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Conservative activists: Trump was ‘tricked’ into California endorsement -- President Donald Trump’s surprise move to issue an endorsement in California’s only Republican-on-Republican House race has stunned GOP grassroots activists who say he’s been “tricked” into siding with the “the swamp” against his loyal #MAGA base. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 9/7/18

California's ballot is a 'hodgepodge,' says Gov. Jerry Brown as he vetoes bill to redesign it -- An effort by the California Legislature to reduce voter confusion through a ballot redesign was vetoed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown, who said the problem doesn’t need to be solved with a new law. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/18

Judge slams Alameda County Sheriff’s Office over illegal recording, investigation continues -- An Alameda County judge on Friday issued a harsh rebuke of the county’s Sheriff’s Office in response to evidence that a sergeant had illegally recorded at least one conversation between a youth suspect and his attorney. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

Global climate fight comes to San Francisco with new resolve after U.S. pullout -- When President Trump announced last year that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, many feared that international momentum for tackling global warming would be lost. It wasn’t. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

How eight elite San Francisco families funded Gavin Newsom’s political ascent -- Gavin Newsom wasn’t born rich, but he was born connected — and those alliances have paid handsome dividends throughout his career. Seema Mehta, Ryan Menezes and Maloy Moore in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/18

‘If I weren’t effective, I wouldn’t be a target.’ Pelosi gives candid TIME interview -- When California Democrat Rep. Nancy Pelosi spoke with TIME’s Molly Ball, the former Speaker of the House was candid about the withering criticism she receives from both the political right and left. Andrew Sheeler McClatchyDC -- 9/7/18

Reopening I-5 is ‘top priority’ among responders as Delta Fire nears 25,000 acres -- The Delta Fire north of Redding in Shasta County continued to grow overnight, though it did so at a slower pace than previous days, reported at 24,558 acres and 0 percent containment by Friday morning, according to U.S. Forest Service and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services officials. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

Inmates help battle California’s wildfires. But when freed, many can’t get firefighting jobs -- The first time Amika Sergejev Mota drove on a firetruck was also the first time she had seen the world in nearly five years. Convenience stores, fast food drive-thrus, people walking on the side of the street – for a moment, they all took on a strange, ethereal power. Adesuwa Agbonile in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

Insurance claims from Carr, Mendocino fires: $845 million and counting -- Insured losses from the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires have reached $845 million, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones reported Thursday, warning that these numbers — the first reported from the fires that started in July — are expected to climb as more claims are filed. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

Roseville teacher repeatedly disciplined for harassing girls resigns with $80,000 payout -- A Roseville high school teacher repeatedly disciplined for harassing female students and colleagues has resigned and will receive an $80,000 payment on his way out, according to new documents obtained by The Sacramento Bee. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

Deep in red, Sacramento City school district’s budget rejected by county. Cuts are coming -- For the first time, the county Office of Education has disapproved Sacramento City Unified School District’s budget for the current fiscal year due to projected deficits. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

Tesla stock take a hit after Elon Musk appears to smoke weed -- Tesla’s stock price fell more than 6 percent Friday as two more executives left the electric automaker and CEO Elon Musk appeared to smoke marijuana on a podcast. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/18

Owners of Bay Area adult care facility charged with human trafficking -- Four family members who operated an adult residential and child care company in South San Francisco were arrested and charged with multiple counts of human trafficking and other labor-related charges, the California Attorney General’s Office announced Friday. Mark Gomez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/18

BART to San Jose delayed again, parts mistake adds year to Berryessa service -- The arrival of BART transit service to San Jose will be delayed a year or more, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority said, after the agency found that improper networking equipment had been installed and ordered it removed and replaced. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/18

Pender: Relax: The federal tax law won’t raise your California income tax -- Not surprisingly for a state of nonconformists, the Legislature adjourned Sept. 1 without conforming California state income taxes to any part of the Republican-crafted federal tax law passed in December. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

Fox: Prop 13: Still a Target, Still Supported -- Opponents who delight in blaming Proposition 13 for many ills that befall California even jump on property tax related issues related to Prop 13 that were actually created by the California legislature. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/7/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Kamala Harris’ viral grilling of Kavanaugh ends with a thud -- The biggest cliff-hanger question of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing was answered Thursday in a most anticlimactic way. Joe Garofoli and John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

Sen. Kamala Harris Given LAPD Protection Outside of Los Angeles -- Armed, plain-clothes LAPD officers were dispatched to California cities outside of Los Angeles at least a dozen times to provide security for US Senator Kamala Harris at public events, media appearances, and a party. Eric Leonard and Andrew Blankstein NBCLA -- 9/6/18

Motor Voter sparks unusual spike in ‘no party’ registrations at California DMV -- The Motor Voter program went into effect in April with the simple goal of increasing the number of people who could register to vote. Since its launch in April, Secretary of State Alex Padilla has touted the increase in new voter registrations. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

U.S. House Ethics Committee creates investigative subcommittee to probe allegations against Rep. Duncan Hunter -- Two weeks after he was indicted by federal prosecutors for allegedly misusing campaign funds, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, will face a new investigation — this one conducted by his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jeff McDonald and Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/7/18

Politifact CA: John Cox’s exaggerated claim: ‘Half the people’ want to leave California -- High taxes. Traffic-clogged freeways. Soaring housing costs. These are all reasons some Californians say they want to leave for less-expensive and lower-tax states from Arizona to Texas. But does half the state’s population really want to move out? Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 9/7/18

Statements about the Holocaust and immigrants trip up John Cox's campaign for California governor -- Surrounded by TV news cameras, Republican John Cox chatted with weary Californians stuck in long lines at a Sacramento DMV office and joyfully blasted Democratic leaders for turning the agency into a model of inefficiency. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/7/18

Trump vs. two hard right members of congress? In CA 8, endorsements differ -- During a time of some division within the GOP, two of the most conservative Republican members of Congress have thrown their support behind Tim Donnelly, a long-shot candidate and a Tea Party favorite, in his effort to unseat incumbent Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, in the 8th Congressional District. Meanwhile, late Tuesday, President Donald Trump tweeted his support for Cook. Sandra Emerson in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 9/7/18

He’s a Former Republican Taking on Dana Rohrabacher. Can He Win? -- Harley Rouda may not fit the image of a liberal hero. For decades, he was a registered Republican and in 2016 donated money to the presidential hopeful John Kasich. He is a real estate executive opposed to rent control. He regularly appears at campaign events with a white pocket square tucked into his conservative dark suit, even in the sweltering Southern California summer heat. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 9/7/18

KQED Political Breakdown: Tani Cantil-Sakauye -- California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye talks about being underestimated throughout her career, confirmation hearings, bail reform, and the vacancy on California's Supreme Court. Scott Shafer, Marisa Lagos KQED -- 9/7/18

Brown signs 'prosecution fee' bill sparked by Desert Sun investigation -- Less than one year after a Desert Sun investigation revealed Indio and Coachella had hired an outside law firm to prosecute residents found in violation of municipal ordinances, then charged them thousands in “prosecution fees,” the practice has been officially outlawed in California. Samuel Metz in the Desert Sun$ -- 9/7/18

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti heads to Ohio as speculation grows over 2020 presidential run -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti began a three-day trip to Ohio Thursday for meetings with local Democratic officials, another sign he is considering a run for president in 2020. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/7/18

Stephon Clark family seeks $35 million in Sacramento police shooting of unarmed man -- The family of Stephon Clark, the unarmed 22-year-old black man shot to death by two Sacramento police officers in March, has filed wrongful death claims with the city seeking up to $35 million for his death, a source told The Sacramento Bee. Ryan Lillis and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ Nick Miller Capital Public Radio -- 9/7/18

DAs urge Brown to veto crime bills, calling them ‘serious threats to public safety’ -- Regional district attorneys joined forces Thursday in Sacramento carrying dire warnings of what two bills sitting on the governor’s desk would mean for public safety and crime victims in California. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

The Big One will hit — San Francisco could be devastated despite seismic preparations -- A crucial 5-year-old program requiring the owners of San Francisco’s 4,900 most earthquake-vulnerable buildings is well on its way to making the city safer, with nearly half of those structures now seismically retrofitted, city inspection officials said Thursday. But it’s not enough, they quickly added. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

Cracked Millennium Tower window could be part of larger problems -- San Francisco officials were still working Thursday to determine whether a cracked window on the 36th floor of the sinking, tilting Millennium Tower is a one-off incident or a symptom of the building’s more serious problems. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

Lofty promises, limited results -- After 14 years and $3 billion, has California's bet on stem cells paid off? Erin Allday and Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

California determines its only ‘unsatisfactory’ dam is Oroville’s -- The state Department of Water Resources has determined that Oroville Dam, which is under reconstruction, is the only dam in the state’s jurisdiction that is in “unsatisfactory” condition. Risa Johnson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/18

Wildfire  

Delta fire scorches 22,000 acres in Shasta County, forces evacuation and shutters main highway -- Stan Kulak was waiting outside his home for his brother to finish packing when he spotted 200-foot flames burning through pine trees along Interstate 5. Those in the line of the fire, like Kulak, knew they needed to leave quickly. Hannah Fry and Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ Jim Schultz, Michele Chandler, Amber Sandhu and Alayna Shulman in the Redding Record Searchlight Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

Main California Highway Closed by Fire Until Declared Safe -- Interstate 5 usually swarms with trucks and traffic as it winds its way through California. But the main highway between Mexico and Canada was a ghost road Friday morning along a 45-mile (72-kilometer) northern stretch that remained closed since a fire two days earlier swept down and turned hills on either side into walls of flame. Noah Berger and Paul Elias Associated Press -- 9/7/18

Could a wildfire sweep into San Francisco? Residents seek assurance as state burns -- Most people who stumble upon areas like San Francisco’s Glen Canyon Park or Billy Goat Hill see an escape from a bustling downtown — a scenic running path, a patch of grass friendly to dogs or a spot to unwind. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

California Takes Financial Wallop From Unrelenting Wildfires -- California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. Noah Berger and Paul Elias Associated Press Melody Gutierrez and Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

California wildfires cause $845 million in insurance losses this year so far -- Residents and business owners have filed more than $845 million in insurance claims as a result of this summer’s Carr and Mendocino Complex wildfires, the first data on what’s likely to be massive bill from a series of blazes that have hit the state this year. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/18

Stunning tales of abandonment: State moves to revoke licenses of two retirement homes over Santa Rosa fire response -- Providing horrifying details of how two luxury retirement complexes abandoned residents at the height of the deadly Santa Rosa wildfires last October, the state announced Thursday it is moving to revoke their licenses and ban their top administrators from ever working at care homes again. Matthias Gafni, Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

Bay Area minimum wage rise hasn’t meant restaurant job losses, study says -- How is the rising minimum wage impacting the restaurant industry? According to a new study, the answer is: not much. Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

CalPERS disaster shapes bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown -- Gov. Jerry Brown is considering a bill shaped by the worst example of a California public agency defaulting on the pension promises it made to its employees and allowing CalPERS to slash the incomes of its retirees. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/7/18

Uber CEO: ‘I had no fricking clue what I was getting into’ -- When Dara Khosrowshahi took the helm of Uber a year ago, replacing ousted co-founder Travis Kalanick, he projected confidence mixed with humility. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/7/18

Google paying to repair vandalized San Jose Vietnam vets memorial -- A donation from Google will cover the cost of repairing the Vietnam veterans’ memorial in San Jose which was vandalized two weeks ago. The price tag to repair the Sons of San Jose monument is estimated at $2,500 to $3,000 — a relatively small amount for the search engine giant — but it could return much larger dividends in community goodwill. Sal Pizarro in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/7/18

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

How San Diego fueled California’s gas tax repeal effort -- Carl DeMaio stood outside the San Diego County Registrar of Voters Office in April, surrounded by television cameras and boxes filled with ballot petitions. He had spent more than six months preparing for this moment. Jill Castellano inewsource.org -- 9/7/18

Could this tax on vacant properties help end homelessness? -- Like many Oakland residents, Candice Elder, 34, is alarmed at the rapidly increasing number of people pitching tents on sidewalks and under freeways in the city. Farida Jhabvala Romero KQED via Calmatters -- 9/7/18

Education 

As school year begins, California ends practice that uprooted migrant students -- Oscar Ramos teaches students of migrant farm workers in his classroom at Sherwood Elementary School in Salinas, California. He sees students disappear because they must follow the crops with their parents, moving from town to town, making a steady education difficult. One year, a 4th grade teacher started the year with 28 students and ended with just three. Elizabeth Castillo Calmatters -- 9/7/18

Referee sues San Diego Unified School District and former student for $1 million -- A high school football referee has sued the San Diego Unified School District and a teenage Crawford High graduate, claiming $1 million in damages for injuries that he says the former student caused him during a game three years ago. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/7/18

California to add chronic absenteeism, career/college indicators to education ‘dashboard' -- After lengthy discussion, a conflicted State Board of Education voted Thursday to expand the college/career readiness indicator and to add it and chronic absenteeism to the next version, later this year, of the California School Dashboard. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 9/7/18

Chronic absenteeism pervasive in California and nationwide, report shows -- Nearly 8 million students nationwide were chronically absent during the 2015-16 school year, with California accounting for more than 760,000 of those children, according to a report released last week representing the most comprehensive analysis to date of chronic absenteeism data in the nation's schools. David Washburn EdSource -- 9/7/18

Expanded suspension ban gets approval from California Legislature -- The California Legislature Friday voted to expand the state’s ban on so-called “disruption and defiance” suspensions through the 8th grade. However, the bill approved by lawmakers includes caveats and there’s no guarantee that it will get Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature. David Washburn EdSource -- 9/7/18

Health 

Coalinga hospital filing for bankruptcy – employees owed $250K in vacation, sick time -- The Coalinga Regional Medical Center board of directors voted Wednesday night to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. The hospital in southwest Fresno County has a debt of about $5 million in bills it owes to unsecured creditors, said CEO Wayne Allen. The debt includes $250,616 owed to 115 employees for accrued vacation and sick time, he said. Barbara Anderson in the Fresno Bee -- 9/7/18

POTUS 45  

‘A never-ending cycle’: Book, op-ed show how some Trump aides work to curb his instincts -- This week’s revelations of a purported “resistance” force of senior government officials acting as guardrails against President Trump — manipulating him, infantilizing him and ignoring his directives — raised the specter of a shadow administration. Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey and Greg Jaffe in the Washington Post$ -- 9/7/18

 

-- Thursday Updates 

Extreme fire activity in Shasta County burns 10,000 acres overnight -- A wildfire near the Sacramento River in Shasta County erupted overnight and grew 10,000 acres by Thursday morning, forcing mandatory evacuations as the flames threatened structures, officials said. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/18

California’s 2018 wildfire costs so far: At least $845 million -- The two giant wildfires that ravaged Northern California this summer caused at least $845 million in property damage, the state announced Thursday. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/6/18

If you think California is too expensive, John Cox says he’s your guy for governor -- California’s home prices have risen more than 7 percent since last year, to a median of $540,000. Median rents for a two-bedroom are $2,800 per month, far higher than the rest of the country. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/18

California just forced equal pay for female surfers. Could that change other games? -- Bianca Valenti conquered 20-foot waves at a surfing competition in Mexico this summer, winning first place in Latin America’s first big-wave contest to include women. Her prize: $1,750. The surfer who won the men’s division at the same competition walked away with four times as much prize money: $7,000. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 9/6/18

‘It’s not the good Old West’ – A deputy is ambushed, guilt takes down the sheriff -- In the high desert of California’s most northeastern corner, ‘Bad Jack’ Breiner met ‘Our Jack’ Hopkins on a deserted dirt road in October 2016. Only one survived, forcing this remote county to rethink what law and order means in a place with thousands of empty acres but only a handful of deputies to patrol them. Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/18

After sheriff locked out Sacramento County watchdog, leaders disagree on future oversight -- Sacramento County supervisors Wednesday were divided over who should conduct oversight of the Sheriff’s Department after Sheriff Scott Jones locked out the current inspector general — effectively ending external reviews of the department for now. Marcos Breton and Anita Chabria in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/18

Bottle & Barlow barbers quit over state high court’s ruling on independent contractors -- Giannotti’s entire seven-person staff of independent contractors quit rather be reclassified as employees, he said. It’s one of the first local dominoes to fall as a result of the state Supreme Court’s decision in April of Dynamex Operations West Inc. v. Superior Court, which redefined who can work as an independent contractor. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/18

Dianne Feinstein is being polite to Brett Kavanaugh. The left doesn’t like it -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has a longstanding reputation in the Senate for being collegial and bipartisan. As Democrats continue to grapple with how to halt Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, she has made clear she’s not changing course just because she — and other Senate Democrats — are now taking political heat. Kate Irby and Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/18

Newsom vs. Cox debate in California governor’s race? Don’t count on it. -- Gubernatorial candidates Gavin Newsom and John Cox appear deadlocked over terms of a televised debate ahead of the Nov. 6 election. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/18

Trump's first midterm pits a booming economy against one of history's most unpopular presidents -- The midterm election now just over eight weeks away is shaping up as a seismic collision between two powerful and competing forces, a rip-roaring national economy and a deeply polarizing and unpopular president. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/18

‘It’s open season on the president’: Op-ed unleashes West Wing meltdown -- The hunt for the mole began as soon as The New York Times published an anonymous op-ed by a senior Trump administration official declaring that many in the government are working to thwart the president they serve. Andrew Restuccia, Eliana Johnson, Christopher Cadelago and Annie Karni Politico -- 9/6/18

Trump administration to circumvent court limits on detention of child migrants -- The Trump administration took the first official step Thursday toward withdrawing from a court agreement that limits the government’s ability to hold minors in immigration jails, a move advocates say could lead to a rapid expansion of detention facilities and more time in custody for children. Nick Miroff and Maria Sacchetti in the Washington Post$ -- 9/6/18

Fox: Trust Busting May Make a Comeback -- With Silicon Valley and other internet mega companies facing criticism for business practices across the political spectrum it is not hard to imagine that a modern version of trust busting could emerge as a political issue. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/6/18