Aaron Read
Edsource.org
Olson Hagel
Capitol Weekly
CA Leg Analyst
Cal FPPC
Maplight.org
 
 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

CBP agents wrote fake court dates on paperwork to send migrants back to Mexico, records show -- Asylum seekers who have finished their court cases are being sent back to Mexico with documents that contain fraudulent future court dates, keeping some migrants south of the border indefinitely, records show. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/9/19

Newsom outlines investment plan for San Joaquin Valley -- "My commitment to you is to make it real," the governor said. He also announced $23 million in philanthropic investment for inland California nonprofits. Manuela Tobias Calmatters -- 11/9/19

PG&E renews push to avoid strict liability for 2017, 2018 fires -- One year after a high-voltage Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power line malfunctioned in Butte County and started California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire, survivors of the disaster still don’t know exactly how much they will be paid by the embattled utility. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/19

PG&E Bankruptcy Protections Could Mean Less Money for Wildfire Victims -- As many as 100,000 California residents who lost property, jobs and loved ones in fires linked to PG&E Corp. will get their day in court. It will be in bankruptcy court, where rules shield the utility giant from potentially crippling jury payouts. Peg Brickley and Gretchen Morgenson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/9/19

PG&E Plan to Pay Insurance Claims in Cash Hurts Bankruptcy Talks -- An $11 billion settlement of insurance claims tied to PG&E Corp. ’s alleged responsibility for California wildfires is emerging as an impediment to a potentially broader deal to end the utility’s bankruptcy, according to people familiar with the matter. Andrew Scurria, Peg Brickley and Erin Ailworth in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/9/19

Blackouts, Fires, High Gas Prices: Who Wants to Live in California Today? -- On the fourth morning without power, Carolyn Summers lay as still as possible in bed, trying to delay the moment when she ran out of oxygen. Her power generator, which she had hoped would run her oxygen compressor, wouldn’t start. The local hospital said it couldn’t give her an extra tank. Ian Lovett in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/9/19

With Blackouts, California's Electric Car Owners Are Finding New Ways To Charge Up -- Lawrence Levee's evacuation call came at 4 a.m. The Getty fire was just a few miles away. He and all of his Mandeville Canyon neighbors needed to evacuate. Vanessa Romo NPR -- 11/9/19

Paradise Drug, an old-time pharmacy, held on after the Camp Fire, until now -- Amber Denna was trapped in her car, cranking up the air conditioner as the flames leaped higher on each side of the road, when a nearby shop exploded, spitting fierce red embers onto the roof of Paradise Drug. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/19

Senior population deeply impacted after loss of Paradise -- An increase in seniors living in Chico means that, in the midst of a worsening housing crisis, those in need of assisted living face particularly low availability. A significant number of seniors who previously lived in Paradise had caregivers or did not live on their own — and wait lists have continued to grow since the fire. Natalie Hanson in the Chico Enterprise-Record -- 11/9/19

Canciamilla pocketed campaign funds for personal use -- Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa’s top election official who abruptly resigned last week, illegally spent $130,529 of campaign funds on a vacation in Asia, remodeling his Hawaii home and other personal expenses. When some of the spending was uncovered by state auditors, Canciamilla, a former state assemblyman, presented false information, including altered bank records, to fraudulently conceal additional violations of state campaign finance laws. Daniel Borenstein in the San Jose Mercury$ Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/9/19

Undersheriff ensnared in Santa Clara County concealed guns corruption probe -- A corruption investigation targeting the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office over a possible pay-to-play racket for concealed-handgun privileges now has reached the top tier of Sheriff Laurie Smith’s administration, with sources saying her second-in-command — Undersheriff Rick Sung — now is a subject of the wide-ranging probe into whether Smith rewarded political donors with the coveted permits. Robert Salonga, Thy Vo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/9/19

California DA race a major test for criminal justice reform movement -- Former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón’s decision to step aside, move south and challenge Los Angeles DA Jackie Lacey may have an outsized impact on the fast-changing U.S. criminal justice landscape. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 11/9/19

Judge allows international travel for Rep. Duncan Hunter ahead of criminal trial -- The lawmaker was not allowed to leave the country under terms of his release pending trial in January on a 60-count indictment related to alleged campaign finance violations. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/9/19

Immigrant Activism And The Legacy Of Proposition 187 -- Twenty-five years ago today, California voters passed Proposition 187, which barred people, in the state illegally, from receiving public benefits or attending public schools. While the proposition never took effect, it ushered in a generation of immigrant activists that has transformed the state. One of those is Itzel Maganda Chavez, who was born the same year Prop 187 was passed. Max Rivlin-Nadler KPBS -- 11/9/19

The Prop. 187 rebellion inside the L.A. Times newsroom -- It was one of the Los Angeles Times’ most controversial editorials. In the fall of 1994, California was being torn apart by Proposition 187, the ballot measure that would bar immigrants in California illegally from receiving many public services. The Times Editorial Board strongly opposed Prop. 187, calling it misguided and wrong. Shelby Grad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

Her baby was stillborn because of meth, police say. Now she’s charged with murder -- A Central California woman has been charged with murder after giving birth to a stillborn baby boy with toxic amounts of methamphetamine in his system, sparking concern among some who say that pregnant women are being prosecuted under laws that were never intended to apply to them. Chelsea Becker, 25, of Hanford, was arrested Wednesday and is being held at Kings County Jail, with bail set at $5 million. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Blood-from-the-young startup is back to juicing up the old despite FDA warning -- Despite a Food and Drug Administration warning that draining blood from young folk and infusing it into older people might be harmful, startup Ambrosia says it has resumed doing just that. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/9/19

A’s blindsided — again — by Oakland’s latest move: City seeks to extend ban on Coliseum land sale -- The city of Oakland is asking a judge to extend a temporary injunction that prevents Alameda County from selling its half of the Coliseum site to the Oakland A’s. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/9/19

Instacart shoppers say company retaliated for walk-off by cutting pay two days later -- A group of workers who shop and deliver for groceries-to-your-door giant Instacart say it retaliated with a country-wide pay cut two days after workers held a labor action over tips. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/9/19

Fed up with Forest Service cuts, Mammoth Lakes and other towns are plotting a recreation takeover -- Just west of this Sierra Nevada town, thousands of people trundle out to boulders as big as billboards, carrying climbing gear and foam pads to break their inevitable falls. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

As Kaiser Permanente faces another labor battle, critics question its mission -- Kaiser Permanente, which just narrowly averted one massive strike, is facing another one Monday. Anna Almendrala Kaiser Health News in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

Judge Says U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Paid Less Per Game Than Men -- The remarks Friday by Judge R. Gary Klausner, of the Central District of California, came in his 15-page decision granting class-action status to the high-profile case brought by the U.S. women’s team. The ruling means that the original case involving 28 players could expand to include a few dozen more. Rachel Bachman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/9/19

Wildfire  

Paradise rebuilds, but fire safety sometimes takes a back seat to economic realities -- The smoke has cleared and the bodies have been buried. Demolition crews have hauled off millions of tons of charred homes and cars from the red dirt lots that were once thick with ponderosa pines. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

Also . . . 

4 men held in El Dorado County deputy’s death face federal charges -- Christopher Garry Ross, 47, of Somerset; Juan Carlos Vasquez, 20, and Ramiro Bravo Morales, 22, both Mexican nationals; and Jorge Lamas, 25, of Yuba City, were charged with conspiracy to grow marijuana, and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

Police vest, loaded gun and a car with a light bar land Huntington Beach woman in jail -- A Huntington Beach woman went to great lengths to make herself look like a police officer, including wearing a tactical vest, driving a car with a light bar and carrying a loaded gun, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

POTUS 45  

Lawyer: Bolton has knowledge about Ukraine not yet public -- Former national security adviser John Bolton was “part of many relevant meetings and conversations” pertaining to the House impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump that are not yet public, his lawyer said Friday. Charles Cooper made the revelation in a letter that suggests Bolton will appear before Congress only if a judge orders him to do so. Eric Tucker Associated Press -- 11/9/19

Giuliani Associates Urged Ukraine’s Prior President to Open Biden, Election Probes -- Months before President Trump pressed Ukraine’s newly installed leader to investigate Joe Biden’s son and allegations of interference in the 2016 U.S. election, two associates of Rudy Giuliani urged the prior Ukrainian president to announce similar probes in exchange for a state visit to Washington, according to people familiar with the matter. Rebecca Ballhaus, Alan Cullison, Brett Forrest in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/9/19

Beltway 

What if the Road to Single-Payer Led Through the States? -- As presidential hopefuls campaign on a national “Medicare for all” system, a California congressman is pushing for a different path to universal coverage: letting the states go first. Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative, will introduce legislation Friday that lets states bundle all their health care spending — including Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act dollars and more — to fund a state-level single-payer system. Sarah Kliff in the New York Times$ -- 11/9/19

Democratic primary debate moves from UCLA to Loyola Marymount University -- The sixth Democratic presidential debate will take place at Loyola Marymount University on Dec. 19, organizers announced Friday after scrapping plans to hold it at UCLA because of a labor dispute. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/9/19

Democrats debate presidential field on news of Michael Bloomberg’s potential candidacy -- Even for a party accustomed to an anxious donor and political class — a group of second-guessers that Obama adviser David Plouffe famously called the “bed wetters” — billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s likely entry into the Democratic presidential primary has supercharged a debate over whether the party has the right candidates, whether the time for entries has passed, and whether yet other candidates could raise the mountain of cash needed for a credible campaign. Matt Viser, Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Annie Linskey and Michael Scherer in the Washington Post$ -- 11/9/19

Facebook and YouTube block spread of supposed whistleblower’s name and photo. Twitter allows both -- Twitter found itself isolated this week as other major social media platforms moved to block users from spreading the name of a CIA officer who conservatives contend filed the extraordinary whistleblower complaint against President Trump that triggered House impeachment hearings. Craig Timberg and Isaac Stanley-Becker in the Washington Post$ -- 11/9/19

Steve Bannon: Roger Stone was our unused WikiLeaks ‘access point’ -- Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign thought primarily of one person when it wanted to find out what was going on with WikiLeaks: Roger Stone. Darren Samuelsohn and Josh Gerstein Politico -- 11/9/19

 

-- Friday Updates 

Toxin identified in vaping illnesses, deaths. What is vitamin E acetate? -- Federal public health investigators on Friday announced a breakthrough in identifying the cause of an outbreak of lung disease associated with vaping that has sickened more than 2,000 people and killed 39 in the United States this year. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/8/19

A year after deadly fire, Paradise pauses to remember -- One year after the most devastating wildfire in California history mostly destroyed the town, local officials asked people to pause for 85 seconds beginning at 11:08 a.m. — one second for every person who was killed. Hundreds of people packed the parking lot of a former bank building on Friday to stop and remember. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 11/8/19

A Name Lost in Flames -- Did the last remaining unidentified victim of last year’s Camp Fire die a hero? Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/8/19

A year after Paradise fire, California lawmakers hope to keep history from repeating -- A year ago, Billie and Scott Salsbury were stuck in their car, unable to move on a road surrounded by flames. “All we could hear is explosions around us,” Scott Salsbury said, describing the panic and anxiety his family experienced as they evacuated the town of Paradise during the Camp fire last November. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/8/19

Berkeley may remove criminal checks in housing applications, angering landlords -- Lee “Taqwaa” Bonner spent 35 years in California state prison. When he was paroled three years ago, Bonner had few options for a place to live. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/8/19

Will Paradise be rebuilt without its largest low-income housing complex? -- An obscure federal rule could keep more than 80 low-income residents from moving back to the town destroyed by the deadliest wildfire in state history. Matt Levin Calmatters -- 11/8/19

H-1B spouses’ H-4 work authorization means more job competition for U.S. workers: judges -- A group of technology workers, allegedly laid off and replaced by foreign citizens on the controversial H-1B visa, scored a major victory Friday in a lawsuit that seeks to scrap a rule granting employment to spouses of H-1B workers. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/8/19

Prop. 187 flopped, but it taught the nation’s top immigration-control group how to win -- On Oct. 1, 1981, just a week after becoming deputy commissioner for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Alan C. Nelson had lunch with the intellectual godfather and fundraiser for America’s modern-day anti-immigration movement. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/8/19

California’s housing market is in crisis. Will Apple’s $2.5 billion help? -- Over the past year, Apple has faced criticism over its apparent refusal to take a stand against the Bay Area’s crippling housing crisis. But all the while, the iPhone maker held a closely-guarded secret: Behind closed doors, Apple was, in fact, talking about housing — first internally and then with the governor’s office and local organizations. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/8/19

Former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck named interim top cop in Chicago -- Beck, who retired from the LAPD last year after a career that spanned four decades, will oversee the Chicago Police Department as the city continues searching for a permanent leader. Beck, 66, will oversee about 4,000 more officers in Chicago than he led in Los Angeles. Hannah Fry, Mark Puente in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/8/19

Quinn: How The 2019 Elections Help Pelosi And Schiff With Impeachment -- An obscure race for governor of Kentucky has Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff breathing a lot easier. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 11/8/19

Fox: UCLA and Presidential Debates: Win Some, Lose Some -- I find it ironic that UCLA lost a major presidential debate because of a labor controversy when UCLA was once the beneficiary of hosting a presidential debate after a different kind of dispute moved the second 1988 presidential debate to UCLA from its original venue. In the 1988, Vice-President George H. W. Bush, the Republican nominee squared off against Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, the Democratic nominee at UCLA’s basketball arena, Pauley Pavilion. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/8/19