California Policy & Politics This Morning
California Republicans look for path to victory in November -- Hundreds of California Republicans who gathered for their party's state convention this weekend in Burlingame heard an astonishing range of strategies designed to bring their damaged party back from more than two decades of decline. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/14
GOP gubernatorial candidates vie for supporters -- The ongoing struggle over the direction of the GOP played out this weekend as the California Republican Party met at its convention: The party in California and elsewhere is torn between supporters who want to steadfastly hold to conservative principles and those who want to take a more moderate, pragmatic approach that could resonate with a broader cross section of voters. Fenit Nirappil and Juliet Willams Associated Press -- 3/15/14
Condoleezza Rice analyzes Ukraine crisis at California GOP convention -- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday that the crisis unfolding in the Ukraine was the direct result of Russian control of oil in that region of the world and emphasized that the United States needed to develop its domestic energy resources, maintain a robust military and avoid isolationism. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/14
Condoleezza Rice says U.S. must maintain military strength -- Condoleezza Rice said by weakening its military muscle abroad the U.S. leaves a vacuum that will be filled by the likes of nationalists in China and terrorists in Iraq. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/14
Condoleezza Rice’s luncheon speech -- It’s not just the California Republican Party that needs rebuilding – it’s America itself, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday at the state GOP convention in Burlingame. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 3/15/14
Ron Nehring rips Gavin Newsom for supporting pot legalization -- Republican Ron Nehring, a candidate for for lieutenant governor, issued a forceful rebuke of marijuana legalization on Saturday, saying advocates of decriminalizing the drug are putting children in harm's way. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 3/15/14
Silicon Valley billionaire sets record with $201 million life insurance policy -- but who is it? -- Is it Larry Ellison? Elon Musk? Zuck? Peter Delevett in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/15/14
Tim Donnelly, Neel Kashkari make pitches to Latino Republicans -- Neel Kashkari told Latino Republicans on Saturday that he is making Spanish-language media a priority in his campaign for governor, while his GOP rival, Tim Donnelly, said "we have to stop pandering" to different segments of the electorate. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/14
California Republicans let media see one gubernatorial candidate, not another -- After letting reporters listen to remarks from one Republican candidate for governor, Neel Kashkari, county chairmen at the state party's biannual convention Friday closed the room for the speech given by another candidate, Tim Donnelly. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/14
Tim Donnelly's gun history marked by controversy, tragedy -- Tim Donnelly, who has made gun rights a centerpiece of his campaign for governor, has a complicated history with firearms. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/14
Brulte: State GOP faces 'significant rebuilding' -- On the opening day of the California Republican Party’s convention, chairman Jim Brulte acknowledged serious obstacles in a state where its voter registration has dipped to a historic low and it has failed to elect a GOP politician to statewide office since 2006. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/14
RNC chairman: Primary changes will rebuild GOP -- Planned changes to the Republican Party's presidential selection process are part of a rebuilding process that will strengthen the GOP brand and hopefully make its presidential nominee more competitive in 2016, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told California Republicans on Friday, calling the GOP's current primary process "a complete disaster." Juliet Williams Associated Press -- 3/15/14
L.A. County confirms case of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis -- Health officials confirmed Friday that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is monitoring a patient with extensively drug resistant tuberculosis -- a version of the contagious lung infection that resists most forms of treatment. Eryn Brown in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/14
State agencies OK water permits, land condemnation for high-speed rail -- A pair of state agencies announced actions Friday to advance the California High-Speed Rail Authority's efforts to begin construction of its bullet-train line in the central San Joaquin Valley. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 3/15/14
Brown, Chiang sued for diverting $369 million in mortgage money -- Gov. Jerry Brown and Controller John Chiang unlawfully redirected $369 million in homeowner relief secured by Attorney General Kamala Harris, according to a lawsuit filed in Sacramento Superior Court on Friday morning. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Tim Logan in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/15/14
California pension ballot measure dead for now, proponents aim for 2016 -- San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and his allies gave up Friday after a judge rejected Reed’s challenge to the language describing the measure for purposes of signature collection. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/15/14
Government approves medical marijuana research -- A University of Arizona study, which still requires DEA approval, would examine whether pot can help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress. The green light may clear the way for broader studies. Evan Halper and Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/14
Charges of 'Nixonian' trickery in San Francisco waterfront fight -- This might give a whole new meaning to stuffing the ballot box. As it stands now, when San Francisco voters get their guides for the June 3 election, the official opponent listed for Proposition B, a measure to limit high-rise development on the waterfront, will be none other than Jon Golinger. John Coté in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/14
Capitol Connection podcast: The Road Ahead -- Sometimes, you don't know where you're going until you get there -- in life and in politics. John Myers KXTV -- 3/15/14
CHP probes Bay Bridge welding controversy -- The California Highway Patrol has opened an administrative investigation into the handling of welding problems that affected some sections of the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge fabricated in China. Charles Piller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/14
National Republicans target Ami Bera for a vote he didn't take -- Now Bera, D-Elk Grove, is being assailed for something he didn't do. On Thursday, the National Republican Congressional Committee issued a news release accusing Bera of voting against House Resolution 3973. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/14
Kuehl pleads for money using old television connection -- For months, former state Sen. Sheila Kuehl stood alone as a candidate to replace termed-out Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/14
A Timeless California Enclave Fears a City’s Sway -- Farmers and other residents of the rural district known as Wood Colony refer to the 110-year-old arboreal landmark in their midst — a gigantic walnut tree of Grimm’s fairy-tale proportions — as, simply, the Tree. Patricia Leigh Brown in the New York Times$ -- 3/15/14
Economy, Employers and Jobs
Drone deliveries in Mission District? San Francisco startup has plan -- In a possible near future, Mission District residents who quickly need Tylenol or even condoms might run to a CVS or ... order a drone. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/14
LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal beset by problems in first months, records show -- The new Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport was beset by a series of nagging problems in the months after politicians and civic leaders gathered in September to celebrate the opening of a major chunk of the nearly $2 billion facility, according to internal airport records. Brian Sumers in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 3/15/14
LAX union report on last year’s shooting calls for better emergency preparedness -- Thousands of Los Angeles International Airport workers had no idea what to do when a gunman opened fire last year in a terminal because they were inadequately trained to deal with an emergency, according to a union report. Tami Abdollah Associated Press -- 3/15/14
Education
State Board makes it official: No API scores for next two years -- With federal approval finally in hand to give a Common Core-aligned practice test this spring, the State Board of Education took the inevitable next step this week. It suspended the Academic Performance Index, the chief measure of schools’ academic growth or progress, for this year and next. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 3/15/14
Cal housing co-op votes to make Cloyne drug-free -- After an emotional, all-night session in which UC Berkeley students pleaded for their Cloyne Court co-op to remain intact, the Berkeley Student Cooperative voted at 5:30 a.m. Friday to evict nearly every resident and transform Cloyne into a drug-free, academic-themed house. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/14
Buddhists pledge $6.6 million to boost Japan studies at USC -- A major philanthropic gift from a relatively new Buddhist order will help boost the study of Japan at USC, university officials announced Friday. Kurt Streeter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/14
Big business takes on tea party on Common Core -- Tea party activists have been waging war for months against the Common Core academic standards. Now, in a coordinated show of muscle, Big Business is fighting back — and notching wins. Stephanie Simon Politico -- 3/15/14
Drought
California drought: Strife over groundwater boils over -- Zinfandel will flow like the water once did in Paso Robles this weekend. Bottles will pop open during a wine festival as rigs drill deep across the city to find a resource whose scarcity threatens Paso Robles to its core: water. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/14
Environment
San Francisco has a new plan to drive more cars off Market Street -- San Francisco transportation officials plan to drive more cars off Market Street, paint and enforce red transit lanes and ticket drivers who block intersections. The changes to the city's main drag could begin within months. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/14
Mountain View at a crossroads with pod cars -- The Mountain View City Council is set next week to consider ramping up the city's involvement in the development of so-called pod cars as one potential solution to local gridlock. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/15/14
Health
Measles cases climb in California prompting public health concern -- State officials on Friday announced the latest updates on two worrisome trends in public health that have hit California hard this year: a rise in measles cases and additional deaths from influenza. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/15/14
Inland Empire Catholic diocese preaches Obamacare -- Despite impending battles over hot-button issues, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino is urging parishioners without health insurance to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. David Olson in the Orange County Register$ -- 3/15/14
HHS will let sickest patients stay on their health plans longer -- The Obama administration is again extending a temporary Obamacare program insuring some of the sickest patients in the country amid concerns not enough people will find new coverage by the end of the month. Jason Millman in the Washington Post$ -- 3/15/14
West Nile Virus Spotted Early This Year -- The warm weather is bringing out some not-too-welcome visitors...mosquitoes and along with them the West Nile Virus. Rich Ibarra Capital Public Radio -- 3/15/14
Immigration
Homeland Security considering two major changes to ease deportations -- Homeland Security officials are considering at least two major policy changes to scale back deportations of immigrants in the country illegally to comply with President Obama’s order for “more humane” enforcement efforts, officials said Friday. Brian Bennett in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/14
Also . . .
Missing airliner may have flown on for 7 hours -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Saturday that a missing passenger jet was steered off course after its communications systems were intentionally dismantled and could have potentially flown on for seven additional hours. Chico Harlan, Ashley Halsey III and Annie Gowen in the Washington Post$ -- 3/15/14
Family says brain-dead Jahi McMath showing signs of life -- Despite being declared brain-dead three months ago, 13-year-old Jahi McMath of Oakland is tossing and turning in her hospital bed and signaling that she's aware of what's going on around her, a family member said Friday. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/14
Most L.A. County cities failing to protect historic sites, study says -- Many communities mistakenly believe they have no preservation resources or have delayed efforts due to budget cuts, report finds. Bob Pool in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/14
Qualcomm co-founder gives $2 million to Father Joe's -- Father Joe’s Villages has received a $2 million donation from Qualcomm Co-Founder and Executive Vice President Franklin Antonio to support the organization’s public lunch program for low-income and homeless residents in downtown San Diego. Mike Freeman UT San Diego$ -- 3/15/14
Los Angeles Times fires reporter, admits error in 3 stories -- The Los Angeles Times has dismissed a reporter after discovering he had an inappropriate relationship with someone who was a source for a front-page story that the newspaper says contained an error. Associated Press -- 3/15/14
Potus 44
Obama: ‘My jeans fit very well’ -- President Barack Obama on Friday said critics of his “mom jeans” should zip it. Tal Kopan Politico -- 3/15/14
Beltway
Eshoo Launches Anna PAC In Her Bid for Ranking Member Slot -- It’s an important move for the California Democrat, who needs to use every tool at her disposal to beat Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who has the edge in seniority on the powerful panel in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif. Emma Dumain Roll Call -- 3/15/14