Updating . .
California Senate hires investigators to look into sexual harassment allegations -- De León announced Monday he has hired the law office of Amy Oppenheimer to conduct an external investigation into harassment and assault allegations, and the consulting firm CPS HR Consulting to review Senate policies on harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/17
It may be back to the drawing board for Jerry Brown’s delta tunnels -- Despite a personal push from Gov. Jerry Brown, the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Board of Directors gave a resounding “no” the other day to helping to pay for his plan for two 35-mile tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to help deliver water to the Central Valley and Southern California. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/17..
Feinstein shrugs off critics: ‘I’ve been challenged before’ -- “I’ve been challenged before. That doesn’t bother me,” the state’s senior senator told us. “Michael Huffington spent something like $33 million to try to unseat me in 1994, so I pretty much assume that it comes with the territory.” Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/17
4 Democratic candidates for governor to make early appearance on same stage -- Four Democrats looking to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown next year will share a stage in San Francisco on Tuesday, giving voters an unusually early look at the candidates and the themes of the 2018 campaign. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/17
Quinn: Citizen Bannon -- Bannon is the Republican Party’s answer to Maximilien Francois de Robespierre, the “citizen” revolutionary who in 1790 brought the Reign of Terror to the French Revolution. Having destroyed the French establishment by guillotine without trial, Citizen Robespierre was himself guillotined without trial in 1794. Bannon wants to impose a similar reign of terror on the nation’s Republican establishment, and will probably suffer a similar fate, although it may take a while. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 10/23/17
Wine Country fires: Could a better power grid save us? -- California’s first power pole was erected in the 1880s, soon after Thomas Edison’s light bulb. Now we have 4.2 million of them, carrying a spider web of fickle and fire-triggering lines that hang in drooping catenaries for 210,000 miles — enough to wrap around the world eight times. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/23/17
Next challenge in Wine Country fires: colossal cleanup before winter rains -- While the worst of the wildfires is over for Wine Country, the region faces another daunting test: the cleanup of heaps of ash, twisted metal and blackened debris scattered across some 250 square miles of burned hills and valleys — an area five times the size of San Francisco. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/17
As flames fade, wine country grapples with emotional scars of devastating fires -- In the days since fires ravaged towns here, people have pulled together. Strangers at coffee shops share their trauma, talking of homes destroyed and loved ones lost. Almost everyone seems to know a neighbor who knocked on a door or lifted someone into a car, and saved a life. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
18,000 Napa County students back at school for first time since wildfires -- Counselors were available at each of the district’s 31 schools and teachers planned to let students discuss the fires during class, said Elizabeth Emmett, spokeswoman for the Napa Valley Unified School District. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/17
Fire loss total surges to 8,400 structures in Northern California -- The wine country wildfires destroyed at least 8,400 homes and other buildings, authorities said Monday, a significant increase in the already staggering property loss. Ruben Vives and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
7 weddings and a firestorm. How a local businesswoman refused to give up -- After narrowly escaping her home and having it burn to the ground, wedding planner Brittany Rogers-Hanson faced another crisis: saving her business during peak wedding season. Meg McConahey in the Santa Rosa Press -- 10/23/17
'Unusual' late season heat wave to scorch Southern California; dangerous fire conditions expected -- A sweltering heat wave will blanket Southern California through the middle of the week, elevating the risk of wildfires and potentially breaking heat records, forecasters said. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
Walters: Jerry Brown 2.0 wins higher marks in crisis management -- Not always fairly, history tends to judge political executives – presidents and governors, especially – by how they handle crises. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 10/23/17
Pot growers in Sacramento will need a lot of electricity. SMUD wants to help -- It takes a lot of juice to grow pot indoors, so Sacramento’s major electric utility is gearing up for the heavy demands of recreational marijuana growers come January. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/17
Where do patients go when a troubled nursing home closes? Often, nowhere better -- When the Eagle Crest nursing home in Carmichael began notifying residents this summer that it would soon be closing, executives assured family members in writing that loved ones could be accommodated at other company-owned homes. Marjie Lundstrom and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/17
San Quentin inmates win raves with ‘Ear Hustle’ podcast about life in prison -- San Quentin inmates Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams had never listened to a podcast before they made broadcasting history by creating “Ear Hustle,” the first podcast from inside the walls of a prison. Patrick Perron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/23/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
As Capitol is hit by reports of sexual harassment and assault, will lawmakers make changes? -- Nanette Farag was a new staffer in the state Capitol, an eager 25-year-old who aspired to a career in politics. So she quickly obliged when a fellow aide—a man with a lot more seniority—suggested they walk up to his office for a meeting. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters.org -- 10/23/17
It’s ‘boys club’ at the California Capitol, say women working there -- When the California Legislative Women’s Caucus sent out a survey earlier this year to gain insight into the issues facing women who work at the Capitol, it had an overarching question: Is the place one big “boy’s club?” Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/17
Divide in California's GOP on display at convention: 'We’re not offering anything hopeful' -- California Republicans walked into their weekend convention facing a persistent question: What direction should they take to stop the ongoing decline of their power in the state? Three chaotic days later, there was little resolution. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
‘We have to become more Trumplike,’ California Republican activists say -- California Republicans are anticipating a tough election next year. Their candidates competing in premier races for U.S. Senate and governor will have to strain to advance past the primary. Their prospects in down-ballot statewide races are no better. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/17
Ally of Milo Yiannopoulos wins control of California College Republicans -- In a closely divided election, a UC Irvine student who led an insurgency against establishment politics won a bitter battle Saturday for control of the California College Republicans, a triumph for provocative conservatism over a more moderate approach. Rosanna Xia and Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
Kevin De León has millions in state political accounts that he can't use for U.S. Senate campaign -- When California Senate leader Kevin de León launched a run for the U.S. Senate last week, he had $3.8 million in campaign cash and a big problem: The money was raised for state contests and can’t just be rolled into his effort to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2018. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
Top 3 surprises at forum of Democratic candidates for governor -- Four Democrats vying to become the next governor of California faced off for the first time Sunday at a forum in Anaheim hosted by a union for health care workers. The discussion focused largely on health care and labor issues—but it also gave the public the first glimpse at the intra-party dynamic that may shape next year’s campaign for the state’s highest office. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters.org -- 10/23/17
Newsom, Villaraigosa separate over universal health care -- The two leading Democrats for California governor on Sunday split over how to achieve universal health care, with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom defending his support for a government-run, single-payer system and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa dismissing as “pie in the sky” plans that don’t include viable financing methods. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio Guy Marzorati KQED -- 10/23/17
Democratic governor hopefuls face off in Anaheim, a stone’s throw from GOP conventions -- Policy distinctions were largely a matter of emphasis and nuance, as the four all took staunchly pro-union postures while calling for statewide universal healthcare and vowing to fight White House-backed efforts to crackdown on those in the country illegally. But the unifying theme of most issues tackled in the 90-minute event, hosted by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, was the state’s income inequality and future economic health. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 10/23/17
California GOP Identity Crisis On Display At State Convention -- The California Republican Party is lost in an identity crisis. The divide pits Bannon's nationalistic wing against the party's business-friendly establishment. That split was on display at the state GOP’s convention this weekend, and Bannon’s message resonated with many attendees. "We are in a war right now with the establishment," said Judi Neal of San Dimas, who's president of a suburban Los Angeles County Republican club. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 10/23/17
Skelton: This California lobbyist lost his home in the fires. All he wanted was for the governor to sign his bill — and he did -- After his house burned down in the wine country wildfire and he and his wife escaped through flames, community college lobbyist Patrick McCallum got a call from the governor’s office. “Is there anything we can do?” asked a top advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown. It was a common-courtesy throwaway that evoked a serious answer. “Yeah,” McCallum immediately replied. “Sign AB 19.” George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
Small ‘Onward America’ protest at Laguna’s Main Beach draws large police presence, few counter-protesters -- About 150 police officers gathered from departments throughout Orange County, and an armored vehicle was at the ready for a protest and counter-protest at Main Beach on Sunday night, Oct. 22. But the rally turnout was relatively tiny – perhaps 40 people total. Erika Ritchie and Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 10/23/17
Rocklin paid its former city attorney $270,000 to leave – without explaining why -- The city of Rocklin gave longtime City Attorney Russell Hildebrand a $270,000 severance check last year after forcing him to resign with little explanation, helping to give him the third biggest lump-sum payment by a California city. Brad Branan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/17
San Jose jail inmates angry with sheriff are refusing meals -- Upset with Sheriff Laurie Smith’s comments about San Jose inmates’ threats to start a hunger strike over their grievances, some prisoners on Sunday began to refuse their meals even though the formal strike remains “suspended,” say inmate advocates. Patrick May and Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/23/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
UCLA’s effort to patent a costly prostate cancer drug in India hurts the poor, critics say -- After scientists at UCLA created a breakthrough treatment for prostate cancer, it generated more than half a billion dollars for the university. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
Tesla Strikes Deal With Shanghai to Build Factory in China -- Arrangement could enable electric-car maker to slash production costs; firm would still likely incur 25% import tariff. Tim Higgins, Trefor Moss and Eva Dou in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/23/17
Top pension plan may change to 401(k)-style plan -- The top-rated and tightly managed Dutch retirement systems, sometimes cited as an example of how struggling U.S. public pensions should be run, may go over to the other side — switch to a 401(k)-style plan advocated by pension critics. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 10/23/17
Wildfire
Man Who Alerted Neighbors to Wildfire Hailed as ‘Tremendous Hero’ -- First it was Anna Solano, then it was Fran Bengtsson, telling how a young man knocked on their doors and woke them the night of the Tubbs Fire. There are others he saved, people who would like to thank him. They were asleep in their homes in Coffey Park in Santa Rosa the night the Tubbs Fire whipped down from the hills and jumped Highway 101 into the densely populated neighborhood. Both Solano and Bengtsson are certain they only made it out that night because of one very determined young man. Julia McEvoy KQED -- 10/23/17
After deadly wildfires, Santa Rosa residents try to move forward -- As firefighters anticipate full containment of the Sonoma County wildfires this week, residents like Flores are anxious about how they will find affordable housing while others find themselves overwhelmed at having to start over. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
Days of Fire, Years of Recovery -- The bottom floor of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat is a small window into the scale of the catastrophe and what’s to come. What was once a vast warren of converted office space is now home to Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance, passport services, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the U.S. Post Office and scores of other federal, state and county agencies. Steven Cuevas KQED -- 10/23/17
‘It’s just luck – kismet.’ Why some people lived and others died in California fires -- A fallen tree branch, a miscalculation behind the wheel, a decision to leave in separate cars, a wrong turn. These were among the simple things that made the difference between life and death for some of the 42 known victims of California’s deadly wildfires. Marjie Lindstom, Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/17
Counselors, Canines Helping Firefighters Battle Emotional Stress -- Containment efforts are winding down for the wildfires that have ravaged Northern California this month, but not all the dangers have passed. A handout is circulating among firefighters that details the warning signs of extreme physical and emotional stress. Steven Cuevas KQED -- 10/23/17
Fire-Ravaged Santa Rosa Turns to Hockey for Respite -- In an ice rink built by Peanuts cartoon creator Charles Schulz, hundreds of 7- and 8-year-olds gathered to play the annual Great Halloween Jamboree tournament, a daylong hockey tournament that brought the Santa Rosa community together after the devastation. The annual tournament routinely attracts dozens of the youngest hockey players throughout the area. Canceling the event this year was considered — and then quickly rejected. KQED -- 10/23/17
Did firefighters mishandle Canyon Fire 2? An O.C. supervisor wants an investigation -- Internal reports that the Orange County Fire Authority bungled its initial response to the Canyon Fire 2 are prompting Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson to ask colleagues for an independent investigation of the fire that burned 9,200 acres and destroyed or damaged nearly 60 homes around Anaheim Hills. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 10/23/17
Education
California teachers union endorses Newsom for governor, Thurmond for state superintendent -- California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom got a major boost in his bid for governor next year when he received the endorsement of the California Teachers Association over the weekend, as did Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, who is running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 10/23/17
Environment
'It's a superhighway above our heads': South L.A. residents vexed by new LAX flight paths -- Thousands of people come every year to meditate and reflect at the Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens, a South L.A. center that dubs itself “a spiritual oasis in the city.” But this year, the tranquility of its green gardens and burbling fountains has been broken by a new and unwelcome sound: the repeated drone of passing jets and airplanes, often only minutes apart. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/17
Also . . .
Pair break speed record climbing Nose of Yosemite’s El Capitan -- Gobright and Reynolds set a new speed record on the Nose route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Saturday, climbing the nearly 90-degree 2,900-foot precipice in 2 hours and 19 minutes. That’s four minutes faster than the previous record set five years ago. Marissa Lang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/17
POTUS 45
McCain hits Trump where it hurts, attacking ‘bone spur’ deferments in Vietnam -- After a week in which President Trump endured not-so-veiled criticisms from his two predecessors as president and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), McCain delivered another broadside that seems clearly aimed at Trump — in the most personal terms yet. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 10/23/17
A Presidential Bellwether Is Still Waiting to Start Winning Under Trump -- Here in Vigo County, that disappointment carries extra weight — and perhaps a warning sign for the president. For more than a century, its voters have been almost unerring in choosing the winning presidential candidate, and last year they broke convincingly for Mr. Trump. Michael Tackett in the New York Times$ -- 10/23/17
Beltway
McCain in Twilight: An Unfettered Voice Against Trumpism -- Senator John McCain, the sometimes cantankerous, often charming and eternally irrepressible Republican from Arizona, has never minced words. But in the twilight of a long and storied career, as he fights a virulent form of brain cancer, the 81-year-old senator has found a new voice. Sheryl Gay Stolberg in the New York Times$ -- 10/23/17
-- Sunday Updates
California Republicans go gaga for Trump -- His former chief strategist pillories fellow Republicans they once loved. His dreadful poll numbers here might drag their House incumbents down next year. But with little else to cheer in this heavily Democratic state, the California Republican Party is falling hard for Donald Trump. David Siders and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 10/22/17
More than 30 women come forward to accuse director James Toback of sexual harassment -- He prowled the streets of Manhattan looking for attractive young women, usually in their early 20s, sometimes college students, on occasion a high schooler. He approached them in Central Park, standing in line at a bank or drug store or at a copy center while they worked on their resumes. Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/17
The race to escape Redwood Valley: 'Everyone out of the car! We need to run' -- The escape from Redwood Valley began with no evacuation orders, no reverse-911 alerts, no warning whatsoever from authorities. Residents were left on their own to flee for their lives. A mechanic trapped by fire on the ground climbed a tree until it passed. An elderly woman raced out in her underwear. A mother and her four children hiked through the brush of a steep mountain ravine to safety. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/17
Where the blazes began -- While that agency and independent experts said it’s too early to speculate on possible causes, the four locations did exhibit some common features: Power lines ran near all of them, and at two locations, downed electric and telecommunications lines and broken tree branches had been surrounded by yellow crime-scene tape. However, there was no clear indication of what brought lines down at any of the sites. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/17
California's deadliest wildfires were decades in the making. 'We have forgotten what we need to do to prevent it' -- Historian Stephen Pyne sees no coincidence in the fact that on Oct. 8, 1542 — 475 years to the day before the wildfires began ravaging Northern California — the Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo saw smoke in the sky above Southern California. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/17
Santa Clara officer shoots suspected car thief -- A Santa Clara police officer shot a suspected car thief early Saturday morning after the man allegedly backed his vehicle into a patrol car and then refused to listen to commands to stop, police said. Tracey Kaplan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/17