Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting’s election to the California Assembly has set into motion a possible series of personnel changes that could result in the appointment of a new San Francisco supervisor and affect who becomes the next board president. Ting bested Michael Breyer on Tuesday to capture the Assembly seat representing western San Francisco and parts of northern San Mateo County. After Ting is sworn in Dec. 3, it will be up to Mayor Ed Lee to appoint his replacement. Read More

California’s new online voter registration process added more than 614,000 registered voters to today’s state electorate — almost half of them registered as Democrats. But beyond the presidential race, experts say, party officials shouldn’t count on support from such first-time voters. Younger people and first-time voters tend to vote more independently and less along party lines than other voters, noted Corey Cook, an associate professor of politics at the University of San Francisco. New voters also tend to vote for the president and then leave many other items blank on their ballots. Read More

The sediment in San Francisco Bay, once thought of as a renewable resource, is eroding and being removed much more quickly than nature replenishes it — which could affect two companies’ requests to increase their sand-mining operations. Sand has been removed from the Bay for more than 100 years, first for harbors and channels and later for use in construction. For decades it was assumed the sediment was quickly replenished. But new research shows that only 15 percent of the coarse sand mined for construction purposes is replenished. Read More

A barrier planned for the median of the Golden Gate Bridge to prevent head-on collisions took a step toward completion Friday when the agency that operates the span approved a contract for the project’s final design. Read More

The San Francisco Unified School District is often recognized as a leader in the effort to improve student nutrition. In 2003, it began phasing out sodas and unhealthy snacks. In 2007, it installed salad bars at dozens of schools. Other initiatives have improved the quality of food in vending machines and increased the number of students who eat breakfast. Click on the photo to the right to see information about meal participation and more photos of school food. Read More

Support is slipping for two tax measures just weeks before voters decide the outcomes in the Nov. 6 election, new polling numbers show. Proposition 30 is the measure backed by Gov. Jerry Brown. It would increase for seven years the tax on annual incomes that exceed $250,000 and raise the state sales tax by a quarter percent for four years. Proposition 38, proposed by millionaire Molly Munger, would increase the income tax for nearly all Californians for 12 years. Read More

Square, the mobile payment system company started by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, is the latest tech startup to announce that it’s relocating to the mid-Market Street area. On Monday, the company said its corporate headquarters will be moving to 1455 Market St., less than a block away from Twitter. “We’re grateful for San Francisco’s commitment to technology, and we’re thrilled The City will remain our home,” Dorsey said in a statement. Read More