Updating . .   

These San Francisco residents are so sick of disgusting streets they’re willing to tax themselves -- Fed up with the unevenness of the city’s attentiveness, Kolbe and a group of residents in Dolores Heights, Eureka Valley, the Castro and other nearby neighborhoods have spent more than a year organizing what could become San Francisco’s second GBD (green benefit district) — a zone in which property owners pay a special assessment and hire private firms to provide services on top of the city’s. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

Consumers are already seeing price hikes from the last round of Trump’s tariffs -- And trade groups and economic studies show that U.S. consumers already are seeing higher prices on a range of items — luggage and major appliances such as washing machines, for instance — that were subject to previous tit-for-tat tariffs in the U.S.’ escalating trade battle with China or retaliatory tariffs from other foreign countries. Samantha Masunaga and James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

Trump ratchets up his China trade war — and the disinformation about it -- As Trump has ratcheted up the trade war in recent days, he has sent a multitude of tweets defending it. Most of them contain falsehoods or carefully worded claims that seem geared toward leaving people with a false impression. Witness his Tuesday morning tweets. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 5/14/19

California Assemblyman Arambula takes stand, denies ever hitting his children -- Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula began testifying in his own defense Tuesday morning as his misdemeanor child abuse trial nears its conclusion. Arambula, D-Fresno, was arrested in December and accused of injuring his 7-year-old daughter. Rory Appleton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

Los Angeles led California in housing development in 2018 -- Developers in the city of Los Angeles built 16,525 units of housing in 2018, more than three times the amount produced in any other California city. Elijah Chiland Curbed LA -- 5/14/19

Sacramento builds more homes than any California city north of LA. -- Sacramento experienced the most new home construction of any California city north of Los Angeles in 2018, new state data show. Bustling Roseville was not far behind, ranking third in the north state. Fresno ranked fourth, with Rocklin also near the top. Tony Bizjak and Michael Finch in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

San Francisco supes press pause on law to allow involuntary treatment of mentally ill -- The committee postponed a vote Monday on whether to make use of the law, SB1045, after a hearing brought into question whether San Francisco’s behavioral health system had the capacity to do so. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

Opioid prescriptions drop sharply among California state workers, CalPERS says -- The agency that manages health care for California’s massive state workforce is reporting a major reduction in opioid prescriptions, reflecting a national trend of physicians cutting back on the addictive drugs. Marla Cone California Healthline via the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

It’s time to get the votes. Gavin Newsom hits the road to promote his health care ideas -- As the deadline to strike a budget deal approaches, Gov. Gavin Newsom is launching a statewide tour to promote his plans to shore up Obamacare and expand state health coverage to young undocumented adults. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

Sacramento police hit him with an SUV during a chase. Now, the teen is suing the city -- Citing a “string of recent excessive force incidents” by Sacramento police, a prominent civil rights attorney is suing the city over an incident last July during which a police SUV struck a 16-year-old boy who was fleeing officers after being stopped for riding a bicycle at night without lights. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

Ayslum seekers forced to ‘remain in’ Mexicali face long journey to court hearings -- Asylum seekers returned by the U.S. government to Mexicali to wait for their immigration court cases do not go to the immigration court in Imperial, Calif. They have to find a way travel more than 100 miles to the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana to go to hearings in San Diego. On Thursday, 26 of the 47 people returned to Mexicali scheduled for court, or 55 percent, managed to get there. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/14/19

Pelosi to Trump: Apologize for ‘despicable’ twisting of Rashida Tlaib comments -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanded that President Trump and top House Republicans apologize to Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib for taking her comments about Palestine and the Holocaust out of context “in a way that was despicable.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

San Jose: Man’s empty-box scheme cost Apple $1 million -- A 25-year-old man who admitted in San Jose federal court that he ran an empty-box scheme that cost Apple $1 million in refunds is facing a maximum of 40 years in prison. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/14/19

Warren says no to a Fox News town hall, calling the outlet a ‘hate-for-profit racket’ -- The decision by Warren (D-Mass.), which was announced on Twitter, underscored divisions among the crowded field of Democratic White House hopefuls about how to treat a cable network with a clear conservative bent but a sizable audience. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ Matt Stevens and Michael M. Grynbaum in the New York Times$ Alex Thompson Politico -- 5/14/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

The leak: Inside the San Francisco firestorm over the death of Jeff Adachi and the raid of a journalist’s home -- Before police officers arrived at a journalist’s San Francisco home with a sledgehammer and a search warrant to investigate a leaked report on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi, the city force had absorbed weeks of scolding. Many city politicians believed someone in the department released the report’s sordid details for political reasons. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

Jury: Monsanto to pay $2 billion in weed killer cancer case -- A jury on Monday ordered agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. to pay a combined $2.055 billion to a couple claiming that the company’s popular weed killer Roundup Ready caused their cancers. The jury’s verdict is the third such courtroom loss for Monsanto in California since August, but a San Francisco law professor said it’s likely a trial judge or appellate court will significantly reduce the punitive damage award. Paul Elias Associated Press Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

PG&E proposes court order for CEO, board to tour town destroyed by wildfire -- PG&E Corp on Monday submitted a proposed order to a U.S. District Court judge that would require the power provider’s chief executive and board to visit the California town of Paradise by July 15, to see the destruction caused by a wildfire in November that may be linked to the company’s equipment. Jim Christie and Rama Venkat Reuters -- 5/14/19

Ghost Ship artist recalls failed rescue effort: ‘I let go. And then I ran out screaming.’ -- A man who narrowly escaped the Ghost Ship fire testified Monday that he had a choice to make as flames surrounded him and a fellow tenant of the Oakland artists collective: continue trying to save the man or save himself. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

San Francisco could ban facial recognition software — opinion is divided over whether that’s good -- The Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on a proposal by Supervisor Aaron Peskin that would bar city departments from using the technology, except at federally regulated facilities such as the airport and port. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

State AG Becerra sues Trump administration for 50th time -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed his 50th lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, challenging a ban on deduction of union dues from the paychecks of hundreds of thousands of workers providing in-home care for low-income elderly and disabled people. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

Newsom pardons Cambodian men facing deportation -- Two Cambodian refugees who committed crimes as young adults that cost them their green cards and put them on a path toward deportation have been pardoned for their crimes, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

Weakling or bully? The battle over the CEQA, the state’s iconic environmental law -- In the rugged hills to the east of the Napa Valley, chainsaws and bulldozers converted a steep hillside of scrubby oak woodland and rockpiles into another vineyard. Alastair Bland Calmatters -- 5/14/19

Newsom Proposes Expansive New Strategy to Combat Drug Addiction Spike in State Prisons -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing for California to spend more than $233 million over the next two years to battle substance abuse in the state's roughly three dozen prisons, an effort to stem the increasing frequency of inmate overdoses in recent years. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 5/14/19

Kiosks, chatbots and a revamped website: Gavin Newsom’s strike team outlines a path to fix DMV -- California’s Department of Motor Vehicles will need to make lots of changes if it wants to turn things around, according to a 110-page report sent to lawmakers and obtained by The Sacramento Bee. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

The highest — and lowest — rated San Francisco city services -- If an A is outstanding and a C simply average, how would you grade San Francisco's city services? The biennial city survey attempts to do just that. Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

Calbuzz: Why Democrats – White and Black – Back Joe Biden -- Let’s dispense with the notion that name ID explains why former Vice President Joe Biden is repeatedly showing up with double and triple the support of other Democrats in states like New Hampshire and South Carolina and in national polls. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 5/14/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Trade war rattles Southern California industry leaders -- Southern California economists and industry leaders sounded the alarm Monday as the nation’s mounting trade war with China was poised to upend production costs for scores of local companies and boost consumer prices. Kevin Smith and Donna Littlejohn in the Orange County Register -- 5/14/19

Apple’s Supreme Court loss sends antitrust shockwaves through Silicon Valley -- Apple’s loss in a high-stakes Supreme Court case on Monday unsettled Silicon Valley, threatening a wave of new consumer lawsuits and other legal salvos that could challenge the size and power of the tech industry. Tony Romm and Reed Albergotti in the Washington Post$ -- 5/14/19

California sues US over home health worker union dues -- Five states have joined forces to try and block a new rule from the Trump administration they say weakens labor unions and their ability to collectively bargain for wages and benefits. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, announced the lawsuit on Monday with attorneys general in Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Oregon. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/14/19

Oakland port OKs tentative agreement for new A’s stadium; team has four years to do EIR -- The Oakland Port Commission voted unanimously Monday to approve a tentative exclusive negotiation agreement for the A’s waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal that gives the baseball team four years to conclude an environmental impact report. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

As more Californians borrow at shockingly high interest rates, will state crack down on ‘predatory lending’? -- Elishia Benson already knew the havoc a high interest rate loan could wreak on a bank account. She had borrowed before, including from payday lenders, which legally can offer a maximum of only $255. But four years ago, she felt out of options. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 5/14/19

Could San Francisco's Deliver Your Power Instead of PG&E? City's Utility Commission Thinks So -- San Francisco's Public Utility Commission is recommending that the city consider publicly owning and running its own electric grid in a report released Monday. Lisa Pickoff-White KQED -- 5/14/19

Loneliness And High Rent Prompt California Seniors To Look For Roommates -- At 95, Eleanor Stone has outlived her siblings, her husband and her three children. “I’m all alone,” Stone said. “I don’t have anybody.” That reality prompted the retired school cafeteria worker to move a roommate into her San Diego home in 2013. Amita Sharma KPBS -- 5/14/19

Would You Stop Driving Through Downtown San Francisco if You Had to Pay to Do It? -- Driving through downtown San Francisco has always been hell (good luck getting across Market Street). Traffic has gotten worse with job growth and the advent of ride-hailing apps like Lyft and Uber. Could congestion pricing help? Devin Katayama, Dan Brekke and Ericka Cruz Guevarra KQED -- 5/14/19

Still value in Oakland Coliseum — Ring Central buys naming rights for $1 million a year -- The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is about to become the Ring Central Coliseum, as the longtime home of the Oakland A’s and Raiders undergoes yet another name change. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

Uber faces a long road to profitability — if it gets there at all -- Uber has broken a lot of rules in its 10-year history. So why should its debut on Wall Street last Friday — the biggest U.S. tech flotation since Facebook — be any different? Richard Waters and Shannon Bond Financial Times via in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/19

Homeless  

ACLU to this Bay Area city: Proposed RV ban is unconstitutional -- Aiming to stop the displacement of hundreds of RV dwellers who have been priced out of the Bay Area’s housing market, two nonprofit legal organizations are challenging Mountain View’s plan to ban oversized vehicles from parking on city streets, calling it cruel and unusual punishment. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/14/19

Let homeless students sleep in parking lots? California community colleges say it’ll be costly -- California community colleges are walking a narrow path in raising concerns about a proposed law that would require them to keep their parking lots open at night for homeless students. They have not opposed the bill, Assembly Bill 302, but they are highlighting costs they would incur and asking lawmakers to pay for them. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

San Diego Homeless Deaths Doubled in the Last Decade -- Every year, dozens of homeless San Diegans die on the street. Data from the county medical examiner’s office reveals 134 homeless San Diegans died on sidewalks and in shelters, hospitals or jails last year – a total that likely only offers a glimpse of the tragedy since county staffers only probe a small fraction of local deaths. Though limited, county data also points to a growing problem. Lisa Halverstadt Voiceofsandiego.org -- 5/14/19

West Valley neighbors urge LAUSD not to turn its sites into housing for homeless students -- The Los Angeles Unified School District is eyeing its properties across the city, looking for possible places to house homeless students. The effort is facing a backlash from some West Valley neighbors who contend the area needs more schools, not shelters. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/14/19

Housing  

San Diego Landlords Could Face Historic Rent Control Legislation -- In San Diego, landlords can increase a tenant's rent by any amount when their lease expires, as long as they give the required legal notice to their renters, but that could all change if Assembly Bill 1482 becomes law. The bill would ban landlords from increasing rents by more than 5% per year plus the rate of inflation. Priya Sridhar KPBS -- 5/14/19

Wildfire  

'I Wish It Would've Burned': Navigating Insurance When Your Home Survives a Wildfire -- After Misty Attaway and her family were forced to flee from the Camp Fire on the morning of Nov. 8, she heard some shocking news: Her home in Paradise, unlike much of the rest of the town, had survived. "I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I'm the lucky one,' " Attaway said. Jeremy Siegel KQED -- 5/14/19

Education 

Community college faculty leaders vote ‘no confidence’ in chancellor’s office -- At a time of change in the way California’s community colleges are run and paid for, faculty leaders representing about 9,000 instructors announced Monday that they have taken a unanimous vote of no confidence in the state chancellor’s office that oversees the 114 campuses. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/19

Elk Grove school staffer diagnosed with infection that can cause meningitis, officials say -- Parents in Elk Grove Unified School District have been alerted that a staff member has been diagnosed with meningococcal disease, bacterial infection that can cause bacterial meningitis, and may have interacted with students and faculty, the Sacramento County Department of Health Services said Monday. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

California schools haven’t fully embraced laws protecting LGBTQ kids, study shows -- In the past decade, California has adopted more than a half-dozen laws intended to prevent bullying, strengthen suicide prevention and cultivate inclusive learning environments for LGBTQ students in the state’s public schools. But the state’ school districts are implementing these new laws inconsistently, according to a new sweeping report-card style analysis from the Equality California Institute. Ricardo Cano Calmatters -- 5/14/19

You can now earn a University of California MBA from home: UC Davis launches online program -- UC Davis is expanding its nationally ranked business school to include an online-only MBA program, making it easier for working professionals or other nontraditional students to earn a degree. Mila Jasper in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

3 students arrested in connection with shooting threat at Woodland High School -- Police arrested three boys Monday in connection to the school shooting threat that caused a lockdown and evacuations at Woodland High School on Friday. The three boys are all students at Woodland High School, according to the Woodland Police Department. Two of the boys are 15 years old and the third is 16 years old. Hannah Darden in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

Teachers Hard Hit By San Diego’s Cost Of Housing -- The study reveals that 29% of teachers in the San Diego metro area are burdened with the cost of housing. They have a median income of almost 20 percent less than someone with a comparable degree working full-time. Maya Trabulsi KPBS -- 5/14/19

Tearful Felicity Huffman explains why she got involved in college admissions scandal -- Huffman told the court in Boston that the federal government’s allegations were true but insisted her daughter was diagnosed years earlier with a legitimate learning disability that made her eligible for extra time on tests. Matthew Ormseth and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Tovia Smith NPR -- 5/14/19 -- 5/14/19

State Blasts San Diego Unified’s English-Learner Program for Serious Flaws -- A state report found many English-learner students in the district “are not receiving consistent, comprehensive instruction” in English language development, and cast doubt on how the district reclassifies students as proficient in English. Will Huntsberry Voiceofsandiego.org -- 5/14/19

Woman accused of posting Nazi propaganda at schools in Newport Beach and Fullerton -- Prosecutors said they declined to charge her with a hate crime because there was not enough evidence to prove at trial that the vandalism specifically targeted individuals or institutions because of their association with the Jewish religion. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/19

State budget proposal would fund computer science czar, broadband expansion -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing $15 million to expand broadband internet to more schools and an additional $1 million to hire a state computer science coordinator as a “down payment” on a comprehensive plan to provide access to computer science classes to all California students. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 5/14/19

Cannabis 

PolitiFact California: Pot 101 Update: What are the rules for advertising recreational marijuana in California? -- Driving down a busy street in South Sacramento, signs advertising cannabis deliveries can be seen every few blocks. On one there is a picture of a pineapple, accompanied by the promise of ‘Free same day delivery’; on another: ‘Recreational Cannabis available’ with directions to the dispensary. Sami Soto Capital Public Radio -- 5/14/19

Immigration / Border 

HUD proposes evicting unauthorized immigrants from subsidized housing -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed a rule that would prohibit undocumented immigrants from living in Section 8 housing, but the head of the San Diego Housing Commission said the change could cost more money to implement and displace legal residents. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/14/19

Health 

Planned psych hospital to be built in Chula Vista draws community opposition -- Citing its proximity to homes, schools and businesses, a 2,234-signature petition demands that the proposed single-story facility be relocated. Scripps Health announced in mid-February that it intends to partner with Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc. to open the hospital on a vacant 10-acre parcel in the city’s Eastlake neighborhood. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/14/19

Environment 

How LADWP Uses Two Lakes To Store Energy Like A Giant Battery -- If L.A. is going to stop burning fossil fuels by 2045 — a key goal of Mayor Eric Garcetti's proposed Green New Deal — it must store a lot more of the excess solar and wind energy it produces during the day so it doesn't have to rely on gas and coal energy to power the city when the sun sets and the wind dies. Sharon McNary laist -- 5/14/19

Also . . . 

Sacramento paid $300,000 to woman injured in ‘trap for wheelchair users’ on downtown sidewalk -- The city of Sacramento has paid a $300,000 settlement to a woman who alleged she was thrown from her wheelchair and injured after her chair got stuck in a sidewalk downtown. The settlement — signed in February and obtained by the Sacramento Bee Friday through a California Public Records Act request — was paid to Cynthia DeJesus Gstettenbauer. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/19

Chicken-killing Newcastle disease spurs strict guidelines for public employees -- As agriculture officials ramp up the battle against the poultry-killing Newcastle disease outbreak in Southern California, state Veterinarian Annette Jones has issued a directive that state, county and city workers avoid poultry areas in an effort reduce spread of the highly contagious virus. Martin Wisckol in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 5/14/19

Doris Day helped introduce America to AIDS with empathy and love for Rock Hudson -- Doris Day and Rock Hudson became big stories starring in a series of romantic comedies in the 1950s and ’60s. But perhaps their most influential joint appearance came decades later in 1985. Day was about to host a cable TV show about dogs, and she invited Hudson on as her first guest. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/19

Woman is beaten to death with electric Bird scooter in Long Beach -- A man was being held Monday in connection with the death of a woman who was bludgeoned with an electric Bird scooter, Long Beach police said. The woman was assaulted as she walked down the sidewalk in the 6400 block of North Obispo Avenue. Colleen Shalby and Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/19

POTUS 45  

17 of the ‘best people’ Trump hired — and then attacked -- For most people, Mother’s Day weekend is a time to give thanks for someone whose role in your life you had no real control over. For President Trump, though, it was a time to settle scores with people he himself selected. Trump on Saturday issued his most direct attack to date on former White House counsel Don McGahn. Then on Monday, he magnified criticism of his FBI director, Christopher Wray. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 5/14/19

Trump's China grudge match may be spinning out of control -- A president torn between his love of tariffs and booming markets faces the risk of uncontainable escalation. Ben White and Gabby Orr Politico -- 5/14/19

Beltway 

Before Trump’s purge at DHS, top officials challenged plan for mass family arrests -- In the weeks before they were ousted last month, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and top immigration enforcement official Ronald Vitiello challenged a secret White House plan to arrest thousands of parents and children in a blitz operation against migrants in 10 major U.S. cities. Nick Miroff and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 5/14/19

 

-- Monday Updates 

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