Updating . .
Adachi leak case: Wavering words, but no mea culpa, from chief and mayor -- Amid growing outrage over the police raid of a journalist, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott and his boss, Mayor London Breed, have delivered similar, carefully crafted messages. Evan Sernoffsky and Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
Disaster deal with billions for California wildfire relief reached in Senate -- The Senate reached a deal on a long-delayed disaster relief package Thursday that includes billions of dollars for victims of wildfires in California, after senators agreed to drop money for the southern-border crisis from the legislation. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
California agencies fought fires on federal land. Now Trump won’t pay in full -- After the most destructive and expensive season on record, California issued a $72m reimbursement request for local firefighting efforts on federal lands. Rather than reimburse the local agencies in full, the US Forest Service audited the agreement that made this exchange possible and is now withholding $9m. Vivian Ho The Guardian -- 5/23/19
Chico’s post Camp Fire world: Car crashes, frayed nerves and bare-knuckle politics -- Not a single structure burned in the city of Chico last November. But six months after the worst wildfire in state history destroyed nearby Butte County hill towns, this once laid-back college town is suffering its own post-traumatic stress. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
Here’s who paid for the flashiest California governor’s inauguration in 20 years -- Health care companies, the state’s biggest teachers union and other groups gave over $5.4 million to fund the biggest and most star-studded inauguration for a California governor in two decades, records filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission show. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
Rep. Jackie Speier draws power from experience in her politics -- For Rep. Jackie Speier, much of politics is personal. It’s not necessarily by design. The San Mateo Democrat has often drawn on her own wrenching, even tragic experiences to protect the rights of women and marginalized populations. Those have included the very public Jonestown massacre, as well private abuse that she has only revealed in adulthood. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
California’s jails are so bad some inmates beg to go to prison instead -- Ever since he stole his first car at age 10, Cody Garland has spent much of his life behind bars. Now 35, he has served time at eight different California prisons. But the hardest stint, he says, was not in a state penitentiary. It was in a Sacramento County jail, where in 2016 he was sentenced to serve eight years for burglary, identity theft and other charges. Abbie Vansickle and Manuel Villa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
H-1B: What you need to know now about the H-4 visa changes -- The fate of some 200,000 foreign citizens living and working in the U.S. — many of them in the Bay Area — is resting with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Trump White House and a federal appeals court. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
‘American Taliban’ fighter John Walker Lindh from Marin released from federal prison -- Family and friends saw John Walker Lindh as an impressionable Marin County kid who bumbled his way onto the battlefields of Afghanistan at the height of America’s post-9/11 invasion there. To the rest of the world, he was the wild-haired jihadi dubbed “The American Taliban.” Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
Binge drinking, raucous parties and trauma from sexual encounters shadow UC Davis marching band -- Renne Morrow, a 19-year-old sousaphone player, stepped in front of a moving car on her way to a UC Davis marching band “bonding” party. Police would later say her blood-alcohol level was more than double the legal limit to drive. She died from her injuries three days later. Molly Sullivan and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
San Jose loses residents but one Bay Area city is among country’s fastest growing -- The hottest city in the Bay Area last year wasn’t San Francisco or Oakland or San Jose. It was Dublin, which grew 4.5 percent in 2018, making it the fastest growing city in California and the 11th fastest in the country. Leonardo Castañeda in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
Oakland scraps rent control exemption for owner-occupied duplexes -- Owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes will no longer be exempt from Oakland’s rent control and tenant protection laws. City Council members voted early Wednesday morning to end the exemption, which tenants rights’ activists called a “loophole” often abused to drive up longtime tenants’ rents or force them out. Ali Tadayon in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
Hollywood Invested Big in Georgia. A New Abortion Law Is Causing Some Tensions -- While some actors and directors have called for a boycott of the state, the film industry as a whole is treading carefully on the issue. Cara Buckley in the New York Times$ -- 5/23/19
Lelyveld: The streets of L.A. can seem scary, but we need to separate fact from fear -- Let’s play a game, the self-defense instructor says on the Red Line. Let’s think like the bad guy. Let’s scout for the best victims. We are on a downtown train, heading to a class she’s teaching. I’ve been to one already. It’s easy to spot what I’m looking for. Nita Lelyveld in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
Amazon’s third-party sellers get tax relief in California budget, but they say it isn’t enough -- Small online retailers wanted more relief from California tax collectors than Gov. Gavin Newsom is prepared to give them. Kyung Mi Lee in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
College admissions scam: Menlo Park frozen food tycoon pleads guilty to bribing test proctor -- Menlo Park frozen food tycoon Peter Jan “P.J.” Sartorio pleaded guilty Wednesday to bribing a proctor with $15,000 to correct his daughter’s ACT college admission test scores. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
Fox: New Study: Looking at the Best Ways to Move on Up -- Growing support for the idea of Universal Basic Income is challenged in a new report from the California Business Roundtable (CBRT) which argues that it is better to recognize workers value in society through programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) rather than promote Universal Basic Income “which essentially discards lower-income residents as obsolete resources.” Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/23/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Legal experts: California reporter did not commit crime -- Media law experts pushed back against the San Francisco police chief, who said a freelance journalist allegedly conspired to steal a police report, saying that it is not a crime to disclose a public record. San Francisco attorney Duffy Carolan, who represents several media organizations siding with the independent reporter, said the public has constitutional rights to public records. Janie Har Associated Press -- 5/23/19
California Senate panel OK’s $214 billion spending plan -- California wants to give more benefits to people living in the country illegally as lawmakers in the state Senate advanced a $214 billion spending proposal Wednesday that would expand health coverage and tax credits for immigrants. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/23/19
PG&E says it will build Paradise power lines underground -- Facing intense pressure to eliminate fire risks, PG&E said Wednesday night it plans to rebuild the electric distribution system in devastated Paradise with underground power lines. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
Fire Officials: Trump Administration Owes California $9.2M, Dispute Could Affect Response Times -- A fight is heating up between California and the Trump administration over the cost of fighting wildfires — and as fire season approaches, state fire officials worry the dispute could slow response times. It comes down to a disagreement over billing and the money state agencies say they're owed. Kelly O'Mara, Peter Jon Shuler KQED -- 5/23/19
Bankruptcy Judge OKs PG&E Plan to Create $105 Million Fund for Fire Victims -- U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali on Wednesday approved the utility's "wildfire assistance program" — a fund the company says will offer short-term relief to fire victims who are suing the company after losing their property in 2017 and 2018. Dan Brekke KQED Daisy Nguyen Associated Press -- 5/23/19
CSU Maritime Academy ship crashes in Barbados during training cruise -- Hundreds of students on board a California State University Maritime Academy ship for a two-month training cruise got the lesson of their lives as the vessel glided toward a Barbados port and smashed into a crane that sent a mast careening onto the ship’s top deck. No one was hurt in the Tuesday morning crash. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
‘I thought I was going to burn alive on those stairs’ says last Ghost Ship fire survivor -- Sam Maxwell entered the courtroom Wednesday in a wheelchair, his right hand shaky as he raised it to be sworn in to testify in the Ghost Ship criminal trial. Angela Ruggiero in the East Bay Times -- 5/23/19
US Won't Immediately Give Away $1B For California Rail -- The Trump administration will not immediately give $1 billion it revoked from California's high-speed rail project to another project, according to a legal agreement reached Wednesday between the two. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/23/19
’We have never been more divided.’ Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s new documentary explores inequality -- California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s new documentary explores the intersection of economic inequality and sexism while promoting many of the same political priorities her husband has embraced as governor. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
Skelton: California’s big housing bill tanked. Newsom is partly to blame -- Big and bold ideas often bomb out in the Legislature. And the biggest bill of this young session — a proposal to spur high-density housing — just blew up. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
Walters: Blue-state California now harassing journalists -- Let’s assume, hypothetically, that an independent journalist working in Washington somehow obtained a confidential FBI report on the death of a prominent Trump administration official that described its lurid circumstances, including the presence of a woman not his wife and the use of illegal drugs that caused, or at least contributed to, his demise. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/23/19
No more lactation closets: California bill requires cozier breastfeeding rooms -- California lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday expanding requirements that employers provide their employees who are nursing with a private lactation room. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
After 2 suspected homophobic killings, audit finds broader issues with L.A. child welfare -- A long-awaited state audit of Los Angeles County’s troubled Department of Children and Family Services has uncovered shortcomings that often place vulnerable children in harm’s way. Hannah Fry and Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
H-1B visa: Government says work ban for H-4 spouses coming this month -- After a series of delays, the federal government is now saying it will this month publish a long-promised rule to strip spouses of H-1B visa holders of their right to work. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
Writers Guild agrees to resume talks with talent agencies -- In a sign of a possible detente in a bitter conflict, the Writers Guild of America has agreed to resume talks with talent agencies following a stalemate that has lasted more than a month. David Ng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
2 airlines add nonstop flights from Sacramento to Boston and Chicago for summer season -- American Airlines has begun daily nonstop service to and from Chicago, as it have done seasonally for three years from spring through the December holidays. JetBlue also has resumed daily nonstop service to and from Boston. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
Transit
This is how much Berryessa, Milpitas BART tickets will cost -- A round-trip ride from the yet-to-be-opened Berryessa BART station to Embarcadero station and back, could cost riders $15.50, officials say. BART’s governing board is expected to approve the proposed $7.75 one-way ticket price on Thursday. The cost is in line with its other stations, said Chris Filippi, a spokesman for the agency. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
Is Metro ridership down because low-income passengers are leaving LA? -- Low-income passengers, who make up the majority of riders, might not be able to afford to live in areas well-served by trains and buses. Elijah Chiland Curbed LA -- 5/23/19
Transit agencies in Orange, Riverside counties headed for showdown over 241, 91 toll lane connection -- Caltrans recently received a 23-page letter from Riverside County transportation officials about all the things they think are wrong with plans for bridges that would let toll road drivers bypass lanes of traffic to get between the 241 and 91 freeways. Alicia Robinson and Jeong Park in the Orange County Register -- 5/23/19
Homeless
Homeless people on LA’s Skid Row to get free dental, health care as part of ‘Humanitarian Day’ event -- This Memorial Day weekend marks the 20th year in a row when Muslim volunteers reach out to homeless people and others in need on Skid Row with free health services, food, clothing, and other assistance in the closing days of Ramadan. Theresa Walker in the Orange County Register -- 5/23/19
Housing
Supporters unite in last-chance effort to save California’s most controversial housing bill -- In a last-ditch attempt to save the year’s most controversial housing measure, supporters of a stalled bill to overhaul California’s zoning rules are pressuring the state Senate leader to resurrect the legislation. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
Sacramento Needs 63,000 New Rental Units, Housing Nonprofit Says -- Sacramento County needs 63,00 new apartments and homes to meet the demand of renters, according to a new report by the California Housing Partnership. The nonprofit, which helps government and housing agencies, says this number is an increase over last year, and that stagnant supply has caused the average rent for a two-bedroom to increase to $1,445, up $95 a month compared to two years ago. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 5/23/19
HUD moves to allow discrimination against homeless transgender people -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development is moving to roll back protections for homeless transgender people by enabling HUD-funded providers of shelters to consider a person’s sex or gender identification in determining whether they can be admitted. Katy O'Donnell Politico -- 5/23/19
It’s a vacant Palo Alto lot. But who can afford it? -- On some blocks in Old Palo Alto, $9 million doesn’t even buy a roof. Take the nice vacant lot with the for sale sign on Bryant Street near Coleridge Avenue. It’s carpeted with redwood duff, ivy and oak leaves, surrounded by a clean, white concrete wall and proper Old Palo Alto neighbors in one of the Silicon Valley’s most desired neighborhoods. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
4,000 people applied for 28 affordable homes in Oakland -- Oakland officially opened a new affordable housing development in the Redwood Heights neighborhood last week, dubbed Redwood Hill Townhomes. The development offered 28 units to Oakland renters at prices drastically below market rates. And according to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, the city processed 4,000 applicants for those units. Adam Brinklow Curbed San Francisco -- 5/23/19
Long Beach will require landlords to compensate tenants who move out to avoid big rent hikes -- Tenants who choose to move out when their rent is hiked more than 10 percent will get as much as $4,500 to help with moving expenses under a tenant relocation assistance ordinance finalized and approved on six-to-three vote by the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday night. Jenna Chandler Curbed LA -- 5/23/19
Education
Charter school curbs pass Assembly, but drama foretells compromise -- Legislation that would give local school districts more control over charter-school authorizations narrowly passed the California State Assembly Wednesday in a dramatic vote that served as an initial litmus test for a package of consequential, union-backed charter regulation bills. Ricardo Cano Calmatters -- 5/23/19
California lawmakers consider sweeping charter-school changes -- Almost 30 years ago, California lawmakers passed a landmark charter-school law that helped give momentum to the national “school choice” movement. The law has dramatically reshaped education in the state: About 11 percent of California’s 6 million public-school students are now enrolled, and billions of taxpayer dollars flow to charters every year. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
‘Starvation diet’ for schools protested by California teachers, officials, students at Capitol -- More than 1,000 California teachers, students and school district administrators marched in downtown Sacramento and rallied at the state Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, adding their voices to a statewide advocacy day for school funding. Sawsan Morrar and Kyung Mi Lee in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
LAUSD Superintendent's Big Plan To Improve Schools Pins Its Hope On Principals -- The leader of the Los Angeles Unified School District has finally released details of a long-anticipated plan to re-shape the relationship between the system's 900-plus schools and a massive central bureaucracy. Kyle Stokes laist -- 5/23/19
4 executives leaving San Diego State University as leadership turnover continues -- Business school dean Lance Nail, who took the job less than two years ago, among those pursing other opportunities. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/23/19
After 120 years, San Francisco State hires its first female president -- Lynn Mahoney, provost of Cal State Los Angeles and its vice president for academic affairs, will become San Francisco State’s 114th president in August, replacing retiring President Leslie Wong as head of the campus of nearly 30,000 students. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/23/19
California considers overhauling test of reading instruction for teachers in training -- California is considering overhauling a test intended to measure whether prospective teachers are prepared to be effective reading instructors. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 5/23/19
Cannabis
‘The Apple Store of Weed’: Marijuana marketing is often far from mellow -- For people who represent an industry based on an extremely mellow product, the marketing masses behind the cannabis business seem to be racing on steroids. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/23/19
Immigration / Border
California DMV gave incorrect Real ID to an immigrant with temporary legal status -- An immigrant with temporary legal status in California has received an incorrect Real ID from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, raising concerns about the department’s ability to process the enhanced identification cards. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/23/19
Guns
These LA Teens Created An Ad Campaign For Fake Gun Violence Insurance -- Some bus stops across L.A. are getting big new posters advertising "Mass Shooting Insurance" and coverage for "Everyday Gunfire." That insurance isn't real. But the message is meant to shock you. It's all part of a campaign designed by L.A. teens participating in Mayor Eric Garcetti's Youth Council to End Gun Violence. The goal: to spread awareness about the prevalence of guns in people's everyday lives. Emily Elena Dugdale laist Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/23/19
Environment
County considers setting tighter regulation on industrial air pollution -- The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District will develop a lower threshold for air pollution to reduce cancer risk from industrial emissions. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/23/19
Imperial Beach hit in recent weeks by more than 100 million gallons of sewage-tainted water from Tijuana -- The biggest surge came last week when nearly 57 million gallons of sewage-tainted water gushed into the United State through the Tijuana River. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/23/19
Climate Change Is Stealing This City's Beach. They're Fighting Back With Million Dollar Sand Dunes -- Today, the city of Encinitas will use some giant scissors to cut a giant ribbon, to celebrate some giant piles of sand on Cardiff State Beach. Sometimes giant piles of sand are just sand. But these piles are not. They're engineered "living dunes" that have been five years in the making. And they're part of an ongoing effort to save Cardiff from rising sea levels. Jacob Margolis list -- 5/23/19
Also . . .
Sacramento boy’s family demands apology after forceful arrest caught on video -- The Sacramento Police Department is again facing accusations of police brutality after a video of officers and a security guard forcing a 12-year-old boy to the ground and placing a “spit mask” over his head went viral. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
Sacramento Police Chief Says Officers Acted ‘Appropriately’ During Arrest Of 12-Year-Old Black Child -- Video of Sacramento police officers arresting a 12-year-old black child and putting a “spit mask” over his head has been shared by thousands on social media in recent weeks. On Wednesday, Police Chief Daniel Hahn defended the April 28 arrest of the young boy, saying the officers involved acted “appropriately.” Steve Milne and Nick Miller Capital Public Radio Don Thompson Associated Press -- 5/23/19
Montebello police realize, four days later, that cruiser with AR-15 inside was stolen -- The Montebello Police Department is investigating a vehicle theft that hits rather close to home. A marked patrol SUV was boosted from a city parking lot last week — along with a loaded AR-15 assault rifle and two loaded shotguns that were inside, authorities said Wednesday. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
Police shooting of man ‘aggressively’ swinging chain was legally justified, DA says -- The District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that a San Diego police officer’s actions were legally justified when he fatally shot a man who “aggressively” swung a heavy chain while advancing toward the officer in August. Officer Corey Pitts fired twice at Vaughn Harrison Denham, 48, who had allegedly attacked a man with a machete before the shooting, police said. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/23/19
President Trump awards Medal of Valor to 8 Southern California officers for responding to 2016 Election Day shooting -- On Election Day in November 2016, a gunman went on a deadly rampage in an Azusa neighborhood, killing one and injuring three others with a rifle and handgun near an election polling place. In a ceremony Wednesday, eight Azusa and Irwindale police officers were honored at the White House with the Medal of Valor for their response to the Election Day shooting, which ended when officers gunned down the shooter in front of his house. Jonah Valdez in the Orange County Register -- 5/23/19
POTUS 45
Trump, angry over House investigations, blows up infrastructure meeting -- President Trump abruptly blew up an infrastructure meeting with Democratic leaders at the White House on Wednesday and declared that bipartisan cooperation was impossible while House committees are investigating him, underscoring the increasing combustibility between two warring branches of government. Eli Stokols and Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/23/19
Trump’s gripe-filled news conference, annotated -- President Trump held a supposedly impromptu news conference Wednesday that nonetheless included a prepared placard on the lectern and handouts for reporters. During the event, he declared that he would no longer work with Democrats on an infrastructure deal that probably wasn’t going to happen anyway until they stopped investigating him. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 5/23/19
Putin out-prepared Trump in key meeting, Rex Tillerson told House panel -- Former secretary of state Rex Tillerson told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Russian President Vladimir Putin out-prepared President Trump during a key meeting in Germany, putting the U.S. leader at a disadvantage during their first series of tête-à-têtes. John Hudson and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 5/23/19
New York legislature approves bill giving Congress access to Trump’s state tax records -- New York state’s legislature on Wednesday approved a bill to allow the state to give Congress President Trump’s state tax returns, which could allow U.S. House members to review portions of the president’s financial records. Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 5/23/19
Judge rejects Trump’s request to halt congressional subpoenas for his banking records -- The decision in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York could clear the way for Deutsche Bank and Capital One to hand over the president’s financial records to Democrats in the House. Trump’s attorneys could appeal the decision. Renae Merle, Michael Kranish and Felicia Sonmez in the Washington Post$ -- 5/23/19
Beltway
Why Pelosi is so good at infuriating Trump -- On Wednesday, for the third time in barely six months, a meeting between the president, the speaker and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blew up in spectacular fashion. And in each case, Trump handed Pelosi a huge gift, a priceless moment that helped unify the Democratic Caucus behind her at a crucial time. John Bresnahan and Burgess Everett Politico -- 5/23/19
How Democrats got to the brink of considering impeaching Trump -- Despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) best efforts, House Democrats are seriously considering beginning impeachment proceedings against President Trump. The case for impeachment has been building over the past month. Here’s a run-down of some key flash points that have brought an increasing number of Democrats (and one Republican) on board: Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 5/23/19
Harriet Tubman $20 Bill Is Delayed Until Trump Leaves Office, Mnuchin Says -- Harriet Tubman — former slave, abolitionist, “conductor” on the Underground Railroad — will not become the face of the $20 bill until after President Trump leaves office, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday. Alan Rappeport in the New York Times$ -- 5/23/19
-- Wednesday Updates
Controversial vaccine bill clears California Senate despite opposition from parents -- The state Senate passed a controversial bill Wednesday to tighten California’s already strict school immunization law, and now the Assembly must weigh the hot-button vaccine proposal that has prompted protests and reports of death threats against at least one lawmaker. SB 276 by state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) passed the Senate 24-10. Republicans voted against the measure. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
Trump opens new war with California over wildfires, seeking to slash payments for firefighting on federal land -- The relationship between President Trump and California has long been fraught, but in the aftermath of the state’s deadliest wildfire season, the acrimony is burning hotter than ever. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
San Francisco supes get 12% pay raise while everyone else at City Hall gets a lot less -- San Francisco’s supervisors will be getting a 12% raise this year, more than three times the size of those being given to other elected officials and city employees. The raise was approved by a 3-1 vote of the Civil Service Commission on Monday and represents a $15,016 pay hike, bringing the board members’ salaries to $140,148 this year — plus benefits. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/22/19
Witnesses ‘uncooperative’ after brawl at convention of local politicians, authorities say -- Authorities were having some trouble investigating a brawl that erupted during a weekend meeting of local politicians at an Indian Wells resort, noting that “many individuals on scene were uncooperative.” Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
Pelosi’s ‘cover-up’ remark sets Trump off -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Democrats to be cautious on impeachment Wednesday, but her comment afterward that President Trump is engaged in a “cover-up” prompted the president to storm out of a scheduled White House meeting with congressional Democrats a short time later. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/22/19
Growth projections collide with SF’s goal of zero net carbon emissions by 2050 -- The goal is tantalizing: Make San Francisco carbon neutral — meaning no net release of greenhouse gas emissions into the air — by 2050. Former Mayor Mark Farrell set the benchmark last year and Mayor London Breed accelerated the pace in September. Rachel Swan and Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/22/19
The revenge of the suburbs: Why California’s effort to build more in single-family-home neighborhoods failed -- Powerful interests lined up behind Senate Bill 50, a proposal in the California Legislature to dramatically increase home building near mass transit and in neighborhoods zoned only for single-family homes. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
An abandoned mine near Joshua Tree could host a massive hydropower project -- Senate Bill 772, which was approved by a panel of lawmakers last week with no dissenting votes, would require California to build energy projects that can store large amounts of power for long periods of time. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
Youth shelter operated by L.A. immigrant-rights champion plagued by health and safety problems -- Casa Libre, a historic mansion in MacArthur Park, was created to care for ‘the most vulnerable children,’ but has been cited by state officials 143 times for failing to meet standards for state-licensed group homes. Cindy Carcamo, Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
After killings of 2 boys in LGBTQ-linked cases, audit finds major flaws in L.A. County child protection -- A long-awaited state audit of Los Angeles County’s troubled Department of Children and Family Services found major shortcomings that placed vulnerable children in harm’s way. Hannah Fry and Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
‘Epidemic of death’ alleged as U.S. stops sending migrants to Texas processing center -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection has temporarily stopped sending migrants to a massive processing center in South Texas following the death of a 16-year-old who fell ill there and a flu outbreak. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
Homeless kicked out of Stockton Blvd. encampment sue Sacramento County for ‘raid’ -- Three homeless citizens and an advocacy group filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Sacramento County on Wednesday, alleging that deputies who ousted more than 65 people from a Stockton Boulevard encampment three weeks ago broke one woman’s arm, destroyed their possessions and violated their civil rights. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/22/19
‘The public has been duped’: Firefighters blast Steinberg’s plan for new Measure U revenue -- The Sacramento Fire Department is set to receive more than $13 million in new funding in the city manager’s proposed budget, but firefighters say they need more to improve response times and respond to the city’s many homeless encampments. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/22/19
Lopez: Los Angeles is facing an apocalypse as we lollygag in our flip-flops -- I’m talking about the big stuff. Namely, what it costs to live here, what it’s like to live here, and what we’re in for if we stay the course. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/22/19
Fox: A New School Funding Measure; Trouble for the Split Roll? -- The school establishment is clearly nervous about the viability of the split roll tax increase plan. The California School Board Association is testing the chances of another tax measure for the 2020 ballot that could provide school funding. This measure would take the tried-and-true method of seeking voter approval by taxing “someone else” and avoiding having to do battle over the still warmly embraced Proposition 13. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/22/19