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Avalanche hits Alpine Meadows homes, causes epic snow photo -- Crews were working Tuesday to clear an avalanche that hit a few houses in the area of Alpine Meadows, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP says nobody was injured, but resident Siig Steven's Facebook posts suggest some serious challenges for people in the area. Bill Disbrow in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

Guerneville flood to get worse as Russian River to hit 38.4 feet -- The Russian River surged over roads, into neighborhoods and began inundating homes Tuesday amid a relentless drumbeat of pounding rain. Peter Fimrite and Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

FBI’s Comey Says Republican Data Also Hacked by Russians -- FBI Director James Comey said Tuesday that Russian hackers successfully hacked some Republican groups and campaigns, though officials said the Russians revealed much less of that material compared with the volume of disclosures made about Democrats’ emails. Devlin Barrett in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/10/17

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon says he'll oppose rolling back higher-education aid for middle-class students -- With budget negotiations entailing, in Gov. Jerry Brown's words, "pushing... and some shoving," Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon telegraphed one tussle that's sure to happen over the next several months: the future of the Middle Class Scholarship program. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Jerry Brown budget plan urges saving ‘some biscuits for a rainy day’ -- Amid deep uncertainty about changes in state revenue and Washington, California Gov. Jerry Brown presented a $177.1 billion state budget Tuesday that assumes the state will have billions of dollars less to spend over the next 18 months compared to what lawmakers projected when they passed the budget last June. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Sandra Oshiro and Mary Plummer KPCC Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Gov. Jerry Brown pushes to extend cap-and-trade program with new budget proposal -- Gov. Jerry Brown announced Tuesday his plan to prod lawmakers to solidify California's emissions cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of the state's climate change agenda. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Trump, Congress Could Halt State Action on Climate -- The head of the city department that drafts many of San Francisco’s greenest rules and regulations uses one word to explain her greatest fear for the environment during Trump’s presidency: “preemption.” John Upton KQED -- 1/10/17

Storms are making a dent in California's drought; 7 feet of snow expected in some areas -- A lull in a series of powerful winter storms gave Northern California a chance Monday to clean up from widespread flooding while also assessing how all that moisture is altering the state’s once-grim drought picture. Paige St. John, Louis Sahagun, Joseph Serna and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Assembly panel recommends confirmation of Rep. Xavier Becerra for California attorney general -- An Assembly panel on Tuesday recommended the confirmation of Rep. Xavier Becerra as state attorney general after the nominee pledged to aggressively defend state policies on immigration and healthcare against potential negative actions by President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Federal prosecutors to retry ex-L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca in obstruction of justice case -- Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will retry former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca following a recent mistrial in which a jury nearly cleared Baca of obstructing an FBI investigation into the county’s jails. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

A proposal to give civilians more say in LAPD's disciplinary system could end up more lenient on officers -- A proposal that would give civilians a greater role in the discipline of Los Angeles police officers accused of serious misconduct could also lead to more leniency for officers facing termination or lengthy suspensions. Kate Mather and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

L.A. politicians propose banning campaign contributions from developers -- Los Angeles politicians called Tuesday for a ban on political contributions from real estate developers while they are seeking city approval for their projects, in an attempt to counter the perception that money drives planning decisions at City Hall. David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Once teetering, Mono Lake is revived by heavy rains, snow -- Less than two weeks ago, hydrologists worried that it would take a wetter than average winter to keep this drought-stricken body of salt water at a level high enough to avoid having to halt diversions of its Sierra Nevada snowmelt to Los Angeles. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Painting depicting police as animals rehung in U.S. Capitol; Rep. Duncan Hunter says he won't pull it down again -- The controversial painting depicting police officers as animals that California Rep. Duncan Hunter removed from a Capitol hallway Friday was rehung Tuesday by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Fox: CalPERS Return Rate Decision Could Lead To Tax Hikes -- When California voters hear calls for tax increases in the near future they should think of pensions. That truth has never been clearer now that the California Public Employees’ Retirement System board voted to establish a more realistic return rate on its investments. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/10/17

Comey won't say if FBI is investigating contacts between Moscow, Trump campaign -- FBI Director James Comey declined Tuesday to say whether there was contact between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the presidential race, or whether the FBI was investigating the issue. Austin Wright and Martin Matishak Politico -- 1/10/17

Trump aide Monica Crowley’s book sales suspended amid plagiarism allegations -- The publisher of a book by Monica Crowley, a pick of President-elect Donald Trump for a top National Security Council post, said Tuesday that it will stop selling copies until she addresses allegations of plagiarism. John Wagner in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/17

Fox News Settled Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Bill O’Reilly, Documents Show -- In the weeks after Roger Ailes was ousted as the chairman of Fox News in July, amid a sexual harassment scandal, company executives secretly struck an agreement with a longtime on-air personality who had come forward with similar accusations about the network’s top host, Bill O’Reilly. Emily Steel and Michael S. Schmidt in the New York Times$ -- 1/10/17

Lawsuits over Trump business threaten to tie up presidency -- As a businessman, Donald Trump has kept the courts busy. That's hardly likely to change when he enters the Oval Office, creating an unusual and potentially serious problem for a sitting president. Chad Day and Bernard Condon Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Republican plans to quickly confirm Trump nominees hit snags -- The Senate Intelligence Committee announced early Tuesday that it would delay by a day a hearing for Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) to serve as CIA director. Originally scheduled to be considered amid several other nominees on Wednesday, Pompeo will appear instead on Thursday. The Senate health and education committee also announced late Monday that it would postpone its hearing with Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick for education secretary, until next week. Ed O'Keefe in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/17

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

L.A. needs to borrow millions to cover legal payouts, city report says -- The Los Angeles City Council in recent years has repeatedly settled costly, high-profile lawsuits, agreeing to spend millions of dollars to end litigation brought by grieving families, disability-rights groups and people wrongfully convicted of crimes. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/10/17

Tom Steyer heads back into battle, starting with an ad against secretary of State pick Rex Tillerson -- The 2016 election was tough on a lot of environmentalists, but particularly for California climate crusader Tom Steyer, who has invested tens of millions of dollars of his personal fortune into a national effort to force politicians to confront climate change. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Lawmakers Cite Transportation, Housing as Top Priorities -- When Gov. Jerry Brown unveils his budget proposal Tuesday morning, Democratic lawmakers will be particularly interested in how the governor approaches two key policy areas: transportation and housing. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 1/10/17

Sanders Democrats claim victories in California delegate elections -- It may be a stretch to call it a battle for the soul of the party, but last weekend, thousands of California Democrats filed into union halls and recreation centers to help choose some of their rank-and-file delegates. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/10/17

Walters: California’s secret budget process could use more sunshine -- One of the more interesting – as well as significant – episodes in Capitol lore occurred in the early 1970s when redrawing legislative districts imperiled a long-serving state senator, Randolph Collier. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/10/17

Tenants say Airbnb and landlord violated L.A. rental laws -- Airbnb did not evict six renters last year from their Hollywood apartments but the short-term rental site is nonetheless being sued for playing a role in renting the properties after the apartments were vacant. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Ex-LA County Sheriff Lee Baca back in court on pending jail corruption charges -- Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is expected to be back in federal court Tuesday to determine if he’ll stand trial on three pending charges that stem from a jail corruption and inmate abuse scandal. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/10/17

Wine Country Among Areas Hit Hard by California Storms -- Emergency crews in rescue boats and helicopters rushed to take advantage of a one-day break between storms Monday to rescue stranded people and assess damage after the heaviest rain in a decade overwhelmed parts of California and Nevada. Ellen Knickmeyer and Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Mo. congressman wants fellow lawmaker charged with theft over removal of student painting from Capitol -- Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) said his staff met Monday with members of the Capitol Police to press theft charges against Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Calif.), who removed the painting Friday and delivered it to Clay’s office as he left a Republican conference meeting where the artwork was discussed. Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ Heather Caygle Politico -- 1/10/17

Orange County watchdog role revisited -- The county is set to fill a legal watchdog job that’s been vacant at a time when the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office have come under increased scrutiny allegedly for routinely cheating in court to gain convictions. Jordan Graham in the Orange County Register -- 1/10/17

This Golden State Podcast: Congressman Ro Khanna: Ready To Risk Arrest -- Ro Khanna says he won't be bullied by Donald Trump. In an interview with This Golden State’s Randy Shandobil, the newly elected Congressman from Silicon Valley says resistance is in his blood. Link Here -- 1/10/17

After racist vandalism at Pavion Park, Mission Viejo gathers to answer hate with love -- After seeing a pair of swastikas etched at Pavion Park last month – one on a tree, another on a wall – Jenna Gerstner was unsure what to tell her two sons. Nathan Percy in the Orange County Register -- 1/10/17

Rep. Jared Huffman says he’ll skip Trump inauguration -- Unwilling to celebrate the beginning of what he called a “dark and dangerous chapter” of American politics, North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, announced on social media that he will not attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as the nation’s 45th president. Guy Kovner in the Santa Rosa Press -- 1/10/17

Writers Resist: Hundreds to attend pre-inauguration protests -- Large numbers of people are expected to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20, but many others won’t wait that long. On Sunday, Jan. 15, hundreds of writers and artists will gather at more than 50 events across the country and abroad — on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday — to “re-inaugurate” democracy, in their words. John McMurtrie in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

Talbot: San Francisco’s Democrats keep up the internal warfare -- On soggy, windy Sunday, I witnessed American democracy — in its raw and primal form — in action at a San Francisco labor hall. It was beautiful, and it was ugly. David Talbot in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

Calbuzz: Streep to Trump: You’re a Dangerous Bully -- Bravo, Meryl Streep. Tell it, sister. I know that people in the arts can sometimes be insufferable, like when they all wear ribbons to signify moral superiority or when they praise each others’ “bravery.” Dick Polman Calbuzz -- 1/10/17

Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds    

$350 million bond would start process of fixing San Francisco’s seawall -- San Francisco voters will be asked to allow $350 million to be spent on a first round of improvements for the city’s crucial but fragile Embarcadero seawall, officials said Monday. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

Emotions raw over SDG&E proposal to raise rates after 2007 wildfires -- San Diego Gas & Electric wants to increase rates by $379 million to recover the remainder of costs the utility racked up from a series of deadly wildfires that scorched San Diego County in 2007. But the proposal received emotional opposition Monday in Escondido. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Erik Anderson KPBS -- 1/10/17

California Republican challenges state's hiring of Eric Holder to fight Trump policies -- Assembly member Kevin Kiley has requested a formal ruling from state lawyers on whether the decision by Democratic legislative leaders to hire Holder and his firm, Covington & Burling, for $25,000 a month violated a provision in the state's constitution that bans hiring outside counsel for work the state's own lawyers can do. Sharon Bernstein Reuters -- 1/10/17

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions 

Why UC workers are striking for one day at 10 California campuses -- An estimated 12,000 clerical workers and support staff at U.C. campuses and medical centers throughout the state plan to stage a one-strike on Tuesday to protest alleged unfair labor practices and wages that they say are woefully inadequate. Kevin Smith in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 1/10/17

American Apparel auctions off its assets -- American Apparel auctioned off its assets Monday, with the winning bid scheduled to go before the bankruptcy judge for approval Thursday. Shan Li in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

Would the 2024 Olympics really generate $11 billion locally? -- Staging the 2024 Olympic in Los Angeles could generate up to 79,307 new, full-time mostly temporary jobs and as much as $11.2 billion in economic activity in Los Angeles, Olympic organizers announced Monday. Ben Bergman KPCC -- 1/10/17

Yahoo Would Become ‘Altaba’ After Selling Its Internet Business -- The fate of Yahoo’s $4.8 billion sale of its internet business to Verizon Communications may be uncertain. But in case it goes through, Yahoo has plans for what will remain. In a regulatory filing, the company said on Monday that when that deal closed, it would rename itself “Altaba.” Michael J. de la Merced in the New York Times$ -- 1/10/17

Water   

Storms have added 33.6 billion gallons of water to Lake Tahoe since Jan. 1 -- The series of storms over the last few weeks in the Sierra Nevada have been very good to Lake Tahoe. According to the National Weather Service, the lake has gained about 33.6 billion gallons of water since Jan. 1 -- and the lake has risen about one foot. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

California storms add 350 billion gallons to parched reservoirs -- The powerful storms that soaked Northern California over the past week did more than trigger power outages, mudslides and flash floods. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/10/17

Proposed federal water bill would streamline new dam projects -- Decades of planning for dams that could capture storm runoff in parts of Northern California has yet to lead to the building of such structures, a situation a Central California congressman hopes to change with a new bill that would cut through existing legal requirements and environmental regulations. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 1/10/17

Cannabis 

Pot’s legal in California. So why are people still getting busted in Yosemite? -- Think pot is now legal in California? Try telling that to the National Park Service rangers ready to bust people caught with marijuana in Yosemite, Redwood, Death Valley and other federal lands across the state. Sean Cockerham in the Fresno Bee -- 1/10/17

Immigration / Border 

San Jose Council to Discuss Safe Houses to Prevent Deportations under President Donald Trump -- In a memo co-authored Friday by Mayor Sam Liccardo and council members Raul Peralez, Sergio Jimenez, Magdalena Carrasco and Sylvia Arenas, the missive lays out discussion points to provide legal assistance to immigrant communities, broaden emergency communication networks and create partnerships with faith-based organizations. Josh Koehn sanjoseinside.com -- 1/10/17

Environment 

U.S. Had Near Record Heat, Costly Weather Disasters in 2016 -- With steamy nights, sticky days and torrential downpours, last year went down as one of the warmest and wildest weather years on record in the United States. Seth Borenstein Associated Press -- 1/10/17

San Francisco Supervisor Wants Answers From Chevron on Toxic Gas Release and Odor -- San Francisco Supervisor Mark Farrell wants to haul executives from the Chevron oil company to City Hall to explain why two malfunctions at their Richmond refinery may have sent toxic gas to San Francisco twice late last month. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 1/10/17

Also . . . 

Meet the Hollywood producer at the center of a scandal shaking the Israeli government -- His movie credits include classics such as “Pretty Woman” and “JFK,” as well as recent Oscar winners “The Revenant” and “12 Years a Slave.” But his back story reads more like an espionage thriller that has landed him at the center of a scandal shaking the Israeli government. Ryan Faughnder, Jeffrey Fleishman and Batsheva Sobelman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/17

POTUS 45  

Donald Trump Names Son-in-Law Jared Kushner as Senior Adviser -- President-elect Donald Trump is hiring his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior adviser in the West Wing, giving him a sweeping portfolio and status that will make him one of the most influential figures in the administration. Peter Nicholas and Peter Grant in the Wall Street Journal$ Glen Thrush and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ John Wagner and Ashley Parker in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/17

Beltway 

Breakaway Senate Republicans Push to Delay Obamacare Repeal -- A breakaway group of five moderate Senate Republicans pushed Monday to delay a bill repealing Obamacare until March -- potentially enough pressure to force the party’s leadership to comply. Sahil Kapur, Steven T. Dennis Bloomberg -- 1/10/17

Freedom Caucus ready to object to rushed Obamacare repeal without replacement plan -- With no certainty Monday night that Senate Republicans have enough votes to pass a budget resolution that includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the most conservative members of the House met in the basement of a Capitol Hill Tex-Mex restaurant to discuss their own Obamacare strategy. Anna Douglas McClatchy DC Sean Sullivan and Kelsey Snell in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/17

Trump unfiltered: Tweets reveal his interests, insecurities -- Many presidents have privately bristled at the attacks, criticism and mockery the office can bring. They've fumed behind the walls of the Oval Office and complained about slights to their aides and wives. But Trump's use of Twitter is giving Americans and the world something they've never seen before. Lisa Lerer Associated Press -- 1/10/17

Sessions failed to disclose oil interests as required, ethics experts say -- Attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions did not disclose his ownership of oil interests on land in Alabama as required by federal ethics rules, according to an examination of state records and independent ethics lawyers who reviewed the documents. Tom Hamburger in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/17

GOP pushing 3 bills in Congress to restrain federal regulations -- Freed from the constraint of a presidential veto, Republicans are moving rapidly on industry-backed legislation that could paralyze the government’s ability to protect the environment, public health and virtually everything else federal agencies regulate. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/10/17

 

-- Monday Updates 

550 homes and businesses projected to flood along Russian River near Guerneville -- A bit of sunshine Monday morning was little comfort to many living along Sonoma County’s Russian River, where water levels were expected to continue swelling into the afternoon despite a letup in the rain. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle Maria Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/9/17

Four big questions for Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget -- But this month’s inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, along with his fellow Republicans retaining control of Congress, has injected a heavy dose of trepidation into the Democrat-controlled budget process that formally begins Tuesday when Brown releases his proposed spending plan for the year beginning July 1. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/17

‘All they got was a slap on the hand.’ Is California low-balling penalties in nursing home death investigations? -- Armando Reagan was 30 when he bled to death, rushed from a Southern California nursing home as blood soaked his sheets, pooled on the floor and as he pleaded with staff: “Help! Help! I do not want to die!” according to state public health records. Marjie Lundstrom in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/9/17

Judge in whistleblower case orders SDPD to hand over personnel records -- A Superior Court judge has granted a request from a lieutenant suing the San Diego Police Department to order the department to hand over personnel records of a captain and subordinate officer whose conduct factors in the case. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/9/17

L.A. needs to borrow millions to cover legal payouts, city report says -- Los Angeles budget officials are warning that the city needs to immediately borrow tens of millions of dollars to avoid dipping into its emergency reserve fund after several high-profile lawsuit payouts. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/17

SDG&E Seeks $379 Million From Ratepayers In 2007 Wildfire Costs -- The public will have an opportunity on Monday to weigh in on San Diego Gas & Electric's request to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in costs related to the 2007 wildfires. Under the proposal, the average residential customer could be on the hook for approximately $20 a year for six years. Susan Murphy KPBS -- 1/9/17

Bad news for Bay Area mega-commuters: Sacramento now leads the nation in rent growth -- We’ve been hearing about Bay Area mega-commuters for some time now — those poor souls who spend hours on the road each day, commuting from far-away affordable homes or apartments to decent-paying jobs in the Bay Area’s core. Richard Scheinin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/9/17

Who are Trump's friends? One is Thomas Barrack, a Californian who could shape his views on the Middle East -- Thomas J. Barrack Jr. drew worldwide attention for bailing out Michael Jackson when the singer’s Neverland Ranch was on the brink of foreclosure. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/17

Donald Trump couldn't let Meryl Streep's Golden Globes speech go unanswered -- He decried Meryl Streep as a disgruntled “Hillary lover” both on Twitter and in an interview with the New York Times after the actress used a Golden Globes speech Sunday to condemn his campaign-trail comments about a reporter with a congenital condition. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/17

Meryl Streep was right. Donald Trump did mock a disabled reporter. -- Streep ripped Trump for his obvious mockery of a journalist's physical disability in late 2015, and Trump responded by once again denying that he meant to make fun of the reporter's condition. Callum Borchers in the Washington Post$ -- 1/9/17

Fact Check: Streep overrated? Trump picks a decorated star -- She has earned 19 Oscar nominations and three wins, as well as a record 29 Golden Globe nominations and eight wins, and two Emmy Awards. Plus there's a Presidential Medal of Freedom, not to mention 10 People's Choice Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, four National Society of Film Critics Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor and has been named a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the highest civilian honor given by the French government. Mark Kennedy Associated Press -- 1/9/17

Sports personality nearly predicts exact time of Trump's Meryl Streep tweetstorm -- Sports personality and former Sports Illustrated editor Jimmy Traina, who wrote that the President-elect would start firing off posts at 6:24 a.m. As it turned out, Traina came within three minutes of being correct: Alyssa Pereira in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/9/17

Herdt: Uncertainty Over Federal Health Care Policy Creates Major Heartburn for California Budget-Makers -- When C. Duane Dauner, the crackerjack CEO who has headed the California Hospital Association for 31 years, announced last month his intent to retire at the end of 2018, the timing must surely have been bittersweet. Timm Herdt Fox & Hounds -- 1/9/17

KGO-TV news van caught in rockslide in Santa Cruz Mountains -- A KGO-TV news van got stuck in a rockslide early Monday morning in the Santa Cruz Mountains and its driver suffered minor injuries when he was trapped inside, officials said. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/9/17

San Diego County Supervisors Add To Their Pension Payouts During Last Term In Office -- On Tuesday, Item #7 on the San Diego County Supervisors’ agenda is the final reading of an ordinance that effectively increases their pay by about 12 percent within the next year. Alison St John KPBS -- 1/9/17

Theme park crime: Counterfeiters prefer Disneyland; shoplifters like Universal Studios Hollywood -- Disneyland’s 1955 opening was plagued by snafus, including the widespread distribution of counterfeit tickets. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/17

Candy maker Mars is buying L.A.-based animal hospital chain for $7.7 billion -- VCA Inc., which consolidated chunks of the pet health industry to grow into a leading chain of animal hospitals, agreed to be bought by candy and pet-care giant Mars Inc. for $7.7 billion in cash, the companies said Monday. James F. Peltz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/17

San Diego’s Public Transit Growth Hits Speed Bump -- San Diego is far from alone: Low gas prices and increasing competition from ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft have put a damper on public transit ridership in nearly every city in the United States. In addition, high employment and low interest rates have allowed more people to buy cars, and sky-high housing prices have forced many to live further from their jobs, making the convenience and speed of driving one's own vehicle all the more attractive. Andrew Bowen KPBS -- 1/9/17