Updating . .   

‘California deserves better.’ Gavin Newsom rips PG&E plan that would ‘prioritize’ profits -- Gov. Gavin Newsom accused PG&E Corp.’s top executive Thursday of paying lip service to public safety, saying the troubled utility is planning to stock its board of directors with hedge-fund managers and others interested only in “prioritizing quick profits.” Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 3/28/19

Pimco and other PG&E creditors reportedly pitch a $35-billion exit plan -- Some of the biggest players in distressed debt are proposing a $35-billion plan that would allow California utility giant PG&E Corp. to emerge from bankruptcy within a year, according to sources familiar with the matter. Mark Chediak and Scott Deveau Bloomberg -- 3/28/19

‘Man, that is a lot of money’: PG&E spent at least $84 million on lawyers before bankruptcy -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. paid at least $84 million to four outside law firms in the year leading up to its January bankruptcy filing, court papers show, demonstrating how the embattled utility’s legal bills piled up as its challenges also mounted. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

California wildfire rating risks spread to public utilities -- The wildfire liabilities that sent investor-owned Pacific Gas & Electric into Chapter 11 are beginning to have a rating impact on California's public electric utilities. Keeley Webster The Bond Buyer -- 3/28/19

Pay $4 to drive to the Westside? Congestion pricing could cut traffic gridlock, report says -- Charging drivers a fee to reduce traffic jams has worked in London, Milan and Stockholm, and the idea is gaining ground in New York. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

California Democratic Party employee alleges intimidation by top official, withdraws from lawsuit against organization -- A female employee of the California Democratic Party who alleged a workplace culture of harassment, retaliation and discrimination is withdrawing from a lawsuit she filed against the organization and its former chairman. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

Small districts reap big profits by approving charter schools with little oversight -- The superintendent’s plan was born of necessity. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, as tax revenue plummeted, small school districts across California quickly felt the pain. Many were already lean, where administrators did the work of two or three, and students were counted in tens, not thousands. The economic collapse threatened their very existence. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

Responding to college admissions scandal, California lawmakers propose sweeping reforms -- Outraged by widespread allegations of cheating in the college admissions process, California lawmakers on Thursday proposed a sweeping package of bills aimed at closing loopholes that officials say gave the children of wealthy parents a side door into elite universities. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

How one wealthy parent is defending himself in college admissions scandal -- Legal experts have said some of the parents accused in the far-reaching college admissions scandal have an uphill battle because of the evidence provided by the mastermind of the scheme, who is cooperating with authorities. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

No longer a political winner: Silicon Valley is a minefield for 2020 hopefuls -- Only three years ago, Silicon Valley was riding so high that Hillary Clinton seemed truly stumped when asked on “The Ellen Show” whether she’d rather have George Clooney as a running mate or Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “Oh, that’s hard,” Clinton said at the time. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

Davis gunman’s path to handguns that killed Officer Natalie Corona may never be known -- Authorities have traced the origin of the handguns used to kill rookie Davis police Officer Natalie Corona in January, but say they may never know exactly how – or when – gunman Kevin Douglas Limbaugh obtained them. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/19

Chilling video of inmate beating released as Auburn Jail lawsuit settled for $1.4 million -- Two years after abuse allegations at the Auburn Main Jail led to the firings of three officials and a revamp of how deputies use force against inmates, a federal judge in Sacramento gave his final approval Thursday to a $1.4 million class action settlement in the case. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/19

Uber, Lyft in crosshairs of gig-work bill that would make drivers employees -- California businesses are jostling to get exemptions from an upcoming law that could drastically reshape employment for hundreds of thousands of workers, turning them into employees rather than independent contractors — and adding to the costs of hiring them. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

Taylor: Vallejo arrest raises troubling new questions about use of force -- Carlos Yescas thought it’d be OK to drive his new car to the market in his Vallejo neighborhood. Sure, the car didn’t have a license plate and Yescas didn’t have a driver’s license. But his 12-year-old brother, Jonathan Chavez, wanted thinly sliced meat to make tacos before Yescas left for work. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

California’s water infrastructure could be tested this spring as massive winter snowpack melts away -- Despite snowpack in the Sierra Nevada measuring 153 percent above normal, it should be noted that experts aren’t expecting anything too terrible for California. When the National Weather Service recently issued its spring outlook, minor flooding was foreseen in the Golden State, unlike the deluges seen in the Midwest along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Mike Branom in the Washington Post$ -- 3/28/19

Clash between Republicans and Rep. Adam Schiff overshadows Russia intelligence hearing -- Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday demanded that Chairman Adam B. Schiff step down from his post in light of his repeated allegations that President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russians in the 2016 election, the latest in growing GOP attacks against the Burbank Democrat. Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

California Democrats like Harris, but not all are behind her 2020 presidential run -- California Sen. Kamala Harris enjoys a net positive rating among her home state voters, a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) reveals. But a year out from California’s primary vote, the poll also shows that the former state attorney general and Democratic presidential candidate has work to do to lock up the 2020 primary electorate in the state. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/19

How Donald Trump inflated his net worth to lenders and investors -- When Donald Trump wanted to make a good impression — on a lender, a business partner, or a journalist — he sometimes sent them official-looking documents called “Statements of Financial Condition.” David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O'Connell in the Washington Post$ -- 3/28/19

Fox: Are Death Penalty Poll Results a Good Indicator of a Future Vote on the Issue? -- If you take the results of Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll question on the death penalty at face value you could conclude that Gov. Gavin Newsom is a pretty persuasive fellow. The survey showed that all adults favor life imprisonment without the possibility of parole over the death penalty by two to one (62% to 31%.) Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/28/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Did Newsom “defy” the will of the people on executions? New poll says no -- Ever since Gov. Gavin Newsom decided to halt capital punishment in California earlier this month, his political foes—and even a few supporters—have been lambasting him for his “arrogance” in “defying,” “thwarting,” and “kissing off” the state’s voters. Two weeks later, a new poll which suggests that his moratorium might be more in line with public sentiment than maybe even he suspected. Ben Christopher Calmatters Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Guy Marzorati KQED Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/19

Skelton: Newsom should close down California's death row the right way — at the ballot box -- If Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to abolish capital punishment the right way — at the ballot box rather than by gubernatorial edict — his best opportunity will come next year, a new poll indicates. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

Walters: Poll underscores California’s housing crisis -- Two months ago, when the Public Policy Institute of California asked the state’s residents to name the top issues that newly inaugurated Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature should address, immigration was No. 1. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/28/19

PG&E gets court approval on full $5.5 billion in bankruptcy financing -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. received approval Wednesday from a bankruptcy court to fully access $5.5 billion in financing it lined up from major banks, despite objections from wildfire victims who wanted more time to influence the terms of the deal. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

Earthquake alert in Oakland jangles no one’s nerves. It was only a test -- The great earthquake-warning trial run in downtown Oakland on Wednesday wasn’t exactly earth shaking, but it did cause some tremors among the 40,000 people whose cell phones honked and beeped just as they were settling into their work day. Sarah Ravani and Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

California 'That Much Closer' to Cell Phone Earthquake Warnings After Oakland Test -- Scientists and disaster-response officials say they're encouraged after their first attempt to push out an alert from the state's newly-developed earthquake warning system to cell phones, over the same network used for Amber Alerts. Craig Miller KQED -- 3/28/19

California lawmakers advance bill to ban sale of flavored Juul, other tobacco products -- California would become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, including the mango- and mint-flavored Juul nicotine pods popular among teens, if proposed legislation advanced by lawmakers Wednesday becomes law. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

A Year After Stephon Clark’s Death, Sacramento Communities Still Want More Safe Black Spaces And Mental Health Resources -- Psychologist Kristee Haggins stood up to the mic, faced Sacramento’s mayor and elected leaders, and made a powerful statement about the impact of recent events on many of the city’s black residents. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 3/28/19

L.A. City Council approves $12 million payout to wrongfully convicted Gardena woman who spent 17 years behind bars -- Susan Mellen filed a civil rights lawsuit against former Los Angeles police Detective Marcella Winn after she was declared factually innocent and released in 2014 by a judge who said her conviction appeared to be based on the testimony of a “habitual liar.” Elizabeth Chou in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 3/28/19

Probe Into Rohnert Park Cannabis and Cash Seizures Will Stay Secret, Despite Transparency Law -- Even as a new police transparency law is opening public access to disciplinary records for officers across the state, Rohnert Park city officials said a misconduct investigation will remain secret thanks to a deal city leaders struck with an officer on Tuesday. Sukey Lewis KQED -- 3/28/19

Shriver leads fight against Trump administration's Special Olympics budget cut -- Former California First Lady Maria Shriver, whose mother founded the Special Olympics, is vowing to fight Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ latest attempt to end federal funding for the program for athletes with developmental disabilities. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 3/28/19

L.A. Mayor Says Kamala Harris Doesn’t Have California Locked Up -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Democratic U.S. Senator Kamala Harris has strong support for her presidential bid in her home state of California, but she doesn’t have it locked up as her competitors aggressively campaign there. Christopher Palmeri Bloomberg -- 3/28/19

Trump says Nunes will be hailed as a 'great American hero' -- President Trump said Wednesday that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) would some day be "hailed as a great American hero. “Devin Nunes is someday going to be hailed as a great American hero,” Trump told Fox News's Sean Hannity in an interview Wednesday night. Rachel Frazin The Hill -- 3/28/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Tech layoffs to top 1,000 in Bay Area by late May, state reports show -- SAP, Oracle America, PayPal, Instacart and Thin Film Electronics are among the technology companies that have alerted the state’s Employment Development Department of their intentions to reduce staffing levels. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/19

Lawsuit says Sacramento school district made teacher layoff decision behind closed doors -- The city teachers union filed a lawsuit against the Sacramento City Unified School District on Monday, claiming the district unlawfully engaged in discussions regarding budget cuts in closed session meetings in recent months. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/19

House approves bill to close gender pay gap -- The House on Wednesday cleared a bill aimed at closing the gender pay gap, marking its first vote on the issue in nearly a decade and notching another political win for the Democratic Party. Sarah Ferris Politico -- 3/28/19

Epson America moving HQ, 600 employees to Los Alamitos from Long Beach -- The relocation will expand Epson’s current operation to more than 150,000 square feet from 135,000 square feet in a new two-building campus that can accommodate more than 700 employees. Kevin Smith in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/19

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

San Diegans could face two tax hikes to fund world-class transit system -- San Diegans will likely be asked in coming years to pay for a costly yet world-class public transit system — complete with a San Diego Grand Central, new rail lines and commute times that rival driving. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 3/28/19

Californians have tax blues as filing deadline approaches -- A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that 59 percent of registered voters in the state disapprove of the tax law passed by a Republican Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in late 2017. Just under a third — 31 percent — of registered voters approve. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/19

Buy stuff online? New California tax law takes effect Monday, but the rules might change -- Out-of-state online retailers who make more than 200 transactions or $100,000 in California sales have four days before they must begin collecting and remitting state sales tax from shoppers. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/28/19

Homeless  

Opponents to Navigation Center on San Francisco’s Embarcadero gearing up for legal fight -- In less than a week, a loose coalition of residents from Rincon Hill, South Beach, Mission Bay and other neighborhoods calling themselves “Safe Embarcadero for All” has raised nearly $35,000 to hire lawyers to contest the center’s construction. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

Housing  

This Bay Area school district wants to fight an ‘epidemic’ by building teacher housing -- With teachers moving away for cheaper housing in what the Mountain View Whisman School District superintendent is calling an “epidemic,” officials here are trying to stem the exodus by giving them the opportunity to live in the same city where they work. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/19

Education 

Betsy DeVos Wants to Cut Special Olympics Funding. Here’s Why It Probably Won’t Happen -- “I still can’t understand why you would go after disabled children in your budget,” Representative Barbara Lee, Democrat of California, told Ms. DeVos during the hearing on Tuesday, held by a House subcommittee. “You zero that out. It’s appalling.” Sarah Mervosh in the New York Times$ -- 3/28/19

College admissions scandal upsetting to California's low-income students -- For Lupe Nieto and other high school seniors in Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights neighborhood, this already is an emotional time of year. College acceptance and rejection letters are rolling in and these low-income students soon must decide whether financial aid offers are large enough to attend their dream schools. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 3/28/19

Water 

As Deadline Looms for California’s Badly Overdrafted Groundwater Basins, Kern County Seeks a Balance to Keep Farms Thriving -- Groundwater helped make Kern County the king of California agricultural production, with a $7 billion annual array of crops that help feed the nation. That success has come at a price, however. Gary Pitzer Western Water -- 3/28/19

Environment 

Jury Awards Over $80 Million in Roundup Exposure Case -- A jury Wednesday awarded $80.3 million in damages to a California resident the jurors found contracted cancer from exposure to Bayer AG’s Roundup weedkillers. Ruth Bender and Sara Randazzo in the Wall Street Journal$ Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

Also . . . 

Two officers shot, suspect with sword dead at Church of Scientology in Inglewood -- Two Inglewood police officers were shot Wednesday when responding to reports of a man with a sword entering the Church of Scientology of Inglewood, authorities said. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Benjamin Oreskes and Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ Eric Licas and Emily Rasmussen in the Orange County Register -- 3/28/19

Two Santa Clara County jail officers fired after unnecessary force, coverup, new records reveal -- Two Santa Clara County corrections officers were fired in 2016 and 2017 after internal affairs investigators found that one used unnecessary force when she choked and stepped on an inmate and both attempted to cover it up, according to public records obtained by The Chronicle on Wednesday. Matthias Gafni, Megan Cassidy and Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Thomas Peele and Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/28/19

Man who killed 7 in Oikos University mass shooting dies in prison -- One Goh’s plan in 2012 was to charge into Oikos University in Oakland and fatally shoot a nursing school administrator before taking his own life. But Goh, who officials said Wednesday died in a Sacramento County prison last week, would instead kill seven other people in the second-deadliest mass shooting in Bay Area history. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

Video shows L.A. Deputy Caren Carl Mandoyan trying to break into woman’s home, leading to his firing -- The deputy crouched down in front of the woman’s sliding glass door, wedging a metal tool in its frame to pop it loose. He stopped after glancing up, startled to see the woman recording video of him from inside her apartment. In another instance, the deputy is seen wielding a broomstick on the woman’s patio after using it to tap on her door. His hand is later seen opening a window to the woman’s darkened bathroom, while she yells at him to get out. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/28/19

Video shows man kicking 85-year-old antiabortion demonstrator outside Planned Parenthood in San Francisco -- Police in San Francisco are trying to track down a black-clad bicyclist who assaulted an 85-year-old man during an antiabortion demonstration outside Planned Parenthood in the Mission District last week, officials said Wednesday. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

California inmate dies after getting Legionnaires’ disease -- A California prison inmate has died after contracting Legionnaires’ disease and a second inmate has tested positive for the disease, which is considered a severe type of pneumonia, authorities said Wednesday. Officials said Wednesday that they are taking precautions at a prison hospital and a neighboring youth correctional facility in Stockton, south of Sacramento, while they test water sources for the bacteria. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 3/28/19

POTUS 45  

Trump: FBI officials committed treason in Russia probe -- President Trump told Fox News' "Hannity" Wednesday FBI officials investigating possible Russia links to his campaign had "committed treason," as he gave his first interview since Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation concluded. Rebecca Falconer Axios -- 3/28/19

To Barbara Bush, Donald Trump Represented ‘Greed, Selfishness’ -- For decades, she was the grande dame of the Grand Old Party, the white-haired, pearl-wearing, tart-tongued Republican matriarch and, in the words of one eulogist, the first lady of the Greatest Generation. When she left the White House, she was deemed by one poll the most admired woman in the world. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 3/28/19

Twitter still won’t remove Trump’s tweets that violate its rules. But it will label them -- The next time a politician, dignitary — or perhaps a president — makes an utterance that violates Twitter standards, the message might be accompanied by a note that expands on the 280-character tweet, a top official with the company said Wednesday. Faiz Siddiqui in the Washington Post$ -- 3/28/19

Trump planning a rare California visit. Tickets start at $15,000 -- President Trump will be in California next week for a campaign fundraiser, buoyed by what he called his “complete and total exoneration” by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

Beltway 

Senate takes up California disaster aid as White House digs in on Puerto Rico -- The Senate took up a disaster-aid package Tuesday that includes billions for California, but the bill’s fate remains unclear as President Trump digs in on limiting funding for hurricane recovery in Puerto Rico. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/28/19

Disaster aid bill hits snag after Trump tells GOP Puerto Rico gets too much storm assistance -- But final passage is now uncertain, with Senate Democrats calling for changes to the bill after Trump reportedly told Republicans at a Senate lunch Tuesday that Puerto Rico, which was struck by two hurricanes in 2017, was getting too much money in the disaster aid bill. Marianne Levine and Burgess Everett Politico -- 3/28/19

‘We need a plan’: GOP shaken by Trump’s healthcare demands -- The last time the party tried to get rid of Obamacare, it cost them control of the House and several state capitols. Alice Miranda Ollstein and Burgess Everett Politico -- 3/28/19

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

Audit finds poor planning led to California DMV issues -- California auditors say the Department of Motor Vehicles didn’t properly prepare for customers lining up to get new federally approved drivers’ licenses, leading to hours-long wait times last year. Don Thompson Associated Press Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/27/19

Assembly Democrats want lower threshold to raise local taxes -- California voters could decide in 2020 whether it should be easier for their local governments to raise taxes and issue bonds for affordable housing, road improvements and other public projects. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 3/27/19

Orange County will stop holding inmates for ICE at its jails -- Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said in a news release the action was being taken to free up space for better treatment of mentally ill inmates. He said the county jails had seen a 40% increase in mental health cases in the jails since 2015. The item in the Los Angeles Times$ Sean Emery in the Orange County Register -- 3/27/19

Report: Many California law enforcement agencies resisting sanctuary law; cooperating with ICE -- Of 169 local law enforcement agencies reviewed, 68 were not complying with California SB-54, the state law that limits cooperation between police agencies and federal immigration agents, according to a report released Wednesday, March 27, by the San Francisco-based Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus and the University of Oxford Centre for Criminology in England. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 3/27/19

Tourist with measles visits Apple, Stanford, other Silicon Valley attractions -- An international traveler infected with measles visited 20 places across the South Bay — including the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino, Hoover Tower at Stanford and the Great Mall in Milpitas — over an eight-day period, triggering a Santa Clara County warning of possible public health exposure. Thy Vo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/27/19

 

Top Silicon Valley venture capital leader out over ties to college admissions scandal -- A major Silicon Valley venture capital firm broke ties with its founder after he informed partners that the mastermind of the sweeping college admissions scandal helped get his son into college. Chris Schaepe has not been charged in the ongoing federal investigation, and his spokeswoman said he did nothing illegal. Joel Rubin and Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/19

USC, UCLA among universities under federal investigation in college admissions scandal -- Yale said the “preliminary investigation” involved it and seven other universities “whose employees or applicants were named in the federal bribery investigation” and was examining whether they had “complied with regulations and requirements pertaining to the federal student aid program.” The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/19

Attorney: Palo Alto couple charged in college admissions scheme to ‘fight like crazy’ -- A Palo Alto couple implicated in this month’s nationwide college admissions cheating case will ‘fight like crazy’ against the charges, their lawyer said Tuesday as they faced a new indictment on the allegations in federal court. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/27/19

 

Top-tier New York private school opening San Jose campus — will $56K East Coast tuition fly in Silicon Valley? -- The Avenues, a for-profit private school with students from upper-crust families, is planning a Silicon Valley campus with its purchase of a big office building in San Jose for a new learning center. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/27/19

How a couple worked charter school regulations to make millions -- The warning signs appeared soon after Denise Kawamoto accepted a job at Today’s Fresh Start Charter School in South Los Angeles. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/19

California controller ‘gravely concerned’ about state’s $1 billion accounting program -- State Controller Betty Yee is “gravely concerned” that problems with the state’s accounting software could undermine California’s credit worthiness, she wrote in a recent letter to legislators. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/27/19

Senate takes up California disaster aid as White House digs in on Puerto Rico -- The Senate took up a disaster-aid package Tuesday that includes billions for California, but the bill’s fate remains unclear as President Trump digs in on limiting funding for hurricane recovery in Puerto Rico. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/19

California gas prices spike after refinery problems -- Gas prices in California and the Bay Area have jumped following the temporary shutdown of the Valero refinery in Benicia. The average price of gas in California was $3.54 per gallon Wednesday — nearly a dollar higher than the national average of $2.67 per gallon, according to AAA. California gas prices saw a $0.14 weekly increase. Sophia Kunthara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/19

In Juul crackdown, some see ‘double standard’ for San Francisco smoking rules -- In the past 20 years, San Francisco has banned plastic straws, plastic bags, plastic water bottles, fur, high-capacity gun magazines and cigarettes from pharmacies. Soon, if City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Supervisor Shamann Walton have their way, electronic cigarettes will join the list. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/19

Bay Area lawmakers demand more info from Mueller investigation -- Lawmakers from the Bay Area and elsewhere in California hold a number of positions key to the investigation into Russian election interference and more broadly into President Trump. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/19

Internal investigations in sexual misconduct cases often protect the accused -- Twelve days after WarnerMedia launched an investigation into an alleged affair between Warner Bros. Chairman Kevin Tsujihara and a young actress, he was out. Tsujihara appeared to be another casualty of the #MeToo movement: a powerful Hollywood executive abruptly felled by shocking yet credible claims of sexually inappropriate behavior. Stacy Perman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/19

San Francisco’s tech workforce is still growing, outpacing other metro areas -- It’s a complicated time to work in tech, with Wall Street getting jittery at every new earnings report and a growing political backlash, or “techlash,” making headlines. Melia Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/19

Southern California home sales slowdown deepened in February; agents see busier times ahead -- Southern California home prices barely rose in February from a year earlier, as buyers continue to struggle with the high cost of housing, according to a report out Wednesday. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/19

For Michael Avenatti, a luxury lifestyle built on a purported house of cards -- Long before he was Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, well before he was accused of trying to shake down Nike for millions of dollars, Michael Avenatti was an Orange County plaintiff’s attorney living a luxe life adorned with fast cars, high-end properties and expensive jewelry. Michael Finnegan and Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/19

Cannabis and Barneys: High times meets high-end style -- But at the Barneys location on Wilshire Boulevard, well-heeled pot smokers can now choose from an assortment of luxe marijuana accessories, including $1,000 artisanal blown-glass pipes, imported French rolling papers and a three-chamber sterling silver grinder that goes for a cool $1,575. Ethan Varian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/19

• Former LAPD cop rushes home to find man from iconic 1992 riot picture on his porch after LA Marathon mix-up -- The former cop raced home when his surveillance system signaled that an unidentified man was lingering on his front porch. But before you jump to conclusions about what you would do in the same situation, make sure you digest this entire story. Keith Sharon in the LA Daily News$ -- 3/27/19