Updating . .   

CCSF faces dire budget crisis 8 years after college nearly closed in face of financial woes -- On Thursday, the trustees will hear from an auditor whose financial study of the college raises “substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.” Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Use-of-force incidents against homeless people are up, LAPD reports -- More than one out of three times that a Los Angeles police officer used force in recent months involved a person experiencing homelessness, according to a new LAPD report. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

These BART stations saw the most phone and laptop thefts, amid surge in snatch-and-grabs -- BART saw a significant surge in thefts of cell phones and laptops in the past year, with the No. 1 target being passengers on trains running through San Francisco stations, where 512 robberies and thefts were reported in 2019. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Vineyards versus vernal pools: On Napa’s Atlas Peak, a neighbors’ dispute turns ugly -- Save for the occasional bear or bobcat sighting, there’s rarely much commotion in the rugged hills of Napa Valley’s Atlas Peak area. But a dispute between two neighbors over a small vineyard planting — and whether it might threaten its surrounding landscape — turned into a major clash that led to a libel lawsuit, restraining orders and, allegedly, gunshots. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Fentanyl, heroin overdoses in San Francisco more than doubled in 2019 -- There were 234 deaths that are estimated to have involved fentanyl, compared with 90 in 2018. The number of deaths where heroin appears to have played a role reached 100 last year, officials with the city’s chief medical examiner’s office estimate. Evan Sernoffsky and John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Cruise unveils next-generation, self-driving robot taxi -- San Francico’s Cruise has unveiled a robot taxi called the Origin that can deliver “super-human performance” at low cost — but didn’t say when it would actually start giving rides. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Bonds on the ballot: Will billions of dollars help California cope with climate change? -- Competing plans to seek voters' approval for “climate resiliency” bonds emerge from three sides of state government: the Assembly, the Senate and the governor. Julie Cart Calmatters -- 1/22/20

California needs clean energy after sundown. Geothermal could be the answer -- After years of playing third fiddle to solar and wind power, geothermal energy is poised to start growing again in California. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

Why tech has been slow to fight wildfires, extreme weather -- For two years running , California’s wildfires have sent plumes of smoke across Silicon Valley. So far, that hasn’t spurred much tech innovation aimed at addressing extreme-weather disasters associated with climate change. Rachel Lerman Associated Press -- 1/22/20

Lopez: You thought the Dodgers lost the 2017 and 2018 World Series? Not according to the L.A. City Council -- Hey Dodgers fans, hold on a minute. Remember those two heartbreaking World Series losses in 2017 and 2018 to the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox? Of course you do, but finally, just before spring training sets everyone up for another year of disappointment, there’s good news. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

Gavin Newsom wants to put real money behind his Native American apology -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants nearly half a million dollars per year to fund the Native American council he created in June, according to public documents detailing the governor’s state budget plans. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/22/20

California Wants To Increase Vaping Taxes, But Experts Say There Could Be Unintended Consequences -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a new idea for addressing the youth vaping epidemic: a nicotine tax on electronic cigarettes. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 1/22/20

Trump’s GOP foe Bill Weld favors impeachment, would vote for a Democrat -- Bill Weld, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, thinks President Trump should be impeached. And he’s not saying that just because he’s running against Trump for the Republican nomination. He’s saying that as a former federal prosecutor who worked on the Watergate case against Richard Nixon. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Mike Bloomberg: ‘There’s no excuse’ for not regulating Facebook -- Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg made his $54 billion fortune off a media empire that bears his name, so he knows something about running media companies. And he thinks Facebook should be regulated like a media company. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Faulconer’s Common Sense Roadmap on Homelessness -- San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer offered a common sense approach to the continuing homeless crisis in California and in so doing he dares to take a stand against the political correctness that often creates obstacles to solving the problem. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/22/20

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

California could become America’s sports betting capital as rival groups eye November ballot -- Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court removed legal barriers to sports betting, California voters could be asked in November to join 14 other states in allowing legal wagers on athletic contests, creating a lucrative industry worth billions of dollars and intense competition among rival gambling interests in the state. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

UC regents won’t vote on undergraduate tuition hikes Wednesday as planned -- A hike in undergraduate tuition the University of California Board of Regents expected to vote on Wednesday in San Francisco — the first increase since 2017 — is off the table for now after students were not properly notified. How that happened depends on who you ask. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Larry Gordon EdSource -- 1/22/20

Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes UC tuition increase as ‘unwarranted’ and ‘bad for students’ -- Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes any tuition increase for University of California students this fall, weighing in Tuesday on a controversial proposal that the Board of Regents is set to discuss this week. Teresa Watanabe, Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

Claims by PG&E Wildfire Victims Reach 80,000 -- A deadline extension and an aggressive effort to track down victims have doubled the number of damage claims against Pacific Gas & Electric over California wildfires started by its equipment. Ivan Penn in the New York Times$ -- 1/22/20

Walters: State budget depends on the rich -- The final pages of the 2020-21 budget that Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed this month contain arguably its most important factor — an utter dependence on taxing a relative handful of high-income Californians. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 1/22/20

CA120: A crucial look at voters’ second choices -- For the past year, Capitol Weekly has conducted over 10,000 surveys of likely Democratic Primary voters. These surveys were emailed to Democratic and nonpartisan voters each month, asking them to complete a survey. We tracked their responses back to their voter registration to allow us to analyze candidate support by ethnicity, age, partisanship, and other factors. Paul Mitchell Capitol Weekly -- 1/22/20

L.A. County supervisors approve subpoena authority in power struggle with sheriff -- Since Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva took office more than a year ago, his department’s chief watchdog has said it’s been blocked from obtaining internal records needed to monitor the agency. Now, the Board of Supervisors is ramping up authority to force the issue, voting unanimously Tuesday to grant the Civilian Oversight Commission subpoena power at a time of heightened tensions between the law enforcement agency and those who oversee it. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

California governor asked to pardon late gay rights leader -- The California Legislature’s LGBTQ and black caucuses on Tuesday asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to posthumously pardon a civil rights leader who was jailed for having gay sex nearly 70 years ago. Bayard Rustin was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with being an organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. He also helped plan other nonviolent boycotts and protests to end racial discrimination. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/22/20

Bay Area Rep. Zoe Lofgren blasts Trump for ‘stonewalling’ subpoenas -- San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren made her debut in President Trump’s impeachment trial Tuesday, arguing that his refusal to release subpoenaed documents related to his conduct in the Ukraine affair is unprecedented. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

The House Democrat taking on Silicon Valley -- “If we don’t fix this, we’re not going to have a democracy anymore,” David Cicilline gravel-voiced into the microphone, as go-go music thumped behind him. Just that morning, Cicilline’s Democratic colleagues in the House had started impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump, and spirits were high at this left-leaning gathering on a November night at the bar Baby Wale in Washington’s Shaw neighborhood. Nancy Scola and Cristiano Lima Politico -- 1/22/20

Politifact CA: Fact or Fiction? A Look At Claims About SB 50, One Of California’s Most Controversial Housing Bills -- When one of the most contested California housing bills in years resurfaced at the state Capitol this month, so did the heated, often exaggerated claims about how it would ease the state’s affordable housing crisis — or possibly make it worse. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 1/22/20

Republican leaders call for Assemblyman Bill Brough to resign as investigations drag on -- As investigations into multiple claims of sexual harassment and misuse of campaign funds by GOP Assemblyman Bill Brough drag on, leaders of two influential Orange County Republican groups on Tuesday called for him to immediately resign from office. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 1/22/20

President Bernie Sanders: Here’s what it would mean for California -- California is already one of the nation’s most liberal states, but a Bernie Sanders presidency would kick the state’s progressive tilt into overdrive. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Bloomberg picks up crowd of new California endorsements -- On the heels of his third campaign trip to California, Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg has picked up dozens of new endorsements from elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Harley Rouda of Huntington Beach and state Sen. Richard Roth of Riverside. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 1/22/20

Schaaf made call to keep Oakland police away from homeless mothers’ eviction -- The eviction of the Moms 4 Housing protesters who took over an empty West Oakland house was initially scheduled for Monday night, but was called off after Mayor Libby Schaaf refused to allow Oakland police to assist with crowd control. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Folsom Dam Is Getting Taller In Effort To Lower Flood Risk In Sacramento -- When a new $373 million project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Folsom Lake is finished, Folsom Dam will be three-and-a-half feet taller — and flood risk in Sacramento will hopefully be lower. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 1/22/20

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Another Bay Area departure: Space company moves headquarters to Florida -- Robotics manufacturing startup Made in Space is moving its Mountain View headquarters to Jacksonville, Fla., becoming the Bay Area’s latest corporate departure. The company will invest over $3 million in the new headquarters, which spans 20,000 square feet. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Judge orders all California sexual assault suits against Lyft to be heard in SF -- A judge says lawsuits by Lyft passengers from multiple states accusing the company of failing to protect them from sexual assault by its drivers will be heard in a single court in San Francisco, where Lyft is headquartered. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Uber Tests Feature Allowing Some California Drivers to Set Fares -- Uber Technologies Inc. is testing a new feature that allows some drivers in California to set their fares, the latest in a series of moves to give them more autonomy in response to the state’s new gig-economy law. Starting Tuesday morning, drivers who ferry passengers from airports in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Sacramento can charge up to five times the fare Uber sets on a ride, according to a person involved in developing the feature. Preetika Rana in the Wall Street Journal$ Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

US agency examining Tesla unintended acceleration complaint -- The U.S. government’s auto safety agency is looking into allegations that all three of Tesla’s electric vehicle models can suddenly accelerate on their own. Brian Sparks of Berkeley, California, petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking for an investigation. An agency document shows 127 owner complaints to the government that include 110 crashes and 52 injuries. Tom Krisher Associated Press -- 1/22/20

Sacramento Could Restrict Converting Apartments Into Short-Term Rentals On Sites Like Airbnb -- Currently, the owners of single-family homes and multi-family housing, including duplexes and apartments, are allowed to offer rooms and units online. That may change, however, if the city council adds restrictions. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 1/22/20

At San Mateo’s Hillsdale Shopping Center, a tale of two malls -- The juxtaposition of old and new is clearly visible at Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo. On the north end, a $155 million open-air renovation has ushered in modern-looking stores, restaurants and a fancy cinema, all encircling outdoor spaces that feature a fountain light show and sitting areas. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Transit  

BART looks to build canopies over every station entrance on Market Street -- A reborn Market Street, purged of private cars at the end of the month, may include futuristic glass canopies over each BART station entrance. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Homeless  

Lopez: A county-owned homeless service center in the old St. Vincent hospital? It just might happen -- Sometimes the wheels grind slowly in the halls of power, but L.A. County supervisors approved a plan Tuesday afternoon to waste no time preparing a bid to buy St. Vincent Medical Center and turn it into a homeless services center. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

L.A. announced more ‘sensitive’ cleanups for homeless camps. Now it’s taking a harder line -- Last summer, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared that the city was launching a new system to clean up the trash and filth around homeless encampments, calling it “an even more nimble, flexible, targeted and sensitive approach.” But the Comprehensive Cleaning and Rapid Engagement system — known as CARE — quickly spurred concerns at City Hall. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/22/20

Volunteers swarm region as LA County counts homeless -- On Tuesday, the annual homeless count began in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. It is expected to reveal the number of unhoused people in the area — and that will help determine the amount of federal and county funds needed to tackle homeless issues. Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach, meanwhile, conduct their own counts this week, too. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/22/20

Housing  

Oakland becomes first in state to ban criminal background checks for rental housing -- The council unanimously passed a “fair chance housing” ordinance that bars landlords from conducting criminal background checks on prospective tenants. The Berkeley City Council is expected to vote on a similar measure in February. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Marisa Kendall in the East Bay Times$ -- 1/22/20

New SF Eviction Law Extends Protections to Nearly All Privately Owned Rental Units -- The new law affords tenants in nearly all privately owned units in the city, regardless of when they were built, the same protections against no-fault evictions that have long applied to tenants in older buildings, covering more than 35,000 additional units across the city, according to Supervisor Matt Haney, who authored the legislation. Matthew Green KQED -- 1/22/20

Father Joe’s begins construction on 400 affordable units -- One of the most ambitious projects in Father Joe’s Villages’ history kicked off Tuesday as the nonprofit prepared to begin construction of a residential project that will include about 400 units for people facing homelessness. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/22/20

Education 

Cal State eyes postponing vote to raise math requirement -- In the wake of intense controversy, Chancellor Timothy White has delayed a vote on his proposal to require a fourth year of high school math for admission to the Cal State universities, and will instead ask trustees this month to approve a year-long study of the initiative. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael Burke EdSource -- 1/22/20

Gov. Newsom, Legislative Analyst disagree on priority for K-12 spending next year -- Ahistorically low proportion of school districts in California currently are in fiscal distress. But with most districts facing declining enrollments and escalating costs, the Legislative Analyst’s Office is suggesting that the Legislature give districts more financial relief in next year’s state budget. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 1/22/20

Immigration / Border 

ICE, judges deny protections for disabled immigrants in custody, attorneys say -- Lawyers representing undocumented immigrants detained by ICE allege that courts and government authorities under the Trump administration are not complying with a federal court order that protects mentally disabled immigrants in California, Arizona and Washington. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Health 

Scientists race to learn if coronavirus from China is new SARS, as first case arrives in US -- The first case of a deadly new respiratory virus with the potential to become a major global threat was reported Tuesday in the United States, in a man in Washington state who had traveled to the region in China where the illness appears to have originated. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/22/20

Also . . . 

Vallejo releases video showing off-duty Richmond police sergeant shooting fleeing man -- Vallejo city officials released surveillance video Tuesday that captured the moment an off-duty Richmond police sergeant shot and killed a man who was armed and fleeing in a strip-mall parking lot. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nate Gartrell and John Glidden in the East Bay Times -- 1/22/20

‘El Chapo’s’ reputed tunnel builder extradited to San Diego -- The reputed architect of some of the Sinaloa drug cartel’s most elaborate tunnel systems has been quietly extradited to San Diego, eight years after his arrest in Mexico. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/22/20

POTUS 45  

Trump roars back on Twitter -- President Trump, who was overseas at an economic forum, remained uncharacteristically quiet during the first 11 hours of the trial on Tuesday. But as the proceedings reached midnight in Washington, and 6 a.m. in Davos, Switzerland, where the president was, his Twitter feed roared back to life. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 1/22/20

With his mind on impeachment, Trump prepares to wrap up Davos visit with foreign policy focus -- Trump tweeted dozens of times before the sun rose over this Alpine ski town, focusing mostly on the impeachment trial and reposting statements made by several of his Republican defenders. The flurry belied White House efforts to project Trump as detached from the increasingly partisan impeachment fight and more focused on delivering results for the country. Toluse Olorunnipa and Anne Gearan in the Washington Post$ -- 1/22/20

Beltway 

Senate Democrats privately mull witness trade in impeachment trial: A Biden for Bolton -- Several Senate Democrats are privately discussing the possibility of calling Republicans’ bluff on witnesses, weighing an unusual trade in President Trump’s impeachment trial: the testimony of Hunter Biden for the testimony of a key administration official. Rachael Bade, Robert Costa and Seung Min Kim in the Washington Post$ -- 1/22/20

Republicans Block Subpoenas for New Evidence as Impeachment Trial Begins -- Republicans made last-minute changes to their proposed rules to placate moderates, but they held together to turn back Democratic efforts to subpoena documents. Nicholas Fandos in the New York Times$ -- 1/22/20

 

-- Tuesday Updates 

McConnell abruptly eases impeachment limits -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly eased his restrictive proposed rules for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial , backing off the condensed two-day schedule to add a third for opening arguments after protests from senators, including Republicans. Lisa Mascaro, Eric Tucker and Zeke Miller Associated Press Burgess Everett and Marianne Levine Politico -- 1/21/20

President Bernie Sanders: Here’s what it would mean for California -- California is already one of the nation’s most liberal states, but a Bernie Sanders presidency would kick the state’s progressive tilt into overdrive. Still, in many policy areas, Californians would feel far less of an impact than residents of more conservative states. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/20

Quinn: Can Bloomberg Win California? -- Many other billionaires have failed at buying elections; the more money Meg Whitman spent trying to buy the governorship in 2010, the worst she did. But this time it could be different. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 1/21/20

Facebook, Twitter hold evidence that could save people from prison. And they’re not giving it up -- By the time the FBI raided Omar Ameen’s Sacramento apartment in August 2018, his extradition back to Iraq seemed all but inevitable. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/20

L.A. City Council votes to ask MLB to award 2017, 2018 World Series titles to Dodgers -- The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the commissioner of baseball to award the Dodgers the 2017 and 2018 World Series titles after Major League Baseball punished the Houston Astros for cheating and continues to investigate the Boston Red Sox for possible misconduct. Emmanuel Morgan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

L.A. repeals requirements for would-be contractors to reveal NRA ties -- Los Angeles is rolling back a law that required companies seeking city contracts to reveal any ties with the National Rifle Assn., weeks after a federal judge blocked the city from enforcing those rules. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

UC enrolls record number of California students in the fall -- UC’s nine undergraduate campuses enrolled a total 185,559 California residents during the current academic year — a 10.3% increase of 17,369 since 2015. All campuses but Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz increased their in-state students. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

L.A. teachers’ strike fueled a labor movement. But did it really help schools? -- Arnoldo Vargas’ life hasn’t changed much since last January when he joined thousands of Los Angeles teachers in a momentous six-day strike. He drives the same 2006 Camry, has no more than 41 students in his art classes compared to an average of 42 last year, and would love to see his own eighth-grade son and first-grade daughter in smaller classes. Howard Blume, Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

Knight: Meet Mano Raju, under-the-radar S.F. public defender, who wants to pay you for jury service -- The San Francisco public defender’s office has made the news a lot lately, but the actual San Francisco public defender? He’s gone mostly unnoticed. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/20

Banks: In scandal over LAPD officers falsely tagging people as gang members, video confirms an old suspicion -- I wish that I were shocked, or even surprised, by the news that almost two dozen LAPD officers are being investigated for allegedly falsifying reports to arbitrarily label people as gang members. Sandy Banks in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

Meet the California firefighters helping Australia battle epic bush fires -- Beneath a green eucalyptus canopy in the country’s Australian Alps, the continent’s tallest mountain range dividing New South Wales and Victoria, some of America’s most versatile firefighters, mostly from Southern California, are laboring to help the Australians gain the upper hand against their worst fire season ever. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

3-year-old recovering after mountain lion attack while park remains closed -- A 3-year-old boy is recovering at home after a mountain lion grabbed him by the neck in an attack Monday afternoon at a wilderness park in Orange County’s Lake Forest. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

California considers declaring Tylenol’s key ingredient a carcinogen -- A fight is coming to California over whether to list one of the world’s most common over-the-counter drugs as a carcinogen, echoing recent high-profile battles over things like alcohol and coffee. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 1/21/20

Grandmother separated from 2-year-old when released into U.S. after being in"Remain in Mexico” program -- Border officials separated a Guatemalan grandmother from her 2-year-old granddaughter before releasing both into the United States after they waited in Tijuana together for months under the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/21/20

5th body found buried at house where Garden Grove couple was discovered -- A spokesman for the attorney general’s office for the state of Baja California, just south of San Diego, confirmed late Monday that a fifth body was discovered by a canine search team earlier in the afternoon. Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/21/20

Under pressure from activists, L.A. billionaire’s prison telecom announces reforms -- A prison telephone company owned by Los Angeles billionaire Tom Gores has brought in a new chief executive and pledged to implement a series of reforms under pressure from criminal justice activists who have targeted the firm and its owner. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/20

San Diego foreclosures near 14-year low -- It is the lowest number of foreclosure filings for San Diego County in more than a decade, and a sharp contrast to the 49,125 foreclosure filings in 2009. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/21/20

Could Sacramento Flood Like New Orleans? It's Possible, But Water Managers Are Trying To Make It Less Likely -- Three years ago, water began seeping out of yards and pooling in roadways in the Sacramento Pocket neighborhood. But the water wasn’t from a recent storm. Ezra David Romero Capital Public Radio -- 1/21/20

Mike Bloomberg shifts presidential ad campaign to focus on impeachment -- Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg plans to shift his television ad message this week to directly call for President Trump’s removal from office, with a new spot that will run in states with Republican senators who face competitive reelection fights this year. Michael Scherer in the Washington Post$ -- 1/21/20