Updating . . .

Cerberus Agrees to Buy Safeway for $9 Billion -- Cerberus Capital Management LP reached an agreement to buy Safeway Inc. for more than $9 billion, in a deal that would represent the private-equity firm's latest acquisition of a big U.S. grocery chain. Dana Mattioli and Dana Cimilluca in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/6/14

California water official hopes for end to zero allocation -- A state water official said Thursday that farmers still have a chance to get San Joaquin River water this summer instead of the "zero allocation" announced. Lewis Griswold in the Fresno Bee -- 3/6/14

Lawmaker proposes making California secretary of State post nonpartisan -- The office of secretary of State would be stripped of partisan affiliation under a new proposal by Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo). Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Kashkari: Brown's legacy is 'destruction of the middle class' -- Leveling his most partisan attack yet in California's gubernatorial campaign, Republican Neel Kashkari on Thursday accused Democrats around the nation of "actively fighting against poor, black and brown kids" while, in California, he said Gov. Jerry Brown has destroyed the middle class. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

California Senate Democrats acknowledge lost public trust -- - In proposing to outlaw many gifts to lawmakers, including golf games and Lakers tickets, state Senate Democrats acknowledged Thursday that recent scandals have damaged how the public views the Legislature. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

State Senate is down to one black member, who's not happy about it -- The leave of absence by Sen. Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) has left the 40-person state Senate with just one African American member, a situation that is sparking concern about a lack of diversity. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Estimate of how much state owes for retiree healthcare keeps rising -- While lawmakers begin discussing ways to fix California's cash-strapped teacher pension system, another long-term financial problem continues to fester. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Matt Miller tries YouTube in crowded race to replace Rep. Waxman -- In an already crowded race to replace a retiring congressional veteran, journalist and radio host Matt Miller put his early campaign pitch on YouTube on Thursday morning. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

It's official: Google barge will dock at Port of Stockton -- Richard Aschieris said the port has made arrangements, through agents working on behalf of Google, to house the tech company's barge that had been under construction at its previous mooring at Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. Reed Fujii in the San Jose Mercury$ Richard Chang in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Disney Interactive lays off 700 employees -- Disney Interactive said it has consolidated its business to focus on "a streamlined suite of high quality digital products." "As a result of this restructuring, we have undergone a reduction in workforce," Wendy Lee KPCC -- 3/6/14

The Face Behind Bitcoin -- Two police officers from the Temple City, Calif., sheriff's department flank him, looking puzzled. "So, what is it you want to ask this man about?" one of them asks me. "He thinks if he talks to you he's going to get into trouble." Leah McGrath Goodman Newsweek -- 3/6/14 

California lawmaker wants to stop 'execessive' school superintendent pay -- Prompted by reports in the Daily Breeze last month that the Centinela Valley Superintendent was paid $663,365 in total compensation as the top executive of the 6,637 student high school district, Torrance area state assemblyman Al Muratsuchi has introduced a bill that would prevent excessive school superintendent salaries. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 3/6/14

Among highest paid in the state, Berkeley elected officials ponder asking for a raise -- But that's not saying much when you consider the yearly take for a City Council member is $31,464 for what amounts to a full-time job, according to two elected officials who think voters should give them a pay hike in November. Doug Oakley in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 3/6/14

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Senate Democrats proposing revamp of campaign, gift laws -- Countering a series of scandals, including criminal charges against two of its members, state Senate Democrats plan Thursday to propose sweeping changes to the state Political Reform Act, including stricter limits on accepting gifts and campaign contributions. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Ousting Wright from California Senate may be awkward task -- Sen. Roderick Wright has been convicted of lying about where he was living while running for office. But others in the Legislature have also faced questions on residency. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Hillary Clinton at UCLA: Putin is a 'tough guy with a thin skin' -- Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that she was merely comparing the tactics used by Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Putin — and not equating the men themselves — when she drew a parallel between Hitler’s efforts to resettle Germans in the late 1930s to Putin’s recent moves to issue Russian passports to citizens in Ukraine with ties to Russia. Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times$  Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/6/14

Skelton: Compromise unlikely in fight over medical malpractice cap -- Politics and special interests will bring the battle to adjust limits on pain and suffering awards to the ballot. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Charles Calderon paid son, Ian, $40,000 for ‘consulting’ in uncontested election -- During his 2010 reelection campaign, former Assemblyman Charles Calderon paid $40,000 to his son for Web-consulting services, but an investigation by this newspaper turned up no evidence of a campaign website or social media presence. Ben Baeder in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 3/6/14

Brown the socialist? Look at health care and guns, Donnelly says -- As The Chronicle reported last week, Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly describes his campaign against Gov. Jerry Brown as “an epic showdown between socialism and freedom.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/6/14

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin to run for state controller -- Swearengin -- who has three years left in her second and final mayoral term -- filed paperwork and paid her fees Tuesday afternoon at the Fresno County Elections Office, said Tim Clark, her campaign consultant. John Ellis in the Fresno Bee Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

John Burton pledges neutrality in Dem races for California controller, secretary of state -- As California Democrats head to Los Angeles this weekend for their state convention, the party's leader has declared neutrality in the two most competitive statewide Democratic primary fights: controller and secretary of state. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Donnelly's likening of Obama to Hitler 'outrageous,' Kashkari says -- GOP gubernatorial hopeful Neel Kashkari on Wednesday called Republican rival Tim Donnelly’s comparison of President Obama to Hitler and Stalin “outrageous.” Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Block demands apology for GOP candidate’s Hitler reference -- San Diego state Sen. Marty Block is demanding an apology from a Republican running for governor who compared President Barack Obama’s views on gun control to Adolf Hitler. Michael Gardner UT San Diego$ -- 3/6/14

Berryhill urges rejection of campaign money-laundering decision -- Lawyers for state Sen. Tom Berryhill, R-Twain Harte, say in a new filing that an administrative law judge got it wrong when he concluded that the lawmaker illegally coordinated with county Republican committees in steering campaign dollars to his brother's Assembly campaign in 2008. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Northern California Assembly race takes shape with conservative endorsements -- Republican James Gallagher has scored two key endorsements that could put him ahead in the open race for California's 3rd Assembly District. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Verizon, Accenture drop Kevin Sloat's lobbying firm -- Sacramento's Sloat Higgins Jensen & Associates lobbying firm lost three prominent clients last month as revelations surfaced that founder Kevin Sloat would pay a record-breaking fine for giving prohibited campaign contributions to California officials. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Oakland Mayor Quan unveiling her own 10,000-resident plan -- Oakland is pushing to build some 7,500 housing units across the city to capitalize on the region's booming housing market, Mayor Jean Quan said Wednesday. Will Kane in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/6/14

California AG announces $310 million computer chip settlement -- Consumers who bought certain computers, video games or printers containing DRAM memory chips can file a claim to recoup overpayments, part of a multi-state, $310 million settlement over price-fixing, the state Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday. Claudia Buck in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Los Angeles faces financial shortfall heading into next year -- The city of Los Angeles could be short hundreds of millions of dollars when it starts its next fiscal year in July, according to a financial report presented to the Los Angeles City Council Wednesday. Alice Walton KPCC -- 3/6/14

Lopez: Putting LAFD's hiring practices to the test -- Exams for applicants seem largely meaningless, and many of those accepted at the academy are relatives of LAFD employees. Mayor Garcetti vows to cut through the smoke. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Oops, Long Beach  mayoral candidate sends out mailer with San Diego skyline -- A campaign mailer that arrived in thousands of Long Beach homes Tuesday had all the trappings of a political blockbuster – the face and endorsement of Gov. Jerry Brown on one side, a quote from a local business owner, and a photo of a glittering waterfront skyline on the other, with the words “Getting things done for Long Beach.” Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Greenhut: Breaking up state is not so radical -- Six Californias proponent seeks greater accountability. Steven Greenhut UT San Diego$ -- 3/6/14

Economy, Employers and Jobs

L.A. deputy city attorneys accept three-year pact with no raises -- Los Angeles City Council members Wednesday approved a new contract with the union representing deputy city attorneys that gives no pay raises through 2016 and requires a bigger contribution toward healthcare costs. Catherine Saillant in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Billionaire Musk makes push to launch military satellites -- Los Angeles billionaire Elon Musk, chief executive of Hawthorne rocket maker SpaceX, testified before Congress that the U.S. Air Force and other agencies are paying too high a price to launch its most valuable satellites into orbit. W.J. Hennigan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Deal signed for 46 new Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants throughout Sacramento region -- The presence of Dunkin’ Donuts outlets on Sacramento-area soil is a step closer. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Safeway sale would transform supermarket industry -- A sale of the nation's second-largest grocery chain, with a stronghold in the Bay Area, would reshape the industry, close stores across California and the Southwest, and transform Safeway into a neighborhood grocer that more closely resembles Trader Joe's, according to analysts and industry watchers. Heather Somerville in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/6/14

$120 million for flood projects in Sacramento region -- The projects include $66.4 million to continue construction of a new flood-control spillway at Folsom Reservoir; $3.1 million to pay for designs to raise Folsom Dam for flood control; $25.5 million for the final stages of American River levee improvements; $8.6 million to build a setback levee in Hamilton City along the Sacramento River; and $1.8 million for Marysville levee improvements. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Drought

Placer County pools spared for now from drought measures -- A month ago, Placer County Water Agency officials were poised to order strict conservation measures, including a blanket ban on filling new or existing swimming pools. But after several days of storms, water officials are having second thoughts. Richard Chang in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

California pols pressure state to stall water cuts -- Four California Democrats, including Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, sent an urgent appeal Wednesday to the state Water Resources Control Board pleading for two-week delay in a decision that was expected Friday to slash water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farmers. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle Michael Doyle in the Fresno Bee -- 3/6/14

Twenty-Percent Conservation Is A High-Water Mark -- Many people in the Sacramento region responded to calls to conserve water, using less last month than in the previous two Februaries. Many cities have not met conservation goals. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 3/6/14

Education

Former superintendent backs tenure, layoff laws as defense opens in ‘Vergara’ -- A former superintendent of three school districts defended the current laws for granting teachers tenure, dismissing ineffective teachers and conducting layoffs based on seniority as the defense began in the Vergara vs California trial, the lawsuit putting employment protections for teachers on trial. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 3/6/14

Proposed bill would provide $1.5 billion more for Common Core implementation -- California school districts would receive another year of Common Core implementation funds under a bill introduced Wednesday by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord. Kathryn Baron EdSource -- 3/6/14

LAO says Brown’s child care funding falls short -- Legislators will need to include “a few million dollars” more in this year’s budget if the state expects to fully cover the costs of its largest subsidized child care program for low-income families. Kimberly Beltran Cabinet Report -- 3/6/14

SAT overhaul to make essay optional, end penalty for wrong answers -- In a major overhaul of the SAT college entrance exam, students starting in 2016 will no longer be required to write an essay, will not be penalized for wrong answers and will not be able to freely use calculators. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Cost, financial aid becoming more important in college choice -- Rising college costs are weighing more heavily on students, with increasing numbers rejecting their first choice and opting instead for the school offering a solid financial aid package, according to a UCLA survey released Wednesday. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Guns

Yolo County concealed weapons law overturned -- In the latest victory for firearms advocates, a federal appeals court has tossed out Yolo County’s policy requiring citizens to prove they face a threat of violence or robbery before they can get a concealed weapon permit. Denny Walsh and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Judge allows Sunnyvale ban on large-capacity gun magazines -- A federal judge on Wednesday allowed Sunnyvale to enforce a voter-approved ban on large-capacity gun magazines, saying it would have little impact on the constitutional right to possess firearms for self-defense. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/6/14

Facebook, Instagram impose new rules on gun sales -- Social media have quickly become an unlikely "21st century black market" for arranging gun sales -- and Facebook responded to that unpleasant reality Wednesday by announcing rules to crack down on illegal firearms sales. Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 3/6/14

Supervisors 'bless' funds to process concealed-gun permits -- The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve sheriff deputies and resources to help process a flood of new applications for concealed weapon permits, even though the board didn't need to make the decision. David Montero in the Orange County Register$ -- 3/6/14 

Environment

L.A. Supervisor Molina proposes 'toxic threat strike team' -- Decrying the slow response of state agencies to the public health threat posed by a Vernon battery recycler and other polluting facilities, Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina on Wednesday called for the creation of a county “toxic threat strike team” that could take action when the state fails to do so. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Part of San Francisco Mountain Lake being returned to wetland -- Fifteen goats have been munching on the underbrush in a section of the Presidio, clearing the way for a future Shangri-La where turtles, frogs and other wild creatures can thrive as their ancestors did in what was once a fertile wetland. David Perlman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/6/14

Health

HIV disappears in 'Los Angeles baby,' doctors say -- A baby infected with HIV appears to be free of the virus after doctors at a Long Beach hospital initiated aggressive drug treatment just four hours after birth. Monte Morin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Covered California begins ad blitz in final enrollment weeks -- The TV commercials mark a more direct appeal to millions of uninsured Californians before open enrollment for Obamacare ends March 31. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Consumers can keep old health plans into 2017, administration says -- The Obama administration announced Wednesday that some Americans with health insurance policies that don’t meet consumer standards set by the Affordable Care Act will be allowed to keep their plans into 2017, three years later than originally envisioned. Noam Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Lawsuit seeks to reinstate canceled health plans -- A state lawmaker who is running for state insurance commissioner said Wednesday that he is suing California's health benefits exchange for wrongly cutting off more than 1 million insurance policies and for what he called wasting taxpayer money on useless marketing campaigns. Juliet Williams Associated Press Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$  Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Bera reverses himself on health care, and GOP rival pounces -- Rep.Ami Bera, an Elk Grove Democrat who's facing a tough re-election in the fall, just gave his Republican opponents a bit more ammunition — by voting with them on health care. Curtis Tate in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/14

Immigration

Dems to Obama: Slow the deportations -- President Obama is coming under increasing pressure to slow deportations of illegal immigrants, while Congress remains stymied on immigration reform legislation. Alexander Bolton The Hill -- 3/6/14

Also . . .

State failed to analyze effects of water bank, judge rules -- A court ruling issued Wednesday could throw up obstacles to operation of a Kern County groundwater bank that has helped billionaire Stewart Resnick build a nut empire in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/14

Inspector General Max Huntsman wants more interaction between public, Sheriff’s Department -- As he settles into his new job, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Inspector General Max Huntsman said Wednesday that one of his key goals is to provide more chances for the public to provide feedback and air grievances about the highly-criticized agency. Christina Villacorte in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/6/14

Los Angeles Council approves water wheel on L.A. River -- The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday gave its approval to build a 70-foot steel water wheel in the Los Angeles River north of downtown as both an art project and practical way to hydrate the area. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/6/14

Nevius: Google Glass can be useful, but mind the distractions -- I have looked into the future and it's distracting. C.W. Nevius in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/6/14

POTUS 44

Poll: Obama approval at record low -- Just 38 percent of those surveyed in a Fox News poll out Wednesday approved of the job Obama is doing, with 54 percent disapproving. Tal Kopan Politico -- 3/6/14

Beltway

Young Guns gear up for next fight -- Since they first got the name seven years ago, allies and enemies of Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy are now beginning to jockey to prepare for potential changes at the top of the Republican power structure in the House. Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan and Anna Palmer Politico -- 3/6/14