Updating . .
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger not running for Senate to focus on redistricting reform -- Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled out Sunday running for a U.S. Senate seat, saying his mission is to “bring sanity to Washington through redistricting reform like we passed here in California.” Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Carla Marinucci Politico -- 3/12/17
House committee wants evidence for Trump's wiretap claim -- The House intelligence committee is asking the Trump administration for evidence that the phones at Trump Tower were tapped during the campaign as its namesake has charged, a request reinforced Sunday by an influential Republican senator who says the president must either come up with the evidence or retract his claim. Deb Riechmann Associated Press -- 3/12/17
McCain to Trump: Retract wiretapping claim or prove it -- Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) called Sunday for President Trump to either prove his claim that President Barack Obama tapped the phones in Trump Tower during last year’s election campaign or drop the accusation. Kelsey Snell in the Washington Post$ -- 3/12/17
Talbot: Trump versus the deep state: a war with no heroes -- Which side are you on — President Trump’s oligarchy or the deep state? If you answered, “None of the above,” score one for democracy. David Talbot in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/12/17
Following immigrant Omid Kordestani on his journey to the top at Google, Twitter -- Follow someone you know. That’s how Twitter Executive Chairman Omid Kordestani, like many immigrants, found his way from Iran to Silicon Valley as a teenager. Queenie Wong in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/12/17
Fearing deportation, Bay Area immigrants rush to make U.S.-born kids dual Mexican citizens -- Fearing deportation under the Trump administration, Mexican immigrants across the state are rushing to register their American-born children as dual citizens — an emergency plan in case they’re deported and compelled to uproot their families to Mexico. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/12/17
Citrus Heights police: Too quick to shoot? -- Police officers in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights fatally shoot people at a higher rate than any force in California, a Bee investigation has found. Officers with the Citrus Heights Police Department have shot eight people dead since 2010. Six of those shootings happened from 2013 through 2016. That number matches the Police Department in Oakland, a city with five times as many residents and a much higher violent crime rate. Anita Chabria, Cynatia Hubert and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/12/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Morain: Senator Schwarzenegger? Not likely -- Having ended his run on “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” California’s former Mr. Olympia-action star-governor evidently has a little time on his hands, and wants to do more than joust with the Tweeter-in-Chief. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/11/17
Reps. Issa and Hunter confronted by protesters at separate town halls -- It was the first time the North County Republicans held forums with their constituents since Donald Trump became president, and in San Diego, like many parts of the country, the congressmen were met by opponents of the new administration’s agenda. Teri Figueroa and Joshua Stewart in the Los Angeles Times$ Gina Diamante, Kenny Goldberg, Alison St John KPBS -- 3/12/17
GOP’s Darrell Issa represents a clear test for anti-Trump Democrats trying for electoral gains in 2018 -- Issa, 63, has been distancing himself from Trump for some time. Widely seen as a partisan flamethrower during his years leading the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and its many investigations of the Obama administration, Issa is more likely these days to defend the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency or to demand a rigorous investigation into allegations of Russian intervention in the 2016 election. Tony Perry in the Washington Post$ -- 3/12/17
Ami Bera’s call to reach across aisle gets cold response at Sacramento town hall -- It’s not just California’s Republican congressmen who are facing a push from liberal constituents fired up over the Trump administration. An estimated 350 people showed up for a meeting Saturday at Unity of Sacramento church with Rep. Ami Bera, an Elk Grove Democrat, many from the local chapters of organizing groups like Indivisible and Moms on the Left who wanted Bera to take a more decisive stand against the policies of President Donald Trump and the national Republican Party. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/12/17
Milpitas man arrested in White House security breach -- President Trump praised the U.S. Secret Service on Saturday for doing a “fantastic job” apprehending a “troubled person” who climbed a fence and was approaching a south entrance to the White House while Trump was inside the executive mansion. Darlene Superville in the San Francisco Chronicle Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/12/17
Pro-immigrant demonstrators rally outside Peter Thiel’s San Francisco home -- Around 40 protesters rallied Saturday afternoon outside the San Francisco home of Peter Thiel, a billionaire businessman and adviser to President Trump, over fears his data analytics company would partner with the administration to facilitate mass deportations. Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/12/17
Can Indivisible do for progressives what Tea Party did for GOP? -- Susan Campodonico hadn’t been out on the street protesting since the Vietnam War. But there she was, standing in front of the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on a Tuesday afternoon, holding a neon green sign that read: “Honk for single payer NOW!” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/12/17
California to fight if EPA eases emissions rule -- The Trump administration is expected to start rolling back tough limits on carbon pollution from cars and trucks this week, and may be considering a plan to revoke California’s authority to set its own pollution standards for vehicles, a linchpin of the state’s effort to battle climate change. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/12/17
Paramount’s Anthony Rendon, Yucca Valley’s Chad Mayes share beers ... and power -- It’s hard to imagine their worlds being more different. Anthony Rendon lives in Paramount, a small, densely populated urban community in Los Angeles County. Chad Mayes hails from Yucca Valley, a dusty desert town of ranch-style homes on Joshua Tree National Park’s doorstep. David Downey in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/12/17
Janet Nguyen's expanding '15 minutes' of fame -- The leader of the state Senate called it Janet Nguyen’s “15 minutes of fame.” But getting forcibly removed from the Senate floor on Feb. 23 has made the Fountain Valley Republican something of a folk hero in the Vietnamese American community. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 3/12/17
Willie Brown: First step for Trump: Admit you’re powerless over Twitter -- Is there a 12-step program for Twitter addiction? I don’t know of one, but there’s treatment for practically every type of addiction these days — so there must be some way to persuade President Trump to stay away from his phone or laptop or whatever device he’s using to whip up his tweet storms. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/12/17
Political Road Map: California's electoral future is rooted in the old-fashioned absentee ballot -- For all of the intriguing ideas about improving California elections, there was one undeniable truth at a gathering last week of county officials and activists: The state’s 21st century voting will lean heavily on its greatest electoral innovation of 1864. That would be the absentee ballot. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/12/17
Walters: Brown’s school finance overhaul could be a cruel joke on poor kids -- The Local Control Funding Formula is Jerry Brown’s experiment in closing the “achievement gap” in California’s public schools separating poor and “English learner” students from their more privileged classmates. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/12/17
Here's why law enforcement groups are divided on legislation to turn California into a 'sanctuary state' -- Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones says he does not want his deputies to enforce immigration laws. But he is worried about a bill that seeks to turn California into a so-called sanctuary state. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/12/17
Abcarian: In the shadow of Silicon Valley riches, struggling flood victims unload on contrite San Jose officials -- One by one, for more than four hours, dozens of San Jose residents displaced by the city’s worst flooding in memory let city officials have it. Remorseful city officials, who had given a presentation outlining their various failures, listened without interrupting. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/12/17
Schnur: Don’t just lower state’s voting age; educate young voters -- My students don’t vote. Actually, the very impressive young people with whom I get to work at UC Berkeley and the University of Southern California are much more likely to cast ballots on election day than most of their generational colleagues. But the overall rate of voting participation among Millennials is by far the lowest of any age group in America. Dan Schnur in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/12/17
California Politics Podcast: Healthcare Hits Home -- This week: The California impact from congressional action to replace Obamacare. Plus, we look at Gov. Jerry Brown's new chance to shape the state's highest court. And more buzz over who might -- or should -- run for statewide office in 2018. With John Myers and Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times and Marisa Lagos of KQED News. Link here -- 3/12/17
Medfly quarantine cuts into San Fernando Valley backyard produce donations for poor -- A medfly quarantine for San Fernando Valley citrus is now preventing at least 100,000 pounds of backyard oranges and other fruit from being harvested for needy residents. Officials at Food Forward, a nonprofit that harvests surplus fruit for the poor, say the loss is impacting thousands of hungry residents at food pantries across Southern California. Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/12/17
Health District Trustee Gloria Chadwick to challenge Rep. Duncan Hunter -- A nurse who has spent nearly two decades on the board of a health care district has announced she will run against Rep. Duncan Hunter in the House of Representatives. “Because of your corruption, I am going to run against you,” Gloria Chadwick, a Democrat, told Hunter at a town hall meeting in Ramona on Saturday. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/12/17
Use of high-tech tool to locate shooters may greatly expand in California under proposed bill -- When a man celebrating the new year fired two guns into the sky from his Sacramento backyard, a high-tech system pinpointed his location in less than a minute, allowing a California Highway Patrol airplane to capture the shooting on video. Moments later, he was arrested. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/12/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Venice residents fight over homeless housing project — and character of the neighborhood -- A proposed homeless housing development in Venice — ground zero in Los Angeles’ debate over how to deal with its homelessness crisis — would provide apartments for artists and low-wage workers. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/12/17
Damaged Big Sur bridge to be demolished, replaced -- A giant wrecking ball will soon slam into one of California's most scenic bridges. The Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur was damaged beyond repair after being pounded by storms in a record-setting winter. Landslides caused structural fractures that made it unsafe to use. KPCC -- 3/12/17
Education
UC Riverside is building a greenhouse that will produce food and solar power -- UC Riverside is building a greenhouse with a translucent roof that generates solar power while allowing sunlight to pass through to plants below. David Danelski in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/12/17
Environment
Air pollution reduction program faces budget ax from Trump administration -- The Trump administration’s plans to cut funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will threaten a grant program that trucking, busing and construction companies say for years has helped them reduce smog from their vehicles. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/12/17
Health
From patients to hospitals, much at stake in Obamacare debate -- You might easily get lost in the numbers when lawmakers in Washington discuss replacing Obamacare subsidies with tax credits and changing the payment structures for Medicaid. To see more clearly what’s at stake in the sometimes mind-numbing debate about whether to overhaul or outright scrap the Affordable Care Act, look around San Diego County. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/12/17
Should HIV-positive people still face felonies for not telling partners? -- The beginning of a new relationship has always been a struggle for Nestor Rogel, who was born with HIV. Robin Opsahl in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/12/17
Ventura County Tries An Alternative to Juvenile Hall -- When 14-year-old Jaime of Oxnard heard he’d have to spend 20 afternoons at a Boys & Girls Club as part of his probation requirements, he wasn’t thrilled. Claudia Boyd-Barrett California Health Report -- 3/12/17
Also . . .
Military veterans train to fight new enemy — wildfires — at Paramount Ranch -- Preparing to enter the fields of battle, U.S. veterans gathered Saturday outside a Paramount Ranch home to Hollywood gunslingers. Only instead of spin-cocking their Winchesters, they drew firehoses as they trained to fight wildfires across the West. “ Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/12/17
POTUS 45
Trump Adviser Had Twitter Contact With Figure Tied to Russians -- Roger J. Stone Jr., an off-and-on adviser to President Trump for decades, has acknowledged that he had contact on Twitter with Guccifer 2.0, the mysterious online figure that is believed to be a front for Russian intelligence officials. Matthew Rosenberg and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times -- 3/12/17
If Russia Inquiry Is Not ‘Legitimate,’ Democrats May Abandon It --They agreed just a week ago to the terms of a House Intelligence Committee investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. But now some of the panel’s Democrats are warning that they may pull their support for the inquiry if it becomes mired in party-line politics. Emmarie Huetteman in the New York Times$ -- 3/12/17
All of Trump’s Russia Ties, in 7 Charts -- What is the real story of Donald Trump and Russia? The answer is still unclear, and Democrats in Congress want to get to the bottom of it with an investigation. But there’s no doubt that a spider web of connections—some public, some private, some clear, some murky—exists between Trump, his associates and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Michael Crowley Politico -- 3/12/17
New York federal prosecutor Preet Bharara says he was fired by Trump administration -- Preet Bharara, one of the most high-profile federal prosecutors in the country, said he was fired Saturday after refusing to submit a letter of resignation as part of an ouster of the remaining U.S. attorneys who were holdovers from the Obama administration, according to people familiar with the matter. Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz and Robert Costa in the Washington Post$ Maggie Haberman and Charlie Savage in the New York Times$ -- 3/12/17
-- Saturday Updates
Intruder breaches White House grounds, arrested near residence entrance -- President Donald Trump said Saturday that the suspect in the White House intrusion Friday night was disturbed, calling it a sad situation and saying he appreciates the work of the Secret Service. Jeff Zeleny and Peter Morris CNN -- 3/11/17
UC Berkeley ponders People’s Park for housing in controversial move -- People’s Park near UC Berkeley, where questions over its fate have inspired student protests for decades and led deputies to kill a man and blind another on infamous “Bloody Thursday” in 1969, is again being considered for development. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/11/17
Stunning turnaround: San Luis Reservoir, nearly empty in August, now full for first time in six years -- Last summer it was a jarring symbol of California’s historic five-year drought. San Luis Reservoir — the vast lake along Highway 152 between Gilroy and Los Banos, the state’s fifth-largest reservoir and a key link in the water supply for millions of people and thousands of acres of Central Valley farmland — was just 10 percent full. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/11/17
San Francisco charity told to pay back taxes, weighs major changes -- A venerable San Francisco charity recently investigated by The Chronicle must repay the public tens of thousands of dollars after misleading county officials — a rare rebuke that follows a significant internal shake-up at Helpers Community Inc. Cynthia Dizikes, Carolyne Zinko, and Karen de Sá in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/11/17
Travel industry worries about the second Trump travel ban -- The second travel ban proposed by the Trump administration, redesigned to better withstand legal challenges, is just as likely as the previous ban to reduce travel to the U.S., industry representatives say. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/11/17
Grandmother deported to Mexico had criminal history, no right to see judge, authorities say -- When the grandmother of a Mira Mesa military veteran’s family was sent back to Mexico last week, her devastated relatives focused on the central role she played in the family, helping raise her two small grandchildren whose father is serving as a contractor in Afghanistan. Kate Morrissey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/11/17
After bomb threat, Westside Jewish center looks ahead: 'We're not going to let it change how we think' -- After a wave of bomb threats against organizations and synagogues across the country, Elisabeth Franks’ bosses at the Westside Jewish Community Center asked her a recurring question. Any voicemails we need to be worried about? Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/11/17
In liberal Hollywood, a conservative minority faces backlash in the age of Trump -- Since the presidential election, some conservatives feel that their political beliefs are more of a career liability than ever — even for those traditional Republicans disenchanted by President Trump. David Ng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/11/17
Lopez: This 94-year-old was burglarized 3 times in one week. Then she fought back -- Things don’t stay the same for very long in Los Angeles. The Lakers soar and then sink, neighborhoods rise and fall, tacos get reinvented, stars are hot and then not. Marjorie Romer holds steady through it all, fixed in her ways, with roots that run deep. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/11/17
Lawmakers and passenger advocates push to keep airline seats from shrinking -- After years of watching airlines pack more passengers per plane, lawmakers and passenger rights advocates are moving on separate tracks to keep airline seats and passenger legroom from shrinking further. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/11/17
Top N.Y. federal prosecutor says he was fired after refusing to resign -- Preet Bharara was among 46 U.S. attorneys remaining from the Obama administration when the Justice Department ordered a housecleaning Friday. The president’s chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions reportedly wanted a clean slate and were unconcerned about any perception that the White House changed its mind about Bharara, who had been asked in November to stay on. Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz and Robert Costa in the Washington Post$ Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 3/11/17
Diaz: Trump draws from authoritarian playbook -- As a candidate and now as president, Donald Trump has displayed an authoritarian streak unrivaled in American history. His dystopian description of the state of the nation and his declaration that “I, alone, can fix it,” at the Republican convention in July evoked the fearmongering and narcissism of many strongmen before him. John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/11/17
During his political rise, Stephen K. Bannon was a man with no fixed address -- He owned a house and condo in Southern California, where he had entertainment and consulting businesses, a driver’s license and a checking account. He claimed Florida as his residence, registering to vote in Miami and telling authorities he lived at the same address as his third ex-wife. At the same time, he routinely stayed in Washington and New York as he engineered the expansion of Breitbart News and hosted a live Breitbart radio program. Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Shawn Boburg in the Washington Post$ -- 3/11/17