Graphic details revealed in Monterey sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth, Trump Cabinet pick
LAT's CLARA HARTER: "A woman told Monterey police that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense secretary, took her phone, blocked her from leaving his hotel room and sexually assaulted her, according to a newly released police report.
On Wednesday evening, the Monterey Police Department released a 22-page report revealing graphic details in the 2017 assault claim filed against Hegseth, which did not result in any charges. The report reveals two starkly different narratives about what unfolded during a sexual encounter in his hotel room while the two were attending a Republican women’s conference in the city in October 2017."
Gavin Newsom has a tough needle to thread: Oppose and appease Trump at the same time
The Chronicle's SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Three days after Donald Trump won another term as president, California Gov. Gavin Newsom described his plans to fight Trump’s agenda on a call with donors and political supporters. But even for that liberal audience, Newsom avoided saying directly that he would resist the incoming president.
“I want our president to succeed and our job, my job, is not to wake up every single day and get a crowbar and try to put it in the spokes of the wheel of the Trump administration,” he said. “I’m not naive, either … California is going to stand firm. We’re going to have your back.”"
Jan. 6 defendants, including some from California, eagerly await Trump pardons
LAT's KEVIN RECTOR, BRITTNY MEJIA: "Out of more than 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, David Dempsey is among the most notorious.
Dempsey, of Van Nuys, was accused by federal prosecutors of being “one of the most violent rioters” and sentenced in August to 20 years in prison — one of the stiffest penalties to date — after pleading guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon and breaching the seat of Congress."
California’s budget is ‘roughly balanced,’ but deficits could grow under Trump
CALMatters's ALEXEI KOSEFF: "With tax revenues from high-earning Californians rebounding in recent months, the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal adviser projects that the state budget remains “roughly balanced,” but spending growth is expected to drive increasing deficits in the years ahead.
That could make it difficult for Gov. Gavin Newsom to pursue ideas that he has proposed in recent months to fight back against a second Trump administration and reboot California’s sluggish economy during his final two years in office."
Clock ticking on Joe Biden judge picks. How Donald Trump could shape federal California courts
Sacramento Bee's GILLIAN BRASSIL: "President Joe Biden has several federal judicial nominees lined up for California vacancies — but unless they’re confirmed in the next six weeks by the Senate, their chances will fade instantly.
There are six current and future vacancies across California for lifetime federal judicial roles. Biden has selected six individuals who are pending confirmation by the Democratic-held Senate or a review by the Senate Judiciary Committee."
California’s ‘Trump-proofing’ likely won’t include AI — at least not yet
CALMatters's ALEX SHULTZ: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing to wage a legal war against President-elect Donald Trump, convening a special legislative session next month to try to “Trump-proof” the state. But it appears Newsom and California legislators won’t initially include artificial intelligence safeguards in that fight, even though AI regulations were a major preoccupation of the Legislature this year.
Trump has promised to immediately rescind President Joe Biden’s executive order that had imposed voluntary AI guardrails on tech companies and federal agencies. The president-elect’s administration could also, immigrant advocates say, use AI tools to assist the mass deportation he has pledged to implement."
Daniel Lurie was raised in old money San Francisco. Can he be the city’s change agent?
LAT's HANNAH WILEY: "In his victory speech three days after winning election, surrounded by hundreds of supporters in Chinatown, mayor-elect Daniel Lurie declared a new day in San Francisco.
“Your call for accountable leadership, service and change has been heard,” Lurie, 47, said to great cheers and applause."
Former L.A. City Councilman Ridley-Thomas’ ultimate campaign: To clear his name
LAT's MATT HAMILTON: "For more than three decades, Mark Ridley-Thomas never lost an election, tapping a well-organized network of supporters to secure victory after victory.
Now, the former Los Angeles City Council member and county supervisor is in a different sort of campaign with far greater stakes: a fight to clear his name and avoid prison."
Atmospheric river fueling California storm is taking an unusual turn. Here are the impacts
The Chronicle's GREG PORTER: "The low-pressure system that underwent explosive intensification, becoming one of the strongest ever recorded in the northeast Pacific, is now moving out to sea. In its wake, a new low-pressure system is set to develop, this time forming several hundred miles closer to California.
The interaction between these two storm systems — a delicate dance known as the Fujiwhara effect — will play a crucial role in reloading the atmospheric river and steering it back toward Northern California and the North Bay on Thursday. This will bring several more inches of rain to an already saturated landscape."
California storm live updates: Rare high-risk warning for excessive rain issued for these areas
The Chronicle's AIDIN VAZIRI, JESSICA FLORES, GREG PORTER: "The atmospheric river event bringing heavy rains and strong winds to California continues. Many of the same locations that were hit hard on Wednesday with rain and snow will see more heavy accumulations on Thursday, in particular, Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. In the Bay Area, the North Bay is likely to get drenched, with some risk of flooding.
The National Weather Service said late Wednesday night that the system has stalled out over the northern part of the state, which would mean elevated rain levels overnight into Thursday morning and increased risk of flash flooding, especially near wildfire burn scars. Coastal areas and the northern Sierra Nevada are likely to see an additional 3 to 5 inches of rain through the morning, with some isolated pockets getting 6 inches. Weather authorities have issued a series of flood watches, advisories and winter weather warnings, urging residents in affected areas to take precautionary measures."
California lets defendants challenge racism in court. Few have succeeded
CALMatters's SEAN KEVIN CAMPBELL: "When police pulled over Tommy Bonds III on a chilly January day in 2022, the San Diego State University student had an idea why.
“What’s goin’ on, bro? How you doin’?” San Diego Police Officer Ryan Cameron said as he approached the car, shining his flashlight in Bonds’ face."
California teachers are cursing Donald Trump in the classroom. Is it their right?
LAT's CLARA HARTER: "Several Southern California teachers are facing disciplinary action after fervid anti-Trump outbursts made in the wake of the November election that rattled school communities and generated fierce debate over teachers’ rights to share their political views.
A Moreno Valley teacher was placed on leave this month after a racially charged, expletive-laden rant attacking Trump and his supporters."
Cal State is trying to save its smallest campus by merging it with Cal Poly
CALMatters's MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN, JEREMY GARZA: "In a bid to forestall its financial disintegration, Cal Maritime, California’s smallest public university, is merging with one of the state’s most selective and financially stable universities, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It’s a move that’ll conjoin a Bay Area campus that trains students for a life at sea to a school 250 miles away that’s known for agriculture and engineering.
California State University senior officials in the chancellor’s office painted a stark picture in its report to the board of trustees that collectively oversees the whole system. There “continues to be a dire, binary choice: integrate the two institutions or initiate immediate steps for the closure of the Maritime Academy,” board documents said."
Cal State faculty union rallies outside board of trustees meeting
EdSource's AMY DIPIERRO: "California Faculty Association members rallied outside a meeting of the Cal State Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, saying they oppose the system’s protest rules and arguing that recent tuition hikes are a burden to students.
Faculty union members and representatives of the group Students for Quality Education gathered at a park outside the chancellor’s office and decorated signs protesting the system’s time, place and manner policy, the bundle of rules that apply to public assemblies on university campuses. The rumble of rally-goers’ cheers and chants could be heard from inside Cal State’s Dumke Auditorium as the event continued during the morning’s board of trustees meeting."
Conservative professors and students are suing California’s community colleges, and winning
CALMatters's ADAM ECHELMAN: "At California’s community colleges, conservative professors and students are making their voices heard — not just in the classroom but in court. Their lawsuits have already led community colleges to pay millions in settlements and legal fees.
CalMatters identified at least seven cases filed since 2020 in which professors or students have sued their community college districts for issues related to free speech. Most of the cases are still ongoing and are located in California’s Central Valley, in counties where Republicans often outnumber Democrats. Although separate, many of these lawsuits include similar allegations: that programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion are restricting the right to free speech under the First Amendment. The University of California system is facing a similar case in Santa Cruz."
Apex predators recorded near California national park a century after being wiped out
Sacramento Bee's BROOKE BAITINGER: "A brand new family of endangered apex predators was recorded hanging around one of northern California’s national parks — one century after populations were wiped out.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s gray wolf activity map for November shows a pack has been spending time on U.S. Forest Service land just south of Lassen Volcanic National Park."
Nearly half of L.A.’s record homelessness budget went unspent, city controller finds
LAT's DOUG SMITH: "Nearly half of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ record $1.3-billion homelessness budget for fiscal 2023-24 went unspent, an analysis by the city controller found.
Controller Kenneth Mejia found that only $599 million had actually been spent. An additional $195 million was encumbered, leaving at least $513 million unspent."
Hundreds of death row inmates sit in California prisons. Why must they wait?
Sacramento Bee's SHARON BERNSTEIN: "Charles E. Case was sentenced to death by a Sacramento County jury nearly 30 years ago and immediately became eligible for an attorney skilled at state-level habeas corpus appeals, a key part of the process to determine whether capital punishment should be carried out.
Now 84 years old, he still hasn’t been assigned one."
How to make sure you don’t get ticketed under California’s new ‘daylighting’ parking law
The Chronicle's MATTHIAS GAFNI: "You could stretch three Victor Wembanyamas or four Suni Lees along the curb to make the crucial measurement.
Or hoist in a full-size shipping container, then mark the halfway point."
S.F. unveils citywide bike lane plan, but critics say it’s not enough
The Chronicle's MALIYA ELLIS: "San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency unveiled a draft of its city-wide bicycle infrastructure plan on Tuesday after more than two years in development — but it comes with no binding deadlines and few guarantees.
The Biking and Rolling Plan lays out a vision for the city’s streets where every resident is minutes away from a network of safe bike paths that crisscross the whole city, north to south and east to west. Agency staff presented the first draft of the plan, which is based on research and outreach that began in July 2022, to the SFMTA’s Board of Directors Tuesday evening."
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas officials
LAT's MOLLY QUELL: "The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory.
The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire to end the 13-month conflict. But its practical implications could be limited since Israel and its major ally, the United States, are not members of the court and several of the Hamas officials have been subsequently killed in the conflict."
