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Prisons chief to meet with advocates for hunger strikers -- The head of California's prison system will meet Friday with advocates for inmates who've been on a hunger strike for 25 days. Julie Small KPCC -- 8/1/13

Filner's chief of staff told to back off -- San Diego Mayor Bob Filner’s chief of staff has been quizzing employees in the mayor’s office about sexual harassment allegations against Filner and has been warned to stop in a memo from the City Attorney's Office. Trent Seibert UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

Abel Maldonado's campaign was basically broke at mid-year -- Abel Maldonado's run for governor as of June 30 was in the red, and we're not just talking about Republican red. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

BART's free-ride program among Bay Area's most generous -- In a little-known perk at a transit system struggling to control the cost of benefits, BART gives its employees and their families free travel passes on its system -- even after they retire. Denis Cuff in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/1/13

Waxman wants federal review of San Pedro gas storage facility -- A local congressman is urging federal officials to more thoroughly investigate the safety of a San Pedro butane storage facility that has become controversial because of its location near homes, schools and shopping areas in San Pedro. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Capitol lobbyists make more this year; oil group tops in spending -- KP Public Affairs and Lang Hansen O'Malley Miller were neck and neck for the top two spots, with KP bringing in $2.931 million and Lang Hansen bringing in $2.928 million. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/1/13

Mayor Eric Garcetti backs new ride-share apps, taxi modernization -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed a move by state regulators to consider permitting new app-driven ride-sharing services, and also will work with city taxi companies to modernize their operations. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

California pension funds took in $33.8B, paid out $28.2B last year -- California's state-managed public employee pension funds took in $33.8 billion from employer and employee contributions in 2012 and paid out $28.2 billion in benefits to 874,734 retirees, according to a new Census Bureau report. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/1/13

Assembly speaker had Tom Calderon removed from tony fundraiser -- As Democrats gathered at Pebble Beach for the annual Speaker’s Cup fundraiser over the Cinco de Mayo weekend, former Assemblyman Tom Calderon was among the dozens of lobbyists, consultants, corporate executives and elected officials on hand for the world-class golf, four-star cuisine and political schmoozing. But when he was spotted by Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles), the host of the event, Perez had his aides ask Calderon to leave. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

BART strike: Unions likely to give 72-hour notice of shutdown Thursday -- The chief negotiator for BART's biggest union said Thursday that workers by the end of the day will likely give 72-hour notice of a strike for Monday morning, raising the stakes for a possible second shutdown of one of the nation's biggest rail lines. Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/1/13

BART strike ban would need state legislation -- In California, the only state law banning public employees from walking off the job in a labor dispute applies to firefighters. San Francisco city employees, including Muni workers, are prohibited from striking by City Charter. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/1/13

Judge affirms deal to bring Imperial Valley water to San Diego County -- A judge has approved a complex water deal between the farmers of the Imperial Valley and the cities of San Diego County -- hailed as the largest sale of water from farms to cities in the nation. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Filner could be liable for non-city workers -- Mayor Bob Filner could be held liable for sexually harassing non-city employees during his term. Jonathan Horn UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

Abcarian: Bob Filner's sexual-harassment training excuse doesn't add up -- The City Council and Mayor Headlock are wrestling over who should pay to defend the mayor’s bad behavior in court. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

City atty: Both recall efforts can proceed -- City law allows simultaneous attempts to recall an official until one of them qualifies for the ballot and, in addition, the six-month prohibition on subsequent recall efforts is only triggered by a public vote on the subject, according to an opinion released Thursday by the City Attorney's Office. Craig Gustafson UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

Sen. Ronald Calderon continued big spending in months before FBI raid -- State Sen. Ronald Calderon (D-Montebello) reported raising $62,650 for a 2014 campaign committee for state controller and $30,147 for a 2014 campaign committee for the Assembly. Calderon has been in the spotlight for lavish spending from his campaign accounts ever since the FBI raided his Capitol office June 4 as part of a corruption investigation. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Bob Filner is hurting San Diego business and must go, ex-mayor says -- The business community of San Diego has mostly kept silent during the furor over whether San Diego Mayor Bob Filner should resign amid allegations that he sexually harassed staff members, constituents and others. That's changing. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Members of Congress receive skimpy sexual harassment training -- If you work as a supervisor for a private company in California, it’s likely you’ve had several hours of training on how to identify and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. That’s not the case in Congress. Kitty Felde KPCC -- 8/1/13

Filner’s Pension Incentive: $20K -- The mayor’s financial incentive to stay for a full four-year term is around $20,000 a year in city pension payouts. Liam Dillon Voiceofsandiego.org -- 8/1/13

Four Persistent Myths About the Filner Scandal -- For more than three weeks, hordes of politicians, talking heads and armchair pundits have been poring (and snickering) over Mayor Bob Filner’s sexual harassment scandal. But the truth is often missing in action. Randy Dotinga Voiceofsandiego.org -- 8/1/13

Assault, fear on the dark side of prison hunger strike -- A medical administrator who toured the state prison at Corcoran earlier this week said she met inmates who said they were refusing food in fear of what other prisoners would do to them if they ate. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

L.A. Archbishop Gomez urges lawmakers not to delay on immigration -- Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archbishop Jose Gomez and several other Catholic Church officials in California took time from their retreat in Sacramento on Wednesday to make a push for Congress to keep up the momentum on changes to the country’s immigration laws. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Federal officials shut down California debt collection operation -- Federal officials have shut down a California debt collection operation for allegedly extorting payments from consumers by posing as process servers and using false threats of lawsuits. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Pot farm pollution: Too dangerous to deal with? -- With parts of Northern California's scenic hillsides illegally gouged by bulldozers for marijuana grows, frustrated local officials asked the state for help to protect streams and rivers from harmful sediment and the chemicals used on the pot plants. Tracie Cone Associated Press -- 8/1/13

Fox: Cost May Change Attitudes Found in Environment Poll -- Californians appeared to show their strong environmental side in the Public Policy Institute of California poll released yesterday, yet there is a thorn buried in those roses — the issue of cost. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/1/13

Abel Maldonado in debt while Jerry Brown tops $10 M in gov's race -- Abel Maldonado, who is preparing to challenge Gov. Jerry Brown in next year's gubernatorial race, finished the first half of the year about $3,348 in debt, while the Democratic governor further padded his multi-million fundraising advantage, according to financial statements filed Wednesday. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/1/13

Ron Loveridge: A local official with statewide presence -- Loveridge is retiring after decades in public service that includes an unprecedented five terms as mayor of Riverside. But for a guy who built his career hundreds of miles from Sacramento, Loveridge has a remarkable profile in state government that extends far beyond his Inland Empire base. Samantha Gallegos Capitol Weekly -- 8/1/13

Riggs: Hillary's 2016 ambitions -- Reporters, editors and late-night talk show hosts may be reveling in the tawdry Anthony Weiner spectacle in New York City. Plenty of fodder there for tabloid headlines and wince-inducing jokes. But if there’s anyone who wants this to go away quickly, it would be Hillary Clinton. Kevin Riggs Riggs Report -- 8/1/13

 

  California Policy and Politics This Morning

Poll finds Californians back climate change fight, skeptical on fracking -- An overwhelming majority of Californians believe the state should act to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new poll, while residents narrowly oppose hydraulic fracturing and support construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Jeremy B. White in the Los Angeles Times$ Paul Rogers in the Contra Costa Times Michael Gardner UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

New poll shows voters give Gov. Jerry Brown high marks -- The poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found 54% of the state’s likely voters give Brown positive marks for his work as the state’s chief executive. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Cupid's work gets complicated as California lawmaker dates lobbyist -- But Cupid's work is even more complicated when a lawmaker and a lobbyist fall in love. Think legal opinions, questions from the media and advice from government transparency advocates. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ Christopher Cadelago UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

Donors to California's rising Democrats include Geffen, Soros, Trump -- Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris, one of the state's rising Democratic stars, raked in more than $1.7 million during the first half of 2013 and has $2.7 million in the bank, according to campaign finance reports filed today. Melanie Mason and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Hollywood liberals, oil firms unite for Jerry Brown reelection effort -- What do Wal-Mart, oil companies and some of Hollywood’s most famous liberal donors have in common? They all are backing Gov. Jerry Brown’s reelection bid. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Gov. Jerry Brown has 223 times as much money as his closest 2014 challenger -- Brown, who has not yet formally announced that he will run next year, raised $2.8 million in the first six months of 2013 and had more than $10 million cash on hand as of June 30. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury Anthony York and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ John Myers News10 -- 8/1/13

Attorneys seek limited isolation for mentally ill inmates -- This year Gov. Jerry Brown asked a judge to dismiss a decades-old lawsuit that established federal oversight of mental health care in California prisons. But U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton rejected the motion, and the governor’s move blew the case wide open. Julie Small KPCC -- 8/1/13

Prison hunger strike supporters mingle with Trayvon Martin protesters -- California's prison hunger strike continued in its 24th day Wednesday with 498 inmates refusing meals, state prison officials said. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Five Catholic religious orders release files on L.A. clergy abuse -- Confidential personnel records from five Catholic religious orders were turned over to victims of sexual abuse Wednesday in the first wave of a court-ordered public disclosure expected to shed light on the role the groups, operating independently of the L.A. Archdiocese, played in the region’s clergy molestation scandal. Victoria Kim and Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ Gillian Flaccus Associated Press Barbara Jones and Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/1/13

Barbara Boxer pushes ahead on chemical safety law -- Sen. Barbara Boxer seized control of a major overhaul of chemical safety law Wednesday, putting Republicans and moderate Democrats on the defensive and demanding tougher regulation of thousands of industrial chemicals blamed for rising rates of cancer, asthma, early puberty and other maladies. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/1/13

Boxer’s Struggle for Power On Display at Toxic Chemicals Hearing -- A hearing to debate the nation’s decades-old toxic chemical laws turned into a power struggle Wednesday, as Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., tried to hold her ground against a growing coalition that backs a bipartisan compromise to which she was not a party. Meredith Shiner Roll Call -- 8/1/13

Conservative group launches national attack on Obamacare — in progressive bastion of San Francisco -- The conservative Americans for Prosperity, which calls itself “the nation’s largest grassroots free market group,” will use the liberal bastion of San Francisco as a stage Thursday — for the launch of a national campaign against Obamacare, organizers say. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/1/13

PAC pushes Sacramento arena vote but won't say where its getting its money -- A conservative Orange County political action committee that's pushing a public vote on Sacramento's proposed NBA arena has refused to disclose its donors or say why it's involved in the effort. Ryan Lillis, Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/1/13

Crowded field for state Assembly vacancy; only two vie for Senate seat -- The fields of candidates are set for two special legislative elections to be held on Sept. 17, and it looks like only one of them is likely to require a runoff election. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Bay Bridge: Fabricator deep into manufacturing fix for broken bolts -- In a cavernous shop where U.S. Navy submarines were once built, fabricators are deep into manufacturing the large custom steel saddles and cables for the Bay Bridge to restore the seismic safety features lost when 32 large anchor rods broke in March. Lisa Vorderbrueggen in the Contra Costa Times -- 8/1/13

SFO limits foreign jets' landings in wake of crash -- Foreign airlines landing on one of the main parallel runways at San Francisco International Airport are no longer allowed to touch down while side by side with another plane, a change that federal authorities instituted after the deadly crash of an Asiana Airlines jet. Demian Bulwa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/1/13

Huntington Beach riots: 'White riot' jokes go viral -- Just past sundown the kids, the punks, the surf rats swarmed up Main Street in Huntington Beach and decided – well, what the heck – let’s riot. Steve Marble in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

McFadden: CalBuzz: Red States Fixin’ to Gut Progressive California Laws -- We Californians have been pretty smug about it for years now — even decades. But it all may be coming to an end. I’m talking about our laws addressing climate change, the way we treat animals, consumer protections and workplace safety — you know, all that effete left-coast stuff. Chuck McFadden CalBuzz -- 8/1/13

  Filner

Sources: Mayor’s Office Canceled Harassment-Related Training Sessions -- San Diego Mayor Bob Filner’s office canceled multiple new employee and management training sessions in the first months of his term, a former top city official said late Wednesday. Liam Dillon Voiceofsandiego.org -- 8/1/13

Filner's legal strategy emerges, enrages many -- The citywide conversation about the latest wrinkle in the sexual harassment scandal of San Diego Bob Filner was so explosive we decided to curate much of it here. Matthew T. Hall UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

Sanders: Filner has 'got to go' -- Former Mayor Jerry Sanders says his successor has “got to go” because the sexual harassment scandal has debilitated the administration of Mayor Bob Filner and brought national ridicule to San Diego. Craig Gustafson UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

Filner's lawyer shifts blame to city -- Mayor Bob Filner’s legal strategy appears to be to shift blame on the city for his alleged inappropriate behavior toward women because he didn’t receive sexual harassment training as required under the municipal code. Craig Gustafson UT San Diego$ Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

San Diego Mayor Filner decides to pay his own expenses for Paris trip -- Just when Mayor Bob Filner may need his own money to pay for legal bills, he has decided to personally pay $9,399 for his airfare, lodging and meals on a recent trip to Paris. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ Trent Seibert UT San Diego$ -- 8/1/13

Abcarian: Bob Filner: San Diego's 'Mayor Headlock' in a world of hurt -- Can it get any weirder around here? Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

  Economy, Employers and Employees

Unions may issue 72-hour notice to strike if no progress is made in BART negotiations -- BART and its unions resumed negotiations Wednesday as management revealed it had not budged from its latest economic offer for the past month, another sign of how far apart both sides appear to remain ahead of the deadline to avert a Monday shutdown. Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/1/13

BART strike ban would need state legislation -- The 4 1/2-day BART strike in July gave the Bay Area a taste of the torture that may await Monday if the transit agency fails to reach agreement with its two largest unions. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/1/13

Most Bay Area commuters drive to work alone -- Over half of the Bay Area's residents drive solo to work - as do 2 in 3 commuters across the state - according to the results of a new statewide survey. Kristen V. Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/1/13

Three coaches on University of California top-5 paid employee list -- UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland earned $2,234,191 in gross pay last year, UC Berkeley's Jeff Tedford earned $2,146,581 before being fired in December after a 3 win-9 loss season. The university said their salaries come from non-state funds. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 8/1/13

Wall Street firms become landlords in buy-to-rent industry -- The foreclosure crisis enabled companies to buy tens of thousands of single-family homes at bargain prices. Now they are filling a growing demand for rentals. Alejandro Lazo and Andrew Tangel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Under pressure, L.A. DWP says it will tighten up sick pay policy -- Beginning tomorrow, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will require employees who are out sick for three days or more to provide a doctor's note. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

UCLA: Recession hit rural baby boomer Californians hardest -- Middle-age, low-income workers living in California's rural counties were the most likely to lose their jobs and their health insurance during the severe recession that struck the state six years ago. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/1/13

Big California corporations parking $262 billion offshore -- A dozen of California's largest corporations are holding nearly $262 billion in foreign earnings in offshore subsidiaries to shield the money from American taxation, according to a new study by a consumer advocacy group. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/1/13

No change soon in construction jobs -- The ongoing disparity between more activity in housing construction and the region’s loss of construction jobs, as reported by the Associated General Contractors of America, won’t be changing anytime soon. Ben van der Meer Sacramento Business Journal -- 8/1/13

Tougher regs for smartphone rides -- Smart-phone enabled ride-share services such as Lyft, Uber and Sidecar could be subject to million-dollar vehicle insurance requirements and driver background checks, under California draft regulations published Tuesday. And that suits pioneers of on-demand ride sharing just fine. Morgan Lee UT San Diego$ Brian Watt KPCC -- 8/1/13

Symantec laying off an additional 75 in Mountain View -- Symantec Corp. will lay off an additional 75 workers in Mountain View, even as the security software company's chief told analysts this week that the job cutting is reaching an end. Nathan Donato-Weinstein Silicon Valley Business Journal -- 8/1/13

Federal courthouse to rise in downtown L.A. amid Civic Center revival -- Construction is set to begin on a $319-million, 10-story federal courthouse along 1st Street in downtown Los Angeles after years of debate and delays. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Judge tosses out Fed's bank-friendly cap on debit-card 'swipe fees' -- Retailers long have complained about paying too much for debit-card processing — the "swipe fees" that are invisible to most consumers but add up to billions of dollars a year. Now, a judge in Washington has ruled in their favor, slapping down the financial industry and mighty Federal Reserve. E. Scott Reckard in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Advocacy group formed for "sharing economy" -- A new “sharing economy” advocacy group called Peers launched in San Francisco Wednesday and was seeking support among drivers for SideCar, the mobile device ride-dispatching app that lets average citizen drivers make money ferrying people around in their cars. Patrick Hoge San Francisco Business Times -- 8/1/13

  Taxes / Fees

L.A. to stop issuing tickets for parking at broken meters -- The Los Angeles City Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to overturn a policy that allowed vehicles to be ticketed when parked at broken or inoperable meters. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/1/13

  Education

Ruling spotlights hole in dismissal of troubled students from charters -- Classroom security could be deminished as a result of a recent court ruling that found charter schools are under no obligation to notify neighboring school districts of a student’s dismissal – even if the separation was the result of dangerous or threatening behavior. Tom Chorneau SI&A Cabinet Report -- 8/1/13

California committed to move forward with Common Core tests as planned -- Georgia last week became the fifth state to pull out of the nationwide efforts to create the same tests for the new Common Core standards. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 8/1/13

California State University's 'radical' plan for online courses -- This fall, for the first time, California State University students will be able to take courses offered online on any of the system's campuses -- regardless of where they attend. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/1/13

LAUSD steals well-known New York arts principal to lead Cortines High -- Kim Bruno, head of New York's famous LaGuardia Arts high school will be the fifth principal in five years to take the helm of Cortines high school, a combined campus that includes a large performing arts program. Mary Plummer KPCC -- 8/1/13

Tran: Local Control Funding Formula: Is there a new rulebook? -- Now that the state’s new system of funding schools has been signed into law, educators and community groups are trying to get their bearings. Samantha Tran EdSource -- 8/1/13

The Best New Argument for Affirmative Action -- According to a surprising new report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, white students are now more overrepresented at the most selective U.S. colleges than they were in 1995. Jordan Weissmann The Atlantic -- 8/1/13

Teach For America gets $20 million boost from Walton Family Foundation -- The Walton Family Foundation announced today that it will donate $20 million to the non-profit Teach For America, the celebrated national organization that hires and trains recent college graduates to teach in rural and urban schools for two years. Jed Kim KPCC Barbara Jones in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/1/13

Student loan bill wins final congressional passage, goes to Obama -- Congress took the government out of the job of setting student loan rates Wednesday when the House of Representatives passed a bill that leaves the work to markets. Renee Schoof McClatchy DC -- 8/1/13

  Health

'Morning after' pill goes on sale Thursday in pharmacies and grocery stores, available to anyone -- The "morning after" pill can be bought today from the shelves of most pharmacies and grocery stores, available to anyone of any age without restrictions, in a step that profoundly eases access to emergency contraception. Lisa M. Krieger in the Oakland Tribune -- 8/1/13

New hospital surgery rankings released for L.A. area hospitals -- Two Los Angeles area hospitals – Centinela Hospital Medical Center and St. John’s Health – earned the highest rating overall. Citrus Valley Medical Center's Inter-Community Campus, Huntington Memorial Hospital and Northridge Hospital Medical Center-Roscoe Boulevard Campus earned the lowest. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Covered California's small-biz liaison resigns -- Michael Lujan, the man responsible for marketing California’s new health care exchange to small businesses, submitted his resignation Wednesday. Christopher Arns Sacramento Business Journal -- 8/1/13

  Environment

New Hinkley plume map shows growth on western edge -- This town's's contaminated groundwater plume has expanded on its western boundaries, reinforcing water regulators' fears that Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s efforts to create a barrier are floundering, a map made public Wednesday shows. Jim Steinberg in the San Bernardino Sun -- 8/1/13

What's the state of solar energy in California? -- Perks are expiring, but experts say the future of solar energy in California is bright and uncertain. Cody Drabble Sac N&R -- 8/1/13

  Guns

Gabby Giffords' Gun-Control Group Brings in $6.6 Million This Year -- Gabby Giffords is gearing up for a midterm fight, and her gun-control PAC is bringing in big cash for the effort. Matt Vasilogambros National Journal -- 8/1/13

  Immigration

Illegal immigration isn't just about economics, study says -- Mexican migrants deciding whether to cross the border illegally are driven not just by economics -- but also by their own beliefs about whether United States immigration laws are legitimate and fairly applied, a new study finds. Emily Alpert in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

Immigration reform predictions are mathematical and personal -- Tom Wong, who grew up without legal status, is using statistical models to guess the outcome of immigration reform in Congress — and change it. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

White House will make economic argument for immigration reform -- Seeking to pressure the House to act on immigration reform, White House officials are launching a state-by-state campaign to convince voters that opening up the immigration system could be a boon to local businesses. Brian Bennett in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

  Also

Sikh temple in Riverside vandalized with the word 'terrorist' -- The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help to find out who painted the word "terrorist" in red on the walls outside a Sikh temple in Riverside. The graffiti occurred sometime between late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Ashley Bailey KPCC -- 8/1/13

Oakland's centralized surveillance plan faces public outcry -- Tuesday night, the city of Oakland accepted $2 million dollars in federal funding for a surveillance project called the "Domain Awareness Center. Russell Brandom The Verge -- 8/1/13

LA freeway map radically redesigned as subway system -- Designer Peter Dunn makes clean and stylish improvements to L.A.'s tangled rat-king of roadways by applying an understood aesthetic and navigational logic seen in subway systems. Lisa Brenner KPCC -- 8/1/13

Gay marriage is legal, but wedding industry stuck in old traditions -- Many same-sex Bay Area couples planning their marriages are finding a wedding industry in tumult, as businesses built on the tradition of marriage between one man and one woman are forced to confront a new landscape. Heather Somerville in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/1/13

Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's city pension calculated at $97,380 a year -- A final determination of the pension to be paid former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been made. He will receive $8,115 per month, for an annual payment of $97,380, officials with the Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System announced Wednesday. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/1/13

Inside Nissan's Silicon Valley self-driving car lab -- The move was more than just a change in local addresses; Nissan also shifted its research on autonomous vehicles — yep, that's self-driving cars — from Japan to the new Sunnyvale outpost. Lauren Hepler Silicon Valley Business Journal -- 8/1/13

Facebook Study: We're Bigger Than Prime-Time TV -- Facebook wants a slice of the video advertising market — and not just the online video ad market, but TV, too. Lauren Indvik Mashable -- 8/1/13

Starbucks Ditches AT&T Wi-Fi for Google -- The 7,000 Starbucks stores in the U.S. — which already have better and more reliable Wi-Fi than a lot of other places you can walk in and park yourself with a computer — will soon have Wi-Fi that’s up to 10 times faster than before, courtesy of new provider Google. Liz Gannes All Things D -- 8/1/13

Russian billionaire seeks U.S. government financing for luxury jets -- Billionaire Russian businessman Gennady Timchenko, a long-time associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, plans to seek U.S. government-backed funding to buy luxury aircraft, Reuters has learned. Joshua Schneyer and Brian Grow Reuters -- 8/1/13

  POTUS 44

Obama Stays Silent On Democrats Mired In Scandals -- When President Barack Obama ran for re-election last year, he and his advisers were quick to condemn comments from Republicans that were deemed offensive or demeaning to women. Julie Pace Associated Press -- 8/1/13

Obama discusses Zimmerman verdict response with House Democrats -- President Barack Obama told House Democrats Wednesday that his administration was looking at measures to help at-risk children, particularly minority youth — a move that comes in light of the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case earlier this month. Seung Min Kim Politico -- 8/1/13

Obama: ‘We are not negotiating on the debt ceiling’ -- President Obama visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to huddle with anxious Democrats in both chambers and lay the groundwork for high-stakes fall debates over the budget, federal debt and immigration reform. Rachel Weiner in the Washington Post$ -- 8/1/13

Obama returns to Golden State next week: Leno, troops -- President Obama returns to California next week in a two-day visit that will include a hit on the “Tonight” show with Jay Leno — and a stopover to speak to troops and their families. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/1/13

  NSA / Surveillance

New Snowden leak upstages U.S. move to declassify documents -- New revelations from former security contractor Edward Snowden that U.S. intelligence agencies have access to a vast online tracking tool came to light on Wednesday, as lawmakers put the secret surveillance programs under greater scrutiny. Patricia Zengerle and Alina Selyukh Reuters -- 8/1/13

Documents show NSA violated court orders on collection of phone records -- National Security Agency officials violated secret federal court orders authorizing the daily collection of domestic email and telephone data from hundreds of millions of Americans, according to previously top-secret documents made public Wednesday by the Obama administration. Ali Watkins and Jonathan S. Landay McClatchy DC -- 8/1/13

Another Snowden Leak: NSA Program Taps Everything You Do Online -- You've never heard of XKeyscore, but it definitely knows you. The National Security Agency's top-secret program essentially makes available everything you've ever done on the Internet — browsing history, searches, content of your emails, online chats, even your metadata — all at the tap of the keyboard. Amanda Wills Mashable -- 8/1/13

Twitter transparency report shows growing government demand for data -- Twitter said on Wednesday that the U.S. government continues to make the most requests for information about the social network’s subscribers in a growing pursuit of data that has sparked protest by Internet firms. Cecilia Kang in the Washington Post$ -- 8/1/13

  Beltway

Republican effort to push through deep spending cuts fails -- The House of Representatives halted consideration of a $44 billion transportation and housing spending bill due to lack of support, signaling that the majority Republicans are unable to push through deep spending cuts to domestic agencies. David Lawder Reuters -- 8/1/13

White House, GOP lawmakers looking at 'grand bargain' on spending -- As talks continue on a bipartisan budget deal to avoid a government shutdown and possibly modify 'sequester' cuts, President Obama reminds lawmakers that they'll have a lot to do after August recess. Lisa Mascaro and Kathleen Hennessey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/1/13

McCain: Fox News is 'schizophrenic' -- In a wide-ranging interview with The New Republic, Sen. John McCain called Fox News "schizophrenic" and spoke about his conversations with Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes about immigration. Hadas Gold Politico -- 8/1/13

Women Lobbyists May Be Worth More -- While it’s no secret that men outnumber women in Washington’s lobbying corps, individual lobbying contracts held by women are worth more on average than those held by men, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures by LegiStorm. Elahe Izadi National Journal -- 8/1/13

Has The Tea Party Peaked? -- Republican members of Congress can breathe easier. There aren't as many tea-party challengers looking to run anymore. Josh Kraushaar National Journal -- 8/1/13

Reports of the Tea Party's Death Have Been Endlessly Exaggerated -- The movement's demise has been a constant prediction since April 2011. We're still waiting. David A. Graham The Atlantic -- 8/1/13

Transportation funding bill faces GOP opposition -- The bill appeared likely to fall prey Thursday to a filibuster by Republicans unhappy that the legislation breaks through budget limits required by automatic spending cuts known as budget sequestration. Andrew Taylor Associated Press -- 8/1/13