Updating . .
Three dead in central Fresno shooting rampage; suspect caught, linked to Motel 6 slaying -- Three people were shot and killed after a man went on a shooting rampage Tuesday in Fresno, randomly shooting at four white men, killing three, before he was taken into custody, police Chief Jerry Dyer said. Jim Guy in the Fresno Bee -- 4/18/17
Man kills 3 people in shootings in downtown Fresno; officials probe any terror links -- A Fresno man known for advocating black separatism and making militant comments on social media shot and killed three people in downtown Fresno on Tuesday before surrendering to authorities and uttering the phrase, “Allahu akbar,” according to the Fresno Police Department. Veronica Rocha , Joseph Serna and Diana Marcum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
Famed Northern California winery site to become major pot production center -- Flow Kana, a San Francisco Bay-area based marijuana venture, has announced it has purchased 80 acres once owned by the founding family of Fetzer Vineyards, one of California’s largest wine producers. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/18/17
‘Resilience, spirit and sacrifice’ — San Francisco wakes early for quake anniversary -- Sirens wailed on cue and grown-ups in Victorian costumes fell silent as San Francisco woke up early yet again on Tuesday to remember the wiggly morning 111 years ago that changed everything. It was Earthquake Day in San Francisco, the traditional mixture of screwiness and solemnity that, once a year, somehow makes sense. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/18/17
California pedestrian deaths decline — finally -- Pedestrian deaths are on the rise throughout the nation, but California is bucking the trend. Dave Kempa Capitol Weekly -- 4/18/17
Amid California’s pot business boom, most banks run away from all that cash -- The recent gathering at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Sacramento would have been improbable just a few years ago. Marijuana farmers – clad in plaid shirts and jeans, and looking like, well, farmers – openly assembled for a meeting of the California Growers Association. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/18/17
For many at violent Berkeley rally, it wasn't really about Trump or free speech: They came to make trouble -- When hundreds of activists on the left and the right converged here Saturday, things got ugly very quickly. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
'Caravan Against Fear' makes a stop in downtown Los Angeles -- Immigration advocates held a demonstration Monday in downtown Los Angeles to call on lawmakers to pass sanctuary policies, and to urge L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell to stop cooperating with immigration officials. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
No progress seen on housing crunch for San Francisco teachers -- It’s been nearly a month since scores of teachers filled the Board of Supervisors chambers to tell heart-wrenching stories of their living conditions in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/18/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California Senate approves projects linked to gas tax hike -- The promised funding for projects in the Central Valley and Riverside County was integral to the tax hike's razor-thin approval earlier this month. Four lawmakers agreed to vote for the tax increase only after Gov. Jerry Brown and top legislative leaders promised to push through legislation guaranteeing funding for their favored projects. Jonathan J.Cooper and Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 4/18/17
In a bid to ease student debt, California considers a role in helping refinance private loans -- State treasurer and gubernatorial hopeful John Chiang is wading into the increasingly high-profile debate over college affordability with a new push for California to play a role in alleviating the burden of high-interest private student loans. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
An in-home care program for California's elderly and disabled is constantly at the heart of budget battles. Here's why -- California’s program to provide in-home care for its low-income elderly and disabled residents finds itself once again at the heart of a state budget standoff. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
State awards $275 million contract for Oroville Dam repairs -- Kiewit Corp., a construction giant with extensive experience in dam projects, was awarded the massive repair job at troubled Oroville Dam on Monday. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/18/17
Serious design, construction and maintenance defects doomed Oroville Dam, report says -- Design flaws, construction shortcomings and maintenance errors caused the Oroville Dam spillway to break apart in February, according to an independent analysis by Robert Bea for the Center for Catastrophic Risk Analysis at UC Berkeley. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
Rep. Jeff Denham says he's a 'no' on Republican healthcare legislation for now -- Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) said Monday night that he wouldn't support his party's healthcare legislation unless it left significant parts of Obamacare intact. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
A giant rabbit with a political committee wants to bug Rep. Hunter -- Rep. Duncan Hunter, get ready to meet Duncan Thumper, a giant rabbit. With two cute ears, a pair of beady eyes and a little white tail, Thumper is the anthropomorphic personification of Hunter’s pet rabbit, the one that took a cross-country flight paid for by the congressman’s political campaign. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/18/17
White supremacist who punched woman in Berkeley has military, criminal ties to San Diego County -- Nathan Damigo, the white supremacist who was captured on video Saturday punching a woman in the face and then running into the crowd during a violent confrontation in Berkeley between supporters and critics of President Donald Trump, has military and criminal ties to San Diego County. Hieu Tran Phan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/18/17
LA County coroner cuts body backlog, but request for more funding rejected -- A year after the Los Angeles County coroner abruptly resigned amid a backlog of bodies to be examined and hundreds of pending toxicology reports, some progress has been made inside one of the busiest morgues in the nation. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/18/17
This Golden State Podcast: The Rise & Future of Eric Swalwell -- From unknown congressional newbie four years ago, to power player on the House Intel Cmmte, Eric Swalwell has become a man to watch. In an interview with This Golden State’s Randy Shandobil, Swalwell acknowledges that the investigation into Russia & the Trump Administration has shot up his name ID & opened doors to a possible run for higher office, including the Senate if Dianne Feinstein decides not to run for re-election. Link here -- 4/18/17
Candidate's endorsement agreement with a former rival draws complaints in L.A. City Council race -- Los Angeles City Council candidates in tight races frequently seek endorsements from former rivals to broaden their base of support. But an endorsement agreement in the Council District 1 race in northeast Los Angeles is drawing complaints. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
A $10-million fund will help immigrants fight deportations. But should it help those with violent criminal convictions? -- Fearing mass deportations under President Trump, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and County Supervisor Hilda Solis stood together in December to unveil a $10-million fund to hire lawyers to defend local immigrants without legal status. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
Sen. Kamala Harris went to the Middle East for her first foreign trip as U.S. senator -- Sen. Kamala Harris spent the first week of the April recess in Iraq and Jordan during her first trip overseas as a member of Congress. It is common for representatives and senators not to publicize overseas trips until they return, particularly if they are visiting a potentially dangerous area. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
Federal lawmakers vow to fight any budget cuts to security at LA, Long Beach ports -- Freshman U.S. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán vowed Monday to push back on any budget efforts by President Donald Trump to cut security at the nation’s largest ports. Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/18/17
How 2 California Republicans are thriving in Democratic Sacramento -- The 80-member California Assembly has 55 Democrats and 25 Republicans. If the assembly were a voting district, it would be 68.75 percent registered Democrats. That supermajority means that, much of the time, legislation can pass through the chamber without any involvement from the state’s Republican assembly members. Republican-authored bills simply cannot pass without at least 15 Democrats supporting them. So what’s a Republican legislator to do? Beau Yarbrough in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 4/18/17
LA County unveils $30 billion budget plan, but warns of fiscal hurdles ahead -- An ambitious, $30 billion proposed budget for the next fiscal year was unveiled Monday by Los Angeles County officials that includes millions to fight homelessness, bulk up social services and medical care for the poor, and improve infrastructure. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/18/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Assembly Democrat stripped of committee chairmanship after voting against gas tax increase -- Nearly two weeks after breaking with fellow Democrats to vote against a bill raising California fuel taxes, Assemblyman Rudy Salas of Bakersfield has lost the chairmanship of a prime legislative committee. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/18/17
Homeless
L.A. County seeks to strengthen the safety net for its neediest residents with funding for the homeless, social workers and healthcare -- Los Angeles County pressed forward with an effort to strengthen the safety net for its most vulnerable residents Monday with a budget plan that carves out significant allotments for social services, healthcare and other support for the poor. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
Housing
Affordable housing bills hit California Legislature, but will they pass? -- California legislators will consider a towering stack of bills addressing the state's rising housing costs, a testament, they say, to their recognition of an emergency. Josie Huang KPCC -- 4/18/17
Home sales and prices jump across the Bay Area, California -- As tough as it is to find an affordable home — or any home at all — in the Bay Area, the housing crunch is a statewide phenomenon. New listings plunged 12 percent in March from one year earlier, creating a seller’s market across the state. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/18/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Planned Trump Order Will Discourage Hiring of Low-Wage Foreign Workers -- President Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday aimed at making it harder for technology companies to recruit low-wage workers from foreign countries and undercut Americans looking for jobs. Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ -- 4/18/17
Judge slams fruit grower over 'bad faith' bargaining with farmworkers -- The state’s largest grower of peaches and other fruit bargained in bad faith with the United Farm Workers of America and wrongly tried to exclude as many as 1,500 employees from a collective bargaining agreement, a judge has ruled. Geoffrey Mohan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
With a Hollywood Writers’ Strike Looming, Here’s What to Know -- The threat of a Hollywood strike is getting real. On Wednesday, television and movie writers — roughly 12,000, all members of the Writers Guild of America — will begin voting on whether to authorize a walkout. Brooks Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 4/18/17
Edison builds world’s first battery-gas hybrid power plants in Norwalk, Rancho Cucamonga -- Southern California Edison launched the world’s first hybrid battery and gas turbine power plants Monday that will provide cleaner stopgap power during hot summer months when electricity demand soars. Steve Scauzillo in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 4/18/17
United Launch Alliance to lay off 48 people at Vandenberg Air Force Base -- United Launch Alliance will lay off 48 people at Vandenberg Air Force Base, a move that comes as rival SpaceX ups the competition in the launch services market. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
Wells Fargo fired a worker for refusing to scam customers, lawsuit says -- A New Jersey woman has sued Wells Fargo Bank, saying she was fired for refusing to participate in a scheme to manipulate accounts and sell products that weren't in customers' best interest. Associated Press -- 4/18/17
Venoco seeks bankruptcy protection after losses from huge 2015 oil spill near Santa Barbara -- An offshore oil platform near Santa Barbara will be decommissioned and its operator, Venoco, is seeking bankruptcy protection, nearly two years after the platform was idled when an onshore pipeline ruptured and spilled a massive amount of oil into the ocean, the state and company said Monday. John Antczak Associated Press -- 4/18/17
Uber looking to hire 15,000 more LA-area drivers -- Uber drivers, referred to by the company as “driver-partners,” work as independent contractors. A portion of the company’s initial hiring campaign targeted inner city portions of Southern California’s Latino communities, ranging from South and East Los Angeles to Crenshaw and Pacoima. Kevin Smith in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 4/18/17
A Murder Posted on Facebook Prompts Outrage and Questions Over Responsibility -- On Easter, Steve Stephens drove around downtown Cleveland on what he said was a mission to commit murder — and soon he had an audience of millions for his shooting of Robert Godwin Sr., 74, which he recorded and posted on Facebook, the police in Cleveland said. Mike Isaac and Christopher Mele in the New York Times$ -- 4/18/17
Theranos gets wrist-slap fine from feds, agrees to do no clinical lab work for two years -- Terribly troubled Palo Alto blood-testing firm Theranos will pay a $30,000 fine and has agreed not to own or operate any clinical labs for two years, after a settlement with federal regulators. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/18/17
Transit
BART Cars Zapped Again on the Pittsburg-Bay Point Line -- Twenty-two BART cars break down suddenly on a stretch of track between the North Concord and Pittsburg-Bay Point stations. That was the scenario last Friday. And if it sounds familiar, it’s because a little more than a year ago, about 50 BART cars were knocked out of service by mystifying electrical spikes that occurred in the same area. Eli Wirtschafter KQED -- 4/18/17
Education
Victim of sexual misconduct by UC Berkeley law school dean criticizes tenure-saving campus settlement -- The university announced last week that University of California regents had reached a legal settlement with Sujit Choudhry, a former law school dean who admitted in a campus investigation that he inappropriately kissed, touched and hugged his former assistant, Tyann Sorrell. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
San Bernardino students return to school following fatal shooting of North Park classmate, teacher -- North Park Elementary School staff and students returned to the campus Monday for the first time since a teacher and student were killed in a classroom last week. Beatriz Valenzuela and Beau Yarbrough in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 4/18/17
Training made ‘positive impact’ at San Bernardino school where shooter killed teacher, student -- Teachers and staff of North Park Elementary School received active shooter and lockdown training less than a year before an armed man entered the school and opened fire inside a classroom, taking the life of a special education teacher and her 8-year-old student. Beatriz Valenzuela in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 4/18/17
They're not lovin' it: L.A. school resolution would ban McDonald's school fundraisers -- Two resolutions before the Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday would extend the school system’s already extensive food-related activism. The first would ban "McTeacher’s Night" school fundraisers hosted by McDonald's restaurants. The second would direct district officials to develop a vegan option for every cafeteria meal. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/18/17
California bill that would restrict charter school approvals stalls in Sacramento -- Charter school supporters are applauding a state senator’s decision to table a bill that would have allowed only school districts to approve new charter petitions. Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 4/18/17
Cannabis
LA County details struggle to shut down illegal marijuana dispensaries -- On Monday, the Los Angeles County Counsel released a long awaited report detailing the successes, ambitions and ongoing struggles of authorities to shut down illegal medical marijuana dispensaries in the county's unincorporated cities. Jacob Margolis KPCC -- 4/18/17
Costa Mesa proposes $50,000 licensing fees for medical marijuana firms -- Costa Mesa’s city council will discuss the proposed medical marijuana business licensing fees at its meeting on Tuesday. The fee schedule is the first major step toward implementing November's voter-backed Measure X, which allows medical marijuana manufacturing, R&D and distribution centers to operate in a small industrial area of the city north of the I-405. Jill Replogle KPCC -- 4/18/17
Environment
Extreme sea-level rise could wreak havoc on coast, state experts warn -- Armed with a growing body of evidence that rising seas could inundate the California coastline sooner than later, state experts are sounding the alarm. Sandy Mazza in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 4/18/17
Parkfield quake study yields warning for Bay Area -- Six big quakes have hit along the San Andreas Fault there, averaging 22 years apart for the past 160 years, and since the last one a dozen years ago, scientists have been studying the fault zone with all the seismic instruments they can muster. David Perlman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/18/17
Health
Soda industry tells court San Francisco health warnings are unfair -- San Francisco’s attempt to require health warnings on billboard ads for sugary drinks is unfair and misleading because the messages imply that sodas are uniquely dangerous when they aren’t really dangerous at all, a beverage industry lawyer told a federal appeals court Monday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/18/17
California Lawmakers Weigh Measures to Improve Dental Care for the Poor -- California lawmakers are considering several bills to improve and expand access to Denti-Cal, the state’s troubled dental program for low-income people — including ones that would draw from the state’s new tobacco tax to boost dentists’ pay. Ana Ibarra KQED -- 4/18/17
Why are breast cancer rates rising among Asian-Americans in California? -- When Margaret Abe-Koga was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, she was as surprised as anyone. Tracy Seipel in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/18/17
Also . . .
Prosecutors File Criminal Charges Against Employer of Private Contractor Killed in Massive Big Sur Wildfire -- Prosecutors in Monterey County have filed seven criminal counts against the small construction firm that employed Robert Reagan, the bulldozer operator killed last July while working the massive Soberanes Fire, the costliest wildfire in U.S. history. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 4/18/17
Widow of Bulldozer Operator Killed in Soberanes Fire Struggles to Get By -- Morgan Kemple heard a knock on her door at 4:30 in the morning on July 27, 2016. She was concerned that her daughters, ages 2 and 5, would wake up. She went to the door and saw several Cal Fire officials outside. They asked to come in. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 4/18/17
‘Ready for Wildfire’ app alerts residents to fires in their area -- Californians living in fire-prone areas can download a new application that provides a fire-safety checklist and allows them to receive wildfire alerts from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Cathy Locke in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/18/17
Mountain lion snatches small dog from Bay Area bedroom -- A Pescadero family had a very rude awakening early Monday morning when a mountain lion came into their home and took the dog. A woman reported that she and her child were sleeping in a bedroom with their 15 lb. Portuguese Podengo at the foot of the bed and the dog started barking aggressively at 3 a.m., according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Kalin Kipling in the Sacramento Bee$ Alyssa Pereira in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/18/17
POTUS 45
Unreleased Tax Returns May Doom Trump’s Overhaul Effort -- Democrats have pledged not to cooperate on rewriting the tax code unless they know how it would benefit the billionaire president and his family. Alan Rappeport in the New York Times$ -- 4/18/17
Watchdog Group Expands Lawsuit Against Trump -- A legal watchdog group is expanding a federal lawsuit filed earlier this year against President Trump, accusing him of violating the Constitution by continuing to own and profit from his far-flung business empire. Sharon La Franiere in the New York Times$ -- 4/18/17
Trump has spent one out of every five minutes of his presidency in Palm Beach -- Before hosting the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, President Trump had another traditional Easter event to attend: the annual Easter egg hunt at Mar-a-Lago, his resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 4/18/17
Beltway
Poll: Ryan Is Even Less Popular Than Trump -- The Pew Research Center survey released Monday shows that just 29 percent of Americans approve of Ryan’s performance. In contrast, 39 percent approve of Trump, whose approval ratings rank among the lowest of recent presidents at this point in their terms. Andrew Breiner Roll Call -- 4/18/17
-- Monday Updates
Assembly Democrats say addressing the housing affordability crisis is next, but hurdles loom -- Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) said that after legislators passed a major transportation funding package earlier this month, housing was the state’s most significant unresolved issue. “Like transportation, we need to put our money where our mouth is,” Chiu said. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/17/17
Feinstein hears it at raucous San Francisco town hall — voters want action -- Many of the 1,000 people who attended Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s town hall Monday in San Francisco didn’t necessarily disagree with her, they just wanted her to be louder and more aggressive in opposing the Trump administration. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/17/17
The author of the 'Calexit' initiative calls it quits on his proposal for a 2018 ballot measure -- Less than three months after being given the green light to start gathering voter signatures, the author of a closely watched effort to split California from the United States has decided to withdraw his proposal. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/17/17
First California offshore oil platform to be removed in 20 years -- In a decision that was cheered by environmentalists, a Colorado oil company announced Monday that it will end operations on a prominent offshore oil platform near Santa Barbara, which will result in it the first offshore platform removed from California’s coast in more than 20 years. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/17/17
Fox: Whither the Tax Revolt? -- Last autumn, I wondered both in a Wall Street Journal article and a Los Angeles Times piece if California’s tax revolt is dead. Given all the taxes that were passed by voters on the state and local level, the question was worth pondering. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/17/17
Cost triples, delays mount for UC computer system upgrade -- The timeline for a massive upgrade to the University of California’s payroll and personnel system was extended again twice in the past two months, further delaying a project now expected to cost more than three times its original budget. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/17/17
BART to shell out big bucks to catch fare cheats -- BART is planning to spend $800,000 next year to hire a team of six full-time fare inspectors to roam the line and hunt down fare cheats who supposedly are costing the ailing rail line millions of dollars a year in lost revenue. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/17/17
LAPD officers expected to face more scrutiny over shootings with new rules -- For nearly two years, the Los Angeles Police Department’s civilian bosses have embarked on a high-profile campaign to curb the number of shootings by officers, pushing department brass for more training and less-lethal devices. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/17/17
A $10-million fund will help immigrants fight deportations. But should it help those with violent criminal convictions -- Fearing mass deportations under President Trump, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and County Supervisor Hilda Solis stood together in December to unveil a $10-million fund to hire lawyers to defend local immigrants without legal status. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/17/17
Berkeley couple’s mysterious deaths raise public health fears -- No one knows how a young Berkeley couple and their two cats were fatally poisoned with carbon monoxide during a storm one night in January. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/17/17
Some families blame phone makers for distracted driving deaths -- Peggy Riggs often warned her children, including 20-year-old son David, about the dangers of texting and driving. In turn, David encouraged his friends never to engage in the practice. Wendy Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/17/17
One key way soggy California could save water for the next dry spell -- The water spread into every corner of the fields, beckoning wading ibises and egrets as it bathed long rows of sprouting grapevines. Several inches had covered the vineyard ground for a couple of months. But rather than draining it, Don Cameron was pouring more on. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/17/17
Capitol Weekly podcast: John Hancock -- For followers of state politics, Ground Zero is The California Channel, which started broadcasting more than 26 years ago and has never looked back. Okay, so it’s not flashiest option on your TV dial and people have been known to turn it on late at night as a sleep aid. But among California politicos and policy wonks, the Cal Channel is must-see TV. Capitol Weekly’s John Howard and Tim Foster sat down with John Hancock, CalChannel’s president and CEO. Link Here -- 4/17/17
Internal Affairs: Stanford OKs Trump image for sexual assault conference -- With a name like “The Way Forward: Title IX Advocacy in the Trump Era,” it might seem natural that the upcoming conference at Stanford University would feature the president’s image on its website and poster. Tracey Kaplan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/17/17
AAA to offer one-way hourly car rentals in East Bay -- The American Automobile Association, the 115-year-old auto club founded when cars were poised to disrupt the horse and buggy, is branching into a new business, anticipating major changes in car ownership. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/17/17
Bill would ban leasing of dogs and cats -- Dogs and cats could no longer be leased in California – yes, leased – if a new bill co-authored by Assemblyman Brian Maienschein becomes law. The controversial, pricey and little-known practice of leasing pets has upset animal rights groups and left some customers bewildered when they learn they don’t actually own their new pet, but signed a rent-to-own contract instead. Ashly McGlone in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/17/17