Updating . . .   

2 'complete' IEDs found in home of blast victim's ex-boyfriend, authorities say -- Authorities investigating an explosion that killed the owner of an Aliso Viejo day spa and injured two customers say they have discovered two "complete" improvised explosive devices in the home of the dead woman's former boyfriend, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday. Richard Winton, Brittny Mejia, Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Gov. Brown signs bill preventing disclosure of immigration status in court -- Pushing back against mounting criticism of California’s sanctuary policies, Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed a bill placing strict limits on the disclosure of a person’s immigration status in open court. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury$ Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

In Trump era, LAPD strengthens bonds with immigrants here illegally -- Al Labrada recalls the terror he felt as a young boy each time he rode from Los Angeles to San Diego on a Greyhound bus and passed through an immigration checkpoint. Brittny Mejia, Andrea Castillo, Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Covered California premiums projected to rise 11 percent in 2019 -- The elimination of the Affordable Care Act’s requirement to buy health insurance, which takes effect in 2019, is expected to lead to a 12 percent drop in enrollment and an 11 percent rise in insurance premiums for Californians buying health plans on the individual market, according to estimates in a proposed annual budget released by Covered California, the state health insurance marketplace, on Thursday. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/18

CalPERS slashed pensions for 200 workers. Their boss is suing to keep his -- The first retiree to sue CalPERS after it decided to reduce pensions among a group of Southern California public employees is a former executive who’s facing criminal charges alleging that he embezzled government funds. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/18

Why a mailer on Dreamers from a 'nonpartisan' Latino group is worrying Democrats -- The pitch to voters in swing congressional districts is aimed at reminding Latino voters which vulnerable Republican and Democratic congressmen are supporting Dreamers. What the mailers don't say is that they come from a group with close ties to the conservative Koch brothers. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/18

Pelosi says California delegation will pick sides in primary fights -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation are going to put their thumbs on the scale in some key House primary races to make sure strong Democratic candidates are among the top two facing voters in the fall. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

This California congressman is avoiding a #MeToo backlash so far. Here’s why -- Asked recently whether she would push Rep. Tony Cárdenas of California to resign over allegations in a lawsuit that he molested a teenager in 2007, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi shrugged. That seems to sum up Washington's collective response so far to the latest #MeToo sexual misconduct crisis involving a member of Congress. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

How California’s primary could stop Democrats from retaking the U.S. House -- Under the state’s top-two primary, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes advance to the general election in November, regardless of party. Democrats fear that the high numbers of hopefuls on the primary ballot could split the vote and leave the party without candidates in high-stakes congressional races in November. Priya Krishnakumar, Swetha Kannan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Judge Persky: Effort to recall judge in Stanford sexual assault leads by double digits, poll finds -- Nearly half of likely voters — 46 percent — support removing Judge Aaron Persky from office, compared to 33 percent who oppose his ouster, according to the survey of likely voters conducted earlier this month for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and this news organization. Persky has drawn national notoriety for sentencing former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner to just six months in jail in a sensational sexual assault case. Tracey Kaplan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/17/18

Baby boomers would get a huge property tax break under this November initiative -- Older California residents who buy pricier homes could save thousands of dollars in property taxes under an initiative that has qualified for the statewide November ballot. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

You need to make six figures to afford the median house in this Sacramento-area county -- You need a six-figure household income to buy the median-priced home in El Dorado County – and nearly as much to buy a home in Placer County. While not as expensive as coastal counties, it is getting tougher in the Sacramento region for people to afford homes, according to a new report by the California Association of Realtors. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/18

Gov. Jerry Brown approves $1.9 million payment to man wrongly imprisoned for Simi Valley murders -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday approved a $1.95 million payment to compensate a man wrongly sent to prison for more than 38 years for a double-murder in Simi Valley that is now being investigated to determine whether it was actually the work of the Golden State Killer. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Authorities arrest boyfriend and business partner of woman killed in day spa blast -- Stephen Beal, 59, of Long Beach was arrested on suspicion of possessing an unregistered destructive device, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said Thursday. Richard Winton, Brittny Mejia Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ Kelly Puente, Sean Emery, Scott Schwebke in the Orange County Register -- 5/17/18

Ex-girlfriend of 49ers’ Reuben Foster testifies she lied about domestic violence -- Reuben Foster’s ex-girlfriend took the stand Thursday in the 49ers linebacker’s felony domestic violence case and recanted allegations that he punched her in the head multiple times, saying she made up the entire story after he broke off their relationship. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/18

Mexico rejects Trump's comments that some immigrants are 'animals -- Mexico’s Foreign Minister said on Thursday that recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump describing some undocumented immigrants as “animals” were unacceptable, and that a formal complaint would be filed with the State Department. Reuters -- 5/17/18

Fox: Would You Believe? GOP Bill Would Raise Tax Revenue—Democrats Say No -- Here’s a shocker—Republicans, taxpayer groups and business associations pushed a bill that would raise tax revenue but it was rejected by the Democrats in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on the advice of unions, interest groups and others who always pine for more tax money. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/17/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Trump meets with like-minded California 'sanctuary' foes and says Oakland's mayor should be investigated -- President Trump recommended an obstruction of justice investigation into Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for impeding a federal roundup and criticized Mexico for doing "nothing" to help on its border with the United States as he expressed his sentiments about illegal immigration to a like-minded group of Californians on Wednesday. Cathleen Decker, Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Sheriff tells Trump: California sanctuary city laws are a "disgrace" -- The Fresno sheriff looked across the table toward President Donald Trump and asked him for direction and clarity. Sheriff Margaret Mims told the president that California’s sanctuary laws have put sheriffs like herself in “an untenable position," caught between conflicting state and federal laws. Franco Ordoñez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/18

Orange County, Inland Empire leaders talk immigration with Trump in White House -- “We need help,” Barstow Mayor Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre from San Bernardino County told the president. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 5/17/18

Trump rallies local California leaders to denounce sanctuary laws, a red-meat GOP issue -- California’s sanctuary-state laws got a national airing Wednesday when local leaders met with President Trump at the White House to complain that limiting their cooperation with immigration officials is endangering public safety. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/18

Trump rails against sanctuary city policies; Abed, Gaspar weigh in -- The event provided a national platform for two San Diego County participants, Escondido Mayor Sam Abed and Kristin Gaspar, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors who is running to replace the retiring Rep. Darrell Issa. J. Harry Jones in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/17/18

California auditors want details on local jails' partnerships with federal immigration agencies -- California state auditors will soon begin a detailed examination of city and county jails that have formal partnerships with federal immigration agents — including how much local agencies are paid and whether holding immigrants has forced the early release of other inmates. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Richmond Moves Forward on Sanctuary City Contracting Policy -- The Richmond City Council voted Tuesday night to expand its sanctuary protections by not contracting with companies that hand over data or "extreme vetting services" to federal immigration authorities, despite an objection from the city's mayor and a request by police to postpone acting on the policy. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 5/17/18

Billionaires vs teachers union: Charter school fight amps up race for California governor -- They are Democrats and Republicans. They are residents of California, New York and Arkansas. They have made fortunes in technology, real estate, retail and media. What do these billionaires have in common? They aim to shake up public education by promoting charters—schools that receive taxpayer funds but are not required to follow all the rules that govern traditional schools. And their newest goal is to try to elect California’s next governor. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 5/17/18

Skelton: California's top-two primary could be rendered useless thanks to a hyper-polarized electorate -- On paper, California's "top two" open primary made sense: When one political party dominated an election, the weaker party could support a consolation moderate. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Walters: Lots of candidates, lots of uncertainty -- As Californians open their June 5 voting packets this month, they may be a little shocked by the sheer number of candidates for the state’s highest offices – 32 for U.S. senator and 27 for governor. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/17/18

California’s ‘Jungle Primary’ Threatens Democrats’ Plans -- Just a few months ago, Democrats in California were licking their chops over the possibility of unseating longtime Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. Christopher Palmeri Bloomberg -- 5/17/18

Love It or Hate It, Ranked Choice Voting Will Determine San Francisco's Next Mayor -- San Francisco's new mayor will be chosen in June by a system few voters can fully explain, much less understand. It's a process even the guy who runs the city's elections struggles to describe. Scott Shafer KQED -- 5/17/18

Your guide to the 5 propositions on California’s primary ballot -- California voters are being asked to weigh in on new borrowing, new government restrictions and a drought-friendly tax break on the statewide primary ballots that will be counted June 5. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Bay Area senators want to spend $5 billion on housing, homelessness -- A group of state senators wants to spend $5 billion over the next four years on a range of programs to provide more affordable housing and deal with California’s growing homelessness problem. But now they have to persuade Gov. Jerry Brown to go along with the increased spending, something he’s shown little inclination to do. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Oakland council to revisit plan for funding private job-training groups -- The Oakland City Council next month will reconsider a controversial proposal to give city funds to several private job-training organizations. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/18

Hollywood looks to stamp out sexual harassment in some not-as-glamorous fields -- The legal arm of Time's Up, the anti-sexual harassment initiative started by a group of powerful women in Hollywood, will award grants of up to $50,000 aimed at helping women in lower-wage jobs protect themselves from sexual misconduct. Lesley Clark in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/18

Two California Bills Attempt To Tackle Untested Rape Kit Backlog -- One bill, SB 1449, is authored by Democratic Sen. Connie Leyva. She says the bill would change existing law with one word: “By saying that law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories shall follow, instead of should follow, as it currently states, listed time frames for submitting and analyzing rape kit evidence,” Leyvah explains. Adhiti Bandlamudi Capital Public Radio -- 5/17/18

Politifact CA: TV ad’s False claim about Antonio Villaraigosa and LA’s rape kit backlog -- A new TV ad in the campaign for California governor attacks former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for what it calls his "reckless" role in Los Angeles’ massive rape kit backlog. But is it accurate? The ad was paid for by the John Chiang for Governor campaign. It began airing in markets statewide this past weekend. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 5/17/18

LAPD union defends Villaraigosa against Chiang attack ad, donates $250,000 to boost former mayor's candidacy -- Law enforcement supporters of Antonio Villaraigosa called on gubernatorial race rival John Chiang to apologize for an attack ad and take it down, as an independent fact-checking organization said it contained falsehoods about Villaraigosa’s tenure as mayor of Los Angeles. Seema Mehta, Ryan Menezes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

San Diego requiring greater transparency on campaign ad donors -- Some of the new city policies, however, go beyond the new state law, which took effect Jan. 1. Those include requiring candidates to disclose when they pay for their own ads, and requiring identification of donors giving at least $10,000, which is more aggressive than the $50,000 threshold used by the state. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/17/18

SoCal Gas will ramp up gas injections at Aliso Canyon -- With summer heat on the horizon, state regulators have allowed the Southern California Gas Company to temporarily increase storage injections at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, much to the displeasure of residents in the area who’d rather see the facility shut down. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/17/18

Disputed autopsies fuel effort for independent coroners -- Can law enforcement be trusted to fairly review law enforcement-involved shootings? Some state senators think not, citing the example of San Joaquin County, which saw two forensic pathologists resign after claiming that Sheriff Steve Moore pressured them to change their findings in officer-involved deaths. The pathologists claimed the sheriff pressured them to classify the deaths as accidents. Lisa Renner Capitol Weekly -- 5/17/18

San Francisco Proposition E: Bloomberg Contributes $1.3 Million to Pass Vaping Ban -- The billionaire Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, has contributed $1.3 million to the campaign for Yes on Proposition E, a San Francisco ballot measure that would ban flavored tobacco products like menthol cigarettes and gummi bear e-cigarettes. Lesley McClurg KQED -- 5/17/18

State will audit San Diego's hepatitis A outbreak response -- Add the State of California to the growing number of organizations that will scrutinize San Diego’s response to the 2017 hepatitis A emergency that killed 20 of the region’s most vulnerable residents. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/17/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Google Knows What We Do Online and May Soon Know Everything Else About Us, Too -- The Internet of Things is a fancy way of talking about how the internet is embedded in more and more consumer products — in stuff like televisions, lights, TVs and cars. These “smart” devices can be communicated with and manipulated through the web by users. They are also outfitted with sensors and, in some cases, cameras that can capture and transmit all sorts of data about their users. Us. Sam Harnett KQED -- 5/17/18

In Silicon Valley, Chinese 'accelerators' aim to bring startups home -- Beijing’s unslakeable thirst for the latest technology has spurred a proliferation of “accelerators” in Silicon Valley that aim to identify promising startups and bring them to China. Koh Gui Qing, Salvador Rodriguez Reuters -- 5/17/18

LA developer who owns Hawthorne Plaza Mall arrested in federal bribery case -- A Los Angeles commercial real estate developer was arrested by FBI agents Wednesday, May 16 for allegedly paying bribes to secure a $45 million lease that was critical to his latest unsuccessful attempt to redevelop the blighted Hawthorne Plaza Mall. Megan Barnes, Nathaniel Percy in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/17/18

Homeless  

San Francisco will bring anti-addiction medication the streets -- San Francisco will begin supplying anti-addiction medication to long-term drug users and homeless people on city streets, an attempt to overcome a formidable obstacle to treatment that has complicated efforts to address the opioid crisis. Lenny Bernstein in the Washington Post$ Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/18

Why Do Thousands of L.A.'s Homeless Shelter Beds Sit Empty Each Night? Rats, Roaches, Bedbugs, Mold -- Every night, some 43,000 people sleep on the streets of Los Angeles County in tents, cars and makeshift structures. So why do thousands of beds run by the biggest homeless agencies go empty at night? Rina Palta KPCC via KQED -- 5/17/18

Housing  

What a $500,000 home looks like around California–and how it shapes where we move -- The median price of a California single family home is now well over half a million dollars. That’s more than double what the average house costs in the rest of the U.S. Put a more nauseating way, you could buy two “average” non-California houses for the price of one California house. Can’t decide between the Cape Cod or the mid-century Craftsmen? Move to the Midwest and buy both! Matt Levin Calmatters -- 5/17/18

Bay Area condo market heats up as alternative to pricey homes -- Even the first step into the real estate market for many buyers — condominiums — is getting harder to reach in the Bay Area. Buyers stretching their budgets and looking for deals have driven condo prices up and inventory down to near-record lows, mirroring the trend in single family homes. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/17/18

Local rents still rising, from $1,900 a month for apartments to $2,700 for houses, reports show -- High demand and low vacancies continue to drive rents higher for Southern California apartments, condos and houses this year, according to property managers and new rent data. Jeff Collins in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/17/18

Education 

King-Chavez student's suicide prompts wrongful death lawsuit -- A San Diego mother grieving what she said was her bullied son’s suicide is suing King-Chavez Academy of Excellence Corp. and the San Diego Unified School District for wrongful death. Zulema Guzman said her 14-year-old son, German, suffered physical, cyber and verbal bullying because his tormentors thought he was gay. Pauline Repard in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/17/18

Schools have 'starved the arts,' Sacramento mayor says. Here's his solution -- Public schools in California have "largely starved the arts" for the past 40 years, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Wednesday. Now he's got a plan to change that situation. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/18

The art of engagement: classroom management now matters more in teacher training​ – California school districts, responding to pressure from parent groups, advocates and the state, are eschewing punitive discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions, and asking teachers to focus much more on the social and emotional needs of their students.​ By David Washburn EdSource​ -- 5/17/18

Immigration, Border, Deportation 

LA public defender badly needs more immigration lawyers, ACLU says -- The L.A. Public Defender desperately needs more immigration lawyers in light of the Trump administration's more aggressive immigration policies, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California said Wednesday. The civil liberties group noted that out of 700 attorneys in the public defender's office, only two specialize in immigration. Frank Stoltze KPCC Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Health 

Bereaved daughter recounts ‘horrifying’ ordeal after Sutter Health’s temporary network outage -- Sutter Health said service has returned to normal after a network outage, but its effects are likely to linger for a Santa Clara woman who said Wednesday she couldn’t reach a hospice’s 24-hour hotline for many hours after her father’s death at an assisted-living facility. George Kelly in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/17/18

E. coli update: You can now safely eat romaine again -- The last romaine lettuce shipments from the Yuma, Ariz., growing region, the source of the latest E. coli outbreak, were harvested April 16. That means the contaminated lettuce is now past its 21-day shelf life. The FDA says the romaine lettuce being sold and served today is not the romaine linked to illnesses. Karen D'Souza in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/17/18

Environment 

Yearlong Bay 'Challenge' Ends with Lofty Plans for Staving Off Sea Level Rise -- Design teams from around the world unveil their visions today for a ring of ambitious projects circling San Francisco Bay, all aimed at increasing "resilience" to the challenges of rising sea levels and other growing threats to communities. Craig Miller KQED -- 5/17/18

Study Projects Massive Northward Shift of Species as Oceans Warm -- Marine life across North America will experience a substantial shift northward over the next few decades, according to a new comprehensive report that looks at how climate change will alter the habitats of 686 marine species. Amel Ahmed KQED -- 5/17/18

VW's polluting cars could cause sickness, death. What can California do about that? -- Californians spent six years breathing dangerous exhaust fumes from illegal diesel cars produced by Volkswagen. Now the state's air pollution cops are crafting a remedy for that damage that has been done. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/18

Mountain lions are being killed on freeways and weakened by inbreeding. Researchers have a solution -- For humans, Southern California’s freeways link distant communities that are otherwise separated by rugged mountains, vast deserts and inland valleys. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

Also . . . 

Victim in Aliso Viejo explosion identified as spa owner; officials say blast ‘wasn’t an accident -- A blast that killed the owner of an Aliso Viejo day spa and injured three other people was “not an accident,” authorities said Wednesday as a probe into the apparent attack spread from south Orange County to Long Beach. Kelly Puente, Erika Ritchie, Jeremiah Dobruck in the Orange County Register Alene Tchekmedyian, Javier Panzar, Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

'They lived in torture.' 10 kids waterboarded, shot with crossbows, California cops say -- Ten children rescued from a Fairfield, California, home “lived in torture” their grandmother said as authorities released new details of horrific abuse allegedly inflicted by their parents. Don Sweeney in the Sacramento Bee$ Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

D.A.'s Hollywood sex crimes unit weighs charges against Harvey Weinstein, Steven Seagal and others -- A special task force of Los Angeles County prosecutors is determining whether to file various sexual abuse charges against at least a half-dozen Hollywood celebrities, including producer Harvey Weinstein and actors Ed Westwick and Steven Seagal. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/18

POTUS 45  

Calling immigrants ‘animals,’ Trump evokes an ugly history of dehumanization -- President Trump on Thursday pointedly referred to undocumented immigrants as "animals" in a statement his critics say betrays a gross misunderstanding of the plight of people who came to the United States illegally, and beyond that, little sympathy for them. Eugene Scott in the Washington Post$ -- 5/17/18

Beltway 

McCarthy to GOP: DACA vote could cost us the House -- The House Majority Leader warns centrists that forcing votes on immigration could cost the party its majority in the midterms. Rachael Bade and John Bresnahan Politico Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ -- 5/17/18

Top Trump Adviser Peter Navarro to Take Part in China Talks After All -- Navarro had initially been excluded from the negotiations with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He over concerns about his behavior on a trip to Beijing two weeks ago as part of the trade delegation, two administration officials said. It isn’t clear why the administration decided to reinstate him in the talks or what role he’ll play. Jennifer Jacobs Bloomberg -- 5/17/18

Top Trump trade officials still at odds after profane shouting match in Beijing -- The fight erupted when senior White House adviser Peter Navarro complained to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about being excluded from key meetings with Chinese leaders, the three people said. The two argued about the team’s internal dynamic and whether it was functioning adequately. Damian Paletta in the Washington Post$ -- 5/17/18

Doug Manchester hires lobbyist as his nomination to become ambassador to the Bahamas enters second year -- As his nomination to become ambassador to the Bahamas stretches into its second year following reports of a misogynistic culture at one of his companies, San Diego hotelier Doug Manchester has hired a lobbyist to assist him with the Senate confirmation process. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/17/18

Trump Falsely Claims a 40% Decrease in Illegal Border Crossings -- “We’re down 40 percent from those other standards — so that’s really good — meaning 40 percent crossings.” — President Trump, during a discussion on Wednesday about so-called sanctuary cities. False. The latest data from Customs and Border Protection shows that illegal border crossings — which are usually measured as apprehensions on the southern border — actually increased during the last few months. Linda Qiu in the New York Times$ -- 5/17/18

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

The bullet train is California's biggest infrastructure project — but it's seldom discussed in governor's race -- The leading candidates for governor have said little, if anything, publicly about how they would fix dire problems in the $77-billion mega-project that has already overrun its initial cost estimate by $44 billion. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/18

In Bay Area, Newsom leads big in race for governor — 2 Republicans are next -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom holds a 4-1 lead with Bay Area voters in the upcoming gubernatorial primary, according to a new 2018 Bay Area Council Poll, with 36 percent of those surveyed undecided. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/18

‘Lite Guv’ no more: California candidates spending millions for a job that gets no respect -- The lieutenant governor’s position is so disrespected in California that its current occupant famously said California should “get rid of the position” if it wasn’t made more effective. That isn’t happening. In fact, just the opposite is unfolding. The job mocked as “Lite Gov” in Sacramento has become downright politically sexy. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/18

Police say pot to blame in deadly Fremont car crash -- A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana Tuesday night after a multicar crash killed three in Fremont. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/18

Bay Area’s deadly pot-related crash added to list of tragedies in other cannabis-friendly states -- The horrific collision Tuesday night on Interstate 880 in Fremont that claimed three lives is just the latest in a string of deadly wrecks involving a cannabis-impaired driver. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/18

San Francisco: Subway contractor knew it was using wrong rails -- The Central Subway contractor that installed 3.2 miles of supposedly substandard track on the new line claims it acted “in full compliance” with its contract, despite being told by the city four years ago that it was using the wrong steel and needed to switch it out, city records show. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/16/18

Trump hosts California Republicans, exploring how to undercut California’s sanctuary law -- The Orange County anti-sanctuary uprising takes the national stage today, as a coalition of politicians are in Washington to talk Republican political strategy with President Trump. David Gorn Calmatters -- 5/16/18

California Attorney General to appeal judge’s ruling overturning assisted suicide law -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Wednesday he will appeal a judge’s ruling late Tuesday overturning the state’s right to die law for terminally ill Californians. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/18

The Senate net neutrality vote is just Democratic campaign bluster. And that's OK -- The U.S. Senate’s vote today in favor of restoring the tough net neutrality regulations adopted in 2015 will almost certainly prove to be a mere blip on the political radar. There’s no sign the House will even take up the resolution, and given the deregulatory zeal of that body’s Republican majority, it’s quixotic to believe it could pass if it somehow made it to the House floor. Jon Healey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/18

Sutter Health asks court to scrap antitrust lawsuit by California attorney general over pricing -- Sutter Health has asked the San Francisco Superior Court to dismiss the California attorney general’s antitrust lawsuit against the company, saying it would seriously harm not just Sutter but the entire health care industry. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/16/18

Oakland, A’s begin Coliseum ballpark negotiations -- The Oakland A’s now have the blessing to study both the Coliseum and Howard Terminal in their quest to build a new ballpark in Oakland. David DeBolt in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/16/18

Posting mugshots on internet draws criminal charges from California attorney general -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is filing extortion and money laundering charges against the owners of a website that publishes mugshot photos and charges a fee to remove them. His office is targeting Mugshots.com, which pulls photos and identifying information about criminal suspects from law enforcement departments around the country. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/18

Nurses rally to strip Facebook founder’s name from San Francisco hospital -- Nurses at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital are fighting to have the Facebook founder’s surname stripped from the 146-year-old institution. The effort comes amid mounting scrutiny over the social network’s handling of user data. Some nurses, the New York Times reported, say the name makes their patients wary. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ Don Sweeney in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/16/18

1 dead, 3 hurt in Southern California building explosion -- An explosion that rocked a Southern California medical office building on Tuesday, killing a woman and injuring three other people, is being investigated as intentional and investigators believe the blast may have come from a package, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. Michael Balsamo Associated Press -- 5/16/18

Lopez: The human catastrophe of homelessness hits the shores of Malibu, and some try to offer a helping hand -- Wherever there's a public library, there are homeless people taking shelter, and this is true in Malibu. Perry Thomas, who said he's a U.S. Army vet known as "The Real," was wheeling his belongings into the Civic Center library Tuesday morning. He told me he sleeps on Surfrider Beach. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/18

Fox: Business Hears from the AG Candidates -- How business might fare under the candidates for Attorney General was on display at the first debate in which all four leading candidates for the job debated in Downey yesterday. The BizFed Institute associated with the Los Angeles County Business Federation along with the Southern California News Group managed to bring together the four candidates vying for what many describe as the second most important office in state government. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/16/18

HP