CALIFORNIA HISTORY MUSEUM HIT BY THIEVES: OAKLAND (AP) — An Oakland museum dedicated to California history has been hit by thieves, but officials aren't saying exactly what was taken or how much it was worth.
The Oakland Tribune reports that someone broke a door to get into the Oakland Museum of California on Monday night then stole some artifacts and precious metals from a gallery before leaving through another door.
The museum's executive director, Lori Fogarty, says the stolen objects have more historical than monetary value. The police asked her not to reveal the pieces that were taken.
Fogarty says the building's security alarms went off during the break-in and that Oakland officers arrived within three minutes.
Police are reviewing surveillance footage for possible leads.
TEACHER SUES DISTRICT OVER BREASTFEEDING: CARMEL (AP) — A former Carmel school teacher accuses school officials in a lawsuit of failing to accommodate her breastfeeding schedule.
The Monterey Herald reports that Sarah Ann Lewis Boyle has sued the Carmelo School, where she worked, and the Carmel Unified School District, alleging discrimination and wrongful termination.
The lawsuit was filed on Oct. 30.
Boyle says before returning to work, she told a manager at the school that she would need about 15 minutes every day between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to pump her breasts.
Boyle claims the manager told her to train her breast not to make milk then, and the district made no accommodations to allow her to feed her newborn. According to Boyle, she later received a negative evaluation and was urged to resign.
District spokesman Paul Behan said the district does not comment on litigation.
OAKLAND PORT DIRECTOR RETIRES AMID SCANDAL: OAKLAND . (AP) — The executive director of the Port of Oakland has retired amid a strip club spending scandal.
Omar Benjamin, who has been on paid administrative leave for nearly a month, retired on Monday. A news release says Benjamin's departure is effective immediately.
Acting executive director Deborah Ale Flint will continue to direct day-to-day operations.
Benjamin got caught up in the scandal in which $4,500 in public funds were used for a party at a strip club.
Port maritime director James Kwon, who has also been on paid leave since mid-October, was reimbursed for the strip club outing in Houston.
He was entertaining about a dozen shipping industry executives and Benjamin attended the party.
UC POSTPONES VOTE ON RAISING PROFESSIONAL FEES: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The University of California is postponing a vote on raising fees for several professional degree programs.
UC officials said Tuesday the Board of Regents is tabling the proposal at the request of Gov. Jerry Brown, who serves on the board as part of his official duties. Brown wants time to study the agenda item.
The board had been scheduled to vote Wednesday on raising tuition by as much as 35 percent for degree programs in business, nursing, public policy and theater, film and television.
Brown is expected to make a rare appearance at Wednesday's regents meeting in San Francisco.
On Tuesday, the governor attended the California State University Board of Trustees' meeting in Long Beach, where he urged them to indefinitely postpone a vote on three proposed fees.
DALY CITY NEIGHBORHOOD FLOODED, COVERED IN MUD: DALY CITY (AP) — Authorities say a broken water main is to blame for a flood in a Daly City neighborhood that left vehicles stuck in mud up to their wheel wells.
The break early Tuesday morning unleashed tens of thousands of gallons of water from a city-owned reservoir on a nearby hill. The torrent brought mud from the hillside down to the area below.
Television news footage showed at least one street caked in mud, with several vehicles completely packed in. Homes in the area were also evacuated for several hours, as crews made sure the hillside was stable and posed no threat.
No homes were damaged.
PELOSI TO ANNOUNCE PLANS TODAY: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi says she'll announce today whether she'll continue in her current position or step down after her party failed to gain the 25 seats it needed to win the House majority.
When a few undecided races are called, Democrats will gain less than half of that number. But Pelosi, who raised millions of dollars to put Democrats back in power, has refused to say whether she'll relinquish or keep her leadership post, serve out the two-year term to which she was just elected, or retire.
She spoke while introducing some of the newly elected House Democrats at a news conference on Capitol Hill, where Congress was reconvening for a lame duck session.
