California Policy & Politics This Morning
Trump attacks McCain: 'I like people who weren't captured' -- Donald Trump might finally have crossed the line. Appearing on Saturday at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, the real estate mogul took his running feud with Arizona Sen. John McCain to a new level. Ben Schreckinger Politico Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ Allan Rappeport and Jonathan Martin in the New York Times$ Catherine Lucey Associated Press Philip Rucker in the Washington Post$ Reid J. Epstein in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/18/15
Gas prices to stay high as Exxon Mobil refinery woes drag on -- The refinery that has historically produced about a fifth of Southern California's gasoline has been crippled since a February explosion - and may stay that way for months to come. Ivan Penn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
L.A. suit accusing Wells Fargo of predatory mortgage lending practices is dismissed -- A federal judge dismissed a city of Los Angeles lawsuit accusing Wells Fargo & Co. of violating the federal Fair Housing Act by engaging in predatory mortgage lending practices targeting minority borrowers. E. Scott Reckard, Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
Terror on Interstate 15 as people abandon cars, flee fire -- A few minutes before they had been on the vacation of a lifetime, but now Russell Allevato and his family were running for their lives from a raging brushfire that had trapped them and hundreds of other terrified people on a traffic-jammed highway connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Tami Abdollah and Amanda Lee Myers Associated PressMarisa Gerber, Sarah Parvini and Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
Drones continue to hurt Southern California fire-fighting efforts -- When a drone grounded aircraft that were trying to fight the North fire on Friday afternoon, it was only the latest in a series of recent incidents where a drone interfered with local firefighters — and, officials said, risked lives. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 7/18/15
Awash in Big Tobacco cash, California legislators side with tobacco industry -- When California enacted the nation's toughest anti-smoking laws in the 1990s, public health advocates cheered the state's commitment to snuffing out puffing and celebrated the Golden State's willingness to take on Big Tobacco. But two decades later, there are clear signs that the powerful industry's deep pockets are once again quietly influencing legislation in the halls of the Capitol. Jessica Calefati in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 7/17/15
Data Tracker: Categorizing donors’ largesse to California lawmakers -- California’s 120 lawmakers reflect a variety of life experiences, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and types of districts they represent. There also are differences in where they raise their campaign money. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/15
Irwin to host event with clean-energy advocate Steyer; oil industry cries foul -- With the Assembly poised to take up far-reaching legislation designed to substantially reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in California, Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin next week will host a public "armchair conversation" with one of the nation's most vocal and controversial clean-energy advocates, billionaire investor Tom Steyer. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star$ -- 7/18/15
Committee seeks San Onofre emails again -- The chairman of the Assembly committee that oversees the California Public Utilities Commission has given the agency until the end of this month to secure and turn over certain emails and other documents from Southern California Edison. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/15
Judge allows cab companies to sue Uber for ‘false’ safety ads -- California taxicab companies can sue competitor Uber over advertising statements that it offers the safest rides on the road, a federal judge ruled Friday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/18/15
Metrolink installs automatic train-stopping tech on all of its tracks -- A safety feature that automatically slows or halts a commuter train before it collides with another is in place on all 341 miles of Metrolink tracks, Sen. Barbara Boxer and train agency officials have announced. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 7/17/15
Bus safety mandates introduced after deadly California crash -- A California state lawmaker proposed sweeping bus safety reforms Friday that were recommended by federal officials who investigated a fiery bus crash that killed five high school students on a tour last year. Fenit Nirappil Associated Press -- 7/17/15
Power restored to 80% of downtown Long Beach after 3 days of darkness -- Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said roughly 80 percent of downtown residents have their power restored as of 10:30 p.m. Friday. At a late press conference – one of several staged over the last three days of darkness downtown – the mayor said about 650 residents remain without power. Andrew Edwards in the Long Beach Press Telegram -- 7/18/15
Nuns assail Archbishop Gomez in sale of convent to Katy Perry -- Nuns locked in a dispute with the Los Angeles Archdiocese over the proposed sale of their convent to singer Katy Perry filed legal papers Friday accusing the archbishop of acting "as if he were above the rules and immune from the obligations of civil law." Stephen Ceasar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
Voter in L.A. school board race wins $25,000 for casting a ballot -- An experiment in local elections ended Friday with Rojas, a 35-year-old security guard, receiving a check as the winner of a lottery that included everyone who voted in District 5 for the Los Angeles Board of Education. The May runoff election pitted incumbent Bennett Kayser against Ref Rodriguez; Rodriguez won. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
Abcarian: Undercover video sting of Planned Parenthood is off-base, as usual -- There appears to be no end to the creative deviousness of people looking to harm Planned Parenthood, America's most important reproductive healthcare provider. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
California black lawmakers urge Fort Bragg name change -- In a letter Thursday, eight members of the caucus urged Mayor Dave Turner to “engage your community in a serious re-examination of the historical implications of your city’s name and come to the conclusion that now is the time to end your ties to such a disgraced and treasonous figure in our nation’s history.” Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
Fox: Property Tax Increase Initiative Filed – Not the One Everyone Expected -- While discussion about amending Proposition 13 to reassess commercial property has heated up, especially with the introduction of SCA 5 by Senators Mitchell and Hancock, a different property tax increase measure was filed with the Attorney General’s office. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/17/15
Baldassare: Tax Increases and Voter Distrust -- The California budget passed on time and without much drama this June, as tax revenues once again exceeded expectations because of the improving economy. Mark Baldassare Fox & Hounds -- 7/17/15
Imperial Irrigation District launches antitrust lawsuit -- The nonprofit that manages California's electricity grid has stifled clean energy projects and plotted to "crush" the Imperial Irrigation District "out of existence," a new antitrust lawsuit claims. Sammy Roth in The Desert Sun -- 7/17/15
San Francisco sheriff's deputies call lack of communication with ICE 'reckless' after pier shooting --Turning up the political heat on San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi in an election cycle, the union that represents the department's deputies charges in a labor grievance that his policy to limit communication with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement "recklessly compromises the safety of sworn personnel, citizens, and those who merely come to visit the San Francisco area." Lee Romney in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
Jerry Brown Goes to the Vatican: California Politics Podcast -- It’s an event that combines two of Governor Jerry Brown’s favorite topics: Religion and climate change. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 7/17/15
Greenhut: Is system tilted in favor of prosecutors? -- One of California’s most prominent federal judges, Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit court of appeals, has sparked a nationwide debate about the state of the nation’s criminal-justice system with a recent 42-page jeremiad in the Georgetown Law Review. The article depicts a system that tilts heavily in favor of district attorneys, incarcerates thousands of innocent people and fails to hold accountable prosecutors who abuse their power. Steven Greenhut in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/15
Taxes, Fees, Rates
Health plan tax bill introduced in California special session -- Every California health plan would pay a flat tax under legislation introduced this week that, for the first time in bill form, responds to federal warnings that the state risks about $1 billion in federal matching money if it fails to expand a tax on managed-care organizations. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/15
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
LA developers in quake prone-areas must now look for faults first -- In quake-prone parts of Los Angeles, the new rule is dig before you build. That's according to a new measure announced Friday that says developers looking to build near certain faults must first do a geological survey to make sure any new structure won't sit directly on top of the rift. Sanden Totten KPCC -- 7/18/15
Homejoy shuts down amid lawsuit over worker misclassification -- The recent spate of worker misclassification lawsuits against on-demand service companies appears to have claimed its first victim, with home-cleaning company Homejoy announcing Friday that it planned to close. Tracey Lien in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
Google Exec Addresses Diversity, Unions and Benefits for Service Workers -- “Yeah, the numbers are bad,” said Laszlo Bock. “The company is roughly 2 percent African-American, and that’s way lower than you see both in the labor force we draw from and the population generally.” Amanda Stupi KQED -- 7/18/15
Fresno motel’s beds, furniture given away to make way for high-speed train -- Beds and furniture from a central Fresno motel that will soon be razed to make way for high-speed rail are being donated to nonprofit organizations that expect to put the furnishings in foster homes, group homes and shelters. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 7/18/15
California adds 22,900 jobs in June; unemployment rate falls to 6.3% -- Employers statewide added 22,900 nonfarm payroll jobs in the period, according to the California Employment Development Department. In May, payrolls swelled by 46,200 jobs, based on revised data. Tiffany Hsu in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
California home sales surge in June on strong economy -- California home sales surged in June on a strong economy and low interest rates as prices reached seven-year highs, a research firm reported Friday. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 7/17/15
Drought
It's my water -- my grandfather paid for it, says California farmer -- California water regulators flexed their muscles by ordering a group of farmers to stop pumping from a branch of the San Joaquin River amid an escalating battle over how much power the state has to protect waterways that are drying up in the drought. Fenit Nirappil and Scott Smith Associated Press -- 7/17/15
California, Hawaii Lead Way on Climate Change Targets -- Prodded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and led by California and Hawaii, states are tackling climate change and promoting renewable energy. But the fossil fuel industry and skeptical Republicans are pushing back. Lou Cannon State Net Capitol Journal -- 7/17/15
Water managers dodge bullet with 'May miracle' rains -- At a time when water levels in Lake Mead were getting so low that officials prepared for drastic cutbacks, it started raining. A series of powerful storms pummeled the mountains that feed the Colorado River, a key source of water for California, Arizona and Nevada. Rong-Gong Lin II and Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
Education
Fresno Unified files petition on leaseback to state Supreme Court -- The Fresno Unified School District is asking the California Supreme Court to reverse a recent appellate court opinion criticizing its use of a no-bid contract, saying it could negatively impact hundreds of school districts and contractors across the state. Mackenzie Mays in the Fresno Bee -- 7/17/15
Latino group to Fullerton schools: You’re on notice -- A civil rights organization Friday called on the Fullerton Joint Union High School District to change the way its elected representatives are chosen to give minorities more of a voice. Ken Stone mynewLA.com -- 7/18/15
Immigration / Border
Over half of new California driver’s licenses go to undocumented immigrants -- More than half of the driver’s licenses California has issued in 2015 have gone to residents living in the country illegally, reflecting the popularity of a new law extending licenses to people regardless of residency status. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/15
Health
UCLA Health System reports patient data breach; 4.5 million may be affected -- The attackers accessed a computer network that contains personal and medical information. The university said there was no evidence yet that any such data was taken, but it can't rule out that possibility while the investigation continues. Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
UCLA hack Q&A: What you need to know -- Who is at risk? Hackers obtained access to the parts of the UCLA Health network that contain personal and medical information for its healthcare system. However, there is no indication that any information was stolen, the hospital system said, but it couldn't rule that out. Nick Shively in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
Daughters of Charity Health System chooses hedge fund as new owner -- The 19-month saga of the struggling Daughters of Charity Health System took a new turn today after the nonprofit hospital chain announced it will be acquired by an East Coast hedge fund that will initially infuse the chain with $250 million. Tracy Seipel in the Contra Costa Times$ James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ Kale Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/18/15
Out-of-network costs lurk even at in-network hospitals -- Lorena Martin's 18-year-old son, Robert, hurt his ankle playing football one recent Friday evening. He was in pain and unable to walk, and she was concerned that he'd done real damage. Lisa Zamosky in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
San Francisco to offer subsidies for health insurance -- San Francisco will begin offering subsidies to thousands of city residents who are struggling to purchase health insurance, Mayor Ed Lee announced Friday. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/18/15
Also . . .
Tesla's Musk: New 'ludicrous' mode shoots Model S to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds -- In a news conference, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the Palo Alto automaker also will offer a new 90 kWh battery pack version that will extend the vehicle’s range at highway speed to about 300 miles. It’s a $3,000 upgrade from the 85 kWh, which was the automaker’s largest battery. Jerry Hirsch in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
20,000 gather in Anaheim to mark the end of Ramadan -- In the early morning heat, nearly 20,000 Muslims from across Southern California streamed through the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday to celebrate the most important holiday on the Islamic calendar -- Eid al-Fitr. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
Claudia Alexander dies at 56; JPL researcher oversaw Galileo, Rosetta missions -- Claudia Alexander, a NASA scientist who oversaw the dramatic conclusion of the space agency's long-lived Galileo mission to Jupiter and managed the United States' role in the international comet-chasing Rosetta project, died July 11 at Methodist Hospital of Southern California in Arcadia. Elaine Woo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
Bob Baker dies at 67; prolific Times journalist fulfilled music dream -- When Bob Baker was a teenager in the San Fernando Valley of the 1960s, his mom suggested he try his hand at writing for his high school newspaper. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/15
Beltway
California's presidential donations constitute 16% of total -- California donors have provided strong backing to several candidates in the crowded field of Republican presidential hopefuls, although none have come close to the cash pile amassed here by Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. Kurtis Lee, Sahil Chinoy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/15
Hedge Fund Titans Choosing Hillary Clinton Over Top Republicans -- Hillary Clinton received donations from some of the biggest names in the hedge fund industry, including Paul Tudor Jones, even as the presidential candidate wants to boost their tax rate. Saijel Kishan Bloomberg -- 7/18/15
As Democrats face-off, Clinton keeps her focus on the GOP -- Ignoring her primary challengers, Hillary Rodham Clinton focused instead on the expanding field of Republican contenders as she and her fellow Democrats tried to impress influential party activists in Iowa. Lisa Lerer Associated Press -- 7/18/15
What’s Donald Trump’s plan for undocumented immigrants living in America? It’s not clear. -- Donald Trump's controversial comments labeling illegal immigrants "rapists" who are bringing "drugs" and "crime" into the country have received widespread attention in recent weeks, and he has used them to argue in favor of dramatically intensifying efforts to secure the border and stem the flow of undocumented immigrants into the United States. Sean Sullivan in the Washington Post$ -- 7/18/15