Updating . .
Yosemite Valley to close in advance of menacing storm -- The National Park Service is taking the extraordinary step of closing Yosemite Valley to visitors at 5 p.m. Friday in anticipation of weekend storms. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/6/17
Major flooding across upper Napa Valley could make all travel nearly impossible -- The Napa River at St. Helena is forecast to crest Sunday afternoon, reaching close to 20 feet, about four feet above its flood stage. This could cause "major" to "disastrous" flooding throughout the valley, inundating roads and making travel difficult, according to the California-Nevada River Forecast Center's prediction on Wednesday afternoon. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/6/17
U.S. intelligence agencies: Putin ordered intervention in presidential election -- Russia carried out a comprehensive cybercampaign to upend the U.S. presidential election, an operation that was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin and “aspired to help” elect Donald Trump by discrediting his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a report released Friday. Greg Miller in the Washington Post$ Damian Palette and Carol E. Lee in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/6/17
California funds first U.S. inmate's sex reassignment surgery -- A 57-year-old convicted killer has become the first U.S. inmate to receive state-funded sex reassignment surgery. Shiloh Heavenly Quine has been living as a woman in a California men's prison. The surgery had been scheduled for Thursday, and her attorneys told The Associated Press on Friday that it was performed. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Medi-Cal Recipients Statewide Would Feel The Pain Of Obamacare Repeal -- Republicans in Congress have promised to repeal Obamacare. And if they do so, Medi-Cal, California's health program for the poor, will suffer a massive body blow. The California Budget & Policy Center said it won't only be people in Democratic strongholds who will feel the pain. Kenny Goldberg KPBS -- 1/6/17
California Lawmakers Look To Strike Transportation, Affordable Housing Deals (Again) -- In the brief time Democratic lawmakers in California have spent at the state Capitol since the election, they have largely focused on preparing to oppose President-Elect Donald Trump. But state legislators also have priorities within the state, including two issues that proved intractable last year: transportation and affordable housing. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 1/6/17
Abcarian: Drug war overkill: A pot bust against legal growers in Yolo County seems to go too far -- If ever you needed proof that we live in an age of confusion about marijuana laws, let me share with you the story of Ted Hicks and Ryan Mears, two Sacramento-area entrepreneurs who decided to start a legal medical cannabis business last year and ended up on the business end of assault rifles wielded by officers from a multi-agency, anti-drug task force. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
California’s new marijuana era -- At the heart of California’s Emerald Triangle is Humboldt County, a legendary locale in the world of weed, as prized by marijuana aficionados for its cannabis as Napa Valley is for its wine. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 1/6/17
Head of nurses union 'counting on' Trump for single-payer system -- As Washington grapples with health care policy again, the head of the 185,000-member National Nurses United is turning her attention to a seemingly unlikely advocate for a single-payer system. "The one I’m counting on the most is Trump,” RoseAnn DeMoro said. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 1/6/17
Trump blasts Schwarzenegger, who suggests he focus on governing -- Be it a genuine clash of big egos, or a clever ratings ploy, the social media spat between President-elect Donald Trump and his “Celebrity Apprentice” successor, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lit up the internet Friday. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/17
Rep. Hunter removes congressional painting he found offensive -- A controversial painting that depicted a police officer as an animal was removed from a congressional wall by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, following complaints that it was offensive. The removed painting was delivered Friday to the office of Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, who sponsored the national Congressional Art Competition in his state. Gary Warth in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/6/17
Villaraigosa once sang praises of Trump Treasury pick -- While Democrats in Washington ratchet up their criticism of Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa once offered public praise for the former Goldman Sachs executive. David Siders Politico -- 1/6/17
Investigators link insurer cyber breach to foreign nation -- A foreign government was likely behind a cyber breach of health insurance company Anthem Inc. that compromised more than 78 million consumers' records, investigators said Friday. The California Department of Insurance said Anthem - the nation's second-largest health insurer - has agreed to make $260 million in improvements to its information security systems. Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Women’s rise to power in San Francisco a glimmer of hope in politics -- When the new San Francisco Board of Supervisors is sworn in Monday morning, the majority of its members will be of a breed that hasn’t controlled the body in 20 years. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/6/17
Repairs OK’d for some Volkswagen diesels. Is your car affected? -- The California Air Resources Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday they’ve approved a repair plan for a limited number of diesel cars affected by Volkswagen’s air pollution scandal. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/17
Regulators approve fix for some Volkswagen cars that cheated on U.S. emission tests -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board said Friday they have approved a fix for around 67,000 of the 475,000 Volkswagens and Audis with 2-liter diesel engines that were programmed to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. Dee-Ann Durbin Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Pelosi Calls Russian Hacking Report 'Stunning' -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi today called the U.S. intelligence report into alleged Russian hacking during the election season "stunning." The California Democrat gave remarks to the press after a briefing for leaders of both parties in the House and Senate and of the House and Senate intelligence committees. Benjamin Siegel Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Democrats want fast-food workers to testify at Trump Labor secretary pick Andy Puzder's confirmation hearing -- Almost two dozen Senate Democrats are calling for fast-food workers to testify at the confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump’s Labor secretary pick Andy Puzder, who is the chief executive of the parent company of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s burger chains. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
Trump's 'make America great' plans face a slowing economy -- Donald Trump is inheriting a fairly strong economy from President Barack Obama. The big problem for the president-elect? Things are starting to slow down. Ben White Politico -- 1/6/17
Taylor: Oakland police chief charming, but she has work to do -- Oakland’s new police chief sure does talk differently. Anne Kirkpatrick, the first woman to lead the department, talked about transforming a force plagued by scandals involving racist texts and a sexually exploited teenager, and a lack of stability at the top. But she spoke with a Southern accent that is as sweet and thick as Tennessee maple syrup. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/6/17
Orange County: How the DOJ will conduct its civil-rights investigation of the district attorney and sheriff -- Community forums. Face-to-face meetings with leaders of the local deputies union and with local defense attorneys. Twitter. Is this any way to conduct a civil rights investigation? Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 1/6/17
State braces for floods, mudslides, chaos as giant storm rolls in -- A roaring atmospheric river bearing down on California is set to deliver the type of punishing rains that only happen around once every quarter century, forecasters said. Emergency agencies and residents in the path of the fire hose are bracing for what’s expected to be disastrous weather-related chaos when the storm hits this weekend. Evan Sernoffsky, Jenna Lyons, and Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle Ryan Sabalow, Dale Kasler, Phillip Reese and Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee$ Mark Gomez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/6/17
Memories of disastrous 1997 flood haunt Yosemite -- As this weekend’s storm threatens to swell the Merced River to well above flood stage in Yosemite Valley, the National Park Service and residents of the high Sierra are hoping nature isn’t planning a repeat of the disaster of 1997. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/6/17
Yosemite flood risk downgraded as California braces for big storms -- Meteorologists on Thursday downgraded their forecast of catastrophic flooding in Yosemite National Park this weekend, even as a powerful storm system continued to barrel toward the California coast, prompting officials across Northern California to scramble as they prepare for mudslides, power outages and other weather-related problems. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/6/17
Fox: Model for CA GOP Gov. May Be Found in New England -- The California gubernatorial election is 22 months away but already the media is filled with stories about the coming campaign. Given the superiority in Democratic voter registration in this state it is assumed that a Democrat will succeed Jerry Brown in the corner office. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/6/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Legislature doesn’t look like California, but in some ways it’s closer than before -- The California lawmakers who returned to the Capitol this week as a group are younger and much more reflective of California’s diverse racial and ethnic makeup than their counterparts about two decades ago. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/17
Former L.A. Rams star Rosey Grier says he plans to run for governor of California -- California's 2018 race for governor just might get a little more fearsome. Former Los Angeles Rams football player Rosey Grier, who was a member of the famous “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line in the 1960s, says he plans to run for governor. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/17
Farm groups pitch Trump on picking former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado as Agriculture secretary -- On the heels of Abel Maldonado's visit with President-elect Donald Trump last week, major farm groups in California are urging the incoming president to pick the former lieutenant governor to lead the federal Agriculture Department. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
In challenge to Trump, California lawmaker seeks expansion of in-state tuition for immigrants in the U.S. illegally -- In another challenge to the immigration crackdown proposed by President-elect Donald Trump, a California lawmaker proposed Thursday to greatly expand the number of students in the country illegally who can get discounted, in-state resident tuition at state universities. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
House GOP leader asks Jerry Brown: How would you replace Obamacare? -- House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has written to Gov. Jerry Brown and the leaders of other states soliciting their input for replacing Obamacare. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/17
Walters: California’s attention-seeking politicos attack Trump, but hold weak hand -- Scarcely a day passes without one – or more – of California’s Democratic politicians denouncing Donald Trump as the devil reincarnate and pledging “resistance” to his supposed intent to wage war on the state. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/17
Early presidential primary could benefit one Californian above others -- California Assemblyman Kevin Mullin’s bill to give the state more political relevance by moving up the presidential primary to March is being pitched as a way to ensure candidates pay more attention to voters rather than just wealthy donors. “We are largely a political ATM,” Mullin, D-South San Francisco, said Thursday. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/17
Sheila Kuehl wants South Coast Air Quality Management District to flex its regulatory muscle -- The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s newest incoming leader says she wants the air district to use the full extent of its regulatory might to protect neighborhoods and communities from harmful air pollution. David Danelski in the Long Beach Press Telegram$ -- 1/6/17
California’s new budget program will take millions more to finish -- A massive overhaul of the state’s accounting system launched in 2005 will take another two years and an extra $237 million to finish, according to a report released Thursday by state Auditor Elaine Howle. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
California police would have to disclose the use of more surveillance devices under this proposed law -- In what will likely become another battle over the balance between privacy and public safety, new legislation at the state Capitol would expand the list of electronic surveillance devices that California law enforcement agencies must disclose to the public. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
Colleagues stunned by apparent suicide of Bakersfield city councilman -- Newly sworn-in Bakersfield City Councilman Jeff Tkac took his own life Thursday, several sources told The Californian, stunning colleagues who saw no troubling signs during his second council meeting earlier in the week. James Burger and Jason Kotowski in the Bakersfield Californian -- 1/6/17
Challenger for Los Angeles mayor wants Garcetti to pledge not to run for higher office in 2018 -- If Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti wins reelection in March, he’ll get another chance to lead a city bounding back from the recession, but also facing urgent problems like homelessness and rising crime. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
Can a Law Stop Distracted Driving? California Hopes to Find Out -- This week, as a new law went into effect in the state with an aim toward cutting the number of drivers using smartphones, federal data is scheduled to be released that shows that more than 3,400 people were killed in accidents that involved at least one distracted driver in 2015. Jonah Engel Bromwich in the New York Times$ -- 1/6/17
Uber-inspired bill would crack down on illegal self-driving cars in California -- Inspired by Uber’s self-driving car fiasco in San Francisco last month, a local lawmaker wants to add teeth to California’s autonomous vehicle rules. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/6/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
California voters just approved more taxes, but the new state budget could still be lean on cash -- In the six years since Gov. Jerry Brown returned to the state Capitol, his relatively parsimonious approach to state budgets has been consistent enough to leave few watchers expecting major surprises. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
Homeless
More than 1,200 homeless veterans living on Los Angeles streets still need housing -- More than 1,200 veterans are living on Los Angeles streets, thwarting Mayor Eric Garcetti’s repeated pledges to end the city’s soaring rates of veteran homelessness, officials said Thursday. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Study says health law repeal could cost California 334,000 jobs -- Repeal of the Affordable Care Act could spur the loss of an estimated 334,000 jobs in California, according to a new report from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University and The Commonwealth Fund. Rebecca Plevin KPCC -- 1/6/17
San Diego City Attorney’s Office To Investigate Restaurants Found Surcharging Customers -- The City Attorney's Office announced Thursday that it is looking into the legality of a surcharge being levied on some restaurant customers in response to San Diego's minimum wage increase. KPBS -- 1/6/17
Trump’s deportation vow spurs California farmers into action -- Days after Donald Trump won the White House vowing to deport millions of people in the country illegally and fortify the Mexican border, California farmer Kevin Herman ordered nearly $600,000 in new equipment, cutting the number of workers he'll need starting with the next harvest. Scott Smith Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Hundreds of workers to strike UCLA over labor dispute -- More than 600 plumbers, electricians and other workers will strike the University of California, Los Angeles for five days over what the Teamsters union calls unfair and illegal labor practices, it was announced Thursday. Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Education
California schools earn C- in national ranking -- Education leaders in recent years have lauded achievement gains and progress of California’s K-12 students, but an annual national report card has rated the Golden State below mediocre — a solid C-minus, 10th from the bottom among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Sharon Noguchi in the East Bay Times -- 1/6/17
Freedberg: DeVos sets precedent as secretary of education without strong commitment to public schools -- Betsy DeVos may well be the first U.S. secretary of education to come to office without expressing a strong belief in the importance of traditional public schools as a core democratic institution, and without any detailed ideas on the record for improving them other than prodding them to compete with charter schools and private schools. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 1/6/17
Immigration / Border
Activists Help Young Immigrants Plan For Trump’s Administration -- Alliance San Diego launched a campaign, "Rising Together," to help young immigrants decide what to do before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. Jean Guerrero KPBS -- 1/6/17
Woman pleads guilty to hiding smuggled immigrants at City Heights drop house -- A woman pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court Thursday to harboring an unauthorized immigrant at her City Heights home for money, and admitted to knowing that 44 others hiding there were also in the country illegally. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/6/17
Environment
Mysterious San Francisco Odors Preceded by High Levels of Toxic Gas in Richmond -- Twice last week, residents of San Francisco complained of a sulfurlike smell during the night. And twice last week, elevated concentrations of a toxic gas violating local air regulations were detected at Point Richmond, according to air monitoring data by the Chevron oil company, which operates a refinery there. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 1/6/17
UC Berkeley researcher debunks global warming hiatus -- Suggestions by climate change skeptics that ocean cooling put global warming on hiatus more than a decade ago were based on faulty measurements of seawater temperatures, a new study led by a UC Berkeley researcher confirms. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/6/17
Also . . .
Skiers caught in avalanche in Sierra Nevada amid an epic snowstorm -- Two backcountry skiers escaped uninjured Thursday after being caught in an avalanche that closed the state highway between Reno and Lake Tahoe in a part of the Sierra Nevada where as much as 6 feet of snow has fallen over the past four days. Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Photographer dies in Port of LA copter crash -- The two fatal victims of a Wednesday night helicopter crash inside the breakwater in San Pedro include photographer Michael Justice. The former shooter for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, South Bay Daily Breeze and Wall Street Journal more recently had corporate and editorial clients. Kevin Roderick LA Observed -- 1/6/17
Heroin overdoses in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks — including teenage boy — prompt crackdown; 17 arrested -- Two heroin overdoses last year in Simi Valley — where abuse of heroin and prescription drugs has gained national headlines — have prompted detectives there to focus on the source of the deadly opiate. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
POTUS 45
Trump may pursue border wall without new bill -- Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump's transition team are exploring whether they can make good on Trump's promise of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border without passing a new bill on the topic, officials said Thursday. Erica Werner and Jill Colvin Associated Press -- 1/6/17
What's SoCal's interest in Trump inaugural tickets? -- As the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump approaches, Southern California congressional members have been entertaining requests for tickets to the historic event in Washington, D.C. Mary Plummer KPCC -- 1/6/17
Beltway
Congress looks to start building a Mexican border wall within months -- In a bid to swiftly deliver on one of President-elect Donald Trump’s chief campaign promises, congressional Republicans are exploring ways to begin funding a barrier on the U.S. southern border starting as soon as April. Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ Rachel Bade and John Bresnahan Politico -- 1/6/17
Security U.S. intercepts capture senior Russian officials celebrating Trump win -- Senior officials in the Russian government celebrated Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton as a geopolitical win for Moscow, according to U.S. officials who said that American intelligence agencies intercepted communications in the aftermath of the election in which Russian officials congratulated themselves on the outcome. Adam Entous and Greg Miller in the Washington Post$ -- 1/6/17
GOP jams Senate Dems with confirmation blitz -- Senate Republicans have heard the Democrats’ demands for a deliberate confirmation process for Donald Trump’s nominees. But they don’t care. Burgess Everett and Seung Kim Politico -- 1/6/17
Only 1 in 5 Americans supports Republicans’ ‘repeal and delay’ Obamacare strategy -- The Republican plan to immediately do away with the Affordable Care Act and come up with a replacement later is out of sync with what most Americans want, according to a new poll. Only 1 in 5 people supports repealing President Obama's health-care law before the replacement is worked out. Carolyn Y. Johnson in the Washington Post$ Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/17
Final jobs report for Obama presidency expected to be solid -- The last major economic report card for President Barack Obama arrives Friday with the release of the December jobs figures. The report will cap a long record of robust hiring after the Great Recession, though one that left many people feeling left out. Christopher S. Rugaber Associated Press -- 1/6/17
VP Biden to President-elect Trump: 'Grow up' -- Vice President Joe Biden told President-elect Donald Trump Thursday to "grow up." Biden dismissed Trump's complaint on Twitter about how the Obama administration has handled the transition. The vice president told "PBS NewsHour" in an interview that it's time for Trump "to be an adult." Associated Press -- 1/6/17
Trump’s DC Hotel Tagged With $5 Million in Unpaid Worker Liens -- Donald Trump’s new Washington hotel, located just blocks from the White House, owes electricians, wood workers and a plumbing and heating business more than $5 million for unpaid labor, according to liens filed against the property with the District of Columbia. Andrew M Harris Bloomberg Politics -- 1/6/17
Fact Checker: What Trump got wrong on Twitter this week -- As we enter the administration of a president who is both prolific on Twitter and prone to tweeting factual inaccuracies, the Fact Checker faced a conundrum: How much effort should we devote to fact-checking President-elect Donald Trump’s tweets? Michelle Ye Hee Lee in the Washington Post$ -- 1/6/17
-- Thursday Updates
California braces for strongest storm system in 10 years amid fears of flooding, avalanches, blizzards -- Sierra travelers trapped by back-to-back storms that dropped more than 2 feet of snow have a brief window to pass, before the arrival of a weather system Saturday so wet forecasters are calling it an "atmospheric river." Paige St. John and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/5/17
NWS: Northern California now on pace for 'wettest water year on record' -- After many long years of waiting, California's drought relief may finally be here. Snow has piled up over five feet in some parts of the Sierra Nevada since the Sunday storm. And while the first snow survey of the year actually came in below average in terms of snow accumulation, there are reasons for optimism. Kristin Hanes in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/5/17
Police: 22-month girl shot in East Oakland -- The child, a 22-month-old girl, was rushed to a local hospital and was said to be in stable condition later in the afternoon, said Officer Johnna Watson, a spokeswoman for the Oakland Police Department. No arrests were reported following the shooting, and a motive remained under investigation, she said. Kimberly Veklerov and Michael Bodley in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/5/17
Trump’s Debts Are Widely Held on Wall Street, Creating New Potential Conflicts -- More than 150 financial institutions hold debts connected to president-elect, analysis shows. Jean Eaglesham and Lisa Schwartz in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/5/17
UC Berkeley researcher debunks global warming hiatus -- Suggestions by climate change skeptics that ocean cooling put global warming on hiatus more than a decade ago were based on faulty measurements of seawater temperatures, a new study led by a UC Berkeley researcher confirms. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/5/17
Taking Aim at Trump, Leaders Strongly Affirm Findings on Russian Hacking -- Rebuffing efforts by President-elect Donald J. Trump to cast doubt on Russian interference in the presidential election, top intelligence officials and senators from both parties on Thursday issued a forceful affirmation of the findings. They took relentless aim at Mr. Trump’s public skepticism and suggested he had negatively affected morale in the intelligence community. Matt Flegenheimer and Scott Shane in the New York Times$ -- 1/5/17
Mark Zuckerberg Is Sure Acting Like Someone Who Might Run for President -- Facebook's CEO doesn't necessarily plan to sink his teeth into electoral politics. But he's made some moves in the past few days that set the table. Davey Alba Wired -- 1/5/17
Fox: Eric Holder to Save the CA Economy? -- What caught my attention when legislative leaders hired former United States Attorney General Eric Holder was not the obvious rationale expected of the Democratic majority promising resistance to a Trump presidency on issues of immigration, climate change and health care, or even the need and expense for such a move considering the state Attorney General’s role to stand up for California, but the expectation that Holder’s law firm will help preserve California’s economy. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/5/17
California Senate joins anti-Trump fight with Holder hire -- th the hiring of former Attorney General Eric Holder, California’s legislature has enlisted a uniquely experienced attorney to prepare for “the legal fight of a generation” against the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 1/5/17
Keep calm and continue to conserve water, state says -- As much of the state heads into a sixth year of drought, water officials on Wednesday cheered Californians’ continued conservation while urging them to stay stingy with water after residential savings slipped below 19 percent in November. Suzanne Hurt in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 1/5/17
Before the 'Ghost Ship,' owner struggled with old warehouse in tough neighborhood -- Chor Ng became the owner of a run-down warehouse 20 years ago, part of a larger divorce settlement with her husband. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/5/17
The D.A. charged a man with murder in a notorious Palmdale killing. A decade later, the same office seeks to toss his conviction -- From behind bars, Raymond Lee Jennings begged a court to throw out his murder conviction, saying he had nothing to do with the shooting death of an 18-year-old college student in a dimly lit Palmdale parking lot. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/5/17
As Inauguration Day nears, Muslims wonder whether Trump's tough talk will turn into action -- Aisha Shafi stuffed pens and notebooks into her sons’ backpacks and buzzed around her San Marcos home as she made sure the boys were ready for the new school year. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/5/17