An interactive Chronicle database compiles thousands of California inspection reports and flags possible patient-harm incidents. What Bay Area patients should know before choosing care.

A San Jose trustee sang an off‑script holiday song at a Reed Elementary concert that a principal called inappropriate for kids. School leaders apologized and vowed tighter oversight.

Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest park ranger in America and an activist, died at 104 in Richmond. Her life emphasized civil rights and historical narratives.

Lu Lu's House says it collected 500+ toys in Los Angeles and will distribute them in a holiday giveaway with city partners. The Oakland nonprofit runs shelters and job programs for people re-entering society.

Oakland fire crews and Santa rolled into Kaiser Oakland this week, posing by Engine 15 and Truck 4 and handing out holiday cheer to young patients. The visit was part of the department’s Random Acts outreach.

A U.S. court halted HUD's new homeless program funding restrictions, providing relief to service providers and local governments amidst winter hardships.

The concrete 'China Banks' over Kearny Street will be removed as part of a long-delayed Portsmouth Square redesign, closing a five-decade chapter of skate history. Bids are open and demolition is slated early in construction.

A state panel found California law lets prosecutors use gendered evidence to undercut women’s self‑defense claims and urged judges to screen that material before juries.

San Mateo County, grappling with high housing prices, has provided resident Elizabeth Perez with a home at Casa Esperanza, amidst concerns about funding sustainability for such housing projects.

More than 100 faith leaders chained themselves to ICE's San Francisco field office at 630 Sansome, blocking check‑ins and prompting federal arrests, organizers say.

Aurora School will absorb students and staff from Mills College Children’s School after Northeastern plans to close the campus program in June 2026.

Laura Chenel says it has stopped sourcing milk from Grand Barr Dairy after a PETA investigation alleged neglect. The creamery says it will review supplier animal-care standards while authorities review the case.

Hand‑painted foam tombstones in San Jose will represent unhoused people who died in Santa Clara County this year; officials say counts are down, but advocates say the losses are still preventable.