Updating . .  

Trump administration moves to open 1.6 million acres to fracking, drilling in California -- Ending a five-year moratorium, the Trump administration Wednesday took a first step toward opening 1.6 million acres of California public land to fracking and conventional oil drilling, triggering alarm bells among environmentalists. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/8/18

New mandatory evacuations as Holy fire burns closer to some communities -- The Holy fire in the Cleveland National Forest pushed closer to some homes Wednesday, prompting a new round of mandatory evacuations.  Ruben Vives, Alejandra Reyes-velarde and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

Mendocino Complex Fire roars past 300,000 acres, but containment grows -- The Mendocino Complex Fire in Northern California reached 300,086 acres as of 7 a.m. Wednesday morning following a night of significant progress resulting in 47 percent containment – up from 34 percent, a Cal Fire incident update said. Julia Sclafani in the Sacramento Bee$ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/18

‘California is burning:’ Democratic group attacks McClintock on wildfires -- A Democrat-aligned political action committee is launching a six-figure ad campaign attacking Republican Rep. Tom McClintock for his position on wildfire-related spending, a crucial issue in California’s heavily forested 4th Congressional District. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/8/18

As wildfire blazes on, Yosemite-area tourist industry ravaged -- From the tourist-dependent towns of Groveland and Sonora in Tuolumne County on Yosemite’s north side to Oakhurst in Madera County farther south, the sentiment among shop owners, hotel operators and restaurateurs is the same. Without visitors, they’re losing money. And some just can’t afford to go deeper into the red. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/8/18

Lopez: Fake news or the future? -- Living in California in the Trump era is like being in a movie inspired by “Groundhog Day,” with each day a little worse than the last. You wake up and he’s coming after us again, tweeting, taunting, twisting the truth. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

Fewer tents on San Francisco streets, but drugs, feces, mental health still big problems -- The number of tents on San Francisco streets has been cut by more than half in the past two years, but despite the shrinking numbers, the street behavior by the homeless, the mentally ill and the drug-addled continues to be a challenge — with no quick solution in sight. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/8/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

California lawmakers grill DMV official over ballooning wait times -- The leader of the state Department of Motor Vehicles apologized on Tuesday for a recent steep increase in hours-long wait times at the agency’s locations across California, as complaints over excessive delays sparked new scrutiny from legislators. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 8/8/18

DMV scrambles with ‘triage’ measures to ease horrendous long lines -- Under increased pressure by outraged Californians to reduce waits of eight hours or more at some DMV offices, the besieged agency is sending in more reinforcements even as it’s asking the state for more funding to solve the growing crisis. Gary Richards, Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/18

Facebook fumbles ad ban in CA House race, prompting conservative outrage -- Facebook’s struggles to adapt to a political world in which it’s become a major player intensified when it banned a California Republican House candidate’s biographical ad because of content the online platform deemed “shocking” and “sensational.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/8/18

Abolish ICE: Why California Dems aren’t joining the new progressive rallying cry -- California’s top Democratic hopefuls are backing away from the “Abolish ICE” rallying cry that has emerged as a mantra for progressive activists, signaling an uneasiness with the party’s bold left turn in one of the country’s most deeply blue states. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/18

Walters: Big issues mean big trouble at end of legislative session -- Tanned, rested and presumably ready, the Legislature reconvened this week for the inevitably hectic final weeks of its annual session. The pressure cooker atmosphere that always envelops the final days is, history tells us, not conducive to thoughtful policymaking. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 8/8/18

Democrat Leads as LA-Area Voters Choose Senator -- Democrat Vanessa Delgado had a nearly 6-point lead over Republican Rita Topalian Tuesday night in a Southern California election to replace a state senator who resigned over sexual misconduct allegations. Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 8/8/18

California House race gets ugly: Slogan theft charges fly -- It started when Democrat Josh Harder tweeted out a campaign mailer sent out by his November election opponent in the Central Valley’s congressional District 10, GOP Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock, with the slogan, “From the Valley. For the Valley.” Hmm, said Team Harder. That sounds awfully similar to their slogan, “Of the Valley. For the Valley.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/8/18

Denham addresses immigration as detractors protest -- Rep. Jeff Denham made a rare public appearance Tuesday, addressing the Latino Community Roundtable in Modesto while a sign-waving crowd of about 50 people protested outside. Garth Stapley in the Modesto Bee$ -- 8/8/18

State attorney general, SoCal Gas reach tentative settlement over massive Aliso Canyon gas blowout -- Almost three years after the largest gas leak in U.S. history, the state attorney general’s office has reached a tentative settlement of litigation brought against the Southern California Gas Co. over the blowout in Aliso Canyon that sickened thousands with nosebleeds and nausea and caused massive evacuations in the Porter Ranch community. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/8/18

Dying Bay Area man’s case against Monsanto set to go to the jury -- The lawyer for a cancer patient suing Monsanto Co. over its weed-killer that he sprayed as a school groundskeeper told a San Francisco jury Tuesday that the chemical giant had knowingly exposed thousands of Americans to a dangerous product, and it was time to pay up. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/8/18

Panga driver, not Border Patrol agents, found at fault in deadly collision at sea -- A deadly collision between a panga and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vessel off the Encinitas shore in 2015 was caused by the erratic evasion efforts of the panga driver, not the agents trying to halt the human smuggling operation, a federal judge in San Diego has ruled. Kristina Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

As Trump tweets about California fires, his administration wants to expand logging -- Logging has long been among California’s most divisive environmental issues — and the controversy shows little chance of cooling as the Trump administration pushes new efforts to thin forests. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

U.S. appeals court wrestles with lawsuit to block border projects in California -- A federal appeals court appeared uncertain Tuesday whether it had authority to weigh in on a dispute about the Trump administration’s plans to replace border fencing in California. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

L.A. firefighter files discrimination suit, saying his equipment was smeared with feces -- Emanuel Brown, a 10-year employee, said the mistreatment began Easter Sunday in 2017, when he found feces in a compartment where he stored his jacket and breathing apparatus. The department has had a history of incidents of fecal matter being used in the harassment of black firefighters, he said in his lawsuit. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

Fox: Protecting Newspapers at What Cost to Freedom of the Press? -- Assemblyman Marc Levine plans to make proposals to help newspapers that are experiencing economic difficulties in the digital age. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/8/18

Wildfire  

New evacuations ordered in growing Ranch fire -- The fires’ reach is staggering. From the western front in Mendocino County — where the two blazes began July 27 about 14 miles and an hour apart — it is now a three-hour drive to the eastern front in Colusa County. There, the Ranch fire, pushing through bone-dry, oak-dotted foothills, has reached the Stonyford-Lodoga Road area near the Century Ranch residential subdivision, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Randi Rossmann and Martin Espinoza in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 8/8/18

Firefighters gain ground on record-breaking Mendocino Complex fire as battles against statewide blazes continue -- Firefighters in Northern California were beginning to gain ground Tuesday against a record-breaking wildfire in Lake County, as firefighters across the state continued battling 18 blazes that have scorched more than 619,000 acres. Alejandra Reyes-velarde, Joseph Serna, James Queally and Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

14,000 firefighters now battling 16 major blazes across state -- California’s traditional fire season is not yet half over, but on Tuesday an army of more than 14,000 firefighters continued to battle 16 major blazes around the state — fires that already have destroyed more than 2,000 homes and killed nine people. And one ominous record has been broken. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/18

Hope, evacuations increase on Holy fire -- Officials overseeing the fight against the out-of-control Holy fire on the ridges between Orange and Riverside counties believe progress could be made Wednesday as temperatures drop slightly and humidity rises. Beatriz E. Valenzuela, Chris Haire, Keith Sharon, Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register -- 8/8/18

Battling 18 Blazes, California May Face Worst Fire Season -- The largest wildfire ever recorded in California needed just 11 days to blacken an area nearly the size of Los Angeles — and it's only one of many enormous blazes that could make this the worst fire season in state history. Don Thompson, Lorin Eleni Gill and Olga Rodriguez Associated Press Tim Arango and Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 8/8/18

As California burns, climate goals may go up in smoke—even after the flames are out -- As crews across California battle more than a dozen wildfires—including the largest in state history—the blazes are spewing enough carbon into the air to undo some of the good done by the state’s climate policies. What’s even worse: Climate-warming compounds that will be released by the charred forests long after the fires are extinguished may do more to warm up the planet than the immediate harm from smoky air. Julie Cart Calmatters -- 8/8/18

Extreme California Wildfires Emit More Greenhouse Gases — But Scientists Don’t Know Exactly How Much -- California’s wildfires are releasing millions of metric tons of carbon into the air — exacerbated by and contributing to climate change. How bad is it? Scientists don’t know. Cal Fire says more than 750,000 acres have burned so far in 2018, combusting grass, trees, homes, and all pushing out greenhouse gases. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 8/8/18

Holy Jim, devastated by fire, faces specter of vanishing forever -- For the residents of Holy Jim, a tract of more than 40 cabins deep in the Cleveland National Forest, the destruction is about more than losing possessions, a secluded vacation spot, or property. It is about the specter of 150 years of history lost, about a community that dates to the 19th century joining its Civil War founders as a relic of the past. Chris Haire in the Orange County Register -- 8/8/18

In a rare move, Orange County helicopter called in to battle vehicle fire -- A helicopter dropped 350 gallons of water onto a vehicle fire generating a plume of smoke, flame and ash that threatened to ignite vegetation adjacent to the 241 Toll Road on Tuesday, Aug. 7. Elias Licas in the Orange County Register -- 8/8/18

More evacuations lifted as Carr Fire continues to grow -- As a thick blanket of smoke covered much of the region Tuesday morning, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials working with authorities continued to lift evacuations. The fire, which grew by about 7,600 acres from Monday, had charred more than 268 square miles, or 172,055 acres, with containment unchanged at 47 percent. Jim Schultz in the Redding Record Searchlight -- 8/8/18

Power companies tell lawmakers they have responded to fire threat -- PG&E is pushing hard, with Brown’s support, for a change in the policy that would exempt PG&E from paying damages for fires in which the utility had acted responsibly. Cal Fire has determined PG&E’s equipment was responsible for causing 16 major fires, and had allegedly violated state code by failing to keep tree limbs clear of its equipment in 11 of those blazes. Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 8/8/18

California fires: See how smoke is spreading across the West -- Major wildfires burning across California are spreading hazardous levels of smoke across the West, turning skies across the Bay Area into what’s becoming the Summer of 2018’s familiar hue: sun-streaked gray. Paul Rogers, Anna-Sofia Lesiv in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

Musk stuns Tesla investors, says company may go private -- Eight years after Elon Musk took electric car startup Tesla public, the mercurial CEO on Tuesday said he wants to turn the automaker back into a private company — at least for a while. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

Sunnyvale to consider freezing minimum wage to $15 per hour for a year -- Sunnyvale, which considers itself a trailblazer for having one of the higher minimum wage requirements in a region where the soaring cost of living continues to drive away low-paid workers, may now consider temporarily slowing its pace so neighboring cities can catch up. Khalida Sarwari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/18

California unions win another pension lawsuit. Will their streak continue? -- The state Supreme Court last Thursday struck down one of the biggest efforts yet to force California public employees into 401(k) plans, giving unions another win in their effort to protect defined benefit retirement plans from elected leaders who want to rein in pension costs. Caitlin Chen in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/8/18

Salk Institute settles 2 of 3 gender discrimination lawsuits -- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla said Tuesday that it has settled two of the three gender discrimination suits filed against the center last year by a trio of prominent female researchers. Gary Robbins and Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/8/18

What a home sales slump could mean for professionals, buyers -- Gin said a lack of sales has a ripple effect across the real estate job market, even if it has little to do with the overall health of the economy. He said everyone along the job chain, from real estate agents to title agents, could be affected. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/8/18

Homeless  

L.A. County to test new efforts to assist people living in vehicles -- The program will consist of outreach to people living in their cars, vans and RVs to connect them with social services, money to discourage the use and reuse of dilapidated RVs as dwellings, and a solid- and hazardous-waste collection program, including free sharps containers. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

Housing  

Litigation seeks to block Merge 56, which some called a new model for suburban development -- The union that filed the lawsuit, Local 89 of the Laborers International Union of North America, has requested Levitt agree to a project labor agreement for Merge 56, which generally imposes terms that are labor-friendly on the builder. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/8/18

What a home sales slump could mean for professionals, buyers -- Gin said a lack of sales has a ripple effect across the real estate job market, even if it has little to do with the overall health of the economy. He said everyone along the job chain, from real estate agents to title agents, could be affected. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/8/18

Immigration, Border, Deportation 

‘Our community is made up of immigrants.’ Tensions high at Fresno forum on ICE arrests -- Emotions ran high at an immigration forum Tuesday in front of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, resulting in some speakers being removed from the event. Yesenia Amaro and Pablo Lopez in the Fresno Bee -- 8/8/18

Education 

USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias' departure -- USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/18

Trump's school safety commission would prefer if you didn't talk about gun control -- The day before she was to testify before President Trump’s school safety commission, Jennifer Johnston, an expert on media coverage of mass shootings, received a phone call from an Education Department advisor who asked her to “refrain” from any gun-control remarks. Eliza Fawcett in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/8/18

Fires Delay First Day Back at Lake County Schools -- Lakeport, Upperlake, Lucerne and Konocti Unified Schools Districts were scheduled to start school in the next two weeks but have delayed their start dates until mid-August. The delay will affect at least 5,100 students in the area. Monica Samayoa KQED -- 8/8/18

Timeline for new California online college 'aggressive' but doable, says community college chancellor -- California’s bold experiment in online education took steps Monday to progress beyond the idea stage, but it faces a tight timeline to be up and running by the last quarter of 2019. Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 8/8/18

Also . . . 

Black Lives Matter allies target Stephon Clark officer’s wedding day, video shows -- Nearly five months after two Sacramento police officers shot Stephon Clark to death and ignited demands for charges against them, police have not submitted their investigation to Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert for a decision on whether the shooting was justified. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/8/18

Bomb squad blows up ozone measuring equipment -- It was not until after the Alameda County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad blew it up Monday evening that it was determined not to be a bomb, but equipment used to measure the ozone layer that had been carried by a balloon. Harry Harris, George Kelly in the East Bay Times -- 8/8/18