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Wealthy charter school backers gambled on Villaraigosa and lost. Now they're on shaky ground with Newsom -- After pouring millions of dollars into scathing ads portraying Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom as a dilettante, wealthy charter school backers had a different message for the first-place finisher in last week’s gubernatorial primary: Congratulations. Seema Mehta, Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
London Breed as mayor has the tech industry excited. Will it last? -- A few weeks before San Francisco’s mayoral election, a large white bus carrying a load of Google employees lumbered through the Mission on its daily trip down Highway 101. As it approached the corner of 24th and Valencia streets, a crowd of protesters blocked it, yelling expletives about the company and tossing a pile of electric scooters in front of the bus, halting commuters for nearly an hour. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
De León's challenge in the Senate race: to oppose Feinstein but keep his future intact -- Kevin de León stresses that he isn’t naive about his chances of taking down Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November’s general election. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
Navy releases plan to retest part of San Francisco shipyard after botched cleanup -- The Navy on Friday released its proposed plan for retesting a 40-acre parcel of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, the first step in what could be a multiyear reexamination of a $1 billion cleanup the government says was botched. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
New sexual misconduct plan at California Capitol moves investigations to independent unit -- The California Legislature will relinquish much of its control over sexual harassment complaints and investigations at the Capitol to independent panels under a new policy proposal the Assembly and Senate unveiled Friday. Alexei Koseff, Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/15/18
Here’s How California Lawmakers Hope To Curb Sexual Harassment At The Capitol -- The California Legislature is unveiling a sweeping new overhaul of how it would investigate sexual harassment complaints against everyone from lawmakers to interns that comes after accusations leveled against several lawmakers as part of the “Me Too” movement. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 6/15/18
California's Brown Is Leaving Behind Fully Funded Piggy Bank -- Here’s one plus for bond investors worried about the end of California Governor Jerry Brown’s reign: he’s leaving his successor a rainy-day fund at the constitutional maximum for the first time. Romy Varghese Bloomberg -- 6/15/18
Knight: Car break-in crackdown bill made perfect sense. California lawmakers killed it -- Remember that total no-brainer proposal in Sacramento to make it easier to prosecute car break-in suspects? You know, the one that would count a smashed window as evidence that the car was, indeed, broken into? Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
Scoot Over: A Two-Wheeled Gold Rush in Silicon Valley -- The hottest investment in Silicon Valley today looks like a kids’ toy, has only been tested in a few cities and is unsafe to use in heavy rain. Eliot Brown in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/15/18
California gains just 5,500 jobs in May; unemployment stays at record-low 4.2% -- The California economy cooled somewhat in May as employers added just 5,500 net jobs, though the unemployment rate held steady at a record low of 4.2%, according to data released Friday by the state’s Employment Development Department. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
Trump undermines GOP effort to pass an immigration bill -- President Trump upended Republican efforts to negotiate an immigration bill that could pass the House, saying Friday that he would not support a measure that Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) had painstakingly cobbled together over the past week. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
The Good Old Days of the Big 5 Budgets? -- The state budget passed on time but does anyone long for the good old days of the dragged out budget debates? Remember the deal making to get some Republicans to join majority Democrats to reach the required two-thirds vote? OK, you don’t miss those days because no one enjoyed those drawn-out affairs with IOUs issued to state workers and public services delayed. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/15/18
Covered California sees big rate hike from federal tax law, but not from Trump's legal moves -- Covered California’s premiums are expected to rise significantly next year. But the head of the state’s insurance exchange said the Trump administration’s legal bid to dismantle protections for people with preexisting medical conditions will likely not contribute to the increases. Barbara Feder Ostrov Kaiser Health News via the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
L.A.'s Building and Safety agency buffeted by claims of financial misconduct, food hazing -- It began with an investigation into bad workplace behavior: a high-level manager inside the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety accused of yelling at his workers. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
Lawsuit over white nationalist’s Twitter ban clears hurdle -- A California judge has refused to throw out a lawsuit that accuses Twitter of violating the free speech rights of a leading white nationalist figure by banning his social media account. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn ruled in Jared Taylor’s favor during a hearing Thursday on Twitter’s request to dismiss the suit, court records show. Michael Kunzelman Associated Press -- 6/15/18
Trump just squashed the last, best chance Washington had this year to protect ‘dreamers’ -- Republicans in Congress had a plan to try to protect young undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, even if it was an extremely tenuous one. But President Trump just stomped all over that on Friday. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 6/15/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Hillary Clinton, in San Francisco visit, calls gun safety ‘a political necessity’ -- Speaking to an audience of gun control advocates in San Francisco, Hillary Clinton said Thursday that this year’s voting for members of Congress should “finally be the election that turns the tide against the gun lobby.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
California lawmakers meet deadline, sending nearly $200-billion state budget blueprint to Gov. Jerry Brown -- Twenty-five separate pieces of legislation comprise the budget for the state government’s fiscal year that begins next month. Fourteen of the bills were sent to Brown on Thursday, while action is expected early next week on the remaining details. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
San Francisco Mayor-Elect London Breed Hits the Ground Smiling -- London Breed started her first full day as San Francisco’s mayor-elect with a celebratory press conference at her former elementary school and fit in an exclusive interview with KQED, where she talked about how she'll tackle the city's most pressing challenges: homelessness and housing. Raquel Maria Dillon KQED -- 6/15/18
Exclusive: Interview with San Francisco Mayor-elect London Breed -- London Breed had her first sit-down interview with Editorial Page Editor John Diaz at the historic John’s Grill on Thursday, the day after she was declared the winner in the San Francisco mayor’s race. John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
Obama returning to Los Angeles for Democratic fundraising gala -- Tickets for the gala start at $2,700, which buys access to the former president’s speech as well as a performance by singer Christina Aguilera, according to the invitation. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
Swinging for the fences, California sports teams keep asking lawmakers for special deals -- Now is when professional sports teams hoping to build new stadiums staff up with Sacramento lobbyists, typically seeking to speed up construction of their new digs by persuading lawmakers to grant them exceptions from state environmental rules. Lawmakers are considering two such proposals this summer—one to help the Los Angeles Clippers build an arena in Inglewood, another to help the Oakland A’s construct a stadium in Oakland. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 6/15/18
Had California been 3 states in last week’s primary, here’s who would have won -- In 2014, Silicon Valley venture capitalist and noted political eccentric Tim Draper sponsored a ballot initiative to divide California into six states. The effort failed, considered by many to be politically impractical and legally untenable. So Draper has scaled back his ambitions. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 6/15/18
Sragow: Ten Takeaways from California Target Book Post Primary Analysis in Sacramento -- 1. Democratic and Republican party leaders and their consultants need to get past the grieving stage and accept that the top-two primary is the law of the land. Instead of debating who benefits and who suffers, they need to figure out how to win under the new rules. Darry Sragow Fox & Hounds -- 6/15/18
Buffy Wicks and Jovanka Beckles to Face Off in General Election for East Bay Assembly Seat -- Wicks won the primary handily, with over 31 percent of the vote. But Beckles and Oakland councilman Dan Kalb finished neck and neck in the race for second, with the candidates swinging between second and third multiple times as the results came in from Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 6/15/18
California took a radical step to fix gerrymandering. Did it work? -- In most states, elected officials draw district lines to benefit politicians or parties. But California handed that power to ordinary citizens and other states are considering it. Alice Li, Joyce Orenstein, Dan Balz, Jake Crump, Tim Meko and Reuben Fischer-Baum in the Washington Post$ -- 6/15/18
KQED's Political Breakdown: On this week’s episode of Political Breakdown, San Francisco Mayor-elect London Breed talks about her victory and shares the good (and bad) advice she's gotten since. Link here -- 6/15/18
Power Companies’ Mistakes Can Cost Billions. Who Should Pay? -- After flames rolled over the hills north of San Diego and engulfed vineyards, avocado groves and neighborhoods, hundreds in this area were left with only the charred remains of homes and businesses. Ivan Penn in the New York Times$ -- 6/15/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Trump administration pushes changes to farmworker visa -- The Trump administration is moving ahead with an overhaul of the guest worker program that admits hundreds of thousands of temporary farm workers each year, easing access to agricultural labor even as even as its conservative allies push for a crackdown. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/15/18
Nearly a million international visitors came to San Jose in 2017 -- San Jose may not be as renowned for its food or art as San Francisco, but the nation’s 10th largest city is still a popular draw for more than a million visitors every year. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/15/18
Google barely moves needle on gender, diversity in workforce -- Google barely raised the number of women and under-represented minorities among its ranks, while it got less white and more Asian over the past year, according to the search giant’s fifth annual diversity report. Associated Press -- 6/15/18
What's happening with Horton Plaza? Now we know -- Downtown’s retail dead zone — Horton Plaza — is headed for permanent retirement. Future owner Stockdale Capital Partners is now laying the groundwork to transform the 900,000-square-foot shopping center into San Diego’s next big economic windfall: a modern office campus. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/15/18
Fitbit employees charged with having stolen trade secrets -- U.S. prosecutors have charged one current and five former employees of San Francisco-based Fitbit, Inc. with possessing trade secrets stolen from rival company Jawbone. Associated Press -- 6/15/18
The Supreme Court case that could kneecap public sector unions, explained -- The Court is expected to soon deliver its ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, a case challenging the practice of public sector unions charging “agency fees” to employees who decline to join the union but who still benefit from the deals it bargains. The fees are typically similar to, but a bit lower than, union dues. Dylan Matthews Vox -- 6/15/18
Cannabis
Proposed US banking fix for marijuana may not open all doors -- A proposal in Congress to ease the U.S. ban on marijuana could encourage more banks to do business with cannabis companies, but it appears to fall short of a cure-all for an industry that must operate mainly as a cash business in a credit card world. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 6ˆ/15/18
Vista approves city-sponsored pot measures for November ballot -- The Vista City Council Tuesday approved initiatives for the city ballot that would allow medical marijuana retailers and testing laboratories, and levy taxes on those businesses. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/15/18
Should Fresno tax marijuana operations? Voters to decide in November -- The Fresno City Council on Thursday voted to put a cannabis business license tax measure on the November ballot. After hearing pleas both from pastors against allowing medicinal marijuana and from cannabis patients, the council voted 5-1 to approve the resolution. Brianna Calix in the Fresno Bee -- 6/15/18
Education
Audit of San Ysidro finds fraud or misappropriation of funds may have happened at school district -- Two former San Ysidro School District administrators who abruptly resigned last year overpaid themselves a combined sum of more than $300,000 and received reimbursements for questionable expenses paid for with personal credit cards, according to a state audit. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/15/18
Students of defunct Corinthian Colleges to get millions in loan refunds -- Millions of dollars in student loan forgiveness and refunds are in store for nearly 35,000 California students who borrowed private money to attend for-profit colleges run by the now-defunct Corithian Colleges Inc., state Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Thursday in San Francisco. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
Need faster internet speeds at school? 9 Cal State University campuses to upgrade connection from 10 gigabytes to 100 gigabytes -- Come the fall of 2018, Cal State students at nine campuses — including Long Beach, San Bernardino, Pomona, Fullerton and Northridge — will no longer need to slog through a slow internet connection. Michael Watanabe in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 6/15/18
California lawmakers approve 2018-19 state budget; how schools, colleges will fare -- Gov. Jerry Brown will leave office at the end of this year with the state providing more money for schools each year for seven years straight. EdSource -- 6/15/18
California budget includes increase for infant and toddler care but not enough to meet demand -- Despite pressure from early childhood advocates to invest close to a billion dollars in infant and toddler care in next year’s budget, the agreement lawmakers approved Thursday reflects a compromise, with significant increases in child care slots for low-income families but no new funding for preschool. Ashley Hopkinson EdSource -- 6/15/18
Immigration, Border, Deportation
Federal immigration agents try to overtrump California’s sanctuary law -- California’s sanctuary law—by limiting how much state and local law enforcement could cooperate with federal immigration agents—engaged in a we-won’t-hold-‘em policy that outraged the Trump administration. Now its federal border patrol agents reportedly have upped the ante. David Gorn Calmatters -- 6/15/18
House GOP wades into family separation storm -- House Republicans unveiled legislation to keep migrant children and their parents together, but it’s unlikely to win over immigrant-rights advocates. Heather Caygle, Rachael Bade, Ted Hesson Politico -- 6/15/18
Trump Ordered Troops to the Border, But They’re Doing Busywork -- In this ramshackle town, National Guard soldiers are doing everything from shoveling manure to changing tires. What they’re not doing: Watching the border. Bryan Bender Politico -- 6/15/18
Environment
White House to meet automakers, California on fuel efficiency rule -- White House officials will have a new round of meetings with an automakers trade group and California’s “clean air” agency next week before unveiling a proposal to reverse rules aimed at increasing fuel efficiency, participants said on Thursday. David Shepardson Reuters -- 6/15/18
State Water Board plan would help restore the Tuolumne -- The board is considering requiring higher in-stream flows between February and June, which are critical months for baby salmon growth and migration. For the Tuolumne River, this would increase flows from an anemic 21 percent to a modest 40 percent of unimpaired flow. Peter Drekmeier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
Fresno tops California cities, second in nation, in solar power per person -- Fresno has been lauded as the U.S. city with the second-highest solar power generating capacity per person, second only to Honolulu, Hawaii. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 6/15/18
Also . . .
A Black Man Died While In Sacramento Police Custody. Now, The Family Is Asking Why He Didn’t Receive Medical Care -- Police department video released on Wednesday show Brandon Smith breathing heavily and complaining of “having a heart attack” as officers heft -- 6/15/18him into the back of a patrol wagon. Smith’s family and local Black Lives Matter activists believe law enforcement’s handling of the 30-year-old contributed to his death on the afternoon of June 6. They’re asking for more information. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 6/15/18
Video shows police chasing man in North Beach, outraged witnesses after shooting -- A police officer apparently shot a fleeing armed suspect in the back during a foot chase through San Francisco’s bustling North Beach neighborhood early Saturday, prompting outrage from nearby witnesses who surrounded the officer in the chaotic aftermath, according to video and police statements. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
LAPD raids home of ex-USC gynecologist accused of sexually mistreating patients -- Police detectives on Thursday served search warrants at the Los Angeles home of a former USC gynecologist and a storage facility as they investigate allegations that he sexually mistreated patients. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/15/18
Humboldt man charged with felony after 250 dead cows, some stacked 10-ft-high, discovered on ranch -- Authorities leveled multiple felony and misdemeanor charges on a Humboldt County man after investigators discovered hundreds of dead livestock on his ranch. Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/15/18
POTUS 45
Trump accused in lawsuit of misusing charitable foundation -- New York’s attorney general sued President Donald Trump and his foundation Thursday, accusing him of illegally using the charity’s money to settle disputes involving his business empire and to boost his political fortunes during his run for the White House. The president called the case “ridiculous.” Jennifer Peltz Associated Press -- 6/15/18
Watchdog report blasts FBI but doesn’t hand Trump total win -- An inspector general report condemning the FBI’s actions in the Hillary Clinton email investigation blasts former FBI Director James Comey but also denies total vindication to the president who fired him. Eric Tucker, Chad Day Associated Press -- 6/15/18
Trump to impose 25 percent tariff on $50 billion in Chinese products, broadening the trade war -- The tariffs, which Trump set in motion in March, are a response to China’s practice of compulsory technology licensing for foreign companies and its efforts to steal U.S. trade secrets via cybertheft, administration officials have said. David J. Lynch and Damian Paletta in the Washington Post$ -- 6/15/18
-- Thursday Updates
$200 billion California budget sent to Gov. Jerry Brown -- California lawmakers approved and sent Gov. Jerry Brown a $200 billion state budget on Thursday, using revenue from a rosy economy to build $16 billion in reserves and steer hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding to universities and programs for the homeless. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/14/18
Initiative to give Disneyland workers a 'living wage' qualifies for the ballot in Anaheim -- The Orange County Registrar of Voters has certified that a petition to force major Anaheim employers who get city subsidies to boost their workers’ hourly salaries had produced a minimum of 13,185 valid signatures — or at least 10% of the city’s voters. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/14/18
California lawmakers debate budget expanding help for poor -- State lawmakers on Thursday debated a $139 billion budget that uses California’s massive surplus to boost funding for homelessness, welfare, child care and universities while socking money into savings. The budget had enough support to clear the Senate and Assembly and was awaiting formal approval. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 6/14/18
Nearly 35,000 former Corinthian College students in California will see debt relief -- Almost 35,000 former Corinthian College students in California will have the remainder of their private loan balances forgiven and some may receive payment refunds after an investigation by the state attorney general’s office said a loan company engaged in illegal debt-collection practices. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/14/18
Furor over family separation now a part of House debate over immigration -- House Republicans could move to strictly limit the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents at the border under immigration legislation expected to be considered next week. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/14/18
Feds won't transfer some immigrant suspects to California custody, citing 'sanctuary state' law -- As California moves ahead with policies to limit law enforcement cooperation on immigration-related offenses, U.S. authorities are responding in kind. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in recent months have refused to transfer some suspects wanted by California law enforcement agencies for crimes including sexual assault and drug possession. Richard Marosi in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/14/18
Gov. Jerry Brown signs law to end underreporting of hate crimes in California -- Following a state audit that faulted law enforcement agencies including the Los Angeles Police Department for underreporting hate crimes, Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a measure that seeks to improve the investigation and tracking of incidents based on race, gender and sexual orientation, officials said Thursday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/14/18
End of daylight saving time inches closer in California -- The state Senate on Thursday approved a proposal to ask voters to repeal a 70-year-old initiative that set a biannual clock change in California and give lawmakers the power to adjust the time with a two-thirds vote. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/14/18
Ivanka Trump heading to California for fundraisers with Kevin McCarthy -- The two will headline events in Fresno and Los Angeles on Monday. Proceeds from the fundraisers will support Protect the House, a political action committee led by McCarthy and Vice President Mike Pence that is focused on protecting GOP control of Congress. Michael Livingston, Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/14/18
A California gas tax repeal would halt thousands of projects -- Thousands of road projects funded by a recently enacted California gas tax are in jeopardy if voters repeal it. A Republican-led effort to repeal the gas tax has qualified for November’s ballot and has signs of momentum. Keeley Webster The Bond Buyer -- 6/14/18
Chronicle Investigation: A Retreat’s Risky Lessons -- It’s just hours into Camp Diversity, a leadership retreat for high school students, but the warmth of the community circle, “Power of Hugs” exercise and hot chocolate is quickly fading. Karen de Sá in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/14/18
Capitol staff, get ready to move. State budget has $755 million for new offices -- The California state budget frees up $1.6 billion to build new structures in downtown Sacramento, including a long-awaited project that will replace a warren of offices attached to the Capitol and temporarily move legislative staff to a yet-to-be constructed office building on O Street. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/14/18
Supreme Court gives voters more freedom to wear political T-shirts to polling places -- The Supreme Court gave voters slightly more freedom to wear political T-shirts or buttons when they go to cast a ballot, striking down a broad Minnesota law that imposed a “political apparel ban.” David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/14/18
Martins Beach: Surfers tell Supreme Court billionaire Vinod Khosla has no right to block public from shoreline -- Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla knew California’s laws when he bought property on the San Mateo County coastline 10 years ago, and he shouldn’t be allowed to block public access to the beach now, particularly after families have visited it for nearly 100 years. That’s the core argument that surfers are making in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court this week as part of a case that could potentially rewrite California’s laws guaranteeing public access to beaches if the Supreme Court takes up the case this fall and rules in Khosla’s favor. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/14/18
Schnur: I Knew a Man Named Larry Thomas -- I knew a man, who over the course of a remarkable career and an even more remarkable life, patiently and persistently taught me the type of lessons that the young and brash can only learn from those with large amounts of experience and character. I knew a man who was not only smart but wise, who was not only kind but gentle, and who was not only generous but selfless. Larry Thomas was all those things, and thoughtful and considerate and clever and shrewd and smooth and unflappable and humble and proud and funny and fascinating. I lost my friend Larry Thomas this week, and if you never knew him, then your loss was far greater than mine. Dan Schnur Fox & Hounds -- 6/14/18