Updating . .   

Sacramento police tried to run over man before shooting him 14 times -- Two Sacramento police officers attempted to run over a mentally ill homeless man with their car less than 35 seconds before they shot and killed him, according to recordings released by police this month. Anita Chabia and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/30/16

El Cajon video shows police officer shooting unarmed black man -- Authorities on Friday released cellphone and surveillance video showing the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man Friday, hoping to quell growing questions about the incident that has led to violent protests. Sarah Parvini, Veronica Rocha, David Hernandez and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times$ Pauline Repard in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Julie Watson and Brian Melley Associated Press -- 9/30/16

Campaign watchdog investigates porn industry over alleged foreign donations -- The Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating the porn industry in response to a complaint alleging that it accepted foreign money to oppose a November ballot measure requiring actors to wear condoms in adult films. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/30/16

Earthquake warning issued for Southern California -- With nearly 200 small tremors giving Southern California a jiggle earlier in the week, the California Office of Emergency Services has issued an earthquake advisory for the region. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

CalPERS poised to cut retiree pensions in tiny Sierra town -- The Loyalton retirees soon may have the unwanted distinction of becoming the first in the state to see their promised retirement benefits slashed because of their former employers’ inability to pay into the public pension fund. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/30/16

Measure seeking to halt L.A. 'mega-developments' goes to March ballot -- An initiative seeking a two-year ban on zoning changes that would allow for high-density construction around Los Angeles is heading to a popular vote after the City Council on Friday approved placing it on the March 7 ballot. Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

California expands punishment for rape after Brown signs bills inspired by Brock Turner case -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation that expands the legal definition of rape and imposes new mandatory minimum sentences on some sexual assault offenders -- measures inspired amid national outcry over the sexual assault case of former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ Tracey Kaplan in the East Bay Times Don Thompson Associated Press Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/30/16

'Dark money' funds flood of political canvassers in heated Los Angeles County congressional race -- Voters in Santa Clarita and Palmdale will soon be greeted at their doors by an army of political canvassers funded by a six-figure check from a so-called dark-money group tied to the Republican party. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Prayer meeting draws crowd in Olango shooting -- About 50 clergy members from around the region gathered at El Cajon police headquarters Friday, praying for peace and unity after a night with violent protest over the Alfred Olango shooting by an officer. Surrounded by about 150 onlookers, the pastors sang “Amazing Grace.” Pauline Repard and Karen Pearlman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/30/16

California increases penalties for secret recordings like Planned Parenthood videos -- California will increase punishments for secret recordings like the controversial videos that rocked Planned Parenthood last summer after Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation pushed by the health organization. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Gov. Jerry Brown makes it crystal clear: He really doesn't like ranked-choice voting -- An effort to expand the use of ranked-choice voting in California, in which voters choose second- and third-choice candidates, was struck down by Gov. Jerry Brown this week with a pretty simple message. He just doesn't like it. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Stronger equal-pay protections for women and people of color coming soon in California -- Equal-pay laws in California will get tougher under two bills Gov. Jerry Brown signed Friday. The two new laws will strengthen wage-equity protections for women and people of color. Sophia Bollag in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

More large electronic billboards are possible for downtown Los Angeles after governor's action -- More electronic billboards could be allowed in downtown Los Angeles under a new law signed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown that community activists charge will add to visual blight in the city core. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Lessons in legalization: Washington’s slick pot industry booming -- Californians contemplating a future of legal marijuana after election day may want to gaze north, to places like this hip pot spot south of downtown Seattle, to see how radically the landscape has changed in the four years since Washington voters decriminalized recreational weed and the two years since retail sales launched. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

Tijuana condo boom: The new San Diego? -- José Luis Corona didn’t expect to move back to Mexico when he left for the United States 12 years ago, but that was until he saw the Horizonte luxury condominiums in Tijuana. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/30/16

Fox: Will Taxpayers Back-up New State Controlled Pension System? -- Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 1234 to establish a state supervised retirement fund called Secure Choice for private workers. One wonders if at some future time this action will be remembered much like Gov. Gray Davis’s signature on SB 400 of 1999, which put taxpayers on edge by driving public pensions into deep debt. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/30/16

Stem cell: Hunting a cure for diabetes -- An eminent Harvard stem cell researcher who is searching for a cure for an affliction that plagues 29 million Americans stood on a San Francisco stage this week and spoke of “things we don’t understand.” David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 9/30/16

Abcarian: A Republican lawmaker's hat at a marijuana conference says it all: 'Make Cannabis Great Again' -- I couldn’t find a single person at the State of Marijuana Conference ’16 on the Queen Mary this week willing to predict anything other than success for Proposition 64, the measure that could legalize cannabis in California for adult recreational use. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

A Social-Justice Agenda for Community College -- Eloy Oakley isn’t shy about his plans to be much more “proactive” than previous chancellors when he takes over California’s mammoth community-college system in December. Emily Deruy The Atlantic -- 9/30/16

Brown OKs state-run pensions for private workers -- Gov. Brown has signed historic legislation to set up California’s first state-run pension plan for private-sector workers, allowing millions of employees to continuously build a retirement nest egg regardless of where they work. John Howard and Alex Matthews Capitol Weekly -- 9/30/16

Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin makes aggressive moves in Hollywood -- China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, has been on a buying spree in Hollywood. His media conglomerate, Dalian Wanda Group, has aggressively expanded into the U.S. film industry. Ryan Faughnder and David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Trump jumps into the gutter -- The Republican nominee loses all impulse control, and unleashes a violent Twitter rant against his Miss Universe nemesis. Louis Nelson Politico -- 9/30/16

Before 6 a.m., Donald Trump proved Hillary Clinton’s point about his temperament -- While you were probably still sleeping, the 2016 Republican presidential nominee encouraged all of us to check out a "sex tape" and offered a baseless conspiracy theory about his opponent helping the woman from the alleged sex tape get citizenship so she could take him down. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 9/30/16

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Third night of protests in El Cajon turns violent -- A third night of protests in El Cajon turned violent Thursday night, prompting police to use pepper balls and flashbang grenades to disperse the crowd, which at times threw glass bottles and rocks at officers in riot geat. El Cajon police said two men were arrested as of 10:30 p.m. No injuries were reported. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/30/16

California poll: Clinton’s lead grows over Trump, Senate race tightens slightly -- Hillary Clinton’s large lead over Donald Trump in California grew slightly following Monday’s record-setting debate, while the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer has tightened somewhat, according to a new poll by the Southern California News Group and KABC/Eyewitness News. Martin Wisckol in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/30/16

Loretta Sanchez dismisses Gabby Giffords’ endorsement of Kamala Harris -- U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez dismissed Kamala Harris’ endorsement from a celebrated gun-control advocate on Thursday, accusing the state’s top law enforcement official of prioritizing a lavish campaign schedule over helping bring down the crime rate. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/30/16

Repeat Dem-on-Dem Congress race rougher this time around -- The increasingly vicious free-for-all between Democrats Mike Honda and Ro Khanna for Honda’s South Bay congressional seat is a reminder that family fights are often the nastiest. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

California Gov. Jerry Brown signs a bill that boosts protection for surviving spouses against foreclosure -- California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed a bill that’s designed to give widows and widowers a better shot at saving their homes when they fall behind on mortgage payments. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

State agency admonishes 'condescending' L.A. County judge for mistreating potential jurors -- A California agency overseeing judges’ discipline publicly admonished a Los Angeles County judge Thursday, concluding that he mistreated several prospective jurors who were being vetted for a murder trial. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Steve Napolitano lawsuit over finances dismissed, Janice Hahn to repay campaign funds -- A lawsuit filed against U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn by her rival for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors was quickly dismissed Thursday after her campaign pledged to return donations that exceeded legal limits for political action committees. Donna Littlejohn in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

List of California ballot measures with most funding -- Supporters and opponents of California's 17 November ballot measures have raised nearly $390 million six weeks before the election, according to reports filed by political donors with the secretary of state's office before a Thursday campaign reporting deadline. Associated Press -- 9/30/16

Single-user public bathrooms will be all-gender in California -- Forget the men’s room and the women’s room – gender will no longer matter when using single-stall public bathrooms in California. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Voters in Sacramento, other counties to cast ballots in ‘centers’ instead of neighborhood in 2018 -- Gov. Jerry Brown, clearing the way for Sacramento and several other counties to hold all-mail elections in two years, signed legislation Thursday that allows for the consolidation of neighborhood polling places into new vote centers. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Will voting overhaul law help or hurt LA County voter turnout? -- Gov. Jerry Brown signed a landmark voting overhaul bill Thursday that could dramatically change future elections in California, but a little known exemption gives Los Angeles County more time to implement the law. Mary Plummer KPCC -- 9/30/16

GOP advantage in Orange County slips to 4.7 percentage points -- Democrats continue to close the gap with Republicans in the county’s voter registration, with the GOP advantage now under 5 percentage points for the first time in 36 years. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 9/30/16

Walters: Brown’s veto blocks tighter oversight of school money for poor kids -- It was not surprising that Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed Assembly Bill 2548, despite its unanimous, bipartisan passage. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/30/16

Sanders in California politics via new online ad for Prop. 61 -- Bernie Sanders is returning to California. He’s in a new commercial supporting Proposition 61, which would require state agencies to pay the same prices for prescription drugs as the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. It is one of a handful of state ballot measures nationwide that Sanders is backing. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

California ballot measure spending headed for a record -- Supporters and opponents of California’s 17 November ballot measures have raised nearly $390 million six weeks before the election, putting the state about $85 million shy of record initiative fundraising with some of the heaviest spending yet to come. Alison Noon Associated Press -- 9/30/16

San Francisco panel unanimously backs school on site of urban farm -- Over the objections of Mission Terrace residents, the San Francisco Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to displace the city’s only commercial farm and allow a private school to be built on the site. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

Ballot selfie bill by Assemblyman Levine signed into law -- There is no longer any doubt: Ballot selfies are now legal in California. Richard Halstead in the Marin Independent Journal -- 9/30/16

Homeless     

Alpha Project Proposes Plan To House 800 San Diego Homeless -- A San Diego homeless advocate is proposing a new homeless facility near downtown to house as many as 800 people, and says he has the backing of city leaders and funding from local businesses. Susan Murphy KPBS -- 9/30/16

New law clears way for 1,200 VA apartments for LA homeless vets -- President Obama Thursday signed into law a bill that removes the final legal roadblock to building more than a thousand housing units for homeless vets at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Westwood campus. John Ismay KPCC -- 9/30/16

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions 

Contra Costa County workers to strike Friday -- Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department employees on Friday will begin a three-day strike to protest alleged unfair labor practices. Lisa P. White in the East Bay Times -- 9/30/16

Former Puma Biotechnology exec is accused of making $1.2 million from insider trading -- The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Robert Gadimian, a former executive at Los Angeles’ Puma Biotechnology, with making nearly $1.2 million by illegally trading on confidential information about an experimental breast cancer drug. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Spanos: Mission Valley not an option for new stadium -- The Chargers won’t consider pursuing a new stadium in Mission Valley if voters reject the team’s Nov. 8 ballot measure for a combined downtown stadium and convention center annex, team owner Dean Spanos said Thursday. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/30/16

Congress members question whether SpaceX should conduct its own investigation -- Ten Republican Congress members led by Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) have sent a letter to the heads of the Air Force, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration questioning whether SpaceX should be allowed to lead its own investigation into a Sept. 1 launch pad explosion that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket and a communications satellite. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Alaska Airlines to fly the only nonstop flights from L.A. to Cuba -- Alaska Airlines, which is aiming to become the dominant carrier on the West Coast with its planned acquisition of Virgin America, will begin offering the only daily nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Havana starting Jan. 5. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

How Experian is turning big data into big dollars -- At Experian DataLabs in Carmel Valley, a team of scientists is thwarting bad guys with math. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/30/16

Wells Fargo to pay $24.1 million for improper repossession of servicemembers' cars -- The reputation of Wells Fargo & Co. took another blow Thursday when it agreed to pay $24 million for the improper repossession of cars owned by members of the U.S. military. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/30/16

U.S. Bank to pay L.A. $13.5-million over foreclosed homes that fell into disrepair -- The Los Angeles city attorney has reached a $13.5-million settlement with U.S. Bank to resolve allegations that the nation’s fifth-largest bank operated as a slumlord and allowed hundreds of foreclosed properties to deteriorate, fostering crime and blight in L.A. neighborhoods slammed by the housing crisis. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

California housing market to see modest gains in 2017, Realtors forecast -- California's housing market will post modest gains next year amid tight supplies and the lowest housing affordability in six years, the California Association of Realtors forecast Thursday. Jeff Collins in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/30/16

Wildfire   

Man gets prison and must pay $61 million for starting huge fire in the Sequoia National Forest -- Hours after federal prosecutors filed charges against him, a Mexican national pleaded guilty Thursday to starting a wildfire that recently burned more than 45 square miles in the Sequoia National Forest. Veronica Rocha and Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Education 

Controversial group that supports charter schools announces grants to replicate strong L.A. Unified campuses -- A group that was spawned from a controversial plan for rapid charter-school growth announced Wednesday that it would fund grants to incubate new campuses run by the Los Angeles Unified Sc hool District. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Teachers and supporters call for change at embattled El Camino charter school -- A group of teachers and their supporters have begun calling openly for changes in senior management at El Camino Real Charter High School, which is facing allegations of serious financial wrongdoing — allegations that school leaders have denied. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/16

Preschool teachers’ implicit bias impacts black boys most, study says -- Preschool teachers look for disruptive behavior where they expect it — and they expect it most from black boys, new research from the Yale Child Study Center suggests. Jeremy Hay EdSource -- 9/30/16

Immigration / Border 

US high court to hear Bay Area case over deportation law -- The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a Bay Area case over whether a federal law requiring deportation for noncitizens convicted of felonies involving a “substantial risk” of violence is unconstitutionally vague. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

Environment 

California proposes pesticide buffer zones around schools and day cares -- Crop dusting and many other forms of pesticide spraying will be banned within a quarter of a mile of schools and child day-care centers during the bulk of daylight hours, under a rule proposed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Geoffrey Mohan in the Los Angeles Times$ Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 9/30/16

Health 

Marin patients’ medical data lost after cyber attack -- The Marin Healthcare District and Prima Medical Foundation are notifying more than 5,000 patients that some of their medical data was lost due to a glitch that followed a ransomware attack in August. Prima Medical Foundation supports the Prima Medical Group, many of whose doctors work closely with Marin General Hospital. Richard Halstead in the Marin Independent Journal -- 9/30/16

Also . . . 

Why the ‘Celeste Guap’ Scandal Isn’t Only About Her -- It all started in late spring, when a now 19-year-old woman, known then by her pseudonym, Celeste Guap, told several news outlets she’d had sex with dozens of police officers from seven Bay Area law enforcement agencies, some when she was underage. She said the officers she slept with knew she was involved in the sex trade. Nicole Reinert KQED -- 9/30/16

Beware San Francisco drivers: Yearlong crackdown on speeding kicks off -- Drivers accustomed to accelerating when they find a rare patch of congestion-free asphalt in San Francisco may want to consider hitting the brakes. Beginning Saturday, police will start a yearlong crackdown on speeders across the city. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

Beltway 

Trump Foundation lacks the certification required for charities that solicit money -- The foundation — sustained for years by donors outside the Trump family — never obtained the registration that New York requires to solicit money from the public, state officials said. David A. Fahrenthold in the Washington Post$ -- 9/30/16

Employees at Trump's California golf course say he wanted to fire women who weren't pretty enough -- Workers' declarations in support of a 2012 lawsuit show they believed Trump pressured subordinates to create and enforce a culture where females’ looks were prized over their skills. Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times$ Cynthia Washicko and Donna Littlejohn in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Cynthia Washicko and Donna Littlejohn in the Orange County Register -- 9/30/16

Trump stirs old Clinton sex scandals, to the dismay of some allies -- Donald Trump and his allies are dredging up the past marital infidelities of Hillary Clinton’s husband — a move of questionable benefit that is bewildering even some of his staunchest supporters. Karen Tumulty and Robert Costa in the Washington Post$ -- 9/30/16

That big economic bubble Trump described — it’s not there -- Things are looking up heading into the election, right? A new breakout of census data by the White House shows that Californians are earning more and have vastly improved health insurance coverage, a lower poverty rate and narrowing income inequality. Carolyn Lochhead and Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/30/16

Inside Trump's 'cyborg' Twitter army -- When Donald Trump confronted revelations that he used money from his charitable foundation to settle private legal disputes and purchase portraits of himself, a tireless army of tweeters went to work to keep the focus on Hillary Clinton’s foundation instead. Ben Schreckinger Politico -- 9/30/16

Trump rejects accusations of breaking U.S. embargo in Cuba -- According to the Newsweek report, Trump’s casino company paid at least $68,000 in 1998 to a consulting firm that went to Cuba on his behalf to find business opportunities for the New York business mogul. Bianca Padró Ocasio Politico -- 9/30/16

Post-debate poll: Clinton leads by 7 points in New Hampshire -- Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 7 points in New Hampshire, according to a new poll conducted entirely after the first presidential debate this week. Steven Shepard Politico -- 9/30/16

Post-debate poll: Clinton up 7 on Trump in Michigan -- Hillary Clinton has pulled 7 percentage points ahead of Donald Trump in Michigan in the first statewide polls conducted after Monday night's presidential debate. Cristiano Lima Politico -- 9/30/16

 

-- Thursday Updates 

California will restrict asset seizures by police -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed legislation limiting the civil asset forfeiture process that allows police to seize property from suspected criminals. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/29/16

Jerry Brown again vetoes union-backed restrictions on paid signature gatherers -- A union-backed effort to change the signature-gathering process for ballot initiatives was turned away again by Gov. Jerry Brown, who argued in a veto message Thursday that the bill would do little to lessen the grip of powerful interests. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/29/16

Mother of slain California black man wants peaceful protests -- The mother of an unarmed black man shot to death in a confrontation with police in a San Diego suburb this week called for peaceful protests Thursday and said her son did not deserve to die. Alfred Olango "was a good, lovely young man," said the mother, Pamela Benge. "I wanted him to enjoy his daughter." Julie Watson and Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 9/29/16

Few new rules on the use of drones as governor rejects 'piecemeal' approach to regulation -- In a win for lobbying efforts in a budding industry, California has made it through another year with few limits on drones in its skies. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/29/16

California is removing all limits on who can drop off your ballot on election day -- Californians will be able to legally hand off their sealed ballot to anyone to mail or deliver in person under a new law signed Thursday. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/29/16

More transparency is coming to California's scandal-ridden energy regulator, and Gov. Brown has pledged more action -- Changes to increase the transparency of communications between the state’s energy regulator and the industries it oversees are now law after Gov. Jerry Brown signed five measures designed to restructure the California Public Utilities Commission. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/29/16

More California cities can have publicly financed election campaigns -- Handing a victory to campaign finance reformers, Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed legislation that will allow more California cities and counties to permit publicly financed election campaigns. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/29/16

Gavin Newsom duels with Olympic shooter over gun control initiative -- After winning a sixth Olympic medal at the Rio Games this summer, skeet shooter Kim Rhode is taking on a new opponent: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/29/16

U.S. tried twice to deport Ugandan refugee slain by police near San Diego -- U.S. authorities tried twice to deport the unarmed black man fatally shot by police in a San Diego suburb, but his native Uganda refused to take him, resulting in his release. Julie Watson and Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 9/29/16

Employees at Trump's California golf course say he wanted to fire women who weren't pretty enough -- Workers' declarations in support of a 2012 lawsuit show they believed Trump pressured subordinates to create and enforce a culture where females’ looks were prized over their skills. Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/29/16

Quinn: Trump Blows It: And The Consequence For California Republicans -- The great Republican national nightmare is at hand: Donald Trump may indeed carry them all down to defeat. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 9/29/16

DNC taps Silicon Valley CEO to head Clinton 'Get Out the Vote' operation -- The man charged with delivering voters to the polls for Hillary Clinton on November 8 says that Republican candidate Donald Trump, while brandishing his business acumen on the campaign trail, has a critical disadvantage in the race to the White House: his utter lack of a sales team. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 9/29/16

Hate crimes in L.A. County jumped in 2015, report says -- After generally trending downward for seven years, hate crimes rose sharply last year and were up 24% from 2014. The uptick came as the number of hate crimes statewide also increased by 10% in 2015, according to the report, and as the Los Angeles Police Department reported a 20% increase in violent crimes in the city. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/29/16

Why California's U.S. Senate candidates are on their own as the national Democratic Party sits the race out -- It’s clear the national party favors one — Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris — but given she faces someone from her own party, the traditional machinery that comes along with a campaign like this one has gone by the wayside. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/29/16

Giffords and Kelly throw support to Harris in Senate race -- Two of the nation’s leading gun control advocates — former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly — endorsed California Attorney General Kamala Harris for U.S. Senate Thursday during an appearance in Los Angeles with the candidate. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/29/16

Nearly 7 million Californians will be automatically enrolled in state-run retirement savings plan under new law -- Nearly 7 million workers for California companies will be automatically enrolled in a new state-run retirement program under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown. Sophia Bollag and Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/29/16

Gov. Brown takes another step in developing system to provide early warning of earthquakes -- The measure creates a California Earthquake Early Warning Program and Advisory Board within the California governor’s Office of Emergency Services to work on the system. The measure requires the Earthquake Early Warning Program business plan to be developed and submitted to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 2018. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/29/16

UCSD hires Coke-funded health researcher -- A newly hired health-and-exercise researcher for the University of California San Diego came to the school from a previous job in which he participated in science backed by the Coca-Cola Co. and other producers of sugar-sweetened food and beverages. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/29/16

Yosemite chief retiring amid complaints of hostile workplace -- The head of Yosemite National Park is retiring following employee complaints that he created a hostile workplace by allowing bullying, harassment and other misconduct, allegations also raised in other popular national parks, officials said Thursday. Scott Smith Associated Press -- 9/29/16

The state will cover $250 million in costs if L.A.'s Olympics bid goes over budget -- California will provide up to $250 million in guarantees should the city of Los Angeles go over budget in its bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed Thursday morning. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/29/16

Climate fight targeting cows may reshape California dairies -- Farmers say the new law, and the money and equipment needed to comply with it, could deal some in the industry a fatal blow as they already struggle with low milk prices, rising labor costs and drought. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/29/16

California death penalty propositions 62 and 66: Condemned inmates, victims’ families speak out -- Opponents of capital punishment call Proposition 66’s vision of faster, more efficient appeals a fantasy and warn that the measure could cost the state tens of millions of dollars a year to implement if voters endorse it. That’s why they are seeking a yes vote on Proposition 62, which would make life without the possibility of parole the maximum penalty for murder. If both measures pass, the one with the most yes votes will supersede the other. Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/29/16

Trump Casinos Lost Jobs at Greater Rate than Atlantic City Rivals, Study Finds -- A study of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s record in Atlantic City shows that Trump casinos lost jobs at a greater rate than their rivals, while Mr. Trump personally profited. Peg Brickley and Alexandra Berzon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/29/16