Updating . .
AP Exclusive: If California dam failed, people likely stuck -- Communities just downstream of California's Lake Oroville dam would not receive adequate warning or time for evacuations if the 770-foot-tall dam itself — rather than its spillways — were to abruptly fail, the state water agency that operates the nation's tallest dam repeatedly advised federal regulators a half-decade ago. Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 2/17/17
Oroville Dam: What made the spillway collapse? -- How did a giant, gaping hole tear through the massive Oroville Dam’s main concrete spillway last week, setting in motion the chain of events that could have led to one of America’s deadliest dam failures? Dam experts around the country are focusing on a leading suspect: Tiny bubbles. Paul Roger and Matthias Gafni in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/17
Life below Oroville Dam: Stoicism, faith ... and cars poised for a fast getaway -- To live beneath the Oroville Dam requires a certain measure of faith — faith in the engineers who designed the nation’s tallest dam and the construction workers who built it more than a half century ago, and faith in the government agencies that maintain and operate it. Peter H King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Hillsides are ‘weeping,’ falling on California’s mountain highways -- As the rain and snow have fallen this winter, so have California’s hillsides, forcing the closure of major roads through the Sierra Nevada and causing millions of dollars in damage. The California Department of Transportation estimates that the winter’s pounding storms have caused $400 million in damage to California highways. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Feinstein: Trump trademark in China may violate Constitution -- A decision by the Chinese government to grant President Donald Trump a trademark for his brand could be a breach of the U.S. Constitution, a senior Democratic senator warned Friday. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 2/17/17
California legislation would create single-payer health care system -- A push for a single-payer health care system in California is making a comeback. State Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens plans to introduce legislation Friday to create a single system that would provide health insurance to every California resident. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ Tracy Seilel and Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/17
Mexican Consulates Flooded With Fearful Immigrants -- First came the anxious calls in the days after the election of President Trump. Now, people begin lining up before 8 a.m. and crowd the waiting rooms inside the Mexican Consulate here. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/17
Some immigrants, fearful of political climate, shy away from Medi-Cal -- Some foreign-born Californians are canceling their Medi-Cal coverage or declining to enroll in the first place, citing fears of a Trump administration crackdown on immigrants. Among those dropping coverage are people in the country legally but concerned about jeopardizing family members who lack permanent legal status, according to government officials, immigration attorneys and health care advocates. Emily Bazar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Report that Guard could be used to round up immigrants is ‘false’ -- The White House on Friday labeled as “false” a memo reportedly drafted by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly that indicated the Trump administration was considering using up to 100,000 National Guard troops to round up undocumented immigrants. Bill Hutchinson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Politicians, residents ‘terrified’ at reports of National Guard immigration roundups -- Staffers in the Department of Homeland Security said the proposal was discussed as recently as last Friday, according to the Associated Press. White House spokesman Sean Spicer, however, vehemently denied the reports, saying, “there is no effort to do what is potentially suggested.” Tatiana Sanchez and Katy Murphy in the East Bay Times -- 2/17/17
AP Exclusive: DHS weighed Nat Guard for immigration roundups -- The Trump administration considered a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, according to a draft memo obtained by The Associated Press. Garance Burke Associated Press -- 2/17/17
That draft order targeting 11 states would miss more than half of undocumented immigrants -- There are any number of hard-to-understand components to the draft memo that reportedly circulated in the White House, mobilizing 100,000 National Guard members to act as a deportation force for immigrants in the country illegally in 11 southwestern states. But one issue is that the proposal — which the White House says isn’t on the table — targets states that are home to less than half of the estimated undocumented immigrant population. Phillip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 2/17/17
Congress’ cannabis caucus ready to ‘bump heads’ with anti-pot Trump attorney general -- Congress is forming a cannabis caucus with high hopes of protecting a pot industry besieged by fears of a potential federal crackdown. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican who’s an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, is helping to lead the creation of the caucus. Sean Cockerham in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/17
Starving college students? Fresno City College works to combat very real hunger issues -- The term “starving college student” is sometimes thrown around in a lighthearted way to describe 20-year-olds cooking noodles in a microwave – the one true culinary vessel in every dorm room. But for Sean Henderson, Fresno City’s interim dean for student services, the phrase has lost some of its humor. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/17
CalPERS calls for a reroute of Dakota Access Pipeline -- CalPERS and more than 100 other investment groups are calling on banks financing the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline to pressure the company building it to reroute it away from the American Indian tribe that has protested its construction. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Kaiser nurses reach tentative labor agreement with Los Angeles Medical Center -- Nurses at the Los Angeles Medical Center are set to get a pay raise, overtime protections and more professional support under the terms of a tentative collective bargaining agreement struck Thursday. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
L.A. community plans languished for years. Now they're an unlikely issue in the March election -- Eleven years ago, Los Angeles officials invited residents of San Pedro to help rewrite their neighborhood’s community plan, which spells out where new housing and other amenities would be allowed. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Grants go to charters and a traditional school to help teachers stay on the job -- Julia Guy worried that remaining a teacher might be difficult once she started a family, and staying fit already posed a challenge — so she eagerly filled out a survey seeking suggestions on how to keep teachers in the profession Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Republicans in Congress gambled on Trump and won. Here's why they're worried now -- Growing discomfort about the Trump team’s ties to Russia, daily dramas at the White House and the increasing unrest at town hall meetings with constituents back home have prompted second thoughts about the alliance. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Trump’s base unfazed by recent allegations, criticisms -- While a growing number of Republicans in Congress are calling for investigations into the Trump campaign’s communications with Russia last year, the president himself Thursday dismissed the story as “fake news” based on “illegal” leaks. And that’s good enough for Trump’s supporters. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti accused of being silent on city’s rising crime -- The violent crime rate rose for a third consecutive year in Los Angeles, but that‘s not something Mayor Eric Garcetti is eager to highlight ahead of the March election, one mayoral challenger said this week. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/17/17
Fox: Read All the Lines in an Editorial -- We are often told that we must “read between the lines” to get a true understanding of what the words on a page mean. In the case of political campaign material, it is safer to read all the lines in the original source material from which the campaign material is quoted. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/17/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Will the crisis at Oroville Dam become a catalyst for change? -- Jeffrey Mount, a leading expert on California water policy, remembers the last time a crisis at the Oroville Dam seemed likely to prompt reform. It was 1997 and the lake risked overflowing, while levees further downstream failed and several people died. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Fires, floods, earthquakes add up to plenty of California disaster declarations -- This year’s heavy rains and the ongoing crisis at Oroville Dam recently prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to do what he and his predecessors have done many times before: ask for federal help. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Politifact: Lawmaker misleads in claims about Oroville dam crisis -- Republican state Assemblyman Travis Allen recently claimed the Oroville Dam emergency in Northern California "was entirely avoidable." The Orange County lawmaker also blamed Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown for the crisis. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 2/17/17
Sempra unleashes controversy with lobbying on rival electricity program -- The region’s largest energy provider has been lobbying elected officials for months concerning an increasingly popular electricity program that would give residents and businesses an alternative to San Diego Gas & Electric — even though the company and its critics disagree on whether it has state approval to do so. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/17/17
Lines softening on San Francisco funding of public defense for immigrants -- San Francisco supervisors indicated Thursday they would be willing to provide Public Defender J eff Adachi with funding to hire more attorneys to defend detained immigrants facing deportation proceedings. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Immigration protests may have hiked school absences -- Attendance was down at some San Diego schools Thursday amid a nationwide “day without immigrants” protest of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/17/17
Rep. Norma Torres says the GOP kicked her out of immigration meeting -- Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona, is among a group of Congressional Hispanic Caucus members who said Republicans kicked them out of a meeting with the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thursday, Feb. 16. Jeff Horseman in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 2/17/17
A 'Day Without Immigrants' sweeps through Orange County, Southern California -- The “Day Without Immigrants” played out locally with mixed participation, as some people joined the national push to skip school or close their stores while others found different ways to tell Trump administration that immigrants are essential players in the national economy and culture. Grace Wyler and Alejandra Molina in the Orange County Register -- 2/17/17
‘Day Without Immigrants’ observed across Bay Area and beyond -- Rahban Algazzali of San Leandro regrets the decision he made Nov. 8, which his friends and family have not let him forget. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Valley businesses close, students stay home in A Day Without Immigrants demonstration -- A range of Valley businesses – from convenience stores to a taco truck, a tea shop to the cafe at Fresno City Hall – closed Thursday and took part in A Day Without Immigrants, a nationwide effort to show how critical they are to the nation’s economy and daily life. Barbara Anderson and Bethany Clough in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/17
Pressure for town halls ratchets up; Issa not biting -- Republican Congressman Darrell Issa isn’t bowing to growing demands from some constituents that he hold an in-person town hall in his district next week while he and other representatives are home on a congressional break. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/17/17
California joins brief challenging travel ban to support Iraqi pair who worked for the U.S. government -- California has joined a third amicus brief in support of a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s travel ban, this time backing two Iraqi visa holders who were detained by officers at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport despite having done work for the U.S. government. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Lee: Trump could scapegoat H-1B visas for immigration goals -- Republicans may just have found their next Export-Import Bank. But instead of going after an obscure federal agency that helps U.S. businesses sell machinery overseas, the new target is a program highly prized by Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies, including Google, Apple and Facebook, which want to hire highly skilled foreign workers. Thomas Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Metro beefing up service for two big weekend protests in downtown LA -- Metro is stepping up its service for two protest rallies that are expected to draw thousands of people to downtown Los Angeles on Saturday and Monday, the agency said. The Free the People Immigrant March is on Saturday at Pershing Square followed by the Not My President’s Day Rally on Monday at City Hall. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/17/17
Oakland ‘retracts’ policy for police to report illegal warehouses -- Oakland’s assistant police chief ordered officers Thursday to immediately begin reporting unpermitted parties and illegally converted warehouses to their superiors — but in an erratic about-face, city officials rescinded the policy four hours later. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Vatican inequality talks start in California farm heartland -- Pope Francis said that "no people is criminal and no religion is terrorist" in a welcome letter read aloud at a conference on economic inequality that opened Thursday in the small farming city in California. Janie Har Associated Press -- 2/17/17
Walters: Rendon tires of Trump talk, while de León keeps ranting -- For the past four weeks, ever since Republicans took total control of the federal government, California politicians have been throwing a hissy fit. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Sen. Dianne Feinstein to raise money in Los Angeles for her reelection bid -- Feinstein, 83, has not officially announced that she will seek a fifth term. She recently had a pacemaker installed, leading to speculation among California Democrats eyeing her seat. But she hinted that she does plan to seek reelection in a recent radio interview. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Inspired by Measure S, California lawmaker takes aim at anti-growth ballot measures -- A Los Angeles lawmaker wants to make it harder for cities and counties to slow development in their communities, a response to decades of local ballot measures in Los Angeles and across California that have tried to restrain growth. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
California lawmaker resurrects his effort to end daylight saving time -- Daylight saving time won last year, but Assemblyman Kansen Chu wants a rematch. The San Jose Democrat has introduced another bill targeting the divisive biannual changing of our clocks. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Republicans in the California Assembly propose bills they say will limit voter fraud — including showing a photo ID -- Republicans in the state Assembly introduced a variety of bills on Thursday that they said would limit instances of voter fraud in California, weeks after President Trump's unproven accusations of widespread problems in the state and elsewhere. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Antonio Villaraigosa scoops up contribution from fellow former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has chipped in to boost the gubernatorial bid of a fellow Angeleno ex-mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. Riordan, a Republican who served as mayor from 1993 to 2001, gave $14,100 to Villaraigosa's 2018 campaign committee last week. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
L.A. County supervisors call for action on missed payments from child protection agency -- Los Angeles County supervisors this week called for an inquiry into the “root cause” behind hundreds of missed payments from the county’s child protection agency to foster care parents, group home managers and others depending on public assistance. Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Lobbyist faces fine after inviting L.A. politicians to his $51,000 birthday party downtown -- A longtime lobbyist faces a proposed fine of more than $11,000 for inviting dozens of Los Angeles city officials to a birthday party. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Calbuzz: Dear Mr. So-Called Ruler of the U.S. (SCROTUS) -- Dear Mr. So-Called President: So let me explain to you how this works. You were elected as chief executive of the United States. Leonard Pitts Jr. Calbuzz -- 2/17/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
California legislators propose a $2-billion bond for higher education facilities for the 2018 ballot -- The measure, by Sens. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) and Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), would authorize the sale of $2 billion in general obligation bonds specifically meant for higher education facilities. If the legislation passes, the bonds would go before the voters in the 2018 general election. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Facebook’s Zuckerberg Pushes Globalization as Some U.S. Leaders Turn Inward -- “Our greatest opportunities are now global,” Zuckerberg wrote in a 5,800-word post on the social network. “Our greatest challenges also need global responses — like ending terrorism, fighting climate change, and preventing pandemics. Progress now requires humanity coming together not just as cities or nations, but also as a global community.” Queena Sook Kim KQED Mike Isaac in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/17
California fights to keep state-run retirement plan option -- California legislators are fighting a resolution in Congress that could derail plans to create a state-run retirement plan for private-sector employees who don’t have one at work. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Why San Francisco keeps losing tech conferences -- When Google co-founder Sergey Brin wanted to make a splash with a new piece of technology in 2012, he orchestrated an elaborate display that landed skydivers on the roof of Moscone West, with the dome of the Westfield San Francisco Centre in the background. Wendy Lee and Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Hate
Map shows where Northern California's hate groups can be found -- While the overall number of hate groups in the U.S. showed a modest increase in 2016, from 892 to 917, the number of anti-Muslim hate groups nearly tripled, from 34 to 101, the center said. The election of President Donald Trump has rallied white supremacist organizations and fueled ethnic animosity, according to the center. Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Hate crimes rose in Orange County after November election, commission says -- Orange County hate crimes are outpacing recent years since the November presidential election, sparked by the political rhetoric targeting undocumented immigrants and Muslims, says the county group that promotes human relations. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 2/17/17
Education
OCC student facing suspension over secret anti-Trump recording gets support from across the country -- Orange Coast College has received hundreds of calls and e-mails from people who want the school to lift its suspension and other sanctions against a student who secretly video-recorded an instructor making anti-Trump statements. “We’re hearing from random people across the country,” said college spokesman Doug Bennett. Most are in support of Caleb O’Neil, he said. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 2/17/17
Rethinking classroom design to promote creativity and collaboration -- One area that has remained relatively untouched by Silicon Valley’s famed “disruptive” ethos is the design of public school classrooms, which for the most part have remained essentially unchanged since the one-room schoolhouse. Michael Collier EdSource -- 2/17/17
Cannabis
California lawmaker raises possibility of delaying licensing of recreational marijuana sales -- Amid concerns that California may not be ready to issue licenses for the sale of marijuana by next year, one state lawmaker raised the possibility Thursday of the Legislature stepping in to delay taxes and permits. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl thinks LA County should think about pot like it does alcohol -- Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl thinks that marijuana should be treated like alcohol. That's an important thing to know, because she's the one leading the charge on how L.A. County is going to regulate cannabis. Jacob Margolis KPCC -- 2/17/17
Immigration / Border
Mexico Senators, California Lawmakers Discuss Plans For Those Who May Be Deported -- A delegation of Mexican senators met with California Democratic lawmakers over the past two days to talk about what they can do to help undocumented immigrants who may be at risk of deportation under President Donald Trump. Sally Schilling Capital Public Radio -- 2/17/17
Federal immigration raids net many without criminal records, sowing fear -- The reports of seemingly random arrests, of ICE agents appearing during the day outside schools, shelters and apartment blocks, have sent a palpable wave of fear through the nation’s immigrant communities. Arelis R. Hernández, Wesley Lowery and Abigail Hauslohner in the Washington Post$ -- 2/17/17
Environment
Erosion, High Flows From Storms Benefit Native Species -- The state's rivers and streams are now chocolate-colored, heavy with dirt or sediment. While it might not look attractive, from an ecological standpoint it's good news, especially for native salmon. Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 2/17/17
Health
San Diego VA health system regains four-star rating -- San Diego VA officials announced Thursday that their health system has regained its four-star rating — after dropping to three stars several months ago — based on performance from October 2015 through September of last year. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/17/17
Case of tuberculosis reported at Fairfield high school -- Eric Tretten, the principal of Armijo High School, where the illness was reported, said that the Solano County Public Health Department was working with school officials to “mitigate the risk to students and staff.” Michael Bodley in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Republican Health Care Proposal Would Cover Fewer Low-Income Families -- The outline plan is likely to take away some of the financial help low-income families get through Obamacare subsidies, and also result in fewer people being covered under the Medicaid health care program for the poor. Alison Kodjak KQED -- 2/17/17
Also . . .
San Francisco pet stores can no longer sell non-rescue animals -- The board unanimously voted to amend the health code "to prohibit pet stores from selling dogs or cats not obtained from animal rescue organizations or shelters." The amendment will also prohibit "the sale of puppies or kittens under eight weeks old." Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
POTUS 45
Trump’s base unfazed by recent allegations, criticisms -- While a growing number of Republicans in Congress are calling for investigations into the Trump campaign’s communications with Russia last year, the president himself Thursday dismissed the story as “fake news” based on “illegal” leaks. And that’s good enough for Trump’s supporters. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Trump’s Pick to Replace Flynn Turns Down the Job -- Robert S. Harward, the retired vice admiral and former Navy SEAL who was President Trump’s top choice to replace his ousted national security adviser, on Thursday turned down the post in the latest setback for a White House already in turmoil. Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Eric Schmidt in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/17
Donald Trump's grievance-filled news conference, in less than 5 minutes -- The president spoke to and took questions from reporters at the White House for more than an hour, Feb. 16. Here are key moments from that event. The video is in the Washington Post$ -- 2/17/17
The dizzying, mesmerizing Trump show -- The president's frenzied and meandering press conference Thursday was illustrative of his first month in office. Todd S. Purdum Politico -- 2/17/17
Trump's silence on a documented rise in episodes of anti-Semitism is 'mind-boggling,' group says -- For a second straight day, President Trump refused to directly address questions Thursday about a documented rise in anti-Semitic episodes in the United States, prompting renewed concern from prominent Jewish groups. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Trump's attacks on CNN aren't hurting it one bit -- President Trump keeps calling CNN fake news, but his administration’s positive effect on the cable news network’s business is real. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Trump commerce pick Wilbur Ross faces new Russia questions -- Commerce Secretary-nominee Wilbur Ross, still awaiting confirmation, faces new questions about his banking ties to Russia, the latest member of the Trump team to be embroiled in the controversy over alleged ties to the Kremlin. Kevin G. Hall McClatchy DC -- 2/17/17
AP Fact Check: Trump’s Claim He Inherited a Mess -- President Donald Trump on Thursday made a messy case that he "inherited a mess" from his predecessor. Economic stats and territorial losses of Islamic State insurgents don't support his assertions about the problems handed to him on those fronts. A look at some of his claims in a news conference Thursday and how they compare with the facts: Josh Boak and Calvin Woodward Associated Press -- 2/17/17
AP Fact Check: Misplaced blame for nomination failure -- The abrupt withdrawal of the nomination of President Donald Trump's pick for labor secretary brought swift blame from press secretary Sean Spicer, who said Democrats had "a double standard" for his party's president and former President Barack Obama. But it was only the Republicans who had the power to kill the nomination of fast-food executive Andrew Puzder. A look at the reality: Jim Drinkard Associated Press -- 2/17/17
Trump Calls Press ‘Dishonest,’ Then Utters Falsehoods of His Own -- President Trump took aim at reporters on Thursday for more than an hour at an impromptu White House news conference. “The press has become so dishonest,” he said, and not talking about it would be “doing a tremendous disservice to the American people.” He added that the “level of dishonesty is out of control.” Nicholas Fandos in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/17
Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a ‘logistical nightmare’ — at taxpayer expense -- On Friday, President Trump and his entourage will jet for the third straight weekend to a working getaway at his oceanfront Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. On Saturday, Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr., with their Secret Service details in tow, will be nearly 8,000 miles away in the United Arab Emirates, attending the grand opening of a Trump-brand golf resort in the “Beverly Hills of Dubai.” Drew Harwell, Amy Brittain and Jonathan O'Connell in the Washington Post$ -- 2/17/17
--Thursday Updates
Rain runoff may have undermined Oroville Dam's concrete spillway, report says -- Rainwater erosion alongside the Oroville Dam’s main spillway appears to have contributed to the heavy damage that prompted a crisis, forcing more than 100,000 to be evacuated from their homes, a report reviewed by The Times showed. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/16/17
The White House has found ways to end protection for Dreamers while shielding Trump from blowback -- While President Trump wavered Thursday on whether he will stop shielding from deportation people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, his aides have identified at least two ways to quietly end their protections without his fingerprints. Brian Bennett and Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/16/17
Trump says ‘I inherited a mess,’ blasts media and detractors at combative news conference -- President Trump on Thursday aired his grievances against the news media, the intelligence community and his detractors generally in a sprawling, stream-of-consciousness news conference that alternated between claims that he had “inherited a mess” and the assertion that his fledgling administration “is running like a fine-tuned machine.” Ashley Parker in the Washington Post$ Peter Baker in the New York Times$ Louis Nelson Politico Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ Darlene Superville and Ken Thomas Associated Press -- 2/16/17
NBC’s Peter Alexander gives Trump in-person fact check -- President Donald Trump, after lambasting the media as “dishonest people,” received an in-person fact check from NBC’s Peter Alexander at a White House news conference Thursday on a false statement the president had made moments earlier, leaving Trump blaming staff for giving him the wrong information. Matthew Nussbaum Politico -- 2/16/17
Ex-Palm Springs mayor and 2 developers charged with corruption involving $375,000 in bribes -- The former mayor of Palm Springs and two major developers in the city were charged Thursday with public corruption and other felonies in a scheme that netted the one-time city leader $375,000 in bribes, according to the Riverside County district attorney. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/16/17
A Day Without Immigrants’ shuts down businesses across Bay Area -- With signs of solidarity taped to their doors, restaurants and businesses across the Bay Area abruptly shut down operations on Thursday, joining a national protest to show America what it’s like to live “A Day Without Immigrants.” Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/16/17
Supermarket chain La Superior closes Sacramento locations for ‘Day Without Immigrants’ protest -- The local supermarket chain La Superior has closed its Sacramento, Woodland and Yuba City locations for the day in solidarity with a nationwide protest against President Donald Trump’s promise to build a wall along the country’s southern border. Nashelly Chavez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/16/17
'Day without Immigrants' hits San Diego County businesses -- Dubbed by organizers as a “Day Without Immigrants,” the protest is in response to recent roundups of undocumented immigrants, as well as the Trump administration’s recently halted immigration ban on people coming from seven Muslim-majority countries. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/16/17
Anti-Semitic notes left at homes and Jewish center in Ventura County neighborhood -- Residents discovered the handwritten notes in the unincorporated community of Oak Park about 8 p.m. Saturday. The notes were found outside seven homes and the Chabad of Oak Park, according to Det. Tim Lohman of the sheriff’s office. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/16/17
PG&E profits jump amid rising customer bills -- PG&E profits soared in the fourth quarter, an increase powered primarily by the favorable timing of a rate case and sharp rises in customers’ gas bills. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/16/17
Storm headed to Oroville Dam area carries 10 inches of rain, revised forecast warns -- Spillway repairs at the troubled Oroville Dam will get their first major test this weekend, as meteorologists have revised their forecast and are now predicting a much wetter and warmer storm outlook. Joseph Serna and Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/16/17
For California Republicans, the political landscape is getting worse -- In a state where Democrats control every statewide office and super-majorities in both houses of the Legislature, California Republicans have long pointed to local government as one reason to hold out hope. David Siders Politico -- 2/16/17
Horsey: Factual leaks infuriate a president who tweets nonsense -- It’s no fun to live in a house with a leaky roof, so it must be a major pain to live in a house — the White House — that leaks from every crack and corner. David Horsey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/16/17