Updating . .
DWP worker embezzled more than $4 million, district attorney alleges -- Los Angeles County prosecutors on Thursday charged a former Department of Water and Power employee with 27 felonies, including embezzlement and conflicts of interest, on allegations that he misappropriated more than $4 million in public funds. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
El Niño continues to build, bringing increased chances of a wet winter -- In a promising trend that increases the likelihood of steady storms this winter that could offer relief for California's historic drought, federal scientists on Thursday reported that El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean are continuing to grow stronger. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle Craig Miller KQED -- 6/11/15
'Extreme Drought' Expands In California -- The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that conditions worsened in two California counties in the midst of a fourth year of drought. Ed Joyce Capital Public Radio -- 6/11/15
California Drought Changes What Farmers Grow -- Water scarcity is driving farmers to plant different crops. Growers are switching to more profitable -- less thirsty fruits, vegetables and nuts. Nowhere is this more true than San Diego County where the water prices are some of the highest in the state. Lesley McClurg Capital Public Radio -- 6/11/15
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo to resign -- Twitter CEO Dick Costolo will step down from his role July 1, the company announced. The San Francisco-based company's chairman and co-founder Jack Dorsey will be interim CEO until a search team finds a permanent replacement. Eric Van Susteren Silicon Valley Business Journal Vindu Goel in the New York Times$ -- 6/11/15
Court declines to stop net neutrality rules from taking effect Friday -- A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied petitions Thursday for a temporary stay made by AT&T Inc. and other opponents of the online traffic rules in separate lawsuits. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Study: Disneyland Resort generates $5.7 billion of Southern California economy -- Disneyland Resort generates an estimated $5.7 billion annually in economic activity for the Southern California economy, according to an independent study commissioned by Disney. Joseph Pimentel in the Orange County Register -- 6/11/15
Fox: Attack on Prop 13 Faces Long Odds -- The original Proposition 13 was four paragraphs long fitting on one side of a piece of paper. SCA 5, the measure to change Proposition 13 introduced by Senators Loni Hancock and Holly Mitchell yesterday intended to increase taxes on business property is 30 pages long. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/11/15
California official: Supreme Court risks 'horrible moral precedent' on Obamacare -- The head of California's Obamacare exchange says the U.S. Supreme Court risks setting a "horrible moral precedent" if it strikes down health-law subsidies across much of the country. Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
For those in California illegally, health services vary greatly by county -- Margarita Vasquez lacked health insurance and couldn't afford an eye operation to ward off blindness. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Sam Farr will vote for Trade Promotion Authority -- Rep. Sam Farr has broken with most of his fellow California Democrats, announcing Thursday morning that he’ll vote in support of the “fast-track” Trade Promotion Authority that the Obama Administration and Republican congressional leaders want. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 6/11/15
Feds sound 'all clear' at San Onofre -- Nuclear-emergency precautions and escape plans are being scaled back for communities near the retired San Onofre power plant in northern San Diego County because federal safety officials regard a major disaster as increasingly unlikely. Morgan Lee in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/11/15
Anaheim attempts to lure upscale hotels with big tax breaks -- Anaheim is trying to get into the luxury hotel game, even without an ocean. Art Marroquin in the Orange County Register -- 6/11/15
Google's latest project: reinventing cities -- Google’s Chief Executive Larry Page has announced the tech giant’s latest moonshot, a new company whose mission is to revolutionize urban life. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Roberts: Capps Coup -- Most political endorsements have about as much effect as publishing poetry. Jerry Roberts in the Santa Barbara Independent -- 6/11/15
HIV resistance clue found -- In the last quarter century, anti-HIV drugs have turned HIV infection from a fatal disease to one people can live with. But a small number of H=IV-positive people control the infection without getting drugs. They don't progress to AIDS, they remain outwardly healthy. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/11/15
California Northstate University wins accreditation to launch medical school, will open in fall -- California Northstate University College of Medicine got the key accreditation Thursday that it needs to launch classes in September at a new for-profit medical school in Elk Grove. Kathy Robertson Sacramento Business Journal -- 6/11/15
Tesla snaps up former Solyndra building in huge Fremont expansion -- Tesla Motors Inc.’s “Gigafactory” under construction near Reno might get all the press, but the electric carmaker is also expanding closer to home, and in a big way. Nathan Donato-Weinstein Silicon Valley Business Journal -- 6/11/15
California’s Most Effective Pot Lobbyist Used To Be A Cop -- The state has the largest, most chaotic cannabis market in the nation. Thanks in part to the gregarious ex-cop who is negotiating on behalf of the pot industry, marijuana activists and legislators are close to a deal to rein it in. Amanda Chicago Lewis Buzzfeed -- 6/11/15
Inspired by paralyzed Army vet, Lancaster students build him a new home -- Anastasia slips into the living room as Hancock tells the story. She's all blond hair and sass, an extrovert who grew up in hospital waiting rooms cheering up adults. She puts her head on her dad's chest and wraps her arms around his shirtless, scarred torso. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
California Policy & Politics This Morning
House spending bill could put some bullet train funds at risk -- One of the financial lifelines of California's bullet train project has been $3.2 billion in federal grants. But a provision included in a key transportation funding bill passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday could place a roadblock on future federal payouts. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Senate leader says he's certain state's proposed clean-energy goals can be met -- Speaking at a transportation-fuel symposium Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León said he is confident a measure that calls for a 50 percent reduction in petroleum use in California over the next 15 years will be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown this fall and that he has no doubts the goal will be achieved. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star$ -- 6/11/15
CPUC to hang up audit for landlines -- An audit to help improve landline telephone service — still used by some of California’s most vulnerable residents — would be delayed indefinitely under a proposal to be considered by regulators Thursday. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/11/15
Skelton: State Controller Betty Yee wants tax reform that relies less on the top 1% -- New state Controller Betty Yee is not your typical politician. She's boldly sticking her neck out on a continuous issue bound to cause grief. The issue is tax reform, a taboo subject for most elected officials. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Goodbye neighborhood polling places? -- Driven by record low voter turnout, California election officials on Wednesday proposed a system that would deliver vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters, eliminate many neighborhood polling places and replace them with larger voting centers that allow early voting. Chris Nichols in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/15
Latino-rights group gives Garden Grove July 3 deadline for moving to district elections -- Garden Grove has until July 3 to begin moving to an election system in which City Council members are chosen by districts, or a Latino-rights group says it will sue the city for violating the California Voting Rights Act. Chris Haire in the Orange County Register -- 6/11/15
California is flush with cash. So why the warnings to prepare for recession? -- Even as California's leaders prepare a new state budget that is flush with cash, Gov. Jerry Brown has increasingly raised the specter of another recession that could undo years of hard-won financial progress. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/15
California Senate, Assembly reach budget deal, but showdown with Gov. Jerry Brown looms -- With the deadline to pass a new state budget just days away, lawmakers worked late into the night Tuesday, hammering out agreements that would pump more money into child care, health care and higher education. Jessica Calefati in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 6/11/15
Monday’s budget will reflect Legislature’s priorities, not deal with Brown -- Lawmakers will pass a budget bill by Monday’s constitutional deadline but, unlike last year, it won’t be something that will win the support of Gov. Jerry Brown. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/15
Decker: Crisis or not? Jerry Brown avoids offering stern advice on drought -- In his latest iteration as California’s governor, Jerry Brown seems to have cracked the code of the state’s quirky politics. The code: We’ll elect you, if you promise to fix the mess and leave us alone. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/15
Drug-cost disclosure hits obstacle -- An attempt to force drug makers to disclose their costs and profits for drugs that sell wholesale for more than $10,000 annually has derailed in the Assembly, facing strong opposition from an industry targeting similar measures in other states. The forces battling over the bill include some of the most powerful in California. Alvin Chen Capitol Weekly -- 6/10/15
At 96, Poet And Beat Publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti Isn't Done Yet -- Lawrence Ferlinghetti lives in a modest second-story walk-up in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. Hanging on his walls are his doctorate from the Sorbonne, an unframed Paul Gaugin print and posters of celebrated poetry readings dating back to the days when he personified a hip, literate and rebellious San Francisco. Not that he's nostalgic. "Everything was better than it is when you're old," he says. Richard Gonzales NPR -- 6/11/15
Why LAPD's Charlie Beck and civilian police panel differ on Ezell Ford shooting -- Both sides agreed on the facts. A 25-year-old African American man walking down a gang-plagued, drug-infested block with his hands in his pockets was stopped by police. Kate Mather, Harriet Ryan, Scott Glover in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Ezell Ford's mother says decision shows 'what happened to Ezell was wrong' -- When Ezell Ford's mother learned Tuesday afternoon that L.A. police commissioners had faulted one of the officers who fatally shot her son, her first reaction, she said, was: "Hallelujah!" Angel Jennings, Kate Mather, Joel Rubin and Peter Jamison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/15
LAPD union president blasts commission ruling on Ezell Ford shooting -- The president of the union that represents rank-and-file Los Angeles police officers said Wednesday that his members were frustrated and worried after the city's Police Commission this week found that an officer who shot Ezell Ford was at fault. Kate Mather and Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/15
Police skip Oakland nighttime protest by 100 marchers -- An energetic group of about 100 protesters took to the streets of downtown Oakland Wednesday in yet another challenge to Mayor Libby Schaaf’s crackdown on nighttime demonstrations. Kale Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/11/15
CHP officer honored for dangerous Bay Bridge rescue -- A California Highway Patrol officer was honored Wednesday for his role in pulling an intoxicated and despondent man to safety from the edge of the Bay Bridge last year. Kale Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/11/15
Lodi police acquires a civilian-made armored vehicle -- Lodi police have taken possession of a new armored vehicle, a civilian-made model that promises to safely deliver officers into active-shooter crime scenes. Unlike communities such as the City of Davis which for a short time acquired a military vehicle, Lodi opted for an armored vehicle made by the Armored Car Group. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/15
Police shoot man in Hollywood after he allegedly brandishes a knife -- A man was shot by police in Hollywood on Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly brandished a knife, authorities said. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Video shows L.A. sheriff's deputies lied about drug bust, prosecutor says -- A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy lied in a police report and conspired with his partner in connection with a 2011 drug bust at a bar in Huntington Park, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday. Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Constitutional rights or a higher standard? Orange County Sheriff's deputy who refuses to testify in Mexican Mafia case sparks debate -- An Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy’s refusal to testify in some court proceedings – previously a key part of his job – is sparking debate about the rights of police to remain silent. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 6/10/15
Taxes, Fees, Rates
Lawmakers push to scrap Prop. 13 tax limits for factories and business -- Saying a major “loophole” allows some business to unfairly avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes, two Democratic state senators on Wednesday filed a proposed constitutional amendment to revise Proposition 13, the landmark property tax initiative approved by California voters in 1978. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Josh Richman Political Blotter Ben Adler Capital Public Radio Fenit Nirappil Associated Press -- 6/11/15
Senate minority leader: Prop. 13 overhaul won't get past Republicans -- Senate Democrats unveiled a proposal Wednesday that would change Proposition 13 to raise taxes on commercial property owners. Here’s the catch: the bill requires two-thirds legislative support, meaning a handful of Republicans would need to back it. Allen Young Sacramento Business Journal -- 6/11/15
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
California bounces back as No. 7 economy in world -- After taking a significant recession-era hit, California’s economy has bounced back up to the seventh largest in the world as the state’s gross domestic product reached $2.3 trillion in 2014, according to figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Julia Horowitz Associated Press -- 6/11/15
Bondholders renew fight against CalPERS in bankruptcy -- Setting up a possible showdown with CalPERS, two bond firms are reviving their legal campaign to win a bigger share of the money being doled out by bankrupt San Bernardino. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/15
L.A. County supervisors propose wage hike for in-home care workers -- Each year some 140,000 in-home workers take care of approximately 190,000 infirm residents of Los Angeles County. They help them stay out of convalescent centers and other high-cost institutions by doing light housework, cooking, administering medicines and assisting with everyday tasks. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
California rice farmers find Japanese trade negotiators a bit starchy -- For years Charley Mathews Jr. has exported tons of his best Sacramento Valley-grown rice to Japan, but it grates on him that very little of that has ever ended up on the tables of sushi restaurants or Japanese households. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
FDA panel backs Amgen cholesterol drug for some patients -- Federal health advisors say a highly anticipated cholesterol-lowering drug from Thousand Oaks-based Amgen Inc. should be approved for some patients with dangerously high levels of the artery-clogging substance. Associated Press -- 6/11/15
San Diego's retail market among the best -- Driven by job growth and tighter supply, San Diego County’s commercial real estate market for retail space is emerging as one of the nation’s more robust for landlords, a new report from broker Marcus and Millichap says. Jonathan Horn in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/10/15
Is California's hiring spree finally slowing? -- California private employers added 31,491 workers in May, according to ADP and Moody’s Analytics – the state’s 62nd consecutive month of employment expansion. California bosses hired 388,000 workers in the past year, a 2.95 percent growth rate. Jonathan Lanser in the Orange County Register -- 6/11/15
California settles heat-death lawsuits, agrees to improve -- Family members of two farm workers who died from suspected heat-related illnesses and a labor union have settled their lawsuits against California on the condition that the state do more to ensure laborers are safe when temperatures rise. Amanda Lee Myers Associated Press -- 6/11/15
Sacramento advocacy groups charge CarMax with selling unsafe used vehicles -- Two Sacramento advocacy groups on Wednesday released a report contending that CarMax is selling unsafe cars in California and called on state officials to investigate the in-state operations of the Virginia-based used-auto selling giant. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/15
Bootlegged apartments could get a chance at L.A. city approval -- Lamenting a housing crisis that has priced many Angelenos out of decent, affordable homes, a Los Angeles City Council committee moved Wednesday to start hammering out rules that would help legalize bootlegged apartments that have long existed without the city's blessing. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
San Francisco Officials Want to Help Save the City’s ‘Legacy Businesses’ -- San Francisco city officials plan to put a measure on the November ballot asking voters to back a preservation fund supporting longtime small businesses and nonprofits facing rising commercial rents and gentrification. Bryan Goebel KQED -- 6/11/15
Drought
Sexy ads promote water saving with a wink in San Francisco -- "Go full frontal" blares one ad featuring a photo of a front-loading washer -- sleek, steel and up to half as water-guzzling as a top-loading machine. Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 6/11/15
State floats tighter water regulations to protect Russian River salmon -- Thousands of landowners along Sonoma County’s four major coho salmon spawning streams would be required to report their use of water from both surface sources and wells under proposed new state regulations intended to protect the highly endangered fish species. Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press -- 6/11/15
California water wasters beware: #DroughtShaming on the rise -- Pssst. Ready to water that beautiful lush lawn of yours? The one that's the envy of the entire neighborhood. If you live in Southern California you'd better wait until after midnight. Gillian Flaccus and John Rogers Associated Press -- 6/11/15
Ducks, geese and rice -- the next victims of California's drought? -- The nests of hundreds of thousands of birds and the food for millions more could be imperiled this year because of fewer rice crops in California – the latest symptom of the state’s historic drought. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Artificial Turf For Sacramento's Front Lawns? -- If you live in the City of Sacramento, it is currently illegal to replace your front lawn with artificial turf. But, that could change. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 6/11/15
Education
Adjoining counties devise different strategies to expand preschool -- At Willow Creek State Preschool in Santa Rosa last week, site supervisor Paula Schaefer and one of her teachers organized piles of books, supplies and other classroom items as a construction crew worked nearby. Michael Collier EdSource -- 6/11/15
Schools face drinking water safety mandate -- School districts, already required to provide free, fresh drinking water for students during meal times, could soon be mandated to make sure that water, if it comes from the tap, is also safe. Kimberly Beltran Cabinet Report -- 6/11/15
Avoiding the Dead End of Never Learning English -- It’s been more than four decades since the U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark case involving San Francisco Unified School District, ruled that students whose first language is not English must receive extra help to learn it, otherwise their education would be meaningless. Yet today, California schools are still under scrutiny by the federal government for failing to educate English learners. Charla Bear and Julia McEvoy KQED -- 6/10/15
Environment
Santa Barbara County official rejects plan to move crude oil by truck -- A Santa Barbara County official has rejected a proposal by Exxon Mobil to send a fleet of 6,720-gallon trucks on as many as 192 daily trips on U.S. 101 while the pipeline the company normally uses is out of commission after last month's oil spill. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/15
Officials: Cost to clean oiled Santa Barbara beaches exceeds $60 million -- Cleaning up the thousands of gallons of crude oil that fouled Refugio State Beach on May 19 has cost more than $60 million, officials said Wednesday, and the figure is expected to grow as the cleanup continues. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ Alicia Chang Associated Press -- 6/10/15
EPA 'environmental justice' map highlights California's pollution ills -- Many Southern California communities stand out as some of the nation’s worst environmental justice hot spots, according to a new map released Wednesday by the Obama administration. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/15
Ocean investigators set their sights on Pacific Ocean 'blob' -- Researchers from Canada to Mexico are coming together to address a mass of warm water that's killing off sea lions and heating up the Pacific Coast. Kerry Klein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/11/15
Health
Form signed by ill ER patient doesn’t immunize hospital for shoddy care -- When a patient died from a brain hemorrhage that an emergency room physician had failed to diagnose, the hospital tried to protect itself from liability by pointing to a form the patient had signed when she checked in two days earlier, in severe pain. It said all doctors who provided services at the facility were independent contractors rather than hospital employees. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/10/15
Heartburn meds, heart attacks linked -- These drugs, which include Prilosec, known generically as omeprazole, belong to a class called proton pump inhibitors. Their use was associated with a roughly 20 percent increase in the rate of subsequent heart attacks. Such a finding in the general population was unexpected. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Lisa Aliferis KQED -- 6/10/15
San Francisco approves health warning on sugary drink ads -- San Francisco supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve health warnings on ads for sugary sodas and some other drinks, saying such beverages contribute to obesity, diabetes and other health problems. Janie Har Associated Press -- 6/11/15
Pressure builds to boost reimbursements to dentists in Medi-Cal -- Wood — a dentist and a state assemblyman from Sonoma County — remembers the time a patient of his who was an elementary school teacher told him about a student suffering from serious dental problems. The little girl’s family was poor and they lived in a rural area. They couldn’t find a dentist to treat her. Daniel Weintraub California Health Report -- 6/11/15
Also . . .
Lost Brother in Yosemite -- Dean Potter jumped. Graham Hunt followed. Potter’s longtime girlfriend snapped photographs. Then came confusion, hope and despair. John Branch in the New York Times$ -- 6/11/15
California lawmakers’ socks ‘stand with CSU’ -- The state budget is not entirely done, and some state lawmakers are sending a message to Gov. Jerry Brown by wearing their priorities on their feet. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/15
New poet laureate found his voice in San Diego -- Juan Felipe Herrera, the new U.S. poet laureate, first found his artistic footing in San Diego, where he spent large chunks of his childhood as the son of migrant farmworkers. John Wilkens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/11/15
State high court gives Napa foie gras lawsuit the go-ahead -- The state Supreme Court gave the go-ahead Wednesday to an animal-rights group to sue a restaurant that served foie gras, but the suit will proceed only if federal courts reinstate California’s ban on the dish. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/11/15
California's ban on kangaroo leather may soon bounce back into effect -- Kangaroos, the iconic marsupial from Down Under, are prized by soccer players not for their cuddliness, but for their skin. Some of the most coveted cleats and gloves are made with kangaroo leather. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15
Morain: On the trail of kangaroo legislation -- Before the unpleasantness with the FBI, Ron Calderon earned his reputation as a flexible senator who would, for example, occasionally champion animal rights, and then not. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/15
Beltway
Saunders: Fearmongering, Hillary Clinton style -- Hillary Rodham Clinton has a new crusade. The Democrats’ only name female candidate for president sees “a sweeping effort to disempower and disenfranchise people of color, poor people and young people from one end of our country to the other.” Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/11/15
Fiorina's campaign-trail attacks leave out her own ties to Clinton -- In a crowd of Republican presidential contenders hammering away at Hillary Rodham Clinton, no one has been more relentless than Carly Fiorina. Joseph Tanfani in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/15