Updating . .   

Terrorists could make a ‘dirty bomb’ from this common medical device; why regulators won’t act -- Scientific experts warned Congress more than a decade ago that just four teaspoons of radioactive cesium-137 — if spread by a terrorist’s “dirty bomb” — could contaminate up to 10 square miles of Manhattan. The material is commonly found across the United States. Hospitals, blood banks and medical research centers use it in devices called irradiators, which sterilize blood and tissue. Hundreds of the devices are licensed for use, including at least 50 in Southern California. David Willman and Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

Travel delays: I-15 to Vegas, I-5’s Grapevine reopen after drivers stranded in snow for hours -- A strong winter storm that barreled into Southern California on Christmas Day and spent the night, dumping rain and blanketing the mountains with heavy snow, continued to cause travel delays Friday. Interstate 5 at the Grapevine, which authorities shut down amid heavy snowfall late Wednesday, reopened Friday morning after a roughly 36-hour closure. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

Can the Mission scale back gentrification with influx of affordable homes? -- Over the past few years, San Francisco’s Mission District has gone from laggard to leader when it comes to building affordable housing. After a decade in which the Mission did not produce a single unit of affordable housing, the neighborhood skyline is dotted with construction cranes. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/27/19

L.A. rent rose 65% over the last decade, study shows -- On Jan. 1, a sweeping rent control bill will take effect in California, capping yearly rent increases at 5% plus inflation and requiring just cause for eviction. But after the last decade for L.A. renters, the new protections appear akin to putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, according to a new study from listing service RentCafe. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

Is there a way to predict who will become homeless? These UCLA researchers say yes -- With the ranks of homeless people growing faster than housing is being built, one of the most popular strategies for reducing homelessness has become to simply keep people in their homes. In theory, a small infusion of cash, counseling or legal aid could be the difference that prevents someone from ending up on the street. But reality isn’t so simple. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

Could Tahoe’s next ski resort be private? -- White Wolf ski village would be a gated community for skiers and a whole new addition to Lake Tahoe’s ski industry. But will it ever get built? Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/27/19

Granny flats and converted garages are going upscale -- Time was, accessory dwelling units in California were often just slapdash drywall jobs, turning drafty garages into passable but unpermitted guesthouses and granny flats. Now, with state regulations evolving over the past three years to allow and even encourage ADUs, once outlawed in-law suites have not only gone legit, they’re taking a design-forward, upscale turn. Arielle Paul in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

Food manufacturers find a home in San Leandro -- As 2020 approached, Torani CEO Melanie Dulbecco realized she needed to move her company out of its South San Francisco plant. “We were totally out of space and our leases were going to more than double next year,” Dulbecco said. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/27/19

As rents soar, more small businesses turn to loan program to buy property -- Facing soaring rents and property prices, hundreds of small businesses across the Bay Area have turned to a federal loan program in the last few years to keep a foothold in one of the nation’s most expensive real estate markets. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/27/19

End of the Decade: Southern California was again at the forefront of change, and not all of it was bad -- For all its allure as the land of opportunity over more than a century, there are troubling signs today that stem from Southern California’s high cost of living and soaring housing costs. More residents are leaving than new transplants arriving from other states. Businesses, too, are fleeing to other states in disturbing numbers. Frank Suraci in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 12/27/19

‘Candy Land for sheriffs:’ How California counties spend cash meant to fix jails -- Two summers ago, the board of supervisors in Contra Costa County faced a packed meeting room. On the agenda was a proposal to divert $1.5 million in state taxpayer money intended to ease jail overcrowding to other priorities of the local sheriff’s office. Jason Pohl and Ryan Gabrielson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/27/19

In videos, Gallagher’s SEAL brethren allege war crimes -- Navy SEALs who were never called to testify in the war crimes trial of Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher told naval criminal investigators about behavior they witnessed, including the alleged stabbing of a wounded ISIS fighter that led to murder charges against Gallagher. The two SEALs were granted immunity to testify in the trial this past summer, but were never called to the stand. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/27/19

Federal government deleted more immigration court records about asylum in public data release: researchers -- Though the federal government promised to review a public data release of immigration court cases after researchers pointed to missing records relating to asylum, the issue has only gotten worse. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/27/19

Asylum grant rates under Remain in Mexico are far below historic average -- New data show that it continues to be nearly impossible for asylum seekers in the controversial Remain in Mexico program to be granted asylum. As of November, more than 24,000 people had completed asylum cases through the program officially known as Migrant Protection Protocols but only 117 of them had actually received asylum. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/27/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Powerful storm pounds Southern California with rain, snow -- Snow shut down vital Interstate 5 in Tejon Pass through the mountains north of Los Angeles and stopped traffic on Interstate 15 over Cajon Pass in the inland region to the east. I-15 finally reopened in both directions in the afternoon but then authorities later shut down about 45 miles of the freeway from Baker, California, to Primm, Nevada, on the way to Las Vegas because of snow and ice. Stefanie Dazio and John Antczak Associated Press -- 12/27/19

Public employees not entitled to union-dues refunds, court says -- Nonunion government workers who won a Supreme Court decision last year exempting them from paying unions for the cost of representing them at the bargaining table are not entitled to refunds of the dues they’ve already paid, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/27/19

Hmong celebrate new year in California amid tighter security -- Thousands of people gathered Thursday in central California to celebrate the Hmong new year amid heightened security in the wake of a neighborhood shooting that killed four people. The celebration, which runs through Jan. 1, features Hmong foods, dance, music and games along with sports tournaments, and it typically draws tens of thousands of people from around the country. Associated Press -- 12/27/19

California jails use kinder approach to solitary confinement -- An inmate in solitary confinement at a California jail was refusing to leave his cell. The jailers’ usual response: Send an “extraction team” of corrections officers to burst into the cell and drag him out. But not in Contra Costa County, one of three in the state using a kinder, gentler approach in response to inmate lawsuits, a policy change that experts say could be a national model for reducing the use of isolation cells. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 12/27/19

What You Need To Know About California’s New Domestic Partnership Law -- Heterosexual couples in California are about to get an alternative to marriage. Starting in January, all couples will be allowed to apply for domestic partnership. Until now, this option was only available to same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples over age 62. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 12/27/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Retired employees told to pay back money school district erroneously gave them for substituting -- The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is trying to collect money it mistakenly overpaid retired non-teacher employees who have been working as substitutes. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/27/19

California law will force small businesses to rethink staffing -- A California law that makes it harder for companies to treat workers as independent contractors takes effect next week, forcing small businesses in and outside the state to rethink their staffing. Joyce M. Rosenberg Associated Press -- 12/27/19

Wildfire  

He is Trying to Get Fire Victims Paid. He Has to Find Them First -- Unlike a typical holiday food giveaway, the ham, mashed potatoes and green beans packed in bags at Paradise Alliance Church came with a grim reminder of an even deeper need. Next to the counter where hundreds picked up meals, a table had been set up by an envoy from United States Bankruptcy Court. His mission: to make sure residents had a chance to seek compensation from California’s largest utility for wildfires like the one that laid waste to their town. Ivan Penn in the New York Times$ -- 12/27/19

The Camp Fire led to more than 10,000 residents leaving Butte County in the last year -- As thousands affected by the most destructive wildfire in state history left Butte County between July 2018 and July 2019, some relocated to other cities in the county outside of the affected cities of Paradise, Magalia and Concow. In the immediate aftermath of the Camp Fire, the city of Chico alone swelled by about 19,000. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/27/19

Education 

Why California needs more male teachers of color -- When students of color have teachers of color, they learn more, finish high school at higher rates, and are more likely to go to college. But the number of teachers of color in California isn’t keeping pace with the diversity of its student body. Vanessa Rancano KQED via Calmatters -- 12/27/19

Charter schools vs teachers union: A high stakes L.A. school board election takes shape -- The candidates are confirmed and the upcoming Los Angeles school board races are all but certain to make for a high-stakes election cycle that will pit teachers and their allies against backers of charter schools for influence over the nation’s second-largest school system. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

California Charter Schools Had a Rough Year – and the Future Is Uncertain -- Charter schools emerged from 2019 plenty scuffed up – but the new regulations that will govern them are far less restrictive than those proposed at the beginning of the year. Will Huntsberry Voiceofsandiego.org -- 12/27/19

Cannabis 

He survived a stabbing to become Sacramento’s pot king. The story of the ‘Sactown Five’ -- On a spring evening in 2001, Garib Karapetyan, 17, was lying on the ground outside a Rancho Cordova auto parts store, bleeding from a large stab wound in his right leg after a brawl. Theresa Clift, Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/27/19

Environment 

California, climate change and the trauma of the last decade -- The wildfires were more destructive. The drought was the longest on record. And the storms, when they finally came, unleashed more water than our dams could contain. To live in California over the last decade has meant enduring a steady procession of weather-related disasters, each one seemingly worse than the last. Deborah Netburn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

New NASA Mission Plans To Map Sea Level Rise From Space Through 2030 -- NASA has collected data on how seas are rising across the planet for more than 25 years. A new mission is launching in 2020, which will extend that data for a decade. But the data also poses some major concerns. Ezra David Romero Capital Public Radio -- 12/27/19

Also . . . 

Martinez News-Gazette to roll out final edition after 161 years of print -- After 161 years of publishing, the Martinez News-Gazette — among the longest-running papers in California, if not the longest — plans to print its final edition Dec. 29, a painful end for one of the only news agencies committed to covering the city of nearly 40,000, which serves as the seat of Contra Costa County. Alejandro Serrano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/27/19

Kelp! They Need Somebody … To Eat Sea Urchins -- Denise MacDonald held out a tray of spiny purple sea urchins. The roe, served in the shell and the color of egg yolk, contrasted nicely with the urchin's dark, purple spines. MacDonald, director of global brand marketing at a company called Urchinomics, invited me to have a taste. Danielle Venton KQED -- 12/27/19

Anguish and Anger From the Navy SEALS Who Turned In Edward Gallagher -- Video interviews and group texts obtained by The Times show men describing their platoon leader in grim terms. Dave Philipps in the New York Times$ -- 12/27/19

Washington’s New Anti-Robocall Law Won’t Stop the Calls. Here’s Why -- In a rare bipartisan achievement, Congress has moved to combat the scourge of robocalls inundating Americans. Just don’t expect the phone to stop ringing any time soon. Ryan Tracy and Sarah Krouse in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/27/19

The F.A.A. Wants to Start Tracking Drones’ Locations -- The Federal Aviation Administration proposed wide-sweeping regulations on Thursday that would require that all but the tiniest drones incorporate technology that would enable them to be tracked at all times while flying in United States airspace. Heather Murphy in the New York Times$ -- 12/27/19

POTUS 45  

How Ukraine put Trump and Biden on a collision course -- On a hot midsummer morning in Indianapolis, Joe Biden took the stage at a Democratic presidential candidates’ forum and turned his attention toward Russian election interference. Biden assailed President Trump for having said he would accept help from a foreign government. “It is outrageous, it is un-American and it’s close to treasonous,” the former vice president thundered. Matt Viser, Philip Rucker and Ashley Parker in the Washington Post$ -- 12/27/19

Beltway 

Democrats seize on anti-Obamacare ruling to steamroll GOP in 2020 -- A court ruling last week putting the Affordable Care Act further in jeopardy may provide the opening Democrats have been waiting for to regain the upper hand on health care against Republicans in 2020. Alice Miranda Ollstein and James Arkin Politico -- 12/27/19

How Close Did Russia Really Come to Hacking the 2016 Election? -- Government reports indicate a Florida election technology company was hacked in 2016. There’s plenty the public doesn’t know about the incident—but should—going into 2020. Kim Zetter Politico -- 12/27/19

With so much promise, why is Cory Booker’s campaign falling flat? -- Cory Booker sounded more like a preacher than a presidential candidate as he urged Democrats to vote for someone who could unite America, not just chase Donald Trump from the White House. Seema Mehta and Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/19

 

-- Thursday Updates 

Seeing a Central American surge, Mexicans join the asylum line at the U.S. border -- Emma Sánchez waited patiently in line at the foot of a bridge leading across the Rio Grande and into Texas, one of tens of thousands of people stuck on Mexico’s northern border seeking political asylum in the United States. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/19

California solar mandate, gas bans take effect in 2020: what you need to know -- A first-in-the-nation law requiring new homes to have rooftop solar panels takes effect Jan. 1. State building codes also require better insulation and air filtration for new homes, and homeowners get additional incentives to install batteries to store solar power. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/19

California Supreme Court allows therapists to challenge law on child porn reporting -- A divided California Supreme Court on Thursday revived a legal challenge against a state law that requires psychotherapists to report patients who reveal they have looked at child pornography. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/19

Tribal casinos remain last refuge for California smokers, at least for now -- Smoking is prohibited in almost every enclosed public place in California, from bars and restaurants to sports arenas and movie theaters. Even parking garages ban the noxious fumes. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/19

San Diego public universities criticized for ambiguous free speech policies -- Three of San Diego County’s public universities were flagged by a free speech advocacy group that warned the campuses have policies that are too subjective and ambiguous to meet First Amendment standards. Bella Ross in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/26/19

Yoga, meditation and quiet: Homeless in the Tenderloin flock to ‘healing’ nonprofit -- For much of the past year, Tim Long has crawled out of his sleeping bag in whatever alley he hunkered down in the night before, and headed to one spot in the Tenderloin. It’s not a soup kitchen. It’s not a welfare office. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/19

California, climate change and the trauma of the last decade -- The wildfires were more destructive. The drought was the longest on record. And the storms, when they finally came, unleashed more water than our dams could contain. To live in California over the last decade has meant enduring a steady procession of weather-related disasters, each one seemingly worse than the last. Deborah Netburn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/19

Smolens: How do you deal with sea-level rise? -- Assemblywoman Boerner Horvath of Encinitas says start with what you can do now. For government, that means protecting, adapting or moving essential infrastructure. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/26/19

Some mountain resorts closed after storm shuts down Southern California roads -- Local mountain resorts had a good heaping of new snow Thursday morning, Dec. 26, as the winter storm rolled in overnight, but be warned before you pack up the skis and snowboards to hit the slopes. Mountain High got an estimated 18-to-24 inches overnight with more on the way, officials said. But with the roads shut down and hard to travel, the resort will not open today, officials said on Twitter. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register -- 12/26/19

Man killed by falling tree in Muir Woods on Christmas Eve -- A man hiking the Hillside Trail at Muir Woods was struck and killed by a redwood tree that fell without warning on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Subhradeep Dutta, 28, was hiking the dirt trail with two companions when the tree toppled over onto him. Dutta’s name was released Thursday by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/19

Convicted or charged, San Diego County sheriff’s employees risk loss of pension benefits -- Before former Deputy Richard Fischer pleaded guilty to four felonies related to sexual misconduct allegations lodged by at least 16 women, he filed papers with the San Diego County pension system seeking to recoup as much of his retirement fund as possible. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/26/19

Military-grade drone will fly over San Diego next year -- The skies are clear for a local defense contractor planning to test fly large military drones over San Diego next year. Poway-based defense contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., in partnership with NASA, developed SkyGuardian drones, which it says are improved versions of the Predator, its military drones associated with the War on Terror. Katy Stegall in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/26/19

Good luck getting a family of four into a professional sport for $100 — not in good seats, but any seats -- A lifetime of sports fandom often starts with that first vision of the towering stadium before you, that first peek at the vibrant green grass of a ballpark, that first chance to see star players up close on the court and even closer on a gigantic video screen, that first moment to stand and scream for your team. Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/19

San Diego County Supervisor Fletcher eyes large behavioral health initiatives in 2020 -- About a year ago Nathan Fletcher returned to public life with a landslide 30-point victory over former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis in the District 4 county supervisor race, riding a campaign that promised a fresh perspective and an eagerness to push county government to more aggressively address mental health services, housing and public health. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/26/19

Sacramento Amazon warehouse’s injury rate among highest in US. Holidays make it worse -- Last-minute purchases on Amazon Prime might be convenient, but workers at the Sacramento Amazon warehouse say the back-breaking work of lifting and sorting orders during the holiday rush is leading to a high number of injuries. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/26/19

Kylie Jenner’s kid got diamonds and a house for Christmas. What’s left for when she turns 2? -- Well, a two-story baby mansion and a diamond ring were just a couple of the gifts Kylie Jenner’s daughter, Stormi, received over the holiday, thanks to her billionaire mother and her grandmother, Kardashian family matriarch Kris Jenner. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/19