Updating . . .

Jury finds David DePape guilty after federal trial -- A federal jury in San Francisco found David DePape guilty Thursday of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting the family member of a federal official on Thursday after deliberating for less than 24 hours. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ Ivana Saric Axios -- 11/16/23

Protesters shut down Bay Bridge's westbound lanes, calling for Gaza ceasefire -- Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza shut down the westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge Thursday morning, just east of Treasure Island, California Highway Patrol said. CHP said the demonstration unfolded shortly before 8 a.m. and that there was no estimated time of reopening. Nora Mishanec, Jessica Flores, Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Austin Turner, Harry Harris in the East Bay Times$ -- 11/16/23

APEC in S.F.: Massive traffic backup as Bay Bridge blocked by protesters; no estimated reopening time -- Another busy day is planned at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in downtown San Francisco, with Open AI CEO Sam Altman, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk scheduled to speak at the CEO summit. Also happening today is the APEC Annual Ministerial Meeting Leaders' Plenary. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Xi Jinping: I hope S.F. and California continue to lead the way in growing U.S.-China friendship -- Xi’s conciliatory speech, in Mandarin, to a room of business leaders in San Francisco’s Hyatt Regency Downtown, repeatedly referenced history — from the founding of the United Nations in the city to the Chinese-U.S. alliance during World War II. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

China’s Xi Draws Standing Ovation From U.S. Business Leaders—and Some Doubts -- U.S. corporate titans applaud Chinese leader, though some are disappointed by lack of plans to boost business ties. Lingling Wei, Charles Hutzler in the Wall Street Journal$ Ana Swanson in the New York Times$ -- 11/16/23

Biden calls Xi a ‘dictator’ following joint agreement to curb fentanyl production -- China and the U.S. will increase cooperation to crack down on the manufacture and export of fentanyl — the opioid fueling overdose deaths in San Francisco and nationwide — under a deal struck Wednesday during the meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Woodside. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Moorpark professor arrested in death of Jewish protester Paul Kessler in Thousand Oaks -- A Moorpark College professor has been arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a Jewish protester who suffered head injuries during clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators earlier this month in Thousand Oaks. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Many Latino Californians aren’t voting. Can U.S. Senate candidates motivate them? -- Latino voters are up for grabs in the 2024 California election, and could help decide who wins the U.S. Senate seat. But will the campaigns do enough outreach to convince them? Yue Stella Yu CalMatters -- 11/16/23

‘Show up’ and campaign in Spanish: Rural Latino voters feel ignored by Senate candidates -- As the the state hurdles towards the 2024 Senate election, many Latino voters in rural California feel overlooked — more than even those living in the Bay Area or in Los Angeles. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Newton: Brownsville, Texas, to Los Angeles: The migrants forced to travel through American politics -- Since June, nearly 1,000 migrants have been bused from Texas to Los Angeles as a political stunt. A patchwork system has emerged to provide care, services and a humane entry to U.S. life once they reach California. Jim Newton CalMatters -- 11/16/23

California’s population of unauthorized immigrants has dropped, report says -- The California population of immigrants lacking lawful status decreased by 150,000 between 2017 and 2021, but the state continues to have the highest number — 1.9 million — of unauthorized residents among the states. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Can a Democrat not named Katie Porter win her congressional swing seat? -- Rep. Katie Porter has been a bright spot for Democrats as they try to claim territory in Orange County, California’s historic bastion of conservatism. Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/16/23

Florida Democrats’ lesson for California: Don’t take anyone’s support for granted -- In 2020 and 2022, Trump and DeSantis picked up support among Latinos in Florida. Could that be a harbinger for Arizona and Nevada — and maybe even swaths of California? -- Seema Mehta, Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

The 10

‘You can smell the pollution’: 10 Freeway closure brings traffic, fumes, anger for residents -- Four days after a massive fire erupted under the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles, shutting down one of the country’s busiest commuting corridors, morning traffic rumbled through the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Soto Street. Nathan Solis, Ashley Ahn, Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

A's

MLB owners give Fisher green light to leave Oakland, move A's to Las Vegas -- The election that A’s fans anticipated and dreaded for months took place Thursday morning and, as expected, MLB owners voted 30-0 to approve owner John Fisher’s plan to relocate his franchise to Las Vegas. John Shea in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jason Mastrodonato in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/16/23

‘Disappointed’ Oakland mayor says approval of A’s move ‘not the end of the road’ --Sheng Thao doubled down on her demand to keep the A’s name in the city and seek an expansion franchise. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Oakland pro sports dead at 63 as A’s abandon East Bay, ending era of titles and fun -- Oakland professional sports, which spent more than six decades producing world championships, colorful characters and memorable moments, essentially died Thursday. They were 63. Ron Kroichick in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Housing

Inside the world’s largest AIDS charity’s troubled move into homeless housing -- A Times investigation has found that many of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s more than 1,300 residents live in squalid conditions, with dozens under the threat of eviction. Liam Dillon, Doug Smith, Benjamin Oreskes, Francine Orr, Aida Ylanan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Southern California home values near record despite the high cost of borrowing -- Southern California housing affordability is at the lowest level in decades amid rising home prices and mortgage rates. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

‘Brutal.’ Affording a home in Sacramento is now nearly as hard as buying in San Francisco -- Fewer Sacramento County residents can afford to purchase the median-priced home here today than at any point in more than 15 years. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/23

Climate

‘I have PTSD’: Snow, death, isolation bring scary new climate reality in San Bernardino Mountains -- Unprecedented snowstorms buried the mountain communities in San Bernardino County this winter, and when neighborhoods finally dug out, 13 people had died. Most were found in their homes. Summer Lin, Grace Toohey, Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

‘Black to the land’ farm leans into African American heritage to fight climate change -- Inspired by Octavia Butler’s Afrofuturist fiction, a Sonoma County farmer helps Black Californians connect with nature and learn lessons in climate resilience. Tyrone Beason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Education

Hundreds ‘begged’ Rocklin school board not to pass parent notification policy, emails show -- The Rocklin Unified School Board received hundreds of messages from students, teachers, staff, and residents, calling on its five members not to pass a parental notification policy in September, according to 1,350 pages of public records reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. Jenavieve Hatch in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/23

Wells Fargo

Regulators Say Wells Fargo Isn’t Doing Enough to Police Customer Crimes -- Bank also faces lawsuit claiming that it failed to detect alleged Ponzi scheme. Ben Eisen, Ben Foldy in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/16/23

Also

Babies are losing their lives to a preventable illness. Her job is stopping it -- This L.A. County investigator is working to track down a crucial set of patients who have slipped away from the health system: Women of childbearing age who have tested positive for syphilis. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Two of Tahoe’s biggest ski resorts are no longer opening this Friday. Here’s why -- Two of Tahoe’s premier ski resorts announced Wednesday, two days before they were slated to open for the winter season, that they will be delayed without a timetable due to warmer than expected temperatures in the region. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Terror On Repeat - A rare look at the devastation caused by AR-15 shootings -- Mass shootings involving AR-15s have become a recurring American nightmare. The weapon, easy to operate and widely available, is now used more than any other in the country’s deadliest mass killings. Silvia Foster-Frau, N. Kirkpatrick, Arelis R. Hernández in the Washington Post$ -- 11/16/23

Read why The Post is publishing this story -- In “Terror on repeat,” the latest story in our series examining the role of the AR-15 in American life, The Washington Post is taking the unusual step of publishing photographs and videos taken during the immediate aftermaths of some of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings. Sally Buzbee in the Washington Post$ -- 11/16/23

A Homeless Man Attacked Him. But Was There More to the Story? -- An altercation in San Francisco has raised fears about the city’s future — but also questions about what really happened. Jesse Barron in the New York Times$ -- 11/16/23

California Policy and Politics Thursday

Biden and Xi agree to work together to limit fentanyl production -- China and the U.S. will increase cooperation to crack down on the manufacture and export of fentanyl under a deal between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Pro-China, pro-Tibet groups clash in S.F. as Chinese president arrives for APEC -- Throughout the day, pro-China and pro-Tibet groups had broken out into fights. By the late afternoon, nearly 1,000 demonstrators from both sides chanted outside the Hyatt Regency, where the Chinese president was expected to arrive. People held red Chinese flags and Tibetan flags. Aldo Toledo, Sarah Ravani, Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

A human blockade and a punch to the face: APEC protest turns violent in downtown S.F. -- The spasm of violence from both sides of protesters encapsulated the tense, angry mood across San Francisco, in the wake of global and local concerns. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Univision news anchor León Krauze departs after network’s controversial Trump interview -- León Krauze, a veteran news anchor for Univision and its Los Angeles TV station, has resigned in the aftermath the Spanish-language network’s recent interview with former President Trump. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Meta Allows Ads Claiming Rigged 2020 Election on Facebook, Instagram -- Meta Platforms will let political ads on Facebook and Instagram question the legitimacy of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, one of several changes the social-media company and other platforms have made to loosen constraints on campaign advertising for 2024. Salvador Rodriguez in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/16/23

Jewish activists rallying for Gaza cease-fire shut down Hollywood intersection -- Hundreds of demonstrators calling for a Gaza cease-fire shut down the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue on Wednesday. Jeremy Childs in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

The 10

L.A.’s post-fire push for public transportation: Free rides, faster trains, more buses -- As gridlock seizes the streets of downtown Los Angeles following the 10 Freeway fire, L.A. officials are imploring drivers to ditch their cars and finally hop on public transit — and they’re using free rides, faster trains and more buses on city streets as incentive. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Workplace

California state scientists strike, demand equal pay -- More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Rachel Becker CalMatters Maya Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/23

SAG-AFTRA leaders defend AI protections: ‘We achieved the best possible deal’ -- SAG-AFTRA leaders are defending the artificial intelligence terms of their tentative deal with the major Hollywood studios in response to criticism from some members that the union did not secure enough protections for performers. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Bay Area Target store closures to eliminate more than 200 jobs -- In October, Target shuttered three of its stores in the region, citing concerns about theft and organized retail crime jeopardizing the safety of both employees and customers. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/16/23

Education

UC regents tackle free speech, safety concerns amid Israel-Palestine conflict -- UC regents announced they will commit $7 million to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia on campuses. The money will go to training faculty and staff, and to mental health services for staff and students. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 11/16/23

A teen girl was beaten at Baldwin Park High. A security guard is accused of watching and smiling -- A 16-year-old girl has filed a claim against her local school district, saying she was brutally attacked outside a bathroom stall as other students filmed — and a security guard watched. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Boosting student success after Covid is a team effort, panel says -- Two years after California schools reopened their classrooms to in-person instruction following the Covid-19 pandemic, students continue to struggle – both academically and emotionally. Mallika Seshadri EdSource -- 11/16/23

Homeless

Sacramento DA sued the city over homelessness. Now he’s demanding a ‘toxic’ camp be shut down -- Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho ratcheted up his fight with the city of Sacramento over the homeless crisis, issuing a letter suggesting officials may face “criminal liability” for allowing unhoused citizens to live at a toxic site dubbed Camp Resolution. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/23

Wildfire

Southern California utility responsible for deadly 2022 fire, state officials say -- One of California’s largest utilities is responsible for a blaze that killed two people attempting to flee a fast-moving 2022 fire near Hemet, southeast of Los Angeles, according to a report from the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection obtained by The Washington Post. Vanessa Montalbano, Brianna Sacks in the Washington Post$ -- 11/16/23

Street

San Francisco likely to see deadliest year for drug overdoses in 2023 -- San Francisco is on track to see the deadliest year on record for accidental drug overdose deaths in 2023, newly released preliminary data from the medical examiner's office shows. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Massive Northern California retail theft bust nets $350,000 in stolen goods -- Investigators with CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force and the Concord Police Department recovered stolen goods in residences and vehicles in Oakland and Galt, a city in Sacramento County, the CHP said. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Shoplifting groups twice hit Fashion Valley Nordstrom, swiping high-end Chanel purses -- A Chanel boutique at Fashion Valley mall was targeted twice this month by groups of shoplifters who stole thousands of dollars in designer items, according to San Diego police. Caleb Lunetta in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/23

Sacramento sheriff praises grocery chain for allowing ‘blitz operation’ to fight retail theft -- On the heels of scathing criticism of retailers’ response to theft, Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper praised one major grocery store chain for working with deputies to stop shoplifters. Ishani Desai in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/23

As SFPD makes arrests in car break-in, Breed says police are not ‘only focused on APEC’ -- Police said they recovered stolen items, burglary tools, a gun and a large amount of cash from the suspects. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Defense contractor accused of bribing SPAWAR engineer with Super Bowl, World Series tickets -- Federal prosecutors in San Diego say defense contractor Philip Flores bribed DoD civil employee James Soriano in exchange for lucrative government contracts. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/23

LAPD investigating why day laborers’ report of bags full of body parts ignored -- The chief of the Los Angeles Police Department said he has ordered an internal review into reports that a desk officer at the Topanga Division station in Canoga Park turned away day laborers who were attempting to tell police about being handed trash bags filled with body parts outside a Tarzana home where police believe a woman and her parents were murdered by her husband. Josh Cain in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/16/23

Also

Biden and Xi Meet at a Backdrop for Hollywood and Tech-Titan Weddings -- The meeting took place at a giant 20th-century estate built by a family that made its fortune in the gold rush. Katie Rogers, David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 11/16/23

L.A. County reports first flu death of season, renews call for residents to get vaccinated -- The person who died was elderly and had multiple underlying health conditions, according to the county Department of Public Health. There was no record of the person being vaccinated for flu this season, officials added. Anthony De Leon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/23

Tower on S.F. waterfront to sell for less than half of its value of a decade ago -- Before the pandemic, a red-gold brick office tower near the San Francisco waterfront had attracted tenants including Google and WeWork. Now, the 18-story building is slated to sell for less than half of what it was worth a decade ago. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

He thought he’d won big on love and crypto. Instead, he was ‘pig butchered’ for $260K -- A 68-year-old Santa Clara man who had recently divorced, and was struggling through financial problems, received a text in February from a number he didn’t recognize. The trap had been set. Demian Bulwa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/23

Oakland A’s fans return to Bay Area after taking their case directly to John Fisher, MLB owners -- Leaders of an Oakland A’s fan group were back in the Bay Area on Wednesday after a whirlwind trip to Texas that resulted in a chance meeting with team owner John Fisher and left the baseball world abuzz. Laurence Miedema in the East Bay Times$ -- 11/16/23