Updating . .
Trump demands Friday vote on health care plan -- President Donald Trump is demanding a vote Friday in the House on the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said. If the bill fails, Trump is prepared to move on and leave Obamacare in place, Mulvaney said. Rachael Bade, Kyle Cheney and Josh Dawsey Politico Mike DeBonis and Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post$ -- 3/23/17
LA protesters cheer GOP’s delayed vote on Obamacare repeal -- Cheers echoed from the streets of downtown L.A. today, where the nearly 1,000 gathered to protest the repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act, which was postponed at least until tomorrow. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/23/17
Trump Today: Wiener calls president a ‘Manchurian candidate’ on Senate floor -- A San Francisco lawmaker’s claim that President Trump is a “Manchurian candidate” set off a heated partisan debate Thursday on the floor of the California Senate. “This is an issue about the integrity of our government,” said Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who made the reference to the 1959 novel “The Manchurian Candidate” to say that Trump is a puppet of the Russian government. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/23/17
Rep. Duncan Hunter is likely under criminal investigation for alleged campaign finance violations -- The House Ethics Committee disclosed the allegations Thursday in a news release explaining why it is not pursuing its own investigation of the Alpine Republican. Morgan Cook and Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ Matthew Daly Associated Press -- 3/23/17
Thursday vote on health care bill canceled -- The president made what he called a final offer, and arch-conservatives rejected it. Rachael Bade and Josh Dawsey Politico Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Robert Pear and Thomas Kaplan in the New York Times$ Mike DeBonis, Juliet Eilperin and David Weigel in the Washington Post$ Kristina Peterson, Siobhan Hughes and Louise Radnofsky in the Wall Street Journal$ Lisa Mascaro and Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
UC is moving forward with Mexican initiative, regardless of Trump actions -- University of California President Janet Napolitano is headed to Mexico next week to reassure leaders there that the public research university remains committed to academic collaboration — even if some of it, such as climate change research, is at risk under the Trump administration. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Gov. Jerry Brown laments 'poisoned' nature of talks to avoid nuclear war -- Gov. Jerry Brown said the politics over nuclear warfare have become "poisoned" as he searches for ways to take a larger role in the debate. Brown wrapped up his four-day visit to Washington, D.C., with a meeting of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit whose board of directors he joined this year. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Former Gov. Pete Wilson looks back on Proposition 187 and says, heck yeah, he'd support it all over again -- For a time, no California politician was more formidable than Republican Pete Wilson. Over two decades, the popular former San Diego mayor enjoyed a record of nearly unbroken success, besting Gov. Jerry Brown in 1982 to seize a U.S. Senate seat and toppling San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein eight years later to win the governorship. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Jerry Brown thinks world ‘closer to the brink of destruction’ -- Gov. Jerry Brown, his time in the nation’s capital winding down, set aside the remnants of an afternoon snack and contemplated the apocalypse. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/17
Fox: Poll: Jobs, Regulations, Taxes and Trains -- Many business people have raised concerns over excessive regulations hampering business growth and job creation. However, at first glance, it appears that California voters don’t make the connection between regulations and job creation in a new Public Policy Institute of California survey. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/23/17
California Legislature urged to play oversight role on Olympics proposal to prevent cost overruns -- Los Angeles’ bid to host the 2024 Olympics requires state agencies to begin planning for their significant role and for state officials to guard against changes that might put the venture at financial risk, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office warned Thursday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Vehicle rules, 'super pollutants' on the agenda for California regulators -- California's powerful Air Resources Board began a marathon two-day meeting here on Thursday as regulators prepared new steps to curb climate change and vehicle emissions. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
If Raiders leave, could Oakland get another NFL team? -- If Mark Davis gets his wish and the NFL allows him to move his Raiders to Las Vegas, will we ever see another team in Oakland? It wouldn’t be out of the question, said one NFL owner who requested anonymity. Jon Becker in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/17
Kawakami: Las Vegas Raiders? Oakland now clearly in NFL’s rear-view mirror -- It’s not Las Vegas vs. Oakland any more, not really. The Raiders’ future? As NFL owners get set to congregate in Arizona over the next few days, all attention is on Las Vegas, its freely available money (whether or not that’s wise), and the Raiders’ desire to relocate there. Tim Kawakami in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/17
This is California in the era of Trump -- Californians wake up every day delighted to be in California, and then they remember that they are also in the United States. The bougainvillea catches the rising sun in San Clemente, the sapphire tide heaves into Big Sur — and three time zones to the East, President Trump has been up and tweeting for hours. Dan Zak in the Washington Post$ -- 3/23/17
Inadvertent surveillance of Trump transition team raises far-reaching questions -- The disclosure by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, that communications by Trump transition members were inadvertently picked up by U.S. surveillance legally collecting foreign intelligence raises questions that are likely to consume Congress and the White House for months. David S. Cloud in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Horsey: Most Republicans are in denial about the probe into Trump-Russia ties -- On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, a Republican from the San Joaquin Valley, took a trip to the White House that made as big a splash as California’s recent torrential rains. David Horsey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Senate votes to kill privacy rules meant to protect people's sensitive data from their Internet providers -- The rules, which have not yet gone into effect, require AT&T Inc., Charter Communications Inc., Comcast Corp. and other broadband providers to get customer permission before using or sharing sensitive personal data, such as Web browsing or app usage history and the geographic trail of mobile devices. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ Tali Arbel and Richard Lardner Associated Press -- 3/23/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California says GOP health bill would cost state billions -- The Republican health overhaul bill in Congress would cut federal payments for low-income health coverage in California by an estimated $6 billion in 2020 and more than $24 billion in a decade, Gov. Jerry Brown's administration said Wednesday. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle John Howard Capitol Weekly Anna Gorman KQED -- 3/23/17
Mass rallies planned in LA County, nationwide to save Obamacare from GOP repeal -- A thousand demonstrators worried about the future of health care are expected to gather for a rally in downtown Los Angeles Thursday as part of a nationwide effort to pressure lawmakers to keep the Affordable Care Act intact and in place. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/23/17
Southern California Republicans face a dilemma on health care vote -- The American Health Care Act could prove hazardous to the political well-being of Southern California’s House Republicans. GOP members of Congress who vote for the bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, may end up energizing opposition groups and providing a talking point for Democrats determined to oust them. Jeff Horseman and Martin Wisckol in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 3/23/17
Lopez: An L.A. doctor races to cure deadly diseases and worries about Trump plan to cut NIH funding -- Michael Yeaman’s lab on the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center campus in Torrance is loaded with bacteria, and it’s been that way for a quarter of a century. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Jerry Brown sounds skeptical note on single-payer health care for California -- Gov. Jerry Brown, in Washington warning about the billions his state could lose on the eve of a Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, strained Wednesday to understand the logic behind pushing another system like single-payer. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/17
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$ -- 3/23/17
Deep-blue California says Trump not trustworthy, not doing a good job -- Majorities of likely voters in the heavily Democratic state say the president cannot be trusted and disapprove of his job performance, border wall and revised travel ban, according to a new statewide survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ Scott Shafer KQED -- 3/23/17
PPIC Survey: California Hates Trump, Loves Brown -- President Donald Trump’s approval rating, just 39% nationwide, is an anemic 31% in California, according to the latest survey from the Public Policy Institute of California. At the same time, Gov. Jerry Brown, who has sharply criticized Trump on immigration, health care and the environment, enjoys a 58% approval rating at home. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/23/17
Report: Californians oppose Trump’s travel ban and border wall but want immigrants to stay -- The Public Policy Institute of California survey, which polled residents by phone earlier this month, took a detailed look at how Californians view their government under the Trump administration. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/17
Majority of Orange County residents oppose Trump's stance on deportations, a travel ban and border wall, poll finds -- A majority of Southern California residents oppose President Donald Trump’s key immigration policies – including his travel ban, plan for a border wall and calls to increase deportations – according to a survey released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 3/23/17
Many Californians unsure of Kamala Harris, poll says -- California Sen. Kamala Harris remains unknown to many residents of her own state despite maintaining a high profile in Washington, while California's senior senator, Dianne Feinstein, has seen her job approval rating tick down, according to a new poll. David Siders Politico -- 3/23/17
In California, Democratic voter registration climbing -- The percentage of voters registered as Democrats increased roughly 1.5 percentage points to nearly 45 percent. Republican registration declined more than two percentage points to just under 26 percent. Nearly one in four California voters are registered with no party preference. Sophia Bollag Associated Press Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/17
There's a problem with sample ballots in L.A.'s congressional race, and it could have affected thousands of voters -- The incorrect pamphlets list the 23 candidates on the ballot in the wrong order. If Korean-language voters used the erroneous sample ballots to cast their vote, they may have inadvertently voted for the wrong candidate. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Skelton: Providing free college tuition in California is a good idea — but taxing millionaires to do it is a bad one -- Kudos to Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman for boldly trying to free college students from paying tuition. That truly would make California “great again,” to plagiarize one Twitter addict. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
In face of lawsuit, Vista may move to district elections -- Vista could become the third North County city to switch to electing City Council members by district, after being threatened with a lawsuit alleging its at-large elections disenfranchise Latino voters. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/23/17
Border wall: Final models to be displayed in San Diego -- Select companies from around the nation, and even some international firms, bidding to build the wall will be required to construct an example of their proposal in San Diego, said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/23/17
House Russia probe in chaos over Nunes remarks that Trump found in foreign surveillance reports -- Rep. Devin Nunes on Wednesday thrust himself into the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s unproven claims that he was wiretapped by his predecessor, telling the White House and reporters that communications of Trump transition officials – possibly including the president – may have been “monitored” after the election as part of an “incidental collection.” Matthew Schofield and Franco Ordoñez in the Fresno Bee -- 3/23/17
Meet Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democrat fast becoming the face of opposition to President Trump -- But Schiff is the top Democrat on the powerful House Intelligence Committee at a time when the GOP-led Congress and the FBI are investigating Russia meddling in the presidential election and whether anyone in the president's circle was involved. That's plopped the normally under-the-radar Schiff on the front lines of Democrats' opposition to Trump. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 3/23/17
L.A. County sheriff is walking a political tightrope by opposing the 'sanctuary state' bill -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell says he understands the struggles of immigrants trying to make a better life in America. Cindy Chang and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Protest builds in DTLA over Sheriff’s stance on sanctuary cities -- A growing crowd was gathering Wednesday evening in front of the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday night to protest the Los Angeles County sheriff’s opposition to a bill to declare California a “sanctuary state.” The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/23/17
California files brief supporting challenge to Trump's threat against 'sanctuary' cities and counties -- State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Wednesday filed a brief in support of a Santa Clara County lawsuit challenging President Trump's executive order targeting "sanctuary" cities that refuse to help federal authorities enforce immigration laws. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
For second time, Santa Ana won't look at negotiating new contract with ICE -- As time ticks away on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract at Santa Ana Jail, a city councilman took a second swing at negotiations for a new agreement with the federal agency – and fell short again. Jessica Kwong in the Orange County Register -- 3/23/17
Judge to sentence ex-LA County Sheriff Lee Baca in May for obstruction of justice -- Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is expected to be sentenced in May after he was found guilty last week of three felony counts related to a jail corruption scandal, federal officials announced Wednesday. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/23/17
Judge allows California high-speed rail funding to continue -- A judge rejected opponents' latest attempt to stall California's $64 billion high-speed rail project Wednesday, but will consider their arguments before the state issues voter-approved bonds next month. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 3/23/17
Oroville Dam operators send more water down wrecked spillway -- Water began gushing down the mangled spillway at Oroville Dam on Friday in what state officials said was the start of a weeklong test to see if the sheared-off chute and the carved-out hillside around it could sustain even more pummeling as flows into Lake Oroville increase during the spring snowmelt. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/23/17
Oroville Dam: Evacuation warnings lifted for Butte County -- More than a month after a near-catastrophe at Oroville Dam sparked mass evacuations, Butte County’s sheriff Wednesday lifted the evacuation warning that had remained in place for thousands of downstream residents. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/17
California may face 'significant risk' from dam -- California is not just fighting nature as it attempts to repair the nation's tallest dam, badly damaged last month by surging storm waters. It's also racing the clock. Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 3/23/17
Supreme Court wrestles with California police shooting case -- The justices heard oral arguments in a 2010 case involving Los Angeles County deputies who shot a couple living in a shack in the backyard of a home in the city of Lancaster, north of Los Angeles. The deputies entered the structure without a warrant and without announcing themselves, and the couple was ultimately awarded $4 million in the shooting. Jessica Gresko Associated Press -- 3/23/17
Sacramento County reeling from jury’s $107 million verdict against it in mining case -- With Sacramento County reeling from a federal court jury’s landmark $107 million judgment against it, plaintiffs’ lawyers said Wednesday the “undue influence” case should serve as a warning shot for any governmental entity that plays political favorites. Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/17
Homeless
Sacramento council gives cautious approval for homeless tent camp in north city -- Councilman Allen Warren won lukewarm approval to establish a homeless tent camp in his North Sacramento district after months of resistance from his fellow Sacramento City Council members. Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Southern California aerospace and defense contractors expecting boost from Trump budget -- Southern California's defense industry, long the epicenter for high-flying aerospace technology and advanced weapons for the military, could get a major windfall under President Trump’s proposed new budget. W.J. Hennigan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Agency: California farmers will get bump in irrigation water -- Farmers in a vast agricultural region of California will receive a significantly greater amount of irrigation water this summer compared to past drought years — but not their full supply, federal officials announced Wednesday. Scott Smith Associated Press Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 3/23/17
Bay Area population growth slows, some counties losing people -- The Bay Area may be losing a bit of its luster. After years of being overrun by new residents drawn by a red-hot economy, the number of people moving out has begun to catch up with the number moving in, new census data show. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/23/17
Tech workers fear diversity efforts could be undermined -- Since the 2016 presidential election, tech companies and their workers have been on high alert, anxiously looking out for ways the Trump administration’s policies and preferences might affect them. Marissa Lang in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/23/17
Education
CSU $270 tuition hike triggers debate about access and affordability -- The approval Wednesday of a $270 tuition increase, or about 5 percent, for undergraduates at the California State University system has raised debate over affordability and access across its 23 campuses. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 3/23/17
Cannabis
California lawmakers want to block police from helping federal drug agents take action against marijuana license holders -- With federal authorities hinting at a possible crackdown on state-licensed marijuana dealers, a group of California lawmakers wants to block local police and sheriff’s departments from assisting such investigations and arrests unless compelled by a court order. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
California cannabis companies are hiring. Interest is high at this job fair -- There were firm handshakes. And the sincere repetition of first names. Over the weekend, in a bare-walled art gallery on Highland Avenue, well-scrubbed job seekers came, resumes in hand, to connect with prospective employers. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Environment
On An Island: The One California County Not In The National Flood Insurance Program -- In one part of the town of Mariposa, the scene a month ago was something the residents had never seen. Water from the Mariposa Creek watershed rushed into places it was not supposed to — up through the floor of a shop, through the 49er Shopping Center parking lot and into the sewer system. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 3/23/17
Health
Olympus' redesigned scope linked to infection outbreak -- Doctors have tied a superbug outbreak at a foreign health facility to a medical scope that Olympus modified last year in an attempt to reduce its risk of spreading bacteria between patients. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
Beltway
Spying claim by Intel chair renews fight over Russia probe between California congressmen -- Private communications of Donald Trump and his presidential transition team may have been scooped up by American intelligence officials monitoring other targets and improperly distributed throughout spy agencies, the chairman of the House intelligence committee said Wednesday — an extraordinary public airing of often-secret information that brought swift protests from Democrats. Julie Pace and Deb Riechmann KPCC -- 3/23/17
The time traveler’s tax break: How a GOP tax perk motivates only magic investors -- Right now isn't soon enough for Republicans who are eager to get rid of Obamacare's taxes. Instead, Republicans' latest proposal would repeal the taxes retroactively, giving taxpayers back anything they paid on earnings dating after Jan. 1 of this year. The money would primarily go to wealthy households, and Republicans say that the windfall would stimulate the economy. Max Ehrenfreund in the Washington Post$ -- 3/23/17
Supreme Court delivers blow to Judge Gorsuch ruling during his confirmation hearing -- The final day of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee got off to an awkward start Wednesday when the Supreme Court unanimously overruled the foundation of one of his opinions in a case involving the rights of children with disabilities. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/17
-- Wednesday Updates
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