Updating . .
Delta OKs offers of up to $9,950 to flyers who give up seats -- Delta is letting employees offer customers almost $10,000 in compensation to give up seats on overbooked flights, hoping to avoid an uproar like the one that erupted at United after a passenger was dragged off a jet. David Koenig and Damian Troise Associated Press -- 4/14/17
Lawyer: Little money involved in Trump sanctuary order -- President Donald Trump's executive order withholding funding from communities that limit cooperation with immigration authorities applies to a small pot of grant money, not the hundreds of millions of dollars that cities and counties around the country say is at stake, a lawyer with the Department of Justice said Friday. Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 4/14/17
Mexican tourists once flocked to the U.S. during Easter week. This year they're elsewhere — and they blame Trump -- Rafael Sifuentes Barba normally spends Holy Week visiting the United States. It’s a tradition Barba started when he got his tourist visa four years ago, and he’s enjoyed traveling to San Antonio, New York and San Francisco for shopping and sightseeing. He says he often spends $1,000 a day on such trips. Laura Tillman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
California police unions push bill on public disclosure in use-of-force cases -- California law enforcement unions are pushing a new law they say will increase public disclosure in cases involving police use of force, but the ACLU says the effort does little to peel back the curtain into police investigations of their own conduct. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/14/17
Feeling sting of Aerojet’s departure, Sacramento group calls for statewide jobs plan -- The Greater Sacramento Economic Council on Friday called on the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown to develop a comprehensive statewide plan to prevent other states from poaching California companies and jobs. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/14/17
Leaving coastal California is a 'no brainer' for some as housing costs rise -- Huntington Beach residents Chris Birtwistle and Allison Naitmazi were about to get married and decided it was time to buy a home. They wanted to stay in the area but couldn’t find a house they both liked and could reasonably afford — despite a dual income of around $150,000. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
California’s war on carbon: Is it winning? -- The centerpiece of California’s effort to reduce carbon emissions, an auction system for pollution credits known as cap and trade, has faltered badly in the past year. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/14/17
Businesses plan appeal of California carbon fee ruling -- A conservative legal foundation says it will ask the California Supreme Court to strike down a key component of California's effort to combat climate change. The Pacific Legal Foundation said Friday that it will appeal a state appellate court ruling issued last week. Associated Press -- 4/14/17
Road clears in California for Apple self-driving car -- An Apple self-driving car may soon hit the road in California. The Cupertino tech giant is the latest entry on the list of some 30 companies authorized by the state Department of Motor Vehicles to test autonomous vehicles. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
Interior secretary talks national park worries on visit to Kings Canyon National Park -- U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke toured Kings Canyon National Park Friday and met with staff to discuss pressing issues within California's national parks, including mounting infrastructure woes, forest fire prevention and claims of sexual harassment within the Parks Service. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 4/14/17
Republican assemblyman's Modesto office vandalized Thursday night -- Police are investigating a Thursday night break-in and vandalism at the Modesto district office of Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon). Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
A sad farewell for Dolores Westfall, whose 'retirement' was motoring from job to job in an RV -- The desert isn't for everyone — too hot, too bleak — but Dolores Westfall loved it. When my time comes, she once told her sister during a desert jaunt, spread my ashes here. Her sister promised she would. Steve Padilla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Statue of Reagan is moving to Newport Beach's Civic Center, home to concrete bunnies and colorful cows -- As a political icon, the nation’s 40th president isn’t exactly in the shadows of history. But in Newport Beach he is — in statue form — in “a lonely cul-de-sac” in Bonita Canyon Sports Park, where his bronze likeness has been vandalized and neglected, Mayor Kevin Muldoon said. Hillary Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
NFL player Konrad Reuland died at 29. But his heart saved baseball legend Rod Carew -- Mary Reuland leaned over the hospital bed and nestled her head on the chest of Konrad Reuland, the oldest of her three football-playing boys, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound NFL tight end who had been in a coma for almost two weeks. Mike DiGiovanna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Gov. Brown calls for an investigation of alleged mismanagement at California's tax board -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday asked state prosecutors to investigate allegations that employees of the state Board of Equalization misused state resources. He also suspended the board’s ability to approve new contracts, hires and promotions, requiring those actions to be approved by other agencies including the Department of General Services. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/14/17
Officials plan to release water on damaged Oroville Dam spillway ahead of more wet weather -- The California Department of Water Resources said Thursday that dam operators will reopen the damaged spillway for up to 14 days beginning Friday as state officials finish repair plans. Melissa Etehad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Farmers’ market to close as Berkeley braces for pro-Trump rally -- The Berkeley farmers’ market that has been open for business every Saturday for 30 years, save the time gale-force winds shut it down, will close this weekend as organizers fear the fallout from a second rally in as many months supporting President Trump in the liberal East Bay city. Michael Bodley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
California Debates Whether to Become a ‘Sanctuary’ State -- It’s a murder that is still driving debate nationally about so-called sanctuary cities. Thirty-two-year-old Kate Steinle was walking along the San Francisco waterfront on July 1, 2015, when shots rang out and she fell to the ground. She died at the hospital hours later. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 4/14/17
New prison parole overhaul guidelines win initial approval from California state regulators -- California state regulators have given their initial approval to a new set of guidelines that expand the credits inmates can earn for demonstrating good behavior and completing rehabilitation programs behind bars. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Rohrabacher causes stir with support for Catalonian independence from Spain -- Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the Orange County Republican who has been described as “Putin’s favorite congressman” and whose recent trip to Africa with disgraced lobbyist Jack Ambramoff raised eyebrows, is making waves again on the international front, this time in Spain. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 4/14/17
Real estate investor faces fine over excess campaign donations to L.A. councilman -- A Los Angeles real estate investor faces a $17,000 fine after writing checks through more than a dozen companies to help elect City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, violating city rules that limit campaign donations. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Stop Ignoring Transparency Law, Grand Jury Warns San Diego -- The San Diego County grand jury urged city officials Thursday to move forward “with haste” in enforcing a long-ignored transparency law that requires companies doing business with the city to provide details about the financial interests behind the transactions. Brad Racino KPBS -- 4/14/17
Loved ones of Golden Gate Bridge suicide victims see hope in net -- John Brooks clutched a photo of his daughter, Casey, showing the 17-year-old smiling as she posed for her high school senior portrait shortly before she jumped to her death from the Golden Gate Bridge. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Mark Prado in the Marin Independent Journal-- 4/14/17
Mexican state attorney general accused of drug trafficking grew up in San Diego -- Until his arrest last month at the border on U.S. drug trafficking charges, Edgar Veytia straddled two worlds: suburban San Diego and the small, heavily agricultural Mexican Pacific coast state of Nayarit. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/14/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Who pays the most and the least income tax in California? -- Tax deadline day is Tuesday (yes, April 18) and the following weeks and months again will make clear that, when it comes income taxes, certain parts of California generate an outsized amount of revenue. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/14/17
Don’t Leave Those Low-Income Tax Credits on the Table -- When Guadalupe Villegas filed her taxes recently she received a pleasant surprise: a refund of more than $6,000 thanks to the state and federal earned income tax credits. Ben Bergman KQED -- 4/14/17
California OKs $91 million in tax breaks for 114 businesses -- A state economic development board on Thursday approved an $8 million tax credit for General Motors as the company looks to expand its autonomous vehicle division in San Francisco. The GM tax credit was among more than $91 million in California Competes incentives for 114 companies approved at a board meeting in Sacramento of Gov. Jerry Brown’s GO-Biz agency. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 4/14/17
New gas tax, vehicle fees expected to more than double funds for road repairs in Orange County -- Orange County officials expect state funds for road repairs countywide to more than double over the next decade — and other projects to be funded — from a transportation finance bill that last week cleared the California Legislature. Jessica Kwong in the Orange County Register -- 4/14/17
San Francisco Program Aims To Make Fines More Fair For The Poor -- In San Francisco, parking isn't easy. When Echo Rowe moved here from Seattle in 2012, she had to move her Ford Ranger every couple of days to avoid street sweeping. It was hard to keep track of, and she started getting multiple tickets every month. Jeremy Dalmas NPR -- 4/14/17
Housing
San Jose is the nation’s most competitive housing market, says report -- With its shrinking home supply and spiking prices, San Jose is the nation’s most competitive market for residential real estate, according to a new report from Redfin. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/14/17
Here’s the No. 1 reason renters say they can’t buy a home -- You’d figure renters in the Los Angeles/Orange County area would have a tougher time than in many other places scraping together a down payment for a home. A new Zillow analysis shows how high that hurdle is: The Los Angeles/Orange County region came in third in the nation where coming up with a down payment was cited as the No. 1 barrier to home ownership. Marilyn Kalfus in the Orange County Register -- 4/14/17
Sonoma County home sales median price hits new record high -- Sonoma County’s housing market set a record sale price of $639,000 in March, a jump fueled by strong demand and tight inventory. The new median price is double what it was five years ago. Robert Digitale in the Santa Rosa Press -- 4/14/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Elon Musk says Tesla semi truck to debut in September, kicking clean-truck race into high gear -- Tesla Inc. plans to unveil an electric cargo truck in September, Chief Executive Elon Musk said Thursday, heating up the race to get a zero-emissions semi truck on the road. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
PBS SoCal KOCE raises $49 million in FCC spectrum auction -- KOCE, the flagship PBS station for Southern California, will see a $49-million windfall from the auction of the public airwaves to companies with wireless networks. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Why Farmers Getting More Water Won’t Lower Produce Prices -- Thanks to a historically wet winter, Central Valley farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta got some long-awaited good news this week from federal water managers. Ben Bergman KQED -- 4/14/17
California tells Uber it’s sloppy about ditching drunken drivers -- California regulators want to slap a $1.13 million fine on Uber for failing to investigate and/or suspend drunken drivers, according to an order filed by the state Public Utilities Commission, which regulates ride-hailing companies. In 64 instances, drivers gave rides within an hour after a passenger reported that they were intoxicated, the order said. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
Water
The Drought Is Over, Right? Not in These 4 Counties -- Gov. Jerry Brown recently lifted his emergency drought declaration for all of California except four counties: Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Tuolumne. These counties tend to rely on groundwater, which takes longer to recharge after a drought than surface water. But that’s not really what keeping the emergency declaration in place is about. Vanessa Rancano KQED -- 4/14/17
Transit
BART spared tough budget decisions by last-minute state help -- BART officials were set Thursday to fill a looming multimillion-dollar budget gap in ways that would hurt many of its passengers. They would start trains an hour later in the morning, eliminate after-hours bus service and slash discounts for seniors, kids and riders with disabilities. But all that changed abruptly with word Wednesday night that a state transportation bill, which became law last week, will bring the rail system millions of dollars more in funding than BART officials had anticipated. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
BART's new Warm Springs station already experiencing broken escalators -- The newest BART station is barely three weeks old, yet Warm Springs is already experiencing a pain other stations know well: namely, broken escalators. Dianne de Guzman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
Education
New security policy announced for San Bernardino school after deadly shooting -- Fingerprinted volunteers will be the only non-staff members allowed through the campus office and into the classrooms at North Park Elementary School in the wake of a campus shooting that left three people dead, school district Superintendent Dale Marsden told a gathering of parents Thursday. Richard K. De Atley and Ryan Hagen in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 4/14/17
Firefighters at San Bernardino school shooting donned body armor -- When describing a firefighter’s uniform, most people would generally picture a fireman’s helmet and big, heavy fire-resistant coats. Doug Saunders in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 4/14/17
California audit clears L.A.'s largest charter school network of misspending -- A state audit released Thursday of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools has cleared the charter school network of any financial wrongdoing in relation to its efforts to fight unionization. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Feds: School collected $4M in tuition for no-show veterans -- The owner and operator of a California trucking company are accused of bilking more than $4 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs by collecting federal tuition reimbursements for veterans who never actually attended any classes, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Michael Balsamo Associated Press -- 4/14/17
California professor apologizes for anti-Trump tweet -- An American history professor at Fresno State University in California apologized Thursday for a tweet that said President Donald Trump "must hang" to save American democracy. The professor, Lars Maischak, said he has temporarily left Fresno while the university is on spring break, after receiving death threats and hundreds of hate emails since the tweet was highlighted by far-right websites such as Breitbart News. Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press -- 4/14/17
Fresno State cancels lecturer’s classes next week after anti-Trump Tweets -- The Fresno State lecturer who is being investigated by the Secret Service after posting to Twitter about President Donald Trump will not be teaching his regular classes next week. Mackenzie Mays in the Fresno Bee -- 4/14/17
New science standards raise hopes for narrowing achievement gap -- As California rolls out new K-12 science standards, some educators believe the new curriculum will spark a love of science and boost test scores among African Americans and Latinos, and ultimately lead to a more diverse STEM workforce. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 4/14/17
Charter schools transform classrooms into flexible learning environments -- An unusual cluster of bright-colored schools, perched on a well-landscaped hillside adjacent to a shopping mall in Richmond, have become models of innovation for breaking down the conventional ways that schools are designed. Michael Collier EdSource -- 4/14/17
Cannabis
Rift opens between the Brown administration and legislators over new marijuana laws in California -- A proposal by the Brown administration to revise marijuana laws in California is drawing backlash from lawmakers and police chiefs who say it would repeal rules approved by the Legislature two years ago and benefit the pot industry over the public. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Someone is trying to sell tickets to the free 4/20 event on San Francisco's Hippie Hill -- People have been flocking to Hippie Hill for years to smoke weed on 4/20, and now someone is apparently trying to capitalize on the occasion by selling tickets. The only problem? The event in Golden Gate Park is free of charge. Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
Immigration / Border
ACLU sues for LA's Trump travel ban enforcement records -- The ACLU is suing the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection's Los Angeles office for information about how LAX border patrol agents enforced President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration. KPCC -- 4/14/17
LAPD arrests 35 as clergy, immigration activists protest ICE detentions -- They prayed. They marched. They sang. And they were arrested — in the name of immigrant families. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/14/17
Protesters at Adelanto Detention Facility call for sanctuary policy -- Protesters chanted outside the Adelanto Detention Facility on Thursday to fight President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. The protest followed a report by Human Rights Watch that said the Department of Homeland Security received more than 1,000 complaints of sexual assault or sexual abuse from people in custody over a period of slightly more than two years. The item is in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 4/14/17
Environment
We can't stop sea level rise, only slow it down, new report finds -- The sea is rising twice as fast as it did in 1990, and there’s no turning back – only slowing down. That’s according to a new report from a team of scientists working for the California Ocean Science Trust on behalf of the governor. Emily Guerin KPCC -- 4/14/17
Marines move imperiled desert tortoises out of harm’s way -- Operation Desert Tortoise was in its fifth day. As of Wednesday morning, 266 of the animals had been moved out of the Johnson Valley, about 30 miles northwest of Yucca Valley. Before the end of the month, the Marines, working with about 125 wildlife biologists expect to have moved 1,156 tortoises, with a focus on clearing transportation corridors and other areas expected to be most disturbed by live-ammunition training missions. David Danelski in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 4/14/17
Health
Trump's 'Obamacare' fixes don't impress insurers -- The Trump administration released limited fixes Thursday for shaky health insurance markets, but insurers quickly said those actions won't guarantee stability for millions of consumers now covered. Richardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Tom Murphy Associated Press -- 4/14/17
Bacteria infected 10 infants at UC Irvine hospital, but the public is just finding out -- Over the course of eight months, a lethal bacteria infected 10 already critically ill infants in UC Irvine Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit – an outbreak that the public is only finding out about now. None of the infants have died, hospital officials said. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
How California got more children vaccinated after the Disneyland measles outbreak -- In early 2015, vaccinations became a national story in California after an outbreak of measles at Disneyland. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Also . . .
The Mastermind Behind Coachella, and more -- How Paul Tollett wrangles the biggest artists in the world into performing in the California desert. John Seabrook The New Yorker -- 4/14/17
Why Hans Zimmer is bringing his Oscar-winning film music to Coachella -- Hans Zimmer’s natural habitat is a dark, windowless room. Mikael Wood in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
Big Sur usually can’t keep people away. Right now, it’s practically deserted -- The first thing you notice is the silence, punctured by birdcalls and the far-off roar of water moving through canyons. Sara Solovitch in the Washington Post$ -- 4/14/17
Empowering women: Female-run mosque to open in Berkeley -- Rabi’a Keeble was confused when she couldn’t find the women’s entrance to a mosque in Richmond that she was attending with a friend. Then she walked to the side of the building and saw a door for women. It was dirty, with garbage littering the doorway and the carpets of the entry stained with food. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
Photos: 'Super bloom' at Carrizo Plain National Monument -- Carrizo Plain National Monument, an out-of-the-way grassland and dry lake bed in a remote area east of San Luis Obispo, has erupted with wildflowers. Francine Orr in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/17
This LA freeway fixture just turned 50. Here’s how it changed traffic -- It was 50 years ago this week that the state Division of Highways, a forerunner of Caltrans, installed the first fixed freeway ramp meters in Hollywood. Los Angeles, now home to 1,000, can now lay claim to the Ramp Meter Capital of the nation. Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/14/17
Deputy wins Civil Service Commission case by default -- The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board, which found that the deputy overstepped his authority by detaining the woman, did not participate in the Civil Service Commission hearing at which he appealed the finding. The deputy, who is not named in public commission records, therefore won. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/14/17
UC Berkeley releases study on the rights and wrongs of tying shoes -- Scientists, who have studied most things, have now studied why shoelaces come untied. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/14/17
POTUS 45
Is this a new Trump? Abrupt reversals may reflect experience -- President Donald Trump is abruptly reversing himself on key issues. And for all his usual bluster, he's startlingly candid about the reason: He's just now really learning about some of them. Jill Colvin Associated Press -- 4/14/17
For Trump, a Steep Learning Curve Leads to Policy Reversals -- For President Trump, the road to changing his mind on China included a discussion with corporate executives in the State Dining Room of the White House in February. When the conversation turned to China’s currency, the executives had a simple message for the president: You’re wrong. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 4/14/17
Within Trump’s inner circle, a moderate voice captures the president’s ear -- As power struggles and ideological battles engulfed the White House, an unlikely player is exercising new influence on the direction of President Trump’s administration. Damian Paletta in the Washington Post$ -- 4/14/17
Trump’s got a new favorite Steve -- As the president cools on Steve Bannon, his deputy Stephen Miller is cultivating relationships with other members of Trump’s coterie. Josh Dawsey and Eliana Johnson Politico -- 4/14/17
Behind closed doors, Trump signs bill allowing states to strip federal family planning funds from abortion providers -- President Trump signed legislation Thursday allowing states to withhold federal family planning dollars from clinics that provide abortion services, a move that could deprive Planned Parenthood and several other family groups of tens of millions in funding. Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post$ -- 4/14/17
-- Thursday Updates
Trump’s land official meets with Brown: ‘We want to be the friendly, yep organization’ -- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, President Donald Trump’s chief land manager with control over vast amounts of the United States, met with Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday and discussed several California projects managed by his agency, but announced no immediate action. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/13/17
Wet winter sets precipitation record in Northern California -- A series of late-season storms vaulted this winter into the history books, making it the wettest winter for California’s northern Sierra Nevada in nearly a century of record-keeping, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/17
Mortgage rates tumble to lowest level of 2017 -- Benchmark mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest levels of 2017, according to Thursday’s Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/17
Clash over power supply holds up opening of San Francisco public sites -- A homeless shelter in Dogpatch. A children’s museum in Corona Heights. A public plaza in Noe Valley. They were all supposed to be up and running by now, but they are still waiting to open. The common problem? PG&E won’t turn on the lights. And no one can agree on why. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/13/17
Fox: Progressive Policy Agenda Could Benefit with Advanced Primary Election -- While the focus on Sen. Ricardo Lara’s bill to move California’s presidential primary from June to an earlier date so as to increase the state’s influence in presidential contests, there is an overlooked aspect to the change that could also advance the progressive state issues cherished by the majority in the California legislature. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/13/17
'We can’t let what happened conquer us': Staff at San Bernardino school urge return after gun attack -- Looking to heal from this week’s deadly shooting inside a San Bernardino classroom, North Park Elementary staff have asked district officials to be allowed to return to campus and carry on with the school year. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/17
Man dragged off United flight got a concussion and other injuries, attorney says -- The man who was dragged off a United Airlines flight suffered a broken nose and concussion and lost two front teeth, according to lawyers who are preparing a lawsuit against the Chicago carrier. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/17
United outrage is felt in Little Saigon: 'Did they think he's a quiet minority who won't resist?' -- Minh Phu Le’s cousin called her about the news shaking up Little Saigon: The man who’d been dragged off a United Airlines flight, seen in a viral video, was someone they all knew. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/17
Scandal continues to weigh on Wells Fargo earnings -- The bank’s non-retail operations have held up much better than its consumer side, which continues to suffer from the fake-account scandal that erupted in September. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/13/17
Tesla factory workers turn up the heat on automaker -- Tesla’s big promises and Wall Street valuation have come with added pressure from its employees. Nearly 60 local organizations on Thursday sent a letter to CEO Elon Musk criticizing the tech company’s confidentiality policy and safety protocol at its Fremont factory. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/17
EV makers Tesla, Lucid going big and fast -- The future of electric vehicles is coming fast and big. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said today the company’s all-electric semi-truck will be revealed in September. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/17
Tight home supply keeps driving up real estate prices in Bay Area and nation -- And it’s a Bay Area story. After Denver and Seattle (where newly listed homes spent just eight days on market), Oakland and San Jose were the fastest-moving markets in the nation with 13 and 14 median days on market, respectively. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/17
New plan for state worker bonuses should mean a lower tax bite -- California state workers won’t lose as much of their $2,500 bonus checks to taxes as they once thought. Reversing a previous decision, the State Controller’s Office is working to issue the bonuses in such a way that they won’t be taxed at a higher rate than workers normally see on their paychecks. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/13/17
Survey ranks Bay Area school districts for the best teachers -- Ever wonder which school district can boast the best teachers in the Bay Area? The Niche website, which ranks school districts nationwide, says it has number-crunched data to get the answers you are looking for. Not everyone agrees with its findings, though. Joyce Tsai in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/17
Talbot: Planned Parenthood under siege; time to fight, again -- When I was a student at UC Santa Cruz in the early 1970s, there were no abortion providers in the county, whose medical system was dominated by the local Catholic-run hospital. So my sister Cindy and several other feminist activists who were also Santa Cruz students founded the first women’s health clinic in the county and imported a doctor each week to terminate unwanted pregnancies. David Talbot in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/13/17
Battling bumper bigotry: DMV fights ugly messages on the road -- The white nationalism that seems to have flourished over the past year is showing up in an unlikely place: applications for vanity license plates. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/13/17
Prediction prof: Trump will be impeached -- The professor who took hell for predicting President Donald Trump has a much longer case for predicting President Mike Pence — and it’s all in his new book, out next week. Edward-Isaac Dovere Politico -- 4/13/17