California looking at $2 billion deficit after lawmakers, Newsom slashed spending
Sacramento Bee's NICOLE NIXON: "California lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom may have to fill a $2 billion deficit during the next fiscal year, according to a report released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office that also contained warning signs for California’s economy.
Chief Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek described the budget as “roughly balanced” and “in fair shape.”"
Newsom promotes his economic plans in conservative parts of California
LAT's JULIA WICK: "Gov. Gavin Newsom headed to the Central Valley on Thursday to tout his forthcoming jobs plan, saying California’s economic might was “cold comfort” to regions that feel like they don’t fully participate in the state’s muscular output.
The substance of the governor’s announcement was incremental. But the set piece — a liberal politician standing in front of heavy machinery, talking blue-collar jobs in a county that backed President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 5 — appeared to be a response to the election, in which Democrats took a drubbing after critics said they were out of touch on economic issues."
After Gaetz withdraws as attorney general choice, Trump names another Florida loyalist
LAT's KEVIN RECTOR, NOAH BIERMAN: "The swift sinking of former Rep. Matt Gaetz as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general showed Thursday that Republicans are still capable of finding fault with Trump’s choices, and even pushing back.
Whether they will flex that muscle often — or again at all — is anyone’s guess."
Which Trump policies are most popular? New poll finds two have bipartisan support
Sacramento Bee's BRENDAN RASCIUS: "President-elect Donald Trump has put forward numerous policy proposals that could dramatically reshape the American economy, immigration system and foreign affairs.
But, just how popular are they?"
Trump’s promises to conservatives raise fears of more book bans in U.S.
LAT's JEFFREY FLEISHMAN: "The national furor in recent years around banning books on race and gender in public schools is intensifying as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to shut down the Department of Education, emboldening conservatives to end “wokeness” in classrooms.
Battles over books in school libraries have become emblematic of the country’s larger culture wars over race, historical revisionism and gender identity. A new report by PEN America found book bans increased by nearly 200% during the 2023-24 school year, including titles on sexuality, substance abuse, depression and other issues students face in an age of accelerating technologies, climate change, toxic politics and fears about the future."
Atmospheric river brings heaviest rain yet to S.F. Bay Area. What to expect in each region
The Chronicle's GREG PORTER: "While upward of a foot of rain has fallen in the past few days across parts of Sonoma County, less than 100 miles to the south, San Jose has yet to record any meaningful precipitation from this atmospheric river event. That changes Friday.
A powerful cold front will slowly make its way through the Bay Area on Friday, dropping 2 to 6 inches of rain across the North Bay and 1 to 3 inches of rain to San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose over a timeframe from late Friday morning through early Friday evening. For many locations south of San Francisco, Friday’s heavy rain will be the first notable precipitation of this atmospheric river event."
READ MORE -- California storm: PG&E outages hit thousands; SFO sees major delays -- The Chronicle's AIDIN VAZIRI, GREG PORTER
Flood insurance in California: who should get it, and when
The Chronicle's MEGAN FAN MUNCE: "California is once again being drenched by an atmospheric river-driven storm— but by the time a storm is in the forecast, it’s most often too late for homeowners to buy flood insurance.
But it’s not too late to protect against future storms. Just 185,000 Californians have flood insurance through the nation’s largest flood insurer — leaving millions of people exposed in the event of a mega storm sequence that produces a modern equivalent of the Great Flood of 1862, or even for more minor flood damage caused by winter storms."
California Dungeness crab season could open in time for Christmas
The Chronicle's TARA DUGGAN: "Californians dreaming of Dungeness crab for Christmas just might be in luck this year.
On Thursday, California wildlife officials announced that the commercial Dungeness crab season will continue to be delayed statewide. But they said there is a chance it could open around Dec. 15 if whales currently swimming in fishing zones migrate out of the area. That would allow enough time for fishers to harvest Dungeness crab in time for the holiday."
Can Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stop California from putting fluoride in drinking water?
Sacramento Bee's CHRIS BIDERMAN: "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention once called fluoridation of drinking water one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century thanks to its ability to help fight tooth decay.
Come January, the new presidential administration is poised to argue otherwise."
A Catholic hospital sent this risky miscarriage patient home. Did it break California law?
Sacramento Bee's NICOLE NIXON: "Rachel Harrison and Marcell Johnson were elated to have a baby. It would be the first for the couple, who have been together nearly ten years and were looking forward to starting a family.
In September, when she was a little more than 17 weeks pregnant, Harrison was at home when she felt a gush of fluid. As the couple, both 29, readied to go to the hospital, Harrison also discovered blood and clotting."
Highly contagious whooping cough rises in California to highest level in years
LAT's RONG-GONG LIN II: "Whooping cough — a highly contagious and potentially dangerous illness — has surged in California this year, staging a comeback to levels not seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Across California, there were fewer than 300 reported cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, all of last year. This year, there were 1,744 reported cases statewide as of the end of September, according to the California Department of Public Health."
Why fatal drug overdoses are finally declining in S.F. — and elsewhere
The Chronicle's CATHERINE HO: "San Francisco this week reported the lowest number of monthly drug overdose deaths in four years, continuing a sustained trend with 2024’s running total of fatalities down nearly a quarter compared to the same period last year.
The trend — which local health officials called “remarkable” — echoes similarly promising national data, released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month, that show fatal overdoses are down almost 15% compared to 2023. Overdose deaths in California are down about 10%, according to the CDC data. The figures are provisional and compare the 12 months ending June 2024 to the 12 months ending June 2023."
California schools recovering from pandemic, dashboard shows
EdSource's DIANA LAMBERT, ZAIDEE STAVELY, DANIEL J. WILLIS: "California’s K-12 schools made progress in several areas last school year, including increasing graduation rates slightly, and reducing suspensions and the number of students who were chronically absent from school, according to the School Dashboard released Thursday.
The state also had an overall increase in scores on state standardized tests in both English language arts and math, prepared more students for college and careers, and had more students earn a seal of biliteracy."
Trump nominee for education secretary would come backed with detailed policy agenda
EdSource's LOUIS FREEDBERG: "President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of a close ally and the co-chair of his transition team indicates that education could be a major priority of his administration, even though it did not feature prominently in the 2024 presidential campaign.
Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is a leading financial backer Trump has been close to for decades. She is also chair of the board of the little known America First Policy Institute, sometimes referred to as a “shadow transition operation” or “White House in waiting.”"
Graduation rates up at most Cal State campuses, but some worsen
EdSource's AMY DIPIERRO: "While 14 Cal State universities notched six-year graduation rate increases over the previous year, nine schools in the system saw their rates decline.
San Jose (+ 4.6 percentage points), East Bay (+ 2.4 percentage points) and Fresno (+ 2.1 percentage points) were among the campuses with the greatest increases in six-year graduation rate. Those figures represent the difference in completion among first-time, full-time freshman students who started in 2018 and those who began in 2017."
Almost half of Muslim students at California universities cite harassment, survey says
EdSource's STAFF: "Almost half of Muslim students at California colleges and universities report being targets of anti-Islamic harassment in the last year, a sharp uptick from four years ago, the Council on American Islamic Relations said in a new report, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The study, which surveyed hundreds of Muslim students at 87 California public and private campuses, found that 49% of students, 352 out of 720 respondents, said they had experienced anti-Muslim discrimination by students, staff or administrators."
California bomb cyclone brings record rain, major mudslide risk
LAT's SUMMER LIN: "An atmospheric river dumping rain across Northern California and several feet of snow in the Sierra was making its way across the state Friday, bringing flooding and threatening mudslides along with it.
The storm, the first big one of the season, moved over California as a bomb cyclone, a description of how it rapidly intensified before making its way onshore."
Trump wanted to ban TikTok. Will his return to office help save it?
LAT's WENDY LEE, ANDREA CHANG: "The fate of TikTok in the U.S. has been up in the air since 2020, when President Donald Trump moved to ban the popular video app because of national security concerns.
That set off four years of back-and-forth between the app’s Chinese owners and the U.S. government, with a possible ban scheduled to go into effect one day before Trump’s inauguration in January."
San Francisco crypto mogul buys $6.2 million banana taped to a wall, plans to eat it
The Chronicle's AIDIN VAZIRI: "A San Francisco cryptocurrency mogul has paid $6.2 million at auction for a banana taped to a wall, part of an artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The piece, titled “Comedian,” made headlines in 2019 when it debuted at Art Basel Miami and sold for $120,000.
Now, Justin Sun, founder of the Tron blockchain and its associated cryptocurrency, plans to eat the multimillion-dollar fruit."
Mayor Bass said she’d save L.A.’s shelter animals. More dogs and cats are dying
LAT's DAKOTA SMITH, LORENA INIGUEZ ELEBEE: "Jake, a tawny 2-year-old mutt in L.A.’s West Valley shelter, wasn’t doing well.
After six months at the shelter, he was running back and forth and jumping in his kennel."
San Mateo sheriff crisis: Supes present new evidence of homophobic texts, attempts to hide gun safe
The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN: "San Mateo supervisors on Thursday released new evidence to buttress their case against Christina Corpus, the embattled sheriff who they have repeatedly pushed to resign — so far without success.
Addressing media at the county Board of Supervisors chambers, Supervisor Ray Mueller presented screenshots of text messages from Corpus’ phone, which used homophobic slurs to malign a local city council member."
