Updating . .
Delta jet headed to LAX for emergency landing dumps fuel on school playground; 17 children treated -- An airplane returning to Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday morning dropped jet fuel onto a school playground, striking several students at Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, officials said. Colleen Shalby, Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Three USC senior athletics officials are out, sources say -- When Mike Bohn was hired as the first outsider to lead USC athletics in decades, sweeping changes were expected inside a historically insular department recently racked by scandal. Ryan Kartje in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Homeless moms evicted from West Oakland house, arrests made -- A group of homeless mothers who were living in a vacant West Oakland home for nearly two months were evicted Tuesday by Alameda County sheriff’s deputies in a pre-dawn operation that led to four arrests, officials said. Alejandro Serrano and Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ Hannah Fry, Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ Janie Har Associated Press -- 1/14/20
Fact check: Trump hits and misses as he campaigns for re-election — and against California -- Since his inauguration, Donald Trump has taken aim at California for its policies on immigration and environmental protection, its left-leaning cultural institutions, its poverty rate (which, if you factor in the cost of living, is the highest in the nation), its crime rate (which isn’t), its most recent choice of governor and its alleged tolerance of voter fraud (a charge that’s completely unfounded). Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/14/20
LAPD scandal over alleged gang framing swells to 20 officers; chief sees a ‘criminal aspect’ -- The investigation into allegations that members of the elite Los Angeles Police Department Metro Division falsified information they gathered during stops and wrongly portrayed people as gang members or associates has expanded to include 20 officers, with prosecutors already reviewing one case. Mark Puente, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
California tries to save law it calls crucial tool in housing crisis -- The state is stepping into the legal battle over a proposed condominium project in San Mateo to defend a California law that prevents cities from rejecting multi-unit housing that meets their local building rules. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
Caltrans would have to send social workers to homeless camp cleanups under proposed law -- Homeless people and their advocates have called the department’s policies for clearing camps inhumane and ineffective, while its workers have said they lack the training and equipment to carry out the policies. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/20
California has so much money for these programs it can’t spend it fast enough -- Even as he announced plans to spend $222 billion in next year’s budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom noted billions of dollars for kindergarten, housing and mental health programs allocated in past years that still haven’t been spent. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/20
L.A. Metro’s plan to fix plummeting ridership: More buses and fewer stops on major streets -- Los Angeles County transportation officials on Monday unveiled plans for more frequent bus service on more corridors, a change they said could help reverse a steep decline in bus ridership. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Trump makes wage-theft lawsuits harder — but not in California -- Say you’re a company that hires a janitorial staffing agency to clean your offices or a security firm to patrol your parking lot. Say you’re a retailer that relies on outside truckers to deliver your goods. Say you’re a general contractor who hires drywall and electrical subcontractors. Are you responsible if those workers are paid less than minimum wage and denied overtime? Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
California’s offshore oil rigs could turn into windmills and dive hotels -- Long a scourge to environmentalists, California’s offshore oil rigs may be transformed into ecological trophies. A dozen or more of the state’s 27 offshore platforms could be decommissioned in the next decade. Rather than tearing them down, many would like to preserve the incidental artificial reefs – and the enriched marine habitat – that have formed on their underwater pilings. Martin Wisckol in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/14/20
Beverly Hills Might Sue Over LA County's New Voting Machine Design -- The Beverly Hills City Council has voted to move ahead with a possible lawsuit against election officials responsible for the new Los Angeles County voting equipment which will debut in the March 3 primary. The new machines are digital, and there are concerns that voters will vote without seeing all the candidates. Libby Denkmann LAist -- 1/14/20
California drivers aren’t paying traffic fines. Here’s what Gov. Newsom plans to do -- Turning right on a red light without fully stopping will cost you $500 in California. Parking blocking a wheelchair access curb could get you a $1,100 ticket. Is your license plate paint peeling? Some car owners have been hit with a $1,000 ticket for that. State officials who set those fees are now acknowledging that the high amounts are threatening the financial stability of lower-income drivers who can’t afford to pay those amounts. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/20
San Jose airport eyes expansion, but climate concerns loom -- As Silicon Valley booms, demand for air travel into and out of San Jose is surging. On Tuesday, the City Council will vote to take another step toward enacting a plan that could add six gates, build up to 11,000 more parking spots and rearrange taxiways to be more efficient at Mineta San Jose International Airport to meet the expected growth. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
11,000-gallon sewage spill prompts closures along Long Beach coast -- Seven miles of shoreline in Long Beach have been closed after roughly 11,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the San Gabriel River, flowing south to the city’s beaches, authorities said. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Razor blades found hidden in car door handle in Temecula -- Sheriff’s officials in Temecula are urging residents to pay special attention to their car door handles after authorities received two separate reports in the last week of razor blades being found on cars. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Fox: Legal Obligation on Homelessness Must Include All Parties to the Issue -- The governor’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors called for a legal obligation for local governments to provide housing for the homeless under the threat of penalties. But, it should not be just the local governments that are held accountable under such a legal mandate. The homeless themselves must cooperate in such a program and the accountability measures must protect taxpayers who will be called on to fund any expanded housing program. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/14/20
California Policy & Politics This Morning
If L.A. wants the Trump administration’s money for homelessness, strings will be attached -- A sweeping proposal by the Trump administration to help Los Angeles’ growing homeless population may come with strings attached, raising questions about whether a deal can be worked out between the city and the White House. Dakota Smith, Benjamin Oreskes, Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Head of California’s new online community college abruptly resigns -- Heather Hiles had said she hoped to draw on her tech industry experience to launch the college. But community college faculty complained the courses were redundant, a no-bid contract with a connected Bay Area recruiter drew attention and no full-time faculty have yet been hired. Felicia Mello Calmatters Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 1/14/20
Bill to weaponize clean car rebates stalls in California’s pollution battle against Trump -- The bill, by San Francisco Democratic Assemblymember Phil Ting, would have restricted clean car rebates to people buying from automakers that have sided with the state. That would have meant millions of dollars of incentives for Californians to buy clean vehicles from Honda, Ford, Volkswagen, and BMW — the four major automakers that agreed to follow California’s clean car rules. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 1/14/20
Child support payback reform gets new life in proposed state budget -- After vetoing a bill to reform the state’s child support payback system, Gov. Gavin Newsom has revived efforts to give families on public assistance a greater share of their support payments in his proposed 2020-21 budget. Erica Hellerstein Calmatters -- 1/14/20
Federal government blasts PG&E’s deal with fire victims -- The showdown came into sharper focus Monday when a top official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency blasted the nation’s largest utility and fire victims’ lawyers for negotiating a deal that could put the government in the untenable position of trying to claw back money it already has paid to people who lost family members and homes in fires ignited by PG&E’s transmission lines from 2015 and 2018. Micahel Liedtke Associated Press -- 1/14/20
PG&E nuclear plant closure would cause electric bills to rise -- PG&E customers would pay through 2027 to shut down the Diablo Canyon plant in San Luis Obispo County if the five-member California Public Utilities Commission signs off on the settlement. The entire closure would cost an estimated $3.9 billion, about $1 billion less than PG&E originally sought. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
Sonoma County readies legal action against PG&E over Kincade Fire -- Sonoma County is preparing to take legal action against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. as it weighs a regional economic blow of some $725 million from last year’s Kincade Fire and a string of forced power outages. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
Sanders, Biden and Warren in three-way race in California as primary nears -- A California poll of likely Democratic voters found that no one presidential candidate is dominating the contest, leading to a three-way race that could easily change in the seven weeks before the March 3 primary election. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
Bernie Sanders surges to the top in new 2020 California poll -- For the first time since the group began polling voters about the state’s 2020 primary election, Sanders leads the field of candidates, though he remains in a statistical tie with Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/20
Barbara Lee: All-white Democratic presidential debate a sign of systemic bias -- A Democratic presidential campaign field that was once touted as the most diverse in history has been whittled down to six candidates on its debate stage, all of them white. For Oakland Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, that’s a problem. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
Campa-Najjar leads in latest 50th District poll; Issa, DeMaio close behind -- On the day Duncan Hunter officially ended his tenure representing the 50th Congressional District, a poll released Monday shows the race to succeed him has focused more tightly around three candidates. A San Diego Union-Tribune/10News poll of 512 likely voters conducted by SurveyUSA shows Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar leading a crowded field of 10 candidates with 26 percent. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/14/20
Legislation to ban surgery on intersex children fails in California Senate committee -- A bill to ban medically unnecessary surgeries on young children born with atypical genitalia failed its first vote in the California Senate on Monday, despite supporters arguing that the legislation is key to protecting the rights of intersex people. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
Justice Department sues L.A. property manager for allegedly sexually harassing female tenants -- The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, claims that Filomeno Hernandez repeatedly engaged in unwanted sexual touching, including sexual assault, made unwelcome sexual advances and comments, offered to reduce rent or excused late or unpaid rent in exchange for sex, and non-consensually entered the homes of female tenants at two properties near MacArthur Park. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Sikh center in Orangevale defaced with white power and swastika markings -- The sign in front of the Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Center in Orangevale had a swastika and the words “white power” sprayed onto it sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. Mack Ervin III in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/20
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Latinos are sorely underrepresented in Hollywood. L.A. Mayor Garcetti has a jobs plan to help -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is leading a new jobs program to double Latino representation in Hollywood, in front of and behind the camera, over the next decade. Anousha Sakoui in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
San Francisco’s ban on fur sales just took effect. Now the industry is suing -- A fur industry group sued San Francisco on Monday in an effort to overturn the city’s ban on fur sales, reigniting a fierce debate between global fashion businesses and local animal rights activists. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
Homeless
Voters could decide if California cities will be punished for not reducing homelessness -- In a report released Monday, the Council of Regional Homeless Advisors is calling for an amendment to the California Constitution that would create a legally enforceable mandate to reduce the homeless population. The Legislature would have to craft the plan, which would then appear as a statewide ballot measure in November. Anita Chabria, Benjamin Oreskes, Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Theresa Clift and Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ Matt Levin and Jackie Botts CalMatters -- 1/14/20
California governor's 'homelessness tour' seeks money, solutions to crisis on streets -- California’s governor began a week-long “homelessness tour” on Monday seeking $750 million to address growing numbers of people living on the streets, stopping first in a rural community to show his state’s problems extend beyond the big cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Dan Whitcomb Reuters -- 1/14/20
Sonoma County drops bid to buy Santa Rosa house for homeless trail residents -- Sonoma County officials won’t buy a Santa Rosa home that had been targeted to house up to 10 people living at the sprawling Joe Rodota Trail homeless camp, a proposal that had riled West End neighbors and led their county supervisor — Shirlee Zane — to say she wouldn’t support the purchase. Tyler Silvy in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 1/14/20
Politifact CA: One Year In, Gov. Gavin Newsom Shows Bold Action, But California’s Homelessness Crisis Deepens -- During his first year as governor, Gavin Newsom took major steps to tackle California’s increasingly-visible homelessness crisis. He approved $1 billion in his first budget to help cities build emergency shelters and signed 13 bills last fall, many to speed up shelter construction. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 1/14/20
Housing
Newport considers asking voters’ permission to accommodate major state housing mandates -- In response to likely dramatic increases in state-mandated residential planning, Newport Beach has drawn up a plan that both resists and cooperates with the state. Hillary Davis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
Education
School suspended black student for insubordination after wearing braids -- A sophomore at Mater Dei High School who is of mixed race was suspended and told to cut his braided hair on Wednesday because it was out of compliance with school dress code. He was given an in-school suspension for “arguing and insubordination” after he questioned the order, said his mother, Melissa Harden. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/14/20
Gavin Newsom wants every 4-year-old in preschool. His budget has money for 10,000 of them -- Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to find a way to send every California 4-year-old to preschool, but he says the state just can’t afford the cost — yet. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/20
Cannabis
Newsom wants to simplify California’s marijuana rules: ‘The devil is always in the details’ -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to bring all of the state’s cannabis licensing programs under one roof, aiming to better coordinate a complicated mix of regulators. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/20
Immigration / Border
Judge refuses to second-guess family separations at border -- A U.S. judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration is operating within its authority when separating families stopped at the Mexico border, rejecting arguments that it was quietly returning to widespread practices that drew international condemnation. Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 1/14/20
ACLU claims Orange County, Tustin, Huntington Park illegally interrogated, detained immigrants -- One driver was stopped by Tustin police and told his windows were tinted too dark. Another man was detained by Huntington Park police for alleged public intoxication. Neither was charged in connection to their original police stops. Instead, they both ended up in immigrant detention. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 1/14/20
Trump Plans to Divert Additional $7.2 Billion From Military to Wall -- The amount far exceeds what Congress allocated for border barriers this year as the president, with his eye on his re-election campaign, rushes to show major progress on a signature promise. Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 1/14/20
Environment
2019 Was a Record Year for Ocean Temperatures, Data Show -- Since the middle of last century, the oceans have absorbed roughly 93 percent of the excess heat caused by greenhouse gases from human activities such as burning coal for electricity. That has shielded the land from some of the worst effects of rising emissions. Kendra Pierre-Louis in the New York Times$ -- 1/14/20
Governor puts up $20 million to possibly turn Bay Area cattle ranch into newest state park -- In the proposed state budget he introduced Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom dedicated $20 million toward the purchase of a new state park. Though Newsom didn’t specify where the park would be, 17 lawmakers, mostly from the Bay Area, sent him a letter last week urging him to target the N3 Cattle Company Ranch, which went on the market in July for $72 million. Angela Ruggiero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/14/20
What is killing the native oaks of Southern California? -- The Goldspotted Oak Borer, or GSOB, is an invasive beetle that is killing native oaks in several areas of Southern California. Susceptible oaks include coast live oak, canyon live oak, and California black oak. In many cases, GSOB has damaged or killed mature oaks valued for their beauty, wildlife habitat, and shade. Janet Hartin in the Orange County Register -- 1/14/20
Also . . .
Sheriff’s detective was killed after helping someone in need -- Det. Amber Leist was waiting on a red light Sunday afternoon when she noticed an elderly woman fall in the crosswalk in front of her car. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/20
POTUS 45
Republicans Rule Out Outright Dismissal of Impeachment Charges -- Rank-and-file senators and party leaders made clear on Monday that even if they wanted to pursue dismissal, the votes simply were not there to succeed — at least not at the outset of the trial. Nicholas Fandos in the New York Times$ Seung Min Kim, Mike DeBonis and Elise Viebeck in the Washington Post$ -- 1/14/20
‘Four embassies’: The anatomy of Trump’s unfounded claim about Iran -- The theory was born last Thursday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where President Trump stood before men in hard hats and orange construction vests for an environmental announcement and offered a fresh rationale for his controversial order to kill a top Iranian general. Philip Rucker, John Hudson, Shane Harris and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 1/14/20
Beltway
Russians Hacked Ukrainian Gas Company at Center of Impeachment -- With President Trump facing an impeachment trial over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son Hunter Biden, Russian military hackers have been boring into the Ukrainian gas company at the center of the affair, according to security experts. Nicole Perlroth and Matthew Rosenberg in the New York Times$ Ellen Nakashima in the Washington Post$ -- 1/14/20
Pompeo touts tough stance on Iran, as Trump points to Soleimani’s ‘horrible past’ -- The U.S. drone attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani not only took out a terrorist leader, but also showed Iran and other countries that America is not to be trifled with, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a student audience at Stanford University on Monday. John Wildermuth and Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/20
-- Monday Updates
Cities should act on homelessness or face lawsuits, Newsom task force says -- Recommendations by Gov. Gavin Newsom's task force on homelessness in California call for a legally enforceable 'mandate to end homelessness' on the November ballot, echo the governor's request for more funding and call for a homelessness czar. Matt Levin, Jackie Botts Calmatters -- 1/13/20
Ex-Sheriff Lee Baca likely headed to prison after Supreme Court declines to review case -- The high court denied Baca’s writ of certiorari, filed July 18, which would have reopened his case for review after a panel of judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that his conviction for helping orchestrate a scheme to interfere with an FBI investigation into abuses at the county’s jails was fair and legally sound. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/20
How AB5 affects gig rivals: One gets more business, one exits California -- AB5, the state’s new gig work law, took effect Jan. 1, and has already changed some livelihoods, with Uber drivers, freelance writers and performing artists among those feeling its impact. Less well-known gig companies that connect workers to blue-collar jobs are also affected — sometimes to their benefit, sometimes not. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/20
Deadly boat fire: Four families of victims file suit against Conception owners -- Four families whose relatives were among the 34 people killed in a fire early Labor Day morning aboard the dive boat Conception are suing the vessel’s owners, alleging they failed to have a roving watch required by the Coast Guard, had insufficient fire suppression and detection and inadequate means of escape. Richard Winton, Mark Puente in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Melley Associated Press -- 1/13/20
‘Outrageous.’ Officials furious that FEMA seeks money from California wildfire victims -- Camp Fire survivor Danielle Patrich was livid to hear that the federal government is trying to carve out money from the PG&E Corp. bankruptcy — money that would otherwise go to victims like her. Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/20
Taylor: Amplified hostility between US, Iran puts Bay Area communities on edge -- Sadri Madjlessi, the co-owner of Hudson Bay Cafe in North Oakland, was planning to buy a plane ticket to visit his mother’s grave in Iran. The U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general on Jan. 3 put his plans on hold. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/20
Admissions scandal: Charged parents try to drag USC into the fray -- From the start, federal prosecutors have tried to make the college admissions case a straightforward story about greed. But in the nine months since, the case has turned murky. Joel Rubin, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/20
Beverage makers have dodged California’s recycling crisis. That may soon change -- Across California, can and bottle redemption centers have closed. Consumers struggle to find places to get nickels and dimes for their containers. Supermarkets are obliged to redeem cans and bottles not deposited elsewhere. Trash companies take the remainder. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/20
California judge could face expulsion after charges of sexual harassment -- A state judicial panel says extensive testimony showed California Appeals Court Justice Jeffrey Johnson sexually harassed numerous women at the courthouse, including a colleague whom he repeatedly groped and propositioned over a nine-year period. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/20
Why one Bay Area county is exploring basic income for former foster youth -- When Dontae Lartigue left foster care right before his 19th birthday in 2009, finding housing in Santa Clara County was one of his biggest obstacles. He struggled to find places he could afford on his $12 an hour salary at Walmart, and with a limited income and no rental history, he found landlords were often wary of returning his calls. So Lartigue, who is now 29 years old, ended up couch surfing or sleeping in his car. Erica Hellerstein Calmatters -- 1/13/20
Newsom, legislators seek to add Bay Area open space to California park system -- An immense stretch of ecologically valuable woodlands and open space covering four Bay Area counties has been targeted by Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators to become the first major property added to the California state park system since the 1940s. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/20
‘They’ve been getting sicker’: Insœide SF’s effort to help the toughest homeless cases -- For two years, San Francisco outreach workers had tried coaxing into housing a frail 42-year-old homeless man who’d been adrift on the city’s streets for more than a decade. Dominic Fracassa and Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/20
Body found hanging from tree with rope around neck near I-80 south of Roseville, CHP says -- The California Highway Patrol is investigating after a dead body was found hanging from a tree Saturday night along Interstate 80, between Citrus Heights and Roseville. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/20
Cal State San Marcos official who approved lavish spending is still on payroll -- Although a key figure in the still-open probe into travel expenses at Cal State San Marcos left his post as provost, he remains on the university payroll. Jeff MCDonald, Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/13/20
9-year-old finds loaded Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputy’s handgun in Airbnb -- The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office has launched an internal investigation after a Hayward family found a deputy’s loaded gun and badge seemingly forgotten in a South Lake Tahoe Airbnb on Friday night. Fiona Kelliher in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/13/20
'Unapologetic': Jerry Brown's Legacy In Oakland -- Oakland feels a lot different today than it did when Jerry Brown was elected mayor in 1998. That’s because he had a lot to do with how the city changed. The unapologetic and sometimes controversial Brown is featured in KQED's newest podcast, The Political Mind of Jerry Brown. KQED -- 1/13/20
Fox: For Small Business, the Governor’s Budget Giveth and Taketh Away -- While recognizing the emergence of an evolving economy and new ways of working, Governor Gavin Newsom’s second budget both promotes and raises obstacles to these circumstances. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/13/20