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Zuckerberg meets with Feinstein, preps for hearing on Facebook scandal -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Monday to prepare for two days of Congressional hearings, even as the Menlo Park social network was set to begin notifying 87 million members their personal data was likely swept up by Cambridge Analytica in a privacy scandal that has engulfed the company. Benny Evangelista in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/9/18

Jerry Brown undecided on whether to send National Guard to California-Mexico border -- Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to respond to federal officials on whether California will send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of an effort by President Trump to stop migrants from crossing into the country. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/9/18

California seeks to intervene to defend Obamacare in court -- California on Monday jumped into the middle of a legal dispute over the future of the federal Affordable Care Act, seeking to preserve the law that is under assault in the courts by 20 other states. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

H-1B visa applications reach cap, show ongoing demand for foreign workers -- For the sixth year in a row, employers have deluged the federal government with so many applications for H-1B visas that the cap was reached within five days. “People want a bargain,” said UC Davis computer science professor Norm Matloff, who studies the H-1B program. “They like to pay less — it’s that simple.” Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/9/18

Groups debate if California has gone too far on crime reform -- Victims' rights advocates say California has gone too far in easing criminal penalties and want voters to reverse some of the changes. They supported a proposed ballot measure Monday that would roll back portions of two previous ballot initiatives that crime survivors, prosecutors and police chiefs say impede investigations and free violent offenders too soon. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/9/18

David Hogg, mocked by Laura Ingraham for college rejections, says he's been accepted to UC Irvine -- The 17-year-old Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior — a key voice in the student-led national gun control movement that followed the Feb. 14 shooting — told a Los Angeles Times reporter in a text message that he had been accepted to the Orange County university. He had not yet made his decision if he would attend the school, he said, because he has been so busy. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

‘The Bay Area is broken:’ Why local startups are hiring outside Silicon Valley -- Silicon Valley may be the world’s tech paradise, but it’s a hiring nightmare for many local startups now forced to venture from Portland to Boise in search of talent. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/9/18

Stephon Clark killing prompts bid to open police disciplinary records -- A line of law enforcement officers stood stoically as protesters confronted them, chanting a refrain that has become a fixture of Sacramento protests over the police killing of an unarmed African American man. “We don’t need you, we don’t want you,” the protesters said. And one woman added a message that’s been at the heart of the protests: “We don’t trust you.” Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/9/18

Power players map strategy to get Bay Area bridge toll hike passed in June -- Big names and big money are banding together to sell voters in June on a $3 toll increase on state-run Bay Area bridges to pay for a laundry list of road, rail and ferry projects throughout the region — some sexy and some not so much. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/9/18

Battle for Napa Valley’s future: Proposed curb on vineyards divides county -- Fifty years ago Monday, Napa County passed an ordinance that has defined the course of its history and, one could argue, determined the history of California wine. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/9/18

San Diego bets millions of dollars on plan to turn skydiving center into homeless hub -- Two massive wind tunnels dominate the room. Fifteen feet across and encased in thick glass tubes, they sink well below ground and rise through the first, second and third floors of the City San Diego’s newest real estate purchase — a former indoor skydiving facility. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/9/18

When it comes to California water, nothing is easy -- Camrosa Water District, a public services provider in Ventura County, gets its water from a combination of groundwater, recycled wastewater, and the State Water Project, which transports water south through the state. Tess Townsend Capitol Weekly -- 4/9/18

Democratic Women Seek Political Inroads in California's Conservative Central Valley -- Long a Republican stronghold, California’s Central Valley is often at odds with the state’s more liberal coastal communities. But Democrats believe that demographic changes and the reaction to Donald Trump’s election have created some opportunities for them in the valley. Katie Orr KQED -- 4/9/18

In race for California governor, John Chiang is the anti-soundbite candidate -- Gubernatorial candidate John Chiang is known as the wonk in the race. The Democratic state treasurer, former state controller and high school “mathlete” touts himself as the no-drama candidate—the guy who compensates for his lack of pizzazz by a willingness to dive into the details. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 4/9/18

Track the Legislature’s sexual harassment records with our spreadsheet -- The latest sexual harassment investigation released by the Legislature shows a former chief of staff “more likely than not” made sexually suggestive comments to staff members and leered at employees in a way that made them uncomfortable. Calmatters -- 4/9/18

California bill would create health care price controls -- California's government would set prices for health care services under a measure in the state Assembly. The bill introduced Monday comes amid a fierce debate in the Capitol about rising health care costs. It's likely to draw intense opposition from physicians, hospitals and other health care providers. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 4/9/18

When L.A. opted to fund city services over housing, did it help fuel a crisis? -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has repeatedly pointed to the state's elimination of redevelopment agencies seven years ago as one reason homelessness has surged across the city. Dakota Smith and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/

Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified -- The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

Fox: Re-Configuring the Proposition 13 Legacy Battles -- With actions at the end of last week, the prospective battles to alter Proposition 13’s future came into focus. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/9/18

Trump calls California a 'border-free zone' -- President Trump devoted his weekly address over the weekend to his attack on California’s sanctuary laws, arguing without evidence that the state had made itself “a border-free zone where thousands of criminal aliens can roam free.” Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

Zuma satellite plunged after SpaceX launch because of Northrop Grumman errors, report says -- The loss of the secretive Zuma satellite — which was launched by SpaceX in January — was reportedly due to a problem with a part modified by Northrop Grumman Corp. that attaches the payload to the rocket. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

CBO report projects massive deficits during Trump administration -- The Congressional Budget Office on Monday projected that deficits and the national debt will rise dramatically in coming years, beyond the already daunting levels anticipated before the Trump administration took office. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

Apple co-founder protests Facebook by shutting down account -- Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is shutting down his Facebook account as the social media giant struggles to cope with the worst privacy crisis in its history. Associated Press -- 4/9/18

Facebook to notify the 87 million users whose data may have been shared with Cambridge Analytica -- Facebook is scheduled to begin notifying users Monday if their data has been swept up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but it isn’t clear if it’s started yet. The 87 million users who might have had their data shared with Cambridge Analytica were supposed to get a detailed message on their news feeds starting on Monday. Associated Press -- 4/9/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Tom Steyer wants Trump impeached, and he’s mad that many Democrats don’t -- Billionaire activist Tom Steyer is bringing a nationwide town hall tour promoting President Trump’s impeachment to Oakland, but he’s got more in mind than leading a pep rally for Bay Area liberals. He intends to shame Democrats who aren’t cheering along with him. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/9/18

An ambitious California bill would put the state in charge of controlling prices in the commercial healthcare market -- In one of the most aggressive efforts in the nation to curb soaring healthcare spending, a new California measure would put the state in charge of setting prices for hospital stays, doctor's visits and most other medical services covered by commercial insurers. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

CHP report showed security gaps at Yountville Veterans Home before killings -- The state-run veterans home where a former soldier murdered three women last month had security shortcomings that the California Highway Patrol identified in 2010, according to a report obtained by The Sacramento Bee. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/9/18

Sebastian Gorka tells conservatives meeting in Riverside: ‘We can take California back’ -- Donald Trump’s 2016 victory is proof that even a deep-blue state like California can be won by Republicans, former Trump White House adviser Sebastian Gorka told a gathering of conservatives Sunday, April 8 in Riverside. Jeff Horseman in the Orange County Register -- 4/9/18

Assembly Candidates Get 'Radical' in Empathy Workshop -- For nearly a year, candidates for the open 15th District State Assembly seat in the East Bay have been raising money, knocking on doors and participating in an endless series of debates and forums. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 4/9/18

Walters: Will Newsom skate into governorship, or have a fight? -- Eight weeks out, the June 5 primary election’s biggest uncertainty is whether Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom will have an unobstructed pathway to becoming California’s next governor or will have to fight for it. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 4/9/18

Skelton: California's special elections are a waste of time and taxpayer money -- Want to save tax money? Have more dollars for schools or police? Then stop holding special elections hardly any voters care about. Unlike many states, California wastes public funds by calling special elections to fill vacant seats in the Legislature. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

Tough love for Zuckerberg from Californians in Congress -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was just a twelve-mile drive from Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., when she fielded a question about what Washington is doing to protect America’s Democratic process from cyber attacks by foreign actors. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/9/18

After heavy rains, first use of partly rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway now 'unlikely' -- After a spring storm system dumped 5 to 7 inches of rain into the Feather River basin over the weekend, state officials said Sunday they likely won't have to use the partly rebuilt flood control spillway at Oroville Dam after all. Molly Sullivan and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/9/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Bay Area companies sharpen focus on security after shootings -- The same caution is being expressed by consultants who are in increasing demand to create security systems for companies such as UPS, YouTube and others that have been traumatized by mass shootings, or are in fear of them. Short of turning every building that contains people into a fortress, there is no way to shield everyone absolutely, security experts say. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/9/18

CalPERS may join union foes of 401(k) option -- A bill by state Sen. Steven Glazer, D-Orinda, giving new state workers the option new University of California workers received two years ago, a 401(k)-style plan rather than a pension, is opposed by unions and soon may be opposed by CalPERS. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 4/9/18

With Tesla in a Danger Zone, Can Model 3 Carry It to Safety? -- Despite this wave of negative publicity, it seems clear that Tesla will rise or fall based on the performance, safety, design and value of its cars. If it gets those things right, all the other issues will sort themselves out. James B. Stewart in the New York Times$ -- 4/9/18

LA Hopes to Calm Fears, But Trade War Worries Loom -- Los Angeles' leading international trade advocate is visiting three foreign capitals this week to help calm fears over the trade policies now being voiced by the Trump administration. Conan Nolan NBCLA -- 4/9/18

Guns 

After mass shootings, blurry line between fake and real weapons becomes more important at steampunk and comic conventions -- In a tall top hat, a beard that reaches his chest, and glass goggles fitted with a jeweler’s loupe, there’s no question that Kim Hutsell, Agent No. 1 in the Starburner Intergalactic Courier Service, is playing out a creative fantasy. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/9/18

Education 

To compromise or not: State education board to vote on California’s amended plan for meeting federal law – How far to push the federal government? Members of the State Board of Education will give the answer at a special meeting on Thursday, when they consider proposed compromises to the state’s plan for the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 4/9/18

Immigration / Border 

Why the region's immigration activists protested in Marysville on Sunday -- Isaias Mosqueda Cisneros usually spends Sundays at his sons' soccer games. His wife, Erika Mosqueda, said she can't remember a time the family has missed their sons' game. Ellen Garrison, Anita Chabria and Stephen Magagnini in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/9/18

Environment 

Another Place Plastics Are Turning Up: Organic Fertilizer From Food Waste -- Tiny particles of plastic are showing up all over the world, floating in the ocean, buried in soil, in food and even in beer. Now there's new research that's found microplastics in fertilizer — organic fertilizer from food waste, in fact. Christopher Joyce KQED -- 4/9/18

Also . . . 

Shirtless, barefoot man climbs crane 200 feet above Hollywood's tourist district -- The spectacle began about 5:20 p.m., when people reported seeing the man climb the crane barefoot and shirtless while holding an American flag, said Amy Bastman, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/9/18

POTUS 45  

How Trump thrives in ‘news deserts’ -- President Donald Trump’s attacks on the mainstream media may be rooted in statistical reality: An extensive review of subscription data and election results shows that Trump outperformed the previous Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in counties with the lowest numbers of news subscribers, but didn't do nearly as well in areas with heavier circulation. Shawn Musgrave and Matthew Nussbaum Politico -- 4/9/18

Two Trump speeches, two dozen dubious claims -- President Trump made a host of dubious claims during two recent public appearances, jumping from taxes to trade, from Iraqi oil to Canadian immigration laws, from promoting voter-fraud conspiracy theories to suggesting a California mayor should be charged with obstruction of justice. Salvador Rizzo in the Washington Post$ -- 4/9/18

 

-- Sunday Updates 

He has become a hashtag and a movement for change. But who was the real Stephon Clark? -- Gunned down by police last month in the backyard of his grandmother's Meadowview home, Stephon Clark quickly became a symbol of injustice and touched off a movement for change. Cynthia Hubert and Benjy Egel in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/8/18

Bretón: 'Implicit bias' replaces the 'R' word. This is how we explain cops killing black men -- "Implicit bias" is a nice way of saying someone is racist without calling them racist. You have heard it more often recently in association with the police shooting of Stephon Clark last month. If implicit bias were a light beer, its sales slogan would be: "Less judgmental, feels nicer." Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/8/18

The missing billions spent on gasoline in California each year -- California drivers already pay more for gasoline than motorists in just about every other state. But even after taking into account state gas taxes, blending requirements aimed at reducing air pollution and other environmental and climate fees attached to each gallon of fuel, it appears drivers in the Golden State pay a lot more than they should. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/8/18

The North Bay Fires Were Six Months Ago. What's Actually Changed? -- Six months after California's deadliest fires, officials at all levels of government are working to make changes to prevent the next fire from being so catastrophic. Lisa Pickoff-White, Marisa Lagos, and Sukey Lewis KQED -- 4/8/18

Signs of life amid scars and loss -- Susan Gorin aches to fast-forward to well past next year — when she once again has a home on what is now an ashy lot. Peter Alan wants to turn the rubble of his Craftsman art studio into something meaningful. Lisa Mast longs to look out her window and see something across the street besides blackened reminders of the flames that swept through before sunrise Oct. 9. Lizzie Johnson and Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/8/18

Wildfires’ wake: Tracking progress, pain 6 months later -- The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Cal Fire, has not yet named a cause for any of the October fires. The item in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/8/18

Who caused the Bay Area’s housing shortage? -- Everyone has a theory about who’s to blame for the housing shortage that’s driving up prices and chasing Bay Area families out of the region. A new poll offers surprising insights into where most of us point the finger: not at the government officials who control what homes are built where, but at the tech companies that have flooded this region with jobs and the real estate developers trying to maximize profits. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/8/18

Voters in California prepare to cast ballots — in Mexico's presidential election -- Could California residents play a role in Mexico’s historic July 1 election? Catalina Sánchez, a 36-year-old graphic designer who lives in Poway, certainly intends to — without ever leaving San Diego County. Like Sánchez, a record number of Mexicans living abroad are preparing to vote in this presidential contest playing out amid uncertainty over the future of U.S-Mexico relations. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/8/18

College Republican Wants to Bring 'Intellectual Diversity' to Deep Blue East Bay Assembly Race -- It may seem like the ultimate waving of a white flag for Republicans in the liberal East Bay — the only GOP candidate running for State Assembly is a college sophomore. Running a competitive race would be an uphill climb for any Republican, as only six percent of registered voters in the 15th district identify with the party. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 4/8/18

Mission housing project invokes law to exchange review for affordable units -- A 130-unit family housing project proposed for the Mission District will be the first in San Francisco to take advantage of a new state law that allows developers to skip expensive and lengthy environmental review in exchange for building a certain amount of affordable apartments. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/8/18