Updating . .   

California may face 'significant risk' from dam -- California is courting a "very significant risk" if a damaged spillway on the nation's tallest dam is not operational by the next rainy season, and the state's plan leaves no time for any delays, a team of safety experts has warned in a report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 3/22/17

Cal State trustees approve controversial tuition hike -- After a heated morning of debate and impassioned statements from students, professors and lawmakers, California State University’s Board of Trustees voted 11 to 8 Wednesday to increase tuition as a way to fill a looming gap in state funding. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press -- 3/22/17

Despite Trump promise and a wet winter, California farmers don’t get full water supply -- In spite of one of the wettest winters on record and a sympathetic president in the White House, California farmers in one of the country’s most productive agricultural regions were told Wednesday they’d receive only two thirds of their federal water allotment for the upcoming growing season. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

Schiff says Nunes can't lead Russia inquiry and be a Trump surrogate -- House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) has risked undermining the credibility of the panel's investigation of Russian interference of the 2016 election by sharing new information with the White House, his Democratic counterpart said Wednesday. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

AP Exclusive: Before Trump job, Manafort worked to aid Putin -- Before signing up with Donald Trump, former campaign manager Paul Manafort secretly worked for a Russian billionaire with a plan to "greatly benefit the Putin Government," The Associated Press has learned. The White House attempted to brush the report aside Wednesday, but it quickly raised fresh alarms in Congress about Russian links to Trump associates. Jeff Horwitz and Chad Day Associated Press -- 3/22/17

California has a new voter registration record: 19.43 million are signed up to vote -- More than 20,000 voters have been added to the rolls since Oct. 24, an unusual increase after a presidential election, according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who released the new voter registration numbers Wednesday. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Gov. Jerry Brown warns of at least a $6-billion-a-year hit to California under GOP health plan -- Calling the Republican congressional leadership's healthcare proposal an "insult to democracy itself," Gov. Jerry Brown warned Wednesday that the proposal would shift $6 billion in costs a year to California's state government by 2020. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

California estimates it would lose $24 billion by decade's end under GOP health plan -- California would lose $24.3 billion in federal funding by 2027 for low-income health coverage under the current Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, according to a new state analysis released Wednesday. Anna Gorman in the Orange County Register -- 3/22/17

Jerry Brown rips GOP health care plan; `Mr. Trump, come down from Trump Tower’ -- On his first trip to Washington since President Trump took office, Gov. Jerry Brown tore into the House GOP plan to dismantle and replace the Affordable Care Act, saying it was “written by people who don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.” Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/17

Jerry Brown steals Biden's thunder at anti-Trumpcare rally in Washington -- California Gov. Jerry Brown made a brief, fiery speech alongside other democratic leaders on the Capitol steps Wednesday warning against the Republican health care proposal. "This is a dangerous bill. It's written by people who don't know what the hell they're talking about," Brown told the assembled crowd opposing the drive to demolish former President Barack Obama's health care law. Associated Press -- 3/22/17

When it comes to roads and dams, Jerry Brown isn’t always a Trump resister -- Gov. Jerry Brown was an intriguing early choice to command the national resistance to President Donald Trump. In his fourth term, and with a national profile, Brown is unencumbered by re-election concerns. The Democratic governor has never been more popular in California, a state that overwhelmingly rejected Trump’s candidacy, and where just a third of its residents approve of his performance. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

17,000 AT&T workers in California and Nevada go on strike -- An estimated 17,000 AT&T technicians in California and Nevada went on strike Wednesday, highlighting workplace tensions within the massive Dallas-based telecommunications giant. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Tuition hike passes Cal State finance panel; formal trustees’ vote comes next -- After a lively debate and with rumbles of protests echoing in the hall, California State University trustees’ finance committee has approved a $270 tuition increase on a 7-2 vote at Cal State Long Beach’s Office of the Chancellor. Loud booing and shouts of “shame on you” greeted the vote. The full Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the formal increase later today. Andrew Edwards in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

Black political leaders warn that under Trump, ‘We’re losing on every ground’ -- Black lawmakers and political leaders in California warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget cuts threaten to upend decades of progress in the African-American community on issues ranging from voting rights to education. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

Are your household items spying on you? One California lawmaker has an answer -- “My Friend Cayla” isn’t just a cheerful-faced toy that converses with children. Data security experts say the blond-haired “smart” doll presents an inviting target for hackers. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

Fox: What Kind of Compromise is Key to Fixing Roads? -- At a press event for the Fix Our Roads coalition on Monday, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti called on legislators to compromise on legislation to fix the state’s roads and highways. But what kind of compromise is needed to secure funding? Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/22/17

For Bay Area congressman, Trump-Russia ties are no game -- On his official website, East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell has turned allegations of Trump administration ties to Russian oligarchs into a bit of a board game called “connecting the dots.” But the Dublin Democrat says he is deadly serious about getting to the bottom of any personal, political or financial ties President Trump might have to Russian interests. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

Trump feels 'somewhat' vindicated after Nunes intel briefing -- President Donald Trump says he feels "somewhat" vindicated by statements by the House Intelligence chairman on the legal and incidental surveillance of the president and Trump transition officials. Julie Pace and Deb Riechmann Associated Press -- 3/22/17

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch says defending waterboarding was just part of his job as a lawyer -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday returned to aggressively questioning Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch about his apparent defense of waterboarding and other such interrogation tactics while he was working in the administration of George W. Bush. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Supreme Court decision strengthens rights for schoolchildren with disabilities, rejecting a lower standard set by Gorsuch -- A unanimous Supreme Court strengthened the rights of nearly 7 million schoolchildren with disabilities Wednesday, and did so by rejecting a lower standard set by Judge Neil Gorsuch. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

2 jailhouse snitches, who were paid $335,000 over 4 years, spark a new law -- “Puppet” and “Bouncer,” a pair of jailhouse snitches who were paid $335,000 over a four-year window for working dozens of cases in Southern California, have inspired a state bill to limit the rewards given to criminal informants. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 3/22/17

Former Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla won't run for state insurance commissioner -- Former Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla announced Wednesday that she will not run for state insurance commissioner in 2018 and instead endorsed state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) for the statewide post. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

For the first time in almost 100 years, a rare frog population is having sex in the Santa Monica Mountains -- A rare species of frog that all but disappeared from the Santa Monica Mountains nearly 100 years ago has been found breeding on its own again in the coastal range, officials announced Wednesd ay. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

'Veggie burger that bleeds' set to take on U.S. burger market -- Now Impossible Foods, the Redwood City company that makes this culinary curiosity, is opening a factory in East Oakland capable of producing 1 million pounds of the burgers every month, and betting that the cachet it has wound up will propel the burger into restaurants across the country. Jonathan Kauffman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Notorious L.A. earthquake fault more dangerous than experts believed, new research shows -- The Newport-Inglewood fault has long been considered one of Southern California’s top seismic danger zones because it runs under some of the region’s most densely populated areas, from the Westside of Los Angeles to the Orange County coast. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Port, airport police barred from enforcing immigration laws -- Police who patrol Los Angeles’ airport and port were barred from enforcing federal immigration laws Tuesday, as Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an executive directive ordering them to follow policies embraced by the Los Angeles Police Department. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

Miners win $100 million from Sacramento County in political influence case -- A federal court jury on Tuesday awarded more than $100 million in damages to two gravel mining families that accused Sacramento County government officials of putting them out of business for the benefit of the rival Teichert Construction company. Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

San Francisco court hears recorded phone calls in City Hall corruption case -- A series of recorded calls from wiretapped phones was played in Superior Court on Tuesday in the case against three former San Francisco officials accused of soliciting bribes for political favor and access to Mayor Ed Lee. Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

California moves forward on new jailhouse snitch rules -- “Puppet” and “Bouncer,” a pair of jailhouse snitches who were paid $335,000 over a four-year window for working dozens of cases in Southern California, have inspired a state bill to limit the rewards given to criminal informants. Tony Saavedra in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

This is where all of California's House Republicans stand on the GOP healthcare bill -- Less than two days before they are scheduled to vote, a handful of California’s 14 Republican members of Congress say they are still weighing how to vote on the GOP plan to undo and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Gov. Jerry Brown promotes his California agenda in Washington with a bit of shuttle diplomacy -- As the leader of a state that seems more a country of its own in its isolation from the Republican revolution, Gov. Jerry Brown saw his visit to Capitol Hill on Tuesday play out like that of any foreign ambassador to the nation’s capital. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

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 to shuttle riders between Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

Feds were near defeat in Lee Baca's corruption case. But a 'risky move' in the ex-sheriff's retrial turned the tide -- Before his retrial even began, Lee Baca was already losing. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Defense wants Baca tested for Alzheimer’s prior to sentencing -- An attorney for convicted former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca wants to have the ex-lawman examined for Alzheimer’s disease before a judge imposes sentence, but prosecutors counter that such testing is unnecessary, according to court documents obtained today. Fred Shuster in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

Loans with triple-digit APRs? No more, under California assemblyman's proposal -- In California lending law, $2,500 is a vital number. Lenders who make loans of less than that amount are limited in the amount of interest they can charge. Lenders who make loans of $2,500 and up, though, can charge whatever the market will bear. James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Walters: Brown has been unwilling to update political reform law -- Capitalizing on the Watergate political scandal, then-Secretary of State Jerry Brown ran for governor in 1974 as an advocate of political reform. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

Brown ‘cautiously optimistic’ about federal Caltrain funding -- Gov. Jerry Brown said he saw a possibility Tuesday to get federal money for the recently stalled electrification of Caltrain during private meetings with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

Homeless  

Sacramento County approves broad plans to help the homeless -- The Board of Supervisors voted to begin the process of creating a full-service shelter, launching a new rehousing program, redesigning the family emergency shelter network and supporting long-standing job training and transitional housing programs. Ellen Garrison in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

Housing  

Court rules against San Francisco in Ellis Act apartment rental case -- When landlords decide to go out of the rental business, San Francisco can’t legally require them to pay their evicted tenants as much as $50,000 to cover the higher rents they’ll face on the open market, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

As LA rents rise, leaders seek to help residents avoid evictions -- In a move they say could help decrease homelessness, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to look into creating a legal defense program and providing financial assistance to help residents avoid eviction. Susan Abram in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 3/22/17

Los Angeles debating size of 'granny flats' and where to allow them -- Los Angeles officials agree that "granny flats" — the second units homeowners often use for relatives — are a way to ease the city's housing crunch, but they're at odds over how large the units should be. Josie Huang KPCC -- 3/22/17

Education 

L.A. charter school network defends its superintendent's $471,842 income -- A Los Angeles-based charter school network on Monday defended its spending practices — speaking out for the first time since The Times published a story documenting a history of potential conflicts of interest and questionable use of public money. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

California's schools suspensions are down, but black students still face higher suspension rates -- The focus on suspensions comes after years of activism and research that show that suspensions are costly, can lead to students dropping out, and can be unfair, because teachers often treat different groups of students differently. Joy Resmovits in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

New effort to extend the time needed for teachers to earn tenure -- A previous effort to extend the probationary period, led by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, failed at the ballot box. A lawsuit, Vergara vs. California, to do away with current tenure rules and some other teacher job protections prevailed at the trial court level in Los Angeles, then was overturned on appeal. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

CSU to overhaul remedial ed, replace no credit with credit-bearing classes – The California State University system plans to overhaul its remedial education system by 2018, scrapping no-credit courses in English and math and replacing them with credit classes that include extra tutoring and built-in study sessions. Larry Gordon EdSource Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Cal State’s incoming students better prepared for college-level classes, report says -- Good news for California State University students — incoming CSU students tend to be better prepared for college-level classes than their counterparts from two decades ago. Andrew Edwards in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

Schwarzenegger swats at Trump over proposed after-school cuts -- President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, including a plan to cut federal funding for after-school programs, has struck a chord with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Antonie Boessenkool in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

Cannabis 

Under fire, Oakland officials scrap pot residency requirement -- Oakland lawmakers Tuesday withdrew a legally questionable component of their newly minted cannabis ordinances that would have largely barred non-city residents from opening a pot business there. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

California cannabis: Small-firm market approach makes sense, growers say -- World-renowned for its hand-picked fruits, herbs and vegetables, California is hoping to stake its claim on a new boutique product: cannabis. Lisa M. Krieger in the East Bay Times -- 3/22/17

Immigration / Border 

Cities like Los Angeles with large immigration case backlogs could get more judges -- Executive Office for Immigration Review spokeswoman Kathryn Mattingly said Monday that while plans are still being finalized, several cities could get more judges. The agency handles the nation's immigration courts. Leslie Berestein Rojas KPCC -- 3/22/17

Valley immigrants from countries banned by Trump become U.S. citizens -- The only English phrase Syrian immigrant Manoushak Issa knows is “God bless America.” The 78-year-old Fresno resident got to say those words on Tuesday when she was among 699 people from across the Valley sworn in as United States citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the Fresno Convention Center’s Valdez Hall. BoNhia Lee in the Fresno Bee -- 3/22/17

Environment 

Canyon dwellers confront deputies, Marines and Forest Service on plan to blow up dams that formed cherished swimming holes -- In a daybreak showdown Tuesday, more than a dozen Santiago Canyon residents and environmentalists gathered at a blockade of about 20 Orange County sheriff’s deputies, some with police dogs. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

Health 

GOP health care bill changes would cut more funding to Medi-Cal -- House Republicans’ proposed changes to the American Health Care Act — the GOP’s plan to replace the Affordable Care Act — could reduce federal funding to Medi-Cal, California’s insurance program for the poor, even more dramatically than the original bill sought to do, health experts said. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

GOP Health Plan Has Its Own Financial Stick To Prod People To Buy Insurance -- The Affordable Care Act’s tax penalty for people who opt out of health insurance is one of the most loathed parts of the law, so it is no surprise that Republicans are keen to abolish it. Anna Gorman and Jordan Rau KQED -- 3/22/17

Also . . . 

LAPD bomb squad officer sues the city over alleged sexual harassment -- LAPD supervisors refused to protect a bomb squad officer from another officer who stalked and harassed her for months, according to a lawsuit filed this week. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/17

LAPD says gang-related crime in west San Fernando Valley has spiked since 2014 -- Violent gang-related crimes in the west San Fernando Valley increased 63 percent from 2014 to 2015 but held steady last year, according to a new analysis by the Los Angeles Police Department. Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

Lawmakers press NASA to save historic rocket test stands at Santa Susana Field Lab -- It had tested the rocket engines that launched the first American astronauts into space, and some of the last. And as local officials push for a more stringent environmental cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, federal lawmakers are urging NASA to preserve its historic rocket test stands. Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/17

The Chronicle’s photo team wins national awards -- The Chronicle’s photo editors, multimedia team, designers and photographers were honored by the National Press Photographers Association in the 2017 Best of Photojournalism competition for their work in the past year on the issues of homelessness, surviving the AIDS epidemic and the Bay Area’s rising sea levels. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/22/17

60s throwback license plate is most popular in California -- When it comes to car license plates, Californians have several to choose from that can depict everything from a dancing Snoopy to a majestic whale tale to a firefighter. But by far the most popular plate to be attached to the state’s cars is a throwback to the 60s – that has no imagery at all - but rather just bold, gold letters on a black background. Debbi Baker in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/17

POTUS 45  

Why Letting Go, for Trump, Is No Small or Simple Task -- In the last three weeks, no compulsion has so consumed his psyche, and his Twitter account, as the deeply held and shallowly sourced belief that President Barack Obama tapped his phones. So why can’t he just let go? Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 3/22/17

How the FBI tailing Trump could dog his presidency -- From Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton, history suggests that it is never a good thing for a president to have the FBI, with its nearly infinite resources and sweeping investigative powers, on his tail. Todd S. Purdum Politico -- 3/22/17

Trump to GOP critics of health care bill: ‘I’m gonna come after you’ -- President Trump spent Tuesday selling the Republican health-care overhaul to skeptical House members, warning his party that failure would endanger his legislative agenda and their own political careers. Mike DeBonis, Kelsey Snell and Robert Costa in the Washington Post$ -- 3/22/17

Labor pick cut deal with billionaire, choosing not to indict man accused of having sex with minors -- President Trump is a witness in a lawsuit over how federal prosecutors — including Alexander Acosta, a former U.S. attorney in Miami who is Trump’s secretary of labor nominee — handled the accusations against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Marc Fisher in the Washington Post$ -- 3/22/17

Trump’s ‘big, beautiful wall’ at U.S.-Mexico border will require him to take big swaths of other people’s land -- The wall will cost a lot more — politically and economically — than the president has publicly acknowledged. Trump will need to wield the power of government to forcibly take private properties, including those belonging to his supporters. Tracy Jan in the Washington Post$ -- 3/22/17

Beltway 

Supreme Court nominee Gorsuch fends off barbs from Feinstein and other Democrats at confirmation hearing -- Judge Neil Gorsuch on Tuesday smoothly fielded questions on everything from abortion to wiretaps thrown by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and her allies who sought without apparent success to unsettle the Supreme Court nominee. Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/17

'Die-in' at Issa's office protests changes to health care -- With Congress set to vote on health care this week, hundreds of protesters staged what they dubbed a ‘die-in’ Tuesday outside the Vista office of U.S. Rep Darrell Issa. The event was part protest, part street theater, with many of the 300-plus participants lying on the lawn, holding signs shaped like tombstones. Organizers put the number of attendees near 380. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/17

How Democrats could bring down Obamacare repeal -- Senate Democrats want House conservatives to think twice before supporting Speaker Paul Ryan's Obamacare repeal bill — because Democrats believe they can strip out key provisions used to woo the right when the bill comes over to the Senate. Burgess Everett and Jennifer Haberkorn Politico -- 3/22/17

 

-- Tuesday Updates 

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