Updating . .
Woman wrongfully convicted of murder sues city, LAPD detective -- A woman exonerated last year after spending 17 years behind bars for murder announced Thursday that she had filed a lawsuit accusing an LAPD detective of hiding evidence that showed the case's lead witness was known as a pathological liar. Stephen Ceasar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
California Assembly acts to prohibit fines for brown lawns in droughts -- Alarmed that some cities have fined residents for allowing their lawns to turn brown during the drought, the state Assembly stepped in Thursday to prohibit penalties for failing to water grass. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Comcast's Bid for Time Warner Cable Appears Dead -- The $45 billion cable deal faced opposition from federal regulators. Brendan Sasso National Journal -- 4/23/15
Democratic lawmakers reject switching their health coverage to Obamacare -- Democratic state lawmakers on Thursday shot down a proposal that would have required all California state legislators to get their health insurance from Covered California, the benefits exchange set up to implement Obamacare in the state. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Quinn: California’s Latino Voter Turnout: What Happened? -- Has the “Sleeping Giant” gone back to sleep, and will the Giant wake up for in time for 2016? Since passage of the controversial anti-illegal immigrant Proposition 187 in 1994, Latino voter turnout in California has mushroomed and with it Latino political clout. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 4/23/15
California Drought: 'Exceptional' Drought Expands In Sierra -- The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that conditions worsened in the Sierra as California is in the midst of a fourth year of drought. Ed Joyce Capital Public Radio -- 4/23/15
Adam Gadahn: Al Qaeda terrorist, California native and grandson of a Jew -- Adam Gadahn was the grandson of a Jewish doctor. He was raised on a ranch in Riverside County and later lived in Orange County, where he found his way to the Islamic Center of Orange County. Joseph Serna and Shelby Grad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
UC administrative staff tripled in two decades -- Rising university tuition costs have been a hot topic in California, where Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers have tangled with UC executives over budgets, spending and state investment levels in higher education. Anthony York Capitol Weekly -- 4/23/15
Defense Secretary calls for rebuilding ties to Silicon Valley -- In speech at Stanford, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter says strong ties needed to fight cyber threats and develop new technologies. Troy Wolverton in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 4/23/15
Insurance commissioner lobbies for a bill that would expand his regulatory reach -- California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones blasted Anthem Blue Cross on Wednesday for a recent 8.7 percent rate increase. And he used the occasion to plug a bill that would boost his regulatory authority over preferred-provider organization plans offered by Anthem and Blue Cross of California. Kathy Robertson Sacramento Business Journal -- 4/23/15
From Almond Milk to the Putting Green: California Drought Shaming, Diagrammed -- In the weeks following California governor Jerry Brown’s historic speech heralding water-use restrictions in the state, aspersion casting has quickly become a full-contact sport in the golden West. Randy Dotinga Vanity Fair -- 4/23/15
San Francisco Moves to Tighten Airbnb Law -- Less than three months into implementation of an ordinance to legalize and regulate short-term rentals in San Francisco, city leaders and planners agree the law needs more work. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 4/23/15
Greenhut: Forfeiture bill aims to halt profiteering -- As local police agencies are stressed by rising pension and other costs, they increasingly have embraced this troubling policy: Using “civil asset forfeiture” to take as much private property as possible, even from people who have never been convicted or even charged with a crime. The more they take, the bigger their budgets. Steven Greenhut UT San Diego$ -- 4/23/15
As columnist, Willie Brown has been on point – and also way off -- Willie Brown, the powerful former Assembly speaker and mayor of San Francisco, has continued into his golden years stirring the political pot. Christopher Cadelago in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
San Francisco Democrats come out early in favor of Lee re-election -- Mayor Ed Lee is wasting no time shoring up endorsements in trying to secure his re-election in November. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
Wife of slain Bell Gardens mayor indicted on manslaughter charge -- Lyvette Crespo pleaded not guilty after the indictment was unsealed. She was remanded into custody on $150,000 bail. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Skid Row Land Rush: Now It’s One of the Pricier Sections of L.A. -- If the barefooted woman pushing a shopping cart down the sidewalk or the guy brushing his teeth outside a tattered blue tent doesn’t tell you where you are, the enormous “Welcome to Skid Row” mural should. Steven Cuevas KQED -- 4/23/15
Apple users: Security flaw can let rogue Wi-Fi networks hijack your device -- Apple Inc.’s iOS 8 mobile operating system has a security flaw that affects more than 1,500 apps in the Apple iTunes store, leaving users’ information vulnerable and causing their iPhones to reboot endlessly. Gina Hall Sacramento Business Journal -- 4/23/15
Beaumont: City Hall, consulting firm, city manager's house searched -- Beaumont City Hall, the office of a city consultant and two homes were raided by county and federal agents Wednesday as part of an investigation into the consulting firm’s relationship with the city. Craig Shultz, Erin Waldner, David Danelski and Ali Tadayon in the Riverside Press -- 4/23/15
Parents ask court to let them turn school into charter -- Parents at Palm Lane Elementary have asked Orange County Superior Court to allow them to take over the low-achieving campus. Fermin Leal in the Orange County Register$ -- 4/23/15
California state workers eligible to cash out stacked-up leave -- Starting May 1, non-union employees such as managers and employees in six bargaining units can apply to turn their time into money. The catch: Their departments have to pull the money from existing appropriations. No spare funds, no leave buy-backs. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/15
California state government’s soggy tower springs another leak -- A leak inside the Board of Equalization’s Sacramento headquarters forced the agency to close restrooms on two floors Wednesday, according to a memo to the 2,200 employees who work in the building. It’s not clear when the repairs will be completed. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/15
Art imitates life as 'Ferguson' play sparks controversy -- Veteran actor Philip Casnoff hadn't read the full script yet when he arrived for the first rehearsal of "Ferguson," a play chronicling the shooting of Michael Brown by a Missouri police officer. Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Pete Peterson promptly promoted at Pepperdine -- The 2014 Republican candidate for California Secretary of State, has been named interim dean of Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 4/23/15
The Armenian Genocide: 101-year-old survivor tells her story -- Yevnige Salibian remembers peering through the wooden panels of her family home in Aintab, Turkey as a young girl and seeing throngs of Armenian women, children and elderly being marched out into the desert to their eventual deaths. Benjamin Gottlieb KCRW -- 4/23/15
Poll: Gay-marriage support at record high -- A record-high 6 in 10 Americans support same-sex marriage and a similar share say individual states should not be allowed to define marriage as only between a man and a woman, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Scott Clement, Robert Barnes in the Washington Post$ -- 4/23/15
Why the PR industry is sucking up Pulitzer winners -- The number of news reporters in the Washington, D.C., area nearly doubled over the last decade, from 1,450 to 2,760. In Los Angeles it grew by 20 percent. In New York City, it basically stayed flat. Outside of those cities, in that same timeframe, one out of every four reporting jobs vanished – 12,000 jobs in total, according to the Labor Department. Jim Tankersley in the Washington Post$ -- 4/23/15
Silicon Valley, Bay Area see huge rise in binge drinking -- Santa Clara County saw a nearly 28 percent rise in binge drinking from 2002 to 2012, the biggest increase of any California county, according to a major new study of alcohol use. Barbara Feder Ostrov in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 4/23/15
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Ex-Sen. Calderon may face additional criminal charges, prosecutor warns -- A federal prosecutor indicated in a court filing Wednesday that a superseding indictment containing more criminal charges is possibly on the way in the corruption case of former state Sen. Ronald Calderon (D-Montebello). Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Pentagon to launch cyberstrategy push in Silicon Valley -- Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will unveil a new military cyberstrategy Thursday in the heart of Silicon Valley, reaching out to Facebook Inc. and other companies to help boost the nation's digital defenses. W.J. Hennigan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Transgender inmate's attorneys oppose delaying surgery -- Attorneys representing a transgender prison inmate on Wednesday asked a federal judge to stick with his order that California officials must immediately provide the inmate with sex reassignment surgery. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/23/15
San Francisco County jail deputies to be fitted with body cameras -- Deputies working at a San Francisco County jail facility will now be required to wear body cameras -- a move spurred by a series of allegations that inmates were forced to perform gladiator-style fights for gambling and entertainment purposes. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Bill removing California vaccine exemptions approved by key Senate panel -- A bill that would require more California children to be vaccinated before they enter school was approved Wednesday by the Senate Education Committee, a week after it stalled when members of the panel voiced concerns that it would deprive many young people of an education. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Tracy Seipel and Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury$ Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle Tracy Seipel and Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury$ Jenna Chandler in the Orange County Register$ Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ Lisa Aliferis KQED Sharon Bernstein Reuters-- 4/23/15
Skelton: Vaccine legislation properly puts public health above personal beliefs -- Ask most rational people what their No. 1 priority is and, I suspect, they would answer good health. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Drinks, dinners, favors helped PG&E lobbyist build PUC ties, emails show -- Former Pacific Gas & Electric Co. chief lobbyist Brian Cherry was a master at schmoozing with state regulators. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Sen. Mike McGuire introduces sweeping marijuana bill -- A North Coast state senator has introduced sweeping legislation aimed at establishing a comprehensive way for California to regulate nearly all aspects of medical marijuana, from licensing dispensaries to creating quality assurance testing for cannabis products. Julie Johnson in the Santa Rosa Press -- 4/23/15
California Influencers Index: Vaccines, water dominate spring media chatter -- OK, it’s been a while since we did this, but it’s about time for a check in with the California Influencers Index. The index, powered by software from Zignal Labs, tracks all Twitter mentions and activity of a select list of California political insiders, including elected officials, lobbyists and members of the media. Anthony York Grizzly Bear Project -- 4/23/15
Parents of kidnapped Fairfield boy lash out at police -- The parents of an 8-year-old Fairfield boy found safe after the idling car he was sleeping in was stolen from his family’s house lashed out at police, saying they were treated as suspects and that officers detained the child’s mother on the ground outside her home. Henry K. Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
Judge refuses to block city order to empty Hollywood apartment tower -- A judge on Tuesday rejected a request for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked Los Angeles officials from forcing a developer to remove dozens of tenants from a Hollywood high-rise. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Learning Students, campuses in state add saving water to college life -- In a residence hall at UCLA, 84 students share a floor dedicated to cutting waste and preserving the environment: They take five-minute showers, they compost and recycle, they goad each other to turn out the lights and, through a grant, they purchased reusable plastic and bamboo dishes and utensils for personal use in the dorm. Carla Rivera in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
Venice Beach council wants to allow topless sunbathing for women -- Venice Beach could start looking more European if its neighborhood council gets its way after approving a recommendation to allow women to sunbathe topless at the beach. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Privacy getting taken for a ride -- It’s as if they can read your mind: Before customers even ask to be picked up, apps let Uber or Lyft know you’ll need them. That’s because personal data housed in smart phones tell ride-sharing companies when and where their customers most frequently need rides. Samantha Gallegos Capitol Weekly -- 4/23/15
L.A. County D.A. to create unit to review wrongful-conviction claims -- The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is creating a unit dedicated to examining wrongful-conviction claims, joining a small but growing number of prosecutorial agencies around the country that are devoting resources to identify innocent prisoners. Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Neel Kashkari backs Rocky Chavez in race for Barbara Boxer's Senate seat -- The Republican field in next year’s U.S. Senate contest is still taking shape, but Neel Kashkari, the party’s 2014 candidate for governor, threw his support Wednesday behind state Assemblyman Rocky Chavez of Oceanside. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Unnecessary roughness? Oakland stadium leader takes aim at NFL -- Floyd Kephart, the businessman seen as Oakland's best chance to keep the Raiders, found himself on the spot Wednesday, as his shadowy efforts to build a stadium drew criticism from the NFL and impatience from the city's mayor. Matthew Artz in the Oakland Tribune -- 4/23/15
Los Angeles Unified teachers could collect 14.3 percent of salary in back pay and raises this school year and next -- Over about 14 months, teachers would collect back pay and raises totaling 14.3 percent of their annual salary, according to calculations using salary figures Los Angeles Unified relied upon in negotiating a tentative contract with United Teachers Los Angeles. Thomas Himes in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/23/15
High court appears to back farmer's battle against California raisin board -- The California raisins were back before the Supreme Court, and the justices sounded ready to rule in favor of a Fresno farmer in his long battle against a Depression-era law that allows the government to seize privately grown crops to reduce supply and prop up prices. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Liptak in the New York Times$ -- 4/23/15
Mayor predicts end to homelessness for vets in San Francisco this year -- Mayor Ed Lee predicted one success in San Francisco on Wednesday, saying the city would win the battle against chronic homelessness among veterans by the end of the year. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
L.A. City Council calls for new plan to get homeless off the streets -- Signaling a more assertive approach on homelessness, five Los Angeles City Council members introduced a measure Wednesday aimed at developing a comprehensive plan for getting 23,000 transients off the streets and into housing. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Bill Would Expand Job Protection Under Paid Family Leave -- Current law only protects the jobs of people who take paid family leave at businesses with 50 or more employees. That didn’t include Sabrina Summerfield of Vallejo, who lost her job three years ago after taking a leave to care for her three adopted children. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 4/23/15
Drought
Lucrative But Thirsty Almonds Come Under Fire Amid Drought -- Does it make sense for California to grow so many almonds when it has so little water? Matt Weiser National Geographic -- 4/23/15
DWP set to rewrite water conservation rules -- The changes would allow the mayor to limit landscape watering to two days per week (currently capped at three), while protecting swimming pools, sports fields and golf courses -- even under extreme drought conditions. Mike Reicher in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/23/15
Sacramento-area water district calls state drought plan illegal -- In a defiant letter to the state Wednesday, Fair Oaks Water District officials contend California’s emergency water conservation plan is illegal and unfair to water agencies that have done a good job preparing for the drought. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/15
California government says it's meeting water-saving goal -- California's state government reported meeting its own overall water conservation goal for 2014, though data released Wednesday showed half the agencies fell short of the 20 percent target while the drought worsened. Fenit Nirappil and Justin Pritchard Associated Press Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/15
Education
California parents are ill-informed about school reforms, poll finds -- California has ushered in new academic standards, statewide testing and school finance reform in recent years, but the majority of public-school parents remain ill-informed about them, a new poll has found. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ Maureen Magee UT San Diego$ Laurie Udesky EdSource -- 4/23/15
Myers: Californians Willing to Borrow Big in 2016 to Help Schools -- The times may change, but Californians don’t seem to do so when it comes to two things about K-12 public schools: a sense that they need money for construction and renovation, and a willingness to borrow the cash to make that happen. John Myers KQED -- 4/23/15
California bill would require union buy-in for teacher evaluations -- The degree to which student test scores in California could be used to evaluate teachers' job performance would be decided in union negotiations rather than by school districts or lawmakers under a bill that advanced Wednesday in the state legislature. Sharon Bernstein Reuters -- 4/23/15
Immigration / Border
Immigrant on detention center hunger strike: 'We want to be free' -- Delmy Cruz left her son Alexis with her mother in Honduras and crossed the border illegally to make a life for herself cleaning homes in Los Angeles. Soon after, she gave birth to another son, Jackson, now 6. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Environment
Nearly half of Americans threatened by earthquakes, study finds -- Nearly half of all Americans -- 150 million people -- are threatened by possibly damaging shaking from earthquakes, scientists said Wednesday at a meeting of the Seismological Society of America. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Solar Plant Likely Killed 3,500 Birds in 1st Year -- Some new, startling figures have been published about the likely wildlife impact of a controversial solar facility in the Mojave Desert. Chris Clarke KCET Rewire -- 4/23/15
The Big One could trigger series of large earthquakes, study finds -- New research released Wednesday suggests that the shaking from “the Big One,” the long-predicted major earthquake on the San Andreas fault, could trigger additional large temblors on nearby faults, intensifying the overall seismic impact. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Health
Investigator says Oakland VA office sat on claims -- A federal investigator looking into why thousands of veterans’ benefits claims were found languishing in a filing cabinet in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Oakland office contradicted a top agency official’s testimony that all the claims had been processed correctly. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
Anthem rate hike excessive for 170,000, regulator says -- California's insurance commissioner criticized healthcare giant Anthem Blue Cross for imposing an "excessive" rate increase on nearly 170,000 customers statewide. Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Deadline looming for CalPERS long-term care policyholders -- Now she and other policyholders with those Cadillac plans have until May 1 to opt into cheaper coverage or face a 35 percent premium increase in July. An even bigger hike looms next year. Meanwhile, a Southern California lawsuit seeks premium rollbacks and refunds, alleging CalPERS mismanaged the program. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/15
Also . . .
How a luxury goods neophyte overcame her fear of Apple Watch shopping -- You can't just walk into an Apple store and buy an Apple Watch, my friend told me. You can't even just walk in and try it on. It's appointment only — no exceptions. Tracey Lien in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/15
Heartbroken girlfriend soaks cheating lover’s Apple products in the tub -- We all know what happens when you get your electronics wet (not good!), and we all know that old saying about “a woman scorned.” When you combine the two, it’s a revenge perfect for the 21st century. Tony Bravo in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
POTUS 44
Visiting The Everglades, Obama Takes Swipe At Climate Change Deniers -- "Climate change can no longer be denied," Obama said. "It can't be edited out. It can't be omitted from the conversation. And action can no longer be delayed." Scott Horsley NPR -- 4/23/15
Beltway
Clinton team hires two state directors to ramp up 2016 campaign -- Preparing for her official White House campaign kickoff, Hillary Clinton’s team is bringing on two paid regional directors in California as part of what’s being described as a “major grassroots organizing effort” to create a presidential campaign infrastucture in all 50 states. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/23/15
On the hunt for the presidency, Jeb Bush adopts a 'caveman' diet -- Jeb Bush is eating like a caveman, and he has literally shrunk in size. The former Florida governor, expected to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, is on the popular Paleo diet, which is based on what are believed to be the eating habits of the Paleolithic hunters and gatherers. Steve Holland Reuters -- 4/23/15
Secret Koch memo outlines plans for 2016 -- Documents detail plans to beef up the network’s state-of-the-art data system and pay hundreds of staff embedded in local communities across the country. Kenneth P. Vogel Politico -- 4/23/15