California Policy & Politics This Morning
Contra Costa elections detects attempted hacking into internet system -- An unknown hacker recently tried to access Contra Costa County’s election internet system, according to an email sent by the county’s elections chief. The unsuccessful hacking attempt “fits a pattern of other attempts/attacks that trace back to foreign interests,” according to an email sent to county staff by Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Joe Canciamilla Friday morning. Nate Gartrell and Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/19
Personal Data of 2.3 Million Disaster Victims Was Released by FEMA, Report Says -- The report said sensitive personal information of victims of the 2017 California wildfires and three hurricanes was needlessly shared with a contractor. Christopher Mele in the New York Times$ Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ Joel Achenbach, William Wan and Tony Romm in the Washington Post$ Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/19
San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi’s death caused by cocaine and alcohol use, autopsy finds -- San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi died from a mixture of cocaine and alcohol, which caused his already-damaged heart to stop, the city medical examiner has concluded. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Ryan Levi KQED -- 3/23/19
PG&E seeks tweaks to judge’s probation conditions -- PG&E asked Friday to modify some of the five additional probation terms a federal judge imposed after its electrical equipment was blamed for deadly wildfires, suggesting it “cannot monitor every tree at every moment of every day.” John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/19
New survey shows Orange County continues to trend purple -- A majority of Orange County residents support gun control, tougher environmental laws and a way for unauthorized immigrants to remain in the country legally, according to a new Chapman University survey that paints the politics of the once conservative county as increasingly liberal. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 3/23/19
Fresno Republicans to reschedule annual dinner after Nunes-Twitter beef explodes -- The Fresno County Republican Party canceled plans for its Lincoln Reagan dinner next month featuring Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, as its keynote speaker after social media calls for people to crash the event. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 3/23/19
California AG seeks injunction against Trump’s ‘gag rule’ limiting abortion referrals -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra asked a federal judge on Friday for a preliminary injunction that will prevent the Trump administration from enacting a new rule that would prevent doctors at federally funded family planning clinics from referring patients for abortions. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/19
March Fong Eu, former California secretary of state, gets building in Sacramento named after her -- March Fong Eu, who was the first Asian American in the United States to serve in a state Legislature, will have the secretary of state building in Sacramento named after her. It will be the first state building to be named after a woman. Drew Costley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/19
Breed creates panel to examine youth justice issues in wake of Chronicle report -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed has created a panel of officials, criminal justice experts and advocates to examine the county’s juvenile justice system, including how to best use its nearly vacant juvenile hall, and make recommendations for potential reforms. Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/19
Civilian Watchdog Group Says Sheriff Villanueva has 'Turned Back The Clock On Reforms' -- In a sternly-worded March 18 letter, the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission said the sheriff's actions and statements, as well as those of his staff, have "eroded community trust" in the department. Frank Stoltze laist -- 3/23/19
James Comey calls for conclusions of Mueller report to be made public at Cupertino event -- “If there ever was a case for a legitimate need to know, I can’t imagine a more compelling case than this one,” Comey told a sold-out crowd at De Anza College on Friday night, just hours after Mueller submitted his long-awaited report to the Department of Justice. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Uber drivers prepare to strike over 25 percent cut in wages -- Uber drivers from Los Angeles and Orange counties plan to gather in Redondo Beach on Monday to protest a recent 25 percent wage cut and will demand that drivers earn at least $28 an hour. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 3/23/19
Could California reclassify janitors, truck drivers, construction workers as employees? -- As California wrestles with determining who’s a gig worker and who’s an employee, with big implications for benefits and taxes, researchers at UC Berkeley have delved into three industries with a high share of workers classified as independent contractors: trucking, construction and janitorial services. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/19
California added 14,600 jobs in February as more people returned to the workforce -- Payrolls rose by 14,600 positions, accounting for nearly three-quarters of an unusually low 20,000 jobs added nationwide last month, state employment officials reported. California’s January job growth was revised up to 5,900, nearly double the initial 3,000 estimate. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/19
Education
After scandal, Stanford announces new admissions policies for athletes -- More stringent vetting of sports recruits. An external review of coach admissions recommendations. New policies on accepting team gifts. After an embarrassing couple of weeks entrenched in a nationwide college admissions scandal, Stanford officials said this week that they are reworking how athletes are accepted by the school in an attempt to regain the trust of the public, alumni and student body. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/19
UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero says he's outraged by college admissions scandal -- UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero expressed disgust over the recent admissions scandal that rocked his school in his first public comments about the ordeal Friday and said steps were being taken to ensure it never happened again. Ben Bolch in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/19
‘This cuts to the core:’ UC Berkeley football coach promises to ‘fully support’ investigation into sexual misconduct by coaches, players -- The head coach of UC Berkeley’s football team promised Friday to “fully support” an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by coaches and players that were aired publicly earlier this week. Erin Baldassari, Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/19
California’s public school chief says education no place for competition -- The state’s public schools superintendent didn’t hold back in a wide-ranging discussion Thursday night: He raised doubts about the value of charter schools, criticized school districts for the state’s wave of teacher strikes, questioned the severity of public pension debt and insisted the state must spend more to educate its students. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 3/23/19
Taylor: Striving to fund Oakland reading centers -- Jordyn Williams, a 9-year-old fourth-grader at Emerson Elementary School in North Oakland, meets with a volunteer from Reading Partners, a children’s literacy nonprofit, twice a week. On one day she sharpens her comprehension skills, the next focuses on phonics. Jordyn began the school year reading at third-grade level. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/19
Repenning to face Goldberg for L.A. school board seat; Ortiz could pay for recount -- Heather Repenning officially won the right Friday to face front-runner Jackie Goldberg in a May runoff for a pivotal seat on the Los Angeles Board of Education. Repenning made it on the ballot after finishing 31 votes over Graciela Ortiz, county officials announced. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/19
Cannabis
High times in Beverly Hills, with pot delivery and a Gucci ashtray -- High-end department store Barneys New York has given the marijuana lifestyle the luxury treatment, launching a range of pot-themed products this week in the latest sign a drug once associated with bohemians and deadbeats is moving up the social ladder. Rollo Ross Reuters -- 3/23/19
Immigration / Border
'Remain in Mexico' policy prompting more illegal border crossings -- This past week, migrants rushed the border at least four times at Playas de Tijuana, many of them claiming they were motivated by not wanting to wait in Mexico. A CBP official said Friday migrants who cross the border illegally are not yet being returned to Mexico while they seek asylum. Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- -- 3/23/19
Health
California’s healthiest counties are also some of its wealthiest -- The findings showed that that the Bay Area, Napa Valley and Southern California were home to some of the healthiest counties in the state, while the least healthy counties all were found in rural Northern California and along the Central Valley. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/19
Also . . .
San Bernardino ‘is not safe,’ so city will reorganize its police department -- While city leaders balked at reopening police substations at this time, they did agree that something innovative has to be done to curb crime and violence. Statistics show 49 homicides occured in San Bernardino last year. Brian Whitehead in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 3/23/19
BART Officer Was Reprimanded for Account of Takedown in Which Woman Was Severely Injured -- A BART police officer who was captured on video in 2014 slamming a drunken woman face first into a floor at Alameda County's Santa Rita Jail was later reprimanded for submitting a misleading report about the violent incident. Dan Brekke, Alex Emslie KQED -- 3/23/19
Cold War hero from Orange who helped save the world battles for his health -- He once held what seemed like the fate of the world in his hands. Now Jack ReVelle, a former Air Force hero who helped avert nuclear disaster during the Cold War, is merely trying to hang on as long as he can. Keith Sharon in the Orange County Register -- 3/23/19
Transgender man sues Eureka hospital for turning him away minutes before gender-confirming surgery -- The ACLU alleges the hospital discriminated against Knight when they refused to perform the hysterectomy, because they routinely performed the procedure on other non-transgender patients. Their decision, according to the lawsuit, is a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits businesses from discriminating against patrons, including on the basis of sex, gender identity and gender expression. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/19
POTUS 45
Mueller Delivers Report on Trump-Russia Investigation to Attorney General -- With department officials emphasizing that Mr. Mueller’s inquiry was over and his office closing, the question for both Mr. Trump’s critics and defenders was whether the prosecutors condemned the president’s behavior in their report, exonerated him — or neither. The president’s lawyers were already girding for a possible fight over whether they could assert executive privilege to keep parts of the report secret. Sharon LaFraniere and Katie Benner in the New York Times$ -- 3/23/19
Answering Purim question, Pompeo suggests Trump is on mission from God to save Jewish people -- Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo embraced the idea that President Trump could be on a mission from God to save the Jewish people from a new Persian menace, responding to a reporter's question concerning the Jewish holiday of Purim. Noga Tarnopolsky in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/19
Beltway
Mueller is done. Now comes a ‘pressure cooker’ for congressional Democrats -- In many ways, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s delivery of his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters is more of a beginning than an end. With Mueller having submitted his findings to Attorney General William Barr, the focus shifts to Congress and, in particular, the House Democratic majority. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/19
Bernie Sanders, rallying in San Diego, calls for Mueller report to be made public -- Drawing a crowd of thousands to downtown’s Waterfront Park, many of whom supported his 2016 run, Sanders laid out a theme of justice that included economic equality, as well as racial, ethnic and religious unity. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/19
-- Friday Updates
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