Updating . .
BART rolling out sophisticated quake alert system to protect riders, trains -- Thousands of BART riders won’t have to worry so much about hurtling off the tracks during the Big One on Monday when California fires up a long-awaited earthquake warning system. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
Are Airbnb-type rentals a boon or a threat for tenants under rent control? -- For years, Los Angeles leaders have wrestled with how to regulate the renting out of homes for short stays, a practice popularized through websites like Airbnb. Until recently, there was little debate at City Hall about banning the practice in hundreds of thousands of rent-controlled apartments. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
Gavin Newsom draws line on San Francisco street behavior: City now ‘too permissive’ -- Former Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom says San Francisco has become “too permissive” when it comes to open drug use and other bad behavior on the city’s streets. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle 10/7/18
Can Fairfield’s cash-for-tips gun program save kids like Ahmar Willis? -- Fairfield is going beyond traditional gun buybacks by offering up to $500 cash for anonymous tips about anyone who might have an illegal gun. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
After three years in a foreign prison, a Cambodian political activist wonders how he can help his homeland from California -- If Cambodian government officials thought Meach Sovannara would stay quiet after they threw him in prison, they were wrong. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
Prop. 7: California considers full-time daylight savings, end of changing clocks -- Imagine never losing an hour of sleep in the spring or an hour of sunlight on cold winter evenings. Imagine — gasp! — never having to change the clocks. Life is full of tradeoffs, but forgoing the semi-annual time change has become a enticing idea for some. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
Escape from the fire -- The wind pounded against the window panes and whistled under the front door. It screeched, hungry and alive. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
'I’m not sure how you get past this': Fire-scarred Mark West Springs neighbors stick together through hardship -- Trapped at their home north of Santa Rosa by the wildfire that roared across the Mayacamas Mountains last fall, they took refuge in their swimming pool, surviving on gulps of toxic air that singed their lungs between repeated dunks they hoped would ward off burns. Mary Callahan in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 10/7/18
One year after Tubbs Fire, Coffey Park coalesces, Fountaingrove struggles to rebuild -- They’re called “Whine Wednesdays.” At 6 p.m. each week, one to two dozen displaced residents of Coffey Park gather in the ashen remains of Scarlet Place. They set up camping chairs and folding tables in the middle of the cul de sac, where one new house is up and painted blue and the rest of the lots are raw dirt, scraped of any remnants of house and garden — a year after an inferno incinerated their neighborhood on the deadliest night of wildfires in California history. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/7/18
Cases Pitting Trump Against Blue States Will Test Kavanaugh -- Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court has put a spotlight on the dozens of federal cases pitting the Trump administration against Democratic-leaning states, on issues including auto emission standards, immigration and a free-flowing internet. Geoff Mulvihill Associated Press -- 10/7/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California's candidates for governor to meet for lone one-on-one debate as voters find few face-offs in top races -- California’s candidates for governor and U.S. Senate are infiltrating television, Facebook feeds and mailboxes with campaign ads and slick mailers, but there’s one place voters aren’t likely to see them — the debate stage. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
Gas Tax, Trump, Housing Drive Race for California Governor -- California's race for governor pits Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and former San Francisco mayor, against Republican businessman John Cox. Here's a look at where they stand on issues that have shaped the race: Jonathan J. Cooper AssociatedPress -- 10/7/18
California’s John Cox: the politician who distrusts politicians -- The California governor’s race may look like a battle between two wealthy men, but Republican businessman John Cox says there’s one big difference between him and his Democratic opponent, Gavin Newsom: “I struggled.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
Newsom Eyes Return to Spotlight as California Governor -- For eight years, Democrat Gavin Newsom bided his time as California's lieutenant governor, a job with little responsibility and little interest to him. He was so eager to start the next phase of his political life that within three months of winning a second term in 2014 he announced his candidacy for governor. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 10/7/18
Devin Nunes in safe lead over Andrew Janz as ‘Trump looms large,’ new poll shows -- A new poll has bad news for Democrat Andrew Janz, who is running against Republican Rep. Devin Nunes in the November election. Andrew Sheeler in the Fresno Bee -- 10/7/18
California's closely watched races for Congress could have a domino effect on elections for the Legislature -- If November’s election finally shatters the maxim that “all politics is local,” it will be because even the elected positions thought to be in safe political harbors were swept into a historic partisan storm. And in California, the collateral damage could be in a handful of races for the Legislature. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
Ballot Measure Would Lock Lower Taxes for Older Homeowners -- Recently divorced and raising a teenager on her own, Vicky Campbell moved to San Diego because of the weather but it didn't hurt that she could bring her low property taxes with her. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 10/7/18
California's Role Fighting Trump Marks Attorney General Race -- California's Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra fights the Trump administration at seemingly every turn and wants voters to keep him in the job to continue the battle. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 10/7/18
Time Right for Permanent Daylight Saving in California? -- It's clockwork: Every fall and spring, Californians and most of the rest of the nation switch to daylight saving or standard time, often with gripes about losing an hour of sleep, the sun setting earlier in the day or the minor chore of changing clocks. This November, California voters will decide if it's time for a change. Amanda Lee Myers Associated Press -- 10/7/18
Death row inmate fatally stabbed at San Quentin was responsible for sensational hate crime killing in Los Angeles -- Death row inmate Jonathan Fajardo was fatally stabbed by a fellow inmate at San Quentin State Prison on Friday, 12 years after he was convicted in the sensational hate crime killing of a 14-year-old black girl that highlighted racial tensions in the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles. Carlos Lozano in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
California Rent Control Ballot Measure Prompts Fierce Fight -- Californians who rent apartments built after 1995, single-family homes or condominiums have limited protections from rising prices under a state law passed that year that significantly restricts rent control. That could change if voters pass Proposition 10 in November. Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 10/7/18
Dialysis Clinics, Union Fight Over California Proposition 8 -- A ballot measure restricting profits at dialysis clinics has overtaken initiatives on the gas tax and rent control to become the most expensive California proposition this cycle. Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 10/7/18
Walters: California’s school ‘achievement gap’ proves persistent -- The massive “Getting Down to Facts” report on the pluses and minuses of public education in California, issued last month, was a sobering reminder of the stakes involved in how well youngsters are educated. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/7/18
#MeToo Movement Sends Hollywood Figures Into Exile, Not Jail -- The #MeToo movement has sent dozens of once-powerful Hollywood players into exile, but few of them have been placed in handcuffs or jail cells. And it's increasingly apparent that the lack of criminal charges may remain the norm. Andrew Dalton Associated Press -- 10/7/18
Willie Brown: Trump is right: Men are scared. He knows how to exploit their fear -- There is a silent force emerging in American politics, and thanks to the contentious debate over Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump is tapping right into it. I’m talking about men. Your husband, perhaps, or your brother or son. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
Peterson: Of all the monsters that have risen from the toxic swamp of the Brett M. Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation drama — the Partisan Posturer, the Tear-Stained Table-Pounder, Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Wagging Finger — one of the scariest is the looming, yowling specter of the Victimized Male. Karla Peterson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/7/18
Christine Blasey Ford’s friends: ‘Where does she go from here?’ -- She feared it would end this way. Christine Blasey Ford even told the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that she wondered whether she would “just be jumping in front of a train that was headed to where it was headed anyway, and that I would just be personally annihilated.” Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/7/18
San Francisco’s tree maintenance program sprouts confusion, frustration -- Since he took office as District Eight supervisor in July, the single biggest concern driving constituents to call Rafael Mandelman’s office is homelessness. The runner-up? San Francisco’s nascent tree-trimming program. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
Knight: The Tenderloin and SoMa: San Francisco’s safe sites for drug dealers -- “There’s one,” the police sergeant said as we drove through the Tenderloin. “There’s one of them there. That guy, see him?” And another. And another. Sgt. Kevin Healy was showing me known drug dealers, and they were everywhere — swarming the neighborhood, chatting and smiling. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world. That’s because they don’t. Not in San Francisco. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
High-speed rail routes veer uncomfortably close to home for some San Fernando Valley residents -- The 65-year-old homeowner voted against the high-speed rail bond measure when it was on the ballot nearly a decade ago, because he felt it was a “total waste of money.” A community meeting held last month in Pacoima did little to change his mind, and he had lots of company. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/7/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
California’s senior population is growing faster than any other age group. How the next governor responds is crucial -- That radical transformation has been largely absent from discussion as politicians grapple with education, healthcare and environmental policies. But the graying of California will seep into nearly every nook of the state budget and policy planning under the next governor. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
Pender: As jobless rate drops to 49-year low, workers’ earnings still lag -- Although some companies — even in the ailing retail sector — are having trouble hiring employees, wage growth is barely beating inflation nationally and falling behind in the high-cost Bay Area. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
Wineries, vineyards clash over how to handle grapes affected by wildfire smoke -- Along the West Coast, grape growers and wineries are locked in bitter disputes over what to do with wine grapes that may have been tainted by smoke from the summer’s wildfires. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/18
Meet the farmers of the future: Robots -- Brandon Alexander would like to introduce you to Angus, the farmer of the future. He’s heavyset, weighing in at nearly 1,000 pounds, not to mention a bit slow. But he’s strong enough to hoist 800-pound pallets of maturing vegetables and can move them from place to place on his own. Michael Liedtke Associated Press -- 10/7/18
Coronado's love/hate relationship with tourists -- Coronado’s beach is routinely ranked among the best in the country. Celebrities and heads of state vacation at its famous hotel. Prince Harry drank beers in the local Irish pub. And Tom Cruise is currently filming the “Top Gun” sequel there. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/7/18
Housing
In a rarity, Los Angeles strips building from rent control, leaving tenants facing big increases -- In November, Californians will go to the polls to decide whether to give cities the option of sharply expanding protections against steep rent increases. But as tenants at a 38-unit Tarzana apartment complex recently discovered, it’s also possible to have existing rent controls revoked. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
Turn schools into teacher housing? Unique idea sparks backlash in Bay Area community -- A local school district’s unique idea to turn schools into teacher housing — an attempt to tackle the region’s dire housing shortage and retain fleeing instructors — is colliding with a massive backlash from neighborhood residents. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/7/18
Wildfire
'I’m not sure how you get past this': Fire-scarred Mark West Springs neighbors stick together through hardship -- Trapped at their home north of Santa Rosa by the wildfire that roared across the Mayacamas Mountains last fall, they took refuge in their swimming pool, surviving on gulps of toxic air that singed their lungs between repeated dunks they hoped would ward off burns. Mary Callahan in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 10/7/18
Also . . .
Third shooter admits role in 2006 death of Oceanside police officer -- Nearly 12 years after gang members gunned down an Oceanside police officer during a traffic stop, a 28-year-old man admitted in court Friday that he was one of the triggermen. Teri Figueroa in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/18
Beltway
Post-Kavanaugh, both parties spoiling for a fight over educated women’s vote -- The prolonged and contentious fight over Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court has energized Republican voters angry at the newly minted justice’s perceived mistreatment. But after Kavanaugh’s confirmation Saturday, Democrats are hoping they can rebound ahead of November’s election -- with one particular group of voters leading the way. Alex Roarty and Katie Glueck in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/18
A GOP 'disaster' averted: The final harrowing hours of Kavanaugh's confirmation -- How Republicans pushed through a damaged nominee with a relentless focus on three undecided senators. Elana Schor, Burgess Everett and Nancy Cook Politico -- 10/7/18
-- Saturday Updates
Once again, the next governor will not resemble the average Californian -- With California’s race for governor narrowed down to two big-city rich guys, the mayor of the tiny farm town of Fowler worries that the San Joaquin Valley might continue to be a political afterthought. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times-- 10/6/18
Potential 2020 contender Kamala Harris uses Kavanaugh to help at-risk Democrats -- Sen. Kamala Harris has been using Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s highly partisan, polarizing confirmation process to build her own political network — a boost that could be valuable as the 2020 presidential election nears. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/6/18
Sen. Dianne Feinstein seeks sixth term: How her Washington virtues became California vulnerabilities -- ever mind respect for elders. The thousands of West Virginians who packed an arena on the last Saturday night in September were having a fine time laughing at California’s 85-year-old senator, Dianne Feinstein. Marc Sandalow Calmatters -- 10/6/18
A prison officer was charged with groping. The state now refuses to provide records -- Days after Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that will open files in police sexual misconduct cases next year, state prison officials refused to release records that could show if a recent groping charge filed against a prison captain is indicative of a larger pattern at the facility. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/6/18
More than 60% of leases on the VA's West L.A. campus are illegal or improper, audit finds -- More than 60% of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ land-use agreements on its West Los Angeles campus are illegal or improper, a federal audit found, including leases for a Los Angeles city dog park and ballfields, Red Cross offices, a Shakespeare festival, a parrot sanctuary and the private Brentwood School. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/6/18
Prominent obstetrician accused of sexual misconduct removed from leadership at Huntington Hospital, must have chaperone -- In the wake of revelations that a prominent Pasadena obstetrician had been accused repeatedly of sexual misconduct, Huntington Memorial Hospital announced Friday that the doctor no longer had a leadership role at the hospital and will have a chaperone when treating women in the maternity ward. Matt Hamilton and Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/6/18
Silicon Valley congressman unveils an Internet Bill of Rights -- By July 2019, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) aims to see the House of Representatives pass landmark legislation shielding consumers from the onslaught of data breaches and the anxiety and confusion over the misuse of their personal information on the Web. Hamza Shaban in the Washington Post -- 10/6/18
Women on boards: Are Bay Area companies in compliance with new law? -- Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Tesla each will need to add one more woman to their board of directors by 2021 under a first-in-the-nation law just signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown, but some other well-known companies in the state have a lot more work to do than that. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/6/18
No telling who’ll win Harder-Denham race, polls and experts say -- A new independent survey of likely voters indicates challenger Josh Harder has a slight edge over incumbent Rep. Jeff Denham in one of the United States’ most competitive House contests. But the difference is small enough that most experts continue saying the 10th District race is impossible to call. Garth Stapley in the Modesto Bee -- 10/6/18
For L.A. candidates seeking public money, it won't be enough to just agree to debate, officials say -- For decades, Los Angeles city candidates who wanted to tap into public money for their campaigns have had to agree to debate their opponents. But actually participating in a debate has never been required, according to the Ethics Commission. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/6/18
CHP: Stephon Clark protester hit by sheriff’s SUV was at fault in collision -- The 62-year-old woman struck by a Sacramento County Sheriff’s SUV last March during a protest over the police killing of Stephon Clark caused the accident that injured her and left her with nearly $43,000 in medical bills, a California Highway Patrol investigation has found. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/6/18
Leaders of Tea Party and Indivisible share passion, patriotism and tactics -- Shortly after President Barack Obama entered the White House in 2009, a group of citizens fed up with big government and excessive spending started a modern day Tea Party movement aimed at stopping a liberal political agenda. Sandra Emerson in the Orange County Register -- 10/6/18
Seized in crackdown against global drug ring, Sacramento man facing 60 years in prison -- A Sacramento man – who prosecutors believe is part of a Chinese drug ring – was charged with 10 counts of money laundering and the conspiracy to manufacture marijuana Friday after law enforcement officials found around 300 marijuana plants in properties he owned, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Claire Morgan in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/6/18
Death-row inmate stabbed to death in San Quentin State Prison -- An inmate facing a death sentence for killing a 14-year-old girl was stabbed to death Friday morning while in the recreation yard of San Quentin State Prison, authorities said. Lauren Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/6/18
Shoring up of Transbay center will extend beyond Fremont Street area, officials say -- As workers try to repair two cracked beams over Fremont Street at San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center, they will begin shoring up a similar crossing above First Street that has not cracked, officials said Friday. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/6/18