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Crosscurrents

Daily News news roundup for Monday, October 19, 2015

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Airbnb is bankrolling opposition to Prop F

Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news:

Prop F splits neighbors on whether Airbnb helps or hurts housing // Sf Gate

"Proposition F, which would restrict short-term rentals in San Francisco’s private residences, has pitted neighbor against neighbor. Supporters of the November ballot measure argue that Airbnb and other short-term rental sites  attract transients who create noise, traffic and parking problems. Those who rely upon the rental income to help cover their living expenses say Prop F is too extreme and infringes upon the rights of property owners.

"Airbnb has poured more than $8 million into a full-court press to stop the measure from becoming law."

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Loss of Bay wetlands leaves huge risk of sea-level rise // InsideBayArea

"A new report from more than 100 Bay Area scientists and 17 government agencies says that in order to prevent major damage from rising seas and storms driven by climate change, 54,000 acres of wetlands must be restored in the Bay area in the next 15 years. Last year was the hottest year recorded on Earth since 1880 and this year is on pace to break that record. 

"Experts say large sections of hayfields in the North Bay and former  industrial salt ponds in the South should be restored back to tidal marsh, along with areas along the western and eastern sides of the bay to help protect against rising sea levels."

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Nextdoor CEO responds to racial profiling controversy, announces changes to site // East Bay Express

"Next door co-founder and CEO NiravTolia says the San Francisco-based company will adopt new measures to prevent participants in the online community from using the site to racially profile people of color.

"In a blog post titled, “Racial Profiling: The Opposite of Being Neighborly,” Tolia announced changes, which could include new training procedures for staff. This after an East Bay Express investigation revealed how the site had become a virtual neighborhood watch where in some Oakland neighborhoods, users were reporting black people as criminal suspects for merely walking or driving through an area. "

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Cutting edge surveillance tools enhance investigations, tracking stolen property // Contra Costa Times

"From 3-D digital scanners to high-tech video systems and devices that can intercept cell phone signals, to the CHP’s specially equipped fleet of planes, law enforcement is using new cutting-edge technology to help track stolen cars and other property.

"Law enforcement officials say the new tools are desperately needed in the Bay Area where the San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward metro areas had the highest rate of vehicle theft in the country. Meanwhile, the San Jose, Santa-Clara, Sunnyvale region ranked 10th for vehicle theft."

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Oracle, HP and Cisco embrace the cloud // San Jose Mercury News

"Some of Silicon Valley’s legendary companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and Cisco Systems are making major investments to launch new business lines, create cloud services and convert software that came in a box to software that's rented over the Internet. 

"This reflects a shift from traditional in-house corporate networks to data centers that can be accessed via the Internet and that are expected to create a $235.1 billion cloud market by 2017. "

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Monterey Statue of Junipero Serra Decapitated // SF Gate

"Vandals decapitated a 10-foot granite statue of Junipera Serra at the Presidio in Montery County. Police are still searching for the missing head. 

"It’s the second statue of Serra to be targeted since he became a saint amid controversy.  Late last month, vandals toppled another Serra statue in the Carmel mission and splattered it with paint. “Saint of Genocide” was scrawled on a nearby headstone. Many Native Americans were outraged by Serra’s recent elevation to sainthood due to the brutal treatment of their ancestors in the California missions."
 
 

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