Updating . .
Steyer launches multimillion-dollar campaign to impeach Trump -- Tom Steyer, the liberal billionaire activist considering a run for U.S. Senate in California, is spending at least $10 million on national TV ads demanding that Congress take a stand on impeaching President Donald Trump. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/20/17
In California, a battle brews over the ‘future and soul’ of college Republicans -- UC Irvine senior Ariana Rowlands is buddies with Milo Yiannopoulos, the right-wing provocateur who has sparked campus uproars over free speech. She writes for Steve Bannon’s Breitbart News. And she is unapologetically combative in campus culture wars. Teresa Watanabe and Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Far-right blogger Chuck C. Johnson gave bitcoin donation to Dana Rohrabacher -- Right-wing blogger and provocateur Chuck C. Johnson gave Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) a $5,400 campaign contribution weeks after he said he helped arrange a meeting between the Orange County congressman and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The donation, the maximum amount allowed by law, came in the form of bitcoin, a virtual currency. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
This Los Angeles representative spent $105,500 on Hamilton tickets -- "Hamilton" fever has caught at least two Los Angeles area members of Congress who’ve used campaign funds to purchase tickets to the hit musical’s run at the Hollywood Pantages. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Santa Cruz wildfire’s origin was site of 2015 chop-shop bust, witnesses say -- The Bear Fire started on a 30-acre property that was the site of a chop-shop bust in 2015 and is now littered with dozens of charred cars, trucks and tractors, according to witness accounts. Nicholas Ibarra and Michael Todd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/20/17
Taylor: The teen who was set afire on the bus: the lives behind a shocking assault -- You probably remember the story, the one about an agender teen wearing a skirt who was set on fire while riding an AC Transit bus in Oakland. It happened in November 2013, almost four years ago. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Votes, Money, Politicians and Influence -- How often does your legislator vote with powerful interest groups in Sacramento? With the help of our partners at Digital Democracy, we’ve created a unique dataset to help illustrate how the policymaking process works, looking at the relationships between legislators, lobbying groups, money and votes. We call it the “Alignment Score.” Matt Levin Calmatters.org -- 10/20/17
Graphic allegations about California legislator show there are few protections for female lobbyists in the Capitol -- As a blunt manifesto painting the state Capitol as rife with sexual harassment and misconduct ricocheted through Sacramento this week, state leaders have begun looking into an explosive allegation of a forced sexual encounter and grappling with legislative solutions to the apparently ubiquitous culture of abuse in California politics. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Campaign grows against sexual harassment at California Capitol -- Adama Iwu wrapped up a conversation with a group of men at a work event outside the Capitol last week about how they can serve as allies to women and stop sexual harassment when a drunken male approached her. Iwu, the head of Visa’s western U.S. government relations program, said he touched her inappropriately. The men did nothing. Taryn Luna and Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/20/17
Women Call Capitol's Sexual Harassment Complaint Process Flawed -- Tam Ma, a legal and policy director with the advocacy group Health Access, says she experienced harassment during her early years in the Capitol. She never took her complaints to her superiors because she didn’t want it to be held against her later on. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 10/20/17
Harvey Weinstein raped me, actress tells LAPD. Investigation launched -- An Italian model-actress met with Los Angeles police detectives for more than two hours Thursday morning, providing a detailed account of new allegations that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her at a hotel in 2013. Richard Winton and Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
State GOP brings in Bannon, brings on internal strife -- While the California Republican Party’s convention in Anaheim this weekend will rally hopes for the party’s future, some insiders complain that President Donald Trump is undermining the state party’s efforts to regain its mojo — and that featuring Trump’s controversial former strategist, Steve Bannon, as the kick-off speaker only makes things worse. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 10/20/17
With Help From Bannon, California GOP Hopes to Stoke Voter Anger -- With its share of registered voters continuing to slip and no particularly promising candidates for governor or the U.S. Senate, California Republicans are gathering in Anaheim this weekend in hopes of reversing their sunken fortunes by stoking voter anger. Scott Shafer KQED -- 10/20/17
Steve Bannon's speech to the California GOP tonight has some Republicans nervous -- The California Republican Party’s decision to invite right-wing provocateur and former presidential advisor Stephen K. Bannon to address its convention Friday created an unsettled concoction of excitement, dread and rubbernecking curiosity for GOP loyalists in the state. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
California Republicans increase security at state convention ahead of Steve Bannon speech -- It’s a level of security rarely seen at political party gatherings in California. Convention attendees were also screened when Donald Trump, then a candidate seeking the GOP presidential nomination, appeared at the spring 2015 convention in Burlingame. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
L.A. County Supervisors unanimously back Sen. Feinstein for reelection -- The announcement comes as factions of California Democrats begin weighing in on the Senate race between Feinstein and state Senate leader Kevin de León next year. It's a snub for De León, a native Angeleno who has represented part of the city for more than a decade in the Assembly and state Senate. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Senate race: De León in steep uphill fight -- Our recent Sextant Strategies & Research/Capitol Weekly poll of 1,554 likely voters shows just how significant a challenge De León faces in 2018. Nearly half the electorate has never heard of him, and of those who have, his favorability-versus-unfavorability ratings are about even. A hypothetical, Feinstein-De León matchup for both the primary and general elections shows Feinstein with better than a 2-to-1 advantage. Jonathan Brown Capitol Weekly -- 10/20/17
Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio blasts Waters, California, predicts an upset -- Joe Arpaio, the avowed “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” inserted his barbed rhetoric into a Los Angeles-area congressional race Thursday night, predicting an upset victory for Republican Omar Navarro while blasting Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters and other California politicians. Kevin Modesti in the Orange County Register -- 10/20/17
California's deadliest fires set off debate about illegal immigration and sanctuary policies -- Deadly wildfires in Northern California that destroyed or damaged nearly 10,000 homes have set off a contentious debate over something seemingly unrelated: immigration. Alene Tchekmedyian and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Sonoma County Sheriff: ICE statement about recent arrest ‘misleading and inflammatory’ -- Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano on Thursday lambasted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for making “misleading and inflammatory” statements about a recent arson arrest, and for wrongly injecting the politics of immigration into public discourse at a time when the community is in the midst of the state’s largest wildfire disaster. Julie Johnson and Nick Rahaim in the Santa Rosa Press -- 10/20/17
Racing to repair the Oroville Dam — before the rains come -- In one of the fastest-paced civic construction jobs in recent U.S. history, hundreds of carpenters, operating engineers and iron workers are rushing to complete repairs to the damaged Oroville Dam spillway. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Walters: Just a few new gun laws this year, but one’s a puzzler -- Last year, California’s Legislature and voters enacted a veritable blizzard of legislation making private gun ownership more difficult and expensive, including new restrictions on magazine capacity and ammunition sales. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 10/20/17
Congresswoman demands investigation into law that stymied DEA on opioid enforcement -- In September 2016, local Rep. Judy Chu met with then-head of the Drug Enforcement Agency Chuck Rosenberg. She was reassured by Rosenberg that recently passed legislation related to the oversight of how opioids are distributed, which she cosponsored, “did not interfere with the DEA’s ability to successfully stop bad actors.” Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Want a truck-driving license? Feds say DMV clerks were selling them for bribes -- Two state Department of Motor Vehicle workers have been charged in federal court in Sacramento with taking bribes to alter DMV computer records to provide truck-driving licenses to people who had not passed or, in some cases, not even taken the written or behind-the-wheel driving exams. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/20/17
Fox: Chatter at the Chamber: Political Insights at CalChamber’s Public Affairs Conference -- Do Republicans have a chance in California? Seems a pointless question given California’s dramatic political turn to those left, all constitutional offices in the hands of the Democrats and a two-thirds supermajority of Democratic legislators. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/20/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
California state worker union raising dues to fight Trump agenda -- A small California union has big plans to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars a year during the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term to help it support political candidates opposed to labor policies coming out of the White House. Adam Ashton and Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/20/17
Irvine wants to put Amazon's second headquarters in the Spectrum -- Irvine has unveiled its proposal to win Amazon’s second headquarters, joining cities from across the country that are vying to lure the tech giant and tens of thousands of new jobs. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Despite backlash over political ads, Facebook's role in elections will only grow -- Negative headlines. Congressional inquiries. Corporate apologies. The heightening scrutiny surrounding Facebook after it allowed Russian trolls and inflammatory political ads to spread on its network is the kind of thing companies would do anything to avoid. But don’t expect it to harm the tech giant’s bottom line. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Workers' lawsuit accuses ritzy Terranea Resort of wage theft -- Workers at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes have sued the ritzy hotel, contending they aren’t paid for the time they spend waiting to get uniforms before each shift and being driven on a bus from a remote parking lot. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Survey: Almost half of tech workers worry about losing their jobs because of ageism -- More than 40 percent of tech workers worry about losing their jobs because of age, a new survey shows. Jobs site Indeed also found that 18 percent of those who work in the tech industry worry “all the time” about losing their jobs because of ageism. The release of the survey Thursday comes amid other news about diversity — or lack thereof — in tech workplaces. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/20/17
Homeless
Seeking 'patient zero' in San Diego's hepatitis A outbreak -- As San Diego’s hepatitis A outbreak has continued to grow, so has a fascination about the identity and importance of “patient zero,” the first person believed to be infected in a surge of illness that has now killed 19 people. Paul Sisson and Jeanette Steele in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Hospitals are housing the homeless: Will it make a difference? -- During the five years Tony Price roamed the streets and dozed in doorways, the emergency rooms of Sacramento’s hospitals were a regular place for him to sleep off a hard day’s drinking. “A lot of times I would pass out, and then I’d wake up in the hospital,” said Price, 50. Pauline Bartolone in the Orange County Register -- 10/20/17
Housing
Housing economist poses the big question: Will the Bay Area bubble burst? -- To burst or not to burst? That was the question posed Thursday by economist Lawrence Yun at the 27th Annual Convention and Expo of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors. He gave himself an out — as in, what if Facebook and the whole tech sector were to unexpectedly tank? Were that to happen, if corporate hiring were to take a dive, anything goes. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/20/17
Wildfire
When fires began closing in, they said goodbye to their kids. Then, 'a miracle' happened -- The couple, who say they are in their "70s and 80s," heeded the warning. They gathered just a "confused" Mele Kalikimaka — their "ancient" cat, called Mele for short — as well as cell phones and their laptop before getting into their Subaru to escape. However, when they reached the end of their short driveway, a large tree blocked their exit. Alyssa Pereira in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/17
Insured losses top $1 billion in Northern California fires -- Deadly wildfires in Northern California have caused over $1 billion in insured losses, according to California’s insurance commissioner. Preliminary loss figures released Thursday by State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones estimate total insured losses at $1.045 billion. Joseph Serna, Sonali Kohli and Makeda Easter in the Los Angeles Times$ Janie Har and Michael R. Blood Associted Press -- 10/20/17
Long After a Deadly Fire, Search and Rescue Becomes Search and Recovery -- The scar of a fast-moving fire divides the Hopper Lane Apartments, in the city of Santa Rosa. A few are still standing, low slung apartments, clustered by the half dozen, earth-toned and minimal, with through-the-wall air conditioners. Across a cul-de-sac, hot water heaters stand, lonely sentinels. Molly Peterson KQED -- 10/20/17
Unknown Fire Hero: Santa Rosa Teacher Wants to Thank Man Who Saved Her Life -- Anna Solano is one of the thousands of people who escaped their homes in Santa Rosa as wildfire raced into the city early the morning of Oct. 9. Now she wants to find the stranger she says woke her up as danger approached and, in doing so, saved her life. Julia McEvoy KQED -- 10/20/17
Pasadena firefighters help Oakmont residents clean up after fire -- Home after an evacuation of nine days, Herb Brasche was clearing leaves, ash and branches from his front yard in Oakmont Wednesday when a fire engine from Pasadena rumbled slowly by. Chris Smith in the Santa Rosa Press -- 10/20/17
Education
Santa Clara County schools chief reportedly on his way out -- Jon Gundry, who brought stability to the chaotic Santa Clara County Office of Education, appears to be on his way out as schools superintendent, over friction with board members and allegations of harassment. The county board of education is negotiating a mid-contract exit plan with Gundry, 62, according to several sources who declined to release confidential details. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/20/17
In aftermath of fires, schools brace for newly homeless students -- Debra Sanders has spent the past five years providing guidance and comfort to Sonoma County’s homeless students, helping them navigate the school system and claim their rights to an education. Then, last week, she became homeless herself. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 10/20/17
The murky part of charter school law in the Ref Rodriguez story -- Are charter schools subject to state laws designed to prevent public officials from personally benefiting from taxpayer dollars they spend? That question has divided California lawmakers for years, and it’s taken new salience following the latest twist in the saga of Los Angeles Unified School board member Ref Rodriguez. Kyle Stokes KPCC -- 10/20/17
Immigration / Border
Single mother to be deported after ICE check in -- A single mother who was previously allowed to stay in the country as long as she checked in with immigration officials every year is going to be deported on Thursday, according to Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher’s office. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/20/17
Health
Time Running Out For Children’s Health Insurance Program -- The September 30th deadline to renew funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program has come and gone. And there is still no deal on the table in Congress. The CHIP program provides health insurance for 1.4 million children in California and nine million kids nationwide. These children are from families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford a private plan. Kenny Goldberg KPBS -- 10/20/17
POTUS 45
Trump gave himself a ’10’ on Puerto Rico. Then he tried to get its governor to do the same -- President Trump held a news conference with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló on Thursday. In it, Trump rated his own response to the devastation that Hurricane Maria caused the island a "10" — out of 10. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/17
Beltway
George W. Bush’s unmistakable takedown of Trumpism — and Trump -- For the past nine years, George W. Bush has largely stayed out of presidential politics; he declined to criticize his successor, Barack Obama, and he chose not to endorse but largely ignored President Trump. While Mitt Romney and others spoke out publicly against Trump, Bush stayed above the fray. That changed in a big way Thursday. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/17
John Kelly’s fiery defense of Trump’s shot at Obama and Gold Star phone call, annotated -- White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly stood up for his boss, President Trump, during a media briefing on Thursday, telling reporters that he is the one who told Trump that previous presidents typically did not call the families of fallen troops and hailing Trump as “brave” for being willing to do so. Callum Borchers in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/17
Senate Democrats fail in first attempt to save state and local tax deduction -- Senate Democrats on Thursday failed in their first attempt to save the state and local tax deduction, which helps many residents of California and other high-cost states reduce their federal income tax bills. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
Young, pregnant migrant's case becomes a test of Trump policies on abortion and immigration -- When the Trump administration chose E. Scott Lloyd, a prominent antiabortion activist and attorney, to head the federal agency that oversees refugee affairs, he quickly set about enforcing strict policies. For months, even as he personally intervened in cases and tried to talk young women out of getting abortions, his efforts drew little attention. The case of a 17-year-old pregnant girl in an immigration detention center in Texas has suddenly changed that. Joseph Tanfani in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/17
-- Thursday Updates
Cost of Oroville dam repair nearly doubles as unexpected problems emerge -- The reconstruction of Oroville Dam’s flood control spillway is likely to cost as much as $500 million, state officials said Thursday, as design changes and unexpected additional work has inflated the cost of the project. Dale Kasler in the in the Sacramento Bee$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/19/17
In stunning attack, George W. Bush rebukes Trump, suggesting he promotes falsehoods and prejudice -- In an extraordinary — albeit veiled — attack, former President George W. Bush delivered a scathing assessment Thursday of President Trump and his policies, suggesting he has promoted bigotry and falsehoods to the detriment of the country and its values. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/19/17
Firefighters lacked water-dropping aircraft in first hours of wildfires in wine country -- In the first critical hours of the wildfires that swept through wine country this month, firefighters struggled to defend homes without the help of water-dropping aircraft. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/19/17
Bear Fire helicopter pilot’s radio exchange with Watsonville airport causes online backlash -- An air traffic control audio recording of a Watsonville Municipal Airport employee telling a helicopter pilot working the Bear Fire that he’d have to pay a $150 fee to fuel up is making the rounds on the internet. Kara Guzman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/19/17
When a big earthquake hits, your first instinct can mean life or death -- Californians born in this state might instinctively drop under a table, cover their head and hold tight. Out-of-staters might feel an urge to flee out the door. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/19/17
Mystery name on list of possible Feinstein challengers -- There’s another wealthy, progressive California Democrat besides billionaire San Francisco environmentalist Tom Steyer mulling a 2018 Senate challenge to incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein. His name is Joe Sanberg. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/19/17
Can Silicon Valley learn something from Harvey Weinstein’s fall? -- Over the past few days, we have witnessed an extraordinary social campaign sweeping through Facebook and Twitter. Despite using the tools of Silicon Valley, the push came from Hollywood. Thomas Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/19/17
California lawmaker wants to ban secret settlements in sexual harassment cases after Weinstein scandal -- A California state senator says she intends to introduce a bill next year to ban confidentiality provisions in monetary settlements stemming from sexual harassment, assault and discrimination cases. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/19/17
Nancy Pelosi: 'It’s your problem if you don’t recognize that women are ready to do any job' -- Nancy Pelosi knows what it feels like to have to prove herself in politics simply because she’s a woman. She says she experiences the pressure every day. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/19/17
Here’s what the coming La Niña will mean for Northern California – or not -- After suffering through the driest stretch of years in California history, and then suffering through the wettest spell on record this past winter, befuddled Californians have one question on their minds these days: What’s next? In two words: La Niña. But whether the weather system being hatched right now over the Pacific Ocean will leave the Golden State high and dry this winter as it’s done in the past is anyone’s guess. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/19/17