Updating . .
H-1B spouses: Bay Area tech workers fear they’ll have to leave -- Kriti Agrawal was chasing the American Dream. She and her husband came to California from India three years ago with their young son. They landed good jobs in the Bay Area, she as a senior manager for a pharmaceutical company, he as a product manager in a financial-technology startup. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/14/18
Retardant drop killed firefighter battling California's Mendocino Complex fire -- A Utah firefighter was killed while battling the Mendocino Complex fire when the force of a retardant drop from an air tanker knocked a nearly 90-foot Douglas fir on top of him. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
SpaceX Changes Plans to Send Tourists Around the Moon -- SpaceX said it has signed the first private moon traveler, with some changes to its original game plan. The big reveal on who it is — and when the flight to the moon will be — will be announced Monday at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Marcia Dunn Associated Press -- 9/14/18
Tech expansion: Up and out of San Francisco -- If Salesforce seems to be everywhere, you’re not imagining things. The software company is now San Francisco’s largest private employer. Owen Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
San Francisco’s controversial ‘Early Days’ statue taken down before sunrise -- More than 50 onlookers gathered on a dark, chilly Friday morning between San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum and Main Library to witness the long-awaited removal of the deeply controversial “Early Days” sculpture. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
Stanford University to remove Junipero Serra name from buildings, mall -- Stanford University announced plans Thursday to remove Fr. Junipero Serra’s name from two buildings and a key mall on campus, but will retain the name of the founder of the California mission system on other campus features. Mark Gomez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/14/18
Take a ride on firefighting train battling the Delta Fire -- Special equipment, locomotives and water cars are being used by Union Pacific to help fight the Delta Fire as well as protect rail infrastructure to keep goods moving along the tracks to markets. David Caraccio in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/14/18
Smoky skies early could save Californians from choking later, fire experts say -- Controlled burns — fires that are intentionally set to clear the forests of overgrown brush and dead trees — are an important tool for lessening the risk of catastrophic wildfires, the experts agreed. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/14/18
If Trump slaps tariffs on more Chinese goods, U.S. shoppers will pay the price -- President Trump’s threat to ramp up tariffs on Chinese imports takes direct aim at American consumers, who face the prospect of higher prices for thousands of Chinese goods from frozen fish sticks to vacuum cleaners. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
Plans for high-speed rail from LA to OC are set, but some cities aren’t happy -- Plans for an enclosed high-speed railroad line from Anaheim to Los Angeles are nearly complete, but three Whittier-area cities’ concerns aren’t being completely met. Mike Sprague in the Orange County Register -- 9/14/18
Manafort to cooperate with Mueller as part of plea deal -- The deal dismisses deadlocked charges against Manafort from an earlier bank- and tax-fraud trial in Virginia, but only after "successful cooperation” with Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Moscow on its efforts. Josh Gerstein and Darren Samuelsohn Politico -- 9/14/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
More critical water storage is finally coming to California. It took nearly 40 years -- California officials have been pushing for more natural water storage since the last large-scale facility was built in 1979. Now they’re finally going to get it, thanks to political pressure, President Donald Trump and some congressional creativity. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/14/18
Radioactive object found near homes at Hunters Point shipyard -- A highly radioactive object has been discovered at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard next to a housing area that has been declared safe and free of radioactive contamination for more than a decade, The Chronicle has learned. Jason Fagone and Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
Feinstein asks FBI to review letter involving Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh -- A letter reportedly alleging a decades-old incident involving Brett Kavanaugh has been referred to the FBI for review — the latest blow in the partisan and bitter battle over President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
Brown signs array of bills to protect planet from climate change -- With his highly touted international summit on global warming serving as a backdrop, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a raft of bills Thursday in San Francisco that seek to put more electric vehicles on the road and demand that ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft deploy cleaner, greener cars. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Ezra David Romero Capital Public Radio -- 9/14/18
At Jerry Brown's climate summit, a lot of drama and a measure of momentum -- It was equal parts theater, venting session and business meeting where stuff got done. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
The road to California’s coveted electric highway is congested; will a new pact help clear the way? -- California officials have made it no secret that for the state to adequately reduce its greenhouse gases, a wholesale change is needed in how we transport ourselves and the goods we consume. Namely, gas-powered cars, trucks and buses must be swapped for their zero-emission counterparts. Julie Cart Calmatters -- 9/14/18
Lopez: Open your wallets, California taxpayers. Coastal commissioners hit with fines were indemnified pretrial -- Ever since five current and former California coastal commissioners were found guilty this spring of breaking rules designed to ensure fairness and transparency, one question has remained unanswered. Who’s going to pay for their sins? We now have the answer. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
California political insiders say “meh” to top two primary -- In the lead up to this year’s primary election, no topic was the subject of as much hand wringing as California’s “top two primary.” Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 9/14/18
Political Breakdown: Toni Atkins -- State Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins talks about her journey from western Virginia to California, national perceptions of the Golden State, San Diego politics, and her leadership style. Marisa Lagos, Scott Shafer KQED -- 9/14/18
Oakland police won acclaim for reducing force. But monitor says some cases went unreported -- An independent monitor overseeing Oakland Police Department reforms called into question the agency’s celebrated decline in use-of-force incidents, saying in a report Thursday that officers on several occasions had failed to properly disclose that they had pointed their guns at subjects or gotten physical with them. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
San Jose diocese to investigate handling of priest abuse, name names -- The Diocese of San Jose said Thursday it will launch an independent investigation into clergy sexual abuse and name priests c in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/14/18redibly accused of abusing children as part of a diocesan effort to confront a scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic church around the world. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/14/18
San Diego's Catholic diocese adds eight priests to list of sexual predators -- The clerical sexual abuse scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church hit home Thursday, as the Diocese of San Diego added eight priests to the list of those believed to have molested children. Peter Rowe and Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/14/18
100 Janitors March 100 Miles to Stop Rape on the Night Shift -- It’s the last thing you might expect to see on a suburban street corner in a Northern California town like Lafayette or Martinez: a caravan of women janitors wearing bright red bandannas, carrying giant posters reading “Ya Basta!” (Enough is enough!) and chanting “Who owns my body? I do!” Sasha Khokha KQED -- 9/14/18
Orange County DA finds ‘no crime’ in review of Assembly decoy candidate allegations -- Local prosecutors say that GOP Assembly hopeful Tyler Diep acted legally when his campaign staffer helped a little-known candidate enter into Diep’s primary race – a move that rivals allege was employed to split the vote. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 9/14/18
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorses John Cox for California governor -- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorsed Republican John Cox for California governor on Thursday, saying he has the vision to address the state’s most vexing problems. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Fortune 500 company finalizes deal for massive Sacramento campus, developer closes escrow -- Centene already employs about 3,000 people in the Sacramento region and is planning to employ up to 5,000 at its North Natomas campus, city officials said. Construction on the facility could begin as early as next month. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/14/18
Obamacare small-business exchange insurance premiums to rise 4.6 percent -- The increase applies to the small slice of California companies and workers that get their health insurance from Covered California for Small Business, the exchange created under the Affordable Care Act where companies with 100 or fewer workers can buy health plans for their employees. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
San Francisco Marriott hotel workers vote to strike -- San Francisco Marriott workers voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to authorize a strike. The yes vote doesn’t initiate a strike but allows members of the Unite Here Local 2 union to begin a walkout at any time. The vote Thursday evening was 98.6 percent in favor of striking. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
Court throws out California law raising money for hazardous cleanup -- Rejecting a 2015 state law, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that California cannot charge railroads a $45-per-car fee for carrying crude oil, gasoline and other hazardous materials into the state to help pay for cleanup costs resulting from environmental accidents. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
High usage charge leaves some SDG&E customers steaming this summer -- Georgiana Silvestro of Fallbrook expected her electric bill to be a bit higher because of the extended periods of high temperatures the region has experienced this summer but she was not prepared for her most recent monthly statement from San Diego Gas & Electric. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/14/18
Homeless
San Francisco considering homeless Navigation Center near Wharf, North Beach -- City officials are considering building a Navigation Center on a parking lot off the Embarcadero, a part of the city that has yet to host one of homeless shelters that also offers services, said District Three Supervisor Aaron Peskin. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
Housing
San Francisco backs off threat to yellow-tag Millennium Tower -- San Francisco officials signaled Thursday that they’re willing to back down from the aggressive deadlines they set for the managers of the Millennium Tower to comply with a number of safety measures related to the cracked window on the sinking building’s 36th floor. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
L.A. commission says Airbnb rentals should be allowed in rent stabilized housing -- Los Angeles moved one step closer Thursday to imposing new rules on renting out rooms or entire homes for short stays, a phenomenon that has boomed with the rise of Airbnb and other online platforms. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
Transit
Bowing to privacy concerns, BART to hold hearings before it expands surveillance -- BART’s Board of Directors approved a far-reaching surveillance measure Thursday that requires public hearings every time the agency purchases or seeks funding for new spy technology. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
Education
LAUSD chief signals desire to limit teacher job protections and change funding rules -- Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner has yet to lay out his plans to help the nation’s second-largest school district shore up its finances and improve its academics. But on Thursday, in a speech to an invitation-only audience, he gave strong signals that he might fight to place some limits on job protections for teachers and to get Sacramento to change the way it determines funding. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
Most districts complying with California’s sex ed law, but resistance remains -- For months, parents, grandparents and concerned residents have packed meetings of the Orange County Board of Education to express alarm over stories they’ve heard, including that students in sex education classes are being taught how to use sex toys and given links to explicit internet sites. David Washburn EdSource -- 9/14/18
Environment
Redwoods Are Dealing With Climate Change Better Than You Might Expect -- It’s not all doom and gloom at California Gov. Jerry Brown’s Global Climate Action Summit this week in San Francisco. Redwoods are dealing with warming temperatures in a positive way. Ezra David Romero Capital Public Radio -- 9/14/18
Also . . .
Charges upheld against L.A. social workers in death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez -- A Los Angeles County judge on Thursday denied a motion to dismiss child abuse and other charges against four social workers in the killing of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, concluding that the Palmdale boy’s death had been “foreseeable.” Richard Winton and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/14/18
Family of ‘Penny-Pincher Bandit’ suspect fatally shot by LAPD files claim against city -- Family members of a robbery suspect who was apparently unarmed when he was fatally shot by undercover Los Angeles police detectives in North Hollywood have filed a wrongful death claim against the city. Brenda Gazzar in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/14/18
Stanislaus Supervisor Olsen arrested in Sacramento County on suspicion of DUI -- Stanislaus County Supervisor Kristin Olsen was arrested by the California Highway Patrol in Sacramento County on Wednesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence. Deke Farrow and Kevin Valine in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/14/18
Daly City family sues police in death of man held down, tased by police in his home -- Family members of a 34-year-old man who died after getting tased by a police officer inside his home filed a civil suit Thursday against the Daly City Police Department, months after officers were cleared of wrongdoing, according to court records. Lauren Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/14/18
VW Is Halting Production of Its Iconic Beetle -- Herbie is going on hiatus. Volkswagen AG is ending worldwide production of its iconic Beetle, the model once so popular in North America that it prompted the German automaker to build its first factory on the continent in the 1960s. The last one will roll off the line from the company’s factory in the state of Puebla, Mexico, in July 2019. Gabrielle Coppola, Christoph Rauwald, and Keith Naughton Bloomberg -- 9/14/18
POTUS 45
Trump says it’s not fair to count thousands of Hurricane Maria deaths. Researchers say he’s wrong -- President Donald Trump on Thursday dissed Puerto Rico’s official death toll from Hurricane Maria, claiming it was unfair to include thousands of deaths reported in the aftermath of the storm. But federal guidance and independent researchers say it’s standard practice to include deaths that occur months or even years after a natural disaster. Matthew Choi Politico -- 9/14/18
Beltway
Manafort hearing delayed again amid reports plea deal is near -- A federal judge on Thursday again delayed a key pretrial hearing for Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, as news reports said he was close to an agreement to plead guilty in a foreign-lobbying and money-laundering case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. Josh Gerstein and Darren Samuelsohn Politico -- 9/14/18
-- Thursday Updates
Trump is a “liar, criminal, fool” on climate change says California Gov. Jerry Brown -- California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday opened an international climate summit by saying that history will not remember President Donald Trump well when it comes to his actions pushing for more coal power and looser pollution standards for power plants and vehicles. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/13/18
Cities, states and businesses want to cancel out Trump's climate rollbacks. But how much pollution can they actually cut? -- Two years ago, California and the federal government were close partners in the battle against climate change. Today, the state is at the center of a more fractured coalition. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/13/18
Protesters gathering in San Francisco, say climate change leaders not doing enough -- Hundreds of demonstrators crowded the streets of downtown San Francisco Thursday morning, banging drums and chanting as they called on local and world leaders at the Global Climate Action Summit to do more to address climate change and pollution. Ashley McBride and Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/13/18
CalPERS hired a CEO without a college degree. Now the public pension fund is explaining why -- Marcie Frost did not claim to have a college degree when she applied to lead the California Public Employees’ Retirement System in 2016. She emphasized it in blue ink, writing “not degreed yet” in a box that asked about her education. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/13/18
Feinstein sends mysterious tip about Kavanaugh to federal investigators -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein sent information she received about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to federal investigators, she said Thursday, even as she refused to reveal details about the tip. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ Casey Tolan and Tracey Kaplan in the San Jose Mercury$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/13/18
It's not just Trump — California voters can thank themselves for the state's relevancy in this November's midterm election -- Hey, California voter, way to go! People may say you’re sun-baked, a bit too laid back and, when it comes to picking presidents, largely irrelevant. But thanks to you, the state is sitting dead center in the November fight for control of Congress. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/13/18
Trump rebuked after questioning number of deaths attributed to Hurricane Maria -- President Trump drew widespread rebukes Thursday — including from several fellow Republicans — after falsely claiming that the number of deaths attributable to Hurricane Maria had been inflated by Democrats to “make me look as bad as possible.” John Wagner and Joel Achenbach in the Washington Post$ -- 9/13/18