California Policy & Politics This Morning

Disgraced California state senator's legislative efforts fueled cash for campaigns -- Beginning in early 2011, state Sen. Leland Yee repeatedly solicited bribes to fund his San Francisco mayor and California secretary of state campaigns, according to the FBI agents who brought him down last month. Aaron Kinney and Jessica Calefati in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 4/20/14

Willie Brown: Let's everybody calm down about the Leland Yee ruckus -- I'm starting to feel sorry for Leland Yee. He is holed up in his house and everyone thinks of him as the reincarnation of Al Capone. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/20/14

A bloody message for Leland Yee in the 1990s -- One of the oddest tales involving state Sen. Leland Yee came long before he was indicted on federal corruption charges - and involves a bloody pig's head with a meat cleaver through it. Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/20/14

Brown says prison realignment works; counties say it won't without money -- Gov. Jerry Brown has been quietly visiting California counties since the start of the year to see how they are faring under his 3-year-old realignment law that dramatically altered the state’s criminal justice system by increasing the burden on local governments. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/20/14

Walters: California politicos admit failures in seeking rainy day fund -- When you get past the political fuzz and buzz, the Capitol’s quest for a new rainy-day fund to store excess state revenue is an admission that politicians have failed in the past and can’t be trusted in the future. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/20/14

Morain: California could be in the running for Tesla’s battery factory, after all -- Elon Musk probably would be a billionaire even if California didn’t exist. But this state’s green laws and subsidies certainly helped turn Musk golden. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/20/14

Troubled Central Basin Water District may lose insurance -- The Assn. of California Water Agencies Joint Powers Insurance Authority has recommended to its board that it drop the district's employment liability coverage due to 'dysfunction' and increasing lawsuits. Hector Becerra in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/20/14

Schiff facing two challengers in re-election bid -- Rep. Adam Schiff has spent a career surprising people. In 2001, after one term in the state Senate, he declared for Congress and defeated a leading Republican, Jim Rogan, in what was then the most expensive congressional race ever waged and became only the second Democrat to win the district. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/20/14

Once again, west-side congressional race is hotly contested -- When political insiders list the few California congressional districts that are competitive, they always mention the one that for decades has covered the central San Joaquin Valley's west side. It's no different this year. John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 4/20/14

Former U.S. soldier says his friendly-fire shots might have killed Tillman -- A former U.S. Army Ranger who was in the same platoon as ex-NFL player Pat Tillman has stated in a television interview that he believes he might have fired the shots that killed Tillman in a 2004 friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan. Alex Dobuzinskis Reuters -- 4/20/14

Beale AFB drone protest results in 11 arrests -- Eleven anti-drone protesters were arrested Friday and cited as trespassers on Beale Air Force Base, the most people detained at one time since arrests of the demonstrators began 18 months ago. Denny Walsh in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/20/14

Report: $1.3 million project fails to improve Modesto water testing lab -- In April 2009, the Modesto City Council signed off on a $1.3 million public works project to upgrade the water quality control laboratory at the city’s Sutter Avenue wastewater treatment plant. Kevin Valine in the Modesto Bee -- 4/20/14

Economy, Employers, Jobs   

Oakland auditor sounds pension alarm -- Pension costs have more than doubled over the past decade, leaving Oakland with fewer police officers, more potholes and a growing threat of insolvency, City Auditor Courtney Ruby warned in a report released Sunday. Matthew Artz in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 4/20/14

Borenstein: City Auditor warns pensions threaten Oakland's solvency -- Unfortunately, even Ruby, one of only a few city officials acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, substantially understates the problem's magnitude and holds out false hope that Sacramento might come to the rescue. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 4/20/14

Student debt holds back many would-be home buyers -- Of the many factors holding back young home buyers — rising prices, tougher lending standards, a still-shaky job market — none looms larger than the recent explosion of college debt. Tim Logan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/20/14

Mold becomes latest health concern on Treasure Island -- The people who live and work on Treasure Island aren't only plagued by soil contaminated with radiation and toxic substances: An increasing number of residents and workers are complaining about mold and dampness in buildings on the decades-old Navy base and questioning whether their health is at risk. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/20/14

Education

Two more managers in Centinela Valley school district put on paid leave -- The scandal in the Centinela Valley school district is widening, with two mid-level managers being placed on paid leave as several investigations continue into the excessive compensation of Superintendent Jose Fernandez. Rob Kuznia in the San Bernardino Sun -- 4/20/14

San Jose State racial bias fixes have long, unfulfilled history -- With recommendations for combating racism at San Jose State finally in, the first question many had last week was whether the report would join the dusty stacks of previous studies going back at least 30 years? Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/20/14

Congresswoman aims to crack down on campuses' sex assault 'epidemic' -- U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier meets with UC Berkeley students and announces push for tougher laws against sexual assault on college campuses. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/20/14

Republicans See Political Wedge in Common Core -- The health care law may be Republicans’ favorite weapon against Democrats this year, but there is another issue roiling their party and shaping the establishment-versus-grass-roots divide ahead of the 2016 presidential primaries: the Common Core. Jonathan Martin in the New York Times$ -- 4/20/14

Drought  

Boxer, Feinstein push for drought relief -- When it comes to water issues, stereotypes of California’s two Democratic senators ring true. Barbara Boxer is the firecracker, guarding environmental protections, while Dianne Feinstein is the negotiator, working with Republicans and Democrats. Elizabeth Held in the Orange County Register$ -- 4/20/14

Environment

Beekeepers search for answers as colonies show up damaged after almond farm pollination -- As many as 80,000 bee colonies have died or been damaged this year after pollinating almond trees in the San Joaquin Valley, and some beekeepers are pointing to pesticides used on almond orchards as a possible cause. Edward Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/20/14

League, Sierra Club continue campaign to halt Friant Ranch -- Two public-interest groups are making a final stand in a long legal battle to stop Friant Ranch, a 2,270-home and commercial development that's been approved for the foothills near the San Joaquin River, 10 miles northeast of Fresno. Pablo Lopez in the Fresno Bee -- 4/20/14

Conservative heavyweights have solar industry in their sights -- The Koch brothers and large utilities have allied to reverse state policies that favor renewable energy. Environmentalists are pushing back, but the fight is spreading and intensifying. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/20/14

New Aquarium of the Pacific exhibit to honor the steelhead -- $850,000 display will depict the steelhead's journey from mountain streams to the Pacific. It's meant to spawn support for restoring the fish's habitat. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/20/14

Ban on coyote killing contests moves forward -- The California Fish & Game Commission approved a process this week that could lead to a vote this summer on a law banning predator killing contests and tournaments. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/20/14

Health

Geneticist Cynthia Kenyon is heading to Google -- Google's mysterious health venture dedicated to extending human life has quietly lured a prominent scientist away from UCSF, The Chronicle has learned. Stephanie M. Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/20/14

Obamacare’s high-risk pools are closing for real this time -- After three previous extensions, it looks like Obamacare’s temporary high-risk pools for the some of the country’s sickest patients are finally closing as planned. Jason Millman in the Washington Post$ -- 4/20/14

Also . . .

Guest speaker arrested at Downey seminar in elder abuse case -- A man being investigated for elder financial abuse was arrested Saturday during a financial seminar in Downey where he was a guest speaker, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials said. Beatriz Valenzuela in the Long Beach PT -- 4/20/14

One-third of Americans are pessimistic about tech — and they’re more likely to be poor, less educated, and female -- A recent Pew Research survey showed that around two-thirds of Americans think technology will lead to a future where people's live are "mostly" better. But what about the other third -- the ones who think that technological advances will make lives worse? Who are these dystopians? Andrea Peterson in the Washington Post$ -- 4/20/14

Lotto scratch ticket nets Milpitas man $1.3 million -- This seems to be the city that keeps on giving Lotto wins. Another lucky lottery player in Milpitas won more than a million dollars this week, according to lottery officials. Katie Nelson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/20/14

Paper produced by San Quentin inmates looking to grow -- From a small trailer near an exercise yard full of honking geese, the men of the San Quentin News put out a paper they hope will reach beyond the gates of the prison where many of them are serving life sentences. Katherine Seligman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/20/14

Potus 44 

Kansas Parents Worried That Michelle Obama Will Upstage Their High Schoolers -- A few days ago, Michelle Obama accepted Topeka, Kansas's invitation to speak at a five-high school graduation ceremony taking place in an 8,000-seat arena there next month. Caroline Bankoff New York Magazine -- 4/20/14