California Policy & Politics This Morning

Newsom and Villaraigosa spend Saturday rallying with supporters -- A few days after a major televised gubernatorial debate, Democratic candidates Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa were making appearances Saturday to connect with voters and build momentum for the June 5 primary. Michael Livingston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/18

John Chiang attacks Antonio Villaraigosa's record as L.A. mayor in new campaign ad -- A new attack ad by state Treasurer John Chiang accuses one of his Democratic rivals in the goverror’s race, Antonio Villaraigosa, of being a “failure” as mayor of Los Angeles and nearly driving the city into bankruptcy. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/18

Do Travis Allen’s and John Cox’s fortunes hinge on Inland Republicans? -- About 614,000 voters could decide whether Republican gubernatorial candidates Travis Allen or John Cox live to fight beyond the June 5 primary. That’s the approximate number of GOP-registered voters in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It’s a bigger pool of GOP voters than in Orange County and it accounts for about 13 percent of all GOP-registered voters in California. Jeff Horseman in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 5/13/18

Hard-fought attorney general’s race highlights down-ballot California contests -- An attorney general’s race featuring a pair of well-known and well-heeled Democrats and two GOP longshots heads the list of down-ballot contests in the June 5 California primary. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/18

After Stephon Clark shooting, candidate challenging incumbent DA says he'd address racial inequality -- Sacramento County district attorney candidate Noah Phillips rebuked incumbent Anne Marie Schubert at a candidates forum Saturday, saying law enforcement practices under her leadership have perpetuated public mistrust in the wake of the Stephon Clark shooting. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/18

Willie Brown: Trump is more popular than Dems want to admit -- It’s time for the Democrats to stop bashing President Trump. It’s not going to be easy, given his policies and personality. It might even mean checking into a 12-step program. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/18

Can legal system handle new zero-tolerance crackdown on illegal border crossings? -- As the U.S. Attorney’s Office began a crackdown on illegal border crossings this past week, many worried that the already-burdened federal court system would fracture if every person caught crossing in San Diego were charged over the course of a year, with hundreds of millions of dollars in extra detention costs alone. Kate Morrissey and Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/13/18

On eve of Mother's Day, immigrant activists make a plea to keep families together -- During the week leading up to Mother's Day in previous years, Karla Estrada would wake up early to give her mom flowers and a teddy bear before she went to work, and would cook her dinner when she got home. On the weekend, Estrada and her family would treat her mom to a nice meal. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/18

Amid travel ban controversy, Bay Area refugees share their journeys to America -- The Aleppo that Toukhig Arabian remembers was a peaceful place. It’s where kids spent summer days in swimming pools, where she sang in choir, took art and piano classes and eventually got a university degree in English literature. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/18

San Diego is the lone California city seeking reimbursement to cover water testing for lead at schools -- San Diego is the only city in California seeking state reimbursement for testing the toxic lead levels in water at local schools, which has cost the city's water agency more than $400,000. David Carrick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/18

Walters: Sometimes nice guys do finish first -- California’s Republican elite – yes, Virginia, there was once such a thing – gathered in the Capitol on Dec. 15, 1980, to cast the state’s 45 presidential electoral votes for Ronald Reagan. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/13/18

Public memorial for Gov. George Deukmejian planned June 9 in Long Beach -- The Downtown Long Beach site for the service is apt; Deukmejian had a decades-long love affair with the city, which started when he opened his one-man attorney’s office in Belmont Shore in 1955. After his retirement from politics, he was visible at public events around the community for years. Rich Archbold in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/13/18

California motorists can get slammed twice in hit-and-run accidents -- If you get involved in a hit-and-run accident in California, be prepared to get slammed twice — once by the scofflaw and again when you find out that uninsured motorist insurance won’t pay for repairs if you can’t identify the other driver or car by its plate number. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/18

Lopez: East L.A.'s patron of souls lost and found donates coffins to families who can't afford them -- She is called "Mom" by some of the kids, "Grandma" by others. Juana Jauregui answers to both at the daycare center she runs at her East Los Angeles home. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/18

Tour of California will award equal prize money to female cyclists -- The Amgen Tour of California kicks off in Long Beach Sunday, and for the first time the state's equivalent to the Tour de France will offer equal prize money to male and female cyclists. Brian Frank KPCC -- 5/13/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Women were pioneers of flight. So why aren’t any airports named for them? -- Behind heavy glass at the Oakland Aviation Museum, black-and-white photos offer glimpses of planes, hangars and runways connected to Oakland history and what today is Oakland International Airport. The pictures also show pilots. The name under a few images is Amelia Earhart. Spud Hilton in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/18

Lyft tests new subscription option in San Diego -- Ride-hail service Lyft is offering select San Diegans a way to save money on their daily trips with a new pre-paid option meant to test the viability of a monthly subscription service. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/13/18

Homeless  

'Water Man' used compassion, grit and wit to make a difference -- There were some tears but also many laughs at a public memorial for David Ross on Saturday in Balboa Park, where elected officials, judges, pastors and homeless people shared memories and grief for “Water Man” Dave. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/13/18

Housing  

Provision allowing county to expedite housing projects draws ire -- Seven housing developments totaling more than 10,000 units are proposed to be built in the unincorporated parts of the county. Each far exceeds the number of homes allowed under current zoning laws, so the developers have asked the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to grant them a General Plan amendment waiving those regulations. J. Harry Jones in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/13/18

Lansner: Mandating solar power for new homes? Great idea, California! -- Maybe I’ve been watching California’s real estate market for way too long, but I don’t understand the strong objections (other than a case of “whatever the government does is wrong!”) to a new mandate to put solar energy in every new home. Yes, I know housing is expensive. But it’s really not a home’s sticker price that’s the true budgetary challenge. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 5/13/18

Transit 

Gas stations and pot businesses not welcome, Sacramento says -- The city of Sacramento is laying plans to ban new gas stations, drive-thru restaurants and marijuana cultivation businesses within a quarter-mile of light rail-stations, saying those areas should be reserved for transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly uses. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/18

Education 

Survivor of Cambodian killing fields now a UC Berkeley graduate -- Chansitha Ouk remembers being 9 years old and lying awake on her bamboo mat, longing for her mother. She remembers listening to the sleep sounds of the other children and, importantly, the guard. She rose, crept out of the hut and slipped into the rice field, her heart pounding. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/18

L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez resigns from state teachers commission -- Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the state's Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of California's teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges on allegations of political money laundering. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/18

Environment 

Eradication of invasive rodent off to a slow start in California -- The invasive rodent from South America, which can grow to 3 feet long and weigh 25 pounds and breed furiously, has been found burrowing beneath rivers and marshes in six counties. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/18

Hawaii Volcano Raises Concerns Of Eruptions Along West Coast -- The eruption of a Hawaii volcano in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" has experts warily eyeing volcanic peaks on America's West Coast that are also part of the geologically active region. The West Coast is home to an 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) chain of 13 volcanoes, from Washington state's Mount Baker to California's Lassen Peak. Nicholas K. Geranios Associated Press -- 5/13/18

Also . . . 

Sung from the heart -- When Bernie Dalton was struck down by disease, Essence Goldman became his voice. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/18

A surprising bullying battleground: Senior centers -- The unwanted were turned away from cafeteria tables. Fistfights broke out at karaoke. Dances became breeding grounds for gossip and cruelty. It became clear this place had a bullying problem on its hands. What many found surprising was that the perpetrators and victims alike were all senior citizens. Matt Sedensky Associated Press -- 5/13/18

Beltway 

We read every one of the 3,517 Facebook ads bought by Russians. Here's what we found -- While some ads focused on topics as banal as business promotion or Pokémon, the company consistently promoted ads designed to inflame race-related tensions. Some dealt with race directly; others dealt with issues fraught with racial and religious baggage such as ads focused on protests over policing, the debate over a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico and relationships with the Muslim community. Nick Penzenstadler, Brad Heath, Jessica Guynn USA Today -- 5/13/18

In wide-open 2020 presidential field, Democrats are road-testing messages — and trying to redefine their party -- The future of the Democratic Party has been booking late-night TV gigs, waking up for morning drive-time radio and showing up at watering holes in rural counties to try out new material. Michael Scherer in the Washington Post$ -- 5/13/18

Five White House Staffers Leak Details of Meeting About White House Leaks -- Axios reported on Saturday some rather delicious details from a meeting in which White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reprimanded her staff for continuing to leak to the press, knowing full well that her lament would itself be leaked. Benjamin Hart New York Magazine -- 5/13/18

Bloomberg warns of ‘epidemic of dishonesty’ -- Americans are facing an “epidemic of dishonesty” in Washington that’s more dangerous than terrorism or communism. That’s according to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who warned in a commencement speech on Saturday at Texas’ Rice University that “an endless barrage of lies” and a trend toward “alternate realities” in national politics pose a dire threat to U.S. democracy. Steve Peoples Associated Press -- 5/13/18