California’s Nunes, impeachment inquisitor, dodges question over alleged meeting with Ukrainian ex-prosecutor
From the LAT's LAURA KING: "For the past two weeks of historic public impeachment hearings against President Trump, Rep. Devin Nunes has played the role of high-profile inquisitor."
"Now, Nunes (R-Tulare) finds himself cast differently, entangled in the same chain of events the committee has been probing -- whether Trump and his allies sought to turn rumors and intrigue in Ukraine into a source of political attacks against Democrats in the U.S., especially former Vice President Joe Biden."
"Late Friday, CNN reported that Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Trump personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, was prepared to tell Congress that Nunes had met late last year in Vienna with Viktor Shokin, formerly the top Ukrainian prosecutor, to obtain information about the Bidens. The network cited one of Parnas’ lawyers as the source of the allegation."
Devin Nunes' impeachment defense marks a breakthrough -- for his opponents
Sacramento Bee's KATE IRBY: "Rep. Devin Nunes’ week at the forefront of President Donald Trump’s impeachment hearings highlighted the catch-22 facing the congressman as he prepares for a 2020 re-election campaign:"
"The more visible he is, the more power his opponents have to run against him."
"Critics of Nunes ridiculed him on Twitter throughout the hearings. At one point, “DevinNunesIsAnIdiot” was a top discussion topic on the social media platform."
READ MORE related to POTUS45/Impeachment Inquiry: Rudy Giuliani's motivations come into sharper focus in newly released documents -- LA Times's TRACY WILKINSON
More adolescents seek medical care for mental health issues
California Healthline's PHILLIP REESE: "Less than a decade ago, the emergency department at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego would see maybe one or two young psychiatric patients per day, said Dr. Benjamin Maxwell, the hospital’s interim director of child and adolescent psychiatry."
"Now, it’s not unusual for the emergency room to see 10 psychiatric patients in a day, and sometimes even 20, said Maxwell. “What a lot of times is happening now is kids aren’t getting the care they need, until it gets to the point where it is dangerous,” he said."
"ERs throughout California are reporting a sharp increase in adolescents and young adults seeking care for a mental health crisis. In 2018, California ERs treated 84,584 young patients ages 13 to 21 who had a primary diagnosis involving mental health. That is up from 59,705 in 2012, a 42% increase, according to data provided by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development."
Newsom wants to close a state prison. It won't be easy.
Sacramento Bee's WES VENTEICHER: "Gov. Gavin Newsom is talking about an idea that has hung around California for more than 150 years: closing a state prison"
"Newsom brought up the idea at a meeting earlier this month with The Fresno Bee editorial board as part of a broader conversation on criminal justice reform."
"I would like to see, in my lifetime and hopefully my tenure, that we shut down a state prison,” he said. “But you can’t do that flippantly. And you can’t do that without the support of the unions, support of these communities, the staff, and that requires an alternative that can meet everyone’s needs and desires."
READ MORE related to Prisons & Public Safety: Dozens of California deputies lied about booking evidence they collected, 2nd audit shows -- Sacramento Bee's DARRELL SMITH
Commercial Dungeness crab season officially delayed until Dec. 15
The Chronicle's JUSTIN PHILLIPS: "The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has officially delayed the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season south of the Mendocino-Sonoma county line to Dec. 15, which means there will be no Dungeness crab for sale before Thanksgiving. The season had been set to begin last week, but the state moved it at the request of local crab fleets concerned about potential whale entanglements in their fishing gear."
"The delay is the second this month and was first announced as a possibility on Tuesday by agency Director Charlton Bonham. The new date follows aerial surveys on Oct. 22-25 and Nov. 18 that showed a high concentration of whales around Point Reyes and Half Moon Bay."
"The Dungeness crab sport fishing season began as scheduled on Nov. 2."
Man who spit on immigrant must write essay about immigration hardships, judge says
Sacramento Bee's DON SWEENEY: "In August, a homeless Oregon man spat on a Ukrainian man and told him to “go back to your country” in a confrontation over trash, KATU reports."
"Now a judge has given Harold Eugene Denson III until March to complete a 500-word essay about the experiences and hardships of Eastern European immigrants coming to the United States, The Oregonian reports."
"What I am asking you to do is put yourself into their shoes,” said Multnomah County Circuit Judge Christopher Ramras, according to the publication."
Trump's impeachment is former prosecutor Eric Swalwell's biggest case yet
The Chronicle's TAL KOPAN: "Rep. Eric Swalwell spent nearly a decade prosecuting crimes including murders, human trafficking and domestic violence. But now, he’s in the middle of what may be the most momentous case of his career."
"The Dublin Democrat is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, which has spent weeks probing whether President Trump withheld military aid to pressure Ukraine to announce investigations into Democrats that would help the president politically."
"It has meant scores of hours listening to witnesses, going over notes and documents, and preparing questions to try to connect the dots in what would be only the third impeachment of a president in U.S. history."
California is spending $473K on a 'wild goose chase' study. Is a state scientist to blame?
Sacramento Bee's MONICA VAUGHAN: "Faced with an order to reduce dust from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, the State Department of Parks and Recreation is spending $437,506 to study whether ocean algae is to blame for air pollution downwind of the park."
"Several scientific studies identified dust from the Dunes as the main source of poor air quality downwind from the park, yet the state agency agreed to pay researchers with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego “to investigate the link between marine phytoplankton blooms and airborne particulate detected within and downwind of the Oceano Dunes,” according to an agreement uncovered by The Tribune in an on-going investigation."
"This is not a good way to spend money,” County Air Pollution Control District Officer Gary Willey told The Tribune on Wednesday."
Worried about homeless, Californians say they'd support a law mandating more shelters
Sacramento Bee's ANDREW SHEELER: " Most Californians are concerned about homelessness in their community, and a majority supports the concept of a law that would require cities to build more shelters, according to a new statewide survey."
"A poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 85 percent of respondents are concerned about the state’s estimated 130,000 homeless people, with 58 percent reporting being “very concerned."
"That concern transcended political affiliation and region."
SFO is booming, but workers there are struggling
The Chronicle's MALLORY MOENCH: "Hundreds of airline catering workers at San Francisco International Airport plan to demonstrate Tuesday as they push for better pay and benefits — spotlighting the ever-present debate about what makes for a living wage in the Bay Area."
"The protest, planned for late afternoon outside the departures level of Terminal 2, comes during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. It’s a prelude to a possible strike by workers at two catering companies, Gate Gourmet and LSG Sky Chefs."
"About 1,500 workers voted in June to strike, but because their jobs are in transportation, they need permission from the National Mediation Board, a federal agency, to strike. If they do, flights could theoretically leave without food and drinks, although representatives for United Airlines, SFO’s largest carrier, and American Airlines said they have backup plans in place."
What you need to know about the latest E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce
Sacramento Bee's DAVID J NEAL: "An E. coli outbreak that has hit 16 states and sickened 40 people has been linked to romaine lettuce."
"Here’s what you need to know:"
"Is all romaine lettuce suspect? No. The only romaine lettuce the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA are recommending consumers avoid is from the Salinas, California, region."
Pence visits troops in Iraq, blames Congress for 'partisan politics'
Sacramento Bee's FRANCESCA CHAMBERS: "Vice President Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Iraq told U.S. troops on Saturday that he wanted them to have a pay raise but Congress was engaged in “partisan politics” instead of doing its job."
"He expressed gratitude to the troops at Al Asad Air Base for their service during the visit ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, saying at this “special time of year” they are in the hearts of all Americans."
"Pence said the administration would fight to make sure troops had the resources needed for their mission. “But we need Congress to do their job,” he said. “The truth is Congress should have finished their work on defense appropriations months ago. But you all know partisan politics and endless investigations have slowed things down in Washington, D.C."
Pentagon chief fires Navy secretary over SEAL controversy
AP's ROBERT BURNS: "Defense Secretary Mark Esper has fired the Navy’s top official, ending a stunning clash between President Donald Trump and top military leadership over the fate of a SEAL accused of war crimes in Iraq."
"Esper said Sunday that he had lost confidence in Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and alleged that Spencer proposed a deal with the White House behind his back to resolve the SEAL’s case. Trump has championed the matter of Navy Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder in the stabbing death of an Islamic State militant captive but convicted of posing with the corpse while in Iraq in 2017."
"Spencer’s firing was a dramatic turn in the fast-changing and politically charged controversy. It exposed fissures in Trump’s relationship with the highest ranks of the U.S. military and raised questions about the appropriate role of a commander in chief in matters of military justice."
