From the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS' REUVEN BLAU, JILLIAN JORGENSEN, ROCCO PARASCANDOLA and LARRY MCSHANE: "A truck-driving terrorist carved a mile-long path of carnage through lower Manhattan, killing eight innocents Tuesday as he plowed down helpless victims on a bike path."
"The rented white pickup hopped the curb at W. Houston with ISIS-inspired suspect Sayfullo Saipov drawing a bead on bicyclists as screams filled the Halloween skies and blood stained the pavement."
“God is Great!” The Uzbekistan native shouted in Arabic before a hero cop pumped a bullet into his abdomen, ending the deadly assault on a bright holiday afternoon."
READ MORE on New York truck attack: 8 Killed in ‘Act of Terror’ in Manhattan -- NYT's BENJAMIN MUELLER, WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM and AL BAKER; NYC attack probe expands overseas as officials dig into suspect’s life -- WaPo's RENAE MERLE, DEVLIN BARRET and MARK BERMAN; Trump says he ordered U.S. to ‘step up our already Extreme Vetting Program’ -- WaPo's PHILIP RUCKER
The plan to provide free community college to California students has been approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor -- but it will be at least a year before the program cranks up.
From Capitol Weekly's LISA RENNER: "It will take awhile before Californians can enjoy the much-heralded free community college offer recently approved by Gov. Jerry Brown."
"The earliest the free tuition could go into effect is fall 2018 and that’s only if the Legislature agrees to budget the $31.1 million needed to pay for the expected 19,000 students who would take advantage of a school-offered tuition waiver."
"Assembly Bill 19, which made headlines earlier this month, paves the way for the state’s 114 community colleges to waive tuition for first-year, full-time students (taking 12 or more units a semester). The offer would apply to students of any income level. Tuition is $46 per unit which amounts to $1,104 for an academic year."
READ MORE on education: Eight arrested in protests as Milo Yiannopoulos speaks at Cal State Fullerton -- LAT's ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN, MAKEDA EASTER and BENJAMIN ORESKES
California Senate paid $89,500 to employee fired after argument over Colin Kaepernick
From ALEXEI KOSEFF in the BEE: "The California Senate earlier this year reached a five-figure settlement with a former employee over allegations of discrimination and retaliation, including that he was fired for complaining about illegal political activities, sexual trysts and racist behavior in the office."
"In January, the Senate agreed to pay $89,500 to Douglas L. Miller, a former district representative for Sen. Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, two weeks after a Sacramento County judge allowed his lawsuit to proceed to trial."
"The Bee obtained a copy of the settlement, in which the Senate and other defendants “expressly deny any unlawful conduct or employment practices,” this week through a Legislative Open Records Act request."
The Chronicle's DAVID R. BAKER reports: "Late in the evening of Oct. 8, the night wildfires erupted across Wine Country, winds blew branches and entire trees into Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines throughout a wide swath of Northern California, according to safety reports that California regulators released Tuesday."
"The reports offer snapshots of the damage that PG&E encountered from Mendocino and Sonoma counties in the North Bay to Butte and Nevada counties in the Sierra foothills. The utility reported finding apparently healthy trees toppled into power lines, even though some were rooted as far as 50 feet away."
"Investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, are trying to determine whether PG&E’s power lines sparked the Wine Country fires, which killed at least 43 people and displaced thousands. Insured losses from October fires across the state, most of them in Northern California, already top $3 billion, according to an update Tuesday from state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones."
READ MORE on the fires: PG&E Reports Describe Falling Trees, Downed Power Lines on Night Deadly Fires Started -- KQED's TED GOLDBERG, MARISA LAGOS AND LISA PICKOFF-WHITE; New PG&E reports show widespread problems during Wine Country fires -- Mercury News' TRACY SEIPEL and EMILY DERUY; Electric utilities that cause wildfires should eat the costs, lawmakers say -- SacBEE's TARYN LUNA
Regarding the NorCal fires, what happens to the crops?
JULIE CART reports in Calmatters: "The full extent of the damage from the northern California wildfires that killed 43 people and destroyed 8,400 homes is still being tallied. The devastation left an obvious scar, but not all the damage is visible."
"Among the assessments still to be made is what impact millions of gallons of fire retardant—essentially a potent fertilizer—may have on carefully tended plants and soils."
"Saved by timing, nearly 80 percent of the renowned wine region’s grapes had been harvested when the multiple fires started in early October. And for the most part, the blazes did not linger at the vineyards, which are kept free of grasses and other fire-devouring fuels."
SARAH D. WIRE in the LAT: "Billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer says his online petition asking Congress to impeach President Trump garnered more than 1.1 million signatures in its first week."
"Last week, Steyer began airing an ad calling for Trump's impeachment and asking viewers to sign his petitionurging Congress to do so. He has spent more than $10 million to air the ad nationwide, including during the World Series."
"Trump attacked the effort -- and Steyer -- on Twitter after the ad ran during "Fox and Friends" on Friday. Steyer's staff members said they haven't determined whether the president's tweet boosted the signature effort."
READ MORE on Trump: Consumer protection chief appeals directly to Trump in bid to save class-action lawsuit rule -- LAT's JAMES RUFUS KOREN; Trump Foreign Policy Advisers Were Brought On to Solve a Political Problem. Now They Are One -- MATT APUZZO in the NYT
Meanwhile, a 20th death has been reported in San Diego's hepatitis A outbreak
Fron the Union-Tribune's PAUL SISSON: "San Diego’s ongoing hepatitis A outbreak has now killed 20 people in San Diego and, with the number of cases still on the rise, concern continues that the health emergency could reach new populations."
"The county Health and Human Services Agency published new weekly totals Tuesday, which add one to the number of deaths recorded since the health crisis started in November 2016. The running tally of confirmed cases also continues to increase, reaching 536 from a previous total of 516."
"Dr. Eric McDonald, chief of the county’s Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch, said that the latest fatal case was a 67-year-old man who died on Oct. 26."
Gov. Brown is packing his bags: He's on another international trip to battle climate change.
The AP's KATHLEEN RONAYNE reports: "California Gov. Jerry Brown is continuing his international fight against climate change with an 11-day trip to Europe starting Saturday including stops at the Vatican and a United Nations conference in Germany."
"Brown is a chief adversary to Republican President Donald Trump in the battle over U.S. climate policy, promising to help the country reach its emissions reductions targets even as Trump withdraws from an international climate accord. He's been named the special adviser for states and regions at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany."
"While the White House declares war on climate science and retreats from the Paris Agreement, California is doing the opposite and taking action," Brown said in a statement announcing the trip. "We are joining with our partners from every part of the world to do what needs to be done to prevent irreversible climate change."