Updating . .   

Kevin McCarthy wins GOP nomination for House speaker -- House Republicans voted Tuesday to nominate Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as the next speaker, putting the Bakersfield lawmaker on track to achieve a long-sought ambition. Nolan D. McCaskill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

Lopez: Karen Bass appears headed to victory. L.A. needs fixing, let’s hope she can deliver -- Bass’ lead over Caruso looks insurmountable. Soon the pressure will be on for her to deliver on her election promises. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

Sheriff Villanueva’s chances for second term dwindle as Luna’s lead holds strong -- The latest election results show Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva trailing his challenger, Robert Luna, by 20 percentage points. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

Long Beach to elect first Black mayor, Rex Richardson, after opponent concedes -- He made history on Tuesday after his opponent, Suzie Price, conceded and cleared the path for Richardson to become the city’s first Black leader. Alexandra E. Petri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

Democratic incumbents continue to hang on to leads in OC congressional races -- Reps. Katie Porter and Mike Levin continue to hold advantages as more votes are counted and leadership of the House remains in flux. Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register -- 11/15/22

California wins leave GOP poised to seize US House control -- Two threatened U.S. House Republicans in California triumphed over Democratic challengers Monday, helping move the GOP within a seat of seizing control of the chamber while a string of congressional races in the state remained in play. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 11/15/22

Why the AP hasn’t called control of the House yet -- Republicans stood just one seat short of retaking the U.S. House on Monday night, but the amount of votes still to be counted in California and other states prevented The Associated Press from calling control of the chamber for the GOP. Meg Kinnard Associated Press -- 11/15/22

Workplace   

Widespread strikes descend on California -- It’s strike season in California, again. Today, fast food workers across the state are set to picket outside of Starbucks, Chipotle, Jack in the Box and other restaurants to protest the companies’ efforts to qualify a 2024 referendum to overturn a new state law. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 11/15/22

To fight wage theft California gets strong assist from worker centers -- As California investigates businesses for wage theft, worker centers act as behind-the-scenes allies, helping convince employees to cooperate. Alejandro Lazo, Jeanne Kuang CalMatters -- 11/15/22

Office Space  

Meta, Lyft, Salesforce and Other Tech Firms Dump Office Space as They Downsize -- Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc., Lyft Inc., Salesforce.com Inc. and other tech companies are shedding millions of square feet of office space in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, New York, Austin, Texas, and elsewhere. Peter Grant in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/22

Homeless

Judge delays decision on L.A. County’s proposal to settle a homeless lawsuit -- Judge David O. Carter told lawyers for the county and the plaintiff in the lawsuit, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, that their proposed agreement fell short of providing an adequate number of mental health and substance abuse beds. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

Housing 

With local control at risk, S.F. supes to sound off on California’s high-stakes housing plan -- The Board of Supervisors will have little clout when it comes to revising or amending the city’s plan to rezone parts of the city to allow for 34,000 more housing units. But that doesn’t mean board members won’t have plenty to say. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

S.F. could be getting another tower after developer trades affordable housing site for additional height -- A stalled high-rise could move forward after a deal where the developer would be allowed extra height and density in exchange for purchasing a nearby parcel and dedicating it to the city for affordable housing. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

Street  

L.A. County deputies who shot and killed Dijon Kizzee will not be charged -- Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies will not face criminal charges for the fatal August 2020 shooting of Dijon Kizzee, whose death in South L.A. sparked days of protests and outrage. James Queally, Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

‘Catastrophic staffing shortage’: Northern California sheriff to suspend daytime patrols -- The Tehama County Sheriff’s Office announced the suspension — which will start Sunday — in a news release stating that over the last several years there have been “difficulties with recruitment and retention of employees, which has been directly linked to pay disparities.” Brittny Mejia, Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

Scion of Sutter Home wine empire arrested on suspicion of drug, gun and assault weapon crimes -- Carlo Trinchero faces three potential felony gun charges and a misdemeanor drug charge after authorities seized 11 guns from his Napa property. Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

Last suspect sentenced in California truck driving scandal -- They were variously convicted of bribing public officials, identity fraud, accessing computers without authorization and conspiracy in cases that spanned the state from the Los Angeles area to near the Oregon border. Some accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/15/22

Water  

The Monterey area may get a huge desalination plant. Is this the future of California’s water supply? -- The prolonged drought and technological improvements may be changing the attitude of the California Coastal Commission toward desalination in the Monterey Bay area and beyond. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

COVID  

COVID in California: Common rapid home tests have low sensitivity for omicron, study finds -- COVID in California: Common rapid home tests have low sensitivity for omicron, study finds Commonly used rapid antigen home tests fail to reliably detect an omicron COVID-19 infection in asymptomatic people, according to a new study by Dutch researchers. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

Yosemite    

Yosemite National Park ends controversial reservation system — at least for now -- While the reservation system succeeded at limiting numbers in years when park staffing and services were down because of the coronavirus, it became a sore point for last-minute travelers unable to win admission and gateway communities dependent on the tourist traffic. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/15/22

Cannabis  

Marijuana May Hurt Smokers More than Cigarettes Alone -- A study published Tuesday in the journal Radiology demonstrated higher rates of conditions including emphysema and airway inflammation among people who smoke marijuana than among nonsmokers and people who smoked only tobacco. Julie Wernau in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/22

Also . . .   

Chabria: The bravery of Jennifer Siebel Newsom facing Harvey Weinstein — California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom took the stand Monday in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein, putting herself in a position no woman asks for -- and helping all women in the process. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

S.F. group is pushing for lower speed limits. Here’s where it tracked most dangerous speeds -- At least 30 people have died in traffic on San Francisco’s streets this year, one shy of the 2014 total that prompted the city to aim for zero street deaths by 2024. One solution? Making San Francisco “a safe speeds city.” Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

California breaks ground on Native American monument -- Long before California got its name, the Miwok Indians hunted and fished along the banks of what would become known as the Sacramento River — including a spot where the state Capitol now stands surrounded by dozens of monuments to the state’s history. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 11/15/22

Was meteorite really to blame for California home set ablaze? Firefighters now have answer -- A house that caught fire in rural Nevada County earlier this month didn’t get struck by a meteorite after all. “I am very confident that a rock from space did not hit this house,” Clayton Thomas, a captain at the Penn Valley Fire Protection District, told The Sacramento Bee on Monday. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/15/22

 

 

California Policy and Politics Tuesday  

Bass ‘on track to win’ L.A. mayor’s race as lead grows to more than 29,000 votes -- U.S. Rep. Karen Bass moved closer to victory in the still-undecided Los Angeles mayor’s race Monday, with an updated vote tally showing the congresswoman leading real estate developer Rick Caruso by more than 4 percentage points nearly a week after polls closed. Julia Wick, James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/15/22

Republican Rep. Ken Calvert defeats Democrat Will Rollins to hold Riverside County seat -- Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving Republican member of California’s congressional delegation, won reelection in Riverside County despite being drawn into a less favorable district during the decennial reconfiguring of congressional maps. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

GOP Rep. Michelle Steel wins reelection after campaign marked by charges of red-baiting, racism -- GOP Rep. Michelle Steel held onto her congressional seat after a campaign that included claims of red-baiting, misogyny and racism in a congressional district created to empower Asian American voters. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register Stephanie Lai in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/22

Adam Gray pulls ahead of John Duarte in toss-up California congressional race -- The race between Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, and John Duarte of Modesto in California’s 13th Congressional District is one of a few still uncalled that could tip the balance of the U.S. House of Representatives. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/15/22

Breed appointee Matt Dorsey wins S.F.’s District Six supervisor race -- Matt Dorsey has won election to a full four-year term on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, defeating his main challenger, Honey Mahogany, in a show of strength for the city’s political moderates. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

Just 2 votes separate two candidates in Redwood City council race -- Latest tallies from San Mateo County Monday afternoon show Housing and Human Concerns Chair Margaret Becker with 40.17% of the vote and San Mateo County LGBTQ Commissioner Chris Sturken with 40.08%, a margin of just two votes for the District 2 seat. A third candidate, Alison Madden, has received about 19.74% of the vote. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/15/22

Republicans One Seat Away From Control of House -- Two victories in California and one in Syracuse, N.Y., put the G.O.P. on the cusp of capturing control of the chamber. In Arizona, Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, won a bitterly fought governor’s race, defeating Kari Lake. The item is in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/22

Walters: Will California Assembly speakership deal make any real difference? -- A months-long power struggle over the state Assembly speakership ended with a political deal. But will changing one politician for another make any difference? Dan Walters CalMatters -- 11/15/22

Gas  

Gas prices dive just in time for Thanksgiving road trips -- The average price for a gallon of gas in Southern California has dropped nearly 70 cents from a month ago, and holiday travelers can thank a volatile global oil market and seasonal shifts in production costs for lower prices heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/22

Workplace   

Walkout of 48,000 striking student workers shuts down UC Berkeley, University of California campuses -- One of the largest higher-education strikes in U.S. history canceled classes, abruptly pushed instruction online and left grades in limbo at the University of California mere weeks before students are bombarded by final-project deadlines and semester exams at some of the country’s most prestigious and rigorous public universities. Katie Lauer in the San Jose Mercury$ Douglas Belkin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/22

Facebook’s owner Meta chops thousands of Bay Area jobs: official state files -- All told, the company disclosed plans to jettison 2,564 jobs in the Bay Area — more than one-fifth of all the jobs the company intends to eliminate worldwide, according to official notices sent to the state’s Employment Development Department. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/15/22

Taxes / Fees  

New business taxes win sweeping support across Bay Area -- Voters in four Bay Area cities approved new taxes on top employers this week, a sign of support for making their corporate citizens – Netflix, Tesla and Clorox among them – contribute more to the costs of tackling housing affordability and homelessness amid a sputtering economy. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/15/22

Housing 

S.F. voters approve a tax on vacant residential units -- Owners of multifamily buildings who sit on vacant units for lengthy periods of time will be required to pay a tax, after San Francisco voters approved the so-called Fill Empty Homes proposition. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

RSV  

California reports first child in state to die from RSV and flu -- California health officials on Monday reported the first death of a child under age 5 who was infected with flu and respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV. The California Department of Public Health did not disclose where the death occurred, citing patient confidentiality. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

Environment  

Microplastics rife in these Monterey Bay fish and seabirds, study finds -- Microplastic particles are widespread in Monterey Bay anchovies and the diving seabirds that eat them as a main food source - which could possibly impact the birds’ reproductive systems, according to a new study. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

California legislature warned in new report about ‘growing concern’ over wildfire smoke -- When California legislators return to the state Capitol in three weeks, reducing wildfire smoke won’t be at the top of their to-do list. But a new report calls the pollution source a “growing concern.” Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/15/22

Street  

‘If I could buy freedom, I would’: LA residents who can’t afford bail sue to change system -- Los Angeles residents jailed because they can’t afford to pay bail have filed a class-action lawsuit challenging the system that often keeps low-income people behind bars before they’ve been charged. Sam Levin The Guardian -- 11/15/22

Education  

Oakland voters OK noncitizen voting in school board races, but the measure might never go into effect -- Oakland voters say noncitizen parents or guardians of school-age children should be allowed to vote in school board elections. The issue now heads to the City Council — and after that, to the courts, which already are wrestling with a similar law in San Francisco. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/14/22

From prison to a campus home: CSU Fullerton welcomes formerly incarcerated students -- Safe walking paths, study spaces, nearby horse trails and a garden are just a few of the amenities available at the John Irwin House, housing for previously incarcerated students attending California State University, Fullerton. Betty Márquez Rosales EdSource -- 11/15/22

Also . . .   

San Francisco’s Pacific Islander community has almost disappeared. Can a special district bring it back? -- After several years of on-the-ground organizing, a San Francisco neighborhood stands poised to become the city’s 10th cultural district. Elissa Miolene in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

The Bay Area’s premier oyster company bets on a new hyperlocal product: sea salt -- In a small, steamy workshop overlooking Tomales Bay, Jeff Warrin stands over a large, shallow tub built atop a wood-fired brick oven. He’s bringing a bath of seawater — amber-hued at precisely 29% salinity — to a gentle simmer. Naoki Nitta in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/22

Cows fed hemp produced milk with THC, researchers say -- One of the first major investigations of hemp in animal feed also showed behavioral changes in some cows. Joel Achenbach in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/22

 

Monday Updates   

When will we know who won the L.A. mayoral race — and why is it taking so long? -- Nearly 605,000 votes have been counted so far in the race for mayor of Los Angeles between Rep. Karen Bass and Rick Caruso. While Bass has the lead, there’s no final call on who won the race. David Lauter, Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Strike by 48,000 University of California academic workers causes systemwide disruptions -- About 48,000 unionized academic workers across the University of California’s 10 campuses — who perform the majority of teaching and research at the state’s premier higher education system — walked off the job Monday morning, calling for better pay and benefits. Grace Toohey, Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Jennifer Siebel Newsom testifies against Harvey Weinstein: ‘He’s staring at me’ -- Jennifer Siebel Newsom took the stand Monday at Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial and was expected to accuse the fallen Hollywood mogul of raping her when she was a struggling actor nearly 20 years ago. James Queally, Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

A second Californian enters race to lead Democrats’ House campaign arm -- Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) announced his candidacy Monday to lead House Democrats’ campaign arm, setting up an internal leadership race between a pair of California Democrats. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Pacoima) announced his bid Friday. Nolan D. McCaskill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Newsom feels pressure to show results for California in second term -- Donald Trump often denied that he watched CNN, but Gavin Newsom readily admits he’s a regular Fox News viewer. And he hates what he hears about California. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Will this be the most diverse California Legislature ever? -- While votes are still being counted, it appears that the next Legislature will include the most women and LGBTQ members ever. Advocacy groups are already celebrating, but how much difference will the diversity make in policy? Ariel Gans, Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 11/14/22

Skelton: After Democratic infighting and a tense election, Robert Rivas will be California’s next Assembly speaker -- of California’s most important elections last week was held behind closed doors with only 63 voters. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

 California may determine control of the House -- With Democrats managing to hang on to control of the U.S. Senate following votes tallied this weekend, all eyes have shifted to the U.S. House — and to California, which could end up determining the balance of power in Congress and the political direction of the country. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 11/14/22

In some conservative California counties where anti-abortion candidates win, so does abortion -- In some of California’s most conservative counties, where Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Dahle was the clear favorite over Gov. Gavin Newsom and where anti-abortion Christian conservatives are leading in partial returns, voters still showed up for abortion access by supporting Proposition 1. Jenavieve Hatch in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/14/22

Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s role in Weinstein trial raises thorny legal issues -- California’s first partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is slated to testify soon at the trial of former movie producer Harvey Weinstein in another landmark moment in the #MeToo movement. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/14/22

Garofoli: California Republicans could get some very good news and some very bad news on the same day -- Kevin McCarthy is moving closer to becoming speaker of the House. But he’s inextricably tethered to Donald Trump, whom a growing number of Republicans are turning against. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/14/22

David DePape’s dark journey from Obama backer to QAnon extremist accused in Pelosi attack -- David DePape, who is accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer, had faced mental illness and drug abuse and ‘deteriorated’ into far-right extremism, according to people who knew him. Summer Lin, Salvador Hernandez, Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Workplace   

Strike by 48,000 University of California academic workers likely to disrupt all 10 campuses -- About 48,000 unionized academic workers across the University of California’s 10 campuses — who perform the majority of teaching and research at the state’s premier higher education system — walked off the job Monday morning, calling for better pay and benefits. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 11/14/22

Is the world’s richest person the world’s worst boss? What it’s like working for Elon Musk -- Elon Musk’s track record as a boss is an endless scroll of impulse firings, retribution, tone-deafness on race — and the impregnation of a subordinate. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Facebook’s owner Meta chops thousands of Bay Area jobs: official EDD files -- All told, the owner of the Facebook app disclosed plans to jettison 2,564 jobs in the Bay Area, according to official notices sent to the state’s Employment Development Department. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/14/22

Twitter  

A fake tweet sparked panic at Eli Lilly and may have cost Twitter millions -- The nine-word tweet was sent Thursday afternoon from an account using the name and logo of the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co., and it immediately attracted a giant response: “We are excited to announce insulin is free now.” Drew Harwell in the Washington Post$ -- 11/14/22

Street  

Minor police encounters plummet after LAPD put limits on stopping drivers and pedestrians -- Since LAPD’s new policy took effect, officers are making far fewer pretextual stops but finding illegal contraband more often, a Times analysis found. Libor Jany, Ben Poston in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

California programs are waiting weeks for free Narcan to prevent overdose deaths -- After losing her son Luke to an overdose, Sheila Scott has been trying to get “revenge on death,” she said. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Sacramento-area sheriff’s deputy fired, arrested on suspicion of DUI while on duty -- Deputy Allahno Hughes was responding to a call for service when deputies already at the scene “suspected Hughes was under the influence and confronted him,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/14/22

Homeless

‘Frustration’ with homelessness led to Sacramento ballot measure. Will it make a difference? -- Sacramento residents very likely approved a homeless ballot measure last week in the hopes it would force the city to open new shelters and clear more camps. But now it faces a series of hurdles before it can deliver results. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/14/22

Water

As California’s wells dry up, residents rely on bottled water to survive -- In drought-parched Central Valley, thousands rely on trucked and bottled water as they wait for new wells. Joshua Partlow in the Washington Post$ -- 11/14/22

Develop   

Crude emails reveal nasty side of a California beach city’s crusade to halt growth -- Few communities in Southern California have been more successful at saying “no” to large new developments over the last decade than Redondo Beach. Liam Dillon, Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/22

Cannabis  

Huntington Beach to consider allowing certain cannabis activities, including sales -- The council’s agenda for its Tuesday, Nov. 15, meeting includes an item that would start the process for a draft zoning text amendment to allow cannabis activities in Huntington Beach. Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register -- 11/14/22