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Lawmakers want beefier details on California high speed rail -- California lawmakers say the state's latest plan for a $64 billion high-speed railway lacks the details that could spur additional investment in the project. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/4/16

Supreme Court rejects Wells Fargo appeal on overdraft fees -- The Supreme Court is turning down appeals by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. of multimillion-dollar class-action judgments. Associated Press -- 4/4/16

California's top court tells employers to give workers a chair -- In response to class-action lawsuits against retail stores and a bank, the state high court said employers should offer workers a chair when some of their duties can be performed sitting. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

UC offers admission to 15% more students, particularly Latinos and African Americans -- The announcement comes as the UC system has been under political fire for what critics say is a policy of admitting too many applicants from other states and countries. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Pro-taxi legislator wants state to help set Uber prices -- State Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), one of the biggest pro-taxi legislators in the Capitol, has a new bill that would allow the state to oversee pricing for Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing companies. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Conservative Oildale could be a bellwether of how Trump's message translates in California -- Betty Robison got so riled up debating with her son over Donald Trump and immigration that her voice drowned out the barks of her two Chihuahuas. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Kamala Harris’ Career Choice Inspired By Civil-Rights Icons -- Her first name means lotus flower in Sanskrit. And she’s the Democratic Party favorite this year to replace U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is retiring. Amita Sharma KPBS -- 4/4/16

Jerry Brown signs $15 minimum wage in California -- Gov. Jerry Brown, casting a living wage as a moral imperative while questioning its economic rationale, signed legislation Monday raising California’s mandatory minimum to $15 an hour by 2022, acting within hours of a similar bill signing in New York. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Michael R. Blood and Don Thompson Associated Press Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/4/16

Why the gig economy doesn't work for everyone -- Villatoro, 54, gets paid for driving tires and furniture from Los Angeles-area ports to railway stations. But in return, he has to compensate the company for renting a truck, parking, insurance on the vehicle, and maintenance. He also buys diesel fuel. Natalie Kitroeff in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

California's new minimum wage expected to boost Bay Area automation firms -- The state's new minimum wage law, signed into law Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown, is expected to give a boost to Silicon Valley's burgeoning robot and automation industry as businesses seek to replace increasingly expensive workers. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/4/16

Debber: Minimum wage hike: The costs are higher than you think -- There are significant costs to employers, both public and private, besides the $5-per-hour increase. Inflation is one of those costs. J Dale Debber Capitol Weekly -- 4/4/16

Fox: Minimum Wage Pause Button No Relief for Business -- As Governor Jerry Brown signs the new minimum wage increase law this morning, many in the business community are studying the proposed temporary pause mechanism built into the bill that is supposed to reassure businesses. It does not. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/4/16

Tech workers lower salary expectations amid economic uncertainty -- The average salary sought by engineers and other tech professionals dropped by almost 13 percent in the first quarter of 2016, according to data provided by job-hunting platform Woo. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/4/16

Thomas Staggs, Disney's No. 2 executive, is leaving company -- Walt Disney Co. Chief Operating Officer Thomas Staggs will depart the Burbank company this year, throwing into question the company's succession plans. Daniel Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/16

UC Davis Chancellor Katehi apologizes to lawmakers over ‘lapse’ in taking DeVry seat -- UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi apologized to lawmakers Monday for what she called a lapse in judgment in accepting a seat on the board of the DeVry Education Group, and promised them such an incident would not occur again. Diana Lambert and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/16

CalPERS rethinks ban on tobacco stocks -- CalPERS is considering ending its 15-year-old ban on tobacco company investments after a consultant said the ban has cost the pension fund roughly $3 billion in lost profits. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/16

Californians fall a bit short of Brown's call for 25% cut in water use after 9 months of conservation -- After nine months of fervent conservation, drought-fatigued Californians narrowly missed meeting the water-savings target set by Gov. Jerry Brown a year ago. Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle Scott Smith Associated Press -- 4/4/16

Politicact CA: Big Pharma Not The King Of Ballot Cash In California, But It's Close -- Big-time spending is expected in the fight over California’s ballot measures this election year. One expert estimates campaigns could dole out nearly a half billion dollars to influence the fate of the dozen or more initiatives expected on the November ballot. Chris Nichols Politicact CA -- 4/4/16

A Capitol dispute over disclosure -- California’s political watchdog, which fights to reveal the political money trail, is opposing legislation that appears to do exactly that. Dorothy Mills-Gregg Capitol Weekly -- 4/4/16

California Politics Podcast: $15 Becomes Law -- A special Monday edition of the podcast: Gov. Jerry Brown signs the $15 minimum wage law. We take a look at the politics that got us here, and what might lie ahead. John Myers and Anthony York link here. -- 4/4/16

What Will California Do With Too Much Solar? -- Solar energy records are falling left and right in California these days, as the state steams ahead toward its ambitious renewable energy goals. But the success of solar has brought about a hidden downside: on some perfectly sunny days, solar farms are being told to turn off. Lauren Sommer KQED -- 4/4/16

Holes in oversight leave California workers’ comp vulnerable to fraud -- In many ways, scamming the health system meant to heal California’s injured workers is just too easy. Anyone can hang out a shingle and purport to be a medical vendor or caregiver by sending a letter to the state – no proof required. Christina Jewett Center for Investigative Reporting -- 4/4/16

Supreme Court rejects conservative challenge to ‘one person, one vote’ -- The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday that states may satisfy “one person, one vote” rules by drawing legislative districts based on total population of a place, a defeat for conservative interests who wanted the districts based only on voting-age populations. Robert Barnes in the Washington Post$ -- 4/4/16

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

California governor set to approve highest minimum wage -- California's governor is setting in motion the most populous state's climb toward the nation's highest statewide minimum wage of $15 an hour to take effect by 2022. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/4/16

Trump, Schwarzenegger are only celebrity-deep similar -- The comet-like political arcs of Donald Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger seem remarkably similar — at first. Joe Garofoli and John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/4/16

Bill Clinton: California has been good to my family -- Campaigning for his wife ahead of California’s Democratic primary, former President Bill Clinton rallied supporters Sunday in downtown Los Angeles, saying his family has special ties to the state. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Bill, Chelsea Clinton spend day volunteering at Oakland schools -- Former President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, joined hundreds of volunteers at an Oakland school Sunday for a day of service that included a coat of paint and freshly potted plants. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/4/16

Skelton: The do-something Legislature outshines a do-nothing Congress -- The California public’s view of the state Legislature has improved remarkably in recent years. And last week there was an example why. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Walters: Will California’s Senate contest be Democrats only? -- Bill Carrick, the veteran political consultant who advises U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez, was obviously elated last month by a Public Policy Institute of California poll. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/16

University of California funds generous home loans for faculty -- When UC Berkeley law school professor Mark Gergen was considering a move from Texas in 2007, the biggest factor in his decision was the quality of the institution. But a low-interest home loan offered by the University of California, which helped him buy into the expensive Bay Area market, certainly helped. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/16

Out-of-state money helped UC system spend $4.5 million on recruiting students -- One of the more interesting footnotes in the recent state auditor’s report on University of California admissions was the extent to which the booming enrollment in out-of-state students is funding campuses. Matier and Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/4/16

It's not so smoggy for air board, as most live where the skies are cleaner -- Nine of the 13 members of the South Coast Air Quality Management District live close to the ocean in Los Angeles or Orange counties, where ozone, the hallmark pollutant of summer smog, exceeds federal health standards fewer than 10 days a year. David Danelski in the Orange County Register -- 4/3/16

Low turnout in this special election could hand the GOP an Assembly seat for the first time in decades -- Voters in Fresno County could elect a Republican to the state Assembly for the first time in four decades, thanks to a surprise resignation and an unusually condensed campaign season when few may even know a contest is in play. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ Alison Noon Associated Press John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 4/3/16

Latino lawyers change group name to honor Cruz Reynoso -- A wispy-haired octogenarian tried to slip quietly into Sacramento City Hall last week only to be greeted by a bold, brassy blast from a mariachi band and a crush of adoring fans. Stephen Magagnini in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/16

As Oakland Tribune disappears, a city mourns its newspaper -- The Oakland Tribune has escaped death before, from the era in the 1980s when its then-owner Gannett renamed the newspaper “EastBay Today,” to the years when it dropped the city’s name from its regal Old English-style nameplate and styled itself “The Tribune.” Victoria Colliver in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/4/16

Cybersecurity facility planned for Moffett Field to protect spaceflights, other NASA work -- NASA's Ames Research Center is planning a cutting-edge cybersecurity facility at Moffett Field to protect space missions from potentially catastrophic hacking and to increase collaboration with Silicon Valley. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/4/16

San Jose approves mobile showers for homeless, looks to new housing projects -- Continuing efforts to tackle homelessness, the City Council has approved a mobile shower and laundry service for the homeless, and is poised this week to approve the purchase of two properties for a future affordable housing development. Ramona Giwargis in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/4/16

22 years without a meeting? Fresno County commission calling it quits -- When members of a Fresno County commission recently met for the first time in more than 20 years, they had just one job – to disband. Marc Benjamin in the Fresno Bee -- 4/4/16

Decker: Latinos and women are blunting Trump and Sanders in California's primaries -- Two groups of California voters — women and Latinos — have powered the Democratic Party’s ascent here and delivered a near-death knell to the state’s Republican Party. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/16

This year's election could usher in liberal 'supermajority' on L.A. County supervisors board -- While the contentious presidential contest has drawn most of the spotlight in the lead-up to California's June primary, the election also marks the next phase of a sea change in Los Angeles County government. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/16

Air quality district votes to allow Exxon Mobil to restore Torrance refinery -- The South Coast Air Quality Management District voted late Saturday to allow Exxon Mobil to fully restore its refinery in Torrance after an explosion at the facility last year. Stephen Ceasar and Ivan Penn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/16

Housing tracts built on or near legacy oil drilling fields can lead to tension -- Now, with real estate prices surging, and less undeveloped land available, builders and government agencies have placed more new houses, schools and businesses atop or amid legacy oil fields, many of which still produce crude and natural gas. Aaron Orlowski in the Orange County Register -- 4/3/16

Boyarsky: Rosendahl's legacy: clean politics and civic discourse -- As a television moderator and a city councilman, the late Bill Rosendahl was fiercely dedicated to good government and clean politics. Even more important, he was dedicated to bringing people together to work for those laudable but frequently scorned goals. Bill Boyarsky LA Observed -- 4/4/16

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions      

New state retirement plan for private-sector jobs -- A new state board, Secure Choice, last week recommended that the automatic enrollment of millions of private-sector workers in a new state-run retirement savings plan begin with a safe investment: U.S. Treasury bonds for the first three years. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 4/4/16

SAG-AFTRA reaches tentative contract agreement for commercial workers -- SAG-AFTRA and the ANA-4A’s Joint Policy Committee on Broadcast Talent Union Relations have reached an agreement on terms for television and radio commercials contracts, subject to approval by the SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors later this month. Tre'vell Anderson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Offramps in California minimum wage bill prompt disagreement -- Gov. Jerry Brown made it clear earlier this year he had significant misgivings about proposed ballot measures to raise California’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. A “noble goal,” he said, but one that needed to be achieved “very carefully.” Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/2/16

Bay Area job market evolves: 'Soft' tech jobs in, manufacturing out -- The Bay Area job market has climbed to record heights in recent months, much as it did during the dot-com era. But the shift in demand for tech and computing skills has created a very different economic landscape for workers. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/3/16

Education 

New App Helps Undocumented Immigrants Find College Scholarships -- As a senior at North Hollywood High, Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca did not know if she could afford college. She was an undocumented student with limited options to make money. So she turned to her counselor and teachers for help — but they did not know where to refer her for scholarships. Mariela Patron KQED -- 4/4/16

To reach parents, schools try universal language of data -- Nine mothers from Burma flipped open manila file folders in Room 210 in Oakland’s Garfield Elementary School and looked at information that was as foreign as it was compelling – a chart comparing their child’s progress in reading to that of their unidentified classmates and grade-level standards. Jane Meredith Adams EdSource -- 4/4/16

Also . . . 

More surfers harassed by Bay Boys want to join lawsuit, attorney says -- Attorneys seeking an injunction to ban the infamous Bay Boys from the beach they jealously guard in Palos Verdes Estates have received dozens of calls and emails from people wanting to join their lawsuit. Megan Barnes in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/4/16

CHP pursues Chihuahua on Bay Bridge then gives him a fitting name -- The little black dog had made it onto the Bay Bridge and was heading toward San Francisco early Sunday. Then the California Highway Patrol caught wind of a pup on the run. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

New war memorial computers connect Little Saigon to its history -- A favorite uncle died in the bloody Battle of Hue. A cousin died in the war too, near the Mekong River. A race through the chaotic, claustrophobic streets of Saigon in a beat-up Honda – screams, horns and gunfire filling the air. His family members left behind, no time to get them. Chris Haire in the Orange County Register -- 4/4/16

Beltway 

Battleground Wisconsin: A Trump loss to Cruz could reshape GOP race -- Wisconsin has become an unexpected battleground for Donald Trump and the conglomeration of forces desperately aligning against him, with Tuesday’s primary emerging as a key moment that could reshape the Republican nominating contest both mathematically and psychologically. Philip Rucker and Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 4/4/16

Hillary Clinton says the FBI hasn't asked to interview her about email server -- Hillary Clinton said Sunday that the FBI has not asked to question her about her use of a private email server when she was secretary of State, a controversy that has dogged her presidential bid. Brian Bennett in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Kasich to appear at California Republicans' convention -- Underscoring the importance of California’s June 7 primary, presidential candidate John Kasich will address the state Republican Party at their April convention, according to a source familiar with the event. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Trump refuses to rule out third party run if he loses GOP nomination -- Donald Trump refused on Sunday to rule out running as an independent if he fails to win the Republican presidential nomination, renewing a threat that party leaders thought they had quashed months ago. Brian Bennett in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/16

Donald Trump took 5 different positions on abortion in 3 days -- You can see the exact moment last week that Donald Trump made up his mind on whether women would face criminal punishment once he signed new restrictions into law. He is at a town hall with MSNBC's Chris Matthews, and, after Matthews badgers him for a while, he finally answers the question. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 4/3/16