Updating . .
Newsom signs landmark bill rewriting California employment law -- California businesses will be limited in their use of independent contracts under a closely watched proposal signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, a decision that is unlikely to quell a growing debate over the rules and nature of work in the 21st century economy. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 9/18/19
University of California President Janet Napolitano says she will step down in August -- Napolitano, 61, has led the vast university of 10 campuses, five medical centers and three national laboratories since 2013. Before that, she served as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under President Obama. In that position, she was instrumental in creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy, known as DACA, that has shielded from deportation immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, as long as they are students. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/19
Can Trump really yank California’s power to police tailpipe pollution? ‘See you in court’ -- The Trump administration has revoked California’s unique authority to combat tailpipe pollution on its own terms, raising the specter of worsening air quality, jeopardizing public health and hindering the state’s ability to battle climate change. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 9/18/19
Newsom, Becerra lash out at Trump plan on California emissions standards -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday criticized the Trump administration’s plan to rescind California’s nearly half-century-old authority to impose tough car emissions standards, vowing to take legal action to block the move. Phil Willon, Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ Tal Kopan and Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael Biesecker and Adam Beam Associated Press Michael Wilner and Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/19
Study finds air pollution reaches placenta during pregnancy -- A new study suggests when a pregnant woman breathes in air pollution, it can travel beyond her lungs to the placenta that guards her fetus. Lauran Neergaard Associated Press -- 9/18/19
Trump, no fan of big cities and their Democratic leaders, unleashes his derision on L.A. -- One of the most arresting images of Donald Trump’s inaugural address in 2017 was a grim portrait of urban America, riddled by poverty, gangs, drugs and other blight. Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Speculation still swirls over CTA chief’s firing -- California’s education world is abuzz with speculation about three recent developments, little of which has to do with schools. Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 9/18/19
This Valley district got a rare pitch to build homeless housing. Can it survive opposition? -- No new apartments for homeless people have been built in the northwestern San Fernando Valley, even with more than a billion dollars approved by taxpayers for new housing flowing to the city of Los Angeles. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Minority contractors claiming to be ‘Native American’ to undergo nationwide review -- Federal, state and local authorities are intensifying scrutiny of minority contracting programs across the country in the wake of a Times investigation that found that companies received more than $300 million in government contracts based on unsubstantiated claims by the firms’ owners to be Native American. Paul Pringle, Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
In wake of deaths, sales of vaping products drop in California’s marijuana shops -- Sales of recreational marijuana vape products have dropped in California in the wake of hundreds of cases nationwide of acute lung disease linked to electronic cigarettes that dispensed THC or both nicotine and THC, according to industry trade publication Marijuana Business Daily. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/19
California Says Nearly All Cannabis Businesses Will Be In Statewide Tracking System By End Of October -- California says its system for tracking cannabis products from seed-to-sale will soon cover the entire industry — but regulators still have more work to do. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 9/18/19
A divided Fed cuts key rate for 2nd time this year -- A sharply divided Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year while saying it’s prepared to continue doing what it deems necessary to sustain the U.S. economic expansion. Martin Crutsinger Associated Press -- 9/18/19
Trump’s new national security adviser is Bay Area native, UC Berkeley Law alum -- President Trump named Robert C. O’Brien on Wednesday as his new national security adviser, tapping a UC Berkeley Law School alum who grew up in the Bay Area for the influential position. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Trump touches down in San Diego for whirlwind visit -- President Donald Trump arrived in San Diego today, kicking off an hours-long visit that will include speaking at a downtown fundraiser and taking a quick tour of the border. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/18/19
Lopez: Column: She drives a convertible and bowls her age: 100, to be exact -- Lillian Solomon tools around Los Angeles in a sexy silver-blue convertible, has a live-in boyfriend, plays blackjack at the Hollywood Park Casino, goes to the gym on Mondays and anchors her bowling team on Wednesdays. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Trump to revoke California auto emissions rules -- In its latest move to roll back environmental standards, the Trump Administration is expected to announce Wednesday that it will revoke California’s authority to set tougher pollution rules than the federal government for greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Kurtis Alexander and Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ Coral Davenport in the New York Times$ Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis in the Washington Post$ Ben Foldy in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/18/19
Federal plan to end state mileage standards draws criticism -- California’s authority to set its own, tougher emissions standards goes back to a waiver issued by Congress during passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970. The state has long pushed automakers to adopt more fuel-efficient passenger vehicles that emit less pollution. A dozen states and the District of Columbia also follow California’s fuel economy standards. Michael Biesecker Associated Press -- 9/18/19
Is CA about to weaponize electric car rebates in its emissions battle against Trump? -- With California enmeshed in a bare-knuckled battle over clean air with the Trump administration, carmakers could soon have to sign onto the state's pact to cut air pollution if they want to offer customers the state's EV rebate. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters -- 9/18/19
California urges Trump administration to withdraw proposal on religious-based hiring -- California and 15 other states on Tuesday denounced a Trump administration proposal to let private businesses holding federal contracts use their owners’ religious views to justify employment practices, such as refusing to hire lesbians and gays. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Trump tells donors in Beverly Hills: ‘We’ll never be a socialist country’ -- President Trump headlined a Beverly Hills fundraiser Tuesday night at the mansion of Los Angeles developer Geoffrey Palmer, according to sources familiar with the event. The dinner was the second stop of a two-day swing through California that is expected to raise more than $15 million for the president’s reelection campaign. Seema Mehta, Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Trump warns homelessness is ‘destroying’ SF, pays brief Bay Area visit -- President Trump made his first visit to the Bay Area on Tuesday since taking office, raising money, dodging protesters and, shortly before landing, warning that San Francisco and other California cities were “destroying themselves” with homelessness. Trisha Thadani, Alejandro Serrano and John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Scott McNealy has long been one of Trump’s few friends in Silicon Valley -- Scott McNealy, the wealthy Silicon Valley CEO and self-described “raging capitalist” who hosted a fundraiser for President Trump on Tuesday at his Portola Valley home, is one of the few tech titans who have consistently supported the president. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Protest confronts President Trump during first Bay Area visit since taking office -- President Trump’s first visit to the Bay Area since taking office inspired dozens of political activists — as well as an inflatable infant effigy and giant chicken balloon — to gather in protest Tuesday in the residential hills of Portola Valley. Alejandro Serrano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Trump gives California grief - but also takes its money -- President Donald Trump rarely passes up the chance to throw a sharp elbow at left-leaning California, but he showed Tuesday he’s more than happy to cash in there with a lunch-dinner-breakfast-lunch fundraising blitz expected to scoop up $15 million from wealthy Republicans in two days. Brian Slodysko and Kevin Freking Associated Press -- 9/18/19
Democratic donor Ed Buck ßarrested and charged with operating drug house -- Prominent Democratic donor and LGBTQ political activist Ed Buck was arrested Tuesday and charged with operating a drug house, with prosecutors calling him a violent sexual predator who preys on men struggling with addiction and homelessness. Alene Tchekmedyian, Hailey Branson-Potts, Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Walters: Newsom bucks his party on water -- It had to happen sooner or later. At some point, California’s “resistance” to President Donald Trump would move beyond flowery rhetoric, tweets and lawsuits and seriously affect Californians. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 9/18/19
Contra Costa to stop collecting court fees from people getting out of jail or on probation -- Contra Costa County will suspend collecting certain administrative fees that have long been levied on people getting out of jail or on probation — a decision criminal justice reform advocates say will relieve the burden for minorities and poor people. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/18/19
Woman pleads guilty in helping wealthy Chinese visitors give birth to American babies -- An investigation into so-called birth tourism — in which hundreds of pregnant women from China paid for all-inclusive trips to Southern California, where they gave birth to American citizen babies — generated a conviction Tuesday, when the first of 19 defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit immigration and visa fraud. Scott Schwebke in the Orange County Register -- 9/18/19
Protesters shut down commission meeting as fight over SF mental health policies intensifies -- Loud protesters shut down a San Francisco Health Commission meeting Tuesday over the city’s decision to stop admitting patients into a long-term care facility for the mentally ill, and instead turn many of the beds into a temporary respite facility. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
SF Embarcadero attack: Victim testifies man wanted to ‘kill the front desk lady’ to save her life -- Paneez Kosarian said she stood for more than 5 minutes outside the door of her building last month near San Francisco’s Embarcardero, listening to a stranger rant about the woman at the front desk being a robot. He told Kosarian he wanted to save her life and kill the woman inside the building, she testified Tuesday. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Prosecutors postpone decision on seeking new trial of Lodi terror suspect Hamid Hayat -- Federal prosecutors have postponed a decision on whether to seek a new trial against one-time Lodi terror suspect Hamid Hayat, who was released from prison in August after a judge ruled he did not receive an effective defense in his 2006 trial in Sacramento. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/19
Protesters call for San Diego to suspend ‘smart streetlight’ technology, citing privacy concerns -- About 50 people supporting a coalition of more than a dozen community groups gathered Tuesday outside San Diego City Hall to call for a moratorium on “smart streetlights” until concerns about privacy and surveillance are addressed. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/18/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Bullet train board votes on proposed Valley to San Jose route, amid backlash -- The California High-Speed Rail Authority board voted unanimously Tuesday on a route that may ultimately connect the San Joaquin Valley with San Jose — though it didn’t come without some backlash from community groups. The board’s preferred alternative crosses a grassland area of western Merced County and continues with a tunnel through Pacheco Pass. Tim Sheehan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/19
Transit
Central Subway tab likely to grow by $55 million as work, testing stretch into 2021 -- San Francisco’s Central Subway project, now delayed until 2021, is chewing through its last contingency funds and likely will need an additional $55 million to cross the finish line. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
The Bay Area's 11 biggest transportation projects -- As more people come to the Bay Area and the trips to and from work become longer, commuters frequently find themselves white-knuckling the steering wheel, jostling for space on a bus or train, or simply dreaming of better days. While the problem of overcrowding on public transit and highways is unlikely to be solved any time soon, here are 11 major transportation projects that should improve the daily commute. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Homeless
‘Fed up’ with homeless camps, L.A. County joins case to restore its right to clear them -- The Board of Supervisors has decided to throw its political weight behind an effort to overturn a court decision that has allowed homeless people to bed down overnight on sidewalks across California and the West. Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Unlike City Hall, SF homeless provider hits goals way ahead of schedule -- Lava Mae, the nonprofit that brings mobile shower stalls and toilets to homeless people on the streets, set a goal of providing 75,000 showers to 30,000 homeless Californians by the end of 2020. And it’s already achieved it. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Salesforce, Postmates agree to kick in for SF homeless services funding, regardless of court fight -- Tech giant Salesforce and delivery service Postmates have agreed to let San Francisco keep money collected from them under Proposition C, a ballot measure to fund homeless services that’s being challenged in court. Under the deal, the city would be able to keep the money even if the measure is struck down. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
What can Vallejo learn from SF’s new homeless shelter beds? -- Mayor London Breed toured the latest big addition to the homeless shelter system in San Francisco on Monday, but this time she brought along a fellow leader who’s eager to replicate what she was showing off: Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Is Trump trying to make this historic building a homeless shelter? Locals are ‘baffled’ -- A week after hearing about federal officials swinging through a vacant office building close to Los Angeles International Airport, Hawthorne City Manager Arnold Shadbehr is still confused. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Touring SF Housing Project, HUD Chief Says There's No Reason to Have Homelessness -- After touring a San Francisco public housing development renovated with local funding, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Dr. Ben Carson said he wanted to work with local governments to address homelessness. Scott Shafer KQED -- 9/18/19
Trump and California See Same Homeless Problem, but Not the Same Solutions -- Open-air heroin use. Sidewalks smeared in human feces. Blocklong homeless camps and people with severe mental illnesses wading through traffic in socks and hospital clothes. You would be forgiven if you thought that those descriptions of California’s urban ills came from the mouth of the state’s biggest detractor, President Trump. Conor Dougherty in the New York Times$ -- 9/18/19
Housing
Airbnb announces $25 million program for housing in Bay Area, LA County -- The new program will help low- to moderate-income families buy or rent affordable housing, the global operator of short-term rentals said. The San Francisco company’s initiative will also help small businesses that support communities and create jobs. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Education
Citing ‘financial risk,’ UC pledges to divest from fossil fuels -- With a worldwide strike planned for Friday and the Trump administration threatening California’s auto emissions standards, the University of California said renewable energy offers “more attractive investment opportunities.” Felicia Mello Calmatters -- 9/18/19
Students in San Diego County prepare for region’s largest high-school walkout on climate change to date -- Hundreds of high school students and others from across San Diego County are preparing to join the international climate strike on Friday — in what promises to be the largest event of its kind in the region’s history. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/18/19
Educators will get another shot at writing state ethnic studies curriculum -- California educators want another stab at creating an ethnic studies curriculum for high school students, and it looks like they’ll have another year to do it. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 9/18/19
3 students arrested in thwarted school shooting plot, police say; replica AR-15 is seized -- The arrests occurred after a Palm Springs Unified School District staff member spotted a social media post threatening violence. School officials alerted police Sunday evening, and the teens were arrested the same night. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Sexual assault lawsuit against Kevin Beiser is secretly settled -- San Diego Unified School Board Trustee Kevin Beiser and the political consultant who sued him for sexual assault settled a civil lawsuit Friday morning and are keeping terms of the settlement confidential. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/18/19
With Harrowing Ads, Gun Safety Groups Push a Darker Reality -- Going back to school means worrying about what to wear, deciding what classes to take and, increasingly, knowing what to do if someone appears on campus with a gun. Tiffany Hsu in the New York Times$ -- 9/18/19
California community colleges push for financial aid reform in budget -- The California Community Colleges Board of Governors on Tuesday voted to ask for about $780 million in additional state dollars for the 2020-21 budget year, which would be a 7.5 percent increase over its current budget of about $10.3 billion. Michael Burke EdSource -- 9/18/19
Immigration / Border
Park Service Says Archaeological Sites Are Imperiled by Border Wall -- The construction of President Trump’s wall along the southwestern border will significantly damage or completely destroy more than 20 archaeological sites in a natural park in the heart of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, according to a study conducted by the National Park Service. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 9/18/19
Environment
Rare California trout species returns to native habitat -- For the first time in nearly a century, a rare California trout species will swim in a mountain creek that is its native habitat, marking a major milestone that conservationists hope will lead to a thriving population and removal of its threatened status. Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 9/18/19
Also . . .
Civilian Orange County jailer says deputies directed him to forge logs on security checks -- A civilian guard has testified he forged official logs in the Orange County jail system for several years at the direction of sheriff’s deputies to make it appear they had conducted routine security checks when they had not. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 9/18/19
7th death in the U.S. related to vaping is reported in Tulare County -- A person died in Tulare County from severe lung disease linked to vaping — making it the second vaping related death in California and the seventh such death in the nation, officials said. The death was caused by “complications related to the use of e-cigarettes,” according to the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Suit by transgender man initially refused surgery reinstated by appeals court -- A state appeals court reinstated a transgender patient’s suit against the Catholic hospital chain Dignity Health on Tuesday for refusing to perform transgender surgery, and then allegedly relenting and referring the patient to another hospital only after the story hit the local airwaves. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/19
Espionage charges against top Canadian security official started with San Diego FBI cases -- One of Canada’s top security officials has been indicted on spy-related charges in a case that has rocked the international intelligence community — and it all stems from evidence obtained during a San Diego FBI investigation. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/18/19
Hopes for a new investigation into Mitrice Richardson case end in disappointment -- Friends of Mitrice Richardson started Tuesday with high hopes of a new investigation, as they marked the 10th anniversary of the 24-year-old’s mysterious disappearance from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station in Calabasas on Sept. 17, 2009. Jeanette Marantos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
L.A. County to pay $3 million after shots fired by deputies at charging dog mistakenly kill teen -- Armando Garcia was spending time with friends in Palmdale one summer morning when Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies showed up in response to a complaint over loud music. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Man who scrawled threatening messages on Sikh temple gets 16 months in prison -- A 29-year-old man who vandalized a Sikh temple in Los Feliz in 2017 will spend a little over a year in prison after admitting he defaced the religious building. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
Did your rented e-scooter suddenly shut down? Blame the invisible geofence -- Like scores of tourists who zip through Santa Monica on e-scooters every day, 21-year-old Elliot Stevenson had no idea there was a fence around the pier until he hit it. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/19
POTUS 45
Trump Hits Back After Ally Denounces ‘Weakness’ With Iran -- President Trump engaged in a long-distance debate over Iran with one of his closest allies on Tuesday as Republicans sought to influence the administration’s response to the attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 9/18/19
Trump Fans Can’t Sue San Jose as a Group Over Violence at Rally -- Donald Trump fans who accuse police of not protecting them at a 2016 presidential campaign rally that turned violent failed to convince a judge that they should be able to sue on behalf of thousands who attended the event. Peter Blumberg and Robert Burnson Bloomberg -- 9/18/19
-- Tuesday Updates
Trump says cities ‘destroy themselves’ with homelessness as he arrives in California -- In recent months, Trump has used the issue of homelessness to bash the deep-blue state in advance of the 2020 election. While aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, he addressed the issue with reporters, saying that he is considering the creation of an “individual task force” as a possible solution to homelessness, without providing more details. Benjamin Oreskes, Susanne Rust, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/19
Trump plans to revoke key California environmental power after getting spurned over auto deal -- President Trump is expected on Wednesday to revoke a decades-old rule that empowers California to set tougher car pollution standards than those required by the federal government — putting the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a path to years of fighting in court. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ Alex Guillén Politico -- 9/17/19
Trump touches down in Bay Area for campaign cash as protesters await -- President Trump landed at Moffett Field in Mountain View shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday for his first visit to the Bay Area since taking office. His political opponents were rallying in Portola Valley, site of a planned fundraiser for the president’s re-election campaign. Trisha Thadani, Alejandro Serrano and John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Woolfolk, Casey Tolan, Maggie Angst and Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/19
Protest confronts President Trump during first Bay Area visit since taking office -- President Trump’s first visit to the Bay Area since taking office inspired political opponents to rally Tuesday in Portola Valley, and an inflatable infant effigy and giant chicken balloon were also in attendance. Alejandro Serrano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/19
Trump administration threatens jail time for California officials over river project -- The Trump administration and California officials have sued each other, swapped insults on Twitter and clashed on everything from climate change to immigration. But threatening someone with jail time? That might be a new one. Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/17/19
HUD chief Carson offers no help for SF in lightning-fast visit to public housing -- Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson toured a public housing project in Potrero Hill Tuesday, a week after the Trump administration said it was exploring ways of addressing California’s homelessness crisis, including spurring more housing development. J.K. Dineen and Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/19
California GOP congressman won’t seek re-election -- A Republican congressman in California says he won’t seek re-election next year. U.S. Rep. Paul Cook says he will run for a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors in 2020. The former state assemblyman was first elected to California’s 8th Congressional District in 2012. Associated Press Christine Mai-Duc in the Los Angeles Times$ Melanie Zanona and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 9/17/19
New parent charged in admissions scam, linked to $400K bribe -- A woman accused of paying $400,000 to get her son into the University of California, Los Angeles, as a fake soccer recruit has become the 52nd person charged in a sweeping college admissions bribery scheme, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday. Collin Binkley Associated Press Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/19
Biggest private sequoia grove to be preserved in deal with Redwoods League -- After 20 years of negotiations, the San Francisco conservation group Save the Redwoods League was to announce Tuesday that it had agreed to pay $15.6 million by the end of the year for the 530-acre hillside grove, which includes the 3,000-year-old Stagg Tree — the fifth-largest tree in the world. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/19
UC to dump fossil fuels holdings in pension and endowment funds worth $83 billion -- Decision follows months of pressure by faculty and student to rid funds of major oil and gas investments. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/17/19
San Jose could become largest U.S. city to enact natural gas ban -- On Tuesday, the City Council will consider a proposal from Mayor Sam Liccardo and four of his fellow council members to create an ordinance barring natural gas infrastructure in new single-family homes, low-rise multifamily buildings and detached granny flats beginning next year. The proposal would not affect existing homes. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/19
Navy SEAL acquitted of war crimes files lawsuit against ex-lawyers and military legal nonprofit -- A San Diego-based Navy SEAL acquitted of murder in a closely watched war crimes trial this summer filed a lawsuit against two of his former attorneys and a military legal defense nonprofit, according to a complaint filed in federal court in Texas on Friday. Andrew Dyer in the Los Angeles Times$ Erika I. Ritchie in the Orange County Register -- 9/17/19
Prosecutors postpone decision on seeking new trial of Lodi terror suspect Hamid Hayat -- Federal prosecutors have postponed a decision on whether to seek a new trial against one-time Lodi terror suspect Hamid Hayat, who was released from prison in August after a judge ruled he did not receive an effective defense in his 2006 trial in Sacramento. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/17/19
Who is Javier Burillo Azcarraga, the Mexican tycoon arrested after son’s boat death? -- He inherited one of the most famous names in Mexico. Javier Burillo Azcarraga’s grandfather founded the company that would become Grupo Televisa, the world’s largest Spanish-language entertainment company. He would go on to marry a former Mexican president’s daughter in 1989 and over the years make a name for himself developing luxury resorts in Mexico. Alexa DÍaz, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/19
Family separation and refugee cap reinvigorate Jews’ activist roots: ‘We’ve always been immigrants’ -- “The Jewish community with one loud voice is saying, ‘Close the camps,’” Cohen told the protesters gathered at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a prison facility used to temporarily house immigration detainees. Some nodded, holding signs above their heads that read, “This is what ‘Never Again’ looks like,” and “All immigrants are welcome here.” Together, they recited the mourner’s kaddish, the prayer for the dead. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/19
Fox: Criticism of Big Tech Indicates A Political Shift -- When the Attorney Generals of 48 states joined AGs from Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico to announce a widespread probe of dominant technology firms, the focus here was that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra did not sign on. Yet, there is another aspect to the story that indicates a political shift occurring with some Republicans raising concerns about Big Tech and monopolies. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/17/19