Updating . .   

Donald Trump delegates drop out after backlash in California -- Mario Guerra knew he had a problem the moment the state released Donald Trump’s list of California delegates on Monday, his name on page 4. Latino activists and other politicians began calling and writing “literally within minutes,” said Guerra, a former mayor of Downey, in southeast Los Angeles County. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

California irrigation-drainage disputes targeted in new bill -- California’s tireless water warriors have something fresh to fight over, with the introduction of a bill to resolve an irrigation drainage dispute that affects three modest-sized San Joaquin Valley water districts, as well as the much bigger Westlands Water District. Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

Rep. Lee’s bipartisan effort to open debate over war against ISIS -- With hundreds of U.S. forces now operating on the ground in Syria and Iraq, Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland led a bipartisan effort Thursday to insist that Congress debate escalating U.S. ground combat overseas against the Islamic State. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/12/16

Bill mandating rape-kit data clears California Assembly -- The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a proposal requiring local police departments to report how many rape kits they collect and give a reason for every kit that goes untested in an effort to reduce the accumulation of untested DNA samples taken in sexual assault cases. Alison Noon Associated Press -- 5/12/16

State audit blasts California State Bar salaries, transparency -- The State Bar regulates the legal industry and acts as a trade association for the more than 200,000 attorneys in the state. Much of its funding is obtained through membership fees, which the Legislature must approve. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

State Senate leaders propose repealing ban on fundraising during budget season -- Two years after the state Senate adopted fundraising restrictions in response to a series of scandals, lawmakers plan to rescind the ban on collecting money during budget season. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 5/12/16

‘Guys with big hands’: Top GOP ad man launches campaign to ‘unsell’ Trump -- After decades of selling leading GOP candidates, political ad guru Bob Gardner — who has created TV campaign spots for Dick Cheney, Gerald Ford, Mitt Romney, George H.W. Bush, and Arnold Schwarzenegger — is drawing the line at helping Donald Trump. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 5/12/16

California's schools will soon be on the hook for things like suspensions, attendance and graduation rates -- California's schools are going to have to answer for more than just test scores, by the year after next. The state may also judge them on suspension rates, graduation rates, attendance and the rate at which students who are still learning English are becoming proficient. Joy Resmovits in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

California Assembly encourages hybrids, punishes emissions cheaters -- Seeking to curb climate-altering emissions from cars, the Assembly on Thursday passed bills to reward hybrid drivers and bolster penalties for air quality transgressions like those Volkswagen committed. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

Governor Jerry Brown Has Financial Link to Oakland Coal -- Public records show that Brown has financial ties to a company that could profit greatly from shipping coal through Oakland. Robert Gammon Oakland Magazine -- 5/12/16

‘Highly Uncertain’ If Prescription Drug Ballot Initiative Will Save California Money -- It is “highly uncertain” how much money the state of California would save if a ballot measure to cap drug prices passes in November — and it might not save money at all. That’s the key finding in a preliminary report by the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Ana B. Ibarra KQED -- 5/12/16

LADWP pursues energy storage, but it's no replacement for natural gas in the short-term -- When electricity rates went up last month for 1.4 million customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers, about $150 million of the rate increase was earmarked for a novel energy supply that officials hope will become more commonplace. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 5/12/16

California Senate offers playful, purple tribute to Prince -- It had been one hour and 21 days since the California Senate was shaken from an otherwise standard morning floor session by the breaking news of Prince’s death. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

Elections chief says soda tax backers missed deadline -- San Francisco's elections director said Thursday he will reject a petition to place a sugary drink tax on the November ballot, after it missed a key deadline by one day. Janie Har Associated Press -- 5/12/16

Relief for San Ysidro's pedestrian crossers -- U.S. and Mexican federal officials on Thursday ended weeks of uncertainty over the start date for the new inspection lanes, announcing that they will begin processing pedestrian crossers on July 15. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/12/16

Parents wrongly put on a child abuser list will get $4.1 million to settle their suit -- The father and stepmother of a 15-year-old runaway girl who falsely accused them of child abuse are set to receive $4.1 million from the state and Los Angeles County to settle a lawsuit that contended their civil rights were violated when a sheriff's deputy placed their names on a list of child abusers. Garrett Therolf in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

More San Diego city retirees top $100K -- Nearly 900 San Diego city retirees received at least $100,000 each last year, according to recently released pension data. Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/12/16

Fox: Hyperloop vs. High Speed Rail? Not Necessarily -- When Elon Musk first proposed the hyperloop as a transportation alternative, he projected sealed tubes would hurl a pod between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 35 minutes. At the time, Musk’s vision was compared to the newly minted high-speed rail project that was projected to cover the same ground in 2.5 hours and be outmoded before it was finished. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/12/16

Tech layoffs more than double in Bay Area -- Yahoo's 279 workers let go this year contributed to the 3,135 tech jobs lost in the four-county region of Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and San Francisco counties from January through April, as did the 50 workers axed at Toshiba America in Livermore and the 71 at Autodesk in San Francisco. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/12/16

California regulators approve Charter's takeover of Time Warner Cable -- Charter Communications has cleared a final regulatory hurdle in its nearly year-long quest to clinch its $71-billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Theranos shuffles leadership; president retires -- The Palo Alto company — which has been the target of multiple federal investigations since questions arose about the accuracy and reliability of its tests — added three new members to its board of directors and said it will change its organizational structure and implement specific corporate divisions for technology and clinical operations. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Sports Arena closing after hosting huge 20th century moments -- The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, the building that Bruce Springsteen affectionately dubbed "the dump that jumps," will have a closing ceremony with city leaders on Thursday. Andrew Dalton Associated Press -- 5/12/16

‘Needle Has Not Moved’ on Increasing Diversity on UC Campuses -- More Latino students are attending the University of California — but UC campuses still have work to do in recruiting and building African-American and Native American enrollment. Ana Tintocalis KQED -- 5/12/16

After an ugly brawl, Sylmar High students walk out and hold 'peace rally' -- Frustrated over a major fracas that led to increased tensions at Sylmar High School, actor Danny Trejo, known for his violent cult films, had a message for school officials Wednesday: Listen to students for a solution. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Critics say proposed Fresno law on slum housing unfairly targets tenants -- Social justice organizations are objecting to proposed changes to Fresno’s ordinance dealing with apartments, condominiums and other rental properties that add tenants or occupants to the list of those who can be held responsible for chronic nuisances or scenes of blight. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 5/12/16

UC San Francisco Drops Plans to Close Mission Clinic -- The New Generation Health Center serves primarily low-income teens and young adults, and the announcement came after patients, neighbors and health providers expressed concern and anger over UCSF’s plans to shut it down this summer. Farida Jhabvala Romero KQED -- 5/12/16

By 2040 We’ll Only See a Slight Fall in Fossil Fuels, Says Forecast -- Despite the urgency to cut greenhouse gas emissions as climate change bears down on the globe, fossil fuel use is not likely to change much in the coming decades. Bobby Magill KQED -- 5/12/16

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Prop 50: The weirdest measure on the ballot this year -- It’s been two years since criminal accusations against three lawmakers rocked the California Capitol. Charged with corruption and perjury in separate cases, three Democratic state senators were suspended from the Legislature in 2014 but kept earning their $95,000 annual salary for many months. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters.org -- 5/12/16

Coastal Commission chairman may recuse himself from vote after failing to disclose private meetings -- The chairman of the California Coastal Commission on Wednesday asked the agency's attorney to determine whether he should recuse himself from voting on a massive development along the Orange County coast after he held two unreported private meetings with project representatives. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Amid heated debate, Orange County school board demands changes to Harvey Milk resolution -- It took but a moment for the Orange County Board of Education to adopt a resolution Wednesday recognizing Memorial Day. But a proposed resolution honoring the late San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, failed after heated public comments. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 5/12/16

Skelton: Not hosing down your sidewalk to help the drought? It won't amount to a hill of beans -- Gov. Jerry Brown wants to forbid you from hosing down the driveway. And he is really cranky about lawn watering. But corporate agriculture is free to plant all the water-gulping nut orchards it desires, even in a semi-desert. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

LA City Council moves to stop ‘McMansion’ construction in Old Granada Hills -- The Los Angeles City Council moved Wednesday to restrict the size of new homes in Old Granada Hills, passing a sweeping new law designed to stop the construction of so-called McMansions. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/12/16

Crime a top priority for supervisor candidates vying for Don Knabe’s seat -- Three candidates vying for the seat of outgoing Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe are championing crime fighting and transportation among their top priorities ahead of the June 7 primary election. Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/12/16

Donald Trump has another California delegate problem -- One day after the Republican frontrunner’s campaign blamed a “database error” for the inclusion of a white nationalist on its list of California delegates, a former state assemblyman said he was mistakenly listed as a delegate. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Hunter, environmental regulator appointed to California Fish and Game Commission -- A longtime water regulator and a lifelong hunter have been appointed to a powerful state board that lists endangered species and sets hunting and fishing regulations enforced by California game wardens. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

Study: Lack of funds stalls key Bay Area transportation projects -- Political gridlock in Sacramento and Washington threatens to stall planned improvements to the Bay Area’s crowded and congested transportation system, according to a study released Wednesday by a national transportation research group. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/12/16

In a house near Disneyland, the FBI finds $2.3 million in cash linked to Sinaloa drug cartel -- About a block from Disneyland, federal agents seized $2.3 million in cash that allegedly came from a drug trafficking and money laundering group with links to the hometown of the notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, authorities said. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

4 San Francisco supes now say Suhr shouldn’t remain as police chief -- After months of intense protests demanding that Mayor Ed Lee fire Police Chief Greg Suhr, four city supervisors joined the chorus Wednesday and demanded a national search for a new chief. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/12/16

Bernie Sanders loses his California director -- California state director Michael Ceraso, who has been working with the Sanders campaign since the early days of the race, parted ways with it on Wednesday. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ Gabriel Debenedetti Politico -- 5/12/16

State officials downplay execution obstacles, ACLU report says -- Newly released documents on California’s plans to resume executions of condemned inmates show that state officials have understated the cost and the difficulty of obtaining lethal drugs and downplayed the likelihood of botched executions, the American Civil Liberties Union reported Tuesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/12/16

Crowded field vies for obscure but mighty Democratic committee -- Sixty people — among them some of the biggest names in San Francisco politics — are vying for seats on a committee most city residents have never heard of, whose policy votes are purely advisory, whose monthly meetings stretch on for hours and that doesn’t pay its members a dime. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/12/16

Sammy Davis Jr. handgun among 791 collected in L.A. weapons buyback -- “Only in Los Angles would you find a gun whose registration might have been held by Frank Sinatra and members of the Rat Pack,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference announcing the results of the buyback program. “You never know what gun you have, you never know who might have had it before.” Sarah Favot in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Orange County Democrats to GOP: Bring it on -- As national Republicans leaders prepare to open a training office in Orange County on Wednesday, Democrats are responding by noting that the one-time GOP stronghold is no longer the bastion of California conservatism it once was. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls     

Voters will likely be asked for 12 more years of higher income taxes on the wealthy -- When Gov. Jerry Brown asked California voters to raise taxes in 2012 , he made clear that it was temporary, revenues needed to balance the books for only a few years. On Wednesday, a coalition of labor and healthcare groups said some of those taxes are needed for a while longer. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 5/12/16

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions      

Providence Tarzana hospital expansion to create 1,000 jobs -- Hoping to expand health services into the community, officials with Providence Tarzana Medical Center announced plans Wednesday for a $624 million hospital upgrade to its patient wing, emergency department, and other areas. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/12/16

California prison officers OK contract with raises, sweeteners -- The contract includes annual across-the-board 3 percent pay raises. The first raise kicks in for the pay period following ratification, so employees covered by the union will see that money on July paychecks that cover the June pay period. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

State retiree health care could cost California $6.6 billion a year -- However, the state would have to spend over three times as much – $6.6 billion a year – to fully cover current health care costs and whittle down its $80.3 billion unfunded liability for future health care obligations, according to a new report from Pew Charitable Trusts. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

How California home prices got sky-high -- The average price of a home in California is more than twice the national average. But it wasn't always this way. Josie Huang KPCC -- 5/12/16

Google tells payday lenders to take their advertising business elsewhere -- The Internet search giant announced Wednesday that it was banning advertisements for payday loans in order to protect its users "from deceptive or harmful financial products," delivering another blow to an industry under increasing fire from regulators and consumer advocates. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Lopez: Five ways to end homelessness in L.A. -- I thought I'd swing by the supermarket in my neighborhood Tuesday morning to see if I could find a woman who lives in a van that's often anchored in the store's parking lot. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

PG&E trial on San Bruno explosion delayed until June 14 -- PG&E's criminal trial linked to a fatal gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno will be delayed until mid-June after a fierce battle by the utility to postpone the case. George Avalos in the East Bay Times$ -- 5/12/16

Less pain at the pump for California drivers? -- California drivers still pay more for gasoline than motorists in virtually every other state, but there are signs their pain at the pump won’t be quite as bad in the coming months. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/12/16

Drought   

With reservoirs nearly full, EBMUD declares water emergency over -- Nearly full reservoirs and a return to normal rain and snow patterns mean that the water emergency in the East Bay is over, the East Bay Municipal Utility District has decided. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/12/16

Drought worsening inland water quality -- San Diego County’s inland water quality is suffering amid the ongoing drought, according to a new San Diego Coastkeeper report that found high amounts of bacteria and low oxygen levels in the region’s creeks and streams. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/12/16

Education 

UC regents are frustrated that campuses haven't made bigger strides on diversity -- University of California regents Wednesday bemoaned what they called disappointing progress on efforts to increase diversity among students and faculty at the system’s 10 campuses. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

UC adopts policy to boost academic performance of athletes -- The 14-point policy – which was approved Wednesday by a committee of UC’s governing board and will advance to the full Board of Regents for a vote on Thursday – institutes priority class registration, guarantees that scholarship athletes who sustain career-ending injuries continue to receive equivalent financial aid, and requires most campus athletic directors to report directly to the chancellor of their school. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/12/16

A 'borderless' school district with lots of choices: LA's superintendent outlines priorities -- In a decade, if Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Michelle King has her way, she would run a “borderless district” where students can choose any school in the city they wish to attend. Kyle Stokes KPCC -- 5/12/16

Report: Nation needs to replicate California’s English learner efforts -- Nearly three out of four American public school classrooms now includes at least one student who is learning English as a new language, and California is emerging as a leader among states for helping long-term English learners get up to speed. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 5/12/16

State board adds school climate to potential list of metrics -- The State Board of Education approved a historic policy shift Wednesday in how it will evaluate schools, moving from a system based solely on standardized test scores toward one taking a broader look at school improvement, academic achievement and student well-being. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 5/12/16

Students receive bottled water after South L.A. schools report murky tap water -- Teachers handed out bottled water to hundreds of students at Grape Street Elementary School on Wednesday amid concerns about murky, discolored water flowing from taps and fountains at that school and four others in South Los Angeles. Angel Jennings in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Immigration / Border 

On California border, residents scoff at Trump's wall -- But it's a divisive issue for those who would actually have to stare at it every day, pitting residents with legitimate security concerns against those whose livelihoods depend on continued economic integration with Mexico. Matthew Artz in the East Bay Times$ -- 5/12/16

Filipino World War II vets' relatives may come to US sooner under rule change -- Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos served with the U.S. military during the war. Decades later, many of the vets were granted U.S. citizenship and moved here. But many of the relatives they sponsored to join them have faced long waits for visas. Leslie Berestein Rojas KPCC -- 5/12/16

Environment 

BPA warning signs go up in stores. How dangerous is it? -- The chemical is in the linings of cans and bottles. The state says it can harm the female reproductive system. The FDA says it's safe. Paul Glickman with Elizabeth Aguilera KPCC Erik Anderson KPBS -- 5/12/16

LA City Council re-re-re-considers plan to add bike lanes, reduce some car lanes on Friday -- The Los Angeles City Council has approved, rescinded and re-approved the plan for the future of L.A. streets. Now officials are again considering removal of some bike lanes from the plan. Meghan McCarty KPCC -- 5/12/16

Health 

California’s Obamacare Premiums May Rise 8 Percent Next Year -- California’s health insurance exchange estimates that its Obamacare premiums may rise 8 percent on average next year, which would end two consecutive years of more modest 4 percent increases. Chad Terhune KQED -- 5/12/16

Zika's coming, and there's not enough money for another health emergency -- Less than two years after the Ebola epidemic set off a scramble for money to contain that deadly virus, state and local health officials around the country are rushing to prepare for Zika outbreaks this spring and summer. Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Oracle founder donates $200 million to create USC cancer research center -- Oracle founder Larry Ellison has donated $200 million to USC to fund a cancer research center, the university announced Wednesday. The gift matched the largest single donation ever received by the school. Jason Song in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

UCSF Study: Smokers Quit and Health Care Costs Drop — in Next Year -- When smoking rates decline, health care spending declines, too, and fast. An analysis from researchers at UC San Francisco finds that if 10 percent of smokers nationwide quit, it would save a whopping $63 billion in national health care costs the next year. Lisa Aliferis KQED -- 5/12/16

How big is too big? Some theme park riders fear small seats and 'the walk of shame' -- Universal’s Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has bedeviled many big and tall riders who discover at the last moment that their journey aboard the new attraction is indeed forbidden because they don’t fit in the “enchanted benches.” Brady MacDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Supervisors ban sugary, fatty snacks from San Francisco vending machines -- City workers will have to forgo their afternoon fix of Snickers, Doritos and other yummy but not-so-healthy snacks if they rely on a vending machine on city-owned property. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/12/16

Beltway 

McManus: Trump's 'Crooked Hillary' label may stick -- Donald Trump dispatched his Republican rivals by branding each one with an insulting but memorable nickname: “Lyin' Ted” Cruz, “Little Marco” Rubio. As the general election campaign nears, Trump has settled on a label for the likely Democratic nominee: “Crooked Hillary.” Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/12/16

Warren goes nuclear on Trump: You won't 'shut us up' -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tore into Donald Trump on Wednesday, upping her fiery rhetoric against the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. "We get it, @realDonaldTrump: When a woman stands up to you, you’re going to call her a basket case. Hormonal. Ugly," Warren tweeted. Jesse Byrnes The Hill Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$

Trump’s candidacy sparking ‘a surge’ in citizenship, voter applications -- In California, the number of Hispanics registering to vote doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2012, according to state data. Ed O'Keefe in the Washington Post$ -- 5/12/16