Updating . .
Teen molested by Catholic school teacher gets record $8 million from L.A. archdiocese -- For more than year, some at San Gabriel Mission High School had expressed concerns about athletic director Juan Ivan Barajas. The school received reports from a coach, a parent and at least two anonymous letters about suspicious behavior between Barajas and students on the all-girls campus. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
Cow Palace will end gun shows after 2019 -- The Cow Palace will no longer host gun shows after this year, but the move has not quelled a legislative effort to replace the leadership at the arena and potentially redevelop the property. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
Nipsey Hussle shooting: Unanswered questions cast long shadow -- Minutes before Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot March 31 outside his clothing store, he sent his final tweet: “Having strong enemies is a blessing.” Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
Can Border Patrol agents demand you unlock your phone? Tech worker’s SFO experience raises question -- The well-publicized detention and interrogation of a high-level Silicon Valley tech worker at San Francisco International Airport by Border Patrol agents, and their demands that he unlock and surrender his cell phone and laptop computer, raise a legal question that probably is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court: How much evidence do officers need to search electronic devices carried into the country? Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
Thousands of Californians give to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign -- For thousands of Californians, President Donald Trump’s near-constant attacks on their home state have not caused offense. In fact, they’re kicking in millions of dollars so that he can do it for another four years. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/19
California hits back as Trump threatens to ‘dump’ immigrants in ‘sanctuary cities’ -- California Democrats this week stepped up their attacks on President Trump over his threat to send immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities, even as experts suggested the president’s plan could backfire and lure more migrants to the north. Dakota Smith, Cindy Carcamo, Molly O'Toole and Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
88,000 people in San Francisco who lost driver’s licenses may get them back -- Thousands of San Franciscans who had their driver’s licenses suspended for missing their date in traffic court now have a significantly better chance of getting back on the road legally. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
California’s most vulnerable Democrat is still untangling his tax liens heading into 2020 -- A freshman San Joaquin Valley congressman who narrowly unseated an incumbent in November has a complicated financial history that includes multiple tax liens and a delinquent debt that caused the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office to warn him that it could seize his property. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/19
California surf clubs unite for Gathering of the Tribes contest, but their future may be at risk -- It was a showdown of surf clubs. Twenty-two clubs from along the California coast, with more than 400 surfers from as far as Santa Cruz, came to San Onofre State Beach over the weekend for the annual Gathering of the Tribes, an event bringing camaraderie and competition to the surf. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register -- 4/16/19
New study: There’s one animal great white sharks are really afraid of -- Ever since the 1975 movie “Jaws,” great white sharks have been considered the most fearsome predators in the ocean. But new research published Tuesday shows that may not be the case. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/16/19
Fox: LA School Parcel Tax Fight Will Be a Trendsetter -- The fight over a Los Angeles school parcel tax exploded last week with allegations that the mayor’s office was bullying businesses to back off opposition to the tax. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/16/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California regulators question PG&E’s vow to improve safety -- California regulators expressed skepticism Monday that Pacific Gas & Electric Corp.’s new leaders have enough professional experience to instill the deep corporate culture of safety they say the company has lacked. Paul Elias Associated Press -- 4/16/19
Travel trailers end a nomadic existence for some Camp Fire victims -- After five months of bouncing from motel to motel, Camp Fire survivors Marianne Warner and her 2-year-old daughter, Charlotte Sherwood, were finally able to kick up their heels after a long-awaited move into more stable housing: a travel trailer in Oroville. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
California governor won’t block building in high-fire areas -- A desire to live near nature is embedded in California’s ethos, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday as he explained why he doesn’t want to block home building near forested areas at high risk for wildfires. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 4/16/19
Gavin Newsom Reflects On First 100 Days As California Governor, Sanctuary Policy, Wildfire Liability And Taxes -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to President Trump’s recent and repeated claims that the federal government should place Central American migrants seeking asylum in “sanctuary cities”? It’s already happening. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 4/16/19
Politifact CA: Gavin Newsom has made progress on some promises, but what about a state homelessness secretary? -- During his first 100 days in office, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made early progress on campaign pledges to create universal health care, guarantee free community college and expand affordable housing and homeless services. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 4/16/19
How the Los Angeles Times uncovered the George Tyndall scandal -- On Monday, the Los Angeles Times won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for articles that exposed Dr. George Tyndall, the USC gynecologist accused of sexually abusing hundreds of students. Below are excerpts from the entry The Times submitted for consideration. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
Wall Street critic Waters rakes in corporate campaign money -- Rep. Maxine Waters is embracing corporate campaign contributions as the new chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, even as some progressive Democrats have sworn off fundraising from businesses. Zachary Warmbrodt Politico -- 4/16/19
Kamala Harris is crushing other 2020 Democrats in California fundraising -- Sen. Kamala Harris used her home-state connections to raise more than $4.3 million from California donors in the first three months of the year, far more than any of her Democratic rivals in the 2020 presidential race. Adam Wollner and Ben Wieder in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/19
Harris’ Hollywood haul: Donors include Ben Affleck, Elizabeth Banks, Wanda Sykes -- Actors and actresses who wrote checks to the Harris campaign during the first three months of the year included Ben Affleck, who gave $2,800; Elizabeth Banks, who donated $5,600; Eva Longoria Baston, who donated $5,400; Alison Pill, who donated $360; Wanda Sykes, who donated $500; Lily Tomlin, who donated $525; and America Ferrera, who donated $250. Maggie Severns and Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 4/16/19
Remote-Controlled Cars Come To Streets Of Downtown Sacramento This Week -- Cars operated by remote drivers will debut on the streets of downtown Sacramento this week — and the technology that powers them could one day serve as a safety back-up for autonomous vehicles. Randol White Capital Public Radio -- 4/16/19
Laguna Beach might tone down the American flag graphic on its police cars -- A decision to repaint Laguna Beach police cars with an image of the American flag running through lettering on the doors will return to the City Council Tuesday after some residents deemed it unfit for the artists’ community. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
Frank Barbaro, longtime Orange County Democratic Party leader, dies at 75 -- Frank Barbaro, a prominent trial attorney who served two stints as chairman of Democratic Party of Orange County, died in his Santa Ana home early Monday morning from complications associated with cancer. He was 75. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 4/16/19
Targeted Democrat TJ Cox raises $300,000 in first quarter, outpacing Valadao’s early totals -- Cox’s total outpaces what former 21st District Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, raised during his first quarter in office, in 2013. Valadao totaled a little less than $90,000 then. Campaign raising and spending totals have increased across the board over the last six years. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 4/16/19
• Boyarsky: Doug Jeffe: a remembrance -- Campaign manager Douglas Jeffe, who died in a tragic accident last week, combined skill, intelligence, compassion and humor in a career that made him respected by friends and foes and placed him in the middle of the most tumultuous years of California politics. Bill Boyarsky LA Observed -- 4/16/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
East Bay seniors, disabled residents sue nation’s largest assisted-living provider -- When Rita Stiner signed an agreement in February 2016 with Brookdale San Ramon for her disabled daughter who uses a wheelchair, she fully expected Brookdale to live up to the accord. Jon Kawamoto in the East Bay Times -- 4/16/19
What would a universal basic income mean for America? Stockton thinks it has the answer -- Young, sincere and raised on the edge of poverty, Sukhi Samra has a mother who worked two minimum-wage jobs when she was a kid — days at a gas station and nights at a Subway. Her father is disabled. She knows what an extra $500 a month would have bought her family. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
Black Genentech worker, accused of stealing half a sandwich, gets $233,126 in discrimination lawsuit -- A black IT worker at Genentech was awarded nearly $250,000 last week after a jury agreed that his race-discrimination complaint was a factor in his firing. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/16/19
Warner Bros. to re-acquire old former NBC Burbank property — where Johnny Carson and Jey Leno ruled latenight -- Warner Bros. has sweeping plans to expand its Burbank headquarters by acquiring a nearby studio complex and moving into two Frank Gehry-designed office towers fashioned to look like icebergs floating alongside the 134 Freeway. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/16/19
Facebook shareholders complain about Zuckerberg’s power, call for breakup -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has too much power and it’s hurting the company, according to multiple shareholder proposals that will be considered at the company’s annual meeting, including one that calls for exploring strategic alternatives such as selling the tech giant’s other businesses. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/16/19
As Bullet Train Project Moves Ahead in Valley, Many Residents Still Reluctant to Get on Board -- hen Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in February that, as currently planned, the state's full high-speed rail project would take too long to build and cost too much, farm bookkeeper Joanna Spence was relieved. For her, that acknowledgement was long overdue. Alexandra Hall KQED -- 4/16/19
Harris Ranch, buyer quiet on details but stress family-owned roots in wake of sale -- The sale of Harris Ranch Beef Co., a well-known brand in San Joaquin Valley business and agriculture built up over decades, to Hanford-based Central Valley Meat Co. seems to have come as a surprise to many observers. Some key questions about the deal remain unanswered. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 4/16/19
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Which Bay Area companies didn’t pay federal income taxes in 2018: report -- Three of the Bay Area’s Fortune 500 companies — Chevron, Netflix and Salesforce — paid no federal taxes in 2018, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank. Chevron and Netflix together got more than $200 million in tax rebates. Leonardo Castañeda in the East Bay Times -- 4/16/19
Homeless
San Francisco compromises — slightly — on Embarcadero Navigation Center after month-long backlash -- San Francisco officials signaled a willingness Monday to compromise — slightly — with residents of Rincon Hill, South Beach and other waterfront neighborhoods who are staunchly opposed to a plan to bring a Navigation Center to the Embarcadero. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
Education
College admissions scandal: Palo Alto parents move to dismiss indictment -- In the first defense mounted by any of the dozens of defendants ensnared in the college admissions scandal, two Bay Area parents Monday asked a judge to dismiss the indictment against them, claiming there was no conspiracy among the mothers and fathers accused of bribing coaches and test-takers. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
Snapchat ‘joke’: fake assault rifle with ‘Don’t go to school tomorrow’ message lands Rohnert Park boy in jail -- A Rohnert Park high school student posted a picture on Snapchat showing a replica assault rifle — that looked like the real thing — on someone’s lap with the message: “Don’t go to school tomorrow.” It was supposed to be a joke, the 17-year-old boy told investigators who showed up to his home with a search warrant and arrested him. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
Immigration / Border
Woman scammed immigrants out of $110,000 in home-buying scheme, police say -- Maria Teresa Flores-Morales of Fresno told people who were unsure how to go about buying a home that she could help them with the purchase. She found houses that were in pre-foreclosure and showed the potential buyers the outside of the property while it was still occupied, according to police in Parlier. Detectives with the department in this small town near Fresno made the arrest. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
Internal memos say Trump officials to resume forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico -- The Trump administration moved Monday to restart a controversial policy that forces Central American asylum seekers to return to Mexico to await adjudication of their claims, an approach dubbed “Remain in Mexico.” The move came after a federal appeals court in California temporarily lifted an injunction on Friday that had blocked the policy. Molly O'Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/19
Border Patrol Wants To Examine Mexican Sewage And How It’s Affecting Agents -- There is supposed to be a system in place that diverts sewage near the U.S.-Mexico border to a treatment plant. "So if it’s coming here then that’s not happening," said U.S. Border Patrol Agent Amber Craig, standing in a channel where sewage is flowing near San Ysidro. "And that shouldn’t happen when it’s not raining." Matt Hoffman KPBS -- 4/16/19
Environment
North Bay's Highway 37 Is Going to Be a Serious Climate Mess -- he rainy season is winding down, ending a difficult winter for many North Bay commuters. Every day, 46,000 people drive Highway 37, the scenic route that connects Marin County with Vallejo, Napa and just about everywhere east. Craig Miller KQED -- 4/16/19
California heat waves could be predicted 2 weeks in advance, new UC Davis research shows -- Summer heat waves in California’s Central Valley are almost always preceded by heavy rainfall over the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans, scientists at UC Davis and in South Korea determined in a recently published research effort. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/19
Yosemite’s High Sierra camps staying shut this year -- Deep snow means there’s not enough time to fix a bridge or repair wastewater treatment facilities, damaged tents and other parts of the outposts’ fragile infrastructure, according to Yosemite officials. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/16/19
Valero Could Restart Troubled Benicia Refinery by Mid-May -- Valero's Benicia refinery, shut down since last month because of equipment malfunctions, could be back online by mid-May, Benicia city officials and state regulators say. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 4/16/19
Also . . .
Becerra sues San Diego attorney for alleged misuse of $2.33 million in charitable funds -- Earl Nelson Feldman, 75, disbarred in 2017, allegedly misappropriated more more than $1.68 million from one charitable trust and another $650,000 from a second charitable trust he oversaw. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/16/19
Man gets 135 years in prison for horrific DUI crash that killed 4 people on I-80 in San Pablo -- A man with five previous DUI convictions was sentenced to serve 135 years in prison after he killed four people in a 2017 drunken hit and run crash on I-80 in San Pablo. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/19
Chico Enterprise-Record staff recognized as Pulitzer Prize finalist -- The Chico Enterprise-Record was honored on Monday as a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for the first time in the newspaper’s history. The staff of the Enterprise-Record, in collaboration with the Bay Area News Group, was a finalist in the breaking news category for its coverage of the devastating Camp Fire. Risa Johnson in the Chico Enterprise-Record -- 4/16/19
World – and thousands of web cam viewers – welcome two Big Bear baby eagles -- Two baby bald eagles have now emerged from their shells over the past two days in a nest high above Big Bear Lake spotlighted by a website camera and tracked by thousands on social media. David Downey in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 4/16/19
Man in dumpster lands in garbage truck and goes for harrowing ride in Santa Rosa -- A bad situation could have been much worse for a man who sought shelter in a dumpster, then found himself tumbling into the hopper of a garbage truck. The unwitting passenger had taken refuge in a receptacle behind the In-N-Out Burger on County Center Drive, according to Santa Rosa fire officials, who said the unidentified man was one garbage stop away from being pressed, possibly to death, in the back of the refuse-filled truck. Randi Rossmann and Austin Murphy in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 4/16/19
POTUS 45
Trump focuses on divisive messages as 2020 reelection bid takes shape -- President Trump escalated his attacks on a Muslim member of Congress and “Radical Left Democrats” on Monday ahead of a reelection campaign that is quickly taking shape around divisive messages centered on immigration and patriotism. Seung Min Kim and Toluse Olorunnipa in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/19
Mueller Report Will Be Released Thursday, Justice Dept. Says -- Mr. Barr will release the report after department lawyers black out secret grand jury testimony, classified information, material related to continuing investigations and other delicate information, said the spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec. Katie Benner in the New York Times$ -- 4/16/19
Beltway
Bernie Sanders Released His Tax Returns. He’s Part of the 1% -- Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, disclosed 10 years of tax returns on Monday, providing a more detailed look at his finances than what he offered when he ran for the White House in 2016. Thomas Kaplan in the New York Times$ -- 4/16/19