Almost all of California has reverted to “abnormally dry” conditions, with a portion of the state’s southeast corner now in the first stages of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Just three months ago, virtually no part of the state was abnormally dry. NOAA’s winter outlook called for drought conditions to develop across a region stretching from San Luis Obispo County to near the Oregon border. A.P. | Sacramento Bee

AAA predicted that more than 55 million travelers will drive 50 miles or more to get to their holiday destinations later this month — the most since 2005. The TSA was also expecting a record number of air passengers. Pictured above is a reminder of what the drive out of Los Angeles looked like on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving last year. AAA | Daily Press

On this week’s California Sun Podcast, host Jeff Schechtman talks with travel writer Paul Theroux, who drove the entire length of the U.S.-Mexican border for his new book “On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey.” He described the suspicion Mexicans face when entering the U.S., even legally. “Mexicans are used to being humiliated,” he said. California Sun Podcast

Here’s a powerful collection of photos showing life along the U.S.-Mexico border over the past century. Artsy

Authorities arrested five men in the Halloween night shooting at an Airbnb rental in Orinda that left five people dead. A motive has not been disclosed, but two of the victims were armed, said the Contra Costa County sheriff, “which may have played a role in this tragedy.” S.F. Chronicle | Mercury News

Oceano Dunes on the Central Coast is the only state park where vehicles can be driven on the beach — and environmentalists have been fighting to shut them down for years. Dust kicked up by the off-road enthusiasts gets so bad that residents of downwind communities say they are forced to huddle inside. Kagan Stump, 6, coughed so hard he threw up. His doctor’s advice to the family: Move. “That’s a tough thing to have to tell a family, you know, to change addresses,” he said. The Tribune

In an open letter, a group of black Facebook employees accused the company of enabling racism among its workforce. They detailed a dozen examples of black employees being belittled, dismissed, and denied opportunities for advancement. In one, two white employees eating breakfast told a black program manager to clean up their mess. Told of the incident, a manager advised the program manager to “dress more professionally.” Medium | The Guardian

There’s a winery just north of Chico run by Trappist monks who pray seven times a day and speak only when necessary. The monks at the Abbey of New Clairvaux have taken vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity. One explained how pruning is an extension of spiritual practice: “What you do with the vines is you’re constantly removing what is extra: you remove the extra clusters, you remove the extra leaves and canopy… It’s the same with me in my interior life. I need to remove what is superfluous.” NPR

Here’s what has been reported about the shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita early Thursday:

“We’re here to be reminded that we’re not alone.” A day that began in horror ended in prayer. L.A. Times | L.A. Daily News

The gunman was identified as Nathaniel Berhow. It was his birthday on Thursday. Classmates and neighbors described him as a quiet, smart kid. His father died two years ago. “He was in Scouting, he was in track and a very kind, sweet boy,” a neighbor said of Berhow. “I don’t understand the psychology.” A.P. | L.A. Times

“You can’t escape it.”

A whopping 95 percent of Los Angeles voters say homelessness is the city’s biggest problem. The near-unanimous opinion is a sharp change from years past, with even traffic and schools now taking a back seat to the rising number of people living in tents, RVs, and makeshift shelters. L.A. Times | City News Service

Roy’s Motel and Café, located on Route 66 in the Mojave Desert town of Amboy, is the quintessential lonely desert gas stop. After the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973, Amboy began its descent into a ghost town. But a real estate investor has been restoring Roy’s, and starting on Saturday its famous neon sign will light up the Amboy sky for the first time since the 1980s. Desert Sun

Here are a few random photos of the way we were:

This image shows Ray Charlton, 14, “marble champion of Los Angeles,” in 1937. Ray beat 50 competitors in an event organized by the Los Angeles Playground Department.

Just a couple of students at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles looking fabulous in 1975.

Bicycle mail carriers in 1894. These riders were part of an emergency mail service established to carry letters between Fresno and San Francisco during a railroad strike that year.

* This item is a new idea — basically to surface gems from California photo archives. Vote here on whether you’d like to see more.

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