California takes FB to court in state's privacy, Cambridge Analytica investigation
Sacramento Bee's ANDREW SHEELER: "Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced on Wednesday that he’s seeking a court order to force Facebook to turn over records his office requested in June."
"The records are related to Facebook’s business practices, including its relationship to Cambridge Analytica, the political consulting firm affiliated with President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign that obtained data related to tens of millions of Facebook customers."
"Becerra at a news conference in San Francisco said Facebook was not “fully responsive” to the state’s investigation into Cambridge Analytica. The state filed a petition in San Francisco Superior Court seeking to force the social media giant to comply with outstanding subpoenas."
READ MORE related to Privacy Probe: California AG seeks court order on Facebook data privacy -- The Chronicle's CATHERINE HO
LA firefighter banked $360,010 in OT pay in one year, city audit finds
LA Times's DAKOTA SMITH: "Eighteen employees of the Los Angeles Fire Department earned more than $200,000 in overtime pay last fiscal year, with one firefighter making $360,010 in overtime alone, according to an audit released Wednesday by City Controller Ron Galperin."
"More than 90% of sworn police and fire employees last fiscal year received overtime, earning an average of $27,737, while 40% of the city’s general employees, defined as other sworn and civilian workers, received such pay. That group earned an average of $7,528."
"Although auditors “concluded that departments properly approved and substantiated the majority of sworn and civilian overtime, there is clearly a need for better oversight and regulation,” Galperin wrote in a letter accompanying his office’s audit of overtime use in the city."
Kincade Fire in Sonoma County is 100% contained
The Chronicle's LAUREN HERNANDEZ: "The Kincade Fire, which burned in Sonoma County for two weeks, was 100 percent contained Wednesday, Cal Fire officials said."
"The 77,758-acre blaze located off of John Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road started on Oct. 23 and destroyed 374 structures, including 174 homes. Another 60 structures, including 35 homes, were damaged. Four firefighters were injured fighting the wildfire."
"Fire officials made the announcement Wednesday evening, a day before they had projected they would have full containment."
Republican Megan Dahle defeats Democrat Elizabeth Betancourt for AD1 seat
Sacramento Bee's ALEXANDRA YOON-HENDRICKS: "Republican Megan Dahle won the special election for the California Assembly District 1 seat Tuesday, beating Democrat Elizabeth Betancourt by about 13,000 votes, according to early results."
"Dahle, who will be joining her husband state Sen. Brian Dahle in the Legislature, won with roughly 58 percent of the vote, as of around midnight Wednesday, or about 48,500 votes. The Assembly seat covering much of California’s northeastern corner became vacant after Brian Dahle left it when he won the state Senate seat this summer."
"Though the North State district is widely seen as conservative-leaning, Betancourt had the strongest showing of any Democrat running for the seat since redistricting, gaining about 42 percent of the vote."
Breed coasts into first full term as SF mayor
The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA: "San Francisco Mayor London Breed won her first full, four-year term Tuesday in an election that closed an era of uncertainty that’s hung over City Hall since the death of Ed Lee in December 2017."
"Since then, Room 200 has changed occupants three times, after Breed succeeded Lee and then the Board of Supervisors booted her from office and installed Mark Farrell for five months before she won in a special election in June 2018 to fulfill the remainder of Lee’s term."
"The election results released Tuesday evening showed Breed leading with nearly 69% of the vote. Her closest contender, conservative firebrand Ellen Lee Zhou, was pulling nearly 15%."
Suzy Loftus extends lead over Chesa Boudin in narrow SF DA race
The Chronicle's EVAN SERNOFFSKY: "Interim District Attorney Suzy Loftus extended her lead over Chesa Boudin to 2,205 votes on Wednesday in the race to become San Francisco’s next top prosecutor."
"Boudin, an attorney in the public defender’s office, was leading Loftus in first-place votes, 32.5% to 31.6%. But when the city’s ranked-choice voting was tabulated, Loftus garnered more second- and third-place votes and pulled ahead, 51% to 49%."
"By Wednesday afternoon, 133,638 ballots had been processed. The city Department of Elections said it was still counting votes."
California justices skewer state law aimed at Trump's taxes: 'Where does it end?'
Sacramento Bee's BRYAN ANDERSON: "A majority of California Supreme Court justices appeared to side with Republicans who challenged a state law that would force President Donald Trump to release the last five years of his tax returns in order to get on the state’s 2020 primary ballot."
"During oral arguments on Wednesday, several justices aggressively questioned an attorney representing Secretary of State Alex Padilla — the leader of the state’s elections processes tasked with implementing Senate Bill 27."
"At the hearing, which lasted 55 minutes, the court largely echoed the concerns of former Gov. Jerry Brown, who vetoed a similar bill in 2017. In his veto message, Brown questioned whether the proposal was constitutional and worried that a law forcing the release of tax returns could set a “slippery slope precedent."
Many enrolled in California healthcare plan lack interpretation services, surveys show
Sacramento Bee's THEODORA YU: "Half of the non-English speaking people enrolled in a California healthcare plan reported they could never get a medical interpreter when they needed one, according to a survey conducted by San Francisco State University."
"The program, Cal MediConnect, is an all-in-one pilot managed care plan that serves people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. An initial three-year demonstration program that runs through Dec. 31, the plan covers medical, prescription drugs and other long-term services, linking enrollees to providers within the plan’s network."
"The program is available in seven California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo and Santa Clara. While it is not available in Sacramento County, a new statewide medical plan called CalAim that proposes to move all 1.2 million eligible Californians into the Medi-Cal managed care will build on what works well in Cal MediConnect."
California 'awash in guns,' feds say as they target illegal firearms and violent crime
Sacramento Bee's SAM STANTON: "Last June, a police officer in the Shasta County city of Anderson pulled over a pickup truck driven by Jim David Travis, a 72-year-old convicted felon who was on searchable probation."
"By the time Officer Michael Hallagan finished searching, police seized a loaded .22-caliber Ruger pistol from his truck, a loaded Colt AR-15 rifle from under his bed and a loaded Mauser handgun tucked between a mattress and box spring at his home, court records say."
"Normally, Travis’ case would have gone to court in Redding with prosecution by the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office."
Orinda Airbnb violence fits pattern -- at least 42 people shot at short-term rentals in last 6 months
The Chronicle's ANNA BAUMAN/ALEJANDRO SERRANO: "At least 42 people have been shot inside or just outside short-term rental properties across the United States over the past six months — and 17 have died, according to police and news reports."
"Five of those fatalities occurred during a Halloween party last week at an Orinda home that had been rented on Airbnb. The gathering of around 100 people was promoted on social media as a “mansion party."
"As in the Orinda case, many of the shootings happened during parties at Airbnb rentals and involved several victims. Airbnb refused on Wednesday to comment on shootings at the properties. The tally includes at least 23 shooting incidents in 12 states, including California, since May. Among them:"
SF supervisor leads anti-police-union 'F--- the POA' chant at DA election party
The Chronicle's EVAN SERNOFFSKY: "San Francisco Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer stepped to the microphone at an election night party for progressive district attorney candidate Chesa Boudin and unleashed a tirade against the city’s nearly 2,000-member police union: “F— the POA! F— the POA! F— the POA!"
"The profane chant Tuesday night about the city’s Police Officers Association spread on social media as witnesses documented the outburst in which Fewer raised her middle fingers while flanked by some of the city’s notable progressive leaders. Behind her were Supervisors Matt Haney and Hillary Ronen, as well as former Supervisors Jane Kim and David Campos."
"Police union President Tony Montoya fired back Wednesday, sending Fewer a letter demanding an apology and calling her words “worrisome and completely unacceptable and unbecoming of someone elected to represent all San Franciscans."
Truckers protest California gig-work law that could make them employees
The Chronicle's CAROLYN SAID: "With the blare of truck horns punctuating their chants, dozens of truck owner-operators gathered outside government office buildings in Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Fremont, Salinas and other cities this week to protest California’s new gig-work law, which could make them employees rather than independent contractors."
"The truck drivers waved signs such as “No on AB5,” referring to legislation set to take effect Jan. 1 that creates steeper hurdles for classifying someone as an independent contractor. AB5 says workers are employees unless they are free from a company’s control, do work not central to the company’s business, and have their own independent enterprise doing similar work."
"Drivers interviewed at the Oakland protest on Tuesday said they feel they should remain independent because they invested upward of $200,000 to buy big-rig trucks specifically so they could run their own businesses."
Drivers protest as Uber stock lockup period expires
The Chronicle's CAROLYN SAID: "Uber and Lyft drivers staged three protests around California on Wednesday, the day that Uber’s stock lockup period expired, meaning that early investors and employees were able to sell their holdings."
"The protests, six months to the day after Uber’s initial public offering, sought to highlight a message that wealthy investors are getting richer on the backs of low-paid drivers, as well as many protesters’ desire to be employees rather than independent contractors, especially now that California has passed AB5, the gig-work bill that makes it harder for companies to claim that workers are not employees."
"The actions took place outside the San Francisco office of GV, the venture capital arm of Google parent Alphabet that was an early Uber investor; the Atherton mansion of Bill Gurley, an Uber board member and venture capitalist; and the Beverly Hills home of Uber co-founder Garrett Camp."
Bay Area 2019 commercial Dungeness crab season delayed to Nov. 22
The Chronicle's JUSTIN PHILLIPS: "California’s commercial Dungeness crab season will officially start on the coast south of the Mendocino-Sonoma County line on Nov. 22, seven days later than when the season was originally scheduled to begin."
"The weeklong delay, one day shorter than an earlier proposal, is the result of a settlement with an environmental group over whale entanglements in commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear."
"California Department of Fish and Wildlife director Charlton Bonham said the decision to shorten the delay by one day was a response to concerns the regional fishing community voiced over the past week. Notably, the start date should make it possible for Dungeness crab to arrive in time for Thanksgiving, which Bonham has called “an important cultural and economic opportunity for the state of California."
Can the long-lost abalone make a comeback in California?
LA Times's ROSANNA XIA: "Hunched over a tank inside the Bodega Marine Laboratory, alongside bubbling vats of seaweed and greenhouses filled with algae, Kristin Aquilino coaxed a baby white abalone onto her hand."
"She held out the endangered sea snail — no larger than a bottle cap — like a delicate jewel. After years of fretting over their health, cleaning tanks and filtering the saltwater just right, one tiny oops could undo it all."
"They’re like human hemophiliacs,” Aquilino said, using a plastic ruler to measure the stubborn gastropod as it twisted and squirmed. “Even a small cut, they can bleed to death."
Saudia Arabia got Twitter workers to spy on users, US says
AP: "The Saudi government recruited two Twitter employees to get its critics’ personal account information, U.S. prosecutors said Wednesday."
"The complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco detailed a coordinated effort by Saudi officials to recruit employees at the social media firm to look up the private data of thousands of Twitter accounts."
"The accounts included those of a journalist with more than 1 million followers and other prominent government critics."
