Updating . .   

Man charged with killing Sacramento officer has long history of domestic violence -- The suspect in Wednesday night’s slaying of Sacramento police Officer Tara O’Sullivan is a 45-year-old Sacramento man with a lengthy history of domestic violence and battery against women, The Sacramento Bee has learned. Sacramento police have not yet released the suspect’s name, but online jail records show Adel Sambrano Ramos was booked into the main jail at 5:55 a.m. Thursday on a single count of murder. Sam Stanton and Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Can California avoid a third year of fire catastrophe? Here’s what’s been fixed — and what hasn’t -- State and federal leaders are working to reduce the threat, but they face a number of long-standing challenges: overgrown forests that haven’t been cleared of undergrowth, sprawling development in high-risk areas, an electric grid prone to throwing deadly sparks and a warming climate. Kurtis Alexander, Peter Fimrite, J.D. Morris and Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

Could San Diego cover a billion-dollar price tag to save its shoreline? -- Defending San Diego County against rising seas would cost about $1 billion, according to a new study that estimated that the cost of coastal armoring would be at least $22 billion for California, and more than $400 billion for the United States as a whole. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/20/19

Costco shooting: Mother wounded by LAPD officer who killed her son still in coma -- Family members said Russell and Paola French were dedicated to their son Kenneth, who suffered from an intellectual disability and needed their care. Now, they are hospitalized with gunshot wounds and their son is dead after being shot by an off-duty Los Angeles police officer inside a Costco in Corona. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/19

Citizenship for military service? California Democrat renews bill to let Dreamers enlist -- Rep. Josh Harder knows there’s little chance that a big immigration bill will pass in Congress this year. But so-called Dreamers — people who came to the country illegally as children — in his California district want any path to citizenship they can get. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Public To Weigh In On Revised California Vaccine Bill -- Residents are getting their first chance to weigh in on changes to a California measure that would give state public health officials oversight of doctors who grant a high number of medical exemptions for vaccinations and schools with vaccination rates less than 95%. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 6/20/19

Fox: Homelessness Issue Chasing Businesses Away -- Businesses have long been concerned about taxes and traffic congestion as impediments to business and while those concerns still exist they have suddenly been joined by a new issue that is frustrating Californians—homelessness. That is the finding of the latest Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed) poll. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/20/19

Horns are growing on young people’s skulls. Phone use is to blame, research suggests -- New research in biomechanics suggests that young people are developing hornlike spikes at the back of their skulls — bone spurs caused by the forward tilt of the head, which shifts weight from the spine to the muscles at the back of the head, causing bone growth in the connecting tendons and ligaments. The weight transfer that causes the buildup can be compared to the way the skin thickens into a callus as a response to pressure or abrasion. Isaac Stanley-Becker in the Washington Post$ -- 6/20/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning 

Suspect holed up in North Sacramento standoff after officer killed surrenders -- After a nearly eight-hour standoff in north Sacramento, the man engaged in a standoff with Sacramento Police after one of its officers was shot and killed has surrendered to police. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Police officer Tara O’Sullivan killed in North Sacramento shooting, officials confirm -- Police Deputy Chief Dave Peletta confirmed to reporters at news conference Thursday morning that Officer Tara O’Sullivan, 26, succumbed to her injuries at UC Davis Medical Center hours after she was attacked by a gunman during a domestic violence assistance call in north Sacramento. Molly Sullivan, Sam Stanton, and Meghan Bobrowsky in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

A million independent voters risk being irrelevant in California’s presidential primary -- Welcome to the quirk-filled world of California election law. Here, voters without a registered political party can participate in the Democratic Party’s “open” presidential primary—but only if they ask for the right ballot. Those who vote the old-fashioned way, in person at the polls, can simply request their presidential ballot of choice on the spot. But for those who vote by mail (now a majority of the state’s electorate), that request takes a remarkably analog form: a postcard signed and sent to the county registrar of voters. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 6/20/19

Walters: Democratic voters more centrist than their party -- When the state Democratic Party staged a convention in San Francisco a few weeks ago, it drew many of the seemingly countless would-be presidential candidates – particularly those positioning themselves on the party’s left-most wing. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 6/20/19

Trump administration presses again to overturn California sanctuary law -- The Trump administration says California has no right to “interfere with enforcement of federal immigration law” and is asking a federal appeals court to reconsider a panel’s ruling upholding the state’s sanctuary law, which limits local law enforcement cooperation with immigration officers. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

Public to weigh in on revised California vaccine bill -- Residents are getting their first chance to weigh in on changes to a California measure that would give state public health officials oversight of doctors who grant a high number of medical exemptions for vaccinations and schools with vaccination rates less than 95%. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 6/20/19

Skelton: In Newsom’s apology to Native Americans, California finally acknowledges the bigotry of its past -- In a Time Life book titled “The Indians of California,” there’s a passage that probably isn’t taught to schoolchildren studying our not-so-golden state’s checkered history. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/19

Ghost Ship trial: Defendant admits he had larger role during second day of cross-examination -- Prosecutors drilled Ghost Ship defendant Max Harris on the witness stand Wednesday, forcing him to admit that he repeatedly assumed leadership positions in the Oakland artists collective prior to the catastrophic warehouse fire that killed 36 people. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

‘I Didn’t Go Back In': Ghost Ship Defendant Harris Said He Thought Everyone Was Getting Out -- Ghost Ship trial defendant Max Harris, during emotional testimony on Wednesday, said he regrets he didn’t go upstairs to help people leave the building on the night of the Dec. 2, 2016 Oakland warehouse fire that killed 36, because he thought everyone was escaping. Don Clyde KQED -- 6/20/19

Clashing views emerge in Corona Costco shooting, with family’s attorney saying gunfire was ‘unjustified’ -- The shooting death of an unarmed, mentally disabled man and the wounding of his parents by an off-duty Los Angeles police officer inside a Corona Costco was unjustified, even though the officer was first struck or pushed by the man who died, the attorney for the family said on Wednesday. Richard K. De Atley in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 6/20/19

US: Gang leaders ran killings, drugs from California prison -- Authorities charged leaders of a California prison gang Wednesday with orchestrating killings, drug sales and other crimes from behind bars in a case filed two weeks after a different prison gang was accused of organizing drug trafficking and killings from their state prison cells. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 6/20/19

Newsom Pursuing His Own 'Damn Satellite' -- Whatever happened to Jerry Brown’s satellites? The former governor delighted activists at the Global Climate Action Summit last September when he announced that if President Trump stops funding for climate research, California would launch “its own damn satellite" to monitor methane emissions. Kevin Stark KQED -- 6/20/19

Presidio Trust rejects ‘do-gooder’ plans to restore Fort Scott -- Fort Winfield Scott, a 30-acre enclave tucked within the Presidio of San Francisco, will remain an atmospheric but largely empty landscape for the foreseeable future. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

Politifact CA: Newsom takes first step on promise of universal preschool in California, but has a long way to go -- With Newsom expected to sign his first state budget later this month, we examined the spending plan and spoke with early childhood education advocates to see whether he has made progress, and how much, for California's youngest learners and their families. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 6/20/19

People Are Ripping Off LA Seniors At Alarming Rates — And It's Making Them Sick -- Seniors, and the people who take care of them, need to be aware of their vulnerability to financial scammers. Elder financial abuse is rising steeply with 10,750 confirmed cases in California last year, according to Adult Protective Services. That's a 176% increase since 2006. Michelle Faust Raghavan laist -- 6/20/19

Former Los Alamitos mayor, who sparked anti-sanctuary movement, wins a vote for new Homeland Security job -- A year after his tiny Orange County city spurred an anti-sanctuary movement that spread throughout California, former Los Alamitos Mayor Troy Edgar is poised to become the next chief financial officer for the Department of Homeland Security. Roxana Kopetman in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 6/20/19

Fox: In California, a Billion Dollars is Chump Change -- The late Illinois U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen supposedly said in examining the federal budget, “A billion dollars here, a billion dollars there and pretty soon you’re talking real money.” Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/22/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Immigrant entrepreneurs continue to shape California’s economy -- Immigrants take big risks coming to California. When they get here, many decide to take another risk: launching their own company. Immigrants are actually more likely to start a business than people born here. California consistently ranks as one of the states most reliant on immigrants for new business creation. David Wagner KPCC via Calmatters -- 6/20/19

Exclusive: U.S. tells India it is mulling caps on H-1B visas to deter data rules - sources -- The United States has told India it is considering caps on H-1B work visas for nations that force foreign companies to store data locally, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, widening the two countries’ row over tariffs and trade. Neha Dasgupta, Aditya Kalra Reuters -- 6/20/19

Inland Empire’s Booming Warehouse Industry Brings Jobs – Similar to many low-wage employees in the Inland Empire logistics industry, Rossy said he didn't qualify for health insurance benefits from the warehouse or the staffing agency that connected him to the job. Rossy’s situation illustrates a dynamic that sets the Inland Empire apart from most of California, according to regional experts and studies. Nicole Hayden and Deepa Bharath Capital Public Radio -- 6/20/19

CalPERS health insurance will cost more next year, but not as much more as insurers wanted -- Premiums will go up 4.65 percent on average next year. Last month, insurers submitted requests for increases to CalPERS that would have raised rates by an average of 7.2 percent. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

Car makers launch late drive challenging Gavin Newsom’s plan to close California tax breaks -- Newsom’s plan would eliminate the car makers’ tax break by bringing California’s tax code into partial conformity with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the 2017 federal tax overhaul that President Donald Trump signed. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Transit  

Ferry service to Chase Center for Warriors games gains momentum with proposal -- The best way to get to a Warriors game in September may be aboard a boat that ambles out of Larkspur Terminal, slicing across the rumpled blue surface of the San Francisco Bay. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

Protected bike lanes, transit lane to transform Folsom, Howard streets -- Sweeping changes are coming to two of San Francisco’s deadliest streets, which will get miles of two-way protected bike lanes, shorter street crossings, specially timed traffic lights and a red transit-only lane to speed Muni buses. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

Price of riding Muni doubles in ten years -- Public transit is at a crossroads in San Francisco, as the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) searches for new leadership and the current head of Muni strives to fix the city’s long-broken public buses and trains. One thing that’s certain: Muni will get more expensive to ride. Adam Brinklow Curbed San Francisco -- 6/20/19

Homeless  

LA mayor announces more ‘sensitive’ approach to cleanup around homeless encampments -- The new strategy will be “more nimble, targeted, and sensitive,” Garcetti said at a press conference. It will also allow sanitation workers to “lead with services, not law enforcement” when cleaning in and around homeless encampments, according to the mayor. Elijah Chiland Curbed LA -- 6/20/19

Activists target Mayor Eric Garcetti with a recall campaign, citing homelessness crisis -- On Wednesday, Alexandra Datig, a political commentator who is leading the effort, told reporters at a news conference outside City Hall that the mayor was served with a notice of intent for recall — the first step of a long-shot attempt. “He can’t handle the crisis,” said Datig, a registered Republican who described herself as longtime Angeleno frustrated by the surging number of people living on the street. “He needs to step down.” Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/19

Major homeless nonprofit plans to close 90-bed shelter after loss of state funding -- A major homeless nonprofit will need to shut down 90 beds, a dining hall and a culinary training program at its Mather Community Campus in Rancho Cordova if it does not receive more funding by July 1, the nonprofit said Wednesday. It’s the largest cut facing Mather in its 23 years of operating, said Christie Holderegger of Volunteers of America. Theresa Clift and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Housing  

San Bernardino County bucks cool housing market as prices rise 10.5% -- San Bernardino County, land of the most affordable housing in Southern California, bucked a regional trend of slowing home appreciation in May, seeing its year-over-year prices rise 10.5 percent. Jack Katzanek in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 6/20/19

O.C. housing’s worst slump since ’12 cut sales by 13% in Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, Yorba Linda -- For nine consecutive months through April, CoreLogic housing stats show countywide sales failing to top the year-ago period. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 6/20/19

Report: SF renters need to earn $61 per hour to afford two-bed apartment -- The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a Washington D.C.-based think tank, released its annual “Out Of Reach” study this week, estimating the affordability of rental stock in America based on federal data about worker wages and housing costs. Adam Brinklow Curbed San Francisco -- 6/20/19

One-third of Apartment List users in LA are apartment hunting in other cities -- The company finds that 38 percent of users in Los Angeles use the site to search for listings in other metropolitan areas, suggesting that more than one-third of Angelenos looking for a new apartment are also on the hunt for a new city. Elijah Chiland Curbed LA -- 6/20/19

No rent control in Anaheim, after Councilman Jose Moreno’s second try gets quashed -- The prospect of city action to stop rent hikes in Anaheim appears dead, after Councilman Jose Moreno’s two tries at the issue got shot down by a council majority. Residents of the Casa Grande apartments and Rancho La Paz mobile home park have been petitioning the council at recent meetings to help them deal with rent increases they say could force them out of their homes. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 6/20/19

Wildfire  

What PG&E Settlement Could Mean for Rebuilding of Paradise -- Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said the settlement funds -- which must be approved by the San Francisco court handling PG&E's bankruptcy case -- will be crucial in helping to rebuild the town and restore people's faith that the community has a future. Richard Gonzales and Dan Brekke KQED -- 6/20/19

After Camp Fire, PG&E found hundreds of ‘immediate safety risk’ problems on equipment -- PG&E Corp. said Wednesday its inspectors have found hundreds of “immediate safety risk” problems on its transmission towers and other equipment in recent months, some of them comparable to the flaws that state officials say ignited the Camp Fire last November. The utility said it has fixed almost all of the problems already. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

PG&E Retires Power Line That Sparked California’s Deadliest Wildfire -- PG&E Corp. has permanently retired the high-voltage power line that sparked the deadliest wildfire in California’s history after detailed inspections of its electric system revealed serious problems on that transmission line and others. Katherine Blunt in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/20/19

Education 

$13 billion state bond for school construction targeted for 2020 California ballot -- Legislation to put a $13 billion school construction bond on the state ballot next year and a second bond in 2022 moved forward this week with strong support overall from the education community — and a vague promise by the bill’s author to address concerns that state building aid to school districts isn’t equitably distributed. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 6/20/19

Cannabis 

Prop. 64 Taxes Are Threatening Charity Groups Who Give Away Pot To Chronically Ill Californians -- For decades, charity groups have been giving free cannabis to low-income veterans, sick kids and other patients under the radar. Now that pot is legal in California, they’re having to pay taxes on these donations. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 6/20/19

Immigration / Border 

He Made it From Honduras to the U.S., and Was Sent Right Back -- One of the members of last fall’s migrant caravan made the perilous journey from Central America through Mexico to Tijuana, then into the United States. He was deported back to Honduras in June, where he met with VOSD’s Maya Srikrishnan to talk about his experience. Maya Srikrishnan Voiceofsandiego.org -- 6/20/19

Guns 

US District Court Judge Rules Del Mar Gun Shows Can Continue … For Now -- A federal judge ruled that gun shows can continue at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, at least for now, as the court considers a lawsuit against a state agency's decision to effectively suspend the shows, the California Rifle and Pistol Association announced Wednesday. KPBS -- 6/20/19

Parkland shooting survivor joins California students to lobby for gun control at Capitol -- A survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida joined a group of California students to lobby for gun control at the state Capitol on Wednesday. Tyah-Amoy Roberts, a recent high school graduate and gun control advocate, represented March for Our Lives, a national youth-led initiative to prevent gun violence. Kyung Mi Lee in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

California gun owners, get ready. July brings several new firearm laws and regulations -- Under a proposed emergency regulation, ammunition buyers would be required to show a federally compliant REAL ID, or else submit additional documentation like a passport, before a sale can be made. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Health 

Redefining Who Is In Poverty Could Bump Thousands From Medi-Cal -- California’s push to give everyone access to affordable health insurance could be disrupted by a federal plan to change the standards for poverty, according to analysts. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 6/20/19

Environment 

Valero’s Benicia refinery has reopened following earlier emission problems -- Valero’s Benicia Refinery, which drew the ire of residents and city officials after emitting airborne pollutants, has quietly reopened after being shut for more than a month this spring. Sophia Kunthara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

Becerra on Trump Administration's New Rule for Coal-Fired Power Plants: They're 'Backsliding' -- California officials criticized the Trump administration's latest move and said the state will initiate a legal challenge. Although California does not have coal power plants, it does import coal power from neighboring states. KQED -- 6/20/19

Is It Safe To Store Nuclear Waste At San Onofre? The Science Behind It -- There is about 1,700 tons of spent nuclear fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Residents are concerned this short-term storage solution may become permanent. Shalina Chatlani KPBS -- 6/20/19

Also . . . 

Video shows Rocklin cop beating unarmed DUI suspect. D.A. says images ‘speak for themselves’ -- One month after a Placer County jury acquitted a Rocklin police officer of excessive force, the Placer County District Attorney’s office released body camera video from the incident showing the officer repeatedly striking a drunken driving suspect with his baton even after the man had fallen to the ground and began screaming in pain. Sam Stanton and Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Navy SEAL called dead prisoner an ‘ISIS dirtbag,' witness testifies -- A Navy SEAL charged with killing a captive teenage militant in his care had told fellow troops that if they encountered a wounded enemy, he wanted medics to know how “to nurse him to death,” a former comrade testified Wednesday. When a radio call announced an Islamic State prisoner was wounded on May 3, 2017, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher replied: “Don't touch him, he’s all mine,” Dylan Dille told jurors in a military courtroom. Associated Press via the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/19

LAPD targets possible MS-13 presence in the Valley with early morning raids -- Early Wednesday, Los Angeles police went throughout the San Fernando Valley and other parts of L.A. in search of several documented members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, who they believe are responsible for a recent spate of violence in North Hollywood. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/19

America Has Tried Reparations Before. Here Is How It Went -- Ever since a Union Army general announced in Galveston, Tex., that “all slaves are free” on June 19, 1865 — a day now commemorated as Juneteenth — the question of how to compensate the country’s formerly enslaved people has hung over the United States. Adeel Hassan and Jack Healy in the New York Times$ -- 6/20/19

Free food, fitness and literacy programs help fill summer gap for kids in Sacramento region -- From June through August, United Way operates 16 summer meal sites throughout the Sacramento region – including the Rancho Cordova library – where kids under age 18 can get nutritious meals at no charge. Candice Wang in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/19

Ringo Starr’s 800-pound ‘Peace and Love’ sculpture finally finds a home in Beverly Hills -- When Ringo Starr decided to live full time in Beverly Hills, he planned to honor his adoptive hometown with an extravagant gift — an 800-pound polished steel monument of his hand making a peace sign. The city politely declined. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/19

POTUS 45  

Trump’s plan for the Dem debates: Make it about him -- The president aims to suck up as much oxygen as possible from the 20 Democratic presidential contenders debating in Miami. Nancy Cook Politico -- 6/20/19

Beltway 

Pelosi: We’ll impeach ‘when we stop finding even more information’ -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that if the House moves forward with impeachment proceedings, it will be because members are ready to vote to impeach President Trump. But she downplayed the likelihood that moment will ever arrive. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/19

Pelosi rules out censuring Trump -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi officially shut the door on censuring President Donald Trump Wednesday but plans to view a minimally redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report this week, her latest attempt to juggle the competing impeachment factions within her caucus. Heather Caygle and Andrew Desiderio Politico -- 6/20/19

Warren emerges as potential compromise nominee -- Centrists who once said the senator would lead the party to ruin are coming around to her as an alternative to Bernie Sanders. Natasha Korecki and Charlie Mahtesian Politico -- 6/20/19

Biden defiant as Democrats unleash barrage of criticism -- A defiant Joe Biden on Wednesday refused to apologize for citing two Southern segregationist senators as people he “got things done” with in the U.S. Senate, emphasizing his record on civil rights at a pair of fundraising stops and striking a confrontational tone when asked about the controversy swirling around his comments. Maggie Severns Politico -- 6/20/19

 

-- Wednesday Updates 

Trump moves to gut Obama climate policy and bolster the coal industry -- The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled its final plan to rewrite a major Obama-era climate change policy, scrapping proposed regulations that would have cracked down on coal-burning power plants. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 6/19/19

As Bay Area housing crisis worsens, companies from Google to Wells Fargo ($1 billion each) step up -- Wells Fargo. Kaiser Permanente. Salesforce’s Marc Benioff. Now Google. One by one, the corporate titans of the Bay Area are vowing to plow dollars into solving the region’s biggest crisis — housing. Melia Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/19/19

L.A. could overhaul how homeless encampments are cleaned -- Faced with a chorus of frustration among Los Angeles residents, homeless activists and business groups, city officials say they want to overhaul how L.A. cleans up trash and filth surrounding homeless encampments that have sprung up on its streets. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/19/19

Guess who’s running for Assembly in Orange County? Almost everybody -- Challengers, some familiar and some new, already are lining up to compete in 2020 for Orange County’s state Assembly seats, with Republicans hoping to maintain a rare political edge and Democrats hoping to repeat the blue wave that flipped local congressional districts last year. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 6/19/19

Price of gas to jump more than nickel a gallon on July 1 -- The price of California gasoline, already the highest in the nation, is set to go up more than 5 cents a gallon just in time for your summer vacation. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/19/19

Excessive use of force by Police Chief’s son leads to arrest of patient at Napa State Hospital -- Four Napa State Hospital police officers kept their jobs after state investigators found one of them used excessive force when he slammed a 64-year-old patient’s face into a concrete wall, and three others wrote misleading reports and failed to adequately investigate the March 2017 incident. Alex Emslie and Sukey Lewis, KQED via in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/19/19

Eric Swalwell: Running for president ‘if I’m still in it’ -- Rep. Eric Swalwell says he will keep running for president as long as he’s “still in it,” but if he gets cut from the Democratic debate stage, he could seek to retain his East Bay congressional seat. His deadline will be December — the last chance to register to run for Congress in California. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/19/19

German patients get the latest drugs for just $11. Can such a model work in the U.S.? -- Germany’s ability to provide citizens access to the latest drugs while keeping patients’ costs so low is made possible by a novel strategy launched in 2011 to rein in exploding prices that were threatening to bankrupt the nation’s healthcare system. Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/19/19

Fox: Shopping for the Right Voters is No Sure Thing -- Advocates for big policy changes on the death penalty and property taxation hope that choosing the right ballot will see their cause march to victory. But it is the policy issue rather than shopping the best electorate that will determine the outcome. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/19/19