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Pork industry sues over California law on animal confinement -- The pork industry is challenging the constitutionality of a voter-approved California measure that will prohibit the sale of meat products from hogs born to sows confined in spaces that don’t meet new minimum size requirements. John Antczak Associated Press -- 12/6/19
Musk did not defame cave diver with ‘pedo guy’ tweet, jury finds -- Elon Musk will not be liable for defamation for calling a British cave rescuer a “pedo guy,” a federal jury in Los Angeles decided Friday. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Rep. Duncan Hunter announces he’ll resign from Congress after the holidays -- Days after Rep. Duncan Hunter pleaded guilty to a federal felony related to a years-long campaign finance scandal, he has finally stated explicitly that he will resign from his congressional seat before the end of his term. Charles T. Clark in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Hit by fires and droughts, California voters call climate change their top priority -- Pummeled by fires, drought and floods, California’s Democratic primary voters put fighting climate change at the top of their list of issues for the next president to tackle. Nearly half of likely Democratic primary voters call the issue the No. 1 priority for the next president, according to a new statewide poll conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies for the Los Angeles Times. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Heavy trucks are among California’s biggest polluters. Can the state make them go electric? -- The black dust that caked Margaret Gordon’s Venetian blinds was the first bad omen. Her West Oakland neighborhood, criss-crossed by freeways and nestled close to a busy port, was gradually poisoning her lungs, she says. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
500 homeless families go to head of line for L.A. housing vouchers -- Five hundred families with school-age children will go to the head of the line for housing vouchers under a new program announced this week by Los Angeles city and school officials. The effort is no panacea — given estimates of more than 17,000 students with unstable housing — but could be life-changing for families that benefit. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Recession fears are real in California and nation in 2020, key economic report says -- Authors of the UCLA Anderson Report put it this way: The state economy is slowing, but it is slowing less than analyses indicated three months ago. And, California appears to be doing better economically that the nation as a whole, which is seeing a slightly more noticeable economic slowdown heading into 2020. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/19
Uber loses $1.4 billion in value after reporting thousands of sexual assaults in its rides -- Uber’s stock market value fell by $1.4 billion Friday as investors turned against the ride-hailing giant after it said more than 3,000 sexual assaults took place during its rides in 2018. Rex Crum in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/6/19
Gun control isn’t stopping Californians from owning firearms, new study says -- California may have some of the nation’s most restrictive gun control laws, from bans on assault rifle sales to mandatory background checks for ammunition sales, but that isn’t stopping Golden State residents from buying firearms. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/19
Fox: Reasons Split Roll Survives, Other Tax Initiative Doesn’t. It Wasn’t About Schools -- News that the California School Boards Association pulled back their tax increase initiative leaves only one high profile measure destined for the California November ballot that will, in part, fund schools. The proposal to split the property tax roll so that most commercial property pays more in taxes will be the focus of the school and tax raising interests. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 12/6/19
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Issa says Trump clemency for Hunter could save imprisonment costs -- On the day Rep. Duncan Hunter pleaded guilty to misuse of campaign funds in federal court, a GOP stalwart seeking Hunter’s congressional seat in the most respectful way was publicly discussing a possibility that had previously only been “what-if” chatter among people following the case. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/6/19
House Ethics Committee warns Hunter to refrain from voting in light of guilty plea -- The committee’s letter to Hunter said he violated House rules when he cast votes Wednesday, after pleading guilty Tuesday to a federal felony that could carry a significant prison sentence. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/6/19
Another California Republican defection: Former party leader bails on the GOP -- Assemblyman Chad Mayes is the latest California politician to abandon the Republican Party in what’s become a trend among moderates during Donald Trump's presidency. Laurel Rosenhall Calmatters Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 12/6/19
California GOP vows to field Mayes challenger — and win -- Just as Assemblyman Chad Mayes’ decision to vote with Democrats in 2017 cost him his caucus leadership post, his move today to abandon the GOP cost him the Republican Party endorsement — and party officials signaled they would back a challenger. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 12/6/19
California government failed residents trapped by wildfires, auditor says -- California’s auditor slammed state and county emergency management officials Thursday for inadequate disaster and evacuation planning, and called for changes in state law to protect vulnerable residents, after a series of fast-moving wildfires left many people trapped on clogged roadways with little time to escape. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/19
Gentrification watchdog accused of violations in multimillion dollar SF home flip -- San Francisco Planning Commissioner Dennis Richards, who has made a name for himself as a watchdog of building code scofflaws and a crusader against of gentrifying speculators, finds himself in an uncomfortable position these days. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
California utility regulator led firm building power plant — and says bosses OK’d it -- For much of the past three years, a lawyer for the California Public Utilities Commission has led a company that’s trying to build a hydroelectric plant that would piggyback on facilities owned and operated by PG&E Corp. — a development that some government ethics experts believe could constitute a conflict of interest. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/19
Hawaiian Gardens casino to pay California $3.15 million, admits misleading regulators -- The Gardens Casino, a card room that underpins the one-square-mile city of Hawaiian Gardens, has agreed to pay $3.15 million to settle allegations brought by the California attorney general’s office that the casino’s operators made no mention of a federal probe and resultant $2.8-million penalty when applying to renew its license. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 12/6/19
Ex-sergeant alleges dozens of internal affairs complaints were buried by OC Sheriff’s Department without investigation -- A retired Orange County sheriff’s sergeant testified in a confidential personnel hearing that dozens of complaints against sheriff’s employees — some alleging criminal activity – have sat gathering dust in internal affairs, some of them intentionally buried to protect favored deputies. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 12/6/19
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
SF approves plan to convert two Nordstrom floors to office space at Westfield San Francisco Centre -- The shift comes as the demand for office space increases in San Francisco amid scant offerings. Most old and new office buildings have filled up with tech tenants and new office construction is curbed by the city’s Proposition M, a 1986 law which limits the amount of office space that can be approved each year. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
Airbnb: Misbehaving guests, open-invite parties to be banned -- Airbnb announced Thursday new measures to clamp down on bad guest behavior, expanding restrictions it placed on rentals after shootings at a Halloween party at an Orinda house rented through Airbnb left five dead. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
Is Sacramento’s new economy recession-proof? These are the jobs driving the region’s boom -- State government remains a mainstay employer, and government in all forms — including federal, local and schools — accounts for 23 percent of the region’s workforce, more than any other sector of the economy. But other industries are emerging as major drivers of the economy: Health care, in particular, which surpassed the state as an employment source in 2003, not counting higher education, is threatening to leave everyone in the dust. Dale Kasler, Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/19
Transit
Los Angeles County will study toll lanes on the 405 Freeway -- Los Angeles County transportation officials will study whether drivers who are alone in their cars and are willing to pay a toll should have access to the 405 Freeway’s carpool lane through the Sepulveda Pass. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Homeless
Marin makes progress in permanent housing for homeless, but shelters come up short -- With nasty weather finally pounding the Bay Area, all of the counties have opened up extra winter shelter beds — except for Marin County. The recent storms haven’t been cold or wet enough to meet the county’s standards for adding shelter space, but tell that to homeless folks shivering on the sidewalks of San Rafael. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
L.A. wins legal battle over laws meant to ease the way for homeless housing -- Los Angeles city officials won a key battle Thursday over a pair of local laws meant to ease the way for more housing for homeless people, defeating a challenge from a Venice group that sought to overturn the ordinances. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Gavin Newsom’s 100-day homeless challenge will give cities a chance at more housing money -- California cities and counties will have a shot at more housing money if they meet goals designed to help homeless people off the streets through a “100-day challenge” Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. Sophia Bollag and Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/6/19
Supreme Court confronts homeless crisis and whether there’s a right to sleep on the sidewalk -- The justices are weighing an appeal of a much-disputed ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that held last year that it was cruel and unusual punishment to enforce criminal laws against homeless people who are living on the street if a city doesn’t offer enough shelters as an alternative. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Housing
Rent control may be back on California ballot in 2020 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit that sponsored the unsuccessful 2018 initiative, submitted nearly a million signatures Thursday to put a similar measure on the ballot in November 2020. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael R. Blood Associated Press Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/6/19
Education
Will fires, outages land California students in ‘disaster relief’ summer school? -- Reeling from a fire-ravaged autumn in which “disaster days” have already cost some 800,000 students days and even weeks of instruction, California educators are asking the state to address one of the most sweeping consequences of climate-fueled wildfire: the now-annual mass emergency closures of schools. Ricardo Cano Calmatters -- 12/6/19
Former UCLA Health gynecologist’s behavior with patient constituted sexual assault, report finds -- The behavior of a prominent UCLA Health gynecologist during an exam with a married mother of four amounted to sexual assault and harassment, according to an investigative report by the university made public Thursday. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Disconnected: Internet stops once school ends for many rural California students -- Walk into any classroom in Alpaugh Unified and you will see teaching and learning using the latest technology. Students collaborate on digital documents, give presentations on interactive whiteboards, conduct research and even apply to colleges on Chromebooks. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 12/6/19
Cannabis
Union Square retailers fight to bar cannabis dispensary from ‘luxury zone’ -- Alexis Bronson is having some serious trouble with his neighbors — and he hasn’t even moved in yet. Since the spring of 2018, Bronson and his business partners have been working to transform a vacant storefront at 152 Geary St. in the heart of San Francisco’s posh Union Square into a high-end cannabis store. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
Health
Novato child dies from E. coli infection -- The case does not appear to be related to an ongoing national E. coli outbreak involving romaine lettuce from Salinas, said Marin County public health officer Matthew Willis. That outbreak has sickened more than 100 people in 23 states, and no deaths have been reported. E. coli infections are not uncommon, but deaths are rare. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
Environment
Battle lines are drawn over oil drilling in California -- California is clamping down on oil exploration. Washington is expediting it on nearly 2 million acres of federal land here. How will this schism play out? Julie Cart Calmatters -- 12/6/19
Thanksgiving-week storm created a record 75-foot wave off California coast -- The Thanksgiving-week “bomb cyclone” storm that drenched California not only set a record for the lowest pressure recorded in the state, but also generated a 75-foot wave off Cape Mendocino. Paul Duginski in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Also . . .
LAPD chief ‘disgusted’ by allegations officer fondled dead woman’s breasts -- Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said he was “disgusted” by allegations that an officer fondled a dead woman’s breasts and added that criminal charges are possible. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
Jury awards $21.5 million to motorcyclist in 405 Freeway crash -- Nearly two years after a motorcyclist was struck by a car and hurled onto the 405 Freeway in Westminster, a jury on Tuesday awarded him $21.5 million for his injuries. A lawsuit filed in March 2018 against the driver of a Kia Optima and his employer, an Irvine car dealership, detailed injuries Matthew Rada suffered in a crash the month before. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/6/19
POTUS 45
'No choice': Pelosi proceeds with articles of impeachment -- The speaker said investigators have uncovered more than sufficient evidence to show that Trump abused his office. Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris Politico -- 12/6/19
Phone logs in impeachment report renew concern about security of Trump communications -- President Trump has routinely communicated with his personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and other individuals speaking on cellphones vulnerable to monitoring by Russian and other foreign intelligence services, current and former U.S. officials said. Paul Sonne, Josh Dawsey, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller in the Washington Post$ -- 12/6/19
Unruly, pouty and boastful: A field guide for Trump’s journeys abroad -- President Trump often ends his foreign jaunts with a grand flourish: a solo news conference where he plays the flamboyant diplomat, riffing on the trip, establishing dominance — and, most important, offering his final version of reality before blowing out of town. Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker and Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 12/6/19
Beltway
Julián Castro warns all-white Democratic lineup would be ‘deflating’ -- Latinos are likely to be the largest racial or ethnic group eligible to vote in the 2020 presidential election. It will be the first time that’s happened in U.S. history. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/6/19
-- Thursday Updates
California bans insurers from pulling policies in fire-ravaged areas -- State regulators on Thursday pulled the emergency brake on insurers fleeing California’s fire zones. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced a one-year moratorium banning insurers from not renewing policies for homeowners in wildfire-ravaged areas of the state. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/5/19
Warren and Biden lose ground, Sanders moves ahead in California’s shifting 2020 Democratic race -- The Democratic presidential contest in California remains extremely fluid — but not enough, at least so far, to provide an opening for Michael Bloomberg, who entered the race two weeks ago and was banking on winning big in the delegate-rich state, a new poll for the Los Angeles Times has found. Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/5/19
Kamala Harris leaves a void in California and rivals rush in -- Before California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon even knew that Kamala Harris, his preferred candidate, had backed out of the presidential race, his phone was buzzing with a surrogate from one of her rivals to gauge his interest in endorsing. By day’s end, he’d heard from three other campaigns. Melanie Mason, Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/5/19
San Jose mayor announces growing support for customer takeover of PG&E -- The legion of elected officials supporting a plan to turn beleaguered PG&E into a customer-owned cooperative has grown five-fold with representatives from 58 cities and 10 counties now pledging support, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced Thursday. Maggie Angst, John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/5/19
Bay Area home prices fall, hint toward market correction -- Fewer houses for sale, less buying and another monthly dip in prices could be bringing a modest correction to the sky-high Bay Area housing market. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/5/19
California’s economy will grow faster than the nation’s, UCLA forecast predicts -- California’s economic growth will slow next year, but it is likely to outshine that of the nation overall, as Golden State employers boost payrolls, according to a new UCLA Anderson School forecast. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/5/19
Transbay transit center needs sexier name to finish Phase 2, experts say -- The spiffy new Transbay transit center will have to add Caltrain and high-speed-rail service to become more than a $2.2 billion bus terminal, but transportation officials believe new leadership is needed — along with a sexy new name and image — to win funding and complete construction of the San Francisco transit hub’s second phase. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/5/19
Broad Center to move from L.A. to Yale along with $100-million endowment -- The Broad Center, which has attracted praise and suspicion for its training of school district leaders, will move from Los Angeles to Yale University, along with a $100-million endowment provided by founder Eli Broad, the center announced Thursday. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/5/19
Oakland proposes crackdown on homeless campers in parks and on sidewalks -- Oakland officials want to stop homeless people from camping overnight in parks and plazas and on sidewalks, proposing a pilot program that would bring the city in line with its neighbors but is drawing rebukes from homeless advocates. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/5/19
Former legislator Terry Goggin pleads guilty to money laundering -- Former state Assemblyman Terry Goggin has pleaded guilty to laundering money that he told investors he would use to expand a chain of coffee shops at BART stations. Goggin, a Democrat who represented San Bernardino, was a legislator from 1974 until 1984, when he was defeated for re-election. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/5/19
Fox: Garcetti Blinks at Worker Benefit Reform -- It appears Los Angeles taxpayers will continue paying for their health care and someone else’s—that of city workers. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 12/5/19