Suspected Colorado shooter is the grandson of this California Republican Assemblyman
Sac Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "The 22-year-old man suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub Saturday night that left five dead and 25 injured is reportedly the grandson of California Assemblyman Randy Voepel, R-Santee.
The suspected shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, is the son of Laura Voepel, who is the daughter of the assemblyman, according to a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Voepel’s office has not returned The Bee’s request for comment."
‘Kick him in his head!’ Heroes rose to stop gunman at LGBTQ nightclub
LAT, KEVIN RECTOR/ALEXANDRA E PETRI/GREGORY YEE/NOAH GOLDBERG: "Richard Fierro was at Club Q with his wife, his daughter, his daughter’s boyfriend and a couple of other friends Saturday, having the best night they’d had in a long time, he said.
Then the gunfire erupted, and Fierro, a U.S. Army veteran, went into “combat mode.” A gunman had entered the LGBTQ nightclub and opened fire.
“The guy came in shooting, man,” said Fierro, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He said he saw a flash and fell backward, then got up and was able to grab the shooter from behind."
Army veteran who pistol-whipped Club Q shooter with his own gun says he “tried to finish him”
BANG*Mercury News, SHELLY BRADBURY: "The U.S. Army veteran who stopped the active shooter at Club Q in Colorado Springs on Saturday night said he wasn’t thinking when he rushed the man, grabbed his gun and beat the shooter with it — just reacting.
“I just start whaling on this dude,” Richard Fierro told media gathered outside his home Monday evening.
Fierro was one of two people who stopped the gunman within minutes after the man entered Club Q. The first 911 calls came in at 11:57 p.m., and the shooter was subdued by the time police officers arrived. He was arrested at 12:02 a.m., police said."
Sala Burton, on deathbed, sought Nancy Pelosi to succeed her
Capitol Weekly, ROB GUNNISON: "As Sala Burton lay dying in a hospital bed in 1987, she picked her successor to represent San Francisco in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I saw her gritting her teeth, you know, in pain,” her brother-in law, John Burton, recalled in an Open California oral history. “And she says… I want you, talking to us, to support Nancy for my seat.”
“I’m hearing everything that anybody who has watched Nancy Pelosi in Congress, her rise to Speaker,” said Burton. “Sala saw all this. I mean, saw it. I mean she’s talking about, ’She’s operational, she’s smart, she’s right on the issues, she’s this and that.’”"
L.A. city voters sent conflicting messages, giving wins to both the left and the center
LAT, DAVID ZAHNISER: "Los Angeles City Councilmember-elect Hugo Soto-Martinez is heading to City Hall with what he says is a clear mandate to enact bold, progressive policies on housing, homelessness, transportation and other issues.
Soto-Martinez, who won his race by more than 10,000 votes, said the Nov. 8 election showed that residents in his Hollywood district want fewer police officers and more mental health teams — and an end to laws that force homeless people to relocate from designated areas.
“Progressives won the day,” he said."
Rep. David Valadao wins reelection in endangered Central Valley congressional seat
LAT, MELANIE MASON: "Central Valley Republican Rep. David Valadao, whose vote to impeach President Trump nearly sank his campaign in the primary, will return to Congress next year after defeating Democratic state Assemblyman Rudy Salas.
The Associated Press called the race Monday, though official results will take longer. After control of the House tipped to Republicans last week, Valadao’s win and California’s two remaining congressional races are determining the size of the GOP’s majority.
“I am once again humbled by the Central Valley’s support and faith in me,” Valadao said in a statement Monday night. “I commend Rudy Salas for running a strong campaign and his service to our community in the state Assembly.”"
Sheng Thao, daughter of refugees, overcomes poverty and homelessness to become Oakland’s first Hmong mayor
The Chronicle, SARAH RAVANI: "Sheng Thao’s path to Oakland’s seat of power was anything but traditional.
Thao, a progressive who won after nearly two weeks of ballot-counting in which she came from behind to beat fellow Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor, becomes the city’s first Hmong mayor.
The daughter of refugees who fled Laos during a genocide, Thao is the seventh of 10 children. She was born and raised in Stockton, where her family lived in public housing. She left home at 17, found herself in an abusive relationship in her early 20s and lived in a car with her son for a period."
Nearly 2,000 Californians will get up to $1,200 a month through new basic income program
Sac Bee, MAYA MILLER: "Nearly 2,000 Californians could receive monthly cash payments of $600 to $1,200 as part of the nation’s first state-funded guaranteed basic income program, the state’s social services department announced Monday.
The department intends to award more than $25.5 million in grant funding to seven pilot programs across the state, including ones to be managed by Inland Southern California United Way, the San Francisco Human Services Agency and the McKinleyville Community Collaborative in Humboldt County.
Approximately 1,975 Californians who are pregnant or aging out of foster care will receive the no-strings-attached payments for a period of 12-18 months. The department prioritized programs that would help residents during these pivotal life transitions."
Tax burden may rise for some seniors as Social Security benefits increase next year
Sac Bee, DAVID LIGHTMAN: "It seems like such good news —Social Security benefits are going up 8.7% next year, thanks to inflation. But for a lot of people, their tax bill could go up, too.
That’s because tax rates on Social Security benefits are not changing with inflation.
Taxing Social Security benefits began in 1984 as part of a sweeping reform of the system. It was intended to tax the wealthiest recipients."
Biden gives PG&E $1 billion to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open
LAT, SAMMY ROTH: "The case for nuclear power as a climate solution got a big boost Monday, when the Biden administration announced it’s giving Pacific Gas & Electric Co. a $1.1-billion grant to help the company keep operating California’s last nuclear plant.
The Diablo Canyon plant is currently scheduled to shut down in two phases, with the first reactor going offline in 2024 and the second in 2025. But Gov. Gavin Newsom has led a spirited push to keep the reactors humming five more years, saying they’re badly needed to help the Golden State grapple with power shortages and worsening heat waves.
The federal money doesn’t guarantee Diablo Canyon will stay open longer. But it increases the likelihood of California continuing to rely on the plant, along the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo County — despite decades of anti-nuclear activism and public concerns about what would happen if an earthquake erupts along one of the seismic fault lines near the facility."
Bay Area Dungeness crab fishing season delayed again
The Chronicle, TARA DUGGAN: "The local commercial Dungeness crab fishing season will be delayed for at least a few more weeks to protect endangered whales that were observed in fishing zones.
It’s the second time this year that the season opening has been held up to keep wildlife out of harm. The season was supposed to open on Nov. 15 but was first delayed on Oct. 28. Recent observations of 39 humpback whales off the coast of San Francisco and 22 humpbacks off the Monterey Coast triggered the current delay, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday.
The department will decide by Dec. 7 whether fishing can begin shortly thereafter, or if the Bay Area fleet and residents who count on having crab over the holidays will experience another delay."
This Grand Canyon destination will ditch its ‘offensive name’ after decades, rangers say
Sac Bee, DANIELLA SEGURA: "Decades ago, the National Park Service forced the Havasupai tribe from an area once known as Ha’a Gyoh, officials said.
In 1928, the last tribal resident, “Captain Burro, was forcibly removed,” according to a Nov. 21 news release from the park service. The land was also named Indian Garden.
Now, after a 19-0 vote by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names and a formal request for the name change earlier this year from the Havasupai tribe, the popular destination will be renamed Havasupai Gardens, NPS said."
‘We’re paying not to go to class’: Amid UC instructor strike, some students are feeling left behind
The Chronicle, NANETTE ASIMOV: "Worry reigns across University of California campuses — but not just among the researchers, graduate student instructors and postdocs whose week-old strike is hitting UC like a gut punch just before final exams.
It’s the students who are nervous.
“I’m just plain worried,” said Tamera Martin, 19, a UC Berkeley sophomore majoring in Ancient Roman and Greek studies whose words echo the feelings of students up and down the state. “I don’t want it to look bad on our record as students because of the lack of work being done.”"
Behind the stunning exit of Disney CEO Bob Chapek
LAT, MEG JAMES: "Five months ago, Bob Chapek seemed firmly in control.
Walt Disney Co.'s board of directors in June extended Chapek’s contract as chief executive of the legendary company for an additional three years, noting his leadership was key to “keeping Disney on the successful path it is on today.”
But on Sunday, Disney’s directors abruptly ditched Chapek, reinstalling his widely admired predecessor, Bob Iger, which elicited cheers from Wall Street and Disney’s faithful."
More than 6,000 tech and biotech job cuts roil Bay Area economy
BANG*Mercury News, GREG AVALOS: "As recessionary pressures continue to mount around the region and across the country, tech and biotech companies have now revealed plans for enough job cuts to erase more than 6,000 jobs in the Bay Area, cutbacks that could weigh on the region’s economy in the weeks and months to come.
Job cuts affecting thousands of workers in the Bay Area have been submitted to California labor officials starting in early October, according to this news organization’s analysis of WARN letters and posts on the state Employment Development site.
“Tech layoffs are happening. People are being affected, lives are being disrupted,” said Russell Hancock, president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a San Jose-based think tank. Hancock noted that cuts affecting foreign workers who are in the Bay Area on H-1B visas can be particularly devastating: “In some cases, it may mean that they will be deported.”"
Twitter fires even more sales staff as cuts approach 66%
The Chronicle, ROLAND LI: "Twitter owner Elon Musk fired even more sales staff on Sunday, cutting more jobs on top of a mass resignation last week that has left the company severely depleted, Bloomberg reported.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many salespeople were laid off. The San Francisco social network had roughly 7,500 employees when Musk bought it last month, but after multiple rounds of cuts, that number is down to 2,750 people, according to Bloomberg, citing an internal count that is likely to change. Thousands of contractors were also laid off.
The Verge reported Monday afternoon that Musk held a meeting and said no more layoffs were planned and the company was hiring in engineering and sales."
Q&A: Here’s what jury must consider in USC’s Matt Gee llandmark CTE lawsuit against the NCAA
LAT, STEVE HENSON: "Following a month of wildly disparate testimony, the landmark wrongful death suit brought by the widow of former USC linebacker Matthew Gee against the NCAA was sent to the jury Monday following closing arguments in Los Angeles Superior Court.
This is the first case in which a jury will decide whether hits to the head in college football led to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and death. A 2018 case made it to trial but led to a settlement after several days of testimony by witnesses for the widow of Greg Ploetz, who played for Texas in the 1960s.
Alana Gee is seeking $54.8 million in damages for wrongful death and loss of her husband’s companionship based on her husband’s life expectancy."
Driver in crash that hurt recruits fell asleep at wheel, lawyer says, disputing sheriff’s claims
LAT, BRITTNY MEJIA/RICHARD WINTON: "Challenging the claims of L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva that a crash last week that injured a group of recruits on a training run in South Whittier was intentional, the attorney for the 22-year-old driver called it “a tragic accident” that occurred when the man fell asleep at the wheel while on his way to work.
The driver, Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez of Diamond Bar, was traveling in a Honda CR-V on Wednesday morning to his job as an electrical engineer for a solar panel company, his attorney, Alexandra Kazarian, said Monday.
“He’s a good kid that fell asleep on his way to work early in the morning,” Kazarian said."
This Bay Area police department is giving away free kits to protect catalytic converters
The Chronicle, ANNIE VAINSHTEIN: "Five hundred lucky San Mateo residents can now worry a little bit less about the fate of their catalytic converters.
That’s because they’ll be receiving protective kits from the San Mateo Police Department, which offered its residents free catalytic converter marking kits — special stickers that can help identifiy converters if they’re stolen.
The program opened up to San Mateo residents on Nov. 17, with hopes of expanding to more residents later on. The first 500 residents — the program was first come, first serve, with only one kit per household — will be notified via email during the week of Nov. 28."
We spent a day riding S.F.’s Muni Central Subway. This is what could make or break its success
The Chronicle, RICARDO CANO: "Throughout its dozen years of construction, San Francisco’s new Muni Central Subway had been dogged by questions and concerns over its design, alignment and connectivity to the Bay Area’s greater rail transit network.
Now that’s it’s open — thousands of people rode the subway trains on Saturday’s opening day — the greatest questions are about its functionality: How fast is it? How long does it take to make the Market Street transfer to BART and Muni stations? Just how deep are the subway’s station platforms?
Central Subway trains will shuttle riders to the extension’s four new stations Saturdays and Sundays until the Jan. 7 start of full service. Here’s what it was like during the first day of operation."
Thanksgiving travel: Gas prices, airports, Bay Area traffic and last-minute tips
BANG*Mercury News, ELIYAHU KAMISHER: "This Thanksgiving travel season is shaping up to be one for the record books, with tens of millions of Americans packing highways, flooding airports, and eventually, filling their plates with turkey.
Even for Californians – who are dealing with eight months of gas prices topping $5 – the pocket-book-draining effects of inflation are having little impact on decisions to visit family and friends, which for many are propelled by readily available COVID boosters.
“Gas was cheaper in Hawaii than it is here,” said Susan Hodge, a retired schoolteacher who recently returned from a vacation. Hodge filled up her tank on Monday — at a cash price of $4.99 a gallon — and is planning to feed 20 people visiting her Berkeley home. “We’re all just chopping and cooking,” she said."
L.A. voters approved more money to fight homelessness. Now they want to see results
LAT, DOUG SMITH: "A generous but demanding electorate put Karen Bass in the mayor’s office with the tools they believe she needs to reduce homelessness. Now they want results.
In a survey released Tuesday, nearly 89% of L.A. city voters said they expect the new mayor to reduce homelessness by at least half during her four-year term.
By approving Measure ULA, a tax on real estate transactions of more than $5 million, voters handed Bass an estimated $600 million or more annually to do that."
‘How do you make an icon more iconic?’: What’s next for S.F.’s Transamerica Pyramid after 50 years
The Chronicle, JOHN KING/CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ/JOHN BLANCHARD: "Even before it openedin November of 1972, the Transamerica Pyramid offered a perspective on San Francisco unlike any other — not just for the outward view, but also to gauge how the city is seen by itself and others.
As the 853-foot-tall tower at the corner of Montgomery Street and Columbus Avenue turns 50, that perspective is as revealing as ever.
Though no longer the tallest building on the skyline, the tapered concrete shaft rivals the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars as built icons of San Francisco. The futuristic architecture that angered critics when the proposal was unveiled in 1969 now stands as a reassuring marker for Bay Area residents trying to make sense of the changes around them."
Buoyed by southern success, Ukraine revives long-shot dream of retaking Crimea
LAT, LAURA KING: "Beneath a chill, low-lying fog, the Black Sea has gone winter-gray. The craggy coast of Crimea, illegally seized from Ukraine by Russia nearly nine years ago, lies far from this southern stretch of seashore — yet, to many here, the strategic peninsula suddenly seems tantalizingly close.
Ukraine’s recapture this month of Kherson, a provincial capital to the north of Crimea, has revived longtime hopes of somehow regaining control of the Massachusetts-sized peninsula, which the government in Kyiv — and most of the world — still considers part of Ukraine.
Long-range weaponry that Ukraine does not possess would be crucial to such an effort, and Moscow has tried to make clear that attacks on its forces in Crimea, including the key warm-water port of Sevastopol, amount to crossing an explosive tripwire. Even so, the fate of the peninsula, home to 2.4 million people, is increasingly part of the wartime discourse."
