Updating . .   

AR-15 rifle found, student arrested after threat on South L.A. school, sheriff says -- Two people, including a student, have been arrested in connection with a serious threat against a South Los Angeles middle school, and an AR-15 assault rifle and a list of targeted students have been seized, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Friday. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$-- 11/22/19

Two new suspects arrested in connection with Orinda Halloween shooting -- In the latest round of police raids connected to the Orinda Halloween party shooting that left five dead, federal and state authorities arrested two men in their late 20s Thursday afternoon. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/22/19

Drier, hotter and deadlier: Stanford’s Michael Wara talks about California wildfires -- Addressing wildfires touches upon a host of issues, including: Hotter temperatures and drier brush, homes constructed in forested areas, whether homeowners can access insurance and — of course — how much all this will cost beleaguered Californians already saddled with high taxes and utility rates. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/22/19

Dangerous L.A. apartment buildings most at risk in an earthquake are quickly being fixed -- An earthquake safety revolution is spreading along the streets and back alleys of Los Angeles, as steel frames and strong walls appear inside the first-story parking garages of thousands of apartment buildings. Jon Schleuss, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

L.A. venture capitalist and Trump donor Imaad Zuberi could face new federal charges -- Federal prosecutors in New York have informed a major donor to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee that they intend to charge him with obstruction of justice and failing to register as a foreign agent. The donor, Imaad Zuberi, is already charged in a separate case in Los Angeles with campaign finance violations, tax evasion and another offense related to work he did for foreigners looking to influence U.S. policy. Jim Mustian Associated Press -- 11/22/19

Witness to BART killing describes horror aboard the moving train -- The man on the elevator at San Leandro BART Station wore no shoes and moved in erratic, twitchy motions. Sophia Humphrey, who uses a wheelchair, was nervous enough next to him that she boarded a different car on the train. Anna Bauman and Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

After mass shooting, Fresno’s Hmong community is left mourning and afraid -- On the second night of candlelight vigils outside the Fresno home where four men were killed Sunday in a mass shooting, the daughter of one victim looked up at the sky and spoke directly to her father. “I love you, Dad,” 5-year-old Alina Xiong said into a microphone. “Can you hear me? I love you so much.” Andrea Castillo, Anh Do, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Climate action threatens Sempra’s natural gas company. It’s using customer money to fight back, critics say -- The Los Angeles-based utility — one of America’s largest private gas companies — has been charging ratepayers, rather than shareholders, for some of its contributions to APGA and other gas industry advocacy groups, according to data shared with The Times. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

EVs have a sales problem. One possible solution: Make them bigger -- Automakers have a sales challenge: How can they persuade U.S. car buyers, addicted to gas-guzzling SUVs, to start buying electric vehicles in quantity? Their solution is on display at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public today: Build battery electric SUVs. Charles Fleming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

San Diego police sees biggest class of graduating recruits in 25 years -- In a police department with more than 1,850 officers, a few dozen more faces might not seem to be a big deal. But for San Diego police, Thursday’s police academy graduation was notable, hitting a high-water mark not reached in a quarter-century. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/22/19

Foster youth scramble to find housing after county tells them they must move, citing youths’ ‘best interest’ -- Los Angeles County Children and Family Services director Bobby Cagle said in an emailed statement to The Times that “it is in the best interest of youth residing in transitional housing through David & Margaret Youth and Family Services to be placed with a different, locally based service provider.” The county did not provide additional details about the reasons for its action. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Winter sanctuary getting dropped. Shelters are full. Where will Sacramento’s homeless go? -- “The only thing I can wait for is winter sanctuary,” said Ross, 50. She was referring to the long-standing program that has provided 100 homeless men and women with relief from rain and winter temperatures by busing them to places of worship, where they are given warm beds, hot meals and basic medical services. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/22/19

Southern California home sales jump for second month, prices rise nearly 2% -- After years of sharp price increases, the housing market slowed markedly late last year. Sales plunged and this spring prices dipped for the first time since 2012. But recently there’s been signs of a pickup. Economists attribute the change to rising incomes and falling mortgage rates that have made housing relatively more affordable. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Timber! SF’s next architectural trend could be eco-friendly buildings made of wood -- The large panel of wood that hovered in the air above a De Haro Street construction site last Friday was something never seen before in the city. It’s formed from seven layers of black spruce grown in Quebec, 24 feet long and 8 feet wide, each layer glued one-to-the-next and then pressed together like a panini. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

L.A.’s free tree giveaway for yards and streets hopes to bring 90,000 new plantings -- Want a free tree for your yard or neighborhood? L.A.’s Green New Deal to plant 90,000 trees in the city over the next two years is a bonus for residents. Sharon Boorstin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

UC Berkeley keeps a lid on 2,000 protesters, allowing conservative commentator Ann Coulter to speak -- Mogulof said protesters were “passionate and agitated” and that many came determined to end the talk. But this year the campus was ready after Chancellor Carol T. Christ, who took the helm in 2017, began working with UC police to improve crowd control methods and launched “Free Speech Year” with panels to demonstrate how to exchange opposing views in a respectful manner and learn about the 1st Amendment. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

SacPark partners with ticket and navigation apps to speed parking in Sacramento’s core -- The Sacramento parking reservation system allows people to buy spaces in advance at city lots and garages. It is sold through websites for SacPark, Sacramento Kings, Golden 1 Center, Broadway Sacramento and events through Ticketmaster. Mack Ervin III in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/22/19

Fox: The State Spending Limit is Dead -- Once upon a time in California, voters decided that when state and local governments reaped big revenue windfalls strongly exceeding governments’ budgets, some of that excess should go back to hard working taxpayers. Voters passed a strong spending limit 40 years ago. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 11/22/19

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

California Gov. Newsom makes move to halt Trump water grab -- California’s water wars escalated Thursday, as state leaders vowed to fight the Trump administration over plans to ship more water to Central Valley farms. Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of his administration announced that they were preparing a lawsuit against the federal government to prevent California’s rivers and wildlife from being cheated out of vital supplies. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Adam Beam Associated Press -- 11/22/19

White House readies California homelessness plan after ousting top official -- White House officials will soon present President Trump with a plan to crack down on homelessness in California, days after ousting a top federal official appointed during the Obama administration, according to two senior administration officials. Jeff Stein, Josh Dawsey and Tracy Jan in the Washington Post$ -- 11/22/19

Breed, SF city attorney endorse George Gascón’s opponent in LA’s DA race -- Mayor London Breed and City Attorney Dennis Herrera endorsed incumbent Jackie Lacey in the Los Angeles County district attorney race Thursday, throwing an unsubtle dig at George Gascón, who resigned as San Francisco’s district attorney in October to challenge Lacey for the seat. In a joint statement, Breed and Herrera praised Lacey’s track record and qualifications in a thinly veiled condemnation of Gascón’s time in office. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

After SF Progressives Win Big, a Shift in Dynamics at City Hall -- London Breed might have breezed into her first full term as San Francisco mayor on Nov. 5, but Election Day was a loss for her moderate faction at City Hall — one that could stifle the mayor's agenda. Jeremy Siegel KQED -- 11/22/19

California lawmaker spent campaign cash on Asia vacation. Regulators say fines aren’t big enough -- A former California lawmaker’s misuse of campaign cash for an Asia vacation and a Hawaii home remodeling project was “so egregious” that it warrants a “hellacious” penalty beyond what state law allows, a state campaign finance regulator said. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/22/19

ATF offers $20,000 reward for info in Orinda shooting after DA declines to file charges -- The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Thursday announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the Halloween shooting that left five people dead at an Airbnb house party in Orinda. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

BART rider charged with murder after allegedly stabbing man to death over shoes -- Prosecutors filed murder charges Thursday against the man suspected of fatally stabbing a 49-year-old man aboard a BART train this week in Hayward — a crime that prompted frustration and outrage among the transit agency’s directors but no major changes in security. Alejandro Serrano and Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

‘He died a hero’: Friends, family remember BART victim as father, football fan -- Oliver “Tyrone” Williams had many things to look forward to: his 50th birthday celebration, the birth of his first grandchild and the Oakland Raiders game Sunday. But his life was cut short Tuesday when he was stabbed to death on a BART train after stepping in when a rider tried to steal a sleeping man’s shoes. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

Juvenile halls are meant to hold just the worst offenders. The truth is a different story -- As youth crime plummets, authorities claim California's increasingly empty juvenile halls now hold mostly the worst young offenders. But a Chronicle investigation shows nearly a third of kids in custody are there for low-level offenses. Joaquin Palomino and Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

Obama would run a different kind of campaign today, he tells Bay Area donors -- Former President Barack Obama said Thursday he would run differently if he were on the ballot now, as he urged today’s Democratic presidential candidates to be “bolder” about attacking structural problems such as income inequality. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

Barack Obama in S.F.: ‘Strange times’ as tech, social media have polarized us -- Even as Barack Obama on Thursday acknowledged that technology helped propel him to the presidency, he also cited it as a contributor to political polarization and anxiety over inequality and globalization. Levi Sumagaysay in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/22/19

Obama warns against ‘purity tests’ in Democratic primary -- Former President Barack Obama warned Democrats on Thursday against adopting “purity tests” in the presidential primary and said any adversity the candidates face in the contest will make whoever emerges an even stronger nominee. Obama spoke to about 100 donors during a question-and-answer session with Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez in Los Altos Hills, California. Brian Slodysko Associated Press -- 11/22/19

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Juul, shrinking and under fire, may sell SF office tower it just bought -- The San Francisco vaping company purchased the 28-story office building at 123 Mission St. — which is five times larger than its current corporate headquarters at Pier 70 near Dogpatch — with the intent to move in employees next year. Catherine Ho and Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

California Restaurant Association sues Berkeley over natural gas ban -- The California Restaurant Association sued Berkeley over the city’s natural gas ban on Thursday, arguing it violates existing law and would hurt businesses. The association, which said it represents around a quarter of restaurants in the city, wants to halt the ban before it goes into effect in January. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

Uber accused of cheating the public in driver’s suit over pay -- Uber Technologies Inc. faces a new legal attack on its refusal to treat drivers as employees that depicts the company as mistreating not just them but the public at large. A lawyer who’s been fighting the ride-hailing giant in court for six years wants a judge to now take into account the extra costs saddled on California taxpayers by Uber’s business model. Joel Rosenblatt Bloomberg -- 11/22/19

Vacant storefronts are all over SF. Would taxing them help fix the problem? -- Vacant storefronts mar nearly every shopping district in San Francisco — from North Beach to Union Street. More than just eyesores in the city’s beloved shopping districts, empty retail spaces are lost opportunities for tax revenue, jobs and foot traffic that help support neighboring businesses. Trisha Thadani and Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

Elon Musk unveils Tesla’s new Cybertruck, accidentally breaks two windows -- Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck, its all-new electric pickup truck that looks like a hybrid of the DeLorean from “Back to the Future” and a desk lamp, at a flashy event at the Tesla Design Center in Hawthorne on Thursday night. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/22/19

SuperShuttle suspends LAX service over insurance problems -- SuperShuttle customers with reservations for rides to and from Los Angeles International Airport apparently were out of luck Thursday. The airport ride service suspended operations at this and other California sites for being out of compliance with state insurance requirements. Mary Forgione in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Transit  

BART has a plan to fix ‘unacceptable’ Sunday delays. You might not like it -- BART officials have gotten an earful from riders about the dismal state of their Sunday service, when passengers encounter long waits between trains and spiraling delays mean the system can’t keep up with even a reduced schedule. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/22/19

Homeless  

Homeless moms take over vacant West Oakland home -- In Oakland, a collective group dubbed Moms For Housing demand that fallow and deserted homes be turned over to shelter homeless and housing-insecure people. And they mean business—the group’s founders moved into a vacant three-bedroom Oakland house this week. Adam Brinklow Curbed San Francisco -- 11/22/19

Report: Many San Diegans fall back to homeless months after finding housing -- People who overcome homelessness in San Diego County return to the streets within six months at a greater rate than in other West Coast cities, and almost 80 percent of them became homeless while living locally, a report released Thursday revealed. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/22/19

Housing  

Building permits for new California homes surge after slow start in Newsom’s first year -- California’s rate of approving new housing permits jumped in September after slumping for much of this year, the state Department of Finance announced Thursday. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/22/19

Wildfire  

Aging DWP equipment is a risk for sparking wildfires, L.A. city controller warns -- Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin released an audit this week that urges the Department of Water and Power to speed up repairs of utility equipment to reduce the risk of sparking wildfires. The report listed 50 transformers in fire hazard zones that the DWP had identified for replacement as of August. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

The World Burns All Year. Are There Enough Planes to Douse the Flames? -- Sharing the giant air tankers that fight fires 5,000 gallons of water at a time used to be simpler. California’s wildfires faded before Australia’s bush fires surged, leaving time to prepare, move and deploy planes from one continent to another. But climate change is subverting the system. Damien Cave in the New York Times$ -- 11/22/19

Education 

After Christian college found out she was married to a woman, she was expelled, lawsuit says -- Joanna Maxon, a 53-year-old Christian mother of two, was searching for ways to advance in her career as a supervisor and began looking into graduate schools. She decided on Fuller Theological Seminary, a religious graduate school based in Pasadena, because it combined things she valued: her faith and her studies. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Hiltzik: UC contracts with Catholic hospitals allow religious limits on medical staff, students -- Religious restrictions on healthcare have been developing into a public health crisis of the first order. New disclosures show how deeply these restrictions have infiltrated an institution that should be a bulwark against them: the University of California. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

California is poised to confront high proportions of underqualified teachers in low-income schools -- The most inexperienced and least qualified teachers continue to teach in schools with the highest-needs students in California ­— even though those students require the most expert teachers, and research has shown that the effectiveness of classroom teachers is the biggest in-school factor contributing to students’ achievement. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 11/22/19

East Bay board agrees to ask taxpayers to vote in March to approve $575 million bond measure -- ASan Francisco Bay Area district has decided to go to the voters in March asking them to approve a $575 million construction bond measure so it can build and upgrade school facilities. Theresa Harrington EdSource -- 11/22/19

Immigration / Border 

Remain in Mexico program faces growing scrutiny in the House and Senate -- The Trump administration’s controversial asylum policy, Migrant Protection Protocols, faces mounting criticism from Senate and House representatives concerned by reports that migrants in the program have been robbed, beaten and sexually assaulted in Mexico. Gustavo Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Guns 

2 Gardena police officers used Instagram to illegally sell guns, jury finds -- Two Gardena police officers were found guilty Wednesday of buying guns not publicly available and then illegally reselling them, often by using Instagram to find and communicate with potential buyers, authorities said. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Untraceable ‘ghost guns’ increasingly end up at California crime scenes -- Guns without serial numbers, built at home, are increasingly becoming the weapon of choice for criminals in California, experts say, and there’s not much law enforcement can do to stop the trend. Called ghost guns, the weapons are impossible to trace. Josh Cain and Ariella Plachta in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/22/19

Also . . . 

California Lawmaker to Propose Ban on Sending Unwanted Nude Photos -- When she was first elected to the California Assembly, Ling Ling Chang publicly posted her cellphone number to get feedback from her constituents. It worked, but it came with a dark side effect: unwanted nude photos from strangers. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 11/22/19

Jury awards $13 million to children of man who died after struggle with Anaheim police -- A jury has awarded more than $13 million to the children of a man who died after a confrontation with Anaheim police in 2016, deciding that officers used unreasonable force and were negligent. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

Union-Tribune biotech writer Bradley J. Fikes, beloved by colleagues, dies at 62 -- Bradley J. Fikes, an ever-on-the move ball of energy who roamed the labs of San Diego as the Union-Tribune’s biotech writer, chronicling scientists’ efforts to find ways to alleviate human suffering, died on Wednesday. He was 62. Gary Robbins, Pam Kragen in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/22/19

POTUS 45  

‘The picture has been painted’: Hearings unite Democrats behind impeachment -- Two weeks of televised hearings have cemented House Democrats’ determination to proceed with the impeachment of President Trump, according to interviews Thursday with more than 20 lawmakers across the party’s ideological spectrum, with most saying they had heard enough evidence to proceed to a vote. Mike DeBonis and Rachael Bade in the Washington Post$ -- 11/22/19

Beltway 

White House and Republicans discuss limiting impeachment trial to two weeks -- A group of Republican senators and senior White House officials met privately Thursday to map out a strategy for a potential impeachment trial of President Trump, including rapid proceedings in the Senate that could be limited to about two weeks, according to multiple officials familiar with the talks. Seung Min Kim and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 11/22/19

They Toil Gladly Offstage. Impeachment Lands Them in the Spotlight -- They are, in a sense, the permanent, beating, bipartisan heart of the government of the United States. They are deeply credentialed, polyglot, workaholic and respectful before Congress. They are graduates of Harvard and West Point, and veterans of Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. They take meticulous notes, are on key phone calls and give “readouts.” Mark Leibovich in the New York Times$ -- 11/22/19

House attorneys say Trump’s tax returns are needed for impeachment inquiry -- Lawyers for the House, citing the “rapidly advancing impeachment inquiry,” urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to reject President Trump’s bid to shield his tax returns and financial records from congressional investigators. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/22/19

U.S. Navy Presses On With Board Review Of SEAL Eddie Gallagher Despite Trump's Tweet -- The U.S. Navy said Thursday that it will proceed with a hearing to consider the expulsion of Special Operations Chief Eddie Gallagher from the Navy SEALs, despite his support from President Trump. Richard Gonzales NPR -- 11/22/19

Ignatius: Trump’s meddling in a SEAL disciplinary case risks a collision with the Navy -- Navy Secretary Richard Spencer was traveling in California on March 30 when he received a 4 a.m. phone call from President Trump. The president demanded that the Navy release from the brig a SEAL named Edward Gallagher, who was awaiting trial for allegedly murdering an Islamic State detainee in Iraq in 2017. David Ignatius in the Washington Post$ -- 11/22/19

 

-- Thursday Updates 

Santa Clarita shooting: Weapon used in Saugus High attack a ‘ghost gun,’ sheriff says -- The gun used in last week’s shooting at Saugus High School was assembled from parts, a so-called ghost gun without a registration number, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed Thursday. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 11/21/19

PG&E outages: Crews work to restore power to over 100,000 people -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. crews started inspecting power lines and equipment in preparation to restore power to 37,000 homes and businesses — roughly 110,000 people — in Northern California as winds died down and the National Weather Service ended its red-flag alert four hours earlier than planned Thursday. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Janie Har Associated Press -- 11/21/19

Obama warns SF crowd of a splintered America because of media ‘siloing’ -- Former President Barack Obama said he is increasingly worried about the divisive media culture that is splintering the country — not just politically, but culturally. ”Now, if you watch Fox News you live in a different reality than if you read the New York Times,” Obama said during an onstage interview Thursday with Salesforce chairman and co-CEO Marc Benioff before 8,000 people at the company’s Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/19

Trump may withhold tax returns and appear on ballot, California Supreme Court rules -- President Trump may appear on California’s primary ballot without having to disclose his tax returns, the state’s highest court decided Thursday. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Brian Melley Associated Press Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/19

As Democratic primary heads toward all-white top tier, debate underscores risks of losing black voters -- Even as the Democratic presidential field seems to be narrowing to four top contenders, Wednesday night’s debate highlighted a question the party had hoped not to face: How much do Democrats risk if they offer voters an all-white set of top candidates? Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/19

Jeffe: The Kamala Dilemma—California Style -- It was 2:30 pm on a busy Saturday afternoon at the California Democratic Party Endorsing Convention—just a couple of hours away from a roll-out of myriad candidates for the party’s Presidential nomination. Some were taking a brief detour from the Golden State money trail; all were seeking to claim a California primary victory. In the Exhibit Hall candidate booths were abuzz. All except one: Kamala Harris’. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe Fox & Hounds -- 11/21/19

As Rents Outrun Pay, California Families Live on a Knife’s Edge -- The state’s severe housing shortage is driving up rents, leaving many lower-income families struggling to stay in neighborhoods they once could afford. Jill Cowan and Robert Gebeloff in the New York Times$ -- 11/21/19

Top state officials criticize Cal State math proposal, citing access concerns -- A controversial Cal State University proposal to require a fourth year of math-related coursework for admission came under robust questioning and at times harsh criticism Wednesday from top state educators and others who said it would unfairly block black and Latino students from the system with no guarantee that it would improve graduation rates. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/19

In a tweet, Trump tells Navy not to boot Gallagher from SEALs -- President Donald Trump appeared to upend a Navy SEAL administrative board days before it started Thursday by tweeting that the Navy will not strip a decorated SEAL of his coveted trident pin in the wake of his court-martial conviction for posing with the corpse of an enemy combatant. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/21/19

Minor crimes, major time: Many in juvenile halls there for low-level offenses -- As youth crime plummets, authorities claim California's increasingly empty juvenile halls now hold mostly the worst young offenders. But a Chronicle investigation shows nearly a third of kids in custody are there for low-level offenses. Joaquin Palomino and Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/19

Toll lanes could be headed to a Sacramento freeway. Here’s how they would work -- As traffic worsens on Interstate 80 between Sacramento and the Bay Area, regional and state planners are considering adding lanes to the freeway and designating some lanes as “toll lanes” to speed up the ride. Toll lanes are used in Southern California and the Bay Area. So how would they work here? Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/19

Hostage discovered in Santa Ana home, police say, as they arrest man suspected of killing Army veteran -- A Santa Ana man has been arrested in the alleged murder of an Army veteran, Adrian Darren Bonar, whose body was found in October in the trunk of a deserted Lexus in Anaheim Hills. Jeong Park in the Orange County Register -- 11/21/19

San Francisco’s quest to make landfills obsolete -- Even as other cities over the past several years have scaled back or even abandoned their recycling programs because they couldn’t find a market for the materials, San Francisco’s commitment to recycling has not wavered. Out of the city’s annual 900,000 tons of discarded material, it diverts more for reuse than it sends to landfills — a success that only a few peer cities, such as Seattle, have achieved. Erick Trickey Politico -- 11/21/19