Updating . .   

House panel unveils $1.6B plan for building US-Mexico wall -- The move by the House Appropriations Committee again puts the Trump administration and its allies on Capitol Hill on a collision course with Democrats who oppose the wall and succeeded in blocking a request by Trump to deliver the money when passing an omnibus spending measure earlier this spring. Andrew Taylor Associated Press -- 7/11/17

Mills College opts for layoffs over admitting male undergrads -- Mills College faculty cheered when hundreds of students occupied the Oakland campus for 13 days in 1990 and forced the school’s trustees to reverse their decision to admit male undergraduates as a way to raise money. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/17

California climate deal takes aim at toxic air -- A plan to extend California's signature climate initiative for another decade looks beyond cutting greenhouse gas emissions and takes aim at toxic air in the polluted neighborhoods around refineries and factories. Jonathan J. Cooper, Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 7/11/17

San Diego real estate investor joins other Democrats challenging Darrell Issa -- Real estate investor Paul Kerr announced Tuesday that he will challenge nine-term Republican Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), one of the Democrats' top California targets for 2018. Issa won re-election by a razor-thin margin last November. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

L.A. County to pay nearly $5 million to settle lawsuits in two shootings by sheriff's deputies -- Expensive payouts stemming from shootings by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies continue to climb, with the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approving nearly $5 million for the families of two men shot by deputies in separate incidents. In both 2014 incidents, deputies’ bullets killed people — and also wounded unintended victims. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

Wall fire devastation: 41 homes destroyed, 5,800 acres burned -- The toll exacted by the Wall Fire in Butte County has risen to 41 homes destroyed, according to new figures released Tuesday by Cal Fire. The Wall Fire broke out Friday afternoon along Chinese Wall Road north of the small town of Bangor, which is southeast of Oroville. Thousands of people have been evacuated as firefighters worked to save their homes. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/11/17

Nature lends a hand in fight against three massive California wildfires -- Nature provided a helping hand Tuesday to firefighters tackling three wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to flee. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

Refugees find temporary havens on Airbnb -- The guests were exhausted and disoriented when they arrived after a 16-hour flight. These were no ordinary tourists, but refugees from Afghanistan. They came via a new program from the home-stay website that encourages hosts to provide free temporary housing to people uprooted by violence, persecution, terrorism and natural disasters. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/17

Google in San Jose: What happens next? -- Now that San Jose has approved negotiations with Google for a massive new tech campus in the heart of downtown, what are the steps toward making it a reality? Like San Francisco’s Mission Bay renewal, the Mountain View search giant’s development would reshape downtown San Jose in a dramatic fashion. Ramona Giwargis in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/17

Olympics are returning to L.A. and Paris — but when? -- The Olympic Games are coming back to Los Angeles. The only question now is will Southern California host its third Olympics in 2024 or 2028? Scott M. Reid in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/11/17

Ending bail worries California judges -- Though it failed on the Assembly floor last month, an effort to overhaul California’s bail system is still moving this session after an identical measure passed the state Senate. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/11/17

Days after legalization, Nevada’s pot supply runs low -- Nevada is running dangerously low on recreational marijuana. Less than two weeks after sales of the fun kind of cannabis got underway for the first time in the state, stores are quickly running out of pot to sell. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/17

‘Ghost Ship hysteria’ or unsafe conditions? This arts collective faces imminent closure -- For more than a decade, some of Sacramento’s most accomplished artists have used a century-old warehouse in Hollywood Park as their home base. But after an anonymous complaint was filed with the city, the Panama Pottery arts collective could fall victim to what its owner called “Ghost Ship hysteria,” a reference to the 2016 fire that killed 36 people in an artists’ warehouse. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/11/17

Police pursuits cause unnecessary deaths and injuries, L.A. County grand jury says -- Police chases in Los Angeles County are “causing unnecessary bystander injuries and deaths” and most pursuits are launched in response to relatively minor crimes, according to a new report by the county’s civil grand jury. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

Legislation making it harder to punish police officers accused of lying isn't happening this year -- Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) pulled his Assembly Bill 1298 from Tuesday morning's Senate Public Safety Committee agenda and will no longer pursue it this year, his office said. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

‘You guys are going to kill me.’ Man knew his fate when he confronted deputies, report says. -- With a knife in hand, Chad Irwin knew sheriff’s deputies would shoot him, according to a new Sacramento County District Attorney’s review. “I know what happens,” Irwin, 40, told deputies last August as he stood across the street from his Brahms Way home, his wife and two daughters inside. “I know what this is. You guys are going to kill me.” Soon after, Irwin was dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Nashelly Chavez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/11/17

Russian Dirt on Clinton? ‘I Love It,’ Donald Trump Jr. Said -- The June 3, 2016, email sent to Donald Trump Jr. could hardly have been more explicit: One of his father’s former Russian business partners had been contacted by a senior Russian government official and was offering to provide the Trump campaign with dirt on Hillary Clinton. Jo Becker, Adam Goldman and Matt Apuzzo in the New York Times$ Rosalind S. Helderman and John Wagner in the Washington Post -- 7/11/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Halt to California fire prevention fee part of new climate change plan -- Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders have released legislation to extend the state’s climate-change-fighting system for another decade, setting off a scramble for votes amid concerns that the compromise will not do enough to address the problem. Taryn Luna and Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/17

Here’s What’s in the Deal to Extend California’s Cap-and-Trade System -- The language of the extension agreement, contained in AB 398, from Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), was put into print on Monday evening. Under the state’s 72-hour rule, a final vote can now be taken on the measures on Thursday. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 7/11/17

Here is what the gas tax repeal initiative title will say. Proponents say it is misleading and will sue -- The state attorney general's office on Monday released a title and summary for a proposed initiative to repeal a gas tax increase. Proponents of the ballot measure say the state-drafted title and summary are misleading and they will go to court to have them changed. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

Are these Republicans kidding themselves by running for California governor? -- Republican Meg Whitman spent nearly $180 million trying to become governor of California. Picking over the wreckage of her 13-point loss to Jerry Brown, the former eBay chief executive compared the experience to a car careening into a wall. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/11/17

Is Trump the new Bush? Pelosi sees a way forward for Democrats -- Republicans may hold the legislative power in Washington, but House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco sees a glimmer of hope for reversing that: a vulnerability in the GOP that reminds her of the unwinding of President George W. Bush’s presidency — and she said Monday that Democrats will start rolling out plans in the next week to exploit it. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/17

SFO near miss might have triggered ‘greatest aviation disaster in history’ -- In what one aviation expert called a near-miss of what could have been the largest aviation disaster ever, an Air Canada pilot on Friday narrowly avoided a tragic mistake: landing on the San Francisco International Airport taxiway instead of the appropriate runway. Matthias Gafni in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/17

Massive Valley blackout again puts spotlight on L.A.'s failing infrastructure -- On Monday, officials said the explosion was probably related to excessive energy demands due to the heat wave and was a stark reminder of the challenge Los Angeles faces in modernizing its aging electrical system. Ben Poston and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Brenda Gazzar and Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/11/17

A city pension board vote could add to Los Angeles' budget woes -- The agency that delivers retirement benefits to thousands of Los Angeles city employees is looking to scale back its investment projections — a move that could blow a hole in an already precarious municipal budget. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

California attorney general backs study of police shootings -- The measure, Assembly Bill 284 from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), authorizes Becerra’s office to examine the circumstances, policies, training and oversight involved in police shootings that resulted in deaths or serious injuries. The attorney general would look at shootings between 2015 and 2016 and issue a report by July 2019. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

BART official criticized for memo on withholding crime facts -- A top BART official opened the door for a fresh round of criticism Monday when she explained the transit agency’s decision to withhold information about criminal misconduct on the system by pointing at what she called the media’s “disproportionate elevation” of crimes that “unfairly affect and characterize riders of color.” Michael Bodley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/17

Judge slams Oakland leaders in police sex scandal -- The federal judge overseeing reforms in the Oakland Police Department criticized city officials Monday for a “severely mishandled” investigation into officers who allegedly had sex with an underage girl, saying City Hall and police commanders appeared to be treating him as an “inconvenient bump” on the way to regaining full control of the force. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Alex Emslie KQED -- 7/11/17

Report shows seniors tapping into payday loans -- A growing number of cash-strapped California seniors are turning to high-interest payday loans, according to a report from the California Department of Business Oversight. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/11/17

Housing  

Investor demand for Southern California apartments contributes to rising rents -- And last year, an investment firm that purchased an eight-unit apartment building in East Los Angeles raised rents from $1,250 to $2,000 a month, which is 90 percent of one tenant’s monthly pay. All but one family, which continues to fight its eviction, were forced out. Jeff Collins in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/11/17

World’s 10 least affordable housing markets include San Jose (least affordable in the US) and San Francisco -- Way to go, San Jose! You’re the least affordable city in the USA and the fifth least affordable city in the world. In fact, you are even less affordable than San Francisco, which is only the ninth least affordable city on Earth. All this is according to the Demographia International Housing Affordabilty Survey, an annual ranking of more than 400 cities around the world. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/17

Wildfire  

LA County to weigh $29 million purchase of combat helicopters to help battle wildfires -- Los Angeles County leaders on Tuesday are poised to approve a $29.4 million agreement for a pair of custom-modified military helicopters to help bulk up the region’s aerial fire-fighting fleet. If the plan is approved, the county would lease the two Sikorsky S70i Black Hawks for 10 years, then have the option to buy them. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/11/17

Education 

L.A. school board salaries more than double to $125,000 a year -- There’s one thing that past and current Los Angeles school board members seem to agree on: They’ve been underpaid. Members of an obscure city commission agreed, and on Monday they voted to give L.A. Board of Education members a 174% raise that will take effect in 60 days. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

Bay Area schools turn to out-of-the-box ways to recruit students -- Taking a cue from public universities and elite private schools, Bay Area public school districts are burnishing their images, recruiting near and far, and getting creative in trying to slow declining enrollment. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/17

Cal State Long Beach to help train, certify construction workers -- The state of California has a new pot of money to spend on improving its transportation and infrastructure. Now, it needs workers. Brennon Dixson in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 7/11/17

Chocolate milk booted off the menu at San Francisco school cafeterias -- For years, legislators and school leaders have been purging sugary items from lunch menus and school vending machines, but most students can still get their hands on one sweet treat: chocolate milk. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/17

State board faces deadline, tough decisions on new federal law for improving schools -- With only two meetings left before a mid-September deadline, the State Board of Education is feeling the heat to make progress on the state plan for the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 7/11/17

Cannabis 

Pairing Wine And Weed: Is It A California Dream Or Nightmare? -- On the elegant terrace of a winery overlooking the vineyard-covered hills of Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, a dozen invited guests are sipping pinot noir, nibbling hors d’oeuvres and taking hits off a water pipe. John Burnett KQED -- 7/11/17

Health 

Coffee drinkers live longer and have lower risk of disease, studies find -- Coffee drinkers live longer, according to two large-scale studies released Monday that add to extensive research indicating coffee consumption is associated with better health. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/11/17

Environment 

After Decades of Pollution, State Details Cleanup From L.A.’s Exide Battery Plant -- Officials call it the biggest industrial waste cleanup project in California, and one of the largest in the country. But they said their funding — $176.6 million allocated by state legislators last year — is only sufficient to clean up about a quarter of the estimated 10,000 properties that have been contaminated in a 1.7 mile-radius around the plant. Chris Richard KQED -- 7/11/17

Also . . . 

Prosecutors: No 'criminal liability' in controversial case of woman who died in LAPD jail cell -- Prosecutors have declined to pursue charges in the controversial case of a mentally ill woman who authorities say hanged herself in a Los Angeles jail cell, saying there was insufficient evidence proving anyone was criminally responsible for her death. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

After first break-in, intruder returns to councilman’s home – and gets chased with a gun -- When an intruder returned to a southeast Fresno home early Sunday – only five days after allegedly breaking in a first time –he probably wasn’t counting on being chased by an angry Fresno City Councilman with a gun. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 7/11/17

'Hell or high water': Oroville residents struggle with another disaster -- Leanne Beck did everything she could to guard against wildfire. She and her husband Mike moved into their 40-acre refuge below Oroville Lake just after the Swede’s Flat fire of 2013. Their property was right on the char line where the state had laid a backfire to stop the wildfire in its tracks. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/17

POTUS 45  

Trump Jr. Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign -- Before arranging a meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer he believed would offer him compromising information about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Jr. was informed in an email that the material was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father’s candidacy, according to three people with knowledge of the email. Matt Apuzzo, Jo Becker, Adam Goldman and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 7/11/17

Timeline of a story about Donald Trump Jr. and Russia that keeps getting worse -- News about Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer is breaking fast — so fast that it can be hard to keep track of where things stand and how we got here. Here is a timeline to help keep things straight: Callum Borchers in the Washington Post -- 7/11/17

On Russia, White House struggles to stick to a script -- For a White House that has strained to explain itself during persistent scandals, the past 72 hours have proven particularly perilous on a subject central to the administration’s woes: Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Matthew Nussbaum, Josh Dawsey Politico -- 7/11/17

Beltway 

Russia sanctions stall in the House as Democrats object to being frozen out of restraining Trump -- Popular legislation that would limit President Trump’s ability to lift financial sanctions on Russia is mired in a partisan dispute in the House, with Democrats charging that a recent change would weaken the bill. Karoun Demirjian and Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post -- 7/11/17

 

-- Monday Updates 

'Political' arson suspected in Bay Area fires, federal authorities say -- Federal investigators sifting through the remains of a scorched residential development in Oakland announced over the weekend that three fires that took down similar projects in the Bay Area in the last year were arson. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/10/17

California Assembly deadlocks over bill to allow shorter sentences in some gun crimes -- With some Democrats joining a Republican bloc in opposition, the vote was 32-32, but Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) received permission to take the measure up on another day if she can muster the votes. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/10/17

‘It looked like a volcano.’ Residents describe fleeing Wall fire near Oroville -- As firefighters continued Monday to corral the Wall fire burning southeast of Oroville, residents forced from their homes Saturday morning waited anxiously for word on the fate of their neighborhoods and recounted dramatic scenes of fleeing the flames. Molly Sullivan, Ed Fletcher and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/10/17

No link yet between big blazes at Oakland and Emeryville construction sites -- Investigators looking into a series of suspicious predawn fires at housing construction sites in Oakland and Emeryville, including a massive blaze last week north of downtown Oakland, have not yet found evidence linking any of the incidents to each other, officials said Monday. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/10/17

Rescuers robbed at gunpoint trying to aid distressed hiker -- Add armed robbery to the threats facing hikers this year on the Pacific Crest Trail. A section of the popular trail running from Mexico to Canada remained closed Monday as Kern County SWAT team members joined deputies to search for two armed men who robbed rescuers trying to aid a distressed hiker. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 7/10/17

Todd Spitzer will challenge Tony Rackauckas for Orange County district attorney post -- The announcement has been more than a decade in the making and sets up one of Orange County’s most anticipated political battles. Spitzer had mentioned running for the seat as early as 2006. Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/10/17

East Bay water district stirs up a storm over planned rate hikes -- A plan to raise East Bay water rates by nearly 20 percent partly to make up for all the lost revenue from customers who were responsible during the drought was facing a deluge of outrage Monday. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/10/17

Stem cell agency hunts for new leader -- California’s $3 billion stem cell research program is looking for a new president to carry the state agency through what may be the last three years of its life. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 7/10/17

LA BioMed’s ‘breakthrough’ sickle-cell treatment wins FDA approval -- A new treatment for sickle-cell anemia, researched at LA BioMed and developed by the medical institute’s Torrance spinoff company, will hit the market in October. Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute celebrated Monday the launch of Endari, a glutamine-based oral powder that won Food and Drug Administration approval on Friday, after 25 years of research and tests. Sandy Mazza in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 7/10/17

Wildfires across California destroy more than two dozen homes -- Two major wildfires burning on California’s Central Coast grew by thousands of acres overnight, while firefighters made progress on a third blaze that threatened thousands of structures near Lake Oroville on Monday. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ Bill Lindelof and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/10/17

California Democrats plunge into 'civil war' -- Long-standing tensions between the Democratic Party’s moderate and liberal wings have ignited in California, where progressive activists are redirecting their anger over Donald Trump and congressional Republicans toward Democratic leaders at home. Stoked by a contested race for state Democratic Party chair and the failure of a single-payer health care bill, activists are staging protests at the capitol. David Siders Politico -- 7/10/17

California lawmakers want data on lobbyists’ race, sexual orientation -- The heads of six caucuses in the California Legislature are asking lobbying firms to provide them with demographic data – including race, ethnicity, gender and openly gay or lesbian orientation – on their employees. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/10/17

Nurses’ RoseAnn DeMoro zeroes in -- Amid an increasingly partisan and uncertain political climate, RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of National Nurses United, isn’t afraid to call out politicians on both sides of the aisle. Matthew Kramer Capitol Weekly -- 7/10/17

Fox: Faulconer Out of Gov. Race; Would Issa Come In? -- Pure political “Chaos Theory” conjecture here, but could San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s decision not to pursue the governor’s job open the door for Congressman Darrell Issa to make a bid? Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/10/17

Trump administration officially delays ‘startup visa’ rule -- The Trump administration has officially delayed a rule that would allow some foreign entrepreneurs to stay in the U.S. to build companies. During this delay, the administration will propose a plan to rescind the rule altogether, officials said. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/10/17

Will thousands of wild horses die? That depends on Ken Calvert, advocates say -- The fate of thousands of wild horses and burros could hinge on an Inland congressman and a few sentences in the upcoming federal budget. Jeff Horseman in the LA Daily News$ -- 7/10/17

Early returns suggest smoking drop in response to state tax -- Last fall, California voters approved the biggest increase in cigarette taxes since the state first began levying tobacco in the 1950s. Advocates for Proposition 56, which passed with a fairly overwhelming 64 percent of the vote, argued that a $2 per-pack tax hike would hurt pocketbooks enough to nudge millions of California smokers to quit, or at least to light up less frequently. Matt Levin Calmatters.org Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/10/17

Walters: California faces higher education crisis, but politicians dither -- Earlier this year, the Public Policy Institute of California issued a warning about a looming collision between California’s demographic and economic trends. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 7/10/17

Quinn: The Single Payer Health Care Fraud -- Thankfully, the Assembly Speaker has put the brakes on the version of single payer health care that passed the California Senate, but the controversy over single payer is far a from over. The fact is that “single payer health care” is a fraud; it does not exist in a single industrialized nation. Perhaps a few facts are in order. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 7/10/17

Getting the Lead Off -- A years-long project to remove highly toxic lead-based paint from 6,000 PG&E transmission towers gets started this summer in Alameda County. Scott Morris Oakland Magazine -- 7/10/17

Plastic to be phased out at major American aquariums -- Working to reduce the massive amount of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans, 19 of the nation’s top aquariums on Monday will announce that they are phasing out most plastic products — from plastic bags to straws to plastic beverage bottles. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/10/17

Tenants decry conditions, raised rent in Colony Starwood homes -- Tenants who rent homes from one of America’s largest corporate landlords are asking the company to stop increasing their rent and address what they say is endemic neglect of the properties. Aaron Glantz The Center for Investigative Reporting -- 7/10/17

Sacramento sees a startling surge in homeless people -- Homelessness rose by a startling 30 percent from 2,822 people the last time the transient population was counted in 2015, it said. It is the highest number of people living without permanent housing Sacramento has ever recorded. Anita Chabria, Cynthia Hubert, Ryan Lillis and Ellen Garrison in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/10/17

Where are they now? Roger Niello -- He was elected to his last term in the Assembly nearly a decade ago, but it’s hard to drive around Sacramento without seeing his name constantly. From Acura to Volvo, the Niello name can be found on license plate frames throughout the region. Alex Vassar Capitol Weekly -- 7/10/17

‘Opposition research’ and 6 other defenses of Donald Trump Jr. -- After claiming for months that no representative of President Trump's political campaign met with Russians who wanted to meddle in the 2016 election, the White House needs a new argument. Callum Borchers in the Washington Post -- 7/10/17

Amazon Alexa home assistant calls 911, saves pistol-whipped woman in domestic assault: police -- A man accused of hitting his domestic partner in the face with a handgun apparently called 911 on himself via Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant when he demanded of the woman, “Did you call the sheriff?” Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/10/17