Updating . .
As he faked students’ resumes, college admissions scandal mastermind appears to have fudged his credentials too -- William “Rick” Singer was well into orchestrating an elaborate bribery and cheating scheme to slip his clients’ children into elite colleges when he sat down for a deposition in Washington, D.C., in 2016. Matthew Ormseth and Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
UCSC fraternity dismissed following investigation into death of member -- Greek letter organizations are affiliated with the campus as student organizations. The UCSC chancellor’s action means Theta Chi is no longer recognized by the university and is no longer eligible to organize or recruit members. The investigation revealed “deeply appalling behavior” including hazing, drug use and more. The department added that those actions do not “represent the values of our university.” The item is in the Santa Cruz Sentinel -- 5/25/19
Secret USC records reveal dire warnings about gynecologist accused of abusing students -- Confidential records released this week show decades of warnings to the University of Southern California about Dr. George Tyndall, the longtime campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing hundreds of students. Matt Hamilton and Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
Placing power lines underground is an expensive way to reduce fire danger -- The worst fire in California history took off at a spot notorious for its intense winds. The gusts — some topping 100 mph — blow down the Feather River Canyon each fall. They push into the town of Paradise with force, powered by high-pressure air parked over the Great Basin that moves through this narrow corridor of the Sierra Nevada. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
San Francisco police chief ‘sorry’ for raid on journalist; mayor calls for investigation -- In a major flip-flop, San Francisco’s police chief is now saying that a raid on the home of freelance journalist Bryan Carmody earlier this month that outraged free press advocates across the country was improper and has apologized for it. Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/25/19
Willie Brown: Trump might actually win one if he would just clam up -- One of these days, President Trump may learn there are times when silence is the best weapon against his enemies. Until then, he will keep falling into the traps set by his No. 1 nemesis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
Kamala Harris is far from having California locked up -- Here’s one sign Sen. Kamala Harris’ presidential rivals don’t think she has the California primary locked up: Thirteen of them will be attending the state Democratic Party convention starting Friday in San Francisco, trying to claim a stake in her home turf — the party’s largest electoral prize. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
California’s Democratic rules are set up to spread the delegates around -- If Democratic presidential candidates are looking for primary knockout blow, it’s not likely to come from California. While California’s 495 voting delegates to the Democratic National Convention are nearly twice as many as any other state’s, an intricate list of rules is designed to spread those delegates among a wide range of candidates. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
Oakland’s groundbreaking cannabis equity program showing modest results so far -- Alphonso Blunt stood outside a warehouse near 66th Avenue and San Leandro Street in Oakland and gazed with satisfaction at the Coliseum across the street. Behind him, a steady stream of customers walked through the glass doors of the warehouse and into his marijuana dispensary. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
Where does California’s cannabis tax money go? You might be surprised -- Drug abuse prevention, public safety, protecting the environment, economic development — these were some of the visionary promises that legalized cannabis would pay for. Now, 1 1/2 years after the start of legal sales, the lofty goals of Prop. 64 remain only partially fulfilled, deferring the dream of funding major new social programs. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/25/19
Lopez: There’s a trash and rodent nightmare in downtown L.A., with plenty of blame to go around -- The trash trucks arrived early Wednesday afternoon, and members of the cleanup team from the Los Angeles Sanitation division came with protective coveralls and white masks. A mountain of rotting, oozing, stinking trash awaited them, stretching a good 20 yards along a skid row alley. Rats popped heads out of the debris like they were in a game of Whac-A-Mole, then scampered for cover as a tractor with a scoop lurched toward them. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
Pender: Congress tries to fix ‘kiddie tax’ problem hitting low- and middle-income families -- The kiddie tax refers to the tax rate that minors and most full-time college students pay on unearned income, meaning income that doesn’t come from working. It was created in the 1980s to stop wealthy parents from cutting their taxes by shifting investments to their children, who would pay tax on them at a lower rate. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
No rainbow pride flag will be waving at Dublin City Hall -- A rainbow flag supporting the LGBTQ community won’t be waving at Dublin City Hall. But neither will flags supporting the National Rifle Association, Black Lives Matter or communism. In other words, flags should honor city, state and country, but not causes or political persuasions, the Dublin City Council decided earlier this week. Angela Ruggiero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/25/19
Lake Tahoe’s cobalt blue waters have seen a stunning improvement in clarity -- The clarity of Lake Tahoe’s cobalt blue water improved dramatically in 2018, a year after the combined forces of historic drought and record-breaking rain resulted in the lake’s lowest visibility levels since record-keeping began in 1968. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
Facebook defends decision to leave up fake Pelosi video and says users should make up their own minds -- There is no dispute that the Facebook video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) viewed by millions is a fake, deliberately altered to make her appear drunk. YouTube acted fast and removed duplicates. Other social media outlets have not made the same call. Alex Horton in the Washington Post$ -- 5/25/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
San Francisco police chief concedes raid on journalist was wrong — ‘I’m sorry’ -- After two weeks of growing outrage, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott apologized Friday for raiding a journalist’s home and office in a bid to unmask a confidential source, admitting the searches were probably illegal and calling for an independent investigation into the episode. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
Safe-injection site bill clears Assembly -- Legislation that would allow San Francisco to open safe-injection sites cleared the state Assembly on Thursday. The bill, AB362, was authored by Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, and co-authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
Toni Atkins Takes No Blame For Shelving Of Major Housing Bill -- Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins is pushing back against calls from housing advocates that she should rescue a stalled bill aimed at addressing the state's housing crisis. Andrew Bowen KPBS -- 5/25/19
Democrats in California have all the power—and much of the turmoil -- You might think a political party racked by scandal, facing three lawsuits and riven with infighting would be in a bad spot politically. But, according to plenty of close observers, the California Democratic Party is doing just fine. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 5/25/19
Why California’s air board won’t ban gas-powered cars yet -- Mary Nichols, the powerful head of the California Air Resources Board, didn’t even need to explicitly threaten a ban on gas-powered cars last week to get the attention of carmakers. The warning was only in her prepared statements for a workshop with the state Transportation Commission. But the remarks, obtained by Bloomberg, hit headlines and the industry took notice. That was the point. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 5/25/19
San Diego sailor admits contacting Russians, pleads guilty to espionage charges -- A U.S. sailor has pleaded guilty to two counts of espionage and was sentenced to three years after admitting he took classified information about the Navy’s nuclear-powered warships and planned to give it to a journalist and then defect to Russia, officials said Friday. Julie Watson Associated Press -- 5/25/19
Fetal-tissue research mistake draws ire of controversial anti-abortion group -- UCSD diabetes researcher mistakenly sent emails soliciting fetal pancreas samples to the Center for Medical Progress, the group whose clandestine Planned Parenthood videos sparked controversy. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/25/19
Nipsey Hussle's plan to fight gentrification in South L.A. has made it to Congress -- Inside the U.S. Capitol, in a historic room where Abraham Lincoln forged friendships with colleagues from both parties, members of the Congressional Black Caucus huddled Wednesday with an unlikely coalition that included an L.A. city councilman, an Atlanta rapper, a New York radio host and a South Los Angeles developer. Angel Jennings in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
Coastal Commission sued after approving repairs to San Onofre seawall -- When state regulators agreed to allow an interim storage facility for millions of pounds of spent fuel at the San Onofre nuclear plant in 2015, regulators said Southern California Edison would not be permitted to beef up the seawall protecting the site from saltwater intrusion. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/25/19
Bretón: Here’s some penance: The state wants to hear church confessions about abuse, let it -- The state Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would require Catholic priests to rat out other Catholic priests for admitting that they molested a child – even if it were made during the sacrament of confession. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/25/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Bubble Watch: California labor participation remains below average -- Just 62.8% of Californians of working-age are employed or seeking work. The historic average is 66%. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 5/25/19
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Health tax splits California amid need for Trump’s approval -- California lawmakers are headed toward a confrontation with Gov. Gavin Newsom over whether to keep a tax that can generate nearly $2 billion for low-income health benefits but means approval from the Trump administration amid a feud between state and federal officials. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/25/19
Senate Passes Bill to Cap Property Taxes For Military Veterans -- A Riverside County lawmaker's bill seeking to cap property taxes for many military veterans over 65 years old and exempt disabled vets from being taxed altogether was approved Thursday by the state Senate. Sen. Jeff Stone's Senate Bill 364, the Veterans Tax Relief Bill, now heads to the Assembly for consideration. KPBS -- 5/25/19
Homeless
Neighbors appeal controversial Embarcadero Navigation Center as fight grinds on -- A group of San Franciscans deeply opposed to a proposed 200-bed Navigation Center on the Embarcadero have made good on their promise to appeal the plan. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
Education
College admissions scam: Menlo Park mom pleads guilty to bribing test-taker -- Closing a week full of wealthy parents pleading guilty to cheating on tests and bribing college officials as part of the “Varsity Blues” admissions scandal, Marjorie Klapper, a 50-year-old Menlo Park jewelry entrepreneur, acknowledged Friday her role in paying $15,000 to improve her son’s entrance exam. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
Yearbook photos of Spanish teachers in sombreros raise eyebrows in Escondido -- When the Golden Legend yearbook was passed out to seniors at San Pasqual High School in Escondido, it was the photos of the six Spanish teachers that raised eyebrows. The educators were dressed in ponchos and sombreros while holding fake mustaches to their mouths, prompting the principal to call their attire inappropriate. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
Sacramento kids may soon be able to ride public transit for free -- More than 7,700 Sacramento City Unified School District students, about 16 percent, were “chronically absent” from school last year, missing more than 10 percent of school days, according to data from the district. That’s higher than the statewide average of 11 percent. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/25/19
Immigration / Border
Judge halts construction of Trump’s border wall -- A federal judge ordered a halt to construction of President Trump’s border wall Friday, saying Trump exceeded his legal authority by mandating a project that Congress has refused to pay for. U.S. District Judge Hayward Gilliam of Oakland, the first judge to consider legal challenges to Trump’s order, granted requests by environmental and immigrant advocates for an injunction against transferring funds from other federal programs to build the first stage of the wall, in Arizona and Texas. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
Six migrant children have died in U.S. custody. Here’s what we know about them -- Six migrant children — five from Guatemala and one from El Salvador — have died in federal custody since September. Most of the children died after becoming ill in Border Patrol’s crowded temporary holding areas. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/19
Health
At $2 Million, New Novartis Drug Is Priciest Ever -- The world’s most expensive medicine is about to hit the market. A one-time treatment for a devastating infant muscle-wasting disease won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Friday. Its maker Novartis says the gene therapy will cost $2.125 million. Denise Roland in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/25/19
Environment
New Polystyrene Ban Goes Into Effect In San Diego -- On Friday, the city of San Diego is banning all food containers made of plastic foam, commonly referred to as Styrofoam. This is the second phase of the city's single-use plastics ordinance, which bans the sale and distribution of egg cartons and food containers made in whole or part from polystyrene foam. Matt Hoffman KPBS -- 5/25/19
POTUS 45
Donald Trump wants investigation into Australia's role in 'Russian hoax' -- Donald Trump has said he wants Australia’s role in setting off the FBI inquiry into links between Russia and his election campaign examined by the US attorney general, William Barr. Melissa Davey The Guardian -- 5/25/19
Beltway
Facebook acknowledges Pelosi video is faked but declines to delete it -- When an edited video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) began spreading across the Web this week, researchers quickly identified it as a distortion, with sound and playback speed that had been manipulated to make her speech appear stilted and slurred. But in the hours after the social-media giants were alerted, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offered widely conflicting responses that potentially allowed the viral misinformation to continue its spread. Drew Harwell in the Washington Post$ -- 5/25/19
Giuliani appears to defend sharing a doctored Pelosi video -- Rudy Giuliani on Friday appeared to defend his sharing of a doctored video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slurring her words, tweeting that the California Democrat should take back an insult she hurled at President Donald Trump the day before. Quint Forgey Politico -- 5/25/19
Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders to headline public events in Bay Area -- Presidential candidates Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will hold public events in the Bay Area next week when they travel to San Francisco for the California Democratic Party convention. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/19
-- Friday Updates
Republican lawmaker holds up California wildfire relief -- A Republican lawmaker held up a long-stalled disaster relief deal Friday that includes billions for California wildfire victims, meaning more than a week of further delays. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, objected to moving the $19.1 billion package — which easily passed the Senate on Thursday — during a brief session of the House. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/24/19
Late-season rains mask looming fire danger as lush plants turn dry and explosive -- Giant green stems with budding yellow flowers greeted hikers along a narrow path beneath the soaring Santa Monica Mountains on a recent drizzly day. This is where, just seven months ago, the worst fire in Los Angeles County history swept through, destroying more than 1,000 homes and blackening miles of hillsides and canyon. Joseph Serna and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/24/19
Even if California spends millions more on homelessness, here’s why few will notice -- In a few weeks, Los Angeles is expected to report an increase in homelessness — the latest in a string of similarly dire reports from cities and counties across California. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/24/19
Bay Area might get its first-ever regional body for affordable housing -- The Bay Area, widely considered the epicenter of the state’s housing crisis, could soon see the formation of a new, regional authority tasked with shoring up the supply of affordable housing — largely, by raising more taxes to pay for it. A state proposal to create such a body, Assembly Bill 1487 by San Francisco Democrat David Chiu, passed out of the California Assembly Thursday, 42-18, and will now move to the state Senate. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/24/19
‘No new taxes’ on middle-class Californians, say Democrats heading into talks with Newsom -- In a summary of the state Senate’s budget priorities released Thursday, Senate President pro tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, announced there would be “no new taxes on middle and lower income Californians.” That could signal a disagreement between senior Democratic lawmakers and the governor over Newsom’s proposal to provide ongoing funding for drinking water improvements in communities with unhealthy water. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/24/19
California Voters Tired Of ‘One-Party Rule’ In Sacramento, Says New State GOP Chairwoman -- The new chairwoman of the California Republican Party is encouraging voters who can’t support President Trump to consider splitting their tickets and voting against Democrats at the state level. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 5/24/19
California GOP asks state to investigate furniture buy for lieutenant governor’s office -- The state Republican Party is asking the Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis’ office, arguing she improperly used charitable donations to buy office furniture and paint. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/24/19
Jeffrey’s journey: An addict’s trail from street to cell -- He couldn’t escape the easy access to drugs in San Francisco’s Tenderloin. He couldn’t escape prison when he crossed the border into San Mateo County. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/24/19
No smoking at any of California’s parks and beaches? Never say never -- Assembly Bill 1718, The Marin County lawmaker’s bill to ban smoking statewide at these outdoor spots, was approved this week by the State Assembly. It now heads to the State Senate for further consideration. Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/24/19
Lawsuit filed over Calif. recreation reservation website unusable by the blind -- A $66 million contract that was supposed to let people make reservations online for state parks and campgrounds has produced a website that is inaccessible to nearly 1 million blind or vision-impaired Californians, and the contractor should reimburse the state, a leader of the Bay Area’s blind community says in a lawsuit. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/24/19
California lawmakers approve bill to give workers full pay for family leave -- The California State Assembly on Thursday passed a bill that would give workers full wages when out on family leave. Lawmakers voted 50-3, sending the bill to the state Senate. The legislation would give workers in the state 100 percent of their wages when on family leave, rather than the program's current 60 or 70 percent. Brooke Seipel The Hill -- 5/24/19
Oakland school expels 9-year-old girl, but says the issue isn’t with her — it’s her mom -- Elegance Wooley is smart, sunny, loves to sing, cook and draw Fortnite characters. You wouldn’t expect this personable fourth-grader to be expelled from school. And the reason has nothing to do with her but everything to do with her mother, according to the school’s founder, Michelle Lewis. Jon Kawamoto in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/24/19
In effort to stop wrongful criminal convictions, Contra Costa DA launches new unit to review them -- It’s the stuff of nightmares: being wrongfully convicted of a crime and locked away in prison for decades. But it has happened before, for a number of reasons — faulty forensic science, false confessions, bad lawyering or misconduct by police or other officials — according to defense lawyers across the country. Annie Sciacca and Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/24/19
Faked Pelosi videos, slowed to make her appear drunk, spread across social media -- The origin of the altered video remains unclear but its spread across social media comes amid a growing feud between congressional Democrats and Trump. In addition to links from multiple YouTube and Twitter accounts, the video has appeared in the comments sections of message boards and regional news outlets. Drew Harwell in the Washington Post$ -- 5/24/19
Trump's plan to let adoption agencies reject same-sex parents -- President Trump is steadily rolling back Obama-era nondiscrimination policies across the entire federal government — including health care, housing and the military. Sam Baker, Jonathan Swan Axios -- 5/24/19