Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, Dec. 13, and I’m writing from Los Angeles.

There are the big, noisy political developments — and the quiet ones. But both matter.

This week, the world watched as articles of impeachment against President Trump were introduced in the U.S. Congress and met with hours of withering debate. But something else also happened in the Capitol this week that could affect California, and other western states, for decades.

This week, the U.S. Senate confirmed two more Trump nominees to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 9th Circuit is the nation’s largest appellate court, and one long regarded as a liberal bastion. (The reality of that reputation has starkly waned in recent years, but more on that below.)

Judges Lawrence VanDyke and Patrick Bumatay, who are both in their 40s, will serve lifetime appointments. Their ascent to the bench means that Trump appointees now account for more than a third of the active judges on the very same court that the president once characterized as “a big thorn in [his] side” and “a complete & total disaster.”

What is the 9th Circuit?

The 9th Circuit is a court of appeal with jurisdiction over nine western states and two Pacific Island territories — an area that spans roughly 1.4 million square miles and encompasses more than 60 million people. Most of those cases are decided by three-judge panels, with those three judges chosen at random.

The court wields a great deal of influence over the law of the land for those in its jurisdiction. Think of it this way: Yes, the Supreme Court is the last word. But the Supreme Court hears only about 100 to 150 of the more than 7,000 cases it is asked to review every year. So for the vast majority of disputes, the decision of the circuit court functions as final say. (The same can be said for all 13 circuit courts — the 9th is inherently no more powerful, it’s just a whole lot bigger.)

The 9th Circuit has been responsible for a plethora of contentious decisions over the years, including a ruling that the mention of God in the Pledge of Allegiance violated the Constitution. That ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court.

How did the 9th Circuit come to be so liberal in the first place?

The answer is simple: Jimmy Carter. A 1978 expansion of the courts added 10 seats, which were Carter’s to fill — with a Congress controlled by Democrats to back his choices. The regular cycle of judicial retirements, deaths and appointments meant that Carter was responsible for 15 total appointees to the court.

In the natural order of things, four to eight years of a Republican presidency are typically followed by four to eight years of a Democratic presidency (or vice versa), and the shifting pendulum of political appointments accounts for something like rough parity in the judicial makeup. But the Carter-era expansion of the court was “essentially an external shock to that system,” according to Jon Michaels, a professor of law at UCLA. His appointments remade a court that had previously been relatively conservative.

And Carter didn’t just choose liberal judges, he installed some of the most liberal judges to ever serve on an appellate federal court — like Judge Stephen Reinhardt, who remained a crusading force until his death in 2018, or the late Judge Harry Pregerson, who famously played a key role in attaching a vast array of social programs to the construction of the 105 Freeway.

These were men who “approached the judicial role as one where the job was not merely to apply the law as written by the legislature, but also to help balance economic and power disparities in the legal process,” according to lawyer Ben Feuer, who serves as chairman of a firm that specializes in California appellate cases. Under their leadership, the 9th Circuit often issued rulings that not only made headlines but also carved out its place in the popular imagination as an activist court.

That was a long time ago. Is the “nutty 9th” reputation still true?

Not for a while. The court still leans liberal, but without the fervency of its past.

Feuer posits that this is, at least in part, due to a general trend of the judges appointed by Democratic presidents shifting more toward the center over the last few administrations, while Republicans have continued to appoint judges who are consistently, if not increasingly, conservative. And the Carter-era liberal lions are no longer on the court.

But even with all that said, the makeup of the court has still changed drastically during the Trump years.

As recently as April 2017, judges appointed by Democratic presidents outnumbered Republican appointees on the court by about 2 to 1 (that number probably also includes semi-retired senior-status judges). The court is now edging toward a more even split, with a ratio of 16 Democrat-appointed active judges to 13 Republican-appointed ones.

What does all this mean for the future?

California, as you well know, has a reputation for forging its own progressive path. The ability to occasionally go a bit rogue, and operate independently from the rest of the nation is made possible in part by the sheer size of our population and economy. But California has “also been able to insulate itself a little bit, because there have been federal challenges that have been brought in courts that have generally been sympathetic to progressive regulation,” Michaels said.

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“So, that may change” the UCLA law professor continued. “This might be a time where California is less able to chart a more exceptional route within the country.” But, he explained, all of that depends on what happens next. If Trump wins another term, we could see the courts further remade — with the potential for a 9th Circuit that ultimately leans toward the right.

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

For Armenian Americans, Congress’ recognition of their genocide is just part of the battle. The House on Oct. 29 voted 405 to 11 to designate the killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. Yet the Senate resolution had stalled three times before coming to a vote. But on Thursday, the measure recognizing the mass slaughter as a genocide was approved unanimously by the Senate, a rebuke to President Trump, who had sought its delay, and to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had lobbied the White House to block the designation.

In Southern California, home to an estimated 200,000 Armenian Americans, the largest community in the U.S., many in the diaspora say that the fight for recognition of the genocide, though not the sole unifying force, binds Armenians across the globe. Los Angeles Times

How might California be shaped by a devastating earthquake? The answer lies an ocean away in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, eight years after a huge quake killed 185 people. For residents, the physical, economic and psychological aftershocks continue today. Christchurch shares many of the same qualities and dangers of Los Angeles, San Francisco and other California metropolitan areas sitting along major faults. Los Angeles Times

Sen. Bernie Sanders has endorsed a controversial candidate in the race for Katie Hill’s California congressional seat. His choice — Cenk Uygur, founder and co-host of “The Young Turks” online talk show — has a long history of making crude and degrading comments about women and provocative statements about Jews, Muslims and other groups. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

L.A. County and Planned Parenthood will open 50 high school sexual health and well-being centers. The effort, which will cost at least $12 million in its first year, is designed to bring much-needed health and wellness care to underserved teenagers. It comes at a time when Los Angeles and other districts are struggling to meet the basic needs of their students to help free them to focus on learning. Los Angeles Times

Where do L.A.’s Christmas trees come from? Chances are that Douglas fir in the living room wasn’t grown locally. Curbed LA

How actress Reese Witherspoon built an empire: Her 3-year-old company, Hello Sunshine, now has tentacles in television, film, podcasts and publishing, with an online book club “poised to one day rival Oprah’s.” The Hollywood Reporter

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Californians could take center stage in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, and Republicans aren’t happy. With a floor vote on President Trump’s impeachment expected in the House next week, Democrats are jockeying to win one of the limited number of coveted spots presenting the case during the Senate trial — a group that is likely to include several California lawmakers. Los Angeles Times

The top Democratic and Republican leaders in the House are pushing for their own home-state projects in this year’s final spending bills, but without agreement from each other in the negotiations’ final days. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy are championing a park overlooking San Francisco Bay and a dam across the state’s largest reservoir, respectively. “It is unclear whether McCarthy supports the [San Francisco] Presidio initiative. But his fellow Californian Pelosi opposes the Shasta dam project, as do environmental groups and other Golden State Democrats.” Roll Call

Hundreds of California voters are being registered with the wrong party. Is the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to blame? Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

A federal judge has blocked enforcement of L.A.’s NRA disclosure law, which would require companies that seek contracts with the city to disclose whether they have ties to the gun group. The National Rifle Assn. argued that the law violates the 1st Amendment right to free speech and association and the 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law. Los Angeles Times

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Power plants in Redondo Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Oxnard have become a battleground in an increasingly urgent debate: How much natural gas does California need on its power grid, and for how long? Los Angeles Times

Recent rains have mostly washed California’s drought away. The portion of the state deemed to be abnormally dry has been reduced to just 3.6%. Los Angeles Times

Large and possibly dangerous Pacific Ocean waves are headed for stretches of the California and Oregon coastline. The affected zone extends from Big Sur all the way up to Southern Oregon. Sacramento Bee

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

How a Bakersfield mom became an Instagram influencer: “I would put on little matching outfits for me and Boston, and Bryce would get home and I would be like, ‘Babe, you want to take our picture?’” she said. “And it became our daily thing.” ABC 23

How could an obscure 2-year-old brewery acquire Ballast Point, an industry icon once worth $1 billion? The full answer is cloaked in nondisclosure statements, but a partial explanation involves 9/11, golf and a desperate seller. Los Angeles Times

Yosemite in winter: A guide to road conditions, ice skating, hiking and drinking by the fire. Fresno Bee

Could Oakland house up to 1,000 homeless people on a cruise ship in the Bay? That’s the City Council president’s idea. East Bay Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: sunny, 71. San Diego: sunny, 68. San Francisco: rain, 56. San Jose: rain, 60. Sacramento: rain, 57. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from David Rudich:

“My first memory of Los Angeles is of my mother walking my sister, Sheila, and me down Bedford Drive south of Pico Boulevard in a black perambulator past a chicken farm in 1944. I was astounded that those seemingly fat chickens were supported and could walk on such skinny legs. I was 2 years old.”

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes.

This “Les Misérables” is not based on the Victor Hugo novel, but on a real incident of police brutality in France. It’s that nation’s submission for the 2020 international feature Oscar.

“I come from documentary filmmaking,” director and co-writer Ladj Ly said at an Envelope Live Q&A. “For the last couple of years, I’ve been doing a lot of cop watching. I’ve been filming the way cops interact with young people from the projects. One day, I filmed an actual police brutality. We showed it on the internet, and it got a lot of views, and as a result, the cops were suspended from duty.

“From filming that incident, I realized the power of images, and I wanted to make a fiction that would come from that specific incident, so that was the point of departure for my film.”

Director and co-writer Ladj Ly talks about the real-life inspirations for his police-brutality drama (and Oscar contender), “Les Misérables.”

The 2019 Envelope Live screening series continued Dec. 2 at the Montalbán in Hollywood with a presentation of “Les Misérables” that included an on-stage interview of Ly (through interpreter Guetty Felin) by The Times’ Jeffrey Fleishman. Though the situation is incendiary, Ly does not paint in black and white.

“I wanted to create a space in my film where I could humanize each and every one of my characters,” he said of showing different sides of the three policemen. His heart, though, is likely with the low-income neighborhood that is the primary setting, as he grew up in and still resides in les banlieues of Paris.

“I wanted really for other people to see the reality of the projects, of this neighborhood in particular. Because the politicians don’t come, the media doesn’t come to this part of Paris. So it was important for me to show a different side, also, of the projects. So for the first 40 minutes, we get to immerse ourselves into this neighborhood, get to understand how it functions through the different characters.”

“Les Misérables” director Ladj Ly didn’t need to research “les banieues” of Paris; he grew up and still lives there.

Part of Ly’s approach is meant to “leave a space for hope, to leave a space for conversation.”

“I invited the president of France to see the film, but he didn’t come. The president invited me to come to the White House of France. I refused the invitation and told him, ‘You should come to the projects and see the film.’ ”

Felin explained, “The president did not come to the projects, but Ladj and his team sent the president a DVD…. Finally he saw the film. He was so moved by it, he decided to get his ministers together to find solutions.”

The French president initially declined Ladj Ly’s invitation to see “Les Misérables,” but once he did view the film, it made an impression on him.

Though it’s Ly’s first narrative feature, the film has also been noted for its structure and pacing, building to an intense third act.

“From the very beginning,” he said, “I knew I wanted to make the first part of the film almost documentary-style, because that’s what I’m used to shooting: hand-held and having this time that’s almost contemplative, living in the neighborhood and seeing how it is. And in the second part, raise the tension and then we get into this tension, and it‘s lowered again, and we raise it again.”

Director Ladj Ly discusses the pacing and structure of his acclaimed “Les Misérables” at an Envelope Live screening series Q&A.

“My film is like a cry for help in a space that has been ignored for the last 30 years,” Ly said. “This is a film I’m addressing to the politicians of France.”

This “Les Misérables” is not based on the Victor Hugo, but a real incident of police brutality in France. It’s that nation’s submission for the 2020 international feature Oscar.

Director Olivia Newman had it all planned out. In order to keep making personal features — like her 2018 Netflix film “First Match”— she’d make a living as a TV director. But her agent, she says, warned her that his other client, Dee Rees (“Mudbound”), had trouble getting her first episodic credit even after making a movie, “Bessie,” for HBO.

Newman wasn’t discouraged. And the timing was right. NBC was launching a new directing program: Female Forward. She applied and was accepted into its inaugural year. Now she’s “suddenly a director in the Dick Wolf universe, which if someone had told me 10 years ago that’s where I’d get my start in television, I’d be like, ‘Ha, that’s funny,’” Newman says.

It’s the sort of success story that has long been the exception more than the rule for female directors in Hollywood.

Rising awareness about systemic gender discrimination and bias in recent years hasn’t extinguished the power imbalance —just look at the all-male nominees for best director and best screenplay for next month’s Golden Globes. Even the dense fog of television content, which has contributed to record gains for the number of episodes directed by women, hasn’t solved TV’s gender-parity problem. Women directed 31% of episodes in the 2018-19 television season, according to a recent report from the Directors Guild of America.

The Female Forward initiative hopes to help close the gap more quickly. Now in its second year, the program was designed to increase the pool of experienced women directors working in episodic television by actually letting them direct.

“It’s not just about giving someone an opportunity,” says Lisa Katz, co-president of scripted programming for NBC Entertainment. “It’s about making it so they’ll succeed. You have to give people the chance so that they can rise to the occasion.”

Each finalist has directing experience in other forms — short films, indie features, commercials, music videos, digital content, etc. — and all are looking to break into episodic television. It’s a tough transition, particularly for female directors, who are at a disadvantage in navigating the obstacle course that leads to the coveted “first” episodic television directing credit. The difficulties of that quest help explain why feedback from some alumnae of the program has been so effusive.

Emmy-nominated director and Female Forward co-founder Lesli Linka Glatter

Lee Friedlander, who was part of the inaugural class, had been disenchanted by trying to make a career in television. Despite her work on a string of Lifetime and Hallmark TV movies, as well as her direction of the pilot of the short-lived series “Exes & Ohs,” which aired in the U.S. on Logo, she couldn’t book episodic gigs.

“I’ve been to so many meetings. So many. Have heard so many ‘Let’s talk next season,’” Friedlander says. “Nobody would take the ‘risk.’ This program did. And I’m so grateful to this program. It’s literally changed my entire career.”

That’s high praise when you consider that some applicants felt pangs of frustration or resentment about having to apply to and participate in such a program even after accruing directing experience outside of television.

Ramaa Mosley had done a couple of indie features, including 2012’s “The Brass Teapot,” when her husband urged her to apply after numerous meetings for episodic TV gigs went nowhere.

“He was like, ‘You need to swallow your pride and get into a program,’” she recalls. “And I kept saying, ‘I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to do it.’ There is that feeling of ‘What am I doing? What has my career become? Is this a step back?’ I should be able to get this on my own. I’ve been on hundreds of sets, directing commercials and documentaries and features. And yet I can’t get it on my own.”

“So many of the women directors I talked to, when I decided I wanted to pursue directing, would tell me about all the programs they did,” says Katie Locke O’Brien, also an alumnus of the inaugural class, who transitioned from acting into directing. “And they would say, ‘I met great people. But I can’t say any of them helped move the needle for me.’ So it’s like, is it worth it or should I just go make another short?”

• Name (Assigned Show)
  Subsequent credits

• Rebecca Addelman (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”)

  Daniela De Carlo – “Chicago Med”

  Lee Friedlander – “Good Girls”
  “Good Girls” (2) and “New Amsterdam.”

  Heather Jack – “Superstore”
  “Superstore,” “Sunnyside,” and “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix).

  Katie Locke O’Brien – “A.P. Bio”
  “Perfect Harmony” (2)

  Ramaa Mosley – “Blindspot”
  “Blindspot” and “Manifest.”

  Olivia Newman – “Chicago Fire”
  “Chicago Fire” (3), “Chicago P.D.,” “FBI” (CBS), and “Dare Me” (USA Network).

  Monica Raymund – “Law & Order: SVU”
  “FBI” (CBS)

  Lisa Robinson – “The Blacklist”
  “The Blacklist” (1)

  Christine Swanson – “Chicago P.D.”
  “FBI” (CBS)

Female Forward is one of several programs in Hollywood aimed at improving inclusion behind the camera; others include Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative and the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program.

A new Female Forward class is selected ahead of each broadcast TV season. During that time, women have the option of attending workshops, held in partnership with the Alliance of Women Directors, where directors, producers and programming executives offer insight on communicating with actors and showrunners, standing out during the hiring process and other subjects.

And then there’s the primary incentive of the program: participants shadow another director on as many as three episodes of a scripted NBC series, such as “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Superstore,” “Good Girls” and “Chicago Fire.” And, unlike similar programs, there’s a guarantee that participants will direct at least one episode of the series they have been shadowing. (The directors are paid a stipend while they shadow and receive the DGA minimum — which is roughly $28,000 for a half-hour series and $47,000 for an hour — when they direct.)

Melissa Silverstein, the founder and publisher of Women and Hollywood, considers it a much-needed addition to directors’ professional development.

“There’s an abundance of women out there and they are just waiting for the opportunity and the access,” she says. “This program gives both. By providing an actual real job, [NBC] will allow these women to gain the experience they need to continue working.”

The guaranteed episode to direct was something Emmy-nominated veteran director Lesli Linka Glatter (“Mad Men,” “Homeland”), who helped create Female Forward in partnership with NBC, felt strongly about incorporating.

“Listen, I’ve shadowed a lot, and it’s incredibly helpful, because you get to observe the process and it helps you grow as a director,” she says. “But without the guarantee of a job, it’s not meaningful in the same way, in terms of moving the needle. There has to be traction. And shadowing doesn’t create change. Credits create change.”

The topic of shadowing fatigue generates a lot of discussion among the filmmakers.

“I know directors who have shadowed 20 times and it’s like dangling this carrot,” Mosley says. “It’s like, ‘Just to show that we’re doing something, we’re going to let you in the room to watch.’ Well, you know what, we have amazing stories to tell. And almost every director I met who is wanting to do this is prepared to do it. We are ready. Just open the door and let us in. This program let us in.”

“There is kind of a ‘shadow rut’ that happens,” says Kris Lefcoe, who is part of the current class of filmmakers and whose background includes music videos and a comedy pilot. “Yes, you can learn from watching. But it’s not the same as learning from doing.”

Of course, getting showrunners and executive producers on board with that is a tall order in a fast-paced business where millions of dollars are at stake. But Katz and Pakosta say showrunners’ initial trepidation was calmed by the assurance that participants would become familiar with the set, cast and crew through shadowing before prepping for their episode. Shows also were offered an on-set guarantor — a producing director able to step in if needed — but only one of the shows opted to take it the first year.

“I think there’s probably a little bit of skepticism with some of these programs,” Katz says. “The first year, [producers] were willing but maybe a little hesitant, and then there was genuine enthusiasm for taking candidates the subsequent year.”

Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green, the co-showrunners of “Superstore,” say there was a level of ease about embracing a newcomer to episodic TV because the NBC sitcom is a well-oiled machine at this stage in its run. “We weren’t going to be throwing someone into a sink-or-swim situation,” Green says.

When Heather Jack, whose prior work includes short films and branded content, was selected to work on “Superstore” in the first year of the program, Miller and Green quickly realized they wouldn’t need to be grading on a curve.

“She came in with a deep knowledge of the show and this whole presentation that really stunned us,” Green says. “She was more prepared than a lot of the directors we’ve met with who have been doing this for years. That level of preparation continued when she directed last season and this season. And she’s just one of our directors now.”

• Name (Assigned Show)

• Kris Lefcoe (“Superstore”)
  Brenna Malloy (“Chicago Fire”)
  SJ Main Muñoz (“Chicago Med”)
  Kim Nguyen (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”)
  Sara Zandieh (“Good Girls”)

“Chicago Fire” showrunner Derek Haas says the program — and, more important, the directors’ work — has given him and the show’s other producers a jolt.

“It definitely made us think, ‘OK, we need to try a little harder on our end,’” Haas says. “Don’t wait for a program to make you put in the time to find fresh eyes. It’s easy to fall into the habit of, ‘Let’s use the same director we’ve used in the past,’ especially with a show like this where you’re making the schedule at the beginning of the season, and you get résumés from people who’ve done like 10 episodes of ‘Law & Order’ and who’ve worked in the Dick Wolf camp before.”

That notion came into sharp relief for NBC executives ahead of the 2017-18 television season. Of the 13 pilots the network ordered, none were directed by a woman, and only four women helmed pilots across the other broadcast networks.

Consideration for a pilot directing gig usually requires ample episodic directing credits, so networks often clamor over the same small group of well-established female directors. It spurred the network’s then-entertainment president, Jennifer Salke (who now oversees Amazon Studios), to launch a program that would set a foundation for women directors to build a roster of TV credits and eventually become those well-established episodic directors booking pilot gigs.

“It was a big wake-up call for me and Jen,” says Katz, who was then head of drama for NBC. “And we said, ‘This can’t happen again.’”

Derek Haas, “Chicago Fire” showrunner

Though only in its second year, Female Forward has already seen positive results. Eight directors from the program’s inaugural class were invited back to direct additional episodes of NBC- or Universal TV-produced series, and some have landed directing gigs on TV shows outside the NBC umbrella.

“To have people return, being asked back to direct, I think is the biggest vote of confidence,” says Tracy Pakosta, copresident of scripted programming at NBC. “If we can continue that for multiple years, the pool will expand and expand. I think, for us, the next step is to have someone from Female Forward direct a pilot — or multiple pilots. That’s the goal.”

In forging a path in the TV world, the women say they’ve walked away with an even greater perk.

“These are my fellow filmmaking sisters,” says Sara Zandieh, a member of the current class, whose prior work includes music videos and short films like “The Pool Party.” “We have an amazing text thread where we share resources with each other or suggestions and tips; there have been late-night calls. The bond that we have is something I’ll take with me forever, within my career and also just within my life.”

And they’re eager to pay it forward. Some have participated in the interview process with finalists or have offered advice to interested applicants.

“This program is life-changing for every person that has participated in it,” says Kim Nguyen, a member of the current class whose episode of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” will air early next year. “It has set us up for success. And if it can bring success for others, we all win.”

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NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke is planning to step down next year, accelerating an internal race to succeed him, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment.

Burke, 61, has managed NBCUniversal since Philadelphia cable giant Comcast Corp. purchased it in January 2011, shaping the once-tattered media company into a juggernaut. He has privately expressed an interest in leaving the company when his deal expires in August, according to the knowledgeable people.

NBCUniversal representatives declined to comment Thursday. Burke did not respond to a request for comment.

His departure would come at a pivotal time for the company. NBCUniversal has two signature events coming next year: the launch of Peacock, a planned streaming service, and the broadcast of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The games in Tokyo are expected to be highly profitable for NBCUniversal; already the company has received more than $1 billion in advertising commitments.

The leading candidate to replace Burke is Jeff Shell, 54, who has run the Los Angeles-based film studio Universal Pictures since 2013.

Shell is a veteran television executive who has long been one of Burke’s most trusted lieutenants. The L.A. native became chairman of the film studio in 2013, and at the time was considered an unlikely pick because he had no experience in the movie business. Shell managed NBCUniversal’s international operations from 2011 to 2013, but happily returned to his home in L.A. because Comcast wanted a corporate insider who was a Hollywood outsider to lead its West Coast charge.

“I was fully aware that he had never made a movie, or marketed a movie,” Burke said of Shell in 2015 interview with The Times. “But Jeff is a very able executive. And the bigger the job in these companies, the more important it becomes that you can work well with the team. And Jeff has a particular style, and a humility about him.”

Shell grew into the role, overseeing the film studio in its most profitable years. Early on, he hauled a stately library-style wooden desk once used by Universal’s legendary mogul Lew Wasserman out of storage to serve as his own.

Earlier this year, Shell took on an expanded portfolio, which includes oversight of the NBC broadcast network, the company’s international operations and its Spanish-language network Telemundo. The move in January telegraphed Burke’s succession planning.

Shell began his career at the Salomon Bros. investment bank, then joined Walt Disney Co. in strategic planning. He worked a variety of jobs for 11 years at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. but gambled on Comcast in 2004, in part because Burke was already there, helping run the business. Shell once told The Times he was impressed with Comcast’s ambitions and swagger.

Insiders said Burke has not discussed his planned exit with staff or publicly identified a successor.

People close to Burke said the CEO is not interested in jumping to another media company.

The son of the legendary co-leader of Capital Cities/ABC, Burke also got his start at Disney and launched the Disney Stores retail unit before taking charge of the Burbank company’s ABC television unit. But he decamped for Comcast in 1998 and has been a key ally of Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts for 21 years.

In the past, Burke has said that he had little interest in competing against Comcast.

Instead, Burke might spend more time on his Montana ranch or pursue something in the financial world. He has made a fortune at Comcast (his annual compensation typically tops $30 million) and has the chops. Burke has been a board member on one of the world’s largest banks, JP Morgan Chase, since 2004.

Leaving in 2020 would mark a logical inflection point as the entire industry is in transition. NBCUniversal is well along in the construction of a sprawling theme park in China — Universal Studios Beijing — and its opening is slated for early 2021. It will be the fifth branded Universal Studios park.

But the next CEO of NBCUniversal will face existential challenges as the cable TV channel business, which has been key to NBCUniversal’s profits, shrinks with more consumers cutting the pay-TV cord. Broadcast television, including NBC, has witnessed a sharp drop in primetime ratings. And the movie business faces uncertainty as consumers spend more time watching streaming services in the home.

And it’s unclear whether the Peacock streaming serivce will resonate with consumers in an already crowded market with well-financed rivals, including Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max.

Peacock itself has gone through a recent shake-up. Bonnie Hammer, who was head of the company’s direct-to-consumer business, was moved over to lead the company’s TV studios in October. Comcast cable executive Matt Strauss was named chairman of Peacock.

In addition to Shell, the other internal candidate to replace Burke is Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Broadcast, Cable, Sports and News. Lazarus, the head of NBC Sports since 2011, in January took over most of NBCUniversal’s East Coast-based content businesses, including the high-profile NBC News, which encompasses MSNBC and CNBC, and cable channels such as USA, Syfy and E!

Variety first reported on Burke’s expected exit.

Times staff writers Ryan Faughnder and Stephen Battaglio contributed to this report.

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SERIES

Top Elf Peyton List joins Santa and Ms. Jingles to judge the giant holiday ornament challenge in this new episode. 7 p.m. Nickelodeon

The Blacklist Red (James Spader) and the team visit a former Blacklister as an explosive confrontation leads Liz (Megan Boone) to make a critical choice in a new episode of the crime drama. 8 p.m. NBC

American Housewife Katie (Katy Mixon) is looking forward to sharing a favorite childhood Christmas tradition with Taylor (Meg Donnelly) this season, until they get an unexpected visit from Katie’s caustic mom (recurring guest star Wendie Malick). 8 p.m. ABC

Fresh Off the Boat Jessica (Constance Wu) micromanages the household to ensure that the Huang family’s Christmas is flawless, but Louis (Randall Park) complicates things by trying to “help.” 8:30 p.m. ABC

Magnum P.I. Magnum (Jay Hernandez) is called up from the reserves for a top-secret mission, but it turns out that it’s a hoax and that he’s being set up in this new episode of the rebooted drama. Perdita Weeks also stars. 9 p.m. CBS

20/20 The new episode “The Hitman From Pop to Prison” profiles disgraced music mogul Lou Pearlman, exploring his involvement in the boy band scene and his role in one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history. 9 p.m. ABC

CMT Crossroads Pop star Gavin DeGraw and country music’s Chris Young share the stage in a new edition of the concert series. 10 p.m. CMT

SPECIALS

How Murray Saved Christmas In this animated special, adapted from a book by Mike Reiss (“The Simpsons”), Jerry Stiller supplies the voice of a cantankerous delicatessen owner who has to become a substitute Santa, assisted by an elf (voice of Sean Hayes). 6:45 a.m. IFC and 9:05 p.m. AMC

The 88th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade Erik Estrada, Dean Cain, Laura McKenzie and Montel Williams join cohost Elizabeth Stanton for this annual holiday parade. Mario Lopez serves as this year’s grand marshal. 8 p.m. CW

Disney Channel Holiday Party at Walt Disney World Performers include Shaggy and Pentatonix in this new special. 8 p.m. Disney

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped With a resume that includes writing for the groundbreaking TV series “Your Show of Shows” and writing and directing “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” the comedy legend shares stories about his life and career with the BBC’s Alan Yentob. 9 p.m. HBO

MOVIES

BlacKkKlansman Spike Lee won an Oscar for cowriting this 2018 biographical crime film, which chronicles the true story of how a black police detective (John David Washington) was able to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a white surrogate (Adam Driver). Topher Grace costars as white supremacist David Duke. 8 p.m. Cinemax

Christmas Stars In this 2019 holiday drama, an aspiring R&B singer (Erica Durance) meets an easygoing bartender (JT Hodges) who has a gift for writing lyrics. 8 p.m. Lifetime

TALK SHOWS

CBS This Morning Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today The cast of “The Brady Bunch.” (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning America Jon Hamm; the cast of “Jumanji: The Next Level.” (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day LA Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds; cookbook author Emily Hutchinson; tech expert Dr. Gadget. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Live with Kelly and Ryan Jon Hamm; Gone West and Colbie Caillat perform. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Annette Bening. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

Rachael Ray Kate Hudson prepares cocktails; holiday party décor; skillet chicken and biscuits with hot honey. (N) 10 a.m. KTTV

The Wendy Williams Show Mona Scott-Young (“Love & Hip Hop: New York”). (N) 11 a.m. KTTV

The Talk Danny DeVito; Vanessa Williams guest cohosts. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS

Tamron Hall A single father tells how adopting five siblings under age 5 changed his life; holiday gifts. (N) 1 p.m. KABC

The Dr. Oz Show Unhealthful foods; chef Aarón Sánchez discusses depression, addiction and abuse. (N) 1 p.m. KTTV

The Kelly Clarkson Show Kevin Hart; Philadelphia Eagles mascot Swoop; Santa’s chief elf. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC

Dr. Phil An unsuspecting teen may have been lured into the woods and killed by her best friend. (N) 3 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Blake Shelton; Ayesha Curry. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC

The Real The Clark Sisters (“Victory”). (N) 3 p.m. KTTV

The Doctors Singer Gloria Gaynor; the flu; saggy skin; workout moves; germ-filled spots in a kitchen. (N) 3 p.m. KCOP

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The Wendy Williams Show Sandra Bernhard; chef Ingrid Hoffmann. 4 p.m. KCOP

The Real Ashanti; holiday trends that need to end. 5 p.m. KCOP

Washington Week Impeachment hearings; the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal; the Justice Department’s inspector general’s report on the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. (N) 7 p.m. KOCE

The Issue Is…With Elex Michaelson Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.). (N) 10:30 p.m. KTTV

Amanpour and Company 11 p.m. KCET, 1 a.m. KLCS

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 11:34 p.m. KNBC

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Mark Harmon; comic Caitlin Weierhauser. (N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tom Holland; Ana Gasteyer; Adam Levine; Angel Olsen performs. 11:35 p.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With James Corden Paul Rudd; comic Hasan Minhaj; Anthony Ramos performs. 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Seth Meyers Dolly Parton; Tobias Menzies; Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont). 12:37 a.m. KNBC

Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m. KABC

A Little Late With Lilly Singh John Cena; Bindi Irwin. 1:38 a.m. KNBC

SPORTS

Basketball The Lakers visit the Miami Heat, 4 p.m. ESPN and SportsNet; the Clippers visit the Minnesota Timberwolves, 6:30 p.m. ESPN and FS Prime

For more sports on TV, see the Sports section.

As many U.S. airports, including LAX, rush to embrace the use of facial-recognition technology by airlines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is applying the brakes.

On Tuesday, the Port of Seattle Commission (which manages Sea-Tac) unanimously approved a temporary ban on some uses of biometric technology, including the facial-recognition systems that CBP and airlines have been testing and introducing in recent years.

On a unanimous vote, the five commissioners voted to hold off on those controversial systems until the commission has time to create its own policies on how to use them. The commission’s goal is to have airport stake-holders produce policy proposals by March 31, with a policy adopted by the commission by June 30.

“We feel that our community expects more than to have this kind of technology rolled out without any public discussion or input,” Stephanie Bowman, president of the Port of Seattle Commission, said in a statement released by the port.

The vote delays a plan by Delta Airlines to introduce facial recognition cameras at Sea-Tac in coming weeks. It’s also apparently the first effort by an American airport agency to establish its own guidelines rather than leaving that to federal authorities.

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Meanwhile, Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has not adopted any policy covering facial recognition or other biometric data collection, such as fingerprints, LAX officials say, and the data collection is accelerating
In the last three years, LAX has worked often with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and several airlines to introduce biometric technology, including American Airlines in Terminal 4, Delta in Terminal 3 and various carriers in the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Besides boosting security, LAX officials say, the systems can make boarding more convenient, faster and more secure.

The airport was the first in the U.S. to launch facial-only biometric boarding, LAX officials said, and that as of July, more than 500,000 international passengers used a biometric process for “paperless” boarding.

The government’s use of biometric data has sparked complaints from many civil liberties advocates who say the technology threatens privacy rights. At least four municipalities (most recently Berkeley in October) have forbidden city agencies from using facial-recognition technology.

Three states, including California, have also banned use of facial-recognition software in police body cameras. (The California law takes effect Jan. 1 and expires after three years.)

But federal Homeland Security officials have set an ambitious agenda for setting up facial-recognition screening in airports nationwide in the next few years.

The Seattle commission arrived at its decision this week after public meetings in September and October and seeking comment from federal agencies, transportation companies, civil liberties advocates and others.

After that input, the commission adopted seven principles that it said should guide the creation of a governing policy. Any implementation of facial-recognition technology, the commission said, should be justified, voluntary, private, equitable, transparent, lawful and ethical.

In a letter cited at the meeting, U.S. Customs and Border Protection deputy executive assistant commissioner John P. Wagner wrote that the agency “strongly supports” the principles listed by the Port of Seattle. Wagner wrote that “we look forward to working with the Port of Seattle Commission on the use of facial comparison technology in Port of Seattle facilities.”

The Seattle vote does not affect a Customs plan to use facial-recognition cameras at a new international arrivals facility set to open in fall 2020, a Sea-Tac spokesman noted. That facility is controlled by the federal government, not the commission that runs the airport.

The spokesman also said the commission’s vote will not affect operations of CLEAR, the company that collects an annual fee from travelers who choose to submit biometric data to expedite passage through Transportation Security Administration lines.

At LAX’s Bradley International Terminal, a spokesman said, biometric exit systems are in place at three gates (used by several carriers) and Customs officials are using a biometric entry system to verify the identity of arriving international travelers.

LAX officials note that the airport agency “does not collect or store any biometric data as part of this process”— that’s Customs and Border Protection’s job — and that travelers are allowed to opt out of the biometric procedures.

An LAX spokesman said the airport agency “continues to work in close collaboration with CBP, the Transportation Security Administration and several airlines to pilot and promote the use of biometric solutions for passenger processing, as such solutions will allow passengers to get to their planes or their final destinations much faster, easier and in a more secure manner.”

Confession: I’ve been dipping into some Hallmark Channel “Countdown to Christmas” movies. Last weekend when I was in San Juan Capistrano in search of holiday spirit, I thought maybe I needed to pump the brakes on TV time. I had started to feel as though I were in an actual Hallmark movie. But then my husband, Dan, piped up. “I feel like I’m in a Hallmark movie,” he said. OK, so it was drizzling instead of snowing, but we agreed that San Juan might be the most old-fashioned, slow-rolling Christmas getaway SoCal can muster. The tab: $291, plus tax, for a one-night hotel stay, holiday tea and Capistrano Lights at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

THE BED

The Best Western Capistrano Inn is really the only game in town for now. It was a bargain at $106 for the night I booked and was about one mile from Mission San Juan Capistrano in the heart of downtown. If you drive a few miles to Dana Point, you’ll find fancier hotel options with ocean views. If you don’t make it to San Juan until after the holidays, the Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano, a Marriott Autograph Collection boutique hotel, with hacienda-style guest rooms and luxury suites, is set to open in March.

THE MEAL

The Tea House on Los Rios is gussied up for the holidays with twinkling lights, wreathes and stockings. We ordered the Christmas and Holiday tea ($60 a person through Jan. 12), which begins with a festive cranberry mimosa and ends with a fudgy flourless chocolate cake. In between are warm scones, finger sandwiches and your own pot of tea (Bourbon Street Vanilla for me, lovey). The house is truly a house, built in 1911, and the afternoon I was here each cozy room was packed with women, so reserve well ahead.

THE FIND

Although we weren’t sure whether it would be worth the money, we bought tickets ($13 each) for Capistrano Lights, a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony now in its second year at the mission. I didn’t know there also would be a harpist in the chapel, Victorian carolers, mariachis, a tamale stand and cookie tables. Everyone who entered was handed a battery-operated candle to carry or place at the ruins of the Great Stone Church, which has a life-size nativity scene bathed in candlelight. The courtyards are laced with twinkling lights, and the night I was here they were filled with families and couples in matching hats and scarves, holding hands and snapping photos. The tree-lighting ceremony and musical performances will repeat every night through Jan. 6.

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THE LESSON LEARNED

Give yourself lots of time for lots of things. All along Los Rios Street, a charming stroll on the National Register of Historic Places, are holiday activities. We saw photos with Santa, hot cocoa and popcorn stands, buskers playing Christmas songs on horns and violins , even a snowman, although he was melting a little. Across the train tracks (you can take an Amtrak to San Juan if you want a break from driving) is Camino Capistrano, a short street lined with boutiques and spots to get a bite to eat or a glass of wine. I sprinted through the Old Barn Antique Mall in search of vintage ornaments (score!). As the night wound down we popped into the Swallow’s Inn bar for jukebox Lynyrd Skynyrd and whiskey. Then we slipped out the door and back into our Hallmark movie.

Best Western Capistrano Inn, 27174 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano; (949) 493-5661. Wheelchair accessible.

Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano; (949) 234-1300. Wheelchair accessible.

Tea House on Los Rios, 31731 Los Rios St., San Juan Capistrano; (949) 443-3914. Wheelchair accessible.

SuperShuttle, the shared van ride that has served passengers heading to and from airports around the world, including Los Angeles International Airport, will cease operations at the end of the year.

The company — which was founded in 1983 to serve LAX and expanded nationwide as well as to Latin America, Canada, Europe and Asia — has been plagued by competition from Uber and Lyft. In recent weeks it has pulled out of airports serving many cities, including Burbank, Sacramento, Phoenix, Baltimore and Minneapolis.

A Tuesday letter from the company to a Los Angeles-area franchisee, obtained by The Times, says: “SuperShuttle plans to honor all reservations and walk-up requests for service” through Dec. 31.

Attempts to reach Mark Friedman, identified as general manager in the letter’s signature line, were unsuccessful Thursday. SuperShuttle executives could not be reached for official comment. But two SuperShuttle reservations agents reached by telephone confirmed that the company was going out of business, as did a company executive who was not authorized to speak publicly.

SuperShuttle is one of the few services that can still pick up riders curbside at LAX after the airport’s recent changes to help ease congestion. In November, Lyft, Uber and taxis were relegated to a pickup lot next to Terminal 1; travelers can either walk there or wait for an airport shuttle to ferry them.

But shared van services such as SuperShuttle have been hit hard since the advent of ride-hailing services. At LAX, shared van rides plunged by two-thirds in the first half of this year compared with the first half of 2016, the first full year that Uber and Lyft operated there, according to city data. Trips on LAX’s FlyAway buses also sank by two-thirds during that time; taxi trips fell 39%; and courtesy shuttles to car rental facilities, parking lots and hotels saw a 20% decline. The number of Uber and Lyft trips, meanwhile, more than doubled.

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The letter to the franchisee cited “a variety of factors” for the company’s closure, “including increasing costs and changes in the competitive and regulatory landscape” that “have called into question the economic and operational viability of the company’s operations.”

The shutdown will leave franchisees in the lurch — hundreds of them in California alone.

“A lot of us own our vans, and now we don’t have jobs,” Mohammad Baraei said Thursday afternoon in between shuttling people to and from LAX, adding that he still owes about half the payments on his $66,000 vehicle. “I can’t even file for unemployment. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

SuperShuttle is also laying off employees. Customer service representative Ricky Heredia, who is stationed at the airport to help travelers connect with their rides, said he learned about the shutdown shortly before his lunch break Thursday: His manager handed him a letter saying his job would end Dec. 31.

Merih Tuncay, waiting to be picked up at LAX on Thursday, said he has been a loyal SuperShuttle customer for the last five years as he splits his time between his homes in Turkey and Fontana. The 45-year-old said he has enjoyed reserving a ride in advance and knowing the price far ahead of time — benefits that Uber and Lyft don’t provide.

Tuncay said that for rides between LAX and Fontana, he used to rely on a taxi driver he’d befriended — until that driver’s fare rose to $500 for a round trip. SuperShuttle charges him $286, he said. Asked what he’d do without SuperShuttle, Tuncay said: “Maybe I’ll have to start renting a car.”

Other travelers at the airport similarly said they appreciated SuperShuttle’s comparatively low prices and the fact that a large family plus luggage could fit into the van.

But the vans’ high capacity also can mean inconveniently long, winding trips as riders are dropped off one by one. “In honor of the death of SuperShuttle, on your way home tonight make a random stop at 7 different addresses before finally heading home,” Twitter user @jehawks joked.

Signs of the company’s shakiness appeared shortly before the Thanksgiving holidays: In addition to withdrawing from several other airports, SuperShuttle suspended its operations at LAX because of an issue with insurance. The California Public Utilities Commission said the service was out of compliance with state regulations. The issue was resolved Nov. 21.

SuperShuttle is owned by an affiliate of Blackstreet Capital Holdings, a private investment firm in Bethesda, Md., court documents show. Blackstreet describes itself as specializing in acquiring small or midsize companies “that are in out-of-favor industries or are undergoing some form of transition.”

Blackstreet acquired SuperShuttle in September from Transdev on Demand Inc., which is part of the Transdev Group of France, according to a lawsuit Transdev filed against Blackstreet this month in Delaware Chancery Court in a dispute over some terms of the transaction.

Officials at Blackstreet could not immediately be reached for comment on SuperShuttle’s suspended services or on how SuperShuttle’s services are divided between company-owned operators and franchisees.

SuperShuttle’s website shows that the company provided service to more than 80 airports worldwide, including those in Southern California, before it began suspending services in many locations.

The company’s demise comes less than a year after it won a labor victory that made it easier to classify its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. In January, the National Labor Relations Board ruled against SuperShuttle drivers at Dallas-Fort Worth airport who were looking to unionize.

Times staff writers James F. Peltz and Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.

Take a break from the holiday whirlwind and savor the season by indulging in a festive afternoon tea service filled with merriment.

San Marino

The holiday tea menu at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, presented in the Rose Garden Tea Room, is available daily through Jan. 2 and puts a twist on traditional items that might include insubstantial finger sandwiches and bland scones. Instead, you can savor turkey cranberry tea sandwiches with a marmalade cream spread, wine-poached pear and brie crostini, pumpkin cupcakes and mini apple pies with crumble topping.

Seasonal tea blends are also offered, including butterscotch white tea and pumpkin spice chai. Afterward, explore more than 120 acres of gardens and European and American arts collections in the galleries on property.

Cost, info: $37 for adults and $20 for children, plus tax; a separate admission fee to the Huntington is also required for Tea Room guests (check website for details). Vegan and gluten-free options are available. huntington.org/dining

Laguna Beach

Relish the salty air and views of the Pacific Ocean from the festive Lobby Lounge at Montage Laguna Beach during its Holiday Afternoon Tea, offered at 2 p.m. daily through Dec. 31. Seasonal indulgences include lobster salad tartlets, gingerbread-Bosc pear pie and orange peel scones, along with French apple streusel and Masala chai teas. The holiday cheer continues at 3 p.m. with live piano music.

Cost, info: $75 for adults ($95 with a glass of Champagne) and $45 for children (no Champagne), plus tax. Vegan and gluten-free options available on the regular afternoon tea menu. Reservations suggested; bit.ly/montagelagunatea

Beverly Hills

Inspired by the Los Angeles Ballet rendition of “The Nutcracker,” the Nutcracker Tea at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills gives visitors Nutcracker-themed decor and a live harpist in the Lobby Lounge. The tea is offered from 2 to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays through Dec. 29. The extensive tea selection includes a special hazelnut-and-vanilla-flavored black Nutcracker tea; food includes pumpkin quiche and shrimp cocktail with cranberry sweet and sour dip.

Cost, info: $75 plus tax per guest including children ($95 with a glass of Champagne, not for children). The harpist performs only Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations suggested; bit.ly/waldorfnutcracker

Los Angeles

Cozy up by one of the fireplace nooks at Tres by José Andrés at SLS Beverly Hills hotel for its Holiday Afternoon Tea. It’s offered 3-5 p.m. weekends in December, and the menu features such selections as caviar steamed buns, rice crispy bon bons, chocolate pop rocks and yule log mousse cake. Of the many tea selections, the black orchid with ylang ylang, mandarin and vanilla is a highlight.

Cost, info: $65 plus tax per guest, including children. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance;
bit.ly/slsholidaytea

San Diego

The Polar Bear Tea takes place in the Hotel del Coronado’s oceanfront ballroom from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 20. Besides hot chocolate, teas, finger sandwiches, cupcakes and cookies, guests may partake in cupcake decorating, listen to a live quartet and spend story time with Mrs. Claus and the North Pole elves. Part of the proceeds go to Toys for Tots; every guest who brings a new toy to donate will receive a plush polar bear keepsake.

Cost, info: $65 for adults and $35 for children 4-10, plus tax; free for children younger than 3. Reservations can be made by calling (619) 522-8100. A Victorian Tea is scheduled for Dec. 16, 18, 19, 21 and 23; hoteldel.com

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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will have a shorter commute to the Staples Center after buying a penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live for $6.725 million.

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The three-time all-star, who was previously seen scoping out homes on the Westside of L.A., purchased the penthouse through a limited liability company managed by his uncle, Dennis Robertson. Last year, he used another corporate entity to buy a five-acre estate in Rancho Santa Fe for $13 million.

The location puts Leonard in close proximity to former Lakers executive Jim Buss, whose penthouse is still for sale, should he need to borrow a cup of sugar. Former Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball owns his own unit a few floors down.

Centered on the downtown cityscape, the 4,280-square-foot unit features vibrant wood floors, walls of glass, two custom fireplaces and magnetic, wall-mounted iPads for controlling smart home systems. The family room adjoins a center-island kitchen with a breakfast nook. In the master suite, there’s a steam shower.

A pair of underground parking spaces were included with the three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom residence, which had been listed for $6.995 million. A rooftop swimming pool, a fitness center and valet and concierge services are among building amenities.

Kurt Rappaport and Kevin Booker of Westside Estate Agency were the listing agents. Booker also represented the buyer, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

Leonard, 28, joined the Clippers as a free-agent this year after winning an NBA title last season with the Toronto Raptors. The former San Diego State star has twice been named the NBA’s defensive player of the year since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2011. He won another title in 2014 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.