California Policy & Politics This Morning
CA wildfire aid tangled in fights over Trump’s border wall, GOP tax bill -- As Congress scrambles to finish its work before the end of the year, relief for victims of this fall’s devastating California wildfires is in limbo. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/1/18
Left behind by the Camp fire: Up to 8 million tons of debris -- The first job was to contain the state’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire. The second is to deal with what it left behind. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/1/18
Camp fire evacuation warnings failed to reach more than a third of residents meant to receive calls -- Emergency phone calls telling Paradise residents to run from the massive Camp fire failed to reach more than a third of even the minority who signed up for the warnings, according to a data review by The Times on Friday. Many of the town’s residents said they relied on calls from alarmed relatives and the sight of approaching flames to flee from California's worst fire on Nov. 8. Paige St. John and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/1/18
20-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway to see closures for fire repairs -- California Department of Transportation crews will be working to stabilize hillsides, replace damaged guardrails, remove burned debris, restore damaged signs and clear drainage lines along the highway, according to a statement from the city. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/1/18
After 54 years at Laguna Beach home, a family moved to Paradise. Three weeks later, they lost everything in the Camp fire -- Dick and Carol Stein loaded up a moving van and trailer in mid-October and drove away from their Laguna Beach home of 54 years, headed to a community in Northern California that Carol called “peaceful.” Three weeks later, the couple were fleeing the Camp fire, which consumed their new house in Paradise. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/1/18
California Wildfire Emissions Equal Year Of Power Pollution, Zinke Says -- Wildfires in California in 2018 released the rough equivalent of about 68 million tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide — about the same amount of carbon emissions as are produced in a year to provide electricity to the state, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said Friday. Associated Press -- 12/1/18
How they survived: Owners of the few homes left standing around Paradise, California, took critical steps to ward off wildfires -- Jeff and Cathy Moore have devoted hours of labor to clearing brush away from their house in the Sierra Nevada foothills in preparation for a massive wildfire, which suddenly became reality on Nov. 8. Smoke from the approaching Camp Fire blackened the mid-morning sky so completely that they had to light candles indoors. Sarah Kaplan and Frances Stead Sellers in the Washington Post -- 12/1/18
Number missing in Camp Fire shrinks to 49 -- The number of people missing in the deadly Camp Fire fell dramatically Friday evening. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office said 49 people have not been accounted for, down from 196 on Wednesday. The number of people accounted for, meanwhile, rose to 3,097, according to the sheriff’s office. No human remains were found Friday, and the death toll stood at 88. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/1/18
Huge Delta water deal backed by Dianne Feinstein, Jerry Brown, Kevin McCarthy -- California’s most senior Democrat and most powerful Republican in Washington are teaming up to extend a federal law designed to deliver more Northern California water south, despite the objections of some of the state’s environmentalists. Emily Cadei and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/1/18
L.A. councilman's wife was a paid fundraiser. Ex-aides say he assigned them to help -- L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar personally asked companies that do business at City Hall to donate to a private school where his wife was working as a professional fundraiser and also assigned his staff to help with the effort, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The Times. Adam Elmahrek, David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/1/18
Fullerton Mayor Doug Chaffee elected Orange County supervisor, becoming first Democrat on board in 12 years -- The contest for the board’s 4th District had slim margins, and in the end, Chaffee defeated La Habra Mayor Tim Shaw by less than 1 percentage point. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 12/1/18
Capitol veteran Erika Contreras to become top executive in California Senate -- The new state Legislative session will see a change in the upper house’s top executive position, with Capitol veteran Erika Contreras nominated Friday to become secretary of the state Senate. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/1/18
Pelosi creates leadership position for Barbara Lee -- Rep. Barbara Lee will be joining the House Democratic leadership team, filling a key void for the caucus after its elections earlier this week left the group without a woman of color in the top ranks. Heather Caygle Politico -- 12/1/18
Over 22 days, Nancy Pelosi persuaded 66 on-the-fence Democrats to support her -- The House Democratic vote overwhelmingly nominating Nancy Pelosi for speaker this week signaled unity in a party that was anything but unified on Pelosi’s candidacy during the 2018 campaign. y JM Rieger in the Washington Post -- 12/1/18
Kevin McCarthy Rises to Power at the Expense of His Defeated California Colleagues -- It’s an interesting moment in the career of Representative Kevin McCarthy. Shortly after his party lost control of the House in the 2018 midterms, he was easily elected to succeed Paul Ryan as the top Republican in the House (albeit without Ryan’s speaker’s gavel), satisfying his longtime personal ambition. Ed Kilgore New York Magazine -- 12/1/18
CHP: Drunk driver slept while Tesla appeared to drive Hwy 101 on autopilot -- When a pair of California Highway Patrol officers pulled alongside a car cruising down Highway 101 in Redwood City before dawn Friday, they reported a shocking sight: a man fast asleep behind the wheel. Ashley McBride and J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle Mark Gomez, Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/1/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Apple says no settlement talks with Qualcomm; San Diego federal judge sets trial date -- A jury trial in Qualcomm’s wide-ranging legal war with Apple has been set to begin April 15 in San Diego federal court, with a settlement looking unlikely at this point. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/1/18
These Invasive 20-Pound Rodents Could Wreak Havoc on California Agriculture -- Merced County sweet potato farmer Stan Silva hadn’t even heard the word “nutria” until a few months ago. He’s still never seen one, but he’s worried about the damage these 20-pound rodents with big orange buck teeth could do in California if they're not eradicated. Lisa Morehouse, Angela Johnston KQED -- 12/1/18
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
L.A. County stormwater tax officially passes -- A property tax projected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars annually to capture and clean up stormwater secured enough votes in this month's election to pass, according to certified election results released Friday. Measure W, a parcel tax of 2.5 cents a square foot of “impermeable space,” earned 69.45% of the vote after all ballots had been processed and counted. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Housing
Bay Area home prices climb despite jump in inventory -- Despite a surge in inventory and price cuts, the median price paid for a Bay Area home in October was $845,000, up 3.7 percent from September and up 9.3 percent from October of last year, research firm CoreLogic said in a report Friday. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/1/18
Bay Area home sales slow, with few bargains in sight -- Bay Area home sales ground down in October, with seasonal slowing and further indications that buyers are taking a wait-and-see approach before plunging into a record-setting market. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/1/18
Military couple’s fee to return to Oakland home unlawful, suit says -- A married military couple who had to pay thousands of dollars to boot their tenants in order to move back into their Oakland home say the city law requiring the fee violates their rights. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/1/18
Immigration, Border, Deportation
Deported Oakland nurse given approval to return to the US -- A nurse who was separated from her children and deported to Mexico last year after more than two decades in Oakland has won her improbable fight to return to the United States. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/1/18
POTUS 45
As candidate, Trump sought friendlier ties with Russia while eyeing big money in Moscow -- In October 2015, four months after he had announced his White House bid, Donald Trump was asked how he would stare down Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had seized Crimea and sent troops into eastern Ukraine. Noah Bierman and Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/1/18
Beltway
'Congress wasn't built for members like me' -- It didn’t take long for Katie Porter to collide with the reality of serving in Congress as a single mother of three. First the newly-elected Democrat from California had to scramble to line up babysitting so she could make it cross-country for freshman orientation. Rachael Bade Politico -- 12/1/18
-- Friday Updates
California paves way for possible petition drive for initiative that would cancel bullet train -- The group behind the failed gas-tax repeal effort was given state approval Thursday to begin collecting signatures for a new initiative to cancel the high-speed rail project and revamp state transportation funding. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Fire-scarred California just got a new wake-up call: Mud flow risk is high --The wildfires are out. But a new winter menace looms in the fire-scarred hills of California. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/18
Single migrant trying to swim from Tijuana to U.S. sets off major cross-border response -- Authorities in San Diego launched two helicopters and at least one rescue boat late Thursday night to investigate a report — which ultimately turned out to be unfounded — of about a dozen people struggling in the ocean near the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said. Alex Riggins and Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/18
Stem cell funding’s ‘valley of death’ -- The California stem cell agency this week is tooting a $150 million horn and heralding its efforts to assist stem cell businesses with development of therapies that could ease the travails of everything from cancer to blindness. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 11/30/18
Former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus surrenders to begin serving three-year sentence -- Former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus surrendered in court Friday to begin serving his three-year sentence for convictions in the Colonies and Assessor’s Office corruption cases. Joe Nelson in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 11/30/18
Payless Pranks LA Fashion Influencers With $640 Shoes -- Every brand wants to be hot with influencers talking them up on social media. That includes Payless. To promote its wares, the bargain brand lured fans of high fashion to a fake store, named Palessi, and sold them Payless shoes, which mostly retail for $20 to $35, for between $200 and $600. That's an 1,800 percent markup, if you're doing the math. Mike Roe laist -- 11/30/18
Your county’s favorite? Where state props succeeded and failed across California -- Skim how California voted on various ballot propositions—”yes” to more borrowing for affordable housing, “no” to the gas tax repeal, “yay” for bigger chicken cages—and you might think people across the state feel pretty much the same way about these things. Which, of course, they don’t. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 11/30/18
H-1B shift may favor tech companies -- The Trump administration proposed a change to the H-1B program Friday that could make it harder for Indian outsourcing firms to hire workers from overseas, while helping large Bay Area tech companies bring highly skilled foreigners to their headquarters. Melia Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/18