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☆ Driverless cars stall in San Francisco, causing a brief traffic jam
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —San Francisco residents were caught off guard this weekend after Cruise self-driving cars caused a traffic jam, according to social media posts. The obstruction came a few days after California regulators approved robotaxi companies to operate their driverless cars 24/7 throughout the city. One account, FriscoLive415, said the incident was a “complete meltdown.”Witnesses told CNN affiliate KPIX-TV that the driverless cars were blocking intersections Friday evening for about 15 minutes, causing concern that driverless cars could impede emergency vehicles from accessing the area. That means residents and visitors to San Francisco will be able to pay a fare to ride in a driverless taxi, ushering in new automated competition to cab and ridehail drivers. The San Francisco Police Officers Association, San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and the San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 all wrote letters to the CPUC expressing concerns that autonomous vehicles could impede emergency responders.

Persons: FriscoLive415, Cruise, it’s “, ”, ” Cruise, Cruise didn’t, ” Aaron Peskin, Peskin, Drew Pusateri, Tracy McCray Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, CNN, San, Supervisors, Los Angeles Times, California Public Utilities Commission, Waymo, San Francisco Police, Association, San Francisco, Sheriffs ’ Association, San Francisco Fire Fighters, “, San Francisco Fire Department Locations: New York, San Francisco, California, Beach, San Francisco’s, North Beach

☆ DeSantis-controlled Disney World district abolishes diversity, equity initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Diversity, equity and inclusion programs were abolished Tuesday from Walt Disney World's governing district, now controlled by appointees of Gov. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District said in a statement that its diversity, equity and inclusion committee would be eliminated, as would any job duties connected to it. Also axed were initiatives left over from when the district was controlled by Disney supporters, which awarded contracts based on goals of achieving racial or gender parity. The district was controlled by Disney supporters for more than five decades. Before the new board came in, Disney made agreements with previous oversight board members who were Disney supporters that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and development.

Persons: Walt, Ron DeSantis, Glenton Gilzean, Gilzean, DeSantis Organizations: Walt Disney, Gov, Central, Disney, Central Florida Urban League, James Madison Institute, American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, Improvement, Republican Locations: Orlando , Florida, U.S, Florida, Central Florida, American, Orlando

☆ Disney loses bid to dismiss or pause DeSantis board's state case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A judge on Friday denied Disney 's bid to dismiss or pause a state court lawsuit related to its bitter feud with Florida Gov. Soon after, DeSantis and his allies in the state's GOP-led Legislature moved to dissolve Disney World's special district. The board voted in April to void those deals, and Disney sued in federal court, accusing DeSantis of orchestrating a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power." The CFTOD board countersued days later in state court. In May, Disney asked the court to dismiss that case, arguing in part that it was moot after DeSantis signed additional legislation that voided the company's development contracts.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Disney's, Disney, Margaret Schreiber, Donald Trump's Organizations: Disney, Florida Gov, GOP, Improvement, Central Locations: Orlando, Disney's Orlando, Florida, Central Florida

London Breed sailed to victory as the mayor of San Francisco. Times were good; the pandemic had yet to happen. If homelessness and crime worried San Franciscans, few of them blamed her. Now San Francisco is reeling, its downtown plagued by fentanyl markets and tent camps, its employers straining to repopulate office buildings with a decidedly more remote labor force. More than 70 percent of voters have told pollsters that the city is on the wrong track, and some 66 percent disapprove of the mayor’s job performance.

Persons: London Breed, pollsters, Breed, Ahsha, Daniel Lurie, Levi Strauss Organizations: London, Times, San Francisco, Supervisors, San Locations: San Francisco, Francisco

☆ How to save San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

But treating San Francisco as some sort of outlier, a sui generis example of urban decay, is wrong, too. After I washed out back there I washed up on the Embarcadero, a typical San Francisco story. Because here's my one crazy trick to fix San Francisco: homes. Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesThis is just a matter of good old-fashioned supply and demand. To revive the city, San Francisco needs to get back to its freak-flag-flying roots.

Persons: Nobody's, I've, It's, it's, who'd, Paul Chinn, nix, aren't, rafter, Tayfun, Francis Wood, fixable, Berkeley, Adam Rogers Organizations: Liberal, Homelessness, Bay Area, Pride, Black Panthers, Washington Monthly, San Francisco, Getty, SF, Supervisors, Crafts, Planners, Foods, Anadolu Agency, Walgreens, Nordstrom, Unit Locations: San Francisco, Bay, Francisco, California, Black, Los Angeles, Boston , New York, Washington, United States, Barcelona, Paris, St, Barbary, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Angeles, Houston, Helsinki, East, Treasure, Emeryville

☆ San Francisco’s ‘doom loop’ is a warning for every American city. Here’s how we can fix it — before it’s too late.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

If you want to rile up a San Francisco native, mention the doom loop. But treating San Francisco as some sort of outlier, a sui generis example of urban decay, is wrong, too. After I washed out back there I washed up on the Embarcadero, a typical San Francisco story. Because here's my one crazy trick to fix San Francisco: homes. To revive the city, San Francisco needs to get back to its freak-flag-flying roots.

☆ The ACLU settled a 'landmark' lawsuit with the largest jail system in the country, setting a precedent for future prison reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Her son was being held in the Inmate Reception Center, a male-designated intake and release facility for incarcerated individuals. After making an arrest, the Inmate Reception Center is the first place police take someone before they are assigned to another county jail. While policymakers in other jurisdictions have successfully implemented decarceration strategies to limit jail populations, Los Angeles County is home to the largest jail system in the United States. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department did not comment on specific allegations of mistreatment. "Because only by addressing the root overcrowding cause can they break the cycle of horrific conditions in the Inmate Reception Center."

Persons: Corene Kendrick, Kendrick, Vera Institute of Justice —, United States —, Melissa Camacho, Camacho, Rutherford, — Dennis Rutherford — Organizations: ACLU, Service, Prison, LA County Sheriff's Department, Vera Institute of Justice, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los, Southern California, Los Angeles County Sheriff, Southern, Angeles Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles, Supervisors, Sheriff's Department Locations: Los Angeles, Wall, Silicon, Southern California, Los Angeles County, United States, Kendrick, The

☆ More Data in the Cloud Means More Centers on the Ground to Move It
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Miranda S. Spivack | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Known as the Digital Gateway, the land is close to Manassas National Battlefield Park, whose superintendent has expressed concerns about “potential irreparable harm” to the site. Ann Wheeler, chairman of the board of supervisors in Prince William and a strong backer of the zoning change, lost her re-election bid in the Democratic primary last week after a grass-roots campaign to oust her emphasized her support for more data centers. Data centers will increasingly be built farther from some of the traditional locations and will move closer to the clients they serve, according to research by Gartner, an I.T. “They are essentially inhaling massive amounts of energy.”The demand for data centers is so great that as soon as one is on the drawing board, the space is quickly scooped up, even before it goes to market. “Every building that gets built gets leased,” said Ryan Goeller, a commercial real estate broker and principal at KLNB, who specializes in Northern Virginia.

Persons: Ann Wheeler, Prince William, ” Mr, Coakley, “, ”, Ryan Goeller Organizations: Digital, Democratic, Gartner Locations: KLNB, Northern Virginia

☆ Mayor London Breed Discusses San Francisco’s Woes and What Lies Ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Thomas Fuller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I’ve been in this city my whole life and I know what it’s capable of. Time and time again, San Francisco reinvents itself. Well before the current influx of tech workers, San Francisco was known for art and culture. Do you think San Francisco will ever be affordable again to artists and musicians? Part of what my legislation is doing is getting rid of those requirements which make absolutely no sense.

Persons: I’ve, Francisco reinvents, Francisco Locations: Francisco, San Francisco

☆ San Francisco Mission District shooting: At least 9 shot in a 'targeted and isolated incident,' police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Andy Rose | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least nine people were shot Friday in what police believe was a “targeted and isolated incident” in San Francisco’s Mission District neighborhood. All victims are expected to survive the shooting, which happened while “some sort of block party” was ongoing, San Francisco Police Department Officer Eve Laokwansathitaya said during a news conference. At least five of the victims were hospitalized, according to Santiago Lerma, a legislative aide to a San Francisco Board of Supervisors member. San Francisco Police Department officers were called to the Mission District around 9 p.m. local time. The Mission District, better known as The Mission, is a large and diverse neighborhood often known for its historic architecture in the east-central portion of San Francisco.

Persons: Eve Laokwansathitaya, Santiago Lerma, Lerma, “, ” Organizations: CNN, San Francisco Police, San Francisco, KPIX, San Francisco Police Department, Mission District Locations: Francisco’s, San Francisco

☆ Miyu Kato wins French Open mixed doubles after controversial disqualification
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

On Sunday, the Japanese tennis star was in tears after being disqualified from the women’s doubles competition after inadvertently hitting a ball at a ball girl. Fast-forward to Thursday and the 28-year-old won the French Open mixed doubles title with her German partner Tim Puetz. It has been really challenging mentally for me the past few days due to the unjust disqualification from the women’s doubles. While wishing the ball girl well in her winning speech, Kato also confirmed she was appealing the decision to default her. The victorious pair received a standing ovation from the French Open crowd, who have taken Kato in their hearts since the disqualification.

Persons: Miyu Kato’s, Tim Puetz, Bianca Andreescu, Michael Venus, Kato, “, Tim, I’m, Puetz, ” Kato, Aldila Sutjiadi, innocuously, ” Organizations: CNN Locations: Japanese, ”

☆ Miyu Kato in tears during press conference a day after controversial disqualification
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A day after being controversially disqualified from the French Open for inadvertently hitting a ball girl with a ball, an emotional Miyu Kato struggled to answer questions about the incident. This was just very unfortunate for everyone, especially for her and the girl.”Kato in action with German mixed doubles partner Tim Puetz on Monday. While Puetz understood why officials made the decision, he said there was clearly no intent to hurt the ball girl. Nevertheless, it hit the ball girl. All they see is a crying ball girl who got hit with a ball.

Persons: Miyu Kato, Kato, Aldila Sutjiadi, Tim Puetz, “, Miyu, ” Puetz, ” Kato, Frank Molter, Puetz, ” Organizations: CNN Locations: ”

☆ Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi disqualified from French Open after ball hits ball girl
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A French Open doubles match ended controversially on Sunday as No.16 seeds Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi were disqualified from the tournament after a ball girl was hit by a ball. Eurosport coverage showed Kato innocuously hitting the ball to the back of the court after a point, and though it didn’t appear as if she intentionally meant to hit the ball girl, the ball hit her head. Standing at the back of the court, the tearful ball girl was visibly shaken. Ball not hit in anger whatsoever, just hit across to ball girl to keep the match flowing because it was the other team’s turn to serve. Ball girl had hands full, reacted late.”It isn’t the first time a player has been defaulted at a grand slam.

Persons: Miyu Kato, Aldila Sutjiadi, Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, Marie Bouzkova, Japan’s Kato, Kato innocuously, Alexandre Juge, Wayne McKewen, Remy Azemar, Kato, Sutjiadi, Roland Garros, jeers, Ben Rothenberg, Ball, Novak, “ Organizations: CNN, Eurosport Locations: Czech Republic, Indonesia, ”

☆ DeSantis wants an Obama-appointed judge disqualified from Disney's free speech lawsuit over past remarks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis says judge in free speech lawsuit involving Disney should be thrown out. The lawsuit alleges DeSantis violated Disney's right to free speech by retaliating for its criticism of the "Don't Say Gay" bill. DeSantis is asking that a federal judge be disqualified from the First Amendment lawsuit filed by Disney against the Florida governor. DeSantis ′ attorney filed a motion in federal court in Tallahassee on Friday seeking to disqualify U.S. District Judge Mark Walker from overseeing the lawsuit filed by Disney last month. Disney filed the First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis and the Disney-appointed board last month in federal court in Tallahassee, and it landed in Walker's court.

Ron DeSantis moved Friday to disqualify the federal judge overseeing Disney 's political retaliation lawsuit, alleging the judge's comments in previous cases raise doubts about his impartiality. Disney filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, Florida, after the company's development deals were nullified by a board of supervisors that DeSantis had picked to oversee the district that includes Walt Disney World. DeSantis had replaced the board with his preferred picks after he and his allies targeted Disney's special tax district. In doing so, the judge had "used the State's contemplated dissolution of Disney's special district as an example of retaliatory conduct," DeSantis' lawyers argued. "The Court's comments seemingly reflect its opinion on whether the State punished Disney's speech by revoking Disney's 'special status,'" they wrote.

Disney on Tuesday asked a Florida court to dismiss a lawsuit by the board of supervisors that Gov. By signing that legislation, DeSantis essentially carried out the same action that the board is asking the court to take, Disney argued. Disney filed suit after the board voted to undo development contracts that the company says it struck to secure its investments. Disney expanded its lawsuit last week, accusing DeSantis of doubling down on his political vendetta by signing legislation to void Disney's development deals in Orlando. In March, the district's new slate of supervisors accused Disney of crafting "11th-hour" development deals intended to thwart the board's power over the 25,000-acre area.

☆ Eviction Bans Remain in California More Than 3 Years Into the Pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Will Parker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

California landlords say there is no longer any pandemic justification for many renter protections. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty ImagesA handful of California cities are still enforcing laws that protect tenants from eviction or rent increases, extending pandemic-era policies that most of the country wound down more than a year ago. The San Francisco board of supervisors voted in March to maintain a local eviction ban for unpaid rent until at least the summer. The city of Los Angeles, meanwhile, extended a prohibition on evicting tenants for having unauthorized pets or occupants in their apartments. It also renewed a rent freeze on rent-controlled apartments until next year.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference at the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum in Titusville, May 1, 2023. Ron DeSantis, accusing the Republican leader of doubling down on his "retribution campaign" against the company by signing legislation to void Disney's development deals in Orlando. Disney's amended lawsuit also noted that Florida's Republican-led legislature passed legislation last week targeting Walt Disney World's monorail system. On Friday, the final day of the state's 2023 legislative session, DeSantis signed a bill that included language effectively targeting Disney's development contracts. Linda Stewart, a Democrat representing Florida's 13th Senate district and a staunch critic of DeSantis' actions against Disney, called the feud between DeSantis and Disney "insane" and laid blame with her Republican counterparts.

☆ An Arizona GOP official relentlessly threatened by election deniers after the 2020 presidential race says he has PTSD
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates now has PTSD after relentless attacks during the 2020 election. Election deniers upset about the 2020 presidential results harassed Gates, per The Washington Post. Gates, a longtime Republican, became withdrawn and angry as a result of the campaign against him and his family. A longtime Republican, Gates said he backed former President Donald Trump in the 2016 election and was an elected official in what was a longtime redoubt of the GOP. And after now-President Joe Biden won both Maricopa County and Arizona in November 2020, Trump-aligned Republicans sought to stop the certification of Biden's victory.

Disney says the contracts were crafted to help lock in its long-term development plans amid escalating tension with DeSantis and his allies. "This feud between DeSantis and Disney is insane," Linda Stewart, a Democrat who represents Florida's 13th Senate district, told CNBC. Disney sued DeSantis and the board members last week, alleging a campaign of political retaliation led by the governor. In addition to voiding the development deals, the Florida Legislature passed a measure that would have the state transportation department conduct inspections of Walt Disney World's monorails. Earlier this month, the state education board approved an expansion of the classroom bill that kicked off the feud with Disney.

☆ DeSantis collects wins as Florida Legislature caps whirlwind session, teeing up possible White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a conference titled "Celebrate the Faces of Israel" at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, on April 27, 2023. Measures like the restrictive abortion law DeSantis signed could help him in a GOP primary, but may reduce his appeal in a general election. Lawmakers have also passed multiple measures that could help clear DeSantis' path to the White House, if and when he decides to run. "The entire session was focused on Governor DeSantis' run for president," said Jim Clark, a University of Central Florida senior lecturer and political commentator, in an interview. On top of those issues, DeSantis in March waded into the "school choice" debate by signing a bill expanding Florida's school voucher system.

☆ DeSantis Disney oversight board votes to sue company over tax-district fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis to oversee Walt Disney World's operations voted Monday to sue Disney in response to the company's recent federal lawsuit alleging a campaign of political retaliation by the governor. The panel, which challenged the company's long-standing self-governing status when it replaced a Disney-backed board weeks earlier, unanimously voted to authorize a lawsuit in state court. Disney sued DeSantis last Wednesday and the oversight panel in U.S. district court in Tallahassee, Florida. DeSantis, who is expected to announce his presidential plans after the Florida state legislature ends in early May, is considered a top contender against former President Donald Trump. But the extended row against Disney, one of Florida's top employers, has recently begun to generate criticism from some of DeSantis' fellow Republicans.

☆ DeSantis-aligned board votes to sue Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis – voted on Monday to sue the company days after the entertainment giant filed its own lawsuit against the board. “Since Disney sued us – yes, we didn’t sue Disney, Disney sued us – we have no choice now but to respond,” said Martin Garcia, chairman of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors. Before the board was selected in February, Disney had reached agreements with the outgoing board that limited the power of DeSantis’ appointees. The new board voted last week to nullify those agreements, prompting Disney to sue DeSantis and the new board. Disney sued DeSantis and the board in federal court in the Northern District of Florida.

☆ Opinion | Democrats: Pay Attention to What’s Happening in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The state is home to staggering wealth, world-remaking tech companies, and some of the world’s boldest climate policy. The dysfunction of our national politics is often attributed to division and gridlock. And in many major cities — Los Angeles and San Francisco, for example — Republicans have little or no political power. If California has long been a bellwether for national liberal politics, Senator Scott Wiener has been something of a bellwether for California politics. Senator Wiener has represented San Francisco in the California Senate since 2016 and, before that, served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

☆ DeSantis dismisses Disney lawsuit over loss of self-governance as 'political'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Gabe Gutierrez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ron DeSantis on Thursday brushed off a lawsuit by the Walt Disney Co. over the revocation of its Orlando-area theme park's self-governing privileges as politically motivated. The lawsuit escalates the feud between Disney and DeSantis that has led to his push to strip Walt Disney World's self-governing privileges. DeSantis argued that Disney's self-governing privileges go against being "pro-business." Lawyers for the Walt Disney Co. did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. "The people of Florida, they understood that this was an issue," he said, referring to Walt Disney World's self-governing privileges.

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