Updating . .
California wants to go carbon-negative. No one knows the cost -- By the middle of this century, Gov. Jerry Brown wants California to pull more greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere every year than it puts in. That vision will almost certainly cost Californians. No one can say how much, however, because no one quite knows how we’ll achieve it. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/15/18
Willie Brown: He took on climate change. Will Michael Bloomberg take on Trump? -- The Global Climate Action Summit may or may not save the planet, but it did serve as a great platform for launching former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s run for president in 2020. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/15/18
Legislation could abolish an embattled Compton water board. But it won't be without a fight -- A Compton water district that could be abolished for delivering brown water is waging an eleventh-hour campaign for its survival. Angel Jennings in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/15/18
In L.A. case, judge rules Trump administration can’t tie anti-gang grants to immigration enforcement -- A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday barring the Trump administration from imposing requirements that local jurisdictions cooperate with immigration agents to receive anti-gang funds. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/15/18
Why sinking San Francisco tower is now a top tourist destination -- Ever since news of its precarious tilt became public in 2016, San Francisco’s Millennium Tower has mortified its owners and entertained just about everyone else. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/15/18
The financial crisis hit 10 years ago. For some, it feels like yesterday -- Katrina Matthews was headed to law school, working part time at a real estate company in Manhattan Beach when the financial crisis hit. “This is a fire I need to put out,” she remembered thinking at the time. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/15/18
Lopez: I did yoga with a goat standing on my back and discovered an L.A. fountain of youth -- When I arrived at goat yoga class Wednesday night, I had two things on my mind. First, I don’t do yoga. Second, I don’t generally hang out with goats. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/15/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
A blizzard of pledges, a planet-scanning satellite: Brown wraps up his climate summit -- Sitting in a quiet hall on Friday, away from the cacophony of the Global Climate Action Summit, state senator Ricardo Lara recalled an experience that brought into high relief something he hadn’t known: California’s policies to decelerate climate change are watched and admired by a global audience. Julie Cart Calmatters Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Jeremy B. White Politico -- 9/15/18
Al Gore rouses San Francisco crowd: 'We are treating the skies as an open sewer for carbon pollution' -- As Hurricane Florence slammed the East Coast and Typhoon Mangkhut hit the Philippines, a thunderous Al Gore told a San Francisco audience climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/15/18
Andrew Gillum tells San Francisco crowd that Dems’ path to White House goes through Florida -- Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, seeking to become Florida’s first African American governor, told a crowd at a San Francisco fundraiser Friday that the Nov. 6 election isn’t just about him. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/15/18
Feinstein foe blasts her handling of Kavanaugh harassment claim -- California state Sen. Kevin de León, the Democratic progressive aggressively challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for reelection, accused her of "gross misconduct" in her handling of a letter by an unnamed woman alleging sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Carla Marinucci Politico Emily Cadei and Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/15/18
Oakland police monitor critical of dramatic drop in reported use of force -- A federal monitor overseeing reforms in the Oakland police department criticized the city’s reported dramatic drop in use of force, finding cases in which officers never reported drawing their guns on citizens, as required by department policy. David DeBolt in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/15/18
Lazarus: Beware of this pitch for Trump, Social Security and 'traditional values' -- Some Southern California seniors are receiving booklets in the mail that paint a stark picture of Social Security, which is said to be in grave danger as “immoral and dishonest” politicians “squander it away, basically bankrupting it.” “Will you help President Trump — a champion for senior Americans — enact new, no-nonsense legislation that would prohibit politicians in Washington from ever reducing the amount of your Social Security check?” the booklet asks. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/15/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Is Disneyland exempt from Anaheim's 'living wage' ballot measure? The debate rages -- When Anaheim voters go to the polls Nov. 6, they will decide whether large hospitality companies that receive a tax rebate from the city will be forced to pay their workers a “living wage.” Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/15/18
CalPERS CEO with no college degree: ‘Integrity’ or ‘sad, sad circus?’ -- A coalition of public employee unions is doubling down on its support for CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost, who has been taking heat for several weeks since a financial blogger drew attention to alleged misrepresentations in Frost’s job application and in a press announcement describing her background. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/15/18
Defying the tides: Four San Francisco projects will test defenses against a growing bay. The steep mesa of dirt that looms where Candlestick Park once stood exemplifies how concerns about climate change and sea level rise are beginning to reshape some of the most valuable land on San Francisco’s waterfront. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/15/18
Politifact CA: Apple offbeat in claim about ‘first’ EKG consumer product -- During the unveiling of the latest Apple watch in San Francisco this week, the company’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams made a claim that’s been described as "alternative facts" by another Silicon Valley CEO and called into question by recent news reports. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 9/15/18
California's gender wage gap is now the narrowest in the country -- According to new statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, women in California are now making 89 cents for every dollar earned by a man. That's up slightly from last year, and it's now the narrowest gender wage gap of any state. David Wagner KPCC -- 9/15/18
In first lawsuit of Mulvaney era, CFPB sues Irvine lender with long list of legal problems -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is accusing an Irvine company of targeting pensioners with high-cost deceptive loans. The case filed in federal court in Santa Ana might not in recent years have garnered much attention, but these days the mere filing of a lawsuit by the agency is noteworthy. James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/15/18
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
State launches investigation into San Jose Water over-billing claims -- A state commission will formally consider whether the San Jose Water Company has over-billed customers by millions of dollars for years. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/15/18
Education
Here’s how Cal State Long Beach, California Secretary of State will work to get college students to the ballot box in November -- California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Cal State Long Beach leaders pledged Friday morning, Sept. 14, to increase turnout among college-aged voters this November. Emily Rasmussen in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 9/15/18
Health
In California, saving teeth and money—one mouth at a time -- At the children’s dental clinic that Dr. John Blake runs in Long Beach, toddlers come in all the time with problems so severe they need root canals. Children as young as 2 or 3 show up with blackened teeth and swollen faces, unable to eat because of the pain and in need of whole mouth restorations. David Gorn Calmatters -- 9/15/18
POTUS 45
'There never is a strategy': Trump confronts twin Manafort and Kavanaugh crises -- President Donald Trump spent Friday confronting the deadly landfall of Hurricane Florence — only to have that disaster eclipsed by the revelation that his former campaign manager cut a cooperation deal with special counsel Robert Mueller and that a growing #MeToo crisis is surrounding his Supreme Court nominee. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 9/15/18
Beltway
Manafort will cooperate with Mueller as part of guilty plea, prosecutor says -- President Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort agreed Friday to provide testimony to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III as part of a plea deal that could answer some of the most critical questions about whether any Americans conspired with Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election. Spencer S. Hsu, Devlin Barrett and Justin Jouvena in the Washington Post$ Sharon LaFraniere and Kenneth P. Vogel in the New York Times$ -- 9/15/18
Manafort plea deal begs key question: What does he know? -- The deal, struck in Washington just days before Manafort was to have faced a second trial, is tied to Ukrainian political consulting work and unrelated to the Trump campaign. But the key question remains what information Manafort, 69, is able to provide about the president and the question of whether the Trump election effort coordinated with Russia. Eric Tucker, Chad Day and Michael Balsamo Associated Press -- 9/15/18
Democrats struggle to make voters care about climate change -- Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris accord and rollback of environmental regulations still haven't given the issue more urgency in the midterms. David Siders Politico -- 9/15/18
-- Friday Updates
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