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Corporate tax cuts blocked at least 15,000 affordable homes in California. Here’s how -- Affordable housing advocates warned that the corporate tax cuts passed by Republicans in 2017 could have disastrous effects on the development of more affordable housing. More than two years later, independent data shows it has meant at least 15,000 delayed or killed affordable housing units in California alone. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/19

How many students cheated to get into USC? A look inside the admissions investigation -- Shortly after federal authorities took down a national college admissions scam in March, officials at USC launched their own investigation with emails to dozens of students. Joel Rubin, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Ridgecrest earthquake aftershocks move toward dangerous faults, sparking concerns of triggered temblors -- Aftershocks of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake near Ridgecrest have been creeping into areas close to two major earthquake faults, a development that is generating interest and some concern among seismologists over whether it could trigger another huge temblor. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Bay Area likely to see more 100+ degree days in coming years, new study finds -- By the middle of this century, summer heat in the Bay Area will feel similar to conditions in Los Angeles now. And Sacramento will feel more like Texas. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

Central Valley could see more ‘dangerously hot’ days from climate change -- California’s Central Valley is no stranger to heat, but human-caused climate change could soon see the region hitting boiling temperatures at greater frequency than before. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/19

California pledges millions to battle enormous, destructive swamp rats -- A growing menace in the form of 15-pound swamp rodents is threatening Delta waterways, and the state is throwing money, hunting dogs and birth control at the invasive pests which have the potential to destroy crops and wetlands. Cat Ferguson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/19

To cut carbon footprint, SF moves to eliminate vehicle emissions by 2040 -- San Francisco officials want to shrink the city’s carbon footprint by eliminating the greenhouse gases belched from cars, trucks and other vehicles by 2040. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

Los Angeles is finally ditching coal — and replacing it with another polluting fuel -- The smokestack at Intermountain Power Plant looms mightily over rural Utah, belching steam and pollution across a landscape of alfalfa fields and desert shrub near the banks of the Sevier River. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Personal information at risk due to state government’s spotty oversight, audit finds -- A California state government office under the military department didn’t change the default passwords that came with some of its IT systems, creating a “significant threat of an attacker gaining unauthorized access to its network.” Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/19

San Francisco couple takes BART to wedding in Oakland -- It was the day of Laura Hansen and Jeremy Bachrach's wedding and everyone in their bridal party, except them, had cold feet about how they would all get to the ceremony. "I would say our bridal party was very skeptical," Hansen said before Bachrach let out a laugh. Drew Costley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

Women in jail endured group strip searches. L.A. County to pay $53 million to settle suit -- During her brief incarceration several years ago, Jessica Almaraz said she was ushered into a dirty bus garage with 60 or so other inmates at a women’s jail in Lynwood. The inmates, some of whom were menstruating, were told to remove their clothes, and lift and spread their body parts, in full view of one another. Deputies yelled degrading comments and profanities as they made their orders. Some laughed. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

MS-13 members from L.A. charged in string of grisly killings, prosecutors say -- MS-13 gang members in Los Angeles hacked to death seven people in the last two years, including a rival gang member who was dismembered and had his heart cut out by six MS-13 soldiers in the Angeles National Forest for defacing the gang’s graffiti, federal authorities alleged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday. James Queally, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Pete Buttigieg outraises Kamala Harris in California as new presidential numbers released -- California Sen. Kamala Harris’ breakout debate performance last month brought in a surge of donations, but it wasn’t enough to put her ahead of South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg in her home state. Emily Cadei and Ben Wieder in the Sacramento Bee$ Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/19

Trump's new impeachment problem -- President Trump's racist tweets had an unintended consequence: They gave House Democrats a new rationale for impeachment. This has the potential to fundamentally change the conversation around impeachment, which has so far mostly focused on possible instances of obstruction of justice as laid out by Robert Mueller's findings. Alexi McCammond Axios -- 7/16/19

Trump’s new asylum rule strands Central American migrants in Tijuana -- Reporting from Tijuana — There was confusion on Monday among northbound migrants in Tijuana, following the Trump administration’s latest effort to ban virtually all foreigners from filing for asylum in the United States. Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Kellyanne Conway asks reporter’s ethnicity as she defends Trump’s racist remarks -- Kellyanne Conway, responding to a reporter’s question Tuesday about President Trump’s racist tweet directed to four Democratic congresswomen, asked the journalist: “What’s your ethnicity?” Colby Itkowitz in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/19

Schwarzenegger calls Trump attack on minority lawmakers 'un-American' and 'crude' -- The action movie star and immigrant to the United States added that “America has always been about where you are going, not where you come from. That’s what drew me and millions of other proud, contributing Americans to the greatest country in the world to realize our dreams.” Jessica Campisi The Hill -- 7/16/19

Fox: Tom Steyer Wants a National Referendum -- I’m trying to imagine how the national referendum proposed by Tom Steyer as part of his presidential platform would work. He said he trusted the people to make the laws, and that he had success using initiatives in California. Of course, his great wealth spurred those law changes in the Golden State. It would take even more money to campaign for a national initiative. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/16/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

PG&E says power line inspections revealed 10,000 problems — some needed immediate fixing -- While scrambling in recent months to try to avoid setting off another deadly wildfire, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. found nearly 10,000 problems with its power equipment — including some that needed immediate action to be made safe, the utility said Monday. J.D. Morris and Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

California’s top Republicans mostly silent on Trump’s tweets -- California’s top House Republican offered a measured defense Monday of President Trump’s racist attacks on four House members who are women of color, while most of the state’s GOP establishment stayed silent. Joe Garofoli and Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

California Republicans face backlash for silence over Trump tweets -- California Republicans are accustomed to a cautious dance with Donald Trump’s divisive presidency, but the president’s racist tweets this weekend are testing that balancing act in the nation's most diverse state, with conservative calls to denounce Trump’s statements competing with the need to placate the party base. Jeremy B. White and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 7/16/19

‘Go back to where you came from’: Our readers recall racist taunts from their lives -- Some of the readers who responded were born in the United States; some were not. Some were third-generation citizens; others were waiting to be naturalized. What they shared was the hurt and discomfort that come from the suggestion that they do not belong in America. Maya Eliahou in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

For children of immigrants like me, ‘go back’ is a familiar racist taunt -- I had just published a story on Sikhs who’d been attacked after being mistaken for Muslims, when the email popped into my inbox. “Are you from Iran?” the stranger wrote. “If so, go back! God Bless America.” By that point, two years ago, I had grown accustomed to the type of fan mail that questioned my loyalty to the country in which I was born, reduced my reporting to irrelevant writing by dismissing “my people” as the “scourge of the earth” or, in some cases, suggested that I shoot myself (“with a caliber no less than .45m”). Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

As Los Angeles Officials Hailed Nipsey Hussle as a Hero, Others Were Investigating Him -- The memory of the rapper Nipsey Hussle still looms large over Los Angeles. On one mural, his spray-painted image is adorned with angel wings; on others it is surrounded by inspirational quotes. A city intersection has been named in his honor. And a strip mall he owned in South Los Angeles has become a memorial, with a steady flow of tourists and flowers. Tim Arango in the New York Times$ -- 7/16/19

Our political polling shifts into high gear for 2020 -- In the 2016 and 2018 election cycles, Capitol Weekly conducted several surveys for the primary and general elections. We examined voters’ opinions on the contests for president, U.S. Senate, governor, Legislature and Congress, as well as on ballot measures before California voters. In total, we heard from over 100,000 voters, providing us with a significant dataset of voters and their preferences. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 7/16/19

DNA hearings: SF officers gave suspect in rapes alcohol test even though they didn’t think he was drunk -- But in the early morning hours of July 7, 2018, officers nonetheless made Vilchez Lazo blow into an alcohol screening test. They wanted his DNA. The genetic material police obtained from the suspect’s saliva without a warrant is now at the center of a legal showdown over the constitutionality of a police stop that ultimately cracked the notorious “Rideshare Rapist” case. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

Toyota is ordered to pay auto dealer $15.8 million in trial over Prius defects -- An Orange County jury Monday morning ordered Toyota to pay $15.8 million to one of its largest dealers in Southern California, who alleged that the company’s recalls to fix the electric power system of its popular Prius models did not remedy safety defects. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

On Prime Day, Activists in San Francisco Demand Amazon Cut Ties With ICE -- On Prime Day, one of Amazon’s busiest shopping days, immigrant community members and labor activists in San Francisco protested the company's controversial ties with law enforcement nationwide and its labor practices. Kate Wolffe KQED -- 7/16/19

Electric Airplanes Start to Take Off -- A five-passenger airplane took flight near Los Angeles recently with one important modification: an electric motor. The nearly 50-year-old plane, retrofitted by California-based startup Ampaire, still used a normal combustion engine to spin a propeller in its nose for the test flight. But engineers replaced a second engine with the electric motor, which powered a propeller in the back of the plane. Mike Cherney in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/16/19

Judge Cuts $55 Million From $80 Million Roundup Verdict -- The ruling comes in the case of Northern California resident Edwin Hardeman, who won a more than $80 million jury verdict in a case linking his non-Hodgkin lymphoma to yearslong Roundup use on his residential properties. Sara Randazzo in the Wall Street Journal$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

The threat to the $100,000-a-year tech worker -- Much of the discussion around the future of work focuses on what is already disappearing: jobs in factories, on farms, and in restaurants. But coming automation-fueled job losses and changes will reverberate far beyond — and eventually reach seemingly safe workers in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street. Erica Pandey Axios -- 7/16/19

Inland Empire’s retail vacancies are highest in the nation. Was it e-commerce or overbuilding? -- Blank storefronts, faded signage and row after row of empty parking spaces greet shoppers at The Crossings in Corona. The vestiges of Cost Plus World Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, Toys ‘R Us and Babies ‘R Us stare back vacantly, shuttered months ago. Jack Katzanek in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 7/16/19

Uber and Lyft drivers were paid up to $100 to protest a bill that could make them employees -- Fighting to stave off a bill that could force them to treat their workers as employees, Uber and Lyft last week deployed an unusual weapon: a promise of extra pay to drivers willing to lobby on their behalf. Johana Bhuiyan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

L.A. County property assessments hit record $1.6 trillion -- A strong real estate market and new construction lifted Los Angeles County property assessments to a record $1.6 trillion in this tax year, the ninth straight year of growth, according to Assessor Jeff Prang. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Property taxes to increase 2% for most homeowners this year -- Most real estate owners in Orange County will see a 2% increase in their property tax bills due next December and April, the third straight year that assessments will increase by the maximum amount allowed under Prop. 13, the Orange County Assessor’s Office has announced. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 7/16/19

Transit  

Anaheim’s bus network is becoming more electric and less paper based -- The Anaheim Transportation Network has purchased 40 electric buses, which will be integrated into the network’s 19-route, 70-stop system connecting riders to the theme parks, hotels, restaurants and shopping spots in the Anaheim resort area and surrounding cities. Lou Ponsi in the Orange County Register -- 7/16/19

Homeless  

SF proposes first ‘safe’ parking lot for homeless living out of vehicles -- A parking lot near the Balboa Park BART Station will be turned into a “triage lot,” where people can park their vehicles overnight and access showers, bathrooms and services to help them find other housing options. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

Housing  

Rural California now battles housing affordability issues, too -- Much has been written about the California housing crisis, but the fight to stay in the state isn’t just faced by those in major cities in Los Angeles County or the Bay Area. As more and more residents have moved inland to escape costs, the problem of availability has followed them. Natalie Hanson in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 7/16/19

Education 

Mural supporters plan 2020 ballot measure to protect controversial fresco at Washington High -- A group of influential art, historic preservation and free-speech advocates plans to put a measure on San Francisco’s March 2020 ballot that would preserve a controversial mural at George Washington High School that’s scheduled to be destroyed. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

Immigration / Border 

CBP denies Marine Corps veteran entry for citizenship interview -- Roman Sabal, 58, originally from Belize, came to the San Ysidro Port of Entry around 7:30 on Monday morning with an attorney to ask for “parole” to attend his naturalization interview scheduled for a little before noon in downtown San Diego. Border officials have the authority to temporarily allow people into the country on parole for “humanitarian or significant public benefit” reasons. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/16/19

Most Migrants at Border With Mexico Would Be Denied Asylum Protections Under New Trump Rule -- Long before a surge of migrants from Central America overwhelmed the southwestern border, the Trump administration was already waging a broad assault on the rules determining who can seek asylum in the United States. Michael D. Shear and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 7/16/19

ICE arrested immigration activist for reading a critical poem in public, SF lawsuit says -- Free speech advocates on Monday accused federal immigration officials of violating a Bakersfield activist’s First Amendment rights when he was detained in May, two days after he recited a poem critical of the federal immigration agency at a public meeting. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/19

Guns 

City Council Approves Law Requiring Guns To Be Locked Up -- The San Diego City Council tentatively approved an ordinance Monday that would require gun owners to store guns in a locked container or disable them with a trigger lock when not in use or being worn on their person. KPBS -- 7/16/19

Environment 

Nuclear fuel transfer from wet to dry storage to resume this week at San Onofre -- More than a year after work was halted because of a mishap, Edison is confident about the safety of its operations. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 7/16/19

Also . . . 

The Ahwahnee will be back; Yosemite settles lawsuit over hotel names -- The grand hotel at Yosemite National Park never went away, but the classic name did. It’s been known officially as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel for the past three years since a legal kerfuffle over ownership of the name of that property and others at the park. Linda Zavoral in the San Jose Mercury$ Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ Randol White Capital Public Radio -- 7/16/19

Burning Man organizers order Burners to clean up their act -- Burning Man—the annual counterculture movement that takes place in a Nevada desert, but has its roots and cultural heart in San Francisco—may finally have some answers about its future amidst a standoff with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over whether event organizers can secure a new ten-year permit. Adam Brinklow Curbed San Francisco -- 7/16/19

Great white shark pulls fishing boat around San Francisco Bay -- Every morning for 10 years, Joey Gamez has hopped on a boat to take customers of his Golden State Sportfishing business on a San Francisco Bay excursion, a hobby-turned-business for the 42-year-old. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/19

Daffodil Hill to shut indefinitely as crowds create safety hazards, owners say -- Daffodil Hill, the beloved flowering tourist attraction in the Sierra foothills, will close indefinitely due to concerns of overcrowding. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/19

POTUS 45  

Behind Trump’s ‘go back’ demand: A long history of rejecting ‘different’ Americans -- The Know-Nothings wanted German and Irish immigrants to get out because they were allegedly subversive and diseased people who were stealing American jobs. White preachers and politicians of the 1820s urged freed blacks to move to West Africa, supposedly for their own good. Marc Fisher in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/19

How Trump aides rushed to repackage the ‘go back’ tweets -- Within hours of President Donald Trump’s radioactive tweets on Sunday urging several Democratic congresswomen to “go back” to other countries, his campaign was scrambling to repackage the attack on the four women of color into a broader patriotic message. Gabby Orr Politico -- 7/16/19

Trump ambushes Republicans with attacks on minority congresswomen -- The ambush plunged Trump back into a political crisis with his own party, with no coherent GOP response and little apparent coordination between the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill over how to grapple with Trump’s comments that the liberal lawmakers, all women of color, “go back” to where they came from. Burgess Everett and John Bresnahan Politico -- 7/16/19

‘1950s racism straight from the White House’: Trump’s tweets revolt politicians around the world -- British politician David Lammy branded Trump’s comments “1950s racism straight from the White House.” Prime Minister Theresa May, who has just days left in office, also condemned the tweets. Jennifer Hassan in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/19

Beltway 

Pelosi is forcing House Republicans to go on the record on Trump’s ‘go back’ tweets -- Democrats and President Trump are on a collision course over his “go back” tweets directed at four Democratic congresswomen of color, and it’s Republicans who could be crushed in the middle. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/19

Why it’s unsurprising that most Republicans are staying quiet after Trump’s ‘go back’ tweet -- On Monday, a number of Republicans joined Democrats, pundits and internationanl leaders in rebuking Trump’s language. But it seems that most in the GOP have learned over the years that they have nothing to gain by speaking out against Trump, and plenty to lose — like their jobs. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/19

 

-- Monday Updates 

PG&E Braces for Power Cuts; Tesla, Others See an Opening -- PG&E Corp. ’s plan to pre-emptively turn off power in parts of California to limit wildfire risks is creating business opportunities for alternative energy companies that say they can keep the lights on. Katherine Blunt in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/15/19

Hiding from ICE raids: ‘People are terrified to go out on the streets’ -- The first day of President Trump’s long-threatened ICE raids didn’t result in the large numbers of arrests some had expected. In fact, for all the hype, there was only a scattering of enforcement actions across the nation Sunday. But the threats did change life for many in immigrant communities. Giulia MCDonnell Nieto Del Rio, Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/19

Trump moves to eliminate nearly all asylum claims at U.S. southern border -- The Trump administration moved Monday to effectively end asylum for any migrant who arrives at the U.S.-Mexico border, an enormous shift in U.S. immigration policy that could block hundreds of thousands of people from seeking protection in the U.S. — and is certain to draw legal challenges. Molly O'Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/19

Joe Biden unveils his alternative to ‘Medicare for all’ -- Joe Biden unveiled a robust plan to expand Obamacare by adding a public program that all Americans could choose, as the former vice president argued Monday that medical insurance can be made universally accessible without scrapping the nation’s current model of delivering healthcare. Evan Halper and Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/19

Why this Bay Area county has one of California’s highest child poverty rates -- But the 56-year-old Beserra becomes emotional when she thinks about her granddaughter’s new home: a tent on a plot of land in Watsonville, where the family will move this month because they can’t afford to rent anymore on her $400-a-month income. With her daughter and granddaughter, Beserra and her husband, who has been out of work for two years, plan to cook on a camp stove and bathe outdoors in a plastic pool on a ranch owned by a relative. Erica Hellerstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/19

In Needles, a ‘sanctuary’ for gun owners—and ‘a little jab in the eyes’ for California -- Needles has declared itself a 'sanctuary' for gun rights, saying liberal state lawmakers hold it hostage. In rural California, that feeling's not unusual. John M. Glionna Calmatters -- 7/15/19

California Stopped Tracking Sexual Harassment Complaints Years Ago. That Left Leaders Without Answers In The Me Too Era -- At the height of the Me Too movement, California leaders couldn’t answer basic questions about the prevalence of sexual harassment complaints across state agencies. That’s because the state eliminated its system for tracking harassment and discrimination complaints in 2012, amid budget cuts and government consolidation. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 7/15/19

Budget Decider: Making choices that impact millions -- California lawmakers have passed a $215 billion budget filled with progressive eye-catchers such as health coverage for low-income young adults regardless of legal status, and expanded tax credits for the working poor. Tucked into the pages were a couple of new taxes, including a state penalty for people who go without health insurance and a phone bill fee to upgrade the 911 emergency system. But what if you had the awesome power to tax and spend, charting a new course for California? Judy Lin and John Osborn D’Agostino Calmatters -- 7/15/19

Rare floating home for sale, at a very San Francisco price -- The nearly 2,200-square-foot floating home has hit the market at $1.8 million and is one of only 20 that line Mission Creek — a waterway that runs from McCovey Cove near the Giants’ ballpark to Interstate 280 in Mission Bay, where it goes underground. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/19

Home charter schools rein in spending of taxpayer money on ‘enrichment’ amid scrutiny -- As public scrutiny of home school charters grows, one of California’s largest home school charter networks is putting more restrictions on what families can buy with the enrichment funds that it gives them. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/15/19

Does California need a math tutor? Report finds students aren’t so great with numbers -- California students might know their A-B-Cs, but they’re struggling with their 1-2-3s. A July report from the Public Policy Institute of California found students throughout the state are making “significant progress” on English assessments, but experiencing “stalled gains” in mathematics. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/19

Six months in: Orange County House members talk impeachment, socialism and public service -- Orange County’s congressional delegation, including four freshman Democrats, was sworn in to the House of Representatives about six months ago. Since then, their jobs — and the nation — have been rocked by a seemingly endless stream of huge issues: a humanitarian crisis at the border, a face-off with the White House over congressional hearings, and talk of impeachment. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 7/15/19

Why Bay Area hit-and-runs go unsolved, leaving frustration, heartache -- Leticia Martinez thinks about her husband, Jose Luis Moreno Barcenas, all the time, especially when her 8-year-old daughter, Kayla, asks where her father is. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/19

‘Like your own national park’: Huge California ranch on sale at $72 million -- For more than 85 years, the Vickers and Naftzger family have owned the N3 Ranch an hour southeast of San Francisco, buying more and more land until it encompassed an enormous 80 square miles. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/19

For first time in a decade, California State Fair reports no arrests on opening weekend -- Cal Expo Police Chief Joe Robillard recently told The Bee that a series of new initiatives, including de-escalation techniques and calmer approaches by officers handling unruly conduct, have played a role in limiting arrests. Monday’s news release adds that additional officers are on patrol this year. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/19

Quinn: Harris and Warren – Laying the Groundwork for a 40-State Trump Landslide -- With the likely fading of “Apologizin’ Joe” Biden, the Democratic race seems to be coming down to two women, California Sen. Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. But the Democrats should be forewarned; both these women are extremely flawed candidates whose nomination could well lead to a 40-state Trump landslide. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 7/15/19PG&E Braces for Power Cuts; Tesla, Others See an Opening -- PG&E Corp. ’s plan to pre-emptively turn off power in parts of California to limit wildfire risks is creating business opportunities for alternative energy companies that say they can keep the lights on. Katherine Blunt in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/15/19

Hiding from ICE raids: ‘People are terrified to go out on the streets’ -- The first day of President Trump’s long-threatened ICE raids didn’t result in the large numbers of arrests some had expected. In fact, for all the hype, there was only a scattering of enforcement actions across the nation Sunday. But the threats did change life for many in immigrant communities. Giulia MCDonnell Nieto Del Rio, Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/19

Trump moves to eliminate nearly all asylum claims at U.S. southern border -- The Trump administration moved Monday to effectively end asylum for any migrant who arrives at the U.S.-Mexico border, an enormous shift in U.S. immigration policy that could block hundreds of thousands of people from seeking protection in the U.S. — and is certain to draw legal challenges. Molly O'Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/19

Joe Biden unveils his alternative to ‘Medicare for all’ -- Joe Biden unveiled a robust plan to expand Obamacare by adding a public program that all Americans could choose, as the former vice president argued Monday that medical insurance can be made universally accessible without scrapping the nation’s current model of delivering healthcare. Evan Halper and Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/19

Why this Bay Area county has one of California’s highest child poverty rates -- But the 56-year-old Beserra becomes emotional when she thinks about her granddaughter’s new home: a tent on a plot of land in Watsonville, where the family will move this month because they can’t afford to rent anymore on her $400-a-month income. With her daughter and granddaughter, Beserra and her husband, who has been out of work for two years, plan to cook on a camp stove and bathe outdoors in a plastic pool on a ranch owned by a relative. Erica Hellerstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/19

In Needles, a ‘sanctuary’ for gun owners—and ‘a little jab in the eyes’ for California -- Needles has declared itself a 'sanctuary' for gun rights, saying liberal state lawmakers hold it hostage. In rural California, that feeling's not unusual. John M. Glionna Calmatters -- 7/15/19

California Stopped Tracking Sexual Harassment Complaints Years Ago. That Left Leaders Without Answers In The Me Too Era -- At the height of the Me Too movement, California leaders couldn’t answer basic questions about the prevalence of sexual harassment complaints across state agencies. That’s because the state eliminated its system for tracking harassment and discrimination complaints in 2012, amid budget cuts and government consolidation. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 7/15/19

Budget Decider: Making choices that impact millions -- California lawmakers have passed a $215 billion budget filled with progressive eye-catchers such as health coverage for low-income young adults regardless of legal status, and expanded tax credits for the working poor. Tucked into the pages were a couple of new taxes, including a state penalty for people who go without health insurance and a phone bill fee to upgrade the 911 emergency system. But what if you had the awesome power to tax and spend, charting a new course for California? Judy Lin and John Osborn D’Agostino Calmatters -- 7/15/19

Rare floating home for sale, at a very San Francisco price -- The nearly 2,200-square-foot floating home has hit the market at $1.8 million and is one of only 20 that line Mission Creek — a waterway that runs from McCovey Cove near the Giants’ ballpark to Interstate 280 in Mission Bay, where it goes underground. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/19

Home charter schools rein in spending of taxpayer money on ‘enrichment’ amid scrutiny -- As public scrutiny of home school charters grows, one of California’s largest home school charter networks is putting more restrictions on what families can buy with the enrichment funds that it gives them. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/15/19

Does California need a math tutor? Report finds students aren’t so great with numbers -- California students might know their A-B-Cs, but they’re struggling with their 1-2-3s. A July report from the Public Policy Institute of California found students throughout the state are making “significant progress” on English assessments, but experiencing “stalled gains” in mathematics. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/19

Six months in: Orange County House members talk impeachment, socialism and public service -- Orange County’s congressional delegation, including four freshman Democrats, was sworn in to the House of Representatives about six months ago. Since then, their jobs — and the nation — have been rocked by a seemingly endless stream of huge issues: a humanitarian crisis at the border, a face-off with the White House over congressional hearings, and talk of impeachment. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 7/15/19

Why Bay Area hit-and-runs go unsolved, leaving frustration, heartache -- Leticia Martinez thinks about her husband, Jose Luis Moreno Barcenas, all the time, especially when her 8-year-old daughter, Kayla, asks where her father is. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/19

‘Like your own national park’: Huge California ranch on sale at $72 million -- For more than 85 years, the Vickers and Naftzger family have owned the N3 Ranch an hour southeast of San Francisco, buying more and more land until it encompassed an enormous 80 square miles. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/19

For first time in a decade, California State Fair reports no arrests on opening weekend -- Cal Expo Police Chief Joe Robillard recently told The Bee that a series of new initiatives, including de-escalation techniques and calmer approaches by officers handling unruly conduct, have played a role in limiting arrests. Monday’s news release adds that additional officers are on patrol this year. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/19

Quinn: Harris and Warren – Laying the Groundwork for a 40-State Trump Landslide -- With the likely fading of “Apologizin’ Joe” Biden, the Democratic race seems to be coming down to two women, California Sen. Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. But the Democrats should be forewarned; both these women are extremely flawed candidates whose nomination could well lead to a 40-state Trump landslide. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 7/15/19