California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Some GOP House challengers were short on funds, reports show -- The Republican challengers who nearly upset two veteran Democratic congressmen in California during the Nov. 4 elections ran short on money for their campaigns and got little or no help from their party, reports filed this week showed. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

Richard Alarcon to serve 51-day sentence under house arrest -- It took state investigators more than five years to build a criminal case against Richard Alarcon. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

Oakland protesters block Interstate 880 -- Hundreds of protesters swarmed onto Interstate 880 in Oakland Friday, blocking traffic in both directions, and then forced the closure of the West Oakland BART Station during a third straight night of demonstrations against the recent killings of unarmed black men by police. Vivian Ho, Kale Williams and Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/6/14

Judge orders billionaire to open gate to Martins Beach -- The billionaire owner of a Peninsula beach was ordered Friday by a San Mateo County judge to open the gates to the sandy haven, which he insists is his exclusive property. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle Aaron Kinney in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/6/14

Judge upholds ethics agency's subpoenas in probe of backers of Sen. Nguyen -- A Superior Court judge on Friday ruled that the state’s ethics agency could subpoena financial records as part of an investigation into possible political money laundering involving 11 supporters of newly elected state Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove). Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Thy Vo VoiceofOC.org -- 12/6/14

Money flows in plastic bag fight -- With California’s law banning plastic bags on hold, the plastic bag industry and its allies already are pouring money into California in hopes of overturning the law in a referendum two years down the road. Dorothy Mills-Gregg Capitol Weekly -- 12/6/14

County Sheriff Jim McDonnell envisions unpaid civilian oversight panel -- Four days into his job, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell offered new details about the type of civilian oversight he would like to see for the department and the need to restore public trust in the embattled agency. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

Incomplete records hamper personnel audit of state’s civil-rights watchdog -- California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing will need to improve its record keeping following an investigation into several years of department personnel actions, an inquiry triggered by the housing department’s unlawful promotion of an employee. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/14

Walters: California’s tax battle looms in ’16 -- When Democrats lost their legislative supermajorities last month, it doomed even the very faint chance that legislators would enact the hefty tax increases liberal groups yearn to impose. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/14

GOP lawmaker to chair Assembly panel -- Democrats are still firmly in control of the California Legislature. But on one Assembly committee, a local Republican lawmaker will be in charge. Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, R-San Diego, was selected this week as chairman of the Local Government Committee. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, will serve as vice-chair. Chris Nichols UT San Diego$ -- 12/6/14

California Assembly gets younger while Senate stays the senior house -- If you thought the California Assembly looked a little younger as members took their oaths of office this week, you’re right. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/14

Moderate Democrats heading to Napa policy retreat -- Fresh off their swearing in, a group of moderate California Democrats will be gathering in Napa next week for a policy retreat sponsored by a nonprofit that has drawn substantial donations from politically engaged business groups. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/14

Schwarzenegger’s splotchy portrait retouched, hung at Capitol -- Three months after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled his official Capitol portrait – and its badly scrubbed-out image of his estranged wife – a less splotchy, retouched version of the painting was hung Friday with little fanfare. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/14

Jennifer Matz, 'our heroine,’ united S.F.’s political extremes -- The more than 300 people who ran the San Francisco shoreline, swam the bay or biked Mount Tamalpais in September to raise $340,000 for pancreatic cancer research called her “our heroine.” John Coté in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/6/14

Proposed constitutional amendment could strip UC of its independence -- Amid widespread fury over tuition-hike threats, two state senators are attempting to strip the University of California of the constitutional independence from the Legislature it has enjoyed since 1878. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/6/14

Should UC’s Independent Status Be Revoked? -- It’s a fact that, through the years, seems to come up only when there’s some crisis on the campuses of the University of California — a crisis that either the public or elected officials have concluded isn’t being properly handled by the men and women who run the state’s 146-year-old landmark institution of higher education. John Myers KQED -- 12/6/14

Saunders: UC’s new motto: Take the money and run -- When Gov. Jerry Brown was pushing Proposition 30 in 2012, he sold his measure with the promise that the income and sales tax increases in his measure would put off sharp tuition increases in the UC and CSU systems. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/6/14

Fox: High Speed Rail Strategy – START to Build it and They Will Come! -- The High Speed Rail project found its way into three of the five panels in the Public Policy Institute’s all-day State of Change conference Wednesday. At the end of the day, you understood the High Speed Rail authority’s strategy to gain support for the project – START to build it and they will come! Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 12/6/14

Greenhut: Court could reduce political competition -- Arizona redistricting case could alter independent commissions. Steven Greenhut UT San Diego$ -- 12/6/14

Banks: Police expectations damage black men's realities -- New York City's Eric Garner is the new Michael Brown. Both died at the hands of police, because they committed minor crimes, because they ran or resisted arrest, but mostly because they were both big, black men. Sandy Banks in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

Amid national push, San Jose opts for careful approach to body-worn cameras for officers -- Amid a national push for police officers to wear body cameras, San Jose's efforts to equip its officers have stalled for years, most recently waiting for the city and its police union to agree on a policy covering the use of cameras. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/6/14

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Pensions   

Promising jobs report suggests Americans' earnings are rising again -- Providing a surprising and much-needed bit of momentum to a shaky global economy, government figures released Friday show the U.S. economy is on track this year to create the most jobs since 1999. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

Drought  

California’s holiday gift: forecasts of a wet winter -- Meteorologists say periodic showers are likely through the middle of December, while new federal climate models, including a bumped-up forecast for El Niño, hint at definitively soggier months ahead. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/6/14

El Niño may be getting too much credit for California rainfall -- Few things in the world of Southern California weather generate more curiosity, research, debate and occasional trash talk than El Niño. Hector Becerra, Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

California needs more rain, any way you count it -- So how many more storms like the ones California experienced this week would it take to end the drought? Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

Immigration / Border

Visa program for ‘best and brightest’ also used to fill low-wage jobs -- n the heated immigration debate, America’s temporary visa program for highly skilled workers often is portrayed as a crucial piston in the nation’s economy, attracting “the best and brightest” immigrants to spur innovation in science, technology and other fields. Jennifer Gollan Center for Investigative Reporting -- 12/6/14

Also . . .

LAPD detective commits suicide after molestation allegations, authorities say -- A detective for the Los Angeles Police Department who once investigated sexual assault cases killed himself Thanksgiving morning after two relatives accused him of sexually abusing them, authorities said Friday. Joel Rubin, Richard Winton, Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens: Poor organization, training led to mistakes with jailhouse informants -- Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens this week joined the county’s top prosecutor in defending the use of jailhouse informants placed in cells wired to capture recorded confessions. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register$ -- 12/6/14

Two San Francisco police officers convicted of theft and conspiracy -- Two San Francisco police officers were convicted Friday of federal felony charges stemming from the theft of money, drugs and other property from crime scenes in 2009. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/14

San Jose Police Will Try to Sell Public on Drones -- The San Jose Police Department will try to make a case Saturday at a public outreach meeting about its desire to use the drone it purchased in January — without City Council approval or public discussion. The agency has been trying ever since to respond to charges that it needs to be more open about why it wants to use drones. Rachael Myrow KQED -- 12/6/14

Condom Machines for Inmates in San Francisco Jails Could Serve as Model for State -- While sex between inmates is illegal, supporters of the “Prisoner Protections for Family and Community Health Act” say making condoms available in prison will help prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. George Lavender KQED -- 12/6/14