Updating . .
Fast-acting methane from Aliso Canyon leak is boosting global warming -- Stephen Conley has flown pollution-detecting airplanes over some of the largest oil and gas fields in the nation. But never before has the UC Davis scientist encountered as much methane in the air as in recent months over suburban Los Angeles. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/16
Regulators order new steps to contain gas leak near Porter Ranch -- Regulators on Saturday approved a comprehensive abatement order that requires Southern California Gas Co. to take immediate steps to contain a massive natural gas leak in Porter Ranch, permanently shut down the damaged well, establish a leak detection system and conduct an independent health study. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/16
Is he or isn't he? Tom Steyer isn't saying whether he'll run for governor -- Everywhere you turned in politics last week, you could have bumped into Tom Steyer or his obsessions. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/16
California Politics Podcast: The State of Things -- Gov. Brown's State of the State, new lobbying disclosure in Sacramento, and some 2016 electoral side dish. With John Myers of the Los Angeles Times and Marisa Lagos of KQED. -- 1/24/16
Rep. John Lewis speaks out against Trump's divisive rhetoric during L.A. visit -- Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) used a pair of appearances in Los Angeles on Saturday to urge young student activists to continue to fight for equality in the United States, warning that Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump could set the country back with his divisive rhetoric aimed at immigrants and Muslims. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/16
Morain: Loretta Sanchez runs against Kamala Harris and herself -- Rep. Loretta Sanchez is, as pundits are wont to say, authentic, the sort of politician you could imagine inviting to a backyard barbecue. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/16
Walters: Economic health a mixed bag -- Gov. Jerry Brown delivered a mixed economic message to the Legislature last week – hailing California’s strong recovery from the Great Recession but warning it could quickly turn sour. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/16
Willie Brown: Wilkes Bashford’s death makes the world a poorer place -- Willie’s World became a little less joyful at 7:58 p.m. on Jan. 16, when my friend of more than 50 years Wilkes Bashford moved to a new location. Willie Brown -- 1/24/16
As security ramps up for Super Bowl, soft targets are a concern -- Federal agents and police are turning Levi’s Stadium into a near fortress for Super Bowl 50, and in San Francisco they are walling off the main venue for pregame festivities with fences and metal detectors to deter would-be saboteurs. But they warn that the crowded city streets and public transit lines remain exposed targets. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/16
At Sacramento airport, birds and planes don’t mix well -- Armed with noise cannons, squawk boxes, shotguns and rifles, airport biologists patrol the grounds, shooing and often shooting avian intruders in hopes of reducing bird strikes, one of the airline industry’s oldest problems. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/16
Development rights no cure-all for Raiders stadium shortfall -- Despite some major disagreements, Raiders and Oakland officials have the same game plan for financing a new football stadium: entice a developer to help pay for it in return for cheap land and a piece of the team. Matthew Artz in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/24/16
Charter school growth questioned -- By the time Steve Van Zant left the Mountain Empire School District in 2013, he had overseen the authorization of more than a dozen charter schools to operate in other districts throughout the county — with several going on to hire his education consulting firm. Maureen Magee in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/24/16
As snowpack deepens, drought concern lingers -- Halfway through the winter, more water is stored in California’s snowpack than is usual for this time of year – signaling that maybe, just maybe, this could be the year the drought eases. With a strong El Niño, it’s not really surprising that winter rain has arrived in California. What’s notable is the location. Aaron Orlowski in the Orange County Register -- 1/24/16
Bloomberg trial balloon has Republicans laughing -- Michael Bloomberg may be contemplating a presidential run, but that isn't stopping Donald Trump from going on the offensive on guns. Anna Palmer Politico -- 1/24/16
Bullet train's first segment, reserved for Southland, could open in Bay Area instead -- A valuable perk handed to Southern California from the bullet train project — a 2012 decision to build the first operating segment from Burbank north into the Central Valley — is being reconsidered by state officials. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times Eric Kurhi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/16
Two maps that illustrate California's growing opioid epidemic -- As prescription opioids and illegal heroin rise further in popularity, the number of drug overdoses in the state hit a new high in 2014, according to new estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/23/16
Thousands protest abortion at San Francisco March for Life -- They came Saturday carrying posters and yellow balloons, stop signs and baby photos. Some drove more than 30 hours from the Midwest, while others walked from their homes around the city. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/23/16
Retiring California lawmakers talk about what's left to do and what's next -- With less than a year until their replacements are sworn in, California Sen. Barbara Boxer and Reps. Sam Farr and Lois Capps are checking off their to-do lists, trying to wrap up decades of work in Washington. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/23/16
Potential Bloomberg candidacy drops new wild card into already wild race -- The prospect of billionaire Michael Bloomberg launching an independent presidential bid dropped new uncertainty into an already highly unusual 2016 primary season. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times Glenn Thrush and Annie Karni Politico Mara Gay in the Wall Street Journal$ Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ Karen Tumulty in the Washington Post -- 1/23/16
California marijuana growers face new crop of local bans -- When the California Legislature passed the state's first comprehensive medical marijuana regulations in September, pot advocates hoped the move heralded a new era of trust in their often-tumultuous relationship with wary local officials and police. S o far, it hasn't turned out that way. Lisa Leff Associated Press -- 1/23/16
Mario Woods’ last moments: ‘You better squeeze that ... and kill me’ -- The final chapter of Mario Woods’ life began when he slashed a stranger for no apparent reason and ended with him staring at the barrel of a San Francisco police officer’s gun and saying, “You better squeeze that ... and kill me.” Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/23/16
Prices falling for once high-flying nut crops -- After producing record-size crops, prices for California almonds, pistachios and walnuts are on the decline or softening as export demand weakens and foreign competition increases. Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee -- 1/23/16
Sacramento school to get 2.5-acre farm, food literacy classes -- It is to include a student garden, plus a half-acre plot for use by the surrounding neighborhood. The plan also calls for a two-story “Broccoli Headquarters” with a large kitchen-classroom and learning center. Jessica Hice in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/23/16
300-year-old cello is found unharmed inside stolen car -- stolen car containing a 300-year-old cello was recovered Thursday after Glendale residents noticed it had been parked in their neighborhood for a long time and called police. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/23/16
Lopez: How dark forces are chipping away at our beloved California coast -- I fell in love before I was out of grade school. Every summer, we loaded up the family sedan and my dad drove us from the East Bay town of Pittsburg to Santa Cruz for vacation. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/23/16
Abcarian: Sarah Palin and Donald Trump: A pair of narcissists made for each other -- I have spent the last few days basking in the return of Sarah Palin to the national political stage, courtesy of her Donald Trump endorsement in Iowa on Tuesday. And so, I would wager, has she. She’s gotten everything she’s come to expect from the national media: scorn, ridicule and hostility. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/23/16
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Big win for Caltrans: Leaks plugged on Bay Bridge eastern span -- After spending more than $1.4 million trying to plug leaks that put the cable of the Bay Bridge’s new eastern span at risk of corrosion, Caltrans says it has finally hit on a fix that costs less than $100,000 — and has all but eliminated a problem that plagued the project for years. Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/23/16
California's falling gas tax revenue leads to massive cut in transit project funding -- Faced with plummeting gasoline tax revenue, state transportation officials have announced plans to cut funding for road and transit projects by $754 million over the next five years, the greatest reduction in two decades. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times David Siders in the Sacramento Bee Andrew McGall in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 1/23/16
Despite appellate ruling, Alarcóns could face another trial -- When an appellate court overturned voter fraud and perjury convictions of former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcón and his wife Flora this week, friends flocked to Richard's Facebook page to congratulate him. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/23/16
For the third time, Brown rejects parole of Manson follower Bruce Davis, 73 -- Gov. Jerry Brown has rejected parole for a third time for a follower of cult leader Charles Manson 46 years after a series of bloody murders rocked Southern California. Associated Press -- 1/23/16
Methane leak dwindles, test shows -- The amount of methane leaking from a ruptured natural gas well in Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon storage facility continues to drop, the state said Friday, but a massive amount of the greenhouse gas has been ejected into the atmosphere. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/23/16
California lethal injection plan spurs capital punishment fight -- Advocates and opponents of capital punishment sparred on Friday over California's proposed new lethal injection protocol, highlighting deep divisions in a state that houses a quarter of U.S. death row inmates but has not executed anyone in a decade. Sharon Bernstein Reuters -- 1/23/16
Lottery racking up sales, paying more prizes -- Well before the largest jackpot in U.S. history had Californians queuing for a chance at Powerball riches, the state’s 30-year-old lottery had fully recovered from a recessionary dip in sales. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/23/16
Owner of motel allegedly used for drug deals should be forced to live there, suit says -- The owner of a Los Angeles motel allegedly used for drug dealing and prostitution should be forced to live there until the illegal activity stops, according to a lawsuit filed by the city attorney's office. The narcotics abatement action targets the Grand Motel in the Pico/Robertson neighborhood. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/23/16
3 Former Fundraisers for Mayor Ed Lee Charged With Bribery, Money Laundering -- San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón today announced felony bribery and money-laundering charges against former city Human Rights Commissioner Nazly Mohajer, former HRC employee Zula Jones and political consultant Keith Jackson, who faces additional charges of grand theft and campaign finance fraud. John Shutt and Rebecca Bowe KQED Emily Green and Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle --1/23/16
Former Santa Ana city councilman sentenced to a year in jail -- Former Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante was sentenced to a year in jail Friday on charges that included attempted sexual battery and grand theft. Christopher Goffard in the Los Angeles Times Sean Emery in the Orange County Register --1/23/16
Lawmaker pushes for public vote on any Delta water project -- In a largely symbolic show of opposition to Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta water project, a Stockton lawmaker said Friday she is introducing legislation to require public approval of such plans. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee --1/23/16
L.A. councilman calls for ballot measure to revamp how DWP is governed -- Los Angeles City Councilman Felipe Fuentes called Friday for a ballot measure to overhaul the way that the Department of Water and Power is governed, proposing changes that he argued would empower its board and minimize interference by city politicians. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times --1/23/16
The obscurity of drug spending in Medi-Cal -- California will be a flashpoint in the policy debate this year around reining in the cost of high-priced prescription drugs. A measure expected to be before voters this November would restrict the state’s drug payment to no more than the lowest price paid for the same drug by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Pauline Bartolone Calmatters.org --1/23/16
Film academy makes dramatic rule changes to address diversity -- In a unanimous vote Thursday night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 51-member board of governors approved a sweeping series of changes designed to diversify its membership, the academy said in a statement Friday. The board committed to doubling the number of women and minority members in the academy by 2020. Rebecca Keegan in the Los Angeles Times --1/23/16
Fresno County growers claim ‘arbitrary legislative targeting’ in late-session bill -- In a lawsuit challenging a multimillion dollar farm labor deal struck by Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature last year, two Fresno County growers said Friday that they were illegally carved out of the agreement. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee --1/23/16
Monsanto sues California agency to keep herbicide off carcinogens list -- Monsanto Co. has filed a lawsuit against California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment seeking to keep the primary ingredient in its Roundup herbicide off the state's list of cancer-causing chemicals. Diana Barr Sacramento Business Journal --1/23/16
Cellphone encryption bill pits police against tech industry and privacy advocates -- Democratic state legislator is taking aim at smartphone encryption, arguing the strict security measures to protect cellphone data hamper law enforcement's ability to crack down on human traffickers and other criminals. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times --1/23/16
Oakland’s Privacy Commission Could Lead Nation on Surveillance Oversight -- Oakland’s history of distrust between social justice activists and government, along with the city’s proximity to Silicon Valley, make it a prime candidate to create one of the most active privacy oversight panels in the country. Devin Katayama KQED --1/23/16
More claims filed against San Bernardino County in terror attack -- The family of Sierra Clayborn, who was killed in the Dec. 2 San Bernardino terror attack, filed three claims against San Bernardino County this week, alleging it failed to prevent her death. The claims seek $204 million in damages. Paloma Esquivel and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times --1/23/16
Greenhut: Brown sees the limits of Capitol power -- The most remarkable line from Jerry Brown’s State of the State address Thursday wasn’t in the prepared remarks. It was an ad-libbed afterthought. Steven Greenhut in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ --1/23/16
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls
Surcharges piling up on telephone bills -- If your monthly cellphone or landline bills seem higher these days, take a look at the state surcharges. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/23/16
Sacramento Regional Transit proposes rate increases starting this summer -- Sacramento Regional Transit is proposing to raise bus and light rail fares by as much as 20 percent this summer, saying increases are needed to pull the agency out of the red. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee --1/23/16
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
San Francisco bus firm sidelined after threat of Super Bowl picketing -- A private San Francisco bus company enmeshed in a labor dispute will be sitting on the sidelines for Super Bowl 50 after threats of picketing by the Teamsters union and pressure from City Hall. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/23/16
California adds 60,400 jobs in December, one of the biggest leaps in years -- December's strong job growth in California lines up with robust jobs numbers announced earlier this month for the U.S. overall. Over the last year, California has added jobs at a rate of 2.9%, faster than the 1.9% growth rate nationwide. Chris Kirkham in the Los Angeles Times Ben Adler Capital Public Radio --1/23/16
Totten: What L.A. can learn from a Portland homeless encampment -- My hometown, Portland, Ore., has a serious homelessness problem. Michael J. Totten in the Los Angeles Times --1/23/16
Jury awards $12 million in fungus-related valley fever lawsuit against Caltrans -- Northern California jury awarded five construction company workers nearly $12 million in damages in a lawsuit alleging the California Department of Transportation did not warn them about the risks of being exposed to a dangerous fungus at a work site. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times --1/23/16
7 reasons the tech sector should be scared -- Has the tech bubble already burst, and we just haven’t figured it out? David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle --1/23/16
San Francisco man sues after late husband’s pension fund refuses benefits -- A gay San Francisco man sued his late husband’s union pension fund Friday for refusing to recognize their marriage and pay him a widower’s pension benefits. Robert Pritchard, a hospice nurse, and Thomas Conwell, a hotel telecommunications engineer, wed in 2008 after the state Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in California. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/23/16
Drought
Feds Cautious About Water Deliveries To California Farmers -- Despite recent rains and above-normal snowpack, and increasing reservoir levels, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is cautious about this year's water allocation for California growers. The bureau manages dams that serve farmers in the Central Valley. Ed Joyce Capital Public Radio -- 1/23/16
Here's the future of California water conservation from someone who helped plan it -- Los Angeles County's lone representative, and the only public member on the powerful State Water Resources Control Board, is retiring this year after helping build a foundation for a more conservation-focused California still learning to live in a time of drought. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/23/16
Education
CSU Chancellor Timothy White gets earful at Cal State Long Beach visit -- A visit by the California State University chancellor to the Cal State Long Beach campus this week was intended to give him an up-close look at innovative ways the university is increasing student achievement. But later in the day, he got an earful from students and faculty criticizing tuition costs and lack of teacher pay increases. Phillip Zonkel in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 1/23/16
Sacramento State president details plans to improve graduation rates -- Robert Nelsen, delivering the president's annual spring semester address, named a "graduation czar" to overhaul 33 different initiatives the campus employs to keep students on track. The new official, Jim Dragna, will perform a cost-benefit analysis of each program and report the findings to faculty and students next fall, Nelsen said. Allen Young Sacramento Business Journal -- 1/23/16
Civil rights groups state concerns in implementing new federal education law -- A coalition 37 of education advocacy and civil rights groups from across the country want more input into how states and the federal government implement the new Every Student Succeeds Act to ensure it better serves hi in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/23/16gh-needs students, such as low-income children and English learners. Fermin Leal EdSource -- 1/23/16
Immigration / Border
Growth creates border infrastructure needs -- As trade has boomed on the U.S.-Mexico border, ports of entry have not kept pace. And with tight federal budgets, planners in both countries are searching for ways to fund new crossings and upgrade existing ones. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/23/16
Environment
Sierra Club files lawsuit to stop U2 guitarist the Edge's Malibu development -- Environmentalists were up in arms last month when the California Coastal Commission gave its OK to U2 guitarist the Edge's much-protested plan to build five mansions with swimming pools on an untouched Malibu ridge. Nita Lelyveld in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/23/16
Environmentalists say proposed desalination plant vulnerable to flooding -- Environmentalists in Orange County are using the King Tides hitting the coast this week to argue that a proposed desalination plant in Huntington Beach is slated for the wrong place. Erika Aguilar KPCC --1/23/16
Health
UCSD hospital price tag now nearly $1B -- A busted budget quickly approaching $1 billion has led to a management shake-up, and months of delays, for the Jacobs Medical Center, UC San Diego’s specialty hospital in La Jolla that’s set to open this fall. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ --1/23/16
Guns
Gun safety campaign puts image of a kid pointing a gun on buses across Los Angeles -- As you're driving in Los Angeles, a black-and-white image of a young boy pointing a handgun might grab your attention. It's supposed to get you talking. “I hope that it will be controversial,” L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian said. KPCC -- 1/23/16
Also . . .
Homeless Santa Rosa shooting victim was weeks from having home -- A homeless man who was about two weeks from having a roof over his head was gunned down Thursday in the makeshift bed where he slept, in a camp beneath an overpass along Santa Rosa’s Prince Memorial Greenway. Julie Johnson in the Santa Rosa Press -- 1/23/16
Wave of violence shakes Boyle Heights church community -- Assumption Catholic Church in Boyle Heights has long been a place of peace and salvation in its tight-knit community. But the hit-and-run death of a beloved nun and other random violence has left parishioners on edge and questioning how best to safeguard their sanctuary. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/23/16
Body of surfer Dan Dafoe washes up near Rodeo Beach -- The body of surfer Dan Dafoe of San Rafael washed up at Fort Cronkhite near Rodeo Beach on Friday. The county coroner’s division released the identity of the body late Friday. A family friend also said the body was Dafoe’s. “His surfing friends are there with the body — it’s him,” said Denise Swett, a family friend, in an email. Nels Johnson Marin Independent Journal Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/23/16
City starts website for 'positive stories' -- The city of San Diego has become the latest local government to put its communications staff to work posting positive “news” stories on a website that resembles an independent media outlet. Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/23/16
Normandie Casino pleads guilty to helping high-rollers hide winnings, will forfeit $1.3 million -- One of Southern California's oldest casinos has pleaded guilty to shielding several high-rollers from federal reporting requirements and violating the Bank Secrecy Act, according to court documents filed Friday. James Queally and Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times --1/23/16
Beltway
Will Trump flunk the commander-in-chief test? -- The Republican defense establishment is terrified Donald Trump will fail the “commander in chief test” with voters should he continue to defy all predictions and become the GOP nominee. Jeremy Herb Politico --1/23/16
A YUGE number of conservatives just shredded Donald Trump in the National Review -- Donald Trump must be stopped: That's the theme binding an avalanche of essays by conservative thought leaders — 22 in all — that the National Review sent thundering down the political mountain onto GOP voters late Thursday, along with an editorial by the magazine's editors. Callum Borchers in the Washington Post --1/23/16