• School Inoovation and Achievement
  • School Inoovation and Achievement

Updating . .

Climate change activists back Kevin de León in U.S. Senate race -- Climate Hawks Vote, an activist group focused on fighting global warming, on Friday announced its endorsement of Kevin de León in his intraparty challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein in next year's election. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

California asks for $7.4 billion to help wildfire recovery -- California Gov. Jerry Brown joined lawmakers to request $7.4 billion in federal funding for wildfire relief and recovery efforts following a deadly cluster of fires that killed more than 40 people and left thousands without housing. Associated Press -- 11/3/17

Abcarian: Both children gone, parents still unaware: The unimaginable agony of the Shepherd family -- Kressa Jean Shepherd, a Ukiah High School junior who dreamed of becoming an artist, died here two days before Halloween. On Oct. 9, she and her family were fleeing the Redwood Valley firestorm when they were trapped by the blaze on the mountain near their home. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

California homeowners will get property tax relief after wildfires -- State law provides plenty of property tax protections for people who lose their home in a wildfire. Under Proposition 13, tearing down your old house and building a new one would normally result in a full reassessment of your property and therefore a higher tax bill. But after a disaster, those rules don't apply. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Wine Country Fires: The tough task of tracking down the missing -- The desperate battle to halt the flames raging through Wine Country last month overshadowed a remarkable, multiagency effort to locate thousands of people whose missing-persons status amid mass evacuations provoked fear that an already catastrophic death toll might surge into the hundreds. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Hiltzik: The GOP tax plan is filled with petty cruelties aimed at the vulnerable and the middle class --Not all these petty cruelties are easily discernible in the shadowy corners of the 429-page bill. Some are buried so deep that it will take a platoon of coal miners to bring them to the surface. But others are more thinly disguised. Here's a sampling, listed by general category. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Trump Vowed End to Key Wall St. Loophole. G.O.P. Tax Plan Leaves It Intact -- The tax-overhaul plan unveiled on Thursday by House Republicans would leave intact a loophole that benefits hedge funds, private-equity funds and other investment managers, despite President Trump’s campaign promises to eliminate it. Tiffany Hsu in the New York Times$ -- 11/3/17

GOP tax plan would scrap deduction for big medical expenses -- The tax bill unveiled by House Republicans on Thursday would not, as had been rumored, eliminate the tax penalty for failure to have health insurance. But it would eliminate a decades-old deduction for people with very high medical costs. Julie Rovner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Fox: California Congressional Republicans Key to Tax Bill -- Whether the newly introduced congressional tax bill makes it out of the House of Representatives may very well depend on the votes of California Republicans. Recall that all 14 California Republican members of Congress voted for the budget bill that barely passed the House last week 216-212. A few Golden State GOP members changing their votes would have sunk the budget resolution. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/3/17

NYPD gathering evidence to arrest Harvey Weinstein, calls rape allegation 'credible' -- New York City police investigators say a 2010 rape allegation made against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is "credible," and they are gathering evidence to seek an arrest warrant. Associated Press -- 11/3/17

Sex assault accusations against ex-APA agent renew concerns about alleged abuse of minors in Hollywood -- For Jack Edwards, a 15-year-old British actor, it seemed like "the opportunity of a lifetime" — watching a play in London's West End with a Hollywood agent. Gus Garcia-Roberts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

LAUSD’s Gonez is latest to blast Bocanegra’s sexual misconduct -- The chorus condemning Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra’s sexual misconduct grew Thursday when a Los Angeles Unified school board member from the same part of the San Fernando Valley called his behavior “criminal.” Kevin Modesti in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/3/17

Immigration authorities detain Sacramento Cambodians in nationwide sweep -- At least two Sacramento-area Cambodian men have been detained for deportation by federal immigration authorities in what advocates are calling a targeted national sweep of the South Asian community, prompting a federal class action lawsuit arguing the detentions are illegal. Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/3/17  

Housing costs push Californians around -- More than four in 10 California adults are seriously considering moving away from their part of the state because of the cost of housing, with the highest proportion in the coastal counties and the lowest in the state’s interior. A slight majority of those recently surveyed by the Public Policy Institute of California — 55 percent — are staying put. Nik Bonovich Capitol Weekly -- 11/3/17

Lee: Wells Fargo misses opportunity to abandon forced arbitration -- Congress may have preserved forced arbitration, but Wells Fargo will still have to tread carefully. What was once a routine clause in consumers’ contract with banks has morphed into a serious political and legal headache for Wells Fargo as it struggles to repair its reputation. Thomas Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

California voters banned mountain lion hunting three decades ago, but the killing never stopped -- Victoria Vaughn doesn’t have a killer’s heart. The 59-year-old artist and former substitute teacher, whose eyes well with tears when she gets upset, loves animals. It’s why she started raising alpacas for wool for her weaving projects in the first place. Ryan Sabalow and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/3/17

California teachers feel more power and influence than peers in other states, survey finds -- California teachers, more than peers in other states, feel empowered to voice their opinions and say they have influence over decisions and policies in their schools. In increasing numbers, they say they are satisfied with the instructional materials they are using and the school based, peer-led training they are receiving. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 11/3/17

Abuse numbers rise for Sacramento foster kids. County can’t say why -- Sacramento County foster kids are being mistreated at a rate not seen since the recession a decade ago, the latest state data show, but the county has no immediate answers about what’s causing the increase in confirmed cases of abuse of children in its care. Anita Chabria and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/3/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Audit: School districts reap millions by OKing far-flung charters -- Several small, cash-strapped California school districts are using a loophole in state law to boost their revenue by overseeing a raft of far-flung charter schools, according to a recent report published by the state auditor. The result, the report says: dismal academic results for thousands of students and a lot of extra money for the districts, one of which increased its revenue more than 10-fold. Jessica Calefati Calmatters.org -- 11/3/17

Surcharge could hit Covered California customers -- President Donald Trump’s recent order to withhold special payments to health insurance companies, and a decision by Anthem Blue Cross to pull out of most of the state’s Obamacare markets, will affect more than 10,000 current Covered California enrollees in San Diego County as this year’s annual open enrollment season gets underway. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/3/17

Republican Ashley Swearengin says she won't run for governor or U.S. Senate in 2018 -- Ashley Swearengin, the former mayor of Fresno who was once considerd one of the most electable Republicans statewide, said Thursday she had no plans to run for governor or the U.S. Senate next year. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

What are California taxpayers spending to settle sexual harassment claims? Good luck finding out -- Leonard Johnson III came to the California Highway Patrol in December 2011 as a data processing manager, scoring 95 percent in his sexual harassment prevention training. What happened over the next three months eventually cost the state more than $600,000, and abruptly ended the CHP career of a female office assistant. Marjie Lundstrom in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/3/17

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer says bipartisan efforts only solution to state's housing, water and workforce needs -- San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer on Thursday held up his city as an example of what can be accomplished when elected leaders put aside politics and focus on the housing, workforce and water needs facing their region. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Oakland Mayor Schaaf discusses homeless plans as workers strike -- As homelessness shows no sign of shrinking in Oakland, Mayor Libby Schaaf asked homeowners Thursday to open their doors to the unsheltered if they have the space to spare. Schaaf’s appeal came during her annual State of the City address at which she discussed Oakland’s housing crisis, deadly fires, youth programs, civic arts, road repairs and police reforms. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Gubernatorial candidate John Cox calls for repeal of California's Environmental Quality Act -- The 1970 law is the state’s primary environmental law governing development, which requires developers to disclose and minimize a project’s impact on the environment. It is blamed by many as overly onerous and partly responsible for the state’s housing crisis. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Cox Pins Gubernatorial Campaign On “Neighborhood Legislature” Initiative -- John Cox says the only way to get money out of California politics is to multiply the number of state lawmakers by 100. He’s dead serious. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 11/3/17

Politifact CA: Does California spend ‘nearly 5 times as much’ to build a mile of road as rest of nation? -- It’s not cheap to build anything in California. Land and labor is expensive and the state has some of the strictest environmental permitting rules anywhere. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 11/3/17

Democratic State Sen. Josh Newman has raised $1.8 million to fight threatened recall campaign by GOP -- The California Republican Party has spent $822,000 on a petition drive for a recall election against State Sen. Josh Newman, while the Democratic lawmaker from Fullerton has raised $1.8 million to fight the effort to remove him from office, according to campaign finance reports. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

San Fernando Valley activists call on Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra to resign -- A group led by San Fernando Valley-area activists is calling for California Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra to resign following revelations that, as a top legislative aide eight years ago, he was disciplined after being accused of groping another staffer. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

San Diego Lawmaker Talks Climate Change At Vatican -- Congressman Scott Peters is part of a large California delegation at the Vatican climate conference that also includes Governor Jerry Brown and Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher V. Ramanathan. Erik Anderson KPBS -- 11/3/17

Oil industry spent millions on lobbying as California lawmakers debated cap-and-trade extension -- Corporations, unions and other interests spent $86.2 million on lobbying state government during the last quarter, with the oil industry leading the way as the Legislature approved an extension of California’s cap-and-trade program. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Fox: Villaraigosa, Business Support and Prop 13 -- Former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in a recent gubernatorial debate, made it clear that he thinks changes should be considered to Proposition 13. Advocating for a change in law that would raise taxes on commercial property could put in jeopardy business support for his candidacy that seemed to be growing. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/3/17

Billionaire CEO Joe Ricketts shuts down DNAinfo and Gothamist, including Chicago operations -- The neighborhood news coverage in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and other markets drew more than 15 million visits per month, Ricketts said, but it was not enough to make the business model viable. Robert Channick in the Los Angeles Times$ Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Gov. Brown denies parole for ex-Mexican Mafia killer Rene Enriquez, who reveals past sex abuse -- Gov. Jerry Brown denied parole Thursday for former Mexican Mafia shot-caller Rene "Boxer" Enriquez, marking the third time that the governor has blocked the convicted killer's bids for freedom. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Bacterial outbreak sickens hundreds of Marine recruits in San Diego -- With most of the cases linked to Shiga toxin-producing E.coli bacteria, physicians are treating 302 patients out of the more than 5,500 candidates undergoing training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Carl Prine in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

California’s high taxes, costly housing mean trouble under GOP tax plan -- People who itemize their deductions could still deduct their property taxes under the bill, but only up to $10,000 per year. Today there is no limit. If you bought a new California home for roughly $900,000 today, your state and local property taxes would be about $10,000 a year. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

House tax plan would hurt many California homeowners, but state GOP members look for the bright side -- The GOP tax plan unveiled Thursday would be a blow to many California taxpayers. That’s not a deal breaker for California’s Republicans, who so far seem optimistic the bill is the best deal for their constituents. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Owning a home could cost more under GOP tax plan, especially if you live in L.A. -- The Republican tax plan released Thursday seeks to dramatically rewrite rules that have shaped the housing market for decades, potentially dealing a blow to California, where a shortage of housing has led to some of the highest home prices in the nation. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

GOP tax plan has outsized impact on SoCal homeowners, homebuyers -- Congressional Republicans introduced a tax overhaul plan that would disproportionately affect future homebuyers in high-priced real estate markets such as Southern California. Josie Huang with David Wagner KPCC -- 11/3/17

Mortgage deduction cap would hit some California home buyers -- The tax overhaul House Republicans unveiled Thursday keeps the mortgage interest deduction, as promised. But it adds a cap for new home buyers, who would only be able to deduct the interest for the first $500,000 of their mortgage. Emily Cadei McClatchyDC -- 11/3/17

Polls: Americans aren't buying key White House arguments for tax overhaul -- Only about one-quarter of Americans believe that passing a tax overhaul should be "the top priority for the president and Congress," according to a CBS News poll released Wednesday; 70 percent said other things should be "addressed first." And even Republicans aren't particularly enthused: Only about half (51 percent) said an overhaul should be the top issue. Danielle Kurtzleben NPR -- 11/3/17

Stephen Curry responds to name drop in GOP’s tax proposal -- In its 429-page tax plan announced Thursday, the GOP names one person: Warriors guard Stephen Curry. Curry’s name drop came in an example about individual wage income: Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

LAPD union calls for ‘urgent action’ on Hepatitis A vaccines after officer contracts virus -- A Los Angeles police union says there’s an urgent need to acquire Hepatitis A vaccines for more than 1,000 Los Angeles police officers – a need brought into sharp focus after an officer recently contracted the virus that causes liver disease and inflammation. Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/3/17

Tesla stock takes a hit as GOP unveils tax plan that eliminates electric car subsidy -- The shift toward electric vehicles took a big hit Thursday when Republicans officially proposed wiping out the $7,500 federal tax credit for buyers of electric cars as part of a sweeping tax overhaul. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/3/17

PG&E sued in Santa Rosa woman’s fire death -- The brother of a paraplegic woman who was killed when the Tubbs fire destroyed her assisted living center in Santa Rosa sued PG&E Thursday in what appears to be the first wrongful death claim connected to the recent wildfires. Paul Payne in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 11/3/17

Two New Wildfire Lawsuits Filed Against PG&E -- One case was filed Thursday morning by three families in Redwood Valley in Mendocino County, who fled for their lives early on the morning of Oct. 9 and lost their homes. KQED -- 11/3/17

PG&E issues first repair estimate for Wine Country fires -- Restoring power in the wake of last month’s devastating Wine Country wildfires will likely cost Pacific Gas and Electric Co. $160 million to $200 million, the utility’s corporate parent reported Thursday in its first financial estimate for the work. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Northern California grape growers begin to face smoke taint damages -- Throughout Wine Country, as the harrowing 2017 harvest nears its end, small-scale growers like Bucklin are facing a harsh reality: Wineries may not be willing to buy their product because they don’t want to sell smoke-tainted wines to consumers. When that happens, it’s largely not the wineries that take the hit, but the growers. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Can CalPERS Divestment Make A Difference In Controversial Projects? -- As protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline were growing last November, San Jose Democratic Assemblyman Ash Kalra was winning his first term in office. He didn’t celebrate long. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 11/3/17

Homeless  

Jury sides with Sacramento in homeless camping case -- The city of Sacramento did not treat homeless people unfairly in its enforcement of a longtime ordinance banning outdoor camping for extended periods in public and private spaces, a Superior Court jury decided Thursday. Cynthia Hubert in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/3/17

Wildfire  

Fire damage to Sonoma County parks ranges from severe to untouched -- Catastrophic wildfires that claimed lives and destroyed property around the North Bay took a toll on public parklands and open space, scorching ridgelines and setting undeveloped mountains hauntingly ablaze. More than three weeks later, the post-fire assessments in Sonoma County are stark. Mary Callahan in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 11/3/17

PG&E sued in Santa Rosa woman’s fire death -- The brother of a paraplegic woman who was killed when the Tubbs fire destroyed her assisted living center in Santa Rosa sued PG&E Thursday in what appears to be the first wrongful death claim connected to the recent wildfires. Paul Payne in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 11/3/17

Two New Wildfire Lawsuits Filed Against PG&E -- One case was filed Thursday morning by three families in Redwood Valley in Mendocino County, who fled for their lives early on the morning of Oct. 9 and lost their homes. KQED -- 11/3/17

Food truck ‘strike team’ headed to Santa Rosa to feed fire victims -- A Bay Area food truck “strike team” is headed to downtown Santa Rosa Saturday to serve lunch to anyone affected by the fires. Christi Warren in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 11/3/17

EPA finished with hazardous waste cleanup at one-third of destroyed Sonoma County homes -- Hundreds of fire-scorched 5-gallon propane tanks were piled Thursday at a Windsor industrial park, a collection point for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s removal of household hazardous waste in the wake of the North Bay wildfires. Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 11/3/17

Education 

Teachers spend nearly $1,000 a year on supplies. Under the GOP tax bill, they will no longer get a tax deduction -- It’s well known that teachers — even those who earn meager salaries — dig deep into their own pockets for supplies to do their jobs, with one study estimating they spend an average of nearly $1,000 a year on everything from pencils to batteries. Moriah Balingit in the Washington Post$ -- 11/3/17

Republican tax bill would kill deductibility of student loan interest -- The tax deduction for student loan interest would be eliminated as part of the sweeping tax changes proposed by House Republicans on Thursday. The changes also call for levying a 1.4% tax on the investment income earned by private colleges and universities that have sizable endowments, which would appear to include USC. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

LAUSD and charter schools locked in 'game of chicken' that could lead to unprecedented number of denials next week -- For all the debate about the impact of a burgeoning charter school sector on the Los Angeles Unified School District, the district's leaders very rarely reject a request to open a charter school. Even more rarely do they refuse to allow an existing charter school to stay open. Next week, that pattern could get broken in a big way. Kyle Stokes KPCC Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Cannabis 

San Francisco panel seeks to legalize pot smoking inside dispensaries -- With two months left until the sale of recreational marijuana becomes legal throughout California, San Francisco’s cannabis rules are continuing their twisted path through the city’s legislative process. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Water  

Why Rising Temperatures Threaten Southern California’s Drinking Water -- Rising temperatures are undermining the source of one-third of Southern California’s drinking water: the Colorado River. Emily Guerin KQED -- 11/3/17

Environment 

US Water Commission Wants To Hold Workshop To Avoid Lawsuit Over Sewage Spill -- The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission announced Thursday that it wants to hold a workshop with San Diego-area cities and agencies in hopes of staving off a lawsuit over the flow of sewage from Mexico. KPBS -- 11/3/17

Suit over PG&E’s alleged bay pollution is reinstated -- A federal appeals court reinstated an environmental group’s lawsuit Thursday that accuses Pacific Gas and Electric Co. of contaminating San Francisco and Humboldt bays with potentially dangerous chemicals in a wood preservative used on utility poles. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

L.A., Long Beach ports adopt plan to slash air pollution and go zero-emissions -- The nation's largest port complex approved a plan Thursday to slash air pollution by encouraging the phase-out of diesel trucks in favor of natural gas and, ultimately, zero-emissions trucks and cargo-handling equipment over the next two decades. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Marine Corps Waits For Nuke Waste Removal From San Onofre -- The Navy and Marines would like to reclaim the land where the San Onofre nuclear power plant now sits, as soon as it is safely decommissioned. But with nuclear waste stored on the site indefinitely, that could be decades. Alison St John KPBS -- 11/3/17

U.S. Government Report Says Climate Is Warming, Humans Are the Cause -- The climate report, obtained by NPR, notes that the past 115 years are “the warmest in the history of modern civilization.” The global average temperature has increased by about 1.8 degree Fahrenheit over that period. Greenhouse gases from industry and agriculture are by far the biggest contributor to warming. Christopher Joyce NPR -- 11/3/17

Also . . . 

L.A. family disappears after pirate raid in Amazon rainforest, then re-emerges on a surfboard -- Each day, tens of thousands of people around the world scroll through their Instagram feeds for news of Adam and Emily Harteau and their travels through South America with their kids in an old Volkswagen van. Matt Pearce and Jill Langlois in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

Día de los Muertos Altars Honor Victims of the Ghost Ship Fire -- As the Bay Area prepares for the painful one-year anniversary of the Dec. 2 Ghost Ship warehouse fire, many have taken to existing local traditions for rituals of remembrance. Sarah Hotchkiss KQED -- 11/3/17

Federal jury says police officer used excessive force in 2012 shooting that helped spark riots in Anaheim -- Jurors on Thursday, after a little more than a day of deliberations, found in a civil case seeking monetary damages that Anaheim Officer Nick Bennallack used excessive force when he shot and killed Manuel Diaz, 25, during a short foot chase. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register -- 11/3/17

The LAPD arrested 462 people in anti-Trump protests. Only three were criminally charged, Times analysis finds -- During demonstrations that erupted across the nation after the election of President Trump last year, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested hundreds of protesters — far more than any other law enforcement agency in the country. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/3/17

San Francisco medical examiner’s staff exits squalid Hall of Justice for new facility -- San Francisco city officials on Thursday commemorated the completion of the new Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The 46,000-square-foot facility, located at 1 Newhall Street in the Bayview, is expected to provide a vastly improved work environment for the medical examiner’s 35-person staff. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/3/17

Diner en Blanc brings a little French class to Orange County -- Did anybody see 900 ghostly-looking party-goers Thursday night at Bolsa Chica State Beach, all dressed in white, drinking, dining, dancing and lighting sparklers on the sand? That wasn’t a hallucination or a movie set — it was Orange County’s first Diner en Blanc. Paul Hodgins in the Orange County Register -- 11/3/17

POTUS 45  

Post-ABC poll: Most Americans approve of Trump-Russia probe, and nearly half think Trump committed a crime -- More than twice as many Americans approve as disapprove of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of possible coordination between Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds, indicating that the conservative effort to discredit the probe has fallen flat as the case has progressed toward its first public charges. Emily Guskin and Matt Zapotosky in the Washington Post$ -- 11/3/17

Beltway 

Democrats express outrage over allegations of early party control for Clinton in 2016 -- Many Democrats expressed outrage Thursday at allegations from a former party chairwoman that an agreement with the Democratic National Committee gave the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton some day-to-day control over the party early in the 2016 campaign. Michael Scherer, David Weigel and Karen Tumulty in the Washington Post$ -- 11/3/17

Female lawmakers allege harassment by colleagues in House -- For years, Republican Rep. Mary Bono endured the increasingly suggestive comments from a fellow lawmaker in the House. But when the congressman approached her on the House floor and told her he'd been thinking about her in the shower, she'd had enough. Erica werner and Juliet Linderman Associated Press -- 11/3/17

 

-- Thursday Updates 

New liberal challenger to Sen. Dianne Feinstein launches bid on 'The Young Turks' -- A new Democratic candidate used a popular liberal news show Thursday to launch a bid to oust Dianne Feinstein, saying it’s time for California’s longtime senator to go. "Dianne Feinstein isn't doing it at all," said 37-year-old Alison Hartson, the leader of a group aimed at getting money out of politics, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/2/17

Bay Area home buyers face mortgage deduction slam from GOP tax plan -- Take the Bay Area’s median home price in September of $768,000. A 20 percent down payment would leave the homeowner with a $614,400 loan. That means that the home buyer would have $114,400 that no longer would be deductible — a potentially significant tax hit. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/2/17

Winners and losers in the GOP tax plan -- Here's a rundown of who is happy and who isn't as the details emerge regarding the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” the centerpiece of President Trump's “MAGAnomics” agenda. Heather Long in the Washington Post$ Jeanne Sahadi CNN -- 11/2/17

GOP tax plan may offer little aid for many in middle class -- But the proposal’s conflicting provisions and phase-outs of certain benefits suggest that taxes could rise for some middle class earners over time. And for many, the income gains being touted by President Donald Trump are unlikely to materialize. Josh Boak Associated Press -- 11/2/17

GOP tax plan could lead Apple, other Silicon Valley firms to bring overseas cash back -- The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes a permanent slashing of the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from the current 35 percent. It would also create a one-time tax rate of 12 percent on cash held overseas and 5 percent on illiquid holdings. That’s known as a tax holiday, which is meant to encourage U.S. multinational companies to repatriate the money they keep abroad. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/2/17

Worst question to ask a California Republican: Where do you differ from Trump? -- Here’s one question that California’s Republican candidates for governor don’t want to hear, let alone answer: How are you different from President Trump? That’s because answering it is a no-win proposition for Republicans marooned west of the Sierra Nevada. So they do what politicians do best: They parse. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/2/17

GOP senators say fate of ‘dreamers’ must wait for next year -- President Donald Trump and Republican senators agreed Thursday not to deal with a needed fix for young immigrants in must-pass year-end spending legislation, according to some GOP lawmakers. Instead, they said, a solution would wait until next year for some 800,000 immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children. Kevin Freking Associated Press -- 11/2/17

‘Vitriolic’ arguments over diversity, bias preceded firing of black state judge -- To her superiors at the Public Utilities Commission, Chief Administrative Law Judge Karen Clopton earned her dismissal for being insubordinate, intimidating, abusive and demeaning. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/2/17

Anaheim officer who shot and killed fleeing 25-year-old used excessive force, jury finds -- An Anaheim police officer used excessive force when he gunned down a 25-year-old man who was running away from him in an apartment building courtyard in 2012, a federal jury decided Thursday in the trial of a lawsuit filed against the city and the officer by the man's family. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/2/17

Horsey: Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the right mouthpiece for a truth-twisting president -- Sarah Huckabee Sanders does not look like the kind of woman Donald Trump would choose as his chief spokesperson. David Horsey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/2/17

Lee: Fixing tech culture requires Silicon Valley to confront its impulse for control -- As women across the country continued to share stores of sexual assault and harassment, a curious email recently landed in my inbox. Thomas Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/2/17

Taylor: Deportation chosen over Richmond jail; complaints under investigation -- Dianny Patricia Menendez begged to be deported. In early October, the 38-year-old undocumented immigrant told immigration Judge Joseph Park in San Francisco that she could no longer tolerate the conditions at the jail in Contra Costa County where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was detaining her. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/2/17