Updating . .
Contractors, labor pour millions into campaign to save California gas tax hike for road repairs -- In the two weeks since an initiative qualified that would repeal an increase to the gas tax, construction companies, labor groups and civic organizations have poured $3.7 million into a campaign against Proposition 6, campaign records show. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
7,000 customers still without power as hot and angry Angelenos fume at DWP -- The hardest-hit neighborhood was Koreatown, where the utility said that 2,200 customers remained without power. The DWP said it had successfully brought back power to 76,000 homes and businesses since the heat wave began Friday. Emily Alpert Reyes, Dakota Smith, Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
California Wildfires: Grant Fire beaten back, Klamathon keeps growing -- A deadly and fast-moving inferno burning at the California-Oregon border continued to grow in size Monday, resulting in widespread mandatory evacuations in both states, officials said. The Klamathon Fire grew to 35,250 acres — nearly 13,000 acres more than Sunday evening’s last count — and was 30 percent contained in Siskiyou County, according to Cal Fire. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/9/18
Changes on San Francisco Board of Supervisors a political challenge for new Mayor Breed -- One of London Breed’s first big decisions after being sworn in as San Francisco’s mayor Wednesday will be naming her District Five replacement on the Board of Supervisors, and it could shape up as a family affair. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/9/18
Private prisons are California political players -- So you think privately-run prisons are a Republican thing? Perhaps in Texas and Tennessee. But in deep blue California, it is the Democrats who take in the most contributions from for-profit correctional corporations, primarily Florida’s The GEO Group and the Tennessee-based CoreCivic, formerly Corrections Corporation of America. Scott Soriano Capitol Weekly -- 7/9/18
The 2020 census could undercount 1 million kids — which means less money for California schools -- Almost a quarter of the nation’s children under 5 are at risk of not being counted in the 2020 census, which could have serious implications for the well-being of children around the United States, according to a recent study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Melissa Etehad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
With marijuana legal, California flooded with dubious health claims about the drug -- Spend a few minutes surfing Twitter and you’re likely to encounter a startling claim that comes without proof: Cannabis cures cancer. The online world is awash with such posts, startling scientists and physicians who are urging weed’s proselytizers to tap the brakes. Gary Robbins in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
From behind the scenes to picket lines: Why Dignity lab workers want better benefits -- Union representatives for more than 200 laboratory scientists and technologists at Dignity Health say they plan informational picketing Monday at their employer's facilities in Woodland, Stockton and Carmichael, having rejected the company's latest contract offer for wages and benefits. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/9/18
Going to the DMV? Be prepared -- Mirella Ortiz was on the verge of tears. It had been five and a half hours since she first arrived at the Hayward DMV, and she’d just gotten a number and a chance to sit down. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/9/18
39 Occupy ICE protesters in San Francisco arrested in camp raid -- A weeklong encampment of activists protesting Immigration Customs and Enforcement and President Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy came to an end early Monday, when nearly 40 people were arrested overnight in San Francisco. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/9/18
Woman attacked with her own pepper spray at San Francisco protest -- A woman attending a protest in San Francisco attempted to ward off a robber with pepper spray, but the suspect managed to turn the weapon against her and spray her before stealing her sunglasses and hat, authorities said. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/9/18
Wine Country artists find new life, inspiration in the wreckage of studios -- Just about everything in the airy Sonoma art studio where Helena Donzelli and her two pals work is ruined. And they like it that way. They craft artistic works from the ashy wreckage left behind after the Wine Country fires rampaged through last fall. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/9/18
There’s a cutthroat turf war behind the race to charge Bay Area scooters -- Bobby Cruze looks like a stunt man as he zig-zags on an electric scooter, balancing eight others behind the handle bars. What passersby might think is a free talent show come to grace San Jose’s streets is really just Cruze’s evening job. Anna-Sofia Lesiv in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/9/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Number of structures lost in San Diego County fire more than doubles -- The count of structures destroyed and damaged by the 505-acre fire that ravaged Alpine more than doubled on Sunday, as remaining residents were allowed to return home — if they had homes to go to. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/9/18
500-acre fire shuts down I-580 at Altamont Pass -- A 500-acre grass fire burning on both sides of Interstate 580 in the Altamont Pass shut down the freeway in both directions for several hours Sunday evening and prompted some motorists to flee by driving in the wrong direction along the shoulders of the gridlocked road. Catherine Ho and David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/9/18
With Ring Found in Ashes of Burned Home, Man Proposes Again -- A Southern California couple who lost their home in a wildfire made a new happy memory Sunday amid the ashes when they found what was left of the wife's wedding and engagement rings. Amanda Lee Myers Associated Press -- 7/9/18
Walters: Unintended consequences of new privacy law? -- American sociologist Robert Merton is credited with formally recognizing, analyzing and even popularizing what some have called the law of unintended consequences. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 7/9/18
Stop the undocumented from getting driver's licenses? California plan would reverse law -- An initiative that would reverse a law that allows immigrants residing in California illegally to obtain driver's licenses has been cleared to begin gathering signatures for the 2020 ballot. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/9/18
Republican and Democratic leaders finally agree on something: They hate the three Californias plan -- Gas tax. Sanctuary state. Plastic straws. Name a political topic in California and most Democrats and Republicans line up on opposite sides. But a tech billionaire's controversial plan to divide the fifth largest economy in the world is giving leaders of the diametrically different political parties an opportunity to find common ground. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/9/18
Skelton: Environmentally minded Californians love to recycle — but it's no longer doing any good -- Californians dutifully load up their recycling bins and feel good about themselves. They’re helping the environment and being good citizens. But their glow might turn to gloom if they realized that much of the stuff is headed to a landfill. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
A billionaire hired a Brexit strategist to help divide California -- Tim Draper, a tech billionaire and the main proponent of the plan to divide the state, reported a payment to Gunster Strategies for less than $6,500 in November related to a successful effort to gather enough voter signatures to land on the 2018 ballot. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/9/18
London Breed's Neighborhood Eagerly Anticipates Her Inauguration -- This week, San Francisco native London Breed is set to ascend to the city's top job, becoming the city's first-ever African-American female mayor. A fact that is a delight to one of her previous campaign stops: the iconic Chicago's Barbershop, in the Fillmore neighborhood where London Breed grew up. Sara Hossaini KQED -- 7/9/18
Lawmaker In 'Canvassing While Black' Incident: 'You Can't Legislate Humanity' -- People have asked Janelle Bynum whether legislation would help solve the problem of police being called on black people for just going about their daily lives. Bynum, an Oregon state representative who herself had authorities called on her while canvassing for votes earlier this month, simply tells them, "You can't legislate humanity." Michel Martin and Nicole Hernandez NPR -- 7/9/18
Top San Bernardino County gang prosecutor under fire for offensive social media posts -- The lead hard-core gang prosecutor in the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is under investigation for a series of offensive rants on social media, triggering demands for his dismissal. Teri Sforza, Joe Nelson in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 7/9/18
ACLU: Less Than Half of Child Reunions Will Meet Deadline -- The American Civil Liberties Union said it appears the Trump administration will miss a court-ordered deadline to reunite young children who were separated at the border with their parents in more than half of the cases. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 7/9/18
'They framed me': On death row for decades, Kevin Cooper pushes for new DNA tests in Chino Hills murders -- In a tiny visitors cell at San Quentin State Prison, Kevin Cooper makes a pitch for his innocence — an argument that, after three decades on death row and endless legal battles, suddenly has new life. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
Trump’s claim that California is soft on crime comes as the state moves away from injunctions, once key to the war on gangs -- Recent court orders prohibiting police in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California from enforcing gang injunctions are prompting law enforcement leaders to rethink how they employ the tool that for decades was considered a critical weapon in the state’s war on gangs. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Sorry, Power-Lunchers. These Tables Are Reserved for Drop-In Workers -- The bar at the Elite Cafe here was packed, but not a drink was being poured. The champagne stand sat empty and warm. The tap was covered in plastic wrap. Nellie Bowles in the New York Times$ -- 7/9/18
Education
L.A. Trade-Tech administrators received $157,000 for work they failed to justify, investigation finds -- Five years ago, the Los Angeles Community College District won one of its biggest federal grants: $19.2 million to help students gain training and skills for the fast-growing healthcare industry. Teresa Watanabe and Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
Health
Trump administration freezes billions of dollars in payments to Obamacare insurers -- Affordable Care Act insurers are facing a fresh round of uncertainty that could drive up premiums or push companies to stop offering coverage through the law, after the Trump administration’s latest move to cut off subsidies meant to help stabilize insurance markets. Zachary Tracer, Brian Broderick, Sarah Kopit in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
Also . . .
Two-year-old dies after being found in a car in south Sacramento -- A 2-year-old boy who was found unconscious and not breathing in a car Saturday evening in south Sacramento was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. Cassie Dickman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/9/18
From Sinatra to the Spellings, California's oldest moving company has thrived by remaining discreet -- With 30 days to vacate her 56,500-square-foot mansion, Candy Spelling had decades of rococo treasures to relocate. So producer Aaron Spelling’s widow hired California’s oldest — and perhaps most discreet — moving company. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/9/18
POTUS 45
Trump has ‘outsourced’ his Supreme Court picks to this conservative group -- In his final presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump said the Supreme Court would “automatically” overturn Roe vs. Wade once he became president, “because I am putting pro-life justices on the court.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/9/18
Trump’s fight with federal employee unions gets real on Monday -- Federal agencies on Monday begin implementing executive orders from President Trump on how to confront employee unions, following strict guidelines like ly to escalate tensions that have been building since the president took office. Lisa Rein in the Washington Post$ -- 7/9/18
-- Sunday Updates
Jorgito’s journey -- Young boy, taken from mother, on solo trip through 4 states in 6 months. Karen de Sá in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/8/18
California, Long a Holdout, Adopts Mass Immigration Hearings -- A federal judge was irritated when ffan attorney for dozens of people charged with crossing the border illegally asked for more time to meet with clients before setting bond. It was pushing 5 p.m. on a Friday in May, and the judge in San Diego was wrestling with a surge in her caseload that resulted from the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy to prosecute everyone who enters the country illegally. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 7/8/18
Firefighters make significant progress in wildfires burning across Southern California -- Firefighters in Santa Barbara County on Sunday morning continued mop-up operations after battling a wildfire that destroyed about 20 structures, prompting hundreds of evacuations in Goleta over the weekend amid a brutal heat wave. Andrea Castillo, Amina Khan, Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/8/18
Crews Build Containment Around Destructive California Fires -- Firefighters have been able to build containment around several destructive wildfires burning in California. Officials said Sunday that the 48-square-mile (124-square-kilometer) blaze on the California-Oregon border known as the Klamathon fire is now 25 percent contained. It's one of many fires burning around the drought-ridden states in the U.S. West. Associated Press -- 7/8/18
Firefighters preparing for greater activity in Klamathon, County blazes -- Firefighters are bracing for more high temperatures and extreme fire activity through the weekend as they work to contain a swath of wildfires that have scorched parts of Northern California. The state's first wildfire fatality since the deadly Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara occurred near the California-Oregon border, where the Klamathon Fire killed one civilian and injured a firefighter. Kellen Browning in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/8/18
Berkeley boy was ‘Patient X’ in first FDA-approved medicine derived from marijuana -- They called him Patient X. The Berkeley boy had his first epileptic seizure when he was 4, and after that, they kept coming, up to 100 a day. His desperate parents tried a barrage of two dozen medications, plus a high-fat medical diet and autoimmune therapy. Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/8/18
Kimberly Guilfoyle — San Francisco’s former first lady — now spends time at White House -- After being romantically linked for weeks, presidential son Donald Trump Jr. and former San Francisco first lady-turned-Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle had a coming-out party of sorts on Wednesday, showing up hand-in-hand at a Fourth of July celebration at the White House. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/8/18
#MeToo movement prompts disclosure of alleged sexual abuse at La Jolla Farms Stables -- On a sweeping bluff overlooking the San Diego coast, a generation of young girls nurtured their love of horses while parents relied on the staff at La Jolla Farms Stables for the basics in show jumping and equestrian competition. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/8/18
This man cost Sacramento County more in one year than any other homeless person -- By his own admission, Pete Taneyhill was a "dirtbag" back then, living in abandoned houses, stealing to feed his drug habit and shooting methamphetamine into his veins between stints at the Sacramento County jail. Cynthia Huber in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/8/18
In San Diego, a dialogue begins on women in the scientific world -- Nearly 400 people packed a seminar last month focused on women breaking the barriers of science and navigating the thorny issues of sexual harassment in the workplace that featured some of the top women in the field. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/8/18
While celebrating the 10th anniversary of L.A. Live, AEG looks to expand the Downtown Los Angeles entertainment complex -- As the L.A. Live entertainment complex celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018, one of its developers, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) along with its private and public partners, has proposed a $1.2 billion-dollar expansion of the some of the surrounding facilities including the Los Angeles Convention Center and the JW Marriott. Kelli Skye Fadroski in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/8/18
Epidemic of robocalls: Why your mobile phone is under siege and what you can do about it -- Kristie Karkanen cringes whenever a call comes in from an unfamiliar number. Which con artist or telemarketer will it be this time — a phony IRS agent demanding payment for back taxes, someone babbling threats in Mandarin or a guy offering a “free’’ resort vacation? Tracey Kaplan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/8/18
Democrats' long-shot plan to stop Trump's Supreme Court pick -- Narrowly outnumbered in the Senate, Democrats are embarking on a Hail Mary campaign to block President Trump’s pick for the U.S. Supreme Court. And they realize what a long shot it is. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/8/18
The House Returns to Deep Uncertainty Over Both Parties’ Leadership -- The House returns from its July Fourth recess this week in a state of remarkable uncertainty, with both Democrats and Republicans facing open questions about their leaders’ futures and neither party certain of which will be in control after November’s elections. Nicholas Fandos and Thomas Kaplan in the New York Times$ -- 7/8/18