Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news:
Counter-Terrorism Officials Helped Track Black Lives Matter Protesters // East Bay Express
"On December 9, 2014, at 4:48 p.m., an internal email with the subject line, "Reminder for Tonight and this week: Do Not Advise Protesters That We Are Following Them on Social Media," circulated among dozens of California Highway Patrol commanders. The message read: "A quick reminder ... as you know, our TLO [Terrorism Liaison Officers] officers are actively following multiple leads over social media." The note continued, 'this morning, we found posts detailing protesters' interaction with individual officers last night. In the posts, protesters are stating that we (CHP) were claiming to follow them on social media. Please have your personnel refrain from such comments; we want to continue tracking the protesters as much as possible. If they believe we are tracking them, they will go silent.'
In recent years, police agencies throughout the United States have scoured social media as part of criminal investigations. But the police are also watching social media to spy on political protesters, especially those they suspect will engage in acts of civil disobedience. During the recent Black Lives Matter protests, local and state police agents monitored protesters on social media and activist websites. Several hundred CHP emails obtained by the Express show that social media is now a key source of intel for the police when monitoring political protests."
Beached sperm whale becomes pungent science lab in Pacifica // SF Gate
"While a good portion of Pacifica looked on in silent awe Wednesday afternoon, 20 biologists in yellow waders sliced up a 48-foot-long sperm whale that washed up on the beach just south of Sharp Park Golf Course.
Biologists said they did not yet know how or why the male adult whale died but, with the help of about 100 fearsome-looking knives, they were doing their best to find out."
Digital Divide: 100,000 lack Internet access in SF, report says// SF Examiner
"For years San Francisco has discussed closing the digital divide, but the chasm persists and has become more glaring amid the current tech boom.
A new report says about 100,000 San Franciscans lack Internet access at their homes and some 50,000 are using sluggish dial-up connections. Similar numbers have persisted for years.
The “Digital Divide in San Francisco” report by Budget Analyst Harvey Rose, comes before the Board of Supervisors Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on Thursday. It comes as the board is reviewing The City’s 5-year technology plan, as part of Mayor Ed Lee’s budget submission for the upcoming fiscal year, which doesn’t include any plans for a public broadband network."
Workers around Bay Area rally for higher minimum wage on tax day // SF Gate
"Hundreds of demonstrators marked Tax Day by converging at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza and marching through the city Wednesday afternoon, singing, chanting and demanding a $15 hourly wage and the unfettered right to unionize.
Jose Martinez, a 28-year-old cook at a KFC in Oakland, said that despite that city’s recent minimum wage hike to $12.25 — the state minimum is $9 an hour — he barely makes enough to support himself and his pregnant wife."
Misbeheaving Wiggle Cylcists to be Publicly Shamed// Hoodline
"Next Thursday afternoon, an avid local cyclist will take to the Wiggle to referee fellow cyclists who are behaving badly.
First brought to our attention by SF Citizen, the "Referee The Wiggle" event will take place next Thursday at the corner of Waller and Steiner. There, organizer Morgan Fitzgibbons (founder of local community group the Wigg Party) and any likeminded referees will take to the intersection and toss yellow flags as they observe cyclists — and possibly cars and pedestrians — violating each other's road rights."
