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No danger from suspicious envelope at California Democrats’ headquarters, authorities say -- The California Democratic Party headquarters in downtown Sacramento was briefly evacuated Wednesday after receiving a manila envelope addressed to Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez, police and party officials said. Ryan Lillis and Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Gas tax ad stretches danger of losing transportation funding -- In the final weeks of the campaign, opponents of Proposition 6 have flooded the television airwaves across California warning of the initiative’s danger. Even Gov. Jerry Brown has filmed a commercial highlighting the “critical repairs” placed at risk if voters approve the measure, which repeals an increase to fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Whistleblower says California prison officials misled judge -- The California prison system’s chief psychiatrist says top corrections officials are systematically misleading a federal judge and attorneys representing inmates about care that endangers inmates’ health and lives. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 10/31/18

How the GOP tries to combat anti-Trump sentiment in a tossup district -- Rep. Jeff Denham’s closing argument in his fight for political survival is all about water — and mostly pretending that President Donald Trump doesn’t exist. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Trump ‘stoking fear’ by sending troops to the border, Feinstein says -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein accused President Donald Trump of “stoking fear to motivate (his) political base” by sending an estimated 5,000 U.S. military members to the Mexico border. Trump’s stated goal in sending active duty military to the border is to deter a caravan of roughly 4,000 asylum seekers fleeing violence-stricken Central American countries. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

How the GOP tries to combat anti-Trump sentiment in a tossup district -- Rep. Jeff Denham’s closing argument in his fight for political survival is all about water — and mostly pretending that President Donald Trump doesn’t exist. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Elected Democrats lagging in California statewide races, new poll finds -- Democratic businesswoman Eleni Kounalakis holds a commanding lead over fellow Democrat state Sen. Ed Hernandez in the race for California lieutenant governor, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Benioff uses personal and corporate power to get San Francisco Prop. C passed -- Salesforce founder Marc Benioff has poured a combined $7.9 million in personal and corporate money into the effort to pass Proposition C, the San Francisco ballot measure that would nearly double city spending on homeless services by increasing taxes on the city’s largest corporations, including Salesforce itself. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/31/18

More Bay Area home buyers sitting out as prices continue to rise -- The median price for an existing home in the nine-county region jumped 9.7 percent in September from the previous year, but there’s a catch — more buyers are sitting on the sidelines and fewer homes are being sold, according to a report released Wednesday by real estate data firm CoreLogic. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/31/18

‘Otters win, again.’ Supreme Court shuts down challenge from California fishing industry -- Sea otters will remain free to roam into their historic home waters of Southern California without being forcibly removed, thanks to a long-fought legal victory for advocates of endangered wildlife and despite a national effort by conservative groups who saw the issue as a test case. Monica Vaughan in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Uber rolls out new emergency feature in L.A. that lets 911 dispatchers know car's location -- When a rider calls 911 using the emergency button in the Uber app, the ride-hailing company will now send emergency dispatchers the rider’s location as well as the make, model, color and license plate number of the vehicle they’re in. Since May, riders have been able to see those details when they used the emergency button, but the information was not sent to emergency dispatchers. James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Fox: Recall Effort Against AG is Wrong Target -- Carl DeMaio, the leader of the Proposition 6 gas tax repeal campaign wants to recall Attorney General Xavier Becerra for what he termed a false title on the measure. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/31/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

How California has become a national battleground for rent control as money flows in from landlords -- For some of California’s largest real estate investors, the fight over an initiative to expand rent control goes beyond the state’s borders. They’ve opened their wallets to prove it. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump are quarreling. Is money for California at risk? -- When President Donald Trump last month called Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom a “clown” at a “Make America Great Again” rally in Nevada, the Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner shot back, comparing Trump to the evil clown from Stephen King’s 1990 horror film “It.” Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Here’s who to thank—or blame—for California’s version of direct democracy -- California expects voters to make a lot of big choices. We elect representatives, the governor and judges, but we also decide the future of the gas tax, how dialysis clinics are paid and if egg-laying chickens need more space. Meghan McCarty Carino, KPCC via Calmatters -- 10/31/18

Democratic state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and Republican challenger Steven Bailey discuss the issues facing California -- California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra has become a prolific litigant against the policies of Republican President Trump, suing the administration 44 times since the Democrat was appointed as the state’s top lawyer nearly two years ago. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Walters: Congressional seats could hinge on voter turnout -- There’s not a lot of uncertainty, at least in the macro sense, about the outcomes of next week’s election in California. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/31/18

After court loss, California unions still have big money for politics. It might not be enough -- Fresh off a Supreme Court loss that stripped them of millions of dollars in an annual revenue, California public employee unions are finding that they still have the big money they need to run statewide political campaigns. It just might not be enough cash to keep up with their opponents. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

California spent $4 billion on Medi-Cal for people who may not have been eligible, audit finds -- California spent $4 billion on Medi-Cal coverage between 2014 and 2017 for people who may not have been eligible for the government-funded health plan, according to a state audit released Tuesday. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Audit Motor Voter program independently, California watchdog says -- A state watchdog agency is urging California lawmakers to approve an independent audit of the state’s Motor Voter program, after the Legislature rejected one earlier this year. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Sacramento supervisors delay weakening oversight of sheriff after public pressure mounts -- The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Tuesday rebuked Sheriff Scott Jones by refusing to approve a plan that would weaken oversight of his department. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 10/31/18

Rep. Duncan Hunter re-election race tightens, as majority of voters say they believe he broke the law -- The race for the 50th Congressional District is tightening, as Democratic challenger Ammar Campa-Najjar has gained six percentage points in the past two months against Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine. Ricky Young in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/31/18

House Democrats look for win in California farm belt -- In California’s Central Valley, the nation’s great fruit-and-nut basket, voters like Lou Waller could help determine which party controls the U.S. House. Sophia Bollag and Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 10/31/18

The Nation's Most Expensive Congressional Race Is in the Central Valley -- Even if you don’t follow Central Valley politics closely, you’ve probably still heard of Republican Congressman Devin Nunes. As chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Nunes has helped defend President Trump throughout the Robert Mueller investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Alexandra Hall KQED -- 10/31/18

Politifact CA -- Fact-checking immigration claim in California Insurance Commissioner race -- Democratic State Sen. Ricardo Lara, who is running for California Insurance Commissioner, showcased his opponent’s past stance on immigration in recent full-page newspaper ads in Sacramento and the Central Valley. This claim from the ads caught our attention: Chris Nichols, Sami Soto Politifact CA -- 10/31/18

How Two OC Congressional Candidates Competing For An Open Seat Differ On Immigration -- If you live in cities like Fullerton, Diamond Bar or Placentia, you may have noticed the fierce competition between Republican Young Kim and Democrat Gil Cisneros fighting for an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mary Plummer laist -- 10/31/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Nepotism sanctions on California department could be lifted -- The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration could regain control of its hiring practices one year after a state audit revealed that almost a fifth of its employees worked with a relative in the organization. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Consumers, get ready for price hikes if China trade war ratchets up, report says -- The U.S. is said to be preparing to announce tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports by early December, according to several people familiar with the matter — and Citigroup economists are projecting that the impact at the checkout counter may be as much as 10 times higher than the earlier rounds of levies. Bruce Einhorn Bloomberg via the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

California Cheesemakers Hit Hard by U.S.-Mexico Trade War -- After President Trump slapped tariffs on aluminum and steel coming from the European Union, Canada and Mexico in May, Mexico responded with tariffs of its own on U.S-made cheese and a slew of other products in retaliation. Lily Jamali KQED -- 10/31/18

Furloughs, executive departures hit struggling Faraday Future -- Faraday Future, the luxury electric-car maker once billed as China’s answer to Tesla, is running out of juice. A co-founder of Faraday has resigned after furloughs at the start-up, which is starved for cash as it continues to battle with its major investor. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Chinese intelligence officers charged in U.S. with jet engine hacking conspiracy -- Two Chinese intelligence officers and a group of alleged hackers have been charged in San Diego on accusations of infiltrating the computer networks of private companies in the U.S. and abroad to steal plans for a turbofan engine to be used in commercial airliners, according to the indictment unsealed Tuesday. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/31/18

Homeless  

L.A. County declares a shelter crisis, providing flexibility in how it provides beds and assistance -- County leaders on Tuesday declared a shelter crisis, giving the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority more flexibility in how it may spend $81 million in newly available state money for the homeless and the ability to bypass some regulations in order to provide emergency housing. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Housing  

Is winter coming for Southern California's housing market? Sales are falling and price cuts are more common -- The latest evidence came Tuesday when CoreLogic released its monthly market report. Sales across the region plummeted nearly 18% in September compared with a year earlier, the largest drop in almost eight years. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

San Diego home sales drop to lowest level in 11 years and price also dips -- San Diego County home sales dropped 17.5 percent to the lowest level in 11 years for a September in the first significant sign of a slowdown in the market, real estate tracker CoreLogic reported Tuesday. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/31/18

In effort to boost affordable housing stock, Sacramento City Council OKs waiving fees -- Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to stop charging most city-imposed fees to developers who build new affordable housing. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

San Francisco supes OK rezoning underused lots to allow more affordable housing in SoMa -- Twenty-four underused parcels of land in SoMa — most of which are parking lots — could be turned into affordable-housing projects, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/31/18

Wildfire  

Southern California Edison says its equipment helped spark massive Thomas fire that killed 2 -- Southern California Edison on Tuesday said its electrical equipment likely sparked at least one starting point in the massive Thomas fire that ravaged Ventura and Santa Barbara counties late last year. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 10/31/18

Immigration, Border, Deportation 

Bay Area Law Professors Call Trump's Plan to End Birthright Citizenship 'Ludicrous' -- President Trump's apparent plan to use an executive order to end birthright citizenship for babies born to noncitizens in the United States amounts to an unconstitutional power grab aimed at firing up the president's base, according to almost a dozen Bay Area law professors specializing in immigration and constitutional law. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 10/31/18

Education 

Building relationships with preschool parents, one conversation at a time -- In order to help young preschoolers who are learning to speak in more than one language, one California school district is focusing on finding new ways to involve parents in classrooms. Ashley Hopkinson EdSource -- 10/31/18

Environment 

Navy used obsolete safety standards in shipyard cleanup, researchers say -- Faked soil samples, falsified documents, two criminal convictions, three federal lawsuits — in recent months, the cleanup of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been rocked by scandal. Most questions have focused on the role of a Navy contractor, Tetra Tech EC. Jason Fagone and Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/31/18

Water 

San Francisco leaders hate Trump enough they voted to limit the city’s water rather than do this -- For months, San Francisco, a hotbed of anti-Donald Trump sentiment, has found itself in the awkward position of being aligned with his administration over California water policy. On Tuesday, the city’s leaders said the alliance was unbearable. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/31/18

Also . . . 

Why Jews Are Targeted in 72 Percent Of Religious Hate Crimes In LA County -- The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in America's history. It comes amid an increase in anti-Semitic incidents around the country, including in Los Angeles County. Of the 101 religiously motivated hate crimes reported last year in L.A. County, 72 percent targeted the Jewish community, according to L.A. County's Commission on Human Relations. That's up from 69 percent in 2016. Aaron Schrank laist -- 10/31/18

In California, the Search for a Missing 800-Pound Hammer Continues -- As residents of Kansas City, Mo., revel in the recovery of a sorely missed “stolen colon,” locals in Healdsburg, Calif., are still holding out hope for their own oversize oddity. For more than three weeks, the authorities have been scouring the city of 11,000 tucked in California wine country, hoping to find an 800-pound hammer. Matt Stevens in the New York Times -- 10/31/18

POTUS 45  

In Campaign’s Homestretch, Trump Tosses Out Ideas to See What Sticks -- First there was the middle-class tax cut that even his allies and many of his aides had not heard about. Then troops were dispatched to the border to counter an “invasion of our country” by impoverished migrants about 900 miles away. Peter Baker in the New York Times -- 10/31/18

‘Pushing every button’: Trump mobilizes the government in campaign’s final days -- President Trump is mobilizing the vast powers of the military and other parts of the federal government to help bolster Republican election efforts, using the office of the presidency in an attempt to dictate the campaigns’ closing themes and stoke the fears and anxieties of his supporters ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections. Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker in the Washington Post -- 10/31/18

Trump says no other country has birthright citizenship. That's not even close to being true -- The U.S. is among more than 30 countries that give automatic citizenship to children born to nearly anybody living within a country’s borders, according to the National Constitution Center, which was established by Congress to educate Americans about the Constitution. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

Beltway 

In a highly partisan era, those who dislike both sides could have the deciding votes -- The “hold your nose and vote” brigade makes up a sizable chunk of the electorate, according to the latest USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. With election day just over a week away, the poll indicates they lean toward the Democrats. That’s one reason Democrats remain favored to win back control of the House. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/31/18

 

-- Tuesday Updates 

Waymo gets green light for robot cars in California — no humans needed -- Waymo is the first company in California allowed to test robot cars on public roads with no human driver behind the steering wheel, it said Tuesday. The California Department of Motor Vehicles has given Waymo a permit for up to 40 fully autonomous cars to drive both day and night on city streets, rural highways and highways with posted speeds up to 65 mph. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/18

L.A. immigration activist files suit claiming DACA application was rejected as 'political retaliation' -- A Los Angeles immigration activist whose arrest last year sparked protests and allegations of misconduct against federal law enforcement officials is now suing the Department of Homeland Security, claiming her application for protection from deportation as a “Dreamer” was unfairly rejected on the basis of her activism. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/18

In key California House races, Republicans are turning out early and big -- With the midterm elections just days away, there’s little indication that California is seeing a “blue wave” of Democratic votes, at least in the early returns of vote-by-mail ballots — and in some key races that will help determine control of the House, Republican voter response has been strong. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/18

These Orange County supermoms weren't very politically active. Now they're a major force fighting Trump in the midterm election -- Before 2016, the closest Katie Kalvoda got to political activism was paying $18 for a Barack Obama T-shirt. Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/18

'Global warming is nonsense' and the 'tax scam is a massive middle finger' to families: -- House candidates on the issues in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/18

John Cox blames Dems for a bleak California. Gavin Newsom sees a sunny side -- California’s two candidates for governor had agreed to speak in the same room for probably the last time Tuesday at a breakfast hosted by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. It wouldn’t be a debate — there has only been one of those — but at least they would be speaking one after the other. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/18

In a battleground Central Valley House district, it’s women who are leading the troops -- If Democrats defeat four-term Central Valley GOP Rep. Jeff Denham in one of the nation’s most competitive congressional races next week and retake the House, it will be because of women who took Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, at her word when she urged opponents of President Trump: “Don’t agonize, organize.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/18

Abcarian: In deepest red Orange County, a blue flame of hope flickers in Newport Beach -- There is nothing quite like the last days of a close campaign, when hope, anxiety and fatigue collide. Even personal hygiene can take a hit. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/18

California hasn't mattered in national politics for a long time. Here's why this Nov. 6 is different -- But it’s been two decades since California was a presidential battleground, and longer still since the state played a meaningful role choosing a major party presidential nominee. Successive congressional wave elections have come and passed, cresting without ever breaching the Sierra Nevada. This year is different. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/18

Two years after it started, San Diego declares end to deadly hepatitis A outbreak -- Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer, said Monday that enough time has now passed to formally declare a curtain call for the contagion that killed 20, sickened nearly 600 and spurred a complete rethink of how the region handles homelessness. Paul Sisson in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/18

Hiltzik: Anti-vaccine stupidity returns, as measles cases rise and California parents evade the law -- California struck a blow for intelligent public health policy in 2015, when the state abolished all “personal belief exemptions” from child vaccine mandates. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/30/18

‘Denying our very humanity:’ Trump proposal wounds Bay Area transgender community -- Donna Personna had come to expect what she described as the routine indignities of the Trump administration’s policy moves against her transgender community. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/30/18

‘Obvious stunt’ or taking on ‘absurd policy:’ Internet explodes on Trump comment -- Reactions were both widespread and visceral Tuesday morning, after Axios published an interview with President Donald Trump in which he said he would use an executive order to end birthright citizenship, despite the 14th Amendment protections in the U.S. Constitution. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/30/18

On Instagram, 11,696 Examples of How Hate Thrives on Social Media -- On Monday, a search on Instagram, the photo-sharing site owned by Facebook, produced a torrent of anti-Semitic images and videos uploaded in the wake of Saturday’s shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Sheera Frenkel, Mike Isaac and Kate Conger in the New York Times -- 10/30/18