Updating . .
Former Trump adviser Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI -- Former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to making false statements to the FBI, the first Trump White House official to make a guilty plea so far in a wide-ranging investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Eric Tucker and Chad Day Associated Press Carol D. Leonnig, Josh Dawsey, Devlin Barrett and Matt Zapotosky in the Washington Post$ Eileen Sullivan, Adam Goldman and Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ -- 12/1/17
Michael Flynn grew up breaking the rules. It caught up to him as Trump's national security advisor -- In his 2016 book on terrorism, “The Field of Fight,” retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn described growing up “hell-bent on breaking rules for the adrenaline rush and hardwired just enough to not care about the consequences.” On Friday, it became clear that Flynn broke one rule too many. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
‘Everybody had a job, and then they didn’t’: Hollywood sex scandals’ other casualties -- When art director Francis Giglio signed on to work on the TBS animated series “The Cops” last summer, he believed he had a full-time job through next May. The project starring the comic dream team of Louis C.K. and Albert Brooks meant steady income for the 36-year-old Newhall resident, who is supporting a wife and a young daughter. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
Santa Rosa revamping housing plans in wake of fires -- Santa Rosa was already facing an acute housing shortage when the Tubbs fire incinerated 5 percent of its housing stock. Kevin McCallum in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 12/1/17
Homeless street services stall as encampments continue to grow -- Advocates say hygiene, storage and other services help homeless people get back into the mainstream. But no navigation centers have opened, storage facilities are available only on skid row and, to a limited extent, in Venice, and one small city-funded parking program opened in South Los Angeles in June. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
Fox: An Oddity in the PPIC Poll: Republicans for De León -- The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released its latest poll on California political races and ballot issues with few surprises—with one exception. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León leads U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein among Republican voters who have made up their mind. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 12/1/17
LA Weekly discloses its mysterious owners after weeks of secrecy -- Calle said the publication, which fired all but one of its writers Wednesday, wasn't bought for nefarious reasons. Instead, he said the alternative weekly was in the hands of people who wanted to make the property "the cultural center of the city." David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Kate Steinle trial: Garcia Zarate acquitted in San Francisco pier killing -- A jury handed a stunning acquittal on murder and manslaughter charges to a homeless undocumented immigrant whose arrest in the killing of Kate Steinle on a San Francisco Bay pier intensified a national debate over sanctuary laws. Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Brittny Mejia and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
Exclusive: Steinle family speaks: ‘Justice was rendered, but it was not served’ -- As they awaited the verdict in the trial of Kate Steinle’s accused killer, her parents and brother had one overriding wish. It had nothing to do with the severity of the defendant’s conviction. John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Steinle case defense lawyer: Trump may need presumption of innocence, too -- President Trump and other administration officials critical of a San Francisco jury’s acquittal of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in the killing of Kate Steinle should reflect that they may need to “avail themselves of the presumption of innocence” someday, the defendant’s lead attorney said Thursday. Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Conservatives let San Francisco have it over verdict in Kate Steinle case -- The verdict in the shooting death of Kate Steinle gave President Trump a fresh tweeting point Thursday night in his campaign against illegal immigration, and provided a host of conservative politicians and commentators an opportunity to beat up on San Francisco. John Wildermuth and Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Kate Steinle verdict reignites political firestorm -- The verdict drew swift and impassioned reaction from across the country in a case that Trump has held up as an outrageous example of how San Francisco’s “sanctuary city” laws fly in the face of public safety. Angela Ruggiero, Tatiana Sanchez and Tracey Kaplan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/1/17
How the Steinle Verdict Could Alter the Political Landscape -- Minutes after a San Francisco jury acquitted an undocumented immigrant of murder and manslaughter in the death of Kathryn Steinle, his defense attorney Matt Gonzalez suggested that President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions reflect upon the fact that everyone — including them — is entitled to the presumption of innocence until found guilty. Scott Shafer KQED -- 12/1/17
Trump calls San Francisco jury’s verdict in Kate Steinle case ‘disgraceful’ -- “A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration,” Trump tweeted at 7:30 p.m. PST, about three hours after the jury’s decision in the trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate. Annie Ma in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Legislature Has Paid Nearly $2 Million in Sexual Harassment Cases Over 25 Years, Report Says -- New research shows the California Legislature has paid out at least $1.9 million over the past 25 years to settle sexual harassment claims, all of that taxpayer money. The research comes from Tuple Legal, a firm founded in 2017 by attorney and former Democratic Capitol staffer Ryan Hughes. Katie Orr KQED -- 12/1/17
Poll: Newsom, Villaraigosa lead pack in California governor's race as Feinstein's reelection bid is sailing -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa top the field in California’s race for governor, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
Calbuzz: PPIC Survey Exposes deLeon’s Daunting Task -- Findings by PPIC that Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa lead in the race for California governor is not news. But it’s an eye-opener to see that Dianne Feinstein is crushing state Senate leader Kevin DeLeon 2-to-1 in the race for her seat in the U.S. Senate. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine Calbuzz -- 12/1/17
Survey: California’s governor race tightens as Antonio Villaraigosa inches closer to Gavin Newsom -- A new statewide survey shows Democrats Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa in a closer than expected race for California governor, with Republicans so far behind that for the first time they may not make the statewide ballot next November. Ramona Giwargis in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/1/17
Newsom, Villaraigosa Emerge From Pack In Governor's Race -- With just six months to go before California’s primary election – and less than a year until the 2018 midterms – two Democrats lead the pack of candidates to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 12/1/17
Californians want to resist Trump, but like Feinstein’s decades of experience -- California voters by a strong majority say single-payer healthcare is very important to them. A new survey also found about half of likely voters, 51 percent, prefer that statewide candidates push back against the Trump administration, while 41 percent want California leaders to work with the White House. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/1/17
California governor’s race hasn’t captured attention of voters -- With primary voting starting in about five months, only about 25 percent of the voters say they are following the campaign to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown even fairly closely. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Statewide Poll: Feinstein in Commanding Position for Re-Election -- Whatever vulnerability Sen. Dianne Feinstein displayed as she pondered whether to run for a fifth full term next year has seemingly evaporated, at least according to a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Scott Shafer KQED -- 12/1/17
Candidate Villaraigosa vows to get tough on unions, put focus on children -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday continued to distance himself from the Democratic left — and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom — with a pledge to take on unions and other interest groups if he is elected governor next year. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia endorses Gavin Newsom for governor -- As Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia explained why he was endorsing Gavin Newsom for governor on Thursday, he recalled two key moments in his life. The first was in 2004, soon after Garcia graduated from college and was trying to figure out how to tell his family that he was gay. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
Pro-nuke activist from Berkeley to run for California governor -- The latest candidate to replace Gov. Jerry Brown is a Berkeley resident best known as one of the nation’s most vocal advocates for nuclear power. Michael Shellenberger, the 46-year-old founder of the Breakthrough Institute think tank, announced his candidacy for governor Thursday afternoon during a panel conversation at the ClimateTech conference in San Francisco. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Two Republican lawmakers want former leaders of Assembly Rules Committee to testify on sexual harassment policies -- Two Republican assemblymen are asking that past leaders of the Assembly Rules Committee be called to testify before the group of lawmakers tasked with overhauling the way the chamber tracks and investigates sexual harassment claims. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
These maps show why some California Republicans are nervous about changes to the tax code -- California taxpayers would be hit disproportionately hard under the Republican tax plan because of changes to two popular tax breaks. That's one reason GOP lawmakers in the state's House delegation were under so much scrutiny when most of them voted to pass the House version in November. Jon Schleuss in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
‘Nobody is listening:’ Robert Reich’s new Netflix film focuses on political frustration -- Victoria Dzorka was one of about 1,700 people to show up at a March town hall hosted by Rep. Tom McClintock in El Dorado Hills, a rural town in the Sierra Nevada foothills, east of Sacramento. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/1/17
Where are they Now? Pat Nolan -- Pat Nolan has Southern California credentials that are about as solid as they come. Alex Vassar Capitol Weekly -- 12/1/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
LA County under ongoing investigation for using taxpayer money to promote homeless tax -- Los Angeles County officials are under investigation by a state agency for allegedly using taxpayer money to fund promotional campaigns in favor of Measure H, the half-cent sales tax that voters passed this year, to help people who are homeless. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 12/1/17
Alameda County takes brakes off 54,000 drivers, reverses license suspensions for unpaid traffic fines -- In a first for the state, Alameda County Superior Court on Monday reversed license suspensions for people who were penalized because they couldn’t afford to pay traffic fines. It’s the first county in the state to do so. Tammerlin Drummond in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/1/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
California sues ‘unscrupulous’ Orange County janitorial firm for wage theft, fraud -- An Anaheim janitorial company servicing 80 major retail stores across Southern California paid its 150 workers just $400 a month over the past four years, far below the minimum wage, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra charged Thursday. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 12/1/17
General Motors says self-driving taxi fleets coming in 2019 -- Big fleets of robot taxis — with no backup drivers — from General Motors could hit the streets of San Francisco and other cities in less than two years, the company said Thursday. The cars initially will be able to offer rides at a cost of about $1.50 a mile, quickly getting to $1 a mile, whereas current ride-hailing services cost about $2 or $3 a mile, GM said. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Tijuana Has the Ingredients for a Booming Startup Scene But Not a Lot to Show for it -- Busca Corp opened a large office 10 years ago in an upscale Tijuana neighborhood called Colonia Cacho. Toledo said he pays just $600 a month for it, and that the universities in Tijuana are churning out plenty of skilled programmers from which he finds most of his employees. But he also deals with basic infrastructure problems like water outages, and a mail delivery system that doesn’t function at all. Kinsee Morlan Voiceofsandiego.org -- 12/1/17
Wine in cans? Why not? -- The wine business is slowly turning to aluminum cans in response to the consumer demands of millennials, a panel of industry leaders noted on Thursday. Bill Swindell in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 12/1/17
Guns
House GOP leaders preparing to bring gun measures to the floor -- House Republican leaders are preparing to move ahead with a package of gun legislation that would sharply expand concealed-carry rights but also address policies that came into play during two recent mass shootings. The proposal is expected to come to the floor as soon as next week. Kyle Cheney and John Bresnahan Politico -- 12/1/17
Homeless
San Diego's first large homeless tent set to open Friday -- The first of three large tents to temporarily house hundreds of homeless people is scheduled to open Friday, and the people behind the plan stress that these will be far more than shelters. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/1/17
Housing
Home prices keep pushing higher in Sacramento County -- Sacramento County’s median resale home price rose by 10 percent in October compared with the same month last year, CoreLogic reported Thursday. The Irvine-based real estate tracking service said, however, that the number of home sales continued to slip. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/1/17
Wildfire
Regulators: California utility can’t make customers pay wildfire suit costs -- In a closely watched decision, a California electric utility company sued over wildfires sparked by its equipment lost its bid Thursday to pass some of those legal costs on to its customers in the form of higher rates. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Education
Stanford University data glitch exposes truth about scholarships -- Stanford Business School officials are admitting that for years they have given steep price breaks to preferred applicants while claiming the scholarships were only for needy students — and say they will close a glitch that allowed public access to thousands of confidential student financial aid records. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
High Levels of Lead Detected in Tap Water at Some San Francisco Schools -- New documents obtained by KQED reveal that half of San Francisco schools have lead in their water, though levels vary widely from school to school. Information obtained as a result of a request under the California Public Records Act shows water from one tap measured more than 370 times the allowable concentration of lead. Sara Hossaini KQED -- 12/1/17
Wind tunnels and sheep brains: Students get their STEM wings at this L.A. school -- The STEM Academy in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles is part of a network of California high schools that’s rewriting the playbook for how students are both taught vocational skills and prepared for higher education. Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 12/1/17
It’s Her Time -- New UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ is facing some major challenges. And the university’s first female chancellor might just be the perfect person for the job. Patrick Hoge Oakland Magazine -- 12/1/17
Water
Delta residents vent about Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels water plan -- A throng of people, nearly 200 strong, came to this delta town Thursday, many of them wearing work boots and ball caps, blue jeans and plaid, and all of them hoping to learn something good about Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to solve California’s water delivery problems. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/1/17
Health
There’s a Cure for Hepatitis C. Why Are So Many People Still Dying from It? -- The cheapest available drug retails at about $26,000 for a course that ranges from two to four months. Others can cost as much as $133,400. While insurance companies often negotiate lower prices, some have still tried to control costs by instituting limits on who qualifies for treatment. Laura Klivans KQED -- 12/1/17
Whistleblower says Medicaid managed-care firm improperly denied care to thousands of Californians -- In early October, an executive at one of the nation's largest physician-practice management firms handed her bosses the equivalent of a live grenade — a 20-page report that blew up the company and shook the world of managed care for poor patients across California. Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
Environment
Parents of children with cancer push state to clean up Santa Susana Field Lab -- A group of parents, physicians and other local residents handed copies of petitions with more than 17,000 signatures to state officials on Thursday, demanding tougher cleanup standards at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 12/1/17
Abalone Collapse with Kelp Forests -- Abalone diving, a tradition among thousands of Californians, could soon become a thing of the past as numbers of North Coast red abalone freefall. Alastair Bland East Bay Express -- 12/1/17
Also . . .
LA Weekly's new owners are still a mystery, and people are demanding answers -- LA Weekly was sold Wednesday, with all of its top editors and all but one of its writers laid off as the deal closed. A day later, the alternative newsweekly's buyers are still shrouded in secrecy. That secrecy is "appalling and offensive," the president of the Society for Professional Journalists said Thursday, demanding public disclosure of the owners' names. Lauren Raab in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
5 women accuse San Diego County deputy of sexual misconduct when on patrol -- Two additional women have filed claims against the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department alleging sexual misconduct by a deputy who officials confirmed this week was already under criminal investigation. Jeff McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
Proposition 47 makes stealing a car worth $950 or less a misdemeanor offense, court rules -- The state's highest court, in a decision written by Justice Leondra R. Kruger, said Proposition 47 allows Page to have his felony vehicle conviction reduced to a misdemeanor if he can show the vehicle's value was $950 or less. A San Bernardino County judge ordered Page to prison for nearly 11 years for taking the vehicle, resisting an officer and resisting while driving dangerously. The sentence also reflected the fact that Page had prior felonies. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/1/17
POTUS 45
Trump Pressed Top Republicans to End Senate Russia Inquiry -- President Trump over the summer repeatedly urged senior Senate Republicans, including the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to end the panel’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, according to a half dozen lawmakers and aides. Mr. Trump’s requests were a highly unusual intervention from a president into a legislative inquiry involving his family and close aides. Jonathan Martin, Maggie Haberman and Alexander Burns in the New York Times$ -- 12/1/17
Trump’s Tweets Manage a Rare Feat: Uniting Britain, in Outrage -- Pressure was growing to withdraw President Trump’s invitation for a state visit after he shared videos on Twitter from a British far-right group, then rebuked Prime Minister Theresa May. Stephen Castle in the New York Times$ -- 12/1/17
White House lays groundwork for seismic personnel change with plan to oust Tillerson -- The plan to force out Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and install loyalists to President Trump in two top national security positions, which has been confirmed by two administration officials, would shake up an already turbulent presidency. Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 12/1/17
Beltway
Tax bill could trigger historic spending cuts -- Unless Congress acts swiftly to stop it, as much as $150 billion per year would be cut from initiatives ranging from farm subsidies to student loans to support services for crime victims. Medicare alone could see cuts of $25 billion a year. And the specter of those cuts has thrust Congress into a high-stakes game of political chicken. Adam Cancryn and Sarah Ferris Politico -- 12/1/17
The Senate’s Final Tally: Plan Will Add $1 Trillion to Deficit -- Senate Republicans’ tax cut would not “pay for itself” according to a new report by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. Jugal K. Patel and Alicia Parlapiano in the New York Times$ -- 12/1/17
-- Thursday Updates
Jury: Mexican man not guilty in San Francisco pier killing -- A jury on Thursday found a Mexican man not guilty of murder in the killing of a woman on a San Francisco pier that touched off a national immigration debate two years ago. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate had been deported five times and was wanted for a sixth deportation when Kate Steinle was fatally shot in the back while walking with her father on the pier. Associated Press -- 11/30/17
Exclusive: Steinle family speaks: ‘Justice was rendered, but it was not served’ -- As they awaited the verdict in the trial of Kate Steinle’s accused killer, her parents and brother had one overriding wish. It had nothing to do with the severity of the defendant’s conviction. John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/17
'This will mean more traffic': Southern California transportation officials rail against the GOP tax bill -- The Republican-sponsored tax legislation moving through Congress has sparked alarm among Southern California transportation officials, who say changes to several lesser-known tax deductions could slow the renovation of Los Angeles International Airport and L.A. County’s ambitious plan to build more than a dozen new rail lines over the next four decades. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/17
Key senator says tax bill likely to keep property tax deduction — a partial win, but still a big loss for Californians -- But the bill would still axe the current deduction for state and local income or sales taxes. That is a bigger loss for California, which has the highest top state income tax rate in the nation, but ranks in the bottom third by one measure for property taxes. Efforts to restore all state and local tax deductions to the legislation in the House and Senate have gone nowhere. Jim Puzzanghera and David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/17
Hiltzik: Sen. Rubio tells a secret: After giving a tax cut to the rich, GOP will cut Social Security and Medicare -- Advocates for seniors and the middle class have been warning for weeks that the Republican drive to cut taxes for the wealthy is the prelude to a larger attack on Social Security and Medicare. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/17
Regulators: Utility shareholders to pay $379M in fire costs -- The California Public Utilities Commission has voted to have San Diego utility shareholders, not ratepayers pay $379 million in costs from three 2007 deadly blazes ignited by power lines. Regulators on Thursday voted unanimously to uphold an August decision by two administrative law judges who concluded that San Diego Gas & Electric did not act reasonably in managing its equipment and thus could not pass along costs to ratepayers. Associated Press Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/17
For California attorney general, suing Trump again and again is a team sport -- For a man who has alternatively been called the face, the leader, and the speartip of the progressive “resistance” to the Trump administration, Xavier Becerra seems comfortable working outside the spotlight. Ben Christopher Calmatters.org -- 11/30/17
Amazon workers sue, claiming denied overtime pay, rest breaks -- Workers at Amazon.com’s California distribution centers, including the recently opened Sacramento fulfillment center at Metro Air Park, have filed a class-action complaint that contends they have been denied rest breaks, overtime pay and appropriate payment of wages. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/30/17
Dianne Feinstein isn’t letting up on probe into Trump-Russia investigation -- As revelations over alleged sexual misconduct by powerful men dominate legislative discussions in Sacramento and Washington, Sen. Dianne Feinstein isn’t letting up on another investigative bombshell – the congressional probe into Russian meddling in last year’s presidential election. Angela Hart in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/30/17
Foes of California gas tax increase launch television ads seeking repeal initiative -- The ads have started running on broadcast and cable television stations in the San Diego area and on YouTube. They are part of a $400,000 first-week launch for a drive to collect more than 587,000 signatures to qualify a measure for the November 2018 ballot that would repeal the increase in gas taxes and vehicle fees approved by the Legislature in April. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/17
California GOPers Ed Royce and Mimi Walters more vulnerable, according to one election handicapper -- Analysts for Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics moved the 39th Congressional District held by Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) and the 45th District held by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) from the “likely Republican” category to the “leans Republican” category, signaling they think Democrats have a better chance of winning them. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/17
House Democrats Target Most California Republican Districts -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has indicated the party will actively compete in 10 of the 14 California districts currently held by Republicans. In 2016, the DCCC listed four Republican-held districts as battlegrounds. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 11/30/17
Shared electric vehicles, charging stations on way to low-income communities in the Bay Area -- Car-sharing companies like Zipcar, Maven, Getaround and Gig have peppered Bay Area communities with on-demand vehicles for short-term rentals, but many of those companies — and their vehicles — are in still in short supply in low-income neighborhoods. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/30/17
Tom Steyer is leading a campaign to impeach Trump. Why does that annoy so many Democrats? -- From its very founding, California has been a land of reinvention. The creed is practically written in the state Constitution: If you don't like who you are, or your place in life, start over. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/17
Sessions hints at crackdown on recreational pot, affecting California, other states -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions hinted Wednesday that the Justice Department may take a tougher stance on recreational marijuana in the near future, a change in policy that would have a significant impact on the five states plus the District of Columbia that already allow the drug to be used for more than medicinal purposes. Kate Irby and Emily Cadei McClatchyDC -- 11/30/17
White House readies plan to replace Tillerson with Pompeo at State, install Cotton at CIA -- The White House has readied a plan to oust embattled Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who has become one of the most personally loyal and politically savvy members of President Trump's national security team, two administration officials confirmed Thursday. Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker and Anne Gearan in the Washington Post$ -- 11/30/17
McManus: Mike Pompeo would be a more effective secretary of State than Rex Tillerson. That may not be a good thing -- It should come as no surprise that President Trump is thinking about replacing Rex Tillerson as secretary of State—or that CIA director Mike Pompeo is the leading candidate. Tillerson’s early exit has been talked about openly for months, Pompeo’s rise as a likely successor for several weeks. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/17
Walmart Pulls T-Shirts That Hint At Lynching Journalists -- Walmart has removed a controversial T-shirt with a simple message — "Rope. Tree. Journalist. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED" — from its website, after the Radio Television Digital News Association sent the largest retailer in the U.S. a note flagging the shirt's message. Bill Chapell NPR -- 11/30/17
Fox: Is it About Sexual Harassment or About Getting a “Vote?” -- Could Senator Tony Mendoza’s situation lead to California’s Roy Moore moment when politics and the need for legislative votes overshadow the moral concerns dealing with sexual harassment? Let’s hope not. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/30/17