State

Southern CA Experiences Biggest Earthquake Since 1999

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA—A 5.4 aftershock earthquake hit Southern California one day after the 6.4 earthquake occurred in the isolated Mojave Desert Thursday, July 4. On Friday, July 5 at approximately 11:07 a.m., an aftershock with a magnitude of 5.4 occurred in the desolate Searles Valley in Southern California. The quake was 7 kilometers deep and was rated as “very strong” on...

San Francisco Transportation Fares Increase With New Month

SAN FRANCISCO—Major Bay Area transit agencies just raised their fares as On Monday, July 1, transportation fares increased for Muni, AC Transit, San Francisco Bay Ferry, and Golden Gate Transit. BART and Caltrain prices have not increased, but with the increase in other transportation fares, it is more expensive to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. California drivers are being hit with...

NASA To Launch New Drone

UNITED STATES—On Thursday, June 27, NASA announced that it’s dispatching a drone named Dragonfly to examine Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. With the help of propellers, Dragonfly will fly and land on various areas on the icy moon to analyze if it can assist microbial life. The nuclear-powered expedition is part of NASA’s New Frontiers program, which lofted the New...

Background Checks For Ammo Purchases Required In California

CALIFORNIA—California is known for having strict and reformative gun laws which involve the regulation of sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition. Starting Monday, July 1, Governor Gavin Newsom announced California as the first state to require background checks for ammunition purchases. Republicans and gun rights advocates have already criticized the state’s new implementation of requiring a real ID...

Data Shows Sacramento County Homelessness Has Increased

SACRAMENTO—According to the city of San Francisco's 2019 Sacramento Homelessness Point in Time (PIT) Count, homelessness increased 19 percent in the last two years. It was reported that chronic homelessness—defined as people who have experienced homelessness repeatedly or for at least a year while struggling with a disability such as mental illness, substance abuse, or physical disabilities—has declined. Lisa Bates, CEO...

Man And Woman Killed In Castro Valley Home By Gunshots

CASTRO VALLEY—Two people were found dead inside a Castro Valley home on the 20500 block of Forest Avenue on Wednesday, June 26. Deputies from the Alameda County Sheriff's Department were conducting a welfare check on the home when they discovered the deceased bodies. Authorities determined the cause of death was the result of gunshot wounds. Deputies received a call at...

Question Of Citizenship Not Included In 2020 U.S. Census

UNITED STATES—On Thursday, June 27, the United States Supreme Court made the decision not to include the question of citizenship on the 2020 U.S. Census as requested by the United States Department of Commerce. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against having a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. This decision was made in the interest of time and President Trump's administration...

Sacramento Officer Shot And Killed Following Domestic Disturbance

SACRAMENTO—A Sacramento police officer was shot and killed Wednesday, June 19, after responding to a domestic abuse call. Tara O’Sullivan, 26, died at the UC Davis Medical Center after being rushed to the hospital following an hours-long shootout. The Sacramento Police Department received a call regarding a domestic dispute between a man and a woman at approximately 11:43 a.m. Two officers,...

SFDA Implements Artificial Intelligence To Reduce Racial Bias

SAN FRANCISCO—On July 1, the city of San Francisco will become the first city to implement a new “open-source bias mitigation tool” using artificial intelligence (AI) to remove racial bias from prosecutor’s charging decisions. The new tool was developed by the Stanford Computational Policy Lab at a no-cost charge to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. According to a press...

Mayor Breed Announces Expansion Of CalFresh Food Program

SAN FRANCISCO—On June 5, Mayor London Breed announced an extension to the CalFresh food assistance program that will allow 41,000 seniors and people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) benefits to be eligible for the program. San Francisco is carrying out the California Assembly Bill 1811, which will allow SSI recipients who were previously ineligible from...