Updating . .   

Lineup at California GOP convention takes a hard right with Tom Cotton, Grover Norquist, Judge Jeanine Pirro -- Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, an up-and-comer in the GOP and — at 40 — the youngest member of the Senate, will highlight the conservative lineup of speakers at the California Republican Party’s convention in Anaheim in October. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

AP Exclusive: 'Is risk gone?' Confusion as dam crisis grew -- A towering spillway at the nation's tallest dam was crumbling, and tens of thousands of people were fleeing for their lives. But as darkness fell, state officials realized dealing with the unfolding crisis in Northern California was about to get even worse: They couldn't see. Michael R. Blood and Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 9/7/17

Facebook, real estate developer want California lawmakers' help for their big projects -- Facebook and a New York-based developer, Millennium Partners, are supporting new legislation that would give a boost to their proposed large, mixed-use projects in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, respectively. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

The chief of staff who has served Nancy Pelosi for decades plans to leave this month -- Longtime staffer Nadeam Elshami will step down as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's chief of staff later this month, raising fresh questions about how long Pelosi intends to remain in office. San Francisco's Pelosi has said that she planned to retire if Hillary Clinton had won the presidency last November, but she has appeared reinvigorated by her role as foil to President Trump. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Former congressman Mike Honda will work to unseat Republican incumbents in California -- Red to Blue California, a political action committee formed in March, announced Thursday that Honda will serve as its chairman, taking on an unpaid advisory role in its effort to unseat Republican incumbents in 2018. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

GOP candidates for California governor tie campaigns to ballot measures -- Two long-shot Republican candidates for governor are looking to use ballot measures to pull them to victory next year, but it’s a strategy with a long, checkered history in California elections. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/17

Trump sets contours of a possible legislative compromise for 'Dreamers' -- A day after President Trump threatened to end protections for so-called Dreamers, he stunned all sides again Wednesday by endorsing a legislative fix that could put the young immigrants on the path to legal status. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Pelosi urged Trump tweet on DACA, says president willing to sign Dream Act -- President Trump indicated that he was willing to sign the long-stalled Dream Act into law if it passes Congress, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi said Thursday, another sign that Trump may be uneasy about his decision to phase out DACA. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

President Trump's campaign takes aim at his new allies, Chuck and Nancy -- President Trump's newfound alliance with "Chuck and Nancy" has its limits. The morning after Trump bewildered Republicans by siding with the top two Democrats in Congress, Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, over those in his own party, the president's reelection campaign Thursday released an ad that targeted them as "career politicians ... trying to stop him." Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/

Judge: Jahi McMath may be alive, lawsuit can proceed -- On Tuesday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Stephen Pulido allowed the McMath family's lawsuit against UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland to proceed. Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/17

Amazon's search for second headquarters likely to set off a race among cities; L.A. could be in the running -- Amazon.com launched a search for a second headquarters city in North America that would cost $5 billion and employ up to 50,000 people. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Rumored future candidate and California investor Joe Sanberg unveils digital ad touting work fighting poverty -- Joe Sanberg, a wealthy Westwood investor who pushed the state to create income tax credits for the working poor, will launch a statewide digital ad buy on Thursday about the program and plans to form a federal political action committee to support candidates who support his goals. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Fox: Will the Center Hold? Look to Feinstein -- Whether the center of California’s political scale has shifted dramatically will be measured by what happens if Senator Dianne Feinstein faces a challenge if she stands for re-election. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/7/17

Nationwide mall theft ring accused of shoplifting $20 million of high-end merchandise in past decade -- For at least the past decade, Tijuana vendors put in special orders for designer merchandise, dispatching teams of shoplifters to malls around the country to steal more than $20 million in loot that could be resold at lower prices in Mexico, according to an indictment unsealed in San Diego federal court Wednesday. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/7/17

Does the LAPD treat celebrity burglaries differently from the average home break-in? -- LAPD officials said they give priority to break-ins they believe are part of a crime series or committed by professional burglary crews. They also prioritize big-ticket cases where unique items, such as art work or jewelry, are stolen or where security cameras capture prowling suspects and offer a good chance at making an arrest. Ben Poston, Richard Winton and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Heat wave, fires, hurricanes bear the ‘fingerprints of climate change,’ scientists say -- Wildfires from the Oregon border to Los Angeles. Temperatures hitting 100 degrees in San Francisco, and higher in Sacramento, capping off the hottest summer in California history. Not to mention two of the most ferocious hurricanes ever recorded. It has to be climate change, right? The answer is a little more complicated than you might think. Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/17

The Suspense Files: California bills vanish almost without a trace -- Shortly after last year’s presidential election, Democrats in the California Legislature drew headlines by introducing a flurry of bills attacking “fake news.” They called for more resources to teach media literacy, so public school students could better discern facts from the kind of bogus stories that proliferated online during the campaign. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters.org -- 9/7/17

Walters: Jerry Brown jets off again, this time to Russia, but to what avail? -- Californians are dealing with a late summer outbreak of devastating wildfires. Even the National Guard has been called out to fight them. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 9/7/17

Politifact: Jeff Denham’s Half True claim top Democrats voted for border wall -- On the day the Trump administration announced it will end the so-called Dreamer program in six months, California Congressman Jeff Denham floated the idea for a bill that could further secure the border and protect undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 9/7/17

Some of Fresno’s elected Republicans are staying away from Sheriff Joe Arpaio event -- Some Valley Republicans are voicing strong feelings about their party hosting “America’s toughest sheriff” Joe Arpaio of Arizona, and they’re staying away from the Sept. 29 fund-raising event. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 9/7/17

Skelton: Trump and Congress agreeing on a deal to replace DACA? Let's hope that dream becomes a reality -- The Trump administration’s dumping cold water on “Dreamers” was so wrongheaded, so self-defeating and so inhumane that it can’t possibly stand. Can it? George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

California Supreme Court to decide whether to lower bar exam passing score -- The Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California voted 6-5 Wednesday to send three recommendations on the passing score of the state’s bar exam to the California Supreme Court — including two options to lower the score. The court will have the final say on an intense debate about the score, which some argue is too high. Isha Salian in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/17

Republicans trounce Democrats in California's annual legislative softball game -- After losing two years in a row, Republicans won 14 to 6. The game raised $71,500 for the Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento, a local nonprofit. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Just back from Hurricane Harvey, Cal Guardsmen rush to Florida as Irma bears down -- Three days after returning from a mission to rescue scores of Texans after Hurricane Harvey, National Guardsmen from across California are prepping to face Irma as the lethal cyclone nears Florida. Carl Prine in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/7/17

White Christians no longer majority in United States, especially California -- White Christians, once the dominant religious and ethnic combination in the United States, now make up less than 50 percent of Americans as young people turn away from traditional congregations and ethnic diversity increases in society and houses of worship. The trend is particularly pronounced in California. Anita Chabria and Steve Magaganini in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/17

Laurene Powell Jobs taps Ronald Reagan in first political TV ad in support of ‘Dreamers’ -- Silicon Valley philanthropist and investor Laurene Powell Jobs is stepping into the political ring a day after President Donald Trump decided to end an Obama-era executive action that shielded young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Seung Lee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/17

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

What the DACA phaseout means for workers and employers -- Christopher Plascencia won a promotion last month to personal banker at Wells Fargo & Co.; now he’s worried the career advancement might become a hollow gain. James F. Peltz and Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Not just DACA: Other Obama rules protecting immigrants could go -- As President Trump stands by his decision to rescind protections from 800,000 immigrants who came to the U.S. as children without authorization, the administration is also scrutinizing several other Obama-era rules that help foreigners live and work in the U.S. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/17

California Legislature approves arbitration measure spurred by the Wells Fargo scandal -- The California Legislature has approved a bill aimed at stopping banks from using arbitration clauses to shield themselves from lawsuits over sham accounts — a direct response to the Wells Fargo scandal. James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Newport Beach precious metal dealer Monex accused of $290-million fraud -- A federal regulator is accusing Monex, a Newport Beach precious metals investment firm, of defrauding thousands of customers of more than $290 million through an illegal scheme that used high-pressure sales tactics and left many elderly clients with no life savings. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

SDG&E to offer $1,000 electric car rebates for teachers, first responders -- San Diego Gas & Electric will grant $1,000 rebates to teachers and first-responders who buy electric vehicles, the utility announced Wednesday. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/7/17

Education 

Will Jerry Brown require public schools to provide free pads, tampons? -- California lawmakers are poised to send Gov. Jerry Brown a bill requiring public schools to stock bathrooms with free tampons and pads. Assembly Bill 10, introduced by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, cleared the the state Senate with a 37-0 vote on Wednesday. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/17

Freedberg: Long shadow is cast over DACA debate by 9/11 attacks – The long shadow cast by the 9/11 attacks is playing a part in President Donald Trump’s plan to repeal the program giving protection from deportation to 800,000 immigrants brought to the United States by their undocumented parents when they were children.​ Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 9/7/17

Immigration / Border 

San Diego Schools Double Down On Assurances For Students Following DACA Decision -- Young people who sought deportation relief through the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program had to wait until their 15th birthday to apply. Educators are speaking out on behalf of those teens who hadn’t yet applied or could see their DACA status expire following the Trump administration’s move to rescind the program. Megan Burks KPBS -- 9/7/17

California vows to fight White House DACA decision, but how far can states go? -- Throughout California, the message to Dreamers in the wake of President Donald Trump’s plan to end deportation protection for young undocumented immigrants has been clear: We’ve got your backs. But with the federal government’s exclusive control to enforce immigration law, it’s not clear how effective the resistance of California and other states will be. Tatiana Sanchez and Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/17

States’ suit over DACA seeks to use Trump’s words against him -- A group of Democratic-led states is leading a legal challenge to President Trump’s planned repeal of a program allowing nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States — and just as in the court fight over the president’s proposed travel ban, the challengers want to use his ethnic broadsides against him. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/17

Feinstein introduces bill to help deported Oakland nurse and family -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced a bill that would provide green cards to an Oakland nurse and her husband whose deportation to Mexico last month split up their family. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/17

Also . . . 

L.A. settles with hundreds of victims of LAPD officer who snooped for celebrity private eye Anthony Pellicano -- It started with a cryptic threat: a dead fish and a rose left inside a Los Angeles Times reporter’s car, and a note that simply read “Stop” on the fractured windshield. An FBI investigation into the threat would uncover a criminal scheme in which celebrity private eye Anthony Pellicano was illegally gathering information for his star-studded list of clients. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

L.A. County to pay $1.5 million to family of disabled man who was fatally shot after being mistaken as suspect -- The settlement, approved Tuesday by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, will be paid to the father of 27-year-old Donnell Thompson Jr., according to Brian Dunn, an attorney with the Cochran Firm who is representing the family. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

Los Angeles OKs $6.5 million to settle lawsuit after cyclist hit a pothole -- Two years ago, Peter Godefroy lost control of his bicycle when it hit a pothole on Valley Vista Boulevard, throwing him to the ground. The crash left him with broken bones and a severe traumatic brain injury, according to his suit. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/17

POTUS 45  

White House claims ‘dreamers’ take jobs away from blacks and Hispanics. Here’s the truth -- It’s a long-running talking point spouted by Trump administration members and the president himself: Undocumented immigrants are taking jobs away from black and Hispanic Americans. Tracy Jan in the Washington Post$ -- 9/7/17

President Trump is now holding the Republican Party hostage -- President Trump waged a hostile takeover of the Republican Party's presidential nomination last year. Now he's holding the entire party hostage. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 9/7/17

Beltway 

GOP livid after Trump cuts deal with Democrats -- Congressional Republicans say the move will only embolden Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi in future talks. Burgess Everett, Rachael Bade and John Bresnahan Politico -- 9/7/17

Border security could be key to saving Dreamers -- Republicans are demanding tougher immigration enforcement, and Democrats are willing to deal. Seung Min Kim Politico -- 9/7/17

Russian firm tied to pro-Kremlin propaganda advertised on Facebook during election -- Representatives of Facebook told congressional investigators Wednesday that the social network has discovered that it sold ads during the U.S. presidential campaign to a shadowy Russian company seeking to target voters, according to several people familiar with the company’s findings. Carol D. Leonnig, Tom Hamburger and Rosalind S. Helderman in the Washington Post$ -- 9/7/17

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

California will file separate lawsuit over end of DACA program, attorney general says -- California plans its own lawsuit against the federal government because it is disproportionately harmed by President Trump's plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said Wednesday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17 

Schwarzenegger joins McCain, Kasich in calling for Supreme Court to end gerrymandering -- Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is among about three dozen prominent Republicans who filed friend-of-the-court briefs in a closely watched gerrymandering lawsuit that is scheduled to be heard before the U.S. Supreme Court next month. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

California would cover over-budget costs for 2028 Olympics bid under new bill -- State lawmakers will provide up to $270 million in guarantees under legislation unveiled last week should Los Angeles’ 2028 Olympic bid go over budget. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Manson follower Leslie Van Houten granted parole in notorious murders; Brown will make final decision -- Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted along with other members of Charles Manson's cult in the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, was granted parole Wednesday by a panel of state commissioners in Chino. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

15 states, DC sue Trump administration over ending DACA -- Fifteen states and the District of Columbia on sued Wednesday to block President Donald Trump’s plan to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation — an act Washington state’s attorney general called “a dark time for our country.” Larry Neumeister and Gene Johnson Associated Press -- 9/6/17

After 'a dark day,' immigrant rights advocates rally in Sacramento to fight for workplace protections from ICE raids -- Immigrant rights advocates shared stories Wednesday of workers left in the lurch after President Trump's decision to rescind a program that offered temporary immigration relief for thousands of people brought into the country illegally as children. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Deporting Dreamers an unlikely priority, but a real possibility -- It won’t be open season on the nearly 800,000 so-called Dreamers — immigrants who entered the U.S. without legal papers before turning 16 and have maintained a clean record — if Congress doesn’t pass a law protecting them. But they won’t be able to breathe easy. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/17

L.A. Olympics organizers to state senator: Please take us out of your bill -- The organizing committee for Los Angeles' bid to host the 2028 Olympic Games wants the summertime sports event removed from last-minute state legislation that would ease its ability to build transit projects. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Water lifting concrete slab seen as cause of Oroville Dam spillway failure -- Faulty design, construction and repairs of the main Oroville Dam spillway allowed water to seep under its floor and build up, lifting a concrete slab Feb. 7 into the water flowing down the chute, starting a chain of events that largely wrecked the structure. Steve Schoonover in the Chico Enterprise -- 9/6/17

He suffered 3rd-degree burns while police held him on pavement. Now, he’s due to report to jail -- James Bradford Nelson unbuttoned his cotton shirt, unveiling a body he no longer recognizes. His nipples are seared. His chest and stomach are covered by leathery skin grafts and scar tissue. He’s 40 pounds lighter than he was on the scorching June day when Citrus Heights police pressed his face, legs and chest into the hot ground in the parking lot of a KFC restaurant. Cynthia Hubert in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/17

Essie Justice Group targets the heavy and invisible burden that California's bail system places on women -- As a public defender in New York City, Gina Clayton realized the U.S. bail system was putting a heavy and invisible burden on women. Now, she is the founder of the Essie Justice Group, a support network for women with incarcerated loved ones that this year has been one of the main drivers behind legislation to overhaul the way offenders receive bail in California. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Why a trio of Democratic candidates for governor are dropping by a public union strike in Riverside -- A powerful public employee union’s three-day strike against Riverside County to protest working conditions will draw three of California’s top Democratic candidates for governor on Wednesday. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Walters: California faces its past in cultural struggle over symbols -- The cultural firestorm over statues, flags and other symbols of the Confederacy, ignited by a violent clash of white supremacists and their opponents in Charlottesville, Virginia, would seem far removed from California. Not so. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 9/6/17

BART can’t afford its millions of dollars in free rides, director says -- BART handed out nearly $3.5 million worth of free rides to 17,000 workers, their families and law enforcement officers last year, district records show — and now at least one of the transit agency’s board members is calling on the cash-strapped system to sharply curtail the practice. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/17

Wiener not giving up on 4 a.m. closing time bill -- State Sen. Scott Wiener is not ready to give up on his drive to extend bar hours for cities that want to party hearty till 4 a.m., despite having had his legislation 86’d last week. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/17

Drought’s Over, Yet Californians Keep Saving Water -- In Sacramento, Los Angeles, most of the San Francisco Bay Area and Orange County, urban residential water use is down between 20 and 26 percent since 2013, often used by water agencies as the benchmark year for pre-drought water consumption, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. Alastair Bland KQED -- 9/6/17

Water: Setting the sights on Sites -- Sites Reservoir has been talked about for decades, but now that project officials — and backed by 70 major allies — have formally submitted an application for state bond money, the question arises: Will this $5 billion project actually come to pass? Daniel Maraccini Capitol Weekly -- 9/6/17

Manson follower who stabbed Rosemary LaBianca 14 times wants freedom -- Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted along with other members of Charles Manson's cult in the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, is once again going before the parole board seeking her freedom. Gov. Jerry Brown rejected her bid last year to be released from prison after 40 years. Matt Hamilton and Shelby Grad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Fox: DACA Pressure on CA GOP Representatives -- “Pressure makes diamonds,” American General George S. Patton said. Pressure brought to bear on the DACA law may finally bring some immigration reform. California’s congressional members will be key to any solution. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/6/17

California firefighters mourn death of U.S. Forest Service Battalion Chief Gary Helming -- Gary Helming was a seasoned firefighter who was well-known for “bringing order out of chaos,” colleagues say. So when the Los Padres National Forest battalion chief perished in a car crash last week, his death shocked wildfire authorities throughout California. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Where Are They Now? Assemblyman Willard Huyck -- Former Assemblyman Willard Huyck is probably one of the more notable state legislators that you’ve never heard of. ``1`He was elected z456 the State Assembly at age 29 and served two terms before leaving to run a medical supply company. Now, more than 70 years after first arriving at the Capitol, Huyck is California’s oldest former legislator ever. Alex Vassar Capitol Weekly -- 9/6/17

United Airlines won't be fined for passenger-dragging incident, feds say -- United Airlines won’t be punished by the federal government over the forced removal of a passenger from a flight in April that put a spotlight on the growing tensions between airlines and travelers on crowded flights. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/17

Rush Limbaugh’s dangerous suggestion that Hurricane Irma is fake news -- Rush Limbaugh didn't say the magic words, but on Tuesday he basically accused the media of creating fake news about Hurricane Irma, which is threatening Florida after hitting Barbuda and Antigua. The storm's 185-mile-per-hour winds tied the record high for any Atlantic hurricane making landfall. Callum Borchers in the Washington Post$ -- 9/6/17

Trump says he just wants a DACA fix 'where everybody is happy' -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied that he was sending mixed signals on the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and said he simply wants Congress to come up with a solution "where everybody is happy." Nolan D. McCaskill Politico -- 9/6/17