Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics

Updating . .

Former head of Senate fellows program leaves Sacramento State after investigation -- The former director of Sacramento State's California Senate Fellows program, placed on “indefinite leave" in November after The Bee reported allegations that Sen. Tony Mendoza made unwanted advances on a 23-year-old Senate fellow, is no longer employed by the university. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/18

Huerta out of Central Valley Congress race, new candidate takes his place -- In a key Central Valley congressional seat, it’s one leading Democratic candidate out and another in, as the names and numbers shift before Friday’s statewide filing deadline. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

Weinstein Co. deal collapses in yet another twist, pushing studio closer to bankruptcy -- The deal for an investor group to acquire Harvey Weinstein's former movie and TV studio has collapsed in yet another twist in an ongoing saga that has seen agreements come and go amid the general chaos surrounding Weinstein Co. David Ng and Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

California homeowners receive $6 billion a year in subsidies — 15 times more than renters, report finds -- The report from the California Housing Partnership, a nonprofit low-income housing advocate, found that homeowners in the state received billions in subsidies through being able to deduct interest on their mortgages and their property taxes from their state tax bills. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

U.S. attorney general in Sacramento on Wednesday for sanctuary announcement -- The U.S. Department of Justice in a Tuesday news release said Sessions will make the announcement while speaking at the 26th Annual Law Enforcement Legislative Day hosted by the California Police Officers' Association. Stephen Magagnini in the Sacramento Bee$ Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 3/6/18

CA120: Voter files, panels and the search for truth -- Pew Research recently released a report titled Commercial Voter Files and the Study of U.S. Politics, which initially looked like a really interesting piece for someone like me who works in voter files every day. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 3/6/18

Why a California lawmaker wants to ban Walmart gift cards at gun buyback events -- Assembly Bill 1903, which Gonzalez Fletcher introduced in January, would prohibit public agencies that run gun buyback events from giving out gift cards to businesses that sell guns or ammunition. Billy Kobin in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/18

Washington becomes first state to approve net neutrality rules -- Setting up a likely legal fight with the Trump administration, Washington has become the first state to enact its own net neutrality requirements after U.S. regulators repealed Obama-era rules designed to keep the internet an even playing field. Rachel La Corte Associated Press -- 3/6/18

23andMe can now sell breast cancer genetic test with no prescription needed -- The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized Mountain View’s 23andMe to sell a test for a breast cancer genetic mutation directly to consumers — the first time the agency has allowed the sale of a genetic test for cancer risk without a doctor’s prescription. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Carolyn Y. Johnson in the Washington Post$ -- 3/6/18

Broadcom’s bid for Qualcomm could threaten national security, U.S. warns -- Broadcom Ltd.’s hostile takeover attempt of Qualcomm Inc. could pose a national security risk because of Qualcomm’s leadership in developing critical semiconductor technology, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, setting up a potentially insurmountable hurdle to getting a deal done. Bloomberg -- 3/6/18

Fox: Survey: Biz Execs Down on CA -- A survey of business executives in highly sought after industries such as clean tech and research & development conclude that California has a number of problems that prevent businesses from locating or expanding in the state. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/6/18

Border Patrol agents say Tijuana River pollution is making them sick, and officials want it fixed -- With health complaints continuing from Border Patrol agents who work the polluted areas of the Tijuana River Valley, the federal Customs and Border Protection agency is quietly trying to solve some of the problems of toxic sewage flows from Mexico — on its own. Greg Moran in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

Lazarus: California braces for battle with Trump administration over student loans -- Ask Republican politicians how they feel about gun control, and they'll say this is a matter for states to decide. "I think we need to respect federalism and respect local jurisdictions," House Speaker Paul D. Ryan insisted just last week. But ask Republicans about protecting people from being ripped off by student-loan debt collectors, and they'll sing a completely different tune. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

Mount Umunhum: Big crowds, five times what was expected, flock to newly opened Bay Area summit -- For generations, hikers, bicyclists and motorists looking for a sweeping view have ventured up the Bay Area’s most distinctive and popular peaks: Mount Diablo, Mount Tamalpais and Mount Hamilton. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/18

Watchdog: Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway violated Hatch Act -- The Office of Special Counsel, which is unrelated to Robert Mueller’s office, says Conway violated the Hatch Act twice last year when she spoke out in support of Republican Roy Moore and against his Democratic rival, Sen. Doug Jones, in the Alabama Senate race. Zeke Miller Associated Press -- 3/6/18

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Experts doubt unprecedented homebuilding goal set by two of California's top candidates for governor -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa both have said they want developers in California to build a half million homes in a year — something that's never happened, at least in modern history. And they want builders to do it for seven straight years, resulting in 3.5 million new homes from the time the next governor takes office through 2025. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

Humans slapped and shouted at robot cars in two of six DMV crash reports this year -- The human response to possible takeover by robot overlords is off to a troubling start. Of six crash reports involving robot cars filed in California so far this year, two involved a human approaching the car and attacking it. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

California's watchdog agency approved record number of settlements for ethics and campaign violations last year -- California’s campaign watchdog agency last year approved a record 340 settlements of cases involving violations of ethics and political finance rules, according to its annual report issued Monday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

Bill would allow compensation for more who were wrongfully imprisoned -- California pays compensation to wrongfully imprisoned inmates, but the standards are so tight that few qualify. Newly proposed legislation would ease those rules a bit, and one possible beneficiary is a San Jose man who spent more than 30 years in prison based on scientific evidence that has now been recanted. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

California to fight ruling on early parole for sex offenders -- California said Monday that it will fight a judge's ruling ordering the state to consider earlier parole for potentially thousands of sex offenders, such as those convicted of raping an unconscious person. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 3/6/18

Judge won't order grant award in California immigration suit -- The Trump administration will not immediately have to award California a grant being withheld over concerns the state is a sanctuary for people in the country illegally, a federal judge said Monday. The amount of money at issue - $1 million - was relatively small and was at this point only delayed, not denied, U.S. District Judge William Orrick said. Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 3/6/18

Former San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio pulls nomination papers to run for Congress again -- San Diego County Registrar of Voters Michael Vu said that DeMaio has taken paperwork to run for California’s 50th District, an area that includes eastern and northeastern parts of San Diego County, plus part of Temecula. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/6/18

London Breed can’t say she’s ‘acting mayor’ on ballot, court rules -- Breed will now be identified as “president, Board of Supervisors” in all voter pamphlets and materials for the June 5 ballot, according to an order and stipulation that will be heard in San Francisco Superior Court Tuesday. It settles a lawsuit filed by one of Breed’s opponents, Mark Leno, who said the acting-mayor title was misleading. Rachel Swan and Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

San Francisco Will Remove Pioneer Statue That Some Call Racist -- A 19th century statue that some say is degrading to Native Americans will be removed from its touristy public spot near San Francisco's City Hall, joining a growing list of historic markers being ousted under pressure from the public. Janie Har Associated Press -- 3/6/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

San Diego is latest battleground in global war to control 'dockless' bike rental market -- One of the most recent trends in disruptive technology is the rather abrupt appearance across American cities of thousands of freestanding bikes for rent through the use of smart phone apps — from Seattle to Los Angeles to Washington D.C. and now San Diego. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/6/18

Qualcomm annual meeting postponed for national security review -- Qualcomm has been handed a 30-day reprieve from Broadcom’s $117 billion hostile takeover bid to allow U.S. regulators to conduct a national security probe of the potential deal. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/6/18

Demolition of California Theatre halted -- Although the San Diego City Council had approved its demolition last year, San Diego County Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil on Friday set aside the council’s decision and required a reworked environmental impact study in which the city at least consider other options for the building. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/6/18

Transit

Not a typo: San Francisco’s Muni may cut (some) fares -- When it comes to transit fares, what goes up rarely comes down. But the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is considering reducing some fares — especially for visitors and for those who rely on monthly passes. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

Homeless

First Person: Living In A Car In San Diego With 3 Children -- More than 500 families in San Diego County are homeless, according to the last point-in-time count. Lola Cheatham and her three daughters are one of those families. They have been living in a parking lot in the city of San Diego on and off for nearly two years. Brooke Ruth KPBS -- 3/6/18

Former Houston mayor shares strategies to help homeless in San Diego County -- Officials from several San Diego County cities heard some encouraging words Monday from former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who was in town to share some of the strategies she used to significantly reduce homelessness in her city. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/6/18

Housing

20,000 new homes by BART stations? A new California zoning bill aims to speed building -- Cities reluctant to OK housing on BART’s expansive parking lots and other land owned by the rail system would be forced to allow it under a new bill unveiled this week. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/18

Wildfire

'My World Was Burning': The North Bay Fires and What Went Wrong -- A five-month KQED investigation of what happened that first night of the fires found a series of failures and missteps by both local and state officials that go well beyond previously documented evacuation delays: Our review of thousands of 911 and dispatch calls, along with dozens of interviews, has revealed large systemic problems with the state’s emergency response procedures. Marisa Lagos, Sukey Lewis and Lisa Pickoff-White KQED -- 3/6/18

Education

Three arrested in separate school-related threats in Folsom, West Sacramento and Roseville -- Three young men were arrested Monday in connection with separate threats targeting high schools or students in Folsom, West Sacramento and Roseville. In the Roseville arrest, police said, the suspect had an "AR-15-type firearm." Benjy Egel and Cathy Locke in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/18

Golden West College professor and counselor is identified in video telling couple to ‘go back to your home country’ -- "We're very aware the community has deep concerns, and we're not going to let this die," said district spokeswoman Letitia Clark. "We're looking at past interactions with students and staff to see if it relates to the comments made on the video." Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jeremiah Dobruck in the Orange County Register -- 3/6/18

San Francisco group raises $12k to send food, water to teachers on strike in West Virginia -- The United Educators of San Francisco, a group of "teachers and paraprofessionals, organized and professional educators committed to learning," has raised thousands of dollars and counting to send at least three days' worth of pizza and water to sustain educators on strike in West Virginia. Alyssa Pereira in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

‘Hack the Fog’ makes history as San Francisco’s first high school hackathon -- Yev Barkalov strapped on two backpacks and put on his headphones to start the 30-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Palo Alto. The long night ahead, which took place a year ago, required one bag for his computer and electronic equipment, and another for a sleeping bag he would barely use. By then, Yev was already hackathon veteran. Annie Ma in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

Two-thirds of California college students are minorities. Most of their professors are white -- While the student bodies at California’s public colleges and universities are rapidly diversifying, the academic leadership has not kept up with the state’s changing demographics. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/18

Whites dominate California college faculties while students are more diverse, study shows – The faculty and senior leadership at many of California’s public colleges and universities are so overwhelmingly white — and frequently male — that the increasingly ethnically diverse student bodies lack enough role models for success, a new report contends. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 3/6/18

California college aid applications for undocumented students surge by deadline – A last-minute push of publicity and counseling helped increase the number of undocumented students in California who applied for special state-financed college aid slightly above last year’s level despite fears of deportation, officials announced Monday. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 3/6/18

Cannabis

Sonoma County changes policy to proactively clear past pot-related convictions -- Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch abruptly changed course Monday, deciding her office will begin reviewing past marijuana-related crimes to reduce or expunge eligible convictions after saying last month it would not. Kevin Fixler in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 3/6/18

Immigration / Border

San Diego Border Dreamers call on Congress to act as Trump's DACA deadline passes -- Six months after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, DACA recipients in San Diego are still pressuring Congress to pass a legislative solution for them. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/6/18

Protesters show support for undocumented immigrants in Santa Rosa march -- More than 1,500 immigrants and their supporters marched through downtown Santa Rosa on Monday as part of a national campaign calling on President Donald Trump and Congress to bring permanent relief to undocumented immigrants. Martin Espinoza in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 3/6/18

Border Patrol agent accused of lying about ties to Mexican drug traffickers -- A San Diego federal grand jury has indicted a Border Patrol agent on charges that he lied — twice — about his ties to two Mexican drug traffickers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune -- 3/6/18

Water

Even after storm, California’s Sierra snowpack at 37 percent of average -- The storm that wrought avalanches at ski resorts and whiteouts on mountain roads last week was so fierce that California water officials postponed their much-anticipated monthly survey of snow depth, setting the stage for potentially better news this week. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

Health

Long Beach hospital on active earthquake fault set to close -- Community Medical Center Long Beach will close within four months after a report revealed the facility sits on an active earthquake fault, hospital officials said Monday. Officials said in November the hospital would not meet state seismic regulations that will become effective next June because of the fault zone under the 94-year-old structure. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

Also . . .

Note to Lady Bird: Tower Records made Sacramento cool -- If Lady Bird — or her creator, Greta Gerwig — had been older, she might not have worried so much about that Sacramento baggage. Back in the day, we had something that made Sacramento totally cool. Tower Records. The original stores. Linda Zavoral in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/18

DA Rackauckas will let critical comments stay on social media, but only if they meet criteria -- The free speech fracas between Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and the ACLU is getting a new wrinkle — critical comments will be allowed on the DA’s social media accounts if they meet the office’s newly written standards. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 3/6/18

No charges for LAPD officer who fatally shot 14-year-old in Boyle Heights, prosecutors say -- A Los Angeles police officer won't be criminally charged in the controversial shooting of Jesse Romero, a 14-year-old boy whose 2016 death inspired protests in his Boyle Heights neighborhood and became part of a broader, often-heated debate over how officers use deadly force. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/18

San Francisco woman, 7-year-old son killed in ski resort tragedy at Kirkwood -- The victims were identified as 50-year-old Olga Perkovic and her son Aaron Goodstein, the Alpine County Sheriff’s office said. Perkovic was on vacation at the Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Alpine County with her mother and three children. Annie Ma in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/18

POTUS 45

Trump says steel imports are a threat to national security. The defense industry disagrees -- President Trump rattled markets and irked U.S. allies last week when he moved to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, insisting such imports are a threat to national security. Now, a growing chorus from the defense industry has come out against the move. Aaron Gregg and Christian Davenport in the Washington Post$ -- 3/6/18

Trump Hates the Trade Deficit. Most Economists Don’t -- President Trump’s fixation with America’s widening trade deficit is fueling his decision to impose stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Only a small group of experts share Mr. Trump’s fixation, and few see tariffs as an effective tool to narrow the so-called trade gap. Jim Tankersley in the New York Times$ -- 3/6/18

The ‘anti-Trump’ Oscars were a ratings disaster. Conservatives are delighted -- The 90th Academy Awards on Sunday was two things: an evening of pointed political statements and one with record-low viewership. And many on the right have been quick to claim that those things went hand in hand. Marwa Eltagouri in the Washington Post$ -- 3/6/18

-- Updates

Pelosi's real estate makes her the 5th richest Californian in Congress -- Thanks to a bunch of pricey real estate in swanky locations, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi remains high on the ranking of the California congressional delegation by minimum net worth, a new analysis of financial disclosures finds. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

Villaraigosa challenges Newsom to one-on-one debate over single-payer healthcare -- Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday challenged his top rival in the governor’s race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, to a one-on-one debate over the viability of a state-sponsored single-payer healthcare system in California. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

Oakland area students join Congress on Civil Rights Pilgrimage -- A group of Oakland-area students this weekend stood alongside major civil rights figures as part of the Faith and Politics Institute Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage tied to the anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.” Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

Scott Jones faces new challenge from former deputy chief in Sacramento Sheriff's race -- The race for Sacramento sheriff became more competitive Monday when former deputy chief and noted criminal justice reform advocate Milo Fitch announced he was running against incumbent Scott Jones. Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/5/18

Jerry Brown's grand California water solution remains in jeopardy as he prepares to exit -- Two tunnels, one or none? The question continues to swirl around plans to perform major surgery on the sickly heart of California's water system. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

'Huggy Bear' Hertzberg's accuser didn't meet with Senate investigators -- A former assemblywoman who accused Sen. Bob Hertzberg of pinning her in his arms and thrusting his groin into her said she declined to meet with lawyers hired by the Senate to investigate her allegation. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/5/18

San Francisco gave undocumented immigrants voting rights. Now it’s worried about ICE -- A key backer of San Francisco granting noncitizens the right to cast ballots in school elections now wants the city to spend as much as $500,000 a year to warn undocumented residents that registering to vote could point the feds their way. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/5/18

Sierra snow pack up 80 percent from last week, but still below normal --The snow water equivalent of the snowpack a week ago, meaning the amount of water in any given area if the snow was all melted, jumped from 5.3 inches last Monday to 9.5 inches on Monday, an increase of 80 percent. But the historic average is 30 inches by April 1, so the state would need another four or five storms like last week’s by April 1 to reach the historic average. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/5/18

Founder of Tower Records dies at 92 while drinking whiskey and watching the Oscars -- Russ Solomon, the music-loving visionary who built a global retailing empire and the most famous company in Sacramento history, died Sunday night. He was 92. Solomon was watching the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night when he apparently had a heart attack, said his son, Michael Solomon. Dale Kasler and Bob Shallit in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/5/18

L.A. officials push for new focus on school safety after Parkland -- On Monday, L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer will announce his formation of a blue-ribbon panel to look at measures that would make schools safer and how to make them happen. The next day, L.A. school board members will introduce a resolution calling for stronger state and federal gun control and for a review of school district policies. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

Slow recovery, new kinship for community struck first by Tubbs Fire -- Knights Valley was the first place hit by the Tubbs Fire and may be among the last to recover. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/5/18

California sends 20 millionaires to Congress. Here's what we know about their fortunes -- The 55 members of California’s congressional delegation are worth at least $439 million. The state is home to both the richest and poorest man in Congress. Iris Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

California Launches Environmental Justice Unit to Protect Vulnerable Neighborhoods -- California is getting an Environmental Justice Bureau charged with looking into polluters who operate in low-income and minority neighborhoods. Amel Ahmed KQED -- 3/5/18

The Contentious Future of Point Reyes -- Here's What You Need to Know -- On a rocky peninsula with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, an hour north of San Francisco, cows, tule elk, and people have shared the land for several hundred years -- but lately, with growing conflict. That’s why the National Park Service is rethinking how to manage the rangelands in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Molly Peterson KQED -- 3/5/18

Eleni Kounalakis Aims to Be State’s First Woman Elected Lt. Governor -- Since California became a state in 1850, the state has had 39 governors and 49 lieutenant governors. Every single one of the people elected to those jobs was a man. (One woman, Mona Pasquil, briefly served as acting Lt. Governor when the incumbent, John Garamendi, was elected to Congress.) Katie Orr KQED -- 3/5/18

Jeffe & Jeffe: Jerry Brown—the Man Who Wasn’t There -- When California Democrats held their convention in San Diego, there was a conspicuous absentee—Governor Jerry Brown. Not only wasn’t he physically present, he was barely mentioned from the speaker’s podium. The party’s activists and aspiring politicians were clearly ready to move on. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 3/5/18

Attorneys for Suge Knight indicted on charges tied to alleged witness tampering -- Thaddeus Culpepper and Matthew Fletcher appeared in a downtown courtroom Monday morning where they were charged with conspiracy, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. A charge of accessory after the fact to the 2015 murder Knight is accused of was also filed, though it was not immediately clear which attorney was accused of that count. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

House Speaker Paul Ryan urges Trump to reverse himself on planned tariffs -- House Speaker Paul D. Ryan publicly broke with President Trump on Monday, the latest Republican to call on the president to reverse his planned imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that many fear could set off a trade war. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/5/18

Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg called before grand jury, says he will refuse to go -- In an interview with The Washington Post, Nunberg said he was asked to come to Washington to appear before the grand jury on Friday. He also provided a copy of what appears to be his two-page grand jury subpoena seeking documents related to President Trump and nine other people, including emails, correspondence, invoices, telephone logs, calendars and “records of any kind.” Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 3/5/18

Trump Lawyer’s Payment to Porn Star Was Reported as Suspicious by Bank -- The bank used by President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer to wire $130,000 to a former adult-film actress flagged the transaction as suspicious and reported it to the Treasury Department, according to a person familiar with the matter. Joe Palazzolo and Michael Rothfeld in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/5/18