The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday threw out a New York gun law that gave government officials broad discretion in limiting who could carry a loaded gun in public places — a clear warning shot to California and several other states that severely restrict concealed carry permits. Gun rights advocates hailed the ruling as a victory,…
PORT COSTA — The entire town of Port Costa has been placed under an evacuation warning Thursday afternoon, due to a growing brush fire in the hills above the Carquinez Strait. The Crockett fire department issued a warning for the entire town of roughly 250 residents to be ready to leave if need be. The…
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OAKLAND — In a surprising end to the criminal case over the 1981 rape and stabbing death of a 16-year-old honor student, the suspect has pleaded no contest to a single rape charge in exchange for an eight-year prison term. Jewel Collins, 60, once faced the possibility of death or life without parole in the…
A doctors’ group on Thursday filed a lawsuit claiming BART is infringing on their constitutional free speech rights by refusing to allow ads targeting technology executive Elon Musk in trains and stations. The suit against the transit agency by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine alleged BART is violating the 1st Amendment by refusing to…
Read More “BART sued over ads targeting Elon Musk and his lab-monkey research” »
OAKLAND — In an effort to generate leads, police Thursday released video surveillance images of a vehicle that fled after causing fatal injuries June 16 to a 42-year-old father bicycling near City Hall with his 6 and 8-year-old sons. Dmitry Putilov, of Oakland, was killed in the collision. His sons, who were riding separate bicycles, were…
Read More “Video released of fatal hit-and-run of Oakland bicyclist riding with young sons” »
Children under 5 are beginning to receive covid-19 vaccinations in Western Pennsylvania, offering a long-awaited shot of relief for some parents while others say it’s soon for them to know whether it’s safe for their kids to get vaccinated. While shots have been widely available for older patients, it wasn’t until Friday that the Food…
Read More “Children under 5 begin receiving covid-19 vaccines in Western Pa.” »
On the heels of bipartisan gun legislation passing a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey told reporters on an afternoon conference call he expects the bill to pass the full Senate very soon. “I believe it will pass. I believe it will be signed into law,” said Toomey, a second-term…
Read More “Toomey expects gun safety legislation to pass the Senate by week’s end” »
ANTIOCH — With the state’s last remaining COVID-eviction protections set to expire next week, dozens of renters rallied Wednesday demanding protection against steep rent hikes, landlord harassment and poor living conditions. Waving signs that read “Housing is a human right” and “The rent is too damn high,” residents complained of roach and mold-infested apartments, sewage…
Read More “As statewide protections end, California renters demand more rights” »
Three months after the West Contra Costa Unified School District school board decided not to lay off any employees, two union leaders for the district’s adult education teachers were abruptly — and, it turns out, erroneously — let go. But what district officials are chalking up as a “mistake” has morphed into accusations of union-busting…
State police are investigating after someone who posed as a Somerset County commissioner stole $11,295 from the county. Troopers said in a news release that the county treasurer’s office received on June 8 an email, believed to be from a county commissioner, which requested a wire transfer to a company for goods and services. That…
Read More “Scammers steal $11K from Somerset County after posing as commissioner, police say” »
