Updating . .
Lake Tahoe braces for up to five feet of Presidents' Day snow, possible avalanches -- A winter storm that began in the area on Sunday evening and is continuing through Monday could bring up to five feet of snow in areas above 7,500 feet, between eight and 24 inches of snow in areas between 6,500 and 7,500 feet, and up to eight inches below 6,500 feet, according to the National Weather Service. Alyssa Pereira in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/17
It's legal for an immigration agent to pretend to be a police officer outside someone's door. But should it be? -- During a nationwide operation this month by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a team of ICE agents in Los Angeles approached the house of a man targeted for deportation. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
This tiny California town's battle over 'sanctuary city' status started long before Trump -- Maywood’s decision to declare itself a sanctuary city did not sit well with Enrique Curiel. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
Latino laborers fear deportation, but officials tell California farmers not to fret -- Trump’s immigration policies threaten to scatter farm labourers and could disrupt America’s supply of fruit and vegetables – but not everyone is concerned. Rory Carroll The Guardian -- 2/20/17
Why Oakland halted police crackdown on potential Ghost Ships -- Nobody’s saying exactly why Oakland’s assistant police chief sent out an email directing officers to “immediately” begin reporting parties without permits and illegally converted warehouses to their superiors — only to have City Administrator Sabrina Landreth rescind the order hours later. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/17
Ghost Ship fire: Memorial mural in Oakland honors 36 people who perished in warehouse blaze -- As street artist Mel Waters last week was creating a memorial mural in San Francisco’s Clarion Alley, dedicated to a young couple who died in December’s Ghost Ship warehouse fire, across the bay in Oakland his friend Norman “Vogue” Chuck was painting a tribute to all 36 victims of the tragic incident. Tracy Seipel in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/20/17
Taylor: BART cameras a public relations decoy -- On a recent BART ride, I saw a teenager pull out a seat cushion, exposing the springs as well as a crumpled Cheetos bag, a candy bar wrapper and a tissue wad. And there it was: the outlet he needed to charge his phone. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/17
A court is blocking L.A. County sheriff from handing over a list of 300 problem deputies -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has collected the names of about 300 deputies who have a history of past misconduct — such as domestic violence, theft, bribery and brutality — that could damage their credibility if they testify in court. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
Damage to Oroville's main spillway 'was an accident waiting to happen' -- The badly damaged main concrete spillway at Oroville Dam was pounded by massive volumes of stormwater this month, but its failures occurred well short of the maximum flow that engineers designed the system to handle. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
Reservoirs feeding Lake Oroville are filled to brink as more rain rolls in -- Lake Almanor is full. So is Antelope Lake. In fact, all of the nine reservoirs in the Feather River watershed that feed directly into Lake Oroville are brimming with water from recent storms. Jane Braxton Little in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/20/17
'Flood fighting is in our DNA': To live by the Feather River is to know its power and danger -- The early settlers snatched up the rich, loamy land along the Feather River to grow grapes and orchards. Joe Mozingo and Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
One officer dead, another injured in shootout after report of traffic collision in Whittier -- One officer was killed and a second injured in a shootout with a gang member who was wounded in the Monday morning al tercation in Whittier, authorities said. Tony Barboza and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Stephanie K. Baer in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/20/17
CA120: The lowdown on California’s election -- Immediately after the 2016 general election, there were a number of people and organizations who made quick analyses of the electorate to explain what happened. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 2/20/17
California’s Biggest Security Threat? Climate Change, Says Former Adviser -- Charges of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, cybersecurity and terrorism are topics that have recently dominated the national security conversation. But according to Richard Clarke, it’s climate change that poses an imminent threat to our nation’s shores. Sarah Craig KQED -- 2/20/17
For Turlock boy, orphan drug offers hope for rare disease – at high price -- So-called orphan drugs designed to treat rare diseases offer patients some hope of improvement, despite the high price tag. One boy in Turlock who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy has seen some improvement since taking Spinraza, which costs $125,000 a shot. Claudia Buck in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/20/17
Russia's ambassador to United Nations dies suddenly in New York City -- Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, told the Associated Press that the 64-year-old Churkin became ill in his office at Russia's U.N. mission and was taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where he died. His cause of death wasn't immediately known. Associated Press -- 2/20/17
‘Not My President’s Day’ march draws hundreds to downtown LA to denounce Trump -- A growing crowd of anti-Trump protestors gathered outside Los Angeles City Hall Monday morning, using the federal holiday to denounce the current Commander-in-Chief’s policies, as part of a nationwide “Not My President’s Day” rally. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/20/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Oroville Dam is about to face its next big test as a new storm moves into the area -- Engineers and construction crews worked furiously to fortify the Oroville Dam’s damaged spillways and crippled power plant on Sunday as forecasters warned that more heavy rain and possible flooding throughout Northern California were on the way. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
High risk of flooding in Northern California as waterways reach their limits -- Officials said Sunday there is a high risk of flooding in parts of already-saturated Northern California as the latest “atmospheric river” storm moves in. Louis Sahagun and Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Two dams illustrate challenge of maintaining older designs -- Twelve years ago, widespread destruction from Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast helped compel federal engineers 2,000 miles away in California to remake a 1950s-era dam by constructing a massive steel-and-concrete gutter that would manage surging waters in times of torrential storms. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 2/20/17
Skelton: Does California really need more dams? We're running out of places to put them -- You hear this every time there’s a drought or deluge in California: “Why haven’t they built more dams?” Truth is, they’ve built a bunch. And they’re about done with it. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
Nearly 5,000 remain without power from storm-related outages, DWP says -- About 4,800 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers remained without power late Sunday as storm-related outages persisted across Southern California. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
Massive fire in Goleta building that houses Santa Barbara Islamic Society -- Firefighters in Santa Barbara County were battling a three-alarm fire early Monday that broke out at a commercial building that includes a local Islamic Society. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
Bernie Sanders in Los Angeles: 'We are looking at a totally new political world' -- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders got a rock star’s welcome when he spoke in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday in what was theoretically a book tour stop but amounted to more of a political rally, urging progressives to play by new rules as they resist President Trump’s administration. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Party, seniority and expertise help California’s delegation flex political muscle in DC -- Getting ahead in the nation’s capital doesn’t require Frank Underwood’s murderous lust for power or Ned Stark’s arguably naive idealism — we hope. Jeff Horseman in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/19/17
Activist, politician Tom Hayden is remembered at UCLA memorial -- When Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1968, the senator’s family picked Tom Hayden to be an honorary pallbearer at the funeral because the young antiwar activist embodied “the great hope that my father had in the future of our country,” Robert Kennedy Jr. recalled Sunday night at a memorial for Hayden. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Walters: Once again, poll finds voters are ignorant on budget -- It’s been said that ignorance is bliss. If that’s true, California voters must be an especially happy group, because their ignorance of state finances is massive and pervasive. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/19/17
San Francisco Day of Remembrance marks 75th anniversary of internment order -- When Ben Takeshita and his family were sent to Japanese internment camps 75 years ago, he said civil rights organizations told them: Don’t fight. Just go quietly. Four years in an internment camp taught Takeshita, now 86, the opposite lesson. “We realized that you’ve got to fight back and let your voices be heard.” Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/19/17
Some hear echoes of Japanese internment in Trump's immigration plans -- There is a saying, often attributed to Mark Twain, that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. For many Japanese-Americans, it’s rhyming now, as President Donald Trump continues to push for a halt on refugees and immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries tied to terrorism. John Wilkens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/19/17
Calbuzz: How Brown Would Reject Trump Nat’l Guard Plan -- Excloo: Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration, alarmed by a report of a draft plan to mobilize 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, has quietly concluded that the Trump White House legally cannot take command of California’s National Guard short of declaring immigration to be an “invasion.” Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 2/20/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
CalPERS tells four cities pay to avoid pension cuts -- CalPERS has asked four San Gabriel Valley cities that formed a job-training agency 40 years ago, the now-disbanded LA Works, to begin paying down an 18-month-old pension debt totaling $3.37 million. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 2/20/17
Employee ownership may help businesses stay open as Boomers retire -- Working at a pizza shop isn’t usually a career move. But for several workers at a San Jose pizzeria, what started as a temporary gig, a first-time job or a side-hustle might soon turn into one of the biggest investments of their lives. Marissa Lang in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/17
Poverty
Living in poverty, pollution can change everything – even down to the molecular level -- At 42, JePahl White’s life has been filled with surgery scars and misery. He needed two kidney transplants because the first one failed. He also had surgery for a cancerous kidney tumor. Then there was open-heart surgery. He blames the kidney, cancer and heart problems on dirty air, contaminated water and life in a poverty pocket called west Fresno. And he’s not the only one who thinks people in west Fresno face disadvantages. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 2/20/17
Environment
Latest Torrance refinery fire sparks AQMD call for community hearing -- Concerned about repeated problems at the PBF Energy-owned oil refinery in Torrance in the aftermath of a weekend fire, the region’s pollution-control agency said Sunday it plans to conduct a community hearing to get to the bottom of things. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/19/17
Health
Hospitals fear Obamacare repeal would reverse gains -- Little surprises Lynda Sutherland, who has been a licensed vocational nurse for 35 years at San Mateo Medical Center. But in the past few years, Sutherland said, she’s been surprised by what’s missing: the patients who used to return again and again to the public hospital for the same ailments. “They’re just not coming back,” she said. Anna Gorman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/17
San Francisco working on ambitious plan to eliminate hepatitis C -- San Francisco is trying to become the first city in the nation to eliminate hepatitis C, rolling out an ambitious plan that would involve curing everyone who already has it and stopping further spread of the infectious disease, which can cause severe liver damage. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/17
Also . . .
Why the Bob Hope Airport name is changing -- The Valley’s commercial airport has an identity crisis that is being solved with a split personality. Two names will do just fine. Last May, the operators of Bob Hope Airport changed its name to the Hollywood Burbank Airport. This summer they are finally going to make it stick and are already using it on the airport’s website. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/19/17
Darwin BondGraham, Ali Winston Win Prestigious George Polk Award For East Bay Express Series on Oakland Police Scandal -- Long Island University announced recipients of the 68th annual awards this evening. The two journalists join reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, ProPublica, and more as winners in one of 14 categories. Recipients in previous years include Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Norman Mailer, Seymour Hersh, Glenn Greenwald, and many more. Nick Miller East Bay Express -- 2/19/17
POTUS 45
A Back-Channel Plan for Ukraine and Russia, Courtesy of Trump Associates -- A week before Michael T. Flynn resigned as national security adviser, a sealed proposal was hand-delivered to his office, outlining a way for President Trump to lift sanctions against Russia. Megan Twohey and Scott Shane in the New York Times$ -- 2/20/17
Sweden: It's 'unclear to us what President Trump was referring to' -- President Trump’s mysterious reference to a frightening security episode in Sweden prompted a deluge of online ridicule — and an official request for an explanation Sunday from a Nordic country that prides itself on tranquility. Laura King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/20/17
Democrats seek to quell Trump impeachment talk -- They call it the ‘I’ word. Just a month into Donald Trump’s presidency, Democratic Party leaders are trying to rein in the talk of impeachment that’s animating the grass roots, the product of a restive base demanding deeper and more aggressive investigations into Trump’s ties to Russia. Gabriel Debenedetti Politico -- 2/20/17
Reality collides with Trump's promises -- Despite dizzying sound and fury, the president failed to halt immigration from Muslim countries, to label China a currency manipulator, to deliver a serious plan for funding his border wall or to repeal Obamacare—all among his many promises during last year’s campaign. He even weakened ethics rules affecting lobbyists, in the guise of a promised ban. Eli Stokols Politico -- 2/20/17
-- Sunday Updates
FEC Democratic member Ann Ravel resigns post -- A Democratic member of the Federal Election Commission with ties to Santa Clara County resigned her post on Sunday, citing ongoing gridlock over the issue of campaign finance abuses. Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ Mary Lynne Vellinga in the Sacramento Bee$ Rebecca Morin Politico Eric Lichtblau in the New York Times$ Matea Gold in the Washington Post$ -- 2/19/17
Disturbing deficiencies seen in California’s dam safety efforts -- The dam burst on a warm afternoon, unleashing nearly 300 million gallons of muddy water on a Los Angeles neighborhood. Five people died and dozens of homes were swept off their foundations and destroyed. In the aftermath of the 1963 Baldwin Hills Dam catastrophe, the state strengthened inspection regulations, helping establish California as a modern leader in dam safety. Joaquin Palomino and Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/19/17
Government severely misjudged strength of Oroville emergency spillway, sparking a crisis -- Interviews and records suggest that the near-catastrophe grew out of fundamental problems with the original design of the emergency spillway that were never corrected despite questions about its adequacy. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
High risk of flooding in Northern California as waterways reach their limits -- Officials said Sunday there is a high risk of flooding in parts of already-saturated Northern California as the latest “atmospheric river” storm moves in. Louis Sahagun and Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Licensed marijuana businesses operate in the shadows without access to banks -- Sometime next year, the most populous state in the nation will let licensed recreational pot sellers start cashing in on a multibillion-dollar industry. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/19/17
These California teachers mocked students for skipping school on immigrant boycott day -- Six high school employees in a predominantly Latino district in Southern California were placed on administrative leave after they posted social-media comments insulting students who skipped classes to participate in the “Day Without Immigrants” protest. Kristine Guerra in the Washington Post$ -- 2/19/17
California's Democrats are trying to harness a new wave of progressive energy -- San Diego Rep. Scott Peters has held town halls for years. The reality? It was common for the Democrat’s staff to outnumber the constituents who showed up. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Taking on Trump puts Kamala Harris in spotlight -- If nothing else, the election of President Trump has upped the profile of California’s new junior senator, Kamala Harris. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/19/17
Trump widens a generation gap in Vietnamese community: Older hard-liners vs. liberal youths -- Steve Tran lifted the lid on the news rack along Little Saigon’s Moran Street and exclaimed: “Great man!” Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Treason! It's a provocative charge being leveled against Trump, and one that rarely amounts to much -- The word is hurled like a thunderbolt: Treason! There are few more serious charges than taking up the cause of America’s enemies and colluding to undermine the country from within. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Abcarian: President Trump is a 'world class narcissist,' but he's not mentally ill, says the psychiatrist who helped define narcissism -- I watched President Trump’s news conference the other day, and I thought: He’s kind of crazy. Not crazy crazy. But you know, just weird. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/19/17
Orange County emerging as battleground in movement to counter Trump -- They parade to GOP Congressional offices in Orange County each week, as many as a hundred at time, fueled by worries over President Donald Trump’s policies and appointments, his temperament and competence. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 2/19/17
Mayor: San Diego Police Not Focused on Immigration Enforcement -- Mayor Kevin Faulconer said Sunday the San Diego Police Department‘s focus will be on enforcing local laws “rather than immigration issues.” The statement was in response to a protest by 2,000 on Saturday that demanded San Diego designate itself a sanctuary city in the wake of President Trump’s anti-immigration policies. Chris Jennewein Times of San Diego -- 2/19/17
Nunes eyes many national security issues ahead for Trump -- The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee suggested Sunday that the ousting of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as White House national security adviser doesn’t top the list of national security concerns. Hanna Trudo Politico -- 2/19/17
Schiff readies a lot of questions for Flynn -- The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says he has a lot of questions for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who was ousted last week as President Donald Trump's national security adviser. Hanna Trudo Politico -- 2/19/17
Panetta warns Trump's National Security Council is 'dysfunctional' -- Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he's concerned about the fractured national security structure and lack of preparedness within the new Trump administration to handle a crisis. Hanna Trudo Politico -- 2/19/17
Some hear echoes of Japanese internment in Trump's immigration plans -- There is a saying, often attributed to Mark Twain, that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. John Wilkens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/19/17
McSwain: Trump's wall looms over San Diego -- When candidate Donald Trump kept saying he wanted to wall off Mexico, I naturally wise-cracked that his real goal must be to keep the Mexicans in, because too many were leaving the United States. Dan McSwain in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/19/17
Why border boycotts, slowdowns and taxes are a big deal in San Diego -- The pervasive anxiety about a possible reworking of the North American Free Trade Agreement — and talk by President Donald Trump of a tax — can be gleaned from a recent post by John Nienstedt, president and CEO of Competitive Edge Research & Communication. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/19/17
Talbot: Washington’s coup fever heats up -- The hubbub for a coup — on the left and right — grows louder by the day. William Kristol, a leader of the neoconservative anti-Trump pack, is among those who has tweeted his secret longing to be saved by Big Brother: “Obviously strongly prefer normal democratic and constitutional politics. But if it comes to it, prefer the deep state to the Trump state.” David Talbot in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/19/17