Updating . .   

L.A. federal judge rules that a key part of Trump's immigration crackdown effort is illegal -- A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that police departments violate the Constitution if they detain inmates at the request of immigration agents, marking the latest legal setback for the Trump administration's plans to identify and deport immigrants in the country illegally. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Feds drop case against driver of fake UPS truck carrying 77 immigrants -- Federal prosecutors have quietly dismissed the case against a man accused of smuggling 77 immigrants in the back of a fake UPS truck. In its request to drop the felony charge, the U.S. attorney's office cited "certain factual issues," saying "the interests of justice warrant dismissal of this case." No further details were given. Kristina Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia to take leave of absence during investigation of misconduct allegations -- The statement comes one day after Politico reported that two men alleged improper sexual advances from Garcia. She has been one of the most vocal legislators speaking out about sexual harassment in the state Capitol. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ Kevin Modesti in the San Jose Mercury$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 2/9/18

Democratic candidates for governor make promises to union workers ahead of key endorsement vote -- Days before one of California’s most powerful labor unions announces its endorsement in the race for governor, the four top Democratic candidates courted members of the group’s largest and most influential local chapter in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

California pensions facing hit as charter schools consider leaving -- One of the state’s largest charter school organizations is exploring whether it wants to withdraw from CalPERS, raising alarms among unions and public pension officials who fear a gradual weakening of the fund. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

California DMV worker used driver’s license records to steal identities, federal government says -- Sarah Laray Sandoval, 39, was a DMV employee with access to computer records that included driver’s names, dates of birth, addresses and other personal information that was used to steal victims’ identities and open phony bank accounts, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Sacramento. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

In shadow of San Andreas fault, hundreds of Inland Empire buildings face collapse in huge earthquake -- As many as 640 buildings in more than a dozen Inland Empire cities including Riverside, Pomona and San Bernardino have been marked as dangerous — but remain unretrofitted despite decades of warning, according to a Times analysis of the latest building and safety records. These cities are far behind coastal regions of California, which have retrofitted thousands of buildings after devastating earthquakes exposed how deadly they can be. Rosanna Xia, Rong-Gong Lin II and Raoul Rañoa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

California police worked with neo-Nazis to pursue 'anti-racist' activists, documents show -- Officers expressed sympathy with white supremacists and sought their help to target counter-protesters after a violent 2016 rally, according to court documents. Sam Levin The Guardian -- 2/9/18

L.A. Unified once again embarks on a tough search for a new superintendent -- The nation's second-largest school system has a dizzying array of problems, but the board is divided on how to solve them. Meanwhile, there aren't many candidates considered qualified for such a daunting job, and those who are may be getting other offers. Anna M. Phillips, Howard Blume and Joy Resmovits in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Fox: GOP Voters Could Decide Governor’s Race -- The Public Policy Institute of California poll revealed a tight race for governor between Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with nary a Republican in sight. Yet, in the end it may be Republican voters who could choose the next governor because of California’s top two primary system. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/9/18

A teenager killed by deputies, a missing gun and community rage -- The father of a 16-year-old teenager who was shot and killed Sunday by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy stood in front of a packed church seeking answers. Nicole Santa Cruz and Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

A plan to house L.A.'s homeless residents could transform parking lots across the city -- In the decades following World War II, when the suburbs were young and the car was king, Los Angeles went on a land-buying spree. The city bought parcels in every size and shape, demolished any buildings on them and opened parking lots to serve emerging commercial districts. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Cannabis doctors’ offices are closing as over-the-counter sales surge -- A month into adult-use sales in California, legal cannabis has already driven a half-dozen medical marijuana recommendation clinics out of business, with consumers no longer needing medical recommendations to buy the botanical over the counter. One prominent online provider has also reported a steep decline in patients seeking referrals. Carolyne Zinko Greenstate -- 2/9/18

Last iconic 'immigrant crossing sign' disappears -- The “immigrant crossing” signs have become obsolete, said Cathryne Bruce-Johnson, a spokeswoman for Caltrans. The transportation department stopped replacing the signs years ago because it constructed fences along medians to deter people from running across highways. The last sign, which stood on the side of Interstate 5 near the San Ysidro border crossing, vanished in September. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

Sacramento’s first female cops have headquarters’ atrium named in their honor -- Flossie Crump and Felicia Allen, the first two women sworn into the Sacramento Police Department, were honored for paving the way for other women interested careers in local law enforcement, despite many challenges, during a department ceremony on Thursday. Nashelly Chavez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

California Town Wrestles With Aftermath Of Shooting Rampage -- On one level, it looks like all is mostly back to normal in the small, rural community of Rancho Tehama in northern California. But just below the surface it's clear people here are still grappling with the aftermath and struggling to heal from a local man's murderous rampage nearly three months ago that killed five and wounded 12 others. Eric Westervelt NPR -- 2/9/18

‘Endless photo slide show’: Train heroes’ movie opens to harsh reviews -- Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler’s heroics in the midst of a terror attack aboard a European train resonated internationally as the epitome of courage in the face of adversity. Clint Eastwood’s film depicting the event, though, appears to have elicited a colder reaction. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Federal ‘open house’ on oil drilling angers activists in Sacramento -- Hundreds of Californians who traveled to the state Capitol to voice their opposition to President Trump’s plans to expand offshore oil drilling left a public hearing Thursday in anger and disbelief that there was no microphone or panel of federal officials to listen to their concerns. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/9/18

In rare Sacramento appearance, Schwarzenegger says Trump's EPA chief needs to go -- California’s most well-known Republican didn’t mince words Thursday in assessing the record of President Trump’s chief environmental adviser, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Billy Kobin in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

#MeToo movement lawmaker investigated for sexual misconduct allegations -- California Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia — whose high-profile advocacy of the #MeToo movement earned her national media notice — is herself the subject of a state legislative investigation in the wake of a report that she sexually harassed and groped a former legislative staffer. Carla Marinucci Politico Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Katy Murphy and Kevin Modesti in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Jill Tucker and Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press Katie Orr KQED -- 2/9/18

Californians are paying attention to how the Capitol handles its harassment scandals — and they've got mixed reviews -- Forty-six percent of California adults — and nearly 60% of likely voters — are closely following developments of harassment and misconduct in Sacramento, according to a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. By contrast, only around a third of likely voters say they’re closely tracking news in the governor’s race. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

After criticism over Montecito mudslide alerts, officials remove 'voluntary' from emergency warnings -- Santa Barbara County sheriff's officials will no longer use "voluntary" in their evacuation alerts after concerns that the warnings they pushed out before devastating mudslides ravaged Montecito last month were ineffective in getting people to leave. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Butte County prosecutor wants state agency fined up to $51 billion for Oroville spillway failure -- In a civil complaint filed Wednesday, District Atty. Mike Ramsey accused the Department of Water Resources of failing to build the Oroville Dam's spillway on sturdy bedrock, which led to its rapid deterioration last February amid the heaviest winter storms the region had seen in years. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ Sally Schilling Capital Public Radio Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

Iced out of settlement, UC lawyers push for a piece of the San Onofre pie -- One loser in the agreement last week to settle a dispute over costs related to the San Onofre nuclear plant closure was the University of California, which stood to collect $25 million in research funding until it was specifically precluded from participating in the latest deal. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

Two federal prosecutors appointed to target opioid crisis in San Diego, Imperial counties -- The appointments follow U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ directive for each U.S. attorney to assign an opioid coordinator role. In San Diego, Interim U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman assigned two. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

California Nurse Puts Face On Billboards to Push Back Against ‘Abortion Reversal’ Science -- A largely unstudied procedure intended to reverse pill-induced abortions is again causing an uproar between pro-choice and pro-life health care providers. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 2/9/18

California would bar organized tackle football before high school under new bill -- Just days after the Super Bowl, Assembly members Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) said they are introducing the “Safe Youth Football Act,” legislation that will be considered this year by state lawmakers. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

San Jose flood victims sue city, county, water district for negligence -- On Thursday, nearly a year since officials for the 10th largest city in the nation were caught off guard by a historic flood, Ellis joined more than 150 other households to announce a lawsuit against San Jose, Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, which oversees flood protection for 1.8 million people. Jenna Lyons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/9/18

How Families in San Joaquin County Pay for Coroner Mistakes -- The alleged mishandling of death investigations in San Joaquin County inflicted distress and extra costs on grieving families, wasted county resources and potentially impeded prosecutions — according to two forensic pathologists who quit performing autopsies for the sheriff-coroner last year. A KQED investigation into those allegations confirmed that the coroner’s office, under Sheriff Steve Moore, released the wrong bodies to families in 2016 and 2017, and once lost track of a body in the morgue for months. Julie Small KQED -- 2/9/18

These residents are ‘tired of being forgotten’ -- Approximately 1,500 people rallied at the Capitol on Thursday asking legislators to end health disparities in California’s breadbasket, which has some of the highest child poverty rates and the worst air quality in the state. Nearly 4 million people live in the San Joaquin Valley, and many still lack access to health care, clean water and food, according to the Sierra Health Foundation, an organizer of the rally. Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

Hubler: ‘The 15:17 to Paris’, like ‘Lady Bird’, stars a California that America rarely sees -- It was too much to hope that the extremist trolls would just skip it. Still, as the much-anticipated movie about the Paris train heroes approached its opening weekend, the trash talk was dispiriting. Shawn Hubler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

PG&E’s federal tax break would go to customers under new bill -- The bill — SB 1028, from state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo — would apply to companies that provide electricity, gas, water or in some cases telephone services. It would require the California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees such companies, to adjust customers’ rates within 90 days of determining how much each utility will save. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/9/18

City probe finds "human error" responsible for spiking hundreds of water bills -- The city overcharged residents by more than $100,000 in January for water they didn’t use, officials said Thursday following a months-long public outcry over skyrocketing bills. The findings are the result of an internal review by the Public Utilities Department this week that traced the billing errors back to a single worker who had misread 343 meters in November and December. Kristina Davis and Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

Tax increase of $900 million to fund affordable housing in San Diego moves one step closer to ballot -- A proposed $900 million bond measure to build low-income housing got one step closer to the November ballot this week when a San Diego City Council committee voted 4-1 to have city staff further evaluate it. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Justin Trudeau’s pitch to Silicon Valley: Come on up to Canada, eh? -- With sleeves rolled up, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walked into a San Francisco startup Thursday — followed by bodyguards and a flurry of media representatives — to join a brief strategy session with the company’s engineering team. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Juliet Williams Associated Press -- 2/9/18

Bay Area residents are searching like crazy for houses in Sacramento, says Redfin -- Real estate listing firm Redfin reported this week that 4,101 more users of its service looked to buy a home in Sacramento than Sacramentans looked to buy homes elsewhere in the last three months of 2017 – the largest potential net inflow of new residents to any region in the United States. The top region of origin for those planning to move here was the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the website’s analysis of its data. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

Digital media is driving job growth in L.A region, report finds -- The digital media industry accounted for 206,880 jobs in the two counties in 2016, a 12% increase since 2006, according to the report by a coalition of industry groups including the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and a consortium of community colleges. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

State Supreme Court unanimous ruling allows big fines for unsafe workplaces -- California prosecutors can seek substantial fines against employers whose workplaces are unsafe, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday in the case of a Southern California plastics factory where an explosion killed two workers in 2009. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/9/18

Oceanside joins cities looking at alternative energy plan -- Oceanside has agreed to join three other North County cities sharing the costs of a study to determine the feasibility of forming a renewable-energy alternative to San Diego Gas & Electric Co. Phil Diehl in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

L.A. City Council has contradicting plans on bid for 2026 World Cup -- Los Angeles' bid to be one of the hosts for the 2026 World Cup is in doubt as officials on Thursday gave contradicting statements about whether the city would pursue a piece of the international event. Dakota Smith and Kevin Baxter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Solar jobs down 14% in California, 3.8% nationally -- After experiencing consistent year-over-year growth, the number of jobs in the solar energy sector took a hit in 2017, with California absorbing the biggest blow. Rob Nikolewsk in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

GrubHub drivers are independent contractors — not employees — under California law, judge rules -- The ruling may have far-reaching implications for other sharing economy companies, including Uber Technologies Inc., whose business models are built on pairing customers with products and services through apps and typically avoid the costs of traditional employment. Joel Rosenblatt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

San Francisco sues California over ride-hailing licenses -- A California law allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to have a single business license to drive anywhere in the state is depriving San Francisco of fees that could offset maintenance and traffic costs created by ride-hailing services, San Francisco officials said in a lawsuit filed Thursday against the state. Associated Press -- 2/9/18

Kimberly-Clark to shutter its paper-products plant in Fullerton, which employs 330 people -- Pallesen said most of the employees at the Fullerton plant live in Orange County. Salaries range from about $80,000 to $100,000, he said. “It came as horrible, shocking news to them,” Pallesen said. “Most have worked at the plant for years. They have kids in college and home mortgages. You always think it will happen to somebody else.” Susan Christian Goulding in the Orange County Register -- 2/9/18

New budget deal adds more stimulus — and debt — to an overextended American economy -- If the GOP's $1.5-trillion tax-cut package powers the American economy like rocket fuel as President Trump predicts, the new congressional budget deal could become the extra boost that causes the engine to overheat. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Transit  

Half year after Metro policing changes, more serious crimes reported -- Six months into heavier policing on Los Angeles County buses and trains, reports of crimes overall declined slightly while those for more serious or violent crimes have risen, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority statistics. Meghan McCarty Carino KPCC -- 2/9/18

How the Volkswagen diesel scandal could ease traffic between Sacramento and Davis -- On Thursday, two of the Sacramento region’s major bus companies said they are working on a unique joint proposal to use a chunk of those funds to buy up to 10 electric buses and run them on 15-minute intervals over the Yolo Causeway between the UC Davis campus and downtown Sacramento, likely to stop at future employment centers in the downtown railyard. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/9/18

Homeless  

Just a few months in, LA County’s Measure H has generated millions to help the homeless -- Nearly a year after Los Angeles County voters approved a quarter cent sales tax for homeless services, the money raised so far has helped people obtain permanent housing and rental subsidies, increased the number of emergency shelter beds and encouraged more outreach teams — but a long steep road remains, county officials acknowledged Thursday. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/9/18

New meters in L.A.'s Grand Park will fund homeless outreach -- Ringed by television cameras and photographers, Los Angeles politicians grinned and plunked coins Thursday into the bright orange meter newly installed in Grand Park. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Group pushes for emergency cabins to shelter the homeless -- They’re affordable, attractive, functional and could go a long way to getting homeless people off the street. If only there were a place to legally put them. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

These nearly 200 homeless encampments pose a high fire risk in L.A., officials say -- In the wake of December’s Skirball fire, which was believed to have been started in a homeless encampment, the Los Angeles Fire Department has assembled a list of 76 brush-heavy hillside areas where there may be encampments that pose a high fire risk. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/9/18

Education 

At Cal State, first-generation black students face the greatest need -- Cal State students who are African American and the first in their families to attend college struggle most with food and housing insecurity, including homelessness, according to a new survey by the nation’s largest public university system. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

New SDSU president pushes research, expansion, social justice -- San Diego State University will deepen its efforts in research, develop a satellite campus and sharply focus on matters of social justice, especially along the U.S.-Mexico border, the school’s new president said Thursday during her first major address. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

California's ambitious education reforms paying off in higher graduation rates and math scores, study finds – California's sweeping education reforms championed by Gov. Jerry Brown have resulted in higher graduation rates and gains in math, especially among low-income students in the 11th grade, according to a new study. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 2/9/18

Immigration / Border 

Employers, Immigrants Grapple With Uncertainty Over TPS Work Permits -- Mariano Guzman has worked as a truck driver for a San Francisco Bay Area waste management company for 17 years. But last month, the 55-year-old Honduran immigrant got a major surprise when he showed up for his job south of San Francisco. Guzman’s employer said he couldn’t keep his job because his work authorization document had just expired. Farida Jhabvala Romero KQED -- 2/9/18

Water  

How dry is this winter? Sierra snowpack on pace to shatter record low of 2015 -- As relentless sunshine continued to pound California on Thursday, the Sierra Nevada hit a reckoning point: There’s less snowpack now than on the same date three years ago, when the winter went down as the driest in recorded history and sent shudders through cities, farmlands and the state Capitol. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/9/18

Environment 

Battle Over Dirty Air Brewing in West Oakland -- The city of Oakland has filed an environmental justice lawsuit against debris-hauling company Santos Engineering for allegedly releasing harmful dust emissions into the surrounding neighborhood and contributing to heightened levels of diesel pollution. Amel Ahmed KQED -- 2/9/18

Also . . . 

Producer Jill Messick committed suicide, family says in statement blasting Harvey Weinstein and Rose McGowan -- The family said in a lengthy statement that Messick had battled depression, “which had been her nemesis for years.” But the family also lashed out at Harvey Weinstein and Rose McGowan, saying that Messick had become “collateral damage” in the movement that has arisen after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct by Weinstein were reported. Jessica Roy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Judge declines to throw out Brett Ratner's defamation suit against woman who alleged rape -- A federal judge in Hawaii on Thursday declined to throw out a defamation case filed by director Brett Ratner against a woman who accused him of rape, but said a California law against lawsuits filed to silence critics was applicable in the case. Amy Kaufman and Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Funeral held for retired L.A. deputy who was critically wounded in 1994 traffic stop -- A little more than 23 years ago, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Steven Belanger made the last arrest of what should have been a promising career. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/9/18

Same secret donor steps up to help family that lost wheelchair-accessible van in fire -- For the second time in four years, an anonymous donor has stepped up to help provide a wheelchair-accessible van to an East County family that includes 18 adopted special needs children and adults. Karen Kucher in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/9/18

POTUS 45  

Top White House officials knew of abuse allegations against top aide for months -- White House Counsel Donald McGahn knew one year ago that staff secretary Rob Porter’s ex-wives were prepared to make damaging accusations about him but allowed him to serve as an influential gatekeeper and aide to President Trump without investigating the accusations, according to people familiar with the matter. Josh Dawsey and Beth Reinhard in the Washington Post$ Eliana Johnson Politico -- 2/9/18

FBI surveillance of Carter Page might have picked up Bannon -- The former Trump campaign adviser says he spoke to Trump aide Steve Bannon about Russia in January 2017, at a time when the FBI had a controversial warrant to monitor Page's communications. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 2/9/18

Beltway 

Four Pinocchios: Did Hillary Clinton collude with the Russians to get ‘dirt’ on Trump to feed it to the FBI? -- During the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election — and possible collusion by the Trump campaign — defenders of the president have often sought to turn the tables on Democrats. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 2/9/18

 

-- Thursday Updates 

Even cut in half, plan for Delta tunnels doesn’t win over opponents -- One day after Brown’s administration downsized the Delta tunnels project, a host of project opponents tried Thursday to halt a state regulatory hearing that’s crucial to getting the project built. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/8/18

From Fallujah to FBI investigation: The undoing of Duncan Hunter -- Duncan Hunter The Republican congressman faces allegations of misusing campaign funds, and his freewheeling Washington lifestyle is coming under scrutiny, too. Rachael Bade and John Bresnahan Politico Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/8/18

Congressman’s office deletes question on sexual harassment scandal from town hall video -- Rep. Brad Sherman’s town hall in Reseda last month lasted more than an hour, as the Los Angeles Democrat updated constituents via Skype about Congress’ battle over government funding. His response to one particular question from the audience, however, didn’t make the final cut of the video the congressman’s office posted on his official YouTube page – regarding a sexual harassment scandal involving a former senior aide that has rocked his office. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/8/18

A Community College online? Gov. Brown’s plan re-imagines cyber learning, but faces skeptics -- Laticia Middleton perches in front of a computer at the Greater Sacramento Urban League’s job center, scanning employment ads. At 30, with two children, a high school diploma and a job at a call center, Middleton is the kind of student Gov. Jerry Brown has in mind as he pushes for a new online community college. Felicia Mello Calmatters -- 2/8/18

UC Irvine academics come to the defense of players after WHO proposes 'gaming disorder' as a thing -- After learning of the World Health Organization's plan to add "gaming disorder" to its list of mental health conditions, UC Irvine published a response against the classification, arguing that for a majority of players, video and other games have a positive influence. Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/8/18

Coastal Commission on Trump's offshore drilling plan: Ain't gonna happen -- New offshore drilling in California is economically infeasible, legally questionable and politically a nonstarter, but if there's any doubt the state's coastal waters could still be opened up to oil and gas interests, the Coastal Commission this week flexed its own authority and said no way. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/8/18

Abcarian: 'Little' Adam Schiff, Trump's Twitter nemesis, liked it better when he had a nasty nickname to himself -- Schiff, as it happens, is the perfect foil for a guy like Trump. He's calm, unflappable and wry, always the grown-up to the president's spoiled child. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/8/18

Search warrants served at Maywood City Hall; mayor reportedly questioned by authorities -- Authorities served search warrants at Maywood City Hall and other locations Thursday morning, prosecutors confirmed. Maywood City Councilman Eduardo De La Riva said that when he arrived at City Hall, he was met by law enforcement officers serving search warrants at the building. Ruben Vives and Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/8/18

Chevron fights California cities' climate-change lawsuits with 'creative lawyering' -- If Chevron Corp. has caused climate change and needs to pay for its damage, so should pretty much every company that has ever explored for oil and gas near North America, as well as manufacturers of cars and equipment that burn fuel, plus consumers. Kartikay Mehrotra in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/8/18

LAPD still searching for owner of gun that went off in Westlake classroom -- The gunfire erupted in a classroom Feb. 1, with a single bullet striking a 15-year-old boy in the temple and a 15-year-old girl in the left wrist. The girl was discharged from the hospital over the weekend and the boy remains in fair condition. Two other students and a teacher suffered minor injuries. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/8/18

Congressmen Ask: Will FEMA Refuse Payment for Oroville Spillway Work? -- Two Northern California members of Congress are asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to clarify under what conditions it will reimburse the state for the cost of rebuilding and rehabilitating the ruined spillways at Oroville Dam. The request came from Reps. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, and John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, who represent Sacramento Valley districts directly impacted by last year’s Oroville spillway crisis. Dan Brekke KQED -- 2/8/18

Twitter makes money for first time ever, but problems remain -- The company is still struggling to get people to sign up, despite the attention President Donald Trump’s no-holds barred tweets have drawn to the service. One problem: Anyone can read tweets without signing up. As a result, Twitter’s user base pales compared with Facebook and the Facebook-owned Instagram. Barbara Ortutay Associated Press -- 2/8/18

Fox: Prop 13 Change, Gas Tax Repeal in Trouble in PPIC Poll -- In tax conscience California, a split in attitude: the granddaddy of taxpayer protections looks safe while a threatened new gas tax increase might feel the same way according to the latest Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/8/18