Updating . .   

Jerry Brown warns of 'much bigger' future earthquake -- Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday that the earthquake that shook Napa County on Sunday is “nothing compared to the big one” that California may still face. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

Mexican president delivers speech in California's Capitol -- In a speech to a joint session of the California Legislature, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said he chose the state for his first official trip to the United States because of its welcoming stance toward immigrants from his country. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Tesla gigafactory: State budget watchdogs urge restraint on tax breaks, incentives -- The fierce competition among five states to land Tesla Motors' planned "gigafactory" for battery production has been the economic development story of the summer. Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

Swearengin: ‘Still evaluating’ candidates for governor -- Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, the Republican candidate for state controller, refused Tuesday to commit to supporting GOP guberantorial nominee Neel Kashkari this fall, saying she is “still evaluating” the candidates for governor several weeks after Kashkari annoyed many Fresno leaders by going undercover there posing as a homeless man looking for a job. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

Mayor Garcetti pitching new minimum wage plan to business groups -- Los Angeles business leaders confirmed Tuesday that Mayor Eric Garcetti is circulating a plan to hike the city's minimum wage to $13.50 an hour over three years, followed in years after by hikes keyed to inflation. Catherine Saillant in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

NAACP decries policy to arm Compton school police with AR-15 rifles -- A growing chorus of community members has denounced a new policy that will allow Compton Unified School Police officers to carry semiautomatic AR-15 rifles while on patrol. Stephen Ceasar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Jury selection begins in shooting case linked to Senate sergeant -- Jury selection began Tuesday in the case of a gun battle at the suburban Sacramento home of a state Senate sergeant that left one person dead and others injured. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 8/26/14

California Senate seeks to double financial penalty in bribery cases -- With two of its members accused of accepting payments for favors, the California Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would double the restitution fines for legislators and city council members convicted of accepting a bribe in exchange for influence on official action. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Family members of Isla Vista victims urge passage of gun bill -- Parents and other family members of three UC Santa Barbara students shot to death in the Isla Vista massacre appealed to state lawmakers Tuesday to approve a bill aimed at preventing similar tragedies in the future. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Quake aftershocks damage Napa bridge, force lane closure -- Crews with the California Department of Transportation were performing emergency road repair on the bridge on southbound State Route 29 after a "deviation" or bump was found, said Sgt. Diana McDermott of the California Highway Patrol. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Napa earthquake: Drone video offers bird's-eye view of damage -- A new video from a privately owned drone shows an aerial view of the damage caused by Sunday's 6.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Napa, Calif. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Protesters, lawmakers criticize Mexico's handling of Marine case -- Demonstrators, including a Republican lawmaker, gathered outside the historic Leland Stanford Mansion in Sacramento on Tuesday to protest the jailing of a U.S. Marine in Mexico. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

National Republicans wading into California legislative targets -- A Washington-based Republican group working to elect down-ballot candidates for state office has added two California legislative contenders to its latest top 14 races to watch this fall. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

High-Priced Drug Sovaldi Coming to California Prisoners with Hepatitis C -- It’s the drug that can cure most people with hepatitis C in 12 weeks — but comes at a high cost: $1,000 a pill. Now, California Correctional Health Care Services, which oversees clinical care and drug prescriptions for 125,000 inmates at 34 prisons across the state, began using Sovaldi last month. George Lauer KQED -- 8/26/14

Medi-Cal Complaint Office Hasn’t Produced Quarterly Report in Nearly a Year, Despite Huge Increase in Cases -- Despite having a huge increase in cases, the state office that handles complaints about health plans for low-income people hasn’t produced a quarterly report in nearly a year. Hannah Guzik HealthyCal.org -- 8/26/14

Will federal aid arrive for Napa earthquake? -- Napa County and Solano County officials wrestling with earthquake recovery are hoping for federal assistance, but it's likely to be days or even weeks before they know whether money from Washington - and how much - might come their way. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Data breach mystery leads from Arizona counterterrorism site to China -- Under Arizona law, then-Gov. Janet Napolitano and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose agencies admitted Fan into the intelligence center, were required to disclose to the public any “unauthorized acquisition and access to unencrypted or unredacted computerized data" that includes names and other personal information. To this day, they have not. Andrew Becker, CIR and Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica -- 8/26/14

Drought: Tough Choices For California Water Managers -- A federal agency is releasing water from a northern California reservoir to help a salmon run on the Klamath River. The extreme drought conditions are making for tough choices. Ed Joyce Capital Public Radio -- 8/26/14

Amazon hiring for 200 jobs at Tracy distribution center -- Amazon.com is looking to fill more than 200 full-time positions at its sprawling, 1.2-million-square-foot distribution center in Tracy. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

San Diego man killed overseas may have been fighting for Islamic State -- A State Department spokeswoman said that an American who grew up in Minnesota and attended college in San Diego has been killed overseas but declined to confirm a report that he died in Syria while fighting for the Islamic State. Tony Perry, Brian Bennett in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Report: San Diegan died fighting for ISIS -- Douglas McAuthur McCain, 33, converted to Islam, may have attended City College. Jeanette Steele UT San Diego$ -- 8/26/14

Obama to James Foley’s killers: ‘America does not forget’ -- “Rooting out a cancer like ISIL won’t be easy and it won’t be quick,” Obama told the American Legion’s annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. “But tyrants and murderers before them should recognize that kind of hateful vision ultimately is no match for the strength and hopes of people who stand together for the security and dignity and freedom that is the birthright of every human being.” Jennifer Epstein Politico -- 8/26/14

Islamic State hostage is female U.S. aid worker -- Family members and U.S. officials say the Islamic State militant group has been holding a young American woman hostage in Syria since last year. Associated Press -- 8/26/14

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Plastic bag ban falls short in California Assembly -- A proposed statewide ban on single-use plastic bags stalled in the Assembly on Monday after failing to overcome opposition from Republicans and a bloc of moderate Democrats. Melanie Mason, Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Fenit Nirappil Associated Press -- 8/26/14

California governor welcomes Mexican president -- Mexico's president spoke Monday of the need for U.S. immigration reform on a two-day visit to immigrant-friendly California, saying those who reject diversity and inclusion will ultimately be proven wrong. Brian Melley Associated Press Kate Linthicum, Tiffany Hsu in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Carmel asks regulator to investigate PG&E gas explosion -- The city of Carmel accused Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Monday of stonewalling its demands for information about the March gas explosion that leveled a cottage and demanded that state regulators step in to get the answers. Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Jerry Brown signs “kill switch” smartphone bill -- Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation requiring disabling “kill switches” on new smartphones, his office announced Monday. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Josh Richman and Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

Walters: Legislature turns to special interest battles in final week -- As the 2012-14 biennial legislative session entered its final week Monday, it was evident – with very few exceptions – that big public policy issues have given way to conflicts among moneyed interests. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

D.A. seeking six-month jail term for state Sen. Roderick Wright -- Prosecutors are asking a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to sentence suspended state Sen. Roderick D. Wright to six months in county jail, according to recent court filings. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

California bill to delay cap-and-trade expansion finished for year -- Avoiding an election-year legislative debate over how California's cap-and-trade program could affect gasoline prices, the leader of the state Senate has sidelined a bill that would have delayed a key aspect of California’s landmark emissions law. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 8/26/14

Capitol Round-Up: Plastic Bag Ban, Cell Phone 'Kill Switch, And Sexual Assault Policies -- The California legislature took action on bills Monday ranging from vote-by-mail elections to sexual assault policies. Katie Orr, Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 8/26/14

Legislative Black Caucus Calls For Change -- In response to the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, California's Legislative Black Caucus held an impassioned news conference today pointing to several black men who’ve been killed by police in the past few years. Katie Orr Capital Public Radio Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Atkins May Consider New Assembly Rules About Drinking -- California Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins says she’ll have to consider whether to create rules about drinking in the Assembly following the alleged drunken driving arrest of Senator Ben Huseo. Hueso is a San Diego Democrat and was photographed on the Assembly balcony with a drink in his hand several hours before his arrest. Katie Orr Capital Public Radio -- 8/26/14

Legislator willing to seek state general funds for early warning system if necessary -- Democratic State Sen. Alex Padilla says he's willing to request general funds from state coffers to pay for an earthquake early warning system. Sanden Totten KPCC -- 8/26/14

Quake early-warning system could be built with water bond funds -- The money needed to complete California's proposed earthquake early-warning system could well come from the billion-dollar water bond issue now on the November ballot, lawmakers in Sacramento and the scientists developing it said Monday. David Perlman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Judge strikes down 10-day waiting period for gun owners -- A federal judge in Fresno has ruled that 10-day waiting periods for gun purchasers who already own firearms is unconstitutional, backing a challenge several gun owners and gun rights groups brought against the California state law. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle Don Thompson Associated Press -- 8/26/14

California launches controversial effort to add more names to Vietnam Veterans Memorial -- When he was a boy back in Oregon – before his mother remarried and brought him to West Sacramento – Gregory Keith Hodson put together model airplanes, and his father suspended them on fishing line over his bed. At night, Greg watched the planes floating gracefully above him, and he dreamed of flying. Anita Creamer in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

Kamala Harris married in Santa Barbara ceremony -- California Attorney General Kamala Harris and attorney Douglas Emhoff were married Friday at the courthouse in Santa Barbara, her office said. The attorney general’s sister, Maya Harris, officiated. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

California Assemblyman Richard Pan answers questions about his residency -- Assemblyman Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, who is running for the state Senate in November, fielded questions from The Sacramento Bee Capitol Bureau’s staff on Monday. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

Election upset of Rep. Mike Honda seen as unlikely -- At first glance, Honda would seem ripe for the picking - especially after the spectacular toppling two years ago of veteran Democratic Rep. Pete Stark of Fremont by an unknown, unfunded young Dublin city councilman from Stark's own party named Eric Swalwell. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

CA17: Honda-Khanna debate details not yet final -- Rep. Mike Honda’s campaign has accepted an invitation to debate his challenger, fellow Democrat Ro Khanna, but the details are still in flux, the campaigns and a debate organizer said Monday. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 8/26/14

Rick Perry hires California ‘master of disaster’ -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry, recently indicted but still in the hunt for 2016’s presidential race, has hired a California crisis-communications guru to run interference for him. Mark Fabiani, of La Jolla, joins Perry’s legal team, lead attorney Tony Buzbee announced Monday. Josh Richman Political Blotter Sean Sullivan in the Washington Post$ Mark Walker UT San Diego$ -- 8/26/14

Legislature approves plan for new Orange County veterans cemetery -- A proposal to build a new veterans cemetery in Orange County cleared the Legislature on Monday and now awaits Gov. Jerry Brown's approval. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Economy, Employers, Jobs   

Napa earthquake exposes dangers found in homes, shops, churches -- With the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta quake approaching, the Napa earthquake dramatizes what remains the biggest danger in earthquake-prone California: the very structures where people live, shop, worship and educate their children. Carla Marinucci, John Coté and J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Napa California earthquake: Economic hit could reach $1 billion -- The destructive 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Napa County, California, that injured scores of people, ruined historic buildings and buckled streets may have caused as much as $1 billion in damage, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated. Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Napa quake shines light on Bay Area's hazardous old masonry buildings -- Nearly 30 years after California adopted a law designed to spur the retrofitting of buildings at risk in an earthquake, thousands of Bay Area structures still are not updated, a laggard pace officials attribute to the complex politics and economics of making old buildings safe. Pete Carey and Matthias Gafni in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

California quake: Downtown Napa will survive -- But if the damage from the temblor that struck at 3:20 a.m. Sunday is all too real, people familiar with the city of 78,000 say that it obscures the larger story - of a deep-rooted community that has spent the past 20 years reinventing itself, in the process making changes that no single incident can reverse. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Napa Valley, shaking off earthquake, says it's open for business -- Only hours after the shaking stopped from the biggest quake to hit Napa Valley in 25 years, the phones at Mike Noel's Napa travel agency began to ring. Anxious clients wondered whether the magnitude 6.0 shaker would derail their visit. Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Blue-collar Vallejo hit hard -- Blue-collar Vallejo may not get as much love as swanky, wine-sniffing Napa, but Sunday's 6.0 earthquake played no favorites, shaking at least $5 million worth of damage out of the largest city in Solano County. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Earthquake insurance shunned by vast majority of Californians -- Despite California's ever-present risk of major earthquakes, the number of homeowners in the state with insurance coverage for quake damage has dipped significantly over the past several decades, from 33 percent in 1996 to just 10 percent today. Steve Johnson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

Villa Park May Cut Ties to CalPERS -- The Villa Park City Council could vote Tuesday to end its contract with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System or CalPERS, the world’s sixth largest pension provider, in an effort to reduce increasing pension costs. Harold Pierce VoiceofOC.org -- 8/26/14

Wage gap grows between support staff at tech campuses and high-tech employees -- Amid the affluence of Silicon Valley's highly paid technology employees, an 'invisible workforce' of low-paid support staff at the region's tech companies has emerged, making one-fifth the wages of the digital workers, according to a report released Tuesday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

Report: Overtime Consumes One-Quarter Of SDFD’s Personnel Budget -- The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department should consider hiring additional personnel instead of relying on overtime to fill staffing vacancies, according to a city auditor's report released Monday. KPBS David Garrick UT San Diego$ -- 8/26/14

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti voices concerns about proposed Time Warner, Comcast merger -- Mayor Eric Garcetti urged the Federal Communications Commission to closely monitor the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner and impose conditions to make sure it does not eliminate competition. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/26/14

Roche to buy California biotech firm InterMune for $8.3 billion -- Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche said Sunday it has reached an $8.3 billion deal to buy InterMune Inc., a California-based developer of treatments for lung diseases. Associated Press -- 8/26/14

L.A. building officials issue stop-work order for Hollywood Target -- The order, which went into effect at 1 p.m., came a month after Superior Court Judge Richard L. Fruin Jr. ruled that the city violated the law when it allowed Target to build a 74-foot-tall shopping center on a stretch of Sunset Boulevard where such projects are limited to 35 feet. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

The incredible shrinking defense industry -- Major defense contractors are shrinking — big time. The number of employees at the five largest U.S. defense firms has dropped 14 percent from a peak in 2008 — and 10 percent over the past decade, according to a POLITICO analysis of employment figures filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Austin Wright, Leigh Munsil Politico -- 8/26/14

Malibu wine growers feel squeeze of coastal protection plan -- The red-lava rock hills over Malibu are no stranger to squabbles. This time, the fight is over grapes. Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Two 'highly satisfied' Tesla owners get Elon Musk's attention and nationwide publicity from newspaper ad -- When Long Island resident Richard Manfredi decided to buy full-page ads in The Daily News and another Palo Alto newspaper in the form of an open letter to Elon Musk, he didn't expect to get a reply from the Tesla Motors CEO. But he wasn't surprised. Bonnie Eslinger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

Education

Students walk out of class in first protest of Los Angeles Unified's troubled computer system -- For two weeks, students of Thomas Jefferson High School have sat in the wrong classes, watching movies and worrying about whether Los Angeles Unified School District's new computer system would stop them from graduating, said teachers and students at the campus in South Central Los Angeles, south of downtown. Thomas Himes in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Benjamin Brayfield KPCC -- 8/26/14

LA schools cancel iPad contracts after KPCC publishes internal emails -- Three days after KPCC published internal emails showing top L.A. Unified officials and executives from Pearson and Apple met and discussed bringing tablet-driven education software to the classroom, the school district announced Monday it will cancel the contract with Apple and Pearson and open its one-to-one technology project to new bids. Annie Gilbertson KPCC Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

UTLA calls for investigation of Deasy's ties to Apple, Pearson execs -- Los Angeles teachers union president Alex Caputo-Pearl on Monday called on the L.A. Board of Education to launch an investigation into Supt. John Deasy’s relationship with executives from companies that won key contracts related to the $1-billion effort to provide a computer to every student. Stephen Ceasar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

California blocks GI benefits for troubled Corinthian Colleges -- In another blow to the failing Corinthian Colleges, a state agency on Monday said it had withdrawn its approval of the for-profit company -- which means it will no longer pay GI benefits for veterans to attend any of Corinthian's 23 institutions. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

Board delays decision on altering school assignment system -- An effort to tweak San Francisco's school assignment system in favor of neighborhood schools has been put on the back burner. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Drought  

Lifestyles of the Rich and Parched -- How the Golden State’s 1 percenters are avoiding the drought. Ann Louise Bardach Politico -- 8/26/14

Bills to regulate California groundwater use opposed by farmers -- A package of bills aimed at regulating drought-parched California's stressed groundwater supplies has come under fire from agricultural interests, injecting doubt into the measures' fates in the waning days of the state's legislative session this week. Joaquin Palomino Reuters -- 8/26/14

These 9 before and after photos show the impact of California’s drought -- In these before-and-after images, full water levels are visible around Lake Oroville in Oroville, California and Folsom Lake in El Folsom, California on July 20, 2011 and low water levels are visible on August 19, 2014. Daniel Aitken in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/26/14

Immigration / Border

Congressman: Get Ready for Immigration Move From Obama -- Reacting to a report that President Barack Obama is mulling unilateral action that could impact almost half the nation’s estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez said Monday, “It’s music to my ears.” David Eldridge Roll Call -- 8/26/14

Environment

Expert Calls For Diablo Canyon Nuke Plant Closure -- A senior federal nuclear expert is urging regulators to shut down the Diablo Canyon Power Plant — California's last operating nuclear plant — until they can determine whether the facility's twin reactors can withstand powerful shaking from any one of several nearby earthquake faults. Michael Blood Associated Press -- 8/26/14

California moves to quicken solar permits -- A bill designed to speed up the permit process for home rooftop solar installations in California is headed to the governor's desk for signing. Morgan Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

UC Berkeley closes access to popular University Falls -- For decades, people have flocked to a series of four waterfalls about 12 miles outside Georgetown in El Dorado County to slide down smooth granite rocks, lounge in the crystal-clear, cool water and spend time enjoying the forest. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/26/14

Health

Lawmakers call for end to reckless prescribing of psych meds to California foster kids -- Some of the state's most influential lawmakers on Monday called on California's foster care system to stop the reckless prescribing of psychiatric medications to troubled children, demanding the state quit spending tens of millions of tax dollars on such risky therapies. Karen de Sá in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/26/14

For Some, Medi-Cal Might Mean Ultimately Losing Their Homes -- Anne-Louise Vernon had been looking forward to signing up for health insurance under Covered California. She was hoping to save hundreds of dollars a month. But when she called to enroll, she was told her income wasn’t high enough to purchase a subsidized plan. Pauline Bartolone KQED -- 8/26/14

Also . . .

New enforcement tool for L.A. 'quality of life' issues proposed -- Los Angeles could soon create a new system of police-issued citations for minor "quality of life" annoyances that typically would be resolved with a warning. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/26/14

Ronn Owens of KGO radio has Parkinson's disease -- Over nearly 40 years as host of his KGO radio show, Ronn Owens has put such guests as Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu on the hot seat without a second thought. By contrast, it's taken him years to put himself there: Monday he is telling his listeners that he has Parkinson's disease. David Wiegand in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/26/14

Beltway

Soros, Steyer Spend Big in Bid to Rescue Democrats' Majority -- Financial reports filed this week detail the people—almost all of them men—who gave the most money to super PACs last month. Scott Bland and Adam Wollner National Journal -- 8/26/14

House plans to spend up to $350,000 on Obama suit -- House Republicans will pay up to $350,000 to sue President Obama, according to a contract Chair of the House Administration Committee Candice Miller (R-Mich.) signed Monday with Washington legal firm BakerHostetler. Sebastian Payne in the Washington Post$ Jake Sherman Politico -- 8/26/14