Updating . .   

Police Commission approves changes emphasizing de-escalation before deadly force by LAPD -- The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday unanimously decided to revamp the LAPD’s use-of-deadly-force policy and require the department to specifically evaluate whether officers could have done more to defuse tense encounters. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Ami Bera’s Democratic critics say Elk Grove congressman disappoints -- Robert Longer is upset with Democratic Rep. Ami Bera for voting to give the president fast-track trade authority. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

Latino caucus demands ouster over ‘racist and incendiary’ remark -- California’s Latino Legislative Caucus on Tuesday urged Calaveras County supervisors to remove a planning commissioner who referred to Mexicans immigrants as an invasive species. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

U.S. Justice Department raises 'serious' antitrust issues in Tribune bid for Orange County Register -- The U.S. Justice Department sees "serious" antitrust issues with Tribune Publishing's bankruptcy bid for The Orange County Register and The Press-Enterprise and would take action to keep any merger from hurting newspaper readers and advertisers in the region, according to a letter to Freedom Communications this week. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 3/15/16

Report: Assistant coach shut out reporter after she refused sex -- A months-long probe at Cal that led to the firing of an assistant basketball coach found that the coach ceased communications with a reporter covering the team after she refused his sexual advances, according to an investigative report obtained by The Chronicle on Tuesday. Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/16

Hacker group Anonymous declares ‘total war’ on Donald Trump -- Vigilante hacker group Anonymous declared “total war” on Donald Trump, ratcheting up its offensive against the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Joan E. Solsman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/16

California bill bars contracts with companies boycotting Israel -- Inserting themselves into a bitter dispute about Israeli policy, a group of California lawmakers wants to bar the state from contracting with companies that refuse to do business with Israel. Jeremy B. White in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/16

Jonestown attack survivor Rep. Jackie Speier proposes assault weapon import ban -- U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) on Tuesday proposed legislation banning the importation of assault weapons. The proposal came during a speech Speier gives each month in the House in which she reads aloud the names of people killed in mass shootings the month before. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Homeless man shares in $150,000 reward for capture of Orange County jail escapees -- Four people will split a $150,000 reward for providing information that led to the capture of three escaped Orange County jail inmates in January, officials said Tuesday. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

'Where are we going to go?' L.A. homeless sweeps continue despite lawsuit -- Just one day after advocates for the homeless filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, work crews and police were out again Tuesday making arrests and removing homeless encampments along a highly visible stretch of the 101 Freeway downtown. Ruben Vives and Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Off-duty LAPD officer shoots two burglars who broke into his San Gabriel home, officials say -- An off-duty LAPD police officer shot and wounded two burglars after several men tried to break into his home in San Gabriel on Monday morning, law enforcement officials said. James Queally and Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Los Angeles area can claim the worst traffic in America. Again -- Drivers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana region spent 81 hours idling in traffic last year, the most of any U.S. metropolitan area, according to a new study from the data company Inrix. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Tobacco Industry's Threats: Provocative, But Legal -- What's noteworthy is the tactic the tobacco industry says it would use once the referenda are cleared for signature gathering: paying $10 for every voter signature. That would drive up the cost to qualify every other ballot measure gathering signatures – including the tobacco tax increase, and Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed overhaul of California’s criminal justice sentencing system. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 3/15/16

Fox: You’ll Hear a Lot about the Black Market in Coming Election -- The black market will be a legitimate issue in many of its various forms in the coming November election. Referring to the black market, of course, means illegal traffic in officially controlled commodities. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/15/16

CalPERS and other big investors sue VW for $3.57 billion -- Volkswagen Group's big institutional investors, including California's huge public pension fund, are suing the German automaker for $3.57 billion in damages over its handling of the emissions scandal, which has seen VW's stock price shrivel by a third. Associated Press -- 3/15/16

Can Trump be stopped? 5 things to watch for in the big primaries Tuesday -- Donald Trump's advance toward winning the Republican presidential nomination hits a crucial milestone Tuesday as voters in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina cast ballots in the first big primaries since violent clashes erupted last week at his campaign rallies. Michael Finnegan and Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Jerry Brown: If Trump wins, California might need a wall of its own -- Addressing members of the California Labor Federation and State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, Brown said California has benefited from immigration to the state, arguing that young workers are an economic boon. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

Bay Area Democrats conflicted as Trump candidacy reaches tipping point -- Like most liberal Democrats, Mario Juarez finds Donald Trump repulsive. But he can't help but hope the real estate tycoon will deliver a knockout blow to his rivals in Tuesday's crucial primaries. Matthew Artz in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/15/16

California billionaire Tom Steyer labels Trump a 'racist' -- Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, who is pondering a run for California governor in 2018, on Monday called Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump “a racist and a liar.” Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

‘Dark money’ measure pulled by California campaign reform backers -- Proponents suspended a campaign on Monday for a ballot measure to trace so-called “dark money” and tighten the rules on lobbying and campaign finance spending. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

Capitol Weekly Podcast -- Voters Right to Know announced today that they have dropped their bid to qualify a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to access campaign finance information, opting to back a new bill, SB 1349, that would greatly improve Californians' access to campaign finance information. Jim Heerwagen and Shane McLoud stopped by the Capitol Weekly office to talk with John Howard about the new strategy. Link here -- 3/15/16

Walters: California lawmakers finally pushing campaign sunshine -- Slowly – perhaps too slowly – but surely, California is shining some much-needed light into the darker corners of its political system. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

L.A. plans to fix sidewalks, then hand off responsibility for future repairs -- Under a tentative plan to smooth its badly broken sidewalks, Los Angeles would spend money to fix walkways next to homes and businesses, then gradually hand off the responsibility for future repairs to property owners — a “fix and release” plan that has troubled some community groups worried about financially strapped residents. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Renovating a home is about to cost more -- Owning a home in California could get more complicated starting next year with a new law intended to cut energy consumption, partly by increasing the efficiency of home heating, cooling and lighting systems. Julie Cart Calmatters.org -- 3/15/16

L.A sued over seizure of homeless people's belongings -- A group of homeless people and their advocates are suing the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department in federal court for what they call the wrongful seizure of people's property. Josie Huang KPCC -- 3/15/16

California sheriffs oppose Gavin Newsom’s gun control initiative -- California sheriffs announced Monday that they are opposing Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s gun-control measure aimed for the fall ballot, arguing it would not prevent criminals from obtaining guns and ammunition via the black market or theft. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

3 Santa Ana officers charged with theft in pot shop raid caught on video -- The dispensary had a visible 16-camera system and a hidden four-camera one. While the officers disabled the 16-camera network, the hidden system continued to record. Scott Schwebke in the Orange County Register James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

California Counts: can underdog US Senate candidate Sanchez turn out the vote? -- It’s been two and a half decades since California voters last filled a U.S. Senate vacancy, but with veteran lawmaker Barbara Boxer set to step down this year, voters have a chance to pick from four major candidates competing to fill her seat. Mary Plummer KPCC -- 3/15/16

Southern California's Paul J. Watford is among Obama's top choices for Supreme Court -- Judge Paul J. Watford, a Southern Californian who serves on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, has emerged as a leading contender for President Obama's nomination to the Supreme Court. David G. Savage and Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

'Stunning, shocking': Boxer hadn't expected her final months in Senate would include Supreme Court fight -- Barbara Boxer traces the beginning of her Senate career to an October 1991 day when she and six female colleagues from the House marched across the Capitol and demanded that senators consider Anita Hill's sexual harassment allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Group seeks ethics review of top aide to California governor -- A former executive of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. signed an agreement to protect the reputation of the utility as part of a $1 million settlement she reached with PG&E when she left to work as a top aide for the California governor, a consumer group alleged in a complaint filed with the state's political watchdog. Juliet Williams Associated Press -- 3/15/16

Calbuzz: Death of Truth: The Brazen Lies of Donald Trump -- Donald Trump is many things: an archetypal narcissist, a reckless provocateur, a vicious demagogue, a menacing bully and a ruthless thug. Most of all, he’s a pathological liar. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/15/16

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls     

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions    

Yahoo cuts more products as CEO Marissa Mayer hangs on in the face of probable sale -- On the way out are Yahoo Games, which survived 18 years and once boasted 18 million users; Yahoo Livetext; the Yahoo BOSS search product for Web developers and website owners; Yahoo Astrology, which is in four European countries and India; plus seven sites in Yahoo Maktoob, a subsidiary focused on the Arab world. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/15/16

Micro-living in LA: Could you live in less than 400 sq. feet? -- Actress Dawn Davis says living in a 380-square foot apartment in downtown Los Angeles took some adjustment. She sleeps just feet from the couch, her desk, the television. Underneath her bed is a table that she unfolds when guests are over and covers with a tablecloth. Josie Huang KPCC -- 3/15/16  

SoCal cities buckle down to fight density -- There is a housing crisis in Southern California, but many communities aren't down with one of the solutions: density. Advocates suggest a range of alternatives, from creating more affordable apartments to increasing rent subsidies. Leo Duran KPCC -- 3/15/16

Delta to begin nonstop flights from LAX to Beijing in December -- Delta Air Lines announced plans Monday to begin daily nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport on Dec. 16, pending U.S. Department of Transportation and foreign government approval. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/15/16

Drought   

Drenched by 'March Miracle,' Northern California reservoirs inch toward capacity -- A series of storms pushed California’s biggest reservoir past its historical capacity for mid-March this weekend and put the second largest one on track for doing the same by Monday afternoon, officials said. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ Amy Graff in the San Francisco ChronicleKurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/16

Will California ease conservation goals as reservoirs fill? -- With California’s two largest reservoirs hitting historically average levels following a weekend of heavy storms, the state’s chief water regulator is cautiously optimistic that the drought may finally be relaxing its grip. Ryan Sabalow, Mark Glover and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$

Why it is likely too late for El Nino to save Southern California from drought -- The tale of El Niño 2016 reads like two different stories. In Northern California, the weather phenomenon has delivered above normal rain and snow this winter. Not so in Southern California, where rainfall is only half of normal for downtown Los Angeles. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/15/16

Beverly Hills put a spotlight on its celebrity water wasters -- and it worked -- Officials in Beverly Hills say they tried it all: educational campaigns, usage restrictions and written notices for people suspected of wasting water. Matt Stevens in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Orange County Water District wants desalinated water; Irvine Ranch doesn't. Who will win? -- Citing potentially higher costs that would be passed on to customers, Orange County’s largest provider of water to homes and businesses is intensifying its opposition to a key supplier’s plan to buy desalinated water from a proposed $1 billion Huntington Beach plant. Aaron Orlowski in the Orange County Register -- 3/15/16

Education 

Bill Proposes Paid Time Off For School Activities -- Parents, grandparents and guardians could take time off from work for school activities without losing any pay under a newly-introduced bill in the California Legislature. It’s the latest effort to give employees more flexibility. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 3/15/16

LAUSD turns down 'parent trigger' bid at southeast LA elementary school -- District leaders rejected the petition from parents at 20th Street Elementary School because, according to a letter officials sent the group on Saturday, the school is not subject to the California law that lets parents force changes at a low-performing school where their children attend — if they can gather enough signatures. Kyle Stokes KPCC -- 3/15/16

California moves to bring special education students 'into the fold' of mainstream education -- Ordered by the federal government to elevate academics for students with disabilities, and by the state to raise low-income student achievement, the California Department of Education is working to create a unified system that will do both, a move that aims to bring special education students into every school district initiative to improve achievement. Jane Meredith Adams EdSource -- 3/15/16

Some 11th graders not getting message about how much new Smarter Balanced tests matter -- The California State University is now using incoming freshmen’s test scores on the state's new standardized tests to decide if students are ready for college level math and English or if they need to take remedial classes. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 3/15/16

Cal basketball assistant coach fired in sexual harassment case -- An assistant coach for the Cal men’s basketball team was fired Monday following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, according to a source close to the program. Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

'Extensive' hate graffiti found on high school campus in Pacific Palisades -- Symbols and phrases that referenced the Ku Klux Klan, Jews, African Americans and LGBT people, were found on city property outside the campus, on the school’s signage and a mural, Bartee said. Police believe the writings, which have since been covered, were spray-painted overnight. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

UC Davis students face disciplinary threat as chancellor protest continues -- Students demanding the resignation of UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi faced a threat of disciplinary action as they remained Monday outside her office in a protest against her involvement with private corporate boards. Sam Stanton and Diana Lambert in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

Immigration / Border 

Corrupt Border Patrol agents 'pose a national security threat,' report says -- The system for disciplining abusive or corrupt Border Patrol agents and officers is so flawed that it hardly acts to deter criminal misconduct in the nation's largest law enforcement agency, according to an independent task force. Brian Bennett in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Silicon Valley fears European backlash after Congress limits visa waiver program -- Amin Shokrollahi couldn't wait to lecture at an electronics conference in San Francisco. The annual gathering of top tech minds, investors and customers was the perfect place for the German-Iranian professor to gain support for his start-up. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

Environment 

13.1 million U.S. coastal residents could face flooding because of rising sea levels -- As many as 13.1 million people living along U.S. coastlines could face flooding by the end of the century because of rising sea levels, according to a new study that warns that large numbers of Americans could be forced to relocate to higher ground. Ann M. Simmons in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16

The planet had its biggest temperature spike in modern history in February -- The global temperature in February took its greatest leap in 136 years of record-keeping, rising 1.35 degrees Celsius (2.43 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1951-1980 average. As a result of the gigantic temperature jump, it became the warmest February on record by a landslide. NASA released the data over the weekend, and scientists reacted with astonishment. Jason Samenow in the Washington Post$ -- 3/15/16

Volkswagen diesels might not be completely fixable, regulator says -- It seemed like a fairly simple remedy for a major automotive defect: Require the carmaker to recall the vehicles and make them right. But the fix for Volkswagen’s diesel air pollution scandal is proving anything but simple. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/15/16

Health 

Physician shortages continue to plague Inland Empire -- The two-county San Bernardino-Riverside area continues to lack an adequate safety net for uninsured residents and faces a serious doctor shortage, especially in primary care and psychiatry, says a report released Monday. Jim Steinberg in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 3/15/16

Also . . . 

Brawl at youth home was bigger than billed -- State report says 'large police force' was required to quell the incident. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/15/16

Big haul: First car in BART’s future fleet being trucked cross-country -- As you were clutching that overhead bar on BART this morning, crushed between someone’s backpack and somebody else’s luggage, you may have wondered when those long-promised new rail cars are going to show up. Well, the first of the 775 new cars is making its way west — beep beep! — atop a flatbed truck. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/16

Beltway 

Trump health plan would increase deficit and leave millions uninsured, report says -- Donald Trump's recently released plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act would drive up the federal deficit by nearly $500 billion over the next decade and cause 21 million Americans to lose health coverage, according to a new independent analysis. Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/15/16