Updating . .   

Sacramento students walk out, march to Capitol in Stephon Clark protest -- Some 300 high school and college students walked out Thursday from various campuses in Sacramento and were marching to the state Capitol to demand reforms on police use of force. The protesters, organized by campus chapters of the Black Student Union, were marching in support of Assembly Bill 392, and protesting the Sacramento County district attorney’s decision not to charge two Sacramento officers in the killing of Stephon Clark. Sawsan Morrar Tony Bizjak, and Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Here’s how much recent rains have washed away California’s drought -- Yes, it’s caused traffic jams, power outages and even some floods. But there’s a big ray of good news behind all the rain that California has been receiving this year. Soaked by relentless storms, California as of this week has less land area in drought status than at any time in the last seven years. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/7/19

PG&E wants to pay $235 million in 2019 performance bonuses -- PG&E said in a court filing Wednesday that the cash payments would be awarded to about 10,000 employees, none of them the most senior executives. The company is asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali to consider the matter at a March 27 hearing. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

California state workers hoarding vacation days, creating $3.5-billion debt for taxpayers -- After 36 years as a California government transportation engineer, Bijan Sartipi retired with much more than a goodbye party: He was paid $405,000 for time off he never used — one of more than 450 state workers who took home six-figure checks when they left their jobs last year. And Sartipi didn’t top the list — a prison surgeon in Riverside pocketed $456,002. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Los Angeles County deputies claim abuse by an East L.A station ‘gang’ -- According to legal claims filed against the county Thursday by seven deputies, the men belonged to the Banditos, a clique of deputies whose members are alleged to routinely harass young Latino officers at the station and to mark their membership with matching tattoos of a skeleton with a sombrero, bandolier and pistol. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Sacramento police chief doesn’t have facts on Stephon Clark protest. Mayor anxious for answers -- Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg wants an explanation soon from the police department as to why officers arrested more than 80 people during a Stephon Clark protest Monday. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Fact Check: Tom McClintock suggests DACA is to blame for border-crossing surge -- California Rep. Tom McClintock suggested Wednesday that the spike in migrant families apprehended at the southern border this winter is due to government policies that “reward” their behavior, particularly an Obama-era program granting legal status to young undocumented immigrants, known as DREAMers. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Anne Frank’s stepsister to meet with students involved in party featuring swastika and Nazi salutes -- Amid community outrage over photos from a weekend party that featured area high school students giving Nazi salutes over a swastika fashioned from cups during a drinking game, Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, stepsister of famed teenage diarist Anne Frank, will meet privately Thursday at Newport Harbor High School with some of the students involved in the incident, according to the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Newport Beach. Julia Sclafani in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Palo Alto could almost triple in size under controversial housing bill, new report says -- Charming, suburban Palo Alto could almost triple in size, with multi-story apartments surrounding its sought-after single-family homes and up to 90,000 additional cars on its tree-lined roads if a controversial housing bill becomes law, according to a new report that paints an alarming — but some say extremely doubtful — future under the proposed legislation. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/7/19

Mega north San Jose village becomes more urban and nature-friendly -- A proposed north San Jose mega village of offices, theaters, retail and homes has been revised to create a pedestrian friendly, nature-oriented complex with an urban feel that is envisioned as a Bay Area destination where thousands could work. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/7/19

San Francisco teen, facing eviction, fights to stay in his late grandmother’s apartment -- A San Francisco high school senior faces possible eviction from his public housing unit after his sole guardian, his grandmother, died of cancer last month. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

Tesla Says New Technology Can Recharge a Car in 15 Minutes -- By doubling power at Tesla’s stations and preheating vehicle batteries ahead of arriving at a plug, charging times will drop to around 15 minutes, the electric-car leader said on its blog. The V3 Supercharging network, which will roll out through the end of the year, will allow twice as many cars each day to charge. Angus Whitley and Elisabeth Behrmann Bloomberg -- 3/7/19

Billionaire investor Bill Gross: Recent tax cuts were ‘giveaway to the rich’ -- Bill Gross, the famed Newport Beach bond investor who just retired from money management, agrees with legendary stock investor Warren Buffett that recent federal income tax cuts that primarily help the nation’s upper crust were a mistake. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 3/7/19

San Diego scientists believe they've discovered a new species of killer whales -- A San Diego scientist who led an expedition into dangerous waters off Chile collected tissue samples that could prove the existence of a graceful new species of killer whale, ending decades of mystery. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/7/19

Quinn: Sen. Kamala Harris and Slave Reparations -- Sen. Kamala Harris has indicated support for reparations to black Americans to address the legacy of slavery but has not provided many specifics. She should. The public needs to know who Harris feels deserve reparations and who should pay for them. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 3/7/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

As Stephon Clark protests mount, lawsuit claims Sacramento police shot another unarmed black man -- As Sacramento officials grapple with protests over the Stephon Clark case, the family of another young black man shot to death by Sacramento police have sued the city alleging that officers shot him while he was in the midst of a mental health crisis and holding his hands in the air. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Was police response to East Sacramento Stephon Clark protest an attempt to protect the rich? -- They chanted. They gave speeches. They marched. And for the first hour or so there was little tension between Sacramento police and Stephon Clark protesters Monday as they passed through East Sacramento, one of the city’s ritziest neighborhoods. Ryan Sabalow, Sam Stanton, and Michael Finch II in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Stephon Clark protests: More security this week for Kings games, concert at Golden 1 Center -- With the city on edge over the Stephon Clark protests, the Sacramento Kings said security precautions would remain in place for Wednesday night’s game against the Boston Celtics and Thursday’s concert by Muse. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Walters: 1872 law gives police a license to kill -- Penal Code Section 196, enacted in 1872 when California was the nation’s sparsely populated westernmost frontier, declares that a police officer may lawfully kill someone while “arresting persons charged with felony, and who are fleeing from justice or resisting such arrest.” Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/7/19

Documents show attorneys, journalists and advocates among those monitored by U.S. border officials -- Documents published Wednesday indicate that the federal government has monitored a group of journalists, attorneys, advocates and activists who interacted with a migrant caravan that arrived in Tijuana late last year. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/7/19

Skelton: Bryce Harper will save tens of millions in taxes by spurning the Dodgers and Giants -- For Major League Baseball players, three teams are at the bottom of the standings on state taxes: the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. That’s because California is in a league of its own on personal income taxes. We’ve got by far the highest state rate in the nation, topping out at 13.3%. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Writings on race and sexual orientation raise questions about Trump’s nominee to Ninth circuit -- As a college student in 1994, nearly a quarter century before President Trump nominated him to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Kenneth Lee wrote that “whenever minorities do not succeed, they cry racism.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

California’s failed tech projects come in late and over budget. Can Gavin Newsom fix them? -- A $100 million government computer program doubled the time it takes to license California nurses. A $290 million tax software upgrade unveiled last summer made it more difficult to file taxes online, prompting a major accounting firm to file by paper instead. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Is ballot harvesting legal in California? Yes, and that worries some Republicans -- Three years ago, a state law made it easier for Californians to have someone else collect and drop off their absentee ballot. Doing this on a mass scale became known as ballot harvesting. Jeff Horseman in the Orange County Register -- 3/7/19

Meet California’s new environment czar, who walked the state to ‘reset’ -- That’s what Jared Blumenfeld, the new head of the California Environmental Protection Agency, did three years ago, setting out on the arduous and beloved Pacific Crest Trail that traces California’s searing deserts, rugged mountains and sparkling coastline. Turns out the dust on his boots afforded him just the perspective he needed to take on the job Gov. Gavin Newsom gave him in January. Julie Cart Calmatters -- 3/7/19

Breed targets bureaucracy in effort to improve San Francisco pedestrian safety -- Distracted motorists, hasty Uber and Lyft drivers and traffic-snarled roadways pose threats to pedestrians and bicyclists in San Francisco, but so does a slow-moving bureaucracy that hobbles the city’s efforts to make street improvements, Mayor London Breed said Wednesday. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

Justice Department, auto lender in Orange reach settlement over improper repossession of military servicemembers’ cars -- An Orange County auto financing company has agreed to an $80,000 settlement to resolve a lawsuit accusing the business of illegally repossessing vehicles from military service members without a court order, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register -- 3/7/19

As Nazi horrors fade into history, some youths are seduced by hate, others will never forget -- When Kaitlyn saw the Snapchat photos of fellow Orange County teenagers posing around a swastika made of red Solo cups, she immediately posted a screenshot to social media, expecting outrage. Instead, she got a mixed response. Some people were offended by the display. But others said they were more surprised by the outcry — arguing that students, some posed with their arms raised in Nazi salutes, were just joking. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Hailey Branson-Potts and Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Second time a charm? San Francisco supervisor’s proposal to limit corporate cafeterias is back -- Months after the city Planning Commission shot down a proposed ban on new employee cafeterias — the food halls often found inside tech companies — Supervisor Ahsha Safaí plans to propose a new, watered-down version of the legislation Thursday. Instead of prohibiting new cafeterias altogether, companies would instead have to apply for a conditional use permit to prove their dining rooms won’t hurt existing small businesses in the area. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

Racing on hold until late March at Santa Anita; top jockey is leaving -- Santa Anita’s tentative plans don’t call for a resumption of racing until March 28, according to two reliable sources, and the winter meet’s leading rider, Joel Rosario, is off to greener pastures. Art Wilson in the Orange County Register -- 3/7/19

No common links found in early examination of Santa Anita horse deaths -- The deaths of 21 horses at Santa Anita since Dec. 26 remains a mystery. The famous horse track, which has been dubbed “The Great Race Place,” remained shut down Wednesday, one day after the most recent death, which occurred during training. John Cherwa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Horse Deaths at Santa Anita Spell Trouble for an Industry -- As the Triple Crown season approaches, the talk should be about contenders for the Kentucky Derby. Instead, dead horses and canceled races are hot topics after Santa Anita Park suspended thoroughbred racing because of a spike in fatalities that has cast doubt on the safety of its racing surface. Joe Drape in the New York Times$ -- 3/7/19

Bay Area's High Cost Of Living Squeezes Restaurant Workers, Chefs And Owners -- But behind kitchen doors, tension has been stewing for years: Service-industry workers like Ibarra say they can no longer afford to live in the Bay Area on their wages. And restaurant owners say the high cost of living has made it hard to retain staff and even to stay in business. The Bay Area is notoriously expensive. As the tech industry grows, rents have soared. A one-bedroom apartment costs well over $3,000 a month. The minimum wage just went up to $15 an hour, but the cost of living also keeps rising. Jasmine Garsd NPR -- 3/7/19

Transit  

Highway upgrades promised to voters headed for chopping block with SANDAG facing $10 billion shortfall -- With sales-tax revenue sliding, top transportation officials have said the San Diego region will be short the cash needed to complete all of the highway improvements promised to voters in coming decades. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/7/19

Homeless  

LA settles homeless property rights case -- The terms of the agreement have not been released, but by settling the lawsuit, an injunction issued in 2016 that prevents police and city workers from confiscating without notice the possessions of homeless residents in the Skid Row area will remain in place. Elijah Chiland Curbed LA -- 3/7/19

Costa Mesa settles lawsuit over homeless in riverbed -- Costa Mesa officially agreed Monday to settle a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of homeless people cleared from a former encampment along the Santa Ana River, bringing the closely watched case to an end after more than a year. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Oakland police failed to adequately probe fatal shooting of homeless man, court-appointed monitor says -- A federal court-appointed monitor overseeing the Oakland Police Department rejected the findings of internal investigations into the police killing of a homeless man, saying investigators failed to question officers about a video that contradicted their account of the moments before they opened fire. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

Housing  

Inglewood votes to limit rent hikes and halt evictions spurred by development -- Inglewood officials adopted an emergency ordinance Tuesday to limit rent increases and halt evictions temporarily while the city tries to find a permanent solution to address rapidly rising rents spurred in part by construction of a $2.6-billion football stadium and entertainment complex. Angel Jennings in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

New Bill Would Create a Regional Housing Government for the Bay Area -- State lawmakers are proposing to create a housing agency for the San Francisco Bay Area, with the ability to impose regional taxes to fund development, local planning and tenant assistance. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 3/7/19

Education 

California will audit school districts to find out how many homeless students there are -- In California, schools are legally required to identify homeless students, provide services to those students and report the data back to the state, yet a quarter of all schools in the state say that none of their students are experiencing homelessness. An audit of school districts aims to find if that answer is accurate. Sandra Emerson in the Orange County Register -- 3/7/19

‘Common sense regulations’ or ‘an extended middle finger’—how far will California go on charter schools? -- With new fast-tracked transparency rules for charter schools in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has fulfilled a January pledge to bring “long overdue” accountability measures to this growing sector of public schools. Ricardo Cano Calmatters -- 3/7/19

Cryptocurrency stock market? These San Juan Hills High students are figuring out how that works -- Students from San Juan Hills High School are just launching their business: A stock market using cryptocurrency. But their 10-minute pitch for the company has already won them a place at the 2019 National Business Plan Competition in mid-April in New York. Jeong Park in the Orange County Register -- 3/7/19

University of California undergrads won’t face a tuition hike in the fall, UC announces -- It will be the seventh time in the last 8 years that UC officials have kept tuition the flat for California residents amid rising costs and enrollment numbers across the UC system, university officials said Wednesday. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

UC says higher tuition for out-of-staters will help Californians -- Students from other states and nations who attend the University of California will likely see their tuition bills increase by $762, to a total of $42,324, next year, in a move that officials say will help fund classes, services and financial aid for California residents on the nine UC undergraduate campuses. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 3/7/19

LAUSD Election 2019: With progressive veteran in the lead, the runners-up for LA School Board are in a tight race for run-off -- Front-runner and labor favorite Jackie Goldberg continued leading the pack in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s school board district 5 election Wednesday. But the race for a seat that could tilt the political shift of the school board was far from over. Ariella Plachta in the Los Angeles Daily News$ Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/7/19

Immigration / Border 

ICE facility in Bakersfield holding 400 detainees will remain open -- A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Bakersfield that was expected to close in a few weeks — leaving its 400 detainees in limbo — will remain open after all, according to newly released federal documents. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

Water 

Trump Pressure on California Water Plan Excludes Public, Rushes Science, Emails Show -- The Trump Administration has ordered federal biologists to speed up critical decisions about whether to send more water from Northern California to farmers in the Central Valley, a move that critics say threatens the integrity of the science and cuts the public out of the process. Lauren Sommer KQED -- 3/7/19

Health 

Three Californians contract measles on flight into SFO -- Three California residents, including one from San Francisco, have contracted measles, health officials said Wednesday, though they don’t believe the highly contagious disease will spread further. Two of the sickened residents were exposed to the disease on an international flight into San Francisco last month by the third person, who had picked up measles abroad. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/7/19

Environment 

Wolves are about to go off the federal endangered list. Conservationists are angry -- A plan announced Wednesday by U.S wildlife officials to eliminate federal protections for gray wolves has infuriated conservationists throughout the American West, but the canine carnivores will remain protected in California. Peter Fimrite in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/7/19

Also . . . 

Judge orders Fresno sheriff to wait on releasing records on police shooting, misconduct cases -- A Fresno Superior Court judge has ordered Fresno County not to release any sheriff’s office personnel records related to misconduct or officer-involved shootings that predate Jan. 1, a decision that - at least temporarily - puts local limits upon a new state transparency law. Brianna Calix in the Fresno Bee -- 3/7/19

Family of man shot by Fresno police awarded $4.75 million by federal civil jury -- The family of Casimero “Shane” Casillas sued the city over his death. In its lawsuit it alleged that Fresno police Officer Trevor Shipman violated Casillas’ civil rights by using excessive force when he confronted Casillas on Sept. 7, 2015. The jury reached its verdict in U.S. District Court in Fresno after two days of deliberations. Yesenia Amaro in the Fresno Bee -- 3/7/19

Kamala Harris ‘grew up’ with Jeff Adachi. Then tragedy struck -- As a scandal rocked the city’s crime lab in 2010, District Attorney Kamala D. Harris was increasingly at odds with the city’s elected public defender, Jeff Adachi. He accused her of being “unethical,” and she said he was “playing politics with public safety,” according to media reports at the time. The fight was, on one level, an example of a prosecutor and defense attorney playing their respective roles. But it was all the more extraordinary because the two had been friends for years. Michael Kranish in the Washington Post$ -- 3/7/19

POTUS 45  

Why bona fide crimes may not be enough to impeach Trump -- A Quinnipiac University poll Tuesday carried this striking top-line number: 64 percent of Americans believe President Trump committed crimes before he became president. And 45 percent say they think he committed crimes while serving in the Oval Office. In that same poll, however, only 35 percent favor starting the impeachment process, and many more — 59 percent — oppose it. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 3/7/19

‘Not my fault’: Trump struggles to defend his record amid setbacks on immigration, trade, North Korea -- President Trump proclaimed in a freewheeling speech to a conference of conservatives last weekend that “America is winning again.” But his administration has been on a pronounced losing streak over the past week. David Nakamura, Seung Min Kim and Seung Min Kim in the Washington Post$ -- 3/7/19

Beltway 

GOP could face emergency vote every 6 months -- President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration on the southern border will come to a head on the Senate floor next week. And potentially six months after that. And six months after that. Burgess Everett Politico -- 3/7/19

Kamala Harris has a crowd-pleasing cause. It could cost trillions -- Even at this early stage in the presidential race, California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris has hit upon a crowd-pleasing proposal: Give a $500 monthly tax credit to families earning less than $100,000. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/7/19

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

L.A. settles pivotal homeless rights case, likely limiting the city's ability to clear streets of camps -- The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday agreed to settle a pivotal and contentious case on the property rights of homeless people — a decision that is likely to limit the seizure and destruction of encampments on skid row. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/19

PG&E “unsafe” actions, “dismal” prevention, caused wildfires, but judge decides PG&E’s main focus will primarily be tree-trimming -- PG&E’s “unsafe conduct” caused a gas explosion in San Bruno and several fatal Northern California wildfires, but a federal judge will allow PG&E to primarily focus on tree-trimming rather than be forced to launch a complete inspection of its power grid. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/19

US judge eases wildfire safety plan for California utility -- A U.S. judge in San Francisco overseeing a criminal case against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is scaling back his proposals to prevent the utility’s equipment from causing more wildfires. Judge William Alsup said in an order late Tuesday that he’s now considering making PG&E comply with targets in a wildfire mitigation plan that the company submitted to California regulators. Associated Press -- 3/6/19

An ICE jail in California may close soon. What will happen to its 400 detainees? -- In the 15 months since he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Christian Villatoro has been transferred to detention facilities in Elk Grove (Sacramento County), Richmond and, most recently, Bakersfield — each time farther from his wife, Areli Lopez, and their teenage son. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/19

In their own words: Sacramento officers who shot Stephon Clark give their side of the story -- When Terrence Mercadal came around a corner and into that dark Meadowview backyard last March 18, he was stunned to see a suspect he’d been chasing pointing his hands at him like he was ready to shoot him. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/6/19

Second US judge calls citizenship question on census illegal -- The Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census “threatens the very foundation of our democratic system” because it would cause a significant undercount of immigrants and Latinos that could distort the distribution of congressional seats, a U.S. judge said Wednesday. Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 3/6/19

Court delays settling dispute between county, Sheriff Villanueva over fired deputy -- A judge on Wednesday declined to overturn Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s reinstatement of a deputy fired amid allegations of domestic violence, prolonging a stalemate with the Board of Supervisors over the decision. Matt Stiles and Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/19

LAPD detective accuses fellow officer of sexual assault, violence and blackmail in civil suit -- A Los Angeles police detective said she was sexually assaulted by a fellow officer and that her supervisors ignored her reports of physical abuse and blackmail threats, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/19

Jumping BART’s fare gates rarely results in any consequences — tickets go unpaid -- BART fare evaders are hopping, jumping and skipping away from paying their fines — more than nine out of 10 of the 6,799 violators ticketed by BART last year have yet to pay up. And with little or no consequences. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/19

Raiders’ new Coliseum deal hits last-minute snag -- McKibben declined to say what the snag was, however sources say it involves the finances and taxes of the Raiders’ headquarters and training facility in nearby Alameda. The team currently pays $525,000 annual rent for the training facility. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ David DeBolt, Jon Becker in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/19

Why Fairmont can’t bar homeless — or anyone else — from its San Jose hotel -- When San Jose subsidized development of the downtown Fairmont Hotel, the money came with an unusual catch: The luxury high-rise in the heart of Silicon Valley couldn’t stop anyone from visiting the lobby, restaurants and ground-floor public restrooms. Even the homeless. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/19

Nonprofits won’t have to abide by city’s minimum wage law, Fremont council decides -- The Fremont City Council, which voted in January to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020 for large employers and by 2021 for small ones, decided Tuesday to exempt nonprofits from having to pay any of their employees that much. Joseph Geha in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/19

California national parks to expand under sweeping new bill -- In the largest land conservation bill passed by Congress in 10 years, vast areas of California’s desert are headed for new protections that would prohibit mining, roads and off-highway vehicles, and enlarge two national parks, Death Valley and Joshua Tree. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/19

Lopez: Is Sacramento’s war on Big Gulps a nanny state move? Or good public policy? -- Pop quiz: Which one has more sugar, a 16-ounce Monster Energy Drink or a cola of the same size? The Monster has 55 grams of sugar; the cola has 48. Which has more calories, a 30-oz. 7-Eleven Big Gulp cola or a 10-ounce bag of Lay’s potato chips? The Big Gulp has about 350 calories (or fewer depending on the amount of ice); the chips have 1,600. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/19

Lack of diversity in tech: House hearing explores harms, solutions -- U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-California, recounted an anecdote from a female computer engineer who told him she overheard one of her co-workers say “women and people of color dilute the talent pool at tech companies.” Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/19

Kamala Harris has a crowd-pleasing cause. It could cost trillions -- Even at this early stage in the presidential race, California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris has hit upon a crowd-pleasing proposal: Give a $500 monthly tax credit to families earning less than $100,000. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/6/19

Fox: Where’s Gavin? -- The title of this piece is not meant to disclose the whereabouts of Gov. Gavin Newsom or where he might pop up without telling the press as he has a want to do; neither is it asking where the governor stands on any particular issue, there is plenty of time to use the “Where’s Gavin” question in that regard. I want to know where Gavin is in the Washington Post’s weekly power rankings designed to determine the strongest challengers in the 2020 presidential election. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/6/19

Trump works to maintain illusions of progress, as his main promises go unfulfilled -- President Trump, now in the third year of his term, is struggling to maintain the illusion of accomplishment as some of his biggest promises remain unfulfilled. Eli Stokols in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/6/19

Summer skiing in California: Squaw Valley open until July 7 -- While the rest of America will be enjoying barbecues and pool parties, this summer Sierra skiers will be carving turns through pockets of lingering snow. On Wednesday, Squaw Valley announced it will operate lifts until Sunday, July 7, weather and conditions permitting. While weekday skiing will close after Memorial Day, May 27, it will be open on weekends. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/6/19

A dying man wished to talk to President Trump. A Democrat helped make it happen -- Bridgette Hoskie felt overwhelmed. Her younger brother, Jay Barrett, had recently come home with her to begin palliative care after a lifetime battling cystic fibrosis. During his latest hospital stay, Barrett had written a “bucket list” and given it to her. Amy B Wang in the Washington Post$ -- 3/6/19