Top of the morning’s news
- State and federal officials announced a $44.4 million settlement with owners and operators of the Cosco Busan in connection with the 2007 spill that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil in the bay after the ship hit the Bay Bridge. Chronicle
- Former ABC News Nightline anchor Ted Koppel is said to be in talks with NBC News to become a contributor to the network’s new primetime magazine show, “Rock Center with Brian Williams.” TV Newser
- CNN, which keeps a stable of talking points messengers from both political parties, added George W. Bush’s former press secretary Ari Fleischer as a contributor. TV Newser
- Nearly two-thirds of state voters oppose so-called trigger cuts to enact automatic spending reductions if revenues from taxes are lower than projected, according to a Field Poll released today. Chronicle
- The Obama administration wasn’t the only public entity to sink money into failed solar company Solyndra. During the Arnold Schwarzenegger administration, an obscure state board agreed to give the Fremont-based company $34.5 million in tax breaks, The Bay Citizen reports.
- Speaking of Schwarzenegger, he was to give a speech on climate change at the United Nations this morning. Capitol Alert
- A bill that would allow BART to ban people who repeatedly break the law—including fare cheats, vandals and possibly protesters who disrupt train service—awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature in order to become law. Contra Costa Times
“When we were celebrating our 50th anniversary, people would say, 'Fifty years?' And Bob would say, 'Yeah, but I've only been home three weeks.'"-- Dolores Hope, quoted in the Palm Springs Desert Sun in 1995. Bob Hope’s widow died Monday in Los Angeles, at age 102.
Other news
- With smog expected to approach unhealthful levels again, air quality officials declared the second straight Spare the Air day for the Bay Area. Chronicle
- Backers of the stadium the 49ers want to build in Santa Clara say it may get a boost now that a San Francisco real estate company has bought the Great America amusement park next door. Chronicle
- A top PG&E official assured state regulators that a natural gas installation in the Mojave Desert critical to Central and Northern California gas supplies is in good working condition and can safely be restored to full operation as the winter season approaches. Chronicle
- While spending in the Bay Area’s 10 largest school districts has risen over the last seven years, a shrinking portion of revenues have gone directly to classrooms. The Bay Citizen
- A play based on last year’s federal court fight over California’s gay marriage ban made its Broadway debut with an all-star cast Monday night, just hours after a federal judge decided to unseal the trial’s video recordings. AP
- A former San Francisco Public Utilities Commission work crew supervisor pleaded guilty to embezzling $319,000 from the city between 2003 and 2007. Examiner
- BART finished the fiscal year with a $21.4 million surplus, the agency’s most recent budget revisions show. Examiner
- A San Francisco woman stabbed to death a man who allegedly broke into her Bayview home. Chronicle
- His agent said Carlos Beltran is seriously considering returning to the Giants beyond this season. AP
- A woman gave birth on a flight from the Philippines to San Francisco Monday night. Bay City News Service
