L.A. City Council's Kevin de León says he won't resign

• De León and Cedillo have both apologized and were removed from their committee chairmanships and assignments last week.

What he's saying: "I'm so sorry," De León said in an interview with Noticiero Univision anchor León Krauze, per the transcript obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

• "I am extremely sorry, and that is why I apologize to all my people, to my entire community, for the damage caused by the painful words that were carried out that day last year," he continued.
• "No, I will not resign, because there is a lot of work ahead," he said. "There’s a lot of work in trying to handle the crises that are taking place in the district: the [COVID-19] infections, unemployment, the threat of evictions and the humanitarian crisis of homelessness."

Thought bubble via Axios' Russell Contreras: De León's downfall is the latest in a string of Southern California Latino elected officials once touted as a potential national leader.

• De León's helped lead 1994 protests in Los Angeles against a ballot measure to cut off government services to immigrants in the country illegally and later became the first Latino to lead the California Senate since 1883.

What we're watching: His refusal to step down is likely to flame tensions between the city's Black and Latino residents.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.