Updating . .   

California tribes give U.S. Senate race the cold shoulder -- California’s Native American tribes have doled out millions to political groups and candidates running for every office from county supervisor to president this campaign season. But they have been noticeably absent from fundraising when it comes to the state’s U.S. Senate race. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

L.A. will keep getting hotter, scientists say — a lot hotter -- Think today’s heat in L.A. is miserable? It’s going to become more frequent in the summers to come. Days of extreme heat are defined as those on which the temperature reaches 95 degrees. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Southern California heat wave signals long, hot summer -- The heat wave that settled over Southern California the past few days and set several records in the process, could signal the region is in for a blistering summer. David Montero in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/21/16

Riordan, former L.A. City Council candidate fined by Ethics Commission -- The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission fined a former City Council candidate nearly $16,000 Tuesday for failing to pay for campaign services that exceeded city limits on donations, as well as other violations. At the same meeting, commissioners also fined former Mayor Richard J. Riordan for neglecting to include key wording on election emails backing candidates for the Los Angeles Unified school board. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Democratic poll shows Applegate, Issa tied -- A Democratic poll shows that incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista and challenger Doug Applegate are locked in a tie for a House seat that straddles San Diego and Orange counties. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/21/16

Oakland police scandal: Activists call for reforms, ouster of mayor -- Citing the ongoing investigation into several Oakland police officers' alleged relationship with a teenage prostitute, activists from more than a half-dozen East Bay community organizations on Tuesday called for the ouster of Mayor Libby Schaaf and a community commission to control the department, among other demands. Erin Baldassari in the East Bay Times -- 6/21/16

Trump claims Clinton's faith is an open question, but she's talked about her religion for years -- When Donald Trump claimed Tuesday in a private meeting with evangelical leaders that Hillary Clinton’s faith is an unknown, he ignored years of her openly discussing the topic. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Natomas office park asks pastor who praised Orlando massacre to move out -- Nearly a thousand people from across California flooded the Northgate Business Park owned by Harsch on Sunday, wielding rainbow flags and megaphones to protest the sermon delivered by Rev. Roger Jimenez the day of the mass shooting, the worst in modern U.S. history. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

California lawmakers headed to Panama for canal launch -- A multi-billion dollar project to expand the historic trade route is intended to ease congestion and allow larger ships to pass through. Major changes to maritime shipping are of particular interest to California given the state’s large network of ports. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

California seeks fix on sex-offender reporting requirement -- California lawmakers moved Tuesday to fix a flawed voter-approved initiative that required registered sex offenders to disclose their email addresses, screen names and other electronic information to authorities. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 6/21/16

GPS readings suggests 'considerable' movement along San Andreas Fault -- Findings published in the journal Nature Geoscience indicate a "small-amplitude, but spatially considerable, coherent pattern of uplift and subsidence straddling the fault system in southern California." Bill Disbrow in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/16

A year after Berkeley balcony collapse, response bill inches ahead -- Just days after the first anniversary of the balcony collapse at a Berkeley apartment building that killed six and injured seven, a bill to increase oversight of California building contractors advanced Tuesday from the Assembly committee where it stalled last July. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

Clinton zings Trump on his economic plans: 'Alexander Hamilton would be rolling in his grave' -- Hillary Clinton warned Tuesday that Donald Trump’s business record disqualified him from overseeing the nation’s economy, arguing that his policies and temperament risked sending the U.S. into a recession and setting off a global panic. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

PG&E to close Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant -- California’s last nuclear power plant will be phased out by 2025, under a joint proposal announced Tuesday morning by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and labor and environmental groups. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 6/21/16

Why California is shuttering its last nuclear power plant -- PG&E’s decision to pull the plug on its aging Diablo Canyon facility on the California coast comes amid broader challenges facing the U.S. nuclear power industry. Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

Hundreds flee homes as fires continue to rage in Azusa and Duarte -- Two wildfires burning dangerously close to each other in the mountains above Duarte and Azusa continued to grow overnight, triggering calls for hundreds of residents to prepare to flee Tuesday morning, Los Angeles County officials said. Joseph Serna, Hailey Branson-Potts, Nina Agrawal and Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Heat wave knocks out power to thousands of DWP customers in Los Angeles -- Thousands of Los Angeles residents were left without power Tuesday as a brutal heat wave continued to bake Southern California, the Department of Water and Power said. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Air quality reaches unhealthy levels after multiple fires blanket Southern California -- As the two fires that make up the San Gabriel Complex in the Angeles National Forest continue to burn, health officials are warning that the surrounding air quality is now unhealthy for everyone — not just people with respiratory problems. KPCC -- 6/21/16

Obama's health advisors reject Catholic challenge to California's required abortion coverage -- California’s requirement that health insurers cover elective abortions was upheld Tuesday by the Obama administration, which rejected a conscience-based challenge from several Catholic schools and universities seeking to be exempted because of their religious beliefs. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

2 Anaheim men found guilty of trying to help the Islamic State -- A federal jury on Tuesday found two Anaheim men guilty of attempting to aid the Islamic State. Nader Salem Elhuzayel was convicted of conspiring and attempting to aid a foreign terrorist organization as well as bank fraud. Sean Emery and Jashua Sadock in the Orange County Register -- 6/21/16

Coastal Commission vote rattles far north -- On Feb. 10, the peace and quiet of Morro Bay, an idyllic beach town and state park along the central coast, was swept away by the tide of coastal conservation politics. The town’s community center was flooded with activists fighting the California Coastal Commission’s move to terminate its executive director, Charles Lester. Alex Matthews Capitol Weekly -- 6/21/16

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. to move headquarters to El Segundo -- Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. will make the move from Rancho Cordova to Southern California over the next six to eight weeks and will initially relocate around 25 employees, including Chief Executive Eileen Drake, said Glenn Mahone, Aerojet spokesman. Some employees had already moved down this last month. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Camp Parks in Dublin under lockdown after reports of shots fired -- Camp Parks, a U.S. Army reserves base in Dublin, was under lockdown Tuesday, after authorities received unconfirmed reports of shots fired and an intruder on the grounds, officials said. Police from surrounding areas converged on the camp around 11 a.m. and began searching. Kevin Schultz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/16

Michael Jackson stockpiled pornography at Neverland Ranch, documents show -- Michael Jackson’s activities at Neverland Ranch are back in the news this week amid the disclosure of documents suggesting the King of Pop kept a stash of pornography there. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Orange County home prices rise above their 2007 bubble-era peak -- Median home prices in Orange County rose in May to surpass their bubble-era peak in 2007, making the county the first in Southern California where that has happened, according to a new report. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Fox: Judging (and Recalling) Judges -- The question of recalling Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky over his sentencing decision for Stanford student Brock Turner in the notorious campus rape case has policy and political implications that goes to judicial independence and could even play a minor role in a coming statewide ballot initiative campaign. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/21/16

Judges slam Fresno County probation chief for ‘incompetence’ -- An investigation of Fresno County Probation Chief Rick Chavez focuses on 10 allegations ranging from using profanity to failing to add more juvenile correction officers and policy issues related to dress code for probation officers. Marc Benjamin in the Fresno Bee -- 6/21/16

Secret Service veterans denounce anti-Clinton tell-all book -- The author of a new tell-all book about Hillary Clinton could never have seen any of what he claims — he was too low-ranking — say several high-level members of Secret Service presidential details, including the president of the Association of Former Agents of the United States Secret Service. Edward-Isaac Dovre Politico -- 6/21/16

Hillary Clinton Blasts Donald Trump’s Business Record, Warns He Would ‘Bankrupt America’ -- Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the U.S. doesn’t do business the way Donald Trump does, assailing the presumptive Republican nominee’s economic policies and private-sector practices as dangerous for the country. Colleen McCain Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/21/16

Trump questions Clinton’s religion -- Donald Trump questioned Hillary Clinton’s commitment to her Christian faith on Tuesday, saying that little is known about her spiritual life even though she’s been in the public eye for decades. Jonathan Easley The Hill -- 6/21/16

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca has Alzheimer’s disease, but he still faces a 6-month prison term -- Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but he nonetheless should serve time in prison for lying to federal investigators during a probe into jail abuses by sheriff’s deputies, the U.S. attorney’s office has concluded. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Twin fires burn more than 4,500 acres and trigger evacuations in San Gabriel Valley -- Two sprawling wildfires tore through at least 4,500 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains on Monday, and only a canyon prevented the blazes from merging into one massive inferno, fire officials said. Veronica Rocha , Nina Agrawal and Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

State backtracks, says Oakland can go without acting police chief -- After a day of confusion, state officials backed down late Monday on an assertion that Mayor Libby Schaaf’s plan to have the Oakland Police Department function without an acting police chief violated California law. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/16

Ag board member’s appointment moves forward despite conflict claim -- Senate Democrats on Monday moved forward with the reappointment of Genevieve Shiroma to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, despite opposition from Republicans and growers who objected to her ties to a farmworker union lobbyist. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

Civil libertarians see danger in bill that seeks to delay release of body camera recordings -- It would be two years before the release of police dash camera recordings revealed the final moments of Ricardo Diaz Zeferino, an unarmed man fatally shot when Gardena officers unleashed a volley of gunfire on three men mistakenly suspected of stealing a bicycle. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Democrats linking opponents to Trump -- Inland Republicans running in November face two challenges — their Democratic opponents and the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee. Local Democrats, subtly and directly, are trying to connect their foes to Donald Trump in hopes that he becomes an anchor on down-ballot Republicans’ chances for victory. Jeff Horseman in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 6/21/16

Record-setting heat wave leads to blackouts in L.A. -- Thousands of Los Angeles residents lost power Monday as scorching temperatures kept people inside while running fans and air conditioners that strained the power grid, officials said. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Heat wave raises worries about power outages -- The heat wave that's blistering San Diego isn't just sending temperatures higher. It's also raising anxieties about the chances of rotating power outages across Southern California. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/21/16

Walters: California cap-and-trade emission auctions could face bleak future -- When California’s “cap-and-trade” auction of carbon emission allowances imploded a month ago, it clobbered ambitious plans by Capitol politicians to spend many billions of dollars. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

Developers, billboard companies on record lobbying pace in LA --The ethics commission analysis of the top-spending ten clients shows nine of them spent a collective $1.4 million on lobbyists to contact city officials about building projects. Clear Channel, a billboard company, spent $155,000 to round out the top ten. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 6/21/16

California's top electricity regulator is lukewarm on measure to strip agency's power -- The head of the state agency in charge of regulating myriad utilities, including electricity and ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, lamented what he called an outdated system for protecting residents and ratepayers in a speech to the Sacramento Press Club on Monday. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Apple snubs Trump, cozies up to GOP Speaker Ryan -- Apple CEO Tim Cook is adding another concrete slab to the ever-growing wall between Silicon Valley and Donald Trump: His company won't be participating in Trump's coronation at the GOP convention, but he will be hosting a fundraiser next week for Republican House Speaker and frequent Trump critic Paul Ryan. Matthew Artz in the East Bay Times -- 6/21/16

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls     

Local (San Diego) marijuana tax gets initial OK -- Supporters say the city tax is a proactive way to deal with an expected increase in local costs if recreational marijuana is legalized, particularly costs for law enforcement. Many other large California cities, including Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, have been imposing such taxes for years on medical marijuana. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/21/16

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions      

Skyrocketing costs prompt exodus of California residents -- Living in San Jose, Kathleen Eaton seemingly had it all: a well-paying job, a home in a gated community, even the Bay Area's temperate weather. But enduring a daily grind that made her feel like a "gerbil on a wheel," Eaton reached her limit. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/21/16

With Central Valley population soaring, Amtrak adds expanded service to East Bay -- The additional daily round-trip service between Bakersfield and Oakland's Jack London Square will allow commuters to arrive roughly a half-hour earlier in the day, said San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission spokesman David Lipari, offering what the commission hopes will be more convenient service for commuters. The earliest arrival time in Oakland is now 10:26 a.m., Lipari said. Erin Baldassari in the East Bay Times -- 6/21/16

Grocery union reports high turnout for strike vote -- Grocery workers turned out in large numbers Monday to vote on whether to authorize a strike against Ralphs and Albertsons, which also includes Vons, Pavilions and Safeway stores, union officials said. Natalie Kitroeff in the Los Angeles Times$ Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/21/16

Vallejo Residents Hopeful But Wary About Proposed Electric Car Plant -- The Bay Area city of Vallejo has been searching for an economic stimulus since 1996, when the city’s U.S. Navy base closed. Vallejo lost tens of thousands of jobs and eventually went bankrupt during the 2008 financial crisis. Sam Harnett KQED -- 6/21/16

The Stratolaunch is huge, but it's not the strangest aircraft ever built in Southern California -- First announced in 2011, the giant plane is designed to air-launch satellites into orbit. It is expected to have a wingspan of 385 feet — longer than any plane every built — and is being constructed in Mojave, Calif., by Vulcan Aerospace, a Seattle company backed by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Water   

Melting snow, water releases and La Niña complicate California’s drought picture -- First, the good news: This winter, much of the Sierra had a near-average snowpack. Now, the bad news: It has melted early. Ryan Sabalow and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

Education 

Katehi refuses to turn over cellphone, iPad to UC investigators -- Suspended UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi has refused to turn over her university-issued cell phone, iPad and laptop to the UC Office of the President for use in its ongoing investigation of her conduct. Diana Lambert in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

Inspire but don't test for vital qualities of mind like grit -- With the publication of “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character” four years ago, author Paul Tough inspired a national conversation about learning mindsets like grit and perseverance: why they’re important and how they’re formed early in childhood. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 6/21/16

Guns   

Senate votes down gun control measures, including Feinstein bill -- Just eight days after Omar Mateen turned his newly purchased guns on patrons in an Orlando nightclub, Senate Republicans defeated legislation by Sen. Dianne Feinstein that would have prevented him from legally buying the weapons had the law been in place. Three other gun measures also went down to defeat. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle Lisa Mascaro and Jill Ornitz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Immigration / Border 

Some progress, but youth drug smuggling persists -- There was no deep undercover operation, no long term surveillance, no wiretaps that led authorities to Josue Lomeli and his drug smuggling work. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/21/16

Environment 

Higher temperatures = more ozone -- On top of the triple-digit heat, Southern California also is getting slammed with unhealthful levels of smog. Levels of lung-irritating ozone pollution rise in hot, stagnant weather as it cooks up urban pollutants. David Danelski in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/21/16

Woman who defiled national parks banned from 524 million acres of public land -- A San Diego woman pleaded guilty last week to seven misdemeanor counts of defiling rock formations with graffiti in seven national parks and has been banned from 524 million acres of public lands during her two years of probation. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Health 

Lawmakers renew push to block surprise medical bills -- Even when patients make concerted efforts to see doctors covered by their insurance plans at in-network facilities, they run the risk of unknowingly being treated by other out-of-network providers during that visit. A new state bill would protect people from paying hefty surprise medical bills stemming from such out-of-network charges. Rebecca Plevin KPCC -- 6/21/16

California Health Budget: Small Gains, Advocates Look to Nov. Ballot for Big-Ticket Items -- The $122.5 billion state budget approved last week by California lawmakers will fund a variety of health-related efforts, including training of primary care physicians, dental care for schoolchildren and medical interpreters for Medi-Cal, the government-funded insurance program for people with low incomes. Pauline Bartolone KQED -- 6/21/16

UCSF Study Links Pharma Meals to Brand-Name Prescribing by Doctors -- Evidence is mounting that doctors who receive as little as one meal from a drug company tend to prescribe more expensive, brand-name medications for common ailments than those who don’t. Charles Ornstein KQED -- 6/21/16

California rises in child well-being ranking -- With more investments in health, the well-being of California's children continued its three-year improvement, new data shows. Sharon Noguchi in the East Bay Times -- 6/21/16

Also . . . 

Burning Man group buys Nevada oasis for year-round activities -- For a quarter century, Burning Man was a temporary experience. People went to the festival of “radical self-expression” in the Nevada desert and came back talking about their magical weeks. Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/21/16

Oakland police scandal: Sergeant had been previously fired for impeding rape case -- The veteran Oakland homicide detective who allegedly had his girlfriend ghostwrite a report in a high-profile 2013 murder case was previously fired by the department for impeding a rape case. Matthias Gafni and David DeBolt in the East Bay Times -- 6/21/16

L.A. County district attorney looks into alleged beating by staff at Sylmar juvenile hall -- Los Angeles County's perennially troubled Probation Department is under scrutiny again over an alleged beating of a youth by staff at a county juvenile hall, which was captured on video. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

238 suspects nabbed across Southern California in child predator sweep -- A two-month sweep of suspected child predators wanted for everything from negotiating sex tourism on the internet to possessing and selling pornography netted 238 arrests across Southern California, including a Buddhist monk, authorities announced Monday. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/21/16

Hawaii man owned plane that crashed on BART tracks in Hayward -- Robert E. Pursel Jr. was the registered owner of the twin-engine Piper PA23 that went down at 12:05 p.m. Sunday at Whipple Road and Railroad Avenue, according to a Federal Aviation Administration registry. Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/16

Beltway 

Donald Trump spent more than $1 million in May reimbursing his companies and family -- Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States, raised just $5.4 million in May, including $2.2 million that he loaned his campaign. Almost as startling was how little Trump had in the bank when June began: less than $1.3 million. Matea Gold and Anu Narayanswamy in the Washington Post$ -- 6/21/16

Trump's campaign cycles $6 million into Trump companies -- The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has been on the campaign trail for a year now, and federal finance reports detail a campaign unafraid to co-mingle political and business endeavors in an unprecedented way — even as he is making appeals for donations. Julie Bykowicz and Chad Day Associated Press -- 6/21/16

As he vows a ‘different kind of campaign, ’ Trump revives charged attacks on Obama, Warren -- Donald Trump revived his attacks on President Obama’s "double standard" on foreign affairs and joked about calling Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) “Pocahontas" during his first television interview since firing his campaign manager, staying true to form even as he vowed to run "a different kind of campaign." Jose A. DelReal in the Washington Post$ -- 6/21/16

Sanders' delegates in California cling to their dream, unfazed by math -- As a high school student in Sebastopol, Natalie Higley urged fellow students to support Barack Obama in a mock election. She registered as a Democrat once she turned 18, but she never voted, disappointed by Obama’s presidency and dismayed by her party’s candidates. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/16

Monday Updates 

121 degrees: Palm Springs breaks record — and it could get hotter -- Every so often someone walks into the Palm Springs Visitors Center raring to burn through hiking trails like they're British adventurer and TV personality Bear Grylls. Ruben Vives, Ivan Penn, Nina Agrawal and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

Heat Wave prompts ‘Flex Alert’ urging Southern Californians to save power -- The first day of summer came Monday with the ferocity of a furnace, triggering excessive heat warnings, a conservation alert and a smattering of power outages throughout Southern California. David Montero in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/20/16

Senate rejects gun bills along partisan lines -- The Senate voted down four separate gun measures Monday in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history — showing the partisan paralysis over gun control has barely moved on Capitol Hill despite the stream of continued gun violence across the country. Seung Min Kim Politico -- 6/20/16

1 in 10 Cal State students is homeless, study finds -- About one in 10 of California State University’s 460,000 students is homeless, and one in five doesn’t have steady access to enough food, according to the initial findings of a study launched to better understand and address an issue that remains largely undocumented at the nation’s public universities. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

California nears $2 billion plan to house its homeless -- The growing problem of homelessness can be seen in every corner of California, from small towns that ring the state's redwood forests to the sands separating the Pacific Ocean from the most prosperous beachfront communities. Alison Noon and John Rogers Associated Press -- 6/20/16

Oakland’s stumbles: State says police force must have a chief -- The turmoil in Oakland’s Police Department took another twist Monday, as state officials said Mayor Libby Schaaf’s plan to have the agency function without an acting police chief violated state law. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/20/16

Supreme Court to decide if people awaiting deportation have a right to release on bond -- The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide a case from Los Angeles on whether foreigners who are held for deportation are entitled to hearings that could lead to their release on bond. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ Jess Brevin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/20/16

Survey finds California voters opposed to legalizing Internet poker -- A survey Monday commissioned by several Native American tribes with concerns about legalizing Internet poker in California found a majority of California's likely voters oppose the idea. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

California’s largest political party just endorsed legalizing marijuana -- Six years ago, the California Democratic Party joined most of its elected leaders in declining to endorse the marijuana legalization initiative on the fall ballot. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/16

Dalai Lama tells lawmakers ‘inner disarmament is very essential’ -- The Dalai Lama brought his message of compassion and unifying humanity while also delving into gun control, education and environmental matters during in his first ever address to the California Legislature on Monday. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Chris Megerian and Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 6/21/16

Villaraigosa says a decision on the 2018 governor's race is coming in November -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa continued to stoke will-he-or-won't-he speculation on running for governor of California in 2018, telling Fusion's Jorge Ramos that he'd announce his decision after the presidential election in November. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

California initiative backers keep up fund-raising pace -- They aren’t yet officially on the November ballot, but 10 would-be fall initiatives are being readied with healthy fundraising efforts. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/16

These new California laws take effect July 1 -- Like a late crop, some state laws passed in 2015 are ripe for enforcement on July 1, including new rules for disability insurance, wage garnishment and drivers of ready-mix concrete trucks. There are also some important deadlines coming up for a state law on piecework compensation. Richard K. DeAtley in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/20/16

L.A. apartment owners charged with evicting tenants, then renting their units via Airbnb -- The Los Angeles city attorney’s office has filed criminal charges against the owners of a rent-controlled apartment building in the Fairfax district, alleging that they evicted tenants and converted the units to short-term rentals on Airbnb. Ben Poston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

BART: Electrical surge issue eludes staff despite over $2 million to diagnose it -- The cause of a mysterious electrical surge on BART in March that rendered trains inoperable and forced passengers to contend with significant delays continues to elude agency staffers, who have already spent more than $2 million trying to unravel it. Erin Baldassari in the East Bay Times -- 6/20/16

Donald Trump parts ways with campaign manager -- Corey Lewandowski, 42, who had no previous experience running a presidential campaign, has been credited with orchestrating Trump’s unlikely rise during the primary season. Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ Nick Gass Politico -- 6/20/16

California tobacco tax measure targets an industry under pressure -- On a cool spring day at the Capitol, Toni Atkins delivered a series of blows unlike anything the tobacco industry had ever felt in California. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/16

Sanders' delegates in California cling to their dream, unfazed by math -- As a high school student in Sebastopol, Natalie Higley urged fellow students to support Barack Obama in a mock election. She registered as a Democrat once she turned 18, but she never voted, disappointed by Obama’s presidency and dismayed by her party’s candidates. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

Supreme Court leaves Conn., N.Y. assault weapons bans in place -- The court’s decision Monday to reject separate challenges to each state’s law leaves in place measures that ban weapons like the one used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that left 20 children and six faculty members dead. Louis Nelson Politico -- 6/20/16

Did bullet train officials ignore warning about need for taxpayer money? -- When a Spanish firm submitted a bid last year to help build the California bullet train, it cautioned that taxpayer money probably would be needed to keep the system operating. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

Why one lifelong hunter is leading the charge for stricter gun control -- It’s the photo of a 6-year-old smiling broadly in his Little League uniform that sticks with Mike Thompson as he pushes Congress to consider tougher gun control laws. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

Should California limit the number of small, new water systems? -- California's drought has revealed that when it comes to water, not every community is equal. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/20/16

Yolo County groundwater recharged by March Miracle storms -- With this year’s storms helping to refill the Sacramento region’s lakes and reservoirs, local water district officials and state regulators are diverting and percolating stormwater from Cache Creek into the Yolo County canal system to recharge groundwater supplies used by local farmers, city residents and UC Davis. Robert Kuo in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/16

Fox: Diversionary Measures Attempt to Undercut Transparency Initiative -- California has seen this scenario before–when the legislature tries to upend an initiative on the ballot by placing a competing measure on the same ballot that is not as forceful as the initiative. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/20/16

Can Apple deliver on its privacy promises? -- Here’s why this matters: Companies have gone to great lengths to protect their customers’ data from outsiders, such as hackers, through the use of encryption. Apple is taking this one step further — protecting its users from the company itself. Sean Sposito in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/20/16

The sunset that takes an hour to go from date palms to redwoods -- In a state renowned for its extremes, Monday’s summer solstice will be a slow-motion study in California’s extraordinary geography. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

Ticket to the White House or political oblivion? The challenge for Donald Trump as he seeks a running mate -- So who wants to be the apprentice? “Who do you like?” Donald Trump recently quizzed supporters at a Tampa rally, cupping a hand to his ear as they suggested vice presidential running mates. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/16

Aetna-Humana merger gets California regulator's approval -- As a condition of the approval, Aetna agreed to limit premium increases in the small group market and to allow greater state oversight of its rates. The company will also have to keep certain decision-making functions in California and must invest in various health initiatives. Associated Press -- 6/20/16

Trump, amid criticism, walks back suggestion that armed clubgoers could have prevented Orlando massacre -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday walked back his repeated assertion that the mass shooting at an LGBT Orlando nightclub earlier this month could have been prevented if more people had been carrying firearms. Jose A. DelReal in the Washington Post$ -- 6/20/16