The state Supreme Court has been missing a justice for 3½ months, stretching chambers and complicating death‑penalty and racial‑justice cases.

Hundreds rallied in Oakland and Concord on Valentine’s Day to protest ICE and local surveillance; organizers vowed legal and community support as courts and funding fights loom.

TRAC data show San Francisco immigration judges approve asylum far more often than judges in Los Angeles; local reporting ties the gap to judge turnover, backlogs and representation.

A private nonprofit tied to Gov. Gavin Newsom has underwritten tens of thousands in travel and event costs, raising questions about transparency and donor access.

A San Francisco judge signaled she will bar USDA from forcing states to hand over detailed SNAP records, a decision with privacy and budget impacts for millions of recipients.

Sen. Suzette Valladares introduced SB 1060 to require a 1,000-foot buffer between large residential treatment centers and schools, a response to protests over a Victorville campus.

Marin Republicans flagged dozens of alleged “dead” voters from last November’s Prop. 50 tally; the county’s registrar says a review found only a few deceased records and no votes cast after death.

Los Gatos unexpectedly flipped a projected $3.1M deficit into a $4.3M midyear surplus; council reprioritized homelessness and transportation projects.

San Jose Rep. Sam Liccardo cosponsored a bill to reroute tens of billions from ICE to local police grants. The proposal faces committee hurdles as Congress debates DHS funding.

President Trump has tapped Scott Socha, a Delaware North hospitality executive, to lead the National Park Service. Conservation groups warn the pick raises conflict and staffing concerns.

Supervisors approved mid‑year cuts that remove $183 million from the county health budget and delete 365 positions. Measure A will help, but a multimillion‑dollar gap remains.

A Bodega Bay meet‑and‑greet with Sheriff Eddie Engram turned into a heated immigration forum as protesters demanded an ordinance to end cooperation with ICE.

San Francisco is launching a limited PermitSF portal Friday, but questions about the $5.9M OpenGov deal have turned the rollout into a political test for Mayor Daniel Lurie.