California

California

All lanes of westbound Highway 24 are closed at Highway 13 after a big rig carrying several tons of cardboard overturned, according to the California Highway Patrol.

When billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla publicly branded Rep. Ro Khanna a "commie comrade" over the weekend, it was more than a personal jab - it was a sign of how fiercely a new proposal to tax California's billionaires is dividing Silicon Valley and the state's political class. The proposal, which would impose a one-time "emergency tax" on the net worth of California residents worth more than $1 billion, is roiling some of the Bay Area's havens for the ultra-wealthy.

The Greenfield Police Department in Monterey County is leading the operation. The department said it is part of a statewide theft ring in which people stole fuel from gas stations. Greenfield's police chief said two of his officers first discovered what was going on by chance. "We were lucky enough to have some officers that were on point and made an arrest during one of the several fuel thefts here in Greenfield, and that opened the box to this larger investigation,"

The California State Bar has opened an investigation into a prominent Los Angeles law firm that represents thousands of sex abuse victims in a record $4 billion settlement, according to court filings made public Wednesday. The investigation into Downtown LA Law Group, which is also the subject of a criminal probe into allegations plaintiffs were paid to sue, was detailed in a Jan. 20 court motion filed by attorneys for L.A. County.

A criminal complaint alleges that in 2024, Dawson committed wage theft against 47 teachers and other staff members, as well as embezzled retirement contributions from six teachers. Prosecutors said Dawson deducted money for the victims' retirement savings from their paychecks and used those deductions for his own benefit. In addition, Dawson evaded paying state taxes and payroll taxes by failing to file the necessary tax returns, while deducting payroll taxes from the teachers' paychecks and using those deductions for his own benefit,

In November, around 831,000 passengers traveled through San Jose Mineta International, a 13% decrease from the same period in 2024 when it welcomed almost 955,000 passengers. Airport spokesperson Ana Maria State told SFGATE in an email that the decline "align[s] with airline capacity adjustments across the Bay Area and broader market trends." "Airlines at SJC and across the country continue to recalibrate seat capacity and strategies to better match passenger demand," State said.

SAN JOSE Western Digital Technologies eliminated just under 100 jobs in the Bay Area, according to a WARN notice the tech firm filed with the state Employment Development Department. The data storage company cut 87 jobs at its head offices at 5601 Great Oaks Parkway in South San Jose, according to the notice. The layoffs took place on Jan. 20, the WARN letter revealed.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... BAY POINT A two-alarm fire early Thursday sent one person to a hospital and caused significant damage to a residence, fire officials said. Fire crews from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District responded about 5:25 a.m. to a residence on Anchor Drive and found smoke and fire coming from it upon their arrival. Spokesperson Capt. Victor Daniel said officials sounded a second alarm to make sure all occupants were out of the house.

The address issue has long been contentious in artsy Carmel-by-the-Sea, where residents once threatened to secede from California if they were forced to number their homes. They argued that the lack of addresses - along with other quirks, such as having no streetlights or sidewalks in residential areas, leading many to walk at night with flashlights - added to the vaunted "village character."

PACIFICA A 75-year-old motorist who rear-ended a SamTrans bus earlier this month in Pacifica died Tuesday, authorities said. It was not immediately known if the injuries the motorist suffered in the crash played a role in her death, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The collision happened around 4 p.m. on Jan. 8 at Fassler Avenue and the Pacific Coast Highway. The motorist suffered injuries that were believed to be minor at the time, the sheriff's office said.

In a recent court filing, Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson's staff said a witness who claimed Tran coached her testimony in a 2016 murder trial in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars has apparently moved out of her apartment and is no longer answering prosecutors' calls. Given the complication - and the fact that the woman's testimony underpins the case - prosecutors want the court to compel her to appear for Tran's trial in early March.

AI czar David Sacks said California is taking a potentially "scary direction" if voters approve a wealth tax on billionaires. "This is not a tax, this is an asset seizure," Sacks told CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Sacks, a longtime venture capitalist, is just one of the many voices in the tech industry who have denounced "The Billionaire Act." Craft Ventures, the firm Sacks cofounded with Bill Lee, previously announced that Sacks had relocated to the Austin area in December.

In a special Ask-Me-Anything episode of the StreetSmart podcast, Streetsblog California editor Damien Newton reflects on his first year leading the site while answering reader-submitted questions on politics, transportation policy, and advocacy. Newton opens by thanking listeners for helping the nonprofit newsroom reach its annual fundraising goal, then explains why, as head of a 501(c)(3), he cannot endorse candidates or say who he is voting for in upcoming elections.

Oakland leaders have declined for the second time to reappoint two incumbents to the Police Commission, the civilian body overseeing the Oakland Police Department. At the City Council meeting Tuesday night, all but two council members - Carroll Fife and Noel Gallo - voted to reject the nominees submitted by the Police Commission Selection Panel in December: Ricardo Garcia-Acosta, chair of the commission, and Omar Farmer, an alternate commissioner. The commissioners' terms expired in October, but both have continued to serve in a holdover capacity.

Sites-Fenton was 32 when she disappeared from the Mervyn's department store parking lot on April 14, 2001. Last seen by her co-workers around 8:30 p.m., Sites-Fenton was expected by her husband to pick up Easter candy for their son after work, according to the Daily Press at the time. When she failed to turn up by 1 a.m., he reported her missing. The next day, as the community searched, her stepfather discovered her car- parked behind a Big 5 Sporting Goods with her belongings still inside.

OAKLAND - The defendant in a years-old murder case was sentenced to 13 years, more than double the amount of time that prosecutors had initially sought to impose in a plea deal that a judge rejected. Bryon Revels, 32, was formally sentenced on Christmas Eve and transferred to North Kern State Prison on Jan. 7, court records show.

Then in early December, another man was hit on the tracks by a train and killed in West Berkeley at Bancroft Way and Fourth Street. Now the Chronicle reports that on Monday, at nearly the exact same Bancroft Way and Fourth Street location, a man was hit by a train on those tracks and killed at around 11:37 am. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Alameda County Coroner's Office has not identified the victim.

HAYWARD - A popular karaoke jockey and Oakland resident died when the airbag in his vehicle exploded, causing a metal cap and other shrapnel to rip through his head, in what was only latest fatality linked to the aftermarket products, according to public records.

POMONA, Calif. -- A machete-wielding man chased a teenager through a Southern California laundromat on Saturday after seeing the teen wearing a 49ers jersey, according to the boy's father. The confrontation unfolded inside the Super Wash N Dry in Pomona, where video shows the suspect entering the business holding a large machete. The footage captures the teen running through the laundromat as the man follows him.

In a season where freshmen have been making a huge impact in high school basketball, let's not forget about the sophomores from the class of 2028. Brady Sullivan, a sophomore at Oaks Christian, scored 28 points to lift the Lions (20-4, 5-1) past Calabasas 69-65 on Tuesday night in a battle for first place in the Marmonte League. Tristan Cardoso scored 21 points for Calabasas (15-8, 3-3). Mira Costa 53, Da Vinci 40: Paxx Bell finished with 16 points for Mira Costa (20-4, 4-1).

The poll - which runs dozens of questions long - describes Mahan as a Democrat with a working-class background and tech credentials, according to screenshots obtained by San José Spotlight. It adds Mahan jumped into politics and "challenged" California's status quo on homelessness by taking affordable housing funds and using them for temporary shelter. The poll said that as governor, Mahan would stand for Democratic values but still be a fiscal hawk.