Updating . .
Trump opening California public land to fracking, gas leases. Is it ‘reckless’? -- The agency received more than 400 objections of its proposed leasing plan over a 30-day protest period, according to its final report. BLM officials ruled that none of them was valid. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/5/19
Trump Signs Proclamation Denying Entrance to Immigrants Who Cannot Afford Health Care -- President Trump signed a proclamation late Friday barring legal immigrants who cannot prove they will have health care coverage or the means to pay for it within 30 days of their arrival to the United States. Richard Gonzales NPR -- 10/5/19
Jury awards $8.1 million to L.A. County sheriff’s deputy harassed after reporting misconduct -- As a trainee, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Rodriguez said he had a recurring thought while on patrol with his training officer: Oh, man, we’re going to end up in federal prison. The officer, he said, instructed him to lie on a report documenting the arrest of a man found with a meth pipe. She’d routinely harass people in motel parking lots for no reason, he said, and those who slept along shopping center walkways. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/19
Employee or not? Business, freelancers consider gig-work future -- Music instructors at Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage teach instruments from clawhammer banjo to mountain dulcimer, as well as leading bluegrass jams, singing circles and a community chorus. About 1,000 people a year study traditional music at the nonprofit arts organization. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/19
Converting from contractor to employee has benefits, but taxes aren’t one of them -- AB5, the groundbreaking state law that could lead some companies to convert independent contractors to employees, has many benefits for California workers, but taxes might not be one of them. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/19
Politifact CA: Gavin Newsom promised to expand homeless services. What has he done? -- Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to solve California’s homelessness crisis, a problem that has deepened in cities big and small since he took office in January. Running for governor, he pledged to appoint a cabinet-level homelessness czar ‒ a promise we rated ‘Stalled’ last month after a lack of action. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 10/5/19
Black people disproportionately homeless in California -- In Monterey County, the percentage of black or African American people who are homeless is more than seven times higher than the county’s black population. It is nearly six times higher at the state level. Kate Cimini Calmatters -- 10/5/19
Protest brews against proposed Newport Beach homeless shelter -- Neighbors say the shelter would unfairly concentrate homeless people in that area, which straddles Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, and bring down property values, safety and quality of life. Hillary Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/19
Lopez: Shamed by Hollywood homeless catastrophe, she went to Italy for answers -- Kerry Morrison had seen enough. She was not a clinician or policymaker, and she didn’t know what the answers were. But she knew she was looking at failure, and she knew she could no longer ignore it. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/19
Willie Brown: Who should run against Trump? How about Hillary Clinton? -- It’s time for Hillary Clinton to come out of retirement, lace up the gloves and get back in the ring with President Trump for what would be the biggest political rematch ever. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
PG&E poised to cut power to 12,000 in Northern California -- On Friday, PG&E said it began notifying customers in Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties of a possible “public safety power shutoff,” or PSPS. The utility is also closely monitoring conditions in El Dorado, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Tehama and Yolo counties. Power could be shut off as early as 8 a.m. Saturday. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/5/19
From LA prosecutor to Trump impeachment probe, Adam Schiff has come ‘full circle’ -- Thirty years ago, then U.S. Assistant Attorney Adam Schiff made waves when he doggedly prosecuted an FBI agent for taking bribes from Russians. Ten years later, Schiff unseated a congressman, Jim Rogan, who had just led the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton. Ariella Plachta in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/5/19
Trump’s order will deny visas to immigrants who lack health-care coverage -- The White House late Friday issued a proclamation saying it would deny visas to immigrants who “will financially burden” the U.S. health-care system starting Nov. 3, demanding that foreign nationals prove that they have insurance or are affluent enough to cover their own health-care costs before entering the United States. Maria Sacchetti in the Washington Post$ -- 10/5/19
Payouts to SF bathhouse, Oakland school reveal behind-the-scenes look at housing deals -- In December, Russian bathhouse owner Mikhail Brodsky sued San Francisco to block the development of 1,575 homes next to his clothing-optional spa in Bayview-Hunters Point. At the time, he said that the project would “box in” his business, block water views and deprive his patrons of “fresh air.” J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/19
They killed as teens and went to San Quentin. Should these men be released? -- One killed a stranger he believed humiliated him in front of fellow gang members. One took to the highway and shot six people, two fatally. And one ended the life of a young man who he said had beat up his friend. Each man was under 18 when he committed murder, and each was charged, tried and sentenced as an adult during a period in California when new laws were setting harsh terms for violent young offenders. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/19
Former Homeland Security supervisor convicted of lying to FBI -- A former Department of Homeland Security supervisor was convicted Friday of lying to the FBI about passing confidential information from law enforcement databases to a pair of men who ended up using the data to scam more than 100 immigrants. Kristina Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/19
Why Kamala Harris is flailing with California voters -- When Kamala Harris launched her presidential bid, she counted California as a major asset. Her home state offers not only the most delegates to the Democratic nominating convention but also an early primary that could provide a timely boost. But rather than serving as a foundation, California is exposing the cracks in her troubled campaign. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
PayPal Bails on Facebook-Led Libra Cryptocurrency Dream -- Concerns that PayPal might back away from the project intensified on Thursday when the company was mysteriously absent from a meeting of Association members in Washington. All of the other original partners were in attendance, according to people familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified discussing a private meeting. Julie Verhage and Kurt Wagner Bloomberg -- 10/5/19
Education
California tightens rules in response to college admissions scandal -- California will tighten the process for special admissions to its public universities following a nationwide scandal earlier this year that exposed a ring of wealthy parents who paid tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure slots at elite colleges for their children. On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB1383, which requires at least three senior campus administrators to sign off any “admissions by exception.” Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/19
Inspire Charter Schools offered to pay families, staff to recruit students -- The statewide Inspire charter school network has turned heads for how quickly it has been able to grow its enrollment. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/5/19
Washington High School alumni sue SF school district over decision to cover murals -- A group of George Washington High School alumni filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that the San Francisco Unified School District violated a state law when deciding to cover controversial 1936 murals that generated debate about censorship, history and racial inequality. Alejandro Serrano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/19
Official’s father lands $1 million contract, sparking claim of nepotism at Los Alamitos school district -- A building inspection business owner has hurled nepotism allegations at the Los Alamitos school board for awarding a nearly $1 million contract to a competitor who is the father of a district official. Scott Schwebke in the Orange County Register -- 10/5/19
POTUS 45
2nd Official Is Weighing Whether to Blow the Whistle on Trump’s Ukraine Dealings -- The official, a member of the intelligence community, was interviewed by the inspector general to corroborate the original whistle-blower’s account. Michael S. Schmidt and Adam Goldman in the New York Times$ -- 10/5/19
Impeachment probe reaches into White House with new subpoena -- The impeachment inquiry is reaching directly into the White House, with Democrats subpoenaing officials about contacts with Ukraine and President Donald Trump signaling his administration will not cooperate. Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin Associated Press -- 10/5/19
Holding Ukraine hostage: How the president and his allies, chasing 2020 ammunition, fanned a political storm -- By mid-May, the U.S. relationship with Ukraine was unraveling: The U.S. ambassador had been recalled home for no apparent reason, the country’s new president was anxious about U.S. support, and President Trump’s personal lawyer was hawking Kiev conspiracy theories. Greg Miller, Paul Sonne, Greg Jaffe and Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 10/5/19
-- Friday Updates
Trump administration opens California to new oil drilling, possibly Bay Area, too -- The Trump administration’s latest effort to dramatically boost oil and gas production is landing in California, with the Interior Department on Friday opening up 720,000 acres between the Bay Area and Fresno to potential drilling. The move gives an immediate go-ahead to 14 drilling leases in San Benito, Monterey and Fresno counties, mostly projects near existing drill sites and pursued for years by fossil fuel companies looking to expand. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/19
The next big California vs. Trump fight is over water and endangered species -- The next few months will provide an answer, as Newsom is forced to take a stand on Trump rollbacks in a long-contested battleground — the Northern California delta that helps supply more than half the state’s population with drinking water and fills irrigation canals on millions of acres of farmland. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/19
Judge in insurance case refuses to change ruling in favor of Lara donor -- For the second time in three months, a judge for the California Department of Insurance has refused to change or reconsider his ruling in a workers compensation case, despite direction from Commissioner Ricardo Lara or his special counsel. The case involves a subsidiary of a company whose executives gave thousands of dollars to Lara’s political campaign. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/4/19
What California knows about Tom Steyer -- America will get a closer look at Tom Steyer when he makes his debut on the Democratic presidential debate stage Oct. 15. Here are five ways that California has shaped Steyer and how he — the state's largest mega-donor — has helped shape California. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 10/4/19
Silicon Valley can’t escape the glare of the presidential race -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s treatise calling on California to crack down on gig economy companies probably did not surprise many executives in the corner of corporate America she derisively calls Big Tech. But a message on Twitter a few weeks later from former Vice President Joe Biden landed like a punch to the gut. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/19
SF Mayor Breed appoints Suzy Loftus as interim DA following Gascón’s resignation -- The appointment, which is expected to be formally announced Friday, comes in the middle of a tight election race. It’s unclear if Breed’s move will help Loftus win the city’s top prosecutor job when voters go to the polls Nov. 5. Evan Sernoffsky and Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/19
Phantom fentanyl deaths skyrocket in Southern California -- The good news, if there is any, is that opioid prescriptions and drug-related emergency room visits have declined in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — as well as in California as a whole — since 2014. The not-so-good news — and there’s plenty — is that fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed over the past five years, especially in Los Angeles County, which far outpaces the state average. Teri Sforza in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/19
Eyeing a possible recession, California wineries cut back on production — and farmers suffer -- Paul Johnson farms 450 acres of wine grapes in Monterey County for his family’s Johnson Vineyard Co. Normally, a range of local wineries, under multiyear contracts, buy his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. But after last year’s harvest, Johnson began to worry when no winery clients renewed their contracts. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/19
Irvine food distributor that serves Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle moving HQ to Texas -- The company, a logistics unit of food-industry supply giant Golden State Foods, runs a nationwide chain of 19 distribution centers that warehouses and distributes food and supplies to individual chain restaurants. The new headquarters will initially be home to between 30 and 45 workers, both relocations and new hires. It is expected to be open by January. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 10/4/19
Queen Mary’s operator could default on lease by month’s end, due to insufficient repair progress -- The operator tasked with repairing the Queen Mary in Long Beach has failed to make sufficient progress on that work — and could go into default by the end of the month. Hayley Munguia in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 10/4/19
Now your Tesla can come pick you up. California says that’s not ‘driverless’ -- Tesla unleashed the latest twist in driverless car technology last week, raising more questions about whether autonomous vehicles are outracing public officials and safety regulators. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/19
Payouts to SF bathhouse, Oakland school reveal behind-the-scenes look at housing deals -- To settle a lawsuit over developing 1,575 housing units in Bayview-Hunters Point, a developer has agreed to pay $100,000 to a Russian bathhouse and an additional $100,000 to Lincoln University, an East Bay school. The deal offers a behind-the-scenes look at San Francisco development deals. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/19
Attorneys say disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes isn’t paying them -- Lawyers representing disgraced Theranos founder and accused fraudster Elizabeth Holmes said in a civil case claim she hasn’t paid them for more than a year and probably never will, according to court records, and they don’t want to be her lawyers anymore. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/4/19
Credible threat targeting ‘Joker’ screening forces Huntington Beach theater to close -- A movie theater in Huntington Beach showing the film “Joker” was closed late Thursday after a threat was reported to police, authorities said Friday. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/19
Lopez: Column: This small Italian city might have an answer for L.A.'s homeless catastrophe -- Kerry Morrison had seen enough. She was not a clinician or policymaker, and she didn’t know what the answers were. But she knew she was looking at failure, and she knew she could no longer ignore it. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/19
LAX ban on taxi, Uber and Lyft curbside pickups irks passengers: ‘It’s inconvenient’ -- Mary Cate Haley was waiting for her hired car at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday morning after a flight from Dallas when she learned that the convenience of catching a ride at the terminal was about to end. Alex Wigglesworth, Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/19
After college payroll fiasco, Gavin Newsom signs law requiring UC to pay staff on time -- The law comes more than a year after UC employees, including many students, began reporting skipped or late paychecks as a result of errors attributable to the implementation of the new human resources system UCPath, which has cost the university system around $500 million to implement. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/4/19
Prosecutors Will Retry Case of Ghost Ship Defendant Derick Almena -- Alameda County prosecutors say they will move forward with a retrial in the case of Derick Almena, who is charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of three dozen people in a 2016 fire that burned through a converted Oakland warehouse known as the Ghost Ship. Don Clyde KQED -- 10/4/19
Supreme Court takes first big abortion case since Kavanaugh joined the court -- The Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hear its first major abortion case with Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Neil M. Gorsuch on the bench, and decide whether states may enforce far stricter regulations on doctors who perform abortions. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/19
Fox: California Lawmakers Upsetting Traditions of College Athletics -- Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 206 allowing college athletes to prosper from the use of their name, image and likeness. Perhaps in the end the law balances for some college athletes the potential side effects of the state’s travel ban that could undermine college teams from participating against certain rivals. For better and for worse, California lawmakers are upsetting a century of traditions in college athletics. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/4/19