Updating . .  

Oil sheen reported in same location as massive Huntington Beach spill -- State and federal authorities are investigating an oil sheen spotted in the ocean near the ruptured pipeline that caused last month’s oil spill off Orange County, officials said. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

As Kaiser workers strike, health care industry grapples with burnout, staffing shortages -- After 22 years at Kaiser San Jose, emergency room nurse Jenny Robledo thought she knew just about every one of her coworkers at the South Bay medical center — until COVID burnout hit the health care industry. Emily DeRuy, Summer Lin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/21

Why are San Diego’s Black and Native American communities less vaccinated? It’s about trust -- Despite millions spent on outreach, many still don’t believe the government when it says COVID vaccines are safe. Paul Sisson, Lauren J. Mapp in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/21

It was supposed to be their big break. Now two 24-year-olds are at the center of the ‘Rust’ shooting investigation -- When Hannah Gutierrez Reed landed a job working on the Alec Baldwin western “Rust,” she couldn’t believe her luck. Julia Wick, Meg James, Amy Kaufman, Anousha Sakoui in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

Policy and Politics  

How do you solve a problem like Tracy? Redistricting commission grapples with what makes a community -- Right before it approved its draft map of congressional boundaries, California’s redistricting commission reworked it with what one member described as a chainsaw. And it started with the city of Tracy. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

LA County redistricting: Panel’s work boils down to ‘not going to be able satisfy everybody’ -- The process of redrawing supervisorial districts is centering around keeping Southeast L.A. communities together. But questions are emerging in other areas — at what cost. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/20/21

As Kamala Harris takes criticism, Democrats in a bind as they look to 2024 and 2028 -- When Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate last year, some Democrats said they believed he was naming an eventual successor who could replace him as soon as 2024 and give better representation to the party’s core constituencies: women and people of color. Noah Bierman, Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

ICE  

It’s the last California jail used by ICE. And he’s the only immigrant detainee inside it -- Clanging metal gates punctured the silence as a guard came to check on Ricardo Vasquez Cruz. Despite having an entire cellblock to himself, Cruz sat alone in his yellow-walled cell fretting that a fourth holiday season would pass behind bars. Deepa Fernandes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

Street  

As S.F. pursues drug use sites, people battling addiction weigh in: ‘You think we like being out here like this?’ -- Tears rolled out of Rebecca Byrd’s eyes as she sat at the edge of a Tenderloin alley Thursday, struggling to find a vein where she could inject a shot of fentanyl. On this damp and chilly morning, she was aching for some relief. “I’ve had a terrible morning, and now this,” she said, nauseous and fatigued from withdrawal. Trisha Thadani, Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

Knight: Who’s listening to the Tenderloin’s children? Letter to Mayor Breed begs for help -- Kids bounded up the grand marble staircase at San Francisco City Hall on a recent afternoon and down the hallway to Room 200 where the mayor works. Alongside some teachers and parents, they handed a letter to Mayor London Breed’s secretary describing what it’s like living in the Tenderloin and demanding the mayor’s help. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

Thieves 'emptied out' SF's Union Square Louis Vuitton store, police say -- The incident occurred around 8 p.m. and video footage posted on social media showed a chaotic scene with police running after suspects. One video posted by Twitter user @CARLITOSGUEY showed a man obscuring his face with masks and running from the store with merchandise in his arms. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/20/21

BLM supporter who drove through California protest crowd was denied her rights at hearing, judge rules -- The constitutional rights of a Black Lives Matter supporter from Long Beach accused of purposely driving through a crowd of counterprotesters during a violent confrontation at a Yorba Linda demonstration were violated when an Orange County judge abruptly ended a recent hearing meant to determine if there was enough evidence for her case to go to trial, another judge ruled on Friday. Sean Emery in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/21

Education  

Hiring shortages, COVID stresses complicate schools’ year of recovery -- Lack of substitute teachers, frequent student absences are hampering academic and mental health recovery, teachers say. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/21

SJSU reaches $3.3 million settlement with student-athletes sexually harassed by sports trainer -- San Jose State and former female student-athletes who were sexually harassed by a longtime sports trainer have reached a $3.3 million settlement, the university announced late Friday. The money will be divided among the 15 victims, the university said in a statement. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/21

Also . . .   

McCarthy: Medical outreach team brings measure of healthcare to people experiencing homelessness in Valley -- Where do the people living in homeless encampments go for health care? They have no insurance, no money. All they have are a few square feet of sidewalk, and a pup tent to sleep in with their meager possessions crammed inside with them. Dennis McCarthy in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/20/21

California Policy and Politics Saturday Morning  

Rittenhouse acquittal won’t open door to shootings in California, legal experts say -- Legal experts say it is unlikely that the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on homicide charges will encourage similar shootings at California protests. Unlike Wisconsin, where Rittenhouse was prosecuted for killing two men and injuring a third, California has a ban on openly carrying firearms without a permit. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 11/20/21

‘It’s a big blow’: Demonstrators in Oakland denounce Kyle Rittenhouse verdict -- Roughly 200 people gathered at Oakland’s Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and marched to the Dellums Federal Building on Friday night to denounce the acquittal earlier in the day of Kyle Rittenhouse, a man tried on charges that he intentionally killed two people during racial justice protests last year. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

Rittenhouse’s acquittal sets a dangerous example, Southern California activists say -- Activists in Southern California fear the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who shot three men, killing two and wounding a third, during a protest last year in Wisconsin against police brutality, sets a dangerous example when it comes to weapon use and street violence during rallies and protests. Deepa Bharath in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/20/21

COVID  

Police, firefighters and supporters rally at Balboa Park against San Diego’s vaccine mandate -- About 300 people, including local law enforcement officers, firefighters and their families and supporters, attended a Friday afternoon rally at Balboa Park to protest a city employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate that’s set to take effect Dec. 1. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/21

Booster shots: How to assess risk for the holidays if you can't get an appointment in time -- Since eligibility opened up in the state, appointments to get a booster are suddenly much harder to come by. Appointments in San Francisco, the South Bay and East Bay, at pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS, are booked out until early December at the earliest. It’s a bit less difficult in some North Bay cities like Napa. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

LAUSD tells students to get first COVID-19 shot by Sunday -- Although students have until Jan. 10 to become fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to comply with a Los Angeles Unified mandate, school district officials are telling families their children should get their first shot by this Sunday, ahead of the upcoming holiday season. Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/20/21

Policy and Politics  

Gavin Newsom pardons two members of California tribes during Native American Heritage Month -- The pardons were supported by tribal leaders, Newsom’s office said. They bring Newsom’s total number of pardons issued to 88. The governor has also issued 91 commutations and 29 reprieves since taking office in 2019. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/21

Should the community of Squaw Valley change its name? -- Over a year after launching an effort to rename the community of Squaw Valley, a group of about 15 protesters gathered in downtown Fresno to urge the Fresno County Board of Supervisors to change the name that many argue is racist and misogynistic. Melissa Montalvo CalMatters -- 11/20/21

Judge says Devin Nunes’ family payment agreement in Iowa lawsuit is not ‘suspicious’ -- The way that Congressman Devin Nunes’ family is financing its defamation lawsuit against a journalist and magazine company over a story about their Iowa farm does not raise concerns, a federal judge wrote this week. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/21

Divided appeals court says videos of 2010 trial on same-sex marriage ban can be made public -- Videos of the historic 2010 federal trial that struck down Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage, can be unsealed and released to the public, despite objections by the measure’s supporters, a divided U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

Prosecutor who alleged retaliation from DA Gascón poised to get $800,000 settlement -- A former high-ranking prosecutor who alleges Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón retaliated against him for refusing to drop charges against three anti-police protesters accused of attempting to wreck a train in Compton is poised to receive an $800,000 settlement. Scott Schwebke in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/20/21

Workplace   

Striking engineers say Kaiser’s well-crafted messages belie truth about wages, contract talks -- Sacramento-area stationary engineers lashed out at Kaiser Permanente on Friday as they settled into their 63rd day of a strike that they said could have been prevented if company negotiators hadn’t low-balled them on wages and dismissed their proposals. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/21

Employment  

‘I’m dying right now’: San Diego labor shortages continue as jobless rate dips -- San Diego’s unemployment rate hit its lowest level of the pandemic. Yet many jobs remain unfilled. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/21

Sacramento adds over 12,000 jobs. It’s largely thanks to these sectors -- Sacramento is up more than 12,000 jobs in October compared to September, totaling more than 1 million jobs — the highest job total since before the pandemic began, according to data from the Employment Development Department of Labor Market Information Division. Brianna Taylor in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/21

Street  

SFPD officer who allegedly blamed burglaries on progressive politics may come under investigation -- The San Francisco police chief said Friday that he has taken the first steps to initiate an investigation into an officer accused of blaming the city’s progressive politics for a string of burglaries in a Mission District garage. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

L.A. County sheriff’s deputy acquitted at manslaughter trial -- Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Luke Liu has been acquitted of manslaughter in the 2016 killing of an unarmed man at a Norwalk gas station, marking a bitter defeat for county prosecutors in their first attempt to convict a law enforcement officer in a shooting in more than two decades. James Queally, Genaro Molina in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

Ex-LAPD officer gets probation after detective accuses him of assault and blackmail -- A former LAPD officer accused of sexually assaulting and beating a female detective with whom he was having an affair will avoid jail time under the terms of a plea deal reached this week, officials confirmed Friday. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

Children of Black man killed by Pasadena police get $7.5-million in settlement -- The city of Pasadena will pay $7.5 million to the three young children of a Black man fatally shot by a police officer as ran away during a traffic stop last year. The settlement covers one of three lawsuits filed by the relatives of Anthony McClain. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

Family of man killed by Colton police gets $5.4-million settlement -- The family of an unarmed man who was shot and killed by Colton police in 2016 will get a $5.4-million settlement, the largest in the city’s history. Christian Vargas, 25, was killed in a hail of police gunfire on Sept. 12, 2016, said Carl Douglas, an attorney representing Vargas’ children and their mother. Gregory Yee, Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

Widow of deceased inmate files wrongful-death lawsuit against San Diego sheriff -- The complaint filed this week by Tammy Wilson says Arroyo “was in a state of acute methamphetamine intoxication and agitation” when sheriff’s deputies arrested him in the couple’s Julian home in January. It said he should have been taken to a hospital. Kelly Davis, Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/21

Develop  

Boutique hotels pop up in Sacramento, reviving historic buildings and beleaguered downtown -- Satchmo graced Sacramento’s jazz scene in the 1940s with vibrant music from his trumpet, but the venue he played in was long gone. Randy Diamond in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/21

A's

A’s make offer on potential ballpark site in Las Vegas area -- The A’s have put in an offer to buy a piece of land in the Las Vegas area that could potentially hold a new ballpark if the team were to relocate there, The Chronicle confirmed. Matt Kawahara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

Oakland to receive millions in infrastructure funds for Jack London Square — a win in push for A’s ballpark -- Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said Friday that the city has made significant progress toward raising funds to help pay for infrastructure surrounding the A’s proposed waterfront ballpark. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/21

Oil  

Coast Guard targets second vessel tied to Orange County oil spill -- Federal authorities Thursday boarded the container vessel Beijing in Long Beach, identifying it as a second ship under investigation in the Orange County oil spill. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/21

Also . . .   

Armored truck drops cash on I-5 in Carlsbad — drivers stop to scoop it up -- Money — a lot of it — fell from an armored truck and littered the freeway in Carlsbad on Friday morning, and several drivers pulled over and started scooping it up. Cash covered the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Cannon Road starting just before 9:15 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/21

‘Bacteria Bear’ statue is relocated to make way for Capitol Annex Project -- The bronze bear statue lovingly nicknamed “Bacteria Bear” has moved. The statue, which has stood outside the California governor’s office since it was purchased by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009, was moved Friday to make way for the State Capitol Annex Project construction. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/21