• The Contra Costa District Attorney confirmed this week that prosecutors dropped criminal charges for at least 40 cases due to the untrustworthy police officers behind those investigations. “I can confirm that 40 cases have been dropped,” District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Ted Asregadoo said of the claim, adding that there are multiple officers who are subjects of an "ongoing criminal investigation involving a range of offenses which constitute crimes of moral turpitude"; the County's District Attorney’s Office hasn't identified the officers who are under investigation and also didn't specify which cases were dropped due to the officers’ lack of credibility. [KRON4]
  • The Berkeley Animal Care Services Shelter is overflowing with adoptable cats. For context: the East Bay animal shelter normally receives around 40 cats between January and July — but this year, that number is closer to 120 animals. [CBS News Bay Area]
  • A new lawsuit filed with the California federal court is claiming Skittles are toxic. Titanium dioxide — a colorant used by Mars to produce Skittles in their neon hues — is commonly used in paint, adhesives, plastics, and roofing materials, as well, and has been linked to organ damage, such as lesions in the liver and kidneys; the ingredient is being removed, but the lawsuit claims that the typeface and colored font on the candy's packaging is hard to read and inadvertently puts people in danger. [Reuters]
  • The multi-city Jollof Festival will bring many iterations and serving styles of the beloved West African dish to Oakland Saturday. [jolloffestival.com]
  • SFMOMA’s Diego Rivera’s America exhibit will open to the public tomorrow. [The Bold Italic]
  • Temperatures are expected to linger in the mid-70s this weekend in the South Bay — which is all the more reason to check out some of the area's best ice cream shops. [Eater SF]
  • After just eight months in business, Plants by Rare Device on 505 Divisadero Street will close on Monday, July 18. [Hoodline]
  • President Biden basically admitted today that his promise to move the country away from fossil fuels ASAP is effectively now an empty one amid the war in Ukraine and the looming economic recession. [New York Times]

Photo: Getty Images/GMA