Updating . .
House candidates make their final push across California -- The Nov. 6. midterm election is shaping up as a classic referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency, and California is one of the main battlefields as Democrats try to seize control of the House. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
If the House comes down to California, get ready to wait -- California's voting rules could mean key races don't get decided for days — or weeks. Kevin Yamamura Politico Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/5/18
Worried your mail-in ballot didn’t make it? Here’s a very easy way to check -- It takes less than 30 seconds and a handful of clicks to find out if your vote-by-mail ballot was received in California. The Secretary of State website offers a voter status page. In addition to checking your registration status, the webpage will tell you if your provisional or vote-by-mail ballot has arrived. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/5/18
In Orange County, land of reinvention, even its conservative politics is changing -- In La Palma Park Stadium in Anaheim, a month before the Bay of Pigs invasion, 7,500 students and parents skipped school or work and gathered to learn about communist plans to take over the United States. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Charters Fight Draws Big Money Into California Schools Chief Race -- The election has become a proxy for California’s long-running and contentious battle over public charter schools, which supporters argue are more innovative because they are exempt from certain regulations and whose teachers are often not unionized. Alejandro Lazo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/5/18
It’s not all about Trump: California’s future on the line Tuesday -- President Trump and national battles for control of Congress are grabbing most of the headlines, but Tuesday’s election has plenty of significance for the future of politics in California as well. John Wildermuth and Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/5/18
Jeffe & Jeffe: It’s All About Trump -- What, on paper, should look like a lackluster midterm election in California is turning into a donnybrook that is engaging not only political junkies but the rest of us. Credit, of course, goes to Donald Trump. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 11/5/18
School chief's plan would divide L.A. school district into 32 networks -- Los Angeles schools chief Austin Beutner is working out a plan to radically reshape the nation’s second-largest school district by greatly shrinking the central bureaucracy and moving decision-making closer to schools. Howard Blume and Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Costa Mesa fire captain, hit by possible DUI driver while riding his bicycle off-duty, dies -- A Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue captain, struck by a vehicle early Saturday while riding his bicycle in Mission Viejo, has died, the department announced Monday morning, Nov. 5. “Our brother, Mike Kreza, passed away early this morning,” the department shared on social media at about 6:45 a.m. “Words alone cannot describe the immeasurable heartache felt by his friends & family, including his fire family.” Alma Fausto in the Orange County Register -- 11/5/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California lawmakers poised to wield power in a Democratic House -- If Democrats flip the House in Tuesday’s election, the party’s California congressional delegation is poised to benefit. California Democrats are in line for party leadership posts and chair positions on nearly 1 in 5 House committees. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/5/18
Feinstein Talks President, Kavanaugh and Another Term -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, in what she said was her strongest condemnation to date, has called on President Donald Trump to stop his "divisiveness" and try to unify the nation. Conan Nolan NBCLA -- 11/5/18
Conservatives and counter-protesters keep it mostly peaceful at Capitol rally -- While the location of the event recalled the violent neo-Nazi demonstration that occurred in front of the Capitol in 2016 and left 10 injured, the rally remained largely peaceful. No injuries were reported and just one individual, a “Turn California Red” supporter, was arrested by the Sacramento Police Department. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks, Claire Morgan and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Whether they vote or not, Latinos are poised to play a pivotal role in key midterm races -- Along Bright Avenue in Whittier, wedged between a hair salon and tutoring business, is the home and interior design store Amanda Alvarado toiled and sweated over many years to afford. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Hunter and Campa-Najjar look to veterans to help portray each other as unfit to serve -- Hunter has sought to tar his challenger as a threat based on his Palestinian heritage and family; Campa-Najjar has highlighted the indictment and its allegations that the incumbent used wounded veterans and the military to try to hide misuse of campaign funds. Maya Sweedler in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/5/18
Water sustains everything in California farm country. It may also save this House Republican -- When county officials from California flew across the country last month to hear President Trump speak at the White House, they got an earful from the commander in chief. Dino Grandoni in the Washington Post -- 11/5/18
The shifting allegiances of San Diego County's voters --Tuesday’s midterm election arrives on unsteady electoral seas, and like sailors who have lost faith in their captains, more voters in San Diego County seem to be charting their own courses. They’ve registered as “No Party Preference” in record numbers. John Wilkens, Lauryn Schroeder and Michelle Gilchrist in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/5/18
Smolens: San Diego could be pivotal to national struggle on Tuesday -- San Diego will have a front-row seat Tuesday in an election that will either change the political course of the nation, or merely be very interesting. One and possibly two local congressional races could factor into whether Democrats take control of the House. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/5/18
California candidates work to woo voters as election nears -- Californians will help determine which party controls the U.S. House, choose a successor for the state’s longest serving governor, and weigh in on ballot measures to repeal a tax increase and expand rent control in this year’s midterm election. Kathleen Ronayne and Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 11/5/18
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 Associated Press -- 11/5/18
Where John Cox and Gavin Newsom stand on the top issues in California -- Welcome to your guide to the key policy positions of Republican John Cox and Democrat Gavin Newsom, the candidates facing off in California’s race for governor. Here’s where they stand on the issues. The item is in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Skelton: The 'blue wave' has already arrived in California. Latinos and young people must vote for it to get stronger -- In lawmaking, politicians listen to the people first. Yes, they really do. But people need to speak up to be heard. And too often they’re mute. Then big money talks. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Walters: Why down-ballot offices are also important -- Top-of-the-ballot contests for governor and U.S. senator get most of the media attention—even if there’s little doubt about their outcomes—but California voters will also fill other statewide offices this week, and they are important in a state as large as California. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/5/18
Schnur: ‘Think big, spend conservatively.’ California leaders offer advice for the next governor -- Trust your gut. Be courageous. Reach out to your critics. As California voters prepare to select their next governor, the California Influencers, a group of the state’s most respected experts in government, politics and public policy, weighed in with their advice for the winning candidate. Dan Schnur in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/5/18
California Politics Podcast: Big choices await voters on election day -- On this week’s podcast, we take a close look at the candidates in the races for governor and U.S. Senate. We also dive deep into the congressional battleground of Orange County — home to four closely watched contests. And we examine the potential impact if the polls are right and two major California ballot measures are rejected. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
To measure the real base of California's Republican support, look no further than Trump's approval numbers -- From all corners of the California political world — Democrats and Republicans, campaign consultants and researchers — a hearty thanks may be in order to President Trump. Just a day away from a decisive election, the polarizing chief executive has provided a simple shorthand for measuring GOP relevance in the Golden State. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
$1 billion lawsuit over CalPERS insurance rates moves forward with trial date -- A class-action lawsuit that could cost CalPERS $1 billion is headed to trial in June, and many of the 122,000 retirees who bought an insurance plan at the center of the case are receiving small checks from an agreement that settled a portion of the claims. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/5/18
State-run retirement savings plan ready to launch -- It’s been a while since the state rolled out a new mult-billion program that could touch the lives of 7.5 million Californians, not to mention one intended to be self-supporting with no money from taxpayers. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 11/5/18
Homeless
A glitch led to their eviction from a Van Nuys building. Now, it’s back to square one -- In July, with the help of LA Family Housing — the agency that is officially designated to help people in the San Fernando Valley transition of out of homelessness — a group of people who once lived out of their cars, shelters and dingy motels, were able to move into a Van Nuys Boulevard building. Then came a permitting oversight, and the red tape and bureaucratic mess involved forced them back into a life of uncertainty. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/5/18
Housing
Another Southern California home-price boom is cooling. Is a crash looming? -- The Southern California housing market has been on a nearly seven-year tear, with prices in many communities reaching all-time highs. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Cannabis
CBD-infused products are being sold everywhere in California — but are they legal? -- Greg and Gary Avetisyan make no secret of it: They proudly sell all manner of products infused with CBD, from essential oils to bath bombs to fruity tea-like beverages that promise calming relief in a frantic world. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a molecule derived from cannabis. But unlike its chemical cousin THC, it won’t get you high. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
Immigration, Border, Deportation
As caravans press north to U.S. border, Tijuana shelters and authorities worry about impact -- As thousands of Central Americans continue their northward journeys through Mexico, the prospect of their eventual arrival at the U.S. border has been raising concerns in Tijuana. Shelter capacity in the city is limited, and several facilities already are overcrowded with women and children preparing to petition U.S. authorities for asylum. Sandra Dibble and Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/5/18
Education
What Tuesday's election could mean for California education -- Tuesday’s statewide elections could have a major impact on California’s education system. That’s the case even though education remains a mostly local issue in the state. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 11/5/18
Also . . .
A small Jewish congregation in Central Valley comes to grips with mass shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue -- With only 65 members, Congregation B’Nai David is so small that it doesn’t have a full-time rabbi. Once a month, a student rabbi drives up from Los Angeles, but more often than not members of the community lead the services, make sure the lights stay on and the buildings don’t fall into disrepair. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
POTUS 45
President Trump boasts he's turned around American industry. With the election at hand, here are the facts -- The Republican tax law has “the biggest tax cuts and reform in American history” (they’re not). The new trade pact with Mexico and Canada is “the most important trade deal we've ever made by far” (the changes are more modest). And the unemployment rate has fallen “to the lowest level in more than 50 years” (it’s 49 and the continuation of a nine-year trend). Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/5/18
‘Full Trumpism’: The president’s apocalyptic attacks reach a new level of falsity -- President Trump is painting an astonishingly apocalyptic vision of America under Democratic control in the campaign’s final days, unleashing a torrent of falsehoods and portraying his political opponents as desiring crime, squalor and poverty. Philip Rucker in the Washington Post -- 11/5/18
-- Sunday Updates
Decline of white Republicans on L.A.'s northern outskirts puts GOP at risk in midterm election -- California’s sorely diminished Republican Party has few footholds left in Los Angeles County, and it risks losing its biggest one in the midterm election on Tuesday: the House seat of Rep. Steve Knight of Palmdale. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/4/18
With Democrats well-positioned to take the House, Republicans scurry to save the Senate -- Swamped by a tidal wave of Democratic cash, Republicans entered the final 72 hours of the midterm campaign scrambling to preserve their slim Senate majority as a bulwark against the increasing prospect of a Democrat-run House. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/4/18
Here’s what’s at stake for California in Tuesday’s elections -- President Trump is barnstorming the country as a get-out-the-vote evangelist for Republicans, preaching that Tuesday’s midterm elections are “a referendum about me.” He may get more than he bargained for, and California is likely to play a large role in that. Joe Garofoli and Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18
Don’t tell Bay Area voters this is no battleground: anger and enthusiasm near all-time highs -- The Bay Area isn’t a battleground for the midterm election and Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot. The real action in the fight for Congress is downstate and across the country, but when voters here head to the polls Tuesday, nearly everyone will be channeling two years of pent-up rage and righteousness just the same. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18
Abcarian: Will Latinos in racially polarized Kern County finally get the representation they deserve? -- Grace Vallejo is the mayor of Delano, the farming community along Highway 99 that is the birthplace of the United Farm Workers movement. Vallejo’s parents, first-generation Americans, were migrant farmworkers in the Central Valley who took their kids with them to pick grapes, potatoes and cotton around Delano and fruit crops such as peaches and plums in the north. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/4/18
The ‘O.J. strategy’: Prosecutors accused of using it to remove black jurors -- It’s illegal to dismiss prospective jurors because of their race. But civil rights advocates say some California prosecutors have found a way to keep blacks off their juries without using overtly racial criteria. You might call it the O.J. strategy. Bob Egelko and Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18
‘I feel blessed’: Deported Cambodian refugee from Sacramento returns home to family -- Last fall, Sacramento resident Tem was one of about 15 Cambodian nationals with criminal convictions detained for deportation in Northern California by federal immigration authorities during a nationwide sweep of between 100 and 200 individuals. Advocates describe the roundup as the largest targeted sweep of Cambodian nationals, many of them refugees, ever conducted by ICE. A federal class action lawsuit filed last year arguing the arrests are illegal is ongoing. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/4/18
If Prop. 10 passes, San Francisco supervisors ready to alter rent control rules -- At the heart of Proposition 10 is a straightforward question freighted with complex implications: Should officials in cities such as San Francisco be given more power to craft local rent control regulations. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18
UC President Napolitano retools office after criticism over state audit -- UC President Janet Napolitano is spending more than a $1 million to retool her office staff after stinging criticism last year from Sacramento lawmakers over their handling of a state audit. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18
World’s largest dorm-style ‘co-living’ apartment building coming to San Jose -- The latest trendy new apartment building coming to downtown San Jose will offer plenty of luxury amenities, including cleaning services, laundry and dog walking. The catch? Each resident will share a kitchen and living room with at least a dozen other strangers. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18
From refugees to entrepreneurs: How one family started over -- With just 30 days notice, the Rawas family was plucked from their temporary home in Jordan, where they’d fled the Syrian civil war, and resettled in Oakland. As refugees, they knew no one, had no job prospects and didn’t speak a word of English. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18