Updating . .   

Red flag warning issued, PG&E power outages could start Wednesday afternoon -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. could preemptively shut off power as early as Wednesday afternoon in 16 Northern California counties in an attempt to curb fire dangers, officials said Tuesday morning as they continued monitoring dangerous weather conditions. Alejandro Serrano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Patrick May in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/19

Here Are the Cities That Could Be Affected by PG&E Power Shutoffs -- Approximately 201,000 customers could be affected in 16 counties. Don Clyde KQED -- 10/22/19

Newsom says PG&E must improve ‘inexcusable’ power outage failures -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is increasing pressure on Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to more aggressively limit its controversial fire-prevention blackouts, better communicate with customers and provide rebates for residents and small businesses who are impacted by the outages. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Facebook commits $1 billion for California housing, following Google -- Facebook says it will invest $1 billion to help fund 20,000 new homes in California, becoming the latest big employer to ramp up its financial commitment amid a crippling shortage of housing. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/19

Los Angeles City Council approves moratorium on evictions -- In a 14-to-0 vote, council members passed a ban on “no-fault” evictions. The ban would prevent property owners from removing residential tenants unless there’s just cause, such as non-payment of rent or use of a unit for criminal activity. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White, who aimed for ambitious reforms, announces retirement -- California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White, who undertook ambitious reforms to improve student achievement but was criticized at times for budget and policy decisions at the nation’s largest public university system, announced Tuesday that he will retire next year. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

New bribery charge leveled against Lori Loughlin, other parents in college admissions scandal -- Already charged with fraud and money laundering, 11 of the 15 parents who have maintained their innocence in a federal investigation of college admissions fraud were indicted Tuesday on new bribery charges, the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston said. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

Vaping pen found near site where Moraga wildfire began -- A vaping pen appears to be the cause of a 50-acre wildfire here earlier this month that had the potential to be disastrous, authorities said. Police Chief Jon King said Tuesday that investigators found the pen at the “ignition point” of the Merrill Fire, which forced the evacuation of 150 people after breaking out around 1 a.m. Oct. 10. Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/19

This group makes up 1 out of every 6 California voters. They could swing the 2020 primary -- More Asian American and Pacific Islanders are voting in California – and they have the potential to influence the outcome of the state’s 2020 primary elections, data show. Theodora Yu in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/22/19

New book whacks Kamala Harris’ AG record during housing crisis -- Kamala Harris catapulted to Democratic stardom on a narrative based on her role as California’s attorney general during the housing crisis, when she was an unrelenting adversary of big banks and mortgage lenders, and a champion of consumers. But a new book by Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter Aaron Glantz challenges that storyline, arguing that Harris not only allowed Steve Mnuchin’s OneWest bank to get away with foreclosing on tens of thousands of state homeowners, but then tried to bury the evidence. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 10/22/19

Trump rewrites Delta rules to pump more California water to Valley. Will Newsom fight him? -- President Donald Trump’s administration rolled out an aggressive plan Tuesday to ship more water from the Delta to farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, a move that’s certain to trigger lawsuits by environmentalists concerned about endangered fish species. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ Lauren Sommer KQED Coral Davenport in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/19

Trump Floats Mulvaney Replacements Including Mnuchin and Conway -- About a month ago, Trump said to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in front of a roomful of staff: You have such great ideas, why don’t you be my chief? He has made similar remarks about Chris Liddell, a deputy chief of staff at the White House, according to people familiar with the matter. He’s also asked advisers whether his counselor Kellyanne Conway would be a good chief of staff, other people said. Saleha Mohsin and Jennifer Jacobs Bloomberg -- 10/22/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

California independents can cast ballots for Democrats — but not Trump — in March primary -- California voters who are unaffiliated with a political party will be able to participate in the Democratic presidential primary next year, but they will be prohibited from casting ballots for President Trump or any possible Republican challenger, according to information released Monday by state elections officials. Those rules are made by the individual political parties, not the state. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 10/22/19

California’s sky-high gas prices: Newsom seeks probe of ‘mystery surcharge’ -- Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the California attorney general’s office Monday to investigate whether a “mystery surcharge” on gasoline prices in the state was caused by oil companies “misleading and overcharging” their customers. “There is no identifiable evidence to justify these premium prices,” Newsom wrote in a letter to Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ Adam Beam Associated Press -- 10/22/19

‘Blatantly racist’ billboard attacking SF Mayor London Breed slammed by local leaders -- A group of elected San Francisco leaders rallied Monday to protest a billboard they say is racist and unfairly attacks Mayor London Breed. Michael Cabanatuan and Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Republican effort to censure Adam Schiff halted -- House Republicans tried to force a vote Monday evening to censure House Intelligence Chairman Adam B. Schiff, accusing the California Democrat of purposely misleading the public in his comments on the Intelligence Committee’s interactions with a whistleblower whose complaint sparked the impeachment inquiry. Katherine Tully-McManus Roll Call -- 10/22/19

Gov. Newsom the moderate? On this spectrum, almost every Democratic legislator is further left -- Based on an analysis of the 1,042 bills that the governor signed or vetoed this year, Gavin Newsom is more moderate than all but a few Democratic legislators. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 10/22/19

Ruth Bader Ginsburg reassures fans she’s doing ‘very well’ at UC Berkeley talk -- Two months after being treated for cancer, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was met with rapturous applause when she assured a UC Berkeley audience Monday that she was feeling “very well.” Ginsburg, who carried an “I Dissent” tote bag onstage for a talk at the university’s law school, regaled attendees with memories about her life and legal career. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/19

PG&E 

PG&E prepares for another power outage -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials started notifying 201,000 customer accounts across 16 counties Monday that their power may be preemptively shut off in the middle of the week, as they monitored dangerous weather conditions two weeks after an unprecedented series of intentional blackouts left 2 million people across the state without power. In the Bay Area, the counties on the list were San Mateo, Napa and Sonoma. Michael Cabanatuan, Anna Bauman and Alejandro Serrano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Fry, James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ Chris Hagan Capital Public Radio Don Clyde KQED Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ Dale Kasler and Mack Ervin III in the Sacramento Bee$ Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 10/22/19

Are you on PG&E’s power outage list? These cities can go dark starting Wednesday -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. says 16 counties could be impacted by the next round of power outages, starting Wednesday. The list includes the total number of customer accounts in each county, the cities that could go dark in each county, and the number of “medical baseline” accounts in each county. The “medical baseline” number represents customer accounts where people rely on electric-powered medical equipment. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Bay Area Outage Map -- Explore this map to see current PG&E outages. Enter your address below to see if your house is in a known or planned outage zone.. via the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Sonoma hotels, restaurants lost thousands of dollars in last PG&E outage -- Sonoma County tourist businesses lost customers and revenue both during and after the massive PG&E electric outages, according to a survey by the county’s tourism agency. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Frustrated with PG&E, San Jose proposes forming own utility -- Frustrated with PG&E’s outages, San Jose is considering splitting off from the troubled company and forming its own electric utility — something San Francisco has already proposed. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has heatedly criticized the utility for the outage that affected 60,000 of his city’s residents, and he’s looking at a broad slate of alternatives. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

‘Extremely dangerous’: Cell outages during PG&E shut-offs point to problems -- Residents using all the major carriers — T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon — from Sonoma to Oakland and Orinda to Sky Londa reported that they lost service during PG&E’s power outages last week. Research group OpenSignal said more than 90% of subscribers to those big carriers stayed connected to high-speed cell networks in urban areas, although rural areas may have fared worse. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Wildfire  

Fire on Little Mountain in San Bernardino County burns homes, threatens others -- A brush fire on Little Mountain in San Bernardino County spread rapidly Monday night, burning 20 acres and damaging at least three homes, fire officials said. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

An $8 million question: Why didn’t Anaheim collect its opt-out fee from Angels? -- The deadline was Oct. 16, 2018. If the Angels did not opt out of their Angel Stadium lease by then, they would be bound to it through 2029. On deadline day, the Angels announced they had opted out. Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

House panel to vet minority contracting program after Times investigation into ‘Cherokee’ claims -- Eyeing stricter controls in the federal government’s minority contracting program, a House oversight panel on Tuesday is expected to address the findings of a Times investigation that showed that companies received more than $300 million in taxpayer-funded contracts based on unverified claims that their owners were Native American. Paul Pringle, Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

Transit  

Panhandling ban gets nod from BART lawyers, but debate rages among directors -- A ban on panhandling in BART trains wouldn’t violate the First Amendment, the agency’s staff said in a new legal analysis that rattled an already tense debate among board directors. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Nationwide transit ridership is plummeting: Can San Diego’s high-speed rail proposal buck the trend? -- Elected officials are preparing to ask San Diegans to approve not one but two tax increases to fund billions of dollars in bus and rail investments, including a San Diego Grand Central Station to connect riders to the airport. The ask comes at a time when many cities around the country — from Atlanta to Houston to Los Angeles — have invested heavily in public transit only to lose riders. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/22/19

Housing  

Newsom says he’s done a good job fixing California’s housing crisis. Facts say otherwise -- While Newsom can point to some successes — notably a new statewide cap preventing large rent increases — there are few signs the state is making the kind of progress Newsom had hoped for in addressing its housing issues, and homelessness is now an even more pressing problem than when he took office. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

Q&A: Gov. Newsom claims success in first year of addressing California’s housing crisis -- Nearly one in five Californians live in poverty — the highest rate in the nation — when factoring in the cost of housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom has made addressing the state’s housing affordability crisis central to his platform as governor. Interviewed for a story on his promises and accomplishments on housing after the state Legislature adjourned for the year, this is what he told The Times. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

Education 

Ex-Silicon Valley venture capitalist, wife plead guilty in admissions scandal -- The former head of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm and his wife pleaded guilty Monday to their role in the sweeping college admissions scandal, admitting to shelling out $450,000 for cheating on their daughters’ entrance exams and a phony recruitment to the Georgetown University tennis team. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

California community college district works to fend off state takeover -- Facing the threat of a state takeover, a major California community college district is under pressure to resolve wide-ranging financial issues. Michael Burke EdSource -- 10/22/19

Immigration / Border 

Asylum-seekers in Mexico expected to double by end of 2019 amid Trump administration immigration crackdown -- The number of people requesting asylum in Mexico has increased by about 53 percent amid the Trump administration’s effort to push Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to accept more migrants, most of whom come from Central American countries. Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/22/19

Health 

Yet another SF home for mentally ill set to close amid treatment bed crisis -- Yet another board-and-care facility in San Francisco — this one in the Mission and home to 26 formerly homeless and mentally ill people — plans to shut its doors, The Chronicle has learned. The facility, called South Van Ness Manor, is the latest board-and-care to shutter in San Francisco, despite new policies meant to preserve them. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/19

Environment 

Nasty letters. Funding threats. Here’s why California’s clean air fight with the feds matters -- California's latest clean air fight with Trump's EPA is about more than backlogged paperwork — but it likely won't hurt the state's federal transportation funding anytime soon. Rachel Becker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/19

Also . . . 

Northern California Tribe Regains Island It Calls Center of Universe -- Indian Island off the coast of Northern California was the site of a massacre, a place that was contaminated by a shipyard and flush with invasive species. It's also the spiritual and physical center of the universe for the small Wiyot Tribe, and it now belongs to them almost entirely after the city of Eureka deeded all the land it owns on the island to the tribe during a packed signing ceremony Monday. Felicia Fonseca Associated Press -- 10/22/19

POTUS 45  

For Trump the Dealmaker, Troop Pullouts Without Much in Return -- The Taliban have wanted the United States to pull troops out of Afghanistan, Turkey has wanted the Americans out of northern Syria and North Korea has wanted them to at least stop military exercises with South Korea. President Trump has now to some extent at least obliged all three — but without getting much of anything in return. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/19

‘Get tougher’: Trump slams Democrats and chides Republicans as allies criticize his erratic impeachment response -- President Trump lashed out against the impeachment process during a raucous Cabinet meeting Monday, turning the White House gathering into a Trump-run war room as he continues to unnerve many of his Republican allies by insisting on a personal and largely uncoordinated response to his mounting challenges. Toluse Olorunnipa and Robert Costa in the Washington Post$ -- 10/22/19

Beltway 

Facebook takedowns show new Russian activity targeted Biden, praised Trump -- Facebook on Monday said it removed a network of Russian-backed accounts that posed as locals weighing in on political issues in swing states, praising President Trump and attacking former vice president Joe Biden — illustrating that the familiar threat of Russian interference looms over the next U.S. presidential race. Tony Romm and Isaac Stanley-Becker in the Washington Post$ -- 10/22/19

 

-- Monday Updates 

Power outages possible in North Bay as warm, dry winds raise fire danger -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials weren’t ready to call for power shut-offs Monday morning, but they’re watching weather conditions and advising customers in parts of four North Bay counties and 13 others that electricity could be cut Wednesday or Thursday. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ Thy Vo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/21/19

Brush fire in Pacific Palisades threatens homes as residents flee -- Firefighters were battling a fast-moving brush fire that has grown to 30 acres and was threatening homes in Pacific Palisades, officials said. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/21/19

San Jose to Propose Turning PG&E Into Giant Customer-Owned Utility -- San Jose, California’s third-biggest city, is proposing to convert PG&E Corp. into the country’s largest customer-owned utility, its mayor told The Wall Street Journal on Monday. Rebecca Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/21/19

A Year After Fire Destroyed Paradise, a Gutsy Group Fights to Rebuild -- Public schools Supt. Michelle John greeted a gym full of teachers for a kickoff breakfast a day before the start of the 2019-2020 school year. She spoke of loss, perseverance and duty. Erin Ailworth in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/21/19

Sports betting slow in coming to California: Here’s what it might look like -- A year and a half after a Supreme Court decision legalized sports betting across the country, California so far stands pat — not yet letting state residents get in on the action and leaving potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue on the table. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/21/19

George Gascón was a progressive DA in progressive San Francisco. Why did he make so many enemies? -- George Gascón was a progressive district attorney in a progressive city, driving changes that favored rehabilitation over punishment for criminal offenders. As a former police chief, he had experience running a big law enforcement organization. And when he was appointed nearly nine years ago, he enjoyed the support of the mayor, Gavin Newsom, who tapped him to replace Kamala Harris. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/21/19

‘Blatantly racist’ billboard attacking SF Mayor London Breed slammed by local leaders -- Ellen Lee Zhou, a self-described conservative who’s a member of the National Rifle Association and a city social worker, paid for the billboard as part of her mayoral campaign. She’s defended the billboard as fair political speech, according to media reports. Michael Cabanatuan and Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/21/19

How affordable housing activists are trying to thwart cutthroat real estate capitalism -- Oliver Burke could have joined his Silicon Valley counterparts who cashed in precious stock options and pumped their newfound riches into start-up businesses, bigger houses and fancier cars. Instead, he looked at the wreckage just beyond the glistening tech world — the tent cities beside seemingly every freeway onramp, the destitute neighborhoods — and decided to take a different path. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/21/19

They paid $800 a month to live without water or power in an abandoned L.A. church -- The illegally converted church in South Los Angeles had no gas, water or electricity when Amelda Glaspie moved in. She and about 40 other tenants shared two kitchens, where roaches crawled among the dirty dishes and rotten food left in half a dozen refrigerators. Every day, Glaspie said, residents carted water from a nearby building in buckets to flush the toilets. Giulia MCDonnell Nieto Del Rio, Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/21/19

Atherton mom who ‘gloated’ with daughter over SAT cheating to plead guilty -- An Atherton mother and financier’s wife said to have gloated with her daughter over SAT cheating has agreed to plead guilty today in the nationwide college admissions scandal, prosecutors said Monday. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/21/19

Levi’s Stadium: SF 49ers season tickets include unlimited food and drink -- A new member-inclusive menu featuring more than 15 of the most popular concessions items is being introduced at Levi’s Stadium for the San Francisco 49ers’ 2020 season. Season tickets will increase an average of $20 per ticket and will include unlimited beef and vegan hot dogs, sausages, garlic fries, pretzels, Pepsi soft drinks, Peet’s coffee, bottled water and more. Jessica Yadegaran in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/21/19

Goal! Sacramento is officially a Major League Soccer city -- Standing before a jammed shoulder-to-shoulder crowd in a banner-festooned downtown hall, a smiling MLS Commissioner Don Garber formally announced that a Sacramento investor group headed by business magnate Ron Burkle has been awarded the 29th and perhaps second-to-last franchise in the nation’s top professional soccer league. Tony Bizjak and Marcos Breton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/21/19

How Sacramento failed to monitor its cannabis storefronts, as the FBI steps in -- Sacramento’s legal marijuana business began as a loose-knit group of independently managed, nonprofit collectives dedicated to dispensing cannabis to patients with medical needs. Sacramento had a green future. Theresa Clift, Ryan Sabalow, and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/21/19

As waters rise, so do concerns for sports teams along coast -- The infield is made of asphalt right now. So are the dugouts, the outfield and the stands. Someday this might be home to a baseball stadium, but today Howard Terminal is little more than a parking lot for 16-wheelers, populated by far more sea gulls than baseball fans. Rick Maese in the Washington Post$ -- 10/21/19

Fox: A Lesson in Real World Politics -- I guess I have to thank Attorney General Xavier Becerra and his office for providing a great example to support a lesson I teach my public policy classes—you must understand and deal with the politics surrounding any attempted policy change. In the case of the new title affixed to the recently filed split roll tax increase initiative, politics was in the mix to help the special interests and public unions advocating for the measure to get a step ahead. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/21/19