- Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch site in South Texas has now officially been established as the city of Starbase, following a 212–6 vote by mostly SpaceX employees. Protesters, including Indigenous leaders and environmental justice groups, rallied against the move, warning it could strip the public of access to sacred land and a beloved beach that SpaceX has already sought to close for rocket launches. [Associated Press]
- SFUSD has partially lifted its teacher hiring freeze for the 2025–26 school year, which will allow immediate hiring of credentialed teachers and school transfers. SF Parent Coalition sent out a message on Saturday morning via Action Network that over 450 parents signed the group’s petition in just ten hours demanding the district lift the freeze. [SFUSD]
- Black business owners in Oakland are rallying around Black-owned restaurant Pierre Pierre after a shooting at the establishment wounded a patron on Friday night. Community leaders are urging residents to show up and support Black businesses in the wake of the violence. [KRON4]
- A victim with multiple stab wounds was found near Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science late Saturday night. UC police are searching for three suspects dressed in black who fled the scene. [Bay City News]
- Despite boasting the world’s fourth-largest economy, California now ranks near the bottom in U.S. job growth, with sluggish hiring, tech sector layoffs, and mounting government budget deficits dragging the state’s labor market into steep decline. [Mercury News]
- A 430-pound black bear was fatally struck by a truck near Forestville early Tuesday, as wildlife officials warn such collisions are increasing with black bears expanding their range north of the Bay Area. [SFGate]
Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist
