Unusual News
Feds Seize Stockton Mayor’s Laptops and Phone at S.F. Airport
The mayor said in a statement he was told it was a “routine seizure.” But Fox News reported they were told by unnamed sources he was under joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Silva said he was not allowed to leave until he surrendered his passwords and was told he could not have an attorney present. read more
The Alcoholic’s Guide to California
Men's Health rated Fresno the drunkest city in American in March. So, how come Fresno doesn’t make the RoadSnacks list of 10 Drunkest Cities in California? Turns out RoadSnacks was less concerned with how badly people drove when intoxicated and focused more on how much alcohol everyone was drinking. Perhaps a combination of the two would yield the cities that drive best drunk. read more
Record Number of Fur Seals Dying on the Central Coast
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officially labeled record deaths of Guadalupe fur seals, washing up along California’s central coast, an unusual mortality event (UME). There have been 80 strandings of the emaciated creatures so far this year, 42 of them dead. That’s about eight times more than usual. Only 11 of the 38 live ones lived for very long. read more
Killer Bees Finally Arrive in Bay Area after 20 Years of Buzzing the Southland
“We don't think this is a threat to the public in any way,” East Bay Regional Park District spokeswoman Carolyn Jones told the San Francisco Chronicle, before adding an unsettling disclaimer: “But with climate change, anything is possible in the future.” Africanized bees do better in warmer climates. The Bay Area is cooler and moister than they like. But it remains to be seen how an extended drought and global warming will alter the calculation. read more
Thousands of Fish Die When Reservoir Abruptly Runs Dry
PG&E said the water drained when workers doing routine maintenance removed some brush and materials from a clogged outlet valve. Not everyone was assured. “This makes me feel like they didn’t want to do a fish rescue and that it was easier to open that sucker up Saturday night,” resident Eddie Bauer told CBS Sacramento. read more
LAUSD Can’t Argue 14-Year-Old Student Contributed to Own Sexual Assault
Judge Richard H. Kirschner wrote, “The trial court instructed the jury that there is no age of consent and that a minor is capable of giving legal consent to sexual intercourse. This instruction was incorrect under the circumstances of this case, which involve the sexual abuse of a minor by an adult in a position of authority.” read more
AT&T Offers $250,000 Reward after More Fiber-Optic Cables Cut in Bay Area
Ars Technica said that brings to 16 either the number of acts of vandalism, revenge or incipient terrorism, depending on one’s own gut feeling, over the past year. The fear among security-minded folk is that someone is probing the nation’s communications infrastructure with a mind toward perpetrating something considerably more devastating. Roger Entner of Recon Analytics says, “Our most critical infrastructure is basically unsecured.” read more
L.A. Story: $150-Million Insurance Scam, Phantom Surgeon, Scarred Patients
Orthopedic surgeon Munir Marwan Uwaydah is currently awaiting extradition from Germany, according to the district attorney’s office, which announced two criminal grand jury indictments Tuesday, containing 132 felony counts, against Uwaydah and 14 associates. Twenty-one people were allegedly operated on by the physician’s assistant—without Uwaydah in the room—while they were under general anesthesia read more
Molting Elephant Seals Are Polluting Coastal Areas with Mercury
Although humans and their nasty coal habit are responsible for increasing deadly mercury in marine habits up to four-fold since pre-industrial times, molting elephant seals are making it much worse. But how much of a problem is that? This study didn’t address that. Theoretically, the molted mercury might not be picked up by marine organisms and start working its way up the food chain again. Then again, it could. read more
Data of 79,000 CSU Students Hacked after Compulsory Sign-Up with 3rd Party
All California State University (CSU) students were required to sign up for a non-credit course, provided by a third-party company called “We End Violence,” aimed at preventing crimes against women. They had to log in with usernames and passwords, and provide personal information. Students were told last March they had a month to sign up for the class or a hold would be put on their fall admission. read more
New State Website Offers Peek at “Treasure Trove” of Crime Data
The site has two parts. Dashboard is a data visualization tool, full of nifty crime charts and graphs built around pre-selected data sets. The Open Data Portal allows access to downloadable raw data dating back 30 years. But the datasets are limited and the site only displays a small portion of the state’s information. The website asks visitors to suggest new data sets. read more
Reported Vehicle Break-Ins Spike in San Francisco
The database shows 15,822 total thefts from vehicles to date as of July 31, compared to 11,084 last year. The vast majority qualify as grand theft, 12,742 this year, while 3,080 are petty. Thirteen percent (2,099) of those submitting reports to the police indicated their cars were unlocked.Not everyone files a police report, so it’s hard to interpret the statistics. read more
Most New Driver’s Licenses in California Go to Undocumented Immigrants
As of June 30, the agency had issued 397,000 licenses to undocumented applicants out of a total of 759,000 people this year. By the end of July, the numbers were 443,000 licenses to undocumented immigrants out of a total of 883,000 licenses issued in 2015. The DMV expects to issue 1.5 million licenses to undocumented immigrants within three years. California is home to more undocumented immigrants than any other state, with approximately 3 million of them. read more
Millions of Floating Shade Balls Shield L.A. Reservoir from the Sun and EPA
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) capped off dumping the last of 96 million black plastic balls partially-filled with water into the Los Angeles Reservoir. The two-year, $34.5-million program is a way to preserve the 175-acre reservoir, cut cleaning costs and even save a little water (300 million gallons a year) by preventing evaporation. read more
Child Is First Californian Since 2006 to Contract Ever-Present Plague
a child in Los Angeles County was likely infected while camping in Yosemite last month came just days after an adult died of plague in Colorado. The child is reportedly recovering while investigators trace the family’s contacts during the incubation period and do an environmental evaluation in the Stanislaus National Forest. There have been 42 confirmed human cases since 1970. read more
Transgender Prison Inmate Wanted Surgery, Got Paroled Instead
Governor Jerry Brown’s office said on Friday that it would not block a decision by the Board of Parole Hearings to grant the 51-year-old convicted killer parole, probably ending a court-ordered obligation to provide her with sex re-assignment surgery. But even as the state made one final gesture of defiance toward the courts and Norsworthy, it did a 180 and agreed to a settlement with another prisoner for her surgery. read more