Massive traffic fix? 49ers enter new era, memorial to S.F. mayor

It's the debut edition of your Morning Report. Welcome to readers of the 5-Minute Merc and the East Bay Times Top Headlines newsletters; I'm Daniel M. Jimenez, and I'll be walking you through the headlines of the day from the Mercury News and the East Bay Times. Don't forget, if you like what you're reading, tell your friends by sharing our signup page, and send us your feedback to let us know what you'd like to see done differently. Here we go: [Morning Report] Monday, December 18, 2017   It's the debut edition of your Morning Report. Welcome to readers of the 5-Minute Merc and the East Bay Times Top Headlines newsletters; I'm Daniel M. Jimenez, and I'll be walking you through the headlines of the day from the Mercury News and the East Bay Times. Don't forget, if you like what you're reading, tell your friends by [sharing our signup page](, and [send us your feedback](mailto:morningreport@bayareanewsgroup.com) to let us know what you'd like to see done differently. Here we go: Massive traffic fix? 49ers enter new era, memorial to S.F. mayor Bay Area business leaders want traffic planners to think big. And by big, they mean [something like $100 billion to fund expansions]( to BART, Caltrain, bus and ferry service, a huge new network of toll lanes for drivers, and maybe another bridge across the Bay. 49ers make it three in a row: The 49ers came home Sunday for [an exciting, fun win against Tennessee](; kicker [Robbie Gould may have been the star](, but [Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan are the keys]( to turning the franchise around, says columnist Dieter Kurtenbach. Thousands say goodbye to S.F. mayor: A memorial service for Ed Lee drew [political luminaries and ordinary San Franciscans]( who remembered the quiet, un-flashy man who helped the city achieve one of its biggest modern financial booms. Start your tax-savings plan now: With the GOP tax-reform plan poised for passage early this week, we've got [the one simple step you can take before the end of the year]( that will help you save a little more when you're filling out your 1040 in 2018. Airport power outage ripple effect: A sudden loss of power at Atlanta's Hartfield-Jackson Airport on Sunday led to "nightmare" conditions, and [it's not yet clear how holiday travel may be affected]( by a flood of cancellations. Bay Area considers nuclear alert: Tensions with North Korea are at an extreme high, and the reclusive regime's missiles may be able to reach the continental United States, leading some to wonder if the Bay Area should follow Hawaii's example in preparing [for a possible nuclear strike](. So is your mobile phone safe? Depends on who you ask, it seems. But a change in the warnings the state gives to phone users about the risks associated with long-term radiation exposure has health advocates cheering. See [some easy ways to manage your exposure](. Police officer held in hotel shooting: A veteran East Bay officer was hospitalized and placed on administrative leave after San Francisco police were called to the Four Seasons early Sunday morning for reports of shots fired. It took [some 90 minutes for the officer to surrender](. State will push apartments to go solar: A new plan would put some $1 billion over the next ten years into solar-panel installations on apartment buildings. Regulators have designed the plan to have [a big impact on low-income communities](. Bay Area readers supporting worthy causes Wish Book: Via Services provides [a safe place for special-needs children]( so that stressed-out parents can have the simple luxury of a night out. Share The Spirit: [Legal Assistance for Seniors]( helps older residents deal with confusing (and potentially expensive) legal issues. You should (probably) get the shot: There are some good reasons not to get a flu shot if you have certain allergies or specific ailments, but experts say [there are a lot of misconceptions]( about who those people are. A truce in the War on Christmas: A Jesuit priest with a simple message about Christmas has found unexpected viral success, racking up some 10 million views of a video he made about the culture war that's popped up around holiday greetings. See [what he had to say to us about it](. East Bay Democrat resigns over sexual misconduct allegations: Accused of sexually aggressive behavior in one instance and rape in another, a prominent member of the state Democratic Party and a local school board [resigned under pressure even as he denied the allegations]( against him. Fugitive minister convicted of child abuse: An East Bay minister who abused an underage girl for years was convicted of almost two dozen charges after he fled his own trial. Six families [who put up their own homes to pay his bond]( before he fled may now have to pay more than $1 million bail. CalPERS plan could hammer taxpayers' wallets: Columnist Daniel Borenstein has harsh words for a pension-funding plan that relies on [rosy economic predictions decades into the future]( to fund the state's already-underfunded employee pension plans. A hot time to play Lotto in the East Bay: [A $750,000 scratcher winner in Fremont]( seemed like he'd take the spotlight for the moment, but then we found out that [a ticket purchased in Albany was worth $40 million](. The winner has not yet come forward, so ... there's still time for you to loan me twenty bucks. Business: A home of last resort For many, the only home they can afford in the Bay Area is an RV. It's certainly cheaper than buying a home or even possibly renting in the brutal housing market, but it comes with its own costs, and [cities are trying to figure out how to deal with them](. Cashing in on coin: The red-hot cryptocurrency Bitcoin is accepted as payment at an ever-increasing number of retailers and is seen as a speculative investment vehicle by others -- and now a California startup is [bringing it closer to you with Bitcoin ATMs](. How to be better at Facebook: Ok, not "better" really, but after a year of heavy criticism over social media's effects on society, company officials are offering some feedback on [how users can be better on and offline](. Amazon assembling mega-campus in Sunnyvale: Right across the street from a big Google complex, the world's biggest e-retailer is [scooping up properties on the edge of Moffett Field]( for a workplace that could house some 5,000 employees. Sports: Raiders fumble away chance to win David Carr was [inches away from a game-winning touchdown]( when the ball slipped out of his hand and the Raiders seemingly gave away any chance they had at making the playoffs. But the real star of the Sunday night game was [the referee's index card](. No, really. Warriors limp into L.A.: The Dubs had the entire weekend off, but they'll play in Los Angeles tonight after [watching Kobe Bryant's jersey be retired](. They'll be doing it, however, without [Draymond Green](, [Shaun Livingston]( and [Zaza Pachulia](. A's trade about more than baseball: Sure, the Athletics [brought home a beloved local guy]( when they [traded for the Cardinals' Stephen Piscotty](, but his return to the East Bay has extra meaning because [he'll be near his mom as she battles ALS](. Billy Beane called the Cards "[one of the classiest organizations in sports](." High school football championships: We had a ton of local teams in big games this weekend, including De La Salle, Half Moon Bay, St. Francis, Pittsburg, Milipitas and more. Get all the results in [our high school football section](. Lifestyle & Entertainment: Jay-Z opens up in Oakland Supporting maybe his most intimate album -- the eight-time Grammy-nominated "4:44" -- one of the biggest names in hip-hop brought his star power to Oracle Arena, but it was [his comfort with his discomfort]( that struck critic Jim Harrington. Recipe roundup: If you're looking for something special (but not too difficult) for a last-minute holiday dinner, we're here to help with a [quick pork chop recipe]( that'll still wow your guests, [scalloped potatoes designed to save you time](, and [easy slow-cooker short ribs](. Scrooge shoutouts: It's maybe the most well-known Christmas character, and no shortage of actors have tried on Ebenezer's nightcap and longjohns. Chuck Barney runs down [the best "bah humbugs."]( And that's your inaugural Morning Report. Whew. Remember: [Share the signup page]( if you liked what you read, [contact us with your feedback](mailto:morningreport@bayareanewsgroup.com) if you have ways for us to improve, and keep an eye on [MercuryNews.com]( and [EastBayTimes.com]( for breaking news throughout the day. I hope to see you tomorrow! -- Daniel M. Jimenez  [banglogo]( Copyright 2017 Bay Area News Group. All rights reserved. 4 N. Second Street, Suite 800 Â|  San Jose, CA 95113 [Unsubscribe](