Good morning. It’s Thursday, Nov. 14.
- Poll finds support for Kamala Harris as governor.
- Palm Springs announces $27 million reparations deal.
- And investigators foil alleged bear suit insurance scam.
Statewide
1.
Republican Rep. Ken Calvert narrowly defeated his Democratic challenger in the Inland Empire on Wednesday in a victory that helped clinch a Republican House majority, cementing the party’s hold over Washington. In a statement, Calvert, a 16-term incumbent, said the win “shows voters want someone who will put results over partisan politics.” At least two uncalled California races could further pad the GOP’s majority. Desert Sun | KQED
- In the race for House seats in California, Democrats are up, 39 to 9. See the latest results. 👉 Politico
2.
A new poll found that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a formidable contender for governor of California. Among respondents, 46% said they were likely to support Harris if she were to run for governor in 2026. Harris hasn’t discussed her plans. Among her strongest challengers could be Rep. Katie Porter, who led a poll that pitted her against other potential candidates. Porter said last week that she is “still thinking” about whether to run. L.A. Times | Mercury News
3.
Other election developments:
- While Donald Trump gained almost everywhere in the U.S., it’s the urban areas that should most unnerve Democrats, the Washington Post wrote. In 2020, he won just one of America’s 50 biggest local economies. In 2024, he took at least eight, including San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
- Trump has vowed to “end” the offshore wind industry. He can’t do it with the stroke of a pen. But he could deeply wound California’s plans, which rely on billions of dollars in federal grants, subsidies, and tax incentives. CalMatters
- Somehow, Republican Rep. David Valadao keeps winning elections in a district where Democrats have a double-digit registration advantage. His record is, to quote one former Democratic pollster, “ridiculous.” Politico
4.
Last year, Peter Park became the youngest person to pass California’s notoriously difficult bar exam at the age of 17. But his reign was just cut short — by his sister. On Nov. 8, Sophia Park passed the exam at 17 years and 8 months, a few months younger than her brother was. She said she hopes to join the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, where her brother is now a deputy district attorney. KSEE | KFSN
5.
In the late 1990s, the federal government concluded something every Californian knows: the Pacific Coast has the most desirable natural environment in the continental U.S. The analysis was based on six criteria: winter warmth, winter sunshine, temperate summers, low humidity, topographical variation, and access to water. Of the top 25 counties, 20 are in California. Unsurprisingly, the ranking aligns with data on housing affordability — the more desirable, the less affordable. But there are exceptions. Four of those 20 California counties have home prices near the U.S. median: Humboldt, Del Norte, Alpine, and Mariposa.
See how your county ranked. 👉 Washington Post
Correction
An earlier version of this newsletter misstated an election result based on information from an outdated Washington Post article. As of Thursday, Kamala Harris was leading the presidential vote count in Orange County, not Donald Trump.
Northern California
6.
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus found herself further isolated on Wednesday as the county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in her after reports of dysfunction and harassment inside her office. Appearing before the board, Corpus made it clear she was preparing for all-out war: “This inquiry was politically motivated and one-sided and it was full of lies,” she said. Asked by a supervisor if she would testify under oath, Corpus walked out of the room without responding. S.F. Chronicle | Mercury News
7.
Nima Momeni, the man accused of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee, took the stand in his murder trial on Wednesday, saying he had acted in self-defense. According to Momeni, the two men were out partying in San Francisco on April 4, 2023, when Lee suggested they find a strip club. Momeni’s response caused Lee to fly into a rage, he testified: “If it was my last night in town, I’d go hang out with my family” rather than going to strip clubs. Momeni told jurors that Lee then took a swing at him with a knife before Momeni redirected the blade into Lee’s chest. “I was in shock,” he said. Bloomberg | SF Standard
8.
You can now have Jerry Garcia read you your morning California Sun. That is, at least, a voice of the late Grateful Dead icon generated by artificial intelligence. Garcia’s estate partnered on the voice model with ElevenLabs, a star of the AI boom that specializes in recreating human voices. Among the famous voices in its library that can read audiobooks, articles, and any other text: Maya Angelou, Burt Reynolds, and John Wayne. S.F. Chronicle | Variety
- You can sample the voices at elevenlabs.io. It’s eerie.
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9.
A family is trying to sell a sprawling Big Sur estate for $100 million, more than double the record sale price in the county. The roughly 150-acre parcel has expansive views of the coastline, a sandy beach, and three houses. A Wall Street Journal report on the listing includes breathtaking drone views.
Southern California
10.
Palm Springs announced a tentative $27 million reparations settlement with Black and Latino families who were driven from their neighborhood, known as Section 14, to make way for a commercial development in the 1960s. The figure is well below the $2.3 billion the families originally sought. Still, they called the agreement, years in the making, “a defining moment for social justice in America.” While Section 14 was owned by a local tribe, the city was broadly involved in the planning and implementation of the displacement, a report found. A.P. | N.Y. Times
11.
An 18-year-old from Los Angeles County pleaded guilty on Wednesday to orchestrating nearly 400 swatting incidents and bomb threats across the country, federal prosecutors said. Alan Filion, of Lancaster, targeted homes, schools, and places of worship. In May 2023, he called police while playing audio of gunfire in the background and said that he was about to enter a Florida mosque, prosecutors said. Filion faces up to 20 years in prison. A.P. | NBC News
12.
A group of creative scammers used a bear costume to stage bear attacks on luxury vehicles in the mountain town of Lake Arrowhead for insurance payouts, the authorities said on Wednesday. An insurer contacted investigators after reviewing a grainy video submitted as evidence with a claim. A state biologist concluded the furry creature clawing its way into a vehicle was “clearly a human in a bear suit.” A search of a suspect’s home found the bear costume pictured above. LAist | L.A. Times
- Yes, officials released the video. Yes, the bear looks human.
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The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
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