Top of the morning’s news
- Dozens of Occupy SF protesters last night rejected the city’s proposal to move their encampment of 150 or so tents from Justin Herman Plaza to a fenced-in vacant lot on Mission Street owned by the school district. Chronicle
- High winds are expected over much of the Bay area today. Chronicle
- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is making the rounds in Washington D. C. today to promote his economic growth agenda for California. Political Blotter
- Mitt Romney holds a narrow lead over Newt Gingrich among California GOP voters, 26% to 23%, a new Field Poll shows. Herman Cain and Rick Perry have sank to single digits, 9% and 3%. Chronicle
- State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) asked state Attorney General Kamala Harris to open a criminal investigation into allegations that Caltrans falsified inspections of the Bay Bridge east span. Political Blotter
- The head of the effort to recall Oakland Mayor Jean Quan says signatures will begin circulating as early as next week. Chronicle
- NPR’s executive editor, Dick Meyer, is leaving to head BBC News America. Broadcasting & Cable
"Yipes! Talk about blaming the victim. Not only isn't there any remorse, there is umbrage and outrage on the part of Dr. Murray against the decedent."-- Judge Michael Pastor, before sentencing Dr. Conrad Murray to four years in prison in the death of Michael Jackson.
Other news
- Oakland won’t let Occupy protesters set up another encampment at Frank Ogawa Plaza, but the city has let them set up a teepee in which protesters will take turns holding a 24-hour vigil without actually camping. The Bay Citizen
- Two dozen UC Berkeley students and others filed a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing university police and Alameda County sheriff’s deputies of brutalizing them Nov. 9 when they tried to set up an Occupy camp on campus. Chronicle
- Police cleared out the Occupy LA encampment early this morning, arresting more than 200, but managing to avoid the kind of confrontations that marred sweeps in Oakland and New York. LA Times
- At least one fast-food operator has come up with a novel way to comply with San Francisco’s ban on toy giveaways in kids’ meals high in fat: McDonald’s plans to charge 10 cents to those who request the plastic trinkets be added to their Happy Meals. Chronicle
- Nearly 3 in 10 children in Oakland live in poverty, new Census data shows. The Bay Citizen
- Caltrans contractors broke through the Orinda hillside Tuesday afternoon, connecting the two sections of the Caldecott Tunnel’s fourth bore under construction. Contra Costa Times
- An ex-judge who earned headlines this summer for criticizing federal biologists in a case involving Delta water restrictions has signed on as an attorney representing one of the main litigants in the case. Contra Costa Times
- Bank of America shares dipped to as low as $5.03 Tuesday, the lowest point since Wall Street hit its recession low in March 2009. SF Business Times
