Reckoning day for Oakland’s bogus $170 million redevelopment agency transfer, CCSF’s friends in the legislature sound off, bicycle coalition demands safer streets, more.
Top of the news
A day after his receiving a stiff sentence for leaking U. S. intelligence materials to Wikileaks, Army private Bradley E. Manning announced that he prefers to be known as “Chelsea” and hopes to begin hormone treatment as soon as possible to begin living as a woman, as suggested by this undated Army file photo of Manning. AP
The wife of Silicon Valley real estate mogul Clyde Berg stunned the courtroom while testifying at her husband’s wife abuse trial, abruptly telling the judge she had to be excused and then leaving the courthouse. Mercury News
Politics and government
After State Controller John Chiang officially voided nearly $170 million in asset transfers from Oakland’s former redevelopment agency Wednesday, city leaders were quick to insist that the move, long anticipated, would not impact the city’s finances or services. Oakland Tribune
State lawmakers sympathetic to City College of San Francisco’s loss of accreditation and scheduled closure next year made noises Wednesday questioning the methods of the accreditation agency. Chronicle
Other news and items of interest
More executive turmoil under CEO Meg Whitman as Hewlett-Packard continues to struggle. Mercury News
The once-proud Pagoda Theater in North Beach is no more, having been leveled Tuesday to make room for boring machines for the Central Subway. Chronicle
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, in an open letter to Mayor Ed Lee, demanded that the city do more to improve safety in the SoMa neighborhood, a week after a woman was killed when she was struck by a truck while riding her bike on Folsom Street. Chronicle
The Mercury News looks at “Teslanaires,” Tesla Motors true believers who’ve sank their personal savings into the company they hope will make them rich.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Palo Alto-based company, whose plant is in Fremont, plans to add factories in Europe and Asia. Mercury News
The adult film industry announced a moratorium on making porn films after an actor tested positive for HIV. AP
That former baggage handler caught stealing luggage at SFO was ordered to pay $32,000 to victims as restitution in addition to serving six months in jail. Mercury News
A well-known Santa Cruz surf instructor was charged with 28 felony counts after allegations that he had one of his 14-year-old students create pornography and secretly videotaped young girls in a surf school dressing room. Santa Cruz Sentinel
