Updating . .
California fires: Death toll in Paradise rises to 71; more than 1,000 unaccounted for -- The number of missing rose by nearly 400 since Thursday night. But officials said that there might be duplications on the list and that some of those listed might be alive but simply have not checked in with the people who reported them missing. The remains of eight additional people were found Friday. Javier Panzar and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle Kathleen Ronayne and Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press Robert Salonga and Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/16/18
Democrat defeats independent for California insurance czar -- Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara has defeated Republican-turned-independent Steve Poizner to become the state’s next insurance commissioner, according to new vote totals Friday. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/16/18
California voter turnout sets recent record for a midterm -- Preliminary projections Friday show nearly two-thirds of California registered voters cast ballots in last week’s election, a recent record for a non-presidential general election. County officials estimate that about 12.8 million ballots were cast by the record 19.7 million Californians who registered to vote. Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 11/16/18
For California fire victims, it will be a long, tough road to rebuild -- Construction workers are in short supply. The costs of some materials are rising, thanks in part to President Trump’s trade war. “The individual homeowner just has a nightmare ahead,” said John Mulville, Southern California regional director for real estate research firm Metrostudy. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Power lines keep sparking wildfires. Why don’t California utility companies bury them? -- In fire-scarred California communities, that question is being posed, often angrily, as evidence mounts that the state’s traditional overhead electrical power grid is at times a liability, culpable for starting some of the state’s biggest blazes. Tony Bizjak, Sophia Bollag and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/16/18
What prompted Trump’s trip to California wildfire sites -- The White House announced Thursday that President Donald Trump will travel to Northern California for the first time during his presidency on Saturday, and California Rep. Doug LaMalfa says it’s because of him. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/16/18
Politifact CA: Examining Jerry Brown’s veto of California wildfire legislation and the criticism of it -- As deadly wildfires burned across California this week, a flurry of social media and blog posts called into question Gov. Jerry Brown’s veto of a wildfire management bill two years ago. The posts suggested the legislation could have reduced or even prevented the recent infernos — a contention strongly refuted by the Brown administration. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 11/16/18
Now Living Side By Side, Camp Fire Evacuees And Homeless Chico Residents Receive Aid -- It's been a week since the Camp Fire forced 52,000 people in Butte County into some phase of homelessness. Many of the people who got out ahead of the fire now find themselves in Chico living next to people who were already homeless. Now both groups are being helped. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 11/16/18
Noxious air from Camp Fire chokes Bay Area as residents hunker down -- Early morning air quality reports for the North Bay, San Francisco and Oakland showed pollution has risen to the purple category, which denotes “very unhealthy” levels. Fine particles from wildfire smoke are considered hazardous to anyone, regardless of medical condition, as they can enter the lungs and irritate respiratory systems. Evan Sernoffsky and Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
California fires: How to measure smoke in your neighborhood -- After a week of unhealthy air across the Bay Area, the Sacramento Valley and much of California, schools and universities are closing, sporting events have been cancelled, people are rushing to buy face masks, and the relentless thick, choking smoke has turned scenic views into murky haze. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/16/18
California’s hunt for political relevance -- On election night, California’s closely watched congressional races, viewed as crucial to Democrats’ attempts to capture the House, were largely irrelevant, after all. Democrats needed to pick up 23 seats nationally to reach a House majority and they got 26 before Golden State voters even weighed in — far short of the number predicted by numerous campaign strategists but still enough to give Democrats control. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 11/16/18
After a month on the road, hundreds of caravan travelers find they’re unwelcome in Tijuana -- After traveling nearly 3,000 miles, enduring sweltering heat, tropical downpours, chilly evenings and endless stretches of mountains and desert during more than a month on the road, Ana Lidia Cruz acknowledged being somewhat deflated upon her arrival to this sprawling border city. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Pelosi rolls out LGBT support in House speaker race -- House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi unveiled the support of more than 100 LGBT leaders and advocates Friday as she intensified her campaign to reclaim the speaker’s gavel. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/18
Justice Department says president can deny asylum to those who entered U.S. at wrong places -- Federal law allows undocumented immigrants in the United States to apply for political asylum no matter where they entered the country. But government lawyers told a federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday that President Trump has the power to deny asylum to the thousands who crossed the southern border at the wrong places — anywhere besides the designated, overcrowded ports of entry. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/18
200-bed homeless shelter opens in Santa Ana -- A 200-bed temporary homeless shelter opened Thursday in Santa Ana as part of an ongoing legal dispute launched by homeless advocates against several Orange County cities. The Link will house homeless men, women and families and provide various support services to connect them with permanent housing. Ben Brazil in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
California gains jobs, and unemployment stays at a record-low 4.1% -- California’s record-low unemployment rate held steady in October at 4.1% — the lowest rate in more than four decades — as payrolls grew, according to data the state Employment Development Department released Friday. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Fox: End of Brown Era—Pat & Jerry --At the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs post election conference yesterday at Cal State LA, political consultant Mike Madrid declared that the Brown era of politics focused on building and infrastructure is over with the end of Jerry Brown’s fourth term as governor. He wasn’t referring to just the current governor but to his father, Pat Brown, as well. Both Browns focused on building from water works and highways to the bullet train. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/16/18
Jeffe&Jeffe: Far Left California? Not So Much -- California is undeniably a deep blue state, but that doesn’t mean the electorate is all that “progressive” (read: “liberal.” “left-wing,” or “Berniecrat”—your choice.) . The Golden State is Obama-Clinton-Jerry Brown territory, not the far-left bastion painted by national Republicans. This year’s mid-term election results underscored that reality. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe & Doug Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 11/16/18
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Democrat Porter flips GOP House seat in Southern California -- Democrat Katie Porter captured a Republican-held U.S. House seat Thursday in the heart of what once was Southern California’s Reagan country, extending a rout of the state’s GOP House delegation that might not be over. Michael R. Blood Associated Press Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle Brent D. Griffiths Politico -- 11/16/18
California GOP ponders way forward after stunning losses -- In a speech to fellow Republicans in May, U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters issued an ominous warning about the coming election — California Democrats, she said, were “coming for all of us.” She was right. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 11/16/18
After FBI raid, L.A. Councilman Jose Huizar is stripped of his committee assignments -- Roughly a week after FBI agents raided his home and offices, Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar has been removed from all of his committee assignments, including chairman of the powerful panel that reviews the city’s biggest development projects. David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Alleged member of white supremacist fight club signs plea agreement -- Tyler Laube, 22, signed a plea agreement Tuesday in which he agreed to plead guilty to a count of conspiracy, according to court documents. He is expected to formally enter his plea in Los Angeles federal court court next week. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to court documents. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
L.A. County sheriff’s team violated civil rights of drivers on 5 Freeway, inspector general says -- Los Angeles County’s inspector general said Thursday that a Sheriff’s Department team that pulled over thousands of innocent Latino motorists on the 5 Freeway in search of drugs violated the constitutional rights of drivers, and he questioned the reason for the unit’s existence. Ben Poston, Maya Lau and Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
A Californian is the top Republican in the House. Can his party recover back home? -- Three years after he first bid for the job, Bakersfield Rep. Kevin McCarthy has finally landed the top Republican leadership position in the House of Representatives. Emily Cadei in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/16/18
San Diego loosening rules for phone polls and phone ads to avoid skewed results -- Many election-related phone polls and phone ads in San Diego will no longer include information about who paid for them. San Diego is loosening disclosure rules on phone polls and phone ads because the city’s Ethics Commission says the more strict rules have had the unintended consequence of skewing poll results. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/18
High-speed rail state panel backs preferred bullet-train route through the San Fernando Valley -- California’s proposed high-speed rail route in the Southland came into greater focus Thursday, after a state panel gave its backing to its staffers’ preferred, 82-mile route between Palmdale and Anaheim. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/16/18
Wildfire
California fire has claimed 63 as missing list grows to 631 -- Officials were scrambling to pinpoint everyone’s whereabouts, and Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday that the high number of missing people probably included some who fled the blaze and didn’t realize they had been reported missing. Authorities were making the list public so people could see if they were on it and let authorities know they were safe, Honea said. Paul Elias and Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press Sarah Ravani, Jill Tucker and Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle Alene Tchekmedyian, Nicole Santa Cruz and Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times Sam Stanton, Ryan Lillis and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee Robert Salonga and Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/16/18
Made homeless by flames, Camp fire evacuees face hardship, disease and desperation -- Some sleep in their trucks to keep warm and swallow tears as they imagine the shells of their homes. Others pray that unanswered texts to missing friends don’t mean what they think they mean, and they feign normalcy for the sake of their children. Nicole Santa Cruz , Maria L. La Ganga and Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Utility asked last month to hike bills over California fires -- In an October filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. laid out a variety of dangers confronting its transmission lines running through Northern California, saying its system faced a higher risk of wildfires than any other utility. Jonathan J. Cooper, Cathy Bussewitz and Garance Burke Associated Press -- 11/16/18
‘This is not normal.’ To identify Camp Fire remains, Sacramento coroner faces around-the-clock challenge -- As victims from the devastating Camp Fire in Butte County are recovered by search teams, the remains are loaded into body bags, then taken by hearse to refrigerated trucks. Then, they are driven 90 miles south to Sacramento, where Coroner Kim Gin’s staff is facing the biggest challenge she has seen in her time in the office. Sam Stanton and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/16/18
Smoke spreading from California fires sparks health concerns -- Smoke masks. Eye drops. No outdoor exercise. This is how Californians are trying to cope with wildfires choking the state, but experts say an increase in serious health problems may be almost inevitable for vulnerable residents as the disasters become more commonplace. Lindsey Tanner Associated Press -- 11/16/18
‘Very unhealthy’ Bay Area air forces mass school closures, cable car shutdown -- The Bay Area’s already fetid, wildfire-choked air hit “very unhealthy” levels of particulate matter throughout the region Thursday, prompting public health warnings and mass closures of schools, universities, businesses — even San Francisco’s fabled cable cars were pulled off the hills. J.K. Dineen and Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/18
Couple who survived fire spent five days sleeping in their truck at a Burger King parking lot -- Maggie Missere, 61, and her partner, Michael Crowder, 64, spent five days sleeping in their truck in a Burger King parking lot in Chico with their dog, Coco. Missere has heart problems and had difficulty living out of the truck. So earlier this week, they headed to Walmart for a tent and met a pastor who set them up with donated supplies. Nicole Santa Cruz in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Out of 15 girls and two coaches, only one person on this Paradise High School basketball team still has a home -- The Paradise High Bobcats began trickling into the Chico High School gym a little before 9 a.m. Thursday for their first basketball practice since the Camp fire razed their hometown. Out of 15 girls and two coaches, only one had a house that was still standing. Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Camp Fire: What to expect from FEMA -- The following is what FEMA provides after a declaration of disaster like the one President Trump signed in the aftermath of the Camp Fire: Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/18
Deputies fatally shoot Butte County man in Camp Fire evacuation zone -- The 48-year-old man, whose name was not immediately released pending family notification, was shot at 11:05 a.m. after he pointed a metallic object at deputies from Butte County and Shasta County sheriff’s officers, officials said. Lauren Hernández and Ashley McBride in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/18
‘I’m waiting for my paycheck.’ For Camp Fire survivors, getting mail is crucial — and painstaking -- On Thursday, hundreds of evacuees lined up outside the downtown Chico post office, waiting for their letters and packages in what has become a daily ritual since the deadliest California wildfire in history sent more than 50,000 people fleeing. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/16/18
Gov. Brown urges authorities to finish cleanup at nuclear site after touring Woolsey fire -- Gov. Jerry Brown and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke met with Woolsey fire incident commanders Thursday morning in Camarillo and pledged to work together to help those recovering from the state’s devastating fire siege. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Here's What It Takes To Get A Cal Fire Tanker In The Air -- The roar of multiple engines and the drop of thousands of gallons of orangish-pinkish fire retardant are really good sounds and sights if you're a firefighter trying to hold containment or if you’re someone who lives nearby, anxiously watching a plume of smoke. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 11/16/18
Dental care, haircuts, pet washes and clothes: Businesses offer free services to fire victims, firefighters -- Donations have been pouring in from people eager to help firefighters and residents whose lives have been upended by the Woolsey fire. A handful of businesses also have stepped up to help people affected by the blaze. Melissa Etehad in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
'Nobody knows what’s happening:' Residents wait for power, information as they make their way back home -- Randy Couch stood on the side of Kanan Road on Thursday morning, his cellphone on speaker mode as he waited. He had been on hold with Southern California Edison for 20 minutes, trying to get information about when power would return to his home. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
With no deal, San Francisco Marriott hotel strike expected to last through Thanksgiving week -- The strike began six weeks ago, with 2,500 workers marching in picket lines outside eight hotels as they push for higher wages and lighter workloads. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/18
SpaceX gets FCC approval to operate a second satellite constellation for broadband internet -- SpaceX’s plans to offer broadband internet took another step forward Thursday as the Federal Communications Commission approved the company’s application to operate an additional constellation of thousands of small satellites in very-low-Earth orbit. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
Immigration, Border, Deportation
Migrants streaming into Tijuana, but now face long stay -- Nearly 2,000 caravan migrants had reached the U.S. border in Mexico’s northwestern corner by Thursday, with more coming in a steady trickle of buses. The city of Tijuana, with its privately run shelters operating well above their capacity of 700, opened the gymnasium and gated sport complex for up to 1,000 migrants, with a potential to expand to 3,000. Elliot Spagat Associated Press Sandra Dibble and Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Kirk Semple in the New York Times -- 11/16/18
Watchdog group wants L.A. County Sheriff's Department to stop giving ICE access to jails -- A series of preliminary recommendations by the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission called for the department to bar jail access to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and stop honoring ICE’s requests to detain inmates, except when required by law. Maya Lau in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
San Diego judge officially OKs family separation settlement; new asylum interviews already underway -- Calling it “a remarkable piece of work,” a San Diego federal judge on Thursday officially approved a settlement agreement that allows hundreds of migrant families who had been separated under a government policy a second chance to seek asylum. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/18
Education
School closures from California wildfires this week have kept more than a million kids home -- Amid towering flames and clouds of toxic air pollution, more than 1 million public school students have been sent home this week throughout California, as districts from San Diego to San Francisco grapple with the impact of wildfires. Ricardo Cano Calmatters -- 11/16/18
UC regents approve budget to enroll 2,500 more California students without a tuition hike -- University of California regents on Thursday approved a $9.3-billion budget that will add 2,500 more California undergraduates and increase support for struggling students without raising tuition in the next academic year. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/16/18
As economy booms, schools, community colleges can expect modest increase in Newsom’s first budget -- Incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom will have an advantage that Jerry Brown didn’t have in his first year in office nearly eight years ago: more, not less, money for K-12 schools and community colleges. John Fensterwald and Mikhail Zinshteyn EdSource -- 11/16/18
Guns
NeverAgainCA gets 'cease & desist' letter from gun show operator -- Operators of the Crossroads of the West Gun Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds have sent a “cease-and-desist” letter ordering NeverAgainCA to stop making “defamatory” statements about the firearms festival and its owners. Phil Diehl in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/18
Environment
As California areas record ‘worst air’ on earth, state needs to protect public after wildfires -- Large canopies of wildfire smoke continue to cover more than half of California as spots registered, by one measure, the most polluted air on the planet. If this is symptomatic of what Gov. Jerry Brown calls the “new abnormal,” health advocates say the state will need to step up efforts to educate the public and protect them from harmful exposure to hazardous air. Elizabeth Aguilera Calmatters -- 11/16/18
Also . . .
San Francisco can’t meet its own goal of answering calls to clean up dirty sidewalks -- The agency has a standing goal to respond to 95 percent of street- or sidewalk-cleaning requests — most of which come through San Francisco’s 311 service portal — within 48 hours. In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the department hit that two-day target just 73 percent of the time, according to a report released Thursday by the City Controller’s office. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/18
POTUS 45
Fact-checking President Trump’s wild Daily Caller interview -- President Trump’s Nov. 14 interview with the Daily Caller had prompted much head-scratching with his comment that an ID — he said “voter ID” — is needed to buy cereal. But there were many other dubious statements in his lengthy interview, some of which we have fact-checked as part of our database on Trump’s false and misleading claims. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post -- 11/16/18
Beltway
Democrats prepare to grill Trump officials on environmental issues in new Congress -- Three likely incoming Democratic chairs of House committees overseeing environmental issues vowed to scrutinize the Trump administration’s actions on climate change and bring before them top administration officials who they think have escaped adequate oversight under their Republican colleagues. Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post -- 11/16/18
-- Thursday Updates
Camp Fire: Death toll rises to 63; list of missing grows to 631 -- The number of missing jumped to 631 people Thursday and officials said the death toll has risen to 63. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea delivered the grim news at a Thursday evening press conference, explaining that the list of missing fluctuates as new reports come in. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/15/18
Trump to Survey Wildfire Damage After Criticizing California Officials -- President Donald Trump will survey damage this weekend from the deadliest wildfire in California’s history, after he incited a backlash by repeatedly threatening to cut off federal firefighting money even as the inferno and its death toll grew. Jennifer Jacobs Bloomberg -- 11/15/18
Thousands gather to remember Sgt. Ron Helus, killed in the Thousand Oaks Borderline shooting -- Officers from across California made their way to Ventura County Thursday morning to honor fallen sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus, who died during the Borderline shooting last week. Soumya Karlamangla , Marisa Gerber and Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/15/18
Camp Fire missing persons list now tops 300, with 56 dead -- The latest list of people missing from the Camp Fire in Butte County has more than doubled to 301, with nearly 500 searchers sifting through the rubble of Paradise and other communities devasted by the blaze that erupted one week ago. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee Ashley McBride in the San Francisco Chronicle Robert Salonga, David Little and Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 11/15/18
Camp Fire: Blaze coming under control as death toll climbs -- Containment of the Camp Fire increased to 40 percent Thursday morning and the blaze in Butte County has now burned 140,000, just 2,000 more than the previous night’s tally as fire personnel continued suppression efforts while establishing a firm perimeter. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/15/18
Fire claims popular recreation spots in Southern California -- The Woolsey Fire has charred more than 83 percent of National Park Service land within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, where officials announced Wednesday that all trails were closed. Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 11/15/18
Ferocious fires spark concern over major health consequences -- Smoke masks. Eye drops. No outdoor exercise. This is how Californians are trying to cope with wildfires choking the state, but experts say an increase in serious health problems may be almost inevitable for vulnerable residents as the disasters become more commonplace. Lindsey Tanner Associated Press -- 11/15/18
Lull in winds could give firefighters the upper hand in Woolsey blaze -- As the battle against the Woolsey fire enters its seventh day, fire officials are optimistic that improved weather might help them get the upper hand in the devastating blaze. Hannah Fry, Javier Panzar, Sarah Parvini and Melissa Etehad in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/15/18
As city burns around it, a newspaper staff rises to cover unspeakable tragedy -- It’s an iconic if horrifying shot of the Camp fire pulverizing Paradise — a large ball of grayish-black smoke with fire radiating on the right, taken less than two hours after the Northern California inferno started a week ago. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/15/18
Rushed construction cost high-speed rail $600 million and delays mount, audit finds -- California’s High Speed Rail Authority is still paying for a costly decision five years ago to begin construction in the Central Valley without securing land and before it had completed key plans, according to a report published on Thursday by State Auditor Elaine Howle. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/15/18
California recommends restrictions for popular pesticide -- The Department of Pesticide Regulation issued temporary guidelines for chlorpyrifos that include banning it from crop dusting, discontinuing its use on most crops and increasing perimeters around where it’s applied. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 11/15/18
Nancy Pelosi to Dem rivals: Bring it on. ‘Come on in, the water’s warm’ -- An Ohio congresswoman says she is considering a challenge to Rep. Nancy Pelosi for House speaker, potentially complicating the San Francisco Democrat’s attempt to reclaim the gavel. Pelosi continues to rack up endorsements and is projecting an air of inevitability as she runs to regain the speakership, even as her opponents insist they have the votes to block her. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/15/18
Assemblyman Travis Allen announces bid for chairman of the California GOP -- Allen is a strong supporter of President Trump and a favorite of tea party Republicans. He blamed the wave of GOP losses in last week’s midterm election on a party establishment that failed to embrace core conservative ideals. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/15/18
Fox: Cox Winning as Governor in State of Southern California; Newsom Takes Other Two States -- Remember Proposition 9 missing from your ballot—the proposal by venture capitalist Tim Draper to split California into three states? The California Supreme Court expressed doubt that the state could be divided by initiative and pulled the measure from the ballot. But I wondered who might have prevailed as governor in these three states between the two candidates who did run for governor of California. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/15/18