Local:

  • OpenAI announced on X Thursday that it’s temporarily blocking Sora 2 users from using Martin Luther King Jr.’s likeness to make content. The company came to an agreement with King’s estate, run by his daughter Bernice King, after disrespectful images were made of King. [KPIX]

  • A championship-winning, 2,346-pound pumpkin, grown by Santa Rosa’s Brandon Dawson, will take center stage at the Great Pumpkin Parade in Half Moon Bay Saturday. Those interested in growing their own giant pumpkin — instructions included in the article — could win a hefty $21,000 grand prize. [The Press Democrat]
  • During the Loma Prieta earthquake — thirty-six years ago today, the East Bay’s Cypress Street Viaduct collapsed, killing 42 people. West Oakland residents worked tirelessly to rescue an unknown number of people who were trapped on the two-deck, multi-lane structure, which was originally part of the Nimitz Freeway. [East Bay Yesterday]
  • A 17-year-old boy was arrested Thursday under suspicion of making a false bomb threat at Archie Williams High School in Marin County’s San Anselmo; no evidence of explosions or suspicious materials were found. [Marin Independent Journal]
  • Authorities are searching for two missing Bay Area teens in separate cases — 16-year-old Sir Reed, who was last seen Thursday around 5:28 pm in Benicia, and 16-year-old Jovanni Haley, last seen Thursday around 7:10 pm in San Jose. [KRON4]

National:

  • Prince Andrew has been stripped of his royal titles, including Duke of York — but not “prince” since he’s son of the late queen, due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The prince was also allegedly affiliated with a Chinese spy who attended business meetings on his behalf. [CNN]
  • Former Republican congressman George Santos, who was serving seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft, has been commuted by Trump. Santos admitted to stealing the identities of 11 people, including family members, and was the sixth Congressperson expelled in US history. [BBC]
  • Boston-based comedian Rob Potylo, who goes by Robby Roadsteamer, plans to sue the Trump administration over his arrest outside the Portland ICE detention center Thursday. Potylo said he was hit by pepper paintballs in the groin and chest  while protesting — and heckling — ICE agents before being taken into custody, all while wearing a giraffe costume. [Daily Beast]

  • California Governor Gavin Newsom was visibly uncomfortable when asked about his ties to pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC during a recent interview, to which he responded that he found the question “interesting” numerous times. [Mediaite]

Video of the Day:

A big thank you to comedians Ilana Glazer and Kumail Nanjiani for pulling out of the Dreamforce conference's entertainment line-up in the wake of Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff’s attempts to sell out San Francisco to Trump.

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist