Updating . .
Health care workers union pushing dialysis bill looks to ballot -- SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West filed a pair of proposed November 2018 ballot measures Wednesday that would set staffing ratios at dialysis clinics and contain other provisions similar to pending union-backed legislation that faces an uncertain outcome in the Legislature. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/9/17
Ethics commissioner had secret meetings with Democrats over recall election rules -- A former labor lobbyist who serves on California’s political watchdog agency met privately, talked on the phone and exchanged text messages with a lawyer working for Senate Democrats while advocating for the agency to flip a longstanding legal interpretation of campaign finance law in favor of Sen. Josh Newman. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/9/17
Google’s fired engineer gives first explanation of his inflammatory sexist memo -- The engineer fired by Google for his infamous memo claiming women were more neurotic and less suited than men for tech and leadership jobs has said he wrote it after attending a company diversity program. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/9/17
‘Critical’ evidence in near air-disaster at SFO erased -- It took at least 24 hours to report a near-disastrous collision at SFO, a delay that allowed a key piece of evidence — the cockpit voice recording from the jet that nearly landed on top of planes queuing to take off on a busy taxiway — to be erased. Matthias Gafni in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/9/17
FBI searched office of Rep. Duncan Hunter's campaign treasurer -- FBI agents searched the office of Alpine Rep. Duncan Hunter's campaign treasurer in February, seizing computer equipment and documents related to their investigation into whether Hunter misused campaign funds. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
In California, ‘sanctuary state’ and other immigration bills face surprising opposition -- Soon after President Donald Trump’s election, California lawmakers began rolling out legislation to fight the president’s promised crackdown on illegal immigration. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/9/17
By firing engineer, Google shows what you can say — and what you can't — at work -- In a country known for its reverence of free speech, in a state strict with labor codes, in an industry steeped in libertarian and progressive ideals, if an employee has something to say, he should just be able to say it, right? Tracey Lien in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
State funds Bay Area groups to serve food to Medi-Cal’s poor, just like medicine -- Project Open Hand cooks 2,500 meals and provides 200 bags of groceries to sick patients every day, part of its mission to help them get healthier and stay motivated to battle their diseases. The organization has expanded beyond HIV to feed people with other chronic illnesses, including diabetes and kidney failure, and it also delivers food to adults with disabilities. Kellen Browning in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/9/17
‘Start low and go slow’ – 3 steps to safely consume marijuana edibles -- As California continues to emerge from marijuana prohibition, consumers will have a glut of new options beyond traditional flower to achieve the optimal high. But it’s easy for newbies to weed-infused foods, also known as edibles, to go overboard. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/9/17
Fox: Surfing to the Governor’s Chair on an Initiative -- To use an analogy that surfer (and assemblyman) Travis Allen might appreciate, can the ballot measure he champions to repeal the gas tax be the surfboard he needs to carve over the choppy waves of a governor’s race and get him safely to shore. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/9/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Watchdog says L.A. Sheriff's Department collects flawed data, reports inaccurate statistics -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department uses flawed methods to collect data about violence in county jails that result in unreliable and in some cases inaccurate statistics published internally and in public reports, according to the agency’s principal watchdog. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
California sheriffs and Gov. Jerry Brown in talks over possible changes to 'sanctuary state' legislation -- Members of the California State Sheriffs Assn. say they have been in discussions with Gov. Jerry Brown in hopes of amending a state Senate bill that seeks to keep local and state law enforcement agencies from enforcing federal immigration laws. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
$910 million and counting: Report warns of rising costs for state tech upgrade -- It may be time to recalculate the cost of the most expensive technology project in California state government. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/9/17
LA leaders want city contractors to reveal ties to Trump’s border wall -- The Los Angeles City Council backed a proposal Tuesday to require contractors to disclose whether they have been hired to help build a wall between the United States and Mexico, a barrier that President Donald Trump says would curb illegal immigration and tighten-up security along the border. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/9/17
Recall threat turned Josh Newman into California Legislature’s all-star fundraiser -- There's nothing like a recall threat to vault a legislator into the top fundraising ranks. Jim Miller and Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/9/17
California Democratic Party calls Kimberly Ellis' request for arbitration in election dispute a 'Hail Mary pass' -- Kimberly Ellis, who has spent nearly three months contesting the results of the race for California Democratic Party chairperson, on Tuesday called on the party to enter binding arbitration to end the dispute. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
Counter-protesters get their own permit to rally at Issa's office -- For months, scores of people protesting the policies of the Trump administration have demonstrated on Tuesday mornings outside the Vista office of Republican Rep. Darrell Issa. But now, they might have a lot more company from the political opposition. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/9/17
Walters: San Diego’s perpetual cultural wars again shift into Capitol arena -- Geographically, San Diego County is a microcosm of California – a coastline as its western edge, giving way to tree-covered mountains and a searing desert to the east. By happenstance, the county is also a self-contained reflection of California’s cultural and political dynamics. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 8/9/17
Millions in federal funds to encourage low-income Californians to shop at farmers markets -- A $3.9 million federal grant awarded to the California Department of Food and Agriculture will help the state expand a program that encourages low-income people to shop at farmers markets, state officials announced this week. Hannah Knowles in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/9/17
Orange County deputy twice accused of rape may have been taken off duty at other police departments -- If former Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Lee Caropino had worked for a different law enforcement agency, he might have been taken off patrol duty when he was first accused of rape and before his second sexual assault allegation, according to interviews with regional police officials. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 8/9/17
Embattled SANDAG leader, Gary Gallegos, to step down by end of the year -- The leader of the region’s premier transportation planning agency, Gary Gallegos, said Tuesday that he plans to retire in December. The announcement comes as the San Diego Association of Governments has been mired in scandal — including billions in bungled revenue projections and questions about whether there was an attempt to cover it up. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Andrew Bowen KPBS -- 8/9/17
Murder Rate in East Palo Alto So Far This Year? Zero -- In 1992, East Palo Alto had the highest homicide rate in the country. Forty-two people were murdered that year. Now, 25 years later, the city is boasting another milestone: For the first time in two decades, the murder rate so far this year is zero. Tonya Mosley KQED -- 8/9/17
Prep Work For Oroville Spillway Nearly Complete -- The California Department of Water Resources says most of the prep work for new construction on the Oroville main spillway has been completed. DWR says crews working on the bottom 2,270 feet of the main spillway have blasted and cleaned about 95 percent of the surface to be used for the new chute. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 8/9/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Solano County settlement would offer alternatives to traffic fines -- The settlement with Solano County Superior Court, described by advocacy groups as a model for other counties, requires the court to notify drivers of affordable alternatives to traffic fines. Depending on their income, they could ask to pay the fine in installments, seek a lower fine, or perform community service. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/9/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
The Culture Wars Have Come to Silicon Valley -- That became clear this week after Google on Monday fired a software engineer, James Damore, who had written an internal memo challenging the company’s diversity efforts. The firing set off a furious debate over Google’s handling of the situation, with some accusing the company of silencing the engineer for speaking his mind. Nick Wingfield in the New York Times$ -- 8/9/17
Anita Hill: It’s Time for Women in Tech to Sue for Equality -- Women in tech need to be more proactive in how they take their companies to task on sexism and gender inequality — including filing lawsuits, lawyer Anita Hill told KQED on Tuesday, in response to a senior engineer’s controversial memo condemning Google’s diversity initiatives. Sam Harnett KQED -- 8/9/17
Google in damage control after firing engineer over sexist memo -- In the wake of Google’s firing of engineer James Damore over his memo suggesting women are biologically unsuitable for tech and leadership jobs, the company is scrambling to limit the damage and calm the troops. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/9/17
Long Beach added more flights at its airport and passenger volume soared 50% -- Long Beach Airport’s growth is attributed mostly to the city’s decision last year to add nine new daily departures and arrivals, bringing to 50 the total daily flights allotted to large carriers at the 1,166-acre facility. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
Education
More LAUSD students are finishing all college-prerequisite courses — but not always with high grades -- The Los Angeles Unified School District expects its high schoolers to take all of the courses required to get into a four-year state university in California. This year, more of the district's students met that expectation. Kyle Stokes KPCC -- 8/9/17
UCI police step up patrols near student housing after kidnapping attempt -- About 5:40 a.m., a man in a blue Toyota RAV4 pulled up to the student, who was walking near a university housing complex in the 200 block of Arroyo Drive, and asked if she needed a ride home, UCI officials said. She told him she did not. The driver then told the student he had a gun. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
LAUSD chief Michelle King has a plan to improve LA schools -- One week before Los Angeles Unified schools start the new year, Superintendent Michelle King delivered her second annual “State of the District” address, listing gains in bilingual education and suspension reduction and outlining plans for expanded language programs, teacher training and arts and science programs. Antonie Boessenkool in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/9/17
Ex-Poway schools chief John Collins faces 5 felony charges -- A complaint filed by the San Diego District Attorney on Friday listed five felony counts against Collins. Those include charges that he misused vacation, sick and leave time, illegally used a district purchasing card, and lied on a state financial disclosure form, during the period between January 12, 2012, and April 1, 2016. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/9/17
Diversity rising at UC Santa Cruz decades after affirmative action ban -- California’s public schools are barred from factoring race into the admissions process, but UC Santa Cruz is ramping up efforts to increase campus diversity by focusing on recruiting minority students to apply. Nicholas Ibarra in the Santa Cruz Sentinel -- 8/9/17
Circle up: Teaching social-emotional skills year round – For many school principals who are casting about for ways to improve students' sense of physical and emotional safety — and in doing so, students' interest in being at school and learning — the idea of calling on summer school and after-school experts hasn't occurred to them. Jane Meredith Adams EdSource -- 8/9/17
Immigration / Border
Trump deportations lag behind Obama levels -- The U.S. is deporting people more slowly than during the Obama administration despite President Donald Trump’s vast immigration crackdown, according to new data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ted Hesson Politico -- 8/9/17
Health
LA officials call for overhaul of system that cares for severely mentally ill -- Los Angeles County officials are trying to tackle a problem they say is hampering the region's ability to serve its most severely mentally ill people: the agency tasked with serving as their guardian is chronically understaffed and has trouble retaining employees. Rina Palta KPCC -- 8/9/17
LA county leaders green-light construction of new mental health center in Valley -- A shuttered courthouse at 919 1st Street and Brand Boulevard in the City of San Fernando will be razed and a new center, 15,600-square-foot center will be built in its place. Construction should begin January, according to the Department of Public Works. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/9/17
Environment
Federal report sees human-caused changes to California’s climate -- The changes to California’s climate since 1980 — higher temperatures, with more extreme swings between droughts and floods — are caused directly by human activity and will accelerate rapidly unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply, according to a new federal climate report that is awaiting action by the Trump administration. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Alexandra Zavis and Raoul Rañoa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
L.A. to make sure air filters are being installed in homes near freeways -- Mayor Eric Garcetti has ordered Los Angeles building inspectors to begin tracking whether required air filtration systems are being installed in new homes near freeways, officials said Tuesday. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
San Bernardino rep asks Trump to shrink San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, citing ski resort and mining -- Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, wants to lop off a finger of the 346,177-acre monument located mostly in the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County. Cook wants to remove 4,873-acre portion jutting into the San Bernardino National Forest, north of the communities of San Antonio Heights, Upland and Rancho Cucamonga. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/9/17
Also . . .
Why environmentalists want Impossible Burger's meatless patties to be pulled off menus -- The plant-based Impossible Burger seemed like the kind of breakthrough in food technology that environmentalists could get behind. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
Ford GoBike’s had a rough roll-out in San Francisco, Oakland -- Tires slashed, wheel-less frames strung up on trees, a water-logged bike left in Lake Merritt: It’s all part of Ford GoBike’s growing pains in the Bay Area. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/9/17
Mountain lion sighted in backyard of San Mateo County home -- Authorities on Tuesday warned residents to close and lock their doors after a mountain lion came within 25 feet of a home in a rural area of San Mateo County. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/9/17
California man shot and killed after confronting pot growers -- A central California property owner was shot and killed when he confronted three men illegally growing marijuana on his rural land, police said Tuesday. Timothy Fadgen, 47, was killed during the confrontation Monday night and died at the scene, Madera County Sheriff's Lt. Zack Zamudio said. Paul Elias Associated Press -- 8/9/17
Beltway
Here's what you need to know about the government report on climate change. For starters, it's real -- The conclusions contained in a draft federal report on climate change are unequivocal: Human-induced global warming is real, and left unchecked, the consequences could be dire. Alexandra Zavis and Raoul Rañoa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/9/17
-- Tuesday Updates
They sued for Clinton's emails. Now they want information on California voters -- California’s top elections officer and 11 county registrars have been asked to hand over detailed voter registration records or face a federal lawsuit, a request that centers on new accusations that the records are inaccurate. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/17
Can San Francisco plan for surviving a North Korean nuclear strike? -- As President Trump reacts to Pyongyang’s nuclear belligerence against the U.S. with a threat of unleashing “fire and fury” on North Korea, local governments have begun worrying about whether they should revive a fixture of the darkest days of the Cold War — the civil defense plan. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/8/17
'We don't feel OK here': Detainee deaths, suicide attempts and hunger strikes plague California immigration facility -- The July 11 incident was the fifth report of an attempted suicide at the immigration detention center since December, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department 911 call logs obtained by The Times through a public records request. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/17
UC Berkeley ex-chancellor to receive $434,000 while on leave -- Nicholas Dirks stepped down as UC Berkeley’s chancellor this summer but will receive almost all of his executive salary, $434,000, for another year though he won’t teach or run campus programs. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/17
McClellan base polluted drinking water supply, districts say. They want $1.4B from feds -- In a sweeping legal fight that could affect drinking water supplies for thousands of Sacramento-area residents, two water districts near the old McClellan Air Force Base are suing the federal government for $1.4 billion to clean up the cancer-causing chemical hexavalant chromium from the area’s groundwater supplies. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/8/17
Cancer-causing compounds decline in East Bay water -- Cancer causing compounds in drinking water for 1.4 million East Bay residents declined in the past three months due to treatment changes and a break from Mother Nature, the East Bay Municipal District said. Denis Cuff in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/17
Exide Cleanup Under Fire for Leaving Homes With Contamination -- But DTSC's plan leaves more than 5,000 homes with toxic lead on their properties at levels above what is currently recommended by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Those homes will not be cleaned up unless additional funds are found. Los Angeles County says the plan also ignores many of the concerns they shared about the DTSC's cleanup plan. Matthew Glasser and Angie Crouch NBC4LA -- 8/8/17
Wells Fargo insurance scheme triggers California investigation -- The state’s insurance department launched on Tuesday a formal investigation into allegations that Wells Fargo improperly charged consumers for auto insurance for those who had automobile loans with the banking giant. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/17
Why more Medi-Cal patients ended up at the ER after UC Davis cut their primary care -- Ian Kim sees the dire effects every day of UC Davis Medical Center’s decision to stop providing basic care for some of Sacramento County’s most vulnerable patients. This past year, a boy came into the hospital’s emergency room with an infection so serious that, if not well managed, could have led to the loss of a limb or even death, said Kim, who is a resident physician at the medical center. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/8/17
Dignity Health, UCSF Health announce new collaboration -- Dignity Health and UCSF Health on Tuesday announced a new affiliation that will bring UCSF Health’s academic expertise to three Dignity Health hospitals in the Bay Area: Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, and Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco. Tracy Seipel in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/17
It’s the middle of summer. Can you believe school’s already starting? -- Oak Ridge High School students started their school year Monday with a raucous rally and a game of kickball, with runners sliding into pools of water instead of bases. Diana Lambert in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/8/17
Food guru who brought healthier meals to L.A. schools hit with criminal charges -- The man credited with leading an initiative that brought healthier meals to Los Angeles’ public school students has been charged with embezzlement, forgery and mismanagement of funds, prosecutors said Tuesday. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/17
Lazarus: The guy who stole my identity 15 years ago just resurfaced in my life -- Ten years ago this week, I wrote my first column for the Los Angeles Times. The topic was the huge mess that ensued after a guy in Connecticut stole my identity and ran up unpaid bills with credit card companies and Indian casinos. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/17
GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa calls investigation of Trump campaign's ties to Russia a 'bunch of crap' -- LaMalfa, a fourth-generation rice farmer in his third term, represents one of the most Republican congressional districts in the state — a place where Trump trounced Hillary Clinton in November. The district is vast, covering California’s northwest corner along the Nevada and Oregon borders. Responses were edited for clarity and brevity. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/8/17
Protestors blast LAPD drone plan -- Three years after it acquired a pair of drones that it chose not to deploy in response to protests about potential surveillance uses, the Los Angeles Police Department plans on taking its first step today in opening a drone pilot program. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/8/17
Exclusive interview with woman who saw airplane passenger’s child-sex texts, helped rescue kids -- The woman who reported seeing child-sex texts on another airplane passenger’s smartphone, leading to the freeing Exclusive interview with woman who saw airplane passenger’s child-sex texts, helped rescue kidsof two children in alleged sexual servitude, says she’s no hero. She was just trusting her instincts and her training as an educator. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/17
How big can Google get? Its aggressive push for elbow room in the Bay Area -- For the past six years, Google has been expanding bit by bit beyond its Mountain View headquarters. But this year, the tech titan’s plan for a massive new push into San Jose coupled with big land buys in Sunnyvale show just how big Google’s footprint may get. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/17
Want to ride in a robot taxi? You can ... if you work at Cruise -- Want to catch a ride in a self-driving car? All you have to do is land a job at Cruise, the San Francisco startup now owned by General Motors. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/8/17
Fox: Sanctuary and Consistency -- Gov. Jerry Brown says he wants changes to the sanctuary state law working its way through the legislature. While conjecture is that he wants to make sure that criminal immigrants don’t get protection under the law, there may also be a sense of gaining consistency in the state’s viewpoint of the on-going rhetorical battle with the federal government over immigration status. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/8/17
Tuna won’t be listed as endangered, Trump administration says -- Rejecting a petition from environmental groups, the Trump administration announced Monday that it will not list Pacific bluefin tuna — a torpedo-shaped fish that can grow to 1,000 pounds and which sells for $100,000 or more per fish in Japanese sushi markets — as endangered, despite that fact that the animal’s population has fallen 97 percent. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/8/17