Updating . .
Scoring the storm: New scale for atmospheric rivers puts Bay Area deluge at nearly ‘Category 4’ -- The series of storms that blasted Northern California this week is being classified as a borderline Category 3-Category 4 atmospheric river — somewhere between strong and extreme, scientists said. The long band of atmospheric moisture dumped as much as 20 inches of rain in parts of the North Bay, flooding roads, stranding at least 1,800 people and cutting off access to the low-lying communities of Guerneville and Monte Rio along the Russian River. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/19
California bills target Trump rollbacks of crackdown on for-profit colleges -- The seven bills would place restrictions on college programs if graduates cannot find good-paying jobs, limit aggressive recruiting measures that target veterans and allow students to recoup more of their costs if their schools shut down. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/19
PG&E Delayed Safety Work on Power Line That Is Prime Suspect in California Wildfire -- For five years, PG&E Corp. repeatedly delayed a safety overhaul of a century-old high-voltage transmission line that is a prime suspect behind the deadliest wildfire in California history. Katherine Blunt and Russell Gold in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/27/19
Rescue teams deployed in Guerneville as flood rises: ‘It’s a complete mess’ -- But with all the roadways leading in and out of the town of Guerneville under water, leaving the tourist town of 4,500 cut off from outside civilization, visitors and residents were flabbergasted when they woke up and found themselves stranded. Peter Fimrite and Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ Haven Daley and Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press -- 2/27/19
Sierra ski resort hits 300 inches of snowfall in February, and that smashed monthly records -- Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort hit 300 inches of snowfall for February, smashing monthly records at the Lake Tahoe area ski resort. David Caraccio in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/27/19
San Francisco startup Revel’s pay practices cost employees nearly $800,000, feds say -- San Francisco software startup Revel Systems has paid nearly $800,000 in back wages to hundreds of employees after an investigation found it had violated fair pay practices, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Melia Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/19
Despite Tensions, Some Oakland Charter School Teachers Join Picket Line in Solidarity -- It's a sentiment heard loudly and clearly on the picket lines of striking teachers throughout Oakland and in the organizing playbook of their union: charter schools are bad news for Oakland's teachers and students. Julia McEvoy, Matthew Green KQED -- 2/27/19
Mother files suit against Democratic donor Ed Buck in overdose death -- The mother of a gay black man who died in the West Hollywood home of Ed Buck has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the longtime Democratic donor, alleging he was a drug dealer who injected her son with a fatal dose of crystal methamphetamine. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
Surrounded: What it’s like to go to school when dozens have been killed nearby -- Jaleyah Collier had just said goodbye to Kevin Cleveland outside a doughnut shop a few blocks from Hawkins High School on a spring afternoon in 2017. Get home safe, she told him before walking away. Minutes later someone drove into an alley nearby, got out of the car and asked Kevin, 17, and two others about their gang affiliation. The gunman then sprayed them with at least 10 rounds, killing Kevin and injuring the others. Sonali Kohli and Iris Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
Assaults on guards in L.A. County juvenile detention increase sharply -- Violence at times erupts with little warning inside Los Angeles County’s juvenile detention halls and camps. That’s what happened one February night two years ago as Edgar Arrondo — then a senior guard at a sprawling facility in Sylmar — walked a teenage detainee to a mental health evaluation. Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
Homeless can only sleep outside Sacramento City Hall at night, council rules -- The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously and without discussion to amend a city ordinance that prohibited people from being on City Hall property from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. unless attending a city hearing or meeting. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/27/19
The price of a typical home in Los Angeles falls to $579,500 -- After years of steady escalation, home prices in Los Angeles County are tapering off, according to a new report from CoreLogic. The real estate data tracker finds that the county’s median home price was $579,500 in January, down slightly from December’s median price of $581,500. Elijah Chiland CurbedLA -- 2/27/19
Commission censures ex-judge who lost attorney general bid -- The unsuccessful Republican nominee for California attorney general last year has been barred from serving on the bench or working with any state court. California’s Commission on Judicial Performance on Wednesday censured former El Dorado County judge Steven Bailey. Associated Press -- 2/27/19
Saying no to the nurses: California Democrats aren’t pushing government-run health care this year -- Many California Democrats say they support single-payer health care, but none introduced a new version of the state’s landmark single-payer bill before a key deadline last week. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/27/19
California’s biggest county could severely restrict solar energy projects -- San Bernardino is California’s largest county by area and a hotbed for the state’s solar industry. But local officials may pump the brakes on solar this week, which developers say could disrupt ambitious climate change policies passed by state lawmakers. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
White House bans four journalists from covering Trump-Kim dinner because of shouted questions -- Reporters from the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, the Los Angeles Times and Reuters were excluded from covering the dinner because of what White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said were “sensitivities over shouted questions in the previous sprays.” Among the questions asked of Trump was one about the congressional testimony of his former lawyer Michael Cohen. Philip Rucker and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 2/27/19
Michael Cohen's most fiery accusations against Trump -- The president's former fixer claims Trump knew about WikiLeaks, used threats to keep his grades secret, and boasted about dodging the draft. Matthew Choi Politico -- 2/27/19
Michael Cohen calls Trump ‘racist,’ ‘con man’ and a ‘cheat’ in House hearing -- Michael Cohen, once among President Trump’s most ardent defenders, turned on him in a combative congressional hearing Wednesday, describing a culture of nonstop lying around Trump involving his alleged mistresses, inflated personal wealth and secret efforts to build Europe’s tallest skyscraper in Moscow. Chris Megerian, Del Quentin Wilber and Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
‘Racist,’ ‘conman’: Cohen assails Trump before Congress -- In a damning depiction of Donald Trump, the president’s former lawyer on Wednesday cast him as a racist and conman who used his inner circle to cover up politically damaging allegations about sex and lied about his business interests in Russia throughout the campaign that sent him to the White House. Mary Clare Jalonick, Eric Tucker and Michael R. Sisak Associated Press -- 2/27/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Russian River reaches flood stage — evacuations ordered -- The second day of a wet and unrelenting storm socked the Bay Area and beyond on Tuesday to drench the North Bay, knock out power to thousands, dump several feet of snow in the Sierra and trigger mandatory evacuations along the Russian River. Peter Fimrite, Michael Cabanatuan and Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Paul Rogers and Mark Gomez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/27/19
‘Get out now’: Fueled, cursed by Russian River, Guerneville evacuates -- Locals who live and work in this little resort town are no strangers to the flooding of the Russian River, but this time, there’s an urgency and awe — and a warning from the Sonoma County Sheriff of an “extreme threat to life and property.” Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/27/19
Gov. Gavin Newsom uses the power of appointments to shape government in his image -- Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted a highly significant but less visible power of his office in his first State of the State speech earlier this month: selecting appointees who can reshape California government in his image and help deliver on his ambitious policy agenda. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
State analysts: Make up your mind on high-speed rail, Gavin -- In a report released Tuesday, the Legislative Analyst Office cautioned against any continued waffling about whether the state should complete its high-speed rail vision of 220-mph trains whisking passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours — a vision voters approved in 2008 under Prop 1A. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/27/19
Walters: GOP dodges bullet, but faces tough future -- The California Republican Party, which has become virtually irrelevant in recent years, had a great opportunity last weekend to commit self-annihilation by electing an unrepentant, Donald Trump-loving right-winger as party chairperson. However, sanity – or reality – prevailed and delegates opted for Jessica Patterson, who has lengthy experience in bread-and-butter politics and promised a “California Republican comeback.” Dan Walters Calmatters -- 2/27/19
New California lawmaker puts his face on Medicare for all – and a target on his back -- Rep. Josh Harder is the only Democrat from a moderate district who will be front and center as House progressives roll out their plan on Medicare for all Wednesday. He’ll also be the only California Democrat and freshman Democrat to speak at the announcement, putting his face on a plan fraught with pitfalls for moderates. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/27/19
Downtown L.A. mural 'shameful act of anti-Semitism,' mayor's office says -- A mural that depicts a Grim Reaper wearing a cloak covered with Stars of David, holding what appears to be a dead baby and a missile, was blasted by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office as a “shameful act of anti-Semitism.” Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
Demonstrators in Orange County's Little Saigon call on Trump to address human rights issues in Vietnam -- Hundreds of people marched and demonstrated in Westminster on Tuesday evening, hoping to bring attention to human rights issues in Vietnam as president Donald Trump visits that country. Kevin Sullivan in the Orange County Register -- 2/27/19
Orange County Is About To Go From 1,200 Places To Vote To 188. Why That Could Be A Good Thing -- The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a switch to vote centers on Tuesday — a move that clears the path for dramatic changes to the way OC residents will cast their ballots starting in 2020. The board vote, which was unanimous, will reduce the county's 1,200 polling places to just 188 vote centers. Jill Replogle laist Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 2/27/19
California AG tries to take back details on police crimes -- California’s attorney general is demanding that a university journalism program return a state list that includes law enforcement officers convicted of crimes in the past decade, saying the information wasn’t meant to be public and shouldn’t have been given out by another agency. Associated Press -- 2/27/19
Alameda County supes vote to overhaul controversial Urban Shield police training program -- Alameda County supervisors voted Tuesday to overhaul the controversial Urban Shield law enforcement training program run by the sheriff’s office, stripping the annual conference — attended by agencies throughout the Bay Area — of trainings that police say were vital. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Peter Hegarty in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/27/19
Feds: U.S. Marine veteran built cocaine pipeline as Mexican drug kingpin -- A U.S. Marine veteran who rose to power as a reputed Mexican drug kingpin has been named in a massive cocaine trafficking indictment in San Diego. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/27/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Faraday Future says hundreds of furloughed employees won’t return to work next week -- Faraday Future has been searching for new funding since last October, when it got into an ugly public fight with its biggest outside investor, Chinese real estate giant Evergrande. Evergrande committed $2 billion to the California-based EV startup at the end of 2017, but Faraday Future spent the first $800 million installment by mid-2018. Sean O'Kane The Verge -- 2/27/19
UPS makes bid to take over former Boeing C-17 plant, create delivery hub that could create 2,500 jobs -- UPS, the package delivery giant, wants to take over the site of the former Boeing C-17 manufacturing plant, potentially bringing thousands of jobs to Long Beach, officials for the Atlanta company said Tuesday, Feb. 26. Chris Haire in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 2/27/19
Homeless
Repeal of vehicle habitation law prompts outcry among San Diego's beach residents -- Residents of San Diego’s beach communities say they are facing a public safety and sanitation crisis because city officials have stopped enforcing a 35-year-old law that made it illegal for people to live inside vehicles. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/27/19
Santa Clara County approves funding to relocate tent encampment and develop “tiny home” community -- With a March 30 deadline for residents of Hope Village, a sanctioned homeless encampment in San Jose, to vacate their site, Santa Clara County Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to relocate the encampment and approved $3.1 million to eventually replace it with a “tiny home” community. Thy Vo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/27/19
A Groundbreaking Report Goes Deep On Black Homelessness In Los Angeles -- Homelessness disproportionately affects black people in Los Angeles. Though about nine percent of Los Angeles County's total population is black-identifying, black people make up about 36 percent of the county's homeless population, according to the 2018 homeless count. Matt Tinoco laist -- 2/27/19
Housing
Legislators Push Back Against Newsom Housing Plan -- A proposal from Governor Gavin Newsom to encourage more housing development landed with a thud in a state legislative committee hearing on Tuesday, signaling a tough road ahead for one piece of the governor's ambitious housing agenda. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 2/27/19
Old Towne Orange home inhabited by a hoarder and plagued by rats gets 8 offers -- An Old Towne Orange house inhabited for decades by a man who collected and hoarded junk from the neighborhood has hit the market for $599,000. And despite the overall interior decay and layers of rodent droppings, it’s received eight offers in less than a week. Marilyn Kalfus in the Orange County Register -- 2/27/19
Slowest in nation: San Diego home price gains stall -- Resale home prices in the San Diego metro area increased the slowest in the nation in December, 2.3 percent in a year, said the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices released Tuesday. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/27/19
Oregon to Become First State to Impose Statewide Rent Control -- The legislation would generally limit rent increases to 7 percent annually plus the change in the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation. Some smaller and newer apartment buildings would be exempt. Mihir Zaveri in the New York Times$ -- 2/27/19
Transit
Subway stations and train cars will get thousands of new digital screens, earning the MTA millions of dollars -- You’ll see more ads on your commute, thanks to thousands of new digital screens coming to subway cars and stations. Over the next five years, about 37,000 new video screens will be installed in subway and commuter rail cars. The screens are getting a test run on the No. 7 line, ahead of a full roll out that’ll begin this October. Dan Rivoli in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/27/19
Southern California supercommuters could fly to work (by plane) -- Rather than stew in traffic, long-distance commuters may soon have a way to rise above it — by 3,500 feet. A venture by two entrepreneurs would allow well-heeled workers to leapfrog over ground traffic by flying from La Verne to Santa Monica, and perhaps other airports. The planes would carry up to 10 people, a sort of vanpool in the sky. David Allen in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 2/27/19
Cannabis
Fueled by penny stocks, public companies are buying Coachella Valley weed businesses -- Public companies are trying to plant flags in the Coachella Valley cannabis business by buying early-stage weed shops. The Desert Sun tracked four companies – each with shares listed on public exchanges – that have either announced they're in due diligence to acquire a local cannabis business or have already completed an acquisition. Amy DiPierro in the Palm Springs Desert Sun -- 2/27/19
Immigration, Border, Deportation
Immigrants At Federal Detention Centers In California Lack Health, Legal Access, State Officials Say -- Immigrants at federal detention centers in California lack sufficient access to health care and legal aid and the facilities operate with little to no oversight, according to reports released on Tuesday by the state’s attorney general and auditor. Chris Nichols Capital Public Radio Paul Elias Associated Press Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/19
Education
Teacher strike is costing Oakland school district about $1 million a day -- As the Oakland Unified teachers’ strike nears the end of its fourth day, the costs of the strike are eroding some of the funds that the financially struggling district could have used to meet teacher demands for higher salaries, smaller class sizes and more extensive support services. Louis Freedberg and Theresa Harrington EdSource -- 2/27/19
Guns
House slated to vote on most significant gun control bill in years -- The House is slated to vote Wednesday on landmark legislation to require universal background checks for gun sales, a top priority for Democrats. It will mark the most significant gun control vote in years after the Senate failed in 2013 to pass similar bipartisan legislation to expand the federal background check system. Cristina Marcos The Hill -- 2/27/19
Environment
Wildlife and off-roaders gain room to roam in California's new desert protection act -- In the latest round of a 25-year battle to save the California desert, House lawmakers approved a sweeping conservation bill Tuesday that designates more terrain for wildlife and off-roaders alike and sets the stage for a final signature by President Trump. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
Water
Plan to combat drought in West hinges on California, Arizona -- A California irrigation district with the highest-priority rights to water from a major Western river is using its power to demand federal funds to restore the state’s largest lake, hoping to capitalize on one of its best opportunities yet to tackle a long-standing environmental and human health hazard. Felicia Fonseca Associated Press -- 2/27/19
Also . . .
San Francisco man was hanged, drugged, put in suitcase and dumped in the Bay -- A 47-year-old San Francisco man has been charged with torturing and murdering a 23-year-old, before putting the dead man’s body into a suitcase and tossing it into the San Francisco Bay earlier this month, authorities said. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/19
POTUS 45
Cohen testimony on Trump: 'He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.' -- Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, will provide documents to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he says prove Trump committed “illicit” acts, according to prepared congressional testimony obtained by Politico. Andrew Desiderio Politico Nicholas Fandos and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 2/27/19
Beltway
GOP unloads border angst on Pence -- Vice President Mike Pence faced a wall of resistance from Senate Republicans on Tuesday as he tried to sell President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration on the southern border, according to multiple GOP sources. Burgess Everett Politico -- 2/27/19
-- Tuesday Updates
Rep. Eric Swalwell will give up East Bay seat if he runs for president -- If East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell does decide to run for president — “We’re getting pretty close,” he says — the Dublin Democrat will give up the House seat he has held since 2013. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/19
Kamala Harris says she believes Trump is a racist -- Kamala Harris said in an interview published Tuesday that she believes Trump is a racist, offering one of the most blunt assessments of the president from the 2020 Democratic field. When asked by The Root's Terrell Starr if she believes Trump to be a racist, the California senator responded directly: “I do. Yes. Yes.” Matthew Choi Politico -- 2/26/19
L.A. school board signals support for an education tax increase this year -- Hoping to harness the momentum of a six-day teachers' strike that drew broad popular support for the city’s schools, L.A. Unified officials on Tuesday expressed their desire to put a tax increase for education on the ballot this year. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/19
San Francisco Supervisor Wants City to Declare a Climate State of Emergency -- San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced a resolution Tuesday that would declare a state of climate emergency for the city. The move follows similar actions taken by Berkeley, Richmond, Hayward and Oakland. Marisol Medina-Cadena KQED -- 2/26/19
Major California DMV account heading toward collapse, analyst says -- The Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts the $3.9 billion Motor Vehicle Account, which primarily funds the California Highway Patrol and DMV, will collapse in a few years. By 2021-2022, California will be unable to pay down its debts, according to Anthony Simbol, deputy legislative analyst. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/19
Worst flood in 24 years projected for Russian River at Guerneville as atmospheric river soaks North Bay -- Amid drenching rains from an atmospheric river storm, the National Weather Service on Tuesday forecast the Russian River at Guerneville in Sonoma County will reach 45.9 feet by Wednesday night — nearly 14 feet above its flood stage — and a level that would rank as the worst flood in 24 years. Paul Rogers, Mark Gomez in the San Jose Mercury$ Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/19
More rain coming as another atmospheric river-fueled storm rolls toward Los Angeles -- A fierce winter storm that has flooded roads, toppled trucks with high winds and created treacherous conditions throughout the Sierra Nevada in Northern California is expected to clip Los Angeles on Wednesday. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/19
California Keeps a Secret List of Criminal Cops But Says You Can't Have It -- Their crimes ranged from shoplifting to embezzlement to murder. Some of them molested kids and downloaded child pornography. Others beat their wives, girlfriends or children. The one thing they had in common: a badge. Robert Lewis and Jason Paladino UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program via KQED -- 2/26/19
San Diego VA confirms liver samples taken from sick veterans without their consent -- An internal report from the San Diego VA obtained by inewsource reveals liver samples were taken from sick veterans without their permission for a study that provided no benefit to the patients. Brad Racino & Jill Castellano inewsource.org -- 2/26/19
State Lawmakers Push to End Surprise Emergency Room Bills -- Assemblyman David Chiu and state Sen. Scott Wiener, both of San Francisco, announced a bill Monday that would prevent public hospitals from charging emergency room patients whose insurance won't cover their medical bills. This practice is called “balance billing,” and according to Chiu, it’s costing Californians thousands of dollars. Caroline Champlin KQED -- 2/26/19
Tesla Model 3 pushes market share of electric vehicles, hybrids in California to 12% -- Last year proved to be a good one in California for the new car market in general and the clean vehicle in particular. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/26/19
Taxing Uber and Lyft rides is L.A. County's latest plan to fix traffic congestion -- Transportation officials are considering a tax on Uber and Lyft rides in Los Angeles County, saying the Bay Area tech companies don’t pay their fair share to maintain public streets and exacerbate congestion in a traffic-choked region. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/19
You could register your car every other year under this plan to cut California DMV wait times -- Customers frustrated by long wait times at California’s Department of Motor Vehicles may soon catch a break. A proposal from state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, calls on the department to reduce customer visits by allowing them to register their licenses every other year. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/19
Inmates are demanding new sentences under California's revised felony-murder law -- It was 35 years ago but the brief exchange between former San Diego Superior Court Judge J. Perry Langford and the lawyer for David Leon Dew summarized a debate as relevant now as then over the state’s felony-murder rule. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/26/19
Another Northern California care-home resident allegedly left in the sun, state says -- Two months before Gene Rogers died from heat stroke after being left in his wheelchair on a patio at a Westmont Living care home in Roseville, another resident was left unattended outside for hours at a Chico facility run by the same company, state records show. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/19
For whites only: Shocking language found in property docs throughout Bay Area -- While no longer enforceable, rules in some title reports still offend. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/19
U.S. Cyber Command operation disrupted Internet access of Russian troll factory on day of 2018 midterms -- The U.S. military blocked Internet access to an infamous Russian entity seeking to sow discord among Americans during the 2018 midterms, several U.S. officials said, a warning that the Kremlin’s operations against the United States are not cost-free. Ellen Nakashima in the Washington Post$ -- 2/26/19
Fox: Want to Draw CA Electoral Districts? Now’s Your Chance -- California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission jumps into it’s second line-drawing exercise with the process to select new commissioners beginning this Friday with a Town Hall at the State Auditor’s office explaining the ins-and-outs of being a commissioner. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/26/19