Updating . .
Ballot measures aim to rein in LA’s unruly marijuana market -- The marijuana market in Los Angeles is, by most accounts, the largest in the United States. It’s estimated to rival the entire state of Colorado’s billion-dollar industry, with perhaps 1,000 retail shops plus untold cultivators, delivery services, testing labs, edibles bakers and concentrate makers operating in the city – even before legalized recreational marijuana sales kick in next year. Brooke Staggs in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/25/17
Celebrities launch pot brands as California legalizes drug -- Country singer Willie Nelson, the children of the late reggae icon Bob Marley and comedian Whoopi Goldberg are just a few of the growing number of celebrities publicly jumping into the marijuana industry and eyeing the California pot market, which is expected to explode after voters legalized the recreational use of weed. Paul Elias Associated Press -- 2/25/17
Developers are finally taking interest in South L.A. Will Measure S kill those dreams? -- For decades, residents of South L.A. felt as though the develop ment boom reshaping parts of Los Angeles was passing them by. Angel Jennings and Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
The luxury housing that Measure S would stop doesn’t actually require many evictions -- Eve Hars, undergoing chemotherapy for Stage 3 breast cancer, was facing eviction. A developer had purchased her rent-controlled Echo Park bungalow to level it and build new housing. Andrew Khouri and Ben Poston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Bridge failure severs Big Sur’s ties to outside world -- Storms have wreaked hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage to California’s roads and bridges, but nowhere is the problem more obvious than on a stretch of Highway 1 just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, where the last link to the rest of civilization is about to slide down a hillside. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/17
Oakland police chief: ‘Change agent’ looks to begin new role Monday -- Anne Kirkpatrick has a knack for stepping into embattled police departments. She sees herself as a “change agent” — a consummate outsider able to step in and steer sinking ships away from the abyss. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/17
Officer who discharged gun during Anaheim scuffle with teenager was in fear for his life, his lawyer says -- A lawyer for the Los Angeles Police Department officer who discharged a gun while in a scuffle with teenagers in Anaheim earlier this week said Friday that his client feared for his and his sick father's safety during the incident and still does because of the subsequent protests. Alma Fausto in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/17
Muhammad Ali's son detained at Florida airport and questioned about his religion, lawyer says -- Muhammad Ali Jr., the son of America's legendary boxing champion and civil rights hero, is considering legal action after he was detained at a Florida airport and questioned about his religion, the family’s lawyer said Saturday. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Faulconer has sought more than $1 million in donations for local causes -- Mayor Kevin Faulconer has sought and received more than $1 million in contributions for his favorite causes since he was elected in 2014, and the value of the solicitations has been growing by the year. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/17
Fox: Boycott the Oscars? Heck, Boycott Everything! -- The focus of the political world will be on California Sunday when several political speeches are bound to take over the Oscars. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/25/17
California Republicans mostly united behind Trump at state GOP convention -- A flurry of smartphone snapshots with a cardboard Donald Trump and blazing red “Make California Great Again” hats signaled that many of the GOP delegates at the California Republican Party convention this weekend have embraced the new president and his aggressive tactics to shift the nation to the right. Christine Mai-Duc, Seema Mehta and Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Democrats Elect Tom Perez Party Chairman -- Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee Saturday, giving the party an establishment leader at a moment when its grass roots wing is insurgent. Reid J. Epstein and Janet Hook in the Wall Street Journal$ David Weigel in the Washington Post$ Evan Halper in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Mexico rejects U.S. plan to deport Central Americans to Mexico -- Mexico has informed the Trump administration that it cannot accept non-Mexican nationals whom U.S. authorities arrest along the border and seek to remove from U.S. territory, the nation’s internal security chief said Friday. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom asks Trump for cooperation with California on marijuana regulation -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading supporter of Proposition 64, sent a letter to President Trump on Friday, urging him not to carry through with threats to launch a federal enforcement effort against recreational marijuana firms that will be legalized in California. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Issa calls for special prosecutor on Russian interference in election -- Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, said on Friday that a special prosecutor needs to lead an investigation into the alleged ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s regime. Ricky Young in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Hollywood stars call for activism against Trump at ‘United Voices’ rally -- Using their names and fame to stand against what they call President Donald Trump’s policies of “exclusion and division,” some of Hollywood’s biggest movie and television stars addressed a crowd of hundreds Friday at the United Voices rally in support of immigrant rights and creative expression. Matthew Carey and Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Lindsey Bhar Associated Press -- 2/25/17
Syrian who worked on nominated film can't attend Oscars -- U.S. immigration authorities are barring entry to a 21-year-old Syrian cinematographer who worked on a harrowing film about his nation's civil war, "The White Helmets," that has been nominated for an Academy Award. Bradley Klapper Associated Press -- 2/25/17
Morain: Kevin McCarthy displays his clout, for good and ill -- As he regularly does, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was mining for Silicon Valley campaign money at a fundraiser at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco this month. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/17
Billionaire Tom Steyer torches President Trump in Sonoma County Democrats fundraiser -- Like a football coach delivering a pregame pep talk, billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer urged a crowd of more than 800 Democrats Friday night to fight what he called President Donald Trump’s effort to roll back core California values. Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press -- 2/25/17
Rep. Steve Knight will ask attendees at his town hall next week to provide ID to prove they live in his district -- Rep. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster) will hold a town hall meeting in Palmdale next Saturday after weeks of pressure from constituents and protesters for an in-person meeting with the congressman. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Nunes on speaker’s circuit from Bakersfield to Monterey, but not at a town hall -- Devin Nunes of Tulare, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, will end his week much as it began – as a featured speaker during a gathering of devoted conservatives. Tad Weber in the Fresno Bee -- 2/25/17
Dianne Feinstein banters with protesters asking for town hall: ‘I kind of enjoy it’ -- The San Francisco chapter of Indivisible, a liberal organizing group that has shown up in force at constituent meetings across the country in recent weeks to “resist” the Trump administration’s agenda, crashed a talk with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Friday asking the veteran Democrat to host a town hall. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/17
Activists chastise Democratic members of Congress for a lack of town halls in their districts -- Though the majority of protests during Congress' week back home have focused on California's 14 Republican members, some activists are voicing frustration with Democrats who didn't hold town halls while they were in their districts. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Feds deny request to keep Don Pedro Reservoir spillway open; closure could come Monday -- Federal officials on Friday denied a request to keep the Don Pedro Reservoir spillway open, to the chagrin of operators concerned about future storm runoff in their Tuolumne River watershed. John Holland in the Modesto Bee -- 2/25/17
Brown to redirect millions for flood-control measures at dams -- Gov. Jerry Brown announced plans Friday to invest millions of dollars in flood-control measures, improve dam inspections and require all state-regulated dam owners to have plans in place to deal with emergencies. Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio Katie Orr KQED Christopher Cadelago and Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/17
Storm-Lashed California Roads, Dams Could Cost $1B To Fix -- The bill to repair California's crumbling roads, dams and other critical infrastructure hammered by an onslaught of storms this winter could top $1 billion, including nearly $600 million alone for damaged roadways that more than doubles what the state budgeted for road repair emergencies, officials said Friday. Scott Smith Associated Press -- 2/25/17
On the Front Lines at Oroville Dam: Little Sleep, Lots of OT -- When the first alarms went out earlier this month that Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway might collapse, a “small city” sprang up almost overnight on the hillsides flanking the imperiled dam. Wartime metaphors also came to mind. Craig Miller KQED -- 2/25/17
Hundreds return home as questions swirl about surprise flood -- Hundreds more residents were cleared to return to their homes Friday, and city officials said they don’t believe any houses were damaged beyond repair after Coyote Creek overspilled its banks Tuesday in San Jose’s worst flooding in decades. Ramona Giwargis in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/17
'This happened in my city. I am responsible': San Jose mayor vows to fix alert issues in flooding -- San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo assumed responsibility Friday for failing to properly notify thousands of residents who were forced to flee as floodwaters inundated their neighborhoods this week. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
California Republicans Hope Trump Brings More Dam Construction To The State -- Even though California Republicans are on the wrong end of a super majority in the State Legislature, they hope a Trump presidency will help them achieve some of their goals when it comes to water storage. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 2/25/17
California Republicans see a way out of irrelevance in the era of Trump -- Sen. Jeff Stone’s annual trip to the Governor’s Mansion for dinner felt different this year. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/17
At California’s GOP convention, delegates embracing Trump -- With a Republican in the White House but a state party marginalized in the state Capitol, the California GOP is in a tough, strange spot. Just one in four registered voters in California is a Republican, and the state voted 2-to-1 for Democrat Hillary Clinton. Katy Murphy in the East Bay Times -- 2/25/17
At Republican state convention, conservative radio host and former Trump critic Hugh Hewitt accentuates the positive -- Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who called on Donald Trump to step aside as the Republican presidential nominee late in the campaign, spent much of his speech praising the president's policies and appointees that he agrees with. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
California Republicans to consider resolutions on 'sanctuary cities,' Obamacare at state convention -- California Republicans meeting for their annual convention will vote Sunday on resolutions supporting President Trump’s efforts to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities, increase vetting of immigrants from certain Muslim-majority countries and repeal Obamacare. Seema Mehta and Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Sheriff's Department demands halt to Measure S mailers that mimic eviction notices -- Lawyers representing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department sent a letter Friday demanding that the backers of Measure S stop sending out mailers that mimic eviction notices. Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Sacramento Mayor Steinberg opens side business as consultant -- Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg on Friday announced he will open his own consulting firm as a side business to his elected duties. Steinberg said in a letter to the city that the eponymous consultancy will have two clients to begin: The California Hospital Association and Meristem, a private educational facility for those on the autism spectrum. Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/17
Capitol Weekly Podcast: Chris Austin -- As floods ravage San Jose and the spillway of the Oroville Dam continues to erode, we're joined by California's essential water policy blogger, Chris Austin, of Maven's Notebook, to talk about water storage, conveyance, subsidence, aquifers, the Yolo Causeway and of course, the Twin Tunnels project. And we find out why one of the state's most closely read water policy blogs has such an odd name. Link Here -- 2/25/17
LAPD Human Trafficking Task Force finds San Fernando teen girl missing for a month -- Authorities on Friday said a 15-year-old girl who went missing in San Fernando more than a month ago was found with the efforts of the LAPD Operation-Valley Bureau Human Trafficking Task Force. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/25/17
Oakland officers again ordered to report unauthorized parties -- Oakland’s assistant police chief ordered officers Friday to immediately begin reporting unpermitted events up the chain of command — a policy developed in response to the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in December. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/17
New Oakland police chief has high hopes for troubled force -- Anne Kirkpatrick doesn’t throw around the word “reform” when discussing Oakland’s troubled police department. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
San Francisco firm spills internet users’ data in massive leak -- San Francisco internet-services firm Cloudflare has been leaking internet users’ personal data out into the digital world, possibly for months. Potentially affected? Just about everyone who uses the internet. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/17
San Francisco man offers free rides to passengers who #DeleteUber -- Michael Morgenstern set out with a mission: To persuade strangers to take a ride in his car. But he wasn’t doing it for money. Morgenstern, a filmmaker, was interested in a different kind of compensation — a quid pro quo. The rules were simple: To get a free ride, all someone had to do was delete their Uber account. Marissa Lang in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/17
Transit
Golden Gate Ferry to take over operation of Tiburon commuter run -- The kerfuffle over the future of the Tiburon commuter ferry has ended peacefully, and Golden Gate Ferry will take over operation of the route in March, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District announced. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/17
Education
What Parents Of Students With Special Needs Can Expect Under San Diego Unified Cuts -- Several San Diego Unified employees spoke out at Tuesday’s board meeting against layoffs proposed as part of a plan to cut $124 million from next year’s budget. They included occupational therapy assistants, who help children with special needs develop motor skills and perform daily tasks, and special education assistants and technicians at dozens of school sites. Megan Burks KPBS -- 2/25/17
Ukiah school district declares itself a safe haven for immigrants -- The resolution, adopted last week, clarifies and reinforces laws and school policies in place to protect students and their families. It was intended to quell the concerns of the community, parents and students in light of President Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Glenda Anderson in the Santa Rosa Press -- 2/25/17
An inside, outside election season for L.A. teachers union -- For Los Angeles teachers, the current political season packs a one-two punch. On Monday, ballots are counted to determine who will lead their union. Just over a week later, voters decide on three pivotal L.A. school board seats. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
UC regents unanimously approve Georgia Tech dean as new chancellor for UC Davis -- University of California regents unanimously approved a new chancellor for UC Davis on Thursday, tapping a Georgia Tech dean who is widely praised for his engineering brilliance, administrative skills and effective advocacy for underrepresented minority students. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Cannabis
California officials and the marijuana industry are ready to fight a federal crackdown -- Warned of a possible federal crackdown on marijuana, California elected officials and cannabis industry leaders said Friday they were preparing for a potential showdown in the courts and Congress to protect the legalization measure approved by state voters in November. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
Newsom calls Spicer’s marijuana take ‘grossly uninformed’ -- The day after White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer warned states of “greater enforcement” of federal laws against marijuana use by President Trump’s Justice Department, Lt. Gavin Newsom called Spicer’s comments “grossly uninformed.” Michael Bodley in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/17
Dispensary seeks to enter recreational pot market, but county says no -- Now the company wants to branch into recreational marijuana in the wake of last year’s passage of Proposition 64, which legalized recreational use of marijuana by adults in California. But taking advantage of the business opportunity in conservative Tulare County is proving difficult for the company. Lewis Griswold in the Fresno Bee -- 2/25/17
Immigration / Border
Parents Who Pay for Undocumented Children to Enter U.S. Could Be Prosecuted -- Immigrant parents who pay smugglers to bring their undocumented children into the United States could face criminal prosecution or deportation, under new directives issued by the Department of Homeland Security this week. Farida Jhabvala Romero KQED -- 2/25/17
Immigration officials abruptly announce end to controversial contract at Santa Ana Jail -- Under mounting pressure from immigrant rights leaders, Santa Ana officials announced last year their plan to end a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house immigration detainees. Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
LA councilman pledges $1 million in grants for immigrants’ legal services -- Saying the lives of immigrants have become more uncertain under President Donald Trump’s policies, a Los Angeles councilman Friday announced more than $1 million in grants for three immigrant advocacy groups aimed at providing legal help to immigrants facing deportation or to help them gain citizenship. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/25/17
Environment
Why Southern California officials want tougher truck emission limits -- Southern California air-quality officials say they need the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt regulations requiring low-polluting big rig trucks if they hope to have any chance of meeting federal smog standards. David Danelski in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/25/17
143 million gallons of sewage spill into Tijuana River -- About 143 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Tijuana River during a period of more than two weeks, said a report released Friday. No other sewage spill in the greater San Diego-Tijuana region has approached this magnitude in years, according to the environmental group Wildcoast. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/17
Also . . .
Sonoma County judge replaces presidential portrait with... an orange? -- Still-life exhibit or political statement? That’s a question on a lot of people’s minds about an orange Judge Elliot Daum is displaying on the wall of his Santa Rosa courtroom in the space once reserved for a portrait of the sitting U.S. president. Paul Payne in the Santa Rosa Press -- 2/25/17
Great white sharks spotted off two Orange County beaches; swimming ban in effect -- Lifeguards warned swimmers and surfers to stay out of a stretch of ocean at two Orange County beaches Friday after a great white shark was spotted near the shore. Hannah Fry and Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/17
POTUS 45
H.R. McMaster Breaks With Administration on Views of Islam -- President Trump’s newly appointed national security adviser has told his staff that Muslims who commit terrorist acts are perverting their religion, rejecting a key ideological view of other senior Trump advisers and signaling a potentially more moderate approach to the Islamic world. Mark Landler and Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/17
Trump Denounces F.B.I. Over Leaks, Demanding Investigation -- President Trump on Friday assailed the F.B.I. as a dangerously porous agency, charging that leaks of classified information from within its ranks were putting the country at risk — and calling for an immediate hunt for the leakers. Julie Hirschfeld Davis in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/17
Trump blasts media, anonymous sources — after White House uses them -- President Donald Trump unloaded on the news media Friday for using anonymous sources — just hours after members of his own staff insisted on briefing reporters only on condition their names be concealed. Nancy Benac and Mary Clare Jalonick Associated Press -- 2/25/17
Stephen K. Bannon’s CPAC Comments, Annotated and Explained -- In just a few comments during a question-and-answer session this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Stephen K. Bannon named many of the concepts that, though unfamiliar to many Americans, have animated his tenure as the president’s chief strategist. Max Fisher in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/17
Beltway
Trump administration sought to enlist intelligence officials, key lawmakers to counter Russia stories -- The Trump administration has enlisted senior members of the intelligence community and Congress in efforts to counter news stories about Trump associates’ ties to Russia, a politically charged issue that has been under investigation by the FBI as well as lawmakers now defending the White House. Greg Miller and Adam Entous in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/17
AP Exclusive: DHS report disputes threat from banned nations -- A draft document obtained by The Associated Press concludes that citizenship is an "unlikely indicator" of terrorism threats to the United States and that few people from the countries Trump listed in his travel ban have carried out attacks or been involved in terrorism-related activities in the U.S. since Syria's civil war started in 2011. Vivian Salama and Alicia A. Caldwell Associated Press Shane Harris in the Wall Street Journal$
Leaked House GOP plan to replace Obamacare draws immediate fire -- A leaked draft of the House Republican legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act is drawing strong criticism from health care advocates and Democrats who say the proposal will irrevocably weaken the nation’s health care system. Tony Pugh and Lesley Clark McClatchy DC -- 2/25/17
Government wants appeal of travel ban put on hold -- The Justice Department wants a federal appeals court to put President Trump's travel ban case on hold until he issues a new order, but the states who sued to stop the ban want the case to move forward. Martha Bellisle Associated Press -- 2/25/17
Brazile: DNC staffers faced death and bomb threats after Russia hack -- Democratic National Committee staffers faced death and bomb threats after the leaks of internal emails last year as a result of Russian hacking, interim party chair Donna Brazile told DNC members Friday in an impassioned plea to prevent disagreements from dividing the party. Gabriel Debenedetti Politico -- 2/25/17
Dems invite immigrants to Trump's first address to Congress -- Democrats have invited immigrants and foreigners to President Donald Trump's first address to Congress in an effort to put a face on those who could be hurt by the Republican's policies. Kevin Freking Associated Press -- 2/25/17
After Trump rips news media, White House slams door on several reporters -- Press secretary Sean Spicer banned reporters from CNN, the New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed from attending a “gaggle,” a non-televised briefing, but gave access to a number of other reporters, including those representing conservative outlets. Paul Farhi in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/17
-- Friday Updates
A community gripped by fear of ICE raids and deportations tries to separate fact from rumor -- The housekeeper panicked when she heard about Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descending on Santa Paula. The 40-year-old, a Mexican immigrant in the U.S. illegally, called her boss and asked for that Friday off. When she returned Monday, another housekeeper had already taken her place. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra tells Democratic leaders in Atlanta that California will continue battling Trump's policies -- Taking the national stage as a leading foe of President Trump's policies, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Friday told a meeting of the Democratic National Committee in Atlanta that his state is fighting federal efforts to roll back protections for immigrants and the environment. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
California Republicans are looking for a comeback in 2018. Here's the chairman's game plan for getting there -- As the California Republican Party looks ahead to a high-stakes governor’s race and midterm elections in 2018, it faces a grim reality: A Republican hasn’t been elected to statewide office here in more than a decade, and the Democrats hold a powerful supermajority in the state Legislature. Phil Willon and Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
Fear of disruptions prompts heavy security at California GOP convention -- Bracing for protests, the California Republican Party is spending thousands of dollars to heighten security at its annual convention that begins Friday. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
Protesters dodge sprinklers at Rep. Dana Rohrabacher's Costa Mesa house -- A group of activists who went to Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher's home Thursday night asking for a meeting say they found a closed door and, soon after, the sprinklers turned on. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
The Republicans who made Reagan president mourn the party they once knew -- His brand of Republicanism — support for legal abortion, certain gun controls and, most urgently, a need to reach out to voters who are not white or conservative — has grown largely out of fashion in the political party to which he devoted his life. He spent 70 years laboring on behalf of the GOP only to be called a RINO, or Republican In Name Only, Spencer said with wonder. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
Travel ban, targeting of mosques trigger mental health concerns among California Muslims -- In response, mosques, student groups and mental health agencies around the Sacramento region are stepping up and offering Muslims a safe place to share their anxieties and receive professional help. The Amala Hopeline, a Sacramento-based mental health hotline for young Muslims, has seen a spike in calls since Donald Trump’s election, said Saba Saleem, a volunteer and one of the founders of the organization. Sammy Caiola in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/24/17
Agency plans to award Mexico border wall contracts by April -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Friday that it plans to start awarding contracts by mid-April for President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico, signaling that he is aggressively pursuing plans to erect "a great wall" along the 2,000-mile border. Elliot Spagot Associated Press -- 2/24/17
Gov. Jerry Brown proposes speeding up water and flood-protection projects after the winter's big storms -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday unveiled a $437-million plan for shoring up some of California’s most pressing water and flood-control needs, saying the storms of January and February have made clear the state has substantial needs that have gone unmet for years. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Denis Cuff in the San Jose Mercury$ Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/24/17
Storm-battered California roads to cost $600 million to fix -- The bill to repair California's roadways hammered by floods and rockslides in an onslaught of storms this winter has reached nearly $600 million, more than double what the state budgeted for such emergencies, and the costs are mounting for other badly damaged infrastructure just two months into 2017. Scott Smith Associated Press -- 2/24/17
California's coastal Highway 1 is now temporarily closed in several places after recent storms -- After being battered by above-average rain this winter, California’s coastal Highway 1 remains temporarily closed in several places roughly between Ragged Point and Carmel. Mary Forgione in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
PG&E customers brace for next bill after spikes in gas rates -- In some cases, customers opened their December and January bills to see charges double or triple what they were a year earlier. And as February draws to a close, many are bracing for another big hit. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/24/17
New growers group will promote ‘sun-grown’ marijuana in California -- In the latest sign of the maturing marijuana industry in California, a group of mostly Humboldt County-based growers is launching a new organization narrowly focused on representing t he interests of sun-grown farmers. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/24/17
Capital-Control Policy Puts Brakes on Chinese Investment in Hollywood -- The new dynamic highlights Hollywood’s dependence on China, where the slightest change in state policy has ripple effects across the entertainment industry. Erich Schwartzel, Kane Wu and Wayne Ma in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/24/17
Should patients be told their doctors are on probation? Capitol hearing revives debate -- Calling it a “serious consumer protection issue,” state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, chair of the Senate Business Professions and Economic Development Committee, will revive the idea Monday during a committee hearing review of the Medical Board of California. Claudia Buck in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/24/17
Homeless people have found safety in a library – but locals want them gone -- Of all the places associated in the popular imagination with homelessness – park benches, skid rows, the undersides of freeways – libraries are probably low on the list. Alastair Gee The Guardian -- 2/24/17
Oakland OKs tiny homes, homeless youth housing plans -- A tiny homes project and a housing program for youth, both aimed at easing a little of the city’s homelessness crisis, got the go-ahead Tuesday from the City Council. Mark Hedin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/24/17
JCPenney closing up to 140 stores, cutting 6,000 jobs. Here’s what we know -- In an effort to streamline its operations, increase profitability and better compete with online retailers, J.C. Penney announced Friday that it plans to close 130 to 140 underperforming stores in the coming months and sell two distribution centers including one in Buena Park and another in Lakeland, Fla. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/24/17
After Trump calls media an enemy of the people, White House bars many news outlets from briefing -- Friday's White House press briefing, normally an on-camera affair open to all reporters with press credentials, was turned into an exclusive event for certain outlets hand-picked by the administration. Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ Lynn Elber Associated Press -- 2/24/17
Fact Check: Trump Blasts ‘Fake News’ and Repeats Inaccurate Claims at CPAC -- President Trump’s speech on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference followed a familiar pattern: Blast the news media as “dishonest,” repeat a string of falsehoods, and wrap up by promising to change the status quo. Linda Qiu in the New York Times$ -- 2/24/17
Trump repeats false GOP talking point on Obamacare, makes 12 other dubious claims -- We examine the president’s statements in the order he made them at the conservative summit. Glenn Kessler and Michelle Ye Hee Lee in the Washington Post$ -- 2/24/17
'It's a Russian flag!' Trickster strikes CPAC before Trump's speech -- As the crowd waited to hear President Trump speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, little red-white-and-blue flags appeared without warning, handed down the aisles by a man with a green bag, according to a witness. The flags said "Trump." They also happened to be the flag of the Russian Federation. Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times$ Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/24/17
AP Fact Check: Trump considers 20 million people 'very few' -- President Donald Trump said Friday that his predecessor's health care law covers "very few people" as he minimized the impact of replacing it. That's only true if you consider more than 20 million people to be very few. He took another mysterious poke at Sweden, too, and decried open U.S. borders that are not. Alicia A. Caldwell and Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar Associated Press -- 2/24/17
Why therapists are having such a hard time talking about Trump -- In her 35 years as a therapist, Arlene Drake has never heard so many clients talking about the same issue. Week after week, they complain of panic attacks and insomnia because of President Trump. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
Today, Trump said the L.A.Times poll 'did a great job. Shocking...' Here’s what you need to know -- Throughout the fall campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump and his allies loved the USC/L.A. Times "Daybreak" poll -- the only major survey that consistently showed him winning. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17
The Trump Era: First 100 days -- Here are all the stories The Chronicle has reported on the new administration since Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20. The rundown is in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/24/17
Taylor: Seeds of a new resistance movement start to take hold -- I’m curious: How are people coping with the fear that their government could fail to protect their basic rights — a reality that has choked black and brown people for centuries? Yes, I’m talking about white people. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/24/17
Horsey: To blunt Trumpism, resistance will need to translate into votes -- Republican members of Congress will be happy to return to the serenity and safety of Washington after spending a week back in their home districts either hiding from Trump-troubled constituents or braving a gantlet of angry protesters at raucous town hall meetings. David Horsey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/24/17