San Francisco pursues plan to give drug-free welfare participants $100 per week
In San Francisco, a city grappling with a severe fentanyl crisis, Mayor London Breed has predominantly used law enforcement to address drug use. Now, city leaders, including Supervisor Matt Dorsey, are shifting to the “Cash Not Drugs” initiative, offering up to $100 weekly to welfare recipients who test negative for illicit drugs.
The program aims to support recovery and encourage a drug-free lifestyle by offering financial incentives instead of punitive measures. It targets members of the San Francisco County Adult Assistance Program, about a third of whom struggle with substance use disorders.
Dorsey, a recovering addict, advocated for the program. He said it encourages sobriety through financial incentives rather than punitive measures.
“The humane and effective approach to San Francisco’s drug crisis should also include rewarding good behavior and not just punishing bad behavior,” Dorsey said.
Pending full approval from the Board of Supervisors, this initiative would start as a three-year pilot program managed by San Francisco’s Human Services Agency in collaboration with the Department of Public Health. The plan includes regular assessments by an independent organization to gauge the program’s effectiveness and report findings annually.
Supreme Court clears path for homeless bans in western states
The Supreme Court gave Western states the green light Friday, June 28, to ban homeless encampments on sidewalks and public spaces. It’s one of the most significant homelessness decisions in decades. The ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson overturns a Ninth Circuit decision that blocked cities from enforcing penalties on the homeless.
These penalties include fines for first-time offenders, bans on repeat offenders from public parks, and jailing persistent violators for up to 30 days.
The appeals court had called the laws a form of cruel and unusual punishment.
The high court overturned that ruling, saying enforcing anti-camping laws doesn’t violate the Eighth Amendment. This decision comes at a time when many U.S. cities are facing increased homelessness due to high housing costs and the end of COVID-19 aid programs.
Many state and local leaders see these bans as essential for public health and safety, but critics argue they criminalize homelessness.
Leading California Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed, have been vocal in urging the Supreme Court to take this action.
“Today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court provides state and local officials the definitive authority to implement and enforce policies to clear unsafe encampments from our streets,” Newsom said in a statement. “This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years and limited their ability to deliver on common-sense measures to protect the safety and well-being of our communities.”
Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the conservative majority, argued that the Eighth Amendment focuses on the type of punishment after a criminal conviction, not on criminalizing certain behaviors. He emphasized that enforcing public camping bans is a matter for local governments, not federal courts.
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, argued that the ruling undermines protections for homeless individuals. She stressed that the decision disregards the realities of homelessness and the complex reasons people refuse shelter.
EPA says San Francisco dumped billions of gallons of wastewater into ocean
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and multiple California state agencies have filed a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco, accusing the city of allowing billions of gallons of untreated sewage to flow into the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. The lawsuit, initiated by the EPA, alleges that the city has permitted massive amounts of untreated water and sewage to be discharged into the ocean since 2016, with an annual average of 1.8 billion gallons of combined sewage, wastewater and stormwater released.
According to the EPA, the situation has worsened, with more than 4 billion gallons of contaminated water discharged during the rainy season between October 2022 and March 2023, endangering both beachgoers and ocean life.
In response, federal authorities are seeking hefty penalties amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, and they are pushing for court orders to compel the city to change its practices. The lawsuit also accuses San Francisco of neglecting its water and sewer systems and failing to inform residents about sewage problems.
The chair of the regional water board expressed concern over San Francisco’s aging wastewater infrastructure, saying that it has jeopardized public safety for too long. According to the EPA, the last significant improvements to the sewage system were made more than 25 years ago, contributing to the current problem.
An attorney representing the environmental group SF Baykeeper attributed part of the issue to decaying infrastructure within the city’s treatment systems. The attorney said the decay results in significant amounts of sewage, garbage and hazardous materials to entering waterways.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission argued that the lawsuit is unfair, highlighting plans to address water quality concerns over the next 15 years at a cost of $1 billion. The commission said it can’t afford the $10 billion required to treat waste discharges from every storm.
San Francisco Zoo to welcome pandas in diplomatic exchange with China
San Francisco Mayor London Breed, D, announced on Friday, April 19, that San Francisco is getting two giant pandas from China. Currently, there are only four Chinese panda bears in the U.S. Each panda is currently located at Atlanta’s zoo but they are set to return to China later this year.
“San Francisco is absolutely thrilled to be welcoming giant pandas to the San Francisco Zoo,” Breed said.
China’s panda diplomacy program allows China to lease pandas to other countries as a symbol of friendship and goodwill to strengthen diplomatic relations with those countries and work together on conservation efforts.
“San Francisco is an international destination and the gateway to the Asia Pacific,” Breed said. “Having pandas here will strengthen our already deep cultural connections with our Chinese and API communities who are at the core of the fabric of who we are as a city.”
The United States received the first pair of pandas from China in 1972 under the Nixon administration, and they lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Over the years, several U.S. zoos have also received diplomacy pandas, including San Diego, Memphis and Atlanta.
On a few occasions, the leased pandas have been sent back to China as the Chinese did not extend the lease, a move that has corresponded to deteriorating diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China.
In November 2023, the pandas living at the National Zoo were sent back to China.
President Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2023. Xi told Biden that China would be lending pandas to the U.S. once again “to strengthen relations between our two peoples.”
San Diego’s Zoo broke the news in February of this year that it was receiving a pair of pandas — marking the first time in over two decades that China agreed to send the bears to the United States.
Now, San Francisco Zoo will also receive two pandas in 2025 as Washington and Beijing work to ease escalating tensions in their diplomatic exchanges.
San Fran DA seeks restitution for drivers delayed by Golden Gate Bridge protest
Two days after pro-Palestinian protestors halted traffic and blocked the Golden Gate Bridge calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, San Francisco’s district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, asked affected drivers to come forward. Jenkins said she’s considering filing “false imprisonment” charges against the protestors and making them pay restitution for drivers who were trapped in their vehicles on the bridge for more than four hours during the demonstration.
If you were trapped on the Golden Gate Bridge on 4/15/24, please contact @CHPMarin w/ a statement detailing what happened to you + contact info so you can be alleged as a victim.
You may be entitled to restitution + have other victim rights guaranteed under Marsy’s law. https://t.co/eEoTIJgFwl
Under California’s Marsy’s Law, victims of a crime can “secure restitution from the persons convicted of the crimes causing the losses they suffer.”
California Highway Patrol arrested 26 protestors on Monday, April 15. They were all released on misdemeanor charges the morning of April 17.
Jenkins encouraged drivers stuck on the bridge to call the California Highway Patrol and provide a statement claiming to be a victim of the protests.
“When we see these acts happen,” Jenkins said. “And the danger that they pose to the people who are on the bridge who might be suffering medical emergencies, who might have significant things that they’re trying to get to, people trying to get to medical appointments or procedures, we take that very seriously. If there was a natural disaster like an earthquake and somebody is on that bridge and trapped, that is a serious situation, a life-threatening situation and so we do take that seriously.”
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office pushed back against Jenkins, saying in a statement that her rhetoric amounts to a form of “state violence” and intimidation against people exercising their right to protest.
Jenkins said she supports free speech but that public safety comes first.
University of California delays vote to ban political speech on websites
University of California regents have postponed a vote on a proposal to ban professors and staff from posting personal views on campus web pages amid concerns about restrictions to free speech. The proposal would prevent employees from posting personal opinions on the homepages of the university system’s academic departments.
While most regents support the proposal’s intention to stop employees from posting personal opinions on department homepages, it has sparked debate surrounding its potential impact on academic freedom.
Concerns have been raised about limiting free speech and restricting where employees can express views that might be interpreted as representing the university’s official stance. The debate reflects broader tensions on campuses over contentious issues like Israel’s war against Hamas.
On March 20, the homepage of the UC Santa Cruz Critical Race and Ethnic Studies department called Israel’s bombing of Gaza “genocidal,” which could be banned under the new rules.
The regents will continue to revise the proposal with input from faculty and stakeholders before a final vote in May, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The proposal comes less than a month after the University of California-Berkeley reportedly denounced protests that forced the evacuation of attendees from a speech by an Israeli attorney and former member of the Israel Defense Force.
The regents are considering the proposal, which, if passed, would apply to the University of California system’s 10 schools.
Tenderloin residents sue San Francisco leaders for better living conditions
Residents and business owners in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District have initiated legal action against the city for better living conditions. Rampant drug use and chronic homelessness have plagued the district for years, and now some residents have banded together to file a federal lawsuit against city leaders.
Representing the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit, attorney Matthew Davis contends that San Francisco city leaders have neglected the district’s pervasive issues of drug use and chronic homelessness, resulting in unsafe and inaccessible streets. Davis emphasized that his clients live in fear due to the conditions outside their residences.
The lawsuit alleges that despite their tax contributions, Tenderloin residents find themselves effectively confined within their homes, deprived of basic city services. Rather than seeking monetary compensation, the complaint demands proactive measures from officials to clear sidewalks of drug dealers, fentanyl users and tent encampments.
In response, the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office asserts its commitment to reviewing the complaint, while heightened police patrols in the area offer some hope.
San Francisco’s Tenderloin District has long been a focal point for city leaders’ concerns, with Mayor London Breed declaring an emergency in the area and promising crackdowns on drug-related issues. However, challenges persist, including a court injunction stemming from a 2022 lawsuit filed by homeless individuals and their advocates. This injunction restricts the city’s ability to dismantle encampments unless suitable indoor shelter is provided.
San Francisco voters back welfare drug screening, police surveillance
San Francisco Mayor London Breed, D, is counting her victories as she faces reportedly low approval ratings, according to the San Francisco Standard. On March 5, Breed touted a pair of law-and-order voter initiatives she backed. One measure mandated drug screening for welfare recipients, and a second expanded surveillance powers by police to combat crime.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the ballot measures represent a shift to more moderate stances by voters in the Bay Area, known for its progressive politics. The first signs came in 2022 as voters recalled the district attorney and three school board members, accusing them of prioritizing social justice issues over more pressing concerns.
Breed is running for reelection as the fentanyl epidemic and concerns over crime are at the top of voters’ minds.
Proposition F, which forces welfare recipients to undergo drug screenings, was approved with 63% of the vote, according to Fox News. Individuals with addiction issues will have to accept treatment to receive assistance under the new law.
However, progressive members of the board of supervisors claim it will push more people onto the streets. A union representing San Francisco public employees opposed the measure, saying the city broke the law by placing the matter on the ballot without discussing it with them first. Breed’s spokesperson, Joe Arellano, defended her stance.
“Mayor Breed placed Prop F on the ballot to give San Francisco another tool to get people suffering from addiction into treatment and save lives,” Arellano told Fox News.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city saw a record number of overdose deaths in 2023. More than 800 people died from drug overdoses, surpassing the 2020 record of 752 overdose deaths. The rise is largely blamed on an increase in the supply of fentanyl.
Breed has been under pressure by voters to respond to the drug crisis in San Francisco. The city lacks staffing, beds and funding for treatment centers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Breed is also being pressured to address crime. Some big-name retailers have recently pulled out of the downtown area. In April, CNN reported that Whole Foods temporarily shut down a store that opened in 2022, citing worker safety in downtown San Francisco.
In May, Nordstrom announced it was not renewing its lease for two downtown locations, reportedly citing the safety of customers and employees. According to CNN, crimes like theft have fallen while violent crime has remained steady.
Reuters reported that after becoming the first major U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by law enforcement a few years ago, voters are rescinding that law. Proposition E will allow police to use artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition and public cameras for surveillance. The proposition also aims free police officers up to engage in more vehicle pursuits. Proposition E passed with reportedly 60% in favor.
Breed is facing an uphill battle to win over voters as she seeks reelection. Polling by Probolosky Research shows that the majority of voters believe the city is headed in the wrong direction.
AT&T says technical error, not cyberattack, caused major outage
It wasn’t a cyberattack but a technical error that caused AT&T’s massive outage on Thursday, Feb 22. In a statement, AT&T said the outage began in the morning hours as the company worked to expand its network.
“Based on our initial review, we believe that today’s outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack,” the company’s statement read. “We are continuing our assessment of today’s outage to ensure we keep delivering the service that our customers deserve.”
Calls, texts, and even 911 calls were not going through for AT&T customers during the major cellular outage that swept across cities, including San Francisco. During the confusion, emergency services in some cities reported being overrun with calls of people testing whether they had service or not.
“Please do not do this. If you can successfully place a non-emergency call to another number via your cell service then your 911 service will also work,” Massachusetts State Police said in a post on X.
The cellular company reported some customer outages mid-morning; by noon, some turned into 58,000 incidents being reported, according to a CNBC report. AT&T said it restored service to all affected customers on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 22.
“We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers. We sincerely apologize to them,” AT&T said. “Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future.”
President Biden meets with Alexei Navalny’s family ahead of major sanctions on Russia: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 23, 2024
President Biden meets with the family of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as the U.S. prepares to impose hundreds of sanctions on Russia. And AT&T reveals what was behind the massive outage that left thousands without phone service. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
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President Biden meets with Alexei Navalny’s family ahead of major sanctions on Russia
On Friday, Feb. 23, the United States is expected to announce more than 500 sanctions against Russia, just a day shy of the second anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The sanctions are also in response to the Kremlin’s role in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. On Thursday, Feb. 22, President Joe Biden met with Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and the couple’s daughter in California.
Aleksey Navalny was a fearless advocate for his beliefs who died unbroken by the tyranny he opposed. He fought corruption, inspired millions and never wavered in his insistence on free expression, the rule of law, and a Russia that is accountable to the people and not a dictator.…
“This morning, I had the honor of meeting with Alexei Navalny’s wife and daughter,” Biden told reporters after the meeting. “As to state the obvious, he was a man of incredible courage. And it’s amazing how his wife and daughter are emulating that. We’re going to be announcing the sanctions against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, who was responsible for his death.”
U.S. officials said some of the sanctions will target those directly involved in Navalny’s death. Reports say many of the sanctions will be aimed at Russia’s defense sector.
4 charged in connection to raid of boat where 2 Navy SEALs died
Four foreign nationals have been charged in connection to a U.S. raid last month that resulted in two Navy SEALs losing their lives. According to the Justice Department, the four men, all with Pakistani identification on them, were allegedly transporting Iranian-made weapons on Jan. 11 when the Navy intercepted their small, unflagged vessel in the Arabian Sea near the coast of Somalia.
U.S. officials said one of the SEALs slipped into the water while boarding the vessel, and the other jumped in to try to save him. Both were declared dead ten days later after an extensive search. In a press release announcing the charges, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the flow of weapons from Iran to Houthi rebel forces in Yemen threatens Americans and partners in the region.
CENTCOM Status Update on Missing U.S. Navy Seals
We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased. The search and rescue operation for the two Navy SEALs reported… pic.twitter.com/OAMbn1mwK8
“Two Navy SEALs tragically lost their lives in the operation that thwarted the defendants charged today from allegedly smuggling Iranian-made weapons that the Houthis could have used to target American forces and threaten freedom of navigation and a vital artery for commerce,” Monaco said.
Prosecutors have dismissed Trump’s immunity claim as “frivolous,” stating the alleged conduct occurred after he left the White House. They also accuse him of actively obstructing government efforts to recover the documents. In June, Trump pleaded not guilty to 40 criminal counts. His trial is set to start in May.
Thousands of AT&T customers affected by major cellular outage Thursday
Calls, texts, and even 911 calls were not going through for AT&T customers in a major cellular outage that swept across cities, including San Francisco, on Thursday, Feb. 22. During the confusion, emergency services in some cities reported being overrun with calls of people testing whether they had service or not.
We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911).
We are actively engaged and monitoring this.
The San Francisco 911 center is still operational.
“Please do not do this. If you can successfully place a non-emergency call to another number via your cell service then your 911 service will also work,” Massachusetts State Police said in a post on X.
The cellular company reported some customer outages mid-morning; by noon, some turned into 58,000 incidents being reported, according to a CNBC report. AT&T said it restored service to all affected customers on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 22.
Many 911 centers in the state are getting flooded w/ calls from people trying to see if 911 works from their cell phone. Please do not do this. If you can successfully place a non-emergency call to another number via your cell service then your 911 service will also work. #outage
But with the increasing threats of cyberattacks, everyone is wondering what happened. In a statement on the company’s website, AT&T said not to worry; the outage was not the result of a cyberattack; instead, it was caused by “the application and execution of an incorrect process used,” as the company said it was trying to expand its network.
Vice cutting hundreds of jobs, no longer publishing content to website
The changes came less than a year after Vice filed for bankruptcy and was then sold for $350 million to a group of lenders. Vice’s CEO said the digital outlet will now look to partner with established companies to distribute its content while emphasizing its social channels.
Odysseus becomes first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon in over 50 years
“All stations, this is mission director on IM-1,” Mission Director Tim Crain said. “We’re evaluating how we can refine that signal and dial in the pointing for Odysseus. What we can confirm without a doubt is our equipment is on the surface of the moon, and we are transmitting. So congratulations IM team. We’ll see how much more we can get from that.”
Today, for the first time in half a century, America has returned to the Moon 🇺🇸.
On the eighth day of a quarter-million-mile voyage, @Int_Machines aced the landing of a lifetime.
The spacecraft Odysseus became the first moonlander launched by a private company to make the 239-thousand-mile trip successfully.
“What an outstanding effort,” Intuitive Machines CEO Stephen Altemus said. “I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface, and we are transmitting. And welcome to the moon.”
Though, as expected, mission control initially lost contact with the spacecraft as it descended, Intuitive Machines was then able to detect a faint signal later confirming Odysseus was upright and starting to send back data. The team is now working to receive the first images from the moon.
NASA, which paid the company $118 million to deliver several experiments, hailed the landing a major achievement as it looks once again to send astronauts to the moon later in the 2020s.