Bay Area Rep. Eric Swalwell announces bid for governor on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
Chronicle, JOE GAROFOLI: "Rep. Eric Swalwell, a longtime nemesis of President Donald Trump, announced Thursday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that he will run for governor in 2026, promising to be a “protector and fighter” for California.
Swalwell told me backstage before his announcement that the state’s next governor has two missions: “One, keep Trump out of our homes, streets and lives.”"
Former top aide to Becerra pleads guilty to conspiracy in corruption case
SacBee, SHARON BERNSTEIN: "A former top aide to California politician Xavier Becerra pleaded guilty Thursday to bank and wire fraud in a scheme to divert campaign funds for personal use.
Sean McCluskie, 56, admitted in federal court in Sacramento that he participated in a conspiracy to create a “no work” job for his wife, ultimately funneling about $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign account. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud."
Experts Expound: The Williamson fallout
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "“This will not impact Governor Newsom at all.”
“Gavin Newsom? This is about Xavier Becerra. Newsom is only incidentally involved in that Williamson was his former chief of staff, gone for more than a year, and he has not been implicated. It’s Becerra whose campaign account was raided, not Newsom, and it’s Becerra who has questions to answer, not Newsom.”"
Will San Diego lose its lone Republican in Congress? New maps open challenges to Darrell Issa
CALMatters, DEBORAH BRENNAN: "Eleven Democrats are vying to unseat Rep. Darrell Issa, a San Diego Republican, after California’s redistricting measure turned his reliably red district into a slightly blue one that will be a key swing race in next year’s midterm elections.
Rep. Mike Levin, a San Clemente Democrat, can breathe easier, as Proposition 50 carves out new boundaries that make his swing district more safely Democratic."
A California woman accused both Epstein and Trump. Did she ever exist?
Chronicle, RAHEEM HOSSEINI: "In the stacks of documents that Congress released from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein are numerous communications about one of the late sexual predator’s less-credited accusers is a California plaintiff who once used the name “Katie Johnson.”
Nearly a decade ago, before Donald Trump became the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, the plaintiff accused him and Epstein of raping her when she was a teenager in the 1990s."
More insights on drafting legislation in California, Part III
Capitol Weekly, CHRIS MICHELI: "During his recent review of the more than 900 bills sent to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom, intrepid McGeorge law professor, Capitol lobbyist and regular Capitol Weekly contributor Chris Micheli compiled a number of legislative drafting notes and decided to share them with our readers. This is the third of three parts. Part I can be found here and Part II can be found here."
Is AI making some people delusional? Families and experts are worried
LAT, NILESH CHRISTOPHER: "Generative artificial intelligence has quickly permeated much of what we do online, proving helpful for many. But for a small minority of the hundreds of millions of people who use it daily, AI may be too supportive, mental health experts say, and can sometimes even exacerbate delusional and dangerous behavior.
Instances of emotional dependence and fantastical beliefs due to prolonged interactions with chatbots seemed to spread this year. Some have dubbed the phenomenon “AI psychosis.”"
Trump administration sues California over aid for undocumented college students
SacBee, SHARON BERNSTEIN: "The Trump administration on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging California laws that allow undocumented students brought to the United States as children to pay in-state tuition and receive other support at public universities.
The complaint, filed in federal court in Sacramento, reflects ongoing tension between California’s Democratic leadership and the Trump administration, and is the latest in a series of legal actions that the sparring sides have taken against each other in recent months."
Will California’s new K-12 antisemitism law make up for Trump’s civil rights cuts?
CALMatters, CAROLYN JONES: "At a time when the federal government is dismantling civil rights protections in K-12 schools, California is expanding them — although some wonder how far the state will go to combat discrimination in schools.
A new law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month, creates an Office of Civil Rights within the California Department of Education. The office will have a staff of at least six, including an antisemitism coordinator, who will educate school districts about the harms of bias and investigate discrimination complaints."
Even a full reservoir wouldn’t have ensured water in Palisades fire, California officials say
LAT, IAN JAMES: "In January, when crews fighting the fast-spreading Palisades fire were hampered by low water pressure and dry hydrants, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered an investigation.
After a 10-month review, California officials concluded in a report that the water supply in Southern California was “robust” at the time of the fire and that the water system isn’t designed to handle such large, intense wildfires."
Hundreds of Joshua trees were scorched during the shutdown
LAT, LILA SEIDMAN: "One day after the government shutdown ended , a ranger ambled down a trail in Joshua Tree National Park, bathed in golden light.
It was her first day back, and she had just walked through a sea of scorched Joshua trees rising from blackened earth, their dagger-like leaves bleached an unhealthy yellow."
Safeway long resisted building housing in S.F. Here’s why it’s now racing to create 2,700 units
Chronicle, J.K. DINEEN: "In the last two weeks San Francisco’s land use politics have been upended by the news that Safeway, the city’s biggest supermarket chain, has done the unexpected: Instead of saying no to the idea of building housing on its properties, it’s saying yes.
In a big way."
This new waterfront neighborhood is ground zero for S.F.’s AI boom. What about its restaurants?
Chronicle, MACKENZIE CHUNG FEGAN: "A private dining room can nominally be booked by anyone — small wedding parties, class reunions — but its real purpose is to rake in corporate cash. Business people need to dealmake and gladhand, ideally over food meant to impress, and the right PDR in the right neighborhood can be a major source of revenue for the right type of restaurant.
Via Aurelia, from the team behind Che Fico, is that type of restaurant. Located in the new Mission Rock development just across the creek from Oracle Park, the 8,000-square-foot space, which specializes in Tuscan cuisine, has not one, but two private dining rooms. Since its opening in late September, they’ve seen action aplenty from the likes of OpenAI, AT&T and Visa, located right upstairs."
Developer may face hefty fines for tearing apart S.F. quake shacks and must restore them, city says
Chronicle, SAM WHITING: "A developer who all but demolished two historic earthquake shacks in Noe Valley must reconstruct the buildings under close supervision from the city and could face hefty fines, city officials said Thursday.
The owner has 30 days to apply for a permit and 90 days to complete the required restoration of the shacks or the entire project will face additional public hearings and even legal action. The builder is also facing fines of up to $500,000 with additional fines possible, said Dan Sider, chief of staff for San Francisco Planning."
Newsom closed 4 prisons and trimmed payroll. Corrections spending is still over budget
CALMatters, CAYLA MIHALOVICH: "Some of the red ink in California’s budget deficit is coming from unplanned spending in state prisons, according to a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is on track to exceed its budget by roughly $850 million over three years despite recent cuts that include four prison closures and some labor concessions that trimmed payroll expenses. The state budget included $17.5 billion for prisons this year."
Can you get cash or refunds for flight delays? As Trump admin scraps a proposal, here are the rules
Chronicle, KATHLEEN PENDER: "Ahead of the busy holiday travel season, the U.S. Department of Transportation has withdrawn a proposal intended to expand airline passengers’ rights.
The abandoned Biden-era proposal could have entitled travelers to cash compensation ranging from $200 to $775 when a flight was canceled or significantly delayed for reasons under the airline’s control. It was “extra money for your troubles,” said Sean Cudahy, senior aviation reporter with The Points Guy."
S.F. to install new infrastructure to slow cars on 141 city streets
Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "Earlier this year San Francisco transportation officials made an awkward announcement: They had to suspend a popular request line for “traffic calming” on residential streets.
Too many people were filing applications for speed bumps, raised crosswalks, concrete islands, rubber road cushions, literally any new infrastructure to make a street quieter and reduce the risk of crashes. With more than 300 resident proposals in the can, staff at the Municipal Transportation Agency couldn’t keep up."
