Young California Democrats are challenging veteran House members in safe blue seats
CALMatters, MAYA C. MILLER: "California’s battleground House districts might get the lion’s share of national attention for their role in deciding which party rules Congress’s lower chamber.
But in a handful of California’s deep blue districts, an intra-party battle over the future of the Democratic Party is brewing in the wake of grim losses during last year’s presidential race."
Trump says one of the two National Guard members shot by Afghan national has died
LAT, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER/GARY FIELDS/ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE/BEN FINLEY: "President Trump said Thursday that one of the two National Guard members allegedly shot by an Afghan national near the White House a day earlier had died, calling the suspect — who had worked with the CIA in his native country — a “savage monster.”
As part of his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”"
How an ICE hospital incident sparked alarm about the patient rights of immigrants
LAT, CLAUDIA BOYD-BARRETT: "In July, federal immigration agents took Milagro Solis-Portillo to Glendale Memorial Hospital just outside Los Angeles after she suffered a medical emergency while being detained. They didn’t leave.
For two weeks, Immigration and Customs Enforcement contractors sat guard in the hospital lobby 24 hours a day, working in shifts to monitor her movements, her attorney Ming Tanigawa-Lau said."
Social communities can help bridge gaps in needed support
Capitol Weekly, SCOTT KIRCHNER: "When outside resources become scarce, individuals within social communities can work together to provide support for our own. It is easiest to help our folk if we have developed close relationships within our community. My rhetorical purpose here is to persuade you to take responsibility for and work towards developing personal relationships with members of your social communities so you will be aware when “your” people are in need. I submit that by working in unity, members of social communities can help bridge gaps in needed support. Within my own social community we have an ethical obligation to help each other.
One of the benefits of being part of a social community is the opportunity to “circle the wagons” and provide support for members who are in need of help. Though the focus of this piece is the recently homed recovery community there are many such social communities including religious, ethnic, political, regional, cultural and co-cultural, and workplace."
Is there a ‘perfect’ time to walk after a big meal? Science has a clear answer
Chronicle, CATHERINE HO: "You may be spending Thanksgiving Day indulging in holiday favorites — and may spend the next few days indulging in leftovers.
But in between the grazing, drinking, big dinners and desserts, you may also be trying to squeeze in a walk or two to avoid being completely sedentary. And you may be wondering if there’s a best window of time, duration and pace to get the most benefit out of walking after a big meal."
This 90-year-old swims in S.F. Bay, trail runs and skateboards. What’s his secret?
Chronicle, PETER HARTLAUB: "I was at the top of the Dipsea Trail’s “Cardiac Hill” near Mill Valley on June 8, cheering friends during the most grueling stretch of the Bay Area’s most grueling trail race, when a shock of white hair power-walked by.
Others were suffering visibly on the ultra-steep 1,200-foot climb up the side of Mount Tamalpais, but this man was smiling."
How DOGE cuts have devastated Bay Area nonprofits, schools and agencies
Chronicle, ALEXEI KOSEFF: "Catholic Charities of Northwest California found out only eight hours before the federal government canceled a half-million dollar citizenship training grant that it had received annually for 15 years.
On March 27, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security informed the Santa Rosa-based nonprofit that it should end all of its work funded by the grant — helping legal immigrants navigate the complex pathway to American citizenship — by the end of the day, because it no longer aligned with the department’s priorities. More than $300,000 in remaining funding was terminated."
From research to resistance, UC graduate students find purpose in union organizing
EdSource, YEJIN SONG/DANIELA CASTILLO: "Rebecca Gross will never forget standing in solidarity with fellow graduate student union workers during the United Auto Workers 4811 strike at UC Santa Cruz in spring 2024.
What Gross remembers most is the moment her friend — a fellow UCSC student — was fired for allegedly violating a restraining order for picketing on campus."
Yosemite’s foreign visitors face steep new fees — and a Trump-branded park pass
Chronicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "The Trump administration is preparing to sharply raise costs for international visitors at Yosemite and 10 other heavily trafficked national parks, a move that federal officials said will keep access affordable for U.S. residents while boosting funding for park maintenance.
Along with the fee hikes, the administration is also rolling out a redesigned annual pass that replaces traditional scenic artwork with patriotic imagery featuring portraits of George Washington and Donald Trump — a change that has already stirred criticism among conservation advocates."
Document raises new questions about restrictions on Jan. 1 Lachman fire mop-up
LAT, JENNY JARVIE/ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN/NOAH HAGGERTY: "As the Los Angeles Fire Department and California State Parks face mounting scrutiny over their handling of a small brushfire that reignited into the deadly Palisades blaze, a newly released document details the agencies’ agreement on restricting how fires were fought and mopped up in some parts of Topanga State Park.
The Wildfire Management Plan for Topanga State Park — a local operating agreement between California State Parks Angeles District, the L.A. Fire Department and other local and state firefighting agencies — outlines concerns about “sensitive” plants, animal species and tribal sites. It states that “modified mop up for ground fuels should be utilized where possible” and “spading should be minimized and restricted to hot areas near fire lines.”"
Pacific Palisades celebrates being together again at first turkey trot since devastating fire
LAT, CERYS DAVIES: "Residents of Pacific Palisades have had little chance to congregate since the Palisades fire ripped through their community in January.
But bright and early on Thanksgiving morning, runners could be seen stretching their limbs in front of hollowed-out buildings, while attendees in turkey costumes walked along charred streets, ready for the 11th annual Pacific Palisades Turkey Trot."
Sacramento County now has nearly 9,000 homeless people, new data show
SacBee, THERESA CLIFT: "Nearly 9,000 homeless people are now living in Sacramento County, according to new data from a local nonprofit.
That data point, which is for September, is 50% higher than it was in June, and also higher than at any point since at least 2022, said Trent Simmons, chief program officer at nonprofit Sacramento Steps Forward, which published the data."
S.F. police union chief calls Sunset supervisor finalist’s public safety views ‘disqualifying’
Chronicle, ALYCE MCFADDEN: "The president of San Francisco’s police union has urged Mayor Daniel Lurie to drop a progressive City Hall aide from his short list to fill the Sunset District supervisor seat over her views on the union and other public safety issues.
Natalie Gee, one of four finalists being considered for the job, said in a 2024 candidate questionnaire that she would support the union being weakened or dissolved entirely."
Car crash death toll climbs as Sacramento pivots to a quicker safety strategy
SacBee, ARIANE LANGE: "Sacramento announced a “Vision Zero Transportation Safety Initiative” Wednesday and said the city would shift more focus to rapid street safety improvements amid an ongoing crisis of fatal crashes.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, City Traffic Engineer Megan Carter said that the new Vision Zero initiative would center the work of the previously announced quick-build “Transportation Safety Team.” The City Council approved the $4.6 million quick-build team in March. The supervising engineer for the six-person team, Carter said, would likely start in January; two new traffic investigators will start over the next two months. The original target start date was July 1."