Updating . .   

Stadium economics: How building a venue in Inglewood makes financial sense -- Even without public money, St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke could see significant profit from a stadium and other development at the Hollywood Park site. Tim Logan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Companies spend $1 billion in latest California carbon auction -- The reason: The program was expanded effective Jan. 1 to cover transportation fuels, and the state expanded the pool of available credits to accommodate the larger demand. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

L.A. County fire officials long ignored warnings that hiring was rigged -- Officials ignored evidence of the sort of nepotism and cheating now fueling a widening scandal over the agency's hiring and promotion practices, according to records obtained by The Times. Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

San Francisco archbishop stands firm in face of pressure on morality clauses -- The clauses included in a new handbook call on teachers, staff and administrators to comport themselves publicly and privately with Catholic teaching and ask them to "affirm and believe" that masturbation, pornography and homosexual acts are "gravely evil." Same-sex marriage and contraception are similarly described. Lee Romney in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

GMO-labeling advocates still hoping for a bill in California -- A proposal to label genetically-engineered foods sold in California has failed twice in recent years as biotech companies and the manufacturers of packaged foods mounted costly opposition campaigns. Voters rejected the idea at the ballot box in 2012, and legislators turned down a similar bill two years later. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

Assembly Democrats Want Real Estate Fees, Tax Credits for Affordable Housing -- The leader of the state Assembly is unveiling an ambitious affordable housing proposal, one that could pump more than $600 million a year into development at the local level. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 2/25/15

California privacy package casts wide net -- From televisions to body cameras to encrypted personal data, a package of bills announced on Wednesday underscored the California Legislature’s attention to privacy. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

Plastic bag law: Where did the referendum signatures come from? -- Opponents of California’s law banning single-use plastic bags paid a signature-gathering firm almost $3 million to collect more than 800,000 signatures to qualify a November 2016 referendum on the measure. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

California train crash: Truck driver had previous DUI conviction --The truck driver arrested in connection with Tuesday's Metrolink crash in Oxnard has been cited for multiple driving violations in his home state of Arizona and was convicted in 1998 of driving under the influence. Joseph Serna and Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Bid to move L.A. elections faces growing opposition from candidates -- The campaign to combine Los Angeles' elections with state and federal contests has been hailed by backers as a way to lift the city's dismal turnout, which in the last mayoral race was 23%. David Kahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/25/15

Lopez: High-schoolers' excitement about voting -- In a city that hibernates through local elections, Miriam Antonio told me she couldn't wait to vote next Tuesday. The Fairfax High junior turned 18 this month, so this would be her first chance to cast a ballot. Stop the presses, right? Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Fox: Prop 13 a Player in NFL Stadium Game -- A major component in the fight to keep professional football in Oakland and San Diego or move a team to Los Angeles is taxes – will taxes be necessary to build a stadium? Team owners want a public subsidy to help build a stadium in Oakland and San Diego but two new proposals for stadiums in the Los Angeles area are not tied to any tax proposals. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/25/15

Berkeley experts’ study strengthens human link to global warming -- Scientists training their instruments on the skies have caught the world’s major greenhouse gas right in the act of warming the planet, researchers reported Wednesday, reinforcing findings by climate experts that human activity is dangerously altering the environment. David Perlman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/15

Stockton Officially Exits Bankruptcy -- Being $2 billion in debt forced the City of Stockton into bankruptcy. Now as it exits bankruptcy, the city can move forward in its "Plan of Adjustment" with 20 classes of creditors. Rich Ibarra Capital Public Radio -- 2/25/15

San Diego PD report shows disparity in traffic stops -- The data show that black and Hispanic motorists are pulled over in numbers significantly disproportionate to their populations compared to whites and Asians, who are stopped less often than their populations might suggest. Pauline Repard UT San Diego$ -- 2/25/15

Teamsters seek to unionize more tech shuttle drivers -- Shuttle bus drivers for five prominent tech companies will decide whether to unionize on Friday in a vote that has the potential to dramatically expand organized labor's territory in Silicon Valley and embolden others in the tech industry's burgeoning class of service workers to demand better working conditions. Julia Love in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/15

Senate leaders strike deal to fund Homeland Security, avoid shutdown -- Senate leaders moved toward a deal Wednesday to avoid a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, sidestepping a fight over immigration policy, as President Obama headed to Miami to make the case for his policies before a powerful constituency — Latino voters. Christi Parsons and Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

California Taxpayers Billed $40,000 for Events -- Organizers of last fall's swearing-in celebration for Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said no taxpayer money was used to put on the event at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, but a review by The Associated Press found taxpayers subsidized more than $25,000 for legislative staff and security to attend. Judy Lin Associated Press Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

CPUC discloses dinner donors -- Union leaders and utility lawyers donated more than $55,000 for a tribute dinner this month honoring Michael Peevey, the former California Public Utilities Commission president now under criminal investigation. Jeff McDonald UT San Diego$ -- 2/25/15

State controller wants details about Edison pay after San Onofre deal -- State Controller Betty Yee is asking top Southern California Edison executives for information about their pay increases over the last two years at a time the company was facing soaring costs of permanently closing its San Onofre nuclear power plant. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Clinton takes on gender and pay gap for women in Silicon Valley -- Hillary Rodham Clinton went to the center of the nation’s innovation industry Tuesday to call for women’s equality in the tech sector, saying the gender gap and “shocking” pay disparities do a disservice to Silicon Valley. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury$ Anita Kumar McClatchy DC Robin Respaut Reuters Marisa Lagos KQED -- 2/25/15

Villaraigosa decision hot topic at Latino Caucus retreat in Napa -- Antonio Villaraigosa’s decision not to run for the U.S. Senate next year has already become a hot topic of discussion at a Wine Country policy retreat by the California Legislative Latino Caucus. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Who’s in? Who’s out? Possible successors to California Sen. Barbara Boxer -- California Sen. Barbara Boxer’s announcement Jan. 8 not to seek a fifth term has unleashed a long-expected wave of speculation about who will challenge for the seat. The item is in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won't run for U.S. Senate -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer’s seat in the U.S. Senate, leaving state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris as the only major candidate. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers KQED Kevin Freking and Don Thompson Associated Press Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/15

Questions surround Antonio Villaraigosa's future as he passes on Senate run -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s announcement Tuesday that he will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2016 could cap the political career of the once-rising Democratic star -- or portend a gubernatorial run. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Antonio Villaraigosa's exit leaves Senate race wide open -- Antonio Villaraigosa’s decision to bypass the contest for Barbara Boxer’s seat in the U.S. Senate leaves an opening for an array of lesser known Democrats to run against state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, the only major candidate in the race so far. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Tom Del Beccaro forms Senate exploratory committee -- Former California Republican Party chairman Tom Del Beccaro has formed a fundraising committee to explore a run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Boxer. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Dreaming of Condi -- The Rice boomlet exposes the sorry state of the once-mighty California GOP. Todd S. Purdum Politico -- 2/25/15

California's plastic-bag ban put on hold by ballot referendum -- Opponents of a ban on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores have qualified a referendum on the law, delaying its July 1 effective date until voters act on the measure in November 2016, the California secretary of state’s office said Tuesday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Judy Lin Associated Press Katie Orr Capital Public Radio John Myers KQED -- 2/25/15

California GOP senators choose Jean Fuller as next leader -- Fuller will take over as the Senate’s minority leader on Nov. 1, replacing Sen. Bob Huff of Diamond Bar. Fuller, a former school superintendent who also served in the Assembly, will become the first woman to lead the Senate’s Republican caucus. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

Walters: Big Prop. 47 loopholes biting back -- California’s legislators are now eager to plug some gaping – and potentially dangerous – loopholes in criminal laws that voters opened last year by passing Proposition 47. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

Herdt: The need for bilingual electric cars -- When Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León earlier this month announced an aggressive clean-energy agenda for California, he made a special point of asserting it would reach into all of the state’s communities, not just those of coastal environmentalists. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star$ -- 2/25/15

Ticking clock: California redistricting in SCOTUS’ hands -- A case before the U.S. Supreme Court, with arguments set to be heard on March 2, could reduce the role of the State Redistricting Commission, invalidate the 2011 Congressional lines, and hand to the legislature the immediate responsibility of redrawing 53 valuable seats. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 2/25/15

Federal judge rejects challenge to L.A. council's 2012 redistricting -- A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a three-year-old legal challenge to the boundaries drawn for Los Angeles' 15 City Council districts, saying she found no evidence that race was the predominant factor in creating the new maps. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Water rights’ cost draws scrutiny -- A provision in California’s landmark 2014 Water Bond Act, Proposition 1, could lead California into overspending on water — and that has sparked concern from the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal adviser. Scott Soriano Capitol Weekly -- 2/25/15

Metrolink crash: Oxnard crossing most hazardous in Ventura County -- The Oxnard rail crossing that was the scene of Tuesday's Metrolink derailment is the 23rd most hazardous in California, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ Cheri Carlson in the Ventura Star$ -- 2/25/15

Metrolink crash: New cars kept it from being 'tremendously worse' -- In Tuesday’s crash of a Metrolink commuter train in Oxnard, the railroad’s new passenger cars, which represent the state of the art in safety design, performed well, officials say. The collision was, however, the fourth serious accident involving a train that was being pushed from behind by a locomotive -- a common practice that has been questioned in the past. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Metrolink says crash technology likely prevented injuries -- Three of the train's four passenger cars, including the cab car at the front, had "crash energy management technology," according to Metrolink. One car in the middle didn't have it because collisions typically occur at the front or rear of a train, Millhouse said. The item is in the Ventura Star$ -- 2/25/15

13.5 million Californians affected by Anthem data breach -- The nation's second-largest health insurer said a cyberattack had exposed names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and other sensitive details on up to 80 million Americans. Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Senate panel examines why California foster care system "addicted to psychiatric drugs -- California's foster care system "has grown more addicted to mind-altering medication," the chair of a powerful Senate committee told a packed public hearing in the state Capitol on Tuesday, adding that "here in California, we've done little to act on this alarming issue." Karen de Sá in the San Jose Mercury$ Garrett Therolf in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Fast Bus Service is a Tough Sell to Silicon Valley Politicans -- This speedier form of bus travel, set to debut in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco over the next few years, is becoming popular in cities all over the world. Buses have their own dedicated lanes, priority at traffic signals, low floors for easy boarding, pre-paid ticketing, Wi-Fi and other amenities. Bryan Goebel KQED -- 2/25/15

California lawmakers seek to increase penalties for possessing date-rape drugs -- Illegal possession of so-called date-rape drugs would become a potential felony under a bill in California to reverse what supporters say is an unintended consequence of a voter-approved law reducing penalties for non-violent crimes. Sharon Bernstein Reuters Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 2/25/15

Monterey Park nears a demographic milestone, yet race rarely discussed -- Their March 3 city elections could produce the city's first African American councilman, the first all-male City Council in at least four decades — or, in a reversal for a city where Asian Americans first fought for diversity in elected government, they could elect the nation's first all-Chinese City Council. Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

San Gabriel Valley executive arrested in $9-million bank fraud case -- Federal authorities on Tuesday arrested a San Gabriel Valley executive accused of defrauding two banks of $9 million, including one institution that received taxpayer funds as part of the U.S. Treasury's bank bailout, according to prosecutors. Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

StingRay surveillance: Cellphone tracker has high potential for abuse, say critics of Santa Clara County proposal -- A sheriff's proposal in Santa Clara County is placing new scrutiny on a surveillance technology already in use around the Bay Area -- a cellphone tracking system that may help in the war on crime but has the ability to infringe on innocent bystanders' privacy. Eric Kurhi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/15

California abortion initiative would mandate parental notification for girls under 18 -- Backers of an initiative to require doctors to notify parents when a minor seeks to have an abortion have until Aug. 19 to submit enough valid signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/25/15

Taxes, Fees, Rates    

California agency votes to reduce gas tax by 6 cents -- California's tax board on Tuesday approved a 6-cent cut in the state gas tax because of lower gas prices, but it isn't likely to affect drivers' wallets. Fenit Nirappil Associated Press Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

Borenstein: El Cerrito used public funds to deceptively campaign for increasing the city's sales tax to the top rate in the state -- The campaign included mailers, social media, letters to community leaders and public presentations. Documents and emails obtained through the state Public Records Act reveal that the city deliberately downplayed that Measure R would increase a pre-existing tax. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 2/25/15

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions    

Inglewood council approves NFL stadium plan amid big community support -- The Inglewood City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve an 80,000-seat stadium at the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack, jump-starting the effort to bring an NFL team back to the area after a two-decade absence. Tim Logan, Angel Jennings, Nathan Fenno in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

San Diego County loan suggested for stadium -- A county "bridge loan" might be the way to finance a new Chargers stadium, Supervisor Ron Roberts told Mayor Kevin Faulconer's stadium task force Tuesday. Roger Showley UT San Diego$ -- 2/25/15

No downtown (San Diego) stadium site till 2025? -- A downtown Chargers stadium could be delayed by up to seven years because of site complications revealed by the region's bus agency. The Metropolitan Transit System says it could take that long to clear the preferred site at 16th Street and Imperial Avenue. Roger Showley UT San Diego$ -- 2/25/15

San Diego City Council pledges support for keeping Chargers in city -- The San Diego City Council endorsed a resolution Tuesday proclaiming that the city "remains fully committed to working with the Chargers" to keep the team from moving to the Los Angeles area. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Port labor deal may be too late for California citrus, almond growers -- An end to labor strife at West Coast ports should speed up cargo operations, but it may be too late to help California's drought-weary nut and citrus farmers. Diana Marcum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Siemens promotes its Sacramento home base in bullet-train pitch -- With a billion-dollar California bullet train contract up for grabs this year, international rail giant Siemens stepped up to campaign this week, promoting itself as the “local” company in the race. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/15

Bill to ban BART strikes is introduced by Republican lawmaker -- A freshman state lawmaker from the East Bay has introduced a bill to ban BART strikes such as the two walkouts that caused commuter chaos for eight days in 2013. The bill faces a steep uphill struggle in a Democratic-controlled Legislature. Denis Cuff in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/25/15

Bay Area Workers and Unions Finance the Fracking Boom -- Bay Area workers and unions are increasingly joining the climate justice movement, but their pension funds have been quietly investing in the oil and natural gas boom. Darwin BondGraham East Bay Express -- 2/25/15

Education 

L.A. schools could lose $782 million under federal bill -- A Republican-led effort to revise a federal education law could slash $782 million for disadvantaged students in Los Angeles Unified over the next six years, federal education officials said Tuesday. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

San Francisco archbishop backs off on strict morals code for teachers -- Under pressure from parents, students and staffers at the San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese’s schools, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said Tuesday that he is peeling back strict guidelines he proposed for teachers that would require them to reject homosexuality, use of contraception and other “evil” behavior. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/15

UC Berkeley studies international education campus in Richmond -- On the waterfront seven miles from UC Berkeley, the university owns what is now an isolated and somewhat ramshackle collection of storage facilities and labs. But Berkeley's chancellor envisions it as a future showcase for international education. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Drought   

Second drought nightmare will become official after federal water forecast -- We’re late in another desperately dry winter, waiting for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s February forecast of irrigation deliveries for this summer in the San Joaquin Valley. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 2/25/15

Immigration / Border 

L.A. supervisors OK help for immigrants under contested Obama plan -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to help eligible immigrants apply for President Obama's contested deferred action program, even as the fate of the president’s signature immigration initiative remains unclear. Kate Linthicum and Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Environment 

Critics fear bullet train will bring urban sprawl to Central Valley -- Against a rural tableau draped in a gray winter sky, a fleet of heavy, clawing earth movers rumbles back and forth across a fallow, 953-acre field that for decades produced bell peppers, carrots and alfalfa. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Bakersfield developers settle high-speed-rail lawsuit -- A Southern California land-development company has agreed to drop its environmental lawsuit against the California High-Speed Rail Authority — the second settlement among seven challenges over the Fresno-Bakersfield segment of the statewide bullet-train route. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 2/25/15

Climate change may flatten Santa Cruz's famed surfing waves -- A rapidly changing global climate will likely affect prime surfing spots worldwide. And closer to home, the forecasts for Monterey Bay's famed big swells, while far from certain, are also far from good. James Urton in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/15

Health 

Kaiser improves mental health services, but more needs to be done, agency finds -- Kaiser Permanente has improved access to its mental health appointments, but 22 percent of Northern California patients still are having to wait too long to be seen, a state agency says. Rebecca Parr in the San Jose Mercury$ Stuart Pfeifer and Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ Paul Sisson UT San Diego$ -- 2/25/15

California Bill Would Ban Chewing Tobacco at Baseball Parks -- Anti-smoking advocates are hoping to strike out chewing tobacco at California baseball games. Fenit Nirappil Associated Press Patrick McGreevy in the Sacramento Bee$ Chris Nichols UT San Diego$ Steve Milne Capital Public Radio -- 2/25/15

Also . . . 

Want to visit an inmate? Increasingly, you’ll have to log on -- Jennifer Walter walked into a portable room outside the Napa County Jail last week and had a brief conversation with her 21-year-old son. But despite being just 100 feet away, the inmate appeared from inside the jail on a computer screen for a video chat of the type hosted by Skype or Google Talk. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/15

Lava Mae shower bus program showered with accolades, money -- You know that old phrase about April showers? Lava Mae, the innovative program to turn old Muni buses into shower stalls for homeless people, is giving it a whole new meaning. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/15

Why This Member Has Rubber Ducks on His Desk -- Like most members, Rep. Eric Swalwell has put personal touches on his Capitol Hill office. The two-term California Democrat has a rack of wine bottles from vineyards in his district on display and a simple crucifix hanging above the door. Unlike most members, a modest collection of small, rubber ducks sits at the edge of his desk. Emma Dumain Roll Call -- 2/25/15

POTUS 44     

Obama's Keystone pipeline veto opens a new chapter in his presidency -- With the quick swipe of a pen on the way from one meeting to another, President Obama unceremoniously opened a fourth chapter of his presidency Tuesday — the veto era. Christi Parsons and Kathleen Hennessey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/15

Keystone veto will be first of many for President Obama -- Despite all the bad blood between Congress and the White House, President Barack Obama has rarely made use of the chief executive’s most direct tool to rebuke the legislature — the presidential veto. Adam B. Lerner Politico -- 2/25/15

Beltway 

Fashion powerhouse Diane Von Furstenberg: “Ready for a woman president” -- Iconic fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg today delivered a powerful endorsement of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s global work on behalf of women, saying the country is “ready for a woman president.” Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/15

GOP lawmakers clash over shutdown -- Tensions rise within the party despite control of both chambers of Congress. Manu Raju, Jake Sherman Politico -- 2/25/15