Connecting the Dots: top stories for Monday, November 28

A long night at Occupy Los Angeles ended with arrests, but the threatened camp closure did not transpire. There was nothing to report at the Occupy Long Beach encampment either which police were also expected to raidl. UC students plan a general strike today to protest the regents' meeting and escalating tuition. Protests are expected to take place at campuses all over the state...

The state of California is trying out a two year transitional Kindergarden program. The additional year of schooling for tots will be available to students born between September 2 and December 2 starting in 2014...

Gold and other precious metals are fetching record prices, and that's meant big business for pawn shops in Oakland where police say criminals are dumping stolen goods for cash. The problem is most pronounced in the Fruitvale neighborhood where Oakland admits that it has issued too many permits for pawn shops, and stick-ups on the street for jewelry are on the rise...

Santa Clara County is opening up more beds for the homeless. The extra 365 beds will put a small dent in the county's estimated 7,000 homeless population...

The National Retail Federation says 226 million people spent more than 52 billion dollars while shopping on Black Friday. That's a new record in participation, and a big sales increase from last year's 45 billion dollars. Today is Cyber Monday, and retailers are already reporting higher than normal sales over the weekend on the internet...

Druid Heights in Marin County meets the criteria for the register of National Register of Historic Places. The five-acre estate was once home to philosopher Alan Watts, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder, and prostitutes union founder Margot St. James, where they shared a lifestyle deprived of many modern comforts. The property awaits acceptance into the National Register.

Connecting the Dots brings the day's news together