Updating . .
She wanted a job and said California senator invited her home. He fired aides who knew -- California Sen. Tony Mendoza fired three aides in September as allegations were reported to the Senate Rules Committee that the senator repeatedly invited home a young woman who wanted a job and employed a district director with a felony record. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/9/17
Senate tax bill would end popular tax break used by 1 in 3 Californians -- California's Republican members may have hoped the Senate tax bill unveiled Thursday would revive the popular deductions for all state income and property taxes, but it doesn't. Getting rid of state and local tax deductions is a blow to residents of high tax states, including California, where 1 in 3 people claim the deduction. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
What the Senate’s tax bill means for the Bay Area -- the chamber’s version reportedly keeps the mortgage interest deduction limit at $1 million, as compared with the House legislation released last week which placed a cap of $500,000 for new home sales. Yet while that pain has apparently been averted for anyone wanting to buy a home in the ultra-pricey San Francisco Bay, another element of the Senate plan will put salt in the regions’ wounds. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/9/17
Proposed tax overhaul hurts affordable housing in GOP districts, California treasurer says -- Low-income housing programs on the chopping block in the House GOP’s proposed tax ovehaul created nearly 10,000 new homes in the 14 Republican-held congressional districts in California over the last four years, according to new data released by state Treasurer John Chiang. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Democrats add California's Rep. Tom McClintock to list of vulnerable Republicans for 2018 -- The announcement is a sign of increasing confidence after Democrats won sweeping victories in Virginia and New Jersey earlier this week. The party is hoping for a wave of support that could return the House to Democratic control. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
California Assembly Democrats ask McCarthy, Pelosi for tax overhaul that is 'fair' to the state -- Calling out a series of provisions they argue will unfairly target Californians, Assembly Democrats asked the state's congressional leaders Thursday not to "rush to pass legislation" overhauling federal tax policy. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Darrell Issa among Republicans now pushing for quick DACA fix -- Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) joined about a dozen Republican House members from across the country on Thursday to urge House leaders to find a fast solution for the hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Deportations of Vietnamese, Cambodians leave Bay Area Asian immigrants shaken -- More than 200 Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrants across the Bay Area and nationwide were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in October in never-before-seen roundups that have left communities shocked and in fear, according to local and national immigration activists. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/9/17
It's a tightening race for governor and Sen. Dianne Feinstein holds strong lead for reelection -- Californians overwhelmingly support Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s reelection bid, and she is far better known than her top rival, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. Voters are more divided in the governor’s race, creating a closer contest between Democrats Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa. Seema Mehta and Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Wine Country fire victims struggle to find stability -- Wearing an orange poncho, gloves and a mask, Teresa Philbin, 58, stooped over with a bent frying pan to sift through the ash of what was once her home in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood on Wednesday. Evan Sernoffsky, Kurtis Alexander and Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
Burned up and priced out: Santa Rosa fire evacuees fear they can’t afford to return -- For Sharon Ditmore, the signs of the holidays showing up in this city devastated by fire are both comforting and depressing. Ditmore lost her home in the working-class neighborhood of Coffey Park and has been living in a friend's guesthouse. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Tourists came to San Diego for Metallica, left with hepatitis A -- All three men ate and drank at World Famous, the Pacific Beach eatery that was the subject of a September warning from county officials about possible hepatitis A exposure. On Sept. 15 the county notified the public that a worker at World Famous had tested positive for the disease. Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/9/17
AP Exclusive: Russia Twitter trolls deflected Trump bad news -- Disguised Russian agents on Twitter rushed to deflect scandalous news about Donald Trump just before last year’s presidential election while straining to refocus criticism on the mainstream media and Hillary Clinton’s campaign, according to an Associated Press analysis of since-deleted accounts. Ryan Nakashima and Barbara Ortutay Associated Press -- 11/9/17
#MeToo moves from social media to the streets with march in Hollywood on Sunday -- The event is in response to the #MeToo campaign, a social media movement that grew out of accusations by actresses against movie producer Harvey Weinstein and encouraged other women from various backgrounds to share their stories. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Jobs going up, salaries going down in LA County, economic report shows -- Los Angeles County is expected to gain nearly 133,000 jobs between 2016 and 2021, according to a report released Thursday, but it also shows that inflation-adjusted household incomes are 4.5 percent below where they were in 1990. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/9/17
Trump's Asia trip shows U.S. at risk of being sidelined in the region's economic future -- Instead of offering concessions, both the United States' historical allies, Japan and South Korea, as well as China, its most serious Pacific rival, signaled that they had taken Trump at his word: His "America First" policy means the United States will become less and less a player in the fastest-growing and most dynamic region in the world. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Macy's is shutting its Westside Pavilion store and others in California -- Macy's Inc. plans to close its store at Los Angeles' Westside Pavilion mall, as well as two others in California, the retail giant said Thursday as it grapples with consumers' increasing shift to online shopping. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Lawsuit says public is being deprived of input before San Diego City Council proclamations pass -- A lawsuit claims San Diego is stifling public comment at City Council meetings by not allowing people to express opinions about proclamations honoring individuals or organizations until after they are honored. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/9/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
What Democrats’ big election wins in Virginia and N.J. say about Southern California races -- Democratic candidates in Southern California woke up Wednesday excited about what election results on the other side of the country Tuesday might signal for key congressional races here next year. Kevin Modesti in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 11/9/17
Democratic wins Tuesday a reason for California Republicans to be nervous -- Democratic wins in the New Jersey and Virginia governors’ races, along with a surge of victories in down-ballot contests across the country, have party leaders gleeful about their chances in the 2018 midterm elections, including seven targeted congressional races in California. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
Emissions fall under California's cap-and-trade program -- Industries regulated under California’s cap-and-trade program reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 5% in 2016, according to new data released by state officials. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
End may be nearing for Diablo Canyon nuclear plant -- Diablo Canyon, which sits on a coastal bluff near San Luis Obispo, has been the focus of protests since long before it started operations in 1985. A maze of earthquake faults, all of them discovered after construction began, nearly surrounds the plant. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
To What Extent Can Gov. Brown Pursue Foreign Policy? -- During his trip to Europe this week, California Governor Jerry Brown is urging foreign governments to bypass the Trump administration and coordinate with states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Former U.S. ambassador Charles Reis says it’s common for politicians to undertake international trips, trade agreements, and even public disputes with federal policy. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 11/9/17
Villaraigosa: 'There’s not enough concern about the environmental impacts of climate change on the poor' -- Gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa said Wednesday that Democratic wins in Virginia and New Jersey are clear signs that voters across the United States want to elect leaders who have a vision of uniting the nation. That vision, Villaraigosa said, should include a focus on creating clean energy jobs and job training, especially for low-income residents. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Walters: Another reminder that there’s no free lunch -- It’s doubtful whether more than a relative handful of Californians have heard of the Unemployment Insurance Fund. It is, however, one of state government’s largest activities – and a case study in political mismanagement. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 11/9/17
Skelton: 'When will this end?' When Congress has the courage to stand up to the gun lobby -- The death toll from the Texas church killings was still rising when U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein issued a simple statement that spoke for many millions of Americans. She asked: "When will this end? When will we decide that we can't accept massacres in our places of worship, schools or at concerts? When will we actually do something about it?" Excellent question. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
In wake of Wine Country fires, state proposes new utility safety rules -- One month to the day after wind-driven wildfires erupted across Wine Country, California regulators on Wednesday proposed a new set of tougher safety rules for power lines, phone lines and utility poles in parts of the state prone to destructive blazes. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
Air board broke law in adopting last-minute, industry-friendly smog measure, judge rules -- Southern California's air quality board broke the law and "abused its discretion" when it adopted oil industry-backed changes to smog rules the day of a hearing without delaying the vote to give the public more time to comment, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
How California ranks in the nation's opioid epidemic -- With the nation in the grip of a deadly opioid crisis, California seems to have been spared to some degree when compared with many other states. But the human toll it has taken on the most populous state is still staggering. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/9/17
Stem cell agency plots against its own death -- California’s $3 billion stem cell research program later this month is expected to unveil detailed plans for extending its life beyond the middle of 2020 in hopes of avoiding a lingering death. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 11/9/17
Among low turnout elections across LA County, Compton voters reject salary increase -- Compton voters have turned down a proposed salary increase for the city's mayor and council members in a big way: semi-official results from the special election held Tuesday show nearly 73 percent of voters rejecting a pay hike. Mary Plummer KPCC -- 11/9/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
GOP bill would hike taxes on 31 percent of middle-class Americans by 2027, study finds -- Nine percent of middle-class tax filers (those earning between $48,600 and $86,100) would pay more in taxes next year, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center released Wednesday. By 2027, 31 percent of middle-class filers would see tax hikes, the center said. Heather Long in the Washington Post$ -- 11/9/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
State agencies and SoCalGas bicker over Aliso Canyon as winter nears -- The Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field in Los Angeles County may be back up and running — albeit on a limited basis — but that has not dispelled concerns about reliable supplies. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/9/17
Housing
Housing advocates target Long Beach in latest crusade for rent control -- Long Beach housing advocates are planning to put the issue of rent control before city voters next year in hopes of reining in fast-rising housing costs in one of California's largest cities. Josie Huang KPCC -- 11/9/17
Education
Executives who resigned from UC were involved in audit interference -- One of the two executives who resigned this week from the University of California president’s office wrote emails directing campuses to reveal and sometimes alter their answers in a confidential state auditor’s survey, which tainted the review and prompted the state to demand an investigation. The other was his boss, who was copied on many of the emails. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
Cal State trustees call for preserving legal protections for 'Dreamers' -- California State University’s board of trustees unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday encouraging leaders of the nation’s largest public university system and each of its 23 campuses to support and advocate for the continued protection of their 8,300 “Dreamer” students and hundreds more faculty and staff members. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
UCLA trio could face lengthy legal proceeding in China; basketball team moves on without them -- The three UCLA basketball players questioned over shoplifting allegations in Hangzhou, China, could face a lengthy legal limbo depending on the actions of authorities handling their case, an expert in Chinese law said Wednesday. Ben Bolch in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/17
Judge says San Francisco State Jewish students haven’t shown evidence of university discrimination -- A lawsuit by current and former Jewish students accusing San Francisco State University of fostering anti-Semitism suffered a setback Wednesday when a federal judge said the students had failed, at least so far, to show any discrimination by university officials. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
California moves to curtail expelling children from preschool — yes, preschool – After successfully reducing expulsions in its K-12 schools, California is now moving to restrict the practice with even younger children — at the preschool level. Lee Romney EdSource -- 11/9/17
Cannabis
Santa Rosa Planning Commission takes up regulation of recreational marijuana industry -- Santa Rosa’s rules for cannabis businesses have been some of the most inviting to indoor cultivators, manufacturers and other types of businesses in the county, but they don’t yet include any provisions for companies involved in for the non-medical marketplace. That could change. Julie Johnson in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 11/9/17
Environment
The global partnership fighting climate change expands. Is Trump helping the cause? -- Three summers ago, California Gov. Jerry Brown met with the environment minister of Baden-Württemberg, a large industrial state bordering France and Switzerland. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/9/17
New beach closures issued from Tijuana River sewage -- Precipitation carrying tainted water through the Tijuana River into the Pacific Ocean triggered beach closures Tuesday evening from the international border to Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/9/17
California’s new Salton Sea plan won’t stop environmental disaster, Redlands expert says -- California’s Water Resources Control Board described its new Salton Sea plan as a landmark agreement, but at least one expert is questioning the modified approach, calling it “Band-Aids to a very serious environmental disaster.”Jim Steinberg in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 11/9/17
Second San Francisco mountain lion sighting recorded by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff -- Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is having a busy week, what with Dreamforce taking over downtown San Francisco and a second mountain lion sighting near his Pacific Heights home in the past five days. Dianne de Guzman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
Californians may gain access to a mile of rural coast -- A stretch of remote California coastline would become available to the public after more than a century of private ownership under a proposal expected to receive approval by the state's powerful Coastal Commission. The ranch land is a rarity on the 21st century coast of Southern California - free of urban sprawl, crowds, cookie-cutter developments and freeways. Associated Press -- 11/9/17
Also . . .
Canadian expert says Steinle shooting could have been accidental -- The fatal shooting of Kate Steinle on San Francisco’s Pier 14 had the characteristics of an unintentional discharge, a forensic firearms expert said in court on Wednesday. Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
Special San Francisco court gives military veterans a 2nd chance -- Graduation came early this year, but a few years late in another sense, for some veterans in San Francisco on Wednesday. Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/17
POTUS 45
Four Pinocchios: Trump’s claim that the House GOP bill is ‘so bad for rich people’ -- We do not normally fact-check secondhand comments, but the White House does not dispute this phrasing. Moreover, it cries out for a fact check. Is there really nothing in the House GOP tax plan for the rich but repeal of the estate tax? Let’s take a look. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 11/9/17
Trump voters: We'd do it again -- According to a Politico/Morning Consult poll conducted on the eve of the first anniversary of Trump's historic election, 82 percent of those who say they supported Trump last year would vote for him again if they had to do it over. That's slightly more than those who say they would vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton again — 78 percent — if they had the chance. Steven Shepard Politico -- 11/9/17
Beltway
‘Canary in the coal mine’: Republicans fear Democratic wins mean more losses to come -- A wave of Democratic victories ignited a ferocious debate across the Republican Party on Wednesday over whether President Trump’s unorthodox behavior and polarizing agenda are jeopardizing the GOP’s firm grip on power in Congress, governors’ mansions and state legislatures. Robert Costa and Philip Rucker in the Washington Post$ -- 11/9/17
-- Wednesday Updates
More California Democrats say they won't vote to keep government open without fix for DACA -- Half a dozen California Democrats joined House colleagues Wednesday to say they won't back a bill that allows the federal government to spend money unless Congress passes the Dream Act to address the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people who were brought to the country illegally as children. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/8/17
Jerry Brown blasts climate change ‘denialists in the room’ at European Parliament -- Gov. Jerry Brown, arriving in Brussels after collegial events in Germany, sparred publicly with British politicians when confronted over his climate change record at the European Parliament on Wednesday. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/8/17
CHP officer says agency harassed him for serving in National Guard -- Lt. Col. Christopher Lutz joined the California National Guard in 1996, eventually ending up as a pilot in the Air Guard and deploying to missions fighting wildfires, providing hurricane relief and serving in combat to rescue wounded soldiers overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/8/17
Sen. Dianne Feinstein reintroduces assault weapons ban legislation -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation Wednesday to ban the sale and possession of military style assault weapons. The push comes after two mass shootings in six weeks, including a shooting at a church in Texas on Sunday that killed 26 people. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ Filipa Ioannou in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/8/17
On election night, Democratic voters erect “big blue wall” on the West Coast -- On an election day when Democratic candidates unseated their Republican rivals in races from Virginia to Maine to New Jersey, delivering what the Seattle Times called the “GOP’s most significant day of defeat in the young Trump presidency,” Dhingra’s victory in Washington state over Republican Jinyoung Englund means the West Coast is now the solid center of the resistance, with Democrats controlling legislatures and governorships from Seattle down to San Diego. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/8/17
GOP candidate for governor Travis Allen donated to Gavin Newsom and other Democrats -- State Assemblyman Travis Allen, an Orange County Republican running for California governor, has built his political brand by railing against the policies of Gov. Jerry Brown and state Democrats. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/8/17
Democratic candidates for governor declare support for California's signature education reforms -- The four leading Democratic candidates vying to be the next governor of California say they are committed to continuing landmark education reforms initiated by Gov. Jerry Brown, who will be termed out of office next year. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 11/8/17
As ‘Only the Brave’ firefighter drama hits theaters, science works on life-saving shelters -- As Hollywood rolls out a blockbuster drama about the 19 firefighters killed after crawling inside their protective emergency shelters during a raging 2013 wildfire, the federal government is wrapping up a real-life bid to improve the nation’s standard-issue fire shelter — by going space-age. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/8/17
Lopez: It takes a special arrogance to steal a parking place from a disabled person. And this cop is out to bust you -- If you have a disabled parking placard in your car, but it was issued to someone who isn't along for the ride, here's a tip: Someone's watching. Not every day, not everywhere. But you run the risk of getting caught and having an extremely bad day. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/8/17
Schnur: California Republicans have to choose between their philosophy and their constituents -- There are fewer Republicans in the California congressional delegation than there are players on the roster of the Los Angeles Lakers. Dan Schnur in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/8/17