Back when London Breed was still mayor, her idea to clamp down on the notorious drug trade and nighttime street circus that pervaded the Tenderloin District was to shut down corner liquor stores earlier in parts of the Tenderloin, and prohibit them from doing business between midnight and 5 am. That proposal got passed into law in June 2024 (taking effect the following month), and liquor stores on this 20-block area of the Tenderloin are now forced to close at midnight.
From the time it opened in 1937 to 2024, a period of more than 85 years, the Golden Gate Bridge was the number one suicide site in the world. Confirmed suicides topped 2,000; the real number is likely higher, as other deaths were left unconfirmed-often because a body wasn't recovered or it was recovered too far away to be connected with certainty to the bridge.
There were two fatal shootings in Oakland on New Year's Day which occurred two and a half hours apart in different parts of the city. The City of Oakland, which continues to see drops in violent crime categories and closed out 2025 with 24% fewer homicides than the previous year, opened the new year with two fatal shootings. As KRON4 reports, the first of the shooting incidents happened just after 11 am on January 1, on the 2700 block of East 20th Street.
Aside from the criminal charges that can result from this, unnecessarily scaring an individual in their home for 'social media fame' can have serious, unintended consequences when those present believe their home is being broken into,
We cannot compete globally while navigating a vulnerable, 1970s-era overhead grid. Reliability is a shared responsibility; as neighbors, we are committed to trimming private trees and providing maintenance access. However, we need a matching commitment to modernization. We plead for PG&E and the city to invoke Rule 20A credits to underground our lines. Moving the grid beneath the surface is a public safety necessity for our families and students.
In a news release Wednesday, officials said the move is an effort to prioritize public safety as forecasted snow accumulation creates challenges for event setup. "We regret that circumstances beyond our control are preventing us from hosting the event as planned, however we will always prioritize the safety of the public, staff, performers, and vendors," director of recreation and culture services Kevin Datema said in Tuesday's release.
In a weather update, officials in Springwater said the weather event is causing hazardous road conditions throughout the municipality. The Township is strongly advising all residents and motorists to stay off the roads immediately and avoid all unnecessary travel, officials said in the update. Travelling at this time places motorists, emergency responders, and Public Works crews at serious risk and significantly impacts snow removal and emergency response operations.
The Boston Police Department's bomb squad responded to a neighborhood just outside the North End late Monday night following a call about a suspicious package. Officers assigned to the department's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit responded to 103 North St. at about 11:45 p.m. and learned that an unknown item had been found on the sidewalk, according to a Boston police spokesperson. The area is about a block from Faneuil Hall and a short distance from the North End.
People will be barred from watching London's New Year's Eve fireworks from a popular beauty spot where thousands usually flock to celebrate. The park in Camden has panoramic views of the capital and in 2024 an estimated 30,000 revellers marked the beginning of year at the park. As officers prepare for one of the busiest nights of the year for emergency services, the force reminded Londoners and visitors not to try and gather in Primrose Hill as they have been able to in previous years.
A man remained hospitalized in critical condition Monday, hours after he apparently shot himself in the chest in the heart of Midtown, blocks from holiday crowds enjoying a nighttime look at the Rockefeller Center tree and Radio City. Little was known about the circumstances regarding the shooting, which happened near West 57th Street and Sixth Avenue -- an area known as "Billionaire's Row" -- around 10:15 p.m. Sunday.
The City Council signed off on a $3.5 million, six-year agreement with Ladris Technologies to purchase a system its creators said can distill vast quantities of data to determine which route will most quickly lead evacuees to safety. The purchase comes just in time for the technology to aid in emergency preparations for a series of major sports events expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to San Jose next year.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg started off 2025 with rocky news. His successful hush money case against Donald Trump was reduced to an unconditional discharge. The case made him into the highest profile district attorneys in the country and a boogeyman for conservative pundits. It also teed Bragg up in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan for a strong shot at reelection after a first term marred by controversy and numerous calls for the governor to take the extraordinary step of removing from office.
PG&E and Alameda County Fire officials say more investigation is needed to determine if residents should have been told to leave. The fact that a house blew up and people were injured means they absolutely should have been told. These spokespeople mean "did we follow our flawed process that said no need to notify despite the risk, or did we not follow our good enough process that should have notified people?" As such, they completely lose track of their real responsibility, our safety.
The NWS San Francisco CA said, Southeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result, according to the NWS. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. Secure loose outdoor objects that could be blown around or damaged by the wind.
"I am honored to be appointed fire chief and continue serving the communities of Livermore and Pleasanton," Lacey wrote in a press release. "Our department is built on a strong tradition of excellence and a commitment to delivering the highest level of service. I look forward to supporting our team as we carry that mission forward."
On Saturday evening, a blackout left nearly a third of San Francisco in the dark. But its most visible casualties were Waymo robocabs, which were left stranded on the city streets like large toys inconveniently discarded by a child. Footage shared online shows numerous Waymos stalled in the middle of busy roads, blocking human motorists. Often, the self-driving cabs were gaggled together, serving to unintentionally cordon off city blocks, their emergency lights blinking in unison.
Up and down the length of the 650-metre-long space, people come and go, bikes and scooters weaving in and out of the crowds. Next year, this scene will look somewhat different: bikes and scooters will be banned from this 18,000-sq-metre pedestrian zone for most of the day. People on two wheels will be allowed to ride only between 4am and 11am. At all other times, they must dismount and push their vehicle up the street, or face a fine.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. Authorities said Thursday that they're looking into a connection between last weekend's mass shooting at Brown University and one two days later near Boston that killed a professor at another elite school, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That is according to three people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Two of the people said investigators had identified a person of interest in the shootings and were actively seeking that individual.
A person survived a shooting and was hospitalized over the weekend, police said. The victim remained in stable condition and is expected to recover, according to Richmond police Lt. Donald Patchin. Police have not made any arrests, and they continue to investigate. The gunfire happened Saturday in the 400 block of S. 25th Street. Police did not say immediately what time it happened but posted about the incident on one of their social media pages at 7:13 p.m.
As the end of 2025 draws closer, so too does the daunting possibility that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has handed the Labour government justification to ban trans people from public bathrooms. Even more daunting is the possibility that the government, in all its wilful ignorance and desperation to court the votes of bigots, will follow-through with said ban.
On Hawaii Island, Pennsylvania resident Andrew Tepper has emerged as one of the island's largest landowners, purchasing over 14,000 acres since 2021. He's also become a controversial figure, holding a Burning Man-inspired festival called "Falls on Fire" on his agricultural land in 2023 and 2024 without the proper permits. The event has raised concerns among neighbors, environmentalists and government agencies about its impacts to the community, such as increased traffic, environmental damage and fire hazards, especially with the Lahaina fire fresh in their minds.
Our city is built on many strengths-excellent schools, beautiful green spaces, and a charming downtown-but the heart of Saratoga has always been its neighborhoods. As I begin my third term as mayor, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this community, and I am continually reminded that Saratoga's true character reveals itself at the neighborhood level. What makes Saratoga special are the relationships between its residents.