State’s first EV-charging roadway planned for UCLA ahead of Olympics
LAT's COLLEEN SHALBY: "The state’s first electric-vehicle-charging roadway is expected to debut by the 2028 Olympics after a multimillion-dollar grant to UCLA — the site of Los Angeles’s Olympic Village.
Nearly $20 million will go to electrify the university’s BruinBus fleet and install underground charging for shuttles and buses along a route that stretches for less than a mile in Westwood. The grant will also fund a new transit hub between the UCLA bus depot and a planned UCLA/Westwood Metro station that would connect to the future D Line light rail extension."
As Trump’s lead in popular vote shrinks, does he really have a ‘mandate’?
LAT's JENNY JARVIS: "In his victory speech on Nov. 6, President-elect Donald Trump claimed Americans had given him an “unprecedented and powerful mandate.”
It’s a message his transition team has echoed in the last three weeks, referring to his “MAGA Mandate” and a “historic mandate for his agenda.”"
Why Donald Trump still could not conquer Orange County
LAT's HANNAH FRY, SEEMA MEHTA: "Donald Trump posted notable gains in Orange County during the November election, but it was not enough to win the increasingly purple county that has become a suburban battleground between Republicans and Democrats — and a reflection of the demographic political realignment unfolding across the nation.
Kamala Harris won Orange County, but by a much tighter margin than either Hillary Clinton in 2016 or Joe Biden in 2020. When it comes to presidential politics, Orange County has backed Democrats since 2016, with increasingly blue areas such as Santa Ana, Anaheim and Irvine besting more red areas such as Huntington Beach and south Orange County."
Voters swept out progressives in this Bay Area city. Can new leaders solve its problems?
The Chronicle's CONNOR LETOURNEAU: "Standing at the corner of 18th Street and Cavallo Road, Antioch Mayor-elect Ron Bernal shook his head as the manager of a tire shop showed Bernal his white work van. There, dotting the side of the vehicle, were bullet holes from one of several recent shootings in the area.
“I’m very motivated,” Bernal said. “Public safety is my No. 1 thing.”"
Democrat Derek Tran ousts Republican Michelle Steel in competitive Orange County House race
LAT's LAURA J. NELSON: "In a major victory for Democrats, first-time candidate Derek Tran defeated Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in a hotly contested Orange County congressional race that became one of the most expensive in the country.
Tran will be the first Vietnamese American to represent a district that is home to Little Saigon and the largest population of people of Vietnamese descent outside of Vietnam."
Biden could designate national monuments near Yosemite and Mount Shasta before Trump arrives
The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER: "Before leaving office, President Joe Biden could act on two bids for new national monuments in Northern California: one in the rugged Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite and another in the volcanic highlands northeast of Mount Shasta.
Doubts are emerging, though, that Biden will offer the protective and prestigious status to either of the properties. Not only is time running out for the administration, but opposition to the initiatives has recently surfaced, shattering any notion that a proposed Range of Light Monument in the Sierra or Sáttítla National Monument near Shasta would be universally popular."
California's Tax Climate Worst in the Nation?
DAVID LIGHTMAN, SacBee: "California’s tax climate remains one of the country’s worst, an analysis by the Tax Foundation reports.
The center-right group rates tax competitiveness using several factors, notably taxes. California was 48th, ahead of only New York and New Jersey. Best tax climates were in Wyoming and South Dakota.
The group listed five different tax rankings. California was 49th in income tax, where its top rate of 13.3% for millionaires is the nation’s highest local income tax rate. Only New York placed worse.
Gavin Newsom grants 19 executive clemency, pardons to criminally convicted individuals
EMMA HALL, SacBee: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has granted 19 pardons for executive clemency, according to a news release Wednesday.
These pardons include current and former Californians who have been criminally convicted, some with substance and robbery charges. Among those pardoned, three were convicted of crimes in Sacramento County. Newsom has authority to grant clemency in the form of pardons, commutations or reprieve.
California’s Republican caucus is growing and more diverse, but it’s a long way from power
RYAN SABALOW, CalMatttera: "The Republican caucus in California’s Legislature is growing more diverse as Latino and Asian American candidates apparently flipped three Democrat-held seats, including unseating an incumbent Democrat senator for the first time in a presidential election since 1980.
When new legislators are sworn in next week, Democrats will still control a supermajority in the Legislature. But the three flipped seats have Republicans hopeful that California’s reputation as a liberal enclave state may be shifting. They point to Latino and Black voters helping send Donald Trump to the White House for a second term."
What California city has the best weather for you? Take our quiz
The Chronicle's JACK LEE: "California has plenty of options when it comes to finding a place with your preferred weather. If you like cool weather, some cities spend nearly the entire year below 70 degrees. If you hate the rain, there are locations that average just a few inches per year.
The Chronicle gathered data about temperature, precipitation, air quality and extreme weather for 61 places across California, including the 20 most populous cities with data available. In total, 53 of the state’s 58 counties are represented in the analysis."
Black Friday starts now: A guide to avoiding pressure tactics, online scams and porch pirates
LAT's KAREN GARCIA: "Good news for bargain hunters: Gone are the days of having to stand in line at dawn and then elbow your way through a store to get your hands on coveted Black Friday deals, as many retailers have already launched their Black Friday sales in stores and online.
Target, Amazon and JCPenny were among the large retailers that released their promotions a week ahead of Thanksgiving, while Walmart and others dropped their deals on Monday."
