Local:

  • A marble bust of prolific programmer and hacktivist Aaron Swartz was unveiled yesterday at the Internet Archive headquarters. Swartz, who died in 2013, was a cofounder of Reddit, helped develop RSS, and was one of the early architects of Creative Commons. [SF Standard]
  • East Bay Parks is clearing 667 acres of dead and overgrown eucalyptus to reduce wildfire risk in Oakland, San Leandro, and Castro Valley. The project, spurred by a mass tree die-off after the 2020 drought, has cost millions and nearly quadrupled fuel reduction staff to prevent another disaster like the 1991 Oakland firestorm. [Mercury News]
  • San Jose is planning to partner with a private company to retrieve approximately 2,000 abandoned shopping carts per year, potentially integrating the service into the city’s 311 app. While the initiative aims to reduce blight and comply with stormwater regulations, concerns remain over penalties for cart theft and the responsibilities of retailers in preventing loss. [KRON4]
  • Two Emeryville liquor store clerks were cited for selling alcohol to minors as part of a decoy operation targeting five stores. [East Bay Times]

National:

  • The CDC briefly published a report suggesting H5N1 bird flu could spread from birds to cats and possibly from cats to humans before quickly removing it without explanation. The report highlighted two cases in which one cat might have contracted bird flu from humans and another where a cat might have transmitted the virus to a human. [Vice]
  • School closures in at least ten states were reported this week due to the recent flu surge. Data from the CDC indicates “very high” flu activity levels in 27 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and “high” levels in 14 states, with an estimated 38,255 hospitalizations just last week. [Fast Company]
  • Nearly 30,000 tons of food is currently rotting in Houston due to Trump’s pause on USAID. "Tons of food is sitting in Houston and it's got nowhere to go because there's no one there to coordinate it to get to people around the world," Rep. Angie Craig told Houston’s KHOU 11. [KHOU11]
  • Southern California Edison acknowledged its equipment may have started the Hurst Fire but denies clear evidence linking it to the deadly Eaton Fire. The utility is cooperating with investigators while facing lawsuits alleging its negligence sparked the devastating blaze. [AP]

Video:

Multiple Waymos were caught on camera driving through a giant pothole in the Marina along with the public works barricades surrounding it.

Image: Legs on Haight, 2023; Leanne Maxwell/SFist