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Crosscurrents

Daily News Roundup for Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Paul Chinn

Here’s what’s happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW News:

Lawsuit filed by California drivers against Uber gets class-action status // CBS SF

“SAN FRANCISCO (CBS / AP) — A federal judge has granted class-action status to a case in California against Uber over payment of drivers.

“The ruling on Tuesday increases the number of potential California plaintiffs in the lawsuit claiming Uber drivers are incorrectly classified as independent contractors when they are actually employees.

“U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco made his decision in the lawsuit filed by four current or former drivers for the ride-hailing company. It raises the stakes for Uber, which could be on the hook for significantly more damages if it loses the case. The lawsuit sought class certification on behalf of 160,000 drivers who have worked for the company in California since 2009. The drivers say they are Uber employees and have been shortchanged on expenses and tips.” 

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Death at Santa Clara County Jail now a criminal investigation // NBC Bay Area 

“A death at the Santa Clara County Jail has now turned into a criminal investigation. NBC Bay Area has learned new details about the officers involved and the identity of the man who died.

“According to documents from Santa Clara Superior Court, the man's name is Michael Tyree. He was 31 years old. Sources say he was well-known in the court and jail community. He was serving a five day sentence for a petty theft misdemeanor and had served an identical sentence last April.

“Tyree waiting to be transferred to a bed at Momentum Crisis Residential Treatment Center, a nonprofit providing mental health services in Santa Clara County. Documents show Tyree had a long history of mental health problems. Last Monday he appeared before a mental health court where he told Judge Stephen Manley that he was doing fine.

“Sources say that before Tyree died, he and three correctional officers got into a loud confrontation. They say a physical confrontation ensued and Tyree was wounded. Several sources have said that Tyree's wounds were consistent with a physical beating, with lacerations to his liver and spleen.” 

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Parents of woman killed on San Francisco pier file claims // SF Gate

“SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The parents of a San Francisco woman who was fatally shot by a man in the country illegally said Tuesday that federal and local authorities contributed to the death of their daughter through negligence and bureaucratic bungling.

“The family alleges in legal claims that a Bureau of Land Management ranger left his loaded service weapon in a backpack in plain view in his car before the gun was stolen in June.

“The shooting of Steinle triggered a national debate over immigration after it was revealed that the Sheriff's Department had released Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez despite a federal request to detain him for possible deportation. Lopez-Sanchez was previously deported five times to his native Mexico.” 

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UC Berkeley student has measles; put in isolation // SF Gate

“Officials in Berkeley are warning the public to be on alert after a UC Berkeley student tested positive for measles after riding public transportation in the East Bay last week.

“The student, who was not identified, was put in isolation on Saturday, but was active on campus and in the surrounding community during the prior week. On Aug. 24, the student rode the AC Transit 25-A bus around 3:30 p.m. away from the school and returned on the same bus line around 5:30 p.m., said Matthai Chakko, a spokesman for the city.

“California’s largest outbreak of the disease in more than two decades began in December at the two Disney theme parks in Orange County. The outbreak ultimately sickened more than 130 people in California, including 17 in the Bay Area, plus dozens in other states and countries before it was deemed vanquished in April.

“The flare-up also reignited a long-smoldering debate on childhood immunization requirements and triggered new legislation that, with the exception of medical exemptions, requires all schoolchildren be vaccinated before starting kindergarten.” 

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Study: injury rates for older cyclists skyrocket over past 15 years // SF Gate 

“While bicycling certainly has its health benefits, a new study on injury rates over the past 15 years is proving that riding a bike can be risky — especially for older cyclists.

“The study, conducted by researchers at UCSF and published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that hospital admissions associated with bicycle injuries more than doubled between 1998 and 2013, with head and torso injuries occurring most frequently.

“For riders over the age of 45, the proportion of injuries rose by 81 percent during that time, the authors wrote. Older riders who got hurt were more likely to need further care as well, with the proportion of them being admitted to hospitals jumping from 39 to 65 percent.”

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Report: about 5 million Californians left state over 9-year span // NBC Bay Area 

“Nearly five million California residents have left the state in the past nine years. The Sacramento Bee converted newly released tax return data from the Internal Revenue Service to plot out a map of the United States that approximates how many people left California for other states between 2004 and 2013.

“The data also showed that 3.9 million people took up residence in California during the same time period.” 

 

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