Updating . .

Jerry Brown, Dianne Feinstein suffer rare defeat -- In a rare legislative defeat for Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic lawmakers Friday killed a bill he backed to block a controversial water-pumping project in the Mojave Desert. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/1/17  

California Republicans ask House Speaker to consider bill to help 'Dreamers' as nation awaits Trump DACA decision -- Central Valley Reps. David Valadao of Hanford and Jeff Denham of Turlock are asking House Speaker Paul Ryan to allow the House to consider legislation to protect from deportation the hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

San Francisco hits 106 degrees — shatters all-time record -- Friday’s temperatures baked, roasted and fried San Francisco’s all-time high record — hitting 106 degrees by mid-afternoon — and possibly heading even higher. Jenna Lyons, Steve Rubenstein, and Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

NRA marks win as lawmakers gut measure that would have limited rifle purchases in California -- The National Rifle Assn. won a rare victory in the California Legislature on Friday when a committee gutted key portions of a bill that would have prohibited buying more than one rifle in any 30-day period. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Offshore drilling crackdown stalls in California Legislature -- Legislation that would clamp down on offshore drilling along California's coast stalled on Friday. The measure, SB 188, had been introduced by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) after President Trump announced in April that his administration would consider allowing more drilling. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/1/17

State bill requiring California police to disclose surveillance equipment stalls in fiscal committee -- A bill that would have required law enforcement agencies in California to disclose all of their surveillance equipment to the public stalled on Friday in the state Assembly Appropriations Committee amid its high costs. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Effort to limit pot advertising on clothing in California falls short -- The pot industry scored a victory in the state Legislature on Friday as lawmakers killed a proposal to ban marijuana advertisements on clothes for young people. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Tiny Berkeley studios command huge rents -- Don’t want a roommate, but can’t afford a one-bedroom? This situation, for renters, means the hunt for a studio apartment is on. But in Berkeley, that can be an expensive endeavor. In this city, apartments as small as 250 square feet rent for $1,500 a month. Prices go steadily up with each added square foot: By the time you get to 525 square feet, you’re looking at $2,713 a month. Anna Marie Erwert in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

San Francisco has the nation’s highest rents, with San Jose and Oakland close behind -- Another month, another rent increase. The latest National Apartment Report from Abodo, the apartment listings website, spells out the damage. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/1/17

Last call stays the same, as lawmakers turn off the taps on keeping California bars open until 4 a.m. -- Lawmakers rejected a proposal on Friday to allow many California bars to extend hours of operation until 4 a.m., a bill that would have marked the first expansion of the hours of sale for alcohol since 1935. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

New data: California is having its hottest summer . . . ever -- The Western Regional Climate Center says that California’s average temperature for June, July and August was the hottest in recorded history, based on the preliminary numbers. And it wasn’t just a little hotter than average. It was a lot hotter. Dave Johnson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/1/17

Proposal for 100% clean energy marches forward in Sacramento -- California lawmakers advanced legislation on Friday to phase out fossil fuels for generating electricity. The measure, SB 100 from Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. If passed by the full Assembly in the coming weeks, it can be sent to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Bill to reduce names on California's sex offender registry shelved -- A bill that would have ended lifetime listing of many convicted sex offenders on a public registry was shelved Friday after officials said it could cost tens of millions of dollars to make the change. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Political Road Map: It's no secret why so many Sacramento lawmakers are collecting campaign cash right now -- Think of what’s going on most every weeknight right now in Sacramento as a kind of political pub crawl. More specifically, a political pub crawl for cash. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Smoke seen pouring from Russian consulate in San Francisco -- Acrid, black smoke was seen pouring from a chimney at the Russian consulate in San Francisco Friday, a day after the Trump administration ordered its closure amid escalating tensions between the United States and Russia. Firefighters who arrived at the scene were turned away by consulate officials who came from inside the building. An Associated Press reporter heard people who came from inside the building tell firefighters that there was no problem and that consulate staff were burning unidentified items in a fireplace. Garance Burke and Eric Risberg Associated Press -- 9/1/17

San Jose: School officials scramble to keep kids cool in classrooms without A/C -- Sweat dripped down some student’s faces as they listened to their teacher talk about Hurricane Harvey at an East Side elementary school Friday morning. Ramona Giwargis in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/1/17

Behind coup that toppled Alum Rock schools’ brash president -- Khanh Tran thought he was adeptly navigating between two warring factions on the Alum Rock Union School District board, and had even figured out a diplomatic way of neutralizing a brewing coup against his presidency. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/1/17

Corrections officials hear suggestions, complaints about revamping California's parole system -- About 100 people gathered in Sacramento on Friday to offer ideas and concerns about new regulations that have overhauled California's parole system, an effort that will allow thousands more inmates to be considered for early release. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

County takes sanitation action to fight hepatitis A outbreak -- After weeks of delay, hand-washing stations were to start popping up in San Diego Friday, one day after the county health department sent a letter to the city demanding immediate action to improve sanitary conditions in areas where homeless people affected by an ongoing hepatitis A outbreak are known to congregate. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/1/17

San Diego Councilman Calls For Homeless State Of Emergency; Mayor Calls On County To Respond -- An adviser to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said Councilman David Alvarez's call Thursday for a declaration of a state of emergency in the city due to a shortage of homeless shelters and an associated health crisis caused by an outbreak of Hepatisis A in that population is not needed. KPBS -- 9/1/17

Fired Centinela school superintendent pleads not guilty to corruption charges -- Fired Centinela Valley schools Superintendent Jose Fernandez pleaded not guilty Friday to public corruption allegations that a prosecutor alleged could have bilked the district of $1.5 million to as much as $3 million. Larry Altman in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/1/17

Trump pulls back threat to shut down government over border wall — for now -- The White House has signaled to congressional Republicans that it will not shut down the government in October if money isn’t appropriated to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, potentially clearing a path for lawmakers to reach a short-term budget deal. Damian Paletta in the Washington Post$ -- 9/1/17

Republicans crank up pressure on Trump to not scrap DACA -- President Donald Trump is under mounting pressure from members of his own party not to end an Obama-era program that grants work permits to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children — a group often referred to as Dreamers. Andrew Restuccia, Josh Dawsey and Kelsey Tamborrino Politco -- 9/1/17

Rep. Ed Royce rebukes Trump on Arpaio pardon -- Royce’s statement doesn’t explicitly address an eventual pardon for Arpaio, but does join the chorus of those — including Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona — who’ve said that Trump jumped the gun because Arpaio had not been sentenced, let alone pursued the appeals process. It’s the latest indication that Royce is the most willing of Orange County’s four Republican incumbents to express public concerns about Trump actions. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 9/1/17

New crisis text line identifies California college student homelessness as big issue -- Last May, the California Community College system partnered with Crisis Text Line – a free service funded by grants and donations – to give students an all-hours, anonymous counseling service for mental health emergencies. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez KPCC -- 9/1/17

West Nile kills LA County resident as reports of virus activity spike -- California Department of Public Health confirmed a Los Angeles County resident was among the first three human deaths from West Nile virus. Stephanie K. Baer in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 9/1/17

TV writers get more parental leave — and that could help Hollywood's diversity problem -- After years of waiting, John Pardee and his husband became new parents, adopting newborn Westin. At the time, Pardee was a writer for the hit show "Desperate Housewives." Parental leave was unheard of for television writers. Alex Cohen KPCC -- 9/1/17

Abcarian: Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day is a long overdue victory for civil rights -- Twenty five years ago, ahead of its time as usual, the city of Berkeley renamed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day. Los Angeles, what took you so long? Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Gov. Jerry Brown lays out his plan for cap-and-trade spending -- Roughly $1.5 billion, all generated by the sale of permits required to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, is available to be spent by the governor and lawmakers. Brown wants the biggest chunk of the money, $607.5 million, to be used on financial incentives for cleaner cars, trucks, buses and farm vehicles. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Housing Bills Could Come Up For Votes Friday -- California lawmakers could take the first steps Friday towards passing a package of bills that seek to reduce the state’s soaring housing costs, with up to a dozen different bills coming up for votes. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 9/1/17

Drug Pricing Bill Faces Crucial Committee Vote -- An ongoing drug pricing battle between Democratic Senator Ed Hernandez and the pharmaceutical industry comes to a head Friday in the California Legislature. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 9/1/17

California Supreme Court decision could end secrecy over police capture of license plate images -- The California Supreme Court decided Thursday that data from millions of vehicle license plate images collected by the Los Angeles police and sheriff’s departments are not confidential investigative records that can be kept from public disclosure. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Pauline Repard in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Frank Stoltze KPCC Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 9/1/17

State assemblywoman shelves legislation to make 'stealthing' punishable as rape in California -- A state Assemblywoman has shelved her bill to make "stealthing," or tampering with a condom during sex, a form of rape under California law, saying it did not have enough support to win approval this year. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

California Senate passes bill that could help San Diego Democrats -- The bill by Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, would allow for a charter amendment that would require races for county offices to be determined in the November general election, regardless of the results in the June primary. The bill only applies to San Diego County. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/1/17

Chased out of Arkansas as a child, Shirley Weber won’t back down in California Capitol -- When Shirley Weber and her siblings fled this place as children in 1951 on a midnight train bound for California, their destination seemed so distant and unfamiliar to the relatives who stayed behind that they called the state a foreign land. Jessica Calefati Calmatters.org -- 9/1/17

Sen. Feinstein called for 'patience' with Trump. Now she faces a liberal backlash as she ponders reelection -- At a time when the Democratic base is more restive than it has been in decades, Sen. Dianne Feinstein ignited a firestorm earlier this week when she refused to back the impeachment of President Trump and instead called for “patience” over his presidency. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

CHP officers shot in gun battle that killed Sacramento sheriff's deputy are recovering -- The officers, whose names were not released, were assisting with a stolen vehicle investigation when they were struck by gunfire, according to the CHP. Deputy Robert “Bob” French, a 21-year veteran of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, was also shot and died on the way to the hospital. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

California Considers Extending Provisional Driver's License Program For Those Under 21 Years Old -- California lawmakers are debating expanded safety requirements for young drivers. The state’s provisional driver’s license program now applies to people under 18. The proposal would extend it to new drivers under 21. Gov. Jerry Brown rejected another bill that sought to limit young drivers in 2013, calling it too restrictive. Capital Public Radio -- 9/1/17

Border wall prototype contractors selected -- After months of delay, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it had selected four vendors to build prototypes of their proposed concrete walls in the San Diego area. Up to four selected proposals for alternative building materials will be announced later. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Richard Gonzales KQED -- 9/1/17

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Tesla Faces Complaint From U.S. Labor Board -- The National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint Thursday against Tesla Inc. based on allegations of unfair labor practices from workers at the company’s Fremont, Calif., factory. The employees accuse Tesla of being required to sign overly broad nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from raising safety concerns. Tim Higgins in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/1/17

Tesla workers allege sloppy chemical training at Fremont plant -- As the United Automobile Workers union seeks to organize Tesla’s Fremont car factory, some employees say they never received proper training to handle hazardous chemicals they blame for causing rashes, dizziness, nosebleeds and, in one case, eye damage — an accusation the company calls “completely false.” David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

Kira Kelly is a Hollywood rarity: A female, African-American cinematographer -- Director Ava DuVernay has been praised for her work on films like "Selma" and the documentary, "13th." She's also been an outspoken proponent for inclusive casting and hiring practices. For the African-American family drama, "Queen Sugar," DuVernay hired female directors to helm every episode. And for the second season, she tapped Kira Kelly as cinematographer. Michelle Lanz, Jonathan Shifflett, Rosalie Atkinson, and Paola Mardo KPCC -- 9/1/17

Silicon Valley on edge as lawmakers target online sex trafficking -- After a sustained assault from lawmakers, investigators and victims groups, the website Backpage.com agreed early this year to shut down its lucrative adult page, which had become a well-known sex-trafficking hub. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

San Francisco consulate closure another obstacle for Russian entrepreneurs -- Stuck in the middle of the tit-for-tat closure of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco Thursday are Bay Area entrepreneurs like Daniel Kravtsov, who rely on easy access to a consulate to keep their companies running. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

Farmed abalone emerges as a local, sustainable seafood choice -- Tiny green specks swim through clear seawater in dozens of white buckets. They look like algae but they’re actually 2-day-old red abalone larvae, which Tom Ebert breeds by the millions at American Abalone Farms. The portion that survive will reach a market size of 3 inches in about three years. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

Education 

California schools not prepared for campus gun violence, audit finds -- Schools and colleges were the second-most common location for shooting incidents from 2000 to 2015. California law, though, does not mandate that school safety plans address the issue, such as by creating procedures for lockdowns or evacuations. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/1/17

Will Trump dump DACA? California schools brace for news -- As hundreds of thousands of young immigrants protected under an Obama-era program anxiously await President Trump’s decision on whether to end it — which some reports say could come as early as Friday — schools and universities across California have launched rapid response teams, stepped up legal support, issued messages of solidarity and called on Trump to allow students who are in the country without legal status to continue their educations without fear of deportation. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

UC President Janet Napolitano wades into campus free speech debate -- Misinformation and bigotry are proliferating and threatening American democracy, University of California President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in an address to political science academics. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

Right-wing firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos invited to speak at Cal State Fullerton -- UC Berkeley isn’t the only California academic institution bracing for a torrent of controversy when former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos comes to campus this fall. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Prosecution freezes assets of fired Centinela superintendent facing embezzlement charges -- About 10 days before prosecutors arrested former Centinela Valley Union High School Superintendent Jose Fernandez on embezzlement and public corruption charges, they obtained a temporary restraining order in court to freeze his assets, including his $1.6 million house and 17 bank accounts. Larry Altman in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 9/1/17

Summertime is back-to-school time in state's largest districts​ – For millions of California children attending schools in the 30 largest districts in the state, summertime is back-to-school time.​ Theresa Harrington EdSource -- 9/1/17

College leaders urge changes to California's Higher Education master plan to improve access and affordability​ – Easing overcrowding and curbing the costs of attending California's three systems of public higher education were among the issues on the table as state legislators Thursday opened a lengthy process to update the state's Master Plan for Higher Education.​ Larry Gordon EdSource -- 9/1/17

Cannabis 

Report: Much of the Bay Area’s cannabis is tainted with something -- The greatest threat standing in the way of California’s march toward legalized marijuana isn’t Attorney General Jeff Sessions or Big Pharma. It’s the cannabis industry itself. Proof positive is hidden behind the glass-and-concrete walls of a low-slung building on an otherwise nondescript block of warehouses and auto body shops in Hunters Point. Chris Roberts San Francisco Magazine -- 9/1/17

When it comes to buying pot for pleasure, Fresno won’t be on the recreational map -- Retail marijuana dispensaries and other businesses related to recreational use of marijuana will be barred from setting up shop in Fresno after the City Council voted 4-3 Thursday to prohibit such establishments. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 9/1/17

Immigration / Border 

Trump's expected repeal of Dreamer program draws fire from business -- President Donald Trump is expected to rescind an Obama administration policy that protects from deportation nearly 800,000 immigrants who as children entered the country illegally, setting the stage for a fight with U.S. business leaders and lawmakers over tough immigration policy. Steve Holland, Jeff Mason Reuters -- 9/1/17

GOP lawmaker aims to force vote to protect Dreamers -- Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) said Thursday he'll attempt to force a vote on a bill that would extend protections for undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 9/1/17

As Trump’s immigration plan looms, thousands of young immigrants in Fresno await their future -- When Donald Trump was elected president, Reyna Castellanos of Visalia bought property in Mexico – where she hasn’t lived since she was an infant. Mackenzie Mays in the Fresno Bee -- 9/1/17

Health 

Trump administration slashes funds for health care sign-ups -- Affirming its disdain for “Obamacare,” the Trump administration on Thursday announced sharp cuts in programs promoting health care enrollment under the Affordable Care Act for next year. Advertising will be cut from $100 million spent on 2017 sign-ups to $10 million, said Health and Human Services officials. Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar Associated Press -- 9/1/17

Investigation launched into offshore herpes vaccine trial backed by Peter Thiel, others -- The government of St. Kitts and Nevis has launched an investigation into the clinical trial for a herpes vaccine by an American company because it said its officials were not notified about the experiments. Marisa Taylor in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

Three San Diego hospitals fined for patient harm incidents -- The California Department of Public Health levied a total of $618,002 in penalties against the facilities, including $233,650 in financial pain for Sharp Coronado Hospital, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns and Vibra Hospital of San Diego, for errors which included an attempted suicide, a sponge left inside a patient and a fall-related death. It’s the first such penalty for Sharp Coronado, the fifth for Sharp Memorial and the second for Vibra. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/1/17

Valley Children’s Hospital hit with fine over patient’s death -- The California Department of Public Health has fined Valley Children’s Hospital $71,962.50 in the death of a patient two years ago. The state says a delay in communicating the results of a chest X-ray and scan resulted in a delay in medical treatment and surgery, resulting in the potentially avoidable death of the young man who died from a bleeding aneurysm. Barbara Anderson in the Fresno Bee -- 9/1/17

Environment 

Inoculations Give Endangered California Frog a Shot at Life -- Endangered California frogs are getting an immunity boost from scientists who are scooping them up from remote Sierra Nevada ponds and sending them to big city zoos for inoculation, giving them a fighting chance to beat extinction, officials said Wednesday. Scott Smith Associated Press -- 9/1/17

Also . . . 

Sheriff: Kings River flow now slow enough to attempt recovery of Thai students’ bodies -- Fresno County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and the California Highway Patrol will attempt to recover the bodies of two Thai nationals that have been trapped in a car in the Kings River for more than a month. Marc Benjamin in the Fresno Bee -- 9/1/17

What to buy (and skip) in September -- September brings a new school year, a new season — and new sales. Before you embark on fall shopping, consult this guide on what you should buy as the days grow shorter and what you should leave on the shelf. Courtney Jespersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Larry Sherman, actor, journalist and Trump's first publicist, dies at 94 --Larry Sherman, a journalist by training who played small roles in big movies and served as Donald Trump’s first publicist when Trump owned a start-up professional football team in New Jersey, has died. Steve Marble in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Angels Flight is climbing again after four-year shutdown -- Freshly painted orange and black, the railway’s twin cars, Olivet and Sinai, glided smoothly up and down the tracks, coming within inches of each other as they shuttled passengers who were no doubt relieved to avoid the adjacent 153-step stairway as the sun beat down. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Four Alameda County jail deputies arrested after inmate's repeated 'gassing' attacks on others -- An inmate walked through the hallway of a maximum security unit of the Santa Rita Jail, authorities said, carrying a plastic bottle filled with feces and urine. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

As car break-ins jump 28 percent in San Francisco, police shuffle response -- With car break-ins spiking again in San Francisco to the tune of about 85 a day, police Thursday unveiled a shakeup that eliminates a citywide task force focused on the epidemic in favor of assigning dozens more cops to walk neighborhood beats. Kurtis Alexander and Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/1/17

Paul Tanaka, former L.A. County undersheriff, loses appeal of conviction on obstruction of justice charges -- A federal appeals court on Thursday denied former Los Angeles County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka’s bid for a new trial, rejecting claims by the controversial leader that his conviction on obstruction of justice charges was unjust. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

Ritchie Valens, late rock star and local hero, gets a stretch of the 5 Freeway in the Valley named after him -- A section of the 5 Freeway in the northeast San Fernando Valley will be named after rock ’n’ roll icon Ritchie Valens, who grew up in the area and had a stellar career before he died in a plane crash. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/1/17

POTUS 45  

During a summer of crisis, Trump chafes against criticism and new controls -- Behind the scenes during a summer of crisis, however, Trump appears to pine for the days when the Oval Office was a bustling hub of visitors and gossip, over which he presided as impresario. He fumes that he does not get the credit he thinks he deserves from the media or the allegiance from fellow Republican leaders he says he is owed. He boasts about his presidency in superlatives, but confidants privately fret about his suddenly dark moods. Philip Rucker and Ashley Parker in the Washington Post$ -- 9/1/17

Trump pledges $1 million for hurricane relief, White House says -- President Trump is pledging to donate $1 million toward hurricane disaster relief in Texas and Louisiana, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 9/1/17

Beltway 

Four Pinocchios: Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s claim that a violent crime wave is sweeping the nation -- Since becoming attorney general in February, Sessions routinely has warned of a violent crime wave sweeping the nation — spurred primarily by increased violence in major cities. Nicole Lewis in the Washington Post$ -- 9/1/17

U.S. service members, gay rights groups ask judge to halt Trump transgender ban -- Human rights groups asked a federal judge Thursday to block President Trump’s proposed ban on transgender people serving in the military, producing statements by three former Obama administration U.S. service branch chiefs and a senior Pentagon official that a ban would harm readiness, staffing, recruitment and morale. Spencer S. Hsu in the Washington Post$ -- 9/1/17

 

-- Thursday Updates 

High cost of living forces San Jose State professor to live in car, report says -- An adjunct professor at San Jose State University says the ever-rising cost of living in the Bay Area has made her homeless. Ellen Tara James-Penney told KPIX that despite her full-time job teaching four English classes at the university, she sleeps in her car most nights. Alix Martichoux in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/31/17

How one Sunset couple’s $4,800 rent increase could shatter eviction protections for Bay Area tenants -- A case headed to court this fall could have major ramifications for renters. Lamar Anderson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/31/17

Noe Valley Victorian sells fo r nearly $1 million over the asking price -- Realtor Ken Eggers knew that his new Noe Valley listing would sell for over its asking price when he listed it at $2.295 million in mid-July. But even he did not foresee the four-bedroom, four-bath Victorian selling for close to $1 million over that figure until the first week of the marketing period began. Emily Landes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/31/17

Google in San Jose: Citizens hold prayer rally to hold company accountable -- Google’s planned downtown campus threatens to worsen San Jose’s housing crisis and homelessness, but it gives the company a chance to strike a blow against both, said participants in a prayer rally on Thursday. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/31/17

Borenstein: Liberals don’t own the First Amendment -- Bigoted speech of ultra-conservatives, even neo-Nazis, is protected, too. Most of us are repulsed by it. But, in a nation premised on free expression, the answer is not silencing political opponents. Daniel Borenstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/31/17

California lawmaker's proposal would pave way for supervised drug-injection sites to 'get needles out of the playground' --Legislation authored by Assemblyman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) would allow eight counties — Alameda, Fresno, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Mendocino, San Francisco, San Joaquin and Santa Cruz — to pilot supervised drug injection centers by 2022. Mina Corpuz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/17

State help for planned Clippers arena still possible, senator says -- A proposal to fast-track a new arena in Inglewood for the Los Angeles Clippers remains on the table at the Capitol, said the state senator who represents the city. “If it’s needed, we’re definitely going to introduce it,” said Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena). Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/17

Gov. Jerry Brown will attend economic conference in Russia next week -- After a trip to China in June, he's jetting to Russia next week, his office announced. Brown will speak to international government and business leaders about the need to combat climate change at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/31/17

Trump making it tougher for immigrants to get permanent residency -- The U.S. government has announced measures that will slow down the green card process and make it tougher for tens of thousands of immigrants who came here on work visas, or are fleeing persecution, to obtain permanent residency. Stephen Magagnini in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/31/17

Trump called him 'my African American.' But he condemns the president's treatment of black America -- On the day that changed his life, Gregory Cheadle almost stayed in bed. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/17

No Reason to Believe Trump Will Change: Sen. Kamala Harris -- Sen. Kamala Harris didn’t mute her criticism of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, one day after Sen. Dianne Feinstein took heat for saying President Trump could become a good president. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 8/31/17

Apple comes out in support of net neutrality -- After a long silence on the issue, Apple defended net neutrality in a letter to the FCC Thursday. Tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon have long expressed their support for the current net neutrality regulations, but Apple had stayed quiet about them. Seung Lee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/31/17

Behind a $13 shirt, a $6-an-hour worker -- How Forever 21 and other retailers avoid liability for factories that underpay workers to sew their clothes. Natalie Kitroff and Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/17

Senate investigators may seek Rohrabacher testimony about his meeting with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange -- CNN reported Thursday that two sources confirmed that the committee members are deciding if they will call on Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) to testify as part of its ongoing investigation into Russian attempts to influence the outcome of the 2016 election and what the Trump campaign might have known. It's one of several congressional investigations into the issue. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/17

US shutters Russia’s San Francisco consulate in retaliation -- In addition to the San Francisco closure announced Thursday, State Department officials said the U.S. would scale back the Russian diplomatic presence in Washington and New York. Jill Tucker and Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/31/17

Houston offers a grim vision of Los Angeles after catastrophic earthquake -- For years, scientists have drawn up terrifying scenarios of widespread destruction and chaos that would come to Southern California when a catastrophic earthquake hits. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/17

Big Sur: A breathtaking, costly isolation -- It takes a lot more effort these days to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Big Sur coastline. The stunning region was slammed by storms last winter resulting in multiple landslides and a bridge failure that have largely isolated the region for six months. Lisa Renner Capitol Weekly -- 8/31/17

Port clean air plan moves too slowly, critics say -- Residents and air regulators are questioning whether the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are moving fast enough to cut emissions from the region’s largest source of air pollution. Emily Guerin KPCC -- 8/31/17

Climate Change Spells Extinction for Pikas of Lake Tahoe -- One of north Lake Tahoe’s cutest residents, the American pika, has disappeared. UC Santa Cruz researchers have discovered an extinction spanning from Tahoe City to Truckee, the largest pika die-off in the modern era. Lesley McClurg KQED -- 8/31/17

Fox: A Late Bargaining Chip and Other Capitol Thoughts -- History is not on the side of Assembly Republicans who want to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to protect the two-thirds vote for special taxes following the California Supreme Court case announced this week that may have eviscerated that taxpayer protection. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/31/17

Wells Fargo says 3.5 million accounts involved in scandal -- The scope of Wells Fargo's fake accounts scandal grew significantly on Thursday, with the bank now saying that 3.5 million accounts were potentially opened without customers' permission between 2009 and 2016. Ken Sweet Associated Press George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/31/17

North Bay man nabbed in hit-run death of UC Berkeley lawyer -- A man with a history of public drunkenness and vandalism in the small North Bay community of Monte Rio has been arrested in the weekend hit-and-run death of UC Berkeley’s top attorney, officials said Thursday. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/31/17

Man wanted for deportation allegedly kills girlfriend, exposing complex debate -- When Santa Rosa police officers jailed a man in early August for allegedly abusing his girlfriend, they worried the violence might escalate and obtained an emergency order barring him from contacting the woman. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/31/17