Top of the morning’s news
- Building California’s high-speed rail project could cost $98.5 billion over 20 years, more than twice what was previously thought, according to a draft copy of a business plan obtained by the Sacramento Bee. Capitol Alert
- Five years after settling a court case with the Tampa Tribune, the venerable, Poynter-owned St. Petersburg Times in Florida will become the Tampa Bay Times. Poynter
- Oakland Mayor Jean Quan filed her official response to the recall campaign against her, saying “the last thing we need” is a divisive and expensive recall issue to contend with. Chronicle Politics Blog
- The Commission on Presidential debates chose four college campuses as debate sites next year, but Saint Mary’s College and Dominican University, which were among the finalists, weren’t among them. Chronicle Politics Blog
- Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough), saying she wants to identify with Americans who are having a rough time, pledged to feed herself on $4.50 a day for five days, the amount most people on food stamps get. Chronicle Politics Blog
“Maybe three months’ salary. I don’t remember. It might have been two months. I do remember my general counsel saying we didn’t pay all of the money they demanded.”-- GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, talking about the settlement reached with two women who accused him of sexual harassment, during an uneven performance in dealing with the issue yesterday.
Other news
- An overview of what’s planned for tomorrow’s general strike in Oakland being organized by anti-Wall Street protesters. Oakland Tribune
- Three SFPD officers were hurt, one critically, early this morning when their police cruiser crashed into a light pole at 19th Street and Portrero Avenue in the Mission district. Chronicle
- Four San Francisco police officers have been fired this year for violations ranging from misuse of force to using the police database to obtain confidential information about people. Chronicle
- The U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal by Central California farmers who claimed the federal government lacks constitutional authority to protect the imperiled delta smelt by limiting north-to-south water shipments. Chronicle
- Swinnerton Builders got the green light to start work on a long-delayed 749-unit apartment complex at 10th and Market, the biggest San Francisco apartment project in years. SF Business Times
- Today marks the start of the winter Spare the Air season in the Bay Area, when wood fires are banned on days when bad air alerts are issued. Contra Costa Times
- A 2.4 earthquake was recorded beneath the UC Berkeley campus at 2:42 a.m. Monday, the fourth quake in the area in just over a week. Contra Costa Times
- A’s slugger Josh Willingham’s agent indicated the team’s leading home run hitter probably won’t re-sign with the team. Oakland Tribune
