Court victory for cake baker

READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: Huge delta plan for moving water cut to just 1 tunnel -- The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER; Starman has gone dark -- Tech Crunch's DEVIN COLDEWEY; One year later: The crisis at Oroville Dam -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN SABALOW/DALE KASLER; California officials vow to block Trump plan for more coastal drilling -- The Chronicle's MELODY GUTIERREZ; The dinosaur-killing asteroid also triggered massive magma releases beneath the ocean, study finds -- LA Times' AMINA KHAN; California's wildfire risk is rising. Congress missed a chance to help. -- McClatchy DC's EMILY CADEI; Winter has taken on a spring feel -- The Chronicle's TOM STIENSTRA; Emergency responders train to rescue sea lions, other wildlife caught in oil spills -- OC Register's ERIKA I. RITCHIE; Dana Point tree-trimming crew discover tri-level tree house with view of the ocean hidden in Lantern Bay Park -- OC Register's ERIKA I. RITCHIE

"It's a virtual toss," says Mark Baldassare, president and pollster of the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California."

"Newsom's once significant lead over fellow Democrat Villaraigosa has slowly eroded and the two are now statistically tied, based on a new PPIC poll of likely voters."

READ MORE related to State Politics: California voters divided over proposed measure to repeal increase in gas tax, survey finds -- LA Times' PATRICK MCGREEVY; Republican John Cox boosts personal investment in his campaign for California governor to $4 million -- LA Times' SEEMA MEHTA; Poll: Newsom and Villaraigosa virtually tied in the governor's race while California's Senate race isn't even close -- LA Times' PHIL WILLON; Poll finds Democratic Rep. Ami Bera on track to be reelected -- The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH; OP-ED: Borenstein: Ain't seen nothing yet; California pension cost rise just starting -- Mercury News' DANIEL BORENSTEIN

Counterprotesters want charges dropped in Capitol riot case

Sacramento Bee's DARRELL SMITH: "As the lone white supremacist arrested in 2016’s bloody clash with counterprotesters returns to court Thursday, anti-fascist demonstrators plan to seek dismissal of the charges against them, claiming they were victims of a “witch hunt” by Sacramento authorities."

"Ronald Cruz, attorney for Yvonne Felarca, the Berkeley teacher and activist and her co-defendants, Michael Williams and Porfirio Paz, contends they were targeted by California Highway Patrol and Sacramento County district attorney’s officials who covered up for violent white supremacists after the bloody rioting that left 10 people wounded. The three anti-fascist demonstrators were arrested a year after the June 26, 2016, rally of Traditionalist Workers Party and Golden State Skinheads at the state Capitol."

"But Sacramento County district attorney’s officials pointed to the arrest of William Planer, a Traditionalist Worker Party member facing a felony assault charge connected to the riot, as evidence against the demonstrators’ claims. Planer, 35, is slated to appear Thursday in Sacramento Superior Court."

READ MORE related to Local Politics: Voter, Bee databases hit with ransomware attack -- Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON; Sacramento State alumna elected first deaf female mayor in US -- Sacramento Bee's BENJY EGEL; Regional panel approves proposal to expand Elk Grove urban boundry -- Sacramento Bee's CATHY LOCKE; SF supes approve all-gender bathrooms in SROs, planning commissioner named -- The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN

Pelosi speaks for 8 hours on House floor, demands debate on 'Dreamers'

The Chronicle's CAROLYN LOCHHEAD: "House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi mounted an unprecedented one-woman filibuster on the House floor Wednesday, demanding that Republicans allow an open debate on legislation to protect young immigrants and potentially derailing GOP efforts to pass a major bipartisan deal on spending."

"Holding the floor for more than eight hours in 4-inch high heels, she read dozens of stories of young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” who entered the country illegally as children but were raised as Americans. She insisted Republicans allow an open debate in the House over how to resolve their status."

"Maybe we should just pray all day,” the San Francisco Democrat and devout Catholic said at one point, noting that she had thought about bringing her rosaries — blessed by Pope Francis and other popes before him — and quoting St. Augustine’s admonition that “Any government not formed to promote justice is just a bunch of thieves."

READ MORE related to Immigration: Trump team calls out Congress on immigration, fumes 2018 momentum squandered -- McClatchy DC's ANITA KUMAR/FRANCO ORDOÑEZ

"This year, the high court is poised to announce its most significant expansion of the 1st Amendment since the Citizens United decision in 2010, which struck down laws that limited campaign spending by corporations, unions and the very wealthy."

"Now the "money is speech" doctrine is back and at the heart of a case to be heard this month that threatens the financial foundation of public employee unions in 22 "blue" states."

Sweeping budget deal would add more than $500 billion in federal spending, end months of partisan wrangling

WaPo's MIKE DEBONIS/ERICA WERNER: "The Republican-led Congress is set to vote Thursday on a two-year budget deal that would include massive increases in military and domestic spending programs, reflecting an ideological shift for a party whose leaders long preached fiscal conservatism but have now embraced big spending."

"If the plan wins passage, it would quell months of squabbling between the parties with another big addition to the federal deficit, ending the need for repeated short-term agreements that led to frequent brinkmanship and a government shutdown."

"The accord would deliver the defense funding boost wanted by President Trump and Republican lawmakers alongside an increase in domestic programs sought by Democrats, as well as tens of billions of dollars for disaster victims."

READ MORE related to Gov't shutdown: OP-ED: Against the spending bill -- NRO's Editorial Board

Council demands investigation of generous pension program that doubled pay of workers who went on leave

LA Times' RYAN MENEZ/JACK DOLAN/GUS GARCIA-ROBERTS: "Five Los Angeles city council members have called for investigation and reform of a program that pays aging cops and firefighters almost double at the end of their careers while allowing them to take lengthy injury leaves, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars."

"Deputies shot and killed Anthony Weber during a foot chase Sunday evening. They said they spotted a handgun tucked into his pants, but investigators never recovered a weapon."

"The year-old Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission — a nine-person board appointed by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to monitor the Sheriff's Department — called the crisis meeting to quell tensions between the community and the law enforcement agency."

READ MORE related to Public Safety: Sheriff's deputy who lived with bullet in head after 1994 Rowland Heights shooting dies from injuries -- SGV Tribune's BRIAN DAY

SF Armory sells for $65 million -- to be used for manufacturing and offices

The Chronicle's JK DINEEN: "The new owner of the historic Armory in the Mission District plans to lease the building to manufacturing companies, with the exception of the top two floors, which the investment group hopes to convert to office space, according to Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who has met with the group."

"In late January SF Armory LLC closed on the 200,000-square-foot property for $65 million, more than four times the $14.5 million that British pornography entrepreneur Peter Acworth paid for the hulking brick structure in 2006."

"The buyer is an affiliate of Chicago-based AJ Capital Partners, which has long developed resorts and high-end social clubs, including the SoHo House in Chicago and boutique hotels in Miami, New Orleans, Napa and elsewhere."

Grateful Dead lyricist, digital civil rights pioneer John Perry Barlow dies

The Chronicle's JILL TUCKER: "In an online biography, John Perry Barlow offered a short and simple version of his life: “I co-founded (Electronic Frontier Foundation), wrote songs for the (Grateful) Dead, ranched in Wyoming for 17 years. A weird father, a good friend, and an excellent ex."

"In the real world, however, he was an icon — the founding father in the fight for civil rights in the digital world and a lyricist for one of the biggest rock bands of all time, with his name on songs like “Mexicali Blues” and “Looks Like Rain."

"He was at various times a cattle rancher, a cocaine dealer in New York, a friend of psychedelic psychologist Timothy Leary, an LSD enthusiast and a GOP chairman in Sublette County, Wyo., before becoming a cyber-age civil rights warrior."

Craft beer's coming-out party for LGBTQ brew lovers

The Chronicle's JONATHAN KAUFFMAN: "By 7 o’clock at Temescal Brewing’s Queer First Friday in Oakland, the couples with small children have left. The propane burners at the dumpling pop-up are firing bright, and the clear plastic tent stretched over the patio is flashing red-blue-green and green-red-green as the DJ segues from a nameless deep house track to Cardi B."

"Dwarfed by the surrounding brewing tanks, the crowd inside presses up against the long wooden bar, where they stare up at the tap list. There are few queer crowds that are quite as mixed as this one: lesbians and bi women of every skin tone, white-haired gay men, genderqueer folks just old enough to drink."

"In the hundreds of hours that I, as a gay man and lover of craft beer, have spent in brewpubs and bars, I have never felt uncomfortable. At the same time, I have never felt explicitly welcomed — until now. Queer First Friday, home-brew clubs, LGBTQ-owned breweries and bars: Craft beer is finally making space for drinkers like me."

'Little' Adam Schiff, Trump's Twitter nemesis, liked it better when he had a nasty nickname to himself

LA Times' ROBIN ABCARIAN: "When you get a busy congressman like Adam Schiff on the line, you don't want to waste time with small talk. You want to get right to the point."