Updating . .
A California businessman born in the former Soviet Union also attended Trump Jr. meeting -- Donald Trump Jr.'s controversial meeting with a Russian lawyer in June 2016 was attended by a California businessman born in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, according to two people familiar with the meeting. Irakly "Ike" Kaveladze, a 52-year-old businessman from Huntington Beach, was the eighth individual at the controversial meeting, The Times has learned. His identity had not previously been revealed. David S. Cloud and Joseph Tanfani in the Los Angeles Times$ Sharon LaFraniere and Adam Goldman in the New York Times$ -- 7/18/17
A community in flux: Will Boyle Heights be ruined by one coffee shop? -- As dusk settled over a mostly industrial landscape of warehouses covered with graffiti murals, Fernando Ramirez stood in front of the lone art gallery late Saturday afternoon and urged fashionably dressed visitors not to go inside. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Bay Area has tightest housing supply in California — and highest prices -- Single-family home prices rose markedly across the state in June — by 7.0 percent from a year earlier, according to a new report by the California Association of Realtors. The price growth was even greater in the Bay Area — up 7.9 percent across the nine counties. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/18/17
Detwiler Fire near Yosemite grows to more than 15,000 acres -- A wildfire ravaging the area west of Yosemite National Park burned to 15,000 acres on Tuesday, doubling in size overnight, officials said. Firefighters dealing with steep terrain and dry weather conditions said the blaze was only five percent contained. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/18/17
Ransomware attack puts KQED in low-tech mode -- The journalists at San Francisco’s public TV and radio station, KQED, have been stuck in a time warp. All Internet-connected devices, tools and machinery have been cut off in an attempt to isolate and contain a ransomware attack that infected the station’s computers June 15. More than a month later, many remain offline. Marissa Lang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/18/17
Plan C’ on Obamacare, Repeal Now and Replace Later, Has Collapsed -- With their bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in tatters, Senate leaders on Tuesday pushed to vote on a different measure that would repeal major parts of President Barack Obama’s health law without a replacement — but that plan appeared also to collapse. Thomas Kaplan in the New York Times$ Sean Sullivan and Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post$ -- 7/18/17
House budget blueprint boosts military, cuts food stamps -- House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a budget that proposes trillions of dollars in cuts to the social safety net and other domestic programs while sharply boosting military spending, a blueprint that elicited criticism from conservatives and moderates. Andrew Taylor Associated Press -- 7/18/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
How Jerry Brown outlasted Chris Christie, Sam Brownback and Rick Perry -- When California’s budget was awash in red ink, Republican governors and their allies in other states repeatedly cast themselves as foils to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, using his famously liberal state as a piñata to elevate their profiles and emphasize the superiority of conservative political philosophy. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/17
Brown, lawmakers celebrate bipartisan cap-and-trade victory -- California's signature initiative to fight global warming will get another decade of life after lawmakers from both parties joined Gov. Jerry Brown in extending the law credited with reducing the state's carbon footprint. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press Melanie Mason and Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ Ben Bradford, Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 7/18/17
How did your lawmaker vote on California's climate change program? -- It was a rare bipartisan vote, with seven Republicans joining all but three Democrats in the Assembly. In the Senate, just one Republican, Tom Berryhill of Modesto, voted for the proposal. The list is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Six ways Jerry Brown got the votes for a California climate deal -- To get Republicans and business groups on board to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program, Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic leaders in the Legislature agreed to several provisions: Dan Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Will you end up paying more for gas under California’s cap-and-trade extension? -- An effort to extend California’s signature program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change cleared the California Legislature Monday, sending the deal to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. How will it affect consumers? Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/17
These farmers say they may not pay for elta tunnels pushed by Gov. Brown -- The governor’s proposed Delta tunnels ran into a roomful of skeptics Monday – an influential group of San Joaquin Valley farmers who remain unconvinced the controversial project will deliver the water they need at a price they’re prepared to swallow. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/17
Divided lawmakers advance plan to expand L.A. County Board of Supervisors, create new elected chief executive -- After it was repeatedly rejected by Los Angeles County voters, a proposal to expand the county Board of Supervisors is gaining traction in the state Legislature amid complaints that the panel is too small to properly serve the most populous county in the U.S. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Former USC medical school dean no longer seeing patients; Pasadena police discipline officer -- The former dean of USC’s medical school is on leave and is no longer seeing patients after the Los Angeles Times reported that he associated with criminals and drug users who said he abused methamphetamine and other drugs, university officials said Monday. Adam Elmahrek, Sarah Parvini, Paul Pringle and Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Former USC dean accused of drug abuse had recruited top Alzheimer's researcher in San Diego -- A medical school dean who helped recruit an acclaimed researcher in San Diego to the University of Southern California committed various improprieties, according to an extensive article in the Los Angeles Times published Monday. But the San Diego-based researcher said the dean’s own description of his role was overstated. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/17
Did Madera County supervisors break the law by secretly ordering jail cooperation with ICE? -- The Madera County Board of Supervisors may have secretly ordered the head of its local jail to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in violation of state open government laws, a lawsuit filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union says. Anita Chabria and Stephen Magagnini in the Sacramento Bee$ Anita Chabria and Stephen Magagnini in the Sacramento Bee$ Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
California Supreme Court: Medical board can examine prescription records -- California’s medical board may obtain patient prescription records without a warrant or subpoena, the California Supreme Court decided unanimously Monday. Dr. Alwin Carl Lewis, a Burbank internist, brought the case after the state placed him on probation for three years following a review of his prescription records. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch endorses bipartisanship on San Francisco visit -- The newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative bloc appeared before a San Francisco judicial conference Monday and sang the praises of bipartisanship. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/18/17
Gorsuch can't escape travel ban at San Francisco meeting -- President Donald Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court couldn't escape discussion of the president's travel ban - and even the president - during an appearance Monday at a judicial conference, where a student essay winner compared the ban to Japanese internment and the producer of the musical "Hamilton" said the cast was scared following Trump's election victory. Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 7/18/17
California probes unusual string of assaults on prison staff -- Authorities are investigating what they call an unusual string of assaults that injured nine employees at a single Southern California state prison, sending five to the hospital for treatment within days of each other. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 7/18/17
‘It is horrifying’: Oakland officials respond to fire findings -- Officials in this fire-ravaged city reacted with alarm Monday over a report by this news organization that almost 80 percent of firefighter referrals to inspect dangerous conditions went ignored over the last six years. “It is horrifying,” Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan said of the investigation’s findings. “In fact, one of the issues (the story) identified is how it gets decided who gets inspected.” Matthias Gafni, David DeBolt in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/18/17
BART: Rapes, sexual assaults on the rise -- There were seven rapes reported on BART property from January through the end of June, compared to four in 2016, three in 2015 and two in 2014, according to BART police. At the same time, there has been a notable increase in the number of reported sexual assaults, with 28 in the first six months of the year. Erin Baldassari in the East Bay Times -- 7/18/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Caltrans begins modifying roads for self-driving cars -- In yet another sign of the rapid advance of self-driving technology, California has already started adapting roads for autonomous vehicles, a new report says. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/18/17
Parents of 27-year-old woman killed while filming movie win $11.2-million judgment -- The parents of Sarah Jones, the camera assistant who was killed during filming of a movie in Georgia in 2014, won a significant legal victory Monday when a court awarded the family $11.2 million in damages. Ethan Varian in the Los Angeles Times$ Russ Bynum Associated Press-- 7/18/17
Wells Fargo poised to sell more businesses as it streamlines following accounts scandal -- Wells Fargo & Co. may not be done shedding assets as it rethinks its business following its sham-accounts scandal. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
LADWP paid out $435 million in pension benefits last year, watchdog says -- The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power paid out at least $435 million in pension benefits last year, with an electrical engineer who received $363,000 topping the list, according to data released by a watchdog organization Monday. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 7/18/17
Judge limits Google pay, job data in Labor Department audit -- The Department of Labor said it will continue its investigation into Google’s employment practices, after a judge limited the amount of information it could receive from the Mountain View company in a Friday ruling. Wendy Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/18/17
San Diego creating more high-paying positions that critics call Prop. B loophole -- The San Diego City Council is slated Tuesday to create 12 more high-paying “program manager” and “program coordinator” positions, which have previously been used to give employees large raises despite a voter-imposed salary freeze. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/17
Housing
California housing bill delayed until August -- While cap-and-trade legislation barreled ahead Monday, a package of bills dealing with California’s runaway housing costs has been delayed. Josie Huang KPCC -- 7/18/17
Bay Area rent increases leave wage gains in the dust -- Wage gains have fallen far behind skyrocketing costs for housing, a gap that’s emerged despite a robust job market in recent years, according to an unsettling report released Monday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/18/17
Wildfire
Wildfire scorches 11,200 acres in Central Valley, triggering evacuations -- A wildfire burning in the Central Valley spread across thousands of acres Monday, forcing residents to flee their homes as fire crews wrestled with erratic flames and steep, rugged terrain. Veronica Rocha and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Education
Tuition hike remains in Cal State University budget -- Cal State University’s first tuition hike in more than half-decade will remain part of the 23-campus system’s final budget. Andrew Edwards in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/18/17
Drop algebra requirement for non-STEM majors, California community colleges chief says -- The chancellor of the California Community Colleges system says intermediate algebra should no longer be required to earn an associate degree — unless students are in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math. Teresa Watanabe and Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
State board, advocacy groups fundamentally disagree over plan for complying with federal education law – Members of a coalition of two dozen civil rights and student advocacy organizations said changes to the state plan for complying with the federal education law will do little to improve a plan that’s still vague and weak. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 7/18/17
Immigration / Border
Deportation cases, once closed now reopened, up more than 60 percent in LA -- The number of once-closed deportation cases that have been reopened since Jan. 20 has jumped sharply since President Trump took office, worrying many unauthorized immigrants who had been reassured they could stay in the country if they remain out of trouble. Leslie Berestein Rojas KPCC -- 7/18/17
Trump administration allowing more low-skill foreign workers into country -- Immigration officials are raising the ceiling of visas available under a program that brings in low-skilled, seasonal workers from abroad, they announced Monday, but employers will need to show their businesses would be harmed if their positions aren't filled. Renee Gross KPCC -- 7/18/17
Carmageddon at the border? A 57-hour closure planned for southbound car lanes at San Ysidro -- Lasting from Sept. 23 at 3 a.m. until noon on Sept. 25, the closure is part of a plan by the U.S. General Services Administration to realign a portion of Interstate 5. The operation launches the third and final phase of the $741 million expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/17
DACA recruits in the U.S. military worry they could be deported -- Some young immigrants protected by the Obama-era “Dreamer” program who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and enlisted in the military are worried they’ll be deported, after indications from the Trump administration that they could be left without legal protection to stay in the country they signed up to fight for. Vera Bergengruen, Franco Ordoñez McClatchyDC -- 7/18/17
Health
Baby Boomers turn to stem cells for help with painful joints -- For pain doctor Mark Wallace, arthritis meant his hobby of competitive swimming was becoming too painful. “Every stroke was like an ice pick in my shoulder,” said Wallace, chief of the division of pain medicine at UC San Diego. Cortisone shots relieved the pain for about a month, and then it would return. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/17
Environment
Two Bay Area counties sue oil companies over sea-rise -- Two Bay Area counties sued 37 oil, gas and coal companies Monday asserting the companies knew their fossil fuel products would cause sea level rise and coastal flooding but failed to reduce their greenhouse gas pollution. The lawsuit was part of a coordinated litigation attack by Marin, San Mateo County and the city of Imperial Beach. Richard Halstead in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/18/17
Imperial Beach, two counties sue fossil fuel companies for money to deal with sea level rise -- Several coastal municipalities in California on Monday filed lawsuits against more than three dozen oil and coal corporations for what they said are billions of dollars in property damage costs associated with climate change. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/17
Marin sues energy companies over climate risks -- Marin County sued 37 oil, gas and coal companies Monday asserting the companies knew their fossil fuel products would cause sea level rise and coastal flooding but failed to reduce their greenhouse gas pollution. Richard Halstead in the Marin Independent Journal -- 7/18/17
Would a new carpool lane bring more cars to Highway 50 downtown? New lawsuit says yes -- An environmental group has sued Caltrans over the state’s plans to build carpool lanes on Highway 50 in downtown Sacramento, saying the state has failed to analyze the health impacts on local residents from potential increased vehicle emissions. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/17
POTUS 45
Trump blindsided by implosion of GOP health care bill -- While the president strategized with Republican lawmakers at the White House over steak, two senators were finalizing their statements tanking the current proposal. Josh Dawsey Politico -- 7/18/17
Trump administration certifies that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal the president condemned -- President Trump will wait for another day to "rip up" the Iran deal, as he promised on the campaign trail. Brian Bennett and Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/17
Trump Says He Has Signed More Bills Than Any President, Ever. He Hasn’t -- To hear President Trump tell it, his first six months in the White House should be judged in part by the legislation he has signed into law. Michael D. Shear and Karen Yourish in the New York Times$ -- 7/18/17
Beltway
What Mitch McConnell is doing next on health care, explained -- For Mitch McConnell, Monday night was as embarrassing a blow as they come for a Senate majority leader. Sean Sullivan in the Washington Post$ -- 7/18/17
Trump wants to legalize politics in the pulpit. The GOP House is quietly helping -- The religious right, with a big boost from President Donald Trump, is close to effectively ending a 63-year-old law banning churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates. Anshu Siripurapu McClatchyDC -- 7/18/17
-- Monday Updates
California lawmakers approve cap-and-trade extension -- In a big victory for Gov. Jerry Brown, state lawmakers approved a 10-year extension for California's cap-and-trade program. The vote came with bipartisan support, a significant shift from previous years where climate policies squeaked by along party lines or with only a handful of Republicans in favor. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/17
California Senate approves cap-and-trade extension -- State senators advanced legislation to extend California's cap-and-trade program in a narrow vote on Monday. All Democrats voted yes, and they were joined by one Republican, Sen. Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto). The measure, AB 398, now goes to the Assembly for another vote before it can reach Gov. Jerry Brown's desk. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff, Taryn Luna and Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/17
2 more GOP senators oppose health bill, killing it for now -- The latest GOP effort to repeal and replace “Obamacare” was fatally wounded in the Senate Monday night when two more Republican senators announced their opposition to legislation strongly backed by President Donald Trump. Alan Fram Associated Press Thomas Kaplan and Robert Pear in the New York Times$ Sean Sullivan and Lenny Bernstein in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/17
Federal officials order 15,000 new visas for low-wage workers -- The Department of Homeland Security on Monday announced a one-time increase of 15,000 additional visas for low-wage, seasonal workers for the remainder of this fiscal year, a seeming about-face from President Trump's "Hire American" rhetoric, following heavy lobbying from the fisheries, hospitality and other industries that rely on temporary foreign workers. Tracy Jan in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/17
Fundraising frenzy over five SoCal congressional seats -- Money is flowing in early to the battle for five congressional seats in Southern California that are currently held by Republicans but Democrats see as especially vulnerable to flipping. Jill Replogle KPCC -- 7/17/17
Will cap and trade survive Capitol politics? -- After months of speculation, and weeks of intense negotiations to secure a compromise package, lawmakers are scheduled to take up an extension of the state’s signature climate change program today. The complex system, know as cap and trade, is a market-based approach that began as a Republican idea. Christopher Cadelago and Hawken Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/17
Threatened by Trump's budget, tsunami warning system gets backing from congressional panel -- A congressional panel has voted to continue funding a global tsunami detection system that gives U.S. officials an accurate forecast of when and how big floodwaters will arrive from a distant earthquake. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/17
He blew the whistle when an inmate died. Then he was fired, and his lawsuit tossed out -- Two years after state corrections officials fired a psychologist for exposing the death of a mentally ill inmate at Mule Creek State Prison, a federal judge has tossed out the whistleblower lawsuit he filed over his dismissal. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/17
CA to begin anti-discrimination testing of Airbnb hosts -- State regulators plan soon to test hosts on Airbnb to prevent discriminatory practices, picking audit targets using information provided by the online homesharing platform. Josie Huang KPCC -- 7/17/17
'Please Stay Out': Wildfire scorches 7,100 acres in Central Valley, triggering evacuations -- The Detwiller fire, which started just before 4 p.m. Sunday, scorched 7,100 acres Monday, two miles east of Lake McClure in Mariposa County, about 40 miles east of Modesto, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze destroyed one structure and damaged another. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/17
An overdose, a young companion, drug-fueled parties: The secret life of USC med school dean -- In USC’s lecture halls, labs and executive offices, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito was a towering figure. The dean of the Keck School of Medicine was a renowned eye surgeon whose skill in the operating room was matched by a gift for attracting money and talent to the university. Paul Pringle, Harriet Ryan, Adam Elmahrek, Matt Hamilton and Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/17
Elon Musk Warns Governors: Artificial Intelligence Poses ‘Existential Risk’ -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk, speaking to U.S. governors this weekend, told the political leaders that artificial intelligence poses an “existential threat” to human civilization. Camila Domonoske KQED -- 7/17/17
San Francisco man, 71, shot and killed at Twin Peaks overlook -- A 71-year-old San Francisco man was shot and killed on Sunday morning at the city’s popular Twin Peaks viewpoint, officials said Monday. The victim, identified by the city medical examiner’s office as Edward French, was found bleeding from a gunshot wound shortly before 8 a.m. at the picturesque overlook, police said. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/17
Fox: Jeopardy for the Bullet Train with Cap-n-Trade Amendment? -- Late Friday, Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes threw into the cap-and-trade negotiation mix a plan to require a one-time two-thirds vote requirement on how cap-and-trade revenues are spent. The vote would come no sooner than 2024. That proposed vote is a long way off but it could play a role in the funding of the controversial high-speed-rail project. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/17/17
Spreading fake news becomes standard practice for governments across the world -- Campaigns to manipulate public opinion through false or misleading social media postings have become standard political practice across much of the world, with information ministries, specialized military units and political operatives shaping the flow of information in dozens of countries, a British research group reported Monday. Craig Timberg in the Washington Post$ -- 7/17/17
Avoiding Awareness Gaps With Promise Programs -- Surveys find that language and distance, particularly for small groups of nationalities, can be barriers to raising awareness about Long Beach's popular college promise program. Ashley A. Smith Inside Higher Ed -- 7/17/17
Matthews: L.A.’s Revelatory Light Rail for Nerds -- I’m a regular rider of “The Brain Train,” officially known as the Gold Line on the L.A. Metro system’s. The Gold Line is light rail running from the eastern San Gabriel Valley into downtown L.A. and then back out again to East L.A. Along the way, it connects enough smart institutions—from innovative community colleges, to a leading cancer center, to the world’s greatest scientific university—to explode stereotypes about public transportation and Southern California itself. Joe Mathews Zócalo Public Square -- 7/17/17