Fast-moving wildfire rips through California wine country, forces 180,000 to evacuate
Sacramento Bee's SAM STANTON/RYAN SABALOW/DALE KASLER: "Fueled by wind gusts of up to 70 mph, Northern California’s Kincade Fire had burned more than 47 square miles of the state’s famed Wine Country region Sunday and forced evacuations of 180,000 residents from Santa Rosa to the Pacific Ocean."
"At least 93 structures had been damaged or destroyed — including the iconic Soda Rock Winery near Healdsburg that was housed in a building erected in 1869. The 30,000-acre fire was only 10 percent contained."
"No one has been reported killed or injured, but the blaze forced mass evacuations on a scale that has not been seen in California since February 2017, when fears that the Oroville Dam north of Sacramento might fail during torrential downpours."
Fire off 405 Freeway threatens thousands of homes; structures burn, widespread evacuations ordered
From the LAT's RONG-GONG LIN II/HANNAH FRY/BRITTNY MEJIA/MATTHEW ORMSETH: "A growing brush fire was threatening thousands of homes in Brentwood and other Westside hillside communities, burning several homes and prompting widespread evacuations early Monday."
"The Getty fire broke out shortly before 2 a.m. along the 405 Freeway near the Getty Center and spread to the south and west, rapidly burning 400 acres and sending people fleeing from their homes in the dark. About 10,000 structures were under mandatory evacuation orders."
"The mandatory evacuation zone was described by fire officials as a box: Mulholland Drive on the north side, the 405 on the east, Sunset Boulevard on the south and Temescal Canyon Road on the west."
READ MORE related to Fire Season: Hurricane-like winds batter California, knocking out power and adding to wildfire woes -- Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER; Can wildfire risk worsen? Northern California eyes more winds, another PG&E outage -- Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER; 'Looks like the fire season is over.' And then came the Kincade Fire, and more destruction -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN SABALOW; Kincade Fire slows overnight after rushing toward areas hit by 2017 disaster -- The Chronicle's SARAH RAVANI/ERIN ALLDAY/DEMIAN BULWA; Students make harrowing escape from Mount St. Mary's University as Getty fire approaches -- LA Times's MATTHEW ORMSETH
California Rep. Katie Hill resigns amid ethics investigation
AP's LAURIE KELLMAN: "Freshman Rep. Katie Hill, a rising Democratic star in the House, announced her resignation amid an ethics probe, saying explicit private photos of her with a campaign staffer had been "weaponized" by her husband and political operatives."
"The California Democrat, 32, had been hand-picked for a coveted leadership seat. But in recent days, compromising photos of Hill and purported text messages from her to a campaign staffer surfaced online in a right-wing publication and a British tabloid. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Hill had acknowledged "errors in judgment" that Pelosi said made her continued service in Congress "untenable."
"The House ethics committee had launched an investigation into whether Hill had an inappropriate relationship with an aide in her congressional office, which is prohibited under House rules. Hill, one of the few openly bisexual women in Congress, has denied that and vowed to fight a "smear" campaign waged by a husband she called abusive."
Newsom calls for Warren Buffett to buy PG&E as widespread power shutoffs continue
Sacramento Bee's HANNAH WILEY/DALE KASLER: "Calls to transition the troubled Pacific Gas and Electric Co. into a public utility intensified Sunday, as nearly 1 million customers lost power throughout California and the Kincade Fire blazed through Sonoma County."
"A day earlier, Gov. Gavin Newsom told Bloomberg he would encourage Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway to make a bid for PG&E."
"We would love to see that interest materialize, in a more proactive, public effort,” he said Saturday."
READ MORE related to Blackouts, Energy & PG&E: Andrew Yang rips PG&E as 'emblem of what's gone wrong' -- The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI; More PG&E blackouts this week? It's possible -- The Chronicle's JD MORRIS; Historic blackout under way, 1.3M in Bay Area without power -- The Chronicle's JD MORRIS
California Air Quality Tracker
The Chronicle's STAFF: "Air quality data is an experimental forecast from NOAA's High Resolution Rapid Refresh forecast product. Currently displayed imagery is forecast ahead of time and is continually updated."
"The map shows fire-emitted fine-particulate matter (PM2.5 - particulates that are less than 2.5 microns in diameter) concentrations at about 8 meters above ground. PM2.5 is a primary concern for people's health at high levels."
"The descriptions of the pollutant levels are similiar to the guidance the EPA provides using its Air Quality Index rating for surface level PM2.5 concentrations. In the legend, we label Good (> 1 μg/m³), Moderate (> 8 μg/m³), Poor (> 20 μg/m³), Unhealthy for Some, (> 40 μg/m³), Unhealthy for All (> 100 μg/m³), and Hazardous (> 200 μg/m³)."
A 'straight frickin' arrow or not? Some say California Democratic fundraiser walks a fine line
Sacramento Bee's HANNAH WILEY: "When Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara became embroiled in a deluge of questions and criticism this year for breaking a campaign promise not to accept industry donations, he promised Californians he’d make it up to them."
"To start, he fired his longtime fundraiser, Dan Weitzman."
"I believe effective public service demands constant adherence to the highest ethical standards,” Lara wrote in an open letter to Californians on Sept. 3, in which he apologized for accepting more than $50,000 in April from insurance executives and their wives."
Money flows into local races as November election pulls closer
The Chronicle's TRISHA THADANI: "It’s the final stretch before the Nov. 5 election, and candidates in the two major San Francisco races are ramping up their spending to get them across the finish line."
"Thursday marked one of the last times that candidates had to report how much money they’ve raised and spent before the election. The reports, filed to the city Ethics Commission, cover the period from Sept. 22 to Oct. 19."
"Millions of dollars have poured into the upcoming election, which means voters will likely be inundated with campaign ads in their mailboxes, social media feeds and TV screens over the next few weeks. Independent expenditure committees have also increased their spending on selected candidates. Such committees can take donations of any size, but cannot directly coordinate with a campaign."
57 pedestrians died in Sacramento region last year. California sees even more carnage ahead
McClatchy's DAVID LIGHTMAN/MICHAEL FINCH II: "Last week, police found a pedestrian lying on the ground near Fruitridge Road after a car struck him and fled."
"Earlier this month, a man was killed after a hit-and-run just outside of Midtown on X and 23rd streets."
"In a North Sacramento neighborhood, another man died after being struck twice in September by two different vehicles, and one of the drivers left the scene."
READ MORE related to Transportation: California's gig work law targets Uber and Lyft. It could hit taxis instead -- The Chronicle's CAROLYN SAID; LAX is banning Uber and Lyft pickups at the curb. Here's how the new system works -- LA Times's LAURA J NELSON
NBC News will not keep former employees with harassment complaints from speaking up
LA Times's STEPHEN BATTAGLIO: "NBC News, which has faced withering criticism over its handling of reporting around disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, is allowing all women who had signed non-disclosure agreements upon leaving the company to discuss any claims of sexual harassment they may have had."
"The company announced the unusual move in a statement issued Friday on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” in response to the charges made in former NBC News correspondent Ronan Farrow’s book “Catch and Kill."
"The news division has been beleaguered by Farrow’s allegations that it obstructed his reporting on harassment and assault accusations against Weinstein and silenced women who had complained about inappropriate behavior by fired “Today” co-host Matt Lauer."
Fans greet Donald Trump with boos and chants of 'Lock him up!' at World Series
LA Times's JORGE CASTILLO/ELI STOKOLS: "President Trump was greeted with boos and chants of “Lock him up!” while attending Game 5 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and host Washington Nationals on Sunday."
"Trump arrived at the game minutes before the first pitch, as scheduled, sitting in the commissioner’s suite next to the First Lady, surrounded by Republican members of Congress and senior aides. Trump was introduced on the video board at Nationals Park between the third and fourth innings when military veterans were honored during a presentation the Nationals feature at every home game."
"The veterans were presented to cheers before Trump was introduced on the public address system and greeted with sustained and boisterous boos. Trump clapped for the 13 seconds he appeared on the screens."
Will the demise of Abu Bakr Baghdadi also be the end of Daesh?
LA Times's PATRICK J MCDONNELL/NABIH BULOS: "Our emir is not dead!” shouted a bespectacled Egyptian woman from behind a chain-link fence. “This is propaganda! We don’t believe it!"
"More American lies,” said another woman, who spoke with a French accent but would not say what country she was from."
"The women, who wore black veils and cloaks from head to toe and would not give their names, are among 70,000 detainees at a camp in northeastern Syria — all relatives of Islamic State fighters who were dead or in jail."
