Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, one thing is clear: The raft of memos, executive orders and other Trump administration actions have left environmental work in the Bay Area and beyond in “confusion and chaos,” says Redgie Collins, the legal and policy director for California Trout.
Category: Government & Politics
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Social Services
Federal Grant Freeze Order Sows Confusion for SF Food, Health Programs
The grant freeze order was slated to take effect Tuesday, but that same day a federal judge delayed the effective date of part of the order to Feb. 3. In the meantime, local and state agencies are scrambling to figure out what programs will be affected.
Posted inCommunity, Government & Politics, Immigration
Immigrant Advocates Trying to Dispel Rumors of ICE Operation in SF
Rumors of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention operation alarmed residents of San Francisco’s Mission District earlier this month following a threat by Donald Trump before his inauguration to launch mass deportations of undocumented residents.
However, these murmurs about local ICE raids are baseless, said Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program of the San Francisco Bar Association.
“It was one individual that was arrested by ICE,” Atkinson said. “They had his name and information. We responded, and they met with an attorney, and they’re going to be represented. It wasn’t a raid or mass arrest.”
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Government & Politics, Health
San Francisco Tries to Mitigate Harm of Out-of-State Abortion Bans
Anti-abortion groups have initiated increasingly aggressive activities in San Francisco since the fall of Roe v. Wade, with some ignoring protective zones around clinics and even threatening violence.
In response, community groups, nonprofits and local government have stepped up efforts to ensure access to abortions and reproductive health support in San Francisco — both for people who live in the city and for those who travel here seeking help.
Posted inCommunity, Elections, Government & Politics
Some Hope Mayor Lurie’s Inaugural Party a Turning Point for Chinatown
For years, Chinatown organizations have worked to draw large numbers of visitors to the area to revitalize it in the pandemic’s aftermath. They finally pulled it off for Mayor Daniel Lurie’s inaugural banquet.
Some key figures in the community hope this marks a turning point for the area. Meanwhile, some merchants are skeptical and question whether the energy will last.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Homelessness
SF Fails to Produce Evidence It Follows Encampment Clearing Policy
San Francisco cannot prove it follows an aspect of its encampment clearing policy intended to help people retain essential belongings. Despite 588 clearings from January to mid-November, the city lacks evidence of a single signed declaration that staff advised unhoused people to separate essentials from property it was confiscating.
Posted inEnvironment, Exposed, Government & Politics, Health, History, Neighborhoods
Shuttered Radiation Lab Poses Ongoing Health Risks for Growing Neighborhood
Our investigative series, “Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point,” details how the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, based at a shipyard in San Francisco, exposed at least 1,073 dockworkers, military personnel, lab employees and others to radiation in technical exercises and medical experiments early in the Cold War.
In part 6, we detail how cavalier attitudes toward radiation exposure and an indifference to how pollution left by the Navy might affect San Franciscans have been constants officials warned of plutonium blowing in the air three-quarters of a century ago.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Law & Justice, Public Safety
Trial Courts Sued, Accused of Hampering Domestic Violence Survivors’ Ability to Appeal Rulings
Groups that advocate for survivors of domestic violence have sued California trial courts to force them to address the statewide court reporter shortage, which they say is impairing “equal access to justice.”
Posted inCommunity, Elections, Government & Politics, Parks & Open Space, Transportation
State Commission Gives Green Light to Close SF’s Great Highway to Cars
San Francisco on Thursday received state approval to proceed with closing a 2-mile section of the Great Highway to car traffic as early as spring 2025, and to begin planning a long-term park on that stretch of road. The car-free highway will have separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, along with a new continuous bike lane connecting Daly City to Golden Gate Park.
Posted inEnvironment, Exposed, Government & Politics, Health, History, Neighborhoods
Destroyed Records, Dying Witnesses Consign San Francisco Radiation Lab to Obscurity
Our investigative series, “Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point,” details how the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, based at a shipyard in San Francisco, exposed at least 1,073 dockworkers, military personnel, lab employees and others to radiation in technical exercises and medical experiments early in the Cold War.
In part 5, we trace the obscure nature of the work at the lab to the military’s culture of secrecy, explore why officials shredded millions of pages of paper records and show how an ongoing lack of official interest in acknowledging this history has frustrated local people dealing with the shipyard’s environmental legacy.