Updating . .
Bay Area’s lone GOP lawmaker is barely hanging on as counting continues -- Early vote counts after last week’s election put East Bay Assemblywoman Catharine Baker ahead of Democratic challenger Rebecca Bauer-Kahan by a narrow margin. That margin has been whittled down to a mere 526 votes — 80,069 to 79,543, or 50.2 to 49.8 percent. Holly Honderich in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
US hardens border at Tijuana to prepare for migrant caravan -- The U.S. government said it was starting work on Tuesday to “harden” the border crossing from Tijuana, Mexico, to prepare for the arrival of a migrant caravan leapfrogging its way across western Mexico. Maria Versa Associated Press -- 11/13/18
Southern California wildfire roars to life in wilderness -- Southern California’s huge wildfire roared to life again Tuesday in a mountain wilderness area even as many neighborhoods were reopened to thousands of residents who fled its advance last week. A massive plume rose suddenly at midmorning in the Santa Monica Mountains near the community of Lake Sherwood, prompting authorities to send aircraft to drop retardant and water on the blaze. Christopher Weber and Brian Melley Associated Press -- 11/13/18
Camp Fire: Death toll of 42 expected to rise as fire grows to 125,000 acres -- The deadly Camp Fire in Butte County has killed at least 42 people and grew another 8,000 acres overnight to burn nearly 600 more structures by Tuesday, officials said. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Displaced by Camp Fire, doctors and nurses open makeshift clinic for victims -- The Paradise hospital where she has worked as a nurse for more than a decade was damaged by the Camp Fire last Thursday and her home burned to the ground, but Birgitte Randall and her colleagues weren’t in the mood to feel sorry for themselves. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/13/18
North Bay schools close as smoky air ‘puts us all in jeopardy’ -- Nearly 90 percent of school districts in Sonoma County shut down Tuesday due to the smoky air from the deadly Camp Fire in Paradise, and officials extended an air quality alert for the Bay Area through the rest of the week. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Dogs and DNA: Search for California fire victims intensifies -- Authorities moved to set up a rapid DNA-analysis system and bring in cadaver dogs, mobile morgues and more search teams in an intensified effort to find and identify victims of the deadliest wildfire in California history, an inferno that killed at least 42 people. Martha Mendoza and Gillian Flaccus Associated Press -- 11/13/18
Fire-weary California homeowners face long road to recovery -- It’s always a challenge to recuperate after any disaster, but California residents face a unique problem. Experts say the seemingly endless series of devastating wildfires in recent years has increased costs and limited the available pool of workers needed to rebuild. Sarah Skidmore Sell Associated Press -- 11/13/18
Cyrus, Hemsworth donate $500K after losing home in wildfire -- Though Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lost their home in a deadly California wildfire, they are donating $500,000 to The Malibu Foundation through Cyrus’ charity, The Happy Hippie Foundation. Mesfin Fekadu Associated Press -- 11/13/18
Sac State closes campus, UC Davis cancels classes over health risk from Camp Fire smoke -- Sacramento State closed its campus and UC Davis canceled all classes Tuesday due to the poor air quality across Northern California as smoke from the Camp Fire continues to create unhealthy conditions. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/13/18
CA rent-control advocates aren’t giving up after Prop. 10’s landslide loss -- Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, says he and other lawmakers are discussing bills to help tenants for the legislative session that begins Jan. 7, including proposals to prevent steep rent increases during housing crises and to strengthen just-cause eviction laws. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
The end of cash tolls — even toll plazas — in the Bay Area? -- Replacing cash tolls with an all-electronic system, or possibly removing the plazas entirely, is one of the few ways to speed traffic in bridge corridors regularly doubling as parking lots during crush-load commute hours, said Randy Rentschler, a spokesperson for the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), which is in charge of collecting tolls on all Bay Area bridges except the Golden Gate Bridge. Erin Baldassari in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/13/18
Fox: Here’s a Suggestion for a New Cabinet Post: Secretary of Initiatives -- As governor-elect Gavin Newsom considers positions in his cabinet he might think about creating a new cabinet post and officer: Secretary of Initiatives. With the Democratic dominance in the capitol the initiative process may gain even more influence as a method to bring ideological balance to policy discussions. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/13/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Cost of building Southland section of bullet train could jump by $11 billion, documents show -- The cost of constructing the Southern California section of the state bullet train could jump by as much as $11 billion over estimates released earlier this year, though rail authority officials caution that their new numbers assume a more expansive design than is likely to be built. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Democrats win back a supermajority in California's Legislature -- California Democrats cemented supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature on Monday, giving Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom more partisan allies in the state Senate and Assembly when he takes office in January. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Don Thompson Associated Press John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Mimi Walters' lead shrinks to 1,000, Young Kim's to fewer than 2,000 in latest vote tally in Orange County House races -- Democrats in two undecided Orange County races further narrowed the gap Monday against their GOP rivals, as ongoing ballot-counting continued to favor Democratic candidates throughout the state. Maya Sweedler in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Cox surges to within 2,000 votes of Valadao, who calls change ‘expected’ -- The race for California’s 21st Congressional District got a little more interesting over the weekend, as Kern County election results propelled Democrat TJ Cox to within two percentage points of incumbent David Valadao. Rory Appleton in the Fresno Bee -- 11/13/18
San Francisco attorney Herrera wants legal basis for Whitaker being attorney general -- City Attorney Dennis Herrera said he sent an “unprecedented” letter to the Department of Justice Monday questioning the legality of President Trump’s appointment of Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Following Darell Richards shooting, Sacramento police change body camera placement -- The change was implemented after police learned that the body cameras of multiple officers were turned off when officers fatally shot 19-year-old Darell Richards in September — including the camera of one of the SWAT officers who fired shots, said Vance Chandler, Sacramento police spokesman. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/13/18
Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joins national public affairs firm Mercury -- Villaraigosa said he will be based in the firm’s Los Angeles office but will be traveling the country and the globe advising companies and other Mercury clients. He will not work as a lobbyist, he said. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times Theodoric Meyer Politico -- 11/13/18
California AG warns felony charges if wild horses are sold for slaughter -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra warned U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a letter that the U.S. Forest Service would be in violation of state law if any of the wild horses rounded up in Modoc National Forest are sold for the purpose of slaughter. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/13/18
Fox: California Tragedies -- From a land named Paradise to a bucolic community called Thousand Oaks, California has been visited with unspeakable tragedy this past week. And the danger remains. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/13/18
Wildfire
Death toll from the Paradise fire jumps to 42, making it the worst in California history -- Officials said they recovered the remains of 13 additional victims Monday as teams continued to search the burned-out remains of thousands of lost homes. Ten of those remains were located in Paradise; three were found in the Concow area. Hannah Fry, Joseph Serna, Laura J. Nelson and Jeanette Marantos in the Los Angeles Times Ryan Sabalow, Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks, Sam Stanton and Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee Kurtis Alexander, Evan Sernoffsky and Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle Emily DeRuy, Dylan Bouscher and David DeBolt in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/13/18
Utility emailed woman about problems 1 day before fire -- A day before a deadly blaze destroyed a California town, the giant utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. got in touch with Betsy Ann Cowley, saying they needed access to her property because their power lines were causing sparks. Martha Mendoza and Garance Burke Associated Press J.D. Morris and Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Camp Fire evacuee: ‘Trump owes all of us an apology’ -- Anger over President Donald Trump’s initial response to the deadly Camp Fire and the possibility that PG&E equipment sparked the blaze boiled over at a community meeting Monday night. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/13/18
Holding out slim hope as crews search for more fire dead -- More than a dozen coroner search and recovery teams looked for human remains from a Northern California wildfire that killed at least 42 -- making it the deadliest in state history -- as anxious relatives visited shelters and called police hoping to find loved ones alive. Martha Mendoza and Gillian Flaccus Associated Press Lizzie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Scientists: Wind, drought worsen fires, not bad management -- Both nature and humans share blame for California’s devastating wildfires, but forest management did not play a major role, despite President Donald Trump’s claims, fire scientists say. Seth Borenstein Associated Press Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/13/18
Fires put pressure on California utilities despite new law -- California utilities again are facing severe financial pressures from the possibility that their equipment sparked catastrophic wildfires, including two that are now burning at either end of the state. The pressure comes even though Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation in September giving utilities some relief beginning next year. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 11/13/18
Oroville Dam officials keep close watch on approaching blaze -- The Camp Fire’s relentless push to the south overnight had California officials preparing for the worst Monday at the nation’s tallest dam. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Last ones in Paradise: Camp Fire survivors live on in apocalyptic fire zone -- He somehow saved his house off Skyway with five-gallon buckets after the town’s water gave out and is now rationing his supplies while the burn zone is on lockdown. “I think of myself as a survivor, not a survivalist.” Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/13/18
A family watched their homes burn on TV, one after another -- An untold number of homeowners have had their lives upended by the Woolsey fire. Few, however, may have felt the fire’s destructive power more than Mark Bakalor. Sarah Parvini and Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Two found dead in Malibu car may have gotten confused fleeing from Woolsey fire, authorities say -- The two badly burned bodies found at 33133 Mulholland Highway late Friday afternoon appear to be victims of the fast-moving Woolsey fire, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau Sgt. Guillermo Morales. Jeanette Marantos and Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
‘We’ve got to go or we’re going to die here.” Former Sacramento deputy barely escapes Malibu blaze -- While survivors of the Camp Fire in Northern California have harrowing tales of escape, Malibu-area residents who fled the Woolsey Fire Friday morning faced similar terrors, including former Sacramento Sheriff’s Deputy Wendell Phillips, who made it out with only minutes to spare. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/13/18
Malibu-area residents come up for air, with stories of survival, after ‘the biggest and craziest fire we’ve ever had’ -- Residents in the path of the Woolsey and Hill fires spent Monday assessing damage, resupplying with essentials and contacting loved ones despite limited cell phone coverage from so many downed utility poles. Flare-ups of the blazes, which tore into Malibu, were virtually all contained on Monday with scattered areas still smoldering. Ash swirled amid high winds, whipping into mini-twisters in some parts. David Rosenfeld n the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/13/18
'Mountain Wave' winds up to 85 mph are slamming East County -- The dry Santa Ana winds took an unusual path through San Diego County on Monday, causing the offshore flow to roar down the western slopes of the regions’ mountains with unusual force and speed, elevating the wildfire danger in a region where the soil is parched. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/13/18
SDG&E cuts power to 10,000 in San Diego's backcountry because of high winds -- About 10,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers in mostly rural and backcountry areas of East County were without power Monday evening as high Santa Ana winds combined with already tinder-dry conditions increased risks of wildfires. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/13/18
No health risk from Woolsey fire that burned nuclear cleanup site, state officials say -- State regulators and outside experts are tamping down concerns from advocacy groups about the Woolsey fire, which burned part of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory nuclear cleanup site, saying it likely posed no risk to the public beyond what is normal for wildfire smoke. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
As Woolsey fire burned his home, firefighters rescued his most valued possession: images of his unborn son -- His hillside home smoldered but a handful of memories were spared. As Shane Clark assessed his newly incinerated Bell Canyon property on Saturday, Nov. 10 – one of more than a dozen houses leveled in his community by the aggressive, wind-fueled Woolsey fire – four pieces of paper offered solace. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 11/13/18
Top senator says Democrats will seek $720 million in wildfire relief for California -- The top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee said Monday that Democrats will push for $720 million for wildfire relief amid the massive ongoing fires in California that have killed more than two dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes. Erica Werner in the Washington Post -- 11/13/18
Trump OKs disaster aid for California, but no word on whether he’ll visit -- President Trump, who toured Southern states after deadly hurricanes in recent months, has not scheduled a visit to California as the state battles deadly fires. But he did issue a declaration late Monday clearing the way for federal aid to flow to fire victims. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/13/18
Lazarus: After a fire, insurers are 'very smart about paying less.' Here’s how to handle them -- The vast majority of California homeowners have insurance that covers fire damage. But that doesn’t mean you can breathe easy. Property insurance lawyers say it’s not uncommon for insurers to do everything possible to minimize payouts, especially after catastrophic blazes such as the ones now raging in Northern and Southern California. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Empire State Building lights up in support of California during wildfire losses -- The operators of the Empire State Building illuminated the iconic skyscraper in the colors of California, blue and gold, to show support for the state during the wildfire losses. The item is in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Pizza Shop Owner Uses Boat To Rescue His Grandparents From Woolsey Fire In Malibu -- So they took a million-dollar yacht and set out from Marina del Rey. Perez and one of his employees, Will, were on that boat, while another boat owned by that developer followed behind with a crew of two. "None of them knew me, really — none of them knew my grandparents — but they were just out there to help," Woolner said. Mike Roe laist -- 11/13/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Anaheim's 'living wage' initiative is expected to pass. A business advocate calls it a 'tragic outcome' -- Anaheim voters appear to have approved a ballot initiative that requires some hospitality businesses to pay workers at least $15 an hour, with 51.5% of ballots counted as of Monday cast in favor of the measure. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Immigration, Border, Deportation
Tijuana braces for arrival of thousands as Central American caravan moves north -- With a small group of Central American caravan members already in Tijuana, thousands of others continued their push to the U.S. border on Monday, as shelters, church leaders and government authorities in Baja California braced for their arrival. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/13/18
Education
Thurmond takes lead over Tuck in race for California schools chief -- As California counties continue to count mail-in and provisional ballots, Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, has taken a narrow lead in the race for California’s state superintendent of public instruction. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 11/13/18
He suggested exterminating Chinese immigrants. His name is on a UC Berkeley building -- A building synonymous with the University of California Berkeley School of Law may soon be stripped of its name, more than a year after revelations that the building’s namesake was anti-Chinese and whose writings were influential in supporting the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/13/18
Latino students in California still lag in college success -- California’s Latino students are making progress in higher education but colleges and state policymakers should take further steps to help close a continuing ethnic achievement gap, according to a new report by the Campaign for College Opportunity. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 11/13/18
Guns
Carpenter erects wooden crosses in honor of shooting rampage victims -- Mourners returned on Monday to the scene of a shooting rampage at a bar in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, where a Chicago-area carpenter erected wooden crosses dedicated to each of the 12 victims. Dana Feldman Reuters -- 11/13/18
Also . . .
Fresno officer fatally shoots former police captain who was armed with knife -- A Fresno police officer shot and killed a retired city police captain who was armed with a knife and suffering from mental health issues Monday morning, authorities said. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Therapy dogs come to Thousand Oaks to comfort mourners -- Outside Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, a dozen wooden crosses adorned with flowers line the sidewalk, one for each of the people gunned down in a massacre in the city last week. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
Morrison: Patt Morrison Asks: Comics genius Stan Lee -- My comic book tastes ran to Classics Illustrated. Seriously, what's scarier than the graphic images of "Crime and Punishment" and Raskolnikov -- the existential "superman," not the caped one -- whacking the pawnbroker with an ax? Can I, then, hold my own with Spider-Man's spiritual father, Stan Lee, a genius of comics for 70 years? Patt Morrison in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/13/18
POTUS 45
Four Pinocchios: Trump’s itchy Twitter finger: His latest false claims -- Forest fires in California. An automatic recount in tight Florida races for senator and governor. A stock market plunge. Glenn Kessler and Salvador Rizzo in the Washington Post -- 11/13/18
Beltway
Pelosi moves aggressively to snuff out challenge to her bid for House speaker -- House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is moving aggressively to snuff out a challenge from some lawmakers who are demanding new party leadership, while powerful allies outside Congress are helping rally support for her bid for speaker. Mike DeBonis and Elise Viebeck in the Washington Post -- 11/13/18
Pelosi warns against ousting a woman -- She and her allies argue she can’t be denied the speakership after Democrats seized the House on a wave of female support. Rachael Bade Politico -- 11/13/18
-- Monday Updates
Camp Fire threatens recently reconstructed Oroville Dam -- Employees of the state Department of Water Resources, with the help of firefighting crews, were cutting brush and watering down landscapes around Lake Oroville to prevent the 113,000-acre blaze from damaging the reservoir’s infrastructure, including the 770-foot-tall Oroville Dam. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/12/18
Winds remain strong and fatalities mount, but minimal overnight damage as Camp Fire continues -- The Camp Fire, one of California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfires in history, made overnight runs but did not spread in the direction of Oroville or Chico Sunday night. The fire grew by just 2,000 acres to 113,000 acres, according to Cal Fire’s 7 a.m. Monday incident report and an operational briefing. Ryan Sabalow and Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/12/18
Deadly Camp Fire grows to 113,000 acres -- The Camp Fire has killed 29 people and destroyed 6,713 structures, but it appears firefighters gained some ground overnight in containing the blaze, which grew just slightly Monday to 113,000 acres burned, officials said. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/12/18
Crime ravages fire-destroyed Butte County as residents evacuate -- As if things weren’t bad enough in Butte County, where the Camp Fire has left at least 23 dead, nearly burned one town to the ground and forced thousands to evacuate. Now law enforcement officials are confirming reports that the fire has sparked a bit of a crime wave, with looting, individuals under the influence and people pointing weapons at civilians. Claire Morgan in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/12/18
Number of structures destroyed in Woolsey fire doubles; new fire closes 118 Freeway -- The fast-moving Woolsey fire has charred 91,572 acres, destroying an estimated 370 homes and businesses in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, officials said Monday. Meanwhile, a new fire broke out in Simi Valley, closing both sides of the 118 Freeway. Hannah Fry and Joseph Serna in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/12/18
Terrifying tales of survival in Paradise, and horror for those who didn't make it out of the Camp fire -- Within minutes, dozens of men, women and children — some of them screaming and crying — were streaming down a two-lane street toward the safety of a hardware store parking lot. Bender, a retired firefighter, helped guide them out, assuring them there was safety beyond the smoke. Three days later, he’s still trying to find out what happened to some of his neighbors. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/12/18
PG&E and Edison stocks plummet as California wildfires burn -- Stocks of California’s two largest utility owners, PG&E Corp. and Edison International, plummeted again Monday as investors feared that the deadly wildfires raging in the state could leave the utilities with massive liabilities. James F. Peltz and Joe Ryan in the Los Angeles Times Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/12/18
State regulators investigating PG&E, SoCal Edison for roles in deadly Camp, Woolsey fires -- State regulators have launched investigations into California’s two largest utility companies after both PG&E and Southern California Edison Company reported that their electrical infrastructure suffered malfunctions near ground zero of two deadly blazes raging across the north and south of the state. Matthias Gafni in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/12/18
Edison reported a disturbance with a circuit near Woolsey fire two minutes before fire sparked -- Southern California Edison said one of its circuits went out two minutes before the Woolsey fire began. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/12/18
Miley Cyrus, Neil Young, Gerard Butler among those who lost homes in California wildfires -- While firefighters protected some homes, others were not as lucky, including some celebrities’ million-dollar properties that were consumed by the flames. The Western Town movie set at Paramount Ranch was also among the properties burnt, along with the set of the formerly long-running TV series “MASH,” the Reagan Ranch and other historic ranches. Nardine Saad in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/12/18
How to talk to kids about the fires -- It’s important to know how to talk to children about that trauma. Here is some advice from experts collected in the wake of the fires that hit Northern California last fall: Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/12/18
California teacher pension fund pulls money out of immigrant detention -- California’s teacher pension fund is pulling its investments out of two private prison companies that have contracts to house immigrants detained at the Mexican border. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/12/18
Where’s your package? Amazon closes Sacramento center due to Camp Fire smoke -- Hundreds of Amazon employees were sent home Saturday from a fulfillment center near the Sacramento International Airport after air quality inside the building was determined to be hazardous because of smoke from the Camp Fire, according to an Amazon spokeswoman. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/12/18
Taylor: Buffy Wicks’ experience running others’ campaigns pays off with her Assembly win -- Buffy Wicks hit the ground running. Instead of paying the $1,000 fee to put her name on the ballot for June’s primary election, Wicks formally announced her campaign for Assembly District 15, which extends from north of Richmond into Oakland, by choosing the other option available to candidates: submitting 1,000 signatures. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/12/18
Amid a Bay Area exodus, Sacramento struggles to stay affordable -- Sacramento’s relative affordability has attracted streams of people fleeing the high rents and housing prices in the Bay Area. Along the way, California’s capital city has become less affordable. Katy Murphy in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/12/18
Next up, Proposition 13? -- Once thought of as a sacred cow, Proposition 13, the tax revolt measure passed in 1978, is now under attack. Lisa Renner Capitol Weekly -- 11/12/18
Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee -- While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while — including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/12/18