Updating. . .

Stable costs predicted in new high-speed rail plan -- The anticipated cost to build a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles by 2028 is predicted to drop slightly -- to a grand total of about $67.6 billion, according to a draft business plan released Friday by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 2/7/14

Obama to visit Fresno next Friday about drought -- This from the White House: “On Friday, February 14, President Obama will travel to the Fresno, California area to discuss ongoing efforts to respond to the severe drought. Further details on the President’s trip to California will be available in the coming days.” Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 2/7/14

She got on the no-fly list because the FBI checked the wrong box -- Former Stanford graduate student Rahinah Ibrahim was mistakenly placed on the government’s “no-fly” list, as a suspected terrorist, because an FBI agent checked the wrong box on a form in 2004. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/7/14

Berryhills lose money laundering trial -- Sen. Tom Berryhill and Republican committees in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties should be fined a combined $40,000 for laundering campaign money to Berryhill’s brother in 2008, an administrative law judge recommended. Garth Stampley in the Modesto Bee -- 2/7/14

Sacramento lobbyists can make politicians feel at home-for $500 -- Entertaining politicians at home has long been an accepted part of doing business for Sacramento lobbyists. Amy Chance in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Assembly Speaker Pérez backs Ted Lieu in race for Congress -- Lieu and former L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel are the leading Democrats so far in the race to replace Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), who announced last week that he would retire at the end of his term. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Former Rep. Ernie Konnyu might take on Newsom -- Republican former South Bay Congressman Ernie Konnyu said Friday he’s considering a run against Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom because Newsom is “fundamentally untrustworthy.” Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 2/7/14

FLOTUS’s parenting prescription for Justin Bieber woes -- First lady Michelle Obama’s advice to Justin Bieber’s mother is to spend lots of time with her son and get to know who he’s hanging out with, the self-proclaimed “mom-in-chief” said in an interview released Friday. Jennifer Epstein Politico -- 2/7/14

Jerry Brown seeks to shore up unemployment insurance program -- Gov. Jerry Brown is taking steps to boost the state’s unemployment insurance program, which has been paralyzed by backlogs and funding shortages that have kept thousands of Californians from receiving jobless benefits. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Nonprofits claim $122 billion in property-tax exemptions -- Churches, affordable-housing projects and other California nonprofits avoided property taxes on $122 billion in assessed value in 2013-2014 thanks to the state's welfare exemption for nonprofits, according to a recent report by the Legislative Analyst's Office. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Emily's List backs Wendy Greuel -- Emily's List, a nationwide network of female candidate supporters, on Friday threw its support behind former Los Angeles Controller Wendy Greuel, who is running for an open congressional seat this year. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Former state Sen. Charles Calderon to run for L.A. judgeship -- Calderon submitted a declaration of intent to run for Office Number 48, the seat of Superior Court Judge Ronald M. Sohigian, who is not seeking to be re-elected. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

California’s death count from flu rises to 202; likely to increase again next week -- Flu fatalities have risen to 202 people under 65 statewide in the week ending Feb. 1, significantly higher than the 18 influenza deaths reported in California this time last season, public health officials said Friday. Cynthia H. Craft in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Wildermuth: Politics Trumps Reality in State Water Wars -- Well, the water bill by Hanford GOP Rep. David Valadao that just passed the House may not ease the drought, but it did wonders to warm up the state’s political climate. John Wildermuth Fox & Hounds -- 2/7/14

Jeffe: Wright Is Victim of a Stupid Law -- Those who are on their high horse about Senator Roderick Wright after his conviction on charges relating to his voting residency should dismount. Wright’s transgression, if there was one, was being a professional politician trying to navigate a useless and unfathomable law. Douglas Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 2/7/14

Pelosi calls Sochi a bad choice for Olympics -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said in an interview with NowThis News Thursday that the Olympic Committee made a mistake by choosing Russia to hold the Winter Olympics, particularly in light of the country’s anti-gay laws. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/7/14

Yaroslavsky makes it official: he's not running for Congress -- Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky put out a statement this morning confirming that he will not run for the Henry Waxman seat in Congress. Kevin Roderick LA Observed Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Issa's proposal would create legal status -- Even as House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday said chances were slim for an immigration overhaul in the near future, a few Republican initiatives are in the works that would propose solutions to some of the tougher issues that the party has yet to confront. Matthew Fleming in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/7/14

Immigration Reform, Silicon Valley Style -- After "disrupting"—as the tech parlance goes—just about everything else in America, Silicon Valley is now trying to hack Washington. Alex Seitz-Wald National Journal -- 2/7/14

We hit the debt ceiling today. These charts show when we could default -- Today, for the fourth time in three years, the nation will hit the federal debt limit, launching a mad rush to raise the legal cap on borrowing or risk an unprecedented default. Zachary Goldfarb, Christopher Ingraham in the Washington Post$ -- 2/7/14

House GOP closing in on debt limit package -- House Republicans are moving toward introducing a bill that would lift the debt limit until the first quarter of 2015, while patching the Medicare reimbursement rate for nine months and reversing recent changes to some military retirement benefits, according to multiple sources familiar with internal deliberations. Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan Politico -- 2/7/14

Solutions Summit spurs ideas to stop sexual abuse of farmworkers -- A coalition of farmworker advocates, law enforcement and sexual violence prevention counselors wants to form a collaboration to make Monterey County, Calif., a model for how to confront the sexual abuse of farmworkers. Andrew Donohue Center for Investigative Reporting -- 2/7/14

A stalemate stalls Metro Chamber’s merger effort -- Sacramento’s two most prominent economic development organizations are five minutes apart on Capitol Mall. But when it comes to work, they’re not as neighborly. Allen Young Sacramento Business Journal

Russian TV Shows 5 Rings Burst into Flames - But That Didn't Happen -- The opening ceremony at the Winter Games hit a bump when only four of the five rings materialized in a wintry opening scene. The five were supposed to join together and erupt in fireworks. But one snowflake never expanded, and the pyrotechnics never went off. But everything worked fine for viewers of the Rossiya 1, the Russian host broadcaster. Nataliya Vasilyeva Associated Press -- 2/7/14

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Sacramento lobbying firm fined for lavish fundraisers with lawmakers -- The state Fair Political Practices Commission is issuing warning letters to as many as 40 state elected officials after reaching a tentative agreement to fine a firm headed by a Sacramento lobbyist who held lavish fundraisers for politicians at his home, sources told The Bee. Laurel Rosenhall and David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy and Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ Melody Gutierrez and Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/7/14

U.S. Moves to Protect Electric Grid -- Congressional leaders in both parties are pushing to impose federal standards for protecting the electric grid from physical attacks in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report detailing a sophisticated attack on a California transmission substation last year. Rebecca Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/7/14

Attack on electric grid raises alarm -- Shooters armed with assault rifles and some knowledge of electrical utilities have prompted new worries on the vulnerability of California's vast power grid. Evan Halper and Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Californians urged to conserve on electricity use -- The problem is linked to the cold weather blanketing much of North America, which has diverted natural gas supplies. That left gas-fired power plants in Southern California to scramble for supplies. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ Samantha Schaefer in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Total California Water Storage Near Decade Low -- The Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins are experiencing the steepest drop in water storage in nearly a decade. A new study looked at all water storage in the basins, including snow, surface water, soil moisture and groundwater. Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 2/7/14

State government wringing water from operations -- This is California’s state government in drought mode: Drier grass around state grounds. Dirtier windows on state buildings. Grimier fire engines sent out to fight fires. Decorative fountains? Shut off. Landscaping projects? Largely canceled. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Court rejects PUC's approval of Oakley PG&E plant -- A state appeals court has overturned an approval by state regulators for a proposed Pacific Gas & Electric Co. natural gas plant in Oakley, saying the utility presented no reliable evidence that the plant is needed. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/7/14

California Republicans seek to redirect high-speed rail dollars -- Saying California has betrayed the will of voters who approved a controversial high-speed rail project, Assembly Republicans on Thursday proposed giving those voters a redo. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Samantha Gallegos Capitol Weekly Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 2/7/14

State Auditors Descend on CalOptima -- California’s Department of Health Care Services will begin its own special review Monday of potential problems at CalOptima, Orange County’s health plan for low-income, disabled and elderly residents. Tracy Wood VoiceofOC.org -- 2/7/14

L.A. city leaders unsatisfied with DWP's audit of nonprofits -- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power union leader Brian D'Arcy's effort to "clear the air" and explain what happened to more than $40 million in ratepayer money paid to two nonprofits has failed to convince city leaders calling for full accounting of the groups' expenditures. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/7/14

Lopez: DWP union boss' $40-million excuse doesn't add up -- From the beginning, the five-month standoff between city officials and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s largest public employees union has been all about politics. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Kamala Harris endorses Wendy Greuel in race for Waxman's House seat -- California Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris on Thursday endorsed former Los Angeles Controller Wendy Greuel for the U.S. House seat being vacated by longtime Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills). Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Congresswoman sleeps in a homeless shelter -- Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier is gearing up for what she hopes is the next big fight in Congress — balancing out the growing economic inequality that has ravaged the middle class for years — so she reckoned she’d do a bit of ground-level research first. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/7/14

Ami Bera Challenger Gets Tea Party Backing -- The Madison Project, a group that seeks to boost tea-party-aligned candidates, will endorse former Capitol Hill aide Igor Birman on Friday morning in the crowded GOP field in California’s 7th District, according to a release provided first to CQ Roll Call. Emily Cahn Roll Call -- 2/7/14

Fluke's Run Puts Spotlight On Lack Of Women In Legislature -- Women’s rights advocate Sandra Fluke is running for a state senate seat. Her candidacy comes as the number of women in the state legislature is dropping. Katie Orr Capital Public Radio -- 2/7/14

Walters: San Diego mayor’s race could be a harbinger of year -- Votes are being cast in California’s first major election of 2014, and its outcome may set the tone for what happens in the state the rest of the year. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Americans for Prosperity goes after California’s Scott Peters -- Americans for Prosperity is setting its sights on a new Democratic target: California Rep. Scott Peters. Starting Monday, the conservative group will spend about $145,000 on ads to air on San Diego-area cable TV stations in an attempt to weaken the freshman congressman. Alex Isenstadt Politico -- 2/7/14

California lawmakers want to require 'kill switch' on smartphones -- The ability to make mobile devices inoperable if they're stolen 'is critical to reducing robberies,' L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti says. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Local officials struggle with massage business boom as state regulations expire -- Now, however, some of those cities and counties are grappling with a proliferation of new massage parlors, and they say the say the 2008 law has left them ill-equipped to handle the influx. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Waxman says he's still concerned about Tribune newspaper spinoff -- The congressman says a meeting with Tribune executives fails to ease his worries that the L.A. Times and other papers would be hobbled financially after the spinoff. Jim Puzzanghera and Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Californians dominate 'most liberal' rankings in Congress --California's 53-member congressional delegation, like Congress as a whole, is deeply divided along ideological lines - but its Democrats may be the deepest shade of blue. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Paying car registration online? Watch for fee bumps -- Unless you are on the DMV website, you could face a significantly higher total from firms licensed by the DMV to provide the same online services but with fees attached. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Afraid of freeing felons, Orange County supervisors reject jail release plan -- The move came as the county, like many jurisdictions across the state, grapples with a ballooning jail population and scant resources to house inmates. Jill Cowan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

L.A. County faces suit over adding religious cross to seal -- A group of religious leaders filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Los Angeles County over a Board of Supervisors' decision to place a cross on the county's seal. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ Christina Villacorte in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/7/14

Taxes/Fees

Senate blocks unemployment insurance again -- A month-long push to revive expired jobless benefits narrowly failed in the Senate on Thursday, falling short by one vote. Burgess Everett Politico Derek Thompson The Atlantic -- 2/7/14

Economy, Employers and Jobs

CalPERS reopens long-term care insurance to new applicants -- CalPERS’ troubled long-term care insurance program has reopened to new applicants, ending a five-year hiatus marked by heavy financial losses and the announcement of a significant rate increase. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Pharmacies Braced for Cuts to Their Medi-Cal Payments -- Starting Friday, Medi-Cal –the state’s health coverage for low-income patients — will start paying 10 percent less for filling certain prescriptions. Though the number of drugs affected is less than originally outlined, pharmacists are still worried. April Dembosky KQED -- 2/7/14

Ride-sharing firm Lyft says it has improved insurance -- The move comes after state regulators complained that there could be holes in the coverage that Lyft and its competitors provide. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Apple gets approvals for Union Square store -- Apple got the approvals it needed Thursday to move ahead with plans to build a landmark store on Union Square, but not without hearing plenty of concerns about the project and its design. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/7/14

Councilman says he thinks Sacramento officials added ‘sweeteners’ to Kings arena deal -- Sacramento City Councilman Kevin McCarty this week testified he thinks city officials added millions of dollars worth of “sweeteners” to the proposed subsidy for the new Kings arena to placate investors who believed they were overpaying to buy the team. Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

California ski resorts slog through a warm winter -- Snowpack levels are about 15% of the season average. To draw skiers and snowboarders to the slopes, some resorts are offering two-for-one ticket deals and $1 beers. Hugo Martín and Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

U.S. lead in science research and development narrows -- The United States could be losing its edge in science and technology as emerging nations rapidly increase their investment in research and development, according to new indicators released Thursday by the National Science Board. Daniel Rothberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

California export trade sets record in 2013 -- California merchandise export trade, arguably the shining star of economic recovery in the Golden State, closed out 2013 with a record-setting bang. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

'Amtrak Joe' Biden tours Sacramento-built locomotive -- Biden and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx were given a tour of Amtrak's ACS-64 "Cities Sprinter" locomotive at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. The red, blue and silver locomotive is one of 70 built for Amtrak by Siemens in South Sacramento. Curtis Tate in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Education

L.A. school officials barred from access to curriculum for iPads -- Los Angeles school officials have failed for now in their efforts to get full access to a digital curriculum that the school system purchased in June. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Facebook page promotes campus repairs over iPads in L.A. schools -- Critics of a $1-billion school computer project in Los Angeles have launched an increasingly popular Facebook page asserting that the money should be spent instead on campus repairs. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/7/14

Corinthian Colleges discloses Fed's probe of job placement numbers -- Federal regulators are investigating for-profit college chain Corinthian Colleges Inc. for falsifying job-placement rates, adding to at least a dozen other state and federal investigations into the company's business practices, Corinthian disclosed in an earnings statement Wednesday. Ricardo Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

School apologizes for fried chicken on Black History Month menu -- The principal of an all-girls Christian private school in Northern California has apologized over a lunch menu supposedly intended to celebrate Black History Month that included cornbread, fried chicken and watermelon. Ari Bloomekatz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

CORE districts’ tackling of tough issues impresses federal official -- A high-ranking federal education official – a woman with Secretary Arne Duncan’s ear – said she liked what she heard at the first meeting of a committee overseeing eight California districts that have received the nation’s only district waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 2/7/14

Redlands district sued over case of boy who fathered teacher's baby -- A student who fathered a child with an ex-Redlands schoolteacher convicted of having sex with him and two other students has sued the school district, alleging educators were negligent and complicit in his sexual battery. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Health

Flu virus sleuths race to ward off worst -- Far from hospitals and morgues, disease sleuths are racing to understand the pace and pattern of California's deadly influenza season. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/14

Lawmakers Reach Deal on Doctor Payments -- House and Senate lawmakers have agreed on a five-year plan to change how physicians are paid for treating Medicare patients, an issue that has created a recurring scramble in Congress for over a decade. Louise Radnofsky in the Wall Street Journal$ Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Environment

Marina del Rey pollution cleanup approved over boaters' objections -- The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board unanimously approved a controversial set of regulations that will launch the first extensive pollution cleanup in Marina del Rey history, county officials said. Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Immigration/Border

Boehner lowers expectations for immigration reform -- Just a week after House Republicans breathed new life into chances for an immigration overhaul this year, Speaker John A. Boehner all but abandoned the effort Thursday, saying it would be “difficult” to get any legislation approved. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Analysis: Delay on immigration overhaul carries big Republican risk -- Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives appear increasingly unlikely to pass an immigration overhaul this year, preferring to focus their election-year strategy on a unified assault on President Barack Obama's healthcare law. John Whitesides and Richard Cowan Reuters -- 2/7/14

Also...

Tribes get more power to handle domestic violence cases -- A pilot program will allow three American Indian tribes to arrest and prosecute non-tribal members on suspicion of domestic and dating violence on Indian land. Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

At license plate launch, Toni Atkins gets a special visitor -- Good grief, Toni Atkins! The San Diego Democrat and presumptive future Assembly speaker joined other state officials on Thursday in unveiling a new California license plate featuring the image of Snoopy, the iconic cartoon beagle of Peanuts fame. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/14

Why it cost a Huntington Beach couple $20K to get a cute Corgi off Orange County's vicious-dog list -- The legal fight underscores the divisions between dog owners and pet enforcement officials after a dog bite is reported. Greg Hardesty in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/7/14

Target Breach Began With Contractor's Electronic Billing Link -- The hackers that carried out the massive data breach at Target Corp. appear to have gained access via a refrigeration contractor in Pittsburgh that connected to the retailer's systems to do electronic billing. Paul Ziobro in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/7/14

Jay Leno and the '49 Plymouth -- The summer I bought the '49 Plymouth two things went wrong. A local garage botched the job of replacing the clutch, and the radio went out. Veronique de Turenne LA Observed -- 2/7/14

WNYW Reporter Asks ‘Does Local TV News Annoy You?’ -- New York FOX owned station WNYW took a look back at itself and the industry as a whole during its 10:00 p.m. news last night when it aired a story chronicling the annoying things TV news does. Kevin Eck TV Spy -- 2/7/14

NSA / Surveillance

Tech’s biggest players hire first NSA lobbyist -- Apple, Google, Facebook and five other technology giants that have banded together in their calls for surveillance reform officially registered a Washington lobbyist on Thursday. Tony Romm Politico -- 2/7/14

Secret court approves phone surveillance changes -- National intelligence chief James R. Clapper said Thursday that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court had approved two limits on how the government can use huge volumes of data it collects about Americans' phone use. James Rosen McClatchy DC -- 2/7/14

Beltway

GOP Conference chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers faces possible ethics inquiry -- GOP Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers faces a possible House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations by a former staffer that she improperly mixed campaign and official funds to help win a 2012 House leadership race. John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman Politico -- 2/7/14

Boxer, Ted Cruz agree on military justice bill -- Mark the date: This is one of the few times you ever will see U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Ted Cruz supporting the same cause. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 2/7/14

Christie Texas trip highlights damage of bridge scandal -- For the first time in two decades, Texas is electing itself a new governor, making the contest — featuring liberal heroine Wendy Davis — one of the marquee races of this election year. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/14

Democratic groups counter Kochs’ Senate push -- A collection of Democratic-aligned groups are launching a coordinated push in 2014 Senate races to counter heavy spending from the powerfully funded conservative organization Americans for Prosperity, Democratic strategists said Thursday evening. Alexander Burns Politico -- 2/7/14