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Kincade Fire: Crews race against time to control 21,900-acre blaze before bigger winds -- Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Sonoma County Friday as helicopters, tanker planes and more than 1,200 firefighters pounded the fast-growing Kincade Fire as it licked up against Geyserville — a race against time before strong winds sweep through the area over the weekend. Megan Cassidy and Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/25/19

Tick fire explodes overnight: 14 Freeway closed, six homes destroyed as battle intensifies -- By Friday morning, the blaze had consumed nearly 4,300 acres and was only 5% contained, according to fire officials. At least six homes have been destroyed and an unknown number damaged. Hannah Fry, Marisa Gerber, Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

Video shows motorists driving through Tick fire flames on 14 Freeway in prelude to a hellish commute -- After the Tick fire jumped the 14 Freeway early Friday, causing a portion of the freeway to close in both directions, getting in and out of the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys became a traffic nightmare for morning commuters. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

California utility admits it may have ignited fire -- California’s biggest utility admitted its electrical equipment may have ignited a ruinous wildfire spreading across the state’s wine country Friday, despite blackouts imposed across the region to prevent blazes. Robert Jablon and Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press -- 10/25/19

Map: Where wildfires are burning in California right now via in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

Kincade Fire grows as region looks to next possible round of shutoffs -- By Friday morning, Kincade had doubled in size since the previous day, ripping through 21,900 acres, forcing evacuations of 2,000 people, damaging at least 50 structures and prompting an emergency declaration for the county and planned visit from Governor Gavin Newsom. Fiona Kelliher in the San Jose Mercury$ Julie Johnson and Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/25/19

Investors flee PG&E in wake of Kincade Fire, takeover threat from hedge funds -- The possibility that a faulty PG&E Corp. transmission tower sparked the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County could jeopardize the utility’s chances of successfully emerging from bankruptcy and avoiding a hostile takeover attempt. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/25/19

Reeling from DWP scandal, L.A. City Atty. Feuer tightens oversight of outside contracts -- Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer this week announced new oversight rules for the city’s use of private law firms following a legal scandal that has engulfed his office and the Department of Water and Power. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

California struggles to keep illegal guns and ammunition from crossing state lines -- Ten special agents from the California Department of Justice were watching as a man walked out of the Big Reno Show and placed his purchases in his car. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

Ahead of renter protection law, reports of an eviction rush -- In the months until a new law takes effect, tenants rights advocates are scrambling to combat what they say is a wave of landlords exploiting a temporary loophole. Could it have been avoided? Matt Levin Calmatters -- 10/25/19

Trump plan could bring growers more water. But will it harm California’s rare salmon? -- The Trump administration this week declared that its plan to pump more water from the Bay-Delta will not jeopardize endangered species. But it comes just three months after other federal scientists said it would. Alastair Bland Calmatters -- 10/25/19

Will fed’s lawsuit targeting California’s key climate change policy cost polluters and taxpayers? -- Trade groups representing manufacturers and oil companies warn of higher costs from the latest federal attack on California's climate policies. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 10/25/19

How computer algorithms help spread racial bias in U.S. healthcare, and how they can help fix it -- People may be biased, even without realizing it, but computer programs shouldn’t have any reason to discriminate against black patients when predicting their healthcare needs. Right? Wrong, new research suggests. Amina Khan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

Hiltzik: Freelancers fear California’s new gig worker law will wipe them out -- John Conroy’s first glimmer of California’s new approach to freelance journalists came last fall, when an editor at a travel publication that provided a large share of his income abruptly informed him that its parent company would cease using California-based freelancers. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

Fires explode across California, from wine country vineyards to Southern California subdivisions -- Fueled by violent winds from the northeast, fires erupted on dry hills across California, tearing through oaks and vineyards in Sonoma County and burning homes hundreds of miles away in subdivisions near Santa Clarita. Phil Willon, Taryn Luna, Hannah Fry, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

Kincade Fire: Crews gain 5% containment as focus turns to PG&E equipment -- Wind-driven flames tore through a Wine Country already scarred by past infernos, burning homes to the ground, forcing thousands to flee and prompting embattled Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to investigate whether its equipment sparked a disaster it had gone to great lengths to avoid. Jill Tucker, Peter Fimrite , Megan Cassidy and J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ Julie Johnson and Randi Rossmann in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 10/25/19

PG&E transmission tower broke near origin of Kincade Fire -- A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. transmission tower malfunctioned near the origin point of the dangerous Kincade Fire in northeast Sonoma County right around the time the fire began, the company told state regulators Thursday. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/25/19

Tick fire in Santa Clarita Valley is burning homes and threatening neighborhoods -- Multiple lines of fire were making runs at neighborhoods, racing through open space and to the backyards of homes. Some residents could be seen using garden hoses to try to keep the fire away from their homes. But in some cases, the homes went ablaze. Alex Wigglesworth, Leila Miller, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Emily Baumgaertner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

PG&E blacks out parts of 17 counties, looks ahead to bigger outage that could start Saturday -- Power was off Thursday for 179,000 PG&E customer accounts, and the utility was looking ahead to its next blackout due to an alarming forecast: Winds this weekend could be worse than those that drove the deadly 2017 Wine Country fires. PG&E Corp. CEO Bill Johnson warned the next outage could start late Saturday and last into the early part of the week. Alejandro Serrano, Steve Rubenstein and J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/25/19

PG&E outages: Blackouts could hit nearly every zone of service area by Sunday -- A map published online by PG&E of potential areas to lose power showed almost all of the North Bay and large parts of the East Bay and Peninsula could face blackouts. San Francisco and the East Bay shoreline would be largely spared, as would most of the South Bay. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Stuart Leavenworth, James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ Miranda Leitsinger KQED Thy Vo, Casey Tolan and Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/25/19

PG&E outages: Newsom assails ‘corporate greed meeting climate change’ -- Gov. Gavin Newsom issued another scathing rebuke of the mass blackouts roiling California on Thursday, telling the state’s three major investor-owned electric utilities that they have not worked well enough with the government as they cut power to too many people for too long. J.D. Morris and Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/25/19

You can register for PG&E shut-off alerts by ZIP code now -- Members of the public can now sign up for alerts about Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s power shut-offs even if they are not a customer at the location they want to monitor. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/19

Kincade Fire: Flee, survive, worry, wait, a terrible but familiar drill in Wine Country -- It wasn’t until the early hours of Thursday that Julia Jackson got an alarming call from a friend who was in touch with local firefighters. The rampaging Kincade Fire was 4 miles from Jackson’s Geyserville home, the friend said. Look outside. Esther Mobley, Matthias Gafni and Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/25/19

Watch the moment the Kincade fire in Sonoma County ignited -- From Barham Peak in the North Bay, a small bright light can be seen far in the distance. It appears suddenly, at first as a small bright light. Before long, it explodes, brightening the surrounding hills. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

All LAUSD schools in the Valley will be closed Friday due to fire danger, air quality -- All Los Angeles Unified School District campuses in the San Fernando Valley will be closed Friday due to smoke and fire concerns. Community, Roscomare, Topanga, Valley View, Wonderland and Elementary schools will also be closed, the district announced. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

These Bay Area cities are in financial trouble, state says -- Oakland, Richmond and El Cerrito are among 18 California cities at high risk for serious financial problems in the next few years, according to a study released Thursday by the state auditor’s office. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/25/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

PG&E shares plunge amid wildfire worries -- Shares of PG&E Corp. fell more than 8% Thursday, at one point dropping as low as $7.11, a level shares have not seen since shortly before the company filed for bankruptcy in January. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/25/19

Juul backs out of East Bay vaping ban referendum -- A note was sent to Livermore City Clerk on Thursday afternoon, announcing the company was withdrawing the referendum that could have reversed a city ordinance to ban vape pens. The note was signed by Barry Grace, a Livermore resident who started the petition, which was backed by Juul. Angela Ruggiero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/25/19

Transit  

E-scooter ridership plummets in San Diego as city looks to overhaul rules -- From July to October the number of trips using shared-mobility devices dropped by 50 percent — with rides taken over a two-week time frame going from 441,830 down to 222,076, according to data recently released by the city. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/25/19

Immigration / Border 

San Mateo County comes under fire for transferring immigrants to ICE -- San Mateo County is taking heat from immigration advocates for its continued cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, even as neighboring counties in the Bay Area have pushed to keep the agency at arm’s length in their communities. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/25/19

ACLU says 1,500 more migrant children were taken from parents by the Trump administration -- The American Civil Liberties Union said Thursday that the Trump administration separated 1,556 more immigrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border than has previously been disclosed to the public. Maria Sacchetti in the Washington Post$ -- 10/25/19

Education 

California rural schools struggling to hire teachers could get help from $9.4 million in grants -- The U.S. Department of Education awarded the five-year grants to the California Center on Teaching Careers, an organization started in 2016 to help solve the persistent teacher shortage. The center is run by the Tulare County Office of Education, in partnership with California State University Bakersfield. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 10/25/19

Environment 

How 1 small seaside town is grappling with its beach being swept away by erosion -- What's happening at Capistrano Beach in Dana Point is a microcosm of what other coastal towns are facing. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register -- 10/25/19

POTUS 45  

Democrats say whistleblower’s testimony is unnecessary as other witnesses come forward -- The whistleblower who initially unmasked President Trump’s effort to pressure Ukraine for political favors has moved steadily toward the periphery of the House impeachment inquiry as several Democrats said Thursday they have ample testimony from senior Trump administration officials to back his claims. Mike DeBonis and Karoun Demirjian in the Washington Post$ -- 10/25/19

The Trump campaign has over $1 million in outstanding bills from American cities -- Albuquerque has joined a lengthy list of U.S. cities with a simple request: that President Trump’s campaign pay for the costs incurred during a rally. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 10/25/19

Beltway 

Justice Dept. Is Said to Open Criminal Inquiry Into Its Own Russia Investigation -- For more than two years, President Trump has repeatedly attacked the Russia investigation, portraying it as a hoax and illegal even months after the special counsel closed it. Now, Mr. Trump’s own Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into how it all began. Katie Benner and Adam Goldman in the New York Times$ Matt Zapotosky in the Washington Post$ -- 10/25/19

Would Obama endorse Joe Biden? Don’t be so sure -- Former Vice President Joe Biden hasn’t been shy about mentioning the guy he worked for in the White House for eight years as he tries to win the Democratic nomination to run against President Trump. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/19

California’s tough-on-crime past haunts Kamala Harris -- The Zodiac killer struck first. Then came the Manson family. Later, the Hillside Stranglers, the Night Stalker and the Golden State Killer terrorized California. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/25/19

 

-- Thursday Updates 

PG&E transmission tower broke near origin of Kincade Fire -- A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. transmission tower malfunctioned near the origin point of the dangerous Kincade Fire in northeast Sonoma County right around the time the fire began, the company told state regulators Thursday. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/19

Latest update: Kincade fire is 'growing in all directions' -- While Cal Fire officials continue to label the blaze as 10,000 acres, it’s larger. A size analysis was hindered Thursday due to the lack of wind to clear the smoke, said Paul Lowenthal, pio for the fire and assistant fire marshal for Santa Rosa Fire. More accurate numbers for the people and equipment involved and the fire’s size was due Thursday evening. “It’s an uncontained fire so it’s growing in all directions, predominantly growing in directions the wind decides to push it,” Lowenthal said. “That’s changing throughout the day.” Julie Johnson and Randi Rossmann in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 10/24/19

California’s new challenge: responding to blazes like the Kincade Fire during power outages -- Evacuees in the area of the Kincade Fire reported not being able turn on computers for information or locate personal items in the dark. Others said they didn’t receive emergency alerts, perhaps because they couldn’t charge their cell phones. Kurtis Alexander and Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/19

Santa Clarita brush fire burns structures, threatens neighborhoods -- A brush fire that broke out Thursday afternoon in the Santa Clarita area has burned several structures and is threatening neighborhoods. Firefighters were desperately trying to stall the wind-drive fire as it rapidly moved toward subdivisions in Canyon Country. Authorities have requested more air support and the fire move down from the hills. Alex Wigglesworth, Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/19

Kincade Fire: Homes burning in Sonoma County as up to 2,000 flee blaze -- A fast-moving wildfire spurred by powerful winds tore across northeastern Sonoma County early Thursday, burning more than 10,000 acres and forcing the evacuation of up to 2,000 residents — including the entire town of Geyserville. Peter Fimrite, Megan Cassidy, Matthias Gafni and Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Kelly, Jason Green, Fiona Kelliher in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/24/19

Famed wineries in Sonoma County threatened by Kincade fire -- The out-of-control Kincade fire in Sonoma County was burning close to some famed wineries. The fire, which has burned more than 10,000 acres, torched some structures along Red Winery Road. The total number of structures that have burned was not clear. Alex Wigglesworth, Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/19

Wind thwarted early firefighting efforts: Aircraft were unable to drop water or retardant effectively this morning when wind speeds were 60 mph, officials said. Even though agencies had additional resources on hand, the fire had too much of a head-start. “When you have that kind of wind speed, similar to what we had two years ago, the resistance to control is at a level well beyond our capabilities,” said Mike Parkes, a Cal Fire deputy chief. Shortly after noon the fire remained on the outskirts of Geyserville, which was evacuated earlier in the day. Authorities are going door-to-door to make sure all residents obeyed the order. Authorities are working to contain the blaze before winds push it closer to the town. Alejandro Serrano and Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/19

California Fire Tracker -- This interactive map developed in The San Francisco Chronicle newsroom provides information on wildfires burning across California. Link here -- 10/24/19

PG&E may pay $5 million for batteries, hotel vouchers for people with disabilities -- PG&E may provide $5 million to help Californians with disabilities and serious medical conditions pay for costs incurred during wildfire-prevention outages, including batteries to charge live-saving medical equipment, The Chronicle has learned. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/19

California power outages hit more than 500,000 amid high winds and fires across the state -- Southern California Edison has shut off power to more than 19,000 customers in five counties — Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura — as the state braces for a day of strong winds. The utility is monitoring 286,000 more customers in those areas and Orange County for possible shut-offs as the day progresses. Hannah Fry, Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/19

• Where Southern California Edison has turned off power to customers -- On Wednesday morning, the company said the blackouts could affect parts of Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Orange and Kern counties. Below we have mapped Edison’s periodically updating list of communities under consideration for a power shut-off. Explore the map or look up your address to see if you may be affected. Ryan Murphy and Priya Krishnakumar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/19

Gavin Newsom raked in campaign money amid Trump feud, legislative deadlines -- Gov. Gavin Newsom likely won’t be on the ballot again until 2022, but since August, his reelection campaign has seen a significant boost. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/24/19

Times Investigation: L.A. councilman Wesson helped apartment executives while his son received rent break -- Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson’s son received preferential treatment on his rent for years at an L.A. apartment building while his father helped the building’s executives win approval of a controversial high-rise, according to interviews and records reviewed by The Times. David Zahniser, Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/19

Central Coast project would raise water bills, endanger aquifer, opponents say -- A costly desalination plant would provide water to affluent regions but could burden low-income farm communities. The utility says it's necessary to meet growing water needs. Kate Cimini Calmatters -- 10/24/19

Sacramento’s downtown could double in size. The first step: a Major League Soccer stadium -- For a quarter century now, Sacramento leaders have pushed to make the shuttered downtown railyard something more than an oily and empty ghost of Sacramento’s railroad past – and at times wondered if it would ever happen. The wondering is over. The building begins. Tony Bizjak and Marcos Breton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/24/19

Fox: Gavin the Magician Tries Slight-of-Hand With Gas Prices -- The key to a successful magic performance is to keep your audience’s attention away from the movement that makes the magic trick work. Governor Gavin Newsom plays the magician when he calls for an Attorney General investigation of oil companies for overcharging gas prices. That move keeps voters’ eyes away from the chief reason for high California gas prices—government mandates. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 10/24/19

Boyarsky: Los Angeles County’s Got a New Voting System. Will it Work? -- Say good-bye to the familiar neighborhood polling place. Voters will have to find their way to centralized voting centers or vote by mail. They don’t have to rush to the polls on election day. Voting will extend over 11 days. Bill Boyarsky Fox & Hounds -- 10/24/19

‘Is Wyoming invading?’: Trump mocked for saying he’s building a wall in Colorado -- Cheers filled a convention center in Pittsburgh as President Trump touted his long-promised border wall during a Wednesday event. But then, some in the crowd started to laugh. Others shook their heads and exchanged looks. Allyson Chiu in the Washington Post$ -- 10/24/19