• School Inoovation and Achievement
  • San Diego Water Authority

Updating . .   

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has now endorsed two people for one state Democratic Party job -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is running for governor, announced Tuesday that he is supporting Kimberly Ellis' run to become the new chairperson of the California Democratic Party. Newsom endorsed Ellis’ rival, Eric Bauman, last year and said that he still supports him in an email to state party delegates. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation -- President Trump asked the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, to shut down the federal investigation into Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, in an Oval Office meeting in February, according to a memo that Mr. Comey wrote shortly after the meeting. Michael S. Schmidt in the New York Times$ -- 5/16/17

Police body-cam footage shows Ghost Ship operator lying about living inside building -- Two years before 36 people died inside the Ghost Ship warehouse, master tenant Derick Almena told an Oakland police officer investigating an arson that he was hosting a “benefit” the next day, which would have been illegal, and lied about living inside the artist collective, according to police body camera footage exclusively obtained by this newspaper group. Matthias Gafni, David DeBolt and Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/17

Sen. Kamala Harris to Trump administration: Start a war on drug abuse, don't restart the war on drugs -- Sen. Kamala Harris on Tuesday took Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to task for ordering federal prosecutors to crack down on drug offenders last week. Harris (D-Calif.) was speaking at the Center for American Progress Ideas Conference in Washington, one of a host of potential 2020 presidential candidates invited to address progressive thought leaders on what the next priorities should be for the Democratic Party. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ Sean Cockerham McClatchy DC -- 5/16/17

San Francisco forces gun suppliers to agree to halt sale of high-capacity kits -- Five online gun suppliers have agreed to halt their California sales of “repair kits” that buyers can assemble into high-capacity magazines outlawed by the state, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said Tuesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/17

Kimberly Guilfoyle says she’s talking with Trump administration about press secretary job -- Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former first lady of San Francisco and current Fox News host, is in conversations with the Trump administration about becoming White House press secretary, she said in an exclusive interview with the Bay Area News Group on Monday night. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/17

Republican Rep. Steve Knight joins call for special prosecutor to take over FBI's Russia investigation -- Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) said Tuesday it is time for a special prosecutor to take over the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to progressives: Don't make winning the argument more important than progress -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned a ballroom full of progressive leaders Tuesday not to get bogged down in “making sure that you win the argument instead of moving progress forward." Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

California state Senate advances bill to repeal mandatory sentence enhancements for some drug convictions -- The state Senate on Monday approved a bill that would repeal three-year mandatory sentence enhancements for some prior drug convictions, part of a reform package that lawmakers say would protect juveniles and create parity in the justice system. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

The political group Bernie Sanders helped start weighs in on L.A.'s congressional race -- Our Revolution, the political group Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders launched from the ashes of his presidential campaign, has endorsed Democrat Jimmy Gomez in the race for L.A.'s 34th Congressional District. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Business owners struggle with homeless, crime along Orange Line in Van Nuys -- Some business owners along Bessemer Street where the homeless congregate say the situation has improved, but more tents now line the adjacent Orange Line busway bike path, which continues to attract drug dealing, prostitution and defecation in the streets. Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/16/17

San Luis Obispo teacher resigns after penning anti-gay letter to student newspaper -- A San Luis Obispo High School teacher has resigned amid controversy over a letter he wrote to the school’s student newspaper that cited a Bible verse saying sinners and those who commit homosexual acts “deserve to die.” Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Hiltzik: The costs of Trump's sabotage of Obamacare already are showing up in rate hikes -- The easiest prediction to make about the healthcare business was that the efforts by Congress and the Trump administration to sabotage the Affordable Care Act would produce a flood of rate hikes by insurers for 2018. We are now standing on the edge of the water. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Report: California fish face more extinctions unless trends change -- Nearly half of California’s diverse types of native salmon, steelhead and trout are headed toward extinction in 50 years unless environmental trends are reversed, a team of scientists reported Tuesday. Denis Cuff in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/17

He said blacks did better before civil rights – now former sheriff is leaving bias inquiry -- John McGinness, the former Sacramento sheriff turned radio host, said he’s stepping down from an inquiry into Davis’ Picnic Day melee after his on-air comments about African-Americans prompted a call for his ouster. Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/16/17

California cracks down on last beachfront sand-mining operation in U.S. -- Moving in on the last coastal sand mining operation in the United States, California regulators are ordering a Mexican-based company to obtain permits and pay state royalties for its Monterey County plant or shut down — amid a chorus of complaints that its causing significant erosion of beaches along Monterey Bay. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/17

When Jerry Hill gets ticked off, you might get a new law -- Sen. Jerry Hill slowed his black Tesla to a stop at the intersection of Glenview Drive and Earl Avenue. He pointed to the sidewalk in front of a dirt lot. “Thirty-eight homes destroyed,” Hill said. “Eight people died.” Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/16/17

Nelson steps down from San Diego Port Commission, citing conflicts -- Bob Nelson, a longtime public relations executive, is stepping away from the Port of San Diego, citing conflicts with his business interests. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/16/17

High-paying life sciences industry continues growth in San Diego County and California -- As of 2016, county employment totaled nearly 50,000 in five sectors: biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostic equipment, research and lab services, bio-renewables, and life science wholesale. Statewide, the life science industry provides more than 360,000 jobs. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/16/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

California's attorney general says Trump administration's new emphasis on drug prosecutions is 'crazy' -- California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Monday sharply criticized the decision by President Trump's administration to reinvigorate federal prosecution of drug crimes, saying the decision will have a disproportionate impact on communities of color. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 5/16/17

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: Trump was 'sloppy' if he disclosed sensitive information to Russians -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Monday called news that President Trump may have disclosed high-level intelligence information to Russian officials "sloppy" and a "messy approach to intelligence that is very endangering.” Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Sen. Dianne Feinstein pledges to oppose Transportation nominees until Caltrain funding is approved -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Monday she will oppose the confirmation of every Transportation Department nominee until the Trump administration funds California's electric train. On Monday she said she plans to vote against Jeffrey Rosen’s nomination as deputy secretary of Transportation. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

'Old school versus new school:' The battle over who will run the California Democratic Party -- A pivotal election is underway in California that could push this Democratic stronghold even further left and recalibrate the direction of arguably the most influential state political party in the nation. Phil Willon and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

9th Circuit Focuses on Trump’s Muslim Statements in Travel Ban Hearing -- Once again, statements about Muslims made by President Trump on both the campaign trail and in the White House took center stage at a court hearing over the president’s ban on travel from six majority-Muslim countries. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 5/16/17

Walters: AG Becerra muffs a chance to crack down on local government corruption -- California’s new attorney general, Xavier Becerra, was given a golden opportunity Monday to change his department’s passive attitude toward governmental corruption. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/16/17

Tax board should rein itself in – while it still can, controller says -- The longest-serving member of California’s embattled tax board is asking her colleagues to rein in their powers before the Legislature does it for them. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/16/17

Scientists Question State Report on Camp Safety -- It's a popular camp for kids that sits below one of the most contaminated sites in California. Since the 1950s, thousands of children and young adults have spent time on the 2,600-acre Brandeis Bardin Institute. And for decades, while the campers played below, scientists were testing experimental nuclear reactors, rockets and weapons at the Santa Susana Field Lab which is nestled on top of a hill just south of the Institute. Joel Grover and Matthew Glasser NBCLA -- 5/16/17

'WannaCry' ransomware shares code with Sony hack, raising possibility of North Korea connection -- Cybersecurity researchers said Monday that the massive "WannaCry" virus that has infected computers around the globe was developed using some of the same code used in the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures, raising the possibility that the hackers may have a connection to North Korea. Chris O'Brien , Christina Boyle and Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

State senators say yes to naming part of the Ventura Freeway after former President Obama -- The state Senate voted on Monday to rename a portion of the freeway that runs between Pasadena and Glendale in honor of former President Obama. The proposal, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 34 to 1, now heads to the state Assembly. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Garcetti asks Trump administration for subway funds to help with Olympics bid -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is in Washington on Monday and Tuesday, hoping to sway transportation officials into fast-tracking $1.3 billion for the final stage of the city's new Metro line to Westwood ahead of a decision on the city’s 2024 Olympic bid. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

California lawmaker proposes making 'stealthing' a form of rape under state law -- Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) on Monday introduced a bill that would make it a form of rape to remove or tamper with a condom during sex without consent. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

More changes proposed for state utilities commission -- More changes may be coming to the California Public Utilities Commission, the sprawling regulatory agency that has been under criminal investigation for nearly three years over backchannel dealings with power company executives. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/16/17

Trump nominates Doug Manchester for Bahamas ambassador -- President Donald Trump announced Monday that he has nominated San Diego hotelier Doug Manchester to become the next United States ambassador to the Bahamas. The selection comes after months of rumors that Manchester, a major Trump fundraiser, would be picked for the top diplomatic post to the island-nation. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/16/17

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds    

Fearing new taxes, California Chamber of Commerce appeals cap-and-trade decision -- The California Chamber of Commerce is taking its case against the cap-and-trade program to the state's highest court. Joining with the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation, the powerful business organization is appealing a recent state appeals court decision upholding cap and trade. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 5/16/17

Homeless  

Activists install portable toilets for homeless at Santa Ana River bed; county says they’re unauthorized -- The three portable outhouses were purchased with $1,000 in donations and placed Saturday, May 13, next to a children’s park accessible from Rampart Street on the west side of the Santa Ana River. Theresa Walker in the Orange County Register -- 5/16/17

Huntington Beach officials rebuff supervisor’s proposal to house homeless in city -- Huntington Beach officials are expressing strong opposition to Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson’s proposal to construct temporary homeless shelters on county-owned land in Huntington Beach, Irvine and Santa Ana. Greg Mellen and Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 5/16/17

Housing  

LA's affordable housing projects struggle in face of new Trump policies -- Los Angeles housing officials are urging the City Council to throw a lifeline to affordable housing projects seeking to survive under the Trump administration. Josie Huang KPCC -- 5/16/17

Income needed to afford an Orange County house now at $154,120 a year -- Unless you have a huge bank account, you need to earn $154,120 a year to afford the median-priced Orange County house, the California Association of Realtors reported Monday, May 15. Just 21 percent of Orange County households met that benchmark during the first quarter of 2017, the period covered in CAR’s latest affordability report. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 5/16/17

How affordable are homes where you live? Affordability varies dramatically in Southern California -- Housing affordability continues to trend much lower in Los Angeles and Orange counties than in San Bernardino County, according to figures released Monday. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/16/17

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions 

Online pirates claim to hold Disney's latest 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie hostage, demand ransom -- Hackers have once again struck at Hollywood, this time claiming one of the summer’s biggest blockbuster releases — Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” the fifth installment in the highly profitable swashbuckling franchise, starring Johnny Depp. David Ng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Despite efforts on equal pay, the gender salary gap in California government jobs persists -- When California updated its equal pay law in 2015, there was no shortage of fanfare. Women’s rights groups called it one of the toughest in the country. Gov. Jerry Brown, in a symbolic flourish, signed the new measure at a Richmond park named after feminist icon Rosie the Riveter. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/17

Ransomware assault brings calls for national cybersecurity policy amid government hoarding of attack tools -- The massive ransomware attack that continued to spread Monday into Asia highlights a key issue for the United States: the lack of a coordinated national system to decide when and how government agencies should alert others to critical security flaws they find. Ethan Baron in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/16/17

How to protect yourself from ransomware and more new hack attacks -- The attack itself, experts said, was not a sophisticated assault, but rather a simple cybercrime that preys on vulnerabilities left open by individuals or institutions that did not install software fixes to known security holes or that were using outdated software, like Windows XP, for which Microsoft no longer provides technical support. Marissa Lang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/17

Lawsuit: Petaluma Wells Fargo employees 'corralled' day laborers -- When business was slow at its branch in Petaluma, a former Wells Fargo employee said his manager had an unusual solution to meet the bank’s aggressive sales targets. Paul Payne in the Santa Rosa Press -- 5/16/17

Transit   

Trump budget, Congress stop-gap measure leaves some Purple Line funding in limbo -- While the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority has a steady stream of funding from four voter-approved sales tax increases, including last November's Measure M, the agency also depends on federal dollars to help build out the county’s transit system. Meghan McCarty Carino KPCC -- 5/16/17

Education 

State wage increase may cause some after-school programs to close -- Leaders of California after-school programs that serve nearly 900,000 public school students traveled to Sacramento on Monday to try to convince state leaders that a failure to increase funding for their programs by $100 million would cause some programs to shut down. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 5/16/17

California bar exam pass rate continues to slump -- The proportion of prospective attorneys who passed the California bar exam has sunk yet again, according to data released by the State Bar of California on Friday, with just 34.5 percent of test takers making the grade. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/17

Stanford pays $130 million for Los Altos apartments -- Stanford University, seeking to provide an additional housing choice for faculty and staff near the campus, has paid $130.5 million for an upscale apartment and retail complex in Los Altos. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/17

Drive to increase charter enrollments triggers massive spending in LA school board race -- School board races tend to be sleepy affairs, drawing little attention and even less campaign spending compared to other higher profile races on most local ballots. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 5/16/17

Immigration / Border 

10,000 immigrant parents of US citizens detained per year in California, report says -- Many of the 65,000 immigrants detained on average in California every year are parents of U.S. citizens, according to a new report from an international human rights advocacy organization. Julie Small and Lisa Pickoff-White KQED -- 5/16/17

Environment 

Despite Trump orders, a Pasadena green group pushes California to save low-carbon rule -- A Pasadena-based green transportation organization fired the first shot in what figures to be a fierce battle over California climate change regulations that sharply differ with policy positions taken by the Trump Administration. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/16/17

Health 

Secret Republican Senate Talks Are Shaping Health Care Legislation -- The Senate is negotiating its own legislation to repeal and replace much of the Affordable Care Act in secret talks with senators hand-picked by party leaders and with no plans for committee hearings to publicly vet the bill. Susan Davis KQED -- 5/16/17

A new era for genetic testing, especially in pregnancy -- A year and a half ago, few health insurers would cover a noninvasive prenatal test — which draws blood from a pregnant woman to analyze fetal DNA — unless the pregnancy was considered high-risk, which usually meant the woman was over 35. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/17

POTUS 45  

Ex-intelligence leaders: ‘Nightmare’ if Trump leaked to Russia -- President Donald Trump’s allegedly loose lips with the Russians could have caused serious damage to U.S. efforts to counter the Islamic State, intelligence experts and former government security officials of both parties said Monday night. And if Monday’s Washington Post story is true, they said, it raises new questions about the president’s preparedness to handle the highly sensitive information that’s an inherent part of his job. Bryan Bender Politico -- 5/16/17

Trump's trust problem -- Senior administration officials have strained their credibility with the public with months of false, misleading or tortured statements. Josh Dawsey Politico -- 5/16/17

Republicans wary of Cornyn as FBI chief -- 'To have an FBI director at this point who doesn’t get Democratic votes would be a huge, huge mistake,' one GOP senator says. Seung Min Kim and Burgess Everett Politico Karoun Demirjian, Sean Sullivan and Ed O'Keefe in the Washington Post$ -- 5/16/17  

Why Flynn could easily beat his Senate subpoena -- Congress is handcuffed in getting obstinate witnesses to comply. That's why the FBI's Russia probe is the one that really matters. Austin Wright Politico -- 5/16/17

 

-- Monday Updates 

- - Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador -- President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said that Trump’s disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State. Greg Miller and Greg Jaffe in the Washington Post$ Eric Schmitt and Matthew Rosenberg in the New York Times$ -- 5/15/17

Former head of California's campaign watchdog agency hit with fines by the agency -- Dan Schnur, the former chairman of the state campaign watchdog agency, has agreed to pay that agency $4,500 in fines for failing to properly disclose and handle some campaign contributions to his unsuccessful 2014 run for secretary of State. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

Pursuit suspect shot by police on live TV following chase in South L.A. -- The man, along with a woman, had abandoned a white van after leading South Gate police on a chase on the 710 and 91 freeways and nearby surface streets, at times driving into oncoming traffic. The chase and its violent aftermath were observed by a KTLA news helicopter and broadcast live. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

California Democratic Party faces $3,500 in state fines for mishandling campaign funds, governor gets warning letter -- The California Democratic Party has agreed to pay $3,500 in fines for mishandling a pair of six-figure contributions, but state investigators stopped short of accusing party officials of laundering donations from the oil industry to the 2014 reelection effort of Gov. Jerry Brown. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

Gov. Brown's ballot measure committee agrees to pay $1,500 fine for campaign finance violations -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s committee for the tax measure Proposition 30 in 2012 has agreed to pay $1,500 in fines to the state’s campaign watchdog commission for not properly reporting all contributions. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

With defunding threats less imminent, Planned Parenthood turns its focus to low Medi-Cal payments -- A Capitol gathering of Planned Parenthood supporters on Monday had many of the same traits as the January Women's March and other rallies of the Trump era: pink T-shirts and so-called pussy hats, with frequent jeers for the president and the GOP-majority Congress. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

‘Brutal beatdown’ by Kevin Johnson for pie attack was justice to some jurors -- A Sacramento judge declared a mistrial Monday in the felony assault trial against local activist Sean Thompson, accused of smashing a pie in the face of then-Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson at a charity event last September. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/15/17

Silicon Valley venture capitalist Sam Altman says he's considering a run for California governor in 2018 -- Altman, 32, is the president of Y Combinator, a start-up technology incubator that has invested in companies such as Airbnb, Dropbox and Stripe. When he was 19, he co-founded a social media app that later sold for $43 million. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

Trump presidency eases Gavin Newsom's path in his second run for California governor -- The first time Gavin Newsom ran for governor, he dropped out of the race in deference to a seemingly unbeatable fellow Democrat, Jerry Brown. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

Only 1 in 3 can afford median-priced California home; situation better in Sacramento -- Only 32 percent of California households could afford to purchase the $496,620 median-priced Golden State home in the first quarter of 2017, according to a report issued Monday by the Los Angeles-based California Association of Realtors. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/15/17

California State Controller seeks additional restrictions on state tax board to prevent conflicts of interest -- State Controller Betty T. Yee on Monday proposed new rules aimed at preventing conflicts of interest and other ethical lapses by members of California’s tax board while it awaits the results of investigations by the state Department of Justice and others into allegations of mismanagement. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/15/17

Becerra’s new role fighting Trump provides plenty of fodder -- In office just five months, his recent work includes challenging the administration’s proposed travel restrictions, defending sanctuary cities and attempting to preserve the state’s energy-efficiency standards, among other actions. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/15/17

After decades of shattered expectations at Lake Oroville, can residents trust state? -- There was going to be a steam train – and a monorail. Plus a major resort featuring a 250-seat restaurant and a 1,000-seat amphitheater. As many as 5 million visitors a year would show up. When it came to wooing Butte County about the construction of Oroville Dam, state officials weren’t shy about setting grand expectations. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/15/17

Fox: Brown Makes Environmental Justice Pitch to Get Two-Thirds Vote for Cap-n-Trade -- At the budget revision press conference last week, Gov. Jerry Brown tried to assuage Democratic lawmakers over costs on his cap-and-trade extension by arguing for environmental justice so as to assure a two-thirds vote for the plan. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/15/17

Life without parole: Reforms target youthful offenders -- New legislation to overhaul California’s youth criminal justice system includes a key provision that could curb life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders. Daniel Maraccini Capitol Weekly -- 5/15/17

Hunter's campaign spent on trip to Las Vegas amid probe -- Rep. Duncan Hunter’s latest financial filings show his campaign continues to incur expenses at places like cigar lounges, where he has previously said he prefers to hold small-scale fundraising events. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/15/17

BART’s ‘seat hog’ ordinance, never enforced, likely to die -- BART’s “seat hog” ordinance became law last fall, making it illegal for passengers to take up more than a single seat on a commute train. But it has never been enforced, and it may never be. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/15/17

Trump’s revised travel ban gets another appeals court hearing -- As a federal appeals court considered President Trump’s second attempt to ban U.S. entry of anyone from selected nations with overwhelmingly Muslim populations Monday, a judge on the panel compared it to another president’s order sending all Japanese-Americans to U.S. internment camps as supposed threats to national security. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/15/17

Cancer cells metastasize far earlier than suspected -- Solid tumors can metastasize far earlier than previously thought, according to a study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/15/17

Are higher wages fueling Southern California inflation? -- That recent pay raise you’re enjoying may actually be costing you. Southern California worker bees are seeing some of the nicest increases in wages since the recession ended. But employers must somehow pay for higher labor expenses, and it appears bosses are opting to raise local prices. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 5/15/17

California considers investing $100 million in-home visits for new moms and their babies -- The CalWORKs Baby Wellness and Family Support Home Visiting Program would spend $100 million to offer home visits from nurses or social workers to new mothers who are living in poverty. Bonnie Petrie KPCC -- 5/15/17

How Trump gets his fake news -- The president rarely surfs the web on his own, but his staff have made a habit of slipping news stories on to his desk—including the occasional internet hoax. Shane Goldmacher Politico -- 5/15/17