Updating . .
California farm labor board chairman quits in anger -- William B. Gould IV, California Gov. Jerry Brown’s appointee to lead the board charged with protecting the rights of the state’s farmworkers, announced his resignation Friday, accusing the state bureaucracy of stalling one of his key proposals. Geoffrey Mohan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Tensions mount at state Capitol -- No one in and around the Capitol knows what will happen; almost everyone is worried. Republicans in Washington are moving at long last to follow through on their oft-repeated vow to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On Friday the House, along mostly partisan lines, approved the first step of the ACA repeal. The Senate earlier acted similarly. Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 1/13/17
California's bullet train is hurtling toward a multibillion-dollar overrun, a confidential federal report warns -- California’s bullet train could cost taxpayers 50% more than estimated — as much as $3.6 billion more. And that’s just for the first 118 miles through the Central Valley, which was supposed to be the easiest part of the route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Oakland whistleblower: I spent two years complaining about fire inspections -- In December 2015, after two years working for the Oakland Fire Department fire inspection bureau, Mark Grissom walked out for lunch and never went back. David Debolt, Matthias Gafni and Thomas Peele in the East Bay Times -- 1/13/17
California attorney general nominee clears state Assembly -- The first chamber of the California Legislature has confirmed U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra to be the state's next attorney general. Democrats in the California Assembly voted Friday to support the Los Angeles-area Democrat as the state's top law enforcement official. Associated Press -- 1/13/17
No, this isn't Tahoe -- In this brave new world of fake news, even snowdrifts aren't safe. Despite tons of real snow in the northern Sierra — 24 feet for the season by last count — old photos of walls of snow are surfacing on Facebook and being passed off as current images of Tahoe locations. Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/13/17
What's in Brown's new budget? A $65 vehicle fee, more Medi-Cal spending, a bigger rainy-day fund and more -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s newly unveiled state budget calls for spending $179.5 billion in the coming fiscal year, while offering ways to avoid what he believes would otherwise be California’s first deficit in more than three years. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
San Francisco City College stays open, ‘accreditation nightmare is over’ -- The private commission that has threatened for five years to revoke the school’s accreditation gave the college the good news on Friday, telling administrators that it extended the school’s accreditation for a full term of seven years. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/13/17
Rules for body cameras are left to local police departments as lawmakers struggle to pass statewide regulations -- Over the past two years, police departments up and down California have outfitted their patrol officers with body-worn cameras in an effort to boost community trust in law enforcement. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
EPA moves to preserve gas mileage requirements before Trump takes office -- The Environmental Protection Agency moved Friday to cement strict fuel economy requirements that force the auto industry to make new cars and trucks significantly more efficient, a decision that will be difficult for the incoming Trump administration to undo. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Speaker’s office overhauls communications support for Assembly Democrats -- The restructuring of the Speaker’s Office of Member Services, which maintains member websites, creates and sends mail on their behalf, and provides video and audio services, is being led by Rendon com munications director John Casey, who said Thursday that the plan is still in development. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
More density coming to San Diego's urban core -- New development blueprints for the neighborhoods surrounding Balboa Park call for dense housing and commercial projects along transportation corridors, but limited changes elsewhere to preserve community character. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/13/17
Wells Fargo quarterly earnings fall in wake of bogus-accounts scandal -- Wells Fargo & Co. on Friday reported a 6% drop in fourth-quarter profit in the wake of a scandal over its employees creating as many as 2 million accounts without customer authorization. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
L.A. County's public defender quietly retires, praising staff as 'foot soldiers of the Constitution' -- Ronald L. Brown, a longtime attorney who led the Los Angeles County public defender’s office for five years, has quietly retired. Brown submitted a letter notifying the Board of Supervisors in November about his decision to step down, effective Dec. 31. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Two more candidates say they're running for Xavier Becerra's congressional seat, bringing field to 14 -- William Rodriguez Morrison, a Republican, and Tenaya Wallace, a Democrat, have not yet filed papers with the Federal Election Commission, but say they will run for the seat, which Becerra is expected to vacate if confirmed as state attorney general. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Meningitis death prompts warning at Marin County fitness studio -- A 48-year-old man died from bacterial meningitis in Marin County last week, prompting health officers to notify several hundred people who were potentially exposed to the disease — including those who exercised at the same Larkspur fitness studio as the stricken man, officials said Friday. Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/13/17
Trump aides respond to report that raises legal questions about calls with Russian ambassador -- Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team tried Friday to clarify the nature of contact between the incoming national security advisor and a senior Russian official after a report raised questions about whether the interactions may have been illegal. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Trump’s business ties prompt a showdown between a tiny ethics office and the GOP -- The dispute erupted Friday after a top House Republican demanded to question the director of the independent Office of Government Ethics, who took the unusual step this week of denouncing Trump for retaining ownership of his businesses while transferring management to his sons. Lisa Rein in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
Trump said he’d do a lot — fast. Expectations, meet reality. -- But ahead of his swearing-in next Friday, the extraordinarily high expectations that Trump has set are running into the logjam known as American democracy. While every new president confronts Washington’s sluggish culture, Trump’s more grandiose and hard-line ideas could face unprecedented challenges — logistical and even constitutional. Robert Costa and Philip Rucker in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
Donald Trump has persuaded Republicans to doubt the intelligence on Russia’s hacking -- Donald Trump this week finally came around (kind of) to the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in hacking in an attempt to influence the 2016 U.S. election. But he remains dubious about its conclusion that the effort was intended to help him — or that it did so. And as it turns out, so do the vast majority of Republicans. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
John Lewis doesn’t think Donald Trump is a legitimate president -- And it's no surprise it comes from the Congressional Black Caucus, which has been particularly incensed by Trump's own questioning of the current president's legitimacy. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Consumer Watchdog collects millions, but does it lower your insurance rates? -- Nearly 30 years ago, consumer activist Harvey Rosenfield wrote and helped qualify Proposition 103, the November 1988 ballot measure that overhauled state regulation of home and auto insurance rates. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
As a deficit looms, here's a look at some of the plans in California's new budget -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s newly unveiled state budget calls for spending $179.5 billion in the coming fiscal year, while offering ways to avoid what he believes would otherwise be California’s first deficit in more than three years. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Governor's budget gives a glimpse into challenges ahead for prison parole overhaul in California -- Gov. Jerry Brown is asking lawmakers to set aside $10.6 million to begin the sweeping overhaul of prison parole he convinced California voters to approve last fall, a proposal that corrections officials say reflects his continued commitment to public safety and reforms. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
State stops refusing extra welfare to moms who have more children -- Along with some 95,000 other families across California, the Zavalas have just begun receiving a larger monthly welfare payment thanks to the repeal of a controversial state law known as the Maximum Family Grant rule. Ben Christopher Calmatters.org -- 1/13/17
State Close To Completing Review At Major Gas Blowout Site -- State officials are getting close to completing a safety review of a Los Angeles gas storage facility that had a blowout that spewed methane for nearly four months. Associated Press -- 1/13/17
SoCalGas opens gates to reporters for first-ever tour of Aliso Canyon gas field -- It’s packed with 50 miles of new vertical pipe, scores of blowout-prevention devices and enough safety monitors to make it the most closely watched natural gas field in the nation. Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/13/17
AP Exclusive: Lie detectors trip applicants at border agency -- David Kirk was a career Marine pilot with a top-secret security clearance and a record of flying classified missions. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 1/13/17
Diabetes deaths exploding in California’s under-55 population -- Deaths from Type II diabetes in California among people under age 55 were practically unheard of 15 years ago. Just 24 people in that age group died from the disease in California in 1999. Times have changed. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
Loretta Sanchez suffers another loss -- On Jan. 7, Democrats in each of the state’s 80 Assembly districts elected seven men and seven women to serve as delegates on the state party’s governing Central Committee. The low-profile caucuses typically attract a few dozen Democrats to vote in each district -- mostly friends and families of those seeking a seat. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 1/13/17
Walters: California will see scramble if U.S. Senate seat opens up -- It’s been 35 years since California faced simultaneous vacancies in the U.S. Senate and the governorship. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
Asian Americans, Latinos at Orange County forum worry about what may come under Trump -- Alexis Nava Teodoro said he attended a community forum at Whittier Law School on Thursday afternoon "to build bridges." The Santa Ana immigrant rights activist said he is one of many who are concerned about the steps a Donald Trump administration might take to make matters worse for immigrant families, particularly those who are undocumented. Deepa Bharath in the Orange County Register -- 1/13/17
San Francisco’s soup-kitchen nuns get city OK to move to Mission District -- The day of judgment they’d waited on for nearly a year came Thursday, and the soup kitchen nuns of San Francisco saw their prayers answered. The San Francisco Planning Commission voted 6-0 to allow a pair of French nuns to move their soup kitchen from the Tenderloin to the Mission District. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/13/17
Bay Area flooding: Multiple Delta levee breaches reported -- After three days of king tides and massive rainfall, levees in the Delta have begun to fail, flooding islands, duck clubs and other land north of Pittsburg, an island owner and emergency official said Thursday. Aaron Davis in the East Bay Times -- 1/13/17
Russian River dropping; ‘now comes the work’ -- Floodwaters from a storm-swollen Russian River finally started receding Thursday evening, allowing residents forced from their homes to begin the painstaking and messy task of cleaning up and repairing damages. Paul Payne and Derek Moore in the Santa Rosa Press -- 1/13/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Jerry Brown doesn’t want to give doctors a cut of new tobacco tax money -- Doctors have long argued that the money they receive for serving Medi-Cal patients isn’t enough to sustain a practice, leading to a shortage of medical providers willing to treat California’s poorest residents in rural communities and other pockets of the state. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
Faulconer proposes hotel tax hike for convention center expansion, homeless programs -- Mayor Kevin Faulconer proposed a hotel tax hike to pay for a convention center expansion, more homeless programs and increased spending on road repair during his annual State of the City address on Thursday night. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/13/17
California's stem cell agency backers considering bond financing -- California’s stem cell agency begins 2017 with two issues on the mind of its vice chair, Art Torres. -- What happens to health care reimbursements if Obamacare is repealed? -- Will supporters of the agency organize to urge California voters to grant the agency more money to continue its mission? Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/13/17
Gov. Brown Plans to Stop Suspending Licenses to Collect Traffic Debt -- The controversial move could benefit motorists who can’t afford to pay hefty traffic fines and lose the ability to legally drive as a result, which advocates say pushes them deeper into poverty. Critics of the plan say it will remove a major incentive for ticketed drivers to pay fines that fund the state’s cash-strapped courts and other programs. Farida Jhabvala Romero and Sukey Lewis KQED -- 1/13/17
Homeless
San Francisco’s Dogpatch bucks trend, welcomes Navigation Center -- Mc Allen, a stay-at-home dad who lives in Dogpatch, took his 4-year-old son on an unusual field trip the other day: to a soon-to-open homeless shelter. Allen, a board member of the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association, persuaded reluctant neighbors not only to accept the city’s newest Navigation Center in their own backyard, but to embrace it. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/13/17
For Some L.A. Homeless, a Rising River Heightens Storms’ Threat -- Heavy rain is just one of several winter challenges for a woman named Wendy who sleeps rough along the concrete-lined Los Angeles River that many people know for movie car chase scenes. In addition to the rain, gusty winds have shoved temperatures down, too. Molly Peterson KQED -- 1/13/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
A day of reckoning for Chargers, fans and San Diego -- For 15 years, the Chargers have stumped for a new home to replace Mission Valley’s Qualcomm Stadium. Their campaign has been the subject of elections, forums, negotiations and nerve-racking uncertainty. Peter Rowe and David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/13/17
Chargers' move a risky proposition for more than just the team -- There’s extreme anger in San Diego, where betrayed fans are discarding their Chargers jerseys in front of team headquarters. And there’s apathy in Los Angeles, where the arrival of a second team was met Thursday with a collective yawn. Sam Farmer in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Carson excited again as Chargers head to town for 2017 season -- Just a year after the city of Carson was jilted by the National Football League, the two have patched things up. But the romance will be fleeting. Sandy Mazza in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/13/17
American Apparel's Garden Grove factory sold to Compton textile firm -- American Apparel has found a buyer for its Garden Grove manufacturing facility — potentially preserving the jobs of at least a portion of the 330 employees there. Shan Li in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Apple now taking film and TV pitches -- Apple Inc. is taking pitches from Hollywood producers and courting television marketing executives as it considers bolstering its Apple Music service with original movies and TV shows, according to people familiar with the discussions. Paresh Dave, Daniel Miller and Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
California Citrus Harvest Stalled By Rainfall -- California citrus is a nearly three-billion dollar industry. Heavy rains have soaked the Central Valley with the greatest impact on the citrus groves of Fresno and Tulare County. The downpour has brought the citrus harvest to a temporary halt. Julia Mitric Capital Public Radio -- 1/13/17
Water
Call it the Southern California drought. Rain and snow end Northern California water woes -- What was once a statewide drought this week became a Southern California drought. A week of powerful storms has significantly eased the state’s water shortage, pulling nearly all of Northern California out of drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Joseph Serna, Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Southern California’s lakes, water supply and skiing are bouncing back thanks to storms -- Following recent storms, many Southern California lakes and reservoirs are rising again after some hit drought lows as late as November and December, while mountain resorts have welcomed the start of a normal ski season. Suzanne Hurt in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/13/17
Northern California has escaped the drought. Can it carry the state? -- Gov. Jerry Brown, however, sees the rain gauge half empty. Despite the heavy rainstorms of the past week, Brown’s administration stressed Thursday that because the state’s water needs are inextricably linked, the drought can’t be considered over as long as the southern half of the state remains seriously depleted. Dale Kasler, Phillip Reese and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
As rains soak California, farmers test how to store water underground -- Six years ago, Don Cameron, the general manager of Terranova Ranch, southwest of Fresno, Calif., did something that seemed kind of crazy. Dan Charles NPR -- 1/13/17
Education
Martin Shkreli to join Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Davis speaking event -- An already-controversial speaking engagement by Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Davis is adding another contentious character to its bill: Former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli will also be speaking at the event. Dianne de Guzman in the San Francisco Chronicle Sammy Caiola in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
Yiannopoulos appearance at Cal jeopardized by security-fee spat -- The scheduled appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Berkeley is in jeopardy because the students who invited him are balking at the $6,372 security fee demanded by the campus. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/13/17
Sweetwater school district gets $8.2 million in settlement over pay-to-play scandal -- Two construction management firms will pay $8.2 million to the Sweetwater Union High School District to settle a lawsuit with the companies that were involved in a pay-to-play scandal that roiled the district beginning in 2011. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/13/17
CSU faculty say in new report that funding losses have hurt students of color -- The decline in per-student funding within the Cal State University system has coincided with campus student bodies becoming more diverse, thus making it more difficult for young people of color to obtain a degree, faculty members said in a new report. Andrew Edwards in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/13/17
Why California parents will soon have a new way to think about test scores -- Starting this spring, you will be able to get a sense by looking at a number that’s not quite a test score. Instead, you’ll see the difference between the results for the school overall or a single grade at the school versus the state’s definition of proficiency. Joy Resmovits in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Cannabis
Experts have only a hazy idea of marijuana’s myriad health effects, and federal laws are to blame -- More than 22 million Americans use some form of marijuana each month, and it’s now approved for medicinal or recreational use in 28 states plus the District of Columbia. Nationwide, legal sales of the drug reached an estimated $7.1 billion last year. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Immigration / Border
Deportation force is ‘not happening,’ Paul Ryan tells undocumented family -- Confronted by an undocumented Oklahoma woman, who is protected from deportation under an Obama administration program, Ryan (R-Wis.) said he was working with Trump’s transition team to find a “good, humane solution” for the families protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and said there would be no “deportation force” coming for her family. Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
Environment
Criticized over a delay on Exide, regulators move to clean homes with the worst lead contamination -- California regulators moved Thursday to accelerate soil cleanups and other actions to prevent exposure to lead contamination at the highest-risk homes near the shuttered Exide Technologies plant in Vernon. The change of course follows months of criticism by community groups, lawmakers and health officials about government inaction. Tony Barboza, Ben Poston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Obama designates Santa Cruz coastal property as new national monument -- In one of his final conservation acts before leaving the White House next week, President Obama on Thursday granted national monument status to Coast Dairies, a 5,785-acre scenic coastal expanse between Santa Cruz and Davenport that stretches for six miles along Highway 1 and features rolling hills, redwood forests and breathtaking ocean views. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
Health
Obamacare Supporters Protest At Issa’s North County Office -- Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Vista) is a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act and wants to repeal it as soon as possible. About 30 people who disagree with his position protested in front of his Vista office on Thursday. And while some simply held signs declaring their support for Obamacare, others, like Vista resident Marjorie Bramwell, didn't mince her words. Kenny Goldberg KPBS -- 1/13/17
What’s blocking women from timely breast cancer treatment? UCLA study asks lawmakers to eliminate hurdles -- It’s one of the most high-profile, well-funded cancers out there, but breast cancer treatment is still hobbled by obstacles for thousands of California women who get diagnosed each year. Claudia Buck in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/17
Also . . .
2 members of Tower of Power seriously injured by train in Oakland -- Two members of longtime Oakland rhythm and blues band Tower of Power were hit by a train in Oakland near Jack London Square on Thursday night minutes before a scheduled show at Yoshi’s. Michael Bodley and John King in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/13/17
Sheriff launches first police drones in LA County -- In the first such move by a police agency in Los Angeles County, the sheriff's department Thursday announced it will begin using an unmanned drone to assist deputies on the ground. Frank Stoltze KPCC -- 1/13/17
LAPD's watchdog rolls out smartphone app to share more information with public -- There are smartphone apps for dating, delivering food, tracking exercise routines — and now, in Los Angeles, there’s one for civilian oversight of policing. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/17
POTUS 45
Donald Trump just used his presidential power to advertise L.L. Bean -- After the co-owner of retailer L.L. Bean expressed support for President-elect Donald Trump, the future leader of the United States urged his 19.6 million Twitter followers to buy the company’s goods. Danielle Paquette in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
Latest to Disagree With Donald Trump: His Cabinet Nominees -- America should not torture. Russia is a menace. A wall at the Mexican border would not be effective. A blanket ban against Muslims is wrong. Climate change is a threat. Those statements are in direct opposition to some of the most significant declarations that President-elect Donald J. Trump made before his improbable ascension to the White House. Jennifer Steinhauer in the New York Times$ Karen Tumulty in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
Beltway
What Ben Carson got wrong about government assistance -- During his confirmation hearing Thursday, Ben Carson repeated the oft-cited conservative claim that government assistance — in this case, public housing — has created a culture of dependency in urban communities. Tracy Jan in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
The British spy behind the Trump dossier helped the FBI bust FIFA -- The material in the Donald Trump dossier that emerged this week has been described as unsubstantiated, and the president-elect himself derided the report as “fake news.” However, at least some in the U.S. intelligence community believed that the source of the report was credible, and with the recent unmasking of that source’s identity has come a basis for that credibility. Des Bieler in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
After Trump rebuke, federal ethics chief called to testify before House lawmakers -- House Republicans have summoned the head of the independent federal ethics office to answer questions about his agency and his public criticism of President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to separate from his real estate empire. Lisa Rein, Tom Hamburger and Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ -- 1/13/17
Pompeo tells Kamala Harris he won’t discriminate against LGBT workers at the CIA -- Newly minted Sen. Kamala Harris of California used her time Thursday to question CIA nominee Mike Pompeo about his views on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees at the agency. Curtis Tate McClatchy DC -- 1/13/17
Trump's inauguration to shatter Washington norms -- The city's hotels, restaurants and event spaces will be packed with a potent mix of Trump’s supporters and protesters. Josh Dawsey and Tara Palmeri Politico -- 1/13/17
-- Thursday Updates
Big storms end drought across much of Northern California -- Deluged with a series of relentless storms this winter, nearly half of California — including the Bay Area — is no longer in a drought for the first time in four years, a stark turnaround after one of the worst natural disasters in state history, according to a new federal report out Thursday morning. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle Dale Kasler, Phillip Reese and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press Craig Miller KQED -- 1/12/17
Lawmakers tour location of proposed Sites Reservoir -- As Northern California skies begin to clear, California lawmakers are using the storm that pelted the region over the last week as a catalyst to talk about the state’s water management system. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/17
Rendon orders Assembly staffing overhaul -- Two months after Democrats won a two-thirds supermajority in the Legislature, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon is moving to overhaul the Democratic caucus’ political operation, closing the Speaker’s Office of Member Services and forcing dozens of staffers to reapply for positions in a new office, sources familiar with the staffing changes said Thursday. David Siders Politico -- 1/12/17
Gov. Jerry Brown laments the 'political language' of the times in celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. -- In brief remarks at a Sacramento event honoring the slain civil rights leader, Brown noted the contrast between King's "elegance" and the acrimony in the wake of last year's presidential election. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Union Square hofbrau Lefty O’Doul’s to close, find new home -- Lefty O’Doul’s, the rambling Union Square hofbrau known for its baseball memorabilia, Christmas toy drive and steaming plates of corned beef and cabbage, will close next month after failing to come to new lease terms with its landlord. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/12/17
Another diesel scandal; this time it’s Fiat Chrysler -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it believes 104,000 diesel Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks were equipped with rogue software that shut off their emission control systems. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/17
Chargers make it official: They're moving to Los Angeles -- After the NFL’s two-decade absence from L.A., the league took the unprecedented step of allowing the Chargers and Rams to return to the nation’s second-largest market in the space of a year. Though NFL owners have remained adamant in public that L.A. can support two teams, some have expressed reservations in private about how enthusiastically the city will embrace two franchises that have struggled on the field in recent years. Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno in the Los Angeles Times$ Vincent Bonsignore in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Bernie Wilson Associated Press -- 1/12/17
Hiltzik: Chargers move is a reminder that it doesn't pay for cities to do business with the NFL -- There isn’t much more to say about the San Diego Chargers’ move to Los Angeles other than: “We told you so.” Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Cursing like a sailor, John Burton helped steer California into deep blue waters -- California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton stood before hundreds of loyalists at the party’s 2015 convention and introduced Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren with a thunderous, trademark F-bomb. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Uber, Lyft, transit agencies see potential for partnerships -- The rapid and relentless rise of Uber and Lyft has decimated the taxi industry in San Francisco and some other cities, leaving many to wonder if the ride-hailing services will roll over public transportation next. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/12/17
Justice Department watchdog says it will investigate FBI director's decision to speak about Clinton investigation -- The Justice Department's internal watchdog said Thursday it will investigate FBI Director James Comey's decision to publicly release information about the bureau's investigation into Hil lary Clinton's handling of classified material. Del Quentin Wilber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Mexico's president warns that if Trump wants to talk trade, he'll have to talk security, too -- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has warned that Mexico will push back if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump attacks Mexico on trade or other fronts — using its cooperation on crucial issues such as immigration and security as leverage. Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Russian hackers could go after Congress next – and not just to read their email -- Members of Congress are vulnerable to hacking, and lawmakers fear they could be next on the Russian target list. “Any senior government official who has been critical of their active measures campaign, supportive of sanctions over their invasion of Ukraine or condemning of their bombing of civilians in Aleppo may be a prime target for hacking, a travel ban or other retaliatory steps by the Kremlin,” said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Sean Cockerham, Michael Doyle and Anna Douglas McClatchy DC -- 1/12/17
Trump says he does no business in Russia, but he omits Russian partners and investors -- Donald Trump’s assertion Wednesday that he does no business in Russia looks past extensive business dealings with Russians who have partnered with him and bought his properties. Kevin G. Hall, Peter Stone and Anita Kumar McClatchy DC -- 1/12/17
Did developer-linked donations violate campaign finance laws? State watchdog agency will investigate -- A state agency that enforces campaign finance laws has launched an investigation in response to a Times report on political donations connected to the developer of a Harbor Gateway apartment project. Emily Alpert Reyes, David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Will a surf gang allow the integration of Palos Verdes Estates' waves on Martin Luther King Jr. Day? -- Three years ago on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Christopher Taloa, an actor and former professional body boarder, tried to honor the famous civil rights leader with a paddle-out for surfers at Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Estates — an infamous surf break where outsiders are not welcome. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Landmark study: marijuana is effective medicine, but has drawbacks -- Marijuana and its derivatives can be effective medicines for treating pain, nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms and other conditions, but cannabis is not harmless, and more research is needed, the nation’s top scientists concluded in a landmark review of research released Thursday. David Downs in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/12/17
Human rights groups slam Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick for secretary of State -- Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of State, came under withering fire Thursday for what critics claimed was an insensitivity to human rights abuses around the world. Tracy Wilkinson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/17
Were folders stuffed with Trump's 'business plan' papers blank props? -- When Donald Trump announced at Wednesday's press conference that he was moving complete control of all his businesses to his sons, he pointed to a pile of folders as evidence of the preparations being made. Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/12/17
How a Chronicle photographer captured kayaking into the kitchen -- He drove around the flooded streets of Guerneville for a while Wednesday morning, searching for a person to bring some life to photos amid the submerged homes and the businesses where sandbags couldn’t keep away the swollen Russian River. Michael Bodley in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/12/17
Can’t tell if it’s fake news or the real thing? California has a bill for that -- Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, and Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, on Wednesday both announced bills that would direct a state curriculum board to develop resources for schools to teach students how to distinguish what news stories they can trust. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/17
Amazon says it will create 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months -- Amazon.com on Thursday announced plans to create more than 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months, a massive hiring spree that suggests the e-commerce company expects a run of breakneck growth in its retailing operations and its lucrative cloud computing division. Sarah Halzack in the Washington Post$ -- 1/12/17
Fox: What’s Behind the Cap and Trade Urgency Budget Proposal -- The governor’s budget calls for $2.2 billion in spending from revenue secured under the Cap and Trade law—but there’s a catch. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/12/17
Jeffe & Jeffe: Politics in Perspective -- Two weeks in London in December provided a chance to gain a fresh perspective on the United States’ crazy politics of 2016. The bottom line is that the U.S. isn’t alone. New economic and cultural realities worldwide have sewn a sense of resentment and displacement among traditional working class constituencies in England and the rest of Europe, as well as in the USA. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 1/12/17
Borenstein: Cal simply can’t afford a top-tier football team -- In the wake of Cal’s costly firing of Coach Sonny Dykes, it’s time for university officials to admit they cannot afford to field a top-ranked football team. Daniel Borenstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/12/17