Updating . .
1 killed, 1 seriously hurt in Alpine Meadows avalanche — search-and-rescue team at Subway run -- One person has died and another was seriously injured in an avalanche Friday morning in Alpine Meadows, Placer County authorities said. Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in social media posts just before 11:30 a.m. that search-and-rescue teams are responding to reports of “several unaccounted victims.” Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
California teachers exposed to jet fuel dump plan lawsuit -- Southern California teachers plan to file a lawsuit after a commercial airliner with engine trouble dumped jet fuel over a densely populated area, including several schools, while making an emergency return to Los Angeles International Airport, their attorney said Friday. Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 1/17/20
Coronavirus screenings to begin at LAX, two other U.S. airports amid outbreak in China -- Federal authorities will begin screening airline travelers arriving from Wuhan, China, for signs that they may be infected with a new coronavirus that is spreading in Asia, officials announced Friday. Emily Baumgaertner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
The flu season is hitting young people particularly hard. And it’s not over -- Most people hospitalized with the flu in Los Angeles County this season have been under 45, said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county public health department’s chief medical officer. That age group has also made up an unexpectedly large portion of the county’s flu deaths, he said. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
SFO among US airports to screen passengers from China for new illness -- U.S. health officials announced Friday that they will begin screening airline passengers arriving from central China for a new virus that has sickened dozens and killed two, prompting worries about a new international outbreak. Mike Stobbe Associated Press -- 1/17/20
Key California housing bill’s chances of passing just improved dramatically -- State Sen. Scott Wiener’s bill to clear a path for denser housing around public transit and in wealthy suburbs got a big push forward Friday when the Senate’s leader steered it out of the committee where it stalled last year. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
Trump inked a deal with China. California is still sorting out the implications -- The list of Chinese goods Trump imposed tariffs on since launching a trade war two years ago seems like it runs forever: catfish, bird eggs, natural sponges, pearl onions, mushrooms, chestnuts, copper springs, tungsten wire, thermometer parts. These are just a few. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
To stop Trump fracking plans, California is going to court -- California took legal action Friday to block the Trump administration’s plans to open federal lands in California to oil and gas drilling, including the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/17/20
Why a Disney heiress thinks it’s time to raise California taxes on big corporations -- When Abigail Disney testified Wednesday in favor of Senate Bill 37 to the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, she said she wasn’t speaking in any kind of official capacity, but she acknowledged that her last name carries weight. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/17/20
State: Poway failed to protect its water system, customers -- A state water board is faulting the city of Poway for “failing to protect its public water system” and is ordering the municipality to take immediate action to correct a series of violations that led to a week-long boil-water advisory. J. Harry Jones in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/17/20
Rohnert Park settles cases with 8 drivers alleging drug officers stole marijuana and money -- Eight drivers who said they were robbed of money and marijuana by Rohnert Park public safety officers settled their federal civil rights claims against the city this week for undisclosed sums, the latest legal battle to end for a city dogged by misconduct accusations against its former drug enforcement officers. Julie Johnson in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 1/17/20
San Diego’s One America News could be acquired by firm with ties to Trump -- A private equity firm with ties to President Donald Trump is exploring a possible purchase of conservative-leaning One America News Network, which is based in San Diego. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/17/20
Adam Schiff takes on Trump, calling him an ‘erratic hothead.’ Now he’s feeling the heat -- Not during the fierce competition of Harvard Law School, or the rough-and-tumble of life as a federal prosecutor. Not when he convicted the first FBI agent accused of spying for a foreign government. Not even when he won one of the most furious campaigns for a seat in the House of Representatives, defeating a Republican who had relentlessly pursued President Clinton. Sarah D. Wire, James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
Google protesters disrupt ‘Future of Downtown San Jose’ event -- Protesters stormed a private event Friday morning at the Fairmont Hotel, disrupting a room full of influential city leaders, developers and stakeholders discussing the future of downtown San Jose. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/17/20
Fox: The ‘Use It or Lose It’ Label Now Applies to Mental Health Funding -- The number one concern for Californians is the homeless crisis. One of the chief concerns expressed by homeless advocates is that many people on the streets need help with mental health issues. Governor Gavin Newsom put in money to help confront the mental health issue in his new budget, yet, at the same time, the governor revealed that a half-a-billion dollars collected for mental health services is unspent. The governor is telling the counties now, ‘Use it or Lose it.’ Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/17/20
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Judge threatens to force PG&E to hire more tree trimmers -- A federal judge on Thursday threatened to force Pacific Gas & Electric to hire more tree trimmers to reduce the chances of its electrical grid igniting fires in Northern California and adhere to a requirement imposed after the utility’s natural gas lines blew up a neighborhood a decade ago. Michael Liedtke Associated Press Dan Brekke KQED -- 1/17/20
Hollister Ranch sues California, calling new public access law unconstitutional -- In a new twist to one of the most high-profile — and longest — beach access battles in California, Hollister Ranch sued state officials Thursday over a new law designed to open its exclusive coastline to the public after decades of stops and stalls. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
Federal election regulators question ‘excessive’ contributions to campaign for Rep. Mike Levin -- The Federal Election Commission this week questioned the campaign for Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, about a financial report that showed it received contributions over the per-election limit from more than a dozen donors. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/17/20
Central California DA quits state association over its opposition to criminal justice reforms -- A Republican and former line prosecutor who once enforced the state’s heavy-handed laws of the past, Salazar said she has increasingly accepted data showing severe punishments don’t always contribute to greater public safety. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
Controversial Money Bail to End in San Francisco, DA Chesa Boudin Says -- San Francisco's new district attorney, Chesa Boudin — a former public defender who has pledged to overhaul the way the county approaches public safety — plans to institute a new policy banning the use of money bail by county prosecutors. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 1/17/20
Proposition 47 Criminal Justice Reform Projected to Save State Over $122 Million -- Five years after California voters embraced a ballot measure aimed at sending fewer people to prison and investing more in victims services, schools and treatment programs, Proposition 47 is projected to save a record $122.5 million next fiscal year by keeping 4,569 inmates out of state prisons. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 1/17/20
‘It’s late, and it’s getting later.’ Jerry Brown could soon announce an updated Doomsday Clock -- Former four-term California Gov. Jerry Brown will be on-hand Jan. 23 as the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists announces the placement of the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock. The clock is currently set at two minutes to midnight; the closer to midnight, the closer Earth gets to extinction-level catastrophe such as nuclear Armageddon. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/17/20
Giants make Alyssa Nakken first female major league coach -- Nakken is a former softball standout at first base for Sacramento State who joined the club in 2014 as an intern in baseball operations. She and Mark Hallberg, who was also named as an assistant Thursday, will work to promote high performance along with a close-knit team atmosphere. Janie McCauley Associated Press Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/17/20
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
JPMorgan health care conference returning to SF in 2021 despite complaints -- Despite hotel room prices shooting past $2,000 a night and persistent complaints over homelessness and open-air drug use, JPMorgan’s annual health care conference will return to San Francisco in 2021. Roland Li and Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
New plan for old Macy’s building: Condos atop Union Square icon -- A year after Macy’s sold the building, which it long occupied, at 233 Geary St. for $250 million, the new property owner is proposing to convert the building to a mashup of retail, office space and housing. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
Improper letter delays vote on huge SDG&E gas pipeline project -- The vote by the California Public Utilities Commission on a huge 50-mile natural gas pipeline project running north and south along Interstate 15 has been postponed for at least two more weeks after San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Co. sent a letter earlier this week that was in violation of the commission’s rules. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/17/20
JetBlue cuts service at Oakland airport, stays in SF and San Jose -- It’s part of JetBlue’s plan to redeploy aircraft by adding flights on some existing routes and reducing flights on others “that are not meeting expectations,” the press release said. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
JetBlue leaves Oakland and further withdraws from Long Beach, cutting service to San Jose, Sacramento -- The airline relinquished nearly a third of its flight slots at the Long Beach Airport last year, and Thursday’s announcement represented a deeper withdrawal from the city. Hayley Munguia in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 1/17/20
Ex-producer’s claims of racial harassment at One America News Network go to trial -- Political commentator Jonathan Harris is suing talk show host Graham Ledger and Robert Herring, CEO of the network’s parent company. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/17/20
Struggling California State Fair eyes bailout from taxpayers to avoid insolvency -- Cal Expo, weighed down by years of sagging attendance at the California State Fair, needs a roughly $2.3 million taxpayer bailout to ward off insolvency and a possible shutdown of the fair, state officials say. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/17/20
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
Battle heats up in North Bay over proposed tax extension for SMART train -- A sales-tax measure on the March ballot could be a do-or-die vote for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, the charming but struggling commuter rail that links North Bay residents to jobs in San Francisco. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
Transit
Does Uber care about its black passengers? -- It’s a strange feeling to open the Uber app in a low-income San Francisco neighborhood and know you’ll wait an eternity before a car comes your way. Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
Homeless
Oakland gets FEMA trailers to house 70 homeless people, plus state funds -- Gov. Gavin Newsom concluded his weeklong statewide homelessness tour Thursday in East Oakland, where he announced that Oakland would receive 15 state-owned trailers to house up to 70 homeless people. Sarah Ravani and Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
Housing
Bay Area megaprojects fail to deliver on big housing promises -- At a time when housing is needed as soon as possible to stem the tide of displacement and homelessness, at least 75,000 units in the Bay Area are part of mega-developments — mostly on former industrial or military sites — that are frequently sidetracked for years or even decades due to long approval processes, high infrastructure costs, complicated environmental cleanup issues and financing difficulties. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
Developer of ‘poor door’ apartment building in East Village threatens legal action over denial -- The developer of an apartment complex that drew criticism over its plan to separate low-income renters in a different building is threatening to sue over its denial. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/17/20
Education
UC proposes first tuition hike since 2017. It could apply only to incoming students -- At their Wednesday meeting in San Francisco, the regents will not only vote on whether to raise prices for graduate students, but will also look at two options for undergrads: raising tuition for all students in each of the next five years by the rate of inflation — or increasing it by more than that just for new arrivals. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ Larry Gordon EdSource -- 1/17/20
President of Calbright College who resigned will be paid through end of March -- Heather Hiles, president of California’s first online two-year institution — Calbright College — will receive a lump sum payment of about $32,000 and be paid through the end of March as part of her separation agreement after she resigned Monday. Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 1/17/20
Leaders selected in California’s unprecedented searches will help shape future of higher education -- California’s two public university systems are looking for Supermen or Superwomen who can increase funding, protect academic prestige, bolster graduation rates, ensure labor peace and work for social justice. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 1/17/20
Cannabis
Sacramento Just Quietly Revamped Its Cannabis Cultivation Enforcement Law -- Since 2018, landlords in Sacramento have faced hefty fines when their tenants illegally grew pot without their knowledge. But the local law that allowed city attorneys to pursue unsuspecting landlords just changed. The city quietly passed an ordinance in December that says property owners only have to pay a fine if they knew, or reasonably should have known, that cannabis was being grown on the property. The penalty took effect last week. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 1/17/20
Immigration / Border
Asylum-Seeker Sues US Government After Miscarriage In Detention -- A Salvadoran asylum-seeker has filed a lawsuit against the government after she suffered a miscarriage while in custody at a private detention facility in Otay Mesa. Rubia Morales entered ICE custody on Christmas Day 2017. She was already pregnant and said that her treatment in custody included a cold cell, non-nutritious foods and a lack of medical care. She said it led to her miscarriage. Max Rivlin-Nadler KPBS -- 1/17/20
Also . . .
170 Yosemite Valley visitors fall ill — norovirus confirmed in 2 cases so far -- A highly contagious gastrointestinal illness has swept through Yosemite National Park, sickening at least 170 people and prompting a huge cleanup effort at the hotels, restaurants and public facilities in the picturesque valley, federal officials said Thursday. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/20
Actor Alan Alda and Scripps Research will transform scientists into master storytellers -- For all of their skill in the laboratory and classroom, scientists aren’t always great at imparting their ideas to the public, policymakers and donors. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/17/20
Former sheriff’s deputy who lied about being shot by a sniper is arrested -- On Aug. 21, Angel Raul Reinosa, then a 21-year-old deputy assigned to the department’s Lancaster station, radioed into dispatch that while on his way to his car in the station’s parking lot, he was hit by rifle fire from a nearby apartment building. He claimed the protective vest he was wearing stopped a shot to his chest, while another bullet had grazed his shoulder. Richard Winton, Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/20
POTUS 45
Senate impeachment trial begins with rancor over witnesses and new evidence about Trump’s Ukraine dealings -- The third impeachment trial in U.S. history officially began Thursday amid a swirl of new allegations about President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, which several Republicans rushed to downplay as they dismissed Democrats’ calls for further investigation. Seung Min Kim, Rachael Bade, Mike DeBonis and Toluse Olorunnipa in the Washington Post$ -- 1/17/20
Angry Trump Says Focus Should Be on a Trade Deal, Not a ‘Hoax’ -- But the few times the president did anything in public on Thursday, it was clear he was unnerved by the prospect of a Senate trial. Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 1/17/20
-- Thursday Updates
Federal judge gives truckers reprieve from AB5 -- A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to the California Trucking Association to temporarily stop enforcement of AB5 against motor carriers. The judge, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, had previously granted an 11th-hour emergency restraining order in the same case on New Year’s Eve, hours before the new law took effect on Jan. 1. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/16/20
Former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca must report to prison by Feb. 5, judge rules -- Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca must report to prison by Feb. 5 to begin serving a three-year sentence for his role in a scheme to obstruct an FBI investigation of abuses inside the county’s jails, a judge ruled Thursday. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20
The races to watch: California Senate primary -- California Democrats hit an apex in 2018 when they won three-quarters of seats in the state Assembly and Senate. Two years later, Republicans aim to reverse that trend. But in a state trending ever bluer — and in a presidential election year sure to generate high turnout — Democrats could push their high water-mark even higher. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20
The races to watch: California Assembly primary -- The most competitive races in the Assembly are evenly split three ways: swing seats Democrats recently acquired and must defend, toss-up seats the GOP will try to hang onto, and open seats in partisan strongholds where members of the same party will fight it out. One Riverside-adjacent district is a test case for independents. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20
The races to watch: California Congressional primary -- Everyone likes a good rematch. The “blue wave” that washed over the county in November 2018, flipping 41 congressional seats to the Democrats, crashed with particular force in California. The state’s Republican caucus in Washington lost half of its delegation — a measly 14 of 53 reduced to a measlier seven. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20
An earlier say: Race to the White House runs through California -- President Trump can probably count on the lion’s share of the state’s Republican votes. But on the Democratic side there’s little chance that any one candidate will grab up all of the state’s 495 delegates. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20
Your guide to the 2020 California Primary -- California: Get ready for your close-up. Long viewed as a cash-rich afterthought on the presidential campaign trail, the country’s largest state will finally have an early say in who will win each political party’s presidential nomination — and by extension, who will occupy the White House come January 2021. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 1/16/20
The new Proposition 13: A $15 billion bond for school facilities -- This Proposition 13 would authorize a $15 billion bond for school modernization and construction projects. Here’s how it would break down: $9 billion for K-12 schools, and $2 billion each for community colleges and the state’s two public university systems, the California State University and University of California. Ricardo Cano Calmatters -- 1/16/20
California, 13 other states sue to stop Trump’s food stamp cuts -- Adults would no longer receive grocery money under the Trump administration rule if they aren't working 20 or more hours per week. In California, about 400,000 would be affected in the first year. Jackie Botts Calmatters -- 1/16/20
Body cams contradict LAPD’s gang designations. It’s another milestone in their use -- Few issues have generated more controversy in California law enforcement circles than how police determine whether someone is a gang member. Mark Puente, Richard Winton, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20
Federal lawsuit alleges Santa Ana officers left two detainees in hot van for hours -- A federal lawsuit filed this week alleges that two Santa Ana employees left two federal detainees locked and chained inside a hot van for four hours after returning the pair from their court hearings. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20
Newsom to dispatch trailers, visit Oakland on homelessness tour -- Gov. Gavin Newsom will conclude his week-long statewide homelessness tour on Thursday in East Oakland, where trailers have been dispatched to an empty lot to provide temporary shelter. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/20
Housing on hold: Where 13 major developments stand -- As the Bay Area grapples with a massive regional housing shortage, many cities have sought a solution in megaprojects — massive developments that promise to deliver thousands of homes and to help stem the tide of displacement and homelessness. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20
L.A.’s citation program is ‘unnavigable’ for homeless and disabled people, lawsuit argues -- Seven years ago, Los Angeles leaders decided to create a new, alternative system to handle minor violations of the Municipal Code such as drinking in public, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk or letting a dog run off leash. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20
California’s behind on its 2030 climate goals. What’s at stake if it doesn’t catch up? -- California has done surprisingly well over the past decade meeting many of its big climate change goals, even as its economy has steadily grown. But now, as Australia burns, global temperatures continue to rise, and the Trump administration prepares to take the final steps this year to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, California is falling short of where it needs to be to hit its more ambitious 2030 targets, according to a new report released Thursday. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/16/20
Clean up cars and cement industry to reach California’s climate goals, report says -- California's current climate policies won't cut greenhouse gas pollution enough to meet the state's goals — but a new report says cleaning up cars and the cement industry could help. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 1/16/20
Turning carbon into concrete could win UCLA team a climate victory — and $7.5 million -- The idea is gaining momentum as a promising climate solution. Called carbon utilization or carbon conversion, it involves taking CO2 emitted by power plants, steel factories, breweries and other industrial facilities and converting it into something practical — and profitable — rather than letting the greenhouse gas escape into the atmosphere. Julia Rosen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/16/20
Nancy Pelosi rips Facebook: ‘Their behavior is shameful’ -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took another swipe at Facebook on Thursday over the social media giant’s reluctance to police disinformation, calling its executives “accomplices for misleading the American people.” Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Cristiano Lima Politico -- 1/16/20
Wave of laptop thefts in Bay Area feeding massive black market -- Thieves are snatching laptops from unsuspecting victims with alarming audacity and violence, officials say, driven by a lucrative Bay Area black market where crooks can fetch $500 for a new Apple computer that could end up in Asia. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20
Eight local community colleges will offer legal services to undocumented students -- Eight local community colleges, from Palomar and San Diego City to Grossmont and Southwestern, will be part of a pilot program offering free immigration-related resources that officials said are much-needed to serve undocumented students in a time of uncertainty. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/16/20
Taylor: She left California to find an affordable place to live — and became a homeowner -- The last time I saw Crystal Chandler, in late December 2018, she was stressed out. So was her teenage daughter. “I thought we were going to be homeless,” Chandler said recently. “I didn’t know what we were going to do. It was just so overwhelming.” Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/16/20
Fox: Change in Priorities for California Voters -- The new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows a continuing trend in voters moving their top priority in state spending from K-12 education to health and human services. The homelessness issue is undoubtedly fueling that movement. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/16/20