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‘A brilliant move’: How the Newsom-DeSantis debate offers major upsides for the governors -- From their pandemic policies to their relationships with Disney, Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom have opposite political ideologies. The debate could help them both. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Newsom and DeSantis both promote freedom in education. But their focus is wildly different -- Freedom in DeSantis’ Florida means parental control over schooling. Newsom favors freedom of opportunity, through diverse ideas, representation in curriculum. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Six ways Gavin Newsom will have to defend California in debate against Ron DeSantis -- Imagine if the country became as much of a mess as California, says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. That’s the sort of broadside likely to be coming Gov. Gavin Newsom’s way Thursday night as he engages DeSantis in a 90-minute debate on Fox News Channel. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/30/23

DeSantis vs. Newsom: Charts show how many Californians are migrating to Florida — and vice versa -- California has tended to lose more residents to domestic migration than it’s gained, but has continued to grow because it attracts so many international migrants. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

California exodus: A record number of people are fleeing the Golden State for Florida -- Texas has long been the top landing spot in the United States for residents leaving California. Nevada and Arizona, two states that share a border with California, have also traditionally been among the top destinations. There’s suddenly a new contender attracting people fleeing California: Ron DeSantis’s Florida. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/30/23

Chabria: Newsom and DeSantis have the spotlight, but they don’t have a chance. Harris and Haley might -- Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis are drawing the spotlight of the presidential race, but neither has a shot at the Oval Office. Why are we ignoring the two women who will decide the race? Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Immigration

Barabak: Could immigrants be America’s new swing voter group? -- A first-of-its-kind survey of more than 3,300 immigrants nationwide confounds some of the conventional wisdom surrounding their politics and partisanship. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

‘Everything’s like a gamble’: U.S. immigration policies leave lives in limbo -- Millions of immigrants — those here legally as well as unauthorized migrants — find their lives constrained by the complex, sometimes irrational, twists of U.S. immigration law. Kevin Baxter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Whistleblower alleges failures in medical care at U.S. border facilities -- A Customs and Border Protection official filed a complaint with Congress alleging his supervisors failed to adequately monitor a medical services contractor. Nick Miroff in the Washington Post$ -- 11/30/23

DACA

Fewer undocumented students have DACA. California’s colleges want to help, even if the options are limited -- Most undocumented college students in California are not eligible for DACA anymore, creating new dilemmas for students and colleges around employment, financial aid and the threat of deportation. Adam Echelman CalMatters -- 11/30/23

Social

U.S. stops helping Big Tech spot foreign meddling amid GOP legal threats -- The federal government is no longer warning Meta about foreign influence campaigns, a shift that comes amid a legal campaign against the Biden administration’s communication with tech platforms. Naomi Nix, Cat Zakrzewski in the Washington Post$ -- 11/30/23

Teen Suicide

As teen suicide spikes, school policies may be making things worse -- In the absence of meaningful access to care, an old superstition has taken root: that talking about suicide will cause kids in crisis to kill themselves. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

He died training for L.A. teen crisis hotline. His parents want all to know the number -- For adolescents, suicide prevention often starts with other teens. That’s what drew Donald “Trey” Brown III to Teen Line, where he was training before his suicide. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Workplace

Cal State faculty plans to strike as officials reject a 12% salary increase -- Cal State officials offered a 5% increase for each of the next three years, although those raises are not guaranteed. The union plans to strike at four campuses. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 11/30/23

Bay Area tech layoffs have surged. Here’s what to expect in 2024 -- After rising steadily last autumn and peaking in January, tech layoffs had declined for eight straight months this year “but ticked up again last month,” said Roger Lee, a San Francisco entrepreneur who runs Layoffs.fyi, which has become the most definitive and timely source of information on workforce reductions at tech and venture-backed companies. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Bank of America to close more than two dozen Bay Area branches -- The list includes locations in San Francisco’s Mission District and SoMa as well as a branch at San Francisco International Airport. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

LA’s Fashion Institute laying off 322 in company transition -- Most are expected to retain their jobs under the new ownership of SKEMA Business School. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/30/23

Homeless

S.F. streets were clean for APEC. Here’s what the Tenderloin and SoMa look like now -- In the Tenderloin, street conditions seemed to be a bit better than usual on a recent morning, though some local leaders said they were seeing signs that the pre-APEC status quo is returning. Kevin Fagan, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Housing

Free rent? With apartment supply increasing, Bay Area landlords turn to concessions -- Renters signing leases this fall are getting better deals, with some apartment complexes offering as many as 12 weeks off. Kate Talerico in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/30/23

Diablo Canyon

The California Public Utilities Commission is about to vote on extending the life of Diablo Canyon -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is in favor of extending the life of the Diablo Canyon power plant in San Luis Obispo, saying it’s needed to add reliability to the state’s electric grid and reduce the risk of rotating power outages. But the price tag to keep Diablo Canyon open is a matter of debate. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/23

Why No One Wants to Pay for the Green Transition -- Investors and consumers balk at costs of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, highlighting painful economics of climate mitigation. Greg Ip in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/30/23

Education

California lags behind other states in bilingual education for English learners -- The percentage of English learners in bilingual education programs in California is more than three times lower than in Wisconsin and more than two times lower than in Texas, Illinois and New Jersey. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 11/30/23

Street

‘Blasted ... to kingdom come’: Family of man shot by CHP officer on 105 Freeway files suit -- A little more than a week after a California Highway Patrol officer shot and killed a 33-year-old man on the 105 Freeway in Watts, the family of the victim has filed a civil lawsuit against the agency. Jeremy Childs in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Has S.F. turned the corner on retail theft? New reports suggest it has -- A study that examined trends in 24 cities where police have consistently published data over the past five years shows that San Francisco and Seattle both saw drops in retail theft of more than 30%. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

San Jose: Excessive force lawsuit from 2020 George Floyd protests cleared for trial -- Plaintiff Kyle Johnson claims he suffers ongoing injuries after being hit in the leg with a police projectile during the second day of downtown demonstrations marred by now-disavowed crowd control tactics. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/30/23

X

Elon Musk tells off Disney’s Iger, other fleeing advertisers in Dealbook interview -- Stung by an advertiser boycott and accusations of antisemitism, Elon Musk didn’t hide his hurt feelings in an onstage interview at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit conference. Jaimie Ding in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

California Policy and Politics Thursday

California Supreme Court agrees to consider pulling tax measure from 2024 ballot -- In a rare action, the state Supreme Court granted a hearing Wednesday on a request by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislators to remove an initiative from the November 2024 state ballot that would require voter approval for any increase in state or local taxes or fees. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

L.A. will switch to independent redistricting if voters approve in 2024 election -- The new independent redistricting panel would have 16 commissioners and four alternates, serving 10-year terms. The goal is to curtail council members’ influence over the process. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

S.F. Mayor Breed could face another opponent in 2024: her predecessor -- A handful of San Francisco residents who are dissatisfied with Mayor London Breed are trying to persuade her predecessor, fellow moderate Mark Farrell, to run against her in the November 2024 election. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Oakland council comments on Gaza cease-fire have gone viral. But are they ‘cherry-picked’? -- A clip of Monday’s Oakland City Council meeting is drawing national backlash, but it may not represent most of the public comments made. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

S.F. supervisor to introduce resolution calling for cease-fire in Gaza, release of all hostages -- Supervisor Dean Preston’s office is currently working on language with other supervisors before Tuesday’s meeting. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Credit unions charged millions in overdraft fees -- Credit unions often frame themselves as community-oriented financial institutions, in contrast to big commercial banks. But credit unions chartered in California last year collected over $250 million in overdraft fees. Scott Rodd KPBS -- 11/30/23

Their neighbors lost everything in a massive landslide. Now they fear for their homes -- Rolling Hills Estates aims to shore up the slope that failed in July and destroyed eight homes. But as winter approaches, residents fear heavy rain and renewed disaster. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

New law allows more involuntary mental health holds. Should San Diego County delay its implementation? -- Senate Bill 43 would expand number considered “gravely disabled” and county worries that doing so could swamp ERs Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/23

Irvine proposed banning single-use plastics. After industry lobbying, city leaders backed off -- The ordinance would have barred restaurants and food retailers from using single-use plastic utensils, foodware and bags, putting it at the forefront of Orange County attempts to combat plastic pollution. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Flaring

Flaring reported Wednesday night at Martinez refinery -- The incident happened on the same day two Martinez residents filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that it has become a public nuisance that is causing severe harm to residents. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/30/23

Martinez residents sue refinery after a year of accidents shakes community -- The Martinez Refining Company, already facing a series of investigations after a string of industrial accidents, is now being sued by two Martinez residents in a proposed class action lawsuit that demands the company cease operating until it proves it can do so safely. Will McCarthy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/30/23

Workplace

Broadcom to lay off over 1,200 Bay Area tech workers following $69B VMware deal -- Reports indicate that over 2,000 employees overall are slated for job losses, with a focus on downsizing more than 1,200 roles considered redundant at VMware’s offices in Silicon Valley, according to a WARN notice submitted to the California Employment Development Department. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Adjunct film professors at USC move to unionize: ‘Enough is enough’ -- In a news release, the AFA-UAW accused the film school of preventing its adjunct professors from teaching more than one class “to avoid providing health and other benefits.” The alleged class cuts have resulted in a “severe” loss of pay, the alliance said. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

‘This is a game changer’: Eli Lilly is building coworking labs dedicated to San Diego biotech startups -- The pharmaceutical giant expects the San Diego Lilly Gateway Labs to support 10 companies and more than 120 workers. Natallie Rocha in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/30/23

Develop

Tahoe is at a ‘breaking point,’ says new lawsuit that seeks to block development plan -- A new lawsuit aims to halt local government plans to streamline construction of new workforce housing units, hotels and commercial buildings on Tahoe's West Shore. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Street

L.A. County says hate crimes surged in 2022, with nearly 75% of them violent -- More than 900 people across L.A. County were victims of hate crimes in 2022, with Black and Jewish people disproportionately targeted, report finds. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

‘Devastating loss’: Hollywood figure killed inside home in random attack, LAPD says -- Michael Latt, a marketing consultant and social justice advocate with deep ties to Hollywood, was killed Monday at his Los Angeles home. He was 33. Jeremy Childs, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/30/23

Also

Nancy Pelosi served as witness when Dianne Feinstein signed over legal powers -- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi served as one of two legal witnesses when Sen. Dianne Feinstein gave her daughter, Katherine Feinstein, limited power of attorney over her affairs in July, legal filings show. Shira Stein, Sara Libby in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Court reinstates UC Berkeley soccer player’s sexual harassment suit against coach -- The 1st District Court of Appeal said abusive conduct that targets a woman, or a group based on their gender, can be considered sexual harassment. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/30/23

Elon Musk Uses ‘F’ Word for Advertisers Boycotting Platform -- Elon Musk said advertisers pulling their ads from his social-media platform X can “go f—yourself.” Alexa Corse in the Wall Street Journal$ Gerrit De Vynck in the Washington Post$ Kate Conger, Remy Tumin in the New York Times$ -- 11/30/23