Updating . .   

Mnuchin Blocks U.C.L.A. From Releasing Video of Students Heckling Him -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was taunted with hisses, heckles and profanity during a lecture and moderated discussion at U.C.L.A. this week. Protesters were carried out by armed police officers. A sixth grader in the audience questioned him about the fairness of passing permanent tax cuts for companies and expiring cuts for individuals. Alan Rappeport in the New York Times$ -- 3/1/18

Pelosi optimistic on gun control bill, but doubts a renewed assault weapons ban can pass -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was optimistic Thursday that the Republican-controlled Congress can pass comprehensive gun legislation, but said she doesn’t expect an assault weapons ban to be part of such a measure. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

San Francisco mayor now supports legal fund for immigrants facing deportation -- Three months ago, no one in City Hall would have expected Mark Farrell, then the board’s most fiscally conservative supervisor, to side with its progressives and fund lawyers for all immigrants facing deportation. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

710 Freeway is a 'diesel death zone' to neighbors — can vital commerce route be fixed? -- For decades, the 710 Freeway has been the commercial spine of Southern California, funneling the trucks carrying thousands of tons of furniture, clothes, televisions and other goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach into the region's sprawling network of freeways and warehouses. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Deprived of data, transit agency tracks tech shuttle buses with cameras -- Tech companies aren’t just secretive about their future products. They’re also unwilling to share information about their shuttle buses. After being stonewalled by business organizations in its effort to count corporate shuttles along Highway 85, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority set up cameras to determine how many buses are on the road. Wendy Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

Before Kevin and Devin, there was Bill -- Former Republican Congressman Bill Thomas, who capped a 28-year House career as chair of the Ways and Means Committee, has been out of Congress for more than a decade. His name is no longer familiar outside of his Bakersfield base. Dorothy Mills-Gregg Capitol Weekly -- 3/1/18

How The Home Of Reagan Turned Into The Trump Resistance -- With more than two dozen lawsuits against the federal administration and new laws designed to thwart federal immigration actions and environmental rollbacks, California has squarely established itself as the Democratic resistance to President Donald Trump. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 3/1/18

As developments rise in the NoHo Arts District, artists are being forced out by high rents -- Once a week, Jeff Kober rents a small auditorium at the Raven Playhouse theater of the NoHo Arts District, where he and a group of actors rehearse scenes from his screenplay. Although he would like a studio of his own, doing that within the roughly 1-square-mile community in North Hollywood is not something the 60-year-old actor and screenwriter can afford. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/1/18

Why the rise of the independent voter is a political myth -- For a party halfway in the grave, the news thudded like another shovelful of dirt — thwack! — heaved atop its coffin: The Republican Party may soon slip into third place among registered California voters, trailing Democrats and self-declared independents. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Fox: ICE Gets the Schaaf -- The war of words between Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Thomas Homan over Schaaf ‘s warning that ICE was about to raid Northern California counties looking for illegal residents could bleed into another major issue rising in California this election year—crime. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/1/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Legislative investigation substantiates harassment claims against former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra -- Three months after Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment, an Assembly investigation has found the Pacoima Democrat likely engaged in “unwanted conduct” toward three subordinate employees while he worked as a legislative staffer. Dakota Smith and Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

New bullet train business plan will show higher costs, CEO Brian Kelly says -- The California bullet train will take longer to build and cost more than previously estimated under a soon-to-be-released business plan, but plans to begin the project by linking the Bay Area to the Central Valley remain intact, according to the rail authority's new chief executive, Brian Kelly. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Feinstein shakes with glee after Trump suggests adding assault weapons ban to background check bill -- The California Democrat, who became mayor of San Francisco after the shooting deaths of George Moscone and Harvey Milk in 1978, authored the original assault weapons ban in the 1990s and has been pushing to reinstate it since Congress let it expire in 2004. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Skelton: It's a bad idea to raise the minimum age for buying long guns. It's an even worse idea to arm teachers -- It's not as screwy as arming teachers, but increasing the legal age for buying a rifle or shotgun from 18 to 21 is also off target. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

California braces for Trump’s ‘border wall hallucination tour’ -- Donald Trump’s California supporters are “ecstatic” that the president will be making his first official visit to the state next month. But his March trip to San Diego to advance construction of a border wall is also firing up progressive activists who are determined to make him feel unwelcome. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 3/1/18

Walters: Democrats’ fault lines, including Latino splits -- If one looked beyond the heated rhetoric from the podium, most of it directed at President Trump, last weekend’s Democratic state convention revealed a party with many internal fault lines. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/1/18

At EPA hearing, support for Clean Power Plan -- A steady march of politicians, physicians and scientists came to San Francisco from across California on Wednesday to testify against a federal plan to repeal the nation’s signature law regulating carbon dioxide emissions. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Molly Peterson KQED -- 3/1/18

Here’s the bill so far for the Aliso Canyon gas leak: Nearly $1 billion – and counting -- The Aliso Canyon gas leak has cost Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company nearly $1 billion, and those costs could rise, officials said this week. Sempra Energy said in an earnings report this week that the leak, which was discovered in October 2015, cost the company $913 million. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/1/18

GOP candidate’s measure to expand Legislature fails to make November ballot -- A proposed initiative that would have expanded the state Legislature to 12,000 members fell just short of qualifying for the November ballot, but John Cox, the Republican candidate for governor who spent more than $2 million of his own money on the effort, is ready to keep fighting. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

Knight: Tale of arrest for San Francisco vehicle break-in is as twisty as nearby Lombard Street -- Earlier this month, I told you about a visit to Lombard Street to report on car break-ins that turned out to have more twists and turns than the famous curvy street itself. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

Spend gas tax money ASAP, new Caltrans leader says of directive from Gov. Jerry Brown -- Gov. Jerry Brown has asked new Caltrans head Laurie Berman and new Transportation Secretary Brian Annis to turn the state's gas tax hike into quick and visible highway improvements. The pair describe it as a historic opportunity and a major challenge. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/1/18

Tax agency rejects 4-cent increase in gas taxes, giving Jerry Brown a $617 million problem -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s office has to find another $617 million for his next budget because a tax-collecting agency he gutted last year has used some of its waning authority to reject a 4-cent increase in fuel taxes. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/1/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Second local congressman raises security concerns over hostile bid for Qualcomm -- Another San Diego congressman is raising national security concerns over the potential hostile takeover of Qualcomm by rival chipmaker Broadcom. Democrat Scott Peters has joined Republican Duncan Hunter in calling for a U.S. government review of the $117 billion bid. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/1/18

California cities suing oil firms over climate change lose key ruling -- California communities that are suing oil and gas companies over climate change were dealt a setback when a federal judge denied requests by San Francisco and Oakland to move their cases to state court. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

Could Sacramento host the 2030 Olympic hockey and speed skating finals? -- Sacramento could play host to speed skating, ice dancing or even hockey under a proposed bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics being pushed by officials in Lake Tahoe and Reno. The close of the 2018 winter games in PyeongChang, South Korea, brings fresh attention to the long-running effort to bring the Olympics back to the Tahoe area, which hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley. Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/1/18

Sacramento becomes latest city to allege mortgage discrimination by Wells Fargo -- The city filed a suit in federal court, saying the San Francisco bank violated the federal Fair Housing Act by saddling minority borrowers with pricier loans and failing to notice or end the practice. James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Top-selling electric car in California is not a Tesla -- The Chevrolet Bolt topped electric car registrations in the state last year, according to the report from the California New Car Dealers Association and Auto Outlook, Inc. A total of 13,487 Bolts were sold or leased in California, compared with 11,813 Tesla Model S sedans. The vast difference in prices — the Bolt starts at $36,620, while the most basic version of a Model S costs $74,500 — may have something to do with the ranking. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

L.A. trying for its first MLB All-Star Game in nearly 40 years -- In a move to help the Dodgers secure the 2020 Major League All-Star Game, the Los Angeles City Council signed off Wednesday on a motion to negotiate a contract with the team over the use of city resources associated with the event. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/1/18

Two weight-loss surgeons falsified records, defrauded patients, insurers out of $250 million, prosecutors allege -- For years, it was hard to miss the billboards and radio jingles for a weight-loss surgery center that promised, "Let your new life begin, call 1-800-GET-THIN." Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Tesla Model 3 review from Consumer Reports: great handling and precise steering, but “overly stiff ride” and “considerable wind noise” -- The verdict from Consumer Reports is in: Tesla’s Model 3 sedan is quick and sticks to the road like glue, but lacks dignity when the going gets rough and may break wind noisily. The Model 3 is the Palo Alto car maker’s attempt to bring electric vehicles to the masses, mostly through a $35,000 version not yet in production. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/1/18

SpaceX's Elon Musk dares to go where others failed with space-based web -- When Elon Musk's SpaceX heaved two communications satellites aloft last week, he joined a space race that's foiled plenty of other dreamers. Todd Shields, Dana Hull and Julie Johnsson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Transit  

BART set to begin issuing tickets to those who sneak aboard -- The transit system, which figures it’s losing $25 million a year to riders who don’t pay their fares, started a crackdown last year, stationing police officers outside gates to catch people jumping them or sneaking in behind paying patrons. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

New speed limits on Los Angeles roads aim to reduce traffic fatalities -- When you're driving on the streets of Los Angeles, it's probably safe to bet you have no idea what the speed limit is. Well, pay attention. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday new speed limits on 71 streets all around the city as part of an initiative to reduce traffic fatalities. The new speed limits come with increased police enforcement efforts. Priska Neely KPCC -- 3/1/18

Guns 

California hasn’t raised age limit for buying rifles. That may change -- Even though California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, an 18-year-old can still buy an AR-15 rifle as long as it lacks a detachable magazine and other features that define it under state law as an assault weapon. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Gun laws: Here’s how California and the federal government differ -- The Florida school massacre has renewed calls for tightening federal gun laws to more closely resemble those in states like California, among the nation’s strictest. Here are the major differences between California and federal laws: Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

After their teacher fires a gun at school, Georgia students use opportunity to challenge Trump’s proposal -- But when the teacher brought a gun to school, barricaded himself in his classroom Wednesday and fired a single shot, students quickly recognized that this wasn't just a sad local incident. Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Homeless  

$2 billion to help house California's homeless isn't being spent — and no one knows when it will be -- The dollars are tied up in court as a Sacramento attorney challenges the state's plan to pay off that debt with money California voters approved in 2004 for mental health services. The funding, the attorney contends, should not be diverted from treatment programs, even if the mentally ill benefit from the housing. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Housing  

Garcetti says major state housing bill doesn't protect single-family neighborhoods -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is not on board with high-profile state legislation designed to substantially increase new housing near transit despite pending changes intended to protect renters from displacement. Liam Dillon and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Wildfire  

Sonoma County Braces for Upcoming Rainfall, Possible Mudslides, Flooding -- An official analysis of the damage caused by the devastating October wildfires found that properties located within the burned areas are at greater risk of flash floods, mudflows and debris flows. Amel Ahmed KQED -- 3/1/18

Why Is California Rebuilding in Fire Country? Because You’re Paying for It -- After last year’s calamity, officials are making the same decisions that put homeowners at risk in the first place. Christopher Flavelle Bloomberg Businessweek -- 3/1/18

Education 

UC system's global rankings slip amid funding cuts, international competition -- The University of California has slipped in the rankings of an annual global survey of higher education, escalating concerns that funding woes and growing international competition are beginning to erode the quality of the nation's top public research university. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Feds say UC Berkeley mishandled complaints in sexual harassment cases -- UC Berkeley failed to give all students the opportunity for a formal investigation of their sexual harassment or assault complaints and did not resolve all of the cases in a timely manner, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

Forecast for California school climates remains cloudy without good data, advocates say – Not nearly enough is being done to assess how, or if, efforts to improve school environments are actually working, say a chorus of researchers, youth advocates and state officials. David Washburn EdSource -- 3/1/18

Immigration / Border 

Immigrant rights group says ICE is holding Vietnamese in limbo -- Hoang Trinh was four years old when he arrived from Vietnam, part of a large Catholic family that fled a war-torn homeland to build a new life together in Garden Grove. But now the United States government wants him to return to Vietnam — despite a 10-year-old agreement between the two countries that dictates who Vietnam will and won’t accept back. Roxana Kopetman in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Amy Toxin Associated Press -- 3/1/18

Protesters Surround San Francisco ICE Office After Immigration Arrests -- More than 200 protesters surrounded the offices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in downtown San Francisco Wednesday and closed the area to traffic, after the federal agency arrested more than 150 people in Northern and Central California this week. Farida Jhabvala Romero KQED -- 3/1/18

Water  

Sacramento County alleges secret meetings over Delta tunnels, files lawsuit -- The suit claims officials with the state water board met privately and illegally as far back as 2015 with representatives of the California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the lead agencies planning the tunnels. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/1/18

Health 

What’s behind this year’s frightening flu season? -- The 2017-18 season has been among the worst in more than a decade — about as bad as the 2009 season, when the new swine flu strain was spreading madly worldwide. Emma O'Neill and Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

Environment 

New plan looks to close the LA River when bacteria spikes -- Ever since kayakers began paddling down the Los Angeles River in 2010, public officials have faced a problem: how to encourage the revitalization of the river while also protecting the health of people who boat and fish in its waters? Emily Guerin KPCC -- 3/1/18

Feds Weigh Protections for Klamath River’s Spring-Run Chinook Salmon -- Federal fisheries officials said Tuesday they will consider putting the Klamath River’s once-flourishing wild spring-run chinook salmon on the list of threatened or endangered species. Associated Press -- 3/1/18

Also . . . 

San Francisco trying to figure out how to bring old emergency call boxes into modern world -- Even in the age of cell phones, the city’s 2,039 call boxes are viewed as an essential tool for first responders, especially in the event of a major disaster that knocks down power lines or cripples cell service. They’ve been in use in San Francisco since the 1860s. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

San Francisco loses last appeal in suit over police trainee’s arrest and treatment -- San Francisco lost a state Supreme Court appeal Wednesday and will have to pay $575,000 in damages, and $2 million in attorney’s fees, to a former police trainee who was arrested at gunpoint while jogging in Golden Gate Park and was fired two days later. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/18

'Blue curb' parking for disabled drivers in LA still lacking a year into new program -- n the year since the Los Angeles City Council approved a new program to install accessible parking spaces near the homes of disabled people who request them, not one single new “blue curb” space has been installed, according to a new audit from City Controller Ron Galperin. That's because no single city department was made responsible for the program, Galperin said. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 3/1/18

Another Woman Comes Forward In Sexual Misconduct Case Against Sheriff’s Deputy -- A 15th woman has come forward to accuse a San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy of sexual misconduct. The deputy, Richard Fischer, was arrested last week on 14 counts of assault, sexual battery and false imprisonment. Claire Trageser KPBS -- 3/1/18

L.A. County Sheriff's Department trainee stole $100,000 from ATM, authorities allege -- Julio Cesar Jimenez, 35, was taken into custody Feb. 15, two months after he was hired by the department. At the time of the theft in late November, Jimenez was working as a licensed security guard for an armored car company, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

Top surfers to compete in May just south of ... Fresno? -- In May, the greatest professional surfers from Australia to Brazil will come to battle it out in some of the most pristine waves in California — in the dusty croplands of Kings County. The World Surf League announced this week it plans to hold one of its contests at Kelly Slater's artificial wave pool in Lemoore. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/18

POTUS 45  

Kushner’s Business Got Loans After White House Meetings -- Apollo, the private equity firm, and Citigroup made large loans last year to the family real estate business of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s senior adviser. Jesse Drucker, Kate Kelly and Ben Protess in the New York Times$ -- 3/1/18

Mueller investigation examining Trump’s apparent efforts to oust Sessions in July -- Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has been investigating a period of time last summer when President Trump seemed determined to drive Attorney General Jeff Sessions from his job, according to people familiar with the matter who said that a key area of interest for the inquiry is whether those efforts were part of a months-long pattern of attempted obstruction of justice. Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey and Rosalind S. Helderman in the Washington Post$ -- 3/1/18

The Loneliest Man in Washington Just Got Lonelier -- Even Richard Nixon had Bebe Rebozo. And by the end, he was still pacing the halls, talking to the paintings. Donald Trump is close to having no one. Edward-Isaac Dovere Politico -- 3/1/18

Two days into his presidency, Trump’s senior staff was sworn in. Half are now gone -- With the announcement on Wednesday of the imminent departure of Hope Hicks — then the administration’s director of strategic communications — 13 of the 23 people we identified as having taken that oath are no longer or will soon no longer be working at the White House. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 3/1/18

Trump’s gun meeting went off the rails quickly -- Less than half an hour into his meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday, President Trump urged the illegal confiscation of guns, told a Republican (to his face) that he was scared of the NRA and threw a series of wrenches into Congress's legislative strategy on guns. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 3/1/18

Trump Angers Conservatives Over Guns While Negotiating With Lawmakers On TV -- During the gathering at the White House of both GOP and Democratic lawmakers, the president showed an openness to expanding background checks, possibly raising the age to purchase AR-15 rifles and also overriding due process, if necessary, to take guns away from mentally ill people or those who have been red-flagged as potential dangers, as the admitted shooter in Parkland, Fla., two weeks ago had been. Jessica Taylor and Susan Davis NPR -- 3/1/18

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

Donald Trump says he’s open to Dianne Feinstein’s assault weapons ban -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein got a high-profile boost for her new legislation to raise the minimum age for purchasing assault rifles. President Donald Trump raised the issue, unprompted, during a roughly hour-long televised meeting with Feinstein and other members of Congress Wednesday afternoon at the White House. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/18

No gun purchases before the age of 21 under California bill -- Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, amended Senate Bill 1100 on Wednesday to prohibit someone from purchasing more than one gun in 30 days and to increase the age limit to buy all firearms to 21. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/18

War of words: ICE compares Schaaf to ‘gang lookout’; Schaaf decries ‘racist’ crackdown -- A war of words intensified Wednesday between federal officials and Libby Schaaf over the Oakland mayor’s decision to alert the public about a big Northern California immigration enforcement operation that began Sunday and was designed to counter local sanctuary laws. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Kelly and Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/18

A rural county legalized marijuana farms. It took their tax money – then voted to ban them -- The county’s stance has some growers feeling betrayed. Cultivators say they started businesses here with good intentions and want to provide tax revenue to the government. Now, they feel officials have stabbed them in the back — after taking their money. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/18

As California oil regulator seeks more money, legislators ask “Is this working?” -- Early in 2011, Bill Allayaud was so fed up with what he saw as dereliction of duty by California’s oil and gas regulator that he began to catalog grievances: unregulated fracking, allowing companies to inject oilfield wastewater into clean water aquifers, little or no oversight into critical practices affecting public health and safety. Julie Cart Calmatters -- 2/28/18

State GOP puts $200,000 into gas tax repeal campaign as study indicates economic benefits from road repairs -- The infusion of cash to the group Give Voters a Voice comes as supporters of the tax increases in Senate Bill 1 released a study Wednesday that predicted the revenue generated by the levies will significantly boost the state economy. The initiative drive has collected 550,000 of the 585,000 signatures needed to qualify a constitutional amendment that would not only repeal the taxes but require future increases to be approved by voters. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/18

California loosens rules for driverless cars, clearing the way for robot taxis -- The rules, first proposed last October, will also allow ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to begin selling rides in driverless cars, removing expensive human drivers from the equation. Technically, that could happen this year, although no ride-hailing companies have yet announced such plans. (It's unclear whether robot taxis would require approval by the California Utilities Commission in addition to the DMV.) Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/18

Perhaps to state’s delight, Trump vows not to prioritize wall on California border with Mexico -- President Trump seems to have done for California what a federal judge would not: halt plans for the border wall he has promised with Mexico. At least temporarily. David Nakamura and Matt Zapotosky in the Washington Post$ -- 2/28/18

Lopez: Coastal Commission's preposterous antics go to court, and taxpayers foot the bill -- It was almost like old times. Everywhere I looked Tuesday in a downtown San Diego courthouse, I saw a former California Coastal commissioner whose conduct is under scrutiny. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/18

Smolens: Why Applegate is a problem for Democrats in race for Congress -- Democrats have been worrying that they could be shut out of the November election in the 49th Congressional District. Now they have something else to worry about even if they aren’t. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/28/18

Stem cell researcher enters political fray -- A relatively obscure stem cell scientist last week one-upped — sort of — one of the more powerful lawmakers in the United States Senate. It was not a direct, head-to-head contest — just sort of a rough comparison involving Democratic politics in California. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 2/28/18

Fox: Strange Bedfellow Politics of 2018 -- Could you imagine anyone in their right (as opposed to left) political mind making the following statement even a year ago: Dianne Feinstein and Antonio Villaraigosa will be the Republican favorites for U.S. Senate and Governor in 2018? Hard to believe, even still! We are not there yet but consider… Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/28/18

L.A. County sheriff's deputy under criminal investigation for alleged sexual misconduct with woman seeking aid -- The mother of three said she walked into the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station desperate for protection from her ex-husband. She'd been turned away on previous occasions because she lacked proof that her former spouse violated a restraining order, she said. This time, a deputy in the front office said he would help. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/18

Sexual predators pose as Uber and Lyft drivers and attack women leaving bars and clubs, police say -- In January of last year, a woman climbed into what she thought was an Uber outside a Hollywood nightclub on a bustling stretch of Cahuenga Boulevard. But instead of driving her home, authorities allege the man behind the wheel took her to a secluded area and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/18

SDSU changes course title that implied that Trump should be impeached -- San Diego State University on Wednesday changed the name of one of its courses after the school was criticized by the public for implying that President Trump should be impeached or removed from office. The one-unit course, which begins on Friday, was titled, “Trump: Impeachment, Removal or Conviction?” Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/28/18

Elon Musk quips Boring Company could dig new Transbay Tube for one-tenth the cost -- Elon Musk loves to stoke the fires. Musk tweeted Tuesday that the Boring Company, his infrastructure and tunnel-construction company, could build a new BART tunnel beneath San Francisco Bay for one-tenth the cost and one-fifth the amount of time. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/18

Common human bacteria could protect against skin cancers, researchers say -- The study provides another example of the role of the microbiome — the collection of microbes found in and on the body — in health and disease. While some microbes cause disease, many others have no effect or actually provide benefit. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/28/18