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Gavin Newsom putting businesses in blind trust before becoming governor
Gavin Newsom putting businesses in blind trust before becoming governor
Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will separate himself from his wine and entertainment empire when he becomes governor next month, placing the businesses in a blind trust run by a family friend. Newsom “is in ...
Everything Kamala Harris is doing says she’s running for president
Sen. Kamala Harris is making all the early moves for a 2020 presidential run. The California Democrat is booking speeches in early primary states while stepping back from the Sunday morning talks shows, ...
Muir Woods off-limits? Bay Area effects of a partial federal shutdown
With President Trump threatening to shut down part of the government, the holidays might not be the same in the Bay Area this year, especially for people planning a visit to Muir Woods or counting on a ...
Breed testified brother was home asleep prior to woman’s death, transcripts show
London Breed testified that she saw her brother sleeping on their grandmother’s couch the night he robbed a burger joint at gunpoint and then pushed his girlfriend out of a car on the Golden Gate Bridge, ...
Mayor Breed’s appeal for brother’s release is collision of politics, family and justice
Mayor London Breed picked the right time and the right governor to ask for clemency for her imprisoned brother. The San Francisco mayor said the attorney for brother Napoleon Brown suggested that “Jerry ...
SF Mayor Breed defends effort to free brother, stands by testimony at his murder trial
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Wednesday she stands by her decision to ask outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to free her imprisoned brother, while acknowledging she had served as an alibi witness at her ...
SF Mayor Breed seeks brother’s release from prison
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has asked Gov. Jerry Brown to release her brother from prison, where he has served nearly two decades of a 44-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction in the death of a ...
Spending SF’s $181 million windfall: Breed breaks down how she’d do it
San Francisco Mayor London Breed plans to announce a detailed spending plan for the city’s $181 million windfall Thursday that would steer all the money toward homelessness and housing initiatives. ...
Oakland certifies early childhood education tax that fell short at polls
A tax to fund early childhood education and college readiness programs for Oakland students didn’t get the two-thirds vote in November usually required for special taxes to pass, but city officials now ...
Kamala Harris travels to Afghanistan with GOP senators
WASHINGTON — Sen. Kamala Harris traveled to Afghanistan over the weekend as part of a congressional delegation, her office revealed Tuesday. Such congressional trips are often kept secret until the ...
Are sanctuary laws driving down immigration arrests in Northern California?
WASHINGTON — Immigration arrests fell in Northern California in the past year even as arrests nationally rose 11 percent, a trend that could be linked to the tightening of sanctuary laws that limit local ...
Bay Area House Democrats take on Feinstein over water bill
WASHINGTON — It’s not smooth sailing for California’s lawmakers in Washington, as a push to extend a controversial water bill is dividing the caucus along unusual lines. On one side: Sen. Dianne ...
#MeToo deal will make members of Congress liable for sex harassment
WASHINGTON — Congress passed legislation Thursday to make senators and House members personally liable for sexual harassment claims, a deal brokered by negotiators including Bay Area Rep. Jackie Speier. ...
Nancy Pelosi agrees to House speaker term limits to win over Dem opponents
WASHINGTON — Rep. Nancy Pelosi struck a deal Wednesday to limit her speakership to a maximum of four years, all but guaranteeing her path to reclaiming the House’s top spot. The concession converted ...
Taking on Trump: Democrats lining up early for 2020
The 2020 presidential race will start any minute now, with California Sen. Kamala Harris saying she’ll decide “over the holiday” whether to run and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promising to make ...
Kamala Harris aide resigns after sexual harassment settlement surfaces
WASHINGTON — A senior aide to Sen. Kamala Harris of California has resigned after it was reported that the state paid $400,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him for his alleged ...
California would guarantee a bed for every homeless person under new bill
SACRAMENTO — Every homeless person in California would have a right to a bed year-round under a statewide “right to shelter” policy proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener. The San Francisco Democrat ...
GOP Latino candidates can win in CA, if they don’t reveal they’re GOP
Republican Jaime Patiño won only 28 percent of the vote when he ran for a Bay Area Assembly seat four years ago. On Tuesday, however, he will be sworn in as a newly elected member of the City Council ...
Stacey Abrams takes on voter suppression in Georgia
Stacey Abrams pointedly did not concede when she ended her race to be Georgia’s governor last month. She said voter suppression tactics riddled the election in which Republican Secretary of State Brian ...
Free preschool gains momentum with California lawmakers
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers who have long promised to expand free preschool for children from poor and middle-class families were sworn into office Monday, with a new plan and a new ally. ...
Pelosi recommends Rep. Barbara Lee for Dem leadership job after close loss
WASHINGTON — Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee will be in House Democratic leadership after all. After Lee was narrowly defeated for the party’s No. 5 post, Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San ...
Lee learns old political lesson — be sure you have the votes before the vote
Supporters of East Bay Rep. Barbara Lee ’s bid to become House Democratic Caucus chair are steaming mad over what they feel was a double-cross. Lee was bested by New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in a ...
Crowds honor Bush for long service, from war to White House
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's capital embraced George H.W. Bush in death with solemn ceremony and high tributes to his service and decency, as the remains of the 41st president took their place in the ...
Democrats rule California Legislature, but they may not be united
SACRAMENTO — There is not yet a word for the Democratic dominance in the state Assembly. It used to be supermajority, but Democrats eclipsed that two-thirds threshold during last month’s election. ...
SF Giants co-owner Charles B. Johnson: The man beyond the politics
At a time when complex thoughts are expressed and digested 280 characters at a time, nobody should be surprised that a man’s life of nearly 86 years can be distilled into a narrow story in a few hours. ...
School officials, incoming supes want SF to spend windfall on...
All of a sudden, San Francisco has an extra $181 million to spend. It comes from excess education funds, and some officials hope that’s exactly how it will be spent: on education. Specifically, teacher ...
SF Mayor Breed takes step to ensure Prop. C homeless tax...
After initially assailing Proposition C as well-intentioned but ill-conceived, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has taken a significant step to help ensure the measure’s success. On Monday, Breed ...
Gavin Newsom moves to governor’s office — his political...
Gavin Newsom ’s election as governor has set off a gold rush among his political friends, allies and advisers in the lobbying world. San Francisco-based Lighthouse Public Affairs is already beefing ...
Thurmond wins race for state school superintendent as Tuck...
Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, declared victory Saturday in the close, costly and contentious race to become the next state superintendent of public instruction. Thurmond said in a tweet that ...
Democrats poised to offer two years of free community college
California community college students could reap the benefits of Democratic dominance in the state Legislature, with lawmakers pushing for the state to cover the cost of two years of tuition for students ...
In Year of the Millennial, Berkeley elects its youngest...
It was either grad school or this: a seat on Berkeley City Council. This is what’s playing out for 22-year-old Rigel Robinson. Just seven months after receiving his diploma in political science from ...
CA Democrats complete sweep of targeted GOP House seats as...
A month after election day, GOP Rep. David Valadao conceded the race for his Central Valley congressional seat to Democrat T.J. Cox on Thursday, giving Democrats a sweep of the seven Republican-held ...
Everything Kamala Harris is doing says she’s running for president
Sen. Kamala Harris is making all the early moves for a 2020 presidential run. The California Democrat is booking speeches in early primary states while stepping back from the Sunday morning talks shows, ...
Muir Woods off-limits? Bay Area effects of a partial federal shutdown
With President Trump threatening to shut down part of the government, the holidays might not be the same in the Bay Area this year, especially for people planning a visit to Muir Woods or counting on a ...
Breed testified brother was home asleep prior to woman’s death, transcripts show
London Breed testified that she saw her brother sleeping on their grandmother’s couch the night he robbed a burger joint at gunpoint and then pushed his girlfriend out of a car on the Golden Gate Bridge, ...
Mayor Breed’s appeal for brother’s release is collision of politics, family and justice
Mayor London Breed picked the right time and the right governor to ask for clemency for her imprisoned brother. The San Francisco mayor said the attorney for brother Napoleon Brown suggested that “Jerry ...
SF Mayor Breed defends effort to free brother, stands by testimony at his murder trial
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Wednesday she stands by her decision to ask outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to free her imprisoned brother, while acknowledging she had served as an alibi witness at her ...
SF Mayor Breed seeks brother’s release from prison
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has asked Gov. Jerry Brown to release her brother from prison, where he has served nearly two decades of a 44-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction in the death of a ...
Spending SF’s $181 million windfall: Breed breaks down how she’d do it
San Francisco Mayor London Breed plans to announce a detailed spending plan for the city’s $181 million windfall Thursday that would steer all the money toward homelessness and housing initiatives. ...
Oakland certifies early childhood education tax that fell short at polls
A tax to fund early childhood education and college readiness programs for Oakland students didn’t get the two-thirds vote in November usually required for special taxes to pass, but city officials now ...
Kamala Harris travels to Afghanistan with GOP senators
WASHINGTON — Sen. Kamala Harris traveled to Afghanistan over the weekend as part of a congressional delegation, her office revealed Tuesday. Such congressional trips are often kept secret until the ...
Are sanctuary laws driving down immigration arrests in Northern California?
WASHINGTON — Immigration arrests fell in Northern California in the past year even as arrests nationally rose 11 percent, a trend that could be linked to the tightening of sanctuary laws that limit local ...
Bay Area House Democrats take on Feinstein over water bill
WASHINGTON — It’s not smooth sailing for California’s lawmakers in Washington, as a push to extend a controversial water bill is dividing the caucus along unusual lines. On one side: Sen. Dianne ...
#MeToo deal will make members of Congress liable for sex harassment
WASHINGTON — Congress passed legislation Thursday to make senators and House members personally liable for sexual harassment claims, a deal brokered by negotiators including Bay Area Rep. Jackie Speier. ...
Nancy Pelosi agrees to House speaker term limits to win over Dem opponents
WASHINGTON — Rep. Nancy Pelosi struck a deal Wednesday to limit her speakership to a maximum of four years, all but guaranteeing her path to reclaiming the House’s top spot. The concession converted ...
Taking on Trump: Democrats lining up early for 2020
The 2020 presidential race will start any minute now, with California Sen. Kamala Harris saying she’ll decide “over the holiday” whether to run and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promising to make ...
Kamala Harris aide resigns after sexual harassment settlement surfaces
WASHINGTON — A senior aide to Sen. Kamala Harris of California has resigned after it was reported that the state paid $400,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him for his alleged ...
California would guarantee a bed for every homeless person under new bill
SACRAMENTO — Every homeless person in California would have a right to a bed year-round under a statewide “right to shelter” policy proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener. The San Francisco Democrat ...
GOP Latino candidates can win in CA, if they don’t reveal they’re GOP
Republican Jaime Patiño won only 28 percent of the vote when he ran for a Bay Area Assembly seat four years ago. On Tuesday, however, he will be sworn in as a newly elected member of the City Council ...
Stacey Abrams takes on voter suppression in Georgia
Stacey Abrams pointedly did not concede when she ended her race to be Georgia’s governor last month. She said voter suppression tactics riddled the election in which Republican Secretary of State Brian ...
Free preschool gains momentum with California lawmakers
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers who have long promised to expand free preschool for children from poor and middle-class families were sworn into office Monday, with a new plan and a new ally. ...
Pelosi recommends Rep. Barbara Lee for Dem leadership job after close loss
WASHINGTON — Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee will be in House Democratic leadership after all. After Lee was narrowly defeated for the party’s No. 5 post, Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San ...
Lee learns old political lesson — be sure you have the votes before the vote
Supporters of East Bay Rep. Barbara Lee ’s bid to become House Democratic Caucus chair are steaming mad over what they feel was a double-cross. Lee was bested by New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in a ...
Crowds honor Bush for long service, from war to White House
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's capital embraced George H.W. Bush in death with solemn ceremony and high tributes to his service and decency, as the remains of the 41st president took their place in the ...
Democrats rule California Legislature, but they may not be united
SACRAMENTO — There is not yet a word for the Democratic dominance in the state Assembly. It used to be supermajority, but Democrats eclipsed that two-thirds threshold during last month’s election. ...
SF Giants co-owner Charles B. Johnson: The man beyond the politics
At a time when complex thoughts are expressed and digested 280 characters at a time, nobody should be surprised that a man’s life of nearly 86 years can be distilled into a narrow story in a few hours. ...
Exclusive Columnists
Taking on Trump: Democrats lining up early for 2020
The 2020 presidential race will start any minute now, with California Sen. Kamala Harris saying she’ll decide “over the holiday” whether to run and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promising to make his intentions known before the end of the year. The Californians — both of whom are ...
Life inside a Painted Lady: ‘Every day is an adventure’
San Francisco is rife with tourist attractions, and it’s filled with lovely homes. But in the Venn diagram between the two, the overlap is minuscule. Nobody’s living in the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, secretly stowing away in a cable car or camping out at Alcatraz. Well, not ...
Ride-hailing companies fly off with BART’s airport riders
BART service to both San Francisco and Oakland international airports is taking a multimillion-dollar shellacking from ride-hailing companies. Compared with the high-water mark in 2013, BART estimates it has seen about a 10 percent drop in rides to and from SFO in the past year, resulting in ...
Everything Kamala Harris is doing says she’s running for...
Sen. Kamala Harris is making all the early moves for a 2020 presidential run. The California Democrat is booking speeches in early primary states while stepping back from the Sunday morning talks shows, which provide forums for verbal missteps. Just as telling was her recent fact-finding ...
An icon of Christmas cheer went dark, some parks close
WASHINGTON (AP) — The lights were not twinkling. The toy trains were not whirring. Even the nearby bathrooms were locked. The national Christmas tree, symbol of a country's seasonal cheer, instead ...