Updating . .   

California’s new wildfire prevention map could be delayed — again -- When California regulators in December adopted tough new rules to prevent power lines from starting wildfires, they based the rules on a map. Years in development, the detailed map will show which parts of California face an elevated or extreme risk of wildfires. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/9/18

At least 8 dead as heavy rains trigger flooding, mudflows and freeway closures across Southern California -- At least eight people were killed Tuesday when a rainstorm sent mud and debris coursing through Montecito neighborhoods and left rescue crews to scramble through clogged roadways and downed trees to search for victims. James Queally, Joseph Serna and Michael Livingston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

Jerry Brown’s last budget: 19 billion reasons to smile and two big questions -- Gov. Jerry Brown has 19 billion reasons to feel optimistic when he releases his last budget proposal this week. Eight years after he took office in the free fall of the Great Recession, the state is on pace to build a $19.3 billion surplus by July 1, 2019. But these are not necessarily flush times, warn the liberal policy advocates who normally would be urging Brown to put the surplus into new government services. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/18

Former White House strategist Stephen Bannon stepping down from Breitbart News -- Former White House advisor Stephen Bannon has stepped down from his post at Breitbart News after he was quoted disparaging President Trump’s children in a new book about the administration, the right-wing news website confirmed Tuesday. Seema Mehta and Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

Sen. Dianne Feinstein releases Fusion GPS transcript, escalating dispute with Republicans over Russia probe -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday released the full transcript of the panel’s interview with Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of the firm that researched President Trump during the 2016 campaign. The lengthy transcript was released over the objections of Republicans, who have been sharply critical of Simpson’s firm, Fusion GPS. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

California now has a one-two punch on the Russia inquiry -- Kamala Harris is joining the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic leaders announced Tuesday. The move not only adds a coveted post to the junior senator’s already high-profile set of committee assignments, it puts the state of California in a plum position to shape the inquiry into the Trump administration and its ties to Russia. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/18

California progressive on Oprah 2020: We don’t need our own Donald Trump -- Oprah Winfrey’s rousing address at the Golden Globes, along with confirmation from people close to her that she’s looking at the race, has vaulted the media mogul into the 2020 presidential conversation. But within hours of the story landing, predictable backlash ensued. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/18

Fox: Oprah Jumps Ahead of the California Presidential Candidates Parade–At Least for a Day -- Now we are hearing about another Californian for president—Oprah Winfrey. With the nation-state of California in stiff opposition to the man in the Oval Office, a number of Californians are considering a move across the country to the White House. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/9/18

Quinn: Will The “C” Question Destroy The Democratic Party? -- A simple request from the Trump Justice Department to the Census Bureau to add a single question to the 2020 federal census is causing a huge uproar among liberal and Democratic groups because it could have a devastating political impact for Democrats in the next decade. This is the “C” question: are you a citizen or not. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 1/9/18

Supervisors Breed and Kim in race for San Francisco mayor for real now — Herrera out -- San Francisco acting Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Jane Kim made their bids for the mayor’s office official on Tuesday after filing their candidacy paperwork with the city’s elections department. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/9/18

Man who suffered eye injury in jail says the county delayed surgery to save money – as his vision faded -- Ramin Shekarlab hasn’t had the best of luck. An Iranian-born man who started a new life in Sacramento as a car salesman and insurance agent, Shekarlab was shot four times –once in the head at point-blank range – in an unsolved incident at a Fulton Avenue used car lot in 2004, according to court records. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Thousands evacuated as first major rainstorm in a year hits Southern California -- Thousands were evacuated in burn areas Monday as the first major rainstorm in nearly a year moved into Southern California, triggering stern warnings from authorities about flash flooding and debris flows. Alene Tchekmedyian, Brittny Mejia and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

Everything you need to know about the suddenly wide-open race for an Orange County congressional district -- Now that Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is the first California member of Congress to opt for retirement instead of a long, contentious campaign for reelection, his 39th Congressional District is getting a new look from Democrats eager to regain control of the House of Representatives. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

GOP congressman’s surprise retirement plan gives Dems a chance in Orange County -- Democrats hoping to recapture Congress by flipping 24 GOP-held seats may have caught an unexpected break Monday in Orange County: Thirteen-term Republican Rep. Ed Royce announced he would not seek re-election, giving Democrats a chance to win a rapidly changing district that Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/9/18

Republican Rep. Ed Royce is out. Democrats’ chances to flip Orange County seat just got better -- Orange County Congressman Ed Royce, a targeted Republican, announced Monday he will not run for re-election in one of several seats Democrats hope to capture in 2018. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/18

Gov. Jerry Brown's signature plan for low-income schools gets full funding in his new state budget -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s landmark law that sends additional dollars to K-12 students from disadvantaged communities will meet its funding goals two years ahead of schedule under a budget proposal to be unveiled in Sacramento on Wednesday. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

Oil giant ExxonMobil counters climate-change suits by San Francisco, other governments -- Oil giant ExxonMobil has launched a counterpunch to the lawsuits filed by San Francisco and other communities that seek damages for climate change, alleging that the California jurisdictions conspired to vilify and taunt the oil industry. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/9/18

Women lawmakers join #WhyWeWearBlack protest at California Capitol -- Female lawmakers in California wore black to the Senate and Assembly floor sessions on Monday, extending a protest from Sunday night’s Golden Globes ceremony that aimed to broaden the conversation about workplace sexual harassment. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/18

Assembly Speaker Says Single-Payer Remains Shelved -- “Absolutely nothing has happened with the bill,” Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, says of the high-profile Senate measure to establish single-payer health care. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 1/9/18

Oprah 2020? California congresswoman says, ‘An army of women would fight for you’ -- Oprah 2020? Speculation over a potential 2020 presidential run by Oprah Winfrey has surged on social media, with the hashtag #Oprah2020 trending following her Golden Globes speech Sunday night in which she delivered an assessment of the state of gender inequality, sexual harassment and race relations in America that quickly went viral. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/18

California is sitting on a surplus, but don’t expect a refund -- It should be said that California’s resistance began before there was a resistance. When Gov. Jerry Brown unveils his last budget Wednesday, it will bookend eight years of a progressive march to reduce greenhouse gases, expand health care, grant more rights to undocumented immigrants and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Judy Lin Calmatters -- 1/9/18

Tom Steyer Says He's Putting Millions Into 2018 Elections, But He Won't Run -- Major Democratic donor Tom Steyer says he will invest at least $30 million in the 2018 midterm elections but will not run for political office this year. The billionaire San Franciscan was rumored to be eyeing the race for California governor or U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein's seat. Sally Schilling Capital Public Radio Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ Ginger Gibson Reuters -- 1/9/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Three port truck companies exploited drivers, L.A. city attorney says in lawsuits -- Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer sued three port trucking companies Monday, alleging the firms exploit their drivers by misclassifying them as independent contractors, an arrangement that can result in take-home pay of only pennies. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

Push to reverse FCC rollback of net neutrality rules gets Senate boost -- Opponents of the FCC’s effort to roll back net neutrality rules have gained enough co-sponsors for a bill that would force a Senate vote on the matter. The repeal of the rules, which was approved 3-2 by the Federal Communications Commission last month, is opposed by many Democrats, public advocacy groups and tech companies. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/9/18

Plans for a Starbucks in Yosemite Gets Some Park Lovers Riled Up -- Yosemite National Park has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years. First, the trademark battle over some beloved and historic park names, and now a proposed Starbucks in the Yosemite Valley Lodge food court. Park lovers are not happy about it. Katrina Schwartz KQED -- 1/9/18

Immigration / Border 

For black immigrants here illegally, a battle against both fear and historic discrimination -- The young Ethiopian dreamed of owning his own business. It’s what he had worked toward since moving more than a decade ago from Addis Ababa to Los Angeles. Things seemed to be looking up for the 28-year-old. He taught himself investment banking and day trading and got a job as a project manager for a mortgage company. Makeda Easter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

Education 

How to hire a teacher: Report offers California schools advice -- The Burlingame School District highlights its Maker Spaces and technology program. The Belmont-Redwood Shores district promotes its partnership with a Columbia University reading and writing workshop. Tiny Bayshore Elementary talks about the advantages of working in a cozy community and the opportunity to shape the culture of a brand-new K-8 school. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/9/18

LA's choice: selecting an insider or outsider for next school superintendent – After Los Angeles Unified superintendent Michelle King announced last week that she would not be returning to her post for health reasons, one of the big questions facing the elected school board is whether it will turn to another insider to lead the district, or whether it will look beyond its borders for someone to replace her. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 1/9/18

Environment 

L.A.'s new recycling program has more than 28,000 complaints for missed trash pickup -- L.A.’s commercial-trash customers have filed more than 28,000 reports of missed collections since July, the latest sign of a turbulent roll-out for the city’s new recycling program. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

In California, Removable Plastic Bottle Caps Could Become A Thing Of the Past -- Removable plastic bottle caps could become a relic of the past if a bill inching its way through the California legislature becomes law. Assembly Bill 319 -- which passed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee Monday -- would require all single-use plastic bottles in the state to have an attached cap by 2020. Ezra David Romero Capital Public Radio -- 1/9/18

Also . . . 

Roman Polanski won't face '75 child molest charge as L.A. prosecutor cites expired statute of limitations -- Prosecutors in Los Angeles have formally declined to charge fugitive director Roman Polanski in connection with an allegation he molested a woman when she was a minor in 1975, saying the statute of limitations has expired. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/18

POTUS 45  

Is Trump mentally fit? Don't count on his physical to tell you -- If President Donald Trump were any other 71-year-old — covered by Medicare and having his annual wellness visit — he'd be checked on his cognitive functions and possible safety risks. But when the president goes for his physical exam Friday, the White House said his mental fitness won't be tested. Dan Diamond and Adam Cancryn Politico -- 1/9/18

Trump Overstates Size of Tax Cuts in Speech to Farmers -- President Trump delivered an economic victory lap during a speech to farmers on Monday in which he vastly overstated the size of the tax cuts passed by Congress late last year and played up a rollback of regulations on American businesses. Michael D. Shear and Jim Tankersly in the New York Times$ -- 1/9/18

 

-- Monday Updates 

California Republican Rep. Ed Royce won't seek reelection -- House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce will not run for reelection, he announced Monday. Royce, a Republican from Fullerton who was first elected to Congress in 1992, is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is known as a hawk and a free trade advocate. Christine Mai-Duc and Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/8/18

Mark Leno now officially a candidate for San Francisco mayor — filing deadline Tuesday -- Former state Sen. Mark Leno officially entered the San Francisco mayor’s race on Monday by filing his candidacy papers with the city’s Department of Elections. He had effectively kicked off the mayoral race after becoming the first candidate to pull papers to run back in May. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/8/18

Trump order upends future for a generation of Salvadorans who now must leave U.S. -- Moments before nurses whisked Jose Guevara into surgery Monday morning, he got word that his parents will be stripped of their immigration status and could be sent to a country they haven’t lived in for nearly two decades. “It’s disappointing and it’s scary,” said Guevara, 23, of Los Angeles, who is battling leukemia. “My mom is the one who is taking care of me.” Joseph Tanfani and Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/8/18

Billionaire Tom Steyer will not run for Senate or governor in California — this year -- San Francisco billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer said Monday he’s not going to run for Senate or the governor’s office in California this year. “I'm not going to run for office in 2018; that's not where I can make the biggest difference,” Steyer said at a news conference he called in Washington, D.C. “My fight is not just in California, my fight is in removing Donald Trump from office and from power.” Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kevin Modesti in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/8/18

Marin County has long resisted growth in the name of environmentalism. But high housing costs and segregation persist -- The December meeting on a proposed 400-home development played out as many have in Marin County. Dozens of residents approached the microphone to argue the project would hurt their quality of life. The Board of Supervisors killed the plan and told the developer what to expect when it tried again. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/8/18

Can California preserve net neutrality? Lawmakers pledge to try -- another episode of the California vs. Donald Trump saga, Democratic state lawmakers are promoting legislation to preserve equal internet access in defiance of a recent federal ruling. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/8/18

Fox: California Scheming: Playing Games with the Taxman -- Sacramento Democratic politicians are so concerned that taxpayers will have to pay more taxes to the federal government under the recently passed U.S. tax law that they have devised a scheme to help taxpayers avoid paying more federal taxes. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/8/18

‘Excess’ pension payments grow then phase out -- If the Internal Revenue Service annual limit for a public pension was $210,000 two years ago, why were the top 10 CalPERS pensions well above the limit, ranging from $290,273 to $390,485? The answer is that pension systems have the option of going over the IRS limit — if they set up a special fund so only the employer pays the cost of the “excess” pension amount. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 1/8/18

‘It was a scary thing.’ Hospital dumps senior at homeless shelter. He’s not the first -- Arlan Lewis, nearly 78 years old and hobbled by arthritis in his right hip, remembers feeling disoriented when a taxi dropped him in front of Sacramento’s Union Gospel Mission one afternoon last month. Cynthia Hubert in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/8/18