Updating . .
L.A. City Council set to vote on 2028 Olympics plan before key financial reports are completed -- City Council President Herb Wesson said at a council hearing Friday that he wants a vote possibly as soon as next week on the host city contract. That agreement reflects the city’s commitment to host the Games in 11 years and puts Los Angeles taxpayers on the hook for cost overruns if unforeseen expenses arise. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/17
He has the cash and the name recognition. Is Gavin Newsom unstoppable? -- In the race to succeed Jerry Brown as California governor, Gavin Newsom is miles ahead — at least, on paper. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/4/17
Rep. Linda Sanchez takes 'empty chair' at town hall, talks strategy with those hoping to defeat Rep. Ed Royce -- Rep. Linda Sanchez attended a town hall Thursday night, but it wasn't on her home turf. The Democrat appeared at a forum for constituents of Republican Rep. Ed Royce of Fullerton at the invitation of liberal groups working to oust him next year. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/17
Tech workers are fleeing state government. Would raises tempt them to stay? -- Information technology workers are leaving their state government positions faster than ever while their pay falls behind their private industry counterparts, their union argues in a new report. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/17
As prices rise, mortgage lenders are making it easier to buy a house -- The changes bring lending nowhere near the easy-money bonanza of last decade, which ended in financial crisis. But they have brought criticism from some corners that liberalizing rules for down payments and how much debt a borrower can have is a slippery slope that could eventually lead to another bubble. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/17
Parents sue private California school claiming transgender daughter had to wear boys’ uniform -- The parents of an 8-year-old transgender child are suing a Yorba Linda private school saying their daughter was barred from using the girls’ restroom and was forced to wear a uniform for boys. In their discrimination lawsuit filed Wednesday, Priya Shah and Jaspret Brar say Heritage Oak Private School advertised itself as nondiscriminatory. Kelly Puente in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/4/17
Ghost Ship fire defendant Derick Almena’s bail lowered to $750,000 -- A judge on Friday lowered the bail of Derick Almena in his 36-count manslaughter case to $750,000, but said he had concerns that the former leader of the Ghost Ship artists’ collective might not return to court if he is released from custody. Matthias Gafni, Thomas Peele and Angela Ruggiero in the East Bay Times -- 8/4/17
These folks say the Oroville Dam crisis hurt them. They want the state to pay -- A hairdresser demanded $75,000, arguing that the Oroville Dam crisis permanently scared off customers and ruined his business. The city of Gridley, 22 miles downstream, said it’s owed $354,000 for evacuation costs and damages to its boat dock. A horse breeder sought $14,000 to pay for the cost of relocating more than two dozen Arabians. Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/17
San Francisco supervisor pushes to untangle freeway Hairball -- Residents of San Francisco’s Mission and Dogpatch neighborhoods have a name for the tangle of freeway arteries that interlock over Cesar Chavez Street, Potrero Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. They call it the Hairball. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/17
Fox: Minority-Owned Businesses Thrive in California….But -- According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs, California is leading all states in minority-owned and women-owned employer firms—and by a good margin. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/4/17
Sex education is now the law, but conservative school leaders aren’t happy about it -- The California Healthy Youth Act went into effect in 2016 and requires that middle and high schools teach unbiased and medically accurate sex education, including lessons on birth control and abortion. But there is concern about how much support the curriculum is getting in the politically conservative central San Joaquin Valley, which has a history of pushback against such lessons. Mackenzie Mays in the Fresno Bee -- 8/4/17
Jim Plunkett’s painful journey: ‘My life sucks’ -- He rises from a chair next to his Heisman Trophy in a room stuffed with dozens of silver and gold keepsakes that recognize a remarkable sports legacy. At 6-foot-3, Jim Plunkett still commands a room. But underneath the tanned exterior anxiety grows over an uncertain future. Elliott Almond in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/4/17
5 things Trump did while you weren't looking: Week 9 -- In Congress the dam finally broke last week: With the death of the Republican health care bill, Senate Democrats allowed dozens of nominees and bills to pass before lawmakers all scattered for August recess. Danny Vinik Politico -- 8/4/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
LA sheriff fears Trump ‘sanctuary city’ crackdown could cost county $132 million -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell says he has been lobbying President Donald Trump’s administration to avoid potentially losing out on as much as $132 million in federal law enforcement grants over the next three years due to the department’s immigration policies. Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/4/17
San Bernardino law enforcement responds to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking if it’s a sanctuary city -- It’s not a “sanctuary city,” but policies set at a higher level mean San Bernardino won’t be able to comply with the requirements Attorney General Jeff Sessions set for the city to receive help from a crime-reduction program. Ryan Hagen in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 8/4/17
Stockton says it won’t change immigration enforcement policy, even under Trump scrutiny -- Stockton officials said the city will not change its policies toward undocumented immigrants following U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement Thursday morning that cities will not receive resources from a federal public safety program unless they cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Hannah Knowles in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/17
Why Dana Rohrabacher's name keeps coming up in the Russia investigation -- Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has long believed that the United States needs to build a friendlier relationship with Russia, and he’s never tried to hide it. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/17
Hollywood picks Gavin Newsom over Antonio Villaraigosa in California's race for governor -- As mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa built relationships in Hollywood: He sought the counsel of studio heads, fought for state tax credits to keep film and television production in the city and mingled with celebrities on the red carpet at glitzy film premieres and HBO parties. Seema Mehta and Maloy Moore in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/17
Want a better Obamacare rate? You may have to call the movers -- According to Covered California, the disparity reflects the number of insurance carriers serving a particular area as well as the number of providers. Rural areas often have less competition between providers, and there’s also less coordination of care – which helps keep costs down – between the providers that do exist. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/17
California inmates 80 and over could get out earlier -- Some elderly prison inmates would become eligible for parole sooner under a proposed November 2018 ballot measure cleared to begin gathering signatures Thursday. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/17
Cybersecurity expert hailed for stopping WannaCry attack is suspected of unleashing another virus -- Marcus Hutchins, 22, who works for the Los Angeles security firm Kryptos Logic, was praised in May for his role in slowing the spread of ransomware called WannaCry that was locking files on computers around the world. Paresh Dave and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/17
A toast to David Perlman: A journalist and colleague extraordinaire retires -- As David Perlman prepares to leave daily journalism — an option the 98-year-old would brush aside with jokes even a year ago — there’s deserved attention to his legacy as a science reporter. His early coverage of AIDS. His plainspoken mastery of topics from earthquakes to evolution and space exploration. A procession of honors so lengthy that such organizations as the American Geophysical Union have named awards after him. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Electric-Car Maker Faraday Secures Rescue Loan -- Faraday Future, a high-profile electric-car startup, has pledged its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles as collateral to secure a rescue loan intended to keep the lights on while it seeks new investors, according to people familiar with the matter. Tim Higgins and Ryan Dezember in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/4/17
Google village property deals resume in downtown San Jose -- Google’s development partner for a game-changing proposed transit village near Diridon Station in downtown San Jose has scooped up another property that would be used for the vast project, the seller confirmed Thursday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/4/17
NBC launches program to promote ‘equal playing field’ for female directors -- The initiative will identify ten up-and-coming female directors to attach to NBC projects, starting with the 2018-2019 season. Each woman will be given an opportunity to shadow another director for up to three episodes of an assigned show, and then the trainees will be allowed to call the shots by directing at least one episode on their own. Anita Bennett in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/4/17
Uber Freight expands trucking service to California, other states -- But since March they’ve been trying out Uber Freight, a service from San Francisco’s Uber that connects truck drivers to loads, much as the company matches Uber drivers with passengers. The Gilmores can simply look at the Uber Freight app, view loads with set pricing, and select one that matches Edwin’s preference to stick to about 600 miles from home. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/17
Anchor Brewing sale leaves waterfront project up in the air -- The new owner of San Francisco’s historic Anchor Brewing is undecided about whether it will follow through on plans to build a production facility and visitors center at Pier 48, a project city officials have long hoped would not only attract beer lovers but also bring blue-collar jobs back to the waterfront. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/17
Can this startup’s synthetic wine compete with Napa’s best? -- The founders of Ava Winery spend their days turning water into wine. They aren’t miracle workers. They’re chemists with one goal — to reverse engineer the perfect bottle of wine, in a lab, without grapes. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/4/17
Transit
Here’s the future of transportation in LA, just in time for the 2028 Olympics -- They’ve designed a vision of what the LA Metro public transit system would look like in 2028, when the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are set to take place in Los Angeles, pending a vote in September by the International Olympics Committee. The map is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/4/17
Education
Cal State to help students graduate by overcoming hurdles of remedial classes – With an eye to increasing graduation rates, the California State University is adopting far-reaching strategies to help students overcome obstacles posed by remedial classes in math and English. Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 8/4/17
Cannabis
At Wine and Weed Symposium, vintners find themselves surrounded by economic opportunity -- Wine professionals found themselves surrounded by potential economic opportunity Thursday as they learned about possibilities for capitalizing on cannabis — and a few pitfalls — at a sold-out conference. Bill Swindell in the Santa Rosa Press -- 8/4/17
After legalizing weed, California’s black market could remain huge -- Legalizing marijuana, California voters were told last year, would create a “safe, legal and comprehensive system” allowing adults to consume the drug while keeping it out of the hands of children. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters.org -- 8/4/17
Cannabis company plans to turn desert town into pot paradise -- Now that one of the nation's largest cannabis companies has bought the entire California desert town of Nipton, a question remains: Will the new owners rename the place Potsylvania? The name Weed already belongs to an old mill town in Northern California. John Locher and John Rogers Associated Press -- 8/4/17
Health
Lizard saliva derivative helps Parkinson's patients -- For Parkinson’s patients, the trial represents stronger grounds to expect more effective treatments. For San Diego’s life science community, it represents another example of the benefits of original research and innovation. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/4/17
Environment
Last Ghost Fleet ship leaves Suisun Bay after long pollution fight -- The last of 57 decaying vessels in the federal government’s iconic “Ghost Fleet” is set to leave Suisun Bay Friday, ending a long struggle over the toxic pollution leached from the old ships into waters near a major fish nursery and migration area. Denis Cuff in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/4/17
Also . . .
Dennis McCarthy: ‘Buddy’ visits were vital trips back in time. Now they, too, are history -- Once a month for the last 21 years, Angela Bronson has taken her fourth-grade class at Balboa Magnet School on a field trip back in time to the Jewish Home for the Aging in Reseda. Dennis McCarthy in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/4/17
Think California Owes You Money For Damages? Here’s How To Seek Payment. -- A Butte County walnut farmer has filed a $15 million claim with the state of California as a result of the Oroville Dam’s spillway failure this year. That precursor to a lawsuit got us wondering: How do you sue the state? Turns out it's not that easy. Here's how the process works. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 8/4/17
Family Sues ICE Over Stolen Gun Used to Kill Mural Artist in Oakland -- The family of an artist killed with a federal agent’s stolen gun is suing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. A gunman fatally shot 27-year-old Antonio Ramos in September 2015 while the artist was paining a mural in Oakland. KQED -- 8/4/17
Elite firefighter killed while battling western Montana blaze -- An elite California firefighter was killed by a falling tree while battling a blaze in western Montana, the second firefighting death in the area over the last two weeks, officials said on Thursday. Brent Witham, 29, of Mentone, California, was killed while fighting the so-called Lolo Peak Fire about 30 miles (50 km)south of Missoula in the Lolo National Park that was sparked by lightning on July 15, the Missoula County sheriff and coroner said. Brendan O'Brien Reuters -- 8/4/17
POTUS 45
Trump rallies his base against Russia investigation -- President Donald Trump used a campaign-style rally Thursday night to level a sustained attack on the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election, just hours after news broke that special counsel Robert Mueller had tapped a grand jury as part of the wide-ranging probe. Matthew Nussbaum Politico -- 8/4/17
John Kelly Quickly Moves to Impose Military Discipline on White House -- Mr. Kelly cuts off rambling advisers midsentence. He listens in on conversations between cabinet secretaries and the president. He has booted lingering staff members out of high-level meetings, and ordered the doors of the Oval Office closed to discourage strays. Glenn Thrush, Michael D. Shear and Eileen Sullivan in the New York Times$ -- 8/4/17
Beltway
Senators unveil two proposals to protect Mueller’s Russia probe -- Two bipartisan pairs of senators unveiled legislation Thursday to prevent President Trump from firing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III without cause — or at least a reason good enough to convince a panel of federal judges. Karoun Demirjian in the Washington Post$ -- 8/4/17
West Virginia’s governor is switching parties. And Democrats just hit a new low -- In November, Republicans solidified and/or expanded their majorities at all levels of governance, and it looked as if things couldn't get worse for Democrats. Except, it just did. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 8/4/17
Three Pinocchios: President Trump’s claim about immigrants ‘immediately’ collecting ‘welfare’ -- As a part of the administration’s efforts to restrict legal and illegal immigration, President Trump endorsed a sweeping Senate bill that would slash legal immigration levels by half over a decade. Michelle Ye Hee Lee in the Washington Post$ -- 8/4/17
-- Thursday Updates
Attorney general threatens to punish Stockton, San Bernardino and other 'sanctuary cities' -- Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions moved Thursday to again punish so-called sanctuary cities, threatening to deny federal crime-fighting resources to four cities beset by violence if they don’t step up efforts to help detain and deport people living in the country illegally, including two agencies in California, a state that has repeatedly frustrated the administration. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/17
Boss tells state workers: Kick ICE out of California labor offices -- California’s top labor law enforcer wants federal immigration agents to stay away from offices where state investigators weigh claims about underpaid employees and workp lace retaliation. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/3/17
Cal State will no longer require placement exams and remedial classes for freshmen -- Cal State plans to drop placement exams in math and English as well as the noncredit remedial courses that more than 25,000 freshmen have been required to take each fall — a radical move away from the way public universities traditionally support students who come to college less prepared than their peers. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/17
Congress takes aim at the Clean Air Act, putting the limits of California's power to the test -- California is confronting the limits of its power to save federal environmental protections as Congress and the Trump administration take aim at a landmark law the state has relied on for decades to clean the air of noxious smog. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/17
Summer and after-school programs—big in California—fight to survive under Trump -- Currently, over 400 programs operating across the state receive about $130 million annually from Washington. But as Trump seeks to shrink the federal government’s role in education, he’s trying to claw back that funding, arguing that the programs don’t actually boost student achievement like they’re supposed to. Jessica Calefati Calmatters.org -- 8/3/17
Even in a booming economy, L.A. City Hall faces daunting budget challenges -- Standing outside City Hall, Mayor Eric Garcetti launched his second term by offering an audience a celebratory message: Los Angeles has clawed its way back from crisis. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/17
Former congressional staffer for Janice Hahn indicted in alleged shakedown of Compton marijuana shop -- Michael Kimbrew, 44, was working as a field representative for former Rep. Janice Hahn out of Compton City Hall when he allegedly promised to “make things happen” for the pot shop, which the city was seeking to shut down. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/17
Pregnant women’s exposure to flame retardants linked to lower child IQ -- Increased exposure among pregnant women to flame-retardant chemicals found in older furniture and other products is linked to lowered IQs in their children, UCSF researchers said Thursday. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/3/17
Mandatory composting? Gavin Newsom isn’t shying away from his liberal record -- In the foothills of the Sierras, and at a stop last week in Salida, just outside of Modesto, the Democratic frontrunner whose national profile was born out of his decision to distribute the marriage licenses to same-sex couples offered the clearest indication yet that the tenets of his gubernatorial campaign are rooted in his liberal record. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/3/17
Democrats searching for vets to lead them out of the wilderness -- Tom Tarantino has a certain quality Democrats these days are craving in a candidate, particularly in the suburban Contra Costa-Alameda County district where Tarantino will file paperwork Thursday to run for the Assembly. He’s a military veteran. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/3/17
Republicans are targeting California Democrats over single-payer healthcare -- Democrats are widely expected to make Republican incumbents' efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act a major issue in the 2018. Now Republicans are going after challengers for some Democrats' support of a single-payer healthcare system. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/17
Lobbying in the Trump era: Californians say little has changed but the language -- President Donald Trump came to Washington, D.C. decrying lobbyists and vowing to “drain the swamp” — but six months into his administration, California’s top lobbyists say the only major changes they’ve had to make are in their language. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/3/17
Tired of waiting on LA to repair bad sidewalks? You could get paid to do it for them -- In an effort to get more of the city’s backlog of crumbling sidewalks fixed sooner, Los Angeles city officials this month sweetened the deal for property owners. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/3/17
Meet some of the people who live on South Bay streets in RVs -- Few would argue that the Bay Area is a great place to live — if you can afford it. And that’s the rub. For every newly hired tech worker drawing a big salary, there’s a waitress or gardener or some other support worker who is getting priced out of a region where the down payment on a home can exceed $200,000 and rents continue to skyrocket. John Orr in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/3/17
Mayor says it’s time to think small to help Sacramento’s homeless -- Mayor Darrell Steinberg said this week that the city should aggressively pursue a “tiny home” village to shelter dozens of homeless men and women. Steinberg said the model – in which homeless individuals live in clusters of shed-like structures typically around 150 square feet in size – is a safer and more dignified alternative to the homeless tent city debated for years at City Hall. Ryan Lillis and Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/3/17
Fox: Car Wars -- Government efforts to upend California’s car culture often face stiff opposition from the public. Look no farther than the battle in the state’s big cities over road lane reductions or even banning cars from vital arteries. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/3/17
Zuckerberg and Chan hire former Clinton campaign strategist -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, have been adding more political muscle to their philanthropic organization, fueling rumors that the tech mogul could be eyeing a presidential bid in 2020. Queenie Wong in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/3/17
Health advisory issued on eating fish at two East Bay lakes -- For the first time, state health officials are advising people to limit their consumption of rainbow trout from the popular Lake Chabot and Lafayette Reservoir because of industrial chemical PCBs detected in the fish. Denis Cuff in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/3/17
Stanford and ex-dean of its elite business school cleared in harassment case -- After three years of court battles and lurid revelations about the romance between the dean of Stanford University’s elite business school and a professor married to another professor, the university and the ex-dean have been vindicated by a judge’s ruling. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/3/17
He once said mothers do not belong in state office. Now he leads the Trump Cabinet in Bible study -- News from the Christian Broadcasting Network that members of President Trump’s Cabinet are attending Bible study sessions together didn’t come as such a shock in Washington. The shock was who is teaching them. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/17
$15 billion border bill wouldn't fund a wall -- Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and three other Senate Republicans rolled out legislation on Thursday making it clear that, in their view, a stand-alone wall running the length of the U.S.-Mexico border — a core Trump campaign promise — isn’t the answer. Seung Min Kim and Ted Hesson Politico -- 8/3/17
• Special Counsel Mueller Impanels Washington Grand Jury in Russia Probe -- Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, a sign that his inquiry is growing in intensity and entering a new phase, according to people familiar with the matter. Del Quentin Wilber and Byron Tau in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/3/17