Updating . .   

Sutter Brown health update brings bad news -- Now biopsy results are in, and the news is grim: Sutter has “very aggressive cancer,” which the vets were not able to entirely remove, Brown spokesman Evan Westrup said in an email. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Nevada approves stadium plan — and Mark Davis sounds ready to move -- The Nevada legislature on Friday approved a plan to finance a stadium in Las Vegas — and Raiders owner Mark Davis was talking as if he can’t wait to get there. Daniel Mano in the East Bay Times -- 10/14/16

19 homes destroyed as 2 fires burn in Tahoe communities -- Nevada’s governor declared a state of emergency Friday after flames driven by high winds raced through the community of Washoe Valley northeast of Lake Tahoe, destroying at least 19 homes and more than a dozen other buildings, officials said. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/16

California offenders are no longer eligible for early release in the deaths of police officers -- California offenders will no longer be eligible for early release if they have been convicted of murder in the death of a police officer. Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation that exempts offenders from consideration for compassionate or medical release. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Former 'Apprentice' contestant accuses Trump of unwanted sexual advances -- “Mr. Trump, when I met you I was so impressed with your talents. I wanted to be like you. I wanted a job in your organization,” Summer Zervos, who had appeared on the fifth season of the show, told a news conference in downtown Los Angeles. Seema Mehta and Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 10/14/16

Raiders: Nevada Assembly votes to pass stadium plan -- The final vote was 28-13 for Senate Bill 1, satisfying the required two-thirds majority. An amended version was sent back to the Nevada Senate, which approved the bill 16-5 on Tuesday. If the Senate approves the amended bill, Gov. Brian Sandoval is expected to sign it into law. Daniel Mano in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/14/16

Is the Soda Tax on Your Ballot Actually a Grocery Tax? -- Supporters of taxing soda distributors in San Francisco, Oakland and Albany see these November 2016 ballot measures as a fundraising tool to stem a growing Type 2 diabetes epidemic. But opponents say it’s really a “grocery tax” that will hurt low-income residents and small businesses. Farida Jhabvala Romero KQED -- 10/14/16

Wealthy Central Valley farmer leading charge for Prop 53 -- The unlikely leader of a fledgling political revolution in California is a registered Democrat, the son of Italian immigrants, who began work in the Central Valley fields at age 10 and became the first in his family to graduate from college. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 10/14/16

Second lawsuit filed in Fresno police shooting of Dylan Noble -- The father of Dylan Noble, who was fatally shot by Fresno police during a traffic stop in June, has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and its police department that contends two officers used excessive force when they shot the 19-year-old as he lay wounded. Pablo Lopez in the Fresno Bee -- 10/14/16

Nevada lawmakers struggle with Vegas stadium deal for Raiders -- Nevada lawmakers were scheduled to return Friday to debate a plan to spend $750 million in public funds to build a stadium for the Oakland Raiders in Las Vegas, after a marathon legislative session ended with backers still short of the votes they need. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/16

Fox: Not Too Late for a Write-In Campaign -- I’m as frustrated as many of you about this year’s presidential campaign. Even before the recent Wikileaks revelations tainting the Clinton campaign and the videotape adding another indictment against the Trump candidacy, this year’s election fell so low in the gutter it would take a ladder to reach the curb. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/14/16

Marin Assemblyman Marc Levine wants to close loophole in campaign finance law -- The loophole allows unlimited contributions to political parties and permits parties to make unlimited contributions to candidate campaigns. Richard Halstead in the Marin Independent Journal -- 10/14/16

Court refuses to immediately block California abortion law -- A federal appeals court has declined to immediately block a California law that requires pregnancy centers to inform women about publicly-funded abortion services. Associated Press -- 10/14/16

Salesforce Won't Pursue Bid for Twitter -- Salesforce.com Inc. said it won’t pursue a bid for Twitter Inc., ending weeks of speculation and sending shares of the social-media company down 6.4%. Rachel King in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/14/16

Toxic plume threatens San Diego Bay, and port officials blame Navy -- An underground plume of toxic chemicals in Chula Vista threatens to contaminate the San Diego Bay and it’s largely the Navy’s fault, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week by the Port of San Diego. Carl Prine in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

SEIU leader wants bigger raise for state workers amid revenue upturn -- The leader of state government’s largest union is pointing to better-than-expected tax revenue in encouraging workers to hold out for a more lucrative contract than the one Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration is offering. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/14/16

50 years later, Black Lives Matter takes up Panthers’ fight -- It wasn’t the first time that a group of revolutionaries had used raw theatrics for dramatic effect. But the provocative demonstration of May 2, 1967 — when members of the newly formed Black Panther Party marched into the California state Capitol armed with loaded rifles and wearing berets — became a lasting image of black activism. Rachel Swan and Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/16

Proposition 53 Aims To Give Voters Say On Big Projects -- The measure is about revenue bonds, but its outcome at the polls could throw a roadblock in front of the state's plans to build a high-speed rail system or its biggest water project in decades. Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 10/14/16

WikiLeaks: Fletcher suggested attendance attack on Rubio, though it was 'very painful' for himself -- A San Diego political figure shows up in the latest WikiLeaks emails — which have not been confirmed or denied by Hillary Clinton’s campaign as belonging to campaign Chairman John Podesta. Ricky Young in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/14/16

Abcarian: With pot on the ballot, an expert answers questions on stoned driving, Me xican cartels and more -- Beau Kilmer, a senior researcher at RAND Corp., specializes in drug policy. As a co-author of the book “Marijuana Legalization,” he has been thinking a lot lately about California’s upcoming ballot initiative to allow all adults to use pot and its implications for public policy, including health, safety and criminal justice. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Hiltzik: Legislative misfire: Lawmakers targeted memorabilia scams but hit corner bookstores by mistake -- Running an independent bookstore is hard enough, says Bill Petrocelli, the co-owner (with his wife, Elaine) of the Bay Area’s two popular Book Passage stores. And that’s without getting blindsided by a new state law that could quash author signings, impose draconian bureaucratic burdens on stores like his, and open them up to a whole new category of nuisance lawsuits. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Amid crisis, Trump spreads another conspiracy theory — about his campaign -- After theories about President Obama’s birthplace and whether Ted Cruz’s father was linked to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Donald Trump now says “a global power structure” is out to stop him. Sean Sullivan in the Washington Post$ -- 10/14/16

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

California Senate candidates Loretta Sanchez and Kamala Harris on policy, politics and the state of their race -- With two Democrats on the ballot for U.S. Senate for the first time, and only one debate between them, it can be hard to tell how they would serve Californians differently. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

What you need to know about the $9-billion school bond on the ballot -- The first statewide initiative Californians will see on their ballots next month is Proposition 51, which would authorize $9 billion in school construction spending statewide. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

California Will Replace Dilapidated Cal-Access--In 2020 -- Donors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into California races with weeks still to go before the November election. The state collects a wealth of data about who is spending and where, but that information can be difficult to track. The information is searchable on a state-run website called Cal-Access, but Gavin Baker of open government group California Common Cause says it’s unreliable. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 10/14/16

Mayor blames California governor in sheriff's sergeant death -- The mayor of Lancaster claimed Thursday that a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department sergeant who served his area until being shot to death on duty last week would be alive if not for Gov. Jerry Brown's "realignment" plan to reduce the state prison population. The governor's spokesman said the mayor's "wild claims" are baseless. Associated Press -- 10/14/16

Trump wanted $1 million guarantee to attend Tulare fundraiser -- It seems presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have appearance fees for campaign fundraisers. This likely explains why Trump, the Republican nominee, made a central San Joaquin Valley appearance, and Clinton, the Democratic nominee, has not and probably won’t. John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 10/14/16

Fresno County Republicans stand behind presidential nominee Trump -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been under fire the past week not just from Democrats, but from members of his own party following recorded comments he in which he bragged about groping women and getting away with it because he was famous. John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 10/14/16

Kristin Gaspar Says She No Longer Supports Donald Trump -- Kristin Gaspar, a Republican candidate for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, is revoking her support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Alison St John, Claire Trageser KPBS -- 10/14/16

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Supporters Make Case For Proposition 64 -- Led by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, supporters of the measure that would legalize recreational marijuana in California gathered at Liberty Station Thursday to discuss the safeguards Proposition 64 would put into place. Steve Walsh KPBS -- 10/14/16

See the deep pockets behind California proposition campaigns -- More than 8,400 different donors have given to campaigns for and against the 17 propositions on the Nov. 8 ballot, ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to everyday Californians. But a relative handful of trade groups, tobacco companies, unions and wealthy individuals are responsible for almost all of the more than $350 million received by the main proposition campaign committees. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/14/16

Court upholds governor's power to allow Indian casinos -- The ruling by the Sacramento-based 3rd District Court of Appeal rejected a lawsuit by a Native American tribe, the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria, that would have reversed the approval of another tribe's casino near United Auburn's Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Thunder Valley is about 30 miles outside Sacramento. Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 10/14/16

Walters: New California law restricting ammunition sales sparks buying frenzy -- Gun shows are frequent events and usually laid back, but the one staged on Aug. 20 at the former McClellan Air Force Base near Sacramento had a noticeably frenzied ambiance. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/14/16

PolitiFact California: Fact-checking claims about California’s ballot measures -- PolitiFact California has fact-checked claims about many of the state’s most controversial ballot measures, from Prop 64’s effort to legalize marijuana to Prop 62’s proposal to abolish the death penalty to Prop 60’s condom requirement in adult films. KPCC -- 10/14/16

Highway 99 rated deadliest in nation, study says -- The 400-mile highway that runs through the centers of Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto and other valley cities recorded 62 fatal accidents per 100 miles over a recent five-year span. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/14/16

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds    

San Diego Vs. Los Angeles: A Tale Of Two Tax Measures -- Measure A in San Diego County is among the most controversial issues on the November ballot. The half-cent sales tax increase would give billions of dollars to new public transit, biking and walking projects. Andrew Bowen KPBS -- 10/14/16

BART’s future on line: Can transit system gain voters’ trust? -- As BART pleads with voters to raise their property taxes to bring in $3.5 billion in bonds to rebuild the Bay Area’s backbone rail transit system, its officials find themselves in an uncomfortable spot. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/16

Homeless     

North Hills residents vent frustrations over homelessness at town hall meeting -- Some homeless encampments are named after their respective residents in parts of the northeast San Fernando Valley, an alarming sign that street dwelling has firmly taken root in Los Angeles. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/14/16

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions 

How the gig economy has grown in Southern California -- Employment in Southern California's so-called "gig economy" – workers who drive for Uber or Lyft, or run errands for the app Task Rabbit, for example – more than doubled between 2012 and 2014. Ben Bergman KPCC -- 10/14/16

New Wells Fargo CEO has 'one-week window' to prove he's right choice, critic says -- Scandal-plagued Wells Fargo & Co. opted to choose a longtime insider, Timothy Sloan, to replace John Stumpf after the embattled chief executive abruptly quit on Wednesday. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Hyperloop One gets $50 million in funding led by Dubai's DP World Group, one of the world's largest ports operators -- One of the world’s largest maritime ports operators led a $50-million financing of Hyperloop One, a Los Angeles company aiming to transport cargo and people faster and cheaper than existing options. Paresh Dave in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

HP Inc. plans to cut 3,000 to 4,000 jobs over the next three years -- HP Inc. says it will cut 3,000 to 4,000 jobs over the next three years as it faces continued challenges in the markets for personal computers and printers. Associated Press -- 10/14/16

Wells Fargo must do more than fire its CEO to mend its image, critics say -- A red stagecoach, pulled by a team of six galloping horses and driven by a ruddy-faced man in a tan stetson, rumbles across a field of dry grass at the foot of a mountain range, all under a clear blue sky. James Rufus Koren and James Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Beverly Hills, land of Ferraris and Lamborghinis, seeks status as driverless-car innovator -- The ubiquitous Ferraris and Bentleys and Lamborghinis of Beverly Hills may soon be sharing the road with a new form of auto exotica: robot cars. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Applications for jobless benefits stay at 43-year low, indicating layoffs are scarce -- The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits stayed at a 43-year low last week in the latest sign that layoffs are scarce. Associated Press -- 10/14/16

Container volumes inch up at Port of Los Angeles despite Hanjin collapse -- Although the summertime failure of the world’s seventh largest shipping company hammered its neighbor in Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles saw a rise in cargo volume in September. Rachel Uranga in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 10/14/16

'Peanuts' cartoonist Charles Schulz near top of highest-paid "dead celebrities" list -- Beloved 'Peanuts' cartoonist Charles Schulz ranks second on Forbes' list of celebrities who amass fortunes after their death. The list, out Wednesday, put the Santa Rosa resident's earnings at $48 million, a distant second to the $825 million pulled in by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The item is in the Santa Rosa Press -- 10/14/16

Verizon just raised a big warning flag for Yahoo -- Verizon on Thursday signaled that Yahoo's massive data breach disclosed three weeks ago was a significant event that could halt the telecom giant's $4.8 billion purchase of the tech firm's core business. Ellen Nakashima and Brian Fung in the Washington Post$ -- 10/14/16

Wildfire   

Record-setting Soberanes Fire in Big Sur finally under control -- After burning for nearly three months, the Big Sur wildfire that may go down as the most expensive firefight in U.S. history was brought under full control. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/16

Water   

Strange Bedfellows Form Coalition To Increase Water Supply -- California’s drought has brought about a strange partnership that includes corporations like Coca-Cola and environmental groups like the Nature Conservancy. They’re partnering on projects aimed at helping increase water supply in California. Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 10/14/16

Education 

LA community colleges: loss of Prop. 55 could lead to empty classrooms -- Los Angeles community college officials are closely watching two measures on next month's ballot for fear that passage of one but not the other could seriously reshape their campuses. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 10/14/16

California's preschools are deeply segregated, new report finds -- Around the country, white children are overwhelmingly going to preschool with only other white children, and more than half of all black and Latino children under five attend preschool where 90 percent of the students are children of color. That's also the case in California, one of two states with the lowest enrollment of white children in public preschool programs. Deepa Fernandes KPCC -- 10/14/16

Duel between California and Obama administration over education continues -- The long-running battle between California and the federal government over the direction of state education policy continues, despite passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new federal education law that delegates far more decision-making powers to local school districts than its much-maligned predecessor, the No Child Left Behind law. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 10/14/16

LAUSD may take back control of a charter school even though it's doing well academically -- Los Angeles school board members are set to consider the second of three steps needed to put El Camino Real Charter High School back under district control. Sonali Kohli and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Cannabis 

Republican Congressman Tom McClintock Endorses Legalizing Marijuana -- California's November ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana has a surprise new endorsement: Republican Congressman Tom McClintock. He's a staunch conservative who represents a district that ranges from Roseville to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. Capital Public Radio -- 10/14/16

Long Beach, state leaders endorse local marijuana measures -- Lowenthal joined city councilmembers Dee Andrews, Jeannine Pearce and Roberto Uranga at Long Beach City Hall on Thursday to ask residents to vote “yes” on Measure MM, a citizen initiative that seeks to repeal a city ban on medical marijuana businesses and create safeguards for their existence. Courtney Tompkins in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 10/14/16

Environment 

Explosive Recycling Plant Fire Spurs Calls for Change -- In the months after the so-called Fruitland Magnesium Fire, regulators have intensified the call for changes that would require owners of hazardous materials sites to report combustible metals such as magnesium as part of their chemical inventories. Jason Kandel NBCLA -- 10/14/16

L.A.'s new bike-share program isn't as popular as those in other cities -- Ridership on Los Angeles County’s new bicycle sharing system has been smaller in its first months than on similar programs in other major U.S. cities, a Times analysis found. Ben Poston and Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Also . . . 

Sacramento council meeting on police reform stopped by protesters -- Protesters briefly shut down the Sacramento City Council meeting Thursday night during a discussion about police use-of-force policies. Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/14/16

Officer's Kevlar helmet deflects gunman's bullet, but mother and 9-month-old baby are wounded -- A suspect who barricaded himself inside a home is dead after he gravely wounded his girlfriend and 9-month-old daughter Thursday, then fired numerous shots at police, striking an officer’s Kevlar helmet, authorities in Tulare said. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/16

Sacramento To Buy Body-Cameras For Officers After The Fatal Shooting Of A Mentally-Ill Man -- The City of Sacramento has responded to a call for action by a community group in light of a recent fatal police shooting of a mentally ill black man. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 10/14/16

POTUS 44

In Ohio, Obama blasts GOP: ‘They’ve been feeding their base all kinds of crazy for years’ -- Speaking at the Ohio Democrats’ annual dinner in Columbus on Thursday night, President Obama blasted Republicans for nurturing the sort of extreme thinking that led to Donald Trump’s political rise. Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post$ -- 10/14/16

Beltway 

Where Clinton and Trump stand on foreign policy issues -- Buried in a presidential debate marked largely by insults and threats, the two candidates were asked a question about Syria that provided insight into how their worldviews and foreign policy priorities differ. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/16

Clinton lauds Michelle Obama’s blasting of Trump in San Francisco stop -- Hillary Clinton, in town for a private fundraiser, made a surprise public appearance at her San Francisco campaign office Thursday and used the visit to hammer opponent Donald Trump’s treatment of women. Michael Bodley in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/14/16

Fox anchor posts link to Trump accuser’s phone number and address -- One day after several women stepped forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexual assault and harassment, a Fox Business Network anchor publicly tweeted a link to one accuser’s personal information, including her address and phone number. Elizabeth Koh McClatchy DC -- 10/14/16

Final Clinton-Trump debate to focus on immigration, fitness to be president -- The third and final debate between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will focus on immigration, the economy, the Supreme Court, foreign hot spots, fitness to be president, debt and entitlements. Anita Bennett in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/14/16

Amid crisis, Trump spreads another conspiracy theory — about his campaign -- This time, there was a bigger, badder villain — “a global power structure” of corporate interests, the media and Clinton engaging in subterfuge. This time, it was about him. Sean Sullivan in the Washington Post$ -- 10/14/16

Voice Shaking, Michelle Obama Calls Trump Comments on Women ‘Intolerable’ -- The first lady exhorted voters in visceral terms to reject Donald J. Trump’s candidacy and back Hillary Clinton as a matter of conscience. Julie Hirschfeld Davis in the New York Times$ -- 10/14/16

Balz: Two speeches in two hours crystallize the state of Campaign 2016 -- Two speeches. Two Americas. A pair of apocalyptic arguments and one call to burn down the house. That’s the summation from just two remarkable hours Thursday that crystallized the final month of Campaign 2016. Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 10/14/16

The 7 Oddest Things Donald Trump Thinks -- Why the man who wants to be leader of the most powerful nation on earth prefers fast food, no sleep and old-school flame retardants. Michael Kruse Politico -- 10/14/16

Ryan sounds alarm on Trump -- Speaker Paul Ryan told top donors on Wednesday evening that he’s growing concerned about whether House Republicans will be able to weather the political storm this November — and suggested the outcome for his party could be dire. Alex Isenstadt and John Bresnahan Politico -- 10/14/16

 

-- Thursday Updates 

Veteran California pollster heads online -- One of the state’s most respected polls has begun incorporating online surveys for the first time, underscoring the increasing difficulty of relying on telephone questioning. Lisa Renner Capitol Weekly -- 10/13/16

Pelosi, confident of ability to take House, raises gobs of money -- With dreams — we emphasize “dreams” — of Democrats retaking the House, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California has been on a fundraising tear in the third quarter, raising $34.6 million for House Dems, including $28.7 directly for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, according to Pelosi’s office. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle Louise Nelson Politico -- 10/13/16

In surprise San Francisco appearance, Clinton addresses Trump comments -- Hillary Clinton said at a surprise appearance at a San Francisco campaign office Thursday that the nation has "already learned who Donald Trump is." She said the election is about "who we are and what we stand for." Associated Press -- 10/13/16

Michelle Obama calls on women to rise up against Trump -- First lady Michelle Obama delivered a powerful and emotional rebuke to Donald Trump on Thursday, saying his vulgar comments on sexual assault “have shaken me to my core," while calling on women to rise up against the Republican nominee. Louis Nelson Politico Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael Casey Associated Press -- 10/13/16

Capitol Weekly Podcast: Buffy Wicks -- With the election just four weeks away, Capitol Weekly’s John Howard and Tim Foster sat down with Buffy Wicks, Democratic strategist and California State Director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 primary campaign. Link Here -- 10/13/16

Law enforcement officers gather at memorial for slain L.A. County sheriff's sergeant: 'He was the best of us' -- They arrived in shades of blue, green, tan — with proud shoulders and weary faces. Many knew well the man whose body lay in the black hearse escorted into a Lancaster church parking lot. Many did not. Cindy Chang and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times$ Brenda Gazzar and Wes Woods in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/13/16

Hillary Clinton’s top advisers claimed Jerry Brown’s support – as far back as 2014 -- Amid unbridled, yet ultimately misplaced speculation that Gov. Jerry Brown might consider another run for the White House, top Hillary Clinton advisers talked about the Democratic governor privately offering early assistance, according to hacked correspondence released by Wikileaks Thursday. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/16

BART’s future on line: Can transit system gain voters’ trust? -- As BART pleads with voters to raise their property taxes to bring in $3.5 billion in bonds to rebuild the Bay Area’s backbone rail transit system, its officials find themselves in an uncomfortable spot. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/13/16

Proposition 55 May Be Good Politics, But Is It Good Policy? -- Should rich Californians pay higher state income taxes to fund schools, health care for the poor, and other programs? If that question sounds familiar, it’s because voters faced the same choice four years ago. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 10/13/16

Hunter pushes Coast Guard to lease or buy ship owned by top campaign donor -- Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has been pushing the U.S. Coast Guard to buy or lease a polar ice-breaking ship owned by one of his top campaign contributors, although the Coast Guard has repeatedly said the vessel doesn’t meet its needs. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/13/16