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Schwarzenegger calls Trump a 'little wet noodle' and a 'fanboy' after Putin news conference -- Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has lashed out at President Trump’s rebuke of American intelligence agencies during a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/18

Assault weapon registrations in California are up 43% under new law -- Californians have applied to register 68,848 additional assault weapons in the last 11 months to comply with a state law enacted following the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/18

First of Garcetti-backed homeless shelters nears opening, with a $700,000 deck -- Several dozen homeless people selected by outreach workers will move into a cluster of new trailers near downtown’s historic El Pueblo next month, the first step toward getting them into permanent housing. For Mayor Eric Garcetti, the move-ins also mark a first step. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/18

Sanctuary amid housing crisis: Churches open parking lots to RV dwellers -- Last year, Arnell Clark and his girlfriend, Mataele Robertson, moved their young family out of an East Palo Alto house because they could no longer afford the rent. The couple figured they’d get more room in a 34-foot RV. Wendy Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

Thumping, castration and cages: Animal watchdog alleges pig-farm abuse -- An animal rights group is sending a grim message to California voters, releasing footage of Kentucky farm workers punching pigs, kicking them, bashing their faces into the floor and locking them in tight cages. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/18

Why one Sacramento family’s $127 million jury award is up for discussion this election year -- Federal court records detail what happened. Sacramento resident Irma Menchaca left her home the morning of June 6, 2008, for kidney dialysis treatment at DaVita University Dialysis Center in Campus Commons. She had begun regular treatments five years earlier because of her end-stage renal disease. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/18

Ferguson Fire spreads to 12,500 acres, thunderstorms could fuel blaze -- A deadly inferno raging near the border of Yosemite National Park continued to grow Tuesday as firefighters prepared for the worst with unfavorable weather expected over the next few days, officials said. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

Judge Lifts Order for Los Angeles Times to Change Story --  A U.S. judge has lifted an order that required the Los Angeles Times to remove information from an article about a court document that was meant to be kept from the public. The Times reports that Judge John Walter reversed the order Tuesday, saying he was initially unsure whether the newspaper had legally gained access to a sealed plea agreement. Associated Press -- 7/17/18

Book by Rising Democratic Star Kamala Harris Coming in 2019 -- Sen. Kamala Harris, a rising star in the Democratic Party who is sometimes cited as a possible presidential contender in 2020, has a book deal. Associated Press -- 7/17/18

Knight: For all its flaws, there’s something special about San Francisco -- It’s easy to feel blue about life in San Francisco. The homeless tent encampments, the needles, the filth, the frustrating traffic, the outrageous cost of living that’s driving out much of the middle class. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

In thinly veiled barbs at Trump, Obama laments ‘strongman politics’ and leaders who lie -- Speaking at an event honoring the late Nelson Mandela ahead of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Obama did not mention President Trump by name and cast his concerns far more broadly, warning against movements toward authoritarianism globally. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

California Republicans facing tough races go easy on Trump -- Several nationally prominent Republicans voiced anger and disbelief over President Trump’s performance at his joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But California Republicans running in congressional races that could determine control of the House weren’t among them. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

‘I have to’ talk about abortion in governor’s race, Gavin Newsom says --Abortion hasn’t been a high-profile issue in the California governor’s race this year, and that makes sense: Voters here have long supported abortion rights, and a Democratic-controlled Legislature has sought to expand them. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/18

How Kevin de León’s big endorsement helps his underdog campaign against Dianne Feinstein -- Kevin de León earned more than bragging rights when the California Democratic Party endorsed him over Dianne Feinstein this weekend. The party’s bruising rebuke of the 26-year incumbent gives her underdog challenger in the U.S. Senate race a slot on party mailers and a potential fundraising boost. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/18

Judge’s order that Times alter article sparks 1st Amendment fight -- A federal judge’s decision ordering the Los Angeles Times to remove information it had published about a criminal case has sparked a battle over free speech that legal scholars said weighed in favor of the media. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ Elliot Spagat and Colleen Long Associated Press -- 7/17/18

Los Angeles man gets home detention for threat against Rep. Maxine Waters -- A Los Angeles man who threatened to kill Rep. Maxine Waters in a profanity-laced voicemail was sentenced Monday to six months of home detention. Anthony Scott Lloyd, 45, also was sentenced in federal court in Los Angeles to three years’ probation and 100 hours of community service. Associated Press -- 7/17/18

Democratic challenger raises more than three times as much as Tom McClintock -- Democratic challenger Jessica Morse outraised Republican Rep. Tom McClintock by a more than three-to-one margin as the two geared up for a general election clash in the 4th District congressional race. McClintock, however, started July with slightly more money in the bank. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/18

Devin Nunes has raised more than $7 million in this election -- Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, flexed his fundraising muscles this spring, bringing in nearly $5 million between April 1 and June 30 as he faced a surprising surge from challenger Andrew Janz. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 7/17/18

Sacha Baron Cohen spoof was ‘fraud,’ Rohrabacher says; high schoolers, not toddlers, should get gun training -- A day after he unwittingly appeared on the premiere episode of a Showtime political satire and seemed to endorse the idea of arming school children as young as 4, U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said he rejects that proposal and accused the show’s creators of unfairly editing the video. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 7/17/18

New California Law Requires Voter Data Breach Reporting -- Journalists, researchers and political campaigns that receive voter data must tell California officials if it may have been stolen under a new law Gov. Jerry Brown announced he signed Monday. Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 7/17/18

Stanislaus County deputy charged in on-duty shooting death of woman -- Justin Wall was charged with one felony count of voluntary manslaughter in the fatal 2017 shooting of Evin Olsen Yadegar, according to the San Joaquin County district attorney's office. The move marked a rare instance of a law enforcement officer being prosecuted for an on-duty shooting. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/18

Woman recalls struggle to survive, rescue after driving off Big Sur-area cliff -- For seven days, as relatives and sheriff’s deputies searched for Angela Hernandez, the 23-year-old Oregon woman stood on rocks at the bottom of an insurmountable 250-foot cliff off of Highway 1, futilely shouting at passing cars, drinking water dripping from mossy rocks and sleeping when she could. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael Balsamo Associated Press -- 7/17/18

California split: Sponsor of measure to carve up state argues to let voters decide -- A plan to split California into three states should remain on the November ballot because it wouldn’t “revise” the state Constitution — something the voters can’t do on their own — but instead would replace it with three new constitutions, the measure’s sponsor has told the state Supreme Court. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

Schnur: Legal residents first. Don’t separate families. California leaders advise DC on immigration -- When Kim Yamasaki reads the news, she thinks of another wrenching chapter in the nation’s history, when Japanese-Americans were forced into relocation camps at the onset of World War II. Dan Schnur in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Los Angeles to hire tourism consultant to suggest fixes for gridlock and homelessness -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has set a goal of welcoming 50 million tourists a year by 2020. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/18

Uber Is Target of Federal Sex Discrimination Inquiry -- Federal officials are investigating allegations that Uber discriminated against women in hiring and pay, another federal inquiry into a company that has been rocked by scandals over its workplace culture and other issues. Jack Nicas in the New York Times$ -- 7/17/18

600 LAX workers may soon walk off the job -- An estimated 600 ground operations workers at Los Angeles International Airport could soon walk off the job over a labor dispute — a move that could create a major disruption at LAX and beyond. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/17/18

Ruling over killer whale attack reflects Kavanaugh’s view of workplace regulations -- When a killer whale drowned and dismembered a trainer at a SeaWorld park in Florida in 2010, federal labor officials fined the park $12,000 and required protective measures — over the objection of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who predicted in a written opinion that the next step would be a ban on tackling in pro football. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

A reporter went undercover as a Facebook moderator and found the firm is failing to delete shocking child abuse and racism -- A journalist from British broadcaster Channel 4 went undercover as a Facebook moderator and found a stream of toxic content that the company was failing to delete. Isobel Asher Hamilton and Jake Kanter Business Insider -- 7/17/18

Publishing Executives Argue Facebook Is Overly Deferential to Conservatives -- At a private meeting late last week, some publishing executives criticized Facebook Inc. for being overly accommodating to conservative outlets, days before social-media executives are to appear on Capitol Hill to discuss how content is displayed on their sites. Benjamin Mullin and Deepa Seetharaman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/17/18

A $15 billion e-cig startup that’s taking over the US is moving into London -- Standing in the bustling lobby of a San Francisco warehouse where employees zoom past one another carrying trays of freshly-prepared lunch, you wouldn't know you'd just set foot in the headquarters of an e-cigarette company. But Juul Labs is bursting at the seams, with employees on every floor from the basement to an attic with no air conditioning. Erin Brodwin Business Insider -- 7/17/18

San Diego council votes to limit Airbnb rentals to primary residences only -- The effect of the action will be to curtail investor activity in the short-term rental market while also barring residents and out-of-towners from hosting short-term stays in multiple properties other than where they reside. Lori Weisberg and Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/17/18

Elon Musk’s “pedo guy” cave tweet could hurt Tesla -- Childish insults. Demeaning nicknames. And skin that’s thinner than a solar cell. Over the weekend, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, long known for mounting blistering attacks on detractors, went off the deep end, as it were. Kate Galbraith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

San Francisco To Consider Tax On Companies To Help Homeless -- San Francisco voters will decide in November whether to tax large businesses to pay for homeless and housing services in a city struggling with income inequality. Associated Press -- 7/17/18

Homeless  

Fewer Homeless Veterans On LA's Streets -- The lack of affordable housing is at the forefront of the homeless crisis in Los Angeles County. But the city's annual point-in-time homeless count, released on June 1, showed that the veteran homeless population had declined 18 percent. Gloria Hillard KPCC -- 7/17/18

How the City Ended up Buying a Shuttered Skydiving Center to Help the Homeless -- A real estate financier who obsessed over the idea of a homeless navigation center is a central player in the city’s rapid, unprecedented purchase of a failed indoor skydiving facility that is set to become the homeless navigation center he wanted. Others wonder why the city’s spending millions for a homeless facility that won’t house any homeless residents. Lisa Halverstadt Voiceofsandiego.org -- 7/17/18

Housing  

Sacramento's housing market is 'healthier' this year than last, finance company says -- Sacramento now has the third-healthiest housing market among major cities in California, according to a new study by a personal finance company. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/18

Settlement of $4.75 million ends lawsuit with apartment developer over security deposits -- A settlement of a long-running lawsuit against an apartment developer in San Diego will wipe out millions in debts owed by former tenants, and could refund money for thousands more. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/17/18

Transit 

It’s been a bumpy ride as new BART cars spend time in the shop for repairs -- The first new cars in BART’s highly touted “Fleet of the Future” are spending quite a bit of time in the shop, as troubles and glitches continue to pop up. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/18

Water  

How Communities Are Turning Stormwater From a Liability to an Asset -- Stormwater used to be viewed as a liability – it was shuttled into storm drains as fast as possible to prevent flooding – and then dumped into the ocean, rivers or streams. But increasingly, stormwater is now being viewed as an asset – a way to help augment water supplies and adapt to a changing climate. Tara Lohan Water Deeply via KQED -- 7/17/18

Wildfire  

Cal/OSHA Launches Probe Into Death of Dozer Driver During Yosemite-Area Blaze -- California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health has launched an investigation into the death Saturday morning of a firefighter whose bulldozer overturned while fighting a blaze in the Sierra National Forest, west of Yosemite National Park. Don Clyde KQED -- 7/17/18

Education 

Don’t like your kid’s school district? Transferring could become easier—if they’re being bullied -- After overcoming homelessness, Keshara Shaw has been determined to improve circumstances for her family. She got a job and a place to live. But she’s having a harder time getting her 8-year-old son into a good school. Elizabeth Castillo Calmatters -- 7/17/18

It’s not just school supplies. Some teachers buy their own classroom furniture, too -- A quick search on DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding site specifically for educators, shows dozens of campaigns in Fresno asking for both flexible seating options like stools, camp chairs and beanbags, as well as regular, old desks. Aleksandra Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 7/17/18

As Gov. Brown urges work on new online college, community college faculty drop their opposition – Declaring California a leader in online education, Gov. Jerry Brown was unequivocal about the promise of a new California online community college intended to serve workers seeking to improve their skills and urged its leaders to move quickly to get it up and running. Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 7/17/18

Immigration, Border, Deportation 

Judge temporarily halts deportations of reunified families -- A judge temporarily blocked the federal government from deporting families newly reunified with their children as officials work under court order to match more than 2,500 children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/17/18

Tijuana residents face loss of homes, patios and even a shrine as new border wall rises -- From property barriers to wood shacks to cluttered backyard patios, dozens of structures south of the U.S. border fence face demolition as the Trump administration moves forward on its plans to build a taller, stronger wall separating the United States from Mexico. Sandra Dibble in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/18

Health 

Hidden From View: The Astonishingly High Administrative Costs of U.S. Health Care -- It takes only a glance at a hospital bill or at the myriad choices you may have for health care coverage to get a sense of the bewildering complexity of health care financing in the United States. That complexity doesn’t just exact a cognitive cost. It also comes with administrative costs that are largely hidden from view but that we all pay. Austin Frakt in the New York Times$ -- 7/17/18

Two more doctors indicted in suspected massive health care fraud scheme tied to Long Beach hospital -- Two more Southern California physicians have been indicted as part of an ongoing federal investigation into an alleged health care fraud scheme suspected of involving illegal kickbacks. Sean Emery in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 7/17/18

Also . . . 

Video of San Diego MMA fighter taking down suspected burglar goes viral -- A man suspected of burglarizing a City Heights home on Monday likely regretted his decision after a resident — who happens to also be an experienced mixed martial arts fighter — spotted him and took him down. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/17/18

The Griffin Will Reopen With 'No Tolerance' Signs After Proud Boys Incident in Atwater Village -- On Saturday night, a group of Proud Boys — self-described "western chauvinists" from a fraternal order of men who "refuse to apologize for creating the modern world" — gathered at The Griffin, a bar on Los Feliz Boulevard bar in Atwater Village. Witnesses say some of the men were wearing black and gold-trimmed polo shirts — the Proud Boys' official uniform — and some had on pro-Trump "MAGA" hats. LAist -- 7/17/18

Coast Guard offloads more than 17,000 pounds of seized cocaine in San Diego -- The drugs, worth nearly $260 million wholesale, were seized from four suspected smuggling vessels in late June and early July in international waters off the Pacific coast of South and Central America, Coast Guard officials said. The cocaine was offloaded at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/17/18

POTUS 45  

‘Very much counter to the plan’: Trump defies advisers in embrace of Putin -- Administration officials had hoped that maybe, just maybe, Monday’s summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladmir Putin would end differently — without a freewheeling 46-minute news conference in which Trump attacked his own FBI on foreign soil and warmly praised archrival Russia. Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey and Carol D. Leonnig in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/18

Fox News’s Chris Wallace gives Putin the grilling Trump won’t -- Perhaps the most notable exchange came toward the end, when Wallace probed Putin on why many of his critics wind up dead or near death. The most recent high-profile example of this is Sergei Skripal in Britain, an attack for which the Trump administration officially holds Russia responsible but Trump himself seems to view as an obstacle to making friends. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/18

Trump’s ‘Missing DNC Server’ Is Neither Missing Nor a Server -- The president can spout conspiracy theories all he wants. But the DNC turned over all its key data to the FBI after it got hacked. And that info wasn’t stored on a single server. Kevin Poulsen The Daily Beast -- 7/17/18

‘Treason’ Is Top Searched Word After Trump-Putin Press Conference -- describe U.S. President Donald Trump’s Monday press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a tweet by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster, the top-searched words included “treason,” “traitor” and “collusion” after the two leaders appeared together in Helsinki. David Moye Huffpost -- 7/17/18

Schwarzenegger: Trump looked like a 'little wet noodle' during Putin press conference -- Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) tore into President Trump on Monday, saying he acted like a “fan boy” of Russian President Vladimir President in their "embarrassing" press conference earlier in the day. Morgan Gstalter The Hill -- 7/17/18

Beltway 

Trump’s defense of Putin finds few supporters in Congress -- President Trump’s refusal Monday to denounce Russian President Vladimir Putin for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign sparked pointed criticism from Republican leaders, including several of Trump’s legislative allies who warned that his actions could ultimately hurt national security interests. Michael Scherer in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/18

Putin preens while Trump settles old scores --Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin found one point of complete agreement: They both wanted Trump to win the 2016 U.S. election. Beyond that, however, the former reality TV star and the former KGB spy mostly talked past each other at their high-stakes meeting in Finland, with Putin preening on the world stage and Trump still obsessed with settling scores on the home front. David M. Herszenhorn Politico -- 7/17/18

8 Suspect Claims From the Trump-Putin News Conference -- President Trump contradicted U.S. intelligence assessments that Russia meddled in the 2016 election, and President Vladimir V. Putin said he didn’t know that Mr. Trump was in Russia in 2013. Linda Qiu in the New York Times$ -- 7/17/18

Indicted Russian firm says it was backing free political speech, not disrupting 2016 election -- A Russian company accused of bankrolling a massive online operation to disrupt the 2016 presidential election argued Monday that it had broken no federal laws, that it was merely supporting free political speech and that the fraud charge against it should be thrown out. Tom Jackman in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/18

U.S. Treasury moves to protect identities of 'dark money' political donors -- The U.S. Treasury said on Monday that it will no longer require certain tax-exempt organizations including politically active nonprofit groups, such as the National Rifle Association and Planned Parenthood, to identify their financial donors to U.S. tax authorities. Reuters -- 7/17/18

 

-- Monday Updates 

Judge Temporarily Halts Deportation of Reunified Families -- U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw imposed a delay of at least a week after a request from the American Civil Liberties Union, which cited "persistent and increasing rumors ... that mass deportations may be carried out imminently and immediately upon reunification." Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 7/16/18

Plan for safe injection site gets dose of reality over federal drug laws -- There’s a reason San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that she is opening a model of a safe injection center in the Tenderloin: She’s been warned by the city attorney that opening a real injection site, where drug users can shoot up under supervision, could get her in hot water with the federal government. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/18

Ferguson Fire doubles in size, yet to reach Yosemite National Park -- A wildfire burning outside Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size overnight, exploding to 9,266 acres and sending smoke but not flames into the park, fire officials said Monday morning. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/18

If Sacramento is going to get decent transit to the airport anytime soon, this may be how -- When James Corless moved here last year to be the region’s main transportation planner, his first thought, he says, when he landed at Sacramento International Airport: Where’s the transit? Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/18

California is cutting greenhouse gases, but not from cars. Can that change? -- California’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling faster than state leaders hoped when they launched their fight against climate change 12 years ago. But there’s a glaring exception. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/18

Living with Janus, unions adapt -- Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s split decision dealing a significant blow to public unions, California union leaders remain optimistic about their ability to stay viable. Dylan Svoboda Capital Weekly -- 7/16/18

Fox: Kevin de Leon’s Long Game -- The California Democratic Party executive committee vote this weekend endorsing Kevin de León reflects the continued leftward march of party activists that just may be leaving many rank-and-file Democratic voters behind. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/16/18

Joint News Conference by Trump and Putin: Full Video and Transcript -- After meeting privately in Helsinki, Finland, on Monday, President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia held a joint news conference. Following is a transcript as prepared by the Federal News Service via in the New York Times$ -- 7/16/18

Trump’s news conference with Putin was everything Putin could have dreamed -- There were no shortage of critics of President Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which came just days after Trump's own government indicted 12 Russians for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election, no less. The meeting was just about everything those critics feared it would be. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/18

Schumer: Americans 'will wonder' if Putin has dirt on Trump -- Chuck Schumer said on Monday that Americans are wondering if the "only explanation" for President Donald Trump's performance alongside Vladimir Putin is that the Russian president "holds damaging information over President Trump." Burgess Everett, Elana Schor Politico -- 7/16/18

GOP offers modest rebuke to Trump after Putin press conference -- President Donald Trump drew quick criticism from a handful of Republicans for aligning with Vladimir Putin and dismissing Moscow's electoral sabotage — but few GOP lawmakers signaled concrete plans to act on their alarm about Trump's remarkably cozy appearance with the Russian president. Burgess Everett, Elana Schor Politico -- 7/16/18