Capitol Basement

McClatchy DC: "Joe Biden won the battleground prizes of Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday, reclaiming a key part of the “blue wall” that slipped away from Democrats four years ago and dramatically narrowing President Donald Trump's pathway to reelection.

A full day after Election Day, neither candidate had cleared the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. But Biden's victories in the Great Lakes states left him at 264, meaning he was one battleground state away from crossing the threshold and becoming president-elect.

Biden, who has received more than 71 million votes, the most in history, was joined by his running mate Kamala Harris at an afternoon news conference and said he now expected to win the presidency, though he stopped short of outright declaring victory."

Sac Bee's DAVID LIGHTMAN: "Nancy Pelosi and independent handicappers were predicting a big night for Democrats in the House, projecting gains that could reach 10 to 20 seats.

“We intend to hold the House and grow our numbers,” the House speaker told The Associated Press last month Instead, results and projections show that while Democrats will retain their House majority, so far they have a net loss of seats."

The Chronicle's TAL KOPAN/JOHN WILDERMUTH: "Democrats were expected to maintain their House majority after Tuesday’s election — but the surprising loss of several front-line Democrats in battleground seats raised questions for Speaker Nancy Pelosi about her leadership of the caucus.

More than 40 races across the country remained undecided, including a handful of seats in California that Democrats hold and one they lost in a May special election. Party aides were optimistic they could still pick up some seats.

But by Wednesday afternoon, Republicans had flipped seven seats nationally to Democrats’ two, which would cut into Pelosi’s current majority of 232 members to Republicans’ 197."

EdSource's CAROLYN JONES: "Imagine trying to work out in a crowded living room, with no exercise equipment besides rolled-up socks and soup cans.

For many students in California, that’s what physical education class looks like these days. Since campuses closed in March, P.E. teachers are scrambling for creative ways to keep students physically active — with no gymnasiums, sports fields or playgrounds — at a time when experts say students’ physical and mental health is paramount.

“P.E. has been one of the most challenging subjects to teach online. Teachers are working incredibly hard,” said Patricia Suppe, president of the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. “But the irony is, students need P.E. now more than ever, not just for physical health but mental health.”"

Sac Bee's DAWSON WHITE: "Sen. Bernie Sanders had some eerily accurate predictions for how election night would play out — and he made them during an interview all the way back in October.

During an Oct. 23 interview on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the Vermont senator outlined some of his concerns as to what could transpire the night of the election.

First, he predicted that several states — namely battlegrounds such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — could get a huge influx of mail-in ballots that they’d be unable to finish counting on Election Day."

The Chronicle's KELLIE HWANG: "As the country continues to count ballots in Tuesday’s tight presidential contest, California has already made its choices clear on a number of races and propositions.

But when looking at the unofficial results so far for the presidential election and some key ballot measures, it appears the Bay Area tends to do its own thing compared to the rest of the state.

With votes still being tallied as of midday Wednesday, here are some takeaways from the state and region:"

Sac Bee's WES VENTEICHER: "Telework moved closer to becoming a permanent part of California state employment this week after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration told officials to reconsider building leases and find other permanent savings.

The letter makes repeated reference to telework, saying departments may find savings by reducing lease space, trimming travel spending and using telework to cut costs such as printing, postage, utilities and transit subsidies."

Sac Bee's MICHAEL MCGOUGH/TONY BIZJAK: "With coronavirus cases again on the rise, Sacramento County’s top public health chief put out a plea Wednesday for families to think twice before gathering in groups for Thanksgiving, holiday dinners or other celebrations.

The Sacramento region and California as a whole are still faring far better than most states at the moment, and far better than during the state’s summer COVID-19 surge when hospital intensive care units nearly filled, county health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson said.

But with rates rising and more people heading indoors, where virus transmission happens more easily, Beilenson warned of a potential winter surge."

AP's LISA MASCARO/MARY CLARE JALONICK: "Democrats faced increasingly long odds as the battle for Senate control hangs in balance, and Republicans brushed back multiple challengers to protect their majority. Still, it was too soon for the GOP to declare victory.

In Michigan, Democrats were spared a loss late Wednesday when Sen. Gary Peters beat back a tough challenge from Republican John James. But Republicans held on to Susan Collins in Maine and other key seats across the map.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said President Donald Trump’s campaign helped his GOP allies, but that state election officials were still counting ballots. Key Senate races in North Carolina, Alaska and Georgia remained undecided."

DAVID JENSEN in Capitol Weekly: "California voters have apparently approved spending $5.5 billion more on stem cell research over the next 10 to 15 years and significantly broadening the scope of its state stem cell agency, according to unofficial figures this morning.

The refinancing of the agency, officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), was approved by 51.1 percent of the voters compared to 48.9 percent against, with 99 percent of the votes in, state election officials reported.

A spokeswoman for the Proposition 14 campaign, however, said the vote is too close to call."

Sac Bee's JEONG PARK: "Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart bet $206 million that voters would let them out of a new state labor law requiring them to pay drivers more in wages and benefits.

The wager paid off spectacularly on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when voters approved Prop. 22 by a healthy margin.

““Prop. 22 is the dawn of a new day for drivers,” said Jimmy Strano, a rideshare driver in the Bay Area, in a statement from the Yes on 22 campaign late Tuesday night. “In a historic election, California drivers sent a clear message that we want to be independent, and that what’s best for us is a new approach that preserves our independence while providing new benefits.”"

The Chronicle's TRISHA THADANI: "San Francisco embraced several tax measures on the ballot Tuesday, despite the recession and the millions of dollars spent arguing that raising taxes during a pandemic would increase the city’s economic woes.

There were still about 90,000 uncounted votes Wednesday, but the four major tax measures were leading by such wide margins that their victories were all but certain.

San Francisco voters are generally friendly toward new taxes — particularly when they are levied on big businesses — and Tuesday’s election revealed how the current recession failed to change that. The victories were welcome at City Hall, which recently struggled to close a $1.5 billion deficit and is bracing for even more pain."

Sac Bee's MOLLY SULLIVAN: "El Dorado County voters approved a new sales tax in the popular tourist destination of South Lake Tahoe in Tuesday’s election, results show.

Measure S, a 1% sales tax, passed with 61 percent of the vote. The ballot measure increases South Lake Tahoe’s from 7.75% to 8.75%.

The measure is predicted to raise up to $5.4 million per year for a variety of city expenses such as public safety and to maintain fire protection services. The ballot measure said the funds would also be used to pay for 911 emergency response, reduce wildfire threats, retain local jobs and prevent lake pollution."

Sac Bee's DALE KASLER: "The economy was coming out of hibernation, reawakening at a pace never seen before — just as Pat Murakami was putting her restaurants in Sacramento to sleep for good.

Murakami has permanently closed both of her Ambrosia Cafe locations, erasing two lunchtime spots from the downtown scene that were popular with the state-worker and lobbyist crowd. Her reasoning: The COVID-19 pandemic, by hollowing out the central city’s daytime population, made it impossible to continue.

The closures came, ironically, as the national economy went on a tear. The federal government reported last week that gross domestic product, the measure of total economic output, grew by a record-setting 7.4% between July and September, or 33.1% on an annualized basis."

AP's MARK SHERMAN: "President Donald Trump's campaign filed lawsuits Wednesday in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia, laying the groundwork for contesting battleground states as he slipped behind Democrat Joe Biden in the hunt for the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.

The new filings, joining existing Republican legal challenges in Pennsylvania and Nevada, demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted, and raise absentee ballot concerns, the campaign said. However, at one Michigan location in question The Associated Press observed poll watchers from both sides monitoring on Wednesday.

The AP called Michigan for Democrat Joe Biden on Wednesday. Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia are undecided."

The Chronicle's STAFF: "President Trump’s tweet Tuesday evening that Democrats were trying to steal the election was immediately flagged by Twitter as “disputed and might be misleading.”

Shortly after Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told supporters that he was confident in his chances but counseling patience as votes roll in, Trump tweeted: “We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!”

The San Francisco company started flagging misinformation from politicians this year."

Nail biting, Part 2