- Another Occupied City: Oakland (Bay Citizen)
Several hundred people crowded into Frank H Ogawa Plaza on Monday to mark the start of Occupy Oakland, an offshoot of the nationwide movement that continues to gather momentum with its denunciation of corporate greed and a U.S. government that faciltates it. Occupy Oakland kicked off with protesters lining up to express their disparate reasons for being there. Their demands ranged from returning all Wall Street bonuses to converting “the United States into a non-profit” nation.
- Rains bring rot to Sonoma County vineyards (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
A week after unwanted rains began to hit vineyards in Sonoma County, some grape growers are reporting significant signs of damage to the county’s $400 million crop.
- Foes of LGBT history in textbooks face deadline(SF Chronicle)
Opponents of a new law that requires schools to teach about the contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as well as people with disabilities have only one more day to get enough voter signatures to attempt to repeal the measure.
- Booting hybrids from carpool lanes backfires (SF Chronicle)
Yanking the carpool privileges of solo hybrid drivers this summer backfired, adding congestion not only to regular freeway lanes but feeding a chain reaction that slowed carpooling motorists as well, UC Berkeley researchers said Monday.
- Behold, the book of Ed Lee hits San Francisco doorsteps (SF Examiner)
“The Ed Lee Story: An Unexpected Mayor” — a 132-page paperback written by a political consultant — is being distributed around The City by an independent expenditure committee dedicated to keeping the interim mayor in office for a full four-year term...“The Ed Lee Story” was the talk of the local political world Monday, and while it gave some unaffiliated observers a chuckle, Lee’s campaign rivals were not amused.
- Illegal immigrants get boost in new California laws (Contra Costa Times)
As states such as Alabama and Georgia make waves with a hard-line approach to illegal immigration, California took a leap in the other direction this weekend when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a host of bills that make the nation's biggest state one of the most accepting of immigrants living here illegally.
- California's continued revenue slide could trigger cuts (Sacramento Bee)
California missed the revenue mark again in September by collecting $301.6 million less than state leaders expected when they approved this year's budget, according to Controller John Chiang...That optimistic projection has drawn skepticism ever since the budget was signed. Brown has defended the assumption by pointing to as much as $2.5 billion in "trigger" cuts to schools and social services that would occur if that money never materializes.
- Cities have mixed reaction to proposed San Mateo County-wide ban of plastic bags (Palo Alto Daily News)
Herding mid-Peninsula cities into adopting a uniform San Mateo County-wide plastic ban may be easier said than done. Some of those cities already have been working on their own ordinances, others are open to a one-size-fits-all ban and a few prefer to wait and see what kinds of plastic bags would be ostracized and which businesses affected, officials told The Daily News.