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Tough questions for Delta after pilots dump jet fuel on schoolchildren -- Angry city officials in Cudahy are demanding to know why a Delta jet making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport dropped fuel over a playground, dousing schoolchildren, when federal rules call on pilots to dump fuel in unpopulated areas. Ruben Vives, Matt Stiles, Samantha Masunaga, Colleen Shalby, Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

Next stop for free college: Cal State University? -- The "free college" movement in California has so far stopped at two years of community college. Los Angeles Assemblyman Miguel Santiago would forge a path toward a four-year CSU degree. Felicia Mello Calmatters -- 1/15/20

Why Silicon Valley Rep. Zoe Lofgren has a special role in Trump impeachment trial -- San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren made House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s seven-member Trump impeachment team Wednesday. It’s not a surprise why: Lofgren, who has served in the House since 1995, is the only member of Congress who participated in the last three impeachment inquiries: From President Richard Nixon to President Bill Clinton to Trump. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Justice Ming Chin to retire from California Supreme Court, giving Newsom his first appointment -- Chin, 77, the court’s first Chinese-American justice, joined the court nearly 25 years ago. At the start, the appointee of former Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, was considered a moderate voice on what was then a conservative court. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

House hearing reveals frustrations with veteran housing vouchers -- A federal housing voucher program has helped to significantly reduce the number of homeless veterans nationwide over the past decade, but tens of thousands of them go unused each year and many are withheld from veterans who don’t meet certain eligibility requirements. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/15/20

Fresno starts inspecting neglected motels to improve housing conditions -- For many residents on the verge of homelessness, Fresno's motels are their last chance at housing. A new ordinance focuses on inspecting the oldest and most run-down properties. Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado Calmatters -- 1/15/20

In a wildfire, animal rescue can be messy; untrained volunteers add to the chaos -- Every natural disaster is different, but in many ways they’re the same — power failures, debris fields, rampant misinformation. Mix fear, haste and panic with the good intentions of people not always equipped or empowered to help, and you get conflict, sometimes chaos. Ellen Alperstein in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

SF scooter companies introduce models for disabled riders in struggle to make tech accessible -- Electric scooter companies are rolling out new three-wheeled or seated models intended for people with disabilities in San Francisco as technology plays catch-up in an effort to make new forms of transportation accessible — a recurring problem, advocates say. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Google effect: House in downtown San Jose transit village boundary doubles in price -- A just-completed transaction appears to be the first instance of a realty owner buying a downtown San Jose property after Google’s development endeavors near the Diridon train station came to light — and then selling that site to Google at a hefty profit. Google’s purchase of the residence, completed this week, nearly tripled the value of the house. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/15/20

SF’s Embarcadero last stop on ride for homeless SamTrans riders -- The new, expanded SamTrans bus service from the Peninsula to San Francisco’s Embarcadero appears to be doing double duty as a late-night homeless shuttle that regularly drops those with nowhere to go onto city streets and parks at the end of the line. Some of those homeless people may be coming from San Francisco International Airport, where San Francisco police hand out free bus tokens to keep them out of the terminals at night. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Lopez: An empty hospital. An exploding homeless crisis. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? -- It was Sunday past and Patricia McVerry, a West L.A. resident and self-described newspaper addict, was reading the L.A. Times when she came upon the story of St. Vincent Medical Center’s impending closure after roughly 150 years in business. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

Fox: Tax Reform and the Strength of the Pragmatic Angel -- At his budget press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom was asked what he plans to do about tax reform. According to one account, the governor said that the state desperately needs to change the tax structure and added, “I can be stubborn. I can be pragmatic. Here, I’m stubbornly pragmatic.” Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/15/20

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

FAA investigating Delta jet fuel-dumping on schoolkids -- Federal authorities will investigate why an airliner with engine trouble dumped jet fuel over a densely populated area of Southern California while making an emergency return to the airport, dousing dozens of schoolchildren in a smelly vapor. Delta Air Lines Flight 89 to Shanghai, with 181 passengers and crew on board, turned back to Los Angeles International Airport only minutes after taking off Tuesday. Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 1/15/20

Pilots are supposed to dump jet fuel in unpopulated areas, not over neighborhoods -- To make an emergency landing, a pilot will try to get the airplane down to its landing weight so there are more options in case of an aborted landing attempt. How and where that fuel dump happens depends on the type of emergency, said Tom Haueter, former director of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Office of Aviation Safety. Samantha Masunaga, Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

California bills would make insurers cover more mental health -- California legislators on Tuesday introduced two bills aimed at improving access to mental health and addiction treatment by requiring health insurance companies to authorize some forms of treatment more quickly and to cover more comprehensive mental health services. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

L.A. council president: It’s time to reexamine how we’re handling homelessness -- Nury Martinez outlined a “families first” agenda Tuesday as the new president of the Los Angeles City Council, vowing to reassess how homeless services are provided to needy residents, help struggling families and foster youth, and clean up city streets sullied with trash and encampments. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

On homeless tour in LA, Gov. Gavin Newsom laments ‘human crisis’ -- On the second day of his weeklong tour of homelessness, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a board and care home near downtown Los Angeles, lamenting the state’s burgeoning population of people without basic housing as “a human crisis.” Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/15/20

Walters: President Gavin Newsom? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s nearly three-hour-long presentation of his second budget last week was peppered with scornful references to President Donald Trump, some in response to reporters’ questions, others unprompted. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 1/15/20

Jerry Brown Says 'Survival Has to Trump Domestic Issues' in Democratic Primary -- A focus on existential issues facing America, namely climate change and the threat of nuclear blunder, should be given higher priority by the Democratic candidates for president, former California Gov. Jerry Brown said. "I do think survival has to trump domestic issues," Brown told a live audience at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater on Monday night. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 1/15/20

SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin launches diversion program for parents facing criminal charges -- San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on Tuesday announced the creation of a diversion program for primary caregiver parents of minor children — his first policy since being sworn in last week, and an issue that’s personal. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

CA120: The math of the March primary -- But California’s Democratic primary isn’t won at the “national poll” level, or even at the “statewide poll” level – it’s won through a complicated, proportional, delegate-allocation procedure that affects campaign strategy and could muddy the final election results. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 1/15/20

Free dental care for all? SF Supervisor wants city to explore the possibility -- Over the past year, San Francisco lawmakers have called for universal mental health care and free Muni for all. The newest push? Free dental care for every San Franciscan. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Supervisors pass temporary vape ban -- Nicotine is on notice in San Diego County. The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 3-2 for a one-year moratorium on electronic smoking devices, a temporary prohibition on flavored vaping liquid and a prohibition on smoking or vaping in outdoor dining areas. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/15/20

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Warner Bros. breaks ground on massive new studio with Gehry-designed ‘iceberg buildings’ -- Warner Bros. on Tuesday officially broke ground on a pair of Frank Gehry-designed office towers, which when completed will mark a major expansion of the Burbank-based movie and TV studio’s headquarters. Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

Richmond City Council bans coal shipments from port despite threats of lawsuits -- The Richmond City Council voted Tuesday to ban coal shipments out of a private port despite threats from the port owners that they would pursue litigation if the ordinance passes costing the city millions. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

California may require beverage makers to handle recycling -- California lawmakers are considering upending the state’s struggling bottle and can recycling program by requiring beverage distributors to create a new system to take back their own containers, similar to one that has been successful in neighboring Oregon. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/15/20

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

SF supervisors vote to expand reach of proposed vacant-storefront tax -- Expanding the reach of a potential tax on vacant storefronts, San Francisco on Tuesday approved the creation of 12 new commercial districts. The ordinance passed by the Board of Supervisors means that each area will get its own specific zoning, potentially stricter than the city’s already tight rules for businesses. Shwanika Narayan and Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Homeless  

Santa Ana sues Orange County, Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano over homeless -- Santa Ana filed a lawsuit this week against Orange County and three South County cities, alleging the communities are dumping their homeless in Santa Ana and not doing their fair share to provide shelters. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 1/15/20

O.C. fairgrounds could be considered as site of emergency homeless housing -- In an executive order addressing homelessness, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week ordered the California Department of Food and Agriculture to assess “fairgrounds in or near jurisdictions where a shelter crisis is currently in effect” to determine whether the state-owned properties could be viable venues for short-term shelters for people experiencing homelessness. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

Education 

Students learning building skills by creating homes for veterans -- As more schools join the projects, students may build whole village for homeless veterans. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/15/20

New push in California to increase diversity among math and science teachers -- When State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond took office in 2019, he announced that recruiting more male teachers from diverse backgrounds would be one of his top priorities. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 1/15/20

Immigration / Border 

Judge orders attorney access for migrants who fear Remain in Mexico return -- A San Diego federal judge in a pair of decisions Tuesday ruled that asylum seekers who have expressed fear about being returned to Mexico to await their U.S. immigration proceedings must be allowed access to attorneys to argue their cases. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/15/20

San Diego County will continue to settle refugees in 2020 -- San Diego County supervisors On Tuesday unanimously approved continuing to allow refugees to be resettled in the county, keeping up a decades-long practice despite presidential pressure. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/15/20

Also . . . 

Former LAPD officer charged after accusations of sex assault and blackmail made by fellow detective -- A former Los Angeles police officer will face criminal charges related to allegations that he sexually abused and beat another LAPD detective, according to a law enforcement official and the victim’s attorney. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/15/20

POTUS 45  

Documents Provide New Details of Trump’s Pressure Campaign on Ukraine -- The dozens of pages of notes, text messages and other records lay out work conducted by Rudolph W. Giuliani and an associate on behalf of the president. Nicholas Fandos in the New York Times$ -- 1/15/20

Beltway 

Ukraine prosecutor offered information related to Biden in exchange for ambassador’s ouster, newly released materials show -- New materials released by House Democrats appear to show Ukraine’s top prosecutor offering an associate of President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, damaging information related to former vice president Joe Biden if the Trump administration recalled the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Paul Sonne, Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger in the Washington Post$ -- 1/15/20

Democrats stick to their talking points in latest presidential debate -- The anticipated fireworks never went off at Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, with all six candidates shying away from the type of direct confrontations that could shake up the results in the Iowa caucuses, now less than three weeks away. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

So many questions remain about Democrats, and voting is about to begin -- That was it. Tuesday was the last Democratic presidential primary debate before California voters can start casting ballots on Feb. 3, and amazingly — after a year’s worth of campaigning — there are still so many questions about the candidates. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/15/20

Michael Flynn moves to withdraw guilty plea, claiming government ‘vindictiveness’ -- Former national security adviser Michael Flynn asked a federal judge Tuesday evening for permission to withdraw his guilty plea of lying to the FBI in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of Russian election interference, alleging that prosecutors breached his cooperation agreement by demanding his false testimony. Spencer S. Hsu in the Washington Post$ -- 1/15/20

 

-- Tuesday Updates 

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