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Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare emergency in California amid wildfire threats -- Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to declare a rare statewide emergency Friday over California’s recent string of wildfires, a move he expects will expedite dozens of forest-thinning projects and help reduce the fire threat. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 3/22/19

Boom! Bay Area job surge is led by South Bay, San Francisco, East Bay -- The Bay Area job market powered to sturdy increases in February, fueled by employment surges in the South Bay, East Bay and the San Francisco-San Mateo region, state labor officials reported on Friday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/19

Transit officials pass Golden Gate Bridge toll hike -- Golden Gate Bridge officials voted Friday to raise tolls up to $9.75 over the next four years, a plan that coasted along for months with little fanfare or hand-wringing. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

College admissions scandal: Can USC’s cautious new leader be the crusader it needs? -- As chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carol L. Folt ordered the removal of a pedestal that once held Silent Sam, a bronze Confederate monument on campus that had been toppled by protesters. Hailey Branson-Potts, Harriet Ryan and Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin face court amid settlement pressure in admissions scandal -- The next move in the college admissions scandal will unfold in a Boston federal courtroom April 3, when Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin and other defendants are set to appear in court. Federal prosecutors announced that the actresses as well as Loughlin’s husband, fashion designer J. Mossimo Giannulli, will be in court. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

He’s getting into college without the help of wealth and privilege — and it’s hard work -- On the mantel in a South Los Angeles home, the lovingly arranged keepsakes reflect a family’s pride. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

The Sounds Of Stephon Clark, One Year Later -- In March 2018, the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark by police officers rocked Sacramento. These are the voices of the people who have been affected by his death. Emily Zentner Capital Public Radio -- 3/22/19

CVS is now selling CBD products in California -- Make no mistake: This does not mean you can stock up on pot brownies while buying toilet paper and shaving cream. Hemp-derived cannabidiol, known as CBD, will be sold in topical products including “creams, sprays, roll-ons, lotions and salves,” CVS Health spokesman Mike DeAngelis told USA TODAY. Edibles are not on offer. Karen D’Souza in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/22/19

Knight: San Francisco General’s bills are so high because mayor, supervisors said they could be -- It was 2 a.m. on a Wednesday in September when Jeffrey Lance could no longer stomach the excruciating pain in his stomach. He called Lyft and had the driver take him to San Francisco General Hospital, the closest emergency room that he knew of to his home in Bernal Heights. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

What 'time of use' rates will mean for SDG&E rooftop solar customers -- San Diego Gas & Electric is rolling out “time of use” rates that will eventually affect the monthly bills for about 750,000 of the utility’s residential customers. But will the switch affect the nearly 155,000 residential customers who have rooftop solar systems on their homes? Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/19

Online wine yes, coffee no: Scrambling to keep up with California’s new Prop. 65 toxic warnings -- Cancer with your caffeine? Judging from the bleary-eyed java addicts queued up every morning at California’s 2,800 Starbucks, it’s a non-issue. Most folks don’t even notice the signs warning that the coffee and pastries contain acrylamide, a carcinogenic chemical produced when the beans are roasted and the croissants are baked. Glen Martin Calmatters -- 3/22/19

In Mammoth, the snow is so deep residents must tunnel out. There's a history to that -- By February, the snow made many neighborhoods here feel subterranean. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’ -- The commandant of the Marines has warned the Pentagon that deployments to the southwest border and funding transfers under the president's emergency declaration, among other unexpected demands, have posed “unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency.” Molly O'Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

This psychologist claims Google search results unfairly steer voters to the left. Conservatives love him -- The idea that Google is subtly pushing masses of voters to the left has the ring of conspiracy, and thus the work of Robert Epstein is warmly embraced by conservative lawmakers — as well as a president — convinced big tech is plotting against them. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Abcarian: Devin Nunes sues a sassy cow on Twitter, and she gains a herd of followers -- I get it, Devin Nunes. Your feelings are hurt. You don’t like being called names, or being told that you belong in prison. But when a person has a public profile — even a teensy one like mine — attacks will follow. Vilification comes with the territory. (As does praise, but whatever.) Criticism, even unfair or vile criticism, is a small price to pay for the honor of being a congressman, or a newspaper columnist. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Robbers are targeting Latino landscaping and construction workers, LAPD says -- The suspects ask for help moving furniture and offer the victims a ride in their truck or SUV, police said. The robbers then drive the workers to a residential street, rob them at gunpoint and leave them stranded. The robberies have occurred between 3 and 7 p.m. between Jan. 27 and March 16. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes -- During an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” this past Sunday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) lambasted President Trump for emboldening white nationalism after a young man killed at least 50 people at two New Zealand mosques. Kaine was referring to Trump’s answer after a reporter asked whether he sees "today that white nationalism is a rising threat around the world?” Trump responded, “I don’t really.” Ayal Feinberg, Regina Branton and Valerie Martinez-Ebers in the Washington Post$ -- 3/22/19

Mueller concludes Russia-Trump probe, delivers report -- Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday turned over his long-awaited final report on the contentious Russia investigation that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump’s presidency, entangled Trump’s family and resulted in criminal charges against some of the president’s closest associates. Eric Tucker, Michael Balsamo and Chad Day Associated Press Chris Megerian and Del Quentin Wilber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Gov. Newsom may prohibit new death sentences, setting up possible conflict with Becerra -- A week after issuing an executive order imposing a blanket moratorium on the execution of California death row inmates, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is considering a plan to prohibit any new death sentences in local criminal cases. Phil Willon and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Insurers and Hedge Fund Form Creditor Group in PG&E Bankruptcy -- A group of insurance companies and hedge fund Baupost Group LLC have formed a creditor group to attempt recouping the billions of dollars in insurance payuts from PG&E Corp. stemming from damage caused by California wildfires, court documents show. Soma Biswas in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/22/19

City of Lincoln’s stability ‘threatened’ by years of financial mismanagement, state audit says -- The California State Auditor’s office slammed the city of Lincoln for years of financial mismanagement of public funds, lax accountability and inadequate oversight from officials that “threaten the city’s stability,” in an audit report released Thursday. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/19

Retired Republican Navy SEAL Wilske to run for Hunter's seat -- Descanso Republican Larry Wilske, a retired Navy SEAL, officially announced his candidacy in California’s 50th Congressional District, vying for a seat currently held by embattled Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-Alpine. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/19

Devin Nunes blames Twitter for his close call in 2018 election. Here’s his real problem -- Republican registration dropped 5 percent in his Fresno-area district between 2012 and 2018, as more voters registered with “no party preference.” And, if Democrats vote in numbers like they did last fall, he could face a blue wave like the one that unseated seven of his fellow California Republican congressmen in 2018. Kate Irby and Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/19

Upcoming Devin Nunes speech sparks a cattle call of sorts – even mooing -- After a post circulated about Nunes’ scheduled appearance as a keynote speaker next month in Fresno, social media lit up Wednesday evening with suggestions that people attend the speech dressed up as a cow and “moo” at him. “I’m not saying it would be hilarious if folks in Fresno showed up to this event just to moo. I’m not saying that at all,” tweeted television producer Andy Lassner, who has 359,000 Twitter followers. Bryant-Jon Anteola in the Fresno Bee -- 3/22/19

Nunes, Costa, Cox collide on climate change, yet they represent the same Fresno County region -- The air that typically obscures the mountains is often judged as the most toxic in the country and is blamed for cutting the life expectancy of the children at Lone Star Elementary and hundreds of thousands of their neighbors. The trucking yard and farms are a prime target for environmental reform, with agriculture finding itself in a difficult spot as costly regulations and brutal market factors collide. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 3/22/19

Blythe man defrauded donors of more than $250,000 with fake Bernie Sanders, Beto O'Rourke websites, prosecutors say -- An 80-year-old Blythe man was charged this week with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after federal prosecutors say he set up fake political action committees and pocketed more than $250,000 in contributions that donors thought was going to various political candidates and causes. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

3 San Francisco supervisors pledge to close juvenile hall after Chronicle report -- The supervisors’ action follows an investigation published online by The Chronicle Thursday that documented a dramatic drop in serious youth crime that has left the state’s juvenile halls nearly empty. The report also shows that spending on juvenile halls and camps remains astonishingly high. Jill Tucker and Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

Ninth Circuit recommended for expansion. Could it mean shift to the right? -- U.S. judicial leaders are proposing to add five more judges to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, an expansion that could potentially shift the majority from Democratic to Republican on a federal appellate court whose liberal rulings have long made it a favorite target for conservatives. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

Trump targets ‘far-left’ universities with free-speech order -- The order, which makes a commitment to “free inquiry” a condition of research grants handed out by 12 federal agencies, is a largely symbolic souvenir for Trump’s political base. It directs public universities to uphold the First Amendment and private institutions to ensure they are following their own speech codes, which they already must do to receive federal student aid or participate in other U.S. Department of Education programs. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

KQED Political Breakdown: Amy Klobuchar --Minnesota Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar joins Scott and Marisa to talk about embracing leadership at an early age, prom night trauma, why it's important to have "the voice of a Midwesterner" on climate change, her treatment of Senate staff, and using Dr. Seuss to convince colleagues to allow babies on the Senate floor. Link Here -- 3/22/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Women surfers push beyond equal pay—even if it means letting men into the water, too -- Women surfers scored a big win in California last year when an obscure government commission decided it would only lease a public beach to the Mavericks global surf competition if men and women were awarded the same amount of prize money. Experts said the precedent could compel equal pay at marathons, bike races, skateboard contests—any athletic events on public land. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 3/22/19

Environmental groups want San Francisco to nudge Uber, Lyft drivers toward electric vehicles -- Environmental advocates want San Francisco to find ways to make electric vehicles more attractive to Uber and Lyft drivers at the same time they consider a per-ride tax on the companies that is meant to ease congestion. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

Repealing California’s ‘tampon tax’: Gender equity versus budget fears -- For Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, the state sales tax on tampons is nothing less than an unfair and discriminatory levy against California women. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

Give the wealthy a tax break to encourage affordable housing? Gavin Newsom wants to try it -- A provision of Trump’s 2017 tax bill helps the wealthy put off paying some taxes. Now California might use it to help build affordable housing. The opportunity zone program lets investors take money they’ve made from selling something like stocks, real estate, or art, and put it into a fund that invests it in projects to uplift economically distressed communities. Madeline Ashmun in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/19

Homeless  

A 100-bed homeless shelter is proposed near this wealthy Sacramento neighborhood -- A grassy lot near Sacramento’s leafy Curtis Park neighborhood could be the next site for a large city-run homeless shelter. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/19

Proposed Fresno panhandling ordinance fails after drawing opposition at City Council -- “Embarrassing,” “mean,” “lipstick on a pig,” “lazy” and “ignorant” were just a few words many residents on Thursday used to describe the proposed Fresno City Council ordinance to ticket motorists who donate to panhandlers. After nearly four hours of public comment and council debate, the council voted down the proposal 3-2 with Steve Brandau and Paul Caprioglio supporting. Brianna Calix in the Fresno Bee -- 3/22/19

Housing  

Venice businessman must turn his hotel back into apartments, planning commission rules -- Arguing that turning apartments into hotel guest rooms undermines Los Angeles’ efforts to improve access to housing, a Westside planning board this week ruled against a businessman who has been trying to legalize his conversion of a 32-unit apartment building on the Venice boardwalk. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Wildfire  

Who Should Pay for Wildfire Liability So Utilities Don’t Go Bankrupt? -- One of the major proposals being floated: A utility-backed, state run re-insurance fund to cover losses from wildfires that exceed private insurance coverage purchased by utilities and homeowners. The utilities are also watching closely to see how the California Public Utilities Commission implements a bill aimed at keeping them out of bankruptcy while passing on as much costs to shareholders as possible. Marisa Lagos and Lisa Pickoff-White KQED -- 3/22/19

Education 

Financial aid still comes with crippling debt for some UC students, study finds -- Students of color and low-income graduates are up to three times more likely to take on student loan debt than their white and wealthy peers at University of California schools, a new study from The Institute for College Access and Success and the University of California Student Association found. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/19

Lamont Smith identified as USD coach in bribery scheme; resigns as UTEP assistant -- When allegations of a massive college admissions corruption scandal broke wide open last week, richly detailed court documents conspicuously left out one important detail: the identity of the unnamed coach at the University of San Diego accused of accepting bribes. Mark Zeigler and Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/19

College admissions scandal: UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo resigns in wake of bribery allegations -- UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo resigned in the wake of his alleged involvement in accepting $200,000 in bribes to help enroll two players using fake athletic profiles, an athletic department official confirmed Thursday. Ben Bolch in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

Nearly half of Sac City Unified preschoolers to lose their program as district slashes budget -- Nearly half of Sacramento City Unified’s preschool children will lose their program at the end of the school year, and will be transitioned into other childcare programs, as the district slashes its budget to try to avert a state takeover, according to program workers. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/22/19

Former Art Institute Employees Have Not Gotten Their Last Paychecks, Unclear When They Will -- While students from the now-shuttered Art Institute of California—San Diego are looking to transfer credits, staff are wondering when their last paycheck is coming. Matt Hoffman KPBS -- 3/22/19

San Francisco State settles suit accusing it of tolerating anti-Semitism -- San Francisco State University will hire a “coordinator of Jewish student life” as part of a settlement of a lawsuit accusing the school of tolerating anti-Semitism on campus. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

FUSD will investigate claims that it overpaid for produce by hundreds of thousands of dollars -- Fresno Unified has hired accounting firm Price Paige & Company to investigate claims that the district may have overpaid for fruits and vegetables by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Aleksandra Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 3/22/19

New data detail soaring costs of California school pensions -- California school districts’ expenses for employee pensions on average doubled to about $1,000 per student over the four years ending in 2017-18, according to newly released state data. Those increases will rise at least several hundred dollars more per student before stabilizing two years from now. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 3/22/19

Immigration / Border 

CBP sends asylum seekers back to Mexico without required screening -- Customs and Border Protection officers have not consistently followed policies intended to protect Central American asylum seekers who are likely to be harmed in Mexico from returning there under the “Remain in Mexico” program, according to documents obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/19

With Thousands Of Migrants Crossing The Border Daily, We Asked 'Why Now?' -- So why are more migrants choosing to come now? NPR interviewed more than a dozen recent migrants and experts for this story. And we found three possible factors: the simple economics of cheaper human smuggling costs, the reach of social media and — ironically — the Trump administration's own immigration crackdown. Joel Rose NPR -- 3/22/19

Environment 

Are Agriculture Officials In California Considering Safer Alternatives For Pesticides? A New Study Say No -- In California, 209 million pounds of pesticides were applied to fields in 2016. Under state law, county agricultural commissioners are required to consider safer alternatives to pesticides restricted by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. But that’s not happening, according to a study released this week by researchers from UCLA and the University of Southern California. Julia Mitric Capital Public Radio -- 3/22/19

Santa Susana Field Lab cleanup agreement penned years ago is ‘not achievable,’ report says -- Officials with the state agency that oversees the cleanup of the contaminated Santa Susana Field Laboratory said it will hold NASA “accountable” if it violates an agreement the agency inked several years ago. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/22/19

Also . . . 

‘My heart still feels broken’: Oakland mourns four police officers slain 10 years ago -- A decade has passed since four Oakland police officers were gunned down in what was marked then as the biggest single-day loss of life for law enforcement since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, yet on Thursday the collective pain from that massacre was still fresh. Angela Ruggiero and David DeBolt in the East Bay Times Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

In a first for San Diego police, genetic genealogy helps solve 1979 homicide -- Barbara Becker’s boys were just 7 and 9 years old on March 21, 1979, the day they returned from school, headed into the living room and found their mother’s bloody body. She had been repeatedly stabbed in her neck and back. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/22/19

Hi Duk Lee, visionary who founded Los Angeles’ Koreatown, dies at 79 -- The idealistic immigrant who paved the way for Koreatown to be the vibrant Los Angeles community it is today died in his Silver Lake home on March 7 after a six-month battle with colon cancer, according to family. He was 79. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/22/19

POTUS 45  

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Use Private Accounts for Official Business, Their Lawyer Says -- The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee revealed information on Thursday that he said showed Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner used private messaging services for official White House business in a way that may have violated federal records laws. Nicholas Fandos in the New York Times$ -- 3/22/19

Trump Has Now Shifted $1.3 Million Of Campaign-Donor Money Into His Business -- Donald Trump has charged his own reelection campaign $1.3 million for rent, food, lodging and other expenses since taking office, according to a Forbes analysis of the latest campaign filings. And although outsiders have contributed more than $50 million to the campaign, the billionaire president hasn’t handed over any of his own cash. The net effect: $1.3 million of donor money has turned into $1.3 million of Trump money. Dan Alexander Forbes -- 3/22/19

Trump praises First Amendment a day after attacking ‘phony’ press -- President Trump bemoaned what he said were attacks on conservative college students’ freedom of speech during a White House event Thursday, saying that their First Amendment rights are “under siege.” Just a day earlier, when Trump was in Ohio for a speech at a manufacturing plant, he singled out the press as he often does and called it “fake and phony and corrupt.” Colby Itkowitz in the Washington Post$ -- 3/22/19

Beltway 

Politifact CA: Kamala Harris gets it mostly right on America’s rapid growth of student loan debt -- In her book, "The Truths We Hold," California Sen. Kamala Harris asks "How can you dream when you are drowning in student loan debt?" in a section on the rising cost of living in America. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 3/22/19

Sanders aims for strong showing in delegate-rich California -- By the time California’s presidential primary election arrived in 2016, Bernie Sanders was a beaten man. This time around, everything has changed. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 3/22/19

Why Andrew Yang wants to give every American $1,000 a month -- The first question most people have about Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign is, “Who the heck is Andrew Yang?” “Yes, I get that a fair amount,” the 44-year New York technology entrepreneur said on the “It’s All Political” podcast during a recent stop in San Francisco. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/22/19

 

-- Thursday Updates 

Trump might limit states’ say in offshore drilling plan -- In a notice published earlier this month, the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asked the public to weigh in on ways to “streamline” a state review process granted under the Coastal Zone Management Act. Anna M. Phillips and Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/19

Sacramento’s Bishop Quinn, oldest living Catholic bishop in America, dies -- Quinn inspired faith through action. He went out of his way to minister to people on the margins of society, including death-row inmates and AIDS patients. He distributed groceries at food closets and washed dishes in soup kitchens. He roamed K Street Mall at night, slipping $20 bills to homeless people. Robert D. Dávila in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/21/19

Vanishing Violence -- Almost unnoticed, serious youth crime has fallen off drastically, leaving juvenile halls emptied and experts mystified. Jill Tucker and Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/19

ACLU sues FBI for records related to black extremists report -- The ACLU and the Oakland, California-based Center for Media Justice filed the lawsuit against the FBI and Department of Justice in federal court Thursday. The groups want records detailing how the black extremist assessment came to be and how it has been used. Janie Har Associated Press -- 3/21/19

Pants on fire: Levi’s soars in IPO -- By mid-morning, the stock had risen to $22.75 — a 34 percent premium to the price it offered institutional investors, signaling strong interest in a company that hopes to defy the harsh business environment facing retailers in the age of Amazon. Kate Galbraith and Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/21/19

A new study says it can predict homelessness. But L.A. County doesn’t want to use it -- Hoping to lower the cost of mitigating homelessness by preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place, a Los Angeles research group says it has created a screening tool that can predict who is likely to become chronically homeless after losing a job or leaving the foster-care system. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/19

San Francisco housing construction down 41 percent in 2018 -- San Francisco struggled to get dividends on housing in 2018, as the number of new homes built fell significantly compared to the year before, down more than 40 percent across the city. That’s according to the city’s new Housing Inventory report, published this week and surveying the sum total of housing construction last year. Adam Brinklow Curbed San Francisco -- 3/21/19

Wiretaps, emails and checks: Parents in college admissions scam face tough legal fight -- Some of the parents charged in the colleges admission scandal have a tough choice to make in the coming weeks: Do they fight the charges against them or agree to cooperate with federal authorities? Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/19

As colleges decide fate of children in admissions scandal, a key question: What did they know? -- Some parents indicted in the scandal allegedly took steps to keep the cheating from their children and instructed William “Rick” Singer to also keep them in the dark. However, court documents allude that some students had some level of knowledge about what was happening, though the documents don’t make it clear exactly how much. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/19

‘He should be fired’: Lawmaker’s resolution urges dismissal of UC Davis prof over cop comments -- Weeks after a UC Davis professor’s past comments about police officers stirred controversy, a resolution has been introduced in the California Legislature to call for his removal. But the UC administration says not much can be done. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/21/19

USC’s new president ready to ‘fix’ school after scandals -- Folt said she was horrified to learn of the bribery scheme, which involved wealthy parents paying to have a college counselor rig standardized tests or get their children admitted as recruits of sports they didn’t play. But it didn’t give her pause about taking on the position. Amanda Lee Myers Associated Press -- 3/21/19

Anti-Semitic fliers found near San Fernando Valley schools. Police call it a hate crime -- El Camino Real Charter High School officials were notified Monday about the fliers — some bearing swastikas — which had been taped to signposts and traffic signal poles on the streets surrounding the Woodland Hills campus, said Daniel Chang, chief compliance officer at the high school. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/19

California governor pushes for fee to clean up tainted water -- Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to charge California water customers up to $10 per month to help clean up contaminated water in low-income and rural areas, but he will face resistance from some legislative Democrats hesitant to impose new taxes. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 3/21/19

Brace for a brutal 2019 allergy season in the Bay Area -- Spring is busting out all over — and that means that it’s about to be peak allergy season. The combination of rain showers and warm weather means that we are about to be surrounded by wildflowers and the pollen they generate. Karen D’Souza in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/21/19

Facebook Stored Millions of Passwords in Plaintext—change Yours Now -- On Thursday, following a report by Krebs on Security, Facebook acknowledged a bug in its password management systems that caused hundreds of millions of user passwords for Facebook, Facebook Lite, and Instagram to be stored as plaintext in an internal platform. This means that thousands of Facebook employees could have searched for and found them. Krebs reports that the passwords stretched back to those created in 2012. Lily Hay Newman Wired -- 3/21/19

Family sues Sheriff's Department after fatal shooting in Pico Rivera -- The family of a 22-year-old man who was fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies last year following a pursuit in Pico Rivera filed a lawsuit against the county this week, alleging that authorities used unreasonable and excessive force. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/21/19

Fox: The Return of the Phrase: “San Francisco Democrats”? -- Will the phrase “San Francisco Democrats” be revived nationally in the 2020 presidential contest? Opponents of Kamala Harris very well could test that idea. As in 1984 when the phrase was first coined, it would be an attempt to exploit the divide in the Democratic Party. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/21/19

How Trump is on track for a 2020 landslide -- Economic models point to a Trump blowout in 2020. But a faltering economy or giant scandal could change everything. Ben White and Steven Shepard Politico -- 3/21/19

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Use Private Accounts for Official Business, Their Lawyer Says -- The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee revealed information on Thursday that he said showed that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner used private email accounts and a publicly available messaging service for official White House business in a way that possibly violated federal records laws. Nicholas Fandos in the New York Times$ -- 3/21/19

Jimmy Carter is about to become the longest-living president in American history -- His presidency — remembered for the Camp David accords, the Iran hostage crisis and creation of the Departments of Energy and Education — flamed out during the election of 1980, when Ronald Reagan defeated him. Deanna Paul in the Washington Post$ -- 3/21/19