A state bill aimed at reducing all felony drug possession penalties to misdemeanors faces an uphill battle in Sacramento, but sponsor Sen. Mark Leno is looking to The City for some last-minute support.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón is California’s only elected district attorney to publically support the controversial legislation, which got a resounding thumbs-down from major statewide law enforcement organizations, including the California District Attorneys Association — of which Gascón is a member.
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A video showing the bruised and tearful wife of suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi could be shown publicly, depending on a decision likely to be made today by The City’s Ethics Commission.
Mayor Ed Lee suspended the newly elected sheriff from his job without pay in March, after Mirkarimi’s guilty plea in the high-profile domestic violence case that stemmed from a New Year’s Eve argument that turned physical at the couple’s home.
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Local beachgoers can bask and swim with more confidence this year, as an annual statewide survey of shoreline cleanliness is showing improvement for San Francisco’s coastal hot spots.Heal the Bay, the group that conducts the survey, had Baker Beach on its “beach bummer” list as No. 7 and No. 8 in the state’s top 10 most polluted sites in 2010 and 2011, respectively. But this year, it dropped off the list entirely and received a B grade.
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Voters will decide what to do about Coit Tower’s state of disrepair during the June 5 primary election, but the situation became a little more complicated Thursday as Mayor Ed Lee announced $1.7 million in funding is being dedicated to fix mounting problems at the landmark.
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A new YouTube video presents a much clearer picture of what Police Chief Greg Suhr has called a “sprint of vandalism” in the Mission District following Occupy SF demonstrations earlier this month.Denizens of the leaderless Occupy movement deny the vandals were “with them” or had anything to do with plans building up to the group’s citywide May 1 demonstrations. But occupiers still faced flak from small business owners who were flabbergasted that they’d be lumped in with the group’s anger against big banks and corporations.
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The last-ever last call was set for Wednesday night at Union Square’s embattled Gold Dust Lounge, where owners are packing up and headed for a new home in another tourist-laden center across town — Fisherman’s Wharf.
The octogenarian Bovis brothers, who have owned the business for 47 years, refused to leave in March when their lease expired. But with Wednesday’s announcement that it’s time to go, the building owners will get their wish of being able to move in an Express clothing store instead.
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Anticipation over a multiday San Francisco visit by the niece of Fidel Castro has thrust The City into U.S. presidential election politics while stirring up some classic fears of communist infiltration.
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The much-scrutinized debut of Scene Tap, a new smartphone application designed to let users know the gender makeup and average age of patrons at participating bars, seems to have reinforced the old adage that “no press is bad press.”
The app uses facial detection sensors, which were deployed in San Francisco bars last weekend, much to the chagrin of privacy advocates and skeptical online commentators. But while nine establishments backed out due to negative vibes, founder Cole Harper says he received a clump of emails from other bars wanting to participate.
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Stadium violence was thrust into the national spotlight when Giants fan Bryan Stow was nearly beaten to death in Los Angeles in March 2011, and shooting incidents last August during a 49ers-Raiders preseason game at Candlestick Park prompted lawmakers to take action.
Now state legislation aimed at curbing such violence is set to be considered by the California Senate after being unanimously approved last week by the Assembly.
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Slick-looking satirical guerilla ads popping up on Muni lambast corporate products and at least one local business.
The ads crudely recast Tums antacid tablets and DeBeers diamonds as catalysts for those seeking to engage in oral sex.
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Sunday evening’s solar eclipse will have up to 84 percent of the sun blocked over San Francisco, with only a crescent of light peering around the shadow of the moon during the event’s apex at 6:33 p.m.
Because of the evening eclipse time, many people might not even notice a difference unless they look up. No place on Earth will witness a total eclipse, although the West Coast will see the majority of the sun covered — a rarely visible event happening over many parts of western and central North America.
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Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proclaimed that he has too much time on his hands and his job should be redefined or eliminated. But the charismatic politician has found a new way to attract attention.
In the wake of Current TV’s high-profile falling-out with liberal firebrand Keith Olbermann, the channel seems poised to feature a more kindly style of questioning with tonight’s premiere of “The Gavin Newsom Show.”
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Smartphone users already have prices, weather and traffic conditions at their fingertips for almost any excursion, and starting Friday, San Francisco will be blessed with a new barometer for nightlife — mating-ground demographics.
Scene Tap — already available in several cities across the nation — is an application that uses facial-detection sensors in bar doorways to determine the real-time male-female ratio and average age of patrons at participating locations in The City.
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Democrats vying for state and federal office in a few Bay Area races could be pitted against each other in the November election, depending on the outcome of California’s new open primary system.
The so-called “top two” primary on June 5 — which allows the overall first-place and second-place vote getters to advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation — gets its first test on ballots that were mailed to voters Monday.
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No one is happy about gashes and wear on Coit Tower’s Depression-era murals, but how to fix the problem has sparked bitter disagreement between the Recreation and Park Department and the perpetually watchful neighbors of Telegraph Hill. Now voters will weigh in on whose solution is better.
If passed, Proposition B would give San Francisco a new policy of “strictly limiting” commercial activity and private events at the landmark, while “prioritizing” funds generated by a concessionaire for upkeep of the tower, the murals and the surrounding park.
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