Law Enforcement

4 suspects in Winnetka home-invasion robbery beat resident with golf clubs
Four suspects carried out a home-invasion robbery in Winnetka Tuesday, striking a man in the home with golf clubs then fleeing in a pair of vehicles. The robbery occurred shortly after 4 p.m. near Valerio Street and Tampa Avenue, according to Los Angeles police Officer Luis Garcia. The resident was treated by paramedics, but the extent of his injuries was unknown, Garcia said. A witness saw four male suspects flee through a backyard, he said.
City News Service

Wilmington shooting leaves 2 men, woman wounded
Police Wednesday investigated a shooting in Wilmington that wounded a woman and two men. The shooting happened in the 1400 block of Pacific Coast Highway around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, said Lt. T. Kim of the Los Angeles Police Department's Harbor Station, adding that it was not immediately determined if the shooting was gang-related. The victims, all in their 20s, were sitting on a porch when three males walked up to them and at least one opened fire, a police lieutenant told a news photographer at the scene.
City News Service

Inmates who ran ID theft ring from prison get 25 years
Two men associated with the Armenian Power gang were each sentenced to 25 years in federal prison Wednesday on charges of perpetrating a sophisticated identity theft ring from lockup, according to the United States attorney's office. Angus Brown, 36, whose nickname is "Homicide," and Arman Sharopetrosian, 33, known as "Horse," were two of the 20 defendants named in an indictment last year related to an identity theft scheme that looted at least $8 million, authorities said.
Los Angeles Times

Parole

'Most Wanted,' but not by parole officials
Jose Luis Saenz had been on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list since 2009, with a $100,000 bounty and his face in post offices across the United States before he was captured last week. But amid the international hunt for Saenz - also known as "Peanut Joe Smiley," among other aliases, authorities say - California parole officials dropped their warrant for his arrest and dismissed the alleged killer and Mexican drug cartel associate from parole.
Los Angeles Times

Public Safety

Sandbags offered for L.A. residents as wet weather hits the area
With a series of storms expected to bring wet weather for the next several days, officials are reminding Los Angeles residents that they can get free sandbags and sand at a number of city facilities. Sandbags will be available at all Los Angeles Fire Department stations. The city Bureau of Street Services will also provide sandbags and sand. For a list of firehouses and bureau facilities, see the agency's website.
Los Angeles Times

Pensions

Calpers triggers legal fight with bankrupt San Bernardino over pension debt
America's biggest public pension moved aggressively against the bankrupt city of San Bernardino, California, on Tuesday night over the city's decision to halt payments to the fund. The move laid bare a high-stakes battle shaping up between Wall Street and state pension funds over how they are treated when cities run out of money.
Reuters

The Ports

Union walkout cripples ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
A small union of maritime clerks managed to shut down most of the nation's busiest seaport complex Wednesday, raising concerns about harm to the fragile economy. Although late November is a relatively slow time for cargo movement at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, a prolonged closure could prove costly for retailers and manufacturers who rely on the ports to get their goods as well as truckers and other businesses that depend on the docks for work.
Los Angeles Times

Education

California school districts face huge debt on risky bonds
Two hundred school districts across California have borrowed billions of dollars using a costly and risky form of financing that has saddled them with staggering debt, according to a Times analysis. Schools and community colleges have turned increasingly to so-called capital appreciation bonds in the economic downturn, which depressed property values and made it harder for districts to raise money for new classrooms, auditoriums and sports facilities.
Los Angeles Times

Measure J Update

Transit tax measure falling short of required vote
It appears that a Los Angeles County transit tax measure that appeared on this month's ballot is getting too little support, too late and is likely to fail. The tax extension, known as Measure J, now has 65.88% approval, according to the latest numbers released Wednesday by the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office. That's slightly short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. Measure J would extend an existing 30-year, half-cent sales tax for transportation projects that was approved by voters in 2008 for an additional three decades.
Los Angeles Times