Local:
- 23-year-old William O’Reilly of Boston is currently being held in the Bay Area while awaiting extradition on federal charges of conspiring to smuggle Irish nationals from Canada into the United States via boat, typically to New York or Boston. An unnamed co-conspirator told authorities that some of the individuals smuggled into the country are suspected of being involved in criminal activity. [Mercury News]
- An electric Jeep Wrangler caught on fire while charging at Google’s campus in Mountain View on Thursday, spreading to three other vehicles — two Teslas and a Honda — and resulting in about $275,000 worth of damages. Authorities said the cause of the fire appeared to be related to the car’s lithium-ion battery charging system. [Chronicle]
- Five whales have died in the bay in the past month, raising alarms among scientists already concerned about struggling gray whale populations. Experts are investigating the causes and urging stronger protections as sightings spike and vessel strikes remain a growing threat. [Oaklandside]
- San Francisco is suing HUD over new federal grant conditions that officials say force cities to adopt Trump’s anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-choice policies or lose critical homelessness funding. [David Chiu]
- Here’s how to avoid the gridlock traffic downtown and in Mission Bay during Friday night’s pivotal Warriors and Giants games. [Chronicle]
National:
- A Gaza-bound boat from Malta containing 30 humanitarians from over 21 countries, including prominent figures like Greta Thunberg, was reportedly attacked by Israeli drones early Friday morning. The crew has been posting updates as they seek safe and unhindered passage from the Maltese government. [@gazafreedomflotilla]
- Eighty years after their heroic service, the Six Triple Eight—the only Black, all-female unit to serve overseas in WWII—has been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. The battalion worked around the clock to clear a massive mail backlog, delivering millions of undelivered letters between soldiers and their families in just three months. [Smithsonian]
- Trump’s latest budget plan slashes funds for permanent supportive housing, threatening to evict chronically homeless people — including veterans — in favor of short-term shelter programs, undermining decades of progress and pushing vulnerable residents back onto the streets. [New York Times]
Video of the Day:
- San Francisco native Margaret Cho wrote a post remembering her friend, musician Jill Sobule, who died in a house fire in Minneapolis on Thursday. Cho shared the video she made for Sobule’s 2009 song, “San Francisco,” which features cameos from various prominent San Francisco folks, including Cho, drag queen Monistat, musician Mark Eitzel, sex columnist Violet Blue, artist Henry Lewis, and writer Stephen Elliott.
Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist
