Updating . .
Woman died jumping in front of rabbi during California synagogue shooting -- The rabbi was celebrating the last day of Passover with his congregants at Chabad of Poway when a gunman in a green army-style vest, armed with a semiautomatic weapon, burst in and began shooting. Kristina Davis, Sarah Parvini, Alene Tchekmedyian, J. Harry Jones and Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
Before California synagogue shooting, suspect may have set mosque on fire -- In late March, an arsonist set fire to an Escondido mosque and left a note referencing a shooting rampage at two New Zealand mosques in which dozens were killed. On Saturday, a gunman opened fire at a Poway synagogue, killing one and injuring three others. Sarah Parvini and Jennifer Van Grove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
L.A. councilman has voted on decisions involving his wife’s clients -- Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price has repeatedly cast votes that affected housing developers and other firms listed as clients of his wife’s consulting company, a Times review has found. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
Police say he spoke of delusions and had a rifle overlooking a San Francisco school. What happens now? -- The difficult case of Igor Perlov began last year when, authorities said, he called the FBI in San Francisco to say he thought there was a chip under his skin and was being programmed to carry out a mass shooting. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/28/19
Rebuild of MacArthur Maze gets tangled up in East Bay leaders’ objections -- Caltrans’ rebuild of the heavily used MacArthur Maze has been put on hold after local officials hit the roof over the plan to reroute thousands of cars and trucks onto nearby city streets for up to three years. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/28/19
The Price We Pay -- Using an exclusive ZIP code-level analysis, we show how little most Bay Area families can afford — and how the housing crisis is transforming the region we call home. Katy Murphy and Kaitlyn Bartley in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/28/19
Criminal prosecution of illegal entries dramatically slows in California -- Border Patrol says attention has turned to handling surge of families and children crossing illegally, taking agents away from other law enforcement priorities. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/28/19
One year after notebook appears in Tijuana, confusion and anxiety continue in asylum line -- Those stuck on the wait list to ask the U.S. for protection face an unofficial and unpredictable system that leaves some behind. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/28/19
House Democrats Feel Little Pressure From Voters to Impeach Trump -- The hundred-odd students who gathered on the hilltop campus of Concordia University here on a sunny Thursday morning had a lot of questions for Representative Katie Porter on abortion, immigration, voting rights and the 2020 primary races. But as their fluorescent question cards were plucked one by one from a raffle drum, not one mentioned the topic burning up Washington: the report of Robert S. Mueller III. Nicholas Fandos, Catie Edmondson and Sheryl Gay Stolberg in the New York Times$ -- 4/28/19
At L.A. rally, Beto O’Rourke calls for gun control after Poway synagogue shooting --Three years ago, when Florida Sen. Marco Rubio dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Madison McAleese was distraught. A devout Christian, she considered herself a supporter of small-government conservatism. But she felt she could not support Donald Trump and soon left the Republican Party. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ Kevin Modesti in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/28/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Suspect in deadly synagogue shooting near San Diego wrote anti-Semitic manifesto -- A gunman armed with a semiautomatic rifle walked into a suburban San Diego County synagogue and opened fire on the congregation Saturday, killing one person and injuring three in an attack that authorities believe was motivated by hate. Kristina Davis, Sarah Parvini, J. Harry Jones and Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
Who is John Earnest, the suspect in the Poway synagogue shooting? -- The 19-year-old suspect in Saturday’s Poway synagogue shooting, John T. Earnest, is the product of a seemingly tight-knit family with strong ties to the San Diego community, although online postings suggest a preoccupation with advancing a revolution to preserve the European race. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/28/19
Rabbi gives sermon of strength after being shot at Poway synagogue -- Services at the Chabad of Poway synagogue were underway Saturday morning when a white man holding a semi-automatic weapon entered. “One guy was shooting at everybody and cursing,” said synagogue member Minoo Anvari, whose husband was inside when the shooting broke out. Kristina Davis, J. Harry Jones and Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
‘This is not Poway’: San Diego suburb reels from synagogue shooting -- A deadly shooting Saturday at a synagogue has left the San Diego County suburb of Poway reeling. “This is not Poway,” Mayor Steve Vaus said at a news conference. “We always walk with our arms around each other, and we will walk through this tragedy with our arms around each other.” Kristina Davis, J. Harry Jones and Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
‘Evil & cowardly shooting’ at Poway synagogue sends nation into mourning -- Chabad of Poway describes itself as a welcoming place with “a joyous, non-judgmental atmosphere.” The shooting occurred during a celebration of Passover. Abby Hamblin in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/28/19
Poway shooting comes amid rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes -- According to a manifesto allegedly written by the suspected gunman, the shooter may be tied to another hate crime involving an Escondido mosque in March. Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/28/19
Interfaith vigil grapples with ‘disheartening, devastating’ event, yearns for peace -- About 900 people filled the sanctuary of the Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church Saturday evening for a solemn and contemplative vigil. Over 45 minutes they prayed, exchanged wishes for peace and sang. “Peace is what we are yearning for,” Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet told the crowd. Members of all faiths attended -- Jewish, Muslim, varieties of Christian traditions. Some said they came to pray for the victims, others said they came to show solidarity. Greg Moran, Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/28/19
LAPD monitoring area synagogues after San Diego County shooting -- The Los Angeles Police Department said Saturday that it has increased its presence around area synagogues and other places of worship after a deadly shooting in a San Diego county synagogue. Angel Jennings in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
Sunnyvale crash: Driver facing hate crime investigation, FBI says -- The FBI has opened a federal hate crime investigation against an Army veteran who careened his car into a crowd of people in Sunnyvale because he reportedly thought some of them were Muslim, authorities said Saturday. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/28/19
Competing demonstrators duel over immigration in downtown Huntington Beach -- The “March to End Sanctuary State” began at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and 2nd Street at 2 p.m. The Democratic Socialists of America, Indivisible OC and other groups gathered across the street around the same time for the counterprotest. The dueling demonstrations, each with dozens of protesters, went on for about an hour and a half. Jeong Park and Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register -- 4/28/19
Manzanar pilgrimage takes on broad themes of democracy, civil rights -- Masako Miki came to this picturesque landscape of snow-tipped mountains and desert shrubs Saturday on a mission of remembrance. Miki, raised an ocean away in the seaside Japanese city of Kobe, never learned about the painful history embedded in this windswept stretch of the Owens Valley. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
USC's doctor scandal awoke a horrific memory. Now Nicole Haynes fights for the truth -- Nicole Haynes, a USC champion heptathlete, remembers the one time in her Trojans’ track career when everything slowed down. Bill Plaschke in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
Walters: Some bills are silly, and some are just dumb -- Every session of the California Legislature generates some bills that can only be labeled as silly – that is, they defy common sense. One example this year is a bill that would abolish paper receipts at retail businesses, thereby requiring customers to supply their email addresses so merchants can send them electronic records of their purchases. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 4/28/19
Visiting Mexico, asking strangers: Diabetics scramble for costly insulin -- Mike Lawson will never forget how he ended up in the hospital 12 years ago when he had to decide between making a $300 car payment or buying insulin. “I made a stupid choice,” said Lawson, an Oakland resident who has Type 1 diabetes. “That month I chose to pay for my car payment and to ration insulin.” Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/28/19
People’s Park: Will UC’s newest dorm plan spark another 50 years of protest? -- Half a century ago, Berkeley activists seized a chunk of a three-acre dirt lot where the University of California planned to build dorms and declared it a park for all people. Ali Tadayon in the East Bay Times -- 4/28/19
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Solar’s 30% tax credit for installations starts to fall after this year -- Barry Cinnamon’s solar company in Silicon Valley has seen a 25 to 30 percent increase in the number of residential rooftop installations so far this year and he says one of the reasons is due to a series of reductions coming to the Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, that start to kick in when this year ends. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/28/19
Housing
Controversial SB 50 would end single-family zoning near transit and jobs. What could that look like in the San Fernando Valley? -- One of the bill’s goals is to increase housing supply near public transportation so that more people will ride buses and trains, easing congestion and chipping away at our carbon footprint. Areas in the Valley ripe for potential SB 50 development include locations around rail stations like the North Hollywood Metro, Northridge Metrolink, Amtrak in Chatsworth and Sun Valley, as well as frequented bus lines along Ventura and Van Nuys boulevards. Ariella Plachta in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/28/19
Education
Missing School is a Given for Children of Migrant Farmworkers -- In the summer of his junior year, Luis Miguel was struggling to stay in high school. He and his family of four – who work various agricultural jobs from picking blueberries and cherries to pruning grapes and canning tomatoes – live in one of California’s 24 migrant family housing centers. Aggie Ebrahimi Bazaz KQED -- 4/28/19
Cannabis
‘Getting Worse, Not Better’: Illegal Pot Market Booming in California Despite Legalization -- In the forests of Northern California, raids by law enforcement officials continue to uncover illicit marijuana farms. In Southern California, hundreds of illegal delivery services and pot dispensaries, some of them registered as churches, serve a steady stream of customers. And in Mendocino County, north of San Francisco, the sheriff’s office recently raided an illegal cannabis production facility that was processing 500 pounds of marijuana a day. Thomas Fuller in the New York Times$ -- 4/28/19
Also . . .
Report Warns A.I. Algorithms Not Quite Ready for Prime Time in Criminal Justice -- Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days, including in the criminal justice system. But a new report out Friday joins a chorus of voices warning that the software isn’t ready for the task. Rachael Myrow KQED -- 4/28/19
POTUS 45
Beltway
Beto O’Rourke holds rally at L.A. Trade-Tech College -- Despite receiving a strong infusion of donations after launching his campaign in mid-March, O’Rourke has struggled to break into the top tier of candidates, and his campaign likely sees California — a state where he drew major financial and organizing support for his Senate bid — as an opportunity to reboot and gain momentum. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/28/19
-- saturday Updates
Synagogue shooting leaves 1 dead, 3 injured in hate-motivated attack, authorities say -- A gunman armed with a semiautomatic rifle walked into a suburban San Diego County synagogue and opened fire Saturday, killing one person and injuring three in an attack that authorities believe was motivated by hate. Authorities arrested a white male in connection with the shooting. The gunman entered the Chabad of Poway on Chabad Way about 11:20 a.m. started firing on the congregation. Kristina Davis and Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/27/19
Nepotism probe: California official who hired daughter had high-level help -- Half a dozen high-level employees helped the former director of the California Department of Industrial Relations fraudulently hire and promote her daughter and a friend and should be subject to potential discipline, according to a state investigation. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/27/19
Michael Jackson’s name to remain on L.A. school auditorium despite molestation claims -- The on-again, off-again relationship between Michael Jackson and Gardner Street Elementary School in Hollywood is still on, although perhaps more tenuously so than at the height of the pop star’s popularity. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/27/19
USC vows new scrutiny of athletics in wake of college admissions scandal -- Last month, the scheme was laid bare: USC, and at least half a dozen top universities, had been breached by a multiyear conspiracy that used bribes, rigged tests and at least a few Photoshopped applications to slip the children of wealthy and influential families past admissions processes that grow more selective every year. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/27/19
Pentagon eases rules to expand military’s role with migrants on border -- The Pentagon is moving to loosen rules that bar U.S. soldiers from interacting with migrants on the southern border and to send up to 300 more troops to help authorities process migrants who cross the border seeking asylum. David S. Cloud and Molly O'Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/27/19
Willie Brown: Joe Biden looks like he could win, but looks can be deceiving -- Uncle Joe is in, but can he win? At this point, I’m not sure. On paper, former Vice President Joe Biden is the best of the countless Democrats running for the 2020 nomination. Unfortunately for Biden, his bio also includes the infamous 1991 confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/27/19
‘Getting Worse, Not Better’: Illegal Pot Market Booming in California Despite Legalization -- In the forests of Northern California, raids by law enforcement officials continue to uncover illicit marijuana farms. In Southern California, hundreds of illegal delivery services and pot dispensaries, some of them registered as churches, serve a steady stream of customers. And in Mendocino County, north of San Francisco, the sheriff’s office recently raided an illegal cannabis production facility that was processing 500 pounds of marijuana a day. Thomas Fuller in the New York Times$ -- 4/27/19
Keep conserving, officials say, San Bernardino valley groundwater basins are ‘historically low’ -- As the Inland area dries out from this winter’s soaking, residents might be tempted to crank up their lawn sprinklers and wash the dust off their driveways, but not so fast, water officials say. Jennifer Iyer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/27/19
The Raisin Situation -- Millennials just weren’t eating raisins. So Sun-Maid, the century-old company with the iconic little red raisin boxes, hired someone to convince them that they should. Jonah Engel Bromwich in the New York Times$ -- 4/27/19
Tahoe developments raise concerns about fleeing in wildfires -- During her career as a flight attendant, Laura Haneveld had a checklist to remind her what to do in the event of a fire. Benjamin Spillman Associated Press -- 4/27/19