‘Denied’: UC fails to get a court order to stop academic workers’ strike; union hails decision
LAT's HOWARD BLUME, JAWEED KALEEM: "The state labor board late Thursday declined to stop the University of California academic workers’ strike, ruling that a UC complaint did not meet the legal standard required for its intervention.
UC officials had claimed that the walkout was illegal and causing such serious harm that it needed to be stopped. The union representing 48,000 academic workers called the strike over alleged free speech violations related to Israel-Hamas protests and other harms to workers."
READ MORE -- Police descend on UCLA after protesters erect new pro-Palestinian encampment -- LAT's HANNAH FRY, CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN, CONNOR SHEETS and HOWARD BLUME; Hundreds arrested and suspended: How California colleges are disciplining faculty and students over protests' -- CALMatters's MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN; Student encampments end at San Jose State University and University of San Francisco -- BANG*Mercury News's NOLLYANNE DELACRUZ
‘The dirty little secret in this town’: GOP voters could decide S.F. mayor’s race
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "Only 7% of San Francisco’s registered voters are Republicans, but the city’s top GOP leaders say the party is poised to play an outsize role in deciding who the city’s next mayor will be by doing something that may appear mind-blowing: endorse a Democrat.
Even if a smattering of the city’s 38,069 registered Republicans follow the party’s endorsement, that could make a difference in what’s expected to be a tight race between five leading Democrats in an election where turnout is expected to be over 80%."
S.F. faces deep budget cuts as Mayor Breed prepares to close massive deficit
The Chronicle's CHASE DIFELICIANTONIO, ALDO TOLEDO, JD MORRIS: " San Franciscans are about to find out how big a hit city services could take as Mayor London Breed and local legislators prepare to close another huge deficit.
In the coming days, Breed is expected to unveil her next spending plan that will detail how she intends to keep the government afloat despite a nearly $800 million two-year shortfall caused largely by rising costs, weak tax revenues linked to the city’s ailing downtown and the slow return of the tourism industry decimated by the pandemic."
Los Gatos council redirects funds from streetscapes to nonprofits
BANG*Mercury News's ISHA TRIVEDI: "The town of Los Gatos is on track to have a balanced $56.9 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The town council reviewed the proposed budget for the next fiscal year at a meeting on May 21, where they provided input on the priorities that the budget should reflect and heard from members of the public. Town staff called the budget “status quo,” meaning that the town’s services will remain at current levels."
Digital equity is a 21st Century right (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly's VANESSA ARAMAYO: "In my decades of working in Los Angeles, I’ve seen firsthand how the digital divide affects the Latino/a community here. I’ve sat with hundreds of involved parents and local community advocates who can’t fully participate in civic life or pursue their goals because of unreliable internet service or who are forced to make the difficult decision to cut their service because of unaffordable rates. In fact, over 1 million Latino/as in California are without internet access.
While our communities receive “poor connection” messages online, commercials advertise blazing-fast internet speed to LA consumers. In the predominantly Latino/a Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) neighborhoods, affordable internet at basic speeds is unavailable."
How California and the EU work together to regulate artificial intelligence
CALMatters's KHARI JOHNSON: "While the federal government appears content to sit back and wait, more than 40 U.S. states are considering hundreds of AI regulation bills.
California, with its status as a tech-forward state and huge economy, has a chance to lead the way. So much so, in fact, that the European Union is trying to coordinate with the state on AI laws. The EU opened an office in San Francisco in 2022 and dispatched a tech envoy, Gerard de Graaf, to better communicate about laws and regulations around AI."
Below-average temperatures to hit Bay Area ahead of holiday weekend
The Chronicle's GREG PORTER: "A weak storm system originating in the Pacific Northwest will move through the region on Friday, bringing with it a more predominant onshore flow and potentially strong breeze to the Bay Area. Pockets of drizzle are likely to develop along the coastal Peninsula and in the Santa Cruz Mountains at times Friday. Despite mostly sunny skies for most everyone else, temperatures will struggle to break out of the 60s, even in the typically warmer locations of the valleys.
Besides the cool temperatures, gusty winds will be the other main weather story for Friday. With cooler temperatures around the Bay Area and temperatures warming into the 80s around Sacramento, a relatively strong pressure gradient will develop by late afternoon. Winds from the west will gust from 20 to 30 mph, with even higher gusts in some of the more climatologically favored locations like the Altamont Pass. Travelers making the trek out to Tahoe or other holiday weekend locations should take caution."
Looking to vacation on the California coast? Marin just made it harder
LAT's HAILEY BRANSON-POTTS: "A stay in Brian Maggi’s house, per the Airbnb listing, is what coastal California dreams are made of.
“Bathed in natural sunlight,” it reads, you can “enjoy unobstructed panoramic views of the ocean and Point Reyes.” You can bring your dog. Walk to the sand. Savor “the perfect getaway” in the 1928 “BoHo surf shack.”"
S.F.’s newest historic landmarks include some surprises. Here are the stories behind them
The Chronicle's JOHN KING: "Mention San Francisco’s historic landmarks and high-profile icons like Coit Tower and the Palace of Fine Arts come to mind. That, or structures linked to widely known aspects of civic lore — from the Cable Car Barn on Nob Hill to assassinated supervisor Harvey Milk’s former camera shop in the Castro.
No surprise — these four structures are among the city’s 316 designated landmarks. But newer additions to the official list tell a wider story. One that is more inclusive but also less focused — a shift that echoes broader national debates over what history “means,” such as who controls the narrative and what values that narrative should contain."
S.F.’s Painted Ladies: Why does one pay $1,000 in property tax and another $44,000?
The Chronicle's NAMI SUMIDA: "The Painted Ladies are among the most iconic houses in San Francisco.
The view of these Victorian homes against the backdrop of downtown draws countless visitors and features prominently in postcards, Instagram selfies and the media — most famously in the opening credits of the TV show “Full House.”"
Skipped inspections, lax maintenance: Regulators blame Sheriff’s Department for fire that killed deputy
LAT's KERI BLAKINGER: "State regulators have accused the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department of skipping inspections, neglecting maintenance and committing an array of “willful” safety violations that led to a 2023 mobile shooting range fire that killed one deputy, according to records obtained by The Times.
Last month, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health hit the department with just over $300,000 in fines for a series of safety violations in a mobile range trailer parked outside the Castaic jail complex. Inspectors said the buildup of combustible dust — such as accumulated gunpowder — caused the deadly blaze."
