WASHINGTON — 

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., whose new year will include presiding at a Senate impeachment trial of President Trump as well as leading the Supreme Court, called Tuesday for more focus on civic education at a time “when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale.”

In his year-end report on the judiciary, Roberts steered clear of politics, Trump and the looming impeachment trial, speaking instead about the importance of independent courts and citizens who understand democracy.

“Each generation has an obligation to pass on to the next, not only a fully functioning government responsive to the needs of the people, but the tools to understand and improve it,” he said. “I ask my judicial colleagues to continue their efforts to promote public confidence in the judiciary, both through their rulings and through civic outreach. We should celebrate our strong and independent judiciary, a key source of national unity and stability. But we should also remember that justice is not inevitable. We should reflect on our duty to judge without fear or favor, deciding each matter with humility, integrity and dispatch.”

This is not a new theme for the chief justice. Just over a year ago, Roberts issued an extraordinary statement in response to Trump’s tweeted critique of a judge as being an “Obama judge.”

“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,” Roberts said. “What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”

His devotion to nonpartisan judging will be put to a test in the next year. The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Democratic-controlled House committees and a New York prosecutor can subpoena Trump’s financial records, including his tax returns.

And in the weeks ahead, Roberts will cross 1st Street on Capitol Hill and preside over a Senate impeachment trial of Trump.

The details and timing of the Senate trial await the return of lawmakers to Washington next week. The high court is due to hear arguments in the morning during the weeks of Jan. 13 and Jan. 21.

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Roberts’ official title is chief justice of the United States, and as such he is the leader of the entire federal court system, not just the Supreme Court. In this year’s report, he described the importance of the “85 brilliant essays” that appeared in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788 and became known as the Federalist Papers. They explained the “core principles of our constitutional democracy,” Roberts said.

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison wrote most of the essays, while John Jay, the nation’s first chief justice, contributed only five. “Perhaps if Jay had been more productive, America might have awarded him with a Broadway musical,” Roberts wrote, referring to hit musical “Hamilton.” But he was badly injured in what was dubbed “the Doctors’ Riot,” Roberts said.

It began with a rumor that medical students were robbing graves to practice surgery on cadavers, he said. An angry mob formed and stormed a New York hospital. Jay, who lived nearby, grabbed a sword and tried to defend the medical staff, but a rioter tossed a rock that struck him. He survived, but did not contribute further to the influential essays.

“It is sadly ironic that John Jay’s efforts to educate his fellow citizens about the framers’ plan of government fell victim to a rock thrown by a rioter motivated by a rumor.” The three authors “ultimately succeeded in convincing the public of the virtues of the principles embodied in the Constitution. Those principles leave no place for mob violence,” he wrote.

“But in the ensuing years, we have come to take democracy for granted, and civic education has fallen by the wayside. In our age, when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale, the public’s need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, is ever more vital.”

The court also announced that the chief justice’s mother, Rosemary A. Roberts, died Saturday surrounded by her family in Westminster, Md. She was 90.

Mick Cronin has heard the chatter about what’s missing in his rebuilding efforts. Once the UCLA coach starts to fill the roster with his recruits, the sentiment goes, the Bruins can start to erase the confounding lack of fundamentals and dumb basketball plays that plague the team.

It’s all a bunch of hooey to Cronin.

“What frustrates me is when people say, ‘Well, it’s not your players,’ ” Cronin said Tuesday, three days after a home loss to Cal State Fullerton dropped the Bruins’ record to 7-6. “Yes they are. Yes they are. I’m the coach at UCLA, they’re here and they’re my players, so it’s my job to get them [where they need to be] and you can’t separate yourself from your team. I don’t believe in that, I don’t believe in that at all.

“Our coaching staff, we have to get them to do what we need them to do and that’s our job.”

Cronin said he has spent the last few days trying to clarify his postgame message from Saturday, when some fans fretted that he was driving a wedge between himself and the players by saying they lacked humility, were reluctant to challenge each other and were overly focused on individual statistics.

On Tuesday, Cronin explained that restoring UCLA to national prominence was a collective effort and noted that his identity as a defense-minded coach wasn’t that of the players he inherited, leading to the painful process of breaking ingrained habits.

“There’s got to be some hard lessons learned of what we stand for, what we’re going to stand for, that if you’re going to be here, humility is required, toughness is required, doing whatever it takes to stop the other team is required,” Cronin said, “so those are just standards you just have to set forth as a coach.”

The Bruins have practiced every day and held a couple of team meetings since their loss to Fullerton, which could be considered their worst setback in two decades given that the Titans entered the game with a national ranking of No. 283 according to the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy.

It was also UCLA’s third consecutive defeat, not exactly a spot the Bruins wanted to be in heading into their Pac-12 Conference opener Thursday at Washington (10-3). The losing streak has made some players realize they won’t win based solely on the name that graces their jerseys.

“Of course guys come in here, UCLA, you kinda get a big head, blah, blah, blah,” redshirt sophomore Jalen Hill said, “but losing a lot really humbles you. You just got to buckle down and work on your weaknesses.”

For Hill, that has meant being more vocal on the court while chasing every loose ball and rebound.

“Be a superstar,” Hill said, “in my own role.”

Among the lessons that sophomore guard Jules Bernard said he has learned is trying to be more grateful for the opportunities that slipping on his jersey entails.

“People have paved the way for this program at UCLA basketball,” Bernard said, “and not being entitled as basketball players, taking every possession like it’s our last, respecting our opponents, respecting the game, just personally that’s just what I’ve been taught growing up, just to always respect the game and respect our opponents and play hard at all times because you never know when it can end.”

Cronin knows that the ache his team feels can lead to better days, having experienced both emotions at his last college stop.

“Cincinnati,” Cronin said, “was raising the Titanic.”

The Bearcats had only four players when Cronin arrived and endured consecutive losing seasons before eventually making nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, something UCLA hasn’t achieved since making 14 consecutive trips under coaches Jim Harrick and Steve Lavin from 1989 to 2002.

“What we’re going through is brutal,” Cronin said, “but we have to go through it. It just has to happen.”

Etc.

Cronin said redshirt freshman forward Shareef O’Neal played only three minutes against Fullerton because of matchup issues involving the Titans’ bevy of three-point shooters and mature, strong centers. … Junior forward Chris Smith has made 38 of 42 free throws for 90.5%, best in the Pac-12.

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Jahmai Mashack is one of the top defenders in high school basketball in Southern California. He has been able to lock down some of the top wing players in the Southland and is versatile enough at 6 feet 4 to take on many post players as well.

This summer, the Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda guard was the one who got locked down.

He landed wrong at practice and fractured his right foot. He couldn’t play, practice or work out. It came at an inopportune time during the evaluation period between his sophomore and junior seasons when a lot of college scholarship offers are extended. Coaches wanted to see the development of his game, but Mashack was sidelined.

He was disgruntled and was going stir crazy for a month after the injury. Watching basketball only made him more frustrated, so his family stepped in. They took a trip down to a local fishing hole. Jahmai needed to get outside, get his mind off basketball and get a smile back on his face.

“I think I only caught like one, but my sister and my mom ended up catching like two or three,” Mashack said with a chuckle. “They reminded me to always keep things in perspective. It’s OK to feel frustrated with my circumstances — injuries, bad games, social media — but to remember I am beyond blessed.”
It was the recharge he needed before getting a cast removed and beginning his rehabilitation.

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“They really help me get my mind off of basketball sometimes and when it is on basketball, they give me the best advice, so I really take what they tell me to heart and make sure I take it serious,” he said.

Mashack battled back from the injury with his family’s support and has been a standout in helping Etiwanda to a 12-2 record through the first half of the season.

Those scholarship opportunities he missed out on this summer now seem inevitable. He had offers from Liberty, Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara. He recently was offered by Cal Poly and has been talking with several high-major programs, including California, Colorado, Oklahoma and UCLA.

Defensive mind-set

Mashack has a nice catch-and-shoot mid-range game and is working to improve his range, both in catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble situations. He scored 24 points in a win over Los Angeles Salesian in the Classic at Damien, but he continues to catch the eye of college coaches and evaluators with his intensity on the other end of the court.

“He’s a great defender with great length and shot-blocking abilities,” said Etiwanda senior and four-star prospect Jaylen Clark, who has to go against Mashack in practice.

Mashack said as his recruitment picks up, he will be looking for a program where his aggressive man-to-man defensive mind-set is appreciated and coveted.

“I really want to go into a program that fits my play style and something that I’m comfortable with and somewhere that I can play at my best and we’re on the same page,” he said. “That’s really important to me, so yea, looking at schools like UCLA that have that defensive mind-set. It is a great, great outlook.”

A good fit?

UCLA has told Mashack it likes his intensity, energy and what he brings to the floor on both ends, particularly on defense. The four-star prospect, per the 247Sports composite rankings, is the type of player who seemingly would be a good fit under first-year coach Mick Cronin.

The Bruins have made a strong early impression with Mashack.

“I have really appreciated Mick Cronin and everything that he says in interviews, what he says to his team that I’ve heard,” Mashack said. “He’s really a guy that has the same mind-set as me, especially on the defensive end. Tough coach. Really like his play style and he’s a great person to talk to as well.”

As his team glided around him Monday morning, a day before its 5-3 thumping of the Philadelphia Flyers on New Year’s Eve at Staples Center, Kings coach Todd McLellan reached into his pocket and found a forgotten piece of paper.

It was an old lineup card, from the Kings’ last full-fledged practice. Amid a December schedule that included an East Coast road trip, a three-day mandatory holiday break and very few maintenance days in between, McLellan knew it had been awhile since his team’s last true full-service session.

Still, seeing the date on the card struck him.

“It was Dec. 11,” he said, adding up the 19-day gap. “That was probably our last actual practice.”

At the dawn of a new year, a new decade, it’s tempting for the Kings (17-21-4) to look toward the future, and to look big in doing so.

The team has one of the best pipelines in the NHL, highlighted by the league-high nine Kings prospects participating in the World Junior Championship, and appears destined for its third lottery pick in the last four drafts.

It has an accomplished coach locked up on a long-term contract.

It has a collection of Cup-winning veterans willing to offer guidance through this reboot.

Even without regular practice time in recent weeks, the Kings have begun turning the corner as of late. The lackadaisical, lopsided defeats that marred last season have largely disappeared, complete efforts such as Tuesday’s — the Kings led 4-0 after the first period and were hardly threatened down the stretch — increasingly taking their place.

At 12-10-3 in their last 25 games, the Kings aren’t entering the 2020s with the championship-caliber form that defined the last decade. But they aren’t ending the 2010s with a dud either.

“The results aren’t the way we want them to be, but still encouraging,” captain and All-Star selection Anze Kopitar said. “Because we are there. It’s not those blowout games … We’re always in it and, you know, pressing to get better.”

But even as the results brightened, there were breakdowns in the defensive zone, mispositioning on the forecheck and a lack of finish around the net.

Though almost unnoticeable to the layman, McLellan feared even such small cracks could serve to undermine the club’s lofty plans for the future

Even though he kept his squad on the ice for about an hour Monday, that wasn’t enough to complete everything he had planned.

“It’s like a golfer,” the team’s first-year coach explained. “You get out to the range, and you need to work on putting and chipping, your long game and short game, sand game. All that type of stuff. We need to go through everything.

“You forget some of the fine details. You can remind as much as you want verbally or visually. Until you feel it, it doesn’t get to where it needs to be. Practice time is valuable.”

Tuesday’s four-goal first period made that much clear. Their first tally, a Kyle Clifford wrister, was sprung with a quick breakout pass that looked almost by design. Their next two, scored by Alex Iafallo and Tyler Toffoli, came via a power-play unit that has found its stride over the last dozen games, converting on eight of its last 30 chances (26.7%) after an 11-for-100 start this year. The fourth, an Adrian Kempe snipe, was the result of a short-handed two-on-one.

At the intermission, the team exited the ice to thunderous applause. A couple of late Flyers goals — the odd blemishes in goaltender Jonathan Quick’s 32-save victory — didn’t dampen the postgame celebration either.

“A real good night for our team,” McLellan said. “I thought yesterday’s practice showed up in today’s game. That’s a real good sign for our team. They’re picking things up and putting them into play the following day.”

Which, really, is all McLellan wants at this stage. They fixed a few little things to end the calendar year on a high note, bidding farewell to their most decorated decade with the kind of night they’re hoping to frequently repeat.

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Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as we predict the top stories of 2020 and look back at trainer Gary Sherlock.

We don’t often have a Wednesday newsletter but Santa Anita has a special New Year’s Day card that brings us back.

Since today is the first day of 2020, what better point to come up with predictions for the new year. Some of these I feel pretty strong about, some are just a guess and some I came up with just to fill out the list.

So, here are my 10 predictions for horse racing this year. The order is of no importance.

—Synthetic course at Santa Anita. After the marathon winter-spring meeting, Santa Anita will announce that it is reconfiguring the track with a turf course closest to the grandstand and turf club and a new synthetic course on the inside of that. The downhill turf course will return with no dirt crossover.

—Jockey colony gets stronger. The Southern California jockey colony has added Umberto Rispoli, who will quickly become a crowd favorite. He’s the new Abel Cedillo, who is the new Flavien Prat, who is the new Joel Rosario. And none of those guys are going anywhere. Oh, and Mike Smith and Victor Espinoza are still around. I’ll take that lineup.

—More changes on CHRB board. Alex Solis will leave the CHRB board after gaining his trainer’s license. Gov. Gavin Newsom will replace him and the vacant spot held by Fred Maas, meaning that the only Jerry Brown appointment left will be Dennis Alfieri.

—TSG to leave safety coalition. The Stronach Group will leave the recently formed Thoroughbred Safety Coalition over differences on safety measures. TSG will say that the proposals do not go far enough and Churchill Downs will say they are too strict.

—State racing office gets traction. The idea to have a statewide racing office in California starts to become a reality. It would allow the same people to follow and know horses all year long. Tom Robbins of Del Mar will be drafted to head the office, if only on an interim basis.

—CHRB report is inconclusive. The report on the Santa Anita fatalities comes out and there is no smoking gun or commonalities. It will show most of the horses had pre-existing conditions, which is something that’s we’ve always known. But medicine and available equipment isn’t at the point to detect and prevent many of these injuries.

—Ballot initiative doesn’t get off ground. In light of new safety and veterinary regulations from tracks and the CHRB, it’s enough to keep animal rights’ activists from successfully getting a banning of horse racing as a ballot initiative in November. Plus, it’s expensive to get enough signatures.

—Ed Burgart makes hall of fame. Retired race caller Ed Burgart is the first announcer named to the quarter-horse hall of fame after an intense lobbying effort by Los Alamitos and fans of Burgart. (Get the hint, readers? Orlando, you on that?).

—Horse racing integrity act passes and then sits there. The bipartisan Horse Racing Integrity Act makes it to the floor, passes, and is forgotten. The Act, considered a Valhalla for reformers, is actually more of a concept with no real plan in how to enact the changes proposed. And Churchill Downs doesn’t support it, so that could slow any implementation.

—CHRB meeting goes less than three hours. OK, we know this is just a pipe dream, but we thought we’d throw it out there just in case.

OK, we’ll find out how smart I am or if I’m more of a Nostra-dumb-ass.

Weekly handicapping lesson

It’s been a few weeks but Rob Henie of the WCHR (West Coast Handicapping Report) and the ECHR (East Coast Handicapping Report) is back. Today’s analysis comes from the first race at Santa Anita and incorporates some handicapping angles into the mix. Rob, take it away.

“The first race of the day, but also of 2020, and things begin with a maiden special weight at a mile on the turf. These are brand new 3-year-olds, and we’re looking for horses who’ve got room to move forward early in their career, meaning, with any of the following variables aiding that process — moving out in distance, trying the turf for the first time, perhaps running over this Santa Anita sod for the first time, and just as important, understanding who’s been facing who? For example, and as we preach often, when we can look at a prior MSW race, and know that in actuality, it was nothing more than a $30,000 group. This is a huge attribute to have on our side, while the same could be said to know whether a runner exits a race was indeed on the stronger side. That’s the case we believe with the European invader JURGEN (#5). In his lone try at The Curragh, he finished seven lengths behind Mogul, a horse who won in his second start, which came after a second-place effort in his debut when defeated by Geometrical, a runner who went on to just miss in a Group 3 Irish Futurity race next time out. Bottom line, the talent we’ve just mentioned would be 4-5 to beat this particular group here today, and now, in his second start, first try in the U.S., he’s sent long by John Sadler, adding Lasix, and here’s Joel Rosario, always a great sign for the barn. PURE CAMINE (#3) debuts for Neil Drysdale, and it was around this time in January of 2018, when Neil and Drayden Van Dyke teamed for a nice $40 debut winner as our WCHR Top Pick, also debuting on the sod. The drills are on the slow side, but that’s typical for the barn, especially for a runner by Lemon Drop Kid, while the MSW placement along with the turf assignment, both are indicative of a horse who wants longer, and likely is at least somewhat well thought of by his connections, facing a group today which is not a legitimate MSW bunch, at least outside of the top selection.

“Hot / Cold Race Trends: none

“Win Contenders (order of preference): 5-3

“X Out Runners (eliminating on the win end): 7

“Positive Notes:

“2 Frasard – Lasix, strings races together for the first time, over the Santa Anita sod for the first time.

“Negative Notes:

“7 Dominant Soul – Capestro is just terrible when it comes to placing her runners realistically.

“9 K P All Systems Go – Not a fan of Baze from off the pace on the turf.

“First Timers:

“6 Above the Rainbow – If he was live at first asking, Drayden would be riding.

“Morning Line Underlays / Overlays:

“5 Jurgen – Morning Line 6-1 / WCHR Line 3-1

“TOP PICK: JURGEN (#5 6-1 Rosario) $ Selected Win Wager

“SECOND CHOICE: PURE CAMINE (#3 8-1 Van Dyke) Debut $ Selected Win Wager”

^{The West Coast Handicapping Report can be found at http://www.westcoasthorseracing.com It has been endorsed by leading trainers, handicappers and industry sources.}

Gary Sherlock, RIP

Veteran trainer Gary Sherlock died on Sunday after fighting cancer for a while. He was 73. His 74^th birthday would have been today. I did a story for our website. Just click here.

I didn’t know Gary well but often saw him at Clockers’ Corner. My memory is how he kept me from looking real stupid. Here’s the story I wrote at the time. Just click here.

Sherlock was at the Preakness in 2016 and I had talked to him on the phone in advance of meeting him in person. I go to the stakes barn where Tom Mansor, the principal owner of Uncle Lino, was holding court. Mansor and Sherlock had been friends forever and held this bond that exists in long-time friends.

Mansor, pointing into his entourage, said the mayor of Pleasanton was over there. I’m thinking, hmmm, Sherlock is from Pleasanton as is Mansor. Could make some color for my story.

I researched who the mayor was and was going to talk to him at the Preakness draw. I go up to Sherlock.

“Hi Gary, which one is the mayor?”

“Did Tom tell you the mayor was here?”

“He sure did.”

“Ah, he just made that up. You better tell me what else he told you.”

I did.

Here was a chance where Gary could have played along with the joke. (I might have.) But he didn’t, saving me from embarrassment.

It’s a pretty insignificant story but does get to what was in that heart of his.

Gary Sherlock, RIP.

Santa Anita preview

Wednesday’s 10-race holiday card starts at 11:30 a.m. It’s only the third day, so celebration is premature, but the Santa Anita racing office is writing races that seem to be drawing decent-sized fields.

Five of the 10 races are on the turf, with the rail set at 10 feet. The feature is the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes, for older horses going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf. The race would normally be held on the 6 ½-furlong downhill course but Santa Anita has shuttered that course for sprints, at least for now.

The favorite, at 3-1, is Blitzkrieg for trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Rafael Bejarano. The O’Neill barn picked up the gelding five races ago in a claimer. He won that race and then the next three before a disappointing seventh in the Gold Cup on May 27. That was his last race. He has won five-of-14 lifetime.

True Valor is the second favorite at 7-2 for owner-trainer Simon Callaghan and Drayden Van Dyke. He won a Grade 2 and 3 before a 10^th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He started his career in Britain and Ireland. This will be his seventh race in the United States.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 11 (3 also eligible), 7, 6, 11 (2 ae), 7, 10, 7, 10 (1 ae), 9, 11 (1 ae).

Ciaran Thornton’s SA pick of the day

RACE FOUR: No. 9 Mr. Unusual (10-1)

Mr. Unusual was claimed last out by trainer John Sadler and Hronis Racing and today they stretch out to a mile and move to turf for the second career race. The dam has two winners from six starters including a turf winner. Jockey Umberto Rispoli (my new jockey to watch) who already has three seconds from six races in the ‘States gets the mount Wednesday. In that last race going six furlongs the horse came from 13 lengths back into the stretch after a slow start to run sixth, only six lengths back. On the gallop Mr. Unusual cruised on by everyone including the winner. They jump the horse up in class today and give us a sharp workout. Watch the last race replay starting in the stretch, it was impressive. 10-1 is a great value for us!

Sunday’s result: Into Chocolate dropped to 5-1 post time and under an expert ride from Abel Cedillo got the job done winning easily with a great stretch run. It is amazing what a difference a jockey upgrade and no race trouble makes. Into Chocolate paid $12.40 for the win.

Final thought

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter you can click here and sign up. Remember, it’s free, and all we need is your email, nothing more. Tell your friends, or even people you don’t like that much.

Any thoughts, you can reach me at [email protected]. You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa.

Now the star of the show, Wednesday’s entries.

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Santa Anita Entries for Wednesday, January 1.

Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 3rd day of a 60-day meet.

FIRST RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. 3 year olds.

SECOND RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $23,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $30,000.

THIRD RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $59,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $62,500.

FOURTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $36,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $75,000.

FIFTH RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $33,000. Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $25,000.

SIXTH RACE.

1 1/8 Mile Turf. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000.

SEVENTH RACE.

1 1/16 Mile. Purse: $38,000. Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000.

EIGHTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $200,000. ‘Joe Hernandez Stakes’. 4 year olds and up.

NINTH RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. 3 year olds.

TENTH RACE.

1 1/8 Mile Turf. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000.

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SACRAMENTO — 

California regulators said Tuesday that they have streamlined the state’s permit process to speed up the approval of tree-thinning projects designed to slow massive wildfires that have devastated communities in recent years.

The state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved a vegetation management program based on more than a decade of analysis of the potential environmental damage from removing different types of fuel, ranging from alpine trees to chaparral.

That will allow new projects to use the preapproved environmental analyses rather than starting fresh each time to meet the requirements of California’s strict environmental laws.

Gov. Gavin Newsom equated it to the emergency orders he issued nearly a year ago to speed up approval of 35 forest management projects intended to help protect more than 200 communities in high-risk areas.

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The orders suspended some requirements and regulations, which his office said reduced the usual three- to five-year timeline to less than a year while still protecting the environment.

The projects generally involve thinning or clearing trees or brush along wide paths near vulnerable communities so that wildfires slow down and can be contained while they move through areas with less fuel. Other projects aim to restore a more natural balance between fire and forests.

Critics say the fuel-thinning projects wouldn’t have slowed the wind-driven infernos that devastated communities in recent years and largely leveled the town of Paradise more than a year ago. Nor will they help with slower-moving forest fires unless the breaks in fuel are maintained for generations, they note, including by weeding out more flammable brush and grass that would naturally grow where trees are removed.

State regulators say they expect the streamlined process to create efficiencies that will help California eventually meet its goal of treating 500,000 acres of non-federal land annually. The state is responsible for more than 20 million acres of wildland, but the new program will not be used in considering plans for commercial timber harvests or residential development.

President Trump has repeatedly criticized the state’s Democratic leaders for not doing enough to manage forests to prevent wildfires.

Newsom’s office pointedly noted that the federal government owns nearly 58% of California’s forestland, while the state owns 3% and 40% is privately owned. The federal government is attempting to match the state’s goal of treating 500,000 acres each year.

“The scale of the wildfire crisis in California is unprecedented, and we need a response to match the scale and severity of this challenge,” Newsom said in a statement.

The days may be numbered for an Irvine family member’s former Newport Beach estate known as the “Big Blue House,” with a replacement nearly five times its size potentially on the way.

City permits have been issued to demolish the gated 1930s-era house at 401 Avocado Ave., which was the home of Kathryn Irvine Wheeler until her death in 2003, then passed to her heirs. Wheeler was the eldest grandchild of Irvine Co. founder James Irvine II, who raised her after her mother died from complications of childbirth.

An application is pending to redevelop the plot with a substantially larger mansion with an attached guest house, totaling nearly 20,000 square feet.

The Big Blue House and a newer property next door sold together for $55 million in 2017. The two homes sit on a combined 3½ acres at the western edge of Corona del Mar, facing the entrance to Newport Harbor. The owner is CA Avocado 401415 LLC, which has a mailing address in Phoenix, according to city documents.

The Big Blue House is, by modern mansion standards, not especially large at 4,200 square feet. But it is notable for its Colonial architecture, prominent stepped roof feature and color scheme — a white roof with exterior walls painted a bold Bermuda blue.

The adjacent house, at 415 Avocado Ave., was built in 1987 and is not being redeveloped. It is listed for rent at $20,000 a month, according to Zillow and other real estate websites.

A past listing for the Big Blue House, archived at realtor.com, said it “exudes an enduring ambiance of relaxed privacy, as was originally created here nearly 80 years ago. … Steeped in history, the vintage residence was built in the Bermuda style and retains all of its original character.”

The Big Blue House has historically paired with the “Big Blue Pool House” at the water’s edge, which also is not part of the redevelopment plan.

The pool house, at 2137 Bayside Drive, has a large indoor swimming pool, an attached apartment and a dock. It has the same azure shade and wavy roof edges as the main house. It also is no longer in the Irvine family holdings, having last sold in 2012.

Davis writes for Times Community News.

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Violent crime in Los Angeles declined for the second consecutive year in 2019, which was the 10th consecutive year the city saw fewer than 300 homicides.

Gang-related homicides and crime related to homelessness remain persistent trouble spots, officials said. But the overall crime picture continued several positive trends from the previous year, and officials said Los Angeles may be experiencing one of the safest periods in modern history.

Homicides were at 252 as of Dec. 21, the same number as 2018 to that date. Violent crime, including homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults, slid by 3.6%. The number of shooting victims dropped from 985 to 924, a 6.2% difference. Property crimes also decreased.

In the most dramatic decline, reported rapes decreased by 22.6%. But there were questions about how that statistic should be interpreted, and many advocates said that rape remains one of the most underreported crimes.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said the crime numbers show the department’s emphasis on community policing is working. Continuing to partner with organizations such as the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Foundation has given the department more opportunities to work at the “neighborhood level,” Moore said.

“This happens when all parts of our community work together,” Moore said. “This is one of the safest times in our history.”

There is no doubt that statistically, Los Angeles is far less deadly than in previous decades: in 1992 homicides peaked at nearly 1,100 and nearly 90,000 violent crimes were reported. In 2019, about 27,000 violent crimes were reported.

Crime also fell in the parts of L.A. County patrolled by the Sheriff’s Department, with murders and burglaries both down about 15%, according to Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

Elsewhere in California, crime dropped by 4.6% in San Francisco, but increased by 15% in Oakland, according to the cities’ police departments. A 12% increase in homicides drove the crime spike in Oakland.

About 57% of 2018’s homicides in Los Angeles were gang-related, according to a 2018 report. That number too was down in 2019.

But Moore said that category, as well as homeless crime, still poses challenges.

“Far too many” crimes committed against and perpetrated by homeless individuals happened in 2019, Moore said. And of the 252 city-wide homicides, he said more than half of them were gang-related.

A LAPD spokesman said the department is compiling the most up-to-date statistics for both categories and will release them in early 2020.

“We have a lot of room to improve on,” Moore said. “Imagine how much safer our city would be if we do.”

Moore has previously touted LAPD-led youth programs and the work of gang interventionists for reductions in gang crime. But gang members themselves also launched initiatives to curtail violence.

After rapper and community activist Nipsey Hussle was killed in March, several South Los Angeles gangs agreed to a tentative ceasefire. Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, rapped openly of his gang affiliation and called for reinvesting in the community and constructive reform in the streets. Many compared the truce to the one in 1992 after the devastating L.A. riots.

Skipp Townsend, a prominent gang interventionist, said the ceasefire has sparked similar talks across the city, which makes him optimistic for the future.

“There are more people talking about peace weekly than there are people talking about being violent again,” Townsend said.

The LAPD defines a gang-related crime as when “the suspect or victim is an active or affiliate gang member, or when circumstances indicate that the crime is consistent with gang activity.”

Townsend said that definition is too subjective and lacks context. Isolated incidents that occur between individuals who also may be in a gang shouldn’t count toward the tally, Townsend said. He acknowledged the department’s work with community organizations, saying that needs to continue. Specifically, he said more former gang members working with police on the ground in communities would help.

“There’s no way a person can show up with a uniform with a badge and a gun and think that he’s making an impact in the community,” Townsend said. “It takes someone who is in regular street clothes, who talks and acts just like them, to say ‘Hey, come on, let’s talk peace. Let’s put the guns down and have a conversation.’”

An LAPD report released earlier this year showed there was a 53% increase in homeless crime as perpetrators, and a 68% increase in crimes involving a homeless victim from 2017 to 2018. Moore said the department would work with city officials on several initiatives, for example, to place more homeless people in shelters and create more storage units for their belongings.

Crimes committed by or against homeless people will not be tolerated, he said.

“We hear the community in their plea for law enforcement to take a more active role,” Moore said.

Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff, a member of the civilian body that governs the department, agreed with Moore’s strategy, saying it’s a way to serve a community that may feel unrepresented.

The fact that homeless individuals are reporting crimes is a good sign, Soboroff said.

“We’re in the business of trust,” he said. “The more people that know that we’re out there, hopefully it will help more people trust us.”

Moore said the department is investigating the steep drop in reported rape cases —1,495 in 2019, which is 436 fewer cases than 2018. It also marks the lowest total in six years.

That data doesn’t reflect national trends, as reported rapes have increased steadily since 2013, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program. But experts said rape is underreported across the country and in Los Angeles.

“I get a lot of calls from people who say, ‘I didn’t go to the police because I know how I’m going to be treated,’” said David Ring, a sexual crimes and personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles. “They’ll say, ‘I know the types of questions I’m going to be asked.’ At the end of the day, the police are going to say, ‘Sorry, we can’t help you. ’So why do I want to put myself through that?’”

Ring is representing a client in the trial against Harvey Weinstein, the film producer whom numerous women have accused of sexually assault. Experts say the high profile saga, which fueled the #MeToo Movement in 2017, may have encouraged survivors to speak out. But Ring said the “Weinstein effect” has also made the public more aggressive in attempting to discredit survivors’ testimonies, making some of them fearful of reporting to police.

Genie Harrison, a sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles who is also representing one of Weinstein’s accusers, estimated that 75% of the survivors who contact her firm tell her they haven’t contacted police. She isn’t surprised the reported numbers are low.

“I certainly don’t see a decrease in the number of people calling my office or emailing me reporting that they’ve been raped,” she said.

Harrison said LAPD should continue recruiting more women and people of color, saying some survivors feel more comfortable talking to someone who looks like them.

Moore said the department will continue its education and outreach on the issue.

“This crime is underreported as a society,” Moore said. “The department wants and needs these people to step forward. These people are important to us, and they matter.”

Moore praised the department’s 70% homicide clearance rate, as well as the 7.8% drop in property crime. Burglaries and motor vehicle theft dropped 16.7% and 11.1% respectively. Soboroff was especially pleased with the LAPD’s efforts to use more non-lethal tools to fight crime, such as the BolaWrap.

Moore said in 2020 he is seeking to hire more civilian across the department to free up uniformed officers for patrols and other pressing needs.

Times staff writer Cindy Chang contributed to this article

Thanks to December storms, much of Southern California will ring in the new year with above-normal precipitation.

Meanwhile, the northern part of the state remains mostly below normal after the first six months of the rainfall season, according to Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services.

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Northern California’s rainy season got off to a late start, but Southern California’s was a little early this year.

San Francisco and Crescent City are at 73% of normal to date as of Monday. Sacramento has seen 79% of its normal rainfall, and an eight-station index of measuring locations in the Sierra Nevada north of Lake Tahoe stands at 73% of normal. This is an area that includes the Sacramento, American and Feather rivers, as well as the state’s biggest dams. It is crucial for water customers throughout the state, and in particular for Southern California.

In the southern part of the state, Los Angeles is at 166% of normal. Sandberg, in the mountains near the junction of the 5 Freeway and Highway 138, is at 188% of normal. And San Diego comes in at 211% of its normal to date. Palmdale, in the high desert, has had 129% of normal rainfall, and Riverside, in the Inland Empire, has 118% of normal.

Santa Maria, in Central California, is on the mark with an even 100% of normal.

Crescent City and San Francisco were among the reporting stations that saw improvement in December; on Dec. 9, they had seen 60% and 64% of normal rainfall, respectively. But the crucial eight-station index of measuring stations in the northern Sierra slipped from 83% of normal to its current 73%. The five stations in the central Sierra measured 68% of normal, down from 84% on Dec. 9, and the six stations in the southern Sierra showed a decline from 82% of normal on Dec. 9 to the current 73%.

There’s no El Niño in the equation this year, but an atmospheric river or two can quickly change everything. California receives 25% to 50% of its annual precipitation from these unpredictable “rivers in the sky.”

Ajai Singh Mehta, known as Sonny, had an insatiable appetite for books.

He poured that passion into the publishing world, where he served as president and editor in chief of Knopf for 32 years and chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for a decade. Under his leadership, Knopf published some of the world’s greatest literary voices, including Nobel Prize winners Toni Morrison and Kazuo Ishiguro, as well as Pulitzer, Booker and National Book Awards winners such as Joan Didion and Cormac McCarthy.

Mehta died on Monday in Manhattan from complications with pneumonia, according to a Knopf spokesperson. He was 77.

He was known for finding bestsellers like the “Fifty Shades” series and publishing the memoirs of Pope John Paul II and former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Mehta invested in unknown writers too. “Sonny Mehta published my first book, Saturday Night, taking a chance on a young writer with an unconventional book,” said bestselling Los Angeles author Susan Orlean on Twitter. “I’m forever grateful and will miss him terribly.”

Publisher’s Weekly named Mehta “Person of the Year” in 2015.

“Reading has been a constant in my life. I have always found comfort in the confines of a book or manuscript,” he said in accepting the 2018 Maxwell E. Perkins Award for lifetime achievement. “Reading is how I spend most of my time, is still the most joyful aspect of my day. I want to be remembered not as an editor or publisher but as a reader.”

Mehta’s career in the publishing world started in 1965 at London’s Rupert Hart-Davis. He went on to work at Granada Publishing in 1966, co-founded Paladin Books, and moved to Pan Books in the early 1970s, where he helped restart the Picador imprint.

While in London, Mehta worked with eminent writers such as Maxine Hong Kingston, Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Jackie Collins, Germaine Greer and Graham Swift.

“He was a friend to writers, editors, and booksellers around the world,” Paul Bogaards, Knopf’s deputy publisher, said in a statement. “Mehta was also a gentleman, uniquely so, who cared deeply about his colleagues and the work with which he entrusted them.

“He was a beloved figure at Knopf, working at the only career he ever wanted. He lived a life in books, of books, and for books and writers.”

Mehta became president and editor in chief of Knopf in 1987 after moving to the United States, succeeding only two other leaders in the imprint’s more than 100-year history. The others were Robert Gottlieb and founder Alfred A. Knopf.

“Mehta’s contributions to the world of letters and publishing are without precedent,” publishing house Knopf said in a statement. “His exacting standards — in editorial, production, design, marketing, and publicity — were a beacon to the book industry and beyond.”

He is survived by his wife Gita Patnaik, son Aditya and a granddaughter.

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