California Policy & Politics This Morning
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s family benefited from U.S. program for minorities based on disputed ancestry -- A company owned by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s in-laws won more than $7 million in no-bid and other federal contracts at U.S. military installations and other government properties in California based on a dubious claim of Native American identity by McCarthy’s brother-in-law, a Times investigation has found. Paul Pringle and Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
Plan to revive rivers pits San Francisco against California -- The rivers that once poured from the Sierra Nevada, thick with snowmelt and salmon, now languish amid relentless pumping, sometimes shriveling to a trickle and sparking a crisis for fish, wildlife and the people who rely on a healthy California delta. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
The economy is booming. Why do so many Central Valley cities want to raise taxes? -- In the once tiny farming town of Kerman, the population is growing rapidly but the police department can’t afford to hire new cops. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/14/18
Kamala Harris 2020? The California senator is heading to Iowa -- Sen. Kamala Harris will travel to Iowa this month, increasing the buzz around her possible run for president in 2020. The California Democrat is scheduled to spend Oct. 22 and 23 in the state, whose caucuses are set to be the first-in-the-nation votes during the next presidential cycle. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle Ken Thomas Associated Press-- 10/14/18
A Californian on the 2020 presidential ticket? Here’s what state insiders say -- The latest conventional wisdom among state political insiders: There’s a good chance a Californian will be on the presidential ticket in 2020, and that Californian is likely to be Democratic U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris. Elizabeth Castillo Calmatters -- 10/14/18
Will President Trump's attacks on Sen. Dianne Feinstein help or hurt her in liberal California? -- With President Trump smiling from the podium, the crowd chanted a familiar slogan at a Republican rally in Iowa this week, but with a new target in mind. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
Willie Brown: When it comes to Californians, Trump is never at a loss for insults -- President Trump is totally and completely devoted to campaigning every hour of every day and in every location where there is a political contest. And he’s just as committed to insulting any of his opponents, which he seems to find in California with startling regularity. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
San Francisco taught Newsom crucial lessons he could use as governor -- Gavin Newsom has long been caricatured — with some degree of accuracy — as a “fortunate son,” as his Republican gubernatorial opponent John Cox calls him. Even though Bay Area residents who have followed his career over two decades know Newsom is more of a “fortunate friend” than a son of privilege, the narrative has gone statewide in the governor’s campaign. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
From In-N-Out to the County Fair: Republican John Cox Tries to Make a Name in California -- John Cox, the Republican businessman running for governor of California, and his small entourage breezed through the doors of an In-N-Out Burger in Ventura County the other day. Mr. Cox introduced himself to a couple at a corner table eating burgers, mentioning how he has been rising in some polls. “People still don’t know who I am,” he said to the couple. “You’ve barely heard of me, right?” Yes, that’s right. Tim Arango in the New York Times -- 10/14/18
In one California race, it’s Democrat vs. ex-Republican -- In what could be a glimpse of California’s future, an independent candidate is on the November ballot for state insurance commissioner. Steve Poizner, who was elected to the post as a Republican in 2006 and served four years, is running again — this time without any party backing. He is facing Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens (Los Angeles County). John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
Walters: Four measures would do little about housing crisis -- Few would doubt that California’s single most important economic/political issue is a growing housing shortage which distresses millions of Californians and is the largest single factor in the state’s highest-in-the-nation poverty rate. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/14/18
Health Care Is Top Issue in California Swing Districts, Search Data Shows -- Searches from California's most competitive swing districts are reflecting an outsize interest in health care issues, according to search data from Google Trends. In nearly all of the seven districts rated "Lean" or "Toss Up" by the Cook Political Report, election searches around health care issues outnumbered interest in issues like immigration or the economy. " Guy Marzorati KQED -- 10/14/18
Majority Report: “Do you think your father met with a terrorist sympathizer?” edition -- Radio debates, Twitter spats, and the political security that comes with belonging to the right party. Here’s a quick recap of what happened this week across California’s 53 congressional districts. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 10/14/18
In East Bay Assembly race, differences in approach overshadow agreement on policy -- An increasingly bitter contest in the East Bay’s Assembly District 15 pits a first-time candidate who has the backing of Democratic Party heavyweights against a political firebrand who has been in local government for years. The outcome will reveal which brand of progressive politics can persuade voters in this bright blue district, which stretches from North Oakland through Berkeley and Richmond to Hercules. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
AIDS foundation goes all in for rent control initiative -- It’s perhaps no surprise that apartment owners, real estate interests and corporate landlords have spent $61 million to kill Proposition 10, an initiative that threatens their income by reinstating rent control in California. But the main funder of the Yes on 10 campaign comes from what might, to an unpracticed eye, be an unlikely source. Dan Morain Calmatters -- 10/14/18
CA-48: Here’s how global warming might flip the House -- When the tides are especially high and the swell is running big, waves lick the sea walls of Orange County’s Balboa Island. On a bad day, water cascades over the edge, threatening to flood portions of the 3,300-person isle that, for now, sits a few feet above sea level. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 10/14/18
Will Kavanaugh save California Republicans, or energize Democrats? -- Almost 18 years after Bush v. Gore, the GOP’s November hopes might once again rest with the U.S. Supreme Court. This time, it’s not a high-court ruling, but anger over the treatment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh that conservatives hope to harness as an antidote to Democratic enthusiasm in mid-term elections that threaten the GOP’s congressional majority. Jeff Horseman in the Orange County Register -- 10/14/18
A Corona councilman says city is in a 'spiritual battle,' and urges voters to elect 3 pastors. Others say the big issue is traffic -- For many Corona City Council candidates, the issues are the run-of-the-mill stuff of local politics: improving traffic, better planning, a balanced budget. For Councilman Randy Fox, a pastor, the election “is a spiritual battle.” “There is a bent toward throwing off the rule of God,” he said recently at a local church. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
Hiltzik: How profiteering by the same dialysis firms trying to kill Proposition 8 almost destroyed Obamacare -- Things were looking bad for the Affordable Care Act in 2016 and 2017. Major insurance companies were bailing out of the ACA’s insurance exchange market, complaining that the costs of covering new patients were coming in way higher than expectations. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
From abandoned farmworker boy to pediatrician: how one Central Valley man beat the odds -- Dr. Ramon Resa’s earliest childhood memories aren’t of story time, bedtime cuddles or playgrounds. They’re of loneliness, a grumbling, hungry belly, nights in shacks and endless bus rides to agricultural fields across the Central Valley, where he picked crops since the age of 3. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/14/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Millions of Californians’ jobs could be affected by automation — a reality the next governor has to address -- To Moenius, the rise of robots in warehouses, factories and fast-food restaurants presents danger for places like the Inland Empire, where most residents work in logistics and the service industry and just 21% of adults have a four-year degree. As technology transforms the nature of work in California, how do people most at risk find their way to new jobs? Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
Long-awaited desert rail line, touted as regional economic boom, continues to clear hurdles -- Progress is accelerating on reviving a defunct rail line connecting the San Diego-Tijuana region to El Centro, which could be a local economic catalyst that would reduce border congestion and take thousands of trucks off local roads. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/14/18
California Firefighters Make It Hard to Break Up With Russia -- An escalating war of words between Russia and the U.S. didn’t prevent a chunk of pensions that belong to Californian firefighters and police officers from finding its way into debt sold by President Vladimir Putin’s government. Natasha Doff and John Gittelsohn Bloomberg -- 10/14/18
San Francisco Mayor Jumps Into Marriott Hotel Labor Dispute -- Mayor London Breed has decided to get involved in San Francisco's most extreme hotel labor dispute in more than a decade. Breed says she supports the 2,300 workers who have walked off the job at seven Marriott hotels in the city and has asked their union to meet with her next week. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 10/14/18
Housing
Squatters’ takeover of Torrance home illustrates landlord frustrations with state law -- Torrance police are unable to force the trio leave because the dispute is a civil matter, which means homeowner Cindy Oye-Marquez, 61, must initiate an arduous and expensive eviction process. And there’s another wrinkle. The squatters may be subletting rooms to other unsuspecting tenants. “I want a loving family to live in that home,” said Oye-Marquez, who lives outside of California. “But I have scam artists.” Scott Schwebke in the LA Daily News -- 10/14/18
Wildfire
PG&E warns it may shut off power amid red flag fire conditions -- A red flag fire warning was issued for parts of the Bay Area this weekend due to bone-dry conditions and gusty winds. State firefighters boosted staff levels, and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. warned it may shut off power in some Northern California areas as a safety precaution. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
A year after the Tubbs Fire, displaced families can finally look ahead -- California was on fire again. Through this past summer, blazes raged across the state. They threatened cities and hamlets and shut down a national park. Melissa Geissinger couldn’t watch the news anymore. It was too triggering. It tugged her back to early Oct. 9, when the Tubbs Fire blitzed Santa Rosa. Snap. She is in her home in Coffey Park, trying to corral the cats into carriers, clutching the flashlight on her cell phone, and the fire is bearing down. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
Education
Banishment of an acclaimed UC Irvine professor sparks debate over whether #MeToo can go too far -- For years, the professor told the assistant dean that she was beautiful and greeted her with hugs and a kiss on each cheek. During their time together at UC Irvine, Francisco J. Ayala, 84, and Benedicte Shipley, 50, perceived their encounters in dramatically different ways. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
Environment
UC San Diego's huge earthquake simulator getting upgrade to better simulate deadly temblors -- UC San Diego’s earthquake simulator at Scripps Ranch will soon give engineers a better sense of the fury released when quakes erupt in places around the globe from the San Fernando Valley to the mountains of Afghanistan. Gary Robbins in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
Also . . .
L.A. judge reverses order barring journalists from describing appearance of murder defendants -- A Los Angeles County judge Friday reversed an order he issued two days earlier that barred journalists from publishing a description of two men charged with murder who have appeared in open court. The reversal came after The Times challenged the order on grounds that it was an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/14/18
Restored cemetery at Fort Ross draws praise from Gov. Jerry Brown, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, tribal and religious leaders -- On the foggy cliffs of the Sonoma Coast on Saturday, Gov. Jerry Brown was glad to stand on dirt with a high-powered delegation of Russian officials to commemorate the restoration of a historic cemetery at Fort Ross. Susan Minichiello in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 10/14/18
Grimes Poznikov, the Automatic Human Jukebox, gets temporary memorial -- Famous people around these parts get their names on important places. Robin Williams got a tunnel, Willie Brown got a bridge. Grimes Poznikov got a Porta Potti. Carl Nolte in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/18
POTUS 45
Trump says he is considering a new family separation policy at U.S.-Mexico border -- President Trump confirmed Saturday that he is considering a new family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border because he believes the administration’s earlier move to separate migrant children from parents was an effective deterrent to illegal crossings. Philip Rucker in the Washington Post -- 10/14/18
Beltway
Kushner Paid No Federal Income Tax for Years, Documents Suggest -- Confidential documents reviewed by The Times indicate that Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, probably paid little or no income tax from 2009 to 2016. Jesse Drucker and Emily Flitter in the New York Times -- 10/14/18
-- Saturday Updates
Top GOP funding group snubs incumbents Rohrabacher and Walters 3 weeks before midterm election -- In a worrisome sign for two endangered Orange County lawmakers, a major Republican Party funding group has passed over the pair in its opening round of broadcast television advertising across Southern California. Michael Finnegan and Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/13/18
In light of Kavanaugh, Feinstein vows to speak out against sexual assault -- “So what I have decided to do – and I’ve never done this before – is talk a little bit about it, and say to people, ‘we must change,’” she said during a small luncheon at the Elbow Room in Fresno. “We cannot educate our kids to go to college, play around and attack girls sexually. We just cannot do that.” MacKenzie Mays in the Fresno Bee -- 10/13/18
Gov. Jerry Brown asks state Supreme Court to review pardon application by former Sen. Rod Wright -- An attorney for Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to recommend whether former state Sen. Rod Wright should be pardoned for his felony convictions in 2014 on charges of voter fraud and perjury for lying about living in his district. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/13/18
California governors haven't focused on homelessness 'for decades,' Gavin Newsom says -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t mention Gov. Jerry Brown by name on Friday after he toured a facility for homeless veterans in San Diego. But the Democratic gubernatorial candidate had some not-so-subtle criticism of the governor. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/13/18
After recent errors, California DMV promises new quality control of voter registration process -- The California Department of Motor Vehicles has decided to implement new quality control on its voter registration process following Monday’s revelation of as many as 1,500 non-citizens being wrongly registered to vote. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/13/18
Warnings on risks of intensive teen camps led to dismissal, ex-employees say -- Former employees of a Bay Area nonprofit that runs intensive retreats for teenagers to encourage empathy say they repeatedly warned their bosses that some of the camps’ methods were dangerously misguided and risked a potential lawsuit. Karen de Sá and Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/13/18
Why Proposition 8 Is One Of The Most Contentious, And Confusing, Ballot Measures In Play -- Roughly 140,000 Californians spend the equivalent of a part-time job — 12 to 20 hours a week — in a dialysis clinic, where a machine functioning as a kidney filters waste out of their blood. It’s a tricky procedure — and right now it’s at the center of a heated political battle between labor unions and dialysis companies. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 10/13/18
Mega Millions: No winner crowned in Friday’s drawing -- The Mega Millions jackpot is expected to swell to $654 million after no one picked the winning numbers for Friday’s drawing. The life-changing sum is just $2 million short of the largest prize in Mega Millions history. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/13/18
Former Rancho Cucamonga conservative helps others leave state -- Paul Chabot was done running. So he moved. Fresh off his second straight loss as a Republican candidate for an Inland congressional seat, Chabot and his family relocated after the 2016 election from Rancho Cucamonga to McKinney, Texas. Jeff Horseman in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 10/13/18