Updating . .
Workers waiting ‘on call’ must be paid, court rules -- Employees who are required to stay “on call” before the start of a possible work shift — phoning their employer two hours before the shift to learn whether they’re needed — are entitled to be paid for that two-hour period regardless of whether they’re called in to work, a state appeals court ruled Monday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
Vallejo officer on leave after video shows him pulling a gun, detaining a man filming him -- A Vallejo, Calif., police officer has been placed on administrative leave and is facing a lawsuit after a video showed him pulling his gun on a motorcyclist and then forcefully detaining another man for recording the incident on his phone. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/19
Barack Obama and Stephen Curry to headline 3-day Oakland event -- Former President Barack Obama, Warriors star Stephen Curry and singer John Legend are headlining a three-day event in Oakland this month. The Obama Foundation announced Tuesday the trio will all be speakers at the first national convention for the former president's My Brother's Keeper Alliance. Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
San Francisco Transit boss catches heat for Muni rush hour breakdown -- A Muni switch failure that caused major delays Tuesday morning drew a scalding rebuke from the chair of San Francisco’s transit board, who said it pointed to larger problems with the bus and rail system. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
Can the canisters filled with San Onofre's nuclear waste be opened if damaged? Definitely maybe -- A key element of the plan to store nuclear waste on the beach at San Onofre -- at least until policymakers agree on a more permanent location -- is what’s known as the rule of retrievability. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/5/19
California elections officials will investigate whether DMV voter registration errors changed the outcome of races -- Faced with evidence that some voter registration forms weren’t properly filed by California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, state officials will now investigate whether any votes were wrongly rejected and whether the final results in any sstate or local races should be reconsidered. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/19
Did costs for past PG&E problems end up in consumers’ bills? -- PG&E is back in bankruptcy court facing billions of dollars in anticipated liability claims over wildfires sparked by its equipment, the latest in a series of costly fiascoes involving the beleaguered utility that have left state officials fuming and ratepayers bracing for higher bills. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/5/19
Oakland teachers vote to authorize strike over pay, class size -- Oakland teachers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, ratcheting up their dispute with administrators of the financially troubled district over wages and class sizes, the union said Monday. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
This corner of California is suffering economic misery despite boom all around it -- As California has rebounded from the Great Recession, the Imperial Valley has largely defied attempts to expand its economy beyond seasonal farming and government work, and the county continues to suffer the highest unemployment rates in the state. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/19
For people who call vehicles home, San Francisco supe wants to provide safe haven -- Tony Lawrence has been parking his Chevy RV all over San Francisco for three years, always staying one step ahead of police. And if the city wants to give him a place to keep his rig in peace without the threat of tickets, he might be fine with that. Kevin Fagan and Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
Knight: Mayor’s call for housing seeks to speed glacial pace -- She proposed a charter amendment for the November ballot that would make it easier to build 100 percent affordable housing projects — teacher housing included. If a proposed project fit the city’s zoning regulations and other requirements, it would get the green light. There would be no appeal, no way for angry neighbors to block it. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
San Jose: Mayor in talks with Elon Musk’s Boring Company -- San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has been in talks with Elon Musk’s Boring Company about the possibility of creating an underground tunnel between Diridon Station and Mineta San Jose International Airport. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/5/19
New scale to rank atmospheric river storms like hurricanes -- They are giant conveyor belts of water in the sky, moisture-rich storms that roll in from the Pacific Ocean a few times a year to fill California’s reservoirs, blanket the Sierra Nevada with snow and sometimes cause deadly flooding and mudslides. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/5/19
Valley Fever cases in California continue to increase -- Simply passing through an area with Valley Fever and breathing in a small number of spores can lead to an infection of the lungs with flu-like symptoms. About half of the infections produce no symptoms, but in a few cases, the infection can spread from the lungs to the brain, bones, skin or eyes, causing blindness, skin abscesses, lung failure and, occasionally, death. Ted Andersen in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
Democrats took the House. Now they want to save California’s clean car rules from Trump -- For two years California Democrats have battled President Donald Trump on climate change with lawsuits from Sacramento. Now they’re challenging Trump on greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from their newly empowered positions in the House majority. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California Attorney General Refuses to Release Police Misconduct Files Despite New Law -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's office has rejected a request to release misconduct files about law enforcement agents that work for his department. That's despite new state legislation requiring agencies that employ sworn officers to publicly release disciplinary records involving sexual assault, dishonesty and serious use of force. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 2/5/19
“America’s love affair with firearms has got to end:” Democrats vow new gun control package -- California already has 109 laws on the books that regulate the use of firearms, more gun-control rules than any other state. More, it seems, are on the way. Ben Christopher Calmatters Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee Nadine Sebai Capital Public Radio Katie Orr KQED -- 2/5/19
California Lawmakers Wage New Battle With Dialysis Industry -- An effort to limit dialysis company profits is back. A new bill from Democratic Assemblymember Jim Wood could limit how much profit dialysis companies make in reimbursement rates after treating patients. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill last year. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 2/5/19
$3 billion is needed to address California's doctor shortage, task force says -- California lawmakers will need to grant nurse practitioners across the state more autonomy, increase opportunities to study medicine and expand doctor training programs in order to avoid a looming healthcare crisis, according to a report released Monday by the California Future Health Workforce Commission. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/19
Sen. Bill Dodd proposes California wildfire warning center -- After four consecutive years of catastrophic wildfires, Napa Democratic Sen. Bill Dodd wants to establish a California wildfire warning center that would allow officials to turn off power and better position firefighting crews during extreme heat and high winds. Judy Lin Calmatters -- 2/5/19
New Leader Of Congressional Task Force On San Onofre Safety Says Nuclear Power Risks Too Great -- The former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission now says the risks involved with nuclear power are just too great. Greg Jaczko headed the NRC during both the Fukushima nuclear accident and the initial shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Brooke Ruth, Maureen Cavanaugh KPBS -- 2/5/19
Amid CHP overtime fraud probe, Caltrans orders audit of highway funds used to pay officers -- The director of Caltrans has ordered a state audit of expenditures tied to the protection of the agency’s work crews by California Highway Patrol units after a CHP investigation uncovered evidence of fraudulent overtime among its officers. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/19
California bill allowing San Francisco safe injection site reintroduced -- If passed, it would allow San Francisco to operate a safe injection site for three years in an effort to further the city’s public health goals, coax addicts into treatment and tamp down on the rampant open-air drug use that has pervaded the city’s streets and sidewalks. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Tesla acquires San Diego's Maxwell Technologies for $218 million -- Founded in 1965, Maxwell makes ultracapacitors. These battery-like devices store power and release it in short bursts. They are used in hybrid electric buses, for example, to power the motor after each stop. They're also used in wind turbines to control blade pitch and prevent blades from spinning too fast. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/5/19
Report: California’s creative economy generates $604.9 billion annually, but wage gaps persist -- California’s creative industries pack a powerful economic punch and Los Angeles County is leading the way, according to a report from Otis College of Art & Design. The 2019 report, prepared by Beacon Economics, shows that creative industries throughout the state support 2.6 million jobs, $227.8 billion in labor income and $604.9 billion in annual economic output. One million of those jobs represent workers directly employed in creative industries and the other 1.6 million are jobs indirectly generated by those sectors. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/5/19
Homeless
San Diego set to repeal law prohibiting homeless people from living in cars -- Advocates for homeless people say it could be a key step toward ending the local criminalization of homelessness. They hope the repeal is permanent but they expressed concerns that city officials plan to soon propose a revised version of the law that could be more legally sound. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/5/19
San Joaquin, Sacramento Counties To Receive Federal, State Funding To House Homeless -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding $19 million to Sacramento and $4.3 million to San Joaquin in what’s called the Continuum of Care Program to end homelessness. That money will go toward continuing to pay for apartments and temporary housing for homeless people and families. Rich Ibarra Capital Public Radio -- 2/5/19
Housing
Details Emerge on San Jose's $100 Million Pledge to Build More Affordable Housing -- Roughly half of the funding comes from loan repayments from previous affordable housing projects; the other half from inclusionary housing fees that market rate developers are required to pay. Rachael Myrow KQED -- 2/5/19
Wildfire
Wildfire victims living in RVs ordered to leave properties -- Hundreds of Northern California wildfire victims desperate for housing and living in recreational vehicles on their burned-out lots were ordered off their properties Monday after federal authorities threatened to cut off funding for the state’s biggest natural disaster cleanup. Paul Elias Associated Press -- 2/5/19
Education
Oakland teachers vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike -- Following in the footsteps of Los Angeles teachers, the Oakland teachers’ union on Monday announced its members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, after unsuccessful negotiations over pay hikes, class sizes and additional support staff. Theresa Harrington EdSource -- 2/4/19
San Diego Unified Holds Off On Plan That Would Increase Special Education Caseloads -- San Diego Unified has agreed to temporarily hold off on a plan that would increase the caseload of some special education teachers. The news came as about 60 people gathered at the district office to protest Monday. Megan Burks KPBS -- 2/5/19
Environment
Climate groups in San Diego join nationwide push for Green New Deal — local members of congress react -- Climate change groups around the country have recently ramped up pressure on Congress to adopt a “Green New Deal” — legislation that would, among other things, pump federal funding into renewable energy to fight climate change and create jobs. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/5/19
Also . . .
Pepper spray is used too frequently on L.A. juvenile detainees, report says -- Officers engaged in inappropriate and avoidable uses of pepper spray to subdue detainees in Los Angeles County juvenile detention facilities in recent years, sometimes violating their own rules mandating its use as a last resort, according to a report issued Monday. Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/19
Newsom’s newbies: Where you can eat, drink in Sacto -- On to food and drink. There are some things we have a lot of, such as third-wave coffee, craft beer and gluten. We are somewhat lacking in categories that you may be used to encountering, such as natural wine, gluten-free items and lines. We don’t wait in lines much around here. Becky Grunewald Capitol Weekly -- 2/5/19
Is Oregon’s new whale license plate cooler than California’s? -- California motorists may soon see a stylish new specialty license plate on the roads featuring a gray whale swimming in the ocean. They can’t buy one unless they move to Oregon. But marine biologists say proceeds from the plate will help boost California’s environment and its tourism industry. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/4/19
POTUS 45
Trump Inaugural Committee Ordered to Hand Over Documents to Federal Investigators -- Escalating one of the investigations into President Trump’s inaugural committee, federal prosecutors ordered on Monday that its officials turn over documents about donors, finances and activities, according to two people familiar with the inquiry. Maggie Haberman and Ben Protess in the New York Times Rosalind S. Helderman and Michael Kranish in the Washington Post -- 2/5/19
California attorney general to take on Trump, in Spanish -- He has sued the Trump administration more than 40 times, over everything from the separation of migrant families to fuel economy standards. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
Beltway
Harder brings walnut farmer from Hughson to State of the Union. He’s a Republican -- The new congressman noted in a news release Monday that Casazza is a “lifelong Republican” whose business is affected by tariffs of the sort that Trump has imposed, notably on China. John Holland in the Modesto Bee -- 2/5/19
Here are the guests Southern California lawmakers are bringing to State of the Union address -- This year’s State of the Union guests from the Democrat-heavy California delegation include a woman who lost her home to a wildfire and her income to last month’s federal government shutdown, President Donald Trump’s former housekeeper, and undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children. Jeff Horseman in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 2/5/19
'They basically have nothing to do’: Trio of Republicans face life in exile -- Duncan Hunter, Chris Collins and Steve King are on the sidelines after being stripped of their committee assignments. Melanie Zanona Politico -- 2/5/19
Kamala Harris says she’ll vote against all of President Trump’s judge picks -- Sen. Kamala Harris is accusing President Trump of using his judicial appointments to weaken the rights of groups such as immigrants and transgender soldiers, and says she will vote against all of his nominees to the federal courts. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/19
Path to Trump’s Border Wall Narrows as Republicans Balk at Emergency Declaration -- President Trump’s legislative path to a border wall has narrowed significantly on the eve of Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, and his fallback plan to circumvent Congress by declaring a state of emergency could create a major division in his own party. Glenn Thrush and Emily Cochrane in the New York Times -- 2/5/19
-- Monday Updates
Deported Oakland nurse to be Barbara Lee guest at Trump’s State of the Union -- Maria Mendoza-Sanchez fought for 16 months to return to Oakland and be reunited with her family after being deported to Mexico under President Trump’s hardline immigration policies. On Tuesday, she’ll get a chance to face him in person. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/4/19
California lawmakers form gun-violence working group after meeting with Gabrielle Giffords -- Sixteen California lawmakers met Monday with former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who was gravely wounded in a 2011 mass shooting, and agreed to form a working group to develop and pass gun control laws that can serve as a model for other states and the nation. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/4/19
Mistrial declared for white supremacist accused of assault in 2016 Capitol brawl -- After days of testimony before Sacramento Superior Court Judge Stacy Boulware Eurie and days more deliberation, jurors at 9:17 a.m. Monday declared they were hopelessly deadlocked in the trial of William Scott Planer. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/4/19
San Diego launches bipartisan plan to welcome immigrants -- San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a Republican, will announce on Monday a new position in his office to carry out a five-year plan to make the city more welcoming to immigrants. Kate Morrissey in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/4/19
All too often, California’s default mental institutions are now jails and prisons -- Jeffrey Jurgens stood in a cage in an orange jumpsuit, screaming that he was Jesus Christ. From her seat in the Sacramento courtroom, his mother watched through tears. Jocelyn Wiener Calmatters -- 2/4/19
Bay Area restaurant workers collect lost wages as California strengthens protections -- Gordo Taqueria, which has five popular locations around the Bay Area, has agreed to pay its workers $690,000 in a class-action lawsuit involving allegations of wage violations. Jonathan Kauffman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/4/19
California to thrash out gig worker status in upcoming bills -- Gig worker or employee? California will wrestle with that question this year with efforts under way in Sacramento to either codify or limit a groundbreaking state Supreme Court decision issued in April. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/4/19
At beach overrun by elephant seals, visitors get an, ahem, intimate view of the giant mammals -- A colony of elephant seals that took over a beach at Point Reyes National Seashore while the federal government was shut down is not giving up its new digs. The giant mammals are getting comfortable. Really comfortable. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/4/19
Hate crimes go up in San Francisco -- More hate crimes were reported last year in San Francisco than in any year in the past decade. The uptick is part of a national trend of racial and anti-Semitic attacks linked by some experts to the public emergence of white supremacists and other hate groups. Lauren Hernández and Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/4/19
Trump’s response to concerns about his handling of race relations sends a clear message -- Since the days before he entered the White House, Donald Trump’s critics have called him racist because of his controversial comments and policy ideas. Even some of his supporters have deemed him “racially insensitive.” Eugene Scott in the Washington Post -- 2/4/19
Spread of measles from other states puts California at risk, doctors warned -- California’s public health officials are alerting doctors and other medical providers to be on the lookout for measles after first New York state and now nearby Washington state wrestle with a wily virus that health experts say can cause deafness and autism in its survivors. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/4/19
'Tijuana Trump' fends off critics -- Just as Trump wins support among a specific segment of the U.S. population when he uses inflammatory rhetoric, there are certain segments of the population in Tijuana that Gastélum has been able to mobilize by playing to their fears of migrant populations, Espinosa said. Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/4/19
Quinn: Kamala Harris is the New George McGovern -- Shades of the past. Kamala Harris is setting up the Democrats to repeat history and lose a perfectly winnable election. In a throwaway line in her first television interview Harris called for ridding 180 million Americans of the private health insurance they find perfectly acceptable. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 2/4/19
A big leak rattles the White House -- The big picture: White House insiders said the leak sowed chaos. Cliff Sims, the former White House official who wrote the dishy "Team of Vipers," told me: "There are leaks, and then there are leaks. If most are involuntary manslaughter, this was premeditated murder. People inside are genuinely scared." Mike Allen Axios -- 2/4/19
Howard Schultz may run for president and here's why it will likely end in failure -- Howard Schultz, who turned Starbucks into an international hot-beverage behemoth, is brewing up a possible run for president, and, no, that’s not the last bad coffee pun you will hear between now and when he decides. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/4/19