Updating . .   

Housing, immigration await California lawmakers in last week -- Hundreds of bills await action by California lawmakers as the Legislature begins its last week of business this year. Many of the year's highest-profile issues have already been settled, including a gas tax hike and cap-and-trade program to address climate change. But other priorities, including housing, immigration and renewable energy still need action. Jonathan J. Cooper and Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 9/9/17

California high court is asked to rethink execution measure -- Opponents of a voter-approved measure to speed up executions in California asked the state Supreme Court on Friday to reconsider its ruling upholding the law. The high court's decision unconstitutionally delegated power to the judicial branch and failed to consider whether the measure could survive after the justices invalidated "critical features" of the law, attorneys Christina Von der Ahe Rayburn and Lillian Mao said in their court filing. Associated Press -- 9/9/17

Slowdown in international visitors may be the 'Trump Slump' experts have predicted -- The harsh words uttered by Donald Trump about Muslims and Mexicans had travel industry leaders worried that international visitors would feel unwelcome and stay away from the U.S. if he became president. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/17

Why it took so long for L.A. to embrace the 'sanctuary city' label -- When Donald Trump was elected in November, some elected officials across the country quickly reaffirmed their cities as “sanctuaries” for people in this country illegally as they braced for the president’s promised crackdown. Dakota Smith and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/17

Barbara Boxer may be retired but she isn’t giving up the fight against Trump -- Barbara Boxer’s original plan was to drift into retirement, occasionally using a “sleepy little PAC” to help some former colleagues and “reelect Hillary Clinton” in 2020. Paul Kane in the Washington Post$ -- 9/9/17

Trump, terror and DACA upheaval force schools to rethink study abroad -- Genesis Garcia had just finished volunteering at a house in Mexico City that serves refugees — preparing for a research project on Central American migrants — when the University of California’s study abroad office called to tell her she needed to make a quick decision: return to the United States immediately or risk not being able to get back into the country again. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/9/17

Torrid temperatures shrivel California wine grapes to raisins -- Humans weren’t the only ones caught off guard and uncomfortable by the Bay Area’s Labor Day weekend heat spike. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

What's in Gov. Jerry Brown's regional electric grid proposal? Here are the details -- After years of stop-and-go, behind-the-scenes negotiations, Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to integrate California’s electricity grid with neighboring states will finally be unveiled. The proposal, which was obtained by The Times on Friday, has not yet received a public hearing, and is only being introduced with a week left in the legislative session. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Santa Clara Valley beer magnates host political fundraiser for Gavin Newsom -- Santa Clara Valley beer distribution magnates and philanthropists Michael Fox Sr. and his wife, Mary Ellen Fox, are hosting a fundraiser for Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign for governor at their home in Saratoga in late September. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/17

Sen. Kamala Harris heads to a key presidential battleground state to fundraise for a fellow senator -- The fundraisers are not for her — they'll benefit her Senate colleague Sherrod Brown, who is up for reelection next year. But Harris’ appearance in the presidential battleground state is sure to draw attention given the speculation swirling around her political future. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

California Republican Calls for National Immigration Reform Movement -- In an interview with KQED Newsroom, Denham called for broad immigration reform, including a guest worker program and improvements to the visa system. But he said the most urgent issue was protecting so-called “Dreamers,” whose undocumented status is not their fault, but the responsibility of their parents who made the decision to come to the country illegally. Bert Johnson and Thuy Vu KQED -- 9/9/17

Fate of controversial California drug price bill up in air -- A closely watched California bill could soon become the nation’s most comprehensive law aimed at shining a light on prescription drug prices. Tracy Seipel in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/9/17

Oakland protesters say police training is too militaristic -- About 200 people chanted, picketed, and banged drums outside the Alameda County Building in Oakland on Friday, protesting this weekend’s Urban Shield event — a three-day intensive training to prepare law enforcement for the next natural disaster or terrorist attack. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/17

Incumbents would face new restrictions on mass mailers under bill awaiting Brown's signature -- A bill aimed at cracking down on the use of taxpayer-funded mailers to promote political candidates has breezed through the California legislature and is awaiting action by Gov. Jerry Brown. Jill Replogle KPCC -- 9/9/17

California’s electrical grid not hacked in latest attack, operators say -- An international hacking campaign targeting energy companies has not penetrated the operating systems of the corporation that runs most of California’s electricity grid, a spokesman for the company said. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/17

California Politics Podcast: The Immigration Outrage -- This week: The intense California reaction to President Trump's decision on the DACA immigration program. We also offer our viewer's guide to the final week of the 2017 legislative session in Sacramento. With John Myers and Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times and Marisa Lagos of KQED News. Link here -- 9/9/17

With Baca's 'best remaining days' at hand, judge rules he should go to prison now. Baca vows appeal -- With Alzheimer’s slowly taking his mind, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca should spend “his best remaining days” in prison and not be allowed to remain free while he appeals his conviction, a federal judge has ruled. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Quinn: The Reality And The Politics Of DACA -- The Trump decision to eliminate DACA will not lead to massive deportations of so-called Dreamers; in fact it is likely to have little effect at all. The 800,000 DACA immigrants were in this country before DACA was enacted in 2012; they are likely to be here long after it ends, if it does end. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 9/9/17

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

Initiative to give younger homeowners property tax breaks will cost local and state governments billions of dollars -- A proposed 2018 statewide initiative to extend Proposition 13’s property tax breaks from older to younger homeowners ultimately will cost local governments and the state billions of dollars a year, according to a financial analysis of the measure released Friday. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/17

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Some of California's major utilities are trying to block the growth of government-owned electricity programs -- Some of California’s big shareholder-owned utilities are working to thwart the expansion of government-owned electricity programs, including Los Angeles County’s proposed end run on traditional power providers. Ivan Penn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Monster slide will keep Big Sur isolated for at least an additional year -- The Mud Creek slide buried the road under 5 million cubic yards of dirt about 30 miles south of Big Sur on May 20. Building a new stretch of road over the slide area — using culverts, berms, embankments and netting — will cost about $40 million and take until at least the end of summer 2018, Caltrans officials said. The job could take even longer if this winter is a wet one, Caltrans said. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/17

AP Sources: Feds probe Uber’s tracking of Lyft drivers -- The Justice Department is investigating whether Uber illegally used software to track drivers for Lyft, its main ride-hailing competitor, to gain an advantage in attracting and recruiting drivers, according to two people familiar with the probe. Tom Krisher and Tom Mays Associated Press -- 9/8/17

Google pays women less than men? New evidence suggests the answer may be yes -- Google has been fighting federal authorities in court to limit the amount of salary information and other data it must provide in an investigation into alleged “extreme” gender discrimination in pay at the company. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/9/17

Irvine Co. will make a pitch to put Amazon's second headquarters in Orange County -- Orange County’s Irvine Co. said Friday that it plans to bid for Amazon.com’s second headquarters, which Amazon says will employ up to 50,000 people. James F. Peltz and Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Amazon in San Jose? Ro Khanna questions company’s call for tax breaks -- San Jose says it might be interested in making a pitch to become Amazon’s second home, but not all Silicon Valley officials are on board. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/9/17

A new generation of young home buyers is tiptoeing into the market -- Newly married and in their mid-20s, San Clemente residents Josh and Kayleigh Hyink were ready for the next step in their “master plan.” Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Caught up in the Equifax hack? Here's one thing you can do to protect yourself -- Equifax customers should request a credit freeze from all three major credit bureaus to ensure hackers behind a massive data breach can’t exploit their stolen information, a leading consumer advocacy group said Friday. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Lazarus: Time is running out for California Internet privacy bill hated by industry -- As the clock ticks down on the current California legislative session, it’s increasingly looking like phone and cable companies have succeeded in killing off a bill aimed at giving state residents more control over Internet privacy. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Homeless  

California city confiscates toilets from homeless residents – forcing them to use buckets -- Somewhere in the southern California city of Anaheim, less than five miles from Disneyland, three porta-potties – two pink, one gray – are locked in a city storage facility. It’s not where they’re supposed to be. Carla Green The Guardian -- 9/9/17

Education 

UC sues Trump administration for shutting down DACA, which UC's president helped create -- The University of California sued the Trump administration Friday for rescinding protections for immigrant students without legal status, saying the action unconstitutionally violates their rights on “nothing more than unreasoned executive whim.” Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

UC Berkeley ratchets up security for right-wing pundit’s speech -- Sections of the UC Berkeley campus are to be closed off and officials will request photo identification from attendees as part of safety measures being imposed for a speech next week by conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, campus officials announced. Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/17

Immigration / Border 

Feds agree to admit deported 'Dreamer' for legal case -- Officials from Customs and Border Protection agreed to allow Juan Manuel Montes Bojorquez, 23, to enter the U.S. for his deposition and trial in connection with a lawsuit he filed in federal court in San Diego in April claiming he was deported despite his participation in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program. Josh Gerstein Politico -- 9/9/17

Health 

Two cases of Hepatitis A linked to Santa Clara County jails -- As other parts of the state contend with a surge in cases of Hepatitis A, Santa Clara County officials are investigating how a jail inmate and staff member contracted the disease. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/9/17

Environment 

California could be hit by an 8.2 mega-earthquake, and damage would be catastrophic -- The magnitude 8.2 earthquake that ravaged southern Mexico on Thursday was the largest to shake the country in nearly a century. Like California, Mexico is a seismically active region that has seen smaller quakes that have caused death and destruction. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

Pipeline Corrosion Caused Small Phillips 66 Oil Spill Prompting Big Concern -- A minor oil spill in San Pablo Bay at the Phillips 66 oil refinery this week was most likely caused by a corroded pipeline, a revelation prompting a new set of concerns as the energy company pushes to expand the number of oil tankers that unload crude at the Rodeo facility’s marine terminal. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 9/9/17

Visiting Muir Woods will soon require a reservation -- To manage traffic and crowds, officials will begin capping visitors in 2018 by requiring a reservation to park a vehicle or ride a shuttle bus into the park. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/17

Also . . . 

New report raises fresh concerns about LAPD's cadet program, equipment rooms -- A new review of practices inside the Los Angeles Police Department’s equipment rooms paints a troubling picture: Doors were occasionally propped open. If they were locked, some officers left their gear in crates outside. Sometimes, if the officer in charge of the room was gone and couldn’t check equipment out, officers left Post-it notes listing what they had taken. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/8/17

POTUS 45  

New White House Chief of Staff Has an Enforcer -- Lost in the scramble to cope with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the response to North Korea’s nuclear provocations and the shock at President Trump’s instant alliance with Democrats was a little-noticed bureaucratic earthquake that shook the White House this week. Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush in the New York Times$ -- 9/9/17

Beltway 

Trump tortured Spicer and Priebus. Now they get to tell investigators about Trump -- Both are former Republican National Committee types — not longtime Trump aides — who joined the White House when the campaign was over. Both are also now former aides, having lasted just seven months. And perhaps most notably, both were practically tortured during their time in the White House, directly by Trump or apparently with his blessing. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 9/9/17

Dems threaten December shutdown if Dreamers aren't protected -- House Democrats are prepared to threaten a government shutdown in December unless Congress adopts protections for Dreamers, a senior member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus said Friday. Heather Caygle and Elana Schor Politico -- 9/9/17

-- Updates