• School Inoovation and Achievement
  • San Diego Water Authority

Updating . .   

Sen. Dianne Feinstein recovering at home after pacemaker surgery -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein had a pacemaker installed Tuesday, just hours after questioning President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general nominee. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle Sean Cockerham in the Sacramento Bee$ Scott Shafer KQED -- 1/11/17

More than 350 trees have fallen around San Francisco since Saturday night -- The atmospheric river that roared through San Francisco this week brought short periods of heavy rainfall and high winds. On Tuesday night, as a cold front swooped into the city, the gusts were howling. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

Storms wipe away chunk of I-80 exit in Colfax, leaving behind huge sinkhole -- A portion of an exit of Interstate 80 in Placer County has been destroyed by recent storms, leaving behind a gaping sinkhole. A chunk of Morton Road near the Alta exit of I-80 is gone, swept away by rains. Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

PG&E to lay off employees and executives as it tightens its belt -- After years of adding staff to improve the safety of its sprawling operations, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Wednesday announced a series of belt-tightening measures that will trim its 23,000-member workforce and save roughly $300 million each year. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

Trump’s fondness for Twitter no help to the company -- In just 140 characters or less on Twitter, President-elect Donald Trump has demonstrated that he can wipe out billions of dollars in market value of a company that crosses him. But what seems beyond his power is boosting the bottom line of the service he’s so fond of using. Thomas Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

Riding the Budget Tiger -- Forget about the budget proposal introduced by Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday. The budget plan that will matter is the revised version issued in May–even more than usual–after we learn more about the economy and plans from the new Trump Administration, both of which could have major impacts on the budget. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/11/17

State senators urge House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to 'abandon the political rhetoric' on Obamacare -- When House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy asked top political figures across the country for input on how to replace the Affordable Care Act, it seemed unlikely that officials in California, a state that has enthusiastically adopted the healthcare law, would eagerly brainstorm on a potential repeal. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

What Trump made clear at his news conference and what he left murky -- President-elect Donald Trump's news conference Wednesday, his first in nearly half a year, clarified some issues, not others. Here's a look: David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Weeks of rain are rapidly reviving California's drought-ravaged lakes -- Throughout the course of California’s nearly six-year drought, the declining water levels at these places became a stark symbol of the state’s water shortage. Now, they serve as barometers of the state’s rapidly evolving drought picture. Louis Sahagun, Matt Stevens and Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Los Angeles Valley College pays $28,000 in bitcoin ransom to hackers -- The Los Angeles Community College District paid a $28,000 ransom in bitcoin last month to hackers who took control of a campus email and computer network until a payment was made. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

A year in, L.A. Unified's insider superintendent has made no big waves -- For months after she was named superintendent of the nation’s second-largest school system, Michelle King borrowed a strategy new politicians use to get the lay of the land: She traversed the territory on a “listen and learn” tour. Anna M. Phillips, Howard Blume and Joy Resmovits in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

L.A. County supervisors vote to expand sheriff's mental health teams -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has long had specially trained teams to de-escalate confrontations with people who have severe mental illness, but after two decades, the agency has struggled to deploy mental health responders at all times of day or night because of funding and staffing shortages. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Lopez: When it comes to political donations in L.A., what's legal can be worse than what's not -- It looked good. It sounded good. The Los Angeles City Council, in the wake of recent Times exposes by David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes on City Hall’s legendary pay-to-play culture, took what seemed to be a positive step Tuesday to limit the influence of campaign donations from developers. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Trump drops ‘no new deals’ pledge -- Donald Trump will not sell his business nor place his assets in a blind trust while serving as president, lawyers involved in the negotiations said Wednesday ahead of a long-awaited news conference. Josh Dawsey and Darren Samuelsohn Politico -- 1/11/17

Fact-checking 15 fishy claims from Trump -- President-elect Trump finally held a news conference, but as is typical, he often made claims that have been repeatedly debunked or discredited. Here’s a guide to 15 of his more notable statements, in the order in which he made them. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 1/11/17

Trump Concedes Russia’s Interference in Election -- President-elect Donald J. Trump on Wednesday conceded for the first time that Russia had carried out cyberattacks against the two major political parties during the presidential election, but he angrily rejected unsubstantiated reports that Moscow had gathered salacious personal information about him that could be used for extortion. Julie Hirschfeld and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 1/11/17

Donald Trump’s News Conference: Full Transcript and Video -- The following is a complete transcript of a news conference that President-elect Donald J. Trump held in New York on Wednesday, as prepared by the Federal News Service. via in the New York Times$ -- 1/11/17

Balz: Despite a decent news conference, questions linger about Trump’s readiness -- President-elect Donald Trump’s first news conference in six months was a vintage performance. Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 1/11/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Thousands urged to flee ahead of flooding California rivers -- Authorities urged thousands of people in Northern California to evacuate homes as rivers swollen by four days of heavy rain threatened to crest above flood level, even as another day of showers was forecast for Wednesday. Eric Risberg and Janie Har Associated Press -- 1/11/17

Cars swapped for canoes as flooding inundates Guerneville -- There was no letup for the water-saturated Bay Area as the heavens opened again Tuesday, unloading heavy rains, powerful winds and thunderstorms that turned some streets into streams and made other roadways impassable. Peter Fimrite, Evan Sernoffsky and Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

‘This is a big deal’: Storms could spell end to historic drought -- The storms barreling into California aren’t only flooding towns, ripping trees from the earth and igniting roadway chaos. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

Bay Area storm: More rain and snow leave drought farther behind -- Northern California continued to roar out of its prolonged drought Tuesday as yet another powerful storm blew in from the Pacific Ocean, drenching an already saturated Bay Area, filling some local reservoirs beyond capacity and creating dangerous white-out conditions in the northwestern Sierra Nevada. Aaron Kinney in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/11/17

I-80 remains closed as blizzard dumps 10 feet of snow on Sierra -- A section of Interstate 80 was closed all day Tuesday as dangerous blizzard conditions blasted through the Sierra, bringing several more feet of snow, officials said. Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

Court tosses California law that kept grand juries from probing fatal police shootings -- Acting on a challenge from El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson, an appeals court on Tuesday tossed out a 2015 state law that prohibited counties from using grand juries to investigate when police officers fatally shoot suspects or use other types of force that result in their deaths. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/11/17

Analyst says state contracts will cost more than Jerry Brown thinks -- How expensive are the 13 state labor contracts that are going to ratification votes this month? About $100 million more than Gov. Jerry Brown’s team estimated when it tallied up the costs of the deals, according to a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/11/17

Jerry Brown braces for budget changes under Trump: ‘It’s going to be a rough ride’ -- California Gov. Jerry Brown, warning about the double-barreled fiscal risk posed by Republican-controlled Washington and an impending economic downturn, presented a $177.1 billion proposed budget Tuesday that assumes the state will take in billions of dollars less than lawmakers previously estimated. Jim Miller and Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/11/17

Brown, Legislature differ sharply on California budget -- Gov. Jerry Brown sees a budget deficit and an urgent need for spending cuts. Legislative leaders see a surplus with room to comfortably increase expenditures. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 1/11/17

California counties will get stuck with a $622-million bill as the governor cancels a healthcare pilot program -- County officials across the state on Tuesday criticized Gov. Jerry Brown's move to cancel a program that attempted to streamline health services for seniors and low-income families, a decision that will hit locals with a $622.6-million price tag beginning this summer. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

From schools to health care, a look at California's budget -- Gov. Jerry Brown proposed a $122.5 billion general fund budget Tuesday and warned of a looming $1.6 billion budget deficit, absent spending cuts, because of slower than expected growth in tax revenues. Associated Press -- 1/11/17

In new budget, Gov. Brown practices fiscal caution in the age of Trump -- Caution is the key word in Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed 2017-18 state budget, just as it has been every year in his second administration. But the $179.5 billion plan Brown unveiled Tuesday is overshadowed by the first deficit in four years – at $1.6 billion – and the uncertainties of how California might fare in a Donald Trump presidency. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 1/11/17

California girds for Trump amid budget shortfall -- For nearly two hours on Tuesday morning, California Democrats staged a preview of their resistance to Donald Trump, lobbing Xavier Becerra, the state attorney general in waiting, one opportunity after another to explain how he plans to position the state as a counterweight to the president-elect. David Siders and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 1/11/17

Gov. Jerry Brown has a bigger plan to fund transportation, though a political deal remains elusive -- With negotiations stuck in a traffic jam of competing priorities, Gov. Jerry Brown's new state budget offers another effort to boost California's transportation funding by raising the gas tax paid by the state's drivers. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

California's budget rainy-day fund is expected to grow to almost $8 billion -- Even as his state budget plan detailed the reemergence of a potential deficit in the near future, Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday presented lawmakers with a fiscal blueprint that projects the state's cash reserve will grow to $7.9 billion. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Gov. Brown's budget includes $52.2 million for marijuana regulation under new system -- As California prepares for issuing licenses to sell marijuana for recreational use later this year, Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget includes $52.2 million for regulation of cannabis. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Brown’s budget delays down payment on Sacramento office overhaul -- Gov. Jerry Brown wants to hold off on a down payment toward the $1.3 billion Sacramento office overhaul he proposed last year. But a group of three projects, including construction of a new headquarters for the Department of Natural Resources downtown, is still moving forward. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/11/17

Walters: Gov. Jerry Brown sees downturn, proposes flat state budget -- Ever since he returned to the governorship six years ago, Jerry Brown has preached fiscal caution, warning that the state would inevitably see another economic decline and plunging revenue. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/11/17

Xavier Becerra promises he’s ‘got your back’ as California attorney general -- Vowing to make California a model of progressive leadership for the entire country in the coming years, Democrat Xavier Becerra on Tuesday passed his first hurdle to becoming the state’s next attorney general when a special Assembly committee recommended his confirmation by the full Assembly on a 6-3 partisan vote. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/11/17

California's Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is latest lawmaker to pull down painting in Capitol depicting police as pigs -- Hours after members of the Congressional Black Caucus rehung the controversial painting depicting police officers as pigs that Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) pulled down Friday, it's been pulled down twice more by Republican House members. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

LA County supervisors create office of immigration affairs at meeting marked by racial tensions -- After a public hearing marked by angry clashes between supporters of President-elect Donald Trump and pro-immigrant activists, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the creation of a new office that would help immigrants receive county assistance. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Federal judge who pushed rights of prisoners, gays retiring -- A federal judge who lost his job as a Justice Department attorney after loaning his car to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and then pushed for gay rights, police reform and health care for prisoners during his time on the bench is retiring. Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 1/11/17

America’s Fastest-Growing Loan Category Has Eerie Echoes of Subprime Crisis -- Deanna White told a contractor she couldn’t afford the $42,200 loan he recommended for improvements to her house in Inglewood, Calif. The contractor, she recalled, said she wouldn’t be on the hook because the loan was part of a “government program.” She applied and was approved. Kristen Grind in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/11/17

Homeless     

Homeless tent city pushed by Sacramento councilman despite mayor’s concerns -- Councilman Allen Warren is asking the city Tuesday to consider suspending or modifying its ban on urban camping to allow for homeless encampments near his North Sacramento district. Anita Chabria and Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/11/17

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions 

Los Angeles will be home to George Lucas' $1-billion museum -- The suspense has been as epic as “Star Wars,” but after months of intense speculation, George Lucas’ Museum of Narrative Art on Tuesday chose Los Angeles as its home over San Francisco. Deborah Vankin in the Los Angeles Times$ Anita Bennett and Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ John King in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

American Apparel is sold at auction to Canada's Gilda n Activewear -- For years, American Apparel proudly touted its “Made in Los Angeles” motto. With its sale Tuesday to a Canadian sportswear firm, neither American Apparel’s name nor its motto will ring so true. Shan Li in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Herbalife distributors who lost money get some back -- Federal trade regulators are sending checks to 350,000 Herbalife distributors who lost money by trying to sell the company’s weight-loss shakes, bars and other supplements. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Los Angeles County saw nearly $20 billion in real estate sales in 2016 -- Los Angeles’ record year of real estate included more than just two $100-million sales. Last year, L.A. County saw $19.8 billion in sales volume, a 7% increase from November 2015 through November 2016, according to the Multiple Listing Service. Neal J. Leitereg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

49ers sue Santa Clara to settle dispute over financial records -- The San Francisco 49ers, embroiled in an angry dispute with the city of Santa Clara over the team’s financial management records at Levi’s Stadium, have gone to court seeking a ruling confirming their claim that they’ve turned over all the documents they’re legally required to disclose. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

Spiking Pension Costs Squeeze San Diego Budget -- The city of San Diego's projected budget shortfall for the next fiscal year has ballooned by nearly $10 million because of new data from the municipal employees' pension system, financial management staff reported Tuesday. KPBS -- 1/11/17

Water   

Farmers and water districts hope storm runoff can help replenish underground supplies -- While some farmers lament the release of thousands of acre-feet of water from Friant Dam, others are putting it to good use: recharging groundwater supplies. Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee -- 1/11/17

Education 

Governor proposes minimal funding increase for K-12 schools next year -- Citing recent revenue declines and uncertainty about the future, Gov. Jerry Brown has lowered funding for schools by $500 million in the current year and is proposing little more than a cost-of-living increase in the 2017-18 budget that he presented Tuesday. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 1/11/17

Brown proposes more higher ed funding, but phasing out middle class scholarships -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2017-18 budget proposals for higher education continue his campaign for more efficiency and access at California’s public college and universities, funding ongoing programs to make it easier to transfer from community colleges, improve graduation rates and shorten time to degrees. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 1/11/17

UCLA, UC Riverside and UC Irvine employees hold one-day walkout to demand higher wages -- Thousands of clerical workers and administrative support staff waged a strike Tuesday across University of California campuses, including in Los Angeles, Riverside and Irvine, as part of a one-day walkout calling for higher wages and better benefits. Brenda Gazzar and Mark Muckenfuss in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/11/17

Coroner: College trustee Nejedly died from drug overdose -- Contra Costa Community College District board member John T. Nejedly died from “multiple drug intoxication” following a national college trustees convention in New Orleans, a spokesman from the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office said Tuesday. Sam Richards in the East Bay Times -- 1/11/17

‘Hidden Figures’ stars encourage girls to pursue STEM careers during LA screening -- Eighth-grader Monica Hernandez arrived at the University of Southern California excited to see in person some of her favorite stars, including Grammy winner Pharrell Williams and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, as part of a special screening of the movie “Hidden Figures.” Fermin Leal EdSource -- 1/11/17

Cannabis 

Orange County considers how to regulate marijuana in unincorporated land -- In the wake of Prop 64’s passage legalizing recreational marijuana use in California, Orange County has formed a committee to help decide how the county might regulate and police cannabis cultivation and related businesses on its unincorporated land. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 1/11/17

Immigration / Border 

Ex-U.S. customs officer admits taking cash, sexual bribes to allow human smuggling -- A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting bribes of cash and sexual favors in exchange for his willingness to wave through car loads of unauthorized immigrants at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/11/17

Environment 

Today's king tides might give us a glimpse into our future -- Californians living near the coast expect the ocean to occasionally rise high enough that it briefly threatens to swamp docks and sidewalks and flood into a few patios and storefronts. It’s a twice-a-year condition known as king tide, and it’s hitting California today. Lauren Williams in the Orange County Register -- 1/11/17

Health 

Millions sign up for Obamacare as Trump and GOP lawmakers scramble for a way to roll it back -- While Republicans struggle to find a way to roll back the Affordable Care Act without jeopardizing healthcare for tens of millions of people, Americans continue to sign up for Obamacare health plans. Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Appeals court upholds law requiring therapists to report patients who view child porn -- A California appeals court has affirmed a judge’s decision to throw out a lawsuit challenging a state law requiring therapists to report patients who admit to viewing child pornography to the police, capping a two-year legal battle over patient privacy rights. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Growing food-stamp program welcomed at drive-throughs, farmers’ markets and Amazon -- It’s always a sign that a government program has a bad reputation when its name is changed. The federal program that used to be known as “food stamps” is now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, except in California, where it’s called CalFresh. Susan Shelley in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/11/17

San Diego-Based Illumina Says The $100 Genome Is Only A Few Years Away -- San Diego gene sequencing company Illumina has announced that it expects its newest machines to bring down the cost of sequencing a human genome from about $1,000 to about $100 — though it could take anywhere from three to 10 years to get there. David Wagner KPBS -- 1/11/17

Also . . . 

Dumanis rules El Cajon police shooting of Alfred Olango justified -- The El Cajon police officer who last year fatally shot Alfred Olango, an unarmed black man, was justified and will not face criminal charges, the District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Kristina Davis and Dana Littlefield in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/11/17

LAPD deepens training, psychological support for officers after shootings -- The Los Angeles Police Department will now require officers who fi re their guns on the job to complete training before they return to the field and meet with department psychologists more often. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

Fox News paid to make a sexual harassment allegation against Bill O'Reilly go away -- Fox News settled a sexual harassment complaint by a former employee in September against its biggest prime time-star, Bill O’Reilly, and the division’s co-president, Jack Abernethy. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/11/17

POTUS 44  

Transcript of President Obama's farewell speech -- All of us have more work to do. After all, if every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hard-working white middle class and undeserving minorities, then workers of all shades will be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves. via Calbuzz -- 1/11/17

Obama barely mentions Trump, but his speech is all about him -- In his final speech to the nation as president, Barack Obama Tuesday delivered a heartfelt and stinging slap not to President-elect Donald Trump, but to the policies and plans that carried the GOP developer to his surprise victory in November. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

POTUS 45  

Intel chiefs presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him -- Classified documents presented last week to President Obama and President-elect Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump, multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell CNN. Evan Perez, Jim Sciutto, Jake Tapper and Carl Bernstein CNN -- 1/11/17

Trump confronts firestorm over Russia allegations -- Although the details of these revelations remain murky and unverified, their publication Tuesday night, on the eve of Trump’s first news conference since July, is upsetting any post-election honeymoon and forcing him to confront what is, at best, an uncomfortable public relations fiasco and potentially a new geopolitical pressure point that could cast a shadow on his incoming administration. Eli Stokols, Shane Goldmacher, John Dawsey and Michael Crowley Politico -- 1/11/17

Lawmakers broach possible Trump campaign coordination with Russia -- Members of Congress made clear Tuesday they're increasingly willing to broach a taboo topic: possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Their emboldened approach comes amid a bombshell CNN report that intelligence officials last week presented Trump with alleged claims by Russian operatives that they have compromising information on the president-elect. Austin Wright and Martin Matishak Politico -- 1/11/17

Social media revives ‘no puppet, no puppet’ Trump debate line after Russia allegations -- In the third and final presidential debate of the 2016 election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton accused Republican nominee Donald Trump of being a “puppet” for Russia and its President Vladimir Putin. It produced one of the most talked-about moments of the election season. Brian Murphy McClatchy DC -- 1/11/17

The Trouble With Publishing the Trump Dossier -- There’s no set of rules for when to publish and not to publish an explosive, sensitive story—decisions are made with limited knowledge, and the full impact is often only felt after the fact. Even granting those limitations, BuzzFeed’s decision to publish a dossier full of serious accusations against President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday raised serious questions. David A. Graham The Atlantic -- 1/11/17

Beltway 

Feinstein confronts Sessions, as Supreme Court battle awaits -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein led her party’s resistance Tuesday to the nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general in the Trump administration, a fight that appears futile, but could serve as a test for the looming battle over a pivotal Supreme Court nomination that could arrive within weeks. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/11/17

 

-- Tuesday Updates 

Avalanche hits Alpine Meadows homes, causes epic snow photo -- Crews were working Tuesday to clear an avalanche that hit a few houses in the area of Alpine Meadows, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP says nobody was injured, but resident Siig Steven's Facebook posts suggest some serious challenges for people in the area. Bill Disbrow in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

Guerneville flood to get worse as Russian River to hit 38.4 feet -- The Russian River surged over roads, into neighborhoods and began inundating homes Tuesday amid a relentless drumbeat of pounding rain. Peter Fimrite and Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

FBI’s Comey Says Republican Data Also Hacked by Russians -- FBI Director James Comey said Tuesday that Russian hackers successfully hacked some Republican groups and campaigns, though officials said the Russians revealed much less of that material compared with the volume of disclosures made about Democrats’ emails. Devlin Barrett in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/10/17

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon says he'll oppose rolling back higher-education aid for middle-class students -- With budget negotiations entailing, in Gov. Jerry Brown's words, "pushing... and some shoving," Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon telegraphed one tussle that's sure to happen over the next several months: the future of the Middle Class Scholarship program. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Jerry Brown budget plan urges saving ‘some biscuits for a rainy day’ -- Amid deep uncertainty about changes in state revenue and Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented a $177.1 billion state budget Tuesday that assumes the state will have billions of dollars less to spend over the next 18 months compared to what lawmakers projected when they passed the budget last June. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Sandra Oshiro and Mary Plummer KPCC Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Gov. Jerry Brown pushes to extend cap-and-trade program with new budget proposal -- Gov. Jerry Brown announced Tuesday his plan to prod lawmakers to solidify California's emissions cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of the state's climate change agenda. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Trump, Congress Could Halt State Action on Climate -- The head of the city department that drafts many of San Francisco’s greenest rules and regulations uses one word to explain her greatest fear for the environment during Trump’s presidency: “preemption.” John Upton KQED -- 1/10/17

Storms are making a dent in California's drought; 7 feet of snow expected in some areas -- A lull in a series of powerful winter storms gave Northern California a chance Monday to clean up from widespread flooding while also assessing how all that moisture is altering the state’s once-grim drought picture. Paige St. John, Louis Sahagun, Joseph Serna and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Assembly panel recommends confirmation of Rep. Xavier Becerra for California attorney general -- An Assembly panel on Tuesday recommended the confirmation of Rep. Xavier Becerra as state attorney general after the nominee pledged to aggressively defend state policies on immigration and healthcare against potential negative actions by President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Federal prosecutors to retry ex-L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca in obstruction of justice case -- Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will retry former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca following a recent mistrial in which a jury nearly cleared Baca of obstructing an FBI investigation into the county’s jails. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

A proposal to give civilians more say in LAPD's disciplinary system could end up more lenient on officers -- A proposal that would give civilians a greater role in the discipline of Los Angeles police officers accused of serious misconduct could also lead to more leniency for officers facing termination or lengthy suspensions. Kate Mather and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

L.A. politicians propose banning campaign contributions from developers -- Los Angeles politicians called Tuesday for a ban on political contributions from real estate developers while they are seeking city approval for their projects, in an attempt to counter the perception that money drives planning decisions at City Hall. David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Once teetering, Mono Lake is revived by heavy rains, snow -- Less than two weeks ago, hydrologists worried that it would take a wetter than average winter to keep this drought-stricken body of salt water at a level high enough to avoid having to halt diversions of its Sierra Nevada snowmelt to Los Angeles. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Painting depicting police as animals rehung in U.S. Capitol; Rep. Duncan Hunter says he won't pull it down again -- The controversial painting depicting police officers as animals that California Rep. Duncan Hunter removed from a Capitol hallway Friday was rehung Tuesday by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Fox: CalPERS Return Rate Decision Could Lead To Tax Hikes -- When California voters hear calls for tax increases in the near future they should think of pensions. That truth has never been clearer now that the California Public Employees’ Retirement System board voted to establish a more realistic return rate on its investments. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/10/17

Comey won't say if FBI is investigating contacts between Moscow, Trump campaign -- FBI Director James Comey declined Tuesday to say whether there was contact between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the presidential race, or whether the FBI was investigating the issue. Austin Wright and Martin Matishak Politico -- 1/10/17

Trump aide Monica Crowley’s book sales suspended amid plagiarism allegations -- The publisher of a book by Monica Crowley, a pick of President-elect Donald Trump for a top National Security Council post, said Tuesday that it will stop selling copies until she addresses allegations of plagiarism. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/17

Fox News Settled Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Bill O’Reilly, Documents Show -- In the weeks after Roger Ailes was ousted as the chairman of Fox News in July, amid a sexual harassment scandal, company executives secretly struck an agreement with a longtime on-air personality who had come forward with similar accusations about the network’s top host, Bill O’Reilly. Emily Steel and Michael S. Schmidt in the New York Times$ -- 1/10/17

Lawsuits over Trump business threaten to tie up presidency -- As a businessman, Donald Trump has kept the courts busy. That's hardly likely to change when he enters the Oval Office, creating an unusual and potentially serious problem for a sitting president. Chad Day and Bernard Condon Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Republican plans to quickly confirm Trump nominees hit snags -- The Senate Intelligence Committee announced early Tuesday that it would delay by a day a hearing for Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) to serve as CIA director. Originally scheduled to be considered amid several other nominees on Wednesday, Pompeo will appear instead on Thursday. The Senate health and education committee also announced late Monday that it would postpone its hearing with Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick for education secretary, until next week. Ed O'Keefe in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/17