Updating . .   

US prosecutors end old terror case against California man -- Federal prosecutors in California on Friday ended what once was among the nation’s highest profile anti-terrorism cases, after a judge earlier overturned the conviction that grew from conspiracy allegations in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Hamid Hayat, a cherry picker from the community of Lodi in the Central Valley agricultural heartland, was freed in August after spending more than 14 years in prison. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 2/14/20

2 dead in shooting at Rancho Mirage medical office building -- Two people were killed in what authorities described as “an isolated shooting” at a Rancho Mirage medical office complex Friday morning. The shooting was reported at 9:34 a.m. in the 71500 block of Highway 111, Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Robyn Flores said. Luke Money, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/

SF corruption probe: Mayor London Breed dated Mohammed Nuru years ago, discloses ‘gift’ from him -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed admitted to having a romantic relationship with former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru 20 years ago in an explosive online post Friday morning. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Would a California takeover of PG&E make energy cheaper and safer? Maybe not -- Trinity County did in the 1990s what Gov. Gavin Newsom is threatening to do today: It wrested control of the power grid from Pacific Gas & Electric. Sammy Roth, James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

26 immigrants found locked in tractor-trailer after being smuggled across the border -- Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national after 26 immigrants were found in the back of a locked tractor-trailer he was driving near the Salton Sea in Imperial County, authorities said. All of the passengers, including two juveniles, also were arrested, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders coming to Northern California -- Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., will hold a town hall meeting in downtown Sacramento’s Cesar Chavez Plaza, 910 I St., starting at 4 p.m. Friday. On Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders will hold a “get out the early vote” rally at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, at 1414 Harbour Way South. Doors open at 10 a.m. and the rally starts at noon. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

President Mike Bloomberg: Here’s what it would mean for California -- Mike Bloomberg would give California a centrist president from the tech world, someone who prides himself as a pragmatic decision maker guided by hard data and not political expediency. After 12 years as mayor of New York, Bloomberg has faced the problems that plague urban areas like the Bay Area and Los Angeles. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Cannabis farm was a model for California’s legal industry. Then came a sheriff’s raid -- To marijuana industry boosters and Santa Barbara County officials, Barry Brand was one of the “good players,” a longtime Gerbera daisy grower who pitched cannabis as just a new type of flower in the greenhouse. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

UC Santa Cruz grad students strike for higher pay, saying they can’t afford rent -- At least 17 people were arrested this week and picketing continued Friday as part of a wildcat strike by UC Santa Cruz graduate student workers who are demanding higher pay because they are overburdened by high housing costs. Nina Agrawal, Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

New California labor law AB 5 is already changing how businesses treat workers -- At Yogala Studios, a small, cozy storefront in Echo Park, the teachers work mostly part time, some giving just one class a week. Workshops are offered in “the ancient spiritual, philosophical and meditative traditions of yoga and tantra,” as well as in “meditation to tap into our creative potential to move through negative blocks.” Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

Knight: ‘Lord of the Flies’: Fights, bullying, chaos upend San Francisco middle school -- Middle school is rarely easy — but it should never, ever be this hard. Aptos Middle School stands grandly among stunning homes near some of the city’s toniest neighborhoods: Saint Francis Wood, Mount Davidson Manor and Ingleside Terraces. It’s long been one of San Francisco Unified School District’s most desirable, renowned middle schools. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Intel to lay off Bay Area employees, despite growth in data center business -- Computing giant Intel will lay off 129 workers at four company locations in Santa Clara, where it has its headquarters, according to filings with the California Employment Development Department. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Michael Avenatti convicted of trying to extort Nike -- Prosecutors said Avenatti tried to extort up to $25 million from Nike with threats to otherwise harm it. The charges carry a combined potential penalty of 42 years in prison. Larry Neumeister Associated Press -- 2/14/20

Preliminary report on helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant is released; it does not say the cause -- NTSB authorities have said a full review of the crash could take up to 18 months. Preliminary reports often don’t include a lot of new information about an incident. On Feb. 7, NTSB officials released an 11-page update detailing the conditions that they found on scene and some of the initial findings, including the conclusion that the engine did not appear to have failed. Alma Fausto in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/14/20

Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Sports Foundation changes name to honor Gigi -- The charitable foundation attached to Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Academy has been renamed to honor the late Lakers star’s 13-year-old, Gianna, a budding basketball star who died alongside her dad in last month’s helicopter crash in Calabasas. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

Kobe Bryant tribute expected to be restricted, with no outdoor viewing outside Staples Center -- Officials have not released details about the Feb. 24 memorial for Kobe Bryant and others killed in a helicopter crash last month, but it appears the event at Staples Center will be restricted to those who have tickets. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

A Year Of Trump’s ‘Remain-In-Mexico’ Policy Leaves Migrants Desperate, Vulnerable -- On Jan. 29, 2019, a 55-year-old Honduran man walked down the ramp from the San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana. He was the first asylum-seeker returned to Mexico under the controversial "Migrant Protection Protocols," more commonly called "Remain in Mexico." Since that day, more than 57,000 asylum-seekers have followed in his footsteps across the southwest border, returned to Mexico to wait for their day in immigration court in the US. Max Rivlin-Nadler KPBS -- 2/14/20

Lazarus: Column: $32 trillion for ‘Medicare for all’? It’s a bargain -- Democrats have done a miserable job selling “Medicare for all” to the American people. They’re adept at highlighting the myriad problems with our healthcare system — the high costs, the millions uninsured, the financial devastation of getting sick. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

If you pay California taxes, you could end up on jury duty under this proposed law -- All state tax filers could end up on California juries under a proposed law introduced Thursday night intended to make more juror pools more diverse. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/14/20

Bretón: Flashy? No. Smart? Yeah. Steinberg tops the list of America’s best, and unsung, mayors -- As a rule, the mayor of Sacramento is not typically included on any lists of “best” or “most innovative” or “most interesting” mayors in America. But as he approaches a March re-election for a second term in office, Darrell Steinberg is building a body of work that could land him on someone’s list of best or most effective, most activist, or most consequential mayors of a big American city. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/14/20

Fox: Housing Conference: Homelessness is an Emergency! Mandate Reforms -- Frustration with the homeless crisis was pervasive with the public officials who have wrestled with the problem and attended the Unhoused: Addressing Homelessness in California conference at the University of Southern California yesterday. The danger words “emergency,” “crisis,” and “urgency” were echoed in many talks and perhaps a hard-nosed solution arose. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/14/20

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

California voters can switch party status on election day -- California voters will be able to change their party affiliation and update their address at polling stations on election day under a new law approved in time for the March 3 Democratic primary. The change was particularly sought as it will allow the state’s 5.6 million independent voters to register with a party by signing off on only one form on election day. Cuneyt Dil Associated Press Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/14/20

Police risking Californians’ privacy in license plate tracking, audit finds -- The audit examined the policies of the Fresno and Los Angeles police departments and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, in addition to the Marin sheriff, and found they fell short of state privacy requirements. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Adam Beam Associated Press Drew Sandsor Capital Public Radio Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

Bay Area drug company’s experimental coronavirus drug generates excitement -- As the new coronavirus continues to spread across the globe with no known cure, an experimental drug made by Foster City’s Gilead Sciences — in one of the highest-profile clinical trials under way for coronavirus patients — is generating excitement. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Doctors fight coronavirus outbreak with drugs that target HIV, malaria and Ebola -- As the scientific community scrambles to find a drug that can effectively treat patients sickened by the new coronavirus from China, doctors are trying some surprising remedies: medicines targeting known killers such as HIV, Ebola and malaria. Carmen Heredia Rodriguez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

County mum on possible coronavirus case that turned up at a Sharp hospital -- Federal and local public health authorities were mute Thursday regarding the current status of San Diego coronavirus quarantine patients, with UC San Diego the lone voice updating the public on patient conditions. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/14/20

California analysts urge lawmakers: reject Gov. Newsom’s $1 billion climate loan proposal -- Nonpartisan policy analysts took aim Thursday at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to use $1 billion in state funds to seed innovative climate change efforts, questioning the state’s ability to even identify the right projects. Rachel Becker Calmatter Kevin Stark KQED -- 2/14/20

Appeals court upholds $5 million award to SF deputy city attorney who was fired -- A state appeals court upheld $5 million in damages and attorneys’ fees Thursday to a former San Francisco deputy city attorney who was fired after investigating questionable city payments to plumbing companies. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Northern California man freed after 15 years in prison for killing he didn’t commit -- An El Dorado Hills man who spent 15 years in prison for a killing he did not commit was freed Thursday after prosecutors announced they had found the real killer of a 54-year-old newspaper columnist through a genetic genealogy investigation. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 2/14/20

Conviction overturned in killing of LAPD officer 37 years ago -- The state high court, citing extensive evidence that the defense lawyer for Kenneth Earl Gay was incompetent, reversed the conviction that sent Gay to death row in Officer Paul Verna’s killing on the evening of June 2, 1983, in Lake View Terrace. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

California to move some condemned inmates off death row -- More than 700 condemned inmates on California’s largest-in-the-nation death row soon will have a chance to transfer to one of eight state prisons, a move a former district attorney termed “a slap to the face” of victims. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 2/14/20

Garcetti calls himself an ‘older, straighter’ Pete Buttigieg -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s dream of a 2020 presidential run may be over, but he’s still comparing himself to the field of Democratic candidates. Garcetti, 49, quipped that he’s an “older, straighter Pete” Buttigieg during a speech Thursday, likening himself to the former South Bend, Ind., mayor because they both served in the Navy Reserve. Both politicians also are Rhodes scholars and play the piano. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

In this L.A. City Council election, Kevin de León is the underdog turned big dog -- Two years ago, former California state Senate leader Kevin de León waged a longshot campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democratic Party veteran. That bid was unsuccessful. But this year, De León is anything but the underdog in the race to replace Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, who is stepping down because of term limits and whose office was raided by the FBI. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

Poll of Latino voters in Ventura County sheds light on their concerns -- Many Ventura County Latino voters feel taken for granted by Democrats, think elected officials neglect the most important issues and at a higher rate than other voters, disapprove of Donald Trump, according to a new poll. Tom Kisken in the Ventura Star -- 2/14/20

Ad watch: Did a California lawmaker’s husband pay for her campaign advertisement? -- Some Northern California voters have received a message in the mail from Assemblywoman Megan Dahle that was presented as if it was paid for by her husband, a fellow lawmaker in the California Legislature. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/14/20

These three San Diego Congressional races are all but set for the general election -- Weeks before primary, the contest for California’s 49th, 51st, and 52nd have only two serious contenders who will go to general election. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/14/20

KQED Political Breakdown: Dan Pfeiffer on the State of the Primaries and 'Un-Trumping America' -- Pod Save America host and former Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer joins Scott and Marisa to talk about the state of the race for the Democratic nomination, and his new book "Un-Trumping America." Link Here -- 2/14/20

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Chinese company Huawei’s Silicon Valley outpost allegedly stole trade secrets from Cisco -- Controversial Chinese technology firm Huawei and its Santa Clara-based subsidiary Futurewei allegedly stole trade secrets from San Jose tech giant Cisco and used them to copy Cisco routers, a federal indictment released Thursday indicates. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/14/20

Layoffs across Silicon Valley hit hardware, cloud -- Recent layoffs reported to California authorities show several Bay Area hardware makers and cloud computing software providers cutting back on staff. The firings don’t show a clear pattern and are taking place amid cautious optimism for the tech industry as a whole. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

McClatchy, Sacramento Bee publisher, files for bankruptcy -- If the plan is approved by the court, McClatchy would become the latest in a string of local news brands propped up by hedge funds, an unlikely relationsh ip that has become the norm as the finance industry swoops in to wring profits from an ailing industry. Katie Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Tali Arbel and Michelle Chapman Associated Press Here’s a list of McClatchy’s newspapers -- 2/14/20

McClatchy family empire is ending. Legacy lasted from Gold Rush, to fortune, to bankruptcy -- Starting with the first edition of The Daily Bee during the Gold Rush, the McClatchys built one of the titans in American media. They controlled dailies from coast to coast and a nationally respected news bureau bearing the family’s name in Washington, D.C. They mingled with presidents and governors, crusaded for civic improvement and stood alongside California’s other great newspaper families: the Chandlers in Los Angeles, the Hearsts and de Youngs in San Francisco. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/14/20

Hiltzik: A newspaper company’s bankruptcy stirs fears about the death of local news -- Executives of McClatchy Co. — the owner of the Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Miami Herald and 27 other daily newspapers across the country — put a brave face Thursday on their decision to file for bankruptcy protection. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

49ers: Santa Clara moves to strip control of all Levi’s Stadium events from NFL club -- Because the city and the 49ers are already in court fighting over a previous effort to take away the team’s right to manage the stadium for non-NFL events, Tuesday’s decision won’t change anything until the case is settled. The city wants to hand over all operations at Levi’s Stadium to an independent stadium management firm. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Health care: Nurse practitioners push for greater role -- As California contends with a shortage of primary care doctors, some legislators are pushing to have nurse practitioners fill in the gaps. Lisa Renner Capitol Weekly -- 2/14/20

California Apple stores must pay workers during bag searches -- Employees at Apple stores must be paid for time they spend waiting for managers or security guards to search their bags to make sure they’re not stealing anything, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday. Don Thompson Associated Press Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

Virgin Galactic spaceship arrives at new home in New Mexico -- Virgin Galactic’s spaceship VSS Unity, tucked under the wing of its special carrier aircraft, took a long-awaited ferry flight Thursday from Southern California to its new home in the New Mexico desert, where it will undergo final testing in preparation for commercial operations that will carry tourists on hops into space. John Antczak and Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press -- 2/14/20

Transit  

Suspect in chain-attack of BART passenger taken into custody -- The man suspected of beating a passenger with a chain in an unprovoked attack aboard a BART train was taken into custody by California Highway Patrol officers Thursday, BART announced Thursday night. Earlier in the afternoon, BART police released surveillance photos of the suspect. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

BART’s latest plan to tackle crime: Post officers at troubled stations -- The BART Police department wants to further ramp up its presence on trains and in stations by assigning beat officers to specific high-crime stops, as the transit system works to reassure riders who have fled amid worries about their safety. Nico Savidge in the East Bay Times -- 2/14/20

Could this be the end of $3 parking at BART lots? -- The rush hour trains are packed. The carpeting is gone, the seat upholstery is on its way out. But for nearly two decades, BART riders have clung to one enduring perk: $3 parking. Now that, too, may go. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

New high-speed rail plan keeps pushing toward Merced, Bakersfield for interim operations -- With construction under way on 119 miles of its route through the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, the California High-Speed Rail Authority continued Wednesday to try to make the case for completing development of an electrified bullet-train line between Merced and Bakersfield as an interim step toward connecting the Valley to San Jose. Tim Sheehan in the Merced Sun-Star -- 2/14/20

Homeless  

Mayors blast proposal for regional overseers of new homeless funding -- Big-city mayors and several Assembly members got their first good look Thursday at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to create a system of regional administrators to oversee $750 million in new homeless funding, and they didn’t like it. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Janie Har Associated Press -- 2/14/20

Newsom’s $1.4 Billion Homelessness Plan Lacks Clear Strategy, California Legislative Analyst’s Office Says -- Newsom’s proposed budget would commit substantial money toward addressing the problem. About $750 million would be used to create a new fund for building affordable housing and offering rental assistance to families in need. Another $695 million would go toward reforming Medi-Cal to help serve people with mental health needs. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 2/14/20

City audit finds room for improvement in San Diego’s response to homelessness -- The city of San Diego has taken significant steps in addressing homelessness but still needs to do more, a report from the Office of the City Auditor found. The report released Wednesday night made 12 recommendations, including developing a funding plan and increasing the number of homeless outreach workers. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/14/20

Garcetti and Trump officials enter a new phase of finding a fix for homelessness in L.A. -- Taking the next step in months of negotiations over ways to combat L.A.’s homelessness crisis, Mayor Eric Garcetti and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Thursday announced the formation of a joint working group. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

LA County gets trailers for homeless living as ‘crisis response’ takes shape -- The deployment of travel trailers is part of the state's response to the homeless crisis through an executive order to significantly reduce and prevent street homelessness. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/14/20

Education 

Cross-country road trip, Guns N’ Roses show and phantom dinner guests turn up in Cal State San Marcos audit -- A former Cal State San Marcos dean submitted dozens of fraudulent hospitality claims, filed duplicate expense reports and made up dinner guests to collect improper reimbursements, a long-awaited investigation released Thursday concludes. On one day he attended an NFL game and watched a Guns ‘N Roses concert, calling it college business, the report said. Jeff MCDonald, Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/14/20

Palomar College president resigns with $450,000 settlement -- Embattled Palomar College President Joi Lin Blake submitted her resignation Tuesday, and will receive 18 months of pay and health benefits as a condition of her severance agreement. Blake had been on administrative leave when the college announced Wednesday that the board had approved her resignation from the post a day earlier. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/14/20

Water 

California May Be Sliding Back Into Drought, Lawmakers And Advocates Warn Now Is The Time To Prepare -- New federal data show that California may be sliding back into drought, just as the Legislature is starting to pursue ways to make sure residents are prepared for water shortages. Due to weeks of dry weather about 10 percent of California and more than half of Nevada are in drought mode, the federal government reported Thursday. Ezra David Romero, Randol White Capital Public Radio Paul Duginski in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/14/20

Environment 

Temperature in Antarctica soars to near 70 degrees, appearing to topple continental record set days earlier -- If certified, the reading would be the hottest temperature recorded on the frigid continent. Andrew Freedman in the Washington Post$ -- 2/14/20

Also . . . 

Lawsuit: Mexican megachurch leaders abused woman for years -- A Southern California woman says the father and son leaders of a Mexican megachurch sexually abused her for 18 years starting when she was 12, manipulating Bible passages to convince her the mistreatment actually was a gift from God, according to a federal lawsuit. Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 2/14/20

Taxi driver saves 92-year-old passenger from a $25,000 scam, California police say -- Taxi driver Raj Singh knew something was amiss when his 92-year-old passenger said she needed a ride to a California bank to take out $25,000 to pay the IRS, Roseville police say. Singh suggested it might be a scam, but the woman did not believe him, police wrote on Facebook. Don Sweeney in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/14/20

POTUS 45  

Trump brings in loyalists and attacks enemies as post-impeachment drama escalates -- President Trump brought two loyalists closer and fiercely lashed out against his perceived enemies on Thursday as he escalated his campaign of threats, attacks and insults in the wake of his House impeachment and Senate acquittal. Toluse Olorunnipa in the Washington Post$ -- 2/14/20

Rogue Republicans: GOP Insiders Take Aim at Trump and Supporters -- As Democrats agonize over who should be their 2020 presidential nominee, a group of prominent Republicans, including George Conway, the husband of President Trump's adviser, Kellyanne Conway, are funding ads aimed at defeating Trump and Republican senators who support him. Scott Shafer KQED -- 2/14/20

Trump to visit California, meet with Central Valley farmers -- According to the White House, Trump is set to arrive in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where he will receive an update on preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in that city. Then on Wednesday, the president will join House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy in his Bakersfield district to discuss efforts to increase agricultural water delivery. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/14/20

Republicans hope Trump’s visit will drive ‘red wave’ in the Valley -- President Donald Trump is visiting Bakersfield next week, and local Republicans hope he will sign a water bill and say a “red wave” is swelling in the state. Brianna Calix and Michael Wilner in the Fresno Bee -- 2/14/20

Trump to visit Palm Springs area next week for fundraising event at Oracle chairman Larry Ellison's estate -- Ellison will host supporters on a golf outing at his Porcupine Creek home. For $100,000, supporters can join a golf outing and have their photo taken with the president. For $250,000, contributors get a photo, golf outing and can participate in a round-table discussion. Both options are for two guests. Sam Metz in the The Desert Sun -- 2/14/20

Porcupine Creek, site of Trump's upcoming fundraiser, one of the desert's most intriguing golf properties -- Before Porcupine Creek was purchased by billionaire Larry Ellison, who next week will host a big-ticket fundraiser for President Donald Trump at the opulent Rancho Mirage estate, it was the private golf course and home for another high-profile businessman with connections to Republican politics. Larry Bohannan in The Desert Sun -- 2/14/20

Trump to headline a $580,600-per-couple fundraiser, the most expensive of his reelection bid -- President Trump will be the guest of honor at a Saturday fundraiser at the palatial Palm Beach estate of billionaire Nelson Peltz. Trump’s fellow guests: donors who gave $580,600 per couple to support the president’s reelection, making it the most expensive such fundraising event since Trump took office. Josh Dawsey and Michelle Ye Hee Lee in the Washington Post$ -- 2/14/20

Beltway 

Pentagon to divert $3.8 billion from its budget to build more of Trump’s border barrier -- The Defense Department said it is diverting $3.83 billion from elsewhere in its budget to build ­177 more miles of President Trump’s border barrier, setting in motion a broader White House plan to take some $7.2 billion from the Pentagon budget this year for the project without congressional approval as Trump heads into the election. Paul Sonne and Nick Miroff in the Washington Post$ -- 2/14/20

 

-- Thursday Updates 

United extends pause on SFO-China flights for another month due to coronavirus -- United is extending its cancellation of flights from U.S. hubs, including San Francisco International Airport, to China until the end of April as coronavirus cases continue to spread around the world and the death toll rises. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Coronavirus sparks culture clash in the San Gabriel Valley -- Marta Ayala and Chong Taing, both Rosemead residents, couldn’t see the threat of the coronavirus more differently. You can see it on their faces. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

All travelers from mainland China being monitored for coronavirus in L.A. County -- Los Angeles County public health nurses are closely monitoring all residents who have recently traveled to mainland China, regardless of whether they have any symptoms of the new strain of coronavirus, according to the county’s top health official. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

8th case of new coronavirus identified in California: U.S. total is now 15 -- A second case of new coronavirus has been identified in San Diego among evacuees from China, bringing the total number to eight in California and 15 in the United States. The person was aboard a flight from the city of Wuhan that arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in Southern California last week, the CDC said. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Phones, electronic devices of those on Kobe Bryant helicopter could hold clues to crash -- With no black box recorder aboard the helicopter that crashed last month in Calabasas, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are turning to the travelers’ personal electronics for potential answers. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey moves to wipe 66,000 marijuana convictions -- Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey on Thursday announced the dismissal of 66,000 marijuana convictions in L.A. County. The move, which comes years after California voters legalized weed, undoes decades of drug enforcement that disproportionately targeted people of color. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

Safeway workers cancel contract, may strike in Northern California -- The union representing 15,000 Safeway workers from Eureka to Monterey canceled its contract with the grocery chain after negotiating for a year and a half and is pushing to strike, although the company hopes to avert that outcome. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

PG&E resists judge’s tree-trimming, executive bonus proposals -- Forcing Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to hire its own tree-trimming workforce, instead of relying on contractors to keep vegetation away from power lines, would not have the fire-safety benefits envisioned by a federal judge or alleviate the need for fire-prevention blackouts, attorneys for the utility say. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Bernie Sanders goes after PG&E in new California campaign video -- As Californians vote by mail and prepare to cast ballots in person during the state’s March 3 Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders is sharpening his criticism of an often-controversial business: Pacific Gas and Electric Co. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Drought conditions returning to California, new report shows -- Driven by weeks of unusually dry weather, the federal government on Thursday classified parts of California as back in a drought for the first time since last year. Altogether, 9.5% of the state’s land area is now in a moderate drought, with forecasts showing no rain in most of the state for at least the next 10 days. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/13/20

Deadly fires turn Australians into climate change converts, similar to California -- The turning point came in 2017, when wind-whipped blazes swept through the foothills, jumped a freeway and burned through thousands of homes and businesses, killing more than 40 people. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

Newspaper chain McClatchy files Chapter 11 bankruptcy after pension woes, print declines -- Newspaper chain McClatchy, owner of publications such as The Miami Herald and Kansas City Star, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday after grappling with a pension crisis and the news industry's financial challenges. The Sacramento, California-based company, whose 30 newsrooms also include the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Charlotte Observer, proposed a deal to transfer ownership to one of its lenders and its largest shareholder, hedge fund Chatham Asset Management, and other lenders. Nathan Bomey USA Today Kevin G. Hall McClatchy DC -- 2/13/20-- 2/13/20

Software maker VMware slashes executive, engineering jobs -- Palo Alto cloud computing and software company VMware laid off over 200 employees last month, including multiple people at the executive and director level. About three quarters of the employees who will lose their jobs are based in Palo Alto, with the rest working remotely, according to a notice the company filed with the California Employment Development Department late last month. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Many low-income Californians don’t use credit cards. Should stores be required to accept cash? -- Last May, Burger Patch first opened its doors in midtown Sacramento with a sign that said “No Cash Accepted.” The owners of the organic and vegan burger joint were worried that a cash register might invite theft. But customers kept showing up with only cash. Jackie Botts Calmatters -- 2/13/20

San Diego’s newest single-family homes can cost up to $1 million -- The traditional family home in San Diego County continues to be highly desired and the price reflects it. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/13/20

Facing doctor shortage, will California give nurse practitioners more authority to treat patients? -- So far the doctors' lobby has blocked the idea, which promises to expand care options in rural and inner-city areas. They warn it would create two-tiered care. Elizabeth Aguilera Calmatters -- 2/13/20

Ricky Davis to be freed after 14 years in prison as El Dorado judge tosses murder charges -- An El Dorado Hills man who spent 14 years in prison following his 2005 conviction in a brutal 1985 murder case won his freedom Thursday after DNA evidence led to the arrest of a different suspect. Sam Stanton and Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/13/20

BART passenger beaten with chain in unprovoked attack aboard train in Oakland -- A man was beaten with a chain in an unprovoked attack aboard a BART train during Tuesday evening commuting hours, leaving him with injuries that required hospital treatment, officials said. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Two-thirds of California students didn’t meet science standards. Here’s why -- Adults who took high school biology might remember a lecture on cell structure, then a test asking to identify its parts, plus an assignment to build a cell, perhaps with papier mâché and dry macaroni. Today, California students are supposed to learn about science in a whole new way. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

Banks: I only took three years of high school math, escaped with a ‘D’ and turned out OK -- I’ve never managed to master much beyond the nuts and bolts of math. I was an honor student who could ace almost every subject, but ninth grade geometry tripped me up. I slipped through with a C, but needed three tries to pass trigonometry, with a D. Sandy Banks in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

Inexperienced teachers are often sent to low-income schools in Sacramento -- Emily Whalen teaches fifth graders at Jefferson School in Natomas. But she wasn’t always a teacher of children. For three years, Whalen, 28, trained dolphins at SeaWorld. It was a job she loved, and it was through that job that Whalen realized her true passions: working with children and education. Sawsan Morrar and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/13/20

The LAPD branded them as gang associates. But they fought back and got removed from CalGang database -- Larry Sanders was chatting with friends in South L.A.’s Green Meadows Recreation Center in April when two police officers approached. They said they had received a call about people drinking in the park. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/20

A California firefighter nearly burned to death. His chief is quitting to save his job -- An El Dorado County fire chief will step down to save the job of a firefighter who nearly died last summer on the same day local voters rejected a tax increase that would have kept him employed. Garden Valley Fire Protection District Chief Clive Savacool said Wednesday he’s planning to step down as soon as possible in order to keep firefighter Scott Wager employed. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/13/20

Getting intimate at the Condor -- There’s a surprisingly humane magic within the walls of SF’s oldest topless bar. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Taylor: Oakland’s mopeds are here — and boy are they being noticed -- If you live, work or play in Oakland, the black mopeds with blue accents have been impossible to miss. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/20

Fox: Tax Measures Everywhere—For What Purposes? -- The coming March 3 California primary election is not simply about the presidential contest and legislative races, it’s also about taxes—big time. Voters will decide on a record 231 local tax and bond measures (backed by taxes) across the state. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/13/20