In the News

Freshman Rep. Eric Swalwell of California was 3,000 miles from Washington when he scored one of the greatest successes of his congressional career.

In his East Bay district, knocking on constituents' doors, Swalwell met a man who said he hadn't heard from his brother in the Philippines in days, since Typhoon Haiyan hit the islands. The Democratic congressman took down the man's phone number and called him back with information about the State Department's hotline for locating missing relatives.

PLEASANTON — A new federal law clears the way for a Marine Corps band to play again at the Scottish Highland Gathering and Games after a one-year absence.

In 2013, the Department of Defense barred travel for military bands playing at many community events, including the Scottish Games in Pleasanton, even if event sponsors paid the travel costs.

Habitat for Humanity typically builds houses, but a Habitat event last month tore one down.

A team of Livermore-based Sandia National Laboratories volunteers led by the lab's engineering services manager Larry Carrillo kicked off a new Habitat for Humanity project that will partially demolish and rebuild a dilapidated 60-year-old house in Livermore.

Once completed, Habitat will offer the house to a veteran.

"I couldn't be happier about this project," said Livermore Mayor John Marchand.

DUBLIN, Calif. —

In Dublin, those looking to pick the perfect Christmas tree Sunday were by one of the last people expected to be working there: U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell.

Swalwell told KTVU Sunday that his work at the Morning Glory Farm Christmas Trees was part of his monthly attempt to meet his constituents by doing their jobs.

"I wanted to come by, pitch in, help out. It's a great way to talk to people and just see what's on their mind," said Swalwell.

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress clearly like to talk. And talk.

But when it comes to sitting on a plane next to a passenger jabbering on the phone through a long flight, a lot of lawmakers prefer silence, so much so they are contemplating legislation to stop in-flight calling.

"The last thing I'd want is to be seated next to someone who's carrying on a five-hour conversation from L.A. to D.C.,'' said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank.), calling a plane probably the "last space in America, except underwater" where the public can avoid cellphone conversations.

An East Bay Army reservist is the Army's Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year after winning the annual Best Warrior Competition.

Manella (U.S. Army photo)Sgt. 1st Class Jason Manella, 27, who recently moved from Fremont to Hayward, competed with 23 other soldiers – representing more than 900,000 troops in 12 Army commands around the globe – in a three-day test of soldiers' physical and mental toughness in order to win the title. He's the first reservist ever to win the competition.

Four members of California's congressional delegation, three from the Bay Area, have written a letter to U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag protesting the continued federal crackdown against suppliers of medical marijuana whose activities have been deemed legal under state law.

Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) has introduced legislation that would use federal funds to replace much of California's Redevelopment Agency development obligations that were declared illegal by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Called the "Restarting Local Economies Act of 2013," Swalwell's bill would make it easier for communities in California to obtain federal redevelopment funding.