Updating . .
Luke Walton lawyer blasts Kelli Tennant sexual assault charge. Won’t ‘pay them a dime.’ -- Luke Walton’s attorney fired back on Wednesday at the Sacramento Kings’ coach’s accuser, calling a sexual assault claim against Walton false and “outrageous.” Mark Baute, whom Walton hired to defend him in a lawsuit filed this week by former sports reporter Kelli Tennant, called Tennant’s Tuesday press conference in Los Angeles a circus. Tony Bizjak and Jason Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
Trump’s star on Hollywood Walk of Fame is defaced by a vandal — again -- The vandal strode up to Trump’s star off Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue about 3:40 a.m., knelt down and applied a coat of black paint to the star before scrawling “Putins Bitch” across it in white spray paint. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Split 5 to 4, Supreme Court Deals a Blow to Class Arbitrations -- The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that workers at a California business could not band together to seek compensation for what they said was their employer’s failure to protect their data. The vote was 5 to 4, with the court’s conservative members in the majority. The decision was the latest in a line of rulings allowing companies to use arbitration provisions to bar both class actions in court and class-wide arbitration proceedings. Adam Liptak in the New York Times$ -- 4/24/19
Rep. Katie Hill has Nancy Pelosi’s favor, but will that do her any favors? -- California Rep. Katie Hill is learning there are risks and rewards that come with being seen as Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s new favorite. Every few years, Pelosi (D-San Francisco) takes a promising new member under her wing and provides them with opportunities not given to most rank-and-file members. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Californians benefit the least from Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, new report finds -- California households benefited the least from the income tax cuts in the 2017 tax law, according to a new report. The study, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, confirms the complaints from Democratic-leaning “blue” states that the Republican-backed federal tax overhaul was tilted against them. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
USC coach from North Hollywood and dad from Del Mar to plead guilty in college admissions scandal -- Laura Janke, 36, of North Hollywood will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering and will cooperate with the government’s investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. Janke — an assistant soccer coach at USC from 2007 to 2014 — was previously indicted along with multiple co-defendants. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 4/24/19
San Francisco Mayor Breed wants to use public land to build affordable housing -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed took office last July pledging to build more housing and to build it faster so that the affordability crisis wouldn’t empty the city of its working class. This November, she’s going to use the ballot box to try to do that. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
Bill would offer $5,000 tax credit for some first-time California home buyers -- Assembly Bill 1590, introduced in February by Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, focuses on low- and moderate-income households that are willing to buy in communities identified as “distressed” by the state. It would help buyers who make the move between Jan. 1, 2020 and Jan. 1, 2023. Jack Katzanek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/24/19
Nearly 7,000 are now homeless in Orange County, according to more accurate count -- In what may be the most accurate count of Orange County’s homeless population ever, there’s a significant uptick in the number of people without a permanent home, but the data released today, April 24, also shows more than twice as many homeless people in shelters now versus two years ago. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 4/24/19
Wildfires, warmer weather leave Bay Area air among worst in nation -- Wildfires and warmer weather — both products of climate change — merged to make the Bay Area one of the most smoke- and smog-choked metropolitan areas in the nation, according to a new report. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
FBI investigates potentially ‘deliberate’ Sunnyvale crash that injured 8 — police stake out car owner’s home -- The FBI is assisting in the investigation of a crash in which a male driver appeared to deliberately run down and injure eight people, including at least one child, by steering his Toyota sedan into a crowd at a busy intersection Tuesday night in Sunnyvale, authorities said. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Robert Salonga and Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
‘No reason that boy should’ve died:’ More people than ever are dying in California jails -- On the night of Jan. 17, 2018, Lorenzo Herrera walked into the Fresno County Jail booking area and sat down for an interview. Yes, he had a gang history, an officer wrote on his intake form. But Herrera, 19, said he did not expect problems with others inside the gang pod he’d soon call home. Jason Pohl and Ryan Gabrielson Sacramento Bee and Propublica via in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
Lakeside father mourns ‘perfect son’ killed in Sri Lanka bombing -- Kieran A. Shafritz de Zoysa, 11, was killed in the blast that tore through the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. It was one of several suicide bombings across Sri Lanka on Easter that killed at least 359 people and wounded hundreds of others. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/24/19
Parents vote on removing Michael Jackson’s name from L.A. school auditorium -- Gardner Street Elementary School is undergoing a most unusual soul searching this week, weighing whether to break a symbolic link with pop star Michael Jackson, whose name is on the auditorium of the Hollywood campus. A man in a white T-shirt and tan shorts said he was conflicted. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Skateboarder killed in San Francisco was featured in GQ profile -- A man killed in San Francisco Tuesday afternoon was profiled by GQ magazine last year as one of skating's "stars in the making." Pablo "P-Spliff" Ramirez, 26, died when he was hit by a dump truck while skating at 7th and Natoma. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, the Chronicle reported. Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
On Sunset Boulevard, a lunch break isn’t much of one at all -- An LAPD squad car is discreetly backed up against the wall of a darkened parking lot at Sunset Boulevard and El Centro Avenue. Jesse Pearson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Metro says it painted over graffiti. It covered a historic L.A. mural in the process -- The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has admitted it was responsible for the whitewashing of a historic Los Angeles mural nearly two weeks after the artist announced its erasure. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Blind San Diego sailor completes trans-Pacific crossing to Japan -- In spite of difficult winds and currents and numerous equipment failures, blind sailor Mitsuhiro “Hiro” Iwamoto of San Diego and his sighted sailing partner, Doug Smith, arrived in Japan on schedule Saturday, becoming the first blind sailing team to ever achieve a nonstop trans-Pacific crossing between the U.S. and Japan. Pam Kragen in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/24/19
Fox: Varying Poll Results on Death Penalty Leaves Unclear Picture -- It was interesting to see opponents of the death penalty embrace the findings of a Pubic Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll soon after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a moratorium on the death penalty but remain relatively silent on the much narrower results from a subsequent Quinnipiac University poll on the same subject. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 4/24/19
In Push for 2020 Election Security, Top Official Was Warned: Don’t Tell Trump -- In the months before Kirstjen Nielsen was forced to resign, she tried to focus the White House on one of her highest priorities as homeland security secretary: preparing for new and different Russian forms of interference in the 2020 election. President Trump’s chief of staff told her not to bring it up in front of the president. Eric Schmitt, David E. Sanger and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 4/24/19
Trump says he would ask Supreme Court to intervene if Democrats move to impeach him -- President Trump suggested Wednesday that he would ask the Supreme Court to intervene if Democrats move to impeach him — a notion that legal experts said showed a misunderstanding of the Constitution. It was unclear how Trump would legally justify such a move, since the Constitution delegates impeachment proceedings to Congress, not the courts. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 4/24/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Law enforcement backs down on deadly force standard—for now, anyway -- The political landscape in California’s debate over how to curb police shootings shifted Tuesday as law enforcement groups agreed to drop the part of their bill that would lock in the current national standard for justifying the use of deadly force. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters Don Thompson Associated Press Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 4/24/19
California governor seeks explanation for high gas prices -- California’s governor wants to know why gas prices are higher than in the rest of the country, blaming potential “inappropriate industry practices” Tuesday rather than the state’s higher taxes and tougher environmental regulations. Adam Beam Associated Press Sophia Kunthara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
Southern California House Democrats mostly wary of impeachment — for now -- For the past two years, as the media has reported on President Donald Trump’s pre- and post-election connections with Russia and his moves to block the inquiry into them, many Democratic politicians in Southern California have offered a simple, stress-free answer when asked if they ever would support impeaching the president: “Wait for Mueller.” Jeff Horseman in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 4/24/19
‘I thought he was going to rape me.’ Kelli Tennant details alleged assault by Luke Walton -- He was a trusted friend and colleague, so when he invited her to his hotel room that day in 2014, she told herself not to over think it. Then, out of nowhere, he allegedly pinned her down on the bed with all his weight, kissing her, rubbing himself against her, and laughing at her pleas to stop. “I thought he was going to rape me.” Tony Bizjak, Benjy Egel, and Jason Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nick Miller, Sami Soto, Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 4/24/19
California National Guard members tell lawmakers of misconduct, retaliation for whistleblowing -- A proposal to strengthen safeguards for whistleblowers in the California National Guard passed a major step Tuesday as former service members testified at a state Senate committee about what they called a “rampant” culture of retaliation that reaches the top of the organization. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Young people actually rocked the vote in 2018, new Census Bureau data finds -- Voter turnout spiked to a 100-year high in last year’s midterm congressional elections. Census Bureau data released Tuesday finds turnout rates jumped across nearly all groups, but the shift was particularly notable among young adults who typically stay home in nonpresidential years. Scott Clement and Ted Mellnik in the Washington Post$ -- 4/24/19
Judge sides with female inmates who filed lawsuit over sleep deprivation -- The Constitution protects against cruel and unusual punishment. But in late December, three female inmates filed a class-action lawsuit against Alameda County and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office for violating that right on the basis of sleep deprivation. This week, a federal judge sided with the women and ordered adjustments to allow for more sleep. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Walters: Can we protect kids from becoming zombies? -- We’ve all seen children, often very young children, hunched over from heavy book backpacks, shuffling along sidewalks just an hour or two after sunrise on their way to school. They look like zombies, and that’s because California’s public schools often begin their classes so early in the morning that many of them have had much less sleep than their still-growing bodies demand. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 4/24/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
When Finding Work Is A Necessity, And Nearly Impossible -- More Californians are working past the age of 65, many because they can't afford to retire. But the seniors who most need a job often have the hardest time finding one. David WagnerKPCC via KPBS -- 4/24/19
FAA Certifies Google's Wing Drone Delivery Company to Operate as an Airline -- The Federal Aviation Administration has certified Alphabet's Wing Aviation to operate as an airline, in a first for U.S. drone delivery companies. Wing, which began as a Google X project, has been testing its autonomous drones in southwest Virginia and elsewhere. Alphabet is also Google's parent company. Bill Chappell KQED -- 4/24/19
Transit
Metro leaders eye high-speed rail money for LA transit projects -- With new California Gov. Gavin Newsom taking a “realistic” approach to the state’s slow-moving high-speed rail project, Los Angeles transportation officials are asking whether funds for the Central Valley portion of the project would be better spent in Southern California. Elijah Chiland Curbed LA -- 4/24/19
San Diego approves rules for electric scooters as angry residents crowd City Hall -- Bird, Lime and other companies to pay permitting fees, face restrictions on speed and parking in target areas. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/24/19
San Francisco delays $62 million for Muni’s new rail fleet after a slew of mishaps -- San Francisco officials delayed millions in funding for Muni’s troubled new rail fleet on Tuesday, as the transit system’s chief announced a sweeping safety measure: Train operators will lock the rear doors of the new vehicles so that passengers won’t get stuck. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
Homeless
San Francisco Port Commission Approves Lease for Controversial Embarcadero Navigation Center -- The San Francisco Port Commission on Tuesday approved leasing a prime Embarcadero lot to the city to build a large, multiservice homeless shelter — a decision that's been hotly contested by neighborhood residents. Matthew Green KQED Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
Sacramento’s only city-run shelter closes next week. Some still need a place to go -- The only city-run homeless shelter is set to close next week, which could leave up to 16 people back on the streets. The shelter at its peak housed 200 homeless people. As of Tuesday, there were 37 people staying at the shelter, according to Andrew Guerkink, a city program analyst. Of those, 16 people have not yet found a place to go and may be homeless when they exit the shelter next Tuesday. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
San Francisco supes OK finding spot for people living in cars and RVs to park, get help -- On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a pilot program — the Overnight Safe Parking Pilot Program — that will create a “triage center,” where people living in vehicles can park overnight and access showers and bathrooms. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
Sacramento approves spending $23M to open homeless shelter at Capitol Park Hotel -- The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday approved more than $23 million in funding to open a 180-bed temporary homeless shelter at the Capitol Park Hotel downtown, where more than 90 elderly and disabled people currently live. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
The Affluent Homeless: A Sleeping Pod, a Hired Desk and a Handful of Clothes -- More young people are leaning into the rental or sharing economy — owning less of everything and renting and sharing a whole lot more. Housing, cars, music, workspaces. In some places, such as Los Angeles, this rental life has gone to an extreme. Steven T. Johnson, 27, works in social media advertising and lives in Hollywood. He spends most of his days using things he does not own. Sam Sanders NPR -- 4/24/19
Housing
California housing bill could have 'far-reaching effects' in Los Angeles, report says -- More than 40% of the developable land in Los Angeles could be eligible for homebuilding at a greater density under high-profile legislation working its way through the Capitol, according to a new city analysis. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Housing-strapped California debates density near job hubs -- A controversial proposal to increase housing near transportation and job hubs faces a key test Wednesday as California lawmakers search for solutions to the state’s housing affordability crisis. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 4/24/19
Wildfire
As Bay Area heats up, Gov. Gavin Newsom warns of coming wildfire danger -- As temperatures soared to summertime levels across the Bay Area, Gov. Gavin Newsom was at Tilden Regional Park in the East Bay hills Tuesday to warn that wildfires don’t only threaten California’s rural regions. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Cat Ferguson in the East Bay Times -- 4/24/19
Tuolumne County Homeowners See Flood Of Insurance Cancellations Due To Fire Risk -- Judy Austin, president of the Tuolumne County Association of Realtors, says a large number of residents are seeing their insurance canceled while others are paying much higher prices for insurance if they can find a provider at all. She says the county holds the highest risk of wildfires in the state, which makes it difficult to find a replacement policy. Rich Ibarra Capital Public Radio -- 4/24/19
FEMA Prepares First Mobile Home Park, Nearly Six Months After the Camp Fire -- Nearly six months after the Camp Fire erupted, FEMA is getting ready to open its first mobile home park for survivors of the blaze amid criticism that the agency didn’t bring in housing support more quickly. Polly Stryker KQED -- 4/24/19
Education
How Trump factors into California's charter school wars -- It’s tough being a charter school advocate in California these days. Not only are the schools facing fierce opposition from the Democratic-controlled Legislature, teachers unions and a governor whom their backers spent millions trying to keep out of office, they also have the most politically toxic ally possible in California state politics: President Donald Trump. MacKenzie Mays Politico -- 4/24/19
As Trump rolls back student loan protections, an Obama-era watchdog brings the fight to California -- Seth Frotman was traveling from the East Coast to California recently when he had a realization: The amount of new student loan debt that borrowers in the Golden State had racked up over the past year was equal to all the student loan debt in the state of Maine. Felicia Mello Calmatters -- 4/24/19
L.A. students want to lower voting age in school district elections to 16 -- High schoolers this decade have stormed out of their classrooms after the 2016 election, demanding protection for immigrants. They have called for gun control in the wake of school shootings, spurring a nationwide movement. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
California’s newest college will blend online and face-to-face job training -- Even before it debuts its first classes in the fall, the California Online Community College will get a new name, says its president and CEO Heather Hiles. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 4/24/19
Immigration / Border
Dozens of Chilean ‘tourists’ tied to robbery spree in Southern California, police say -- For months, a sophisticated ring of burglars has targeted affluent homes, businesses and cars in Los Angeles and the counties of Alameda, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Clara and Ventura, lifting jewelry, guns and other valuables, police said. A similar spate of “burglary tourism” is occurring in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New York and other states, as well as several European countries, the FBI said. Mark Puente in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Police say man impersonated an ICE agent, then handcuffed and robbed construction workers -- Patrick Mullany, 56, was taken into custody on suspicion of armed robbery, false imprisonment and impersonating an officer after workers at a construction site were threatened with deportation, according to a news release issued by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
Health
Two measles cases confirmed in Sacramento County – first since 2012, officials say -- The children were not vaccinated and are at home recovering, according to county spokeswoman Brenda Bongiorno. Anyone potentially exposed to the deadly virus was notified, Bongiorno said, though she could not specify how many were notified. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/24/19
California vaccination fight, Part 2 -- Passions are high as a bill meant to tighten the state’s already strict child vaccination law heads to its first hearing before the senate health committee Wednesday. Lisa Renner Capitol Weekly -- 4/24/19
Measles’ next target in Los Angeles: Unvaccinated college students -- Los Angeles health officials warned this week that students and staff at UCLA and Cal State L.A. may be at risk of catching measles, an announcement that has raised questions about universities’ susceptibility to disease outbreaks. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Environment
5-county greater Los Angeles area ranks as nation’s worst for smog, again -- While air quality has improved dramatically nationwide and locally over the past 50 years, this year’s report — which covers 2015 to 2017 — shows it deteriorating from the group’s three-year assessment last year. Climate change and wildfires are cited as key causes for the downturn. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 4/24/19
Also . . .
Reports: Antioch sergeant terminated after padding hours, leaking info to gang member -- A 21-year veteran with Antioch police lost his job after internal investigators found he repeatedly padded his hours, mishandled evidence and provided sensitive information to “known criminals,” according to internal documents. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
L.A. County watchdog panel asks for review of secret deputy cliques -- The watchdog panel that oversees the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department asked the county’s inspector general Tuesday to conduct an inquiry into secret deputy cliques that have proliferated for years and been implicated in violence against jail inmates and harassment of fellow deputies. The item is in the LA Daily News$ -- 4/24/19
POTUS 45
Trump says he is opposed to White House aides testifying to Congress, deepening power struggle with Hill -- President Trump on Tuesday said he is opposed to current and former White House aides providing testimony to congressional panels in the wake of the special counsel report, intensifying a power struggle between his administration and House Democrats. Robert Costa, Tom Hamburger, Josh Dawsey and Rosalind S. Helderman in the Washington Post$ -- 4/24/19
‘Not even a little’ worried? Trump’s anti-media tweet storm says otherwise -- Just days after claiming exoneration by the redacted special counsel report into Russian intervention in the 2016 election, President Trump is back to playing the victim. For a second straight day, the president remained inside the White House — his relatively light schedule allowing ample time for television and Twitter. Eli Stokols in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Beltway
‘We’re not there yet:’ Pelosi pushes back on impeachment as more Democrats call for proceedings -- Fresh cracks over impeachment emerged in the Democratic Party on Tuesday as another 2020 presidential candidate and a top Democratic chairman called for the House to initiate proceedings — even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed back on the idea. Rachael Bade in the Washington Post$ -- 4/24/19
Beto O’Rourke opens his California campaign Saturday in Los Angeles -- Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke of Texas will launch his 2020 California primary campaign Saturday with a four-day driving tour of the state. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/19
Tom Steyer brings his Need-to-Impeach tour to Bay Area -- San Francisco billionaire activist Tom Steyer urged dozens of people at a Pleasanton town hall gathering on Tuesday to demand that Congress begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/19
-- Tuesday Updates
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