Updating . .
Cleanup begins after powerful storm slams Southern California -- Cleanup was beginning across Southern California on Saturday after a storm that forecasters billed as the most powerful in years caused flooding on multiple freeways, triggered dramatic mudslides and downed hundreds of trees and power lines. Melissa Etehad, Sonali Kohli and Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
50,000 L.A. residents are still without power, and Amtrak is expected to resume service Saturday night -- More than 82,000 LADWP customers were without power when the storm was at its worst on Friday afternoon, according to an LADWP statement. The department expects most of the remaining customers to get their power back in the next 12 to 24 hours, the statement says. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Massive LA-area storm leaves 4 dead, thousands still without power -- Los Angeles dug out Saturday from a massive storm that slammed into Southern California, killing four residents as it flooded freeways, prompted mudslides and blew down trees and power lines, leaving tens of thousands in the dark. The downpour that began Friday borne on winds up to 80 mph dumped as much as 2 inches on downtown Los Angeles and 4 inches of rain on the San Fernando Valley. Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/18/17
Fire erupts at Torrance refinery just hours before protest rally -- On a day when activists marked the two-year anniversary of an explosion that rocked the then-ExxonMobil refinery and showered neighborhoods with industrial debris, another fire erupted at the troubled Torrance plant early Saturday. Nick Green in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/18/17
Exclusive: Parents of children smuggled into U.S. may face prosecution -- Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has issued new orders to agency heads that considerably expand the number of immigrants who can be detained and deported under new executive orders President Donald Trump signed last month. Franco Ordoñez McClatchy DC -- 2/18/17
Thousands rally for immigrant rights in downtown Los Angeles -- Thousands of activists marched through the streets of downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to oppose immigration enforcement raids and demand that local officials take concrete steps to thwart the “deportation machine” under President Trump. Emily Alpert Reyes and Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Trump rallies supporters by renewing old promises, insults -- Just four weeks into his administration, President Donald Trump appeared at a campaign rally that mirrored the months leading up to Election Day, complete with promises to repeal the health care law, insults for the news media and a playlist highlighted by the Rolling Stones. Catherine Lucey and Julie Pace Associated Press Jenna Johnson and John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 2/18/17
‘That’s how dictators get started’: McCain criticizes Trump for calling media ‘the enemy’ -- Sen. John McCain spoke out Saturday in defense of the free press after President Trump lashed out against the news media several times over the past week, at one point declaring it “the enemy of the American People!” Such talk, McCain (R-Ariz.) said on NBC News in an interview set to air Sunday, was “how dictators get started.” Amy B Wang in the Washington Post$ -- 2/18/17
A Trump Ally in Congress Warns His State, California, to Make Nice -- Representative Kevin McCarthy, the majority leader, keeps a souvenir from a dinner the night before this year’s inauguration behind his desk: an embossed menu autographed by Donald J. Trump. The president-elect was at his table. Mr. McCarthy is not only the second-most powerful Republican in the House — he is also one of the earliest and most earnest supporters of the new president. Adam Nagourney in the New York Times$ -- 2/18/17
Activists rally for immigrant rights in downtown Los Angeles -- A coalition of activist groups began gathering for a march through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to oppose immigration enforcement raids and demand that local officials take concrete steps to thwart the “deportation machine” under President Trump. Emily Alpert Reyes and Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
A hub for Iraqi refugees, San Diego is making way for new faces — this time from Syria -- Starting a new life has been difficult, she says, but it is better than the alternative they escaped four years ago: the crack of strafing fire from government or rebel troops in what was once the city of Homs, and explosions that left only gaping craters or rubble where bustling urban life once hummed. “Everything is new,” she says. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Oroville Dam: Repairs continue, water releases likely to decrease -- Oroville Dam operators prepared to reduce water releases over its main spillway Saturday as repairs continued on the troubled dam. Despite significant rainfall Friday, the water level at Lake Oroville continued to drop overnight. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
Releasing water at Oroville Dam a lingering problem -- Even before Lake Oroville reached a crisis point last weekend when it swelled to its brim and saw both of its spillways badly damaged, operators of the nation’s tallest dam were concerned about “drawdown capacity” — their ability to make adequate downstream releases of water at the reservoir. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/17
Feb. 18 update: How full are Northern California reservoirs and rivers? -- These three graphs show key California reservoir conditions and river stages for the upper and lower Sacramento Valley for Saturday, February 18, 2017. The item is in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
‘Mass chaos’ of Oroville evacuation prompts worry over exit strategy -- Thousands of north Sacramento Valley residents will never forget last Sunday night. It was the night they got stuck in the scariest traffic jam they will ever know. It began with a shock, a 4:21 p.m. sheriff’s alert that the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam was crumbling and could fail within the hour. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
Santa Clara County: Anderson Reservoir reaches capacity -- Anderson Reservoir reached maximum capacity early Saturday morning and began spilling over for the first time since 2006, water district officials said. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/18/17
Environmentalists hail new leader of Coastal Commission, capping a year of angst -- To say Jack Ainsworth loves the California coast is an understatement. As a child growing up in the Inland Empire of San Bernardino County, Ainsworth went for a handful of overnight trips to the beach with his parents and eight siblings. Aaron Kinney in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/18/17
Lopez: Why the new Coastal Commission chief is a good bet to defend California's beaches -- Jack Ainsworth talks about the trips as if they happ ened last week, nine kids piling into the car with Mom and Dad. Starting point: Their home in San Bernardino. Destination: The beach. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Massive LA-area storm leaves 4 dead, thousands still without power -- Los Angeles awoke Saturday reeling from the tail of a massive storm that slammed into Southern California, killing four residents as it flooded freeways, prompted mudslides and blew down trees and power lines, leaving tens of thousands in the dark. Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/18/17
Owner Arte Moreno says the Angels are staying at Angel Stadium, and he will have more money to spend on the team -- Before he spoke to his team on the first day of spring training they were all in the same room, Angels owner Arte Moreno told reporters on Saturday that he’s committed to improvements on two fronts. To the team, and to the ballpark they will call home through at least 2029. Jeff Fletcher in the Orange County Register -- 2/18/17
Leaked Trump tape: 'You are the special people' -- Exclusive audio shows how Trump lets loose at his clubs — inviting guests to join him on staff interviews -- Darren Samuelsohn and Annie Karni Politico -- 2/18/17
White House dismisses NSC aide after harsh criticism of Trump -- The White House abruptly dismissed a senior National Security Council aide on Friday after receiving reports that he had publicly laced into the president and his senior aides, including son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump at an event hosted by a Washington think tank. Eliana Johnson Politico -- 2/18/17
Trump Agenda Is Beset by Opposition on Many Fronts -- President Donald Trump is confronting more opposition than any he faced in his campaign, or anything seen in the first weeks of a modern presidency, with protests, legal challenges, congressional opposition and parts of the federal bureaucracy mobilizing to resist. Janet Hook and Peter Nicholas in the Wall Street Journal -- 2/18/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Trump administration deals a big setback to Caltrain -- In the first big hit to the Bay Area from the Trump administration, newly minted Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has put the brakes on $647 million for Caltrain to go electric — and in the process pretty much killed hopes for high-speed rail coming to San Francisco anytime soon. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ Juliet Williams Associated Press -- 2/18/17
Trump’s storm keeps Democrats busy on many fronts -- Nearly a month into the Trump presidency, a whirlwind of presidential tweets, executive orders and White House controversies have all but swamped House Democrats and their leader, Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, in their ability to respond effectively. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/17
Padilla denounced voter fraud claims: ‘Now I know how Elizabeth Warren felt’ -- After President Donald Trump recently alleged widespread voter fraud in the November election, the National Association of Secretaries of State, run by a majority of Republicans, issued a statement saying it was unaware of any evidence supporting his claims. In Washington for the group’s first meeting since the election, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla tried unsuccessfully Friday to get his colleagues to support a resolution essentially saying the same thing. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
California Politics Podcast: From Crisis to Politicking -- This week: Lawmakers respond to the emergency at the state's most important waterway dam. We also discuss a new push for a California single-payer health plan, and a look at other big bills introduced in the Legislature. With John Myers and Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times and Anthony York of the Grizzly Bear Project Link Here -- 2/18/17
Downstream from the stricken Oroville Dam, the Feather River Fish Hatchery manages to save millions of fish -- On Friday, the staff at the Feather River Fish Hatchery, just downstream from the stricken Oroville Dam, took stock of their losses, gave thanks for their victories and girded for a long, hard recovery after being inundated with debris-laden water the color of chocolate milk. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
As officials express confidence that Oroville Dam crisis is stabilizing, residents grow anxious as powerful storms move in. ‘It’s bad dream.’ -- At Oroville Dam on Friday, it was all about maintaining a delicate balance.Trump administration deals a big setback to Caltrain For days, officials have been rapidly reducing the water level of the massive reservoir after both dam spillways sustained major damage. Now they are expressing confidence that the situation was stable even as rain fell. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Oroville Dam: Cause of emergency won’t be known for ‘a long time,’ state says -- Investigators probing the ongoing Oroville Dam emergency won’t know for some time whether cracks, cavitation or some other monumental engineering failure caused the collapse of the massive concrete spillway at Oroville Dam, the head of the state Department of Water Resources said Friday. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/18/17
Oroville emergency spawns bill to require spillway inspections -- Responding to the emergency at Oroville Dam, a Northern California lawmaker said Friday that he’s carrying legislation requiring state officials to perform annual inspections of auxiliary spillways at Department of Water Resources-managed dams. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
Another California Dam Grapples With Flood Danger -- Don Pedro Reservoir, which supplies water to nearly 6,000 farms in the San Joaquin Valley, has filled quickly in the last month, rising above levels recommended by flood control engineers. Lauren Sommer KQED -- 2/18/17
2 more Northern California reservoirs at or near capacity -- In Napa County, Lake Berryessa is full but poses no threat of the kind in Oroville last weekend. There, fears of a catastrophic flood from the potential failure of the Oroville Dam spillways sent nearly 200,000 people fleeing. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/17
Santa Clara County: Anderson Reservoir set to overflow -- Anderson Reservoir was expected to reach maximum capacity early Saturday morning and begin spilling over for the first time since 2006, water district officials said. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/18/17
Oroville shows importance of flood insurance -- The near-disaster at Lake Oroville last week shows once again why homeowners and renters might consider buying flood insurance, even if their lender does not require it. Kathleen Pender in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Vietnam vet lost his Purple Heart as thieves swept into the Oroville Dam evacuation zone -- Authorities are investigating a series of looting incidents in neighborhoods evacuated this week during the Oroville Dam crisis, with residents reporting the thefts of cash and credit cards. One Vietnam veteran had nearly two dozen military medals stolen from his Yuba City home. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
PG&E says it will not appeal its criminal convictions -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. says it will not appeal its felony convictions for violating safety laws and obstructing a federal investigation of the deadly San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, a step the utility calls part of its renewed commitment to public protection. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/17
PG&E uses safety, financial performance to reward executives -- PG&E was accused during its criminal trial linked to a fatal explosion in San Bruno that it put profits ahead of safety, but a new regulatory filing on Friday that detailed plans for $22.7 million in compensation for top executives indicated safety is becoming a more important priority. George Avalos in the East Bay Times -- 2/18/17
Former mayors split over how to run L.A. -- Richard Riordan grumbled to two other former Los Angeles mayors on Thursday about the traffic clogging his Brentwood neighborhood. “How long does it take to get to downtown L.A. to go to the theater at night?” he asked. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Group alleges L.A. hid height limit for Frank Gehry project on Sunset Boulevard -- Real estate developer Townscape Partners scored a major victory at City Hall three months ago, winning approval of a Frank Gehry-designed development on Sunset Boulevard despite heated opposition. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Skeptics don't buy San Onofre quake reassurance -- Scientists are deliberately downplaying the risks that earthquakes and tsunamis pose to San Onofre at the behest of Southern California Edison, some activists charged this week. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 2/18/17
Should teachers and state workers get Election Day off? -- Presidential and midterm statewide elections would become California holidays under a pair of recently introduced bills, potentially adding California to the ranks of several states that have some version of election holidays. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
Vet bills adding up? California bill would let you write off thousands -- A state assemblyman wants to ease the financial burden of pet ownership with an income tax credit that allows Californians to write off half the money they spend on vet costs up to $2,000 per year. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
Alzheimer’s expert won’t testify in ex-Sheriff Lee Baca’s corruption trial -- A federal judge ruled Friday he won’t allow a mental health expert to testify that former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease while being investigated in a jail corruption scandal. Susan Abram in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 2/18/17
Which California politician wields the most power? Maybe these trading cards will help -- Getting ahead in the nation’s capital doesn’t require Frank Underwood’s murderous lust for power or Ned Stark’s arguably naive idealism -- we hope. But like the scheming congressman in “House of Cards” or the Iron Throne’s occupant in “Game of Thrones,” real-life members members of America’s very real Congress wield unequal levels of power and influence. Jeff Horseman in the Orange County Register -- 2/18/17
'Front line' for Trump resistance rises in changing Orange County -- Some have never been politically active, like 56-year-old Patti Jo Kiraly of Aliso Viejo. Others are lifelong activists, like Costa Mesa’s Linda Clough, 80. They are Democrats and independents and even some Republicans. There are men but more women; working people and retirees, most middle-aged and older. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 2/18/17
Rohrabacher meets with Le Pen, criticizes Macedonia -- With Loretta Sanchez’s departure from Congress after a failed bid for U.S. Senate, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher now stands alone as the county’s most distinctive, spontaneous and colorful House member. And the Costa Mesa Republican has continued to live up to role. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 2/18/17
San Jose: Residents rally to derail plan that would send oil tankers through city -- San Jose residents and local activists have organized a march Sunday and community meeting Thursday to remind the public that the fight to prevent flammable crude oil from being hauled on rail through Willow Glen and other neighborhoods up and down the state isn’t over. Julia Baum in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/18/17
Education
Stanford says no to ‘sanctuary campus’ label -- Stanford University leaders have decided not to take on the “sanctuary campus” label, a student group said Thursday after meeting with top school officials to ask for greater protections for undocumented immigrants. Jacqueline Lee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/18/17
San Diego Unified considers layoffs, early retirements to balance budget -- San Diego Unified School District is considering layoffs, early-retirement incentives and pay cuts to board members and the superintendent as solutions to balance a budget with a projected $124 million deficit. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/18/17
He prefers rowing and classes but OCC student ended up on national news for politics -- Caleb O’Neil’s life revolves around collegiate rowing and classes – not politics. That changed when the 19-year-old Orange Coast College student secretly video-recorded an instructor as she labeled the election of Donald Trump “an act of terrorism.” Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 2/18/17
Grants go to charters and a traditional school to help teachers stay on the job -- Julia Guy worried that remaining a teacher might be difficult once she started a family, and staying fit already posed a challenge — so she eagerly filled out a survey seeking suggestions on how to keep teachers in the profession. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Cannabis
Trump may allow states some leeway with marijuana -- While there has been speculation about how the month-old administration, particularly cannabis-shaming Attorney General Jeff Sessions, will deal with the marijuana business, insiders and industry advocates are “cautiously optimistic” that Trump doesn’t have it in for weed. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/18/17
Immigration / Border
ICE may widen net in undocumented immigrant arrests -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement will use a much wider net to arrest undocumented immigrants, doing away with the Obama administration’s priorities that had shielded millions of people living in the U.S. illegally, lawmakers said Friday. Grace Wyler in the Orange County Register Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Workplace immigration enforcement could come roaring back under Trump -- While President Donald Trump sought to address many of his immigration platform campaign promises through executive orders during his first weeks in office, his pledge to “turn off the jobs and benefits magnet” for unauthorized immigrants has yet to see action. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/18/17
ICE denies rumors of immigration raids in Sonoma County -- The federal agency that enforces immigration laws denied rumors swirling through Sonoma County’s Latino community on Friday that agents had conducted several local raids this week and set up checkpoints in the area to snare undocumented immigrants. Derek Moore and Martin Espinoza in the Santa Rosa Press -- 2/18/17
Mexican Consulates Flooded With Fearful Immigrants -- First came the anxious calls in the days after the election of President Trump. Now, people begin lining up before 8 a.m. and crowd the waiting rooms inside the Mexican Consulate here. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 2/18/17
Drivers into Mexico see surge in southbound inspections -- Crossers such as Tijuana resident Mara Camacho, whose sons attend school in Lemon Grove, complain of maddeningly slow southbound traffic when returning to Mexico — the result of intensified screenings by U.S. Customs and Border Protection of drivers preparing to enter Mexico. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/18/17
San Diego Resettlement Agencies Bracing For New Immigration Order -- The region’s four agencies had halted their resettlement operations when President Donald Trump’s initial immigration and refugee order was introduced, but resumed them earlier this month when that order was suspended by a federal judge. Tarryn Mento KPBS -- 2/18/17
Border, interrupted: Closings of Tijuana port of entry prompt criticism -- It’s become a Sunday ritual at Tijuana’s busy El Chaparral Port of Entry: Protesters waving Mexican flags and hand-made signs makie an appearance at the vehicle inspection lanes — and authorities move to shut down traffic. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/18/17
DACA recipients wait for Trump moves on young immigrants' program -- The future of a program that gives temporary protection from deportation and work permits to young immigrants living in the country illegally is up in the air. On Thursday, President Donald Trump repeated he won’t end the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, but without revealing details of possible restrictions to the program. Leslie Berestein Rojas KPCC -- 2/18/17
Environment
State investigating allegations of lead-sampling problems, derogatory remarks by Exide cleanup contractor -- California toxic waste regulators are investigating complaints about a contractor hired to test homes for lead contamination near a closed battery recycler in Vernon, including accusations that its employees made racially derogatory remarks. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Health
Lazarus: Big Pharma really, really doesn't want you to know the true value of its drugs -- The latest poster child for cruel and inhuman drug pricing is Kaleo Pharma, maker of an emergency injector for a med called naloxone, which is used as an antidote to save the lives of people who overdose on painkillers. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
POTUS 45
Trump said he would isolate his family businesses, but they have already seeped into the White House -- Twenty-four hours before taking the oath of office, President Trump strutted into the presidential ballroom of the Trump International Hotel to toast congressional leaders, top donors and the people he had picked to fill out his Cabinet. Noah Bierman and Joseph Tanfani in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/17
Nunes asks FBI to investigate Trump leaks -- House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes on Friday sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation asking it to investigate the leaks of classified information that have produced a series of damaging media reports on President Donald Trump’s administration, according to three sources familiar with the letter. Kenneth P. Vogel and Cory Bennett Politico -- 2/18/17
Donald Trump ignited a massive protest movement. Will it work? -- As airports across the country were flooded late last month with demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily barring refugees and immigrants from seven countries, just a week after millions took to the streets for the Women’s March, one particular sign seemed to capture the mood: “I guess we’re doing this every weekend now!” Indeed. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/17
Help wanted: National security adviser who can handle the chaos -- 'No serious person would take that job,' says one former top Republican national security official. 'It’s a recipe for disaster.' Bryan Bender and Daniel Lippman Politco -- 2/18/17
Trump ignores 'the grown-ups' in his Cabinet -- President Donald Trump this week abruptly dropped the nation's commitment to a two-state solution for Middle East peace — without reviewing the specifics of his new strategy with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Eli Stokols and Josh Dawsey Politico -- 2/18/17
Trump Calls the News Media the ‘Enemy of the American People’ -- The president has referred to the media as the “opposition party” to his administration, and he has blamed news organizations for stymieing his agenda. But the language that Mr. Trump deployed on Friday is more typically used by leaders to refer to hostile foreign governments or subversive organizations. It also echoed the language of autocrats who seek to minimize dissent. Michael M. Grynbaum in the New York Times$ -- 2/18/17
Beltway
Survey: Historians rank Obama 12th best president -- Historians have ranked Barack Obama the 12th best president of all time, the highest rated since President Ronald Reagan, in a new C-SPAN survey released Friday. Cristiano Lima Politico -- 2/18/17
Senators Silent After Meeting With FBI Director Comey -- The FBI director’s visit was not announced publicly, and it’s possible members of the Capitol Hill press corps only found out because he was spotted in the hallways and entered a secure room used for intelligence briefings. Niels Lesniewski Roll Call -- 2/18/17
-- Friday Updates
AP Exclusive: If California dam failed, people likely stuck -- Communities just downstream of California's Lake Oroville dam would not receive adequate warning or time for evacuations if the 770-foot-tall dam itself — rather than its spillways — were to abruptly fail, the state water agency that operates the nation's tallest dam repeatedly advised federal regulators a half-decade ago. Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 2/17/17
Oroville Dam: What made the spillway collapse? -- How did a giant, gaping hole tear through the massive Oroville Dam’s main concrete spillway last week, setting in motion the chain of events that could have led to one of America’s deadliest dam failures? Dam experts around the country are focusing on a leading suspect: Tiny bubbles. Paul Roger and Matthias Gafni in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/17
Life below Oroville Dam: Stoicism, faith ... and cars poised for a fast getaway -- To live beneath the Oroville Dam requires a certain measure of faith — faith in the engineers who designed the nation’s tallest dam and the construction workers who built it more than a half century ago, and faith in the government agencies that maintain and operate it. Peter H King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Hillsides are ‘weeping,’ falling on California’s mountain highways -- As the rain and snow have fallen this winter, so have California’s hillsides, forcing the closure of major roads through the Sierra Nevada and causing millions of dollars in damage. The California Department of Transportation estimates that the winter’s pounding storms have caused $400 million in damage to California highways. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Feinstein: Trump trademark in China may violate Constitution -- A decision by the Chinese government to grant President Donald Trump a trademark for his brand could be a breach of the U.S. Constitution, a senior Democratic senator warned Friday. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 2/17/17
California legislation would create single-payer health care system -- A push for a single-payer health care system in California is making a comeback. State Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens plans to introduce legislation Friday to create a single system that would provide health insurance to every California resident. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ Tracy Seilel and Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/17
Mexican Consulates Flooded With Fearful Immigrants -- First came the anxious calls in the days after the election of President Trump. Now, people begin lining up before 8 a.m. and crowd the waiting rooms inside the Mexican Consulate here. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/17
Some immigrants, fearful of political climate, shy away from Medi-Cal -- Some foreign-born Californians are canceling their Medi-Cal coverage or declining to enroll in the first place, citing fears of a Trump administration crackdown on immigrants. Among those dropping coverage are people in the country legally but concerned about jeopardizing family members who lack permanent legal status, according to government officials, immigration attorneys and health care advocates. Emily Bazar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Report that Guard could be used to round up immigrants is ‘false’ -- The White House on Friday labeled as “false” a memo reportedly drafted by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly that indicated the Trump administration was considering using up to 100,000 National Guard troops to round up undocumented immigrants. Bill Hutchinson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
Politicians, residents ‘terrified’ at reports of National Guard immigration roundups -- Staffers in the Department of Homeland Security said the proposal was discussed as recently as last Friday, according to the Associated Press. White House spokesman Sean Spicer, however, vehemently denied the reports, saying, “there is no effort to do what is potentially suggested.” Tatiana Sanchez and Katy Murphy in the East Bay Times -- 2/17/17
AP Exclusive: DHS weighed Nat Guard for immigration roundups -- The Trump administration considered a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, according to a draft memo obtained by The Associated Press. Garance Burke Associated Press -- 2/17/17
That draft order targeting 11 states would miss more than half of undocumented immigrants -- There are any number of hard-to-understand components to the draft memo that reportedly circulated in the White House, mobilizing 100,000 National Guard members to act as a deportation force for immigrants in the country illegally in 11 southwestern states. But one issue is that the proposal — which the White House says isn’t on the table — targets states that are home to less than half of the estimated undocumented immigrant population. Phillip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 2/17/17
Congress’ cannabis caucus ready to ‘bump heads’ with anti-pot Trump attorney general -- Congress is forming a cannabis caucus with high hopes of protecting a pot industry besieged by fears of a potential federal crackdown. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican who’s an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, is helping to lead the creation of the caucus. Sean Cockerham in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/17
Starving college students? Fresno City College works to combat very real hunger issues -- The term “starving college student” is sometimes thrown around in a lighthearted way to describe 20-year-olds cooking noodles in a microwave – the one true culinary vessel in every dorm room. But for Sean Henderson, Fresno City’s interim dean for student services, the phrase has lost some of its humor. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/17
CalPERS calls for a reroute of Dakota Access Pipeline -- CalPERS and more than 100 other investment groups are calling on banks financing the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline to pressure the company building it to reroute it away from the American Indian tribe that has protested its construction. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/17
Kaiser nurses reach tentative labor agreement with Los Angeles Medical Center -- Nurses at the Los Angeles Medical Center are set to get a pay raise, overtime protections and more professional support under the terms of a tentative collective bargaining agreement struck Thursday. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
L.A. community plans languished for years. Now they're an unlikely issue in the March election -- Eleven years ago, Los Angeles officials invited residents of San Pedro to help rewrite their neighborhood’s community plan, which spells out where new housing and other amenities would be allowed. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Grants go to charters and a traditional school to help teachers stay on the job -- Julia Guy worried that remaining a teacher might be difficult once she started a family, and staying fit already posed a challenge — so she eagerly filled out a survey seeking suggestions on how to keep teachers in the profession Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Republicans in Congress gambled on Trump and won. Here's why they're worried now -- Growing discomfort about the Trump team’s ties to Russia, daily dramas at the White House and the increasing unrest at town hall meetings with constituents back home have prompted second thoughts about the alliance. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/17
Trump’s base unfazed by recent allegations, criticisms -- While a growing number of Republicans in Congress are calling for investigations into the Trump campaign’s communications with Russia last year, the president himself Thursday dismissed the story as “fake news” based on “illegal” leaks. And that’s good enough for Trump’s supporters. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/17
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti accused of being silent on city’s rising crime -- The violent crime rate rose for a third consecutive year in Los Angeles, but that‘s not something Mayor Eric Garcetti is eager to highlight ahead of the March election, one mayoral challenger said this week. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/17/17
Fox: Read All the Lines in an Editorial -- We are often told that we must “read between the lines” to get a true understanding of what the words on a page mean. In the case of political campaign material, it is safer to read all the lines in the original source material from which the campaign material is quoted. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/17/17