At least four wolves — descendants of an Oregon wolf that traveled through the state seven years ago — have been spotted in Northern California, setting the stage for population growth. One of the wolves has staked out territory in western Lassen and Plumas counties. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Richmond Police Captain Mark Gagan has been given his job back. Gagan was fired in January after being accused of leaking a police report to ABC 7 News about Councilmember Eduardo Martinez being drunk in public and driving under the influence in 2016. City Manager Bill Lindsay said he couldn’t find evidence that Gagan lied to internal affairs or leaked the report. (East Bay Times)
A report released yesterday says climate change is having disastrous effects on California’s environment. “Indicators of Climate Change in California” says bigger, more intense forest fires, longer droughts, warmer ocean temperatures, and a smaller snowpack in the Sierra Nevada are all evidence of the domino effects of climate change. The study shows a dramatic increase in temperatures since 1895, including 2.3 degree increase in nighttime temperatures in the last century. (San Francisco Chronicle)
San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen introduced a plan to ensure that rape and sexual assault cases in San Francisco get the attention they deserve. The proposal includes creating a new Office of Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention and a ballot measure to improve the way San Francisco General Hospital treats rape and assault victims. Last month, several women testified at a City Hall hearing that city officials brushed off their reports of rape and sexual assault, which further traumatized them. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Santa Clara Valley Water District agreed yesterday to commit $650 million to Gov. Jerry Brown’s water tunnel plan after initially being against the project. The state’s largest agricultural water supplier, Westlands Water District, however, continues to oppose the project, as do some environmental groups. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Several journalists were ejected from a community meeting in Emeryville last week to discuss the affordable housing bond Measure C and the city’s parking management plan. According to a reporter with local news site E’ville Eye, Emeryville Mayor John Bauters “seemed visibly annoyed at the presence of reporters in attendance,” after which he and other non-residents of the Watergate complex were asked to leave. (E’ville Eye)
UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Commission on Free Speech is recommending that the campus change its major events policy and the designation of the West Crescent lawn as a “free speech zone.” (Daily Cal)
Anti-Semitic emails circulated among students in Piedmont last week, including those at Piedmont High and Millennium High. Superintendent Randy Booker emailed families in the Piedmont Unified School District about the incident. (East Bay Times)
A Sacramento County judge declined to drop felony charges against Berkeley middle school teacher Yvette Felarca, who was caught on video repeatedly punching a man at a neo-Nazi rally in Sacramento in 2016. Lawyers for Felarca and two other activists had asked the judge to dismiss the case against them, arguing that it was a politically motivated witch hunt. (Berkeleyside)
