Updating . .
Apple, Tesla falter as China trade war hits Wall Street -- The trade war is on. And the battlefield is getting ugly. Bay Area business giants such as Apple, Tesla, HP and Intel joined a broad stock market retreat Monday as China retaliated to President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on Chinese goods by slapping new tariffs of their own on $60 billion in products imported from the United States. Rex Crum in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/19
Caltrain derails in San Jose, widespread delays reported in both directions -- Caltrain continued to experience major delays in both directions midday Monday after a a five-car train left the tracks earlier in the morning just outside Diridon Station in San Jose. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/19
Borenstein: State ignoring that Californians are voting twice -- For three years, Secretary of State Alex Padilla has ignored a flaw in California’s election system that has apparently allowed at least hundreds of voters to cast two ballots. The problem, first brought to light by Contra Costa election officials, enables Californians who request mail-in ballots to also vote at the polls. Dan Borenstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/19
Changes eyed as stem cell agency seeks $5 billion -- The man regarded as the father of the $3 billion California stem cell agency is thinking about changes in the program to help win voter approval of another $5 billion for the research program. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 5/13/19
Raid on San Francisco reporter’s home condemned as an attack on 1st Amendment -- The San Francisco Police Department appears to have violated state and federal laws when its officers searched the San Francisco home of a journalist in an apparent bid to identify a confidential source, 1st Amendment experts said Sunday. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Battles erupt over warehouse jobs as the Legislature moves to curb subsidies -- Hundreds of residents packed a church hall in San Bernardino a few weeks ago to hear community leaders rail against a huge new logistics center planned for the town’s airport. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
PG&E’s legal, regulatory problems keep growing — and could get worse -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is a bankrupt felon that has violated its probation and could face new criminal charges over its connection to California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire. At the same time, regulators are considering huge changes for PG&E, probing allegations of records falsification on the gas side of the business and investigating some of its accounting. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/19
Apple App Store lawsuit can proceed, Supreme Court rules -- In a ruling that threatens Apple’s lucrative App Store business, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed a proposed class-action consumer lawsuit against the iPhone maker to proceed. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/19
Environmentalists want 1 percent charge on restaurant bills. Restaurants have reservations -- A new statewide environmental program may soon mean an extra charge for customers at some Sacramento restaurants. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
New dam proposal in Sierra Nevada stirs debate over California energy policy -- Up a remote canyon in the towering eastern Sierra, a Southern California company has an ambitious plan to dam the area’s cold, rushing waters and build one of the state’s first big hydroelectric facilities in decades. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/19
UC Merced chancellor, who brought big ambitions to the small campus, to step down -- Eight years ago, Dorothy Leland was getting ready to retire from the presidency of Georgia College & State University when she received an intriguing headhunter’s call. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/1 -- 5/13/199
Prospector Pete packs up and sharks swim in as Cal State Long Beach’s new mascot -- After a months-long process to replace the former mascot, which was ousted in 2018 following years of outcry that he was offensive to indigenous people, students have selected a shark as the new face of the college, university officials announced. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Two elections affecting L.A. schools make for strange bedfellows -- Two pivotal, looming elections are a study in contradictions for the Los Angeles Unified School District. In one contest, two powerful unions have become heated rivals; in the other, they’ve remained best of friends. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Bretón: The teacher’s union spins, the mind reels. And the budget crisis still looms -- I am a parent in the Sacramento City Unified School District and I love my teachers. They are my partners in raising my children. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
Here’s what makes Gilroy’s upstart high school the Bay Area’s top ranked -- This fall, Ally Rosha will become the first in her family to go to college. It’s a lifelong dream that her high school, just ranked as the Bay Area’s best, has helped her achieve. Karen D’Souza in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/19
In takeover, Oakland schools suffered cuts, closures and chaos. Is that Sacramento’s future? -- School closures. Deep cuts to sports and extracurricular programs. Chaos and constant leadership turnover. Those were just some of the consequences when Oakland Unified School District went bust and submitted to state takeover in 2003 – a fate that Sacramento city schools are scrambling to avoid. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
UCSD creating seventh residential college to handle explosive growth -- UC San Diego expects to gain approval this week to add a seventh undergraduate residential college to its La Jolla campus to help the university absorb some of the rapid enrollment growth that it has experienced in recent years. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/13/19
Taylor: Perception of homeless people depends on how close to street they are -- When Greg Dunston and Marie Mckinzie slept in the doorway of an Alameda County building in Oakland, they’d wake to the grind of garbage-truck compactors, the footsteps of early morning joggers and the squeaks of carts pushed by scavengers. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/19
Supreme Court says 1 state can’t be sued in another’s courts -- The justices divided 5-4 to end a long-running dispute between California officials and Nevada inventor Gilbert Hyatt. Hyatt is a former California resident who sued California’s tax agency for being too zealous in seeking back taxes from him. Hyatt won a judgment in Nevada courts. Mark Sherman Associated Press -- 5/13/19
Vaccine opponents tap social media to fight new California exemptions bill -- As California state legislators consider a bill to crack down on suspect vaccine exemptions for schoolchildren, a vocal minority on social media is fostering opposition, often by spreading misinformation and sharing referrals to doctors who support their cause. Cat Ferguson Bay Area News Group via in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
Oakland explores possibility of opening safe injection site -- Oakland officials are exploring building a safe injection site for illicit-drug users in hopes of lowering open-air drug use on city streets. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/19
Doris Day dies; legendary actress and singer was 97 -- Doris Day, a leading box-office star of the mid-20th century who achieved indelible fame in big-screen bedroom farces and put a sunny face on the working woman in postwar America, has died. She was 97. Valerie J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California May Go Dark This Summer, and Most Aren't Ready -- The plan by PG&E Corp. comes after the bankrupt utility said a transmission line that snapped in windy weather probably started last year’s Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end one problem, it creates another as Californians seek ways to deal with what some fear could be days and days of blackouts. Mark Chediak and Brian Eckhouse Bloomberg -- 5/13/19
California on track to lose at least one congressional seat after 2020 Census -- California’s population is growing more slowly than expected, making it increasingly likely it will lose at least one congressional seat in 2020 — and maybe more. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
Gavin Newsom wants to fix California’s housing crisis. So what are his options? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom says California’s housing affordability crisis is so severe that he wants a bit of everything to solve it. That means seeding construction for millions of new residences, opening the door to a new rent control law and finding ways to protect low-income families from eviction. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
Skelton: Some guys have all the luck. Just ask California Gov. Gavin Newsom -- Winning politics often turns on luck. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you’re already ahead of the game. That’s where lucky Gov. Gavin Newsom is now. No California governor in 44 years has begun presiding over the state at a better time. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Walters: LA Unified: A gang that can’t shoot straight -- The state’s largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, is asking its voters to approve a special tax in a June 4 election. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/13/19
This L.A. district is 80% non-white, but both school board candidates are white -- Maria Villatoro had a few things on her checklist that would sway her vote for her kids’ new school board member: They should make the superintendent work harder, visit schools in her southeast Los Angeles neighborhood more often — and preferably, be a Latina, who might better understand the needs of her community. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Runoff election for Los Angeles school board has long-term implications for future of California's largest district -- The outcome of Tuesday’s special election runoff between Jackie Goldberg and Heather Repenning for a seat on the Los Angeles Unified school board has long term implications for how California’s largest school district will deal with a range of major challenges, such as how to balance a multi-billion dollar budget, how to regulate hundreds of charter schools, and whether to look for a new superintendent. Michael Burke EdSource -- 5/13/19
Villanueva's moves draw concern from some cities that pay for L.A. Sheriff's patrols -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva runs the nation’s largest jail system and patrols 4,000 square miles of the country’s most populous county. He’s also head of the police force for dozens of individual cities throughout the county that contract with his agency for law enforcement services. Maya Lau and Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Pot smuggling arrests at LAX have surged 166% since marijuana legalization -- Michael Vechell had already drawn the attention of an airline worker and two passengers at Los Angeles International Airport by the time he was confronted by police. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Governor boosts school pension cost relief plan -- School districts, some saying CalSTRS rates are forcing cuts in programs and teacher pay, would get more pension cost relief under a revised state budget proposed last week by Gov. Newsom. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 5/13/19
Schnur: Can California both create new jobs and protect the environment? The short answer is yes -- When making the case for clean energy jobs, Karen Skelton talked about polar bears. Dan Schnur in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
Transit
L.A. Metro’s downtown subway project may not open until mid-2022 -- The massive subway project under construction beneath the streets of downtown Los Angeles has long been seen as the linchpin in L.A. County's ambitious rail expansion plans, a way to ease commutes and attract more riders to a rapidly growing transit system. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Wildfire
California had a wet winter. But a satellite photo shows the state is drying out fast -- NASA released a satellite image over the weekend that showed what a large swath of California look like during the winter, when the Sierra Nevada was heavily covered with snow. A second image shows what the same region looks like now. It’s a classic good news, bad news story. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/13/19
Education
LAUSD’s dire finances could lead to state takeover in 3 years if parcel tax fails -- Los Angeles Unified School District will run out of money in three years unless it makes drastic cuts in spending or voters pass a hefty parcel tax on the June 4 ballot, according to the district’s most recent budget. Jason Henry in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/13/19
Myers: California’s education funding is at a record high. So why are schools short on cash? -- There may be no greater paradox in California government these days than the fiscal health of the state’s public schools. Education funding is almost certain to hit a record high when a new state budget is enacted next month, and yet local school districts are hitting the panic button when it comes to their finances. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
Saving Stege: What will it take to redesign this struggling California school? -- Faced with a dwindling student population and ever-changing teaching staff, district seeks to change course. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 5/13/19
Also . . .
By plan or by chance, Amgen Tour of California draws a crowd in downtown Sacramento -- Hundreds of cycling mega-fans and citizens alike gathered near the State Capitol to watch the some of the world’s fastest cyclists compete in the first stage of the 14th annual Amgen Tour of California. Claire Morgan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/19
Olympic Luge Coaches Search for Future Medalists in Silicon Valley -- Come 2022, you might see Silicon Valley kids in the Winter Olympics. Luge coaches from the U.S. National and Olympic teams visited Palo Alto on Sunday to recruit young athletes who might someday take home medals in the sport. Audrey Garces KQED -- 5/13/19
POTUS 45
Trump’s Trade War Escalation Will Exact Economic Pain, Adviser Says -- President Trump’s chief economic adviser said on Sunday that American consumers would bear some pain from the escalating trade war with China, contradicting Mr. Trump’s claim that his tariffs are a multibillion-dollar, mostly one-way payment by China to the American Treasury. Jeanna Smialek, Jim Tankersley and Mark Landler in the New York Times$ -- 5/13/19
Trump’s go-it-alone approach on trade, immigration poses economic risks -- President Trump has moved dramatically to pull free from Congress in recent weeks by slapping huge trade penalties on Chinese imports and directing the construction of a wall along the Mexico border, looking to solve issues that dogged Democrats and Republicans for decades in a way that could help his reelection bid. Damian Paletta, Josh Dawsey and Toluse Olorunnipa in the Washington Post$ -- 5/13/19
Beltway
McManus: Suddenly, conservative lawyers are condemning Trump for abuses of power -- Even as Republicans in Congress have fallen in line to defend Trump at every turn, a surprising number of conservative lawyers have broken ranks and are condemning the president for abuses of power and denouncing his blanket claims of executive privilege. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/19
-- Sunday Updates
White House hopefuls swarm rival’s home turf of California -- The Democrats who want to be president are swarming California, competing for campaign cash and media attention while courting longtime allies of home-state Sen. Kamala Harris on their rival’s own turf. Brian Slodysko Associated Press -- 5/12/19
‘A dream ticket’: Black lawmakers pitch Biden-Harris to beat Trump -- Senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus say it’s an ideal ticket if the former vice president stays atop the polls. Heather Caygle and John Bresnahan Politico -- 5/12/19
Governor, lawmakers share budget goals but details differ -- The Democrat who is five months into the job applauded Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s focus on universal preschool. He called Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Holly Mitchell the champion of increasing grants for low-income families. He even thanked several Republicans, including Assemblyman James Gallagher, who has sought assistance for the city of Paradise that he represents and mostly was destroyed by a wildfire last year. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/12/19
Cure for hate: Former skinheads recall what turned them around -- Tim Zaal was a scary guy. At 17, in boots studded with razors, he brutally beat a gay teenage runaway on the streets of Hollywood. By his 20s, he was a full-fledged acolyte of the white supremacist movement. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/12/19
State parks standstill: Why California hasn’t opened a new state park in 10 years -- Despite growing population and development pressure, California’s state parks department has stopped adding new beaches, forests and historic sites. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/12/19
Uber is public. Now what? -- As the world’s most-valuable private startup, it received intense scrutiny and criticism for years, but the harsh glare of Wall Street attention — and Securities and Exchange Commission regulations — will mean a whole new level of pressure. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/12/19
Uber, Lyft losses keep competitors at bay -- A fare war between Uber and Lyft has led to billions of dollars in losses for both ride-hailing companies as they fight for passengers and drivers. But in one way it has been good for investors who snatched up the newly public companies’ stock: The losses have scared off the competition, giving the leaders a duopoly in almost every American city. Tom Krisher and Michael Liedtke Associated Press -- 5/12/19
In San Francisco’s Tenderloin, there’s a revolving door — of drug dealers, that is -- When it comes to open drug dealing, it’s hard to beat San Francisco’s Tenderloin, where more than half of the city’s drug arrests occurred last year. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/12/19
Most county police departments’ written policies lack wording on SB 54 requirements: report -- Most police departments in San Diego County do not have written policies that specify whether the department follows each of the requirements in the California Values Act, according to a new report. S.B. 54, known to critics as the “sanctuary state” law, went into effect at the beginning of 2018, almost a year and a half ago, with the aim of restricting the ways in which local police interact with federal officials responsible for immigration enforcement. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/12/19
Not even God’s house is immune from the Bay Area’s housing crisis -- Some small and midsized places of worship are being displaced by high rents, forcing them to relocate, downsize or even close altogether. Others are suffering from dwindling membership as their congregants move away in search of cheaper housing, leaving pews empty and collection plates light. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/12/19
Smolens: Trump immigration plan fails to include DACA fix -- There’s one idea in the battle over immigration policy that has near-universal support among the key players: finding a way to give permanent legal status to young people here temporarily under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/12/19
‘Hormone lunches’ help women in workplace open up about fertility -- It’s lunchtime at Reddit’s office in San Francisco, and several dozen women have convened over salads and sparkling water to learn about their changing bodies. They’ve invited San Francisco startup Modern Fertility, which makes a home testing kit that measures hormones related to fertility, to lead a sex-ed class for grown-ups. Melia Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/12/19
Pentagon will pull money from ballistic missile and surveillance plane programs to fund border wall -- The Pentagon will shift $1.5 billion for President Trump’s border wall from programs that include the military’s next nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile and a plane that provides surveillance and communications to fighter jets while airborne, according to a Defense Department document obtained by The Washington Post. Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post$ -- 5/12/19