- The federal government shutdown may impact national parks in the Bay Area including Alcatraz and Muir Woods, but the totality of those impacts remains unclear. Alcatraz is closed today but is scheduled to reopen Thursday, and Muir Woods is apparently closed; both were closed during a shutdown in 2013, but remained open during the last shutdowns in Trump's first term. [ABC7 / Chronicle]
- If you go to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website today, you'll see a blaring banner declaring that the "Radical Left in Congress shut down the government." A federal complaint has already been filed by the nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen calling this a blatant violation of the Hatch Act, which ensures that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion. [CBS News]
- State climatologist Michael Anderson forecasts that this coming La Niña pattern will be characterized by extended dry periods this winter broken up by "large and long-lasting atmospheric river conditions." [NBC Bay Area]
- At PG&E's second annual Innovation Pitch Fest, a Fremont-based group pitched an AI-based platform that can predict fire risk in a given area months in advance with what they say is 95% accuracy. [KPIX]
- A new documentary short has come out on the Hearst-owned video app Very Local that describes the devastation of the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa via the Chronicle's coverage at the time. [Chronicle]
- K-pop superstars TWICE just announced a Bay Area show on January 17, at Oakland Arena, and tickets go on sale next week. [KRON4]
- Another Planet Entertainment Senior Vice President Mary Conde just gave KTVU an exclusive look inside the Castro Theatre as it stands, with renovations still underway on the main floor and stage area, but that ornately painted ceiling is looking pretty amazing. [KTVU]
Top image: Photo by Juliana Uribbe
