Updating . .
Another GOP lawmaker blocks massive disaster aid package -- Another House Republican on Tuesday thwarted attempts to pass a bipartisan disaster aid package, further delaying $19 billion in emergency relief and frustrating lawmakers whose states were hit by devastating hurricanes, wildfires and flooding. Sarah Ferris and Jennifer Scholtes Politico -- 5/28/19
Bold plan to tackle San Francisco’s crisis on the streets calls for guaranteed mental health treatment -- San Franciscans will almost certainly be asked a groundbreaking question on the November ballot: Should all city residents be guaranteed the right to quick, effective mental health care? Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Ted Goldberg KQED -- 5/28/19
California cities, counties would have to report incentives to warehouses and job details under Riverside assemblyman’s bill -- The logistics industry has anchored the Inland Empire economy in recent years, economists say, accounting for nearly one-fourth of all jobs created since the recession. David Downey in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 5/28/19
Should L.A. curb charitable fundraising by politicians? Council members aren’t so sure -- In the wake of an FBI raid at City Hall, a group of L.A. politicians said earlier this year that they wanted to restore public confidence in city government. Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/19
Facing possible loss of House seat, California awaits census -- As California’s population growth flattens out, the state could lose a congressional seat for the first time in its history. Lisa Renner Capitol Weekly -- 5/28/19
Westside private school gave diplomas to nonstudents for a fee. Then came the college admissions scandal -- Stephanie Ellsworth had a problem. She was eager to enroll in a criminal justice program but lacked a high school diploma. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/19
‘I think we’ve surprised people': Advisory board recommends 30 changes to SDPD practices -- Among the proposals are that San Diego police focus less on military experience and perspectives in recruitment, conduct a pilot moratorium on pretext stops — a term and practice that was the subject of much debate among board members — and publicly release all racial and identity profiling data being gathered under 2015’s AB 953. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/19
California, Rich In Delegates, Takes On New Importance For Crowded Democratic Field -- This weekend, 14 presidential candidates will converge on San Francisco for the California Democratic Party's annual convention. It will be the largest gathering of presidential contenders so far, and the latest sign that California's days of bringing up the rear of the presidential primary calendar are long gone. Scott Detrow NPR -- 5/28/19
Kamala Harris to propose federal oversight of state and local abortion laws -- The California Democrat will lay out her plan Tuesday evening on a televised town hall with MSNBC. Her proposal would give the Department of Justice final say over abortion laws passed by states or localities that have enacted unconstitutional abortion restrictions in the past 25 years. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/19
These students had a housing idea. Facebook listened. Now, it’s becoming reality -- When 20 local high school students walked into Facebook’s office last year and laid out their plan for solving the region’s affordable housing shortage, they didn’t really expect the tech executives in the room to listen. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/19
159 murdered birds: Here’s how wildlife crime sleuths solved one of California’s most baffling poaching cases -- When a gun kills a bird, it leaves few clues that link a weapon to the crime. “A rifle bullet rips right through and is long gone,” said wildlife forensic expert Ken Goddard. But careful detective work by a team of state game wardens and Goddard’s team linked the deaths of 159 birds to a Lassen County ranch owner, leading to his conviction in April for one of the most baffling poaching cases in state history. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/19
Politifact CA: After doctored Pelosi video, expert warns of unchecked ‘misinformation campaigns’ -- A manipulated video showing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slurring her speech spread rapidly across social media last week. It also raised questions about what social media platforms, and their users, should do when altered footage of a public official goes viral in the future. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 5/28/19
Rethinking Disaster Recovery After A California Town Is Leveled By Wildfire -- When the Camp Fire raced into the Northern California town of Paradise on Nov. 8, destroying nearly 19,000 structures and claiming 85 lives, Chris Beaudis narrowly escaped. He drove out of the Sierra foothills in his Ford Bronco with only his pit bull. He lost everything and has no insurance. Kirk Siegler NPR -- 5/28/19
Fox: AB 392 Compromise was the Only Way -- The compromise on AB 392, attempting to set parameters for the use of deadly force by police, meant recognizing that the police felt they were being suffocated by changes in California law. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/28/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
‘It’s Inexcusable’: Dozens of California Government Agencies Failed To Ensure Sexual Harassment Training To Nearly 1,800 Supervisors -- When correctional officer Sophia Curry reported an inmate at California State Prison in Folsom for sexual harassment, supervisors ignored her request to address the situation. About a week later, when a supervisor ordered Curry to patrol the unit without a partner, the inmate brutally attacked her. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 5/28/19
San Diego’s latest backcountry development to be built where California suffered one of its most historic wildfires -- It’s not a matter of if but when wildfire will rip through the bucolic countryside being eyed for an opulent master-planned community, known as Adara at Otay Ranch. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/19
Event where California officials brawled known for partying -- A late-night argument between Southern California city councilors ended with one unconscious on the floor of a resort during an annual gathering of local government officials that some past attendees say is more fraternity party than public policy retreat. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/28/19
Oakland council may board magic bus by decriminalizing natural psychedelics -- Oakland could become the second city in the country to decriminalize certain natural psychedelics — including “magic mushrooms” — if elected leaders approve a resolution that would instruct law enforcement to stop investigating and prosecuting people using the drugs. Erin Allday and Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/19
State Legislators Will Pass or Kill These Bills This Week -- Friday is the deadline for the Assembly and Senate to pass or reject bills that originated in each chamber. If they survive, they will be considered by the opposing chamber before lawmakers adjourn in September. Andrew Oxford Associated Press -- 5/28/19
Trial to Shed Light on Status of Workers Hired to Help Fight California Wildfires -- The man who hired the only person to die fighting a fire that scorched more than 130,000 acres near Big Sur in 2016 is going on trial this week. Ian Czirban employed Robert Reagan, a contract bulldozer operator killed in the Soberanes Fire. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 5/28/19
Rep. Jackie Speier draws power from experience in her politics -- 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 as private abuse that she has revealed only in adulthood. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/19
Dianne Feinstein renews call for suspension of Santa Anita races -- U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein again is calling for racing to be halted at Santa Anita after three horses died in nine days. “I once again call for an immediate moratorium on racing at Santa Anita,” Feinstein said in a statement. “We need a thorough investigation of practices and conditions at the track before any more races are held.” John Cherwa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/19
Santa Anita checking if rules followed before horse’s death -- The owner of Santa Anita is investigating whether new rules were followed before the 26th horse death at the Southern California racetrack. Kochees, a 9-year-old gelding, was euthanized Sunday after injuring his left front leg in a race a day earlier. It was the third horse death in nine days and the 26th overall since the season began Dec. 26. Beth Harris Associated Press -- 5/28/19
Chief Rabbi of Israel brings message of unity and solidarity to Poway synagogue following shooting -- David Lau, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, addressed members of Chabad of Poway following morning prayers, and presented a gift to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/19
Oakland’s Pothole Vigilantes address gaping problem, one road crater at a time -- They pulled up in a black Toyota pickup, hazard lights flashing in the balmy night. Three men emerged with tampers and bags of EZ Street asphalt slung over their shoulders. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/19
Should San Francisco ban right turns on red lights to protect pedestrians? -- New York City has banned it and so has Washington, D.C. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time Employees -- Mindy Cruz had an offer for a full-time position at another big tech company when she accepted a temporary job as a recruiter at Google in 2017. The pay was less and the benefits were not as good, but it was one step closer to her dream of becoming a Google employee. Daisuke Wakabayashi in the New York Times$ -- 5/28/19
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Using California gas tax to reduce traffic lanes? Not how it should be spent, some say -- Two years after state lawmakers boosted the gas tax with a promise to improve California streets, some cities have raised the ire of drivers by spending millions of the new dollars on “road diet” projects that reduce the number and size of lanes for motor vehicles. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/19
Homeless
Berkeley May Put Sidewalk Clearing on Hold Until Homeless Response System is Developed -- The city recently began enforcing the rule, which lets officials clear off the sidewalks during the day. People living on the streets are allowed to set up their camps between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., but must break them down during the day. Kelly O'Mara, Sara Hossaini KQED -- 5/28/19
Housing
Losing sight of the American dream: Southern California home prices rising 4 times faster than wages -- Cameron and Karie Herber have two incomes, good credit and successful careers. But the Riverside couple still can’t find a house they can afford to buy. So they plan to buy some land and build their own home — in Idaho. Jeff Collins in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/28/19
Education
New Haven Teachers Strike to Continue As Memorial Day Weekend Ends -- As the Memorial Day weekend comes to a close, the News Haven Teachers’ strike wears on. Negotiations continued Monday at the Alameda County Office of Education, where supporters continued to picket outside. KQED -- 5/28/19
University housing may replace state building in downtown San Jose -- California officials intend to dispose of the outmoded main state government building in downtown San Jose, a decision that paves the way for badly needed university housing to sprout on the prime site and help revive that part of the city’s urban heart. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/19
California governor and lawmakers at odds over new special education funding -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders agree that the state should significantly increase funding for students with disabilities. But, in one of the biggest disagreements over next year’s state budget, they head into negotiations far apart on how they would spend the new money. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 5/28/19
Immigration / Border
Despite tough talk, American government lets older Mexicans visit undocumented children in U.S. -- For many in Mexico, it is an unexpected olive branch from the State Department amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Kevin Sieff in the Washington Post$ -- 5/28/19
Health
How the anti-vaccine movement crept into the GOP mainstream -- Anti-vaccine sentiments are as old as vaccines themselves — and it’s been nearly 300 years since smallpox immunization began in what is now the United States. Liberal enclaves from Boulder, Colo., to Marin County, Calif., have long been pockets of vaccine skepticism. But the current measles epidemic, with more than 880 cases reported across 25 states of a disease declared eradicated in the U.S. 19 years ago, shows it gaining power within the GOP mainstream. Arthur Allen Politico -- 5/28/19
Environment
San Francisco Bay’s problems fester as regulator neglects responsibility, investigation finds -- An investigation into the Bay Conservation and Development Commission found mismanagement and disorganization so rampant that the once-celebrated watchdog agency allegedly neglected its primary responsibility — to protect San Francisco Bay. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/19
Also . . .
Three families in Point Loma find swastikas on property -- Three homes were tagged with swastikas over the weekend in the Point Loma Heights neighborhood, police said, but it’s unclear whether the tagging was an act of vandalism or a hate crime. All of the homes were located on Santa Barbara Street. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/19
Frances Arnold Turns Microbes Into Living Factories -- The engineer’s mantra, said Frances Arnold, a professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, is: “Keep it simple, stupid.” But Dr. Arnold, who last year became just the fifth woman in history to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is the opposite of stupid, and her stories sometimes turn rococo. Natalie Angier in the New York Times$ -- 5/28/19
POTUS 45
Trump's tweets are losing their potency -- President Trump's tweets don't pack the punch they did at the outset of his presidency. His Twitter interaction rate — a measure of the impact given how much he tweets and how many people follow him — has tumbled precipitously, according to data from CrowdTangle. Neal Rothschild Axios -- 5/28/19
Trump Administration Hardens Its Attack on Climate Science -- President Trump has rolled back environmental regulations, pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, brushed aside dire predictions about the effects of climate change, and turned the term “global warming” into a punch line rather than a prognosis. Now, after two years spent unraveling the policies of his predecessors, Mr. Trump and his political appointees are launching a new assault. Coral Davenport and Mark Landler in the New York Times$ -- 5/28/19
Beltway
Senate GOP vows to quickly quash any impeachment charges -- GOP senators say that if the House passes articles of impeachment against President Trump they will quickly quash them in the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has broad authority to set the parameters of a trial. Alexander Bolton The Hill -- 5/28/19
-- Monday Updates
Touring disaster -- In the wake of California’s deadliest wildfire, a wave of visitors has descended on Paradise. But there’s no playbook for dealing with tourists in a community still racked by trauma. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/27/19
Safe parking lots prepare for vehicle habitation enforcement -- A new prohibition against vehicle habitation in San Diego is not being enforced yet, but programs that provide a safe place for homeless people to park are preparing for an increased demand. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/27/19
Think California's too big and influential? Wait until the presidential race heats up -- One by one, the Democratic presidential candidates campaigning in Iowa show their fealty to ethanol, the corn-based fuel that supports about 42,000 jobs and buoys the state’s crucial agriculture economy. That is the raw power that Iowa, which holds the first test of the 2020 presidential election, possesses in American politics. At least for a while. David Shribman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/19
Hiltzik: Trump’s $16-billion farm bailout means you’re paying for his tariff war twice -- We’ll say this for President Trump: When he misunderstands something, he misunderstands it more than anyone else in creation. Take the business of tariffs. Trump is unshakably convinced that his tariffs are a tax on China. He repeated this grossly erroneous claim just Thursday, during his announcement of a new $16-billion bailout for farmers harmed by, yes, his tariff war. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/19
Nurse Suicides: Under The Radar -- In late November 2018, a nurse in Southern California took her own life. "Dana" arrived by ambulance, unresponsive, at the emergency department where she had worked for nearly 20 years, and was cared for by her own colleagues before a transfer to a nearby hospital's critical care unit. Shannon Firth MedPage Today via KPBS -- 5/27/19
Is another Southern California housing crash needed to create ‘affordable’ housing? -- When you factor in this era's historically cheaper mortgages, a typical house payment hasn't moved much faster than local incomes this century. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 5/27/19
Youths focused on gun violence prevention hope ads speak Louder Than Guns -- Julia Macias was 12 when a gunman shot and killed 26 people, mostly children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The Los Angeles preteen heard the news of the 2012 attack and worried about her own family. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/19
Colleen Bell, former ambassador and TV producer, named director of California Film Commission -- In addition to administering the state’s tax credit program, Bell will also serve as a champion for California’s film industry, which has faced rising competition as other states and countries have beefed up incentives to lure filming. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/19