Updating . .
Major gun show opening in Costa Mesa despite criticism that it's too soon after Las Vegas massacre -- A two-day gun and Western Americana show is scheduled for the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa beginning Saturday, despite concern from some people about the event’s timing in the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting in Las Vegas. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
A second Republican challenger steps up against GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter -- Shamroze "Shamus" Sayed, 40, announced Friday that he's joining the growing list of people hoping to unseat the five-term Republican, who's facing ongoing investigations into whether he misused campaign funds for personal expenses. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Sacramento teachers are considering a strike. District calls it an ‘intimidation tactic.’ -- The Sacramento City Teachers Association and the district have been in negotiations for about a year and remain in disagreement over compensation, both sides say. A decision about whether to strike won’t be made until at least Nov. 3, union officials say. Brad Branan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/17
Why Elon Musk is pitching solar panels to Puerto Rico even as residents lack clean water -- Although Musk's idea doesn't solve Puerto Rico's current crisis — 90% of the island is still without power, and many are having trouble getting clean water — it could set the island on the path to sustainable, renewable energy, which could reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels and ultimately bolster its economy. Brian Fung in the Washington Post$ -- 10/6/17
Abcarian: Another man behaving badly in Hollywood — this time, Harvey Weinstein. What a shocker -- There are so many things about the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment revelations that are distressing and familiar that I hardly know where to start. But let me try. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Fox: Sanctuary State Symbolism -- With Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature on SB 54, California now calls itself a sanctuary state. There is strong symbolism in the move, although California governments’ actions relative to individuals in the country illegally will change little in many parts of the state. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/6/17
Housing a barrier to getting LA's foster kids home -- Los Angeles County is expanding a foster care pilot that targets homeless parents and families in unstable housing. Rina Palta KPCC -- 10/6/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Before Ed Hernandez fought drug companies he took a lot of their money -- California state Sen. Ed Hernandez, Democrat campaigning for lieutenant governor next year as a crusader against major drug companies, hasn’t always been their adversary. Christopher Cadalago and Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/17
House Republicans dismiss ‘political threats’ from California gas tax supporters -- Despite a warning of political repercussions, the majority of California’s Republican congressional delegation will support an initiative to repeal recently-approved increases to the state gas tax and vehicle registration fee. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Sexual extortion will be considered a criminal act in California -- Sexual extortion will be considered a criminal act in California under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown. SB 500, by Sen. Connie Levya (D-Chino), will add coercion involving sexual acts and sexually explicit images — known as "sextortion" — to the state's extortion laws. Mina Corpuz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
After another mass shooting, Dianne Feinstein back on front lines of gun control fight -- After a gunman walked into a San Francisco law firm and killed eight people in July 1993, then first-term Sen. Dianne Feinstein channeled national horror to push an assault weapons ban into law. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/6/17
Poll: Most Californians support gun control -- A poll done by Survey USA with The San Diego Union-Tribune and 4 television stations found that 61 percent of Californians want sensible gun reform, including having a registry of who owns guns, limiting how much ammunition can be purchased and curtailing the sale of parts that increase the deadliness of certain weapons. Daniel Wheaton in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/6/17
Fact Check: Is Chicago Proof That Gun Laws Don’t Work? -- In the wake of the horrific shooting in Las Vegas this week, the White House faced questions about whether President Trump would support stricter gun legislation. Danielle Kurtzleben KQED -- 10/6/17
Does Gun Ownership Really Make You Safer? Research Says No -- It’s a common claim among gun advocates that firearm ownership makes people safer. Research into gun violence, however, points in the opposite direction. Danielle Venton KQED -- 10/6/17
On gun research, what we don’t know is literally killing us -- In 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ceased funding gun violence research as a result of the National Rifle Association-backed Dickey Amendment, which prohibits the agency from using federal funds in ways that could be construed to “advocate or promote gun control.” Christopher Ingraham in the Washington Post$ -- 10/6/17
More Than Half Las Vegas Massacre Victims from California; SoCal Coroner Assists -- More than half of those killed in Las Vegas Sunday night are reportedly from California — KQED has confirmed at least 32 either lived in the state or were native Californians. Of those, a majority called Southern California home. Steven Cuevas KQED -- 10/6/17
For second time in two years, his fiancee texts: 'Active shooter.' And so began a night of hell in Vegas -- He was running, lungs burning, across the casino floor of the Luxor — leaving his friends behind in a mad, desperate sprint toward the massacre. It’s happening again, he thought. David Montero in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Another key California bullet train executive is leaving -- Jon Tapping, the agency’s director of risk management since 2012, has been charged with analyzing technical, schedule and cost issues facing the $64-billion, Los Angeles-to-San Francisco system. He reports directly to the rail authority board. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
USC medical school dean out amid revelations of sexual harassment claim, $135,000 settlement with researcher -- After the dean of USC’s medical school resigned last year amid long-running complaints about his drinking and boorish treatment of colleagues, university leaders assured students and faculty that his successor would be worthy of respect. Sarah Parvini, Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Gov. Brown visits L.A. to lobby for the $17-billion delta water project -- With two key California WaterFix votes looming, Gov. Jerry Brown expressed confidence Thursday that water agencies will commit to enough funding to sustain the massive project. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
State auditor faults handling of delta tunnels planning contracts -- California water managers awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to a Sacramento consulting firm without going through the required competitive bidding process, according to the state auditor. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
State attorney general mum on criminal probe of utilities commission -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra this week declined to answer questions about a criminal investigation into the state utilities commission, which was active under his predecessor. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/6/17
Charges are dropped against another officer in the Oakland police sex scandal -- Prosecutors Thursday dropped charges against an Oakland police officer accused with several co-workers in a sprawling sex scandal that drew national attention last year, marking the fourth case in which charges against law enforcement officers implicated in the controversy have collapsed. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
SpaceX and Blue Origin could gain from Mike Pence's call for a return to the moon -- Vice President Mike Pence, in his role as chairman of the newly reconstituted National Space Council, called Thursday for the U.S. to return to the moon. That could be lucrative for commercial space companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Tesla leases two big Fremont office buildings where 1,000 could work -- In a big expansion that potentially could bring 1,000 or more workers into Fremont, Tesla has leased two large office buildings in an area perched near the access roads for the Dumbarton Bridge. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/6/17
Legoland's owner may want to buy some SeaWorld Entertainment parks -- For the second time in as many months, there is talk of a possible purchase of SeaWorld Entertainment parks by Legoland California owner Merlin Entertainments. Lori Weisberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
San Diego trash truck drivers get $500K to settle wage lawsuit against city -- San Diego has agreed to pay $500,000 to drivers of city trash trucks to settle a dispute over wages deducted from their paychecks for taking lunch breaks. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/6/17
Harvey Weinstein's Hollywood future is in question after sexual harassment allegations -- For years, the esteemed Harvey Weinstein pumped out award-winning releases including “Chicago,” “The King’s Speech” and “The Artist.” But lately, the flops have piled up, financing for independent films has shrunk and the producer’s golden touch has lost some of its luster. David Ng and Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
A new big rig logbook is supposed to make roadways safer, but some truckers hate it -- About 300 long haul truckers held a three-hour protest in front of Fresno City Hall Thursday over a new federal rule requiring electronic logging devices in trucks. Lewis Griswold in the Fresno Bee -- 10/6/17
Homeless
Without This Housing, I’d Be Dead -- Hospitals are stepping in to help Sacramento’s homeless residents. Will it make a difference? Pauline Bartolone Capital Public Radio -- 10/6/17
Housing
New LA River plan would leverage public land to increase housing, green space -- Multinational construction firm AECOM on Wednesday rolled out a revitalization plan for hundreds of acres of land alongside the downtown section of the Los Angeles River. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 10/6/17
San Diego County rents hit record high -- Average rent in San Diego County hit a record high of $1,875 last month, continuing more than six years of rising rents in a tight housing market. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/6/17
Education
Why heads are scratching over California’s standardized test scores -- Last year, 49 percent of California students who took the test scored as meeting the state’s reading and writing standards. This year, that number flatlined at 49 percent. So despite most teachers and students having an additional year to get familiar with the exam, and an additional year of instruction conceivably tailored to improve on student weaknesses identified in the test, California public schools were no better at getting students to master state English standards. Matt Levin Calmatters.org -- 10/6/17
SDSU Hires Architectural Firm To Design New Mission Valley Stadium -- The Kansas City-based architectural firm that designed Petco Park has been retained by San Diego State University to begin initial planning on a multi-purpose stadium in Mission Valley, SDSU athletic officials confirmed Thursday. KPBS -- 10/6/17
LA area community colleges need to do more to prepare future workers, report says -- The recently published analysis offers a detailed look at how community colleges respond to the local economy’s workforce demands and challenges them to educate more students to fill the tens of thousands of jobs that’ll be created in the next five years. Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 10/6/17
Immigration / Border
California landlords can’t threaten undocumented tenants anymore -- California landlords can’t threaten undocumented immigrant tenants under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed Thursday. Assemblyman David Chiu’s AB 291, known as the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, bolsters state law to shield immigrants from intimidation and retaliation in their homes. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
California expands protections for immigrants against ICE workplace raids -- Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law Thursday to expand workplace protections for employees who came to the U.S. illegally, part of the state’s response to the Trump administration's call for greater immigration enforcement. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
White House plans to demand immigration cuts in exchange for DACA fix -- Aide Stephen Miller, Trump's top immigration adviser, is crafting a hard-line plan that risks blowing up any deal with Democrats. Josh Dawsey, Andrew Restuccia and Matthew Nussbaum Politico -- 10/6/17
Former Uber courier and accomplice charged with helping smuggle three passengers -- The Uber sticker on the gray Dodge Charger stuck out as odd to the Border Patrol agent the afternoon of Aug. 15. Uber isn't usually seen this far east, in Boulevard, she thought, according to court documents. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/6/17
Campus conversation: Jorge Reyes Salinas, California State University student trustee -- When Jorge Reyes Salinas was 10, his parents cobbled together enough money to leave Peru to start a new life in Los Angeles. They wanted a better future for their only son, who thought he was going to Disneyland. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/17
Health
Sacramento County scrambles to prevent hepatitis A outbreak -- As health officials work to control a hepatitis outbreak in Southern California, Sacramento County and City officials are trying to get ahead of the crisis. Molly Sullivan and Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/17
Environment
Vinod Khosla’s granting of partial access to Martins Beach called ‘insufficient’ -- This week’s decision by a billionaire landowner to finally let people visit a beach near Half Moon Bay through his property does not sufficiently address his violations of state law guaranteeing public access to the coast, the California Coastal Commission said Thursday. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/17
Also . . .
Fatal San Francisco shootings were justified, district attorney says -- San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón declined to file criminal charges against the police officers involved in two separate fatal shootings, stating in a decision released Thursday that the officers’ actions in the 2014 and 2016 incidents were justified. Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/17
-- Thursday Updates
California's deadly hepatitis A outbreak could last years, official says -- Dr. Monique Foster, a medical epidemiologist with Division of Viral Hepatitis at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters Thursday that California’s outbreak could linger even with the right prevention efforts. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/17
In 16th AD, Catharine Baker navigates carefully -- During a Town Hall meeting in Orinda, one of the most affluent corners of her 16th Assembly District, Catharine Baker (R-Dublin) holds her own, leading the conversation and proudly explaining her votes and positions on the issues to a largely receptive audience made up of mostly older white constituents. Nik Bonovich Capitol Weekly -- 10/5/17
John Kelly's personal cell phone was compromised, White House believes -- The discovery raises concerns that hackers or foreign governments may have had access to data on Kelly’s phone while he was secretary of Homeland Security and after he joined the West Wing. Josh Dawsey, Emily Stephenson and Andrea Peterson Politico -- 10/5/17
California becomes 'sanctuary state' in rebuke of Trump immigration policy -- In a sharp rebuke to President Trump’s expanded deportation orders, Gov. Jerry Brown signed landmark “sanctuary state” legislation Thursday, vastly limiting who state and local law enforcement agencies can hold, question and transfer at the request of federal immigration authorities. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ Marisa Lagos KQED Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/5/17
DACA demonstrators shut down intersection in Westwood -- Demonstrators blocked the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Avenue in Westwood Thursday morning, creating a traffic nightmare for commuters while police scrambled to restore order. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/17
“Significant cost increases and delays”: State auditor rips Jerry Brown’s $17 billion Delta tunnels project -- The 91-page report from California’s state auditor, Elaine Howell, said the state Department of Water Resources “has not completed either an economic or financial analysis to demonstrate the financial viability” of the project, which the Brown administration calls the California WaterFix. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/5/17
California residents can apply for aid for medical bills, funeral expenses after Las Vegas attacks -- The California Victim Compensation Board, a state program that offers monetary support for victims of violent crimes, has released a single application process to allow people to apply for compensation from California as well as from Nevada's program, said Julie Nauman, the board's executive director. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/17
Gun-control issue unlikely to sway hot Congress races: Here’s why -- Despite the vast divide between many Republicans and Democrats on gun control, experts say the issue is unlikely to play a major role in Southern California’s six hotly contested congressional races next year. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 10/5/17
It's time for Nancy Pelosi and other longtime Democratic leaders to leave, California Rep. Linda Sanchez says -- It was a bold declaration for a member of House leadership, especially for a member from California, and could signal that she's reflecting the views of many House Democrats. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/17
Rep. Mimi Walters challenger sets himself apart from the large field -- Amid the parade of 28 congressional candidates challenging Orange County’s four Republican Congress members next year, Democrat Ron Varasteh is a rare bird. The wealthy businessman and hardcore Bernie Sanders supporter is one of only two challengers to have run for Congress before and the sole candidate to have twice appeared on general election ballots for the House. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 10/5/17
Democrats air new ads criticizing Reps. Valadao, Denham over health care -- Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, is one of two San Joaquin Valley congressmen being targeted in a new Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad campaign that focuses on health care. Ads that will start airing on Valley radio and television channels Thursdaywill criticize Valadao and Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, for supporting GOP efforts to scale back Obamacare. The item is in the Fresno Bee -- 10/5/17
‘Show your taxes’—Could California really make presidential contenders do it? -- There’s sometimes a fine line between good governance and trolling. One of this year’s most controversial—if not quite as consequential—state bills is a proposal by Democratic Sen. Mike McGuire of Healdsburg that would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns before they can appear on a California ballot. Ben Christopher Calmatters.org -- 10/5/17
Despite teachers’ vote, a Fresno Unified strike is a long ways off – if it happens at all -- Fresno teachers voted overwhelmingly this week to authorize a strike over their contract talks with the Fresno Unified School District. But that doesn’t mean a strike is imminent, or even a foregone conclusion. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 10/5/17
Passenger dragged off flight claims racial profiling -- A woman seen on video being dragged off a Southwest Airlines flight in Maryland has said she believes she was a victim of racial profiling. Anila Daulatzai, who is Muslim, said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Thursday that she was mistreated after she told the crew on a Sept. 26 flight to Los Angeles that she was allergic to dogs in the cabin. Associated Press -- 10/5/17
I was 9 when my parents told me I was undocumented. With DACA ending, I have no idea what's next -- My parents don’t remember exactly when they told me. But I do. I was 8 or 9 years old. My teacher gave me a pamphlet about a school trip to Washington, D.C. Brian De Los Santos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/17
Do More Guns Make People Safer? Research Says No -- Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter, had 23 firearms in his hotel room and he bought 33 guns in the past year, according to law enforcement officials. Maureen Cavanaugh, Michael Lipkin KPBS -- 10/5/17
Fox: A Civic Lesson from San Francisco on the Two-Thirds Vote for Taxes -- Since Proposition 13 established a requirement for a two-thirds vote by the people for special taxes—that is, taxes earmarked for a special purpose–opponents of the idea have been critical. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/5/17