Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news:
Supes move forward with jail that we might not need// 48 Hills
"The San Francisco supervisors today moved forward a proposal for a new $240 million county jail – although it’s not clear yet what the project will actually look like or whether the city needs it.
"The convoluted issue stems from the fact that the state is offering up to $80 million in grant funding to replace the ancient, outmoded, unsafe, and inhumane lockup at 850 Bryant – but the clock is ticking and the money may be gone if the city doesn’t act soon.
"So the supes had to vote today to approve an environmental review document that said the project needs no further review – unusual for a building this large – and at the same time vote to authorize the city to apply for the grant money.
"The debate was at times bizarre – as Sup. Jane Kim put it, 'I’m not sure we even have a project before us.' But on a 7-3 vote, move forward they did."
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City fleet to adopt use of renewable diesel fuel // San Francisco Examiner
"San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced today that the city’s municipal fleet of vehicles are switching from petroleum diesel to renewable diesel by the end of the year.
"Lee made the announcement today at the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences’ Modern Slavery & Climate Change conference in Vatican City.
"'By changing our fleet’s fuel from petroleum to renewable diesel, we’re taking action that is good for the global climate, and at the same time promotes environmental justice in our community by leading to cleaner, healthier air for some of our most vulnerable neighborhoods,' Lee said in a statement."
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Facebook loses in clash with prosecutors over users' data // SiliconValley.com
"Facebook can't block nearly 400 search warrants seeking users' postings for a criminal fraud investigation, an appeals court said Tuesday, but the judges said they understand the social networking site's unease about prosecutors' extensive request.
"The state Supreme Court Appellate Division ruling won't put any new information in prosecutors' hands. Facebook had lost earlier rulings and already turned the data over. But the case has been closely watched by social media companies, civil libertarians and prosecutors.
"Facebook said it was weighing its options for continuing the fight."
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California proposes historic $1.5M fine for taking water // San Francisco Examiner
"California regulators on Monday proposed a first-of-its-kind, $1.5 million fine for a group of Central Valley farmers accused of illegally taking water during the drought.
"It would be the first such fine for holders of California’s oldest claims to water.
"The State Water Resources Control Board said the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District in Tracy illegally took water from a pumping plant even after it was warned there wasn’t enough water legally available."
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Richmond becomes first city in Contra Costa to approve rent control // Bay Area Newsgroup
In a raucous meeting that lasted more than six hours and drew hundreds of people, the Richmond City Council has passed rent control, making Richmond the first city in Contra Costa to enact such an ordinance.
The meeting, which was filled to standing room capacity, was the culmination of nearly six months of discussion about how to best protect low-income residents from displacement. Rents have increased by an estimated 30 percent over the past four years, although housing prices are still much lower than in many surrounding cities.
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Gavin Newsom’s panel: Marijuana shouldn’t be California’s next Gold Rush // Sacramento Bee
"A panel led by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom will release a report Wednesday urging Californians to take a cautious approach to legalizing recreational marijuana, suggesting a highly regulated market that protects children, provides flexibility for local governments and guards against fomenting the next 'Big Tobacco.'
"The long-awaited paper bluntly contends that the pot industry “should not be California’s next Gold Rush.” Instead, it prescribes that sheltering youths and communities must lay at the heart of any proposed regulation."
