A fond farewell

Cassini's final moments: NASA spacecraft falls silent after dramatic plunge towards Saturn

The Guardian's HANNAH DEVLIN: "Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft has met its demise as it plunged into Saturn’s atmosphere this morning where it was vaporised within minutes in a meteoric blaze."

"The dramatic end of one the space agency’s most successful missions was confirmed at just before 1pm UK time, as the signal from Cassini fell silent for the first time in 13 years."

"In its final week, the spacecraft looped between the rings and the planet one last time, past Titan, Saturn’s giant moon, for a farewell fly-by, before diving into Saturn’s atmosphere at 120,000km/h (76,000mph)."

State lawmakers advance major housing bills, including a $75 fee on refinancing

LA Times' LIAM DILLON: "California lawmakers advanced key housing legislation late Thursday, clearing the most substantial hurdle for a package of bills aimed at addressing the state’s housing affordability crisis."

"Legislators in the Assembly passed Senate Bill 2, a $75 fee on mortgage refinances and other real estate transactions except for home and commercial property sales. The measure is expected to raise $250 million a year to help finance new and rehabilitated developments for low-income residents — a key step, lawmakers said, in beginning to get housing costs under control."

"We are living during the worst housing crisis our state has ever experienced,” said Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco)."

READ MORE related to State Policy: Efforts to control California housing costs clear the Assembly after tight vote -- Sacramento Bee's ALEXEI KOSEFF/TARYN LUNA

Targeting the closure of nonprofit hospitals

Capitol Weekly's ALEX MATTHEWS: "East Bay lawmakers are pushing a bill to stop Sutter Health from shuttering its Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley — a measure with major statewide implications."

"The bill was prompted by issues surrounding Alta Bates, but it would apply to any emergency rooms across California run by nonprofits."

"Backers of the legislation, SB 687 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, say the law would preserve Californians’ access to emergency medical services. Skinner authored the bill after Sutter announced it would close the Alta Bates campus."

Gov. Brown weighing support for free first year of community college for all California students

EdSource's MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN: "A bill to waive first-year tuition at community college for all California residents attending full-time is awaiting the governor’s signature after winning support from a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the state Legislature Wednesday."

"If signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, Assembly Bill 19 would allow for an estimated 19,000 additional students to take advantage of the state’s generous subsidies for community college students — irrespective of their financial need — under a new program called California College Promise."

"For the bill to have teeth, it needs money appropriated from the state, and currently AB 19 has no funding mechanism. The Department of Finance, which advises Gov. Jerry Brown on fiscal issues, opposed the passage of the bill in August because of the estimated $30 million to $50 million price tag to enroll the additional students. The department also dinged the bill for expanding financial aid to students who don’t need it, “which is inconsistent with the Administration’s effort to target financial aid to the state’s neediest students."

LA could become the biggest marijuana market in the world. But will the city be ready?

Daily News' ELIZABETH CHOU: "With the cannabis industry set to be legalized in California at the start of next year, the pressure is on for Los Angeles, as some anticipate that the city will be among the hottest marijuana markets in the country, if not the world."

"It’s the California gold rush again – it’s the ‘Green Rush,'” said Greg Meguerian, owner of The Reefinery medical marijuana dispensary in Van Nuys. “The world’s paying attention, and at the end of the day, this is Los Angeles. It’s going to be the largest market in the world … it’s going to be huge."

"If I’m a tourist from another country, why would I go to Washington if I can go to Hollywood?” he said."

You may not believe it, but the number of California wildfires has been going down

Daily News' DANIEL TEDFORD:  "In a year that is already being called one of the worst ever for wildfires in the western United States, there is another fact that some may find remarkable: For nearly 40 years, the number of wildfires in California has been declining."

"California wildfire data reviewed by a USGS research ecologist shows a trend that many may find hard to believe: Since a peak in 1980, there have been fewer and fewer wildfires in California. This is true across the entire state, according to researcher Jon Keeley, who is also a professor at UCLA."

"According to his paper, co-authored with Alexandra D. Syphard, we need to rethink our ideas about the frequency of wildfires."

Trump and Democrats gambling on each other, hoping their core supporters will trust them to cut deals

LA Times' NOAH BIERMAN: "President Trump, by his second deal in as many weeks with Democratic leaders, has upended the political calculations of both of their parties: Many Republicans are left fuming of his betrayal, while some Democrats have begun warning party leaders against getting too cozy with a president they vow to resist."

"Trump is betting that he can play the two sides against each other and finally notch some legislative achievements, in turn reassuring centrists and improving his dismal poll ratings. The risk, as the president’s nationalist allies already are warning, is that Trump alienates some among his loyalists even as other voters remain resolutely hostile, and he sinks further."

"With the latest deal, Trump could not have chosen an issue more likely to test his core supporters. After winning election on an anti-immigration platform, he has agreed with Democrats to seek a law protecting from deportation roughly 800,000 young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children — a group of whom he formerly said flatly, “They have to go."

READ MORE related to POTUS45/Beltway: Mueller meets with House Judiciary chairman, top Democrat -- AP; Trump faces questions over his promise to historically black colleges -- LA Times' LAUREN ROSENBLATT; Trump casts doubt on GOP clearing 60-vote hurdle in Senate on tax bill -- Roll Call's JOHN T. BENNETT

'I can't remember a year with this many children killed.' Domestic violence fatalities seen rising

Sacramento Bee's ANITA CHABRIA/STEVE MAGAGNINI: "With the killings of three children this week, allegedly by their father, the Sacramento region is continuing with a disturbing surge in domestic violence homicides this year."

"Since January, there have been eight fatal domestic violence encounters in the Sacramento area involving the deaths of 14 victims – eight of whom were children, authorities said. All of the adult victims this year in Sacramento were women and most were women of color."

"I can’t remember a year with this many children killed,” said Sacramento County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Paul Durenberger, who heads the domestic violence prosecution team. “This year has been really, really difficult. The children involved alone is just staggering ... When you have a relationship with a person you are supposed to care about, it’s hard enough to envision. But when you have a relationship with a child, it’s hard to fathom."

Nine arrested as protesters gather at UC Berkeley for talk by conservative speaker Ben Shapiro

LA Times' JAVIER PANZAR/ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN: "Hundreds of protesters swarmed UC Berkeley on Thursday evening as conservative writer Ben Shapiro spoke on campus, with law enforcement out in force to prevent a repeat of recent violent clashes between far-left and far-right agitators."

"Nine people were arrested, four of them for carrying banned weapons. One was held on suspicion of battery on a police officer. Hundreds of law enforcement officers, many in riot gear, prepared for violence and seized potential weapons, but no major skirmishes were reported. Several shouting matches erupted but ended peacefully."

"A campus spokesman said there is a “sense of relief” that the preparations worked and Shapiro’s speech went smoothly."

READ MORE related to Free Speech Battle: Ben Shapiro takes stage at UC Berkeley under 'extraordinary' security -- The Chronicle's LIZZIE JOHNSON/NANETTE ASIMOV/KIMBERLY VEKLEROV/JILL TUCKER

LA deputy suspected of raping female inmates

Daily News' WES WOODS: "A 10-year-veteran deputy of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department was arrested in connection with engaging in sexual contact with two women inmates, officials announced Thursday."

"Giancarlo Scotti, 31,  a San Pedro High School graduate and current community resident, was arrested while on duty on suspicion of two counts of rape under the color of authority and two counts of oral copulation also under the color of authority."

"Let me be clear that the crime of this nature is horrific,” said a somber L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell of the Wednesday night arrest, within hours of the criminal allegations. “Criminal misconduct, especially criminal misconduct that preys upon a vulnerable population, will not be tolerated and will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We have a public obligation to follow the evidence and the facts."

New bill would require driver's ed, restricted license for under-21 crowd

East Bay Times' AARON DAVIS: "The right to drive was once guaranteed for every adult, but a new bill that was approved by the Legislature will restrict the rights of drivers under the age of 21 who are not actively serving in the military."

"Assembly Bill 63, authored by Assemblyman Jim Frazier, D-Discovery Bay, will extend the age range of the provisional licensing program from 16 to 21. New drivers will first need to complete drivers ed to then get their provisional license, which will prevent them from driving between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. and transporting anyone under 20 years of age, unless accompanied by a driving instructor."

"The license restrictions remain in effect for the driver’s first year."

READ MORE related to Transportation: BART mob robbery: Six victims sue transit agency over brazen attacks -- East Bay Times' ANGELA RUGGIERO

Improvised bomb injures 22 on London subway train

AP's JILL LAWLESS: "A homemade bomb exploded on a packed London subway train during rush hour on Friday, leaving 22 people injured, police and health officials said. None of the injured is thought to be seriously hurt."

"Police say the explosion was a terrorist attack, the fifth in Britain this year. Britain's domestic spy agency is helping out in the investigation."

"Police were alerted to an incident at 8:20 a.m. local time (0720GMT) after commuters reported a noise and a flash aboard the District Line train at Parsons Green station in the southwest of the city. Chaos then ensued as hundreds of people rushed to get away from danger."

READ MORE related to International: Sirens sound as North Korea again sends a missile over Japan -- AP's MARI YAMAGUCHI; Russia talks Syria 'de-escalation' enforcement -- AP; EU official urges Serbia to move toward membership in bloc -- AP; Fleeing Rohingya Muslims watch as homes burn in Myanmar -- AP's JULHAS ALAM; Vatican diplomat recalled amid child porn investigation -- AP's NICOLE WINFIELD/MATTHEW LEE; Defense chief: Philippine-wide martial law 'very remote' -- AP's JIM GOMEZ

FEMA shifting focus to the recovery process

AP: "The Latest on Hurricane Irma (all times local):"

"9:20 a.m."