Updating . .
4 smiling teachers posed with a noose. Now they’re on leave, along with the principal -- Four teachers and a principal have been placed on leave after a photo of the educators posing with what appears to be a noose circulated on email and social media. The circumstances around the origin of the noose at Summerwind Elementary School in Palmdale and the response afterward are under investigation. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Democrats subpoena Trump's tax returns in escalating fight with White House -- House Democrats issued subpoenas Friday for President Donald Trump's tax records, escalating a fight that is likely to end up in court. Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who is spearheading the effort, delivered formal demands for the filings to both Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. Brian Faler and Aaron Lorenzo Politico -- 5/10/19
Chris Darden, attorney for suspect in Nipsey Hussle shooting, to withdraw from case -- The attorney representing the man accused of gunning down Nipsey Hussle said Friday he is withdrawing from the case, citing personal reasons. Chris Darden, a former prosecutor, announced the decision in a Facebook post Friday morning, noting that he and his children had received threats after he took on the case. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Only one California Republican defied Trump on disaster bill. He represents Paradise -- Rep. Doug La Malfa of Oroville was the only California Republican to defy President Donald Trump and vote for House Democrats’ disaster aid bill on Friday. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
Woodland High on lockdown after shooting threat that may have come from inside school -- The lockdown went into effect after a shooting threat came to 911 from inside school around 10 a.m., according to the Woodland Police Department’s Twitter account. Students are being bused off the school property as police clear each room and building, authorities said. Mila Jasper and Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
California’s high-speed rail project and Trump administration are no longer on speaking terms -- The California bullet train project, for much of the past decade, enjoyed no more important partner than the U.S. Department of Transportation. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Uber stock sharply declines, then rebounds in post-IPO trading -- Uber thundered onto Wall Street Friday in the biggest initial public offering in years — and the largest for a Bay Area tech company since Facebook sold $16 billion in shares in 2012. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
‘Absurd’ delay in Paradise: endangered frog species blocking Camp Fire cleanup -- State officials tasked with debris cleanup say they have been directed not to enter an estimated 800 burned Butte County home sites within 100 feet of a waterway. They’ve been told to wait for representatives of several state and federal agencies to reach an agreement on environmental assessment guidelines. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
Gunman told 911 ‘I just shot up a synagogue’ after attack -- As the 19-year-old college student sped away in his 2012 Honda Civic, he dialed 911 and said: “I just shot up a synagogue.” He told the dispatcher that he thought he had killed some people and that he did it “because Jewish people are destroying the white race.” Julie Watson and Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 5/10/19
The ‘Tactical Rabbi’ helps synagogues defend against anti-Semitic violence -- It was 45 minutes into his lecture when the rabbi pulled out an AR-15. “Who thinks, by show of hands, that we should be carrying more guns in shul?” Rabbi Raziel Cohen asked the crowd at a Westside Chabad synagogue Wednesday night, during an active-shooter seminar organized in the wake of the deadly attack at Chabad of Poway. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Yosemite: Deep snow cleared, famed road opens Friday -- In an annual California event that marks the changing of the seasons in the High Sierra, Yosemite National Park officials plan to open Glacier Point Road to motor vehicles on Friday morning. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/10/19
Controversial sex education framework for California approved despite protest -- California education officials have agreed on a sweeping new framework for sex education in the classroom, sparking intense debate about whether some of the proposal’s teacher material is too graphic and explicit. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
KQED Political Breakdown -- Gavin Newsom lays out a revised state budget, and Marisa and Scott discuss the governor's break with Attorney General Xavier Becerra over the release of police misconduct records. Then, pollster David Binder joins to talk about polling vs. focus groups, early indications of Trump's electoral success, the myth of voters in the 'middle,' and the 2020 Democratic primary. Link Here -- 5/10/19
Fox: What Happened to the Spending Limit? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a record breaking $213.5 billion budget, $4.5 billion larger than he proposed in January. The state’s got $21.5 billion surplus money to spend and $16.5 billion stashed away in the “rainy day” fund. California’s treasury is bursting with money. Does anyone remember that the state’s voters asked for budget discipline by overwhelming passing a spending limit? Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/10/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Mystery surrounds 1,000 guns seized at Los Angeles mansion connected to Getty family -- A 57-year-old man identified in court records as the longtime companion of Los Angeles real estate mogul Cynthia Beck was behind bars for several hours overnight after police seized more than 1,000 guns — including some that authorities allege were fully automatic — from a home in Bel-Air. Hannah Fry, Richard Winton, Sonja Sharp and Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
How a Los Angeles mansion became an arsenal for more than 1,000 weapons -- When authorities raided a Bel-Air mansion this week, they had no idea about the cache of firearms they would find. Over the course of several hours, they removed more than 1,000 weapons in one of the largest seizures of its kind in Los Angeles. Richard Winton and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
A Capitol Crime: How a 16-year-old murder reached California’s highest offices -- On Christmas Day 2003, Matthew Sievert, the only child of a single mother and California state worker named Stepheny Milo, was removed from life support. He’d gone out to a Sacramento park the night before to meet an ex-girlfriend, and had been gunned down. He was 19. Dan Morain Calmatters -- 5/10/19
Murder victims’ families criticize California’s moratorium on executions -- Family members of murder victims whose killers were sentenced to death in California often took solace knowing that one day those prisoners could be executed. But Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 13 executive order placing a moratorium on carrying out the death penalty has taken away that consolation. Brian Rokos in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 5/10/19
109 federal charges filed against accused synagogue shooter -- John T. Earnest, already charged with murder in state court, now faces federal hate crime charges that could land him on federal death row. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/10/19
Prosecutors say synagogue gunman boasted of hate for Jews -- A gunman who killed a woman and wounded three during services at a Southern California synagogue later told a 911 dispatcher he had done it because “the Jewish people are destroying the white race,” prosecutors said Thursday in announcing 109 hate crime and other charges against the man. Julie Watson and Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 5/10/19
D.A. drops perjury, voter fraud case against former L.A. Councilman Richard Alarcon -- Lawyers in Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey’s office said Thursday they will not retry their perjury and voter fraud case against former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife, bringing an abrupt end to a nine-year legal battle. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
San Francisco can move forward with claims against PG&E, judge says -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s bankruptcy won’t prevent San Francisco from pursuing its claims that the utility is holding up some local public projects and charging too much to deliver power to them, the judge in the bankruptcy case ruled Thursday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
5 takeaways from Newsom’s revised budget plan -- Public schools will reap most of the gains if the Democratic-controlled Legislature rolls with him. Newsom also upped his ante on the housing crisis with a proposed $1 billion more to combat homelessness. Judy Lin Calmatters -- 5/10/19
Newsom adds spending, boosts reserves in revised California budget proposal -- Riding the strength of surging tax revenues, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a revised $213 billion state budget Thursday that is $4 billion higher than his initial plan in January. But Newsom would set aside nearly half the additional money for paying down debts and for building reserves, potentially setting up a showdown with liberal lawmakers who have pushed for greater spending on health care, early childhood education and social services. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
New budget proposal tackles homelessness in California -- Newsom outlined a proposed $1 billion in spending to combat the problem as part of his $213.5 billion state spending plan, an increase of $4.5 billion from his first plan in January. His proposal included a massive state surplus of $21.5 billion, most of which he used to pad state reserves and pay down debt as he warned of a coming recession. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/10/19
Gavin Newsom’s California budget spends big and saves more in ‘extraordinary moment’ -- America’s long economic expansion is still filling California tax coffers, enabling Gov. Gavin Newsom to spend more money on homeless aid and emergency preparation while setting aside billions of dollars in reserves for the day the boom finally ends. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to double spending on homelessness — to $1 billion -- Insisting that a fiscally responsible state government can also aid those in need, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent California lawmakers a revised budget Thursday that builds on his efforts to address poverty and homelessness while forecasting the largest tax revenue windfall in state history. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Newsom wavers on Silicon Valley tech money for affordable housing in California -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push for Silicon Valley tech companies to commit a half-billion dollars this year toward resolving the state’s housing affordability problems appears to have hit a snag. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
New budget boosts wildfire spending, no money for retrofits -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he wants to see Californians “harden” their homes to protect them from deadly wildfires, but he declined Thursday to endorse a proposed $1 billion fund to help homeowners pay for retrofits and did not include any funding for home hardening when he released his latest budget proposal. Don Thompson, Dale Kasler and Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 5/10/19
Newsom’s Latest Health Care Proposal Includes More Help For Covered California Consumers, Less Money For The Undocumented -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom continued his rallying cry for universal health care Thursday with a revised budget that includes more subsidies for Covered California enrollees but doesn’t expand Medi-Cal to all undocumented adults, as some lawmakers are advocating. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 5/10/19
Millions for Climate, Environmental Priorities in Newsom’s May Budget -- The new funding includes about $250 million for climate-related programs, thanks to the state’s cap-and-trade program, and $75 million to fund an assessment of wildfire protection plans. Kevin Stark KQED -- 5/10/19
Gov. Gavin Newsom Balances Saving, Spending in Budget Aimed at Tackling Inequality -- The governor's budget reflects his expansive vision of both investing in programs aimed at closing the state's inequality gap while trying to hew to the fiscally cautious path of his predecessor by paying down debt and building up the state's rainy day fund. Scott Shafer, Marisa Lagos KQED -- 5/10/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Uber raises $8.1 billion in IPO priced near bottom of range -- Uber Technologies Inc. raised $8.1 billion in its initial public offering after pricing shares near the bottom of their marketed range. The ride-hailing giant sold 180 million shares for $45 each, according to a statement Thursday. It had marketed them for $44 to $50 apiece. Eric Newcomer Bloomberg -- 5/10/19
Pender: How much of your fare goes to Uber and Lyft drivers? You’d be surprised -- Most Uber and Lyft passengers have no idea how much of their fare goes to their drivers, but after a ride is finished, their drivers can see exactly how much — or little — of the fare they keep. That helps explain why Uber drivers took to the street this week in advance of Uber’s blockbuster public offering Friday. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
Blood and syringes: Caltrans fined after union complaint over homeless camp cleanups -- The International Union of Operating Engineers filed a complaint with CalOSHA in November as part of broader effort to prod Caltrans into adding protections for workers who clean up human waste, used feminine hygiene products and needles when they clear homeless camps under bridges and along roadways, said Steve Crouch, the union’s director of public employees. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
Disney's new annual Flex Pass aims to ease crowding -- Hoping to ease crowding, Disneyland Resort is introducing an annual pass that lets visitors in on slow days but requires reservations for weekends and other popular times. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Measure EE election goes forward, but legal challenge continues -- Los Angeles voters will be able to cast ballots on a proposed property tax for schools, but the measure will face a hearing on its validity after the June 4 election. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
How the 'Twitter tax break' has changed Mid-Market -- As tech charged into San Francisco, it transformed the city. In Mid-Market, the "Twitter tax break" kicked off a land rush that elevated real estate prices, along with its desirability. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
Transit
Flagging ridership puts BART in budget bind, raises specter of more fare hikes -- Riders’ demands are escalating. They want cleaner stations, more police officers and more barriers to prevent cheats. All of these items get expensive for a transit system that leans heavily on its fare box. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
Residents' biggest gripes with the Bay Area commute, from traffic to 'loud people' -- While a sign of a thriving job hub (and perhaps a low housing stock), the sheer volume of commuters is no match for public infrastructure, according to SFGATE readers who responded to a 2018 SFGATE survey that asked them to name their biggest complaints about their daily commutes. Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
Homeless
Marin Reports Big Drop in Chronic Homelessness -- Citing preliminary data from January's Point-in-Time countywide homeless count, officials said they had identified 257 chronically homeless people — those who have been homeless for at least a year and struggle with a disabling condition. That's 102 fewer than had been counted in the 2017 tally. Matthew Green KQED -- 5/10/19
Homeless mothers call on San Francisco leaders to increase funding for families on streets -- A rallying cry echoed across San Francisco’s City Hall steps Thursday afternoon as 60 homeless mothers, children and organizers called on the Board of Supervisors to allocate an additional $14 million in funding for homeless services and housing ahead of Mother’s Day. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
Wildfire
Six Months After the Camp Fire, This Family Is Still Far from Finding A New Home -- An animal sanctuary, a car, a trailer parked near a brothel — all are places where Jennifer Porter, her two parents and their 10 pets have slept since they lost their homes in the Camp Fire last November. Pauline Bartolone Capital Public Radio -- 5/10/19
Education
102 layoffs, including 77 teachers, approved by Sacramento City Unified school board -- The district’s Board of Education unanimously voted to authorize the layoffs, which will affect only certificated employees and 77 of which will affect teaching positions. Most of the teachers who face layoffs were hired less than a year ago, district spokesman Alex Barrios said. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
Santa Ana Unified district tells charter schools they owe $40 million for special education services -- Orange County School for the Arts is suing to prevent the district from withholding tax dollars to cover the bill. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 5/10/19
L.A. Community College hit with whistleblower complaint over construction bond program -- Nearly two years ago, David Salazar arrived at the Los Angeles Community College District, ready to oversee a massive $3.3-billion construction bond program that voters had approved for the largest two-year college system in the nation. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
So far, Lori Loughlin’s daughters Olivia Jade, Isabella Rose not targeted in admissions scandal, source says -- Lori Loughlin’s two daughters, Isabella Rose and Olivia Jade, are not among the children who have received target letters from federal prosecutors in the college admissions scandal, a source familiar with the investigation told the Los Angeles Times. Hannah Fry and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Gov. Newsom proposes $90 million in scholarships for new teachers in revised budget -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to address the state’s teacher shortage by spending $90 million in college scholarships for individuals committed to become special education, math and science teachers. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 5/10/19
Immigration / Border
Border Patrol will screen asylum requests in new push to restrict claims, memos show -- Homeland Security officials are making it tougher for people seeking asylum to get over the first hurdle in the lengthy process of gaining U.S. protection, giving new power to Border Patrol agents and taking some discretion away from trained asylum officers, according to internal memos obtained by The Times. Molly O'Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Health
L.A. County is second most vulnerable to measles nationwide -- Los Angeles County is one of the most vulnerable places in America when it comes to measles, largely because of the thousands of travelers arriving every day from countries with massive outbreaks, a new study says. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Two federal agencies probe Grossmont’s secret videotaping of female patients -- Two federal agencies are investigating the controversial video surveillance program at Sharp Grossmont Hospital that secretly recorded gynecological procedures at the Women’s Health Center, creating a nationwide furor and generating a growing number of patient lawsuits. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/10/19
Environment
Trump plan to allow new fracking on California coast, Central Valley moves forward -- The Trump administration moved forward Thursday with its plan to open up federal land in California’s Central Valley and Central Coast to more oil and gas drilling, including fracking. Emily Cadei and Monica Vaughan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
New oil drilling in the Bay Area? Trump administration opens possibility -- The Trump administration brought its pro-drilling agenda to Northern California on Thursday, disclosing a plan to make more land available for oil and gas development, including parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains and East Bay hills. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
Also . . .
SDPD’s decision to release video of controversial arrest not a result of change in policy -- The San Diego Police Department’s decision to release body-worn camera footage of a controversial arrest may not be a sign of things to come. Soon after 20-year-old Tranelle Cannon was arrested Tuesday evening, a 12-second video of San Diego officers repeatedly punching him while taking him into custody was posted to social media. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/10/19
Girl with knife apologizes after being shot by police -- Police body camera footage released Thursday shows a bleeding and crying 17-year-old girl apologizing to the officer who shot her after the teen ran at him with a large knife in Southern California. Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney described the May 3 confrontation in an edited video package posted online by his department. Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 5/10/19
Tongva, Los Angeles’ first language, opens the door to a forgotten time and place -- From the top of Signal Hill, Los Angeles disappears in the haze. Gauzy light smudges details, so that only the mountains, the sea and the land in between remain. No freeways; no homes, high-rises or palms. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/19
He went through the window of moving patrol car and died. His parents are suing Sacramento County -- Ryan Ellis was wanted for a parole violation when he was arrested May 4, 2017, in North Highlands, after deputies received a call about a man who had violated a restraining order, the Sheriff’s Department said at the time. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/10/19
POTUS 45
A Strategy Emerges to Counter House Democrats: Dare Them to Impeach -- Confident that there are not enough votes to remove him from office through an impeachment trial in the Senate, Mr. Trump and his advisers have chosen the path of maximum resistance, calculating that they can put the Democrats on the defensive in a fight that is politically useful for the president. Peter Baker, Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt in the New York Times$ -- 5/10/19
Beltway
Nancy Pelosi sounds like she’s more open to impeachment than ever before -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sounds like she’s more open than ever to impeaching President Trump. At the very least, she’s laying the groundwork to consider impeaching Trump if it comes to that. By her own telling this week, President Trump is doing more and more to deserve it. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
Democrats launch health-care law rescue in face of Trump’s threat of repeal -- House Democrats began making good on their campaign promise to shore up the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, passing a bill that would bar the Trump administration from granting states some waivers to the landmark health-care law. Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ -- 5/10/19
Joe Biden to L.A. donors: ‘It is a marathon and we have a long way to go’ -- Joe Biden, capping off his two-day visit to Los Angeles, told donors on Thursday that he was not getting too comfortable with his strong polling numbers. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/10/19
Kamala Harris says black press more important now than ever -- Harris, a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, spoke to more than 850 people at a dinner celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Sun-Reporter, a newspaper that has long been the voice of San Francisco’s black community. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/10/19
-- Thursday Updates
Suspect bails out of jail after 1,000 guns found in Bel-Air mansion linked to Getty family -- A 57-year-old man identified in court records as the longtime companion of Los Angeles real estate mogul Cynthia Beck was arrested Wednesday after authorities seized more than 1,000 guns from a home in Holmby Hills. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Hannah Fry, Richard Winton and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/19
US prosecutors add hate crime charges in synagogue shooting -- Federal officials announced Thursday that they have filed 109 hate crime charges against the man suspected of opening fire in a Southern California synagogue and said he called a 911 dispatcher afterward to report that he had done it to “defend my nation” against the Jewish people. Julie Watson and Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 5/9/19
Gov. Gavin Newsom goes frugal in revised California budget -- But Newsom would set aside nearly half the additional money for paying down debts and building reserves, potentially setting up a showdown with liberal lawmakers who have pushed for greater spending on health care and early childhood education. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/19
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to double spending on homelessness — to $1 billion -- Insisting that a fiscally responsible state government can also aid those in need, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent California lawmakers a revised budget Thursday that builds on his earlier efforts to address poverty and homelessness while forecasting the largest tax revenue windfall in state history. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Beam Associated Press Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/9/19
Paradise asked for aid to deal with toxic water system. Gov. Newsom’s budget falls short -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget leaves several Camp Fire-beleaguered agencies hanging, including a water district that has requested a $22 million state bailout while it deals with mass contamination of the Paradise drinking water. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/9/19
San Francisco has highest density of billionaires of any city in the world, says new report -- While New York may have more billionaires total, the city boasts more per capita than any other city in the world including Dubai and Hong Kong. With a booming tech industry in a city of less than a million, San Francisco has one billionaire for approximately every 11,600 residents, according to a new report from Wealth-X. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/19
Taylor: Vallejo cop wanted to ‘educate’ a bicyclist about road safety. Why then did he kill the man? -- Why does a man who’s minding his own business, riding his bicycle, end up dead at the hands of a police officer? Ronell Foster’s family still wants to know the answer. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/19
A routine police stop landed him on California's gang database. Is it racial profiling? -- Brian Allen was driving home from work in July 2017 when he spotted someone from his days at Crenshaw High School. He stopped, they talked and he agreed to give the friend — an aspiring rapper with a criminal record — a ride. A passing LAPD cruiser did a U-turn and pulled over Allen’s Nissan. Officers questioned both men and let them go. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/19
‘I expect a zombie to walk out.’ Life in Paradise, six months after the Camp Fire -- Phil and Michelle John know they have it better than most. Their house was among the 11 percent in Paradise that survived the Camp Fire, and they moved home in early April. Their street is largely intact, and many of their neighbors have returned. Even their cat is recovering, having miraculously turned up, half starved and reeking of smoke, a couple of weeks after the fire. Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/9/19
Q&A: Wade Crowfoot, state’s new Natural Resources Secretary -- One of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first actions after taking office was to appoint Wade Crowfoot as Natural Resources Agency secretary. Then, within weeks, the governor laid out an ambitious water agenda that Crowfoot, 45, is now charged with executing. Gary Pitzer, Water Education Foundation via Capitol Weekly -- 5/9/19
After hyping a $1-billion Star Wars land, how does Disney get visitors to leave? -- Disneyland’s May 31 launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will test the park’s efforts to open a highly anticipated expansion without the crushing crowds, frustration and chaos that can accompany a new attraction. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/19
The new super-commute? These San Franciscans bike 40 miles to work every day -- Today is Bike To Work Day in San Francisco. Yesterday was also Bike To Work Day in San Francisco. Tomorrow? Bike To Work Day in San Francisco. Grant Marek in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/19
Fox: Widening the Privacy Net -- Privacy is an inalienable right according to the California constitution. Voters added privacy rights to the Constitution in 1972 and while the issue is front-and-center again, the motivation behind the current push for more privacy protection has changed since the 70s. Now, businesses’ ability to capture data about individuals is the target. In 1972 the purpose was government. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/9/19