• An outside investigation has cleared the Valley Tranportation Authority (VTA) and its managers of negligence in the May 2021 mass shooting that killed nine employees. The investigation, undertaken by SF-based law firm Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, found that shooter Samuel Cassidy did not exhibit any clear red flags about his intentions — despite stories from coworkers that have suggested otherwise. [Mercury News]
  • Elon Musk's latest disgusting and homophobic behavior has been implying that openly gay former employe Yoel Roth, the head of Twitter's trust and safety team until he resigned a few weeks ago, is a "groomer" and siccing the right-wing mob on him. [VICE]
  • Musk has fashioned a version of a conspiracy theory about Anthony Fauci's role in "leaking" the coronavirus three years ago by removing the Chinese from the equation, because he remains a devout fan of the Chinese government. [NY Mag]
  • It's December, which means those extra-high King Tides are back again, and they'll be making themselves known over Christmas weekend. [KRON4]
  • Founder and former CEO of the bankrupt cryptocurrency platform FTX Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested in the Bahamas and will now await extradition back to New York, where he's been indicted. [KRON4]
  • A loyal customer at a Vallejo diner, Bob Sundin, was killed in a shooting Thursday as he attempted to protect a longtime waitress at the restaurant from being robbed. [East Bay Times]
  • The City of Louisville has agreed to pay $2 million in a settlement with the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a botched police raid in 2020. [New York Times]
  • Thanks to two weekends of serious snow, Tahoe resorts are boasting the best holiday-season skiing conditions in years. [Chronicle]