San Francisco Public Press (https://www.sfpublicpress.org/2021/08/)
After the Taliban took over the Afghan government, a massive evacuation effort began, but thousands are still waiting at the airport in Kabul. Tyler Solorio, an Army veteran deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and a policy analyst for the veterans nonprofit Swords to Plowshares, said the U.S. » Read more
Update, Aug. 25 & 26: This story has been updated with additional aid group references and links.
Farhad Yousafzai, who came to the United States in 2014 on a Special Immigrant Visa and has worked with refugee organizations since then, said refugees are arriving in the Bay Area from Afghanistan in dire need of everything — a place to stay, a shower, health care, a change of clothes for the first time in 10 days. » Read more
School is back in session, with students and staff in classrooms. Some students have not returned to campus in more than a year. Distance learning and hybrid schedules were taking their toll on students, teachers and parents. Now, nearly everyone is back, though school looks a little different with pandemic precautions like universal indoor masking in place. » Read more
A shortage of drivers has reportedly been affecting both the ride-hailing and taxi industries — there aren’t enough to meet demand right now. But as demand rises and other factors collide, dynamic pricing on ride-hailing apps has spiked the cost of Uber and Lyft rides, sending some customers to taxis instead. » Read more
UPDATE 8/20/21 12:35 p.m. Updates story to reflect that the MSC South shelter has paused intakes after several residents tested positive for COVID-19.
As cases of COVID-19 surge in San Francisco, advocates question whether the city can prevent another outbreak in homeless shelters. » Read more
A report on the waste picked up by cleanup crews working along the nation’s beaches and shorelines from the Surfrider Foundation showed almost 90% of the more than 80,000 pounds of trash collected in 2020 was plastic. The foundation, an ocean and beach protection nonprofit, found new ways to structure beach cleanups, like sending volunteers out by themselves instead of in groups, to mitigate the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. » Read more
The California Geological Survey creates maps showing which areas scientists expect a major tsunami would flood. The latest update of this map shows that broader swaths of the Bay Area are likely to be affected than previous maps indicated — for example, the San Francisco Zoo is now in an evacuation zone. » Read more
This story is being published in partnership with the Prison Journalism Project.
San Quentin State Prison is experiencing a new COVID-19 outbreak after four incarcerated men in a cell block tested positive, chief medical executive Alison Pachynski said on Saturday. » Read more
California voters will be asked whether they want to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office. If the recall is approved, there are more than 40 candidates vying to replace him, and selection from these candidates is the second question on the recall ballot. » Read more
Environmental activists are about to launch an air-monitoring project to track pollution linked to high rates of asthma and other health conditions in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood.
The first data readouts will likely be publicly available by the end of August, according to the organization running the project. » Read more