Updating . .   

California has sent COVID-19 jobless benefits to Scott Peterson, death row inmates -- San Quentin inmate Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his wife and unborn son, received California unemployment benefits in recent months, according to a group of state and federal prosecutors who have been investigating fraud in the pandemic relief system administered by the state Employment Development Department. Anita Chabria, Patrick McGreevy Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Wes Venteicher and David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ Katy Murphy Politico -- 11/24/20

California shatters coronavirus records as surge worsens -- The state recorded 20,654 cases Monday, significantly surpassing a previous record of 13,400. Hard-hit Los Angeles County recorded more than 6,000 new cases, which was also a daily record. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/24/20

S.F. expected to join coronavirus purple tier ‘this week’; move would trigger curfew -- San Francisco on Sunday again avoided being banished to the state’s most restrictive purple tier, even as as coronavirus cases surged. But residents should not get their hopes up: It’s still likely to happen this week, officials said. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

Restaurants ask court to allow outdoor dining in L.A. County -- A group representing California restaurants has gone to court in an attempt to stop the impending ban on dining in Los Angeles County, arguing that restaurants can operate safely amid surging COVID-19 cases and the impact of a ban on food industry workers and owners will be enormous. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Will California’s small businesses survive another COVID-19 surge without more help? -- For 27 years, along an industrial strip by the 405 Freeway, Go Kart World has offered family fun with six racetracks and an arcade. But as news of the coronavirus spread in February, customers fled. And in March, health officials shut down the business. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

With COVID cases spiraling, travelers into L.A. must sign a form acknowledging quarantine -- As coronavirus cases continue to surge throughout Los Angeles, out-of-state travelers arriving in the city by air and train must now sign a form acknowledging the county’s 14-day quarantine requirement, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Monday. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

How should you celebrate Thanksgiving in California during the COVID-19 pandemic? -- Federal, state and local officials are urging people to stay home for Thanksgiving and not travel — whether it be a flight across the country or a walk down the street to a neighbor’s home — to avoid transmitting the coronavirus. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

What happens if people in California don't behave on Thanksgiving? -- Health officials are pleading with Californians to skip the usual Thanksgiving gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but what if people don't follow safety measures issued by health officials? Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/24/20

Here’s a look at COVID-19 risk tools — and why experts say they shouldn’t guide your decisions -- Several online risk assessment tools have popped up during the pandemic that let users gauge the possibility of becoming infected with coronavirus in different scenarios. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

Covid Economy  

Sacramento retail spending went up in October, report says. Here’s what we’re buying -- The pandemic has brought economic turmoil and forced people to stay home much more, but shoppers in the greater Sacramento metro area also spent more on retail this October than in 2019, according to a recent report from MasterCard. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/24/20

Policy & Politics 

Trump environmental war against California ran deep. Here’s how Biden changes everything -- Mary Nichols has led California’s resistance to President Donald Trump’s climate policies. Now she may wind up leading the federal government’s fight on climate and other environmental issues. Dale Kasler and Michael Wilner in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/24/20

Complaints of ‘very toxic culture’ mount as Sacramento County orders probe into its CEO -- Spano’s experience highlights a widespread view among employees of Sacramento County. This year, nearly a dozen people have complained about a toxic culture that enables hostility and intimidation toward employees. At the core of their complaints is one person: Gill, the highest-ranking non-elected employee in the county administration of 12,000 people. Michael Finch II in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/24/20

Election  

Research topics to expand as California passes stem cell measure -- California’s stem cell research agency was supposed to be winding down its operations right about now, after a 16-year run and hundreds of millions in grants to scientists researching cutting-edge treatments for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Barbara Feder Ostrov CalMatters -- 11/24/20

How California reached historic voter turnout despite pandemic, distrust -- Californians faced the naysayers and voted in historic numbers this election. CalMatters interviewed 45 of 58 county registrars and found the mail vote experiment saw few glitches, little drama and might provide a blueprint for future elections across the country. Lewis Griswold CalMatters -- 11/24/20

Failure to bridge divides of age, race doomed affirmative action proposition -- Widespread skepticism in Latino and Asian communities and tepid support among younger Black residents combined with opposition from most whites to doom the effort this year to revive affirmative action in California, according to a new postelection survey. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Education 

A new tool reveals the lack of Latino representation on California’s public boards -- In an effort to measure the impact of California’s new board diversity law, the Latino Corporate Directors Association has launched a new tool that will measure the number of Latino directors in California’s public board rooms. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/24/20

Zoom School   

Kindergartners struggle to learn online. But this mother-daughter duo keeps them glued -- It was five minutes past 9 a.m. on the 59th day of school, and Ms. Tai was running late. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Wildfire Winds  

Fire risk returns to Southern California as Santa Ana winds are forecast for Thanksgiving weekend -- In a pair of fire weather forecasts released by the National Weather Service, meteorologists warned that warm, dry inland winds are expected to sweep over the Southland from Santa Barbara to Orange counties from Thursday through Sunday, raising the risk that a fire would burn out of control. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Street  

Arellano: How Huntington Beach became Angrytown, USA -- In this year, the lack of masks being worn and outright disbelief about the severity of coronavirus are hallmarks. In all years, the overwhelming whiteness of the crowd in an Orange County that has been majority minority for nearly a generation. And anger, anger — so much anger. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Sacramento to pay $99K settlement to man whose dog was shot by police outside Safeway -- The settlement agreement, obtained by The Sacramento Bee from a request under the California Public Records Act, was signed in September — about six months after a lawsuit was filed in federal court alleging officers used excessive force. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/24/20

Also . . .   

‘Bizarro Beach’ or state park? What it’s like living next to California’s off-roading mecca -- Tucked into an otherwise quiet bend south of Pismo Beach, Oceano Dunes may be California’s most dangerous state park. Julie Cart CalMatters -- 11/24/20

California Policy and P  olitics Tuesday Morning  

L.A. County closer to new stay-home order as COVID cases hit new high -- The specter of another COVID-19 shutdown is looming over Los Angeles County, as another record-high number of daily coronavirus cases Monday pushed the region over its self-set threshold for issuing a new stay-at-home order. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Melley and Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 11/24/20

COVID deaths on the rise across California. Can Bay Area avoid a major uptick? -- Deaths from COVID-19 have started to increase statewide, a harbinger of what could be a deadly holiday season if cases spike as expected from Thanksgiving get-togethers, public health experts warned Monday. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

Newsom: Up to 2.4 million California health care workers could get coronavirus vaccines as soon as December -- California could start administering coronavirus vaccines to as many as 2.4 million of the state’s highest-priority health care workers in early December, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

Supervisor Barger, others want to keep outdoor dining open in LA County -- The Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, in tandem with county health officials, to discuss the recent health order and where to go from here. Sunday’s stunning order inspired the challenge from Barger, who represents the county’s Fifth District, on Monday. Bradley Bermont in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/24/20

Pasadena will allow outdoor dining to continue despite L.A. County health order -- Pasadena has its own Department of Public Health that has the authority to issue health orders independent of Los Angeles County. Its orders have generally followed those of Los Angeles. As of Monday, Pasadena has reported 3,405 coronavirus cases and 132 deaths. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

After two COVID-19 exposures, Newsom and his family will quarantine until Dec. 5 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and his family will spend Thanksgiving in quarantine after his children were exposed in two separate incidents to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, cases that the governor said Monday prompted an informal lockdown of his Fair Oaks estate over the weekend. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Judge says no to letting San Diego County restaurants, gyms reopen indoors amid rise in coronavirus cases -- Local businesses had filed suit seeking a temporary restraining order that would have overturned county and state orders that restaurants and gyms be limited to outdoor-only operations. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/24/20

As virus spreads among federal inmates in downtown L.A., court hearings and visitations are halted -- A coronavirus outbreak at a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles has left more than 200 inmates infected and forced prison officials to cancel detainees’ court appearances as part of a lockdown of the facility. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Don’t Call It a Curfew: California's New, Less Restrictive Stay-at-Home Order Still Draws Backlash -- Gov. Gavin Newsom telling me to stay at home? Across California, some residents are bristling at the thought. Hundreds of people gathered Saturday night in Huntington Beach to protest the state's recent stay-at-home order, which prohibits nonessential trips between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. A smaller protest in Fresno drew about 50 disgruntled residents. Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez KQED -- 11/24/20

Open anyway 

Noted conservative activist speaks at packed California church, defying COVID-19 rules -- A large Pentecostal church in Northern California with a history of defying state and local coronavirus restrictions did so again this past weekend in a big way, holding a trio of packed indoor services Sunday with prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a guest. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/24/20

Policy & Politics 

Feinstein won’t seek to keep top Senate Judiciary Committee post -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein will not seek the top Democratic position on the high-profile Judiciary Committee in the next Congress, a move that comes after some progressives said she had not been tough enough on GOP nominees. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ Felicia Sonmez and Seung Min Kim in the Washington Post$ -- 11/24/20

Pressure rising on Newsom about who will replace Kamala Harris in Senate -- As Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs who should replace Sen. Kamala Harris, private lobbying has burst forth into public campaigns by groups hoping to sway the governor’s decision. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/23/ 20

Walters: Poll confirms Californians’ sour mood on higher taxes -- Proposition 15 would have been the largest tax increase in California history and its defeat this month was, by any definition, a huge setback for its sponsors, primarily public employee unions. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 11/24/20

Street  

After decades of quiet, Bay Area prosecutors seek to hold police accountable for on-the-job killings -- For decades, prosecutors in the Bay Area rarely charged police officers who killed civilians while on the job. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

Education 

Purple tier delays reopening timelines for some school districts -- Some districts, including Poway Unified and Santee Elementary, had already reopened to some degree for part-time, in-person instruction, but they are voluntarily delaying bringing back more of their students or starting full-time instruction due to the purple tier. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/24/20

Fewer internships for Bay Area high school seniors to boost college apps -- With college application deadlines right around the corner, thousands of California students are still in virtual school, making it harder for them to network, complete extracurricular activities and get critical internships they hope will get them into the colleges of their choice. Laurence Du Sault CalMatters -- 11/24/20

With classrooms closed, scientists take over virtual STEM lessons in LA Unified -- Field trips and hands-on lessons are an integral part of K-12 science instruction — at least they should be in normal times. But they have virtually disappeared this school year as a result of students learning from home. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 11/24/20

School   

Newport-Mesa teachers union urges district to return secondary schools to distance learning -- The teachers union in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District requested on Monday, Nov. 23, that its middle and high schools return to distance learning because of the recent rise in coronavirus cases in Orange County, the upcoming holidays and concerns with the hybrid model. Dan Albano in the Orange County Register -- 11/24/20

Covid 

Holiday Travel Creating Long Lines At San Diego COVID-19 Testing Centers -- Despite a travel advisory, people are still packing their bags and flying out of San Diego International Airport. “I am flying home to Denver for the holidays just to be with my family for Thanksgiving,” said Kayte Livran, an SDSU student. For her, booking a plane ticket also meant booking a COVID-19 test. Two, in fact. Tania Thorne KPBS -- 11/24/20

Housing  

Do California ag counties hold solutions to Monterey County farmworker housing crisis? -- In 2019, Monterey County sold more than five billion dollars worth of agricultural products, from cannabis to strawberries to leaf lettuce. It is, by far, the largest industry in the county. Kate Cimini CalMatters -- 11/24/20

Cannabis  

San Diego may create California’s first city-sanctioned cannabis trade association -- San Diego officials are proposing California’s first city-sanctioned trade association for cannabis dispensaries, to help the industry fight black market operators, coordinate lobbying and help low-income people enter the industry. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/24/20

Second marijuana dispensary sues Chula Vista over its license application process -- A second cannabis company is suing Chula Vista after the city rejected its busines license application. If successful, this lawsuit could prevent the city from awarding any licenses to storefront dispensaries and further stall a lengthy permitting process that began nearly two years ago. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/24/20

California officials improperly allowed cannabis billboards along highways, court rules -- State officials improperly allowed hundreds of billboards advertising cannabis products along California highways even though the billboards were banned under the 2016 initiative that legalized the sale of pot for recreational use, a judge ruled last week. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Also . . .   

Pliny the Younger nixes its hyped up Sonoma County brewpub release due to COVID -- For the first time in a decade, there will not be crowds of thousands lining up on Santa Rosa’s Fourth Street this February. They will not be shivering outside in the often cold, rainy weather as they await the chance to taste Pliny the Younger, the triple India Pale Ale from Russian River Brewing Co. that is one of the world's biggest cult favorites. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

Lime adding 1,000 S.F. scooters after city approval -- Earlier this year, Lime acquired scooter company Jump and its permit to operate 1,000 scooters. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency approved the transfer of that permit to Lime last week. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

14 charged in alleged ‘sham’ school scheme -- Fourteen Southern California residents have been charged with involvement in two “sham” schools allegedly funded with fraudulent workers compensation claims that cost insurance carriers more than $22 million, prosecutors said. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Muslims reel over a prayer app that sold user data: ‘A betrayal from within our own community’ -- Five times a day, tens of millions of phones buzz with notifications from an app called Muslim Pro, reminding users it’s time to pray. Johana Bhuiyan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/24/20

Christmas cocktail pop-up Miracle is back in S.F. but outdoor seats are almost all booked already -- The pandemic can’t stop over-the-top joyous Christmas cocktail pop-up Miracle, which returns this week to San Francisco bar Pacific Cocktail Haven and Petaluma beer garden Brewsters. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/24/20

POTUS 46  

Biden’s nominees have pushed policies that Trump used to fuel his rise -- Biden’s top picks, announced Monday, in the past helped push for trade deals, aimed to sign international treaties and advocated for foreign wars, positions that after Trump’s victory in 2016 triggered widespread soul-searching among Democrats over how they had misread the sentiments of voters on whose support they had long counted. Matt Viser, John Hudson, Karen DeYoung and Carol Morello in the Washington Post$ -- 11/24/20

POTUS 45  

Trump relents as administration begins Biden transition -- The General Services Administration on Monday finally acknowledged Biden as the apparent winner of the 2020 presidential election, allowing his team to get working on the logistics of the transition. Matthew Choi, Gabby Orr, Meridith McGraw and Nancy Cook Politico -- 11/24/20

Beltway   

The secretive consulting firm that’s become Biden’s Cabinet in waiting -- The website for WestExec Advisors includes a map depicting West Executive Avenue, the secure road on the White House grounds between the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, as a way to show what the consulting firm can do for its clients. Bryan Bender and Theodoric Meyer Politico -- 11/24/20