Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news:
Can we solve the housing crisis?// Oakland Magazine
"Uber Technologies’ September purchase of the massive old Sears Building in Uptown Oakland was like the clanging of a bell announcing that the Bay Area’s tech-led economic boom was finally spilling into the East Bay."
"For many, the news was a welcome sign that Oakland’s long-dilapidated core could be on the verge of a makeover ... Yet for others—including civic boosters who have longed for investors to finally warm to Oakland’s charms—Uber’s mad-money move stoked already heightened fears about fast-rising housing costs and gentrification in a city celebrated for its racial and ethnic diversity."
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Uber settlement means big changes but little money for drivers - if approved // SF Business Times
"A surprise settlement offer inUber's worker-misclassification lawsuit could amount to a payout of $100 million to aggrieved drivers, who had sued the company for a broad range of complaints related to their classification as independent contractors.
"The settlement agreement, which includes $84 million in compensation to drivers plus an additional $16 million in the event of a favorable IPO, will amount to peanuts for the vast majority of the 385,000 drivers in the lawsuit."
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If you have solar panels in Oakland, Prince might have paid for them // SF GATE
"In the days since the death of music legend Prince, stories of his secret, wide-ranging philanthropy efforts are finally being told.
"Two of Prince's major charitable endeavors were centered in the Bay Area: bringing solar panels to Oakland and helping young people of color learn how to code."
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Body Cameras high profile beating has police agencies re-thinking rules for usage //Mercury News
"When Alameda County sheriff's deputies reportedly beat a car-theft suspect after a high-speed chase from Castro Valley last fall, the onslaught of blows was not the only troubling revelation. None of the 11 deputies at the scene turned on their body cameras.
"If it weren't for a private overhead security camera, there would have been no video record of deputies pummeling a cowering Stanislov Petrov. The episode highlighted how the accelerating adoption of body-worn cameras by Bay Area police still leaves a central question only partially answered: How -- and how often -- should they be used?"
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Genova Delicatessen closing after 90 years in Oakland// East Bay Times
"After 90 years of doing business in North Oakland, and pleas from customers for it not to be true, it's closing time for Genova Delicatessen.
"Temescal's lunchtime favorite is shutting its doors for good on April 30, the owners said Friday."
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Jurors who tweet could face hefty fines // AP
"Jurors who threaten to derail trials by researching them on Google or posting comments about them on Twitter are often dismissed with nothing more than a tongue-lashing from a judge.
"But that may soon change in California. Legislation supported by state court officials would authorize judges in some counties to fine jurors up to $1,500 for social media and Internet use violations, which have led to mistrials and overturned convictions around the country."