1. Oakland Police Department officials said they were unaware of an undercover CHP operation last week in which a California Highway Patrol Officer pointed his loaded gun at protesters and journalists, the Chron reports. The assertion by OPD contradicts a claim last week by CHP officials that Oakland police knew about the operation. OPD officials noted that undercover operations can be dangerous; in 2001, an Oakland undercover cop was shot and killed by fellow police officers who were unaware that he was undercover.
Brendon Woods.
Credits: Stephen Loewinsohn/file photo
2. Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods, along with other attorneys from his office, held a #BlackLivesMatter protest this morning in Oakland, NBC Bay Area reports. It was the first such protest by a county public defender’s office in the state.
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3. A billionaire donor to the Democratic Party is appealing a judge’s decision that ordered him to reopen a famous beach on the Peninsula, the Chron reports. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has refused to open Martins Beach since he bought it even though beaches in California are supposed to be accessible to the public.
5. President Obama’s historic decision to reopen diplomatic relations with Cuba is being hailed not only by progressives, but also by California businesses, the Chron reports.
6. And Sony Pictures has decided to delay indefinitely the release of the film The Interview, a comedy about a assassination plot of the North Korean president, following threats made by hackers whom the US government believes are being backed by the North Korean government, the LA Times$ reports.
