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Mourning for Nipsey Hussle goes well beyond his music -- Nipsey Hussle thought Marathon Clothing could be a seed to revive the impoverished Los Angeles community where he grew up. The 33-year-old rapper and his business partner purchased a plaza in the Crenshaw neighborhood, intending to knock it down and erect a six-story residential building atop a commercial plaza, with Marathon as its anchor. Jonathan Landrum and Andrew Dalton Associated Press -- 4/1/19

Nipsey Hussle was one of 26 people shot across L.A. in ‘troubling surge’ over last week -- South Los Angeles, where Hussle was killed, experienced a jump in violent crime in recent years, prompting police to increase patrols. In 2018, the cycle appeared to slow. Violent crime in Los Angeles overall was down in 2018, with the number of homicides on track to be among the lowest in more than 50 years. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Prosecutors move to clear 54,000 marijuana convictions in California -- Prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Joaquin counties announced plans Monday to automatically clear about 54,000 marijuana-related convictions, part of a growing movement to offer a clean slate to Californians hamstrung by their past now that pot is legal. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

California cannabis company launches industry’s first commodity trading desk -- Grupo Flor, a multi-national vertical cannabis company headquartered in Salinas, is using a proprietary version of commodity trading software the company developed itself enabling its desk to connect buyers and sellers for the purchase and sale of raw cannabis materials. In its first week of operation, the new desk executed several million dollars worth of trades, according to a press release from the company. James Herrera in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/1/19

John Lee was accused of harassment. Will that sway Valley voters? -- Several years ago, a former Los Angeles City Council aide alleged in a lawsuit that her supervisor, John Lee, had quizzed her about her sex life, told her “I know you want me,” and refused to consider her for another job because she was a “petite pretty girl.” Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Jennifer Siebel Newsom will push for equal pay for women as ‘first partner’ of California -- Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Monday will launch a campaign to narrow the gender pay gap in California, the first big initiative she’s undertaken since her husband Gavin Newsom became governor. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/1/19

Nipsey Hussle’s dreams were bigger than hip-hop -- A banner of Nipsey Hussle is stretched across an exterior of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall. It has been there for most of the year and is easy to spot if you’re cruising down the uneven stretch of road that funnels Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard through Crenshaw Boulevard. Gerrick D. Kennedy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Supreme Court says the Constitution does not ensure a ‘painless’ execution -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Constitution does not guarantee a “painless death” for condemned murderers, deciding that a Missouri inmate may be executed by a lethal injection despite a rare condition that could cause him to suffocate. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Kamala Harris’ mortgage meltdown record under scrutiny as campaign heats up -- Democrats running for president are competing to see who can sound tougher toward big business, whether their target is Wall Street or Silicon Valley. Joe Garofoli and Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/19

As anti-fur sentiment grows, California’s oldest trappers are calling it quits -- After a lifetime spent trapping animals in California’s western Sierra Nevada, Tim Wion traveled to Oregon recently to make one big, final sale at the annual Klamath Falls fur auction. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Lyft shares plunge below their IPO price -- On the second day of trading after the ride-sharing company’s much-anticipated stock market debut, Lyft shares have fallen below their IPO price. Analysts are releasing their ratings of Lyft’s shares, amplifying doubts about the money-losing San Francisco company that’s facing challenges galore. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Orange County unemployment rate falls to century-low 3 percent in February -- Orange County bosses added 11,400 workers in the 12 months ended in February while joblessness fell in a year to a century’s low 3 percent. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 4/1/19

White House whistleblower says 25 security clearance denials were reversed during Trump administration -- A White House whistleblower told lawmakers that more than two dozen denials for security clearances have been overturned during the Trump administration, calling Congress her “last hope” for addressing what she considers improper conduct that has left the nation’s secrets exposed. Rachael Bade in the Washington Post$ -- 4/1/19

Fox: Voters Say They Pay Too Much in Taxes—But Vote for More -- While a group of legislators push a constitutional amendment to lower the voting requirement for certain local taxes and bonds, voters told Public Policy Institute of California pollsters that they pay too much in local taxes. Maybe it is time they stop voting for some of the tax increases on the ballot. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/1/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Deadly shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle in South L.A. likely gang-related, source says -- Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle was killed Sunday afternoon, shot in broad daylight outside his store in South Los Angeles in a burst of gunfire that left two other people wounded, police said. Richard Winton and Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Hundreds gather at site where Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot to mourn rapper -- As police investigated the fatal shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle in South Los Angeles, hundreds converged on the site to pay their respects. Fans and friends stood behind the yellow police tape at Victoria Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard, waiting to hear official updates on his condition as police and news helicopters circled overhead. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Border wall could divert millions in critical funding from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach -- President Trump’s plan to pull funding from military construction projects to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border could delay more than $139 million in critical infrastructure funding for U.S. Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Orange County, officials said. Daniel Langhorne in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Newly rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway is back. And it may get its first test this week -- Crunch time may finally be here for Oroville Dam, which is expected to send water over the repaired concrete spillway this week for the first time since the structure partially collapsed in 2017 and engulfed the region in crisis. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/1/19

Another horse fatality at Santa Anita; 23 thoroughbreds have died since Dec. 26 -- Santa Anita, fearing for its future after the spike of recent equine deaths, was dealt another blow when a 23rd horse died Sunday on the track. It came on only the third day of racing after the track shuttered its doors from racing on March 4. John Cherwa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Earthquake safety law could put California’s hospitals in ‘financial distress,’ report warns -- California’s hospitals are scrambling to retrofit their buildings before the “The Big One” hits, an effort that will cost tens of billions dollars and could jeopardize healthcare access, according to a newly released study. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/1/19

Skelton: Forget the trip to El Salvador, Newsom needs to focus on California’s problems -- It looked like an early April Fools’ joke at first. But, no, it was just an ambitious rookie governor trying to play world leader. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that he’ll be flying to El Salvador to learn “the root causes of migration” to the United States. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Walters: Election results fuel war on charter schools -- Elections have consequences, and while some are unintended, one major impact of last year’s California elections is very much intended. Organizations and wealthy individuals favoring education reforms and charter schools went head-to-head with the California Teachers Association and other elements of the education establishment. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 4/1/19

Taylor: Something’s happening in Vallejo — and it doesn’t look good -- In my previous column, I wrote about what happened to Carlos Yescas, an 18-year-old Latino man, when he was arrested by a plainclothes Vallejo police officer. In this one, I’m going to tell you about what happened to his family after his mother posted a video of the arrest to Facebook. The video, taken by Yescas’ younger brother, shows disturbing force used by the officer. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Writers Guild votes overwhelmingly for code of conduct limiting talent agency practices -- The divide between Hollywood writers and their agents deepened on Sunday when members of the Writers Guild of America voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new code of conduct that would curb the use of packaging fees and other unpopular industry practices. David Ng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Cities struggle to cut retirement health care costs -- The cost of providing health care for retired state and local government employees, a benefit rarely found in the private sector, was mostly ignored until around 2007, when a government accounting board said the debt should be calculated. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 4/1/19

Homeless  

Is fixing up this Westlake building a lifesaver or a ‘waste of taxpayer money’? -- n a bid to get homeless veterans off the streets, Los Angeles awarded more than $10 million to help transform an unfussy building in Westlake into supportive housing. Now critics are arguing that the money should be pulled. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Wildfire  

California’s worsening wildfires, explained -- If it seems that wildfires are burning nearly all the time these days, that there’s no longer a definable fire season in California, you’re right. Fourteen of the 20 most destructive fires in state history have occurred since 2007, and California has 78 more annual “fire days” now than it had 50 years ago. Julie Cart and Judy Lin Calmatters -- 4/1/19

Immigration / Border 

More than 50 children wait to be allowed into ports of entry to request U.S. asylum -- Some migrant children who traveled by themselves up to the U.S. border have not been allowed to request asylum despite assurances from federal immigration officials that they prioritize unaccompanied minors. Kate Morrissey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

Environment 

California's Monster Snow Year ... 'It's Been a Wild Ride' -- It’s been a big year for snow in the Sierra Nevada range. This is the time of year—April 1—when the snowpack is typically at its peak and on Tuesday, when surveyors do their monthly manual survey, they’re likely to find a snowpack at about 160 percent of the average. Craig Miller KQED -- 4/1/19

Also . . . 

Fremont priest arrested, accused of 30 counts of felony child abuse -- The Rev. Hector David Mendoza-Vela, 42, was arrested Thursday and booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he is awaiting an arraignment in Alameda County Superior Court. His bail was set at $900,000. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/19

San Francisco police search for ‘MAGA’ hat-wearing man accused in sword slashing -- San Francisco police searched Sunday for an assailant they say slashed a man with a sword after the victim tried to remove his “Make America Great Again” hat. Kimberly Veklerov and Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/19

POTUS 45  

President Trump has made 9,451 false or misleading claims over 801 days -- It was only 200 days ago, on his 601st day in office, that President Trump exceeded 5,000 false or misleading claims. Now, on his 801st day, the count stands at 9,451, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement the president utters. That’s a pace of 22 fishy claims a day over the past 200 days, a steep climb from the average of nearly 5.9 false or misleading claims a day in Trump’s first year in office. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 4/1/19

Beltway 

Biden defends behavior with women, says he never believed he acted inappropriately -- Former Vice President Joe Biden, his yet-to-be-declared presidential candidacy shaken by an allegation he kissed and touched a woman without her consent at a 2014 political event, said Sunday that “never” did he think he had acted inappropriately toward her or other women. Laura King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/19

 

-- Sunday Updates 

Former SFPUC president subject of financial conflict investigation involving $1.25 million -- The former president of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission improperly voted to award two contracts worth a combined $1.25 million that benefited labor organizations with which he was affiliated, a city investigation has found. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/31/19

The bizarre story of the L.A. dad who exposed the college admissions scandal -- Morrie Tobin is a millionaire financier who turned social justice advocate. When he learned the feds were investigating him for stock fraud, he clued them in on an even bigger scam. Joel Rubin, Matthew Ormseth, Suhauna Hussain and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/19

A Judge Wants to Control PG&E’s Dividends Until It Reduces Risk of Fires -- A federal judge is threatening to prevent PG&E Corp. from resuming dividend payments to shareholders until it reduces its role in sparking California wildfires, an action with little precedent that could have big repercussions for other companies put on probation. Katherine Blunt in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/31/19

Gavin Newsom promised to empty California’s private prisons. Can he do it? -- A movement to abolish prisons run by private companies has grown over the past decade from a fringe position to a rallying cry for liberal presidential candidates — and now, California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/31/19

California has one year before a crucial census count. Money and clout are at stake -- One statistic explains why so many California civic and nonprofit advocacy groups are worried about next year’s U.S. census: 72% of the state’s population belongs to one of the groups historically undercounted during the once-a-decade process. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/19

‘Selfie epidemic’: How Israeli teenager fell to his death in Yosemite -- They warned him not to do it. But Tomer Frankfurter was just two months past his 18th birthday, an outgoing math student from Jerusalem who set off to tour America before starting his compulsory service with the Israeli army and had a taste for adventure. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/31/19

With drivers fuming over low pay, Mayor Garcetti takes heat for celebrating with Lyft -- If Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had hoped to share in the excitement over San Francisco-based Lyft becoming one of the first gig economy companies to begin trading on public stock markets, he may be disappointed. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/19

San Francisco police search for MAGA hat-wearing man accused in sword slashing -- San Francisco police searched Sunday for the assailant who slashed a man with a sword while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. The attack happened Friday night outside the Church of 8 Wheels, a popular roller skating rink in San Francisco’s Western Addition. The victim was struck on the hand with the sword and transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Kimberly Veklerov and Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/31/19

In gentrifying Echo Park, the VA is forcing these homeless veterans to leave -- For six years, dozens of homeless veterans have recovered from trauma in nine cottages along a winding residential road in Echo Park. The Billets — military jargon for civilian quarters — has been a model. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/19

Bay Area tech salaries outpaced by rent hikes in some cities -- Rents in the San Jose metro area during the past three years grew by almost 7 percent, while the average tech salary dropped nearly 1 percent. Tech employees fared better in San Francisco and the East Bay, where the average wage increased 14 percent and rents grew by nearly 6 percent. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/31/19

Tech IPOs Could Be Boon for California Budget -- Already flush with revenue from its healthy economy and growing number of high earners, California is expecting a tax windfall from a slate of initial public offerings that began Friday with Lyft Inc. Alejandro Lazo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/31/19

Housing crisis pushing quintuplet family out of Bay Area -- The Kempel family is facing a new challenge. But unlike the Herculean task of bringing healthy quintuplets into the world, Chad and Amy Kempel are now grappling with a much more common but still formidable foe: the Bay Area’s eye-popping housing market. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/31/19

Biden defends behavior with women, says he never believed he acted inappropriately -- Former Vice President Joe Biden, his yet-to-be-declared presidential candidacy shaken by an allegation he kissed and touched a woman without her consent at a 2014 political event, said Sunday that “never” did he think he had acted inappropriately toward her or other women. Laura King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/19

Sen. Harris not shy about meeting with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee -- Support for Israel has become a hot issue among some left-leaning Democrats, who believe the current Israeli government, led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is too far to the right and has little interest in making peace with neighboring Palestinians. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/31/19

Wife of fan beaten at Dodger Stadium describes hearing the attack and pleads for public’s help -- A man was seriously hurt at Dodger Stadium after being beaten in a parking lot fight early Saturday morning after a marathon game. The incident has stunned Dodger fans. And his wife is pleading with the public for help in capturing the attackers. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/19