California Policy & Politics This Morning
Bad timing? Assembly Republicans are shaking up their leadership -- California’s Assembly Republicans are moving to oust their leader only days before Tuesday’s election, a development that could undermine GOP chances of gains in what is already a tough year. Dan Morain Calmatters -- 11/3/18
Voters are already streaming to polls in record numbers, with both sides seeking clues on outcome -- The picture in California so far is more status quo. The state has at least a half dozen hotly contested congressional districts, which could play a big role in whether Democrats take back a majority in the House. Evan Halper and Maya Sweedler in the Los Angles Times -- 11/3/18
Challenging Dianne Feinstein from the left, Kevin de León has struggled. But is he just ahead of his time? -- Kevin de León’s week before election day has been quiet, largely without public events and instead spent making last-minute fundraising calls. This weekend, he’ll make a handful of appearances, and that will be it. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angles Times -- 11/3/18
Asian Americans hold the key to victory in this Orange County district, and Democrat Gil Cisneros knows it -- For decades, Asian Americans in this district, a tri-county slice of suburbia built on the immigrant American dream, have supported their Republican congressman, a loyalty born from years of attendance at Buddhist temple ribbon-cuttings and Lunar New Year celebrations. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angles Times -- 11/3/18
California voter registration hits record ahead of midterms -- More than 19.6 million Californians are registered to vote in the midterms, the largest number in California history, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced Friday. “It is nearly unprecedented for California to set a voter registration record in a midterm election,” Padilla said. Sophia Bollag Associated Press John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/3/18
GOP California Assembly candidate blasted for campaign flier criticized as anti-Semitic -- Nine Jewish California lawmakers, all Democrats, signed a letter Friday condemning Republican Tyler Diep’s campaign for releasing campaign literature depicting his opponent in the race for the Orange County-based 72nd Assembly District, Democrat Josh Lowenthal, in a fashion often seen in anti-Semitic fliers. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/3/18
Democrat Levin leads GOP's Harkey in the race for the 49th Congressional District -- With just days until the election, Democrat Mike Levin still leads Republican Diane Harkey in race for the 49th Congressional District, although his lead in the closely watched contest seems to have narrowed somewhat from a once double-digit advantage, according to polling released Friday. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/3/18
Newsom and Cox make stops in San Diego on the Friday before California governor's election -- Just days ahead of the election, gubernatorial candidates John Cox and Gavin Newsom stopped in San Diego on Friday as part of their final pitch to voters. For Cox, the Republican candidate and San Diego businessman, the stop came as he and his wife dropped off their early ballots at the Registrar of Voters in Kearny Mesa. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/3/18
Wildfire Risk A Key Issue In California Insurance Commissioner Race -- Some of the big questions in the race for California’s next insurance commissioner focus on how Californians can protect themselves from wildfires, and who holds responsibility when they ignite. Ezra David Romero Capital Public Radio -- 11/3/18
Dianne Feinstein, Out of Touch? Not Liberal Enough? She Begs to Differ -- Her apparent lead suggests that at a time of generational and ideological upheaval, California — the face of the liberal resistance — still has an appetite for a politician who embraces political moderation. And in an interview, Ms. Feinstein said the Senate needed a mix of political ideologies — and of younger and older leaders. Adam Nagourney in the New York Times -- 11/3/18
Why is California’s rent-control initiative tanking so badly? -- A California initiative to allow more rent control appears to be failing overwhelmingly, despite the state’s exploding housing costs and ever-rising rents, and its sponsors are already talking about trying again in 2020. Matt Levin Calmatters -- 11/3/18
Quinn: A Californian Named Wong Kim Ark Helped Confirm Birthright Citizenship -- President Trump would like to ban birthright citizenship – that is, a person’s right to citizenship by virtue of birth in the United States – via an executive order. But he cannot do so thanks to a man named Wong Kim Ark, who was born nearly a century and half ago in San Francisco. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 11/3/18
US judge strikes down California land law in suit by Trump -- A U.S. judge struck down a California law challenged by the Trump administration that aimed to give the state power to override the sale of federal lands. The law unconstitutionally regulates the U.S. government and discriminates against people seeking to buy federal public land, Judge William Shubb in Sacramento ruled Thursday. Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/3/18
Conservative and ‘Antifa’ forces head to California Capitol Sunday -- A “Turn California Red” rally aimed at promoting conservative issues and candidates ahead of Tuesday’s election is set for Sunday at the state Capitol, potentially drawing anti-fascist counter-protesters. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/3/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Home care aide claims union won’t let her cancel membership -- A California mother who cares for her disabled daughter sued a union representing home health care workers, claiming the group won’t let her cancel her membership. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 11/3/18
Marriott workers reach strike deal in Oakland — San Francisco labor action continues -- Striking Marriott workers have reached an agreement in Oakland — but they will still be banging the drums in San Francisco as the strike moves into its second month. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/3/18
Striking Hotel Workers Detail Hardships During Special Board Meeting at S.F. City Hall -- Hundreds of unionized hotel workers who have been striking at Marriott hotels in San Francisco for the last month flooded into San Francisco City Hall on Friday, revealing stories of hardships to get by in one of the most expensive regions in the country. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 11/3/18
Trump administration indicts Bay Area firm in move to fight economic espionage by China -- An electronics company with an office in Sunnyvale, a Chinese government company and three employees have been charged with stealing cyber-secrets worth hundreds of millions of dollars from a U.S. company in what Attorney General Jeff Sessions said was part of a new Trump administration initiative to combat economic espionage by China. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/3/18
Homeless
Long Beach citizen patrols face off with counter-protesters over growing homeless encampments -- Trailed by protesters shouting “shame” and denouncing “vigilantism,” Long Beach citizen patrols marched before dawn Friday through the Belmont Shore neighborhood, protesting what participants called a “criminal element” in the oceanfront community’s growing homeless encampments. Gale Holland in the Los Angles Times -- 11/3/18
San Francisco’s first Navigation Center, which spawned numerous duplicates, closes -- The nation’s first-ever Navigation Center closed last week after helping more than 2,000 homeless people off the streets and inspiring a proliferation of similar shelters in the city and throughout the nation. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/3/18
Housing
Housing, by any means necessary -- The elevation of Breed — a powerful ally in San Francisco City Hall — was a watershed moment for the YIMBYs, the San Francisco-bred “yes in my backyard” movement that in less than four years has progressed from a few people plastering telephone poles with pro-housing fliers to an organization with 2,100 local dues-paying members. It has local chapters in a dozen San Francisco neighborhoods, 140 chapters around the country and world and lobbyists in Sacramento. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/3/18
Education
‘It’s okay to be white’ posters found on American River College campus -- At least two posters proclaiming “It’s okay to be white” were found Thursday at American River College. Los Rios Community College District spokesman Gabe Ross said maintenance staff spotted some fliers with the slogan at about 1:30 a.m. and reported them to campus police. They were immediately taken down, Ross said, though student paper American River Current reported finding additional signs later in the morning. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/3/18
Health
Scientists may have found the key ingredient for a universal flu vaccine, and it comes from llamas -- Along with soulful eyes, endearingly long necks and warm fuzzy coats, llamas have a far less appreciated feature: They make an array of immune system antibodies so tiny they can fit into crevices on the surface of an invading virus. Melissa Healy in the Los Angles Times -- 11/3/18
Jury awards $105M in suit against pH Miracle author -- A San Diego jury sided against the author of the bestselling pH Miracle books this week, ordering him to pay $105 million to a cancer patient who said the author held himself out as a doctor and counseled her to forego traditional medical treatment. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/3/18
Water
San Francisco Mayor Breed vetoes supervisors’ resolution that supported state river plan -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed broke her silence on California’s latest water war Friday, saying she wouldn’t support a state river restoration plan that would mean giving up some of the city’s pristine Hetch Hetchy water. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/3/18
Also . . .
LAPD surveillance caught assistant chief in sex act with subordinate officer just before his sudden retirement, sources say -- Undercover officers tailing a high-ranking Los Angeles Police Department official witnessed him apparently engaging in sexual activity in a parking lot with a female subordinate, sources with knowledge of the investigation said. Cindy Chang and Richard Winton in the Los Angles Times -- 11/3/18
POTUS 45
Michael Cohen Says Trump Repeatedly Used Racist Language Before His Presidency -- As he awaits sentencing, Trump’s former lawyer says that he wants to clear his conscience and warn voters about what he sees as the president’s true nature in advance of the midterm elections. Emily Jane Fox Vanity Fair -- 11/3/18
Trump says Democrats could take House: 'I can't go everywhere' -- President Donald Trump said Friday that Republicans could lose the House and that Democrats may "squeak" by in Tuesday's midterms — and if it happens, it will be because he wasn't able to campaign in every district. Rebecca Morin Politico -- 11/3/18
White House prepares to spin defeat as victory -- The White House is planning to tout Trump as the savior of Republicans in the Senate, even if the Democrats retake the House. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 11/3/18