Updating . .   

Trump backs off threat to close border, a day before visit to California -- President Trump backed off his threat to close the border with Mexico, one day before he travels to California to highlight what he is calling an immigration crisis. Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

California’s emergency alert system has been a disaster. A statewide fix is planned -- In Mendocino County, emergency staffers waited for a supervisor to show up before they warned residents of a growing fire siege in 2017. In Santa Barbara County, officials hesitated to issue blanket evacuation orders before mudslides ripped through Montecito in 2018 because they worried they might trigger a panic. And in Butte County in November, whole neighborhoods in Paradise were never told to evacuate as the Camp fire swept toward town. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Taylor: Carlos Yescas complained of brutal arrest by Vallejo police. Now they’re selling his Mercedes -- How does a police department “lose” a car for more than a month? That’s what Carlos Yescas and his family wanted to know after the 18-year-old Vallejo resident was arrested in his hometown. The 2003 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG that the young man had bought weeks earlier with $3,500 he’d earned as a sushi chef was impounded. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

Without Affordable Child Care, Long Odds for Escaping Poverty -- Lack of access to quality child care is felt hard in Merced County, where early childhood poverty is particularly acute. In the county, 43 percent of all children under the age of three — or nearly 4,800 youth — are impoverished. And while qualifying for subsidized child care is relatively straight forward, getting off the waiting list can take years. Deepa Fernandes KQED -- 4/4/19

Ng family, owners of the Ghost Ship warehouse, refuse to answer questions in court -- For the first time since the deadly December 2, 2016, fire that killed 36 people, the owners of the Ghost Ship warehouse made a court-ordered appearance on Thursday. Angela Ruggiero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/4/19

Do voters want San Francisco to buy PG&E’s infrastructure? It seems most do -- A majority of San Francisco residents queried in a recent poll say they’d support a city takeover of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. infrastructure — a proposal that’s being seriously considered since the utility company’s bankruptcy. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

How border patrol chases have spun out of control, with deadly consequences -- A ProPublica-L.A. Times investigation finds dangerous pursuits have happened more frequently under the Trump administration, often endangering lives. Kavitha Surana, Propublica Brittny Mejia and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Pregnant prison guards say California forces them to choose: Their jobs or their babies -- Correctional officer Sarah Coogle was seven months pregnant when an alarm sounded during her shift at a California state prison in Tehachapi. Coogle ran toward the ringing and fell. She felt pain in her abdomen immediately. Two months later, in her 38th week of pregnancy, her baby was still-born. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/19

The California politicians who dominate Twitter -- The Chronicle checked to see which politicians in the state have amassed the largest followings, and the winner, oddly enough, has been out of office for more than eight years. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

Harris skips vote on California disaster aid to campaign for president -- Her absence highlights the growing pressure a half-dozen Democratic senators running for the White House are under to ditch their day jobs. Marianne Levine and Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 4/4/19

Sac City Unified strike is set -- The strike was called. The picket line will be drawn. But the impact on more than 40,000 students in the troubled Sacramento City Unified School District remained unclear Wednesday, one day after the teachers union announced a walkout set for April 11. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/19

Mountain View approves razing rent-controlled units for homes worth $1.5 million -- Despite months of protests and push back from community members, dozens of rent-controlled apartments in Mountain View will soon be razed and replaced with townhouses, each with an estimated price tag of $1.5 million. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/4/19

Bay Area IPOs to add some fuel to hot housing market -- The stream of newly minted, IPO payouts from Lyft — and soon, other tech unicorns — may have Bay Area home sellers dreaming of bigger payouts and buyers wary of even heftier mortgages. But Bay Area real estate veterans and economists say the IPOs’ impact on home prices may be more subtle than expected. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/4/19

Berkeley engineer poisoned his co-worker’s water and food for months, prosecutors say -- David Xu, 34, of Lafayette, Calif., was arrested last week and charged with premeditated attempted murder and a special circumstance of causing great bodily injury as well as two counts of poisoning with an enhancement, said Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman with the Alameda County district attorney’s office. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Student petition seeking permission to use N-word at Marina High was an April Fools’ joke gone wrong, district official says -- A petition circulated at Marina High School in Huntington Beach asking students of color for permission to use the N-word prompted school officials to discipline two students involved in the incident, a member of the school board said Wednesday. Duane Dishno, president of the Huntington Beach Union High School District, described the petition as “a bad joke gone wrong on April Fools’ Day.” Priscella Vega and Lilly Nguyen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Fox: UCLA Rowers in South Carolina? Or Another Exemption for Sports Under CA Laws? -- Does UCLA’s women’s rowing team have to pull out of the Clemson Invitational in South Carolina April 19 and 20? California Attorney General Xavier Becerra banned travel to South Carolina; the 10th state California has prohibited state-funded travel to because of perceived discrimination against the LGBTQ communities in those states. Or is another exemption from state law being offered to a sports team, as seems to be a habit with the state powers-that-be? Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/4/19

Trump needs Nancy Pelosi, his biggest adversary, to help pass revamped NAFTA -- President Trump is showing surprising deference to his top political adversary, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as he feels pressure to fulfill a signature election promise — approval of a revised trade deal with Mexico and Canada. Jennifer Haberkorn, Noah Bierman and Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

PG&E Chooses TVA Head as Next CEO -- PG&E Corp. on Wednesday named Bill Johnson, the current head of the Tennessee Valley Authority, as its next chief executive and announced a new board, as it seeks to steer a path out of bankruptcy. Russell Gold and Maria Armental in the Wall Street Journal$ J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/19

San Francisco City Hall ‘pay to play’ bribery case ends in plea agreements by city insiders -- The City Hall bribery case that unearthed an insider’s grim summary of political deal-making in San Francisco — “you pay to play here” — has ended in plea agreements for the two remaining defendants, with no jail time. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva reinstates a second deputy fired for misconduct -- The deputy charged onto the scene and kicked the door of a truck, threatening to shoot the man inside. After yanking the man onto the ground, the lawman punched him several times in his back and shoulders as other officers wrangled the suspect onto his stomach and into handcuffs, according to law enforcement reports. Maya Lau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

Skelton: A California tax to clean up toxic drinking water has lawmakers jumpy -- The ghost of Josh Newman haunts the state Capitol, sending shivers through certain politicians’ spines at the mere mention of the scary word “tax.” The former lawmaker’s fate will make it difficult for the Legislature — even with supermajority Democratic control — to pass one of Gavin Newsom’s top priorities: a so-called water tax. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Walters: A crackdown on misuse of taxpayer money? -- As documented in this space on several occasions, local government officials throughout California have been thumbing their noses at a state law that prohibits them from using taxpayer funds for political campaigns. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 4/4/19

Rep. Katie Hill has her first 2020 opponent, Republican Suzette Valladares -- Suzette Martinez Valladares, a Republican who runs a faith-based non-profit, has become the first candidate to file papers to challenge Rep. Katie Hill in a California congressional seat in north Los Angeles County, according to listings on the Federal Election Commission website. Kevin Modesti in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/4/19

Judge orders California to open voter registration at welfare offices, student aid centers -- In a lawsuit by advocates for the elderly, the disabled and the American Civil Liberties Union, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman ruled last week that Secretary of State Alex Padilla was not complying fully with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

Vote provisionally in November 2018? Your ballot was probably counted -- Nine in 10 provisional ballots cast in California during last November’s election were accepted, dispelling the notion that those ballots, given to voters with eligibility questions, don’t count, according to state election officials. Jeff Horseman in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 4/4/19

Lawyer for Bryan Stow says latest Dodger Stadium parking lot assault is ‘eerily similar’ -- A lawyer for the family of a Riverside County man who has been hospitalized in a coma since being assaulted in the Dodger Stadium parking lot over the weekend said the incident was “eerily similar” to the vicious beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow at the same venue on opening day in 2011. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Bay Area telescope company says Asian manufacturers harmed it -- The Bay Area’s last telescope store is heading to court over claims that Asian manufacturers worked together to monopolize the American market. Orion Telescopes and Binoculars, which is headquartered in Watsonville and has stores there and in Cupertino, is seeking more than $180 million in damages in a lawsuit. Sophia Kunthara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

How does a retail space stay empty in San Francisco for 16 years? -- Locals call the story of 3939 24th St. a “great saga,” combining an absentee owner, memories of a bitter labor dispute, retrofit requirements and squabbles over building — or not building — housing. It’s coming to an end with the opening of SkinSpirit, a medical spa, at the site on April 15. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

Long Beach plans to woo Angels, and arena might be demolished -- The Angels play their home opener Thursday, starting their 54th season at Angel Stadium. The Angels’ lease there expires after next season, and the team is considering whether to remain in Anaheim — in a new or renovated stadium — or move to a new ballpark along the Long Beach waterfront. Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Tesla deliveries fall sharply in the first quarter, especially for its highest-margin cars -- Electric-car maker Tesla Inc. delivered sharply fewer vehicles to customers in the first three months of the year, raising questions about the strength of demand for its product lines as it ramps up assembly of the newest sedan. Samantha Masunaga and Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Telcom giants are coming to the Valley, and they’re bringing 1,000 jobs -- Kingsburg has been selected by T-Mobile and Sprint as the site for a new telephone call center that will eventually employ about 1,000 people. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 4/4/19

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

Is the cost of your gasoline about to rise? Washington looks ready to talk about a tax hike -- The Trump administration and congressional Democrats have found something they agree on — and it could mean higher taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel. David Lightman McClatchy DC via the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/19

Transit  

Metro introduces another piece in the puzzle that will help get passengers to LAX without a car -- A rail-to-airport missing link has been an embarrassment for the city. The Green Line comes close but stops well short of the third busiest airport in the nation. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/4/19

Homeless  

London Breed shouted down at meeting over proposed Embarcadero Navigation Center -- An unexpected appearance from San Francisco Mayor London Breed incited an already tense crowd that packed a community meeting Wednesday night to hear city officials detail a plan to bring a 200-bed Navigation Center to the Embarcadero. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

Housing  

Housing bill to ease zoning rules near transit and jobs advances -- Many HOAs and local governments are crying foul, saying such legislation undermines local authority over planning and land use. Katy Murphy in the Orange County Register -- 4/4/19

Long Beach moves forward with tenant assistance policy that will require landlords to pay displaced renters -- The City Council voted 6-3 early Wednesday morning to move ahead with crafting a controversial ordinance that would obligate certain property-owners to pay two months' rent to tenants who are displaced through no fault of their own, including by a 10 percent or higher rent hike. Hayley Munguia in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 4/4/19

Wildfire  

California eyes risk pool as it struggles with costly fires -- Officials were struggling Wednesday to find ways for homeowners to afford insurance in fire-prone areas of California and for utilities to survive liability from devastating wildfires that threaten to worsen with climate change. One option on the table is the creation of a new state catastrophe fund backed by tens of billions of dollars. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/4/19

Education 

SDSU will let students put any name they wish on their college diploma -- The change is mostly meant to allow transgender and non-binary people use names that reflect their preferred gender and sexual identity. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/4/19

Immigration / Border 

Border Patrol’s largest holding area — known to migrants as ‘the kennel’ — is overwhelmed -- Overwhelmed by an influx of migrant families, the federal government’s largest holding facility for people caught crossing the border illegally has run out of space and exhausted its budget. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Could dreamers land jobs in Congress? Sen. Kamala Harris’ bill would make that possible -- Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, and two other senators are introducing the “American Dream Employment Act,” which would amend current law to allow DACA recipients paid internships and other employment in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 4/4/19

San Diego County sued Trump Administration, seeking revival of “safe release” program for asylum-seekers -- San Diego County sued the Trump administration Wednesday, challenging in federal court its decision to end the so-called “safe release” policy for asylum seekers last October. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/4/19

Military Mission To Lay Wire On The Border Wrapped Up With Mixed Results -- KPBS visited the location last week. A small fence staked out on the beach during Nielsen’s visit is now mainly a tangle of wire. Another portion of wire was in ball near the base of the wall. The wire on the wall is also beginning to sag. The Department of Defense position is that is up to Homeland Security to maintain the wire, once the troops put it into place, Wilkinson said. Steve Walsh KPBS -- 4/4/19

Environment 

Third dead gray whale found in Bay Area waters in three weeks -- The gray whale species migrates from Mexico past California in April and May toward Alaska, said Laura Sherr, a spokeswoman for the Marine Mammal Center. The animal can be observed migrating southward in December and January. Ashley McBride in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/4/19

Also . . . 

Yabba dabba don’t: California town rejects Flintstones house -- Towering dinosaurs stand among fanciful mushrooms in the sloping backyard. A life-sized Fred Flintstone welcomes visitors near the front door. And by the driveway on the lawn is a giant “Yabba Dabba Do” sign in orange, purple and red. Janie Har Associated Press -- 4/4/19

Authorities seize serval cat from home of hip-hop producer Mally Mall -- Authorities seized a serval cat and a spider monkey Wednesday after serving search warrants at two San Fernando Valley homes as part of an exotic animal trafficking investigation, officials said. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Authorities find mobile counterfeiting lab in man’s car outside casino -- A North Hills man was arrested on suspicion of forgery after authorities found a mobile counterfeiting lab inside his car at a casino. Oganes Darmanchyan, 38, was arrested Monday at the San Manuel Casino in Highland on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/4/19

Out of the car, Siri. California urged to ban even hands-free cellphone use for drivers -- California already busts drivers for holding their phones behind the wheel – but it got a call Wednesday to become the first state to ban even hands-free use of electronic devices by motorists. Mila Jasper in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/4/19

POTUS 45  

Some on Mueller’s Team Say Report Was More Damaging Than Barr Revealed -- Some of Robert S. Mueller III’s investigators have told associates that Attorney General William P. Barr failed to adequately portray the findings of their inquiry and that they were more troubling for President Trump than Mr. Barr indicated, according to government officials and others familiar with their simmering frustrations. Nicholas Fandos, Michael S. Schmidt and Mark Mazzetti in the New York Times$ -- 4/4/19

House Democrats seek 6 years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns -- The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee asked the IRS on Wednesday for six years of President Trump’s personal and business tax returns, a request with which the president immediately said he was not inclined to comply. Erica Werner, Damian Paletta and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 4/4/19

Beltway 

Republicans trigger ‘nuclear option’ to speed Trump nominees -- Democrats blasted the move as a blow to the Senate and a sign the filibuster might soon be on its way out. Burgess Everett Politico -- 4/4/19

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

Short of Workers, U.S. Builders and Farmers Crave More Immigrants -- It takes Carlos Rojas two and a half to three hours to drive from his home in Stockton, Calif., to a job spreading plaster on houses going up in Campbell,on the southern rim of Silicon Valley. The trip is worth it, though. The 30-year-old immigrant from the Mexican state of Oaxaca says he makes roughly $25 an hour, depending on the job. Eduardo Porter in the New York Times$ -- 4/3/19

Oroville Dam spillway passes first major test since repairs -- The floodgates of the Oroville Dam opened a couple of minutes before 11 a.m. Tuesday and water rushed down the spillway into the Feather River for the first time since 2017, when the main and emergency spillways partially collapsed. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/19

Nipsey Hussle shooting suspect: Aspiring rapper who sang of body bags, ‘gun blasts,’ homicides -- Even by rappers’ standards, Fly Mac was full of braggadocio. His Instagram handle was “ima_god_in_da_streetz.” He sang of body bags, “38 gun blasts” and bloody homicides. Richard Winton, Mark Puente and Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/19

Disney faces gender pay lawsuit, accused of paying women less than men -- Two female employees sued Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday, alleging the company is violating the state’s equal pay act and paying women less than men doing similar work. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/19

Disneyland wagon ban triggers online protests by families with kids with autism, special needs and medical issues -- A Disneyland wagon ban has triggered an online petition and social media protests by families with children with autism, special needs and medical issues who rely on the pull carts as a safe haven for their kids amid the often kinetic and chaotic atmosphere of the Anaheim theme park. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 4/3/19

Apple offers $9.7 million for transportation projects in Cupertino -- Apple is offering to spend $9.7 million on five bike and pedestrian-oriented transportation projects, a proposal by the company after the city council agreed last July to put off changes to the business license tax that would have cost Apple $9 million a year. Thy Vo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/3/19

 

College admissions scandal: Five Bay Area parents to join Hollywood actresses in court -- Two Hollywood actresses charged in the nationwide college admissions scandal are scheduled to appear in Boston federal court Wednesday, and alongside the celebrities will be five wealthy Bay Area parents. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/19

Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin and others face judge in college admissions scandal -- Huffman and Loughlin are among 33 parents charged last month in a vast conspiracy to sneak the children of wealthy and powerful families into elite universities. Wednesday’s proceedings mark the first time Huffman and Loughlin will appear in Boston federal court. Matthew Ormseth and Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/19

What’s Life Like as a Student at U.S.C.? Depends on the Size of the Bank Account -- Spring breaks in Bali, resort-style apartment buildings with rooftop pools and tanning beds and regular dinners out at Nobu, where a tab for four roommates could easily stretch into four digits. This is life as a student at the University of Southern California. This is also life as a U.S.C. student: working an overnight shift to earn money for books, going hungry when the campus meal plan runs out and seething as friends presume that a $20 glass of wine is affordable. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 4/3/19

Money, chicanery fuel college admissions uproar -- It’s pretty much all there: money, celebrity, scandal, more money, cheating, coaches being bribed — advantage layered over advantage. Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 4/3/19 

 

Court rejects trucking group’s challenge to independent contractor ruling -- A federal judge has rejected a trucking organization’s challenge to the California Supreme Court’s labor-friendly ruling on independent contractors, which said workers must be considered employees rather than contractors — and thus entitled to minimum wages and reimbursement for expenses — unless they run their own business in a different field than the company that hired them. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/19

Gavin Newsom could be ahead of the curve on the death penalty -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision last month to declare a moratorium on the death penalty in California drew instant complaints that he was tromping on the will of the people who voted down a ban on capital punishment in 2016. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/19

Harsh exchange with Democrat lands a California Republican in the Capitol ‘dog house’ -- Go to the fifth floor of the Capitol, turn left at the elevators and make another left until you hit Room 5126. Walk inside, locate a tiny two-person cubicle and take a few steps to enter an intimate room barely able to fit a conference table. That concludes your tour of the most desolate space a California lawmaker could have. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/3/19

Jeffe & Jeffe: Gavin Gets His Close-Up -- Our new Governor spent his eight years as Jerry Brown’s Lieutenant Governor with not a whole lot to do. Gavin Newsom s making up for lost time in his first hundred days in office. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 4/3/19

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is on vacation. His office is staying quiet on his plans -- In addition to an upcoming official trip to El Salvador, Newsom will be out of state for nine full days, leaving Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis to serve as acting governor until April 10. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/19

Ghost Ship trial: Defense makes ‘cover-up,’ ‘scapegoat’ claims on Day 1 -- In the run-up to trial, defense attorneys for the two men charged in the deadly Ghost Ship fire cultivated a public defense strategy around one central argument: Their clients were scapegoats in the warehouse inferno that killed 36 people because Oakland officials were negligent in enforcing the city’s fire code. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/19

McManus: For a guy who’s not running, Joe Biden is having a tough campaign -- Joe Biden has a problem — and it’s bigger than his odd penchant for unwanted displays of affection. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/19