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.

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.

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.

Gov. Newsom signed SB 106 to fast‑track $90M in one‑time grants for Planned Parenthood and clinics hit by federal Medicaid cuts. Leaders say the money will prevent closures while longer-term fixes are worked out.

At a Commonwealth Club town hall on Monday, legal and community leaders warned a sweeping federal enforcement push is already disrupting Bay Area life and threatening civil‑liberties guardrails.