San José Residents Sue City, Saying Flock Safety Cameras Allow ‘Mass Surveillance’
San Jose residents have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the city’s deployment of roughly 470 Flock Safety automated license‑plate readers creates an unconstitutional mass‑surveillance system. The plaintiffs claim the cameras violate the Fourth Amendment by tracking vehicle movements without a warrant and are seeking class‑action status to force the city to delete most data after 24 hours. The suit follows recent city council restrictions that limited camera placement and reduced data retention to 30 days, amid a wave of municipalities reevaluating or terminating Flock contracts over privacy concerns.
What’s the Deal With I-80 and SF’s Central Freeway? Here’s a Brief History
Caltrans will close eastbound I‑80 between 17th and Fourth streets, along with U.S. 101 connectors, for extensive repairs, prompting concerns about Bay Area congestion. The shutdown echoes the 1996 Central Freeway closure, which proved traffic could be rerouted with a strong...
UC Patient Care and Service Workers Plan Open-Ended Strike Starting Next Month
Tens of thousands of University of California patient‑care and service workers will begin an open‑ended strike on May 14 after contract talks stalled. The AFSCME Local 3299 union, representing roughly 42,000 custodial, cafeteria, X‑ray, respiratory and other staff, says wages,...
San Francisco Confirms First Measles Case Since 2019, in an Unvaccinated Infant
San Francisco’s Department of Public Health confirmed the city’s first measles case since 2019, involving an unvaccinated infant who contracted the virus while traveling internationally. The child, under 12 months old, is recovering at home, and all other household members...
Pollution Release at Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Was Triggered by a Bird
On Jan. 9, a power outage at Chevron’s Richmond refinery forced an eight‑hour flaring event that released over 3,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide. The outage was triggered when a raptor contacted a PG&E transmission line, causing a short circuit and loss...
Judge Rules San Francisco Can Remove Embattled Brutalist Fountain
A Superior Court judge denied a preliminary injunction, allowing San Francisco to proceed with removal of the Vaillancourt Fountain, a 40‑foot concrete modernist work deemed an imminent safety hazard. The city plans to disassemble and store the fountain while assessing...
Anthropic’s Bid to Lift ‘Supply Chain Risk’ Label Suffers Setback in US Appeals Court
A federal appeals court in Washington denied Anthropic's request to lift the Pentagon's "supply chain risk" designation, keeping the AI firm barred from new defense contracts. The ruling underscores the ongoing legal clash between the U.S. government and leading AI...
Planned Parenthood Clinic Turns to Cosmetic Care Amid Loss of Federal Funding
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the nation’s largest affiliate, is launching cash‑based aesthetic services such as Botox and IV hydration to compensate for a revenue gap after the Trump administration cut federal funding. The loss of Medicaid reimbursements forced the closure of...
More Layoffs Ahead as San Francisco’s Budget Woes Persist
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a new wave of layoffs as the city strives to close a projected $400 million personnel gap within its $643 million budget deficit. So far, 127 layoff notices have been sent to employees in 18 departments,...
The Secret Lives of Mormon Momfluencers
Despite representing only 2% of the U.S. population, members of the Church of Latter‑day Saints dominate the influencer landscape, especially among “momfluencers.” Journalist Fortesa Latifi explains that early internet adoption, doctrinal encouragement of family values, and direct financial payments from...
Google Updates Suicide, Self-Harm Safeguards in Gemini as AI Lawsuits Mount
Google announced that its Gemini chatbot will now direct users to a crisis‑hotline whenever a conversation hints at suicide or self‑harm, featuring a redesigned “Help is available” overlay that stays visible throughout the exchange. The update, developed with clinical experts,...
SF Legislation Aims to Crack Down on Uncertified Batteries as Fires Grow More Common
San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the fire department are introducing legislation to ban the sale of uncertified lithium‑ion batteries after a December fire displaced dozens in the Tenderloin. City data shows 120 battery‑related incidents between 2024 and 2025, with...
As Legal Aid Groups Face Budget Cuts, San Francisco Awards 1 Group Millions
San Francisco awarded a $4.7 million grant to Open Door Legal without a competitive bidding process, even as the city slashes civil legal‑aid budgets amid a $643 million deficit. The grant includes an anticipated $3 million private‑sector match and is intended to expand...
Santa Clara County DA’s Office Clears Officer in Fatal Shooting
The Santa Clara County District Attorney cleared Officer Robert Allsup of criminal liability after he shot and killed 32‑year‑old Nizamuddin Mohammed, who was stabbing his roommate Eric Thompson with a kitchen knife on Sept. 3, 2025. The DA’s report concluded...
California Sues to Block Trump’s Order on Vote-by-Mail
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a federal lawsuit to block President Donald Trump’s executive order that would give the U.S. Postal Service authority to reject mail ballots not on state‑provided voter lists. The order, issued through the Department of...
Thousands of California Immigrant Drivers Face Delays After DMV License Revocations
The California DMV revoked about 13,000 commercial driver’s licenses on March 6 after discovering a clerical error that mismatched license expiration dates with work authorizations. A state judge has taken direct oversight, ordering the agency to reissue corrected licenses while it...
New Film Follows Indigenous Teens Kayaking the Klamath River After Dam Removal
In the summer of 2024, 28 Indigenous teenagers completed the first full‑length kayak descent of the Klamath River, traveling more than 300 miles from Oregon’s headwaters to the Pacific Ocean. Their expedition followed the removal of four dams—the largest dam‑removal...
UC Berkeley Offers Freshmen 2-Year Housing Guarantee With New Dorms
UC Berkeley will guarantee two years of on‑campus housing for all incoming freshmen starting fall 2025 and a year for transfer students, thanks to two new housing projects slated for 2027 and 2028. The initiatives add roughly 2,700 beds, bringing...
Clipper 2.0 Is Still Seeing Hourslong Outages, and a Full Fix Is Months Away
The Bay Area’s Clipper 2.0 fare‑payment upgrade, overseen by Cubic Transportation Systems under a $461 million contract, continues to suffer prolonged outages and glitches. Since its Dec. 10 launch, only about 1.3 million of the roughly 15 million cards have been migrated, and Cubic...
Court Orders California Sheriff to Release Personnel Records in Watchdog Investigation
The California First Appellate Court ordered the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to comply with subpoenas issued by the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) in a whistle‑blower investigation. The court rejected the sheriff’s claim that the civilian...
Foster City Cyberattack, Jury Finds Meta and Google Negligent, and Can SF’s Small Clubs Survive?
A ransomware breach forced Foster City to declare a state of emergency, temporarily disabling municipal phone and email services before restoration within a week. A federal jury found Meta and Google negligent for contributing to a youth mental‑health crisis, marking...
Threats to California’s Vote-By-Mail Mount Before June Primary
California’s vote‑by‑mail system is under pressure from two fronts. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized hundreds of thousands of November ballots, alleging fraud. Simultaneously, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to count mail‑in ballots that arrive after Election Day....
Domestic Violence Survivor Advocates Push SF to Fund Legal Counsel Voters Approved
Domestic violence survivors in San Francisco are urging the city to fund the legal‑counsel program mandated by Proposition D, which created an Office of Victim and Witness Rights but allocated no money. The city faces a $900 million budget shortfall, and...
California Agrees to $1.9 Million Settlement in Prison Use-of-Force Case
California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation agreed to a $1.9 million settlement with 13 women injured during a mass use‑of‑force incident at the Central California Women’s Facility in August 2024. The plaintiffs reported seizures, respiratory distress and lasting vision problems after...
Why California Has the Nation’s Most Expensive Gas
California’s average pump price hit $5.88 per gallon, the highest in the nation, driven by a mix of state policies and global market shocks. Long‑standing factors such as high excise taxes, cap‑and‑trade fees, and limited refinery capacity have kept prices...
Amid Chaos at SF Immigration Court, Judges Give 800 Deportation Orders in 1 Week
San Francisco immigration judges ordered more than 800 individuals for removal in absentia during a single week, a dramatic spike compared with the usual five to ten missed appointments. The court's staff has been slashed from 21 judges at the...
A Black, Disabled Truck Driver Says He Faced Years of Harassment. Now It’s Going to Trial
A disabled Black truck driver, Joseph Sample Jr., alleges five years of racial slurs, disability harassment, and a hostile work environment at Cemex’s Bay Area concrete plants, culminating in his termination. Sample has filed a federal lawsuit in San Francisco...
Scott Wiener Passed Laws Making It Easier to Build in California. Can He Do the Same in Congress?
California State Senator Scott Wiener, the state’s most prolific pro‑development lawmaker, has launched a congressional campaign centered on a sweeping housing platform. Wiener’s record includes a string of bills that cut zoning red tape, legalize mid‑rise apartments near transit and...
Despite Protections, The California Condor Struggles
California’s iconic condor population, now over 600, continues to decline despite a statewide ban on lead ammunition. Researchers say the birds are traveling farther from feeding stations and consuming lead‑contaminated carrion, undermining conservation gains. Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Chad Bianco...
Unsung Heroines: Rebel Girls of the Bay Area
KQED reporter Rae Alexandra released "Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area," a book that uncovers the hidden contributions of women from the Gold Rush era to modern times. The project grew from a Women’s History Month pledge...
Judge Sentences Driver in Deadly West Portal Crash to 2 Years Probation, No Prison Time
An 80‑year‑old San Francisco driver, Mary Fong Lau, was sentenced to two years of probation after crashing into a bus stop at roughly 70 mph, killing a family of four. Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan also revoked her driver’s license for at...
Bay Area Rep. John Garamendi Confirms Travis Air Force Base Used by US in Iran War
Rep. John Garamendi confirmed that aircraft from Travis Air Force Base are actively supporting U.S. military operations against Iran, including refueling and transport missions. He noted that, as of Wednesday, no Travis personnel have been injured, though the risk remains....
Lawsuit Accusing Elon Musk of Tanking Twitter Share Price Goes to Jury
A federal class‑action suit alleges Elon Musk deliberately depressed Twitter’s share price in 2022 by tweeting about inflated bot numbers, prompting an 18% drop and an $8 million loss for investors. The case, now before a San Francisco jury, centers on Musk’s...
New Bill Aims to Ensure Legal Help for Immigrants Facing Deportation
Democratic lawmakers led by Assemblymember Mia Bonta introduced AB 2600, a bill that would grant every California resident in immigration proceedings the right to state‑funded legal counsel, subject to available funding. The measure would make California the second state to codify...
California Gas Prices Are on the Rise. Who’s to Blame?
Gasoline prices in California surged to $4.72 per gallon, the highest level since 2025, prompting a partisan blame game. Governor Gavin Newsom attributes the rise to state climate policies and refinery constraints, while President Donald Trump points to the ongoing...
Oakland’s Speed Cameras Start Ticketing Sunday. Here Are the Hot Spots
Oakland’s 35 automated speed cameras logged 140,445 violations in five weeks, averaging 3,601 speeders per day. After a 60‑day warning period, the city will begin mailing tickets on Sunday, with fines ranging from $50 to $500. This makes Oakland the...
San Francisco Receives $100 Million Proposition 1 Windfall to Expand Treatment Beds
San Francisco will receive roughly $100 million from California’s Proposition 1 bond to expand psychiatric and addiction treatment capacity. The money will finance 50 sub‑acute and six acute psychiatric beds at UCSF Hyde Hospital, 44 beds on Treasure Island, and a new...
Parents of Burlingame 4-Year-Old Killed in Crash Sue City, Young Driver
Parents of 4‑year‑old Ayden Fang filed a lawsuit after he was killed on Aug. 8, 2025, when a 19‑year‑old driver lost control exiting a parking lot and drove onto the sidewalk in downtown Burlingame. The suit names the city, the driver and...
Teacher Strikes Continue Amid Year of Labor Strife
Thousands of K‑12 teachers across California have walked off the job, with strikes ongoing in Dublin and recent walkouts in Sacramento‑area districts. The unrest stems from a funding crunch as state aid, linked to declining enrollment, cannot keep pace with...
California Fines SFPD in Death of Police Recruit During Training
California’s occupational safety agency, Cal/OSHA, issued a $40,500 citation to the San Francisco Police Department for serious safety violations tied to the death of recruit Jon‑Marques Psalms during a high‑intensity training exercise. The agency found the department did not properly...
San Francisco Moves to Expand Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled legislation to create a permitting pathway for expanding curbside electric‑vehicle (EV) charging stations. The plan targets 100 publicly accessible chargers by 2030, with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency handling permits and private firms...
Mahan Calls for Belt-Tightening in San José Budget Plan
San Jose faces a $56 million budget shortfall, prompting Mayor Matt Mahan to call for a citywide belt‑tightening while pledging to protect five core focus areas: unsheltered homelessness, public safety, housing production, neighborhood cleanup and economic growth. The shortfall stems from...
San Francisco to Pay Family Claiming Wrongful Death After Laguna Honda Transfers
San Francisco agreed to a $500,000 settlement with the Pham family, who sued over the wrongful death of their father after his transfer from Laguna Honda Hospital. The settlement comes as the safety‑net hospital, which lost certification in 2022, regained...
How Oakland Is Fixing One of Its Most Dangerous Roads
Oakland’s West Oakland 18th Street, notorious for wide lanes, hidden stop signs, and scant crosswalks, has been one of the city’s most dangerous streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. Decades of neglect left the corridor ill‑suited for residential traffic, prompting...