Updating . .
Redistricting battle in Michigan could threaten California citizens’ commission -- A Republican-backed lawsuit aimed at killing Michigan’s new redistricting commission could threaten the future of California’s landmark citizens’ reapportionment panel. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
Orange County, once a GOP stronghold, officially goes to the Democrats -- Political tectonic plates slipped past one another Wednesday, as the number of registered Democrats surpassed Republicans in Orange County, once a GOP bastion California and in the nation. Orange County helped launch and nurture Republican politicians from Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan to the congressman who went by the nickname “B-1 Bob” (Dornan). Dan Morain Calmatters Jeremy B. White Politico -- 8/7/19
For Mexican Americans, El Paso is a beacon. That makes racist massacre more devastating -- The cellphone of Fountain Valley resident Jacobo Alvarez pinged repeatedly on Saturday with news that a gunman had killed 22 people, nearly all Mexican nationals or Mexican Americans, at a Walmart in El Paso. But many of the messages didn’t come from his hometown. They were from a massive group chat Alvarez belongs to of young Latino El Pasoans who live in Southern California. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/7/19
How Hate-Filled Groups Incite Violence From the Extreme Corners of the Internet -- Mass shootings have become all too common in America, with attacks weekly, if not daily, now. In the wake of Gilroy, Dayton and El Paso, it’s worth noting that the frequency of these attacks were predicted a year ago by a man who studies hate speech on social media. Rachael Myrow KQED -- 8/7/19
EBay bans assault rifle parts. Here’s how sellers get around it -- California has the toughest gun laws of any state, particularly when it comes to the types of weapons used in a spate of recent mass shootings. EBay, the state’s biggest e-commerce company, would like to give the impression it takes a similarly hard-line stance on them. Jeff Bercovici in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/7/19
Emergency Services Director Briefed Gov. Gavin Newsom On Threat Of Hate Groups During First Week in Office -- Gov. Gavin Newsom says his emergency services director warned him about the risk of white supremacists and hate groups in California during his first week in office — but his administration is still reviewing ways to address the issue. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 8/7/19
Swamp rats have invaded California. A Central Valley Democrat is declaring war -- Rep. Josh Harder’s opponents have called him a “shady venture capitalist” and “rabid socialist extremist” who only cares about “big donors and socialist Democrats in San Francisco.” But last weekend, dressed in shirtsleeves and rubber waders, the freshman Democratic congressman from Turlock tried to buck that image. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/7/19
California auditor blasts Medi-Cal overseer for failing patients in 18 rural counties -- In a report released Tuesday, California State Auditor Elaine Howle upbraided the state Department of Health Care Services for its failure to ensure Medi-Cal beneficiaries have adequate access and quality of care in 18 rural counties stretching from Inyo to the south to Tehama and Plumas in the north. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/7/19
Why West Coast Warehouses Are Bursting at the Seams -- In previous rounds, businesses front-loaded their purchases to avoid the tariff hikes before they took effect. That’s left unsold goods piling up at one of the world’s biggest warehouse complexes in southern California that serves the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — a major gateway for trade with China. Sarah McGregor Bloomberg -- 8/7/19
Lopez: Smart reform saves lives — the gun control facts -- Several years after his mother was shot and killed and his father wounded in a 2005 rampage by a lone gunman in Thousand Oaks, Christian Heyne went to a gun show in Virginia with a couple of friends. “I wanted to see if it was true that you could buy a gun without a background check,” said Heyne, who by then was working in the gun control movement. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/7/19
Fox: Following Mass Shootings Will Major New Gun Laws Come to California? -- The gun issue moved to the top of the policy agenda after more than 30 tragic deaths from mass shootings over the weekend. California has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, so one wonders what lawmakers would do or could do in response to the latest shootings beyond rhetorical hits against President Trump and Congress for not setting tougher national gun laws. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/7/19
Trump stays largely out of public view as he visits Dayton, one of two cities grieving from a mass shooting -- Aside from brief appearances on the airport tarmac as he arrived and departed, Trump did not speak publicly or allow himself to be photographed. Reporters traveling with him were secluded as he took part in what aides described as meetings at Miami Valley Hospital with first responders, hospital staff and survivors of a shooting early Sunday morning that left nine dead. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 8/7/19
Trump quietly used regulations to expand gun access -- The president said he has taken tough action on guns. His administration has mostly focused on expanding gun access through little-noticed regulatory moves. Anita Kumar Politico -- 8/7/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
China Deals ‘Body Blow’ to Struggling U.S. Farm Belt -- China’s move will affect farmers raising fuzzy green soybean pods in Illinois, milking cows in California and feeding hogs in North Carolina, all of whom have seen business suffer as a result of tariffs that Chinese officials implemented last year. China’s suspension of U.S. farm purchases is a “body blow” to U.S. farmers and ranchers, said Zippy Duvall, a Georgia farmer and head of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Jacob Bunge, Kirk Maltais and Lucy Craymer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/7/19
Democrats about to outnumber Republicans in Orange County -- Orange County, a region once associated with John Birch, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, is about to be home to more Democrats than Republicans. At midnight, Aug. 6, the Registrar of Voters posted daily tracking figures showing just nine fewer registered Democrats than Republicans in Orange County, 547,385 vs. 547,394. Given that local Democrat registrations recently have outpaced Republicans by 50 to 100 a day, the flip is expected to become official when the Registrar posts new numbers later today. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 8/7/19
California spending big on census after Trump’s citizenship question fight -- Even before President Trump abandoned his quest to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, two California governors and the Legislature set aside a record $187 million for the count — more than six times what the state spent in 2000 and 2010 combined. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
Community mourns Keyla Salazar, 13-year-old killed in Gilroy shooting -- Pictures of 13-year-old Keyla Salazar lined the entrance of the historic Our Lady of Guadalupe church in San Jose Tuesday morning. In the lobby, amid a colorful tribute of flowers and pictures, laid the girl’s white casket, filled with handwritten farewell messages from mourners. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/7/19
Gilroy Garlic Festival: Gunman’s family ‘deeply shocked and horrified’ -- Family members of Santino Legan apologized to the victims of his rampage and said they are still searching for answers more than a week after the 19-year-old killed three people and wounded 13 others when he opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. “Our family is deeply shocked and horrified by the actions of our son,” the family wrote in its first public comments since the shooting on July 28. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/7/19
After shootings, tech companies assess role in online hate speech -- A dark corner of the internet went offline Monday, as tech companies pulled service from an anonymous message board called 8chan in response to a spree of mass shootings. Melia Russell and Sophia Kunthara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
Woman arrested in connection with 'No Muslims Go Away 2 Hell' vandalism case in Concord -- A 58-year-old woman was arrested in connection with vandalizing the outside of an East Bay restaurant with the words, "No Muslims Go Away 2 Hell," according to police. Concord police said they received a call about the vandalism on the outside of International Market & Grill on the 4400 block of Treat Boulevard in Concord at 9:15 a.m. Drew Costley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
Politifact CA: Fact Check: Are there ‘more gun deaths by far' in America than any other country? -- Following the recent mass shootings in Gilroy, California and El Paso, Texas, and just hours before a separate mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein made a sweeping statement about the number of guns and gun deaths in America. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 8/7/19
Walters: Housing crisis looms large -- When the state Legislature returns to Sacramento this month after its summer vacation recess, it will have just four weeks to do something meaningful about California’s single most important issue – a housing shortage that takes a heavy economic and psychological toll on many Californians and is getting worse. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 8/7/19
This California Agency Already Regulates PG&E, Uber, AT&T, Trains, Buses — And Now Wildfire Safety. Is That Too Much? -- When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed California’s new wildfire liability law last month, he added another major task to an agency brimming with responsibilities, authority — and problems. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 8/7/19
Adachi leak: Judge had evidence subject of police raid was journalist, records show -- San Francisco police gave a judge numerous indications that a man who obtained a confidential police report on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi was a journalist when they applied for a search warrant to unmask his source, court records released Tuesday show. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
‘Sue me,’ says Nunes challenger. He’ll help raise money for constituents in lawsuit -- A challenger to Devin Nunes will help raise money for a legal defense fund for the residents being sued by the Republican congressman’s campaign. A handful of lawyers already have reached out and offered to represent the defendants as well. Phil Arballo, a small business owner in Fresno, called Nunes “a D.C. hack” during a news conference Tuesday in front of Nunes’ office in Clovis. Brianna Calix in the Fresno Bee -- 8/7/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Bubble Watch: 38% more California employers file layoff notices -- In the June quarter, 253 companies filed government-mandated “WARN Act” layoff notices impacting 18,875 employees. Over the past year, that’s 38% more planned cuts hitting 13% more workers. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 8/7/19
Homeless
New state law ends appeals for new Navigation Centers -- Challenging the construction of new Navigation Centers in California got significantly harder last week, after lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom quietly passed legislation intended to speed up creation of the service-rich homeless shelters statewide. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
Education
Black leaders in SF support saving controversial George Washington High School mural -- Leaders from San Francisco’s black community stood up for the preservation of George Washington High School’s controversial mural on Tuesday, saying the “Life of Washington” artwork provides an important education about American history — for better or worse. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
California charter, private schools report lower vaccination rates than traditional public schools -- California’s charter and private schools dramatically lag traditional public schools in the percentage of students vaccinated for contagious diseases. Diana Lambert and Daniel J. Willis EdSource -- 8/7/19
Immigration / Border
Migrants say El Paso shooting won’t deter them from seeking new lives in the U.S. -- The massacre at an El Paso Walmart store on Saturday hasn’t diminished Silvia Ivania’s desire to move to the United States — even if the killer of 22 people was apparently motivated by hatred of Latino immigrants. Patrick J. MCDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/7/19
Health
HIV Prevention Drug Could Become Available Without A Prescription In California -- Los Angeles resident Gabe Zichermann says for gay men, the risk of contracting HIV is a near-constant source of anxiety. “You were taught that if you’re gay you’re going to get AIDS and you’re going to die,” he said. But the game changed in 2012 with the introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis — also known as PrEP — a drug regimen proven to effectively prevent HIV infection. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 8/7/19
Environment
Video: Three new wolf pups born in Northern California -- Eight years after a gray wolf wandered over the border from Oregon into California, bringing the species back to the Golden State for the first time since ranchers and farmers wiped out wolves in the 1920s, the state’s only wolf pack is expanding. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/7/19
San Clemente’s man-made reef, likely the world’s largest, is getting bigger -- It’s not your typical construction site. A half-mile offshore of Calafia State Beach in San Clemente, a bulldozer scoops quarry boulders off a barge and dumps them in the ocean. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 8/7/19
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Beltway
Congress, out on recess, grapples from afar with next steps on guns -- As America reels from multiple mass shootings, Congress is out of D.C. until mid-September. But plenty of lawmakers — including several from the Bay Area — are looking to build momentum for action on guns during the recess, hoping to find some way to finally break through decades of inaction on gun violence. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/7/19
Bernie Sanders fans in Long Beach cheer blasts at ‘elites,’ guns -- Perhaps fewer than they were four years ago, but still as determined as their hero, Sanders supporters young and old crowded into the quad at Long Beach City College’s liberal arts campus Tuesday evening to hear the 2020 update of his pitch against “corporate elites” and Republican leaders. Kevin Modesti in the Orange County Register -- 8/7/19
-- Tuesday Updates
U.S. launches domestic terrorism investigation in Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting -- Federal authorities have launched a domestic terrorism investigation into the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting that left three dead after officials discovered the gunman had a list of other potential targets, authorities said at a news conference Tuesday. Hannah Fry, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Jason Green, Leonardo Castañeda in the San Jose Mercury$ Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 8/6/19
Gilroy shooting: Training, quick medical response ‘made big difference’ -- Before the first shots were fired, dozens of nurses, doctors and paramedics were already at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Like so many others in the close-knit community, they were volunteering, helping friends in vendor booths, or just spending a Sunday afternoon with their families at the popular local event. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/6/19
Mother watched as daughter gunned down in Gilroy: ‘She took my hand and looked up at the sky’ -- The 12-year-old girl sat on the bottom bunk bed where her older sister, Keyla Salazar, used to sleep. Lyann Salazar held a pencil in one hand and, in the other, an iPhone displaying a picture of Keyla. She drew a portrait of Keyla on a blank page of her notebook. Giulia MCDonnell Nieto Del Rio in the Los Angeles Times$ Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press -- 8/6/19
Mass shootings give gun control cause new strength — for now -- Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke invoked the civil rights movement Monday — specifically the young activists who led it — to spearhead a new mass movement to force Washington to take action on gun control. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/6/19
Trump and GOP sue California over law requiring tax returns to run in state’s primary -- California’s first-in-the-nation law requiring presidential primary candidates to release their tax returns or be kept off the ballot was challenged in federal court Tuesday by President Trump, the man who inspired its passage and whose attorneys argued that state Democratic leaders had overstepped their constitutional authority. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press Carla Marinucci and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 8/6/19
Billions of dollars at stake in toll road suits -- Skipping out on paying a highway or bridge toll has long been a surefire way to get hit with a big fine. But if a raft of pending lawsuits seeking to overturn how toll operators share information about scofflaws is successful, California toll operators say taxpayers may end up taking the biggest hit. Rich Ehisen Capitol Weekly -- 8/6/19
State threatens to sue Cupertino over housing policy -- Cupertino, often criticized by activists over a perceived reluctance to build homes, is now officially on notice — the city must shape up its housing efforts or face the consequences, according to a warning letter from the state. Marisa Kendall, Thy Vo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/6/19
One reason housing is so expensive in California? Cities, counties charge developers high fees -- A long-awaited study detailing how much cities and counties charge developers to build housing in California found that such costs are often hidden, vary widely across the state and have slowed growth. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/19
‘Political heavyweights’ unite to fight for cannabis from the capitol to the counties -- One of the top lobbying firms in Sacramento, Capitol Advocacy, has teamed up with a third-generation Los Angeles-based firm, Spiker Consulting Group, to take on the cause of California’s struggling cannabis industry. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/6/19
Beer buyout: 1,079 losing jobs in Bay Area and beyond -- More than 1,000 workers in Northern California are losing their jobs after a beer distributor with locations in the Bay Area and beyond was bought by a competitor. Reyes Beverage Group, one of the biggest food and drink distributors in the nation, is buying DBI Beverage for an undisclosed amount that some reports have pegged at about $400 million. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/6/19
More than 1,000 public pensions in California are so big they exceed IRS limits -- Last year McDougal’s pension was about $337,000 — nearly a third more than the federal maximum for public pensions. The excess portion comes out of his former employer’s annual budget instead of the state’s public retirement system. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/6/19
Oakland mayor faces fine for accepting illegal campaign contributions -- Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf faces a $1,000 fine for receiving campaign contributions four times the legal limit from local developer 11 West Partners — whose properties include American Steel Studios in West Oakland and much of Old Oakland. Ali Tadayon in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/6/19
With focus on Trump and the ‘Squad,’ Democrats in California swing districts struggle to stay on message -- Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros of Yorba Linda, a freshman member of Congress in a historically Republican swing district, spent a recent Sunday telling constituents about what he’s accomplishing in Washington in hopes they will reelect him. But he and other vulnerable California freshmen are discovering just how hard it can be to compete with the national political narrative around President Trump, his tweets and tensions between Democratic leadership and others in the party who hope to push it further left. Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/19
A California Republican wants a comeback in 2020. Democrats hit him with blue wave playbook -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is going to bat early for one of the party’s most vulnerable California members, Rep. TJ Cox, even though the freshman lawmaker technically doesn’t have an opponent. The campaign arm for House Democrats is launching two ads on Facebook starting Tuesday against Cox’s most probable challenger, former Republican Rep. David Valadao of Hanford. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/6/19
Judge bars release of video of deadly shooting at Costco by off-duty LAPD officer -- A Riverside County Superior Court judge has blocked the release of surveillance video that officials say may help shed light on an altercation that prompted an off-duty LAPD officer to open fire inside a Costco store in Corona in June. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/19
‘Emoji house’ feud erupts as frustrated residents urge Manhattan Beach to take action -- The houses on 39th street in Manhattan Beach were once painted a neutral color palette of tans, whites and grays, complemented by an adventurous splash of light yellow or blue. But not now: One of the homes is sporting a bright paint job decorated with two giant emojis. Alexa Díaz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/19
Make room in your digital wallet: Apple Card makes its debut -- Apple on Tuesday began rolling out its new Apple Card credit card — a move meant to appeal to iPhone users while also expanding the market for the tech giant’s growing services business. Rex Crum in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/6/19
Fox: Junk the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Plan -- Bravo to the Los Angeles Time editorial writers for coming down against the one-sided proposal on how to teach California students “ethnic studies.” The Times editorial follows by a few days an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Williamson M. Evers, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, which hit the proposal equally as hard. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/6/19