CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro resigns over handling of misconduct allegations against another administrator
The Chronicle, Andres Picon: "California State University Chancellor Joseph Castro resigned Thursday amid uproar from many in the CSU community who accused him of mishandling sexual misconduct allegations made against a former administrator at CSU Fresno.
“I have been honored to serve the California State University for more than eight years, including as its eighth chancellor, and the decision to resign is the most difficult of my professional life,” Castro said in a statement. “While I disagree with many aspects of recent media reports and the ensuing commentary, it has become clear to me that resigning at this time is necessary so that the CSU can maintain its focus squarely on its educational mission and the impactful work yet to be done.”
His resignation comes two weeks after it was reported that Frank Lamas, CSU Fresno’s former vice president of student affairs and enrollment, had been the subject of at least a dozen complaints over six years, and that Castro, the president of CSU Fresno at the time, had quietly signed off on a settlement agreement that allowed Lamas to retire."
‘Can you help us.’ Cell phone info reveals more about how California family died hiking
CARMEN KOHLRUSS, SacBee: “Information from a cell phone carried by a Mariposa family who mysteriously died hiking last year in Sierra National Forest has been obtained and reveals more about the tragic final hours of their lives.
Some of the cell phone data – obtained by the FBI after months of work – was shared Thursday by the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said the new information supports the official cause of death, hyperthermia and probable dehydration due to environmental exposure, for Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung and their 1-year-old daughter, Aurelia “Miju” Chung-Gerrish that was announced in October.
Escape from L.A.? No, most people like it here, poll finds
LA Times, THOMAS CURWEN/JONAH VALDEZ: "Not long after Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald threw Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to the ground, guaranteeing victory in the Super Bowl, the PA system started blaring the city’s go-to victory song.
Few compositions better express the allure of Los Angeles than Randy Newman’s 1983 ode to the city, its music, sunshine and boulevards, and while “I Love L.A.” is nearly 40 years old, the message still plays well for Angelenos.
In a slightly more prosaic manner, they registered their affection for the city in a poll recently conducted by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley and co-sponsored by The Times."
Sacramento ends its indoor mask mandate, again. Retail workers, businesses are uneasy
ALEXANDRA YOON-HENDRIKS, SacBee: “California’s universal indoor mask mandate has once again been lifted for vaccinated residents.
But with the coronavirus still present in Sacramento County, customers, workers and business owners now face a patchwork of masking rules and etiquette. Some businesses have already started letting vaccinated customers and workers come in without masks, going by an honor system.
But others are choosing to maintain their indoor face coverings policy. “California may have changed their rules, but we haven’t,” Refillery and lifestyle store Of Land and Sea in Oak Park posted on social media Tuesday.
SF Bay Area could finally see some rain -- and freezing temps -- next week. Here's what to expect
The Chronicle, DOMINIC FRACASSA: "After more than 40 days without a measurable amount of rain in the Bay Area, weather models showed a slight chance of some precipitation in the region Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Friday morning, there was around a 16% chance on average that the Bay Area could see rain by Tuesday night, according to the weather agency.
San Francisco had an 11% chance of rainfall, the East Bay had a roughly 19% chance and San Jose had around a 17% chance, the NWS tweeted Friday. Further south, in places like Big Sur, the chance of rain was much higher for Tuesday ."
Oakland council certifies environmental review of A’s waterfront ballpark plan
The Chronicle, Sarah Ravani: "The Oakland City Council voted Thursday to certify the environmental review of the A’s waterfront ballpark project and surrounding development — an important step that moves the city and the team one step closer toward an agreement.
Six council members voted in support of certifying the environmental review after an eight hour meeting with at least 400 attendees and nearly five hours of public comment. Council
Members Carroll Fife and Noel Gallo voted against the certification.
Dave Kaval, the president of the A’s, said the team is “thrilled with the yes vote.”"
Sacramento needs thousands of affordable housing units. These major projects are coming
RYAN LILLIS, SacBee: “Sacramento’s housing crisis is exacerbated by a severe lack of affordable options.
A report this week by Sacramento appraiser and real estate expert Ryan Lundquist showed that just 39% of households in Sacramento County can afford the median-priced home.
That’s about the lowest that figure has been in more than a decade as the median price for a home sold in the county hit $522,031 in January, according to Lundquist’s analysis.
Sacramento is far behind in providing enough housing for low- and moderate-income earners; by some measures, the gap is thousands of affordable units. Still, there are small victories on the horizon.
From atomic blast to the Rodney King beating, KTLA helped shape L.A. and television history
LA Times, MEG JAMES: "While it may sound quaint in 2022, Los Angeles’ original television station — KTLA-TV Channel 5 — was born out of a bet on technology by Paramount Pictures.
In the early 1940s, when theaters and AM radio were king, the Melrose Avenue movie studio enlisted Klaus Landsberg (an immigrant who had fled Nazi Germany) to experiment with the emerging realm of video transmissions. On Jan. 22, 1947, KTLA signed on as the first TV station west of the Mississippi River licensed for commercial broadcasts. Comedian Bob Hope served as emcee for the inaugural telecast, beamed to viewers from a garage on the Paramount lot.
Over the years, the station has punched above its weight, playing an important role in Los Angeles’ history and setting trends that revolutionized TV news. Despite belt-tightening and ownership changes at the station, along with dramatic shifts in viewer behavior over the last decade, KTLA’s newscasts continue to attract hundreds of thousands of viewers. Its coverage of the annual Tournament of Roses Parade still draws millions; Angelenos are particularly partial to the station’s ad-free 8 a.m. telecast.
Mike Pence tells Stanford crowd that S.F. school board recall proves Democrats are rejecting ‘woke left’
The Chronicle, Lauren Hernández/Andres Picon: "Tuesday’s recall of three San Francisco school board members is part of a broader, nationwide movement battling the “woke left” in the United States, former Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday during a speech at a contentious Stanford University event that drew a crowd of protesters.
The soldout speech — titled “How to Save America from the Woke Left” — was organized by the Stanford College Republicans and drew a protest outside Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
Pence condemned what he called “cancel culture” in the Biden Administration, criticized critical race theory in public education and applauded parents who are “starting to take our schools back, even here in California.”"
SF Bay Area could finally see some rain -- and freezing temps -- next week. Here's what to expect
The Chronicle, DOMINIC FRACASSA: "After more than 40 days without a measurable amount of rain in the Bay Area, weather models showed a slight chance of some precipitation in the region Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Friday morning, there was around a 16% chance on average that the Bay Area could see rain by Tuesday night, according to the weather agency.
San Francisco had an 11% chance of rainfall, the East Bay had a roughly 19% chance and San Jose had around a 17% chance, the NWS tweeted Friday. Further south, in places like Big Sur, the chance of rain was much higher for Tuesday ."
Olympics roundup: San Francisco’s Eileen Gu makes history with gold-medal effort
The Chronicle, STAFF: "San Francisco’s Eileen Gu captured gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final on a breezy and cold morning to become the first action-sports athlete to earn three medals at the same Winter Olympics.
The University High graduate, who is competing for China, warmed up with a score of 93.25 on her first run, before going even higher and even bigger to post a 95.25 her second as a large crowd of Chinese fans cheered her every trick. For her third and final pass, and with the contest locked up, she took a nice leisurely stroll.
Gu, 18, already possessed a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle."
Russian superstar Kamila Valieva takes an epic fall, and who’s to blame?
The Chronicle, Scott Ostler: "Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete Thursday on the final night of the women’s figure skating competition, despite a failed drug test, because she is a “protected person” — Olympic-speak for an athlete not yet 16 years old.
But if ever there was an unprotected person, it was Valieva, standing in the center of the rink, waiting for her music.
What was that look on her face as she listened for the first notes of Ravel’s “Bolero”? Fear? Resignation? Fatigue? Anger?"
