California Policy & Politics This Morning

Key House races for GOP take shape as California convention closes -- Major California Republican congressional challengers steered clear of the state party convention, but the weekend of activism helped bring early definition to some of the state's most contested House races. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

Boisterous GOP activists cheer Tim Donnelly -- Boisterous party activists cheered Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly as he addressed the California Republican Party's biannual convention here Sunday, a demonstration of Donnelly's continued appeal to the party's conservative base. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

California energy official says state wasn't aware of crude by rail facilities -- A California Energy Commission official Friday said the agency wasn't aware that the state had become a destination for crude oil shipments by rail, even though Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal made note of it two months ago. Curtis Tate in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

GOP candidates for governor fete delegates at state party convention -- Republican gubernatorial candidates feted delegates to their state party's weekend convention late into the night Saturday with parties, cocktails and music. Seema Mehta and Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/14

At low point for state GOP, gubernatorial rivals make their pitches -- Neel Kashkari, a former investment banker, and tea party favorite Tim Donnelly each present Republican Party faithful with clashing visions of how to oust Gov. Jerry Brown. Michael Finnegan and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/14

Republicans look to regroup for 2014 in California -- Hundreds of California Republicans who gathered for their party's state convention this weekend in Burlingame heard an astonishing range of strategies designed to bring their damaged party back from more than two decades of decline. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/16/14

Neel Kashkari says he'll help GOP build 'bigger tent' -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari dismissed questions Saturday about resistance to his candidacy from the party's most conservative activists, saying scheduling conflicts kept him from addressing a group of conservatives here. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

Gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly calls GOP convention tactics ‘nonsense, bunch of gibberish’ -- The two main GOP candidates for governor, Tim Donnelly and Neel Kashkari, aggressively wooed delegates at their party’s state convention Saturday, despite party leaders’ tactical decision to focus on down-ticket races instead this year. Josh Richman in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/16/14

Candidates for governor face odd vibe at GOP convention in Burlingame -- The two main GOP candidates for governor, Tim Donnelly and Neel Kashkari, aggressively wooed delegates at their party's state convention Saturday, despite party leaders' tactical decision to focus on down-ticket races instead this year. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/16/14

GOP to take 'nuts and bolts' approach to growing party -- After years of declining party registration and minority status in the state Capitol, California Republicans are celebrating a pair of key victories and focusing their firepower on local races – including several battles in Orange County – as they attempt to re-establish the party. Laura Olson in the Orange County Register$ -- 3/16/14

Ashley Swearengin controller campaign managing 'excitement' -- Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin may be the best hope for California Republicans to reclaim a statewide office in November. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

Pete Sessions backs California GOP's path to rebuilding -- Rep. Pete Sessions, the former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, offered his support for the California Republican Party's strategy of focusing on key congressional and legislative seats rather than potentially spreading itself thin with competitive candidates in every statewide race. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

Pete Sessions on building party unity -- California conservatives need to put aside their differences and remember who the real threat is, House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions told reporters Saturday at the California Republican Party convention in Burlingame. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 3/16/14

Condoleezza Rice not running, but wants California to rebuild -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Republican activists Saturday that while California has always been on the leading edge of the country, the nation’s most populous state is in dire in need of rebranding. Christopher Cadelago and David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

Condoleezza Rice urges Republican party to be more inclusive -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday called on the Republican Party to become more inclusive on issues like immigration. Laila Kearney Reuters -- 3/16/14

Greenhut: State GOP is rebuilding, but to what end? -- Convention focused on nuts and bolts, not on ideas. Steven Greenhut UT San Diego$ -- 3/16/14

Kash: Brown’s a Caretaker; I’ll Be Like Pope Francis -- Republican candidate for governor Neel Kashkari on Saturday ridiculed 75-year-old Gov. Jerry Brown as a “caretaker” and defender of the status quo who is “half asleep,” saying he instead aspires to be a “transformational” leader in the mold of Pope Francis. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/16/14

CalBuzz: GOP Live Blog: We’re From the Press, Here to Help -- This update just in: Sparing no sacrifice to bring the full story of the Republican state convention to Calbuzzers everywhere, we bailed from the glamorous P.J. Hackenflack dinner (more to come on that in days ahead) before all the drunks had left amid ongoing good fellowship to check out the parties hosted by the GOP rivals for governor. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/16/14

Walters: California’s uneven recovery shrinks middle class even more -- California’s economy is recovering from its worst recession since the Great Depression – no doubt about that. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

Morain: Debate to legalize pot is about to get interesting -- Two weeks ago, Gov. Jerry Brown, no fan of marijuana legalization, mused on “Meet the Press” about the world’s many dangers and the need to stay alert, “if not 24 hours a day, more than some of the potheads might be able to pull together.” Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14

Lopez: It's a big task for Lucy Jones: preparing us for the Big One -- Lucy Jones, L.A.'s new quake czar, will spend a year coming up with a strategy for preparedness. But her path is strewn with obstacles. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/14

Economy, Employers and Jobs

Thumbs-up for $15-an-hour minimum wage in new San Francisco poll -- Raising San Francisco's minimum wage to a nation-topping $15 an hour has broad support in a new poll obtained by The Chronicle - a strong sign that voters will have a chance to weigh in on the city's widening wealth disparity gap in November. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/16/14

China's thirst for milk gives U.S. dairy farms a boost -- American dairy farmers see an opportunity as demand booms in China. In a Nevada town, a new factory will produce milk powder just for export. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/14

Borenstein: Biased "fact-finders" skew local government collective bargaining -- Splitting the difference doesn't always make sense. Sometimes elected officials must hold the line in labor negotiations, rejecting salary and benefit demands to protect a government agency's long-term finances. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 3/16/14

Education

Mayor Garcetti’s top education deputy Thelma Meléndez leaves City Hall -- Just seven months after joining Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s administration, his top education deputy Thelma Meléndez is leaving to take a position at Los Angeles Unified School District, a district spokesman said Saturday. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/16/14

Wave of retirements could reshape San Diego schools -- By eliminating some of the most seasoned teachers from the district payroll, San Diego Unified would shave millions off its looming multiyear budget deficit. Maureen Magee UT San Diego$ -- 3/16/14

Drought

2 reservoirs near Hetch Hetchy tapped -- The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is in a much better position than most other California water agencies as the state stares down its first full year of drought: Its Hetch Hetchy Reservoir remains 51 percent full, and its customers use far less water than most others. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/16/14

Underground lakes provide drought protection -- If water managers wielded a divining rod, the forked end would not point toward the heavens nor the Sierra Nevada. It would bend toward a major water source hundreds of feet beneath the Earth’s crust. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/16/14

Environment

UC Berkeley taps its old mine shaft to study Hayward Fault -- Mining 101 on the UC Berkeley campus a hundred years ago: the basics of dynamite, shoring a mine shaft, mine surveying and mine rescue. Will Kane in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/16/14

Health

Exploring therapeutic effects of MDMA on post-traumatic stress -- Researchers and some independent therapists are studying whether banned drug MDMA — found in Ecstasy — may help those with PTSD. Alan Zarembo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/14

Immigration 

King City police scandal ignites Latinos' ire -- Two in the Police Department and the brother of one are accused of running a towing scam targeting Latinos. Many say they have experienced discrimination for years. Lee Romney in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/14

Also . . .

District directors collected public pay for concerts, funerals, Tea parties -- On Thursday evenings during the summer, the elected directors of the Midway City Sanitary District enjoy the Westminster Concerts in the Park and some charge trash and sewer ratepayers for a “day of service” – $207. Mike Reicher in the Orange County Register$ -- 3/16/14

Search for Flight 370 Enters Daunting New Phase -- Saturday's announcement that a deliberate act caused Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 to veer dramatically off course pivots the probe in a new direction, but the size and complexity of the latest search threatens to substantially delay definitive answers about the missing plane. Andy Pastor and Daniel Michaels in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/16/14

Series of Errors by Malaysia Mounts, Complicating the Task of Finding Flight 370 -- The radar blip that was Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 did a wide U-turn over the Gulf of Thailand and then began moving inexorably past at least three military radar arrays as it traversed northern Malaysia, even flying high over one of the country’s biggest cities before heading out over the Strait of Malacca. Keith Bradsh and Michael Forsythe in the New York Times$ -- 3/16/14

Beltway

Dianne Feinstein’s CIA fight pilloried, praised -- Since last year, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has rankled some people with her forceful defense of the nation’s spy agencies. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/14