Retirement plans

Jerry Brown has a $15M surplus of his own. Here's what he plans to do with it

Sacramento Bee's AMY CHANCE/SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Gov. Jerry Brown is leaving, but he has plenty of political money to take with him. He’s sitting on $15 million in his campaign account."

"He said Tuesday he plans to raise even more, keeping his hand in politics after he leaves office."

"People are always going to the ballot for one thing or another,” he said. “This is a way just to stay somewhat involved – keep my fingers a little bit on the rudder guiding the ship of state."

READ MORE related to Jerry Brown: Jerry Brown wanted to save the planet and the California budget. How did he do? -- Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON/SAM STANTON/RYAN SABALOW/DALE KASLER

Key Kamala Harris aide moves, sending a signal about her 2020 plans

Sacramento Bee's EMILY CADEI/ALEXEI KOSEFF: "Sen. Kamala Harris’ chief of staff is departing her Senate office to take on a senior adviser role at her political action committee, yet another signal the California Democrat is preparing to launch a 2020 bid for president."

"Harris on Tuesday morning announced that Nathan Barankin, a longtime aide and veteran of California politics, would leave his job in the Senate. Rohini Kosoglu, currently Harris’ deputy chief of staff, will replace Barankin."

"Rohini has been an invaluable leader on our team as we’ve fought for our shared values and the best of who we are as a country during these first two years,” said Harris, who won her election to succeed Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2016. “I also want to thank Nathan for his service, he is a trusted adviser who has been essential to building a team here in Washington that continues to fight for the interests of Californians."

CW Podcast: Dan Walters looks at Brown's legacy

CAPITOL WEEKLY STAFF: "Columnist and reporter Dan Walters has aggressively covered the career of Gov. Jerry Brown since 1975, first in the pages of the Sacramento Union, then the Sacramento Bee, and currently for CALmatters."

"Walters, a frequent critic of the quixotic governor, former Oakland mayor, state Democratic Party chair, radio talk show host and near-perennial presidential candidate, has had a unique vantage point on Brown’s many ups and downs — critically tracking his peripatetic career up close and in real time for over four decades."

"As the 80-year-old Brown prepares to end an unprecedented, historic fourth term in what is likely his final elected office, Walters joined the podcast with Capitol Weekly’s John  Howard and Tim Foster to chat about Brown’s legacy — and a few other things as well."

State Department allows Yemeni mother to travel to US to see her dying son, lawyer says

Sacramento Bee's SAWSAN MORRAR: "A Yemeni mother who has been unable to obtain permission from the U.S. State Department to travel to California to see her dying son has been granted a visa through a rare travel ban waiver, according to her lawyer Saad Sweilem."

"Sweilem told The Sacramento Bee federal officials issued the visa Tuesday morning."

"The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Bee."

READ MORE related to Immigration: Deportation could be next after California court blocks pardon for crimes committed at 14 -- The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO; Trump admin tries to cut soaring number of detained immigrant youths -- The Chronicle's TAL KOPAN; Two migrant caravan teens murdered for their cell phones in Tijuana -- LA Times's WENDY FRY

Deputy director tapped to lead embattled California DMV

The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN: "Gov. Jerry Brown has picked a new leader to temporarily helm the state’s beleaguered Department of Motor Vehicles, which is struggling with excessive wait times and fury over 23,000 botched voter registrations."

"Chief Deputy Director Bill Davidson will take over as acting director of the department beginning Dec. 31. Davidson has worked at the DMV 16 years."

"Director Jean Shiomoto will retire at the end of the year, leaving behind an agency that’s been tasked with hefty new responsibilities, like processing Real ID licenses and regulating autonomous vehicles, even though its offices still use antiquated computer technology."

Large cannabis cultivation, delivery facility OK'd for North Sacramento

Sacramento Bee 's THERESA CLIFT: "The Sacramento City Council cleared the way Tuesday for a large cannabis cultivation and delivery business to open in a north Sacramento warehouse."

"The business, called Dragon’s Lair, plans to open in the coming months in a warehouse at the southwest corner of Iris Avenue and Plover Street in the Ben Ali neighborhood."

"The 21,596-square-foot facility, which now houses an auto repair shop, will mostly be used for cultivation, but it will also include areas for manufacturing, packaging, distribution and six suites for delivery-only medical and recreational cannabis, according to a city staff report. The council approved the plan with an 8-0 vote, with Mayor Darrell Steinberg absent."

SF sues drug companies over marketing of addictive painkillers

The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA: "San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical companies of fueling the nation’s epidemic of opioid addiction by deliberately misleading doctors and the public about the dangers of powerful painkillers."

"In a complaint running more than 160 pages, Herrera’s office alleges that Purdue, which makes OxyContin, and the drugmakers Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon, Insys Therapeutics, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Actavis, aggressively marketed addictive opioid painkillers to treat chronic pain knowing they had a high potential for abuse."

"Prior to the surging use of opioid painkillers in recent years, the drugs had been largely reserved for treating short-term post-surgical pain and for end-of-life care in cancer patients."

LA teachers strike appears more likely as key report fails to bring the union and district together

LA Times's HOWARD BLUME: "Los Angeles teachers may have moved one big step closer to a strike."

Scott Jones: 'I give ICE unfettered access to Sacramento jails' 

Sacramento Bee's ALEXANDRA YOON-HENDRICKS: "Though Sacramento County in June dropped its contract to house federal immigration detainees in county jails, Sheriff Scott Jones Monday gave details of who had been held for ICE last year in local lockups."

"The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department held 1,303 immigrants at county facilities in 2017 as part of a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs. About 83 percent of those detainees were Hispanic, according to demographic data presented to the board by Jones. Over the course of 2017, ICE conducted 51 interviews at county facilities, constituting about 2 percent of all law enforcement interviews that took place."

"The Board of Supervisors forum held Monday was mandated by the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds, or TRUTH Act, which took effect in 2016 and requires jurisdictions housing federal immigration detainees hold at least one public meeting to give data on those detentions."

READ MORE related to Prisons & Public Safety: Criminal justice bill passes Senate; House approval expected -- AP's KEVIN FREKING; California police union seeks state Supreme Court review of new law disclosing internal investigation records -- LA Times's LAIM DILLON

Trump administration moves to ban bump stocks

AP's MICHAEL BALSAMO: "The Trump administration Tuesday banned bump stocks, the firearm attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns and were used during the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. "

"The regulation gives gun owners until late March to turn in or destroy the devices. After that, it will be illegal to possess them under the same federal laws that prohibit machine guns."

"Bump stocks became a focal point of the gun control debate after they were used in October 2017 when a man opened fire from his Las Vegas hotel suite into a crowd at a country music concert, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more."

READ MORE related to POTUS45/KremlinGate: 'I'm not hiding my disgust, my disdain': Veteran judge upends hopes of Trump allies as he spotlights Flynn's misdeeds -- WaPo's CAROL D LEONNIG/ROSALIND S HELDERMAN; Judge postpones sentence for Flynn after blasting his conduct: 'Arguably, you sold your country out!' -- LA Times's DAVID WILLMAN; Trump to shut down charity after lawsuit said he used it for personal and political benefit -- WaPo's DAVID A FAHRENTHOLD

US agrees to aid for southern Mexico and Central America, but not to deal on asylum seekers

LA Times's TRACY WILKINSON?PATRICK J MCDONNELL: "The United States on Tuesday announced it was adding billions of dollars to an ambitious Mexican development project for that country’s southern region and Central America as a way to deter migration."