Updating . .
Judge says landowner wrongly denied public access to Martin's Beach -- A San Mateo County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday that a private property owner failed to obtain the proper permit to put up a fence blocking public access to a beloved and historic beach south of Half Moon Bay. Amanda Covarrubias in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Court: Governor not a 'public agency' when it comes to CEQA -- The governor is not a “public agency” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. As of Wednesday, that is the law unless and until the state’s Supreme Court sees it differently. Denny Walsh in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Parched California expected to miss out on typical fall rains -- Northern and Central California typically receive 30% to 40% of their precipitation over the next three months, but this year, forecasters say the upper two-thirds of the state can expect to miss out on much of that badly needed moisture. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
First rainstorm of season to hit Bay Area -- The thick fog and drizzle that dampened the Bay Area early Wednesday is just a prelude to wetter days ahead. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
L.A. City Council votes minimum wage hike to $15.37 at big hotels -- Big hotels in Los Angeles will soon be required to pay at least $15.37 an hour to their workers – one of the highest minimum wage requirements in the country. Emily Alpert Reyes, David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
San Francisco school playground could rise to new heights -- Real estate in San Francisco’s Mission District is so hot that a developer is offering to raise a school playground 15 feet above ground level so the 10-story condo complex the firm is building won’t cast a shadow on the kids during recess. Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Brown Says Global Lead on Zero Emissions Beating Forecast -- For four decades, California has set the pace for clean-air initiatives, from curbing tailpipe emissions to promoting renewable energy. Now the world’s eighth-largest economy is forging a path for electric cars. Michael B. Marois, Jeff Green and Christopher Martin Bloomberg Businessweek -- 9/24/14
Report: Dianne Feinstein’s assault-gun ban didn’t work -- The nonprofit news organization Pro Publica has a story out Wednesday saying one of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s first achievements upon taking office more than two decades ago didn’t work. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Teacher talked of killer robot in class -- Oceanside Unified School District officials investigated complaints that a teacher threatened to have a robot shoot and kill students, and the educator was allowed to resign and receive a $92,000 settlement instead of being fired. Ashly McGlone UT San Diego$ -- 9/24/14
Fox: Kashkari’s Challenges -- Kashkari is attempting to steer the Republican ship toward center waters –where Brown rows his famous canoe – because he believes that is how the Republican Party becomes competitive in the state. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/24/14
CA17: Khanna’s mailers tout record, attack Honda -- Congressional candidate Ro Khanna, seeking to unseat fellow Democrat Rep. Mike Honda in the 17th Congressional District, has sent out his first mailers of the general-election season – one positive, one negative. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 9/24/14
Mammoth Mountain buys Big Bear resorts for $38 million -- It's no secret Big Bear Mountain Resorts, just two hours from Orange County, has been up for grabs since last year. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register$ -- 9/24/14
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Poll: Strong support for state water bond -- and for local water bonds too -- An epic drought and wave of wildfires have left California voters thirsty for the $7.5 billion state water bond on November's ballot -- and also anxious to approve local bond measures to supply more water, a wide-ranging new poll finds. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/24/14
Drought Rallies Support for California Water Projects -- Californians continue to see the ongoing drought as a priority — and that may be driving a willingness to spend billions on securing their future water supplies. Craig Miller KQED -- 9/24/14
Poll: Obamacare support sliding, Jerry Brown, water-bond up big -- The Affordable Care Act continues to divide Californians, who remain skeptical four years after its passage despite the state’s relatively smooth launch in which more than 1.2 million people enrolled in health insurance coverage. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Poll: Support for water bond, sentence reduction, Brown -- California voters strongly favor a November proposal to reduce penalties for some drug and property crimes along with a $7.5 billion statewide water bond, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Chris Nichols UT San Diego$ -- 9/24/14
Six Weeks Out, Jerry Brown Holds Commanding Lead -- Tuesday night’s Public Policy Institute of California poll finds Brown with a 21-point lead over Kashkari, 54 percent to 33 percent. That’s a similar, though slightly larger, gap between the two candidates than what the PPIC found in July. John Myers KQED -- 9/24/14
Kashkari’s polls stagnant; he’ll pay supporters at rally? -- A new California Public poll shows three term Democratic Governor Jerry Brown holding a commanding 54-33 percent lead among likely voters over Republican Neel Kashkari, whose numbers have stagnated since July. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Dina Hidalgo retires from California Senate after nepotism complaints --Dina Hidalgo, the longtime head of human resources for the California Senate, is retiring amid allegations of nepotism and favoritism, an issue that came to light this spring when The Sacramento Bee revealed that her son, a Senate peace officer at the time, was high on marijuana and cocaine the night he was involved in a fatal off-duty shooting. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Walters: It’s pot harvest time, so the annual war resumes -- This is harvest time on California’s scenic, sparsely populated North Coast – and that means the half-century-long war between marijuana growers and cops has resumed. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Jerry Brown defends cap-and-trade, calls for further climate change action at U.N. -- Gov. Jerry Brown, appealing to world leaders for joint action on climate change, issued a forceful defense Tuesday of plans to expand Californias cap-and-trade program to vehicle fuels next year. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
4 million California voters, an all-time high, have 'no party preference' -- The ranks of voters without political party affiliations continued to grow in California, according to data released Tuesday by Secretary of State Debra Bowen. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Secretary of state candidates Padilla and Peterson disagree on Bowen -- Republican Pete Peterson and Democrat Alex Padilla agree on plenty of issues in their contest to take over the California secretary of state’s office. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Peters and DeMaio trade jabs in first debate -- Hour-long session centers on candidates' records while on the City Council and national issues. Mark Walker UT San Diego$ -- 9/24/14
Sacramento Sikhs split with Bera over Indian government’s role in 1984 massacre -- Congressman Ami Bera says he is more focused on issues faced by Sikhs here than on past actions by the Indian government. Stephen Magagnini in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Carly Fiorina won’t rule out run for White House -- Carly Fiorina is ruling out a return to California to run again for the U.S. Senate, but she’s not ruling out a future White House bid — and it’s clear she hasn’t given up campaigning for issues she cares about. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Elections workers signing up voters -- For the crew from the San Francisco Elections Department, Tuesday’s National Voter Registration Day was no big deal. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Role reversal: Sen. Mark Leno scolds Jerry Brown on spending -- In budget-related matters at the Capitol, Gov. Jerry Brown is so often the scold that legislative Democrats may relish a momentary role reversal. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/24/14
Google pulls out of conservative group amid environmentalist pressure -- Google's effort to build strong alliances with Republican politicians and conservative advocacy groups is paying dividends on Capitol Hill but has created a growing marketing and public-relations headache for the company. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Facebook to cut ties with conservative policy group -- Facebook will possibly end its relationship with a controversial conservative policy organization over its stance on climate change, The Chronicle learned Tuesday. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Herdt: Will Knight be buried in a flag? -- In the final month of the legislative session, California lawmakers passed 769 bills, most of them dealing with small matters, often excruciatingly small. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star$ -- 9/24/14
Oakland council gives garbage contract to “bully” company -- The Oakland City Council took the unusual step early Tuesday of returning the city’s $1 billion garbage contract to the nation’s largest garbage hauler, a firm the city had booted from the job last month after accusing company officials of being bullies. Will Kane in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
San Diego philanthropist launches newspaper bid -- An octogenarian philanthropist launched a bid to buy San Diego's dominant newspaper and turn it into one of the nation's largest nonprofit news organizations, while another major Southern California publisher ceased publication of its Los Angeles newspaper after only five months. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 9/24/14
Lopez: L.A. should act quickly to close loopholes in mansionization ordinance -- Amy Aquino has lived in one of the bungalows lining a lovely block of Curson Avenue in Hollywood for 23 years, Nancy Halbert has lived in her house across the street for 39 years. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Calbuzz: PPIC: Xerxes of Kashkari Down 21 Points to Gandalf -- Here’s Republican Neel Kashkari’s fundamental problem in challenging Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown: The governor’s ’s job approval rating is at 55% among likely voters compared to 42% two years ago. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 9/24/14
Taxes, Fees, Rates
Berkeley soda tax supporters denounce industry funding of opposition -- The $500,000 contribution to the No on D campaign by the American Beverage Association, on top of earlier contributions of $300,000, is an attempt to buy Berkeley's soul, says a proponent of the tax on the distribution of sodas and other sweetened drinks. Tom Lochner in the Oakland Tribune -- 9/24/14
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Pensions
Freedom retreats from newspaper expansion by closing L.A. Register -- As he shut down the Los Angeles Register — a daily newspaper he launched just five months ago — Aaron Kushner found himself once again redefining "failure." Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
L.A. business groups threaten suit if city hikes hotel workers' wage -- The warnings came as a City Council committee unanimously endorsed the wage hike and sent it to the full council for a vote Wednesday. Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Port of Los Angeles operations to resume; fire nearly extinguished -- Most of the Port of Los Angeles’ terminals were expected to resume normal operations Tuesday evening after a fire that ripped through the wharf was nearly knocked down. Adolfo Flores in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
New San Jose firefighters to see pensions cut after long union battle with city -- In the latest battle with its employee unions, the city of San Jose has won a long struggle with its firefighters over reducing pension benefits for new hires -- several years after voters approved the changes. Mike Rosenberg in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 9/24/14
Rank-and-file San Francisco firefighters call for chief’s ouster -- Citing a “grave crisis in direction and leadership,” heads of San Francisco’s rank-and-file firefighter organizations — including those representing women and minorities — have penned a letter calling on Mayor Ed Lee to replace the city’s first female fire chief, Joanne Hayes-White. Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
State investigating LAFD hiring after white applicant alleges bias -- State officials are investigating recent changes made to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s hiring process after a complaint from a white male applicant who says he was unfairly passed over. Ben Welsh in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Transbay Transit Center’s future in doubt after deal falls apart -- An agreement between San Francisco officials and downtown developers over a proposed tax district collapsed this week, throwing into jeopardy the future of the Transbay Transit Center, the extension of Caltrain downtown and the construction of a half-dozen skyscrapers, including one that’s set to be the largest on the West Coast. Marisa Lagos, J.K. Dineen and John Coté in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Tech firms flocking to conference in effort to hire more women -- With all of the prevailing pressure on Silicon Valley to diversify its ranks, tech companies find themselves with a newly strengthened charge to boost their hiring of women. Kristen V. Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
Gigafactory sequel? California lobbies Elon Musk for second Tesla battery megaplant -- If at first you don't succeed in luring a highly sought-after tech project, try again with more emphasis on talent. Lauren Hepler Silicon Valley Business Journal -- 9/24/14
A California Dream: Not Having to Settle for Just One Bedroom -- In much of the state, a two-bedroom apartment or home is virtually impossible to acquire with anything less than a six-figure salary. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 9/24/14
Education
Newport schools considering 'snow days' for students during heat waves -- After an oppressive heat wave left students sweltering in classrooms without air conditioning, a school district in coastal Orange County is considering shortening school days when temperatures climb to intolerable levels. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Drought
Plans for $200 million in drought relief released -- State water officials on Tuesday released plans for spending almost a third of the $687 million emergency drought relief package approved by lawmakers earlier this year. Fenit Nirappil Associated Press -- 9/24/14
Environment
Plan to disburse climate change funds challenged by Bay Area officials -- Bay Area public officials are challenging a state plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fight climate change by cleaning the air in some of California's poorest and most polluted communities, most of which are in Southern California. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Plan seeks to encourage alternative energy while protecting environment -- With a backdrop of slowly turning wind turbines, the U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Tuesday unveiled a plan to manage conservation and renewable energy production on more than 22 million acres in California as part of a federal and state effort to promote clean energy projects. Julie Cart in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Also . . .
Six L.A. County sheriff workers get prison for obstructing jail probe -- A federal judge on Tuesday lambasted what he called a "corrupt culture" within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as he sentenced six current and former members of the department to prison for obstructing a federal investigation into abuse and corruption at the county jails. Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
Where are the peace protests over Syria bombing? -- Maybe it’s war fatigue. Maybe climate change is consuming all the protest energy right now. Maybe momentum just needs to build. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/24/14
iPhone hoax: No, you can't recharge it in the microwave, LAPD warns -- No, the latest iPhone software does not allow for the device to be quickly charged by heating it up in the microwave, despite some convincing, but very fake online ads. Ryan Parker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/24/14
POTUS 44
America’s New War President -- With a broad campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Obama has a chance to remake his legacy. Michael Hirsh Politico -- 9/24/14
Obama seeks to sell the public on a war he never imagined he would pursue --Striding onto the South Lawn on a cool, sunny Washington morning, President Obama stepped to a lectern hastily set up in front of Marine One and took all of three minutes to announce that a new war in Syria had begun. Then he boarded the helicopter on his way to New York for a global summit. David Nakamura in the Washington Post$ -- 9/24/14
Obama appeals for “ambitious” effort to stem effects of climate change -- President Obama vowed Tuesday to push for completion next year of a comprehensive treaty reducing greenhouse gas emissions, warning that the Earth’s climate appears to be “changing faster than our efforts to address it.” Joby Warrick in the Washington Post$ -- 9/24/14
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: It's complicated -- Just over a year ago at the request of the White House, Hillary Clinton worked the phones with about a half-dozen senators, trying to sell Congress on authorizing military strikes against Syria. Weeks later, at the Clinton Global Initiative, the former secretary of state defended President Barack Obama against Republican efforts to defund his health care overhaul. Maggie Haberman Politico -- 9/24/14
President Obama's 'Starbucks salute' brews discontent -- On a day President Barack Obama talked about airstrikes in Syria and Iraq and the "dangerous consequences" of climate change, some critics and reporters focused instead on a military faux pas of his -- a salute of two Marines with a cup in his hand. Matthew T. Hall UT San Diego$ -- 9/24/14