Updating . .   

Chargers to play 2016 season in San Diego -- The San Diego Chargers announced Friday they will play the 2016 season in San Diego in an attempt to find a long-term stadium solution in the city. Nathan Fenno in the Los Angeles Times Kevin Acee and David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Scott M. Reid in the Orange County Register Bernie Wilson Associated Press -- 1/29/16

US agrees to environmental review of offshore oil fracking -- The federal government has agreed to stop approving oil fracking off the California coast until it studies whether the practice is safe for the environment, according to legal settlements filed Friday. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 1/29/16

SEIU California announces legislative endorsements, including a Republican -- Assemblyman Eric Linder could be a Democratic target this year, with at least three Democrats so far announcing candidacies for Linder’s western Riverside County district. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

San Francisco man jailed 6 years for crime he didn’t commit -- A telltale black jacket and a five-year-old confession combined to free a San Francisco man who had been jailed for six years while awaiting trial for a violent mugging he didn’t do, the San Francisco public defender’s office said Friday. A jury acquitted Charles Ryan, Jr., 46, of robbery and assault on Thursday in connection with the 2009 beating of a 63-year-old man in the Richmond District and the theft of his wallet and phone. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Activists demand a bill of rights for California farm workers -- Farm workers in two of the nation's most important agricultural counties joined other low-wage food sector workers on Wednesday, demanding better wages with a new Bill of Rights. The thrust of the bill, which is aimed at workers in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in California, is to establish a "rule of law" in the fields, observers say. Tracie McMillan NPR -- 1/29/16

Covered California extends open enrollment deadline -- Covered California officials extended the open enrollment deadline of the state-run marketplace for health insurance after tens of thousands of applicants flooded the website in recent days. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

California lawmaker seeks ‘all-gender’ restrooms in public -- Under Assembly Bill 1732, businesses, government buildings and other public spaces in the state would be required to identify any toilet facility that can only be used by one person at a time as “all-gender.” Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

Files missing from ex-councilman's office are an issue in lawsuit over Sherman Oaks development -- When Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge left office, he left nothing behind. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

LAPD officer gets year in jail and must register as sex offender for exposing himself to women -- Los Angeles police officer was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for attempting to commit lewd acts on a 12-year-old girl and exposing himself to five women in the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach, prosecutors said. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

1 of 3 Orange County jail escapees surrenders to police -- Bac Duong, 43, turned himself in to Santa Ana police at 11:21 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Harbor Boulevard after a friend or acquaintance called police, said Santa Ana Police Sgt. Don Humphrey. Joseph Serna, James Queally, Richard Winton and Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times Gillian Flaccus and Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 1/29/16

Abcarian: How prostitution is 'modern-day slavery,' and what law enforcement is doing to stop it -- The customer has no idea what he is walking into. He is in his early 30s, dressed kind of schlubby, and wanting to buy some sex on a gorgeous weekday afternoon a stone's throw from Levi's Stadium, home of Super Bowl 50. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

SoCalGas leak: Benzene levels higher in Burbank, LA basin than Porter Ranch, AQMD says -- The maximum and average daily levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene are higher in Burbank and the Los Angeles basin than they are in Porter Ranch, according to data analyzed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 1/29/16

Feinstein, Boxer to call for federal review of Porter Ranch gas leak -- U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer want Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to review the cause of and response to the natural gas leak at Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Brown's parole plan would likely reduce prosecutors' plea-bargain leverage, experts say -- Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to give more inmates a chance for early release would probably reduce prosecutors' leverage in negotiating plea bargains, legal experts said Thursday. Maura Dolan and Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Blue Shield eliminates 140 jobs in Rancho Cordova, El Dorado Hills -- The cutbacks mean the health insurer employs around 1,950 workers combined at the two offices. Blue Shield also employs 30 workers at a small office in Sacramento. Spokesman Sean Barry said the cutbacks are “part cost and part strategy” as the company continues to realign its operations. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

Thriving U.S. Cities Grapple With Homelessness Surge -- The technology boom has rapidly gentrified some neighborhoods here, pushing wealthy buyers and renters into once-gritty areas and generating friction over the city’s entrenched homeless population. Now, tension is mounting as the Bay Area prepares to host Super Bowl 50 next month, bringing an estimated one million football fans to parts of the city where the unsheltered often congregate and sleep. Arian Campo-Flores, Cameron McWhirter and Alejandro Lazo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/29/16

Tech pipeline to Texas: Tax money, people flow out of Bay Area -- Despite being in the heart of Silicon Valley, Vasili Triant couldn’t keep his midsize cloud-computing company, LiveOps Cloud, staffed. Jobs would open, but not enough qualified applicants would apply. Those hired often wouldn’t last a year before being poached by bigger firms that promised higher salaries and more lavish perks. Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Too poor to retire and too young to die -- At the wise age of 79, Dolores Westfall knows food shopping on an empty stomach is a fool's errand. On her way to the grocery store last May, she pulled into the Town & Country Family Restaurant to take the edge off her appetite. John M. Glionna in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

$2.1 million house sliding down an San Francisco hill faces wrecking ball -- A $2.1 million home purchased less than four months ago and had yet to be moved into by the new owner was being demolished on Friday after the city deemed it uninhabitable when it started to slowly slide down a hillside in a picturesque neighborhood near Mt. Davidson in San Francisco. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Quinn: The Death Of Modern Conservatism -- Modern American conservatism dates from the founding of National Review by William F. Buckley in 1955. And the death of modern conservatism probably dates from last week when the presumptive Republican candidate for president, Donald Trump, called National Review a “failing publication that has lost its way … its circulation is way down with its influence being at an all time low”, after the publication called for his defeat. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 1/29/16

Fired after fatal shooting of Corvette driver, ex-LAPD officers sue to get their jobs back -- Two former Los Angeles police officers who fatally shot an unarmed motorist from behind, on live TV, were fired and now are suing to get their jobs back. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Suspect in San Francisco pier shooting of Kate Steinle seeks case's dismissal -- The lawyer for a Mexican national charged with fatally shooting a young San Francisco woman as she walked on a city pier wants his client's murder charge dismissed, saying the killing that rekindled the national debate over illegal immigration was an accident. Associated Press -- 1/29/16

Lake Mendocino nears winter capacity; Lake Sonoma close behind -- Recent rainstorms have swelled Lake Mendocino, reopening the reservoir to motor boats for the first time since August, swallowing islands raised by the drought and bringing fresh hope to ranchers and water officials. Glenda Anderson in the Santa Rosa Press -- 1/29/16

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

More than $1 billion in cap-and-trade funds unspent as budget negotiations begin anew -- When budget negotiations were in danger of stalling last year, Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers put off deciding how to spend more than $1 billion in funds collected from the auction of greenhouse gas pollution credits. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

City of Industry paid millions to contractors but didn't track how it was spent, audit finds -- The City of Industry paid tens of millions of dollars to city contractors without keeping track of how the money was spent and what services were provided, according to a state review released Thursday. Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

City of Industry audit finds questionable finances, overpaid employees, city-sponsored ‘massage services’ -- The state’s top fiscal officer has audited the city of Industry and concluded “the potential for fraud, waste, and abuse of public resources was extremely high” in the city over the past decade. Jason Henry and Rebecca Kimitch in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/29/16

California starts decisive year on governor's water tunnels -- State regulators launched Thursday into a year of pivotal decisions on Gov. Jerry Brown's quest to build two giant tunnels to ferry water from Northern California for Central and Southern California, a $17-billion project that would be one of the largest in decades in the state. Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 1/29/16

State Senate bill would keep gas from going into storage facility near Porter Ranch -- The California state Senate unanimously approved bipartisan urgency legislation Thursday to enact a moratorium on new gas injections at Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon storage facility near Porter Ranch and restrict withdrawals from older wells until state gas regulators, with input from experts, determine it is safe. Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Alice Walton, Paige St. John and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Walters: AG Harris ducks big betting bill -- California’s attorney general has responsibilities and powers second only to those of the governor, and the office’s occupant is always in position to climb the political ladder. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

California Politics Podcast: Prison Redux -- This week: Gov. Jerry Brown revisits prison punishment; legislative Democrats duel no more; and a clash at the California Coastal Commission. With John Myers of the Los Angeles Times, Marisa Lagos of KQED, and Anthony York of the Grizzly Bear Project. Link here -- 1/29/16

Kamala Harris makes Orange County campaign stop in U.S. Senate race against Loretta Sanchez -- State Attorney General Kamala Harris held a meet-and-greet in Laguna Beach on Thursday, answering questions about gun control and protecting the environment. Brooke Edwards Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 1/29/16

Q&A: Scott Jones talks issues: Immigration, abortion, marijuana, guns -- acramento County Sheriff Scott Jones likes to say he’s a sheriff by choice but a politician by force. This year, his maxim will be tested in more ways than one. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

Woman arrested on suspicion of helping trio escape from Orange County jail -- A 44-year-old woman who worked as an English teacher in Orange County’s largest jail was arrested Thursday on suspicion of helping three inmates mount a daring escape last week, officials said. Richard Winton, James Queally and Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times Keith Sharon Kelly Puente and Alma Fausto in the Orange County Register -- 1/29/16

Head of Homeboy Industries backs proposed ballot measure targeting 'overdevelopment' -- Father Greg Boyle, executive director and founder of the job-training nonprofit Homeboy Industries, on Thursday came out in support of a proposed ballot measure to crack down on real estate "mega projects" in Los Angeles. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Lawmaker backs executive director in Coastal Commission dispute -- A North Coast lawmaker has come to the defense of Charles Lester, the executive director of the California Coastal Commission who has come under fire from a number of commissioners seeking his ouster at the panel’s meeting next month in Moro Bay. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 1/29/16

Anaheim police have secretly been using cell phone surveillance devices -- Anaheim police have been secretly using cell phone surveillance devices since at least 2009, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, citing documents obtained following the filing of a public records lawsuit. The technology was made available to other Orange County police departments outside Anaheim as well, according to the ACLU. Mike Roe KPCC -- 1/29/16

Why Don't More Californians Vote? -- California is first in a lot of things, but voting isn't always one of them. In the last election less than a third of eligible voters cast a ballot. And for one of the most diverse states in the country, it’s still an older, whiter and wealthier group of voters who show up for Election Day. Steven Cuevas, KQED; Ben Bradford, Capital Public Radio; Megan Burks, KPBS; Mary Plummer, KPCC; Sasha Khokha, KQED California Counts -- 1/29/16

California's Election Chief Knows Firsthand Why So Many Don't Vote -- Alex Padilla knows exactly why so many Californians don't even bother to register, much less vote. And as secretary of state, he's determined to do something about it. Scott Schafer California Counts -- 1/29/16

Regulators get input — sort of — on self-driving car rollout -- California regulators deciding how to permit the future rollout of self-driving cars were told Thursday by consumer advocates that their cautious approach was right on, and by companies developing the technology that the state's current course will delay deployment of vehicles that promise huge safety benefits. Justin Pritchard Associated Press -- 1/29/16

Bay Area man says Iranian captors lied to demoralize him -- Jason Rezaian, the Bay Area native who was imprisoned in Iran while working as a reporter for the Washington Post, revealed Thursday that his captors tried to break his spirits by telling him the U.S. government would not help gain his freedom. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Lawmakers send Brown bill to fix marijuana mistake -- AB21 deletes a provision that lawmakers inadvertently left in the legislation when it was passed last year. That provision said that cities and counties had to create their own medical marijuana regulations by March 1 or the state would assume the responsibility. Lawmakers did not mean to set a deadline. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Solar companies — and customers — win big in state ruling -- The solar industry scored a major victory Thursday when a divided California Public Utilities Commission voted to keep largely intact the system for compensating solar homeowners for excess electricity that they place on the grid. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle Ivan Penn in the Los Angeles Times Lauren Sommer KQED -- 1/29/16

San Francisco’s DA says Ed Lee, Greg Suhr uncooperative in police misconduct probe -- San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Police Chief Greg Suhr refuse to cooperate with the district attorney’s efforts to investigate police misconduct and departmental culture — even as they claim to be committed to transparency and accountability in the wake of the fatal shooting of Mario Woods, according to a scathing letter written to the mayor by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón. Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

VA proposes hundreds of housing units plus services for homeless vets at West L.A. campus -- Federal officials released a blueprint Thursday that could transform the long-neglected West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus into a residential community with hundreds of housing units for homeless veterans and a town center featuring a café, fitness center and cultural facilities. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Diaper changes advanced by California Assembly -- Babies need diapers, and parents could use some help buying them. That premise motivated a sizable chunk of the California Assembly’s business on Thursday, with lawmakers advancing bills to exempt diapers from sales taxes and authorize a welfare credit for purchasing the infant underwear. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

How a South L.A. supermarket proposal fell apart, after a decade of effort -- To woo a new supermarket to South Los Angeles, city leaders offered up roughly two acres of city land for a single dollar — and proposed to sweeten the deal with $750,000 in federal funds to spruce up the site. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Morain: Fantasy sports takes aim, shoots foot -- For all their fancy lawyers and consultants, the unwise guys running the daily fantasy sports racket are showing themselves to be a sketchy bunch playing at the far edge of legality, if not illegality. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

Lori Saldaña Confirms Independent Bid for San Diego Mayor -- Former Assembly member Lori Sandaña formally announced Thursday her independent, “grassroots” campaign for mayor, saying incumbent Kevin Faulconer deserved a challenge. Chris Jennewein Times of San Diego -- 1/29/16

Marty Block Exits State Senate Race Against Toni Atkins -- What was shaping up to be a brutal campaign among Democrats for a state Senate seat in San Diego came to an abrupt end Thursday when incumbent Marty Block announced he will not run for re-election. Chris Jennewein Times of San Diego Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/1616

BART dropping coal investments -- Coal companies won't be part of BART's financial portfolio, district directors agreed Thursday. The BART board agreed to disinvest in coal by July of next year. Andrew McGall in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 1/29/16

Calbuzz: Disorder in Des Moines: The GOP Split Screen Debate -- Four days before the Iowa caucuses, Thursday night’s dystopian display of Republican electile dysfunction was a perfect tableau of the GOP race. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 1/29/16

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls     

Poll shows strong support for more BART funding -- BART will likely put a measure for an up to $4.5 billion bond to fund track and station improvements on the November ballot after a recent poll of likely Bay Area voters showed broad support for it. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions      

Chargers submit plans for Orange County facility -- It's another sign. This one is tangible. Should the Chargers move to Los Angeles, the team's home base would be in Orange County. The team this week submitted grading and landscape plans for approval to the City of Santa Ana. Kevin Acee in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Scott M. Reid in the Orange County Register -- 1/29/16

FBI’s covert command center gearing up for Super Bowl 50 -- Workers taped black plastic over the windows at the FBI’s Joint Operations Center on Thursday, the final touches on a war room where dozens of agents will begin coordinating to keep the Bay Area safe during Super Bowl 50 and its accompanying events. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Bay Area airports brace for an onslaught of commercial, private and corporate aircraft for Super Bowl -- Forget the gridlock at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara -- the real action will be overhead, where a finely coordinated aerial shindig will feature private charter jets, Fortune 500 air limos, rock star jet-setters, news choppers, blimps and banner planes. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/29/16

Super Bowl protests in San Francisco: Tent city, Mario Woods march planned -- For anyone who’s furious over just about any social-justice issue, next week isn’t really Super Bowl week. It’s the Super Bowl of Protests week. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

State of the City: Two tech firms to bring hundreds of jobs, mayor announces -- Since the day he took office over seven years ago, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has talked about a need to shed the city’s dependence on government and real estate jobs. Ryan Lillis, Dale Kassler and Ellen Garrison in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

ConAgra to close Helm tomato-processing plant, lay off 102 workers -- ConAgra Foods Inc. will close its Hunt-Wesson tomato processing plant in the western Fresno County community of Helm, disclosing the anticipated layoff of 102 workers in mid-March. The item is in the Fresno Bee$ -- 1/29/16

Deadly threat to citrus prompts quarantines in Bay Area -- An insect pest that is threatening the historic orange and lemon groves of Southern California has begun moving into the Bay Area, where it could kill backyard citrus trees of every variety. David Perlman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Chargers-Rams aiming at deal by end of week -- Deal in L.A. looms, but true desire of Spanos family still unknown. Kevin Acee in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/29/16

Sunnyvale Welcomes Mobile Showers for the Homeless -- Taking a shower may seem more like a routine than a privilege. But for people living on the streets, a safe place to wash is hard to find. Jennifer Wadsworth San Jose inside -- 1/29/16

Drought   

‘Modest Dents’ In Long-Term California Drought -- The U.S. Drought Monitor released January 28 partly credits El Niño moisture for "some modest dents in the armor of the multi-year drought in California." Ed Joyce Capital Public Radio -- 1/29/16

Education 

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf unveils plan to triple the number of college graduates -- City and school leaders unveiled an ambitious plan Thursday to triple the number of low-income students who graduate college by providing support through college savings accounts, scholarships and pacts with colleges to provide free or partial tuition. Joyce Tsai in the Oakland Tribune$ -- 1/29/16

Next Phase For CFA, CSU Contract Negotiations -- Contract negotiations between the California Faculty Association and the California State University system have reached an impasse. The CFA wants a 5 percent general salary increase for all faculty. The CSU has offered a 2 percent increase. Ed Joyce Capital Public Radio -- 1/29/16

San Francisco students suspended over racist ‘wigger party’ -- More than a dozen high school students were suspended from St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco after they took part in a racist-themed party at Stern Grove in the Outer Sunset, school officials said Thursday. Kale Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

He's 48, just graduated from high school and owes it all to the library -- Ron Hagardt didn’t finish high school when he was supposed to, in 1985. Drinking led to pot, which led to cocaine, which led to dropping out of Sonora High School in La Habra during his senior year. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Final tally shows few opt-outs from Common Core-aligned tests in California -- Just over 20,000 California students opted out of last year’s Smarter Balanced assessments – far fewer than in other states, where resistance to the Common Core has been greater, a final tally from the state shows. Sarah Tully EdSource -- 1/29/16

Legislator proposes new credentials for dance, theater teachers -- In an effort to increase the number of public schools offering theater and dance classes and to lure more dance and theater professionals to teaching, Santa Monica-area State Senator Ben Allen unveiled a bill on Wednesday to create, for the first time, teaching credentials in those subjects. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 1/29/16

California School CABs Make Comeback -- Issuance of capital appreciation bonds by California school and community college districts more than tripled from 2014 to 2015 despite a law designed to limit their use of the bond structure. Keeley Webster The Bond Buyer -- 1/29/16

California AG's Opinion Targets School Bond Practices -- School and community college districts violate California law if they hire outside firms to campaign for bond ballot measures or purposely incentivize municipal finance professionals to advocate for passage of a bond measure, the state's attorney general said in a formal legal opinion. Kyle Glazier The Bond Buyer -- 1/29/16

Environment 

State approves new standards for light bulbs -- Under the standards approved by the Sacramento-based CEC, LED bulbs will emerge as a statewide staple and some forms of traditional track lighting will be phased out. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/29/16

Health 

California stem cell agency eyes human gene editing -- The $3 billion California stem cell agency next Thursday will convene a day-long examination of human gene editing, a field that could be a “gold mine for biotechnology” and perhaps alter the human race permanently. David Jennsen Capitol Weekly -- 1/29/16

Bill would force health insurers to tell you about 'unreasonable' rates -- A bill introduced in the California legislature this week seeks to force health insurers to notify consumers about coverage premiums that state regulators have deemed "unreasonable." The legislation would also require insurance companies to give those consumers time to shop for a new plan. Stephanie O'Neill KPCC -- 1/29/16

Also . . . 

Hotel hosting security conference was the victim of a data breach -- The hotel hosting this week’s Enigma Conference — a cybersecurity event so focused on privacy that attendees’ names were left off badges by default — was recently affected by a data breach. Sean Sposito in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

22 indicted in illegal gambling and drug ring led by former USC athlete, feds say -- Led by Owen Hanson, who was a USC athlete more than a decade ago, the “ODOG” operations used violence and threatened customers into paying off debts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego. Hanson, who went by “O-Dog,” was arrested in September at a golf course in Carlsbad. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Open-air urinal opens at San Francisco park to combat public urination -- San Francisco's iconic Dolores Park is now home to the city's first open-air urinal, the latest move to combat public urination. The cement circular urinal is out in the open, though plants and a screen offer some privacy. It's a welcome addition for the park that had just three toilets, which led many to relieve themselves in bushes and on buildings. Associated Press -- 1/29/16

Inland Empire's Carmageddon is coming soon -- Carmageddon’s coming for you, Inland Empire. Transportation officials will close a six-mile stretch of the notoriously gridlocked 91 Freeway in Corona for a full weekend next month as part of a $1.4-billion construction project to widen the freeway. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

55-hour road closure to shut down major streets in downtown L.A. -- Starting Friday night, 1st and Alameda streets will be closed as crews conduct preparatory work for the construction of the Regional Connector Tunnel and work on the relocation of Metro Gold Line track and utilities. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Beltway 

Republican rivals take advantage of Trump's absence in Iowa presidential debate -- With Donald Trump boycotting, his Republican rivals used the opportunity to pummel one another Thursday night in a contentious debate that offered one of the last chances to ply Iowans before the first presidential vote of 2016. Trump was gone but not forgotten. Mark Z. Barabak, Michael Finnegan and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/29/16

Hillary Clinton heading to Atherton for tech fundraiser -- Clinton will be raising money at the home of Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, the CEO of Joyus, a video-driven online shopping site with headquarters in San Francisco. Organizers are focusing on reaching out to young people — Clinton is trailing Democratic challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., among younger voters — and to women in tech. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/29/16

Trump finds voice of support in unexpected place: San Francisco's C-suite -- Virgin America CEO David Cush stunned a San Francisco audience Wednesday night when he responded to a short, but controversial, question: "Trump or Hillary?" Mark Calvey San Francisco Business Times -- 1/29/16