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In California's rural, conservative north, there are big dreams for cleaving the state -- The two young, blond women in figure-flattering ball gowns hoisted whiskey and shotguns. An auctioneer rattled off bids. Above the stage in the banquet hall hung a green flag for the 51st state of Jefferson, with its pair of Xs called a “double-cross” representing a sense of rural abandonment. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/18

A voter profiling firm hired by Trump likely grabbed data for tens of millions of Facebook users -- Facebook revealed on Friday that a voter profiling firm hired by Donald Trump and other Republicans had improperly used data from 270,000 users of the social media platform. But what Facebook didn’t say may be more important: The number of people affected by this aggressive form of data grabbing likely numbered in the tens of millions. Craig Timberg and Elizabeth Dwoskin in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/18

How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions -- The firm had secured a $15 million investment from Robert Mercer, the wealthy Republican donor, and wooed his political adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, with the promise of tools that could identify the personalities of American voters and influence their behavior. But it did not have the data to make its new products work. Matthew Rosenberg, Nicholas Confessore and Carole Cadwalladr in the New York Times$ -- 3/17/18

Facebook suspends Trump election data firm that accessed millions of user profiles -- Facebook Inc. has suspended Cambridge Analytica, a data company that helped Donald Trump win the presidential election, for receiving and failing to delete as many as 50 million Facebook profiles without their owners' permission. Sarah Frier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/18

ACLU asks in lawsuit: Why is the TSA searching digital devices on domestic flights? -- U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents have increasingly searched digital devices carried by travelers on international flights, as they look for data in cellphones, laptops and other electronic gadgets that can provide clues to possible terrorist attacks. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration demanding to know why TSA security officers also are looking at data stored in digital devices carried by passengers on domestic flights. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/18

Hearing today will weigh what’s next for homeless moved from Santa Ana River trail and into area motels -- The future of hundreds of homeless people recently removed from the Santa Ana River trail in Orange County and temporarily housed in area motels will be the focus of a federal judge's hearing Saturday in Santa Ana. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/18

Young woman’s ‘dying declaration’ a rare path to justice, law enforcement says -- Lizette Cuesta’s last words could come back to haunt her alleged killers. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Most California Democrats running for Congress in competitive GOP seats aren’t publicly backing Nancy Pelosi for speaker -- Conor Lamb’s surprise win in a deep-red Pennsylvania congressional district this week was great news for Democrats — but not necessarily for Nancy Pelosi. In the wake of his victory, many Democrats running for Congress in her home state are keeping the House minority leader at arms length. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/18

Michael Flynn campaigns in 1st appearance since guilty plea -- Disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn campaigned for a Republican congressional candidate in California Friday in his first public appearance since pleading guilty to lying to the FBI. Associated Press -- 3/17/18

Los Alamitos might challenge California over state’s sanctuary law -- The City Council in Orange County’s second-smallest city is scheduled to vote Monday, March 19 on an ordinance that calls for exempting itself from the California Values Act, SB54, a new law that limits cooperation between law enforcement and immigration authorities. The state law, which took effect Jan. 1, “may be in direct conflict with federal laws and the Constitution of the United States,” reads the proposed local law. Roxana Kopetman and Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 3/17/18

Pelosi as Democratic leader? These congressional hopefuls won't commit -- The very mention of Conor Lamb’s name got the crowd of Democrats packed into a Palmdale community center for a congressional debate Thursday night hooting and clapping. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/18

San Diego police points-for-arrests program under investigation -- San Diego police Chief David Nisleit has launched an internal investigation into a program intended to reward officers for drug-related arrests and citations in communities near the border with Mexico. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/18

Top California Official Says Russia’s Hack Of Energy Systems Shows Need For Cyber Preparedness -- This week’s alert that Russian hackers targeted U.S. power and water plants should be taken seriously, but doesn’t mean there’s an imminent threat to California’s critical infrastructure, including nuclear facilities, according to the state’s top emergency manager. Chris Nichols Capital Public Radio -- 3/17/18

Is California protecting women or forcing clinics to promote abortion? Supreme Court to decide -- The 41 words at the center of the latest Supreme Court showdown on abortion are not readily visible at Christine Vatuone’s Informed Choices pregnancy center — not reproduced as a sign on 8½ -by-11-inch paper in at least 22-point type, as California law requires, or distributed to clients in printed or digital form. Robert Barnes in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/18

$10 million coming to Bay Area desalination project; but it’s not on the ocean -- The ocean has been eyed as a panacea for California’s perpetual trials with drought. The idea is that with enough desalination plants, the vast sea will provide an endless supply of drinking water. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/18

Police investigate hate crime after death threats made to Sacramento LGBT center -- The Sacramento LGBT Community Center is on high alert after receiving two letters containing death threats and homophobic language Wednesday. Both letters had a “faith-based bent” to them, said David Heitstuman, center executive director, and were more specific in nature than past hate mail the center had received. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/18

SLO County Jail inmate died naked on the floor as deputies watched, chilling video shows -- After releasing an inmate who'd been bound naked in a restraint chair for 46 hours, sheriff's deputies at the San Luis Obispo County Jail watched as the man writhed on the floor, lost consciousness and later died, video obtained by The Tribune shows. Matt Fountain in the SLO Tribune -- 3/17/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Controversial 'Immigration Reform' group buys inflammatory BART ads, but BART can't remove them -- A new ad campaign that was rolled out Thursday at a number of heavily trafficked BART stations is being dubbed as "disgusting" and "thinly-veiled anti-immigrant" by passengers and critics. Alyssa Pereira in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/18

San Francisco-Based McKesson Corp. Subpoenaed in Opioid Probe -- New York state prosecutors have served the McKesson Corp. with a subpoena in connection with a multistate investigation into the San Francisco-based drug distribution giant's opioid marketing and sales practices. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 3/17/18

California dad demands answers after hantavirus costs State Park worker his hearing -- Sacramento State grad Spencer Fry had just earned his degree in anthropology when he began working as an intern in Bodie State Historic Park in summer of 2017. But what started as a unique opportunity living in state-provided housing soon took a turn after the young man contracted a rare case of hantavirus and suffered permanent hearing loss in his left ear and partial leg paralysis. Ted Andersen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/18

Paul Jacobs won't be re-nominated to Qualcomm board -- Qualcomm announced Friday that it will be removing Paul Jacobs, son of company co-founder Irwin Jacobs, from the board at the company’s annual stockholders meeting next week. The board decision was triggered by Jacobs’ prior notification to board members that he was exploring the possibility of acquiring the semiconductor giant, a move some believed was more a long shot than a realistic maneuver. Lori Weisberg and Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/18

How Is Middle Class Defined in Palo Alto? -- How do you define “middle class?” According to a recent survey in the Palo Alto Weekly, 81 percent of residents consider themselves middle class, even though they’d be considered wealthy by national standards. Tonya Mosley KQED -- 3/17/18

Socially-Driven Start Up Helps Deportees and Returnees Learn to Code in Mexico City -- Cesar Felipe Tapia Martinez’s knowledge of the Internet until four months ago consisted of Facebook and YouTube. He worked at a call center in Mexico City. So when a friend told him about a program that would train him – for free – to become a software programmer, he was skeptical. Emily Green KQED -- 3/17/18

Placer County didn't adequately consider fire risk of massive Tahoe development, judge rules -- A Placer Superior Court judge has at least temporarily stopped a controversial development north of Lake Tahoe that would have allowed 760 new homes in a high-severity fire area. Jane Braxton Little in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/18

Guns 

Should Doctors Play A Role In Preventing Gun Violence? -- Doctors already ask us about how much we smoke and drink, our sex life and diet. Should they also be asking about guns? It’s a hotly debated question. Dr. Garen Wintemute, director of the University of California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis, is working with other agencies to help physicians understand how and when to talk to patients about gun ownership and storage. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 3/17/18

Wildfire  

PG&E responds to lawsuits over damage from October wildfires -- In its first response to a bevy of lawsuits by survivors of the October wildfires, PG&E on Friday challenged the legal basis for the claims and asserted multiple defenses while acknowledging that the cause of the wildfires has not been determined. Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/18

Education 

Teacher who accidentally fired gun at school apologizes and thanks community for support -- The Monterey County high school teacher who accidentally fired a gun during a lecture on "public safety awareness" has publicly apologized for the classroom incident that injured three students. Corina Knoll and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/18

Immigration / Border 

San Diego ICE office arrests 115 unauthorized immigrants in 3-day operation -- Though the field office covers both San Diego and Imperial counties, all but seven of the arrests were in San Diego County. Though arrests happened in cities across the county, many were concentrated in North County, according to Greg Archambeault, field officer director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in San Diego. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/18

California legislators call for more federal resources to fight cross-border sewage flow -- Saying cross-border flows of sewage and other contaminants threaten area beaches and one of California’s few remaining salt marshes, state Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) Friday called on Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration to take legal action against the federal government to bring more focus and resources to protect the region. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/17/18

Also . . . 

Dangerous conditions hamper search for Richmond man missing in Bear Valley -- A Richmond man went missing from Bear Valley Mountain Resort on Wednesday night, and the search to find him has been hampered by hazardous conditions that include heavy snowfall and an avalanche warning, authorities said. Sophie Haigney in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/18

Company accused of illegally towing more than 250 vehicles near Sleep Train Arena -- Owners and employees of a Sacramento-based towing company are accused of illegally towing more than 250 vehicles to collect impound fees. Cathy Locke in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/18

Beltway 

McCabe Says His Firing Was Meant to Undermine Mueller -- Andrew McCabe, the ex-F.B.I. deputy director, said his dismissal was meant to undermine his credibility as a potential witness in the Russia inquiry led by Robert S. Mueller III. Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman in the New York Times$ -- 3/17/18

McCabe says his Russia probe work sparked smear campaign before firing -- The president has targeted him in highly personal terms. Conservatives have slammed him as tainted with bias. And on Friday night, the Department of Justice fired Andrew McCabe a little more than 24 hours before his scheduled retirement. Elana Schor Politico -- 3/17/18

 

-- Friday Updates 

Homeless family of 4 found dead in parked van in California -- A homeless family of four was found dead inside a parked van that had its windows covered with blankets and a sunshade at a Southern California strip mall in what authorities suspect was a tragic case of carbon monoxide poisoning, police said Friday. Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 3/16/18

Large homeless shelter in Sacramento likely to stay open well past original closure date -- The City Council will vote Tuesday on authorizing negotiations with service providers and the property owner to keep the 200-bed shelter at 2040 Railroad Dr. open beyond the end of this month. Ryan Lillis and Cynthia Hubert in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/18

Student threat forces evacuation of hundreds of students at Kennedy High in Sacramento -- According to a transcript posted on the Kennedy High School Twitter account, Principal David Van Natten told parents that "many of your students have received a random text threat this morning directly to their phones." Diana Lambert in the Sacramento Bee$ Nick Miller Capital Public Radio -- 3/16/18

Social media threat puts Elk Grove high school on edge -- Students and parents at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove were on edge Friday morning after a man threatened to shoot students Thursday on social media. Anita Chabria and Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/18

'A bullet in your brain': Online threats, an arrest and the fear hanging over 3 schools -- Trevor Joseph Marshall sent a video and a text message to his former friend explaining exactly how their lives would end. Marshall was going to kill himself and he was going to take his friend with him. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/18

Two Bay Area schools cancel classes Friday after threats found on campus -- Schools in Burlingame and Martinez cancelled classes Friday after threats were discovered on campus, according to e-mails sent to parents by the respective school district officials. A third threat was reported at James Logan High School in Union City, resulting in a brief lockdown of the campus Thursday. Mark Gomez and Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/16/18

Money raised for children of couple killed after fleeing ICE -- A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise $40,000 for the six children of a couple who were killed when their car crashed in Delano while trying to flee from immigration agents. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/18

Lawyers call US gun charges for Mexican man 'vindictive' -- Federal prosecutors charged Jose Ines Garcia Zarate with two counts of illegal gun possession in November after jurors in state court found him not guilty of the 2015 killing of Kate Steinle on a popular pier. Associated Press -- 3/16/18

Tahoe bears are breaking into homes with people inside -- It was October, and most of the vacation homes on this part of Lake Tahoe were empty. Bob Chaplin, 82, was living alone on a quiet street. And he was getting nervous. Bears had been breaking into his neighbors' houses. Ryan Sabalow and Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/18

Watch six bears ransack a Lake Tahoe vacation home -- A security camera above a refrigerator shows six bears invading a Lake Tahoe vacation home through a window in October 2017. The homeowner who shared this video asked not to be identified because he fears harassment from bear advocates in the area. The item is in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/18

New California bill would give big state funding boost to affordable housing -- Assembly Bill 3037 from Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) would re-create a version of a program known as redevelopment that set aside billions of dollars in property taxes each year for local economic development and affordable housing. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/18

Jeffe & Jeffee: Trump Makes California Grate Again -- President Donald Trump finally came to the Golden State and Californians responded with the ultimate dis—they pretty much ignored him. Everyone, including the President, seemed to be going through the motions. There wasn’t enough electricity in the atmosphere to power an iPhone for more than an hour. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 3/16/18

Smolens: Rep. Scott Peters missing from election heat. That's no accident -- Rep. Scott Peters is a bit of the odd man out this year, and he doesn’t seem to mind. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/16/18

New Sierra snow storm bringing up to 5 feet of powder, but it’s not a “March Miracle” yet -- Ski resorts are crowing over a major snowstorm that began pounding the Sierra Nevada late Thursday, with forecasters warning of white-out conditions, road closures and up to five feet of new snow at the highest elevations by Saturday morning. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/16/18

Why gas-fired power plants are on the chopping block in SoCal -- This month, three local power plants fueled by natural gas announced they were closing, and plans for a fourth have been scrapped. Collectively, they are victims of an energy glut and changing energy policies that are moving the state away from fossil fuels. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 3/16/18

Outlaw weed comes into the light -- Humboldt County, the heart of California’s dark marijuana economy, is facing a new market force: legalization. Scott Wilson in the Washington Post$ -- 3/16/18

Wells Fargo customers could have more time to file claims in $142-million fake accounts settlement -- Wells Fargo & Co. failed to notify some customers about its $142-million class-action settlement over its unauthorized accounts scandal — an error that could give customers more time to participate in the deal but contribute to months of delay in receiving payments. James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/18

By ordering new land-use plan, Trump could spark a fight in California deserts -- Conservationists see its acres of creosote bush and cholla cactus as a rare habitat for tortoises, pronghorn antelope and an elusive variety of mule deer. Energy companies view its sunbaked plains and windswept ridgelines as prime perches for solar panels and wind turbines. Dirt tracks that wiggle across its sandy washes are testament to its popularity among off-road motorsports enthusiasts. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/18

Video shows officers rushing man from mobile home seconds before it explodes -- A dash cam video of the rescue shows the man being rushed from the unit about five seconds before an explosion shoots flames from the mobile home. Jonathan Winslow in the Orange County Register -- 3/16/18

Former attorneys for 'Suge' Knight plead not guilty to witness tampering charges -- Two attorneys who formerly represented Marion "Suge" Knight after he was charged with murder pleaded not guilty to witness tampering charges in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Friday. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/18

Capitol Weekly Podcast: Paul Mitchell -- Political Data’s Paul Mitchell joins the podcast to chat with John Howard and Tim Foster about Democrat Conor Lamb’s surprise victory in the special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District — a district that the GOP has often and Trump won in 2016 by 20 points. Link here -- 3/16/18