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Voting ends Tuesday, but some election results could take days -- The state’s primary election season reaches its traditional climax Tuesday when voters troop to the polls to decide which candidates they will choose from in November. But in California, this election has been anything but traditional. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Over-pumping of Central Valley groundwater has side-effect: too much arsenic -- The many wells that nourish the farms of the Central Valley are not only pumping so much water from the ground that the land is sinking, they’re creating a dangerous vacuum where arsenic can to slip in, new research shows. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Can an interest rate be 'unconscionably' high? The California Supreme Court will decide -- Can a loan be too expensive? That question, at the heart of a decade-old lawsuit over high-interest loans made by Orange County lender CashCall, is set to be taken up today by the California Supreme Court. James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/5/18

Fox: Two Recalls -- One recall vote today concerns a judge handing down a lenient sentence in a sexual assault case. The other recall is against a state senator for voting for a gas tax increase. Despite the differences in the offices and the charges made against the incumbents, the defense of each man is pretty much the same: a successful recall against an official making a reasoned decision will chill the judicial and democratic processes. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/5/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Reaching out to California voters, one handshake at a time -- In the waning hours of the California primary election campaign Monday, Antonio Villaraigosa campaigned for governor like he was running for mayor — chatting up voters in two languages in the Mission District and sidling up to BART commuters as he rode from San Francisco to Walnut Creek. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Newsom greets Inglewood voters on eve of election: 'We’re going to win or lose this race through Los Angeles County' -- Gubernatorial front-runner Gavin Newsom said he felt confident about his chances in Tuesday’s primary election, but was taking nothing for granted as he greeted voters at a diner in Inglewood on Monday. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/5/18

Republican John Cox predicts a general-election fight with Democrat Gavin Newsom over the gas tax -- Republican candidate for governor John Cox expressed confidence that he would place in the top two in Tuesday’s primary and face off against Democratic front-runner Gavin Newsom in November. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/5/18

Blue wave? California tops list as midterm matchups form -- For years sidelined on the national political fringe, California has lurched to the center of the fight for control of Congress. No state will be more consequential in the success or failure of a prospective blue wave this fall. Steve Peoples, Michael Blood Associated Press -- 6/5/18

In a handful of California counties, polling places are giving way to a sweeping new election system -- The neighborhood polling place, a staple of American elections, has disappeared as election day arrives in five California counties — the first sites to transition to a sweeping new system dependent on absentee ballots and a limited number of all-purpose voting centers. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/5/18

Spending soars in California's crowded congressional races ahead of Tuesday primary -- California’s competitive crowded House races are getting pricey — more than $108 million has been spent so far this cycle to help elect candidates to Congress, double what was spent in the last primary election cycle. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/5/18

Big Tech Backs Breed for San Francisco Mayor. Will She Return the Favor? -- Why the preponderance of tech support for Breed? Talk to any of the industry cognoscenti, and they’ll tell you their top issue is the city’s housing crisis—one that is widely blamed on their own industry. Tom Giles Bloomberg -- 6/5/18

How Latino Voting Power Will Count in the California Primary -- For more than three decades, political pundits have referred to Latino voters as a “sleeping giant,” to describe a demographic reality that has yet to translate to clear political force. With each presidential election, much is written about how important Latino votes could be in securing the White House. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 6/5/18

The Battle for the House Hits the Shores of Southern California -- California operatives say there has been more focus on House races in Orange County this cycle than at any other time they can remember. For the first time, both parties’ House campaign committees have offices in the county. And they’re in the same city. Bridget Bowman Roll Call -- 6/5/18

A Tight, Chaotic Primary Race In California’s Forty-ninth District -- When California’s polls open on Tuesday, June 5th, the big, diverse state will be the bellwether for a big, diverse, and uncertain election year. Despite its laid-back vibe, Vista is in one of the state’s most contested regions, a splotch of red on the solidly blue coast. Nathan Heller The New Yorker -- 6/5/18

How Candidates in the 49th Free-for-All Are Making Their Final Pitches -- Sixteen candidates are competing to succeed Republican Rep. Darrel Issa. The 49th is one of several districts in Southern California where Republicans outnumber Democrats but where voters went for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Jesse Marx Voiceofsandiego.org -- 6/5/18

A procrastinator's guide to California's primary election -- You can't put it off any longer. Tuesday is Election Day, and whether you go to a polling place, voting center or mail in your ballot, it's go time. If you live in Sacramento County, be sure to note that the system is different this year — don't just assume you can go to your past polling place. Dan Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/5/18

Where the candidates for California governor stand on the state's biggest issues -- The candidates listed have met certain criteria, including: previous election to public office; at least 5% support from likely voters in an independent, established public opinion poll; or demonstrated fundraising ability. Here’s where they stand. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/5/18

Still deciding who to support in the #CAGov race? -- Hear where the candidates stand on issues from housing to immigration. KQED -- 6/5/18

Politifact CA: It’s election time: -- How have the candidates for California governor fared with the facts? Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 6/5/18

California Democrats hope to stave off disaster in winnable House races -- For more than a year, Democrats have talked gleefully about the prospect of flipping seven or more GOP-held House seats in California. But now they’re struggling just to get candidates on the November ballot. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Democrats have more to lose in California than a few primaries -- Democratic dreams of regaining a House majority are taking a nightmarish turn in California, where a surge of new candidates risk splitting the vote on Tuesday and, in the process, shutting themselves out of the general election in a handful of swing districts. Gregory Krieg CNN -- 6/5/18

Laurene Powell Jobs pitches in to Alameda County DA race on side of progressive challenger -- The widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has joined a growing list of well-known philanthropists to intercede in district attorney races throughout California — including one in Alameda County, where two Democrats have waged a fierce fight leading up to Tuesday’s election. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Andrew Janz looks to land a blow against Devin Nunes in nationally hyped primary race -- On the eve of Tuesday's primary election, Janz was looking forward to the weekend – his first days off the campaign trail in 2018. He was determined, he said, not to be outworked in his bid to unseat arguably the country's most talked-about and polarizing congressman, Tulare Republican Devin Nunes. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 6/5/18

Scooters Disappear From San Francisco Streets, for Now -- Lime, Bird, and Spin, startups that have delighted and infuriated San Franciscans with their scooter-sharing services, have pulled their vehicles from the streets while they apply for permits to operate. Joshua Brustein Bloomberg Carolyn Said and Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

California lawmaker proposes bill to force accountability on fire inspections -- Calling California’s broken system of fire safety inspections intolerable and a threat to public safety, a state senator on Monday said he will introduce legislation to force local fire departments to notify the public how well they are following the state mandate to inspect schools and apartment buildings each year. Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/5/18

High court’s ruling on baker’s refusal to make same-sex wedding cake: mixed -- Businesses, regardless of their owners’ religious beliefs, are bound by state laws that require equal treatment for lesbians and gays. And state agencies that enforce those laws must avoid hostility toward religion. Those were the seemingly conflicting messages from Monday’s long-awaited U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a Colorado baker’s refusal to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Right to die: Dying Californians turn again to Oregon -- Four years after Alamo resident Brittany Maynard moved to Portland to seek aid in dying — a wrenching event that inspired passage of the state’s historic End of Life Options Act — terminally ill Californians are once again planning to flee the state. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/5/18

Michel Moore, next LAPD chief, forged career as San Fernando Valley’s top cop for nearly a decade -- When former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was choosing who would replace Los Angeles Police Department Chief William Bratton in 2009, he culled his decision down to three longtime department veterans: Michel Moore, Charlie Beck and Jim McDonnell. Joshua Cain in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/5/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

California city fights poverty with guaranteed income -- Michael Tubbs, the 27-year-old mayor of Stockton, California, has a radical plan to combat poverty in his cash-strapped city: a “no strings” guaranteed basic income of $500 a month for its residents. Starting in early 2019, Tubbs plans to provide the monthly stipend to a select group of residents as part of a privately funded 18-month experiment to assess how people use the money. Jane Ross Reuters -- 6/5/18

California’s net neutrality bill could set a national standard -- If the California net neutrality bill passes through Assembly, the state’s size and influence on the market might make it the new broadband standard nationwide. Makena Kelly The Verge -- 6/5/18

Big Tesla investors look like firewall for Elon Musk -- Chief Executive Elon Musk faces votes at Tuesday’s shareholder meeting that will challenge his grip on the electric carmaker, but he may be able to count on some powerful friends: big fund managers likely to be fans. Ross Kerber Reuters -- 6/5/18

Apple dangling more goodies, while adding tech diet options -- Apple will offer more ways for people to limit the time they spend on iPhones while introducing features designed to make its products even more indispensable. The paradox emerged Monday as Apple executives previewed new versions of free software due out this fall. Michael Liedtke, Ryan Nakashima Associated Press -- 6/5/18

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

California Cities Keep Declaring Fiscal ‘Emergencies,’ and Investors Are in on It -- Communities in the Golden State are using a loophole and citing financial distress so they can put new taxes on the ballot. Pasadena is exploiting it to tax pot. Romy Varghese Bloomberg -- 6/5/18

71 percent of voters support Apple employee tax, survey shows -- Seventy-one percent of Cupertino voters would support imposing a controversial employee tax on Apple and other businesses in the city to help pay for needed transit and housing improvements, according to a survey the city released today. Almost 400 respondents were asked if they would vote to replace the city’s traditional business license tax with one that taxes companies based on their number of employees. Khalida Sarwari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/5/18

On the Eve of Measure 3, a Poll Asking What People Might Pay to Make Traffic Go Away -- A new poll released by one of the chief proponents for the Bay Area bridge toll increase says that voters are so sick of traffic congestion they're willing to pay more -- maybe a lot more -- to fix it. Dan Brekke KQED -- 6/5/18

Housing  

Should you move to San Francisco? -- Thinking about making the move to Baghdad by the Bay, the greatest city in the world? The first thing you should know: San Francisco is expensive. Second thing you should know: It’s small. These two factors will play major roles in your decision and life here, should you choose to accept it. Brock Keeling and Julia Kitlinski-Hong Curbed -- 6/5/18

A guide to rent control in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles rents are among the highest in the nation, and with buying out of reach for most residents, millions of Angelenos are stuck paying for high-priced apartments. Elijah Chiland Curbed -- 6/5/18

Education 

Will budget deal include expanded ban on 'willful defiance' suspensions? – A proposal to expand California’s ban on “willful defiance and disruption” suspensions in early elementary grades — so it includes all grades K-12 — is expected to be a topic of discussion as state lawmakers and the governor’s office work to hammer out a final budget deal. David Washburn EdSource -- 6/5/18

Transit 

Huge amount of San Francisco Transbay Transit Center wiring may have to be replaced -- A good portion of the $113 million worth of wiring going into the new Transbay Transit Center may have to be replaced if trains ever begin running into the station. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

BART cited 1,300 fare evaders in 2 months. Only about 100 paid up -- BART’s fledgling effort to crack down on widespread fare evasion has run into a stark problem: People unwilling to pay a few bucks to ride the rails are rarely willing to cough up $75 when handed a citation. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Wildfire  

California ponders wildfire relief fund as PG&E seeks rate-case delay -- California legislators are quietly discussing a new disaster relief fund that, in the aftermath of last fall’s devastating wildfires, could take some of the financial pressure off utility companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric Co. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/5/18

Cannabis

Pets not eating more marijuana in California, post Prop 64, data shows -- Pets aren’t getting stoned more, or less, than they did before recreational cannabis became legal earlier this year in California. For several years, calls to animal poison control centers about pets accidentally ingesting marijuana — typically when the drug is used as an ingredient in food — have been on the rise. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 6/5/18

Cannabis companies now have access to property, liability insurance in California -- When you’re running a marijuana business in California, getting insurance can be a challenge. Nearly all of the insurers that offer coverage are smaller carriers that aren’t regulated by the state and often are reluctant to enter the industry. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones plans to change that. Kevin Smith in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 6/5/18

Health 

Health Care Simmers On Back Burner In California Heartland’s Hot House Races -- About a dozen mostly retired locals took over a corner of a busy intersection on a recent Saturday afternoon in this San Joaquin Valley city, toting signs that read “Dump Denham 2018.” Ana B. Ibarra, Kaiser Health News via the Washington Post$ -- 6/5/18

Single-payer’s big test: can Medicare-for-all win in competitive House districts? -- California is the next big test of whether a new wave of candidates can win backing government health care. Dylan Scott Vox -- 6/5/18

Environment 

Judge sides with L.A. County against illegal dumping in the hills above Chatsworth -- A Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of L.A. County in its fight with the owner and operator of an illegal landfill, where officials have been trying to halt dumping at the unpermitted site in an ecologically sensitive area in the hills above Chatsworth. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/5/18

Also . . . 

Former 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark dead at 61 -- Dwight Clark will forever be remembered for one iconic moment, his leap in the back of the end zone to make a fingertip grab of a game-winning touchdown that launched the San Francisco 49ers dynasty and is one of the most indelible images in NFL history. Josh Dubow Associated Press -- 6/5/18

Dwight Clark’s death leaves a void in San Francisco’s heart -- Hands outstretched to the sky, fingers ready to pull in history. Remember Dwight Clark that way. When his body could excel. Could create magic. When it took him — and all of us — to places we didn’t ever dream or expect. Ann Killion in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Daniel Brown, Cam Inman, Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/5/18

POTUS 45  

Trump and His Lawyers Embrace a Vision of Vast Executive Power -- President Trump, ramping up his assertions of extraordinary powers, declared in a tweet on Monday that he had “the absolute right” to pardon himself for any crime. Charlie Savage in the New York Times$ -- 6/5/18

Trump touts San Diego’s border wall, but there’s a hole in this success story -- Once the symbol of America’s broken border, San Diego today is the place President Trump and his top Homeland Security officials point to as proof that “walls work.” Yet the latest Homeland Security data show that border walls do not necessarily work in the way the president says. Nick Miroff in the Washington Post$ -- 6/5/18

Beltway 

House Republicans need to hold California seats. Trump’s agenda is making that really hard -- The potential for a blue wave has put California’s 14 Republicans on the defensive. And after months spent trying to repeal Obamacare, ceding the immigration debate to hardliners, and passing a tax bill that disadvantages more high-tax states, they have a lot to defend. Tara Golshan Vox -- 6/5/18

Gay adoption fight looms after U.S. Supreme Court's cake ruling -- A major legal fight similar to the blockbuster Christian baker case decided by the Supreme Court on Monday is already brewing in several U.S. states over laws allowing private agencies to block gay couples from adoptions or taking in foster children. Lawrence Hurley Reuters -- 6/5/18

 

-- Monday Updates 

L.A. mayor's pick for LAPD chief is 36-year veteran with deep mastery of crime statistics -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has chosen Michel Moore, a 36-year LAPD veteran known for his mastery of subjects from crime statistics to budgets, to be the city’s next police chief, sources familiar with the decision said Monday. Cindy Chang, David Zahniser, Richard Winton and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/4/18

In untested claim of presidential power, Trump says he has 'absolute right to PARDON myself' -- President Trump asserted for the first time Monday that he has “the absolute right” to pardon himself, a marker laid down in a tweet on the morning of his 500th day in office. Minutes later, he fired off another new claim: that the appointment of the special counsel for the Russia investigation, Robert S. Mueller III, is “totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL.” Jonathan Lemire, Catherine Lucey Associated Press -- 6/4/18

California campaign watchdog panel ends power struggle with sweeping changes to commission structure -- Just days after the chairwoman of California’s campaign watchdog agency abruptly quit, an internal power struggle came to a head Monday with its governing board restructuring itself to transfer powers from the chairperson to other members. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/4/18

One-party rule? California Democrats look to expand power -- Is California, home to one in eight Americans, becoming the nation’s best example of one-party rule? Tuesday’s primary election will set the stage for November races for governor, Congress and the Legislature, but it will also test whether the state’s vanishing Republicans have enough remaining influence to avoid another shutout at the statewide polls. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 6/4/18

Calbuzz: Why Tony V is Likely to Suck Wind in Tuesday Vote -- If the final Berkeley IGS poll before Tuesday’s preliminary election is correct, the California governor’s race will pit Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco, against Republican businessman John Cox of Rancho Santa Fe. The survey suggests Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles and speaker of the Assembly, has failed to capture enough Latinos and voters from the L.A. area to make it into the runoff. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 6/4/18

Justices side with Colorado baker on same-sex wedding cake -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday for a Colorado baker who wouldn’t make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple in a limited decision that leaves for another day the larger issue of whether a business can invoke religious objections to refuse service to gay and lesbian people. Mark Sherman Associated Press -- 6/4/18

AP Fact Check: Trump says economy best ‘EVER.’ It’s not -- Trump’s tendency to take good economic news and wildly exaggerate it is on display in tweets self-celebrating 500 days in office. His boast of record achievements on the economy and jobs ignores the Roaring Twenties, the war-time boom in the 1940s, the 1990s expansion and other times when unemployment was lower than now, economic growth was higher than now, or brisk productivity made the U.S. the world’s economic powerhouse. Josh Boak, Christopher Rugaber Associated Press -- 6/4/18

Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year -- With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. It’s a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if you’re a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. Jessica Calefati Calmatters -- 6/4/18

Taylor: Oakland drags its feet in helping equity pot startups -- Oakland promised to set aside $3.4 million in cannabis tax revenue to offer no-interest loans to startup marijuana businesses that qualified for the city’s equity program. The good news is that the city has finally set aside that money. The bad news is that it won’t be available for several months, and the startup businesses relying on that help — many are hanging on by a thread — may not be around by then. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/4/18

Rebecca Kaplan may be looking at another race for Oakland mayor -- Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan is doing nothing to douse rumors that she’s about to announce another run for mayor — possibly as early as Wednesday. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/4/18

San Francisco’s Tenderloin Police Station reports show no shortage of drug deals -- If you want an idea of how pervasive the hard drug use and drug dealing are in San Francisco’s Mid-Market area, just look at a sample of the recent reports coming out of Tenderloin Police Station. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/4/18

One of L.A.'s oldest community gardens thrived for decades. Then the water wars began -- It’s not clear when the farmers first tapped into the city water lines, but officials didn’t seem to care until 2014, when Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered departments to cut water use by 20% within three years. After sanitation managers found the community garden was sucking up to 300,000 gallons a month, they closed the taps except for a few hours two days a week. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/4/18

Pelosi plans pricey post-primary fundraiser for California Democrats -- While Democrats campaign down to the wire, hoping to ensure their candidates are not kept out of crucial House races by California’s top-two primary, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is thinking ahead as party leaders plot their path. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/4/18

Fox: GOP Misses an Opportunity in Senate Race -- Hindsight is 20/20 but the Republicans sinking in acceptance before California’s electorate missed an opportunity by not fielding a better-known candidate in the U.S. Senate contest. Latest polling from the UC Berkeley IGS poll indicates that state senator Kevin de Leon could probably be kept out of the top two if Republican voters coalesced around a known candidate. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/4/18

Jeffe&Jeffe: RFK -- Fifty years ago, this week, while celebrating his victory in the hard-fought 1968 California Democratic Presidential primary, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. That tragedy was a seminal event in a tumultuous year; it was a year in which the political landscape was upended. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 6/4/18