Updating . .
California vaccine bill exemption rules agreed to by Newsom and lawmakers -- Key California lawmakers agreed to scale back a bill to tighten rules for school vaccine exemptions after Gov. Gavin Newsom raised last-minute concerns, but the deal is likely to be met with fierce opposition from protesters who had hoped the governor’s apprehension signaled trouble for Senate Bill 276. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/19
PG&E’s $20 billion plan to repay fire victims falters at Capitol -- PG&E’s plan to take on billions of dollars in tax-exempt debt to help pay victims of devastating wildfires has fizzled at the state Capitol, at least until next year. After weeks of intense lobbying from PG&E shareholders, the hedge funds that own much of the company announced Friday that they don’t expect to pass the legislation before lawmakers adjourn on Sept. 13. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Adam Beam Associated Press -- 9/6/19
Trump administration: California gas-mileage deal with carmakers breaks the law -- California’s deal with automakers to circumvent a proposed federal rollback of mileage standards violates the law and the state should immediately abandon its plan, the Trump administration said Friday. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Tom Krisher and Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press -- 9/6/19
Harrowing stories of death and survival in first minutes of California boat fire -- Harrowing tales have emerged from surviving crew members about the fire that broke out on the diving boat Conception off the Ventura County coast on Monday morning, leading to the deadliest maritime disaster in modern California history. Richard Winton, Mark Puente, Matt Hamilton, Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Sheriff: Dive boat victims killed by smoke, not flames -- Dozens of people trapped on a scuba diving boat that caught fire off the Southern California coast appear to have died from smoke inhalation, not burns, authorities said Friday. Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 9/6/19
Dive boat fire: Crews hope to recover Conception today -- Recovery crews are hoping to lift the dive boat Conception off of the ocean floor and return it to shore Friday, but high winds could force a delay in that effort. As authorities began officially identifying some of the 34 people who died after a fire broke out aboard the ship early Monday morning, investigators said Friday they they believe the victims died from smoke inhalation. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/6/19
Fresh Face, Fresh Start for the California GOP? -- California's Republican Party has lost so many voters it is now a third party — there are more Californians registered "no party preference," than GOP in the Golden State. Scott Shafer KQED -- 9/6/19
Recruiting blacks to the GOP: Bay Area woman says she can do it -- Redwood City resident Corrin Rankin realizes the monumental task she’s undertaking: She just started a political action committee devoted to recruiting more African Americans to the California Republican Party. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Firefighters’ overnight efforts boost containment of Tenaja fire near Murrieta to 20% -- Nearly 900 firefighters have been assigned to the Tenaja fire in Riverside County, which erupted about 4 p.m. Wednesday near Tenaja and Clinton Keith roads on a day marked by thunderstorms in the region, officials said. Hannah Fry, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Red Bank fire burns 6,500 acres in Tehama County, evacuations still in place -- The blaze, which started at 1:19 p.m. Thursday, was burning brush and oak vegetation in a remote location with difficult access about 35 miles west of Red Bluff, according to Cal Fire. It was 5% contained as of Friday morning, officials said. Pete Grieve in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Beds for SF’s mentally ill, drug addicted sit empty despite huge need -- Despite the abundance of people suffering on San Francisco’s streets, dozens of treatment beds for those struggling with mental illness and drug addiction have regularly sat vacant. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Facebook hit with antitrust investigation by states’ attorneys general -- Facebook is under antitrust investigation by the attorneys general of eight states and Washington, D.C., the second such probe it is facing amid a growing backlash against U.S. tech giants. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/6/19
Backyard granny flats: California sees them as a housing-crisis solution -- Before Michael Wolff could persuade his father to move down from Oregon, the Santa Rosa resident had to figure out where he would live. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
BART’s rent is soaring, so it wants to buy a new Oakland headquarters -- BART may move its Oakland headquarters in an effort to save millions of dollars in annual rent as it grapples with the city’s record-high office costs. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Disabled Concord woman from Guatemala fights to stay in the U.S. -- A severely disabled Concord woman at risk of deportation may have a chance to stay in the United States, where she has lived for the past 16 years — and where she receives life-saving care. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
To chase away homeless people, 7-Eleven stores in L.A. use classical music -- The roar of traffic along Camarillo Street in North Hollywood doesn’t drown out the soaring strings of Pachelbel’s Canon in C. The classical music continues all day and all night — it’s not coming from some stranger with a violin sitting on the street, but a set of speakers bolted below a glowing 7-Eleven sign. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
The longtime leader of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is stepping down -- Jerry Schubel, the president and CEO of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach who led the aquarium’s $53-million expansion, announced Friday that he is stepping down. Schubel, 83, who joined the aquarium in 2002, said he plans to retire when its board of directors finds a replacement. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Love letter to Muni: A Chronicle photographer's tribute to the SF transit system -- Jessica Christian in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Fox: Legislature: Beat Up Trump if You Must, but Fix SB 1 -- In the California legislature, standing up for the environment while taking a shot at the Trump Administration is business as usual. But when business as usual casts a wide net that comes with consequences that can interfere with the state’s agriculture and the state’s economy then legislators should have second thoughts. Such is the situation with Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins’ SB1. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/6/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
California dive boat owner quickly asks judge to limit payouts to victims’ families -- The owners of the California diving boat that burned during a Labor Day weekend charter near Santa Barbara, killing 34 people aboard, have turned to a 19th-century maritime law to argue they should not have to pay any money to the families of victims. Richard Winton, Matt Hamilton, Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Melley Associated Press -- 9/6/19
California boat fire: Crew says multiple attempts made to save 34 passengers, as investigators probe ship’s safety -- The crew of a dive boat that caught fire off the coast of Southern California early Monday made attempts to rescue the nearly three dozen passengers sleeping below the deck but were pushed back by what quickly became a hot and powerful blaze, federal authorities said Thursday. Robert Salonga, Annie Sciacca, Nico Savidge and Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 9/6/19
What Happened Once The Conception Boat Fire Started -- One crew member reported that he awoke to a noise, then left his bunk and saw flames erupting from the ship's galley area, NTSB Board Member Jennifer Homendy said. The crew member tried to climb down a ladder, but flames engulfed the ladder. Members of the crew that were on the bridge of the vessel jumped down to the main deck. One of the crew members broke their leg while doing so. The crew that jumped down reported that they went to the galley's double doors to try to get in and rescue passengers, but it was engulfed in flames. They tried to go to the front part of the ship to get in through the front windows, but were unable to get inside. Mike Roe LAist -- 9/6/19
Early investigation of boat fire suggests serious safety flaws aboard vessel where 34 died -- A preliminary investigation into the Conception boat fire has suggested serious safety deficiencies aboard the vessel, including the lack of a “roaming night watchman” who is required to be awake and alert passengers in the event of a fire or other dangers, according to several law enforcement sources familiar with the inquiry. Richard Winton, Mark Puente, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Hundreds gather in Santa Monica, Long Beach to remember victims of dive boat tragedy -- Carrying dive lights and heavy hearts, roughly 1,000 people paid respects Thursday night at the Santa Monica Pier to two local residents who died Monday when the dive boat Conception caught fire. A procession of mourners walked under the pier, while a bagpipe played “Amazing Grace” and the lights shone up at the rafters. David Rosenfeld and Emily Rasmussen in the Orange County Register -- 9/6/19
Ghost Ship trial: Max Harris walks out of jail after acquittal; Derick Almena remains jailed after mistrial in his case -- Almost three years after a fire ripped through an Oakland warehouse and killed 36 people, jurors in the Ghost Ship criminal trial acquitted one defendant of involuntary manslaughter Thursday and were hung on the guilt of the warehouse’s master tenant. Megan Cassidy, Sarah Ravani and Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ Janie Har and Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press Don Clyde, David Marks KQED -- 9/6/19
Sacramento agrees to pay $2.4 million to Stephon Clark’s sons, court filings say -- The city of Sacramento has agreed to pay out $2.4 million to the children of Stephon Clark to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by his family after police shot the unarmed black man in March 2018, according to newly filed court documents. Sam Stanton and Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/6/19
California National Guard will lose $8M to border wall plan -- Gov. Gavin Newsom says California will lose $8 million meant to help the National Guard assist in firefighting under a new Trump administration plan related to the border wall. The Pentagon said Wednesday it will divert $3.6 billion from projects in U.S. states, territories and other countries to help pay for 175 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. Associated Press -- 9/6/19
California vaccine bill supporters and critics are baffled by Newsom’s sudden changes -- Vaccine critics are now more hopeful that Newsom will reject any effort to crack down on exemptions, while supporters of the bill are concerned that the governor is sending mixed messages about the state’s commitment to ensuring the vast majority of children are vaccinated before attending public schools. Melody Gutierrez, Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
California’s likely voters: They’re older, richer and whiter -- The study, which is based on the institute’s polling of more than 14,000 California voters in the past year, found that while whites make up 42% of California adults, they are 58% of the likely voters. Latinos are 35% of the state’s adults, but just 19% of likely voters. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Californians: See how your legislators vote on the political spectrum -- What does political polarization look like in California? Sometimes you can see it in the news, where state lawmakers might seem as focused on the latest inter-party national debate as they are on practical matters of the Golden State. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 9/6/19
This pro-choice, Mexico-embracing mayor could be California GOP’s future -- Kevin Faulconer is the pro-choice, pro-same-sex marriage, climate-change acknowledging, Mexico-embracing, Spanish-speaking mayor of San Diego who didn’t vote for President Trump. In other words, he’s the embodiment of everything the California Republican Party isn’t. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
California Democrat Raul Ruiz faces a challenge from ... Raul Ruiz -- Rep. Raul Ruiz wrested his inland California district from a Republican in 2012 and has coasted to double-digit victories the past two elections. But a new Republican challenger could create some unusual trouble for the incumbent Democrat. His name is Raul Ruiz. If Republicans wanted to recruit someone with immediate name identification, it doesn't get any better than this. Jeremy B. White Politico Sam Metz in the Palm Springs Desert Sun-- 9/6/19
Trump’s National Campaign Manager To Headline California GOP Convention This Weekend -- California Republicans gather for their state party convention starting Friday, with new leadership and nowhere to go but up after losing virtually every competitive race in last year’s midterms. But the party faces a tough balancing act ahead of next year’s presidential election. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 9/6/19
Two mothers and a son at the center of a ‘straight pride’ culture war -- After a month of controversy that brought mass attention to a mid-sized Central Valley city, a planned “straight pride” event in Modesto went off with more of a whimper than a bang last Saturday. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
A city auditor was investigating DWP contracts. She says she was warned not to be ‘thorough’ -- As a high-level government auditor, Beth Kennedy has investigated or reviewed the spending of many city of Los Angeles departments without serious incident, she says. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
What happens to Uber and Lyft drivers once AB 5 passes? -- California is poised to pass a sweeping labor bill that would turn drivers into employees. But gig companies are concerned about the implications, and demand lawmakers forge a new path. Judy Lin Calmatters -- 9/6/19
A Bill To Fix Or Foul California’s Gig Economy -- California law could soon redefine a large swath of independent contractors as employees, upending the business models used by the state’s gig economy companies—including Uber and Lyft. Randol White Capital Public Radio -- 9/6/19
Gig workers deliver peanuts to DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates as symbol of their pay -- Gig workers, newly emboldened and organized, are taking their grievances to the streets. Carrying bags of peanuts to symbolize how little they say they are paid, a handful of workers on Thursday mounted protests outside the San Francisco headquarters of three companies that hire independent contractors to deliver goods to consumers: Instacart (groceries), Postmates (food and other goods) and DoorDash (prepared meals). Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
San Diego Fire-Rescue Faces Challenges in Recruiting, Retaining Firefighters -- The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has a chronic understaffing problem. Now it has a plan of attack: It aims to add more than 200 firefighters over the next five years. Karen Kucher in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/6/19
30 charged in $115 million Bay Area Medicare fraud scheme -- The U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Francisco on Thursday announced charges against 30 defendants accused of a major Bay Area Medicare fraud scheme involving millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks to health care professionals from the region’s largest home health care provider. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/6/19
Richmond police union votes ‘no confidence’ in chief of police -- In the latest sign of turmoil within the city of Richmond’s leadership, the police union voted 117-19 in favor of a measure expressing “no confidence” in police Chief Allwyn Brown. The vote, publicly announced Wednesday, comes nearly a year after the release of a third-party report that sharply criticized the police department’s management, widespread low morale and poor communication from the top. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/6/19
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Tolls, reservations for SF’s Lombard Street approved by California lawmakers -- San Francisco could require drivers who want to navigate the world-famous crooked portion of Lombard Street to book their slot ahead of time and pay a toll, if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill the Legislature sent to him Thursday. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Housing
Here’s how California’s new plan to cap rent increases would work -- The measure, Assembly Bill 1482, would limit yearly rent increases statewide to 5% plus inflation for the next decade. Experts believe the measure would provide more stability for renters while also potentially leading to more regular rent hikes for tenants. Powerful interest groups have lined up against the measure, and its passage by the Legislature’s Sept. 13 deadline is far from assured. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Housing Crisis Shifts Conversation On Where New Homes Belong -- State officials have determined San Diego County must plan for the construction of 171,685 new homes through the next decade. Deciding where all that new housing will go is the responsibility of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Andrew Bowen KPBS -- 9/6/19
Wildfire
Mandatory evacuations ordered as Red Bank fire burns 5,000 acres in Tehama County -- ordered in Tehama County on Thursday afternoon where a vegetation fire has burned at least 5,000 acres, officials said. Mandatory evacuations were ordered from the four corners of Stoll Road, Petty John Road, Stoll Road and Cannon Road to Highway 36 West, the Tehama County Deputy Sheriffs Association said. Pete Grieve in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
PG&E fights judge’s order clearing way for Tubbs fire trial -- PG&E is objecting to a judge’s decision that would allow a California jury to weigh whether the utility is liable for damages caused by the 2017 Tubbs fire that destroyed some 4,600 homes in Sonoma and Napa counties and killed 22 people. Attorneys for the utility on Wednesday filed a notice of appeal related to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali’s Aug. 16 order giving Tubbs fire plaintiffs a green light to move forward with their civil case against PG&E. Will Schmitt and Chantelle Lee in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 9/6/19
Education
Audit launched for Cal State San Marcos dean, whose expenses feature first class travel, chauffeurs, a $110 steak -- The California State University system is investigating the business spending of a Cal State San Marcos dean who stayed at Ritz-Carlton hotels, took chauffeured car rides and bought expensive meals including a $110 steak. Jeff McDonald, Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/6/19
Parking lots stay off-limits overnight for homeless community college students -- The demise of a high-profile proposal to let homeless students sleep overnight in community college parking lots illustrates just how much California has struggled to solve the student housing crisis. When Assemblyman Marc Berman introduced the bill in the Legislature earlier this year, it was met with equal parts applause and ridicule. Felicia Mello Calmatters -- 9/6/19
Gov. Newsom, lawmakers still negotiating K-14 construction bond -- Negotiations over the next few days between the Newsom administration, the Department of Finance and legislative leaders will determine whether there will be a California state bond for K-12 and community college construction on the March 2020 ballot, as well as the size of the bond and how the money will be distributed. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 9/6/19
Immigration / Border
Suit claims US using Trump travel ban to withhold previously approved visas -- A group of U.S. citizens and legal immigrants from Yemen is suing the Trump administration for using the president’s travel ban to withhold visas it had approved for 30 close relatives in the war-torn Middle East nation. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Confusion, delays as videos replace interpreters at immigrants’ hearings -- The Trump administration has been slow to implement its new policy replacing in-person interpreters with informational videos at immigrants’ initial hearings, but the switch is causing delays and confusion where it has been introduced, including in San Francisco, observers say. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Nine Chinese Arizona State University students detained at LAX and sent back. ASU demands answers -- Nine Chinese students who attend Arizona State University were denied entry into the U.S. when they arrived at Los Angeles International airport last month and university officials are demanding to know why the students were sent back to China. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
11 migrants at San Diego immigration detention center tested positive for mumps -- ICE said they tested 13 migrants detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center for mumps between June 1 and August 30. Eleven tested positive. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/6/19
Environment
White House Prepares to Revoke California’s Right to Set Tougher Pollution Rules -- President Trump is strongly considering a plan to revoke California’s legal authority to set state tailpipe pollution standards that are stricter than federal regulations, according to three people familiar with the matter. Coral Davenport in the New York Times$ Timothy Puko and Ben Foldy in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/6/19
The ‘Blob’ is back: New marine heat wave emerges off West Coast -- A massive marine heat wave that caused record warming of ocean waters off the West Coast five years ago, sending salmon numbers crashing and malnourished sea lions washing up on beaches across California and other Pacific states, is back, scientists said Thursday. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Deborah Netburn in the Los Angeles Times$-- 9/6/19
Also . . .
Ex-Raider among 12 facing charges in smartphone robbery ring -- Alameda County prosecutors on Thursday announced they had charged eight men and women suspected in a crime spree that included 61 strong-arm robberies spanning 10 California counties. One of the defendants is NFL player Isaiah Langley, 23, whom the Oakland Raiders signed in June but waived Aug. 9. Four others remained at large. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
Red hot chili peppers may be painful, but win SF scientist a $3 million prize -- There is something about pain that fascinates David Julius, a San Francisco scientist who has spent the past 20 years trying to determine what it is about chili peppers, scorpion venom and wasabi that hurts. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/19
‘We May Have to Shoot Down This Aircraft’ -- What the chaos aboard Flight 93 on 9/11 looked like to the White House, to the fighter pilots prepared to ram the cockpit and to the passengers. Garrett M. Graff Politico -- 9/6/19
POTUS 45
‘What I said was accurate!’: Trump stays fixated on his Alabama error as hurricane pounds the Carolinas -- It was Trump who used a black Sharpie to mark up an official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration map, which he displayed during an Oval Office briefing on Wednesday, according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. “No one else writes like that on a map with a black Sharpie,” the official said of the map, which added Alabama into the hurricane’s potential pathway inside the loop of the marker. Toluse Olorunnipa and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 9/6/19
The short arc of a Sharpie captures the long arc of Trump -- The Trumpification of a deadly hurricane turned a forgettable flub into an unforgettable presidential feud. Nancy Cook Politico -- 9/6/19
Trump prepares to pitch gun proposals few really want -- President Donald Trump is finalizing his proposals designed to curb gun violence. But it's unclear whether anyone really wants what he’ll be offering. Most Democrats consider them too weak. Most Republicans, long resistant to triggering their base or the gun lobby, fear Trump won’t push them forcefully enough — leaving them hanging. Anita Kumar Politico -- 9/6/19
Beltway
Trump administration gutted anti-terrorism programs. Bipartisan officials want an explanation -- The Republican and Democratic leaders of both the Senate and House Homeland Security committees are formally questioning why the Trump administration has cut programs intended to prevent terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction. David Willman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Four years ago, Joe Biden viewed Elizabeth Warren as a possible running mate; now they’re sparring -- As Vice President Joe Biden contemplated challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in August of 2015, he scheduled an important, private Saturday lunch at his official residence. Noah Bierman and Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/19
Democrats will investigate Trump’s proposed G-7 summit at his Doral golf course -- The House Judiciary Committee said Wednesday that it will hold hearings next month and request additional documents from the White House to justify why the president wants to hold a high-profile gathering of world leaders at his Doral golf resort that reported lower profit margins in the past year. Alex Daugherty McClatchy DC -- 9/6/19
-- Thursday Updates
A ‘Cat and Mouse Game’: PG&E’s Long Record of Run-Ins With Regulators and Courts -- The Wall Street Journal identified repeated instances over 25 years in which PG&E misled regulatory authorities, withheld required information, didn’t follow through on promised improvements, engaged in improper back-channel communications with regulators or obstructed an investigation. Rebecca Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/5/19
EPA Wants to Revoke California Auto Regulation Powers -- The Trump administration is preparing a plan to strip California’s authority to set tougher auto efficiency regulations than the federal government, even while agencies continue finalizing a rollback of national standards, according to people familiar with the matter. Ryan Beene Bloomberg -- 9/5/19
Insurance commissioner charging rent for second residence to taxpayers -- California’s state insurance commissioner has stuck taxpayers with thousands of dollars in bills to cover the cost of renting an apartment in Sacramento while he maintains his primary residence in Los Angeles — a break from other statewide elected officials that is alarming ethics watchdogs. Carla Marinucci and Angela Hart Politico -- 9/5/19
Tenaja fire near Murrieta grows to 1,400 acres; crews prepare for daytime heat and winds -- A fast-moving brush fire that erupted in the hillsides near Murrieta and forced thousands of residents to evacuate grew to 1,400 acres overnight, state fire officials said early Thursday. More than 500 firefighters have been assigned to the Tenaja fire in Riverside County, which broke out about 4 p.m. Wednesday near Tenaja and Clinton Keith roads on a day marked by thunderstorms in the region. Hannah Fry, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Genaro Molina in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
How anti-vaxxers are helping polio make a comeback in Pakistan -- An anti-vaccination movement rooted in suspicions of modern medicine. Unsubstantiated rumors fueled by social media. Children infected with a disease that had been all but wiped out. Polio is making a troubling comeback in Pakistan, and it is being driven by some of the same forces spreading measles in the United States. Shashank Bengali in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
LeBron James asks 43.5M followers to support student athlete pay bill -- sketball superstar LeBron James appealed to millions of his fans on Twitter Thursday, asking them to lobby for a California bill that could fundamentally change college sports by allowing student athletes to reap the profits from endorsements and the use of their names and likenesses. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 9/5/19
Manhunt continues for suspect in shooting of deputy in Central Valley -- Authorities are continuing a statewide manhunt Thursday for a man suspected of wounding a sheriff’s deputy in a shooting in the Central Valley. Merced County sheriff’s officials identified the suspect as Guadalupe Lopez-Herrera, 51, of Dos Palos. Authorities allege Lopez-Herrera opened fire on deputies about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at a home near the intersection of Eucalyptus Road and Highway 33 in Dos Palos, about 60 miles northwest of Frenso. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
NTSB investigator in boat fire ‘taken aback’ by small escape route for passengers -- The lead investigator probing the Conception boat fire disaster expressed concerns about the ability of passengers to escape in an emergency after she and her team toured a similar vessel in Santa Barbara Harbor on Wednesday. Mark Puente in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
Surviving crew member thought phone charging station might have sparked boat fire -- One of the crew members aboard the dive boat Conception hadn’t been asleep long when a noise jolted him awake. He swung open the door of the wheelhouse — the top level of the 75-foot boat, located just above the galley — and was greeted by flames. Hannah Fry, Kim Christensen, Susanne Rust, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
‘State of shock’: Stockton mourns five family members among 33 killed in dive boat blaze -- Angela Rose Quitasol was the cool teacher – and a good one. Middle school science teacher by day, roller derby queen by night, her passion was teaching. NicoleStorm Quitasol, whose love of fitness and adventure inspired others. Eldest daughter Evanmichael, the nurse who followed in father Michael Quitasol’s footsteps at Stockton’s St. Joseph’s Medical Center; their commitment to healing shared by Michael’s current wife, Fernisa Sison, a former nurse. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/5/19
‘The whole city is depressed’: Santa Barbara grieves after Conception boat fire -- Ever since a massive fire claimed 34 lives aboard the Conception, Celine Nasser has barely had a break. The 21-year-old has been fielding a flood of phone calls at Truth Aquatics, the company that operated the ill-fated diving boat. From its site in Santa Barbara Harbor, Nasser has been canceling boat trips and redirecting families of victims who call in to ask for information. As she does this, she mourns. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
Homeless people were pushed from BART stations. Now they’re riding the trains -- Homeless ridership on BART trains has surged in recent months, even as the transit agency has tried to keep its stations from turning into de facto shelters. More than twice as many apparently homeless people are riding trains on weekends as in 2018, according to newly obtained agency records. The number of homeless people riding trains on weekdays is up nearly 50%. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/5/19
Trump’s tariffs made California’s housing crisis worse: A ‘perfect storm of the wrong kind’ -- The California Building Industry Association estimates tariffs have driven up the cost of an average-size new home by $20,000 to $30,000. That comes from tariffs on appliances, certain counter tops and other miscellaneous items that “at the end of the day, really add up,” according to Dennis Fitzpatrick, owner of Fitzpatrick Homes in Modesto. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/5/19
Sacramento commutes are getting much worse, especially for state workers -- Many state workers living in the greater Sacramento area share Byers’ frustration. Bay Area transplants and other newcomers are growing the region’s population and housing prices are pushing people farther from the city as unemployment remains low. As a result, drive times are increasing for all commuters. Wes Venteicher and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/5/19
Fed up with lack of space, migrants build their own shelter in Tijuana -- There aren’t enough migrant shelters in Tijuana for the tens of thousands of asylum seekers waiting to enter the United States. So a group of Central American migrants is building their own. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/5/19
It’s crunch time for California’s plan to phase out single-use plastics by 2030 -- With pressure mounting to address the state’s recycling crisis, California lawmakers are close to deciding on three far-reaching pieces of plastics legislation, including one that would phase out non-recyclable single-use packaging containers by 2030. Piper McDaniel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
This secret donor has given USC $400 million -- Billionaire B. Wayne Hughes Sr., a founder of self-storage behemoth Public Storage, has donated about $400 million to the university — nearly all of it anonymously, according to sources familiar with his philanthropy. Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/19
California Again Considers Making Abortion Pills Available at Public Colleges -- When Jessy Rosales was a sophomore at UC Riverside, she had a boyfriend and she was taking birth control pills. Then out of nowhere, she started feeling sick. "I just thought it was the stomach flu," she says. "It turns out I was pregnant." April Dembosky KQED -- 9/5/19
The Wine Train is Napa Valley -- Over three decades, Wine Country’s most recognizable tourist trap has told us an awful lot about the region’s shortcomings. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/5/19
More than 400M Facebook users’ phone numbers were possibly available online, report says -- Facebook on Thursday tried to downplay the scope and effect of a report that hundreds of millions of its users’ phone numbers were available for anyone to see online due to a lapse in security involving several databases around the world. Rex Crum in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/5/19
Fox: On SB 276, What Will Gavin Newsom Do? Maybe he should Consult Cotton Mather -- Now that SB 276, which tightened the law to prevent children from avoiding vaccinations, has passed the question is: What Will Gavin Do? Gov. Newsom seems to have been moved by arguments made by opponents of the bill, twice raising objections that would need to be alleviated, even though he indicated he would sign the bill after earlier changes were made. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/5/19