California Policy & Politics This Morning
Los Angeles voters picked different candidates for the same job -- Voters in California’s 32nd Senate District faced something quite rare in politics last Tuesday: Two elections for the same job. But did they know it was the same job? The results so far are, to put it bluntly, baffling. And they serve as a reminder that the electoral system depends on voters making careful selections. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/18
California governor won’t parole woman dubbed ‘black widow’ -- California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday blocked the parole of a 63-year-old woman whom prosecutors dubbed a “black widow” because she had her husband killed. Brown denied the release of Susan Lee Russo a year after he commuted her life sentence, which allowed her a chance at parole. A parole board in January recommended that she be freed. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 6/9/18
Governor, legislative leaders agree on funding boost for higher education -- The agreement, which still must be approved by the full Legislature and signed by the governor to take effect, boosts annual funding for California State University by $197 million and the University of California by $97 million. It comes in the wake of months of fervent lobbying by students, faculty and administrators after Brown proposed a less generous higher education budget in January. Felicia Mello Calmatters -- 6/9/18
$200 billion California budget deal rejects health care, tax breaks for undocumented -- Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders struck a $200 billion budget deal on Friday that rejected two proposals that would have expanded access to health care and tax breaks to undocumented Californians. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/9/18
Homelessness, welfare get big boost in California budget deal -- Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders agreed to spend $500 million to combat homelessness and $90 million to increase grants for people on welfare as part of a $139 billion budget compromise released Friday. The deal left out an expansion of Medi-Cal health care coverage to young immigrants living in the country illegally and tax credits to help people who buy their own insurance to afford coverage. Both were top priorities for Assembly Democrats looking to reduce the ranks of the uninsured. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 6/9/18
With voter turnout up statewide, five California counties find new mail-in ballot system slows count -- All over the state, election day is slowly morphing into election week, and counting ballots is taking longer. By tonight, some 2.5 million ballots across California had not yet been tabulated—a consequence of more voters opting to vote by mail. Byrhonda Lyons Calmatters -- 6/9/18
San Diego can ban humans from beach to protect seals, court says -- A state appeals court has ruled that a San Diego ordinance closing Children’s Pool during the pupping season for seals is legal, reversing a lower court decision that said the city had overstepped its authority. Greg Moran in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/18
L.A. County registrar seeks independent review on thousands of people not listed on voter rosters -- State and county leaders had demanded answers after the massive error led to confusion and frustration at the polls. The foul-up affected roughly 2.3% of registered voters across the county and 35% of its polling places. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/18
Lindsey Buckingham to headline star-studded fundraiser for Democratic candidates -- A star-studded fundraiser for Democratic candidates in key House races is scheduled for next month. Former Fleetwood Mac lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham will perform at the Los Angeles home of California Coastal Commissioner Chair Dayna Bochco on July 31. Michael Livingston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/18
Stewing about Trump, California tech group bets on distant 'purple' candidates -- Sipping California zinfandel, munching deviled eggs and fretting about President Donald Trump, the guests attending a political fundraiser at a Silicon Valley executive’s home were the usual assortment of tech entrepreneurs and investors. But the congressional candidate they had come to meet that March evening in the hills north of San Francisco was anything but typical. Heather Somerville Reuters -- 6/9/18
Smolens: Why the election makes it tougher for Democrats to govern in Sacramento -- Democrats had some big successes in Tuesday's primary, but a couple of elections will make it more difficult for them in the state Legislature. And it's not just because the candidates lost. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/9/18
Orange County Fights Turning Blue. And the Resistance Is Formidable -- California has dug in at the front lines of the resistance to President Trump, suing to overturn his environmental policies, passing legislation to hamstring his immigration enforcement and marching in mass demonstrations of defiance. Then there is Orange County, a stubborn redoubt of conservatism that keeps defying prognostications that 80 years of Republican dominance will come to an end. Jeremy W. Peters in the New York Times$ -- 6/9/18
Nunes' ties to winery in sex-harassment suit violate House ethics rules, complaint says -- A complaint against Rep. Devin Nunes with the Office of Congressional Ethics demands an investigation into whether the congressman violated the House code of conduct because of his partnership in a winery that was sued for sexual harassment and more. Mackenzie Mays in the Fresno Bee -- 6/9/18
KQED Political Breakdown: The #MeToo Movement’s Primary Impact and Josh Newman on the Lessons of His Recall -- Scott and Marisa are joined by KQED's Katie Orr and the San Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofoli to recap Tuesday's primary, look ahead to the general election in the Governor's race, and analyze the impact of the #MeToo movement on some state contests. State Senator Josh Newman, recalled by Orange County voters, calls in to discuss his gas tax vote and the impact of his recall on politics in Orange County and the state legislature. Link Here -- 6/9/18
Amid new questions, former USC medical school dean fights to keep his license -- The administrative trial to determine whether former USC medical school dean Carmen Puliafito should be allowed to continue practicing medicine wrapped up Friday, ending a days-long hearing that recapped in dramatic fashion his double life of hard drug use. Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/18
7 tons of pot valued at $8.6M in trailer at Otay Mesa border crossing -- The truck manifest said it was carrying “metal racks” but a Customs and Border Protection dog sniffed out the drugs, officials said in a statement. Pauline Repard in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/9/18
How a CHP officer coaxed a man off Bay Bridge railing -- The man initially ignored Ribergaard. Although it’s not clear specifically what Ribergaard told the man, all CHP officers receive crisis-intervention training designed to diffuse situations with those experiencing mental health or drug-related issues, Williams said. Tactics include speaking slowly, keeping physical distance and taking time, he said. The goal is to resolve the situation without using force. It worked. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/9/18
Relative Obscurity: The Brother of Robert F. Kennedy's Convicted Assassin Opens Up -- On a serene, leafy street in north Pasadena, a 70-year-old man has lived a quiet life in a well-preserved Craftsman house since his family bought it in 1963. He keeps the lawn mowed, he chats with the neighbors, and sometimes he smokes Parliament cigarettes with his tea on the front porch. Peter Gilstrap KQED -- 6/9/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Port financial analysis favors convention center expansion over competing hotel project -- Days before San Diego city and port leaders are due to consider a financial settlement related to dueling bayfront projects, the Port of San Diego has released a financial analysis that favors a convention center expansion over a proposed $300 million hotel development on the same site. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/9/18
California workers’ comp insurer cuts way back on opioid spending -- The State Compensation Insurance Fund, one of the largest providers of workers’ compensation insurance in California, has cut its spending on prescription opioids by 74 percent amid a broader push by insurers and doctors to reduce the long-term use of addictive prescription painkillers. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/9/18
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
California drinking water tax dies in budget compromise -- A proposed tax on California's drinking water, designed to clean up contaminated water for thousands of Californians, was abandoned by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders Friday as part of the compromise on the state budget. Dale Kasler, Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/9/18
Cannabis
Federal cannabis bill would help California marijuana businesses get banking -- A bipartisan effort in Congress to ease federal restrictions on cannabis, which President Trump said Friday he is inclined to support, would solve a few of the biggest problems facing the nascent industry in California, experts say. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/9/18
Trump Signals Possible Support For Bipartisan Marijuana Legislation -- President Trump is signaling he's willing to support a move toward the legalization of marijuana, which would be a departure from the position of his attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Sarah McCammon NPR -- 6/9/18
Immigration, Border, Deportation
Attorneys Worry Streamlined Immigrant Prosecutions Could Lead To Problems -- Attorneys say a fast-track prosecution program called Operation Streamline is in the works for San Diego’s district courts to handle illegal border crossing cases in groups rather than individually. Jean Guerrero KPBS -- 6/9/18
House GOP weighs possible immigration compromise with border wall funds -- House Republican negotiators are reviewing an outline of a potential immigration compromise that would offer a means for young undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens and provide billions for President Trump’s border wall. Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ -- 6/9/18
Health
Trump Administration Move Imperils Pre-Existing Condition Protections -- The Trump administration's decision to abandon the Affordable Care Act in an ongoing court challenge could affect some of the most popular pillars of the law — further intensifying the fight over health care in the middle of an election year. Alison Kodjak and Susan Davis NPR -- 6/9/18
Environment
SeaWorld says no to straws, plastic bags in its parks -- Joining the growing movement to ban plastic straws, SeaWorld Entertainment announced Friday it is removing all drinking straws at its 12 parks, along with plastic shopping bags. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/9/18
Also . . .
Son of Ryan O'Neal, Farrah Fawcett is charged with attempted murder -- In the most serious incidents, Redmond James O’Neal allegedly stabbed a man in the side near the Venice boardwalk on May 4, then later that night stabbed another man, inflicting serious wounds and cuts to his face, neck and upper body, police said. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/18
Video in Mendocino County lawsuit shows deputies punching inmate -- Mendocino County, facing a lawsuit over the death of a jail inmate, released surveillance video on Friday showing deputies punching the man as he pleads with them not to hurt him. The family of the inmate, Steven Neuroth, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county and sheriff’s officials in 2015, accusing jail staff of ignoring his medical needs and using excessive force. Associated Press -- 6/9/18
Anthony Bourdain used his platform to draw attention to the marginalized -- Friday in an apparent suicide, opened his viewers' eyes to issues within and beyond the borders of the United States through food. He also championed many of the communities that affected his work in the kitchen and on screen. Whether it was global poverty, systemic racism in the United States or sexual abuse of women in the workplace, Bourdain frequently used the publicity he earned through his celebrity to draw attention to the issues affecting the people behind the food that he brought into Americans' living rooms. Eugene Scott in the Washington Post$ -- 6/9/18
The Best of Anthony Bourdain -- What to read, what to watch and what to listen to by and about the chef, TV host and author who died on Friday. Tina Jordan in the New York Times$ -- 6/9/18
Anthony Bourdain’s Interview With David Remnick -- Anthony Bourdain—the chef turned author, food anthropologist, and television star—died this week, at sixty-one. Bourdain made his début in The New Yorker in 1999, with an essay called “Don’t Eat Before Reading This,” about working in the restaurant industry. The link is at The New Yorker -- 6/9/18
Here are some Southern California eateries Anthony Bourdain featured on his TV shows -- As ripples of shock and grief spread in response to the sudden death of author, chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, we are taking a look at the love he bestowed upon Southern California eateries. Stephanie Schulte in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/9/18
POTUS 45
Trump says he may pardon Muhammad Ali — a move the late boxer’s attorney calls unnecessary -- But Ron Tweel, an attorney for Ali, who died in 2016, pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ali’s conviction in 1971. In a unanimous ruling, the court found that the Department of Justice had improperly told the draft board that Ali’s stance was not motivated by his Muslim religious beliefs. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 6/9/18
-- Friday Updates
12 Northern California fires caused by PG&E power lines, investigators say -- At least a dozen wildfires that ripped through Northern California last October, including the Atlas Fire and Nuns Fires in Napa and Sonoma counties, were caused by PG&E power lines, state officials said Friday. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/8/18
California drinking-water tax dies in budget compromise -- A proposed tax on California's drinking water, designed to clean up contaminated water for thousands of Californians, was abandoned by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders Friday as part of the compromise on the state budget. Dale Kasler, Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/8/18
Boost in spending for homelessness in budget deal reached by governor, legislative leaders -- The agreement’s details have yet to be formally released. It includes $500 million for efforts to prevent homelessness, according to a source involved in the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly. Liam Dillon, John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/8/18
California Schools Set To Lock In State Budget Funding For Long Term, Even If There’s A Recession -- California lawmakers have reached a budget deal with Gov. Jerry Brown that, for the first time in a decade, will include an obscure provision to guarantee future minimum funding levels for schools and community colleges — at the expense of everything else. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 6/8/18
Kamala Harris romps across California ballot -- California Sen. Kamala Harris wasn’t on the ballot this week in her home state, but she still notched a significant set of victories. Of 27 candidates Harris endorsed in Tuesday primary, 20 finished first or were leading in returns as of Friday, while another four finished second and will advance to the November general election. David Siders Politico -- 6/8/18
How Trump's trade war is hurting California's largest agricultural sector -- California's dairy farmers, stewards of the single largest sector of California agriculture, have struggled in recent years because of a steep slide in prices. Now they're in danger of becoming casualties in the Trump administration's trade war with Mexico. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/8/18
California bullet train authority ordered part of a flawed bridge torn down -- Engineers have built about 24,000 bridges in California over the last century, but a new one under construction in Madera County for the state’s bullet train project shows that they can still lead to serious blunders. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/8/18
Anthony Bourdain, world-traveling chef and TV star, dies at 61 in apparent suicide -- Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef, author and TV host who traveled the world to explore the nexus of food and culture, died Friday in an apparent suicide, according to CNN. He was 61. Stephen Battaglio, Andrea Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ Angela Charlton Associated Press -- 6/8/18
Anthony Bourdain opened the working-class kitchen to the world and the world to us -- Anthony Bourdain’s first articles for the New Yorker, which became the foundation for his first book, “Kitchen Confidential,” slashed through the walls separating working-class cooks from their soft, well-fed customers, and for perhaps the first time since George Orwell’s “Down and Out in Paris and London,” elevated the rough humanity of the kitchen above the soft pleasures of the table. Jonathan Gold in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/8/18
Krauthammer: A note to readers -- I have been uncharacteristically silent these past ten months. I had thought that silence would soon be coming to an end, but I’m afraid I must tell you now that fate has decided on a different course for me. Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post$ -- 6/8/18
California orders opioid overdose antidote naloxone available without prescription -- The order, issued by the agency’s director Dr. Karen Smith, appears to function as a standing prescription for all California residents to be able to get naloxone. It is unclear whether they or their insurance provider would pay for it, and what types of locations — such as pharmacies, doctors’ offices, drug addiction treatment centers or needle exchanges — may now have to stock the drug. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/8/18
Orange County rejects needle-exchange program, citing 'major health risks' -- The Orange County Board of Supervisors officially opposed a proposed mobile needle exchange service Tuesday in Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange and Costa Mesa. Ben Brazil in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/8/18
Kevin de León lost his own state Senate district in Tuesday's U.S. Senate primary -- Democratic state Sen. Kevin de León has represented part of Los Angeles in Sacramento for more than a decade, but he failed to secure a majority of votes on his home turf in the U.S. Senate primary this week. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/8/18
Renters buy homes from Caltrans for as little as $150,660 thanks to dead freeway project -- A nervous Suzanne Talbot faced the pale green clapboard house once threatened by the proposed extension of the 710 Freeway now considered dead and flashed a half smile. Steve Scauzillo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/8/18
Fox: After 40 Years, Proposition 13 Still Protects California Taxpayers -- The Proposition 13 tax revolt was more than an uprising against out-of-control property taxes. Passed by voters 40 years ago Wednesday, Proposition 13 survives in deep-blue California because it stands as a strong symbol not only about controlling taxation but also about voters’ power to command the government. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/8/18
Jeffe & Jeffe: Post-Primary Ponderings -- After all the hand-wringing by Inside the Beltway pundits and politicos, the so-called “Jungle Primary” nightmare scenario failed to materialize, when none of the highly contested California Congressional races produced a GOP vs GOP runoff that would have shut out Democrats from contesting a potentially winnable district in November. If, and it is a big if, there is a blue tsunami in November, how many of these targeted districts could end up in Democratic hands? Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 6/8/18
Lazarus: Trump's consumer agency chief looks to shut down database of consumer complaints -- The Trump administration may shut down a federal database of consumer complaints about the financial-services industry. Banks think that’s a swell idea. The attorneys general of California and more than a dozen other states think it’s a foolish move. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/8/18