• The San Francisco Zoo was the victim of a phoned-in threat incident Monday — it's being characterized as a "swatting" incident though it's not clear that any major police response occurred — which led to 400 or so zoo guests being told to shelter-in-place while the grounds were swept by police. The incident apparently follows similar incidents at other zoos around the country. [KRON4]
• A wildfire broke out around 11:30 am in Yolo County, near the border with Solano County, which possibly caused by flames that escaped a prescribed burn, and it has grown to over 360 acres. It's called the Putah Fire, and according to Cal Fire it is 15% contained. [Cal Fire / Chronicle]
• Prop D, the "Overpaid CEO Tax," has been officially declared a failure as of the latest vote tally at 4 pm Monday, with the "No" votes now at 53.6%. Mayor Daniel Lurie put out a statement celebrating the measure's failure, saying, "I am grateful to every voter who waded through another ballot fight featuring two confusing, competing measures and made their voice heard. Voters recognize that our recovery depends on creating opportunity through jobs, thriving small businesses, and attracting investment—not making it harder for employers to grow here." [SFist]
• Steve Hilton's lead over Tom Steyer in the governor's race primary has narrowed just over 200,000 votes, with around 83% of the vote now counted. [NBC News]

National:

• Let the Republican cries of election rigging begin/continue! Progressive candidate for Los Angeles mayor Nithya Raman was declared the second-place vote-getter in the primary, edging out Republican candidate and former reality TV figure Spencer Pratt by about three percentage points. [New York Times]
• New York Knicks fans naturally booed President Trump's appearance at the sold-out Game 3 tonight at Madison Square Garden. [CNN]
• Fired 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, who had been with the broadcast for 37 years, went pretty scorched earth in an interview with the Times' The Interview podcast over the weekend, saying in no uncertain terms that Bari Weiss should be fired and "television is not her thing." [New York Times]

Video:

• In case you missed it over the weekend, the one and only Lizzo was in town, performing Saturday at Genentech's 50th anniversary Genentech Gives Back Concert, and she took a trip up to the Castro Saturday and gave patrons at the Lookout a thrill with a little impromptu lip sync performance you can see below.

Top image: Photo by Anthony Sebbo

SF General Hospital received its steepest fine on record from Cal/OSHA, which found the hospital did not take the proper measures to prevent violent workplace incidents prior to the fatal stabbing of a social worker in December.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has fined San Francisco General Hospital a record $130,500 for seven workplace-violence-prevention violations, six deemed serious. The fine follows the fatal stabbing of 51-year-old UCSF social worker Alberto Rangel at Ward 86, the hospital’s HIV clinic, in December, as the Chronicle reports.

As SFist reported in December, a patient, Wilfredo Tortolero-Arriechi, now 35, entered the clinic holding a kitchen knife and allegedly stabbed Rangel multiple times in the neck and shoulder while Rangel attempted to de-escalate the situation and escort him out. Rangel died two days later.

In January, Tortolero-Arriechi pleaded not guilty to the fatal stabbing, and his attorney claimed he was suffering a mental health crisis at the time.

SFist reported last week that Rangel’s husband, Stuart Moulder, announced plans to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the city. According to KQED, Nick Casper, an attorney for Moulder, pointed to similarities between the report’s findings and workplace-safety issues Cal/OSHA identified after a nurse was attacked at the hospital in 2019. The previous incident resulted in a $26,660 state fine. This latest penalty is reportedly the largest Cal/OSHA has imposed on SF General.

“The findings really paint a picture of two specific-but-related failures,” Casper said. “There were longstanding systemic deficiencies involving security, training, coordination and workplace violence prevention. And there were specific failures about appropriately responding to a known and escalating threat posed by this patient.”

The agency’s investigation identified 77 separate safety failures, including inadequate security staffing, poor coordination between hospital staff, security personnel, and law enforcement, and the lack of a clear threat-management plan for potentially violent patients, per the Chronicle.

According to the report, hospital officials failed to effectively restrict access to the clinic, screen for weapons, communicate threat information to staff, or ensure that security personnel monitored Wilfredo Jose Tortolero-Arriechi after learning he was headed to the facility. Inspectors also cited broken surveillance cameras, inconsistent security coverage, insufficient staff training, and the absence of procedures for reporting and responding to violent threats.

KQED reports that following the stabbing, the Department of Public Health says it added security staff, launched a threat-management team, installed metal detectors, and implemented other safety measures. City officials have also committed $15 million annually, along with $7.5 million in one-time infrastructure funding, toward healthcare worker safety improvements across the department.

Previously: Husband of Social Worker Killed at SF General Hospital to File Lawsuit Against City

Image: Exterior view of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital  and Trauma Center building - San Francisco, California, USA - May 26,  2024 (Getty Images)

A stolen SUV that was speeding and driving recklessly on the streets of East Oakland Monday reportedly crashed into an Oakland Police Department SUV, killing two passengers in the stolen vehicle and injuring an Oakland officer.

The crash happened around 11:10 am Monday, as Bay Area News Group reports, in the area of East 12th Street and 29th Avenue.

The incident began with an Oakland Housing Authority police officer seeing a Chevy Tahoe SUV driving recklessly on East 12th Street. The officer turned on his emergency lights and attempted a traffic stop, as NBC Bay Area reports, but the suspect vehicle took off at a high rate of speed.

In accordance with OHAPD policy, the officer turned off his lights and did not pursue the fleeing vehicle.

Moments later, as the allegedly stolen SUV was speeding down East 12th Street, it rammed into the Oakland Police Department vehicle. The officers in the OPD SUV were not involved in the call regarding the stolen vehicle, and just happened to be on patrol in the area.

Per Bay Area News Group, the SUV proceeded about a quarter block further before the vehicle flipped overa and landed on its side, killing two of the occupants.

"The two men who died were thrown from the vehicle," the news group reports. "One of them ended up on the center median underneath elevated BART tracks. The other ended up on the pavement in front of the crashed SUV."

Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the SUV allegedly tried to flee on foot before he was apprehended by the OHAPD officer who had initially spotted the speeding vehicle.

It was unclear whether the suspect required hospitalization, per the news group, and the condition of the injured OPD officer is not known at this time.

KTVU was on the scene following the crash, and the investigation has reportedly shut down East 12th Street in both directions between 25th and 30th avenues.

This is a developing story.

Top image via Getty Images

A man and a woman were reportedly shot and critically injured Monday morning in what police are calling an isolated incident at a Kaiser medical office building in San Jose.

The shooting reportedly took place around 10 am Monday at Kaiser Permanente's medical offices at 5755 Cottle Road in San Jose. A man and a woman were shot, according to San Jose police, and both suffered life-threatening injuries.

As KTVU reports, Kaiser subsequently issued a shelter-in-place order which was lifted around noon.

The shooting took place in an area between an outpatient psychiatric facility and an opthamology clinic, according to ABC 7.

Lisa Cohn, whose husband works at the medical facility as a surgeon, tells ABC 7, "He said that he heard screaming and a SWAT team of police came in all through the building and moved them away from the windows and into a center area of the Kaiser Permanente ophthalmology facility."

Police said this was an "isolated incident," and per KTVU, chopper footage showed police escorting people out of the building.

It's not clear if a suspect is in custody, and no suspect information has been shared yet by police.

This is a developing story.

Top image: Photo via Google Street View

All eyes will be on SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su and two other school figures from Chicago and Virginia who are set to speak before a GOP-led committee in DC this week on “inappropriate content” and “legal abuses” in public schools.

Maria Su, superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, is headed to testify Wednesday morning before the House Committee on Education and Workforce, in a hearing focused on “parental rights,” classroom content, and alleged legal abuses in K–12 schools. As the Chronicle reports, the session, set to begin at 7:15 am PDT, is chaired by Representative Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) and will also feature superintendents from Chicago and Loudoun County, Virginia.

Su is likely to face pointed questioning on issues including transgender student policies, locker room access, sexual health curriculum, pronoun use, and parent notification rules. The hearing reportedly comes as Republican lawmakers intensify scrutiny of school districts in Democratic-led cities, with a focus on policies they argue limit parental oversight.

In written remarks submitted ahead of the hearing, Su emphasizes SFUSD’s focus on academic outcomes alongside student well-being, saying schools must be safe and inclusive for learning to occur. According to the Chronicle, Su writes that the district serves all students regardless of background and works to create environments free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination.

Su’s statement also highlights San Francisco’s history of LGBTQ rights and diversity, noting the district’s efforts to incorporate that history into education. At the same time, she underscores core academic goals including third-grade literacy, eighth-grade math, and college and career readiness, and describes parents as essential partners with defined rights to information, participation, and opt-out provisions in areas such as reproductive health instruction.

Su adds that SFUSD has recently updated curriculum, improved operations, strengthened its financial position, and begun work on its enrollment system, while acknowledging ongoing challenges ahead.

The Chronicle reports that Su is being represented by the City Attorney’s Office, and either San Francisco, the county, or both will be required to cover the costs associated with travel and legal support for the hearing.

A recent Supreme Court decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor, reportedly added new precedent allowing parents to opt their children out of instruction that conflicts with their religious beliefs, in a case involving LGBTQ-themed books in an Alabama elementary school. Legal experts say the ruling leaves unclear how schools are expected to implement it, and critics argue it could give individual families broader influence over classroom content based on religious objections — an issue that is expected to surface during Wednesday’s hearing.

Su is the latest Bay Area K–12 leader to appear before the same committee, following Berkeley Unified Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel’s testimony in May 2024 at a hearing focused on antisemitism in schools, as SFist reported previously. That session drew national attention, though Morthel faced relatively limited scrutiny compared to the New York City schools chancellor, who became the primary focus, per the Chronicle.

The format will reportedly give each superintendent a five-minute opening statement, followed by rounds of five-minute questioning from committee members, with no fixed end time. The Chronicle notes that experts and local officials expect aggressive questioning on politically charged education issues, and say the hearing may hinge on whether witnesses directly engage with lawmakers or attempt to avoid rhetorical traps.

SF Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman said the hearing is likely to be performative at points, and that Su will need to balance defending district policies with avoiding exchanges that could escalate into viral or politically damaging moments.

Related: Berkeley Schools Superintendent Called to Testify Before Congressional Committee Over Antisemitism Claims

Image: SFUSD/Facebook

We're having an early kickoff to fire season this year and/or there is no distinct fire "season" anymore, with an offshore wind event expected to raise wildfire risks across Northern California this week.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Sacramento Valley starting Wednesday morning, and they are warning of elevated fire risks in much of the North Bay as well due to an incoming wind event.

Winds are expected to be blowing out of the north and northeast Wednesday evening into Thursday, with low humidity expected particularly in the Napa Valley and Sacramento region. Gusts of 30 to 45 miles per hour are expected in parts of Northern California, leading to the elevated wildfire risk.

Wind gusts in Sonoma and Napa counties are expected to peak around 25 miles per hour, but could be stronger at higher elevations.

PG&E has not yet announced any public safety power shutoffs (PSPS), but the utility is warning that some shutoffs may occur on Wednesday, as the Chronicle reports.

Exact addresses that can expect power shutoffs will receive notifications perhaps later today or on Tuesday.

In its seven-day PSPS forecast, PG&E says that shutoffs are possible Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday across eight NorCal counties: Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, and Yolo.

PG&E has routinely performed these targeted shutoffs since 2019, when the PSPS protocal began in the wake of the deadly Camp Fire in November 2018. In 2021, after PG&E faced criminal charges stemming from the fire, a federal judge imposed strict guidance over when power shutoffs must occur, in order to decrease wildfire risk from sparking power lines.

This year has already seen one PSPS event in mid-May, when power was cut for pockets of PG&E customers in 15 counties, with 4,700 customers affected in all.

Typically these shutoffs, which often coincide with offshore wind events like the Diablo winds, tend to occur later in the summer and in the fall, when wildfire risk tends to be greatest from dry ground conditions as well.

Photo by Jaredd Craig

The death of San Francisco firefighter Ken Jones has renewed calls to reform Blue Shield, the city's designated insurance provider. The late firefighter’s battle to treat his stage 4 lung cancer first gained attention in January, with advocates now blaming delays in care for his premature passing.

According to NBC Bay Area, Jones died on Saturday from lung cancer following a public, four-month battle with his health insurance provider after Blue Shield of California denied the medical treatment requested by Jones’ oncologist on two separate occasions.

In a quote, former SFFD chief Jeanine Nicholson, a close friend to Jones for decades, voiced her belief that Blue Shield bears responsibility in Jones' death.

“I believe, wholeheartedly, that they expedited his death,” Nicholson said. “They should be ashamed.”

She also noted that it was Jones who drove her to medical appointments for six months after Nicholson was diagnosed with breast cancer over a decade ago.

The case of Ken Jones first sparked outcry earlier this year with news that the ailing former firefighter's efforts to get Blue Cross to cover treatments for his lung cancer recommended by his oncologist had twice been denied. Dr. Matthew Gubens, Jones’ oncologist, told NBC Bay Area that delays in obtaining approval for treatments likely cost his patient time he didn't have to spare.

“The time spent trying to get approval of a regimen that I requested, [Ken] lost ground – tumors are growing, pain is increasing, his appetite is going down,” Gubens explained.

The only silver lining is the possibility Jones' plight will lead to necessary changes.

Last month, Blue Shield confirmed they will assign "dedicated care managers" to help clients with complex claims, reports ABC 7. The cause is also being championed by non-profit watchdog group Protect Our Benefits, who confirmed on Monday that they plan to meet with Blue Shield to press for updates while working to secure additional reforms.

Related: Retired SF Firefighter Denied Cancer Treatment, Causing City to Question Blue Shield Health Plan

Image: GoFundMe

Image via U.S. Geological Survey

A one-year-old boy is now hospitalized in critical condition after a truck reportedly smashed into the side of his family's Oakland apartment building earlier today.

The initial report from ABC7 indicates the crash occurred around 9:30am on Saturday in the vicinity of 57th Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.

The boy's uncle told reporters that a vehicle "came crashing in the side" from the direction of a nearby car wash. Falling debris from the impact caused the one-year-old boy's unknown injuries, the family additionally confirmed.

As of now, it's also unclear what caused the crash to take place.  

This is a developing story.

Related: Person Thrown From Three-Wheeler In Collision With Car In SF's Western Addition, Four Hospitalized

Image: January 27, 2019 Oakland / CA / USA - Oakland Police Department vehicle parked on the street (Getty Images)

In a push to boost the export of coal to other countries, Trump invoked a wartime order to fund the development of 13 plants across the US, including Oakland, which is expected to be one of the largest facilities on the West Coast.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he invoked the Defense Production Act to direct $75 million toward the long-delayed coal export terminal planned for the former Oakland Army Base site in West Oakland, as the Chronicle reports. The funds are part of a broader $700 million federal investment in 13 coal-related projects nationwide aimed at expanding mining, power generation, and export infrastructure.

The coal funding aligns with Trump’s aim to revive the industry, which the administration has argued is needed to help meet growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centers.

The federal funding is expected to allow construction to begin this summer, with coal shipments projected to start by 2028. According to California Post, the facility could export up to 12 million tons of coal annually, primarily from Utah and Wyoming, to overseas markets, making it one of the largest coal export terminals on the West Coast.

The administration says the Oakland terminal will operate around the clock and create more than 1,400 on-site jobs, while supporting additional mining, rail, construction, and port-related jobs across the western United States.

As SFist reported previously, the terminal has been tied up in legal battles for nearly a decade as environmental groups fought concerns over coal dust pollution and the city’s role in the fossil fuel industry. The project traces back to 2013, when Oakland approved developer Phil Tagami’s plans for a bulk shipping terminal on city-owned land.

After Tagami signed an agreement with a coal export company, Oakland moved to ban coal handling and storage citywide. The California Supreme Court ultimately ruled in 2023 that the city could not apply the ban to a project it had already approved, clearing the way for the terminal to move forward. The court battle has also become a financial headache for Oakland, with potential damages from the litigation threatening to further strain the city’s finances.

Although opponents have largely exhausted their legal challenges, anti-coal advocates continue to push for restrictions through regulatory agencies.

The Chronicle reports that earlier this year, the group No Coal in Oakland called on the Bay Area Air District to limit the amount of coal that can move through the terminal and impose stricter controls on coal dust emissions. The air district has reportedly not yet acted on those requests.

Previously: Obscure, 12-Year-Old Port of Oakland Coal Battle Could End Up Bankrupting City of Oakland

Image: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 01: In an aerial view, a  container ship arrives at the Port of Oakland on August 01, 2025 in  Oakland, California. U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his  August 1 deadline for trade deals will not be extended and sweeping  tariffs will be imposed on certain countries beginning today. (Photo by  Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Just when Californians thought the airwaves would be free of those mind-numbing Kars 4 Kids jingles, a court ruled that the company can continue running its ads during the appeals process.

A California appeals court put a temporary hold on a lower-court order that would have required Kars4Kids to pull or significantly change its ads in the state, allowing the commercials to continue airing while the organization appeals the decision, as the California Post reports.

The injunction stems from a lawsuit filed by a California man who donated a vehicle after hearing the charity’s well-known jingle and later learned that much of the organization’s funding supports programs run by Oorah, an Orthodox Jewish outreach organization based in New Jersey, as SFist reported previously. During the trial, Kars4Kids chief operating officer Esti Landau testified that the charity’s primary function is funding Oorah’s programs.

Last month, an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled that Kars4Kids’ advertising was misleading because it did not disclose the organization’s religious affiliation or that most beneficiaries were located outside California.

The judge also reportedly found that the ads’ focus on young children could give donors a misleading impression of who the programs primarily serve. Court records showed that roughly 60% of the charity’s revenue goes to Oorah, while another 36% is spent on administration and advertising.

The ruling would have required future television ads to clearly disclose the organization’s religious affiliation, the location of its primary beneficiaries, and whether its programs serve children, families, or both. Kars4Kids was also ordered to pay $250 in restitution to the plaintiff. All proceedings are now paused pending the outcome of the appeal.

For a little comic relief on a Friday afternoon, here’s a great spoof of the Kars 4 Kids jingle, “Trucks for Tykes,” as seen on NBC’s 'Will & Grace' back in 2018 (although the quality of the clip is a bit subpar).

Previously: Kars4Kids, Found to Be Front for New Jersey Jewish Organization That Does Little for Needy Kids, Now Banned in CA

After one person was killed and three others injured in a shooting outside a continuation school's graduation ceremony at Fairfield High School, Fairfield High announced its own graduation ceremony will be moved to a different location.

The shooting occurred around 7:15 pm Wednesday in a parking lot shared by Fairfield High School and neighboring continuation school Sem Yeto High School as Sem Yeto’s graduation ceremony was ending. Police say roughly 1,000 people attended the event, as the Chronicle reports.

Four people were struck by the gunfire, including an 18-year-old who later died. The three surviving victims — ages 11, 20, and 25 — were hospitalized with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Fairfield High School announced Thursday that it would move its own graduation ceremony, scheduled for Friday, to Armijo High School Stadium. According to KTVU, the ceremony will begin at the same time but with reduced seating capacity, with each graduating senior receiving six tickets. The decision comes after students petitioned school officials to relocate the event following the shooting.

Police have reportedly not announced any arrests in the Wednesday shooting or released a suspect description. Investigators say they are pursuing leads and interviewing hundreds of potential witnesses as they work to determine what happened.

The Chronicle reports that Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy said investigators believe the shooting was targeted, though it remains unclear whether any of the victims were the intended targets.

District officials said mental health counselors and additional staff support would be available for students and employees.

Authorities have not released the victims’ identities.

Related: More Details Emerge on Last Week’s Graduation Shooting In Oakland, Four Suspects Taken Into Custody

Image: Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District

Four people were hospitalized with minor to moderate injuries after a three-wheeled vehicle crashed into an Audi that allegedly ran a red light in San Francisco’s Western Addition, ejecting a passenger.

The crash, which was caught on video, took place Wednesday at Baker and Hayes streets in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood near the Panhandle, as the Chronicle reports.

According to the SF Fire Department, four people were taken to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries.

In the video, the Audi appears to be running a red light when the three-wheeler slams into it at full speed, and at least one passenger is thrown from the three-wheeler into the street.

Meanwhile, two pedestrians can be seen stepping off the curb at a green light at the same time the crash occurs, and the Audi gets pushed in their direction. One of the pedestrians can be seen in the video fleeing the area in shock, but the other one isn’t visible.

Based on a photo from the fire department of the aftermath of the crash (included below), it appears that the Audi got pushed directly into the crosswalk, abutting the curb.

According to the Chronicle, the second pedestrian responded to a thread on Reddit saying he was injured during the crash, sustaining a broken hip. His wife, the other pedestrian, was uninjured. The Chronicle notes that this info could not be verified.

No further details have been released about the incident.

Related: Driver Arrested After Pedestrian Killed, Three Injured In Mission District Crash

Image: San Francisco Fire Department/X

Photo via Getty Images