National

SAN FRANCISCO—Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, an Rialto-based firework company, produces more than a thousand shows all over the world, including this years Fourth of July show at Pier 39. Over the weekend, San Francisco locals will be able to catch a laser light show at 9 p.m. followed by a 10,000-firework sequence during the 25-minute show at 9:30 p.m., which...

SAN FRANCISCO—Former state senator Leland Yee admitted to charges of racketeering and accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors on Wednesday, July 1 at a federal courthouse in San Francisco. Yee was set to go to trial next month on charges of political corruption, money laundering and gun running. The San Francisco based politician, who previously served on the San Francisco Board of...

SAN FRANCISCO—The 141-year-old Old Mint building at Fifth and Mission Streets has been listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation among the country's top 11 most endangered historical sites. The building has a long, withstanding heritage dating back to 1874 and is affectionately known by many as the Granite Lady for being one of only a few buildings to survive...

WESTWOOD—UCLA's football program found itself under the national spotlight following Monday's incident which resulted in the arrest of rap icon Sean "Diddy" Combs. Combs, whose son Justin is a reserve defensive back for the Bruins. Justin's father has been seen at many of the team's practices. The rap mogul is a well-known public figure and has an estimated net worth of $700...

SAN FRANCSICO—A high school in San Francisco is ready to become the first public school in the nation to offer an LGBT studies course. Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts has developed a curriculum for the LGBT studies course and plans to offer it in fall 2015 for their students. Lyndsey Schlax, a teacher at Ruth Asawa since...

SAN FRANCISCO—Charles Evens, a 26-year-old Studio City resident pleaded guilty in San Francisco Superior Court after being charged for illegal access to personal Gmail accounts. The announcement was made on June 17 by California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, who stated that, “Evens is being held accountable for stealing victims’ most private and intimate images and profiting from this...

SAN FRANCISCO—On Wednesday, June 17, the first homeless shelter dedicated to LGBT adults opened at 1050 S. Van Ness St. in the Mission District.  The shelter is named Jazzie's Place, after the late San Francisco-based transgender activist Jazzie Collins. The shelter has been in the works since March 2010, when several homeless LGBT people attended a Board of Supervisors meeting...

SAN FRANCISCO—The Gap has announced that it will be closing approximately 175 stores across North America as it tries to restore the brand back to its position as one of the leading retailers in the world. The announcement follows five consecutive quarters of decreased sales. Gap Inc. Chief Executive Officer Art Peck said in a press release that after, “following a thorough...

SAN FRANCISCO—As of Friday, June 19, Uber drivers and passengers are no longer permitted to carry fire-arms per reversal in company policy. Citing safety and comfort as a top priority, Uber warned on its webpage that “any rider or driver found to have violated prohibition may lose access to the Uber platform.” The prohibition also applies to Uber’s affiliates...

SAN FRANCISCO—President Obama will be in Southern California on Thursday, June 18 before coming to the Bay Area this weekend. Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton will be close behind, arriving in the Bay Area shortly after the president and is expected to depart on Saturday, June 20. Both Democrats will be making the rounds in California to attend fundraisers. In...