Updating . .
California paves way for possible petition drive for initiative that would cancel bullet train -- The group behind the failed gas-tax repeal effort was given state approval Thursday to begin collecting signatures for a new initiative to cancel the high-speed rail project and revamp state transportation funding. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Fire-scarred California just got a new wake-up call: Mud flow risk is high --The wildfires are out. But a new winter menace looms in the fire-scarred hills of California. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/18
Single migrant trying to swim from Tijuana to U.S. sets off major cross-border response -- Authorities in San Diego launched two helicopters and at least one rescue boat late Thursday night to investigate a report — which ultimately turned out to be unfounded — of about a dozen people struggling in the ocean near the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said. Alex Riggins and Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/18
Stem cell funding’s ‘valley of death’ -- The California stem cell agency this week is tooting a $150 million horn and heralding its efforts to assist stem cell businesses with development of therapies that could ease the travails of everything from cancer to blindness. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 11/30/18
Former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus surrenders to begin serving three-year sentence -- Former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus surrendered in court Friday to begin serving his three-year sentence for convictions in the Colonies and Assessor’s Office corruption cases. Joe Nelson in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 11/30/18
Payless Pranks LA Fashion Influencers With $640 Shoes -- Every brand wants to be hot with influencers talking them up on social media. That includes Payless. To promote its wares, the bargain brand lured fans of high fashion to a fake store, named Palessi, and sold them Payless shoes, which mostly retail for $20 to $35, for between $200 and $600. That's an 1,800 percent markup, if you're doing the math. Mike Roe laist -- 11/30/18
Your county’s favorite? Where state props succeeded and failed across California -- Skim how California voted on various ballot propositions—”yes” to more borrowing for affordable housing, “no” to the gas tax repeal, “yay” for bigger chicken cages—and you might think people across the state feel pretty much the same way about these things. Which, of course, they don’t. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 11/30/18
H-1B shift may favor tech companies -- The Trump administration proposed a change to the H-1B program Friday that could make it harder for Indian outsourcing firms to hire workers from overseas, while helping large Bay Area tech companies bring highly skilled foreigners to their headquarters. Melia Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California’s late votes broke big for Democrats. Here’s why GOP was surprised -- California Democrats took advantage of seemingly minor changes in a 2016 law to score their stunningly successful midterm election results, providing a target for GOP unhappiness that is tinged with a bit of admiration. John Wildermuth and Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/18
GOP cries foul after California thumping -- A growing chorus of Republicans are casting doubts about the integrity of the voting system in California, where the party lost at least six House seats in the midterm election — including a handful where the GOP at first appeared to have emerged victorious on election night. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 11/30/18
Those flipped House seats created a visible Dem wave—but big blue shifts also lurked beneath the surface -- No doubt you’ve heard about the blue wave: the electoral tsunami of left-of-center enthusiasm that slammed into California on election day, flipping seven of 14 GOP-held congressional districts to the Democrats. But that was just the wave’s frothy cap. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 11/30/18
Historic voter turnout in California fueled by anti-Trump sentiment -- Californians showed up to vote in historic numbers this fall, with the state likely to post its highest turnout for a non-presidential election in nearly four decades. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/1
One lesson from Bauman’s resignation? #MeToo isn’t going away -- The resignation of California Democratic Party chairman Eric Bauman comes at a particularly emotional moment in California politics—on the heels of historic wins for Democrats and after a year of bipartisan reckoning over the apparent culture of sexual bullying within the political class. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 11/30/18
California Democrats face a reckoning about the party's culture and procedures after the resignation of their leader -- Days before the November election in which California Democrats expanded their dominion over the state with sweeping victories in almost every electoral battleground, a handful of people inside the party’s inner circle knew of a problem that would ultimately topple their leader. John Myers , Phil Willon and Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
State legislator calls for resignation of bullet train chairman -- Assembly Transportation Chairman Jim Frazier said California High Speed Rail Authority Chairman Dan Richard should step down after a hearing on the audit, which asserts the state wasted billions of dollars because of poor management. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Political Breakdown: Matt Shupe -- Matt Shupe joins to discuss his work on John Cox's gubernatorial campaign, the story behind Trump's endorsement, moving his consultancy to the Bay Area, and what's next for the party. Marisa Lagos, Scott Shafer KQED -- -- 11/30/18
California senators ask Congress for $9 billion for wildfire recovery -- California needs just more than $9 billion in disaster aid to recover from this fall’s wildfires, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris said in a letter to colleagues Thursday. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Newsom says stranded migrants need more help from all levels of government -- After meeting with advocates for asylum seekers and visiting an immigration detention center Thursday, Governor-elect Gavin Newsom spoke of the need for greater urgency and support from the state, local and federal governments in addressing the current humanitarian crisis at the border. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 11/30/18
Could this obscure California agency derail Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels? -- As Gov. Jerry Brown leaves office, his controversial Delta tunnels plan is on the ropes. Ryan Sabalow, Alexei Koseff and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
What happens if PG&E goes bankrupt? -- Investigators are massing. Lawsuits are mounting. The death toll in Butte County’s historic Camp Fire stands at 88, so far. Another year, another megafire, another calamity in which faulty Pacific Gas and Electric equipment is a prime suspect. Judy Lin Calmatters -- 11/30/18
Workers at most California businesses soon will have retirement plan options -- A new state-sponsored savings plan let Lorenzo Harris offer his workers something he’s long wanted to give them: A way to sock away money for retirement. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/18
An African American farmer's Central Valley dream -- When his mother’s health was declining, Dennis Hutson moved to Allensworth in California’s Central Valley. The town, founded in 1908, was created on the principle that African Americans could own property, run their own town and live peacefully while pursuing the American dream. Population 471, the town is now just 5% African American. Gabriel Scarlett in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Faraday Future dealt potentially crippling blow while almost out of cash -- Struggling California EV startup Faraday Future was dealt a potentially crippling blow on Thursday, according to a press release from its main investor and confirmed by a person familiar with the matter. Sean O'Kane The Verge -- 11/30/18
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
More Pot Revenues May Start Flowing in California -- When voters legalized recreational marijuana in California through Proposition 64, many expected a windfall of tax revenue. That hasn’t quite panned out yet, but some more money could start flowing into the state budget next fiscal year — and the wrangling over how to spend it is already beginning. Katie Orr KQED -- 11/30/18
Homeless
Benioff puts up $6.1 million to subsidize rents for San Francisco’s formerly homeless -- Weighing in once again on San Francisco’s homeless problem, tech billionaire Marc Benioff will announce Thursday that he is donating $6.1 million to turn an infamously seedy, long-shuttered Tenderloin hotel into housing for formerly homeless people. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/18
Wildfire
PG&E Regulator to Weigh Restructuring Utility After Deadly Fire -- California’s top energy regulator isn’t sure how to fix PG&E Corp. As protesters chanted "No bailout" at a public meeting Thursday, California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker said the company “lacks a clear vision for safety” and will face a sweeping review following the deadliest wildfire in state history. Mark Chediak Bloomberg J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/18
California orders safety upgrades at PG&E amid Camp Fire scrutiny -- PG&E Corp., under intense scrutiny over its possible role in starting the Camp Fire, was ordered by California regulators Thursday to overhaul its corporate culture to improve public safety. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/18
35 families sue PG&E for Camp Fire losses -- As Walter Heard raced home under dark skies and past a field on fire next to his house in Paradise the morning of Nov. 8, he thought, “Oh no, not again.” He had lost the same residence to a blaze in 2014, one he alleges was the fault of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/30/18
Deputy's body cam captures harrowing escape from deadly Northern California fire -- “Everything was engulfed in flames around us,” Parmley said. “It was hard to see, and hard to breathe. “I thought that was where I was going to die.” Some of the nurses called their loved ones to say goodbye. Minutes passed. Parmley’s body cam video revealed a landscape drenched in darkness and flame. Giant embers rained on the roadway, and both sides of the road glowed red. Rong-Gong Lin II and Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle Rong-Gong Lin II and Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Authorities End Search Efforts in Paradise, California -- The search for dead in the wildfire-ravaged town of Paradise, California, has come to an end. With the death toll at 88, authorities said they have now looked everywhere they can for identifiable human remains and expect to reopen parts of the town, decimated by the 153,000-acre Camp Fire earlier this month, to survivors by next week. Erin Ailworth in the Wall Street Journal$ Lauren Hernández and Ashley McBride in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/18
DNA Technology Helping As Sacramento County Works To Identify Camp Wildfire Victims -- Authorities have found 88 people dead in the Camp wildfire, but the identities of some of the deceased are still unknown. Sacramento County has been helping to identify the remains because its Coroner’s office was the closest facility with the capacity to process the fire’s mass casualties. “Burn victims are one of the hardest types of victims to identify,” County Coroner Kim Gin said. Pauline Bartolone Capital Public Radio -- 11/30/18
California floods recede after storms in wildfire burn areas -- After fleeing a wildfire that came dangerously close to his Northern California home earlier this month, Dale Word evacuated again when flash floods inundated roads and trapped motorists and residents. Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press Hannah Fry and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times Vincent Moleski and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/18
Mudslide shuts down Highway 38 near Forest Falls in San Bernardino Mountains -- Flowing mud trapped cars and their drivers in the San Bernardino Mountains Thursday as a rainstorm swept through the region. In one car overtaken by a mud flow in the area of Valley of the Falls Drive and Highway 38 near Forest Falls in the mountains left one stuck driver “freaking out,” according to California Highway Patrol reports from the scene. Richard K. De Atley and Robert Gundran in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 11/30/18
Immigration, Border, Deportation
Trump administration is preparing to extend troops' stay on the border -- Pentagon officials are considering whether to keep U.S. troops along the southwest border an additional 45 days, potentially extending a controversial mission to assist the Border Patrol into next year, U.S. officials said. David S. Cloud in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Hundreds of caravan migrants begin moving to new shelter after Thursday's downpour -- Thursday’s downpour turned Tijuana’s outdoor migrant shelter into a mud pile and by nightfall, officials began transporting hundreds of people onto buses to a facility 11 miles further away from the border. Wendy Fry, Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/18
Daunted by U.S. border, some caravan migrants seek asylum in Mexico — for now -- Their dreams, as they marched north, were of America, with plentiful jobs, good schools and protections from violence and threats back home. But the future, for the time being, has become this sprawling border city, where hourly wages hover near $2.50, educational opportunities are lacking, and extreme poverty makes muggings and kidnappings a constant threat. Antonio Olivo in the Washington Post -- 11/30/18
3 dead, 8 injured when Border Patrol uses spike strip to stop fleeing pickup on I-8 near Boulevard -- Three people were killed and eight were injured when a pickup fleeing from Border Patrol agents hit a spike strip, veered onto an embankment and rolled Thursday afternoon on westbound Interstate 8 near Boulevard, authorities said. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/18
Education
Many University Of California Students Are Still Going Hungry -- The University of California, one of the premiere public university systems in the nation and one that boasts 65 Nobel prize winners, enrolls thousands of students who don't have enough to eat. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez laist -- 11/30/18
In limbo, DACA students look to Congress again for help -- The imminent Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives is renewing hope that undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children will get some permanent relief from the ongoing threat of deportation. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 11/29/18
Also . . .
Oakland police officer fired, others suspended after high-speed chase -- The incident began at a gas station where officers began pursuing a vehicle with a “known juvenile” and two passengers they believed to be armed. The pursuit ended after the fleeing vehicle struck at least three other vehicles and ultimately crashed. One of the passengers suffered injuries that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/18
San Bernardino County prosecutors clear Barstow officers in shooting of black man at wheel of Mustang -- Prosecutors Thursday declined to charge four Barstow police officers who fatally shot a black man while he was at the wheel of a car, finding that they reasonably used deadly force to protect their lives when the vehicle clipped one of them. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Family of Trader Joe's manager who was fatally shot by police sues city and two LAPD officers -- John Taylor, an attorney for the Corados, said the family sued because the Police Department has not provided the family with all of the video it has of the shooting. “We have gotten nothing from the city of Los Angeles,” he said. “The lawyers do not respond to us. The officials ignore us. We now are going to get the help of the court system.” Javier Panzar and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
State liquor enforcer and consultant plead guilty to shaking down Koreatown bars -- Seo, who became a consultant for bar owners after a stint in the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, admitted to paying thousands of dollars in bribes to Salao. Salao, an ABC supervisor who oversaw operations in Koreatown until he left the agency last year, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy. Joel Rubin and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
Swastikas spray-painted on famed African American mural in Crenshaw, police say -- No suspects are in custody, and Lee described the vandalism as an “isolated incident.” The case is being investigated as a possible hate crime, and officers are canvassing the area for witnesses or surveillance video, Lee said. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
L.A. considers raising speed limits on more than 100 miles of streets -- The dilemma stems from a decades-old California law designed to protect drivers from speed traps, which requires cities to post speed limits that reflect the natural speed of traffic. If a speed limit is too low, or if it is more than 7 years old, the police can’t use radar guns or other electronic devices to write speeding tickets there. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/18
POTUS 45
Cohen Pleads Guilty and Details Trump’s Involvement in Moscow Tower Project -- Donald J. Trump was more involved in discussions over a potential Russian business deal during the presidential campaign than previously known, his former lawyer Michael D. Cohen said Thursday in pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Mr. Trump’s associates pursued the project as the Kremlin was escalating its election sabotage effort meant to help him win the presidency. Mark Mazzetti, Benjamin Weiser, Ben Protess and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times -- 11/30/18
How a Lawyer, a Felon and a Russian General Chased a Moscow Trump Tower Deal -- When Donald J. Trump took a run at building a tower in Moscow in the middle of his 2016 presidential campaign, it was the high point of a decades-long effort to plant the “Trump” flag there. Mike McIntire, Megan Twohey and Mark Mazzetti in the New York Times -- 11/30/18
‘Individual 1’: Trump emerges as a central subject of Mueller probe -- In two major developments this week, President Trump has been labeled in the parlance of criminal investigations as a major subject of interest, complete with an opaque legal code name: “Individual 1.” Carol D. Leonnig and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post -- 11/30/18
Beltway
Ex-FBI director Comey asks court to quash Republican congressional subpoena -- Former FBI Director James Comey asked a federal judge on Thursday to quash a congressional subpoena from Republicans on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee who are trying to compel him to testify behind closed doors about his decision-making ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Sarah N. Lynch Reuters -- 11/30/18
-- Thursday Updates
California Democratic Party leader Eric Bauman to resign following accusations of sexual misconduct -- California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, leader of one of the most influential political forces in the nation, said Thursday he intended to resign after allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior toward party staff members and activists. Phil Willon and Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/29/18
Gavin Newsom calls for resignation of California Democratic Party chairman -- Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom is calling for the resignation of California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman over charges of sexual misconduct. “Sexual harassment shouldn’t be tolerated — no person or party, no matter how powerful, is above accountability,” spokesman Nathan Click said in a statement. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee Taryn Luna and Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/29/18
How Newsom's big win gives him a mandate on health care -- Riding a blue wave to a margin of victory larger than any first-term California governor has had in nearly 90 years, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom has a strong mandate to establish the nation's first universal health care system, political strategists and health care advocates say. Angela Hart Politico -- 11/29/18
California lawmakers move to ban flavored tobacco -- Six California lawmakers will push for a ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, as well as other flavored tobacco products, in order to curb the usage of those products by young people. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/29/18
CA120: Republicans picked a bad time to stop winning elections -- The 2018 election should have been a breeze for California Republicans. But three simultaneous forces, all moving toward Democrats, blew those prospects away. While one might think things can only get better for the GOP, there are some serious short- and mid-term obstacles to their recovery. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 11/29/18
Democrat Garcetti, Eyeing 2020, Faults His Party on Immigration -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said his fellow Democrats are spending too much time “yelling back” at President Donald Trump over his inflammatory rhetoric on immigration instead of making a case for how immigrants strengthen the country. Sahil Kapur Bloomberg -- 11/29/18
Paul Ryan isn’t saying there was voter fraud in California. But . . . -- Outgoing House Speaker Paul D. Ryan suggested Thursday that the stream of post-Election Day Republican losses in California was suspect at best, piling on to growing claims from the right that the way the state counts ballots is somehow improper. Colby Itkowitz in the Washington Post -- 11/29/18
Paradise police are patrolling a city that no longer exists, with tears and resolve --- Before fire leveled the town of Paradise, Calif., the calls that crackled over Walters’ radio were familiar to every American cop — domestic violence, disturbing the peace, drugs, burglary, vandalism. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/29/18
In California, Houses Burned. So Did the Toxic Chemicals They Contained -- The long, laborious process of returning Paradise and neighboring towns to a safe state will begin next month when crews in masks, Tyvek suits and booties begin combing through every last property in this town that was decimated by wildfire. Their targets are things like burned bottles of bleach, melted cans of paint, and corroded car batteries, which will be tagged and removed. Sarah Maslin Nir in the New York Times -- 11/29/18
State adopts street improvements over 710 tunnel in EIR released Wednesday -- A street-improvement alternative to complete the 710 Freeway gap has been selected over a multibillion-dollar, eight-lane tunnel project, according to the final environmental impact report for the project revealed Wednesday morning in Pasadena. Carol Cormaci in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/29/18
Downtown stretch of I-5 crumbles again, closing lanes. Expect major delays, CHP warns -- The crumbling stretch of Interstate 5 near downtown Sacramento that underwent repeated emergency repairs during the summer once again has multiple lanes and an on-ramp closed after overnight wind and rain caused serious erosion damage, highway officials say. Michael McGough and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/29/18
Southern California home sales decline, hitting lowest level in seven years -- Last month was the third straight month of declines and the 20,752 homes that sold were the lowest for an October since 2011, before the housing market took off on its multi-year upswing. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/29/18
La Jolla gallery charged in $1.3M illegal ivory ring -- A massive ivory trafficking ring has been been broken up at a La Jolla art gallery, and criminal charges filed against the perpetrators, San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott said Wednesday. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/29/18
Fox: No Tunnel for Elon Musk’s “Loop” but the Bullet Train Rolls On -- There is Elon Musk’s electric-powered platforms or skates called the Loop designed to shoot cars or mass transit vehicles holding up to 16 people through tunnels at 150 miles per hour throughout Los Angeles. Yet, a crucial piece of the network through the agonizingly crowded 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass was scuttled because of a lawsuit dealing with state environmental laws. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/29/18
A 9-year-old who couldn’t find Curry 5s for girls wrote Steph Curry. His response is priceless -- Stephen Curry must get, what, a couple hundred fan letters per day? Here’s guessing his screeners are familiar with the obligatory requests for autographs, photos, tickets, golf dates and birthday invites. Gary Peterson in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/29/18