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State Agency Proposes Legalizing ‘Ride-sharing’ Companies

07.31.2013
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By  Jon Brooks, KQED News Fix
The California Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday released long-awaited proposed regulations for smartphone-enabled “ride-share” services such as Lyft, Uber and Sidecar. These companies allow passengers to hire private drivers through online applications, bypassing local cabs. The advent of these services has disrupted the taxi industry and prompted bitter reactions from licensed companies and drivers. Last August, the agency sent ride-sharing firms cease-and-desist letters, which they did not comply with. This January, the agency came to an agreement with the companies, allowing them to keep operating while it drafted new regulations.

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How Bay Area Mental Health Services Fall Short

07.30.2013
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By Casey Miner, KALW
If someone you loved was suffering from a serious mental illness, or seemed like they were on the verge of a psychotic breakdown, you might think you could turn to a psychiatric hospital for help. But in California, that might not do you much good. Institutions have the right to turn a person away unless they’ve been taken into custody. More than 90 percent of patients in California psych hospitals have dealt with police first. Mother Jones reporter Mac McClelland learned how the California health system worked after a tragic incident in her own family.

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S.F. Leaders Weighing End to Federal Immigration Holds

07.29.2013
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By Asha DuMonthier, New America Media
For undocumented immigrants, reporting domestic violence can be a daunting task. Many fear that they could end up being detained and possibly even deported through the federal Secure Communities program, which requires police to share with immigration officials the fingerprints of anyone police arrest. As a result, many victims of abuse are afraid to call the police. But new legislation now being considered by San Francisco supervisors could change that. Supporters of the Due Process for All Ordinance say that, if passed, it would go a long way in helping to rebuild trust between victims and local law enforcement.

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California’s Interest in Overseas Carbon Offsets Schemes Makes Some Greens See Red

07.25.2013
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By Maureen Nandini Mitra, Earth Island Journal
A plan by the state of California to include overseas forest conservation projects as part of its carbon offset scheme is drawing criticism from some environmental and indigenous groups who say the effort will do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If that weren’t confusing enough (for non-policy wonks), the controversy is further convoluted by the fact that partisans on each side of the issue can’t even agree on which programs are supposed to be involved. The confusion is emblematic of the how the entire offset infrastructure is less-than-transparent. Read the complete story at Earth Island Journal.

News
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The Skinny on S.F. — City’s Men Leanest in U.S., Study Finds

07.24.2013
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By Kelly O’Mara and Olivia Hubert-Allen, KQED News Fix
It turns out it’s not just your imagination that the Bay Area is full of skinny, active people. A study released in July  from  the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington measured the rates of activity, obesity and longevity county-by-county across the country. The Bay Area found itself at the top of the list, particularly the men of San Francisco and the women of Marin County. According to the data, San Francisco had the fewest number of obese men among its population, at just 18.3% — well ahead of runner-up New York, at 19.1%. But San Francisco women were just the seventh-skinniest in the country, with 20.9% of the population showing up as obese.

News
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Five Things to Know About ‘Stand Your Ground’ in California

07.23.2013
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By Joshua Johnson, KQED News Fix
Think the George Zimmerman verdict couldn’t have happened under California law? Not necessarily. Florida may have a so-called “stand-your-ground” policy written into its laws, but it is possible that a California jury under very similar circumstances could have also handed down an acquittal. KQED’s Joshua Johnson discussed California’s stand-your-ground defense with Professor Rory Little of the UC Hastings College of the Law. From that conversation, here are five things to know about how California handles stand-your-ground defenses.

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Disease-Spreading Invasive Frogs Being Eliminated From Golden Gate Park

07.22.2013
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By Jackson Mauze, Bay Nature
An exotic fungal pathogen, responsible for the demise of as many as 500 amphibian species around the world, has been discovered in Golden Gate Park. The California Fish and Wildlife Department is in the final stages of eradicating its carrier, the invasive South African clawed frog, from the park. A recent study has provided an even greater incentive to exterminate the frogs: They are one of the original carriers of a fungus, known as Bd (short for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), that exclusively targets amphibians. “This disease is causing the biggest decline [in amphibians] ever recorded by a single pathogen in history,” said Vance Vredenburg, a San Francisco State University biologist and researcher. “It makes the bubonic plague look like a drop in the bucket.”
Read the complete story at Bay Nature. 

Social Justice
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Oakland Protests George Zimmerman Acquittal

07.22.2013
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There were protests Saturday around the country over the not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for the slaying of teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida.
Hundreds turned out in Oakland to remember the dead teenager and call for federal action in the case.  » Read more

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Asiana could save millions by keeping lawsuits in China, South Korea

07.18.2013
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Asiana Flight 214 may have crashed in San Francisco, but only the 64 American citizens who were on the flight can automatically sue the airline in U.S. courts– and benefit from this country’s generous injury lawsuit payouts. That’s because of the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that governs international aviation disasters. The Montreal Convention limits suits brought by victims of plane crashes to five places: the passenger’s home country, the country where the ticket was purchased, the country where the airline conducts business, the country where the airline was incorporated, and the final destination of the plane. And with round-trip tickets, the final destination is actually the point of origin. Read the complete story KALW Crosscurrents.