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New ICE crackdown in sanctuary cities sparks backlash in L.A. -- Los Angeles law enforcement officials are pushing back against a new federal immigration push to add more resources in sanctuary cities as the Trump administration continues to target those migrants who have entered the U.S. without legal documents. Brittny Mejia, Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/15/20

California congressman owes $145,000 in unpaid income tax, according to new IRS lien -- The lien against the Fresno Democratic congressman lists about $87,000 in unpaid federal income tax for 2016 and about $57,000 in unpaid incomes tax in 2017. It says the IRS had contacted Cox and his wife about the debt prior to filing the lien. Kate Irby McClatchy DC -- 2/15/20

Lopez: Column: He’d like to get past the Columbine High shooting, but life has been a struggle -- Former Columbine High School student Richard Castaldo did not look well when he arrived at the summit for victims of gun violence in downtown Los Angeles last September. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/15/20

Fire victims speak out against PG&E bankruptcy settlement -- While their specific grievances vary, a few common themes are clear. Some victims think the deal does not provide nearly enough money to help those who filed claims — some 80,000 people — rebuild their lives. Others object to the fact that the trust would be financed partially with stock or to the idea that billions of dollars from the trust might go to government agencies, not individuals. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

Rep. Panetta co-sponsors bill to ban single-use plastics -- Requiring big corporations to take responsibility for their pollution, the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act was introduced by Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico and Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, this week with Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, signed on as one of its co-sponsors. James Herrera in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/15/20

Coronavirus shows why you must read travel insurance policy before you buy -- People who purchased travel insurance may be surprised to learn that it might not cover claims arising from the coronavirus. Some plans exclude coverage for losses arising from epidemics. Even if it’s not excluded, no standard policy will cover claims from events — be it a hurricane or epidemic — if the policy was purchased after it became known or foreseen. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

Ashore at last: Californian’s tweets helped in 2-week cruise ordeal amid coronavirus fears -- It wasn’t home, but it was land. After two weeks at sea, that was just fine for Bonnie Banks of Sacramento and her daughter, Christina Kerby. Darrell Smith and Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/15/20

Why everyone is suddenly taking Mike Bloomberg seriously -- He got into the race late, he hasn’t been on the ballot and won’t be for another few weeks. And he’s being criticized by his opponents as buying his way into contention for the Democratic nomination. So how is former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg climbing in the polls, including with voters of color, and what’s up with his unconventional method of running for president? Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 2/15/20

Mike Bloomberg for years has battled women’s allegations of profane, sexist comments -- Several lawsuits have been filed over the years alleging that women were discriminated against at Bloomberg’s business-information company, including a case brought by a federal agency and one filed by a former employee, who blamed Bloomberg for creating a culture of sexual harassment and degradation. Michael Kranish in the Washington Post$ -- 2/15/20

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

ICE subpoenas San Diego Sheriff’s Department; first time new tactic used in California -- The immigration subpoenas are not court ordered or signed by a judge, but ICE says failure to comply could prompt court action; Sheriff’s Department says it will comply ‘if able’ Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/15/20

Coronavirus testing to begin at labs in SF -- Public health authorities plan to start widespread surveillance for the new coronavirus in five U.S. cities, including San Francisco, by tapping into an existing network of labs that already test for influenza and other common viruses. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

Two weeks later, first Santa Clara County coronavirus victim still isolated -- It’s been two weeks since Santa Clara County health officials announced the first Bay Area case of the potentially deadly novel coronavirus, but while they say the patient is in good condition, he hasn’t been cleared to leave home. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/15/20

Gift SF Mayor Breed Received From Mohammed Nuru May Have Violated City Law -- In a remarkable statement published online Friday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed acknowledged not only having a past romantic relationship with disgraced former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, but also accepting a $5,600 gift from him for car repairs. Scott Shafer KQED -- 2/15/20

San Francisco United flight held at Heathrow airport over coronavirus concerns -- A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to London was held at Heathrow airport Friday morning after a person was suspected of having coronavirus. Tessa McLean and Chris McGinnis in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

San Diego Declares Emergency Over Coronavirus In ‘Abundance Of Caution’ -- San Diego County on Friday declared a local and public health emergency in response to the novel coronavirus. The move was taken “out of an abundance of caution” and not a response to an increased risk to residents, County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said. Alexander Nguyen KPBS -- 2/15/20

Case closed for Hamid Hayat: Feds won’t seek new trial in overturned California terror case -- Six months after a federal judge vacated the 2006 terrorism conviction against Hamid Hayat, prosecutors said Friday they will not pursue another trial against the former Lodi cherry picker. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/15/20

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

How a fire in the Inland Empire could spell doom for the worldwide vinyl LP boom -- One morning last week just after 8 a.m., as Sarabjeet Ubbu was starting the day behind the counter of his 7 Star Food Store in Banning, Calif., he noticed black smoke billowing from the roof of the building across the street. Randall Roberts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/15/20

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds 

Affordable housing and transportation improvements are dire needs in the Bay Area. Will taxpayers fund both? -- One campaign wants taxpayers to fund affordable housing, tenant protections, and homeless services throughout the Bay Area. The other seeks to raise regional sales taxes for colossal transportation projects like a second transbay BART tube and a Caltrain extension to downtown San Francisco. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

Housing  

Moms 4 Housing: D.A. won’t file criminal charges -- The Alameda County district attorney has declined to file charges against four people, including the two members of Moms 4 Housing arrested last month when a judge ordered the eviction of mothers living without permission in a vacant West Oakland home. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

Backyard landlord: What to know before building an ADU or granny flat -- To find the hottest design trend in Los Angeles right now, look no further than your own backyard. Bonnie McCarthy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/15/20

Could you live in 350 square feet? Southland cities hope micro-housing can help tackle affordability -- Dawn Davis knew what she was getting into. She showed up, months before, to measure the space. All 380 square feet of it. She planned where her bed would fit — in the corner by the window, with a small trunk at its foot. She imagined her loveseat sliding in close by, with a small room divider to separate the two. Hayley Munguia in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 2/15/20

Education 

Striking UC Santa Cruz Graduate Students Hold Picket Lines After Police Arrest 17 -- Arguing they do not make enough to be able to afford the steep cost of living in Santa Cruz, students have refused to teach, hold office hours or conduct research, and have since December, withheld grades for the classes they teach. Erika Mahoney KAZU Audrey Garces, KQED -- 2/15/20

UC audit prompted by scandal finds flaws with admissions process for athletes and artists -- The University of California is rolling out additional reforms of its admissions process after finding significant problems in how campuses track decisions to admit athletes, artists and students who do not meet minimum UC eligibility requirements, according to a review released Friday. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/15/20

Immigration / Border 

ICE plans to deploy more resources in ‘sanctuary’ cities, citing lack of cooperation -- Federal immigration officials confirmed Friday that border agents and officers, including those in tactical units, will be deployed in Los Angeles and other so-called sanctuary cities to assist in the arrests of immigrants in the country illegally. Brittny Mejia, Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/15/20

Environment 

Coastal Commission denies Dana Point seawall despite landslide risk -- In an environmental clash of past and future, the state Coastal Commission has denied approval of a massive new seawall-type barrier on Dana Point’s Strands Beach even though the agency’s own geologist said it would leave the multi-million dollar homes on the bluff above in danger of landslides. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 2/15/20

Major new oceanfront campground to be built along Monterey Bay -- For 77 years, Fort Ord near Monterey was a sprawling Army base thick with artillery pieces, wooden barracks and infantrymen taking target practice with rifles and machine guns. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/15/20

Delta Air Lines vows to become carbon neutral by the end of the decade -- Delta Air Lines announced an ambitious plan Friday to invest at least $1 billion over the next decade to become carbon neutral, a move that comes as the air-travel industry faces pressure from the public and investors to become more environmentally friendly. Emmanuel Morgan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/15/20

Also . . . 

SF agrees to pay $225,500 to settle lawsuit over racial bias in drug arrests -- San Francisco officials have agreed to pay $225,500 to settle a lawsuit brought by seven black men and women who said city police officers and federal agents singled them out because of their race during a sting operation intended to arrest dealers peddling drugs near schools. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

The most commonly stolen book at the San Francisco Public Library may surprise you -- In liberal San Francisco, you might think sticky fingers at the public library would pull Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" off the shelves. Nope. The books that mostly commonly go missing — and are assumed to be stolen — at the San Francisco Public Library are written by a conservative radio host who was among the first to endorse Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

Beltway 

Pete Buttigieg in Sacramento says much is riding on ‘forward-looking, racially diverse’ California -- In Pete Buttigieg’s first town hall since a strong showing in the New Hampshire primary, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor was repeatedly interrupted on Friday by supporters in California’s capital chanting “President Pete! President Pete!” “That’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it,” he said. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/15/20

Once a longshot, Bloomberg is gaining ground in California. Will it last? -- Michael Bloomberg, though, is betting he will be different from the Meg Whitmans and Carly Fiorinas of past elections and that California’s Democratic primary – along with 13 other contests being held on Super Tuesday, March 3 – will be the coming-out party that enshrines him as the national candidate most likely to beat Donald Trump. Andrew Gumbel The Guardian -- 2/15/20

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. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

Candidate Matchmaker -- There’s a lot at stake in the 2020 election. Where do you stand on the issues? See which of the leading Democratic candidates running in California’s March 3 primary best line up with your views. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/15/20

 

-- Friday Updates 

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