Updating. . .

Both California parties losing ground among registered voters -- California's two major political parties are continuing to lose ground in voter registration as the ranks of independent voters continue to swell, a new report by the Secretary of State's office indicates. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ John Howard Capitol Weekly Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Google plans move into San Francisco's Mission District -- The Mission District -- which used to be a largely Latino working-class neighborhood -- has been ground zero for growing tensions over tech-driven gentrification in San Francisco. Jessica Guynn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

McLeod becomes sixth California House member to head for exits -- Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod, a freshman Democrat, announced Tuesday that she will run for San Bernardino County supervisor rather than Congress, becoming the sixth California House member to head for the exits and potentially creating yet another competitive race. Jean Merl and Richard Simon  in the Los Angeles Times$ Jim Miller in the Sacramento BeeAaron Blake in the Washington Post$ Alex Isenstadt Politico  Emily Cahn and Abby Livingston Roll Call -- 2/18/14

Ex-Rep. Baca bashes 'bimbo' Negrete McLeod, won't run for seat -- Former Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) won't switch districts to run for Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod's (D-Calif.) seat. Cameron Joseph The Hill -- 2/18/14

Former state GOP chair Ron Nehring running for lieutenant governor -- Ron Nehring, the former chairman of the California Republican Party, said Tuesday that he was running for lieutenant governor. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Josh Richman Political Blotter Mark Walker UT San Diego$-- 2/18/14

Gov. Brown honors CHP officers killed in crash -- Gov. Jerry Brown led an array of public officials and law enforcement agencies who offered their condolences after two California Highway Patrol officers were killed in a car crash near Fresno early Monday morning. Matt Stevens and Ari Bloomekatz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Filling in blanks on NY Times story about west-side water treatment -- It was well-done, but long on technology and short on context for the Valley, so I will fill in the blanks. My story on the water treatment plant published about a year ago. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 2/18/14

Higher minimum wage would reduce jobs but increase incomes, CBO says -- Increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would cause the loss of about 500,000 jobs but would boost earnings for about 16.5 million low-wage workers, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

California Legislature Considering Ammunition Background Check Bill -- A bill in the California legislature would require criminal background checks for all ammunition purchases made in the state. Max Pringle Capital Public Radio -- 2/18/14

Fox: A Dickens’ California -- Are we Californians living through a Charles Dickens novel? “It was the best of times it was the worst of times.” Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/18/14

Kaiser Permanente losing members to cheaper plans -- Kaiser Permanente's statewide membership losses in the California Public Employees' Retirement System this year also hold true for the Sacramento region. Kathy Robertson Sacramento Business Journal -- 2/18/14

Google's instructions on how not to be a Glasshole -- The post tells users to explain that Glass serves a lot of the same functions a mobile phone does when they ask, and it instructs them to always ask to record photos or videos of others. Eric Van Susteren Silicon Valley Business Journal -- 2/18/14

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

California ballot measure on pot legalization delayed until 2016 -- A national drug reform coalition decides not to put an initiative before voters in November, saying it needs more money and time. Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Sacramento marijuana dispensary battles with the IRS over business expenses -- Sacramento’s Canna Care dispensary, an evangelical medical marijuana provider renowned for doling out buds with Bibles, is waging a public fight with the Internal Revenue Service over an $873,167 tax penalty sought under a tax code aimed at illegal drug traffickers. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/14

Former Greuel strategist signs on with competitor Williamson -- The consultant who oversaw former L.A. Controller Wendy Greuel's race for mayor last year has signed on with a competitor to Greuel's campaign for an open congressional seat. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Why San Diego’s Water Wonks Aren’t Panicking -- In the weeks after Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency, the San Diego County Water Authority has repeatedly said past efforts to diversify its water sources and hold more H20 in storage mean our region can avoid the significant cutbacks others have seen. Lisa Halverstadt VoiceofOC.org -- 2/18/14

Prop 8 sparks slew of 2014 initiatives requiring a defense in court -- Call it for what it is: Prop 8's legacy when it comes to the California initiative process. 2013's end to the long legal fight over the state's ban on gay marriages left everyone wondering whether laws written by voters will simply wither and die if elected officials refuse to mount a legal defense. John Myers News10 -- 2/18/14

Congress in middle of Hollywood copyright clash with Silicon Valley -- As Congress works to update the nation's copyright law, film studios struggle not to get outmaneuvered by tech firms and their allies. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Walters: There’s a darker side to Californians’ mortgage relief: big tax bills -- Two years ago, Attorney General Kamala Harris trumpeted a landmark deal with the nation’s three largest housing lenders, which agreed to give beleaguered California homeowners $12 billion in relief from their underwater mortgages. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/14

Lazarus: Capital One says it can show up at cardholders' homes, workplaces -- The credit card company's recent contract update includes terms that sound menacing and creepy. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Loophole let Orange County toll-road agency keep $220,000 out of public eye -- The Foothill/Eastern toll road agency kept nearly $220,000 in contract approvals hidden from public scrutiny in the past year using a budget loophole that even its board members didn’t know about, records show. Doug Irving and Jenna Chandler in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/18/14

L.A. Police Commission may revise scope of shooting inquiries -- If approved, the panel would consider an officer's actions before he fires his weapon in taking into account whether the use of force is justified. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Newport Beach agrees to settlement with three former officers -- The city agrees to a nearly $1-million settlement with three former officers who say they were victims of a corrupt police force. Jeremiah Dobruck in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Latino cops' bias suit against Westminster moves to trial -- Jury selection will begin in the case of three Latino police officers who accuse Westminster of passing them over for promotions. Adolfo Flores in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

2 CHP officers killed in Highway 99 crash -- Two California Highway Patrol officers died early Monday on Highway 99 while driving to a collision near Kingsburg. Tim Sheehan and Jim Guy in the Fresno Bee -- 2/18/14 

Nine charter schools fail new CalPERS entry test -- CalPERS has denied membership to nine charter schools, saying a proposed IRS rule could end crucial tax advantages if “even a single non-governmental entity” is allowed into the giant pension system. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 2/18/14

Greenhut: San Diego gun case not just about guns -- When your 'right' is up to government, it's not a 'right'. Steven Greenhut UT San Diego$ -- 2/18/14

Taxes/Fees

Fines for unpaid Golden Gate Bridge tolls bring in millions -- Having switched to all- electronic toll collections, the Golden Gate Bridge district may be looking at a windfall gain of millions of dollars in fines from motorists who don't pay up in time. Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/14

L.A. City Council to propose wage hike for hotel workers -- Los Angeles lawmakers plan to introduce an ordinance Tuesday that would require the operators of big hotels to pay workers $15.37 an hour, one of the highest minimum wage rates targeting private employers anywhere in the U.S. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Economy, Employers and Jobs

Development alters San Francisco 's road of churches -- For decades, Brotherhood Way has been a unique part of San Francisco, an almost pastoral road running toward Lake Merced past a hillside of pine trees on one side and a row of churches, temples and religious schools on the other. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/14

$400-million Powerball jackpot signals California Lottery changes -- Bigger jackpots -- like Wednesday night's $400-million Powerball drawing -- are attracting more players and excitement to the California Lottery after years of decline, officials say. Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

Poll: Cost of owning home San Franciscans' top concern -- Not that there was much doubt, but San Franciscans are really concerned about the cost of living here. John Coté in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/14

Education

Spike in California students seeking financial aid for college -- After years of rising tuition and pressure on household budgets, a record number of students across California are applying for college financial aid. Loretta Kalb in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/14

New USC master's program to breed business-savvy social entrepreneurs -- USC is out to create a new breed of entrepreneur — one that can turn social causes into money makers. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

San Diego Students Adjusting To New Expectations For GED -- Some of students in Trenton Watkin's adult education class look like they could still be in high school. Kyla Calvert KPBS -- 2/18/14

Great year for CalSTRS won’t alter need for big increase in contributions -- The Assembly committee that will decide how to fix the multibillion-dollar funding shortfall for teacher and administrator pensions will get good – and some sobering – news when it holds its first hearing on the issue this week. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 2/18/14

Bill would open apprenticeship pathways -- As schools across the state consider how they might use some of the $250 million set aside to provide link-learning programs, one lawmaker has proposed taking a share of that money to close a critical gap in the program – building apprenticeship opportunities. Tom Chorneau Cabinet Report -- 2/18/14

Nation’s top science teachers culling NGSS resources -- A team of expert instructors from all over the country are preparing to release soon an online gallery of educational resources that can be used to help teach new incoming science standards. Kimberly Beltran Cabinet Report -- 2/18/14

Health

Missteps in Covered California’s Marketing Campaign to Latinos -- It’s been decades since the advertising industry recognized the need to woo Hispanic consumers. Big companies saw the market potential and sank millions of dollars into ads. The most basic do’s and don’ts of marketing to Latinos in the U.S. have been understood for years. April Dembosky KQED -- 2/18/14

California Weighs Cigarette-Style Scare Labels for Sodas -- There’s no question that obesity is a public health problem: More than one-third of American adults are obese, and it’s getting worse. Does that mean it’s the right time to slap scary labels on sugar-laden drinks? John Tozzi Bloomberg Businessweek -- 2/18/14

Environment

Squirrels, gophers unleash toxins at former Berkeley landfill into bay -- Having run out of options, the city is planning to trap and terminate hundreds, if not thousands, of ground squirrels and western pocket gofers who have turned the shoreline of the 90-acre Cesar Chavez Park on the bay into what looks like a slice of Swiss cheese. Doug Oakley in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 2/18/14

Also...

Divers plunge in to keep San Francisco reservoirs clean -- On a sunny morning in the Sunset District, Drew McEwing struggled into a dry suit, clipped on ankle weights and was helped into a diving helmet. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/14

Two Bee journalists win award for Nevada busing story --  Sacramento Bee reporters Cynthia Hubert and Phillip Reese are the recipients of a 2013 George Polk Award in Journalism for their stories about a Las Vegas psychiatric hospital’s practice of exporting patients by Greyhound bus to cities across the country.   The item is in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/14

26 Percent of Americans Say the Sun Revolves Around the Earth -- Every two years, the National Science Foundation conducts a nationwide survey that stands as the "State of Science" in America. As well as tracking progress in science education and science jobs in the labor force, it provides a baseline of Americans' understanding of their natural world. Brian Resnick National Journal -- 2/18/14

POTUS 44

In California, Obama wraps up three days of seclusion at Sunnylands -- President Obama squeezed in one last round of golf on Monday before wrapping up his secluded Presidents Day weekend and heading back to Washington. Christi Parsons in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/14

NSA / Surveillance

Hillary Clinton goes mum on NSA, skirts surveillance fight -- Last September, Hillary Clinton strode to a podium in Philadelphia to deliver what she advance-billed as a policy speech addressing the roiling controversy over government surveillance in a digital era. John Gerstein Politico -- 2/18/14

Beltway

Issa in N.H.: ‘I came to shape the debate’ -- California Republican Darrell Issa opened his speech at Monday night’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner saying he was not there as a candidate. Doug Alden UT San Diego$ -- 2/18/14