Updating . .
Latinos are reporting fewer sexual assaults amid a climate of fear in immigrant communities, LAPD says -- Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday that reports of sexual assault and domestic violence made by the city’s Latino residents have plummeted this year amid concerns that immigrants in the country illegally could risk deportation by interacting with police or testifying in court. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Jerry Brown meets with Republicans, ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Caltrain approval -- With his mind on bipartisan cooperation, Gov. Jerry Brown emerged from meetings Tuesday optimistic that California could receive approval for a stalled rail project that shuttles riders between Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/21/17
Schwarzenegger taunts Trump over approval rating -- Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continued his very public feud with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, releasing a video taunting the president over his falling approval ratings. Aidan Quigley and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 3/21/17
Schwarzenegger blasts Trump's approval numbers: 'The ratings are in and you got swamped' -- Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continued to blast President Trump on Tuesday, this time mocking his low approval ratings and his budget proposals to cut funding for after-school programs and Meals on Wheels. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Gov. Jerry Brown hits Capitol Hill to meet with California's congressional delegation -- Gov. Jerry Brown found a receptive but unsettled audience on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with pledges of cooperation but at least one warning that the state could pay a price for its leaders' criticism of President Trump. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Southern California home prices jump again as short supply fuels bidding wars -- Southern California home prices jumped in February, posting the largest increase in more than a year, as buyers rushed to outbid one another for a meager selection of homes for sale. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Knight: When families are priced out, the whole city pays the cost -- People pack up and leave San Francisco every day, squeezed out by housing prices that are just too high. Some of those departures really hurt — not just the friends and co-workers left behind, but also the city itself. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/17
Bay Area families rush to make deportation-preparedness plans -- An 18-year-old student at an East Bay community college worries she could come home one day and find that immigration agents have taken away her parents under the new era of President Donald Trump. Tammerlin Drummond in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/21/17
LA and Anaheim mayors call for immigration reform as Trump and ICE bear down -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait and dozens of their counterparts from around the country joined forces today to call on Congress and President Donald Trump to fix a “broken” immigration system and pass a comprehensive overhaul of how people are granted entry into the country. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/21/17
Vulnerable California Republicans like Darrell Issa seek distance from Trump -- California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa stood before a jeering crowd at a town hall in Oceanside, Calif. and insisted that he’s not an acolyte of President Donald Trump. “My public statements are clearly out of step with many other Republicans,” Issa said at the meeting this month streamed live on his Facebook page. Sean Cockerham in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/21/17
Fox: Gorsuch on Direct Democracy -- While partisan wrangling kicked off the hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, an interesting sidebar is Gorsuch’s take in a case followed closely on this site that ultimately could affect California’s oft-used initiative power. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/21/17
Big L.A. earthquake could cause beach areas to sink up to 3 feet in seconds, new study finds -- One of Southern California’s most dangerous faults caused land on the Orange County coast to sink between 1½ feet to 3 feet in a matter of seconds during prehistoric earthquakes, according to a new study that suggests the seismic risk is greater than previously believed. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Janet Nguyen's removal from state Senate floor stirs free speech debate among Vietnamese Americans -- Phat Bui seethed with anger when his hometown senator was removed last month from the state Senate floor. Christine Mai-Duc and Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
California state Sen. Ricardo Lara announces he's running for state insurance commissioner in 2018 -- A month after proposing a single-payer healthcare system for California, State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) announced Tuesday he'll run for state insurance commissioner in 2018. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Talbot: Police shooting tore a hole in San Francisco’s Mayan community -- Cities are a web of fragile human connections, a silent pledge that while we might not always respect each other, we at least will honor each other’s turf. David Talbot in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/17
Meerkats in the bathroom? Happy Hollow Zoo still recovering after San Jose flood -- Six meerkats are back home this week in their exhibit at Happy Hollow Zoo after the perky mongoose-like creatures made famous by Disney’s “Lion King” spent the last month bunking in one of the more creative shelters for animals displaced by San Jose’s destructive flood: the bathroom of the zoo’s veterinary clinic. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/21/17
Delta Air Lines move is the latest in carrier shuffle at LAX -- If Los Angeles International Airport already feels like a confusing mess to navigate, you may want to stay clear in mid-May. That is when Delta Air Lines will move its operations from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3, forcing about 20 other carriers to relocate during what is expected to be a hectic five-day period. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Sen. Feinstein suggests Gorsuch would undermine EPA on fuel mileage standards -- The heated dispute between California and the Trump White House over aggressive federal fuel mileage standards emerged as an issue in the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Intelligence panel leaders try to avoid partisan rifts that sank other congressional inquiries -- As Congress moved hesitantly in the last few months toward investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, a question has loomed: Could lawmakers bridge their deep partisan divide sufficiently to produce an inquiry a broad range of Americans would accept? Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Trump warns GOP: Vote for Obamacare repeal or lose your seat -- President Trump on Tuesday bluntly laid out the political stakes for Republicans if their bid to overhaul the healthcare system falters out of the gate, saying failure would imperil the rest of their agenda and ultimately their congressional majorities. Michael A. Memoli and Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Garcetti calls for state of emergency amid concerns that flooding could damage DWP facilities -- Mayor Eric Garcetti proclaimed a state of emergency Monday, citing concerns that melting snowpack in the eastern Sierra Nevada could flood homes and highways in the Owens Valley and damage the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Melley Associated Press -- 3/20/17
In Trump’s Washington, Jerry Brown urges cooperation: ‘We are not going our totally separate way’ -- A day after appealing to President Donald Trump for a fourth disaster declaration following punishing winter storms, Gov. Jerry Brown arrived in turbulent Washington on Monday afternoon and quickly met with Federal Emergency Management Agency acting Administrator Bob Fenton. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/17
Gov. Brown talks about threats at home and around the world as he arrives in Washington -- With political anger among his fellow Democrats at a fever pitch, Gov. Jerry Brown made it clear as he arrived in Washington on Monday that he feels no pressure to lead the charge in a battle pitting California against President Trump and the Republican agenda in Congress. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Gov. Jerry Brown in Washington: 'Wherever we are going to find common ground, we are going to do it' -- When Gov. Jerry Brown landed in Washington on Monday on his mission to raise awareness about the nuclear threat and secure funding for disaster relief in the state, he didn’t strike the tone of defiance many are looking for from the Democrats’ most influential voice in the west. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Jerry Brown travels to Trump’s town to look for ‘common ground’ -- Gov. Jerry Brown came to the nation’s capital Monday as both an adversary of President Trump and a supplicant to the new administration. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/17
Walters: California’s politicians rap Trump as they seek money -- California’s politicians from Gov. Jerry Brown down have spent much of the last two months denouncing President Donald Trump on virtually every issue. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/17
State senators call for major reform of juvenile justice system -- A package of legislation introduced Monday by a pair of California state senators could do away with incarceration for children under 12 years old and ban life sentences without parole for anyone under 18. Jeremiah Dobruck in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/20/17
Assembly Democrats aim to put $3-billion bond for parks on 2018 ballot -- The state Assembly approved the measure Monday afternoon, which would provide money to state and local park improvements with an emphasis on funneling dollars to disadvantaged communities. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Governor Brown, Oil Industry Share Interest In Cap-And-Trade Extension -- Gov. Jerry Brown and the oil industry are both pushing to preserve California’s struggling cap-and-trade program. But that will require support from Democratic lawmakers who have doubts about the program. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 3/20/17
This Golden State Podcast:The Passion of Delaine Eastin -- Long shot candidate for California Governor, Delaine Eastin accuses Jerry Brown of taking “children’s piggy bank money” and calls President Trump “a thug” during an interview with This Golden State’s Randy Shandobil. While better known gubernatorial candidates focus on the economy, infrastructure and stalling the Trump agenda, Eastin, the former State Superintendent of Public Education is laser focused on schools, schools, schools. Link here -- 3/20/17
Joe Dunn loses arbitration over his firing by State Bar -- Capping a years-long conflict, an arbitrator Monday rejected former state Sen. Joseph Dunn’s allegation that he was fired as executive director of the State Bar for blowing the whistle on the licensing organization’s lapses. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/17
Adam Schiff Leverages Democrats’ Limited Power in Trump Inquiry -- As attack dogs go, Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California, is more labradoodle than Doberman, his partisanship disguised by a thick fur of intense preparation, modulated locution and gentle accusations. Jennifer Steinhauer in the New York Times$ -- 3/21/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Tax rebates for Californians? It’s a distant possibility amid budget dispute -- California taxpayers could be in line for their first budget rebate checks in three decades under a vestige of the state’s nationally watched “taxpayer revolt” in the late 1970s. But a lot stands in the way of that happening – notably Gov. Jerry Brown and his administration’s reading of the so-called Gann Limit, named after tax watchdog Paul Gann, the late sponsor of the 1979 ballot measure meant to restrict government spending. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/21/17
California lawmaker wants tax to fund tuition-free college -- Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman said Monday she's introducing a bill to create a 1 percent tax on Californians earning more than $1 million per year. The Stockton Democrat says the tax would provide an estimated $2.2 billion each year — enough revenue to make public colleges tuition free for residents. Sophia Bollag Associated Press Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/17
Bill could lead to more tax money for local mass transit systems -- Under a bill in the Legislature, public transit agencies in San Diego County could ask voters for new taxes to beef up trolley and bus operations in their own service areas. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/17
Housing
Average rent in Inland Empire above $1,500 for first time, study says -- A forecast from research and analysis firm Axiometrics shows average monthly apartment rents in Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, Orange County and Ventura County rose in February. And the Inland Empire’s average rental price topped $1,500 for the first time. Kevin Smith in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 3/20/17
Trump budget: San Diego housing faces cuts -- San Diego’s poorest renters could be hit hardest under a $6.2 billion cut proposed by the Trump administration for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/21/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Deportation Threats Worry Farmworkers — and Farm Owners -- the rolling hills above the farm community of Santa Paula, acres and acres of avocado and citrus trees spread out like a postcard from California’s small-farm past. This is a rural area, but people here aren’t Donald Trump voters — Santa Paula voted 2-1 against him. Valerie Hamilton KQED -- 3/20/17
Uber slows move into Oakland headquarters -- A few hundred workers will be stationed at the 380,000-square-foot Uptown Oakland office, rather than the nearly 3,000-person staff Uber initially forecast. In San Francisco, the ride-hailing company said it has purchased a stake in the new Mission Bay Warriors arena project. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/20/17
California’s Wet Winter Points to Some Sorry-Looking Salads -- Two months of precipitation this winter have threatened almond, celery, strawberry and other crops in the Salinas Valley, the latest in a string of increasingly erratic weather events to hurt farmers. Heather Haddon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/21/17
SpaceX’s Dragon arrives in San Pedro, delivers groundbreaking research -- Research into new life-saving drugs and an array of biological studies arrived in San Pedro early Monday inside the Hawthorne-made SpaceX orbiter Dragon. Sandy Mazza in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 3/21/17
Wells Fargo customers continue to shy away from the bank amid fallout from its accounts scandal -- Wells Fargo is still seeing fewer people at its bank branches as well as a decline in checking-account openings as the scandal over its sales practices takes its toll. Ken Sweet Associated Press -- 3/21/17
San Francisco retailer brings suit against Ivanka Trump’s clothing brand -- The suit, which is seeking class-action status, claims an “unfair advantage that defendant Ivanka Trump Marks LLC has gained from Donald J. Trump being the President of the United States and from Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared, working for the President of the United States.” Tony Bravo in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/17
Education
Santa Monica High School freshman dies after falling from apartment building while on LSD -- A 15-year-old Santa Monica High student died over the weekend after trying the drug LSD and falling from an apartment building, school officials said Monday. In a letter addressed to parents and family members, Principal Antonio Shelton said that Andre Zuczek died after suffering major brain trauma. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Parents seek restraining order against 'bully' teacher -- Two mothers are seeking a restraining order to keep to a teacher away from their children and dozens of other parents also have complained about him to San Diego Unified School District trustees. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/17
LA Unified has gotten billions to serve high-needs kids. Here's how they've spend it -- When California inaugurated a new school funding formula in 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown wanted to do more than restore money the state's public schools had lost to deep recession-era budget cuts. Kyle Stokes KPCC -- 3/20/17
Some of UC Riverside's first medical grads to stay in the Inland Empire -- Officials at UC Riverside's School of Medicine are pleased that 10 of the 40 students in the first graduating class will work as residents in the Inland Empire, signaling a level of success in the institution's effort to help alleviate the region's doctor shortage. George Lavender KPCC -- 3/20/17
L.A. Unified diverts funding for neediest students, report charges -- Los Angeles Unified has steered additional money to high schools with large concentrations of low-income students and English learners over the past three years, but failed to do so for elementary schools, a report released Monday concluded. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 3/21/17
New California School Dashboard subjected to scrutiny by workshop participants -- As school district staff, parents and community members learn to use the new California School Dashboard launched last week, many questions remain about its usefulness in the short term. Theresa Harrington EdSource -- 3/21/17
Cannabis
California business groups take on Teamsters in pot battle in Legislature -- Some of the state’s leading business associations are taking sides against the powerful Teamsters union in a fight going down in the California Legislature over pot distribution. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/17
Immigration / Border
ICE puts LA jails on ‘non-cooperative’ list for refusing to hold immigrants -- Several Los Angeles area jails, including one in Van Nuys, made the federal government’s list of facilities where local law enforcement authorities rejected requests to detain undocumented immigrants past their release dates. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Pomona ditches agreement to house federal prisoners in city jail -- Pomona has ended an agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service to house federal prisoners — who may include undocumented immigrants — at the Pomona City Jail, immigrant rights advocates announced Monday. Monica Rodriguez in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 3/21/17
Waiter's alleged comments to Latino patrons touches a nerve for people of color -- An incident at a Huntington Beach restaurant in which a waiter allegedly asked Latino patrons, “Can I see your proof of residency?” has touched a nerve. Cindy Carcamo and Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/17
Spring breakers chant 'Build that wall!' during Cancun cruise -- A Mexican newspaper condemned American spring breakers who reportedly chanted "Build that wall!" during a family show on a tourist ship off Cancun. Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/17
San Francisco may blacklist construction companies that bid on border wall -- Two supervisors will introduce legislation Tuesday that would bar San Francisco from contracting with companies that seek a contract to work on the wall during the bidding period, regardless of whether the companies win a contract. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/17
Environment
New Coastal Commission Director Says Trump Threatens California Coast -- The new executive director of the California Coastal Commission, Jack Ainsworth, says his appointment demonstrates the Commission’s commitment to coastal protection and that his recommendations to Commissioners will be based on science and facts. Patricia Flynn KQED -- 3/20/17
California May Leave Federal Flood Insurance Program And Go It Alone -- The state is drawing on research by Nicholas Pinter with the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. Pinter looked at NFIP data back to 1994. He found that California pays significantly more in insurance premiums than it receives in damage payouts. Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 3/21/17
El Niño is still bringing strange wildlife to Northern California's shores -- Members of the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory recently observed 19 pelagic red crabs in Bodega Bay — they've seen dead ones on occasion, but this was the first time they've ever seen them alive. According to Bay Nature, the last time live pelagic red crabs were spotted in the region was 1985 on the heels of another El Niño. Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/20/17
Measures save young salmon after failure of Oroville Dam spillway -- A million fingerling salmon, rescued from almost certain death after the Oroville Dam spillway fell apart last month, began their remarkable journey to the ocean Monday by being launched unceremoniously out of tanker trucks into the Feather River. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 3/21/17
Health
Why global warming could lead to a rise of 100,000 diabetes cases a year in the U.S. -- Comparing the two, they found that the higher the average temperature in a particular time and place, the higher the age-adjusted incidence of diabetes. Overall, as the average annual temperature rose by 1 degree Celsius (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), the number of diabetes cases rose by 3.1 per 10,000 people. Karen Kaplan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Also . . .
Crime is down 4% in Orange County, but burglaries are on the rise -- Orange County thieves have taken to strolling residential streets at night, tugging on car doors. When one opens, they rummage inside for valuables. Sometimes, if they spot something worth the trouble, they’ll smash a window to snatch it. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 3/20/17
CHP is switching from SUV-style patrol cars to sleek Dodge Chargers -- The Dodge Charger Pursuit is moving into the agency’s fleet as the older cars retire, namely the prevalent Ford Explorer and on occasion the iconic, and now rare, Crown Victoria. Alma Fausto in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 3/20/17
Third L.A. County probation officer charged with beating teen inmates at Sylmar facility -- Deputy Probation Officer Carlos Portillo pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault under color of authority on Monday in connection with a pair of clashes at the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in 2016, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Thirty-five years past a deadline set by Congress, Nevada ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment -- The moment felt historic enough that some lawmakers in Nevada's Capitol autographed paper copies of the resolution. David Montero in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
POTUS 45
President Trump faces his hardest truth: He was wrong -- James B. Comey — the FBI director whom Trump celebrated on the campaign trail as a gutsy and honorable “Crooked Hillary” truth-teller — testified under oath Monday what many Americans had already assumed: Trump had falsely accused his predecessor of wiretapping his headquarters during last year’s campaign. Philip Rucker and Ashley Parker in the Washington Post$ -- 3/20/17
Trump’s Weary Defenders Face Fresh Worries -- President Trump began Monday as he has started so many other presidential mornings — by unleashing a blistering Twitter attack on critics who suggested his 2016 campaign colluded with the Russians. By the afternoon the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, had systematically demolished his arguments in a remarkable public takedown of a sitting president. Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 3/20/17
FBI’s Trump-Russia probe knocks White House on its heels -- The White House was knocked on the defensive ahead of its biggest week yet on Capitol Hill after FBI Director James Comey confirmed the existence of an active investigation into Russia’s meddling in the presidential election, including whether there was any coordination with now-President Donald Trump’s team. Shane Goldmacher and Matthew Nusssbaum Politico -- 3/21/17
Manafort sought for questioning – in D.C. and Kiev -- American and Ukrainian officials are pushing to question President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort in separate investigations related to his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine once headed by that country’s disgraced former president Viktor Yanukovych. Kenneth P. Vogel, Josh Meyer and David Stern Politico -- 3/21/17
Four Pinocchios: President Trump’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Twitter day -- With the House Intelligence Committee on Monday prepared to hold hearings on Russian influence in the 2016 election, the president issued tweets that did not hold up well as the testimony unfolded. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 3/20/17
Ivanka Trump moves into West Wing office, acknowledges ‘no modern precedent’ for her role -- Although Ivanka Trump lacks a formal White House job, the president’s older daughter is moving into her own West Wing office, an administration representative said — a move that increases her profile as an influential, although unofficial, adviser to her father. Danielle Paquette in the Washington Post$ -- 3/20/17
Beltway
The real reason Senate Democrats are going to oppose Judge Gorsuch for the Supreme Court -- When Judge Neil Gorsuch sat down for the first day of his Senate confirmation hearing on Monday, Democrats were fuming. Not because of Gorsuch's political leanings, or the decisions he's made as an appellate judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. They were mad because of Merrick Garland. Peter W. Stevenson in the Washington Post$ -- 3/20/17
-- Monday Updates
4 L.A. County social workers to face trial in horrific death of 8-year-old boy -- A Los Angeles County judge ruled Monday that four social workers accused of criminal negligence in the death of an 8-year-old Palmdale boy they were charged with protecting should stand trial, allowing prosecutors to push ahead with a case that has sent a chill through the ranks of child protection workers nationwide. Melissa Etehad and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
L.A. police, county sheriff's department on first-ever federal list of agencies not honoring ICE detainers -- The Department of Homeland Security on Monday released the first ever report on law enforcement agencies that are potentially “endangering Americans” by failing to cooperate with ICE detainers and named multiple jurisdictions in California. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Worried about Trump, BART rethinks ‘sanctuary’ label -- BART directors have tapped the brakes on a call to declare the popular commuter line a “sanctuary” system after being warned that the word might be seen as provocative by the Trump administration, possibly putting millions of dollars of federal funding in peril. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/20/17
What does 'get in line' mean in immigration debate? -- Those who support President Donald Trump’s increased immigration enforcement frequently say that immigrants should “get in line” to come to America, rather than enter without authorization. But, what line? Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/20/17
LA’s ‘sanctuary city’ debate broadens as statewide bill takes shape -- A proposal by state lawmakers that would declare California a “sanctuary state” has magnified an identity crisis playing out in Los Angeles over what it means to be a sanctuary for immigrants who are in the United States illegally. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/20/17
Uber plays the hero for some immigrant drivers caught up in travel ban -- After three agonizing years apart, Uber driver Samer Alrajab Agha thought he’d soon be reuniting with his wife and five children, Syrian refugees he’d left behind in Turkey. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/17
U.S.-Mexico border wall fight: California considers divesting from companies involved in the project -- Three California Democrats have a warning for contractors who sign up for President Donald Trump’s border-wall construction project between the U.S. and Mexico: Build it, and we will divest from your company. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
This California Democrat is proposing a tax on millionaires to make public colleges tuition-free for in-state students -- To tackle concerns about college affordability, a Democratic legislator is proposing to make public colleges and universities tuition-free for all Californians, and wants to tax millionaires to do it. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Jerry Brown hits Donald Trump’s Washington amid pitched partisan fights -- Gov. Jerry Brown will arrive in Washington, D.C. just in time for a week’s worth of pitched partisan battles on issues of consequence to Californians. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/20/17
Garcetti, other L.A. leaders call on Legislature to end delays on transportation funding plan -- A group of officials including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday called on state legislators to end a stalemate over approving a transportation funding plan to cover a $130-billion backlog of repairs to California’s roads, bridges and highways. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Oakland turns over draft Ghost Ship report to DA after weeks of delays -- After weeks of failing to provide Alameda County prosecutors access to a draft report on the deadly Ghost Ship fire, city officials delivered a draft version to the criminal investigation team Saturday, hours after this newspaper reported on the delays. Matthais Gafni in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/20/17
Advocates say L.A. Unified shortchanges its neediest students -- No one questions that students at La Salle Avenue Elementary, with their low academic achievement, could use a hand up. A civic coalition spearheaded by United Way of Greater Los Angeles puts the South L.A. campus at the very top of schools needing more services and attention; the L.A. Unified School District, however, puts the school at 293rd on its need index out of some 1,000 campuses, according to advocates. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
How hydroelectric power has roared back in California -- After slowing to a trickle during the past five years of punishing drought, hydroelectric power in California is poised to make a major comeback this spring and summer, thanks to the wet winter. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/20/17
A discussion of cap-and-trade in California -- Cap and trade is either a sensible effort to reduce pollution in California without undue damage to the state’s economy, or it is a circumvention of the drastic action that is really needed to safeguard the environment. Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 3/20/17
Stem cell agency loses key executive -- The $3 billion California stem cell agency said it is losing one of its top leaders, James Harrison, one of the authors of the measure that created the agency and who most recently is serving as its “unflappable” general counsel. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 3/20/17
Capitol Weekly podcast: Dave Lesher -- Longtime California political journalist Dave Lesher stopped by Capitol Weekly’s office to talk about his latest gig: Editor and CEO of CALmatters, an ambitious, nonprofit news startup that has quickly assembled one of the largest political news bureaus in the state. We talk about that venture, and the status of political media in 2017. Link here -- 3/20/17
F.B.I. Is Investigating Trump’s Russia Ties, Comey Confirms -- The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, took the extraordinary step on Monday of announcing that the F.B.I. is investigating whether members of President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Matt Apuzzo, Matthew Rosengerg and Emmarie Huetteman in the New York Times$ -- 3/20/17
FBI Director Comey: Justice Dept. has no information that supports Trump’s tweets alleging he was wiretapped by Obama -- In a sprawling, near five-hour hearing, FBI Director James B. Comey on Monday said there is “no information” that supports President Trump’s claims that his predecessor ordered surveillance of Trump Tower during the election campaign. Ellen Nakashima, Karoun Demirjian and Devlin Barrett in the Washington Post$ -- 3/20/17
FCC chief says media aren't the enemy of the people. He dodged the question earlier -- The news media are not the enemy of the American people, the new head of the Federal Communications Commission said after dodging the question at a Senate hearing this month. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/20/17
Taylor: Berkeley needs to become landlord for homeless -- Berkeley’s mayor announced a plan last week to end the city’s homeless problem: move people through mini-villages and then into permanent housing. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/20/17