Updating . .
Supreme Court conservatives appear ready to OK Trump’s census citizenship question -- In a case with deep implications for California, Supreme Court justices on Tuesday appeared ready to uphold the Trump administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Will Newsom end oil drilling in California? Many environmentalists are betting yes -- California’s legacy of oil drilling should be just that, many environmentalists argue — relegated to the history books. They are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to ban new oil and gas drilling in California and completely phase out fossil fuel extraction in one of the nation’s top petroleum-producing — and gasoline-consuming — states. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
PG&E seeks higher rates amid push to address wildfire woes -- PG&E monthly utility bills could rocket higher if the disgraced power company wins approval of a new rate increase to bankroll upgrades in the company’s gas and electricity systems, which have been linked to a catastrophic explosion and lethal wildfires over the past several years. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/23/19
In California National Guard, whistleblower claims of retaliation go beyond Fresno -- Allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers in the California National Guard are more widespread than the complaints made at a Fresno air base that led to a dramatic leadership shakeup of the organization earlier this month, The Times has found. Alene Tchekmedyian and Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Gaps in California arrest data make it easier for violent felons to get guns, study finds -- Before authorities charged Anton Lemon Paris last year with murder and attempted murder in the shooting of a Rancho Cordova sheriff’s deputy and his partner, the most serious offense on his rap sheet had been a 2010 conviction for the possession of homemade nunchucks. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Ex-USC coach, parent to plead guilty in college bribery scam -- A former University of Southern California soccer coach and a California insurance executive became the latest people to agree to plead guilty in a college admissions cheating scandal that has netted prominent parents and Hollywood stars, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Alanna Durkin Richer Associated Press -- 4/23/19
Police never informed of sexual assault allegation against Luke Walton, officials say -- Santa Monica police said Tuesday that officials never received a report accusing former Lakers coach Luke Walton of sexual assault, and they are not currently investigating allegations made by a sports reporter. Richard Winton and Tania Ganguli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Lawyer: Sexual assault allegations against Kings coach Luke Walton are ‘baseless’ -- An attorney representing Kings coach Luke Walton issued a statement late Monday night strongly denying sexual assault allegations against his client. Jason Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
California has No. 1 wage gap between middle-income pay and what wealthy earn -- Last year’s upper crust wages ran 72% greater than the median in California, a spread that topped all states ahead of No. 2 New York at 68.1% and No. 3 Virginia at 67.7%. And it was far above the 50-state median of 57%. (Just so you know, the smallest gap among the states was found in South Dakota at 45.1%; then North Dakota at 45.2% and Vermont at 50%.) Jonathan Lansner in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 4/23/19
San Francisco looking at another big pot of free money — supes want affordable housing to top list -- San Francisco is all but certain to get another multimillion-dollar windfall this year — and one supervisor wants at least half of it to go toward alleviating the city’s housing crisis. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
Can California boost home building without supercharging gentrification? -- Along a stretch of South Los Angeles near the Expo light rail line, investment dollars are pouring in. Landlords outfit vacant apartments with stainless-steel appliances to lift rents, flippers list renovated bungalows for sale at twice what they paid. And as long-term tenants are forced out, development companies build new apartments in a predominantly working-class area that they long shunned. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Oakland mayor: Coliseum deal with A’s should benefit East Oakland -- Oakland’s mayor implored the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to consider the impact on neighbors of a potential sale of the county’s share of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to the A’s baseball team. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
California’s history of voting violations would face new scrutiny under Washington proposal -- Despite its aggressive push to expand voter access in recent years, California’s past voting rights violations have landed it on a list of bad actors that Democrats in Washington want to subject to extra federal scrutiny. Emily Cadei and Brian Murphy in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
‘Carrying water for Trump’ or ‘vindicated’? What the Mueller report means for Devin Nunes -- Democrats working to oust Rep. Devin Nunes in 2020 will have to make their case without any help from Special Counsel Robert Mueller III. Mueller did not name the Republican from Tulare in his redacted investigation into Russia’s interference with the 2016 presidential election despite speculation from Nunes’ critics that the congressman was under scrutiny in some way because of his close ties to President Donald Trump. Kate Irby and Rory Appleton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
California scientists unravel genetic mysteries of world’s tallest trees -- Scientists have unlocked the genetic codes of California’s most distinguished, longest-lasting residents — coast redwood and giant sequoia trees — in what is a major breakthrough in the quest to protect the magnificent forests from the ravages of climate change, researchers announced Tuesday. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
Why are gray whales dying in the San Francisco Bay? -- Gray whales are currently making their annual trip to Alaska. After breeding in the coastal lagoons of Baja, California, they’re traveling 10,000 miles north to eat. Adult males are the first to migrate. Young, non-breeding whales follow suit. Priyanka Runwal in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/23/19
An unusual number of gray whales are skinny and dying along the West Coast — and experts are trying to figure out why -- Thirty gray whales have died along the West Coast since the start of the year, a number that has experts concerned as they try to determine the cause of the spike. Laylan Connelly in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/23/19
Bretón: Did Sheriff Scott Jones get away with going rogue? Apparently so -- Remember last year when Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones got rid of the independent oversight of his department and it became a big controversy? Jones literally locked former Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel out of his buildings because Braziel acted within his capacity as county inspector general and did a deep dive into a terrible shooting by Jones’ deputies. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
Happy 4/20, Sacramento: DA dismisses or reduces more than 5,300 marijuana convictions -- Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert has dismissed nearly 2,000 marijuana-related convictions and reduced more than 3,300 from felonies to misdemeanors as a result of a Code For America pilot program, according to a news release Monday. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
Antioch PD fired prominent detective giving info to a drug dealer, stealing evidence -- Police in Antioch fired a prominent detective in 2017 for “reprehensible conduct” that included endangering the safety of other officers by leaking information to drug dealers and additional misconduct, including stealing evidence and falsifying time records, documents show. Sgt. Santiago Castillo was given a termination notice in November 2017 and later resigned, according to documents the department released late Monday. Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/23/19
Woman accused of dumping puppies in Coachella trash bin had 38 dogs at home, authorities say -- A woman seen on video dumping a plastic bag filled with seven puppies in a Coachella trash bin had 38 dogs living in her home when she was arrested, authorities said Tuesday. Hannah Fry and Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Furious Trump orders officials to boycott correspondents' dinner -- The president, angry at the political media, throws a wrench into its annual gala. Eliana Johnson Politico -- 4/23/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
PG&E Shuffles Board to End Investor Challenge -- PG&E Corp. on Monday settled a dispute with an activist investor by restructuring its board to include another director with utility experience, and adding a safety specialist to advise its chief executive. Katherine Blunt in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/23/19
Money meant for inmate welfare spent on education, staff, and sheriff’s department expenses -- San Diego County inmates and their families spend millions of dollars a year on telephone calls and merchandise from jail commissaries. Breakfast gift packs are $14.99. A See’s Candies peanut butter egg goes for $6.99. A 15-minute phone call runs almost $5. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/23/19
California’s Way to Win will give millions to grassroots groups for 2020 races -- A California progressive group will announce Tuesday that it intends to spend tens of millions on the 2020 elections, but plans to distribute the money differently from most big funders: It will give directly to local grassroots organizations, particularly those working in communities of color. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
California court ruling could change the culture of fining defendants who can’t pay -- In the last year, Ramon Wence-Valladolid was arrested for drunken driving, charged with having a blood alcohol content exceeding 0.20 — the legal limit is 0.08 — and sentenced to 10 days in jail and three years of probation. He also became part of a statewide trend. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
Who gets to skip vaccines? California plan would put the state – not doctors – in charge -- Dr. Richard Pan has fought the vaccine fight before. First, as a pediatrician in Philadelphia during a deadly measles outbreak. Then, four years ago, as a doctor-turned-lawmaker who battled death threats and a coalition of parents enraged over Pan’s 2015 legislation. The proposal — Senate Bill 277 — cut the personal belief exemption from a list of approved reasons not to immunize a child. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
Luke Walton accused of sexual assault by former SportsNet host Kelli Tennant -- Former Lakers coach Luke Walton has been accused of sexual assault by former Spectrum SportsNet host Kelli Tennant. In a lawsuit filed Monday, Tennant, a former USC volleyball player, alleges that Walton assaulted her at the Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica while he was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. Tania Ganguli in the Los Angeles Times$ Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jason Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
SEC alleges that Little Saigon church fronted a $25 million Ponzi scheme -- Tam Doan was skeptical when he heard on the radio that investing with a local church could bring him huge financial returns. But the promise of at least 12% annual returns on his investment was too good to pass up. Ben Brazil in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/23/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
California bad for business? But it’s No. 1 for investment in young companies -- California is the golden state for venture capital, snaring more seed money for young ventur es than the rest of the nation. Jonathan Lansner in the East Bay Times -- 4/23/19
Disney heiress calls CEO Bob Iger's $65.6-million pay package 'insane' -- Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger’s compensation has a major critic who shares the founder’s name. Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Theranos’ Holmes seeks ‘exculpatory’ evidence from federal agencies in criminal case -- Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ legal team is trying to obtain documents from federal agencies that would help clear her of wrongdoing in her criminal fraud case, a member of her defense team said Monday. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
A Real Estate Mogul Seeks to Expand His Influence Over Los Angeles -- Rick J. Caruso was getting excited. In a few weeks, the real estate mogul’s beachside resort in Montecito would open its doors, and the project, more so than his others in Los Angeles, was a personal one. Tim Arango in the New York Times$ -- 4/23/19
No more loopholes: San Francisco landlords must now register vacant properties -- San Francisco landlords must now register their empty storefronts with the city or face a hefty annual fine. A new law that went into effect Monday requires building owners to register a vacant or abandoned storefront within 30 days of it becoming empty, regardless of whether it is advertised for sale or lease. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Edison asks for bigger profits, says bills would rise $14.40 a month for the average home -- California’s major monopoly utilities asked regulators Monday to approve higher profits for their shareholders amid a growing risk of destructive fires. The biggest request came from Southern California Edison, where the average household customers could see an annual bill increase of more than $170. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
California soda tax proposal shelved while lawmaker vows to try again next year -- A proposed California soda tax is dead for the year after the lawmaker running the bill announced Monday it’s being held in committee for the rest of 2019. Assemblyman Richard Bloom said his proposed 2 cent per fluid ounce tax on sugary drinks will become a “two-year bill,” meaning it could be taken up again next year. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/19
Homeless
Mentally ill homeless people keep going to jail. But a study says L.A. County can fix that -- On a typical day, thousands of homeless and mentally ill people are behind bars in Los Angeles County’s jails. But more than half of them would be good candidates to divert into housing with supportive services instead, according a new study from the Department of Health Services. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
RV lot proposed for Rancho Penasquitos drawing opposition -- A storage facility and recreational vehicle lot proposed for Rancho Penasquitos is drawing opposition from nearby condominium residents concerned about safety, visual impact and potential declines in property values. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/23/19
Education
Bay Area student debt levels soar, hitting poor people hardest, study shows -- In a grim picture of student-loan debt across the Bay Area, a study released Monday shows that the amount owed has tripled in the past 15 years while the default rate has doubled, hitting low-income communities hardest. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
Civil Rights Groups On Opposite Sides Of California Charter School Debate -- Two national civil rights organizations are at odds over a proposal in California to limit the number and increase oversight of charter schools. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 4/23/19
Cannabis
Cannabis company aims for 200 Oakland jobs at old cannery site -- Coda Signature, a luxury cannabis manufacturer, is preparing to open a new production site in Oakland and planning to hire more than 200 people, a company executive said Monday. George Avalos in the East Bay Times -- 4/23/19
Guns
Kamala Harris Proposes Executive Orders on Gun Control -- Senator Kamala Harris of California, the former prosecutor who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Monday committed to a host of executive actions to implement gun control measures that have long failed to pass in Congress. Astead W. Herndon in the New York Times$ Christopher Cadelago Politico Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
Health
Measles cases investigated by L.A. County public health officials -- Los Angeles County public health officials said Monday that they’re investigating a measles cluster after reports of residents acquiring the vaccine-preventable virus. Jaclyn Cosgrove and Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
Environment
West Coast Crabbers Grapple With Climate Change -- Climate scientists estimate that the oceans have absorbed some 90 percent of the Earth's warming in recent decades, which is why we're seeing signs of climate change there first. And that warming is impacting the livelihoods of California crabbers squeezed at both ends of the annual season by delays. Amy Westervelt KQED -- 4/23/19
Also . . .
Montebello police officer dies after being shot with his own gun at police headquarters -- A Montebello police officer who had been on the force less than a year died of a gunshot wound Sunday after discharging his weapon inside police headquarters, authorities said. Officer Kenneth Utsinger, 41, was pronounced dead at the police station at 1600 W. Beverly Blvd. at 5:24 a.m. Sunday, according to Sarah Ardalani, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/19
San Francisco teams up with Uber, location tracker on 911 call responses -- An ambulance racing toward a single-room occupancy hotel in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood wouldn’t have known where to go in October 2018 had it not been for a ping from a smartphone. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
POTUS 45
Trump sues in bid to block congressional subpoena of financial records -- President Trump sued his own accounting firm and the Democratic chairman of the House Oversight Committee at the same time Monday — trying an unusual tactic to stop the firm from giving the committee details about Trump’s past financial dealings. David A. Fahrenthold, Rachael Bade and John Wagner in the Washington Post$ Eric Tucker and Jonathan Lemire Associated Press -- 4/23/19
Beltway
Pelosi downplays impeachment talk in private call with House Democrats -- Top House Democrats urged a go-slow approach Monday on impeachment proceedings against President Trump, as a growing number of their caucus members pushed for action in response to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the 2016 election and its aftermath. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/19
Kamala Harris supports Trump impeachment during town hall -- Kamala Harris said on Monday that “Congress should take the steps towards impeachment” of President Trump, marking her strongest stance yet on the repercussions the president should face after the investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Janet Hook and Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Steve Peoples and Hunter Woodall Associated Press Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/23/19
-- Monday Updates
Republicans lining up for 2020 House fights in California -- The political fight over Orange County isn’t over. Republican candidates are starting to line up with plans to take back four U.S. House seats all or partly in the California county that Democrats seized last year on their way to retaking control of the chamber. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 4/22/19
Gov. Gavin Newsom hits back at Trump in new fight over who controls California water -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is taking unprecedented steps to combat President Donald Trump’s efforts to ship more water to his agricultural allies in the San Joaquin Valley. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/22/19
California housing bill targeting wealthy cities could rezone nearly all of Palo Alto -- Few California communities have as many trappings of the good life as Palo Alto. The Silicon Valley suburb is home to two of the state’s highest-earning neighborhoods, top-performing public schools and tens of thousands of residents with graduate degrees — plus it neighbors Stanford, one of the country’s most prestigious universities. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/19
The inequalities of climate change: Rich nations get richer, poor get poorer -- As the oceans rise and the weather warms, climate change will have its winners and losers. But already it has created a sobering patchwork of economic inequality across the globe, according to researchers at Stanford University. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/19
L.A. County’s homeless population is growing — but not as fast as they’re dying -- A record number of homeless people are dying across Los Angeles County — on bus benches, hillsides, railroad tracks and sidewalks. Anna Gorman and Harriet Blair Rowan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/19
These California bills would train nurses, judges and police how to spot their own biases -- California saw a decrease in the number of women who died giving birth in 2013, as the maternal mortality rate climbed across the country, according to state officials. But expectant black mothers across the state are still three to four times more likely to die from complications at childbirth than white women. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/19
Regulators race to give PG&E a path to raise rates for wildfire costs -- How much money will Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers pay because of the devastating 2017 wildfires sparked by the utility’s power lines? Regulators are racing to create the mechanism that will determine the answer, a process that may also be applied to last year’s Camp Fire if lawmakers allow it and the state confirms PG&E’s suspected responsibility for the historic blaze. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/19
California court ruling could change the culture of fining defendants who can’t pay -- In the last year, Ramon Wence-Valladolid was arrested for drunken driving, charged with having a blood alcohol content exceeding 0.20 — the legal limit is 0.08 — and sentenced to 10 days in jail and three years of probation. He also became part of a statewide trend. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/19
Tesla gears up for fully self-driving cars amid skepticism -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk appears poised to transform the company’s electric cars into driverless vehicles in a risky bid to realize a bold vision that he has been floating for years. The technology required to make that quantum leap is scheduled to be shown off to Tesla investors Monday at the company’s Palo Alto, California, headquarters. Michael Liedtke and Tom Krisher Associated Press -- 4/22/19
San Francisco’s big buildings to take big step in reducing city’s emissions -- San Francisco could become the first city in the nation to require large commercial property owners to switch their buildings to 100% renewable energy. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/19
Taylor: Outsiders drive destruction of Oakland sideshows -- Sideshows were born on East Oakland’s streets in the 1980s as a way for people to show off custom paint jobs, sleek interiors and souped-up engines. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/19
How do e-cigarettes like Juul impact your health? -- As vaping grows in popularity and the industry leader, San Francisco’s Juul, sells billions of dollars in vaping products each year, one key question remains unanswered: How do e-cigarettes affect your health? Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/19
Fox: San Francisco Tax Fights Once Again Raise the Fairness Issue of a Two-Thirds Vote -- Based on an interpretation of a 2017 California Supreme Court decision, San Francisco officials believe they have every right to collect and spend tax revenue resulting from ballot measures that received a majority vote rather than a two-thirds vote. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/22/19
California’s war on plastic pollution targets tiny hotel toiletries -- Sarah Enemark of Contra Costa County says she doesn’t travel often, but when she does, she typically forgets to bring her own toiletries. So on a recent weekend, chatting outside the bustling lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento, she sang the praises of those tiny hotel room amenities that so many travelers take for granted. Elizabeth Castillo Calmatters -- 4/22/19
Plastic straw restrictions begin in L.A. on Earth Day -- Plastic straws will be a little more difficult to come by in Los Angeles restaurants beginning on Earth Day as a city ordinance aiming to limit the availability of the single-use item takes effect Monday. Hannah Fry and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/19
As California’s delta smelt spirals toward extinction, a future in captivity awaits -- Time may be running out for California’s most infamous fish. Despite a decades-long rescue effort, the tiny delta smelt appears closer than ever to vanishing from its only natural home, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/19
City Of Sacramento Considering Age Restrictions To Buy Cannabis ‘Dabs’ And Extracts -- Sacramento's cannabis enforcement office says it is getting complaints from parents about the effects cannabis is having on their children. “The first thing I ask them is, ‘Are your kids dabbing?’” said Joe Devlin, the city’s chief of cannabis policy and enforcement. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 4/22/19
Trump says ‘nobody disobeys my orders.’ Here are 15 recorded instances of exactly that -- There is a narrative forming about the Mueller report. It says President Trump would be in a lot more trouble right now if those around him actually did what he told them to do. By essentially ignoring the boss on potentially obstructive acts, the narrative holds, these aides may have saved Trump from himself. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 4/22/19
Authorities end search of landfill for 6-month-old boy’s remains -- Culver City police said Monday that despite an intensive three-month investigation, they were unable to narrow a location within the El Sobrante Landfill where they suspect the remains of Jacsun Manson are. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/19