of Riverside Page 15
Tunisian electronics manufacturer plans to open facility in Temecula Valley By City News Service
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Tunisian electronics manufacturer is planning to open a plant in the Temecula Valley, likely employing up to 60 people, according to the firm's chief executive officer. "We chose Southern California as the place to locate our cathode, anode and electrolyte manufacturing plant," Starz Elec-
tronics CEO Ali Belakhoua said. "Our battery assembly operation will be using the latest innovations in lithium battery assembly technologies. Starz has worked for the past six years to perfect its materials processing and contribute to the region's environmental goals. We look forward to being part of the community." The Starz operations will
initially be situated in the Temecula Valley Entrepreneurs Exchange in the 43200 block of Business Park Drive while a suitable location is scouted for the manufacturing plant, officials said. The exchange is a designated "regional resource center" intended to promote business expansion and
economic development in the southwest Riverside County area. "We proudly extend a warm welcome to Starz, an accomplished business whose success has resonated not only in their home country, Tunisia, but across borders," TVEE Manager Mary Cervantes said. "As
See Tunisian electronics Page 28
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Friends of the Court:SCOTUS Justices’ Beneficial Relationships With Billionaire Donors upreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ decadeslong friendship with real estate tycoon Harlan Crow and Samuel Alito’s luxury travel with billionaire Paul Singer have raised questions about influence and ethics at the nation's highest court. In early January 2000, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was at a five-star beach resort in Sea Island, Georgia, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. After almost a decade on the court, Thomas had grown frustrated with his financial situation, according to friends. He had recently started raising his young grandnephew, and Thomas’ wife was soliciting advice on how to handle the new expenses. The month before, the justice had borrowed $267,000 from a friend to buy a high-end RV. At the resort, Thomas gave a speech at an off-the-record conservative conference. He found himself seated next to a Republican member of Congress on the flight home. The two men talked, and the lawmaker left the conversation worried that Thomas might resign. Congress should give Supreme Court justices a pay raise, Thomas told him. If lawmakers didn’t act, “one or more justices will leave soon” — maybe in the next year. At the time, Thomas’ salary was $173,600, equivalent to over $300,000 today. But he was one of the least wealthy members of the court, and on multiple occasions in that period, he pushed for ways to make more money. In other private conversations, Thomas repeatedly talked about removing a ban on justices giving paid speeches. Thomas’ efforts were described in records from the time obtained by ProPublica, including a confidential memo to Chief Justice William Rehnquist from a top judiciary official seeking guidance on what he termed a “delicate matter.” The documents, as well as interviews, offer insight into how Thomas was talking about his finances in a crucial period in his tenure, just as he was developing his relationships with a set of wealthy benefactors. Congress never lifted the ban on speaking fees or gave the justices a major raise. But in the years that followed, as ProPublica has reported, Thomas accepted a stream of gifts from friends and acquaintances that appears to be unparal-
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See 'Delicate matter' Page 13