Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics

Updating . .

All members of Central American caravan now in U.S. -- A little after 9 a.m. a group of about 70 walked into the U.S. Port of Entry as friends planning to stay in Mexico waved goodbye and some cheered as the others walked into the U.S. Gustavo Solis and David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/18

Newsom launches first attack ad — one that could help a Republican rival in the California governor's race -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic front-runner in the 2018 governor’s race, is releasing a new campaign ad attacking Republican rival John Cox for being pro-gun and pro-President Trump. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/18

Why Gavin Newsom And Kevin McCarthy Both Want The Same Results In California’s June Gubernatorial Primary -- There’s some fresh intrigue in the California governor’s race just days before voting begins, with a big-name endorsement on the Republican side and the first attack ad on the Democratic side. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 5/4/18

Obama backs California’s Feinstein in re-election fight -- Former President Barack Obama waded into California’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Friday, throwing his support to incumbent Dianne Feinstein. It’s his only primary endorsement in congressional races so far in 2018, his spokeswoman Katie Hill said. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/4/18

North Korea offers Trump chance to be 'consistent, stable, a good negotiator,' Feinstein says -- U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein says a meeting with North Korea offers Donald Trump a chance show he can be "consistent, stable, a good negotiator" and she believes the president is smart enough to approach a prospective summit with Kim Jong Un cautiously. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/18

Five things to watch at the California Republican Party convention this weekend -- With a month to go before the June primary, the California Republican Party gathers in San Diego today for its 2018 convention, to rally the faithful and endorse candidates. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/18

U.S. unemployment falls below 4% for first time since 2000 — mostly for a bad reason -- But while job growth rebounded from a disappointing March figure that was revised up Friday to 135,000, other aspects of the closely watched monthly report were lackluster. And the drop in the unemployment rate was mostly for a bad reason: The labor force shrank for the second month in a row. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

Caltrans union files grievance over homeless camp cleanups -- Arguing that picking up used hypodermic needles and cleaning up human waste is not in their job description, Caltrans workers have filed a grievance with the state over the conditions they face when clearing homeless camps. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/18

California to become first U.S. state mandating solar on new homes -- For seven years, a handful of homebuilders offered solar as an optional item to buyers willing to pay extra to go green. Now, California is on the verge of making solar standard on virtually every new home built in the Golden State. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 5/4/18

Why did the East Area Rapist stop raping and killing? Or did he? -- The first attack blamed on the East Area Rapist took place in a darkened bedroom in Rancho Cordova on June 18, 1976 – the victim a 23-year-old woman, living with her father and awakened by a stranger with a ski mask and knife. Marjie Lundstrom and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/18

Reported rat infestation sparks walkout at Newport Harbor High School -- Officials from the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District plan to visit Newport Harbor High School next week to investigate the campus for rats, which sparked a student and teacher walkout. Lora Young, a vector control spokeswoman, said a date was not set as of Thursday afternoon. Daniel Langhorne in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

New California legislation would allow state taxpayers to dodge a key part of President Trump's tax plan -- Assembly Bill 2217 from Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D-Marina del Rey) would create a tax-credit system linking charities, educational institutions, the state treasury and individual taxpayers in an effort to allow Californians to sidestep the new $10,000 federal cap on state and local tax deductions. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

Inside the $4.1 billion California measure that thinks small to fix parks, waterways -- A far-reaching measure before California voters this June would authorize the state to borrow $4.1 billion for investments in outdoor recreation, land conservation and water projects. But Proposition 68, which needs a simple majority vote to pass, is not your typical water and parks bond measure. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

Big Jump In Number Of Inmates Prescribed Psychiatric Drugs In California -- When 47-year-old Edward Vega arrived in jail, he couldn't quiet the voices in his head. He felt paranoid, as though he was losing control. "I knew if I didn't get my medication, I was going to hurt someone," says Vega. Anna Gorman KPCC -- 5/4/18

California Warns of a Second Energy Crisis -- California’s chief utility regulator is warning that the state could find itself in the throes of another energy crisis if it doesn’t address the droves of customers defecting from utilities. Mark Chediak Bloomberg -- 5/4/18

CA120: What’s wrong with public polling? -- Is something wrong with public polling in California? The 2018 election season has been raucous, even weeks before the first votes are cast. And one of the contributing factors has been the seemingly erratic public polling, particularly in the top-of-the-ticket races. The veteran political observers at CalBuzz have called this year’s polling a “muddled mess.” Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 5/4/18

Mark Leno on Playing the Legislative Long Game and His Run to 'Shake Up' City Hall -- Former State Senator and San Francisco mayoral candidate Mark Leno talks about his time in rabbinical school, the strangest sign he was asked to make at his store, losing his partner to AIDS and the city's response to the crisis, pursuing same-sex marriage legislation in the state legislature, his run for mayor, and whether he can win as a change candidate. Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos KQED Political Breakdown -- 5/4/18

Hiltzik: Big utilities are desperately trying to stick customers for the bills from California wildfires -- Does there exist anywhere a whinier, more petulant, more entitled gang of businesses than California’s big utility companies? Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

California Policy & Politics This Morning

California Rep. Tony Cardenas denies uncorroborated allegations of molesting teenage girl -- Rep. Tony Cardenas, a San Fernando Valley Democrat, confirmed Thursday that he is the unidentified elected official in a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles alleging sexual molestation of a teenage girl in 2007, but he vehemently denied the allegations. Sarah D. Wire and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Melley Associated Press Heather Caygle Politico -- 5/4/18

Ad misleads on romantic affairs of Newsom, Villaraigosa -- An independent campaign committee supporting Republican businessman John Cox in the state's gubernatorial race has launched a television advertisement playing off the #MeToo movement by comparing Democratic candidates Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa with high-profile men who have been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/18

California Republicans hold convention as they fight to hold ground -- If history is any guide, this weekend's California Republican convention will be another prelude to Election Day disappointment. With the June 5 primary closing in, hundreds of party delegates will spend the weekend in San Diego debating endorsements for candidates seeking statewide offices that are all held by Democrats. For the GOP, the outlook is challenging. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 5/4/18

GOP picks a few party favorites in House races in California -- Republicans have been more than happy this year to slam Democrats for trying to pick winners and losers in their party primaries. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

Neo-Nazi running second to Feinstein in Senate poll in California -- GOP leaders would love to have one of their own facing Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the November ballot. Unless that GOP candidate is Patrick Little, a neo-Nazi from Albany who is running a strong second in a recent poll. “I am the only America First candidate in California,” Little proclaims on his website. “No more of Feinstein’s jewish supremacist wars for Israel.” John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

African American leaders endorse Antonio Villaraigosa in California governor's race -- A group of prominent African American political, religious and civic leaders gathered Thursday to endorse Antonio Villaraigosa for governor, arguing that the former Los Angeles mayor has a history of working to lift their community. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

How California candidates use three words to sway voters -- When Californians step into their voting booths on Election Day—finally shut off from the daily deluge of campaign ads—every candidate will still have at least one last word. And a maximum of three. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 5/4/18

D.C. Democrats playing favorites in Tom McClintock race -- Officially, the national Democratic party has stayed out of the hard-fought Democratic battle to take on Rep. Tom McClintock in California's 4th district. But unofficially, D.C. Democrats have sent a pretty clear signal about who they favor to finish among the top two candidates in the June 5th primary. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/18

‘Indivisible’ makes political presence felt -- It began with a married pair of Democratic staffers in Congress, outraged at the success of the hard-right Tea Party. That vocal GOP off-shoot showed that a disciplined minority could woo voters, leverage policy and bend the party leadership. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 5/4/18

California could restart executions. These counties are most likely to condemn murderers -- California’s death row has ballooned to nearly 750 inmates and the state hasn’t executed a murderer in more than 12 years. That could change soon. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/18

California governor warns against trade war with China -- California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday urged greater cooperation with China to resolve a trade dispute, while taking an apparent swipe at President Donald Trump. “Globalization is here. We are not going to get rid of it. And a trade war is stupid,” Brown said. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 5/4/18

L.A. sues 9 drug companies, alleging unethical practices that worsened the opioid crisis -- The city of Los Angeles accused top drugmakers and distributors Thursday of fueling the nation's opioid epidemic by engaging in deceptive marketing aimed at boosting sales of powerful, addictive painkillers such as OxyContin, methadone and fentanyl. Angel Jennings in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

Paint companies that want Californians to pay for lead cleanup are close to getting measure on ballot -- As three national paint companies move closer to getting a measure on California’s November ballot that would wipe out a court ruling against them, state lawmakers are pushing the companies to back down from some of their claims. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

Assemblyman Todd Gloria asks for state audit of San Diego's hepatitis A emergency -- Assemblyman Todd Gloria is asking the state to determine whether the local response to the region’s deadly hepatitis A outbreak was by the book. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

Regulators sue Albertsons for allegedly banning employees from speaking Spanish in front of non-Spanish speakers -- Albertsons grocery stores violated the rights of Hispanic employees in San Diego with a policy forbidding workers to speak Spanish around non-Spanish speakers — even when conversing with each other during breaks or helping Spanish-speaking customers, according to a new lawsuit. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/18

New H-1B requirements make visa out of reach for smaller firms, suit says -- A group of technology staffing companies that heavily use H-1B work visas filed a lawsuit against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Tuesday over a memo it says could render the visa program unusable to them. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

Chevron to pay Richmond $5 million to settle 2012 refinery fire lawsuit -- Chevron will pay Richmond $5 million to settle a lawsuit stemming from the 2012 refinery fire that hospitalized thousands of Bay Area residents and prompted new state workplace safety laws. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/18

Environmentalists Decry Chevron, Richmond Settlement Over 2012 Refinery Fire -- Representatives of four environmental organizations expressed outrage Thursday over a $5 million settlement the Chevron Corp. reached with city of Richmond this week to end a lawsuit filed over a major fire at the refinery six years ago that sent thousands of people to the hospital. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 5/4/18

San Francisco to transportation startups: Play nice, get permits, share data -- The next time a startup with a nifty idea tries to unleash a transportation innovation on city streets, San Francisco hopes to be ready with a framework that includes a permitting system and adheres to goals such as collecting data, increasing disability access and reducing congestion. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

California's Big Energy Utilities Face Local Rebellion -- Disruption in the electricity market is afoot as more California neighborhoods move away from big companies to locally owned power providers. This model, known as Community Choice Aggregation, appeals to customers interested in cleaner, more affordable power, and the break up of utility monopolies. Amel Ahmed KQED -- 5/4/18

Southwest plans Hawaii flights for Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento -- Southwest Airlines is planning flights that would connect Hawaii to multiple California cities, including San Jose and Oakland, the carrier said Thursday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/18

Construction starting on Manchester's $1.5B Navy complex project -- Developer Doug Manchester’s long-stalled $1.5 billion plan to redevelop Navy property on San Diego’s waterfront with hotels, offices and restaurants will break ground next month. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/18

Elon Musk to Analysts: Stop With the 'Boring, Bonehead Questions' on Tesla -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for being outspoken and unscripted. But he took that to a new level in a remarkably blunt and contentious call with Wall Street analysts Wednesday after the automaker reported a record loss of more than $700 million last quarter. Avie Schneider NPR -- 5/4/18

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds

The Big Winners Under Trump’s Tax Cuts Are His Loudest Critics -- In a surprise plot twist, President Donald Trump’s new tax law is delivering many of its juiciest benefits to his most vocal critics in Hollywood. Ben Steverman Bloomberg -- 5/4/18

Transit

BART to San Jose: Sharks sue over downtown extension -- It’s only been a week since BART officially approved its extension into downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, and already, it’s facing a lawsuit that could potentially delay the project. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/18

New BART parking garage approved for Dublin/Pleasanton station, without BART approval -- Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-San Ramon, and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty announced the state grant approval of $20 million for a new BART parking garage next to the existing garage. The BART garage has 2,927 parking spots at Dublin/Pleasanton, all of which routinely fill up by 7:45 a.m., according to a BART staff report. Angela Ruggiero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/18

Bicyclists are about to get 'buffered.' Drivers might hit learning 'curb' -- Motorists on some midtown Sacramento streets will have to get used to parking further away from the curb--about a bike lane away, to be precise. Cassie Dickman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/18

Education

Fremont Ends Sex Ed for Fourth Through Six Graders After Curriculum Controversy -- The teaching of sex ed in fourth through sixth grades has been eliminated in the city of Fremont after months of controversy over a proposed new curriculum to comply with state law. Sandhya Dirks KQED -- 5/4/18

A new venue for video games: K-12 classrooms – Teachers are using video games to teach not just computer science or coding, but academic subjects like history and social studies. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 5/4/18

Immigration, Border, Deportation

More immigrants from the Central American caravan enter U.S., few remain waiting in Mexico -- For the first time since arriving in Tijuana Sunday, more members of the Central American caravan are inside the United States than in Mexico. Gustavo Solis and David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/18

Health

Doctors accuse Loma Linda VA medical center officials of Legionnaires’ cover-up -- A group of physicians and nurses has filed a federal whistleblower complaint alleging officials at Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center in Loma Linda are covering up a Legionella bacteria outbreak, putting patients at risk for often lethal Legionnaires’ disease. Scott Schwebke in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 5/4/18

Environment

Pressure Mounts to Solve California’s Toxic Farmland Drainage Problem -- Many Americans know the name Kesterson as the California site where thousands of birds and fish were discovered with gruesome deformities in 1983, a result of exposure to selenium-poisoned farm runoff. Thirty-five years later, it is one of the oldest unresolved water problems in the state. Matt Weiser KQED -- 5/4/18

2 sentenced for falsifying reports on soil samples at Hunters Point -- Two former supervisors involved in the cleanup of radioactive contaminants at the old Hunters Point Naval Shipyard have pleaded guilty to falsifying soil samples in the widening environmental scandal that has engulfed San Francisco’s largest redevelopment project. Jason Fagone and Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

Also . . .

Bay Bridge to test 24-hour bike and pedestrian path -- For 10 days in May, bicyclists will be able to take a midnight ride across the east span of the Bay Bridge. Pedestrians will get to take moonlight walks, too, weather cooperating. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

Soni Wolf, who founded Dykes on Bikes and fought to protect its name, dies -- Soni Wolf, a founding member of Dykes on Bikes who had been named Community Grand Marshall at the upcoming San Francisco LGTB Pride Parade in June, died before she got a chance to make her final motorcycle ride down Market Street. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/18

POTUS 45

Did Trump's new lawyer Giuliani make things worse for the president? Here's why some think so -- President Trump and his new legal point man, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, are off to an explosive start together, admitting what Trump had only recently denied — that he reimbursed his personal lawyer for hush money paid to a porn actress before the election. Noah Bierman, Michael Finnegan and Joseph Tanfani in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael D. Shear, Matt Apuzzo and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ Matt Zapotosky, Devlin Barrett, Carol D. Leonnig and Michelle Ye Hee Lee in the Washington Post$ -- 5/4/18

Sex, deception and denials in the tale of Trump payoff to porn star -- Has President Trump, his lawyer Michael Cohen or anyone at the White House lied about the hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election? Yes. Emails, text messages, recordings of phone calls and other evidence gathered by the FBI for a criminal investigation of Cohen might one day clarify precisely what was true and what was false. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/18

‘I was going to get this over with’: Inside Giuliani’s explosive Stormy Daniels revelation -- He may have had a strategy, but Rudolph W. Giuliani hatched it almost entirely in secret. The White House counsel had no idea. Neither did the White House chief of staff, nor the White House press secretary, nor the new White House lawyer overseeing its handling of the Russia investigation. Philip Rucker, Josh Dawsey, Robert Costa and Ashley Parker in the Washington Post$ -- 5/4/18

Trump's Russia strategy: Bash Mueller to beat impeachment -- Trump’s legal team — now led by a talkative Rudy Giuliani — increasingly sees its goal as fighting potential impeachment proceedings by a Democratic-controlled Congress next year, according to multiple sources close to the White House. Darren Samuelsohn Politico -- 5/4/18

Beltway

In a reversal, Speaker Ryan says the House chaplain will remain in his post -- House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) reversed course Thursday and agreed to keep the Rev. Patrick J. Conroy on as House chaplain after an extraordinary showdown that included the priest alleging anti-Catholic bias by Ryan’s chief of staff. Paul Kane in the Washington Post$ -- 5/4/18