Updating . .   

Kobe Bryant helicopter showed no signs of engine failure, NTSB says -- The helicopter that crashed earlier this month in Calabasas, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others, showed no signs of engine failure, the National Transportation Safety Board said Friday. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

Another flight carrying Americans fleeing coronavirus lands in Southern California -- Another flight carrying Americans fleeing the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, arrived Friday at a Southern California military base. The plane is one of two chartered to the United States by the Defense Department. The two flights departed China with about 300 passengers on board, the Pentagon said Thursday night in a statement. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/7/20

What your life is like under a coronavirus quarantine in California -- Board games for children? Definitely. Tai chi in the parking lot? Maybe. Red wine dropped off by relatives? Nope. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

Coronavirus scare leaves S.D. couple stuck at sea on cruise ship -- Ben Capon and Nadine Bialostozky, Torrey Pines High School sweethearts who grew up in Carmel Valley, have been living in Israel for the past six years and boarded Holland America’s Westerdam on Feb. 1 to start a long journey home. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/7/20

Federal judge deals major blow to ICE practice of asking local police to detain people -- A federal judge in Los Angeles this week issued his final judgment in a long-running immigration case, upending the way Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses local police to detain people it suspects of being in the country illegally. Joel Rubin, Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

L.A. versus S.F.: How the ‘cultural divide’ is determining housing policy in California -- The push to remake California from a state of single-family homes and suburban sprawl into one of apartments near transit stops and jobs has run into a brick wall: Los Angeles. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

Get in line now. California’s DMV is perilously behind in issuing Real IDs -- California is falling perilously short of its targets for issuing Real IDs and will have to more than double the number issued each month to reach the millions of drivers still without the federally required identification card before an Oct. 1 deadline, officials said Thursday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

Filming is booming, but some crews are leaving L.A. Blame a shortage of studio space -- On a sprawling 20-acre campus at the former Unocal Center building in Westlake, film crews were busy recreating 1930s Hollywood as a backdrop for the eagerly anticipated Netflix movie “Mank.” Anousha Sakoui in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

After Bee investigation, Gavin Newsom ends long-distance commuting deals for state executives -- California government stopped paying for officials to commute across the state last year after The Sacramento Bee reported on a department director’s regular travel between Sacramento and San Diego, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office told The Bee this week. Sophia Bollag and Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/20

Ballots are in the mail. 5 million Californians still have to do one more thing to vote -- California voters are beginning to get their ballots in the mail, and more than 5 million of them might have restricted choices in the presidential primary because they registered as having no party preference. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/20

After New Hampshire, Buttigieg Faces a Wall of Color -- Pete Buttigieg made history this week, becoming the first openly gay candidate for president to win (we think) the Iowa caucuses, giving him a head of steam going into New Hampshire's primary on Tuesday. But after next week, the former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, will face a series of states — including California — packed with voters who look nothing like the ones in the first two contests. Scott Shafer KQED -- 2/7/20

Fox: Late Voter Registration Change Encourages Possible Gamesmanship & Mischief -- As Tony Quinn explained in his column today, expect delays and confusion in California’s primary election because of the state’s liberal election laws but add to that mix the possibility of gamesmanship and mischief if a bill now under consideration becomes law before the primary. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 2/7/20

Quinn: The California Primary—Missed Again? -- Once again it looks like California has moved up its primary to Super Tuesday at exactly the wrong time. We did this in 2008, and ended up being an afterthought. It could be even worse for California Democrats in 2020, because it looks like a long slog to the Democratic nomination in July, and California will not be able to play its once traditional clean-up role. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 2/7/20

Judge holds off on dismissing rape charges against Newport Beach doctor, girlfriend -- Despite a public request from the county’s top prosecutor, an Orange County judge on Friday deferred a decision on whether to dismiss charges against a doctor and his girlfriend in a sensational sexual assault case. Hannah Fry, Richard Winton, Christopher Goffard in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

Central Valley schools aim to reduce poverty through job training -- Almost half of Fresno Unified students take part in career and technical programs. The training helps students as well as local industries that area struggling to find skilled workers. Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado Calmatters -- 2/7/20

Knight: The Castro’s shame: Addiction and mental illness devastate iconic SF neighborhood -- Heading up Market Street the other day from City Hall to the Castro, we spotted her: a woman sitting on a concrete median in the middle of Duboce Avenue, her skinny, sore-covered legs and bright orange shoes hanging dangerously into traffic. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

SF cyclist prosecuted for fatally striking pedestrian runs attack ads against George Gascón -- A San Francisco cyclist who fatally struck a 71-year-old man in a Castro district crosswalk almost eight years ago has launched a social media attack campaign against George Gascón, the man who prosecuted him for felony manslaughter and is now running for the district attorney in Los Angeles. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

California could crack down on illegal marijuana landlords, advertisers under proposed law -- Black market marijuana is a billion-dollar industry in California, but it soon could become very expensive to do business with unlicensed operators. California Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, has introduced legislation that would levy up to $30,000 in fines for each offense of those caught “aiding and abetting” illicit commercial cannabis activity. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/20

Ex-CEO of investment giant Pimco given longest sentence to date in college admissions scandal -- Douglas Hodge, once the leader of an international bond manager and now an admitted felon, was ordered Friday to spend nine months in federal prison for paying bribes totaling $850,000 to get four of his children into USC and Georgetown as fake athletic recruits. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

Comcast cites automation, consolidation in laying off 127 from regional headquarters in Livermore -- Comcast said the Livermore facility would remain its regional headquarters for California, but in a letter to state and local officials it said it was closing its Technician Logistics Services department at the headquarters. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/20

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

AB5 may ease caps for writers, photographers; more gig-law changes coming -- The author of AB5, California’s new gig-work law, said Thursday that she’ll seek amendments that remove some restrictions on freelance journalists and photographers, and is eyeing further changes for musicians, small businesses and others, as well as an assistance fund to help small nonprofit arts groups comply. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

SF officials urge public to attend Lunar New Year celebration, say there’s no coronavirus threat -- City officials urged San Franciscans to attend Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations this weekend amid fears sparked by the new coronavirus that has infected thousands of people in China but resulted in only 12 cases in U.S. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

Coronavirus impact: No China flights in or out of SFO, SJC for close to six weeks -- The last air link from the Bay Area to China will end Feb. 16 when China Southern Airlines halts its route from San Francisco International Airport to the city of Guangzhou. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

Bay Area microbe hunters to test for coronavirus -- Disease sleuths at a Richmond-based lab will soon be receiving samples of the mysterious coronavirus, accelerating efforts to provide more rapid results than currently offered by federal authorities. Lisa M. Krieger in the East Bay Times -- 2/7/20

Fifth suspected coronavirus case reported in San Diego -- The number of suspected coronavirus cases linked to Wednesday’s quarantine flight from Wuhan City, China, jumped to five Thursday afternoon. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest received a third quarantined patient from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Thursday afternoon. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/7/20

Life In Quarantine: What It's Like For The U.S. Evacuees From Wuhan -- Chunlin Leonhard is grateful to be back in the United States, even though she's now living under the first federally mandated quarantine in 50 years. "The primary feeling is a sense of relief that I'm back in the States," she says. "I'm just tired and glad and grateful." Rob Stein Capital Public Radio -- 2/7/20

San Bernardino County is experiencing a hepatitis A outbreak, health officials say -- There have been 42 confirmed cases just between Jan. 1, 2019 and Feb. 6, 2020 countywide, a statement released by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health said. By comparison, there were only three hepatitis A cases reported in the county in all of 2018, officials said, adding that clusters of cases have been specifically identified in the cities of Redlands and San Bernardino. Deepa Bharath in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 2/7/20

‘Many More’ Than Expected: Workers Filed 181 Harassment, Discrimination Complaints At California’s Capitol Last Year -- The California Legislature received “many more” harassment and discrimination complaints than expected over the past year, according to the new Workplace Conduct Unit that formed in the wake of the Me Too movement. Staffers filed 181 misconduct allegations during that time, as stated in a letter sent Thursday from Senate and Assembly leaders to legislative staff, which was obtained by CapRadio. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 2/7/20

Kobe Bryant public memorial set for Feb. 24 at Staples Center -- Los Angeles will host a public memorial Feb. 24 at Staples Center for Kobe Bryant and eight others killed last month in a helicopter crash, two sources familiar with the event told The Times on Thursday. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

California’s wandering wolf found dead -- California’s most restless wolf has been found dead, spurring a state investigation into her fate. The body of young female gray wolf OR-54, called “a traveling maniac” by one expert, was discovered in Shasta County on Wednesday, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/20

California bans common pesticide linked to brain damage in children -- A ban on the sale of a controversial but widely used pesticide that has been linked to brain damage and other health problems in children took effect across California on Thursday, in a rebuke to the Trump administration, which has worked to keep it legal. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/20

Trump has kept this controversial pesticide on the market. Now its biggest manufacturer is stopping production -- The main manufacturer of a pesticide used for decades on a wide array of crops, including strawberries, corn and citrus, said Thursday it will stop making the product, which some scientists have said is linked to neurological problems in children. Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post$ -- 2/7/20

Sharing ‘revenge porn’ would get you on the sex offender list under proposed California law -- Sharing “revenge porn” could lead to more prison time and a spot on California’s sex offender registry under a proposed law carried by former California Highway Patrol officer. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/7/20

Trump hails Devin Nunes as an impeachment hero, the ‘other side’s worst nightmare’ -- Nunes, R-Tulare, received a standing ovation in the White House East Room for his defense of the president in the House of Representatives, where he’s the top-ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. Francesca Chambers, Kate Irby, and Adam Ashton McClatchy DC -- 2/7/20

KQED Political Breakdown: California Primary Explainer with Paul Mitchell -- Data guru Paul Mitchell, Vice President of Political Data Inc., joins to discuss how he works with the California voter file, how campaigns are targeting early voters and the process of determining results from California's March 3rd primary. Link here -- 2/7/20

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions  

Evans Hotels aims to keep alive its legal fight against local unions -- San Diego-based Evans Hotels is asking a federal judge to reconsider his January dismissal of a lawsuit against local labor unions over alleged strong-arm tactics in efforts to unionize the hospitality industry. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/7/20

4-year natural gas pipeline project along Interstate 15 gets OK from utilities commission -- SDG&E says work on the first segment of the 50-mile line will start Feb. 18. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/7/20

Transit  

Another missed deadline for BART to San Jose. Translation: Keep waiting -- By now, South Bay BART riders were supposed to be streaming into the new Milpitas and Berryessa stations. Oakland and San Leandro bus passengers were supposed to be zipping past International Boulevard traffic in dedicated bus lanes. And Nimitz Freeway drivers were supposed to be using new express lanes to get a quicker trip on I-880. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/20

Homeless  

Shelter versus housing: SF officials debate beds for homeless in every district -- Does it make sense for San Francisco to open a homeless shelter in every part of the city that doesn’t have one? That’s the question under discussion at City Hall, where the Board of Supervisors is considering a proposal by Supervisor Matt Haney to spread homeless shelters beyond the neighborhoods where they’re now concentrated. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

Oakland high school teaches lesson in helping the homeless -- Instead of sitting behind desks Thursday afternoon, a class of McClymonds High School students took to the streets of West Oakland to learn first-hand about one of their neighborhood’s biggest struggles — homelessness. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/20

Housing  

Caltrain board signs off on building affordable housing near tracks -- Caltrain already planned to build a more modern commuter railroad with new trains and electrified rails, but directors decided Thursday that it should also include trackside housing — and much of it will be affordable. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

Education 

Berkeley school’s spat with Disney over ‘Lion King’ leads to flood of donations -- Berkeley City Councilwoman Lori Droste didn’t expect the international furor that came after she started tweeting about her outrage at Mickey Mouse. Mickey, or rather the Walt Disney Co., demanded a $250 copyright use fee from an elementary school after it had shown the new “Lion King” movie at a PTA fundraiser. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

Disney CEO apologizes to Berkeley school fined for showing ‘Lion King’ -- The CEO of the Walt Disney Company has apologized to a Berkeley elementary school that was fined for showing “The Lion King” film during a fundraiser, pledging to donate to the school himself. “I will personally donate to their fundraising initiative,” Robert Iger, chairman and CEO of Disney, tweeted Thursday morning. Fiona Kelliher, Peter Hegarty in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/20

San Ysidro School District plans for budget cuts -- The district anticipates that it will need to cut between $2.5 million and $3 million for the 2020-21 school year. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/7/20

Less than a third of California students met or exceeded standards on new science test -- At a time when California is placing a greater emphasis on science education, most students did not score at a proficient level on the state’s new science test, with scores especially low among several student groups. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 2/7/20

Health 

Health officials declare hepatitis A outbreak in San Bernardino County -- San Bernardino County health officials Thursday declared an outbreak of hepatits A, saying dozens of people have contracted the viral disease. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

Environment 

Recognize this view on the San Mateo County Coast? It was just bought for $13.5 million -- There is sprawl happening lately on San Mateo County’s rural coast, but it’s not from subdivisions or trophy homes. It’s from a growing landscape of protected farmland and open space. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/7/20

Also . . . 

CCSF student uses EMT training to save overdosing man’s life at Civic Center BART station -- He had been bounding down the station stairs to meet a friend to catch the 11:30 p.m. train to MacArthur BART station in Oakland when he saw a man sprawled out on the floor, blue in the face, his eyes rolling back. Without hesitation, BART officials said, Stallcup began CPR until the unresponsive man, who was not identified, gasped for air. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/7/20

PETA claims victory after SeaWorld says no to trainers riding atop dolphins -- SeaWorld Entertainment says it is ending the longstanding practice of trainers riding astride dolphins in marine park shows, a move that comes nearly a year after animal rights activists began pressuring the company to ban such “circus-style” behaviors. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/7/20

Man fined $20,000 for shooting trophy deer on his property outside of hunting season -- A 70-year-old-man was fined $20,000 this week after he illegally baited and shot a trophy deer on his property outside the hunting season in 2018, the El Dorado district attorney’s office said Thursday. Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/7/20

POTUS 45  

Trump Hails Acquittal and Lashes Out at His ‘Evil’ and ‘Corrupt’ Opponents -- Choosing retaliation over reconciliation, Mr. Trump lashed out at Democrats and the one Republican senator who voted for conviction. He turned a prayer breakfast into a launching pad for political attacks and then staged a long, rambling venting session at the White House where he denounced “evil” and “crooked” lawmakers and the “top scum” at the F.B.I. for trying to take him down. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 2/7/20

Trump lambastes his critics as he moves to target perceived enemies over impeachment -- President Trump is preparing to push out a national security official who testified against him during the impeachment inquiry after he expressed deep anger on Thursday over the attempt to remove him from office because of his actions toward Ukraine. Josh Dawsey, Robert Costa and Greg Miller in the Washington Post$ -- 2/7/20

 

-- Thursday Updates 

Ousted EPA official in California says he was pushed out for being too bipartisan -- Abruptly dismissed from office Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency’s top official for California and the Pacific Southwest speculated he was terminated because of his congenial relationship with Democratic politicians. In a statement released Thursday, and provided to The Times, former Trump administration appointee Mike Stoker said, “last time I checked, the EPA’s mission to protect the public health and environment is not a partisan issue … at least it never has been for me.” Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

Nancy Pelosi on ripping up Trump’s speech: ‘I feel very liberated’ -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi laced into President Trump on Thursday, saying she has no regrets and feels “liberated” after she ripped a printed copy of his State of the Union speech on live television. “He has shredded the truth in his speech,” the San Francisco Democrat said during a news conference at the Capitol. “He’s shredding the Constitution in his conduct. I shredded his state of his mind address.” Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

Suspicious substance investigated outside of Schiff’s office -- A suspicious substance was found outside lead House impeachment manager Adam B. Schiff’s congressional office Thursday morning but was ultimately deemed not hazardous and cleared by the Capitol Police, casting a cloud of grim reality over Schiff’s earlier comments expressing grave concern for his staffers. Chris Marquette Roll Call -- 2/6/20

2nd child under coronavirus quarantine in Riverside is hospitalized -- A second child was transported to Riverside University Health System-Medical Center after developing a fever Wednesday while under quarantine at March Air Reserve Base, authorities said. The child was tested for novel coronavirus and is awaiting results, Riverside County Department of Public Health spokesman Jose Arballo Jr. said. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/6/20

Coronavirus: SF hotels, restaurants see slowdown as Chinese tourists dwindle -- More than 500,000 people visit San Francisco from China each year, and China was the second-largest source of international visitors in 2018, after Mexico, according to SF Travel. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

SF Public Health Officials, Chinese-Language Media Try to Ease Coronavirus Fears -- Public health officials say people in the Bay Area run a low risk of falling ill from the novel coronavirus. Fewer than five people in the nine-county region are being treated for the flu-like disease. The San Francisco Department of Public Health is working to spread that message to Cantonese and Mandarin speakers. Peter Arcuni KQED -- 2/6/20

Life under virus quarantine: Boxing, chalk art and waiting -- There’s Zumba and boxing classes, lectures on business and taxes, and chalk art outside for the children. While it might sound like a local recreation center’s offerings, it’s actually part of daily life for 195 American citizens quarantined on a military base after being evacuated from the heart of a new virus outbreak in China. Amy Taxin and Elliot Spagat Associated Press -- 2/6/20

The toxic legacy of old oil wells: California’s multibillion-dollar problem -- Across much of California, fossil fuel companies are leaving thousands of oil and gas wells unplugged and idle, potentially threatening the health of people living nearby and handing taxpayers a multibillion-dollar bill for the environmental cleanup. Mark Olalde and Ryan Menezes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/6/20

California Senate settles retaliation lawsuit by former employee of Sen. Tony Mendoza -- The California Senate agreed to pay $310,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former employee who alleged that the upper house and former Sen. Tony Mendoza fired and retaliated against her for reporting an allegation that the lawmaker sexually harassed her co-worker. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/6/20

Do endorsements for president even matter? -- In the race to gobble up as many big name endorsements in California before the March 3 primary, few presidential contenders are quite as hungry as Mike Bloomberg. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 2/6/20

Last-minute California bill could boost independent votes in Democratic primary -- CA SB207 (19R) by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) would allow voters to submit a written request to county election officials changing their party registration or address within 14 days of an election until the close of polls on Election Day. Alexander Nieves Politico -- 2/6/20

With one California recycling bill already dead, will this be the year the state tackles its waste crisis? -- Even the special interests that helped kill a California Senate bill aimed at reforming beverage bottle recycling say the state needs to fix its broken system. And one lawmaker who voted no on the bill says he might just introduce his own. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 2/6/20

Key questions unanswered in Kobe Bryant crash as NTSB prepares preliminary report -- The National Transportation Safety Board is moving closer to releasing preliminary findings in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. In the 11 days since the Calabasas crash, some details have been revealed. But many questions remain unanswered. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/6/20

Fire victims’ committee flags ‘considerably rusted’ hooks on PG&E power line -- A group of fire victims and their attorneys say they have unearthed problems on a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power line in Butte County that are similar to the faulty part blamed for causing the 2018 Camp Fire in the same area. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ Michael Liedtke Associated Press -- 2/6/20

Trump wants California cops to evict homeless people. They don’t want that ‘dirty’ job -- No one looked happy to be on the Joe Rodota Trail in Sonoma County last week — not the homeless people who had built a miles-long encampment, not the park rangers tasked with making sure they left and not the police officers sent as backup. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/6/20

Mental illness cases up in California jails -- California Health Policy Strategies, a Sacramento-based consulting group, gathered administrative data from the Board of State and Community Corrections and discovered a 42 % increase in mental health cases reported and an 80 % increase in inmate medication prescriptions over the last 10 years. Jessica Hice Capitol Weekly -- 2/6/20

Sacramento officials say private port-a-potties left for homeless could cause ‘chaos’ -- Sacramento officials are objecting to the placement of two port-a-potties on city property for use by a camp of about 30 homeless residents, saying that allowing the toilets to remain without a permit could “create chaos” and allow anyone to place personal property on city land. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/6/20

SF public corruption case: Meet the FBI informants who targeted Mohammed Nuru -- Two Detroit businessmen acted as FBI informants and secretly recorded San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru and restaurateur Nick Bovis, helping the government build a sweeping public corruption case that jolted City Hall last week, The Chronicle has learned. Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

Buffing up San Francisco’s historic piers to survive sea level rise -- When the now-historic finger piers along San Francisco’s Embarcadero were built, you can bet the builders never expected that a century later, there would be engineering studies on how to prepare the gaunt sheds for seas that could rise nearly 7 feet. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

Tartine Bakery workers plan to unionize, complain of corporatization of SF favorite -- Employees at San Francisco’s world-renowned Tartine Bakery announced their intent to unionize Thursday morning, a move that is extremely rare in the restaurant industry. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

Musk’s SpaceX Plans a Spinoff, IPO for Starlink Business -- Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to spin out and pursue a public offering of its budding space-internet business Starlink, giving investors a chance to buy into one of the most promising operations within the closely held company. Ashlee Vance and Dana Hull Bloomberg -- 2/6/20

Juul still marketing to minors overseas, Congressional probe finds -- Juul has not taken key steps to stop appealing to minors overseas, and may be continuing to make claims that its products are safer than cigarettes, despite instructions by federal regulators not to make such claims, according to findings released Wednesday as part of an ongoing congressional investigation. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

Knight: Sobering center for meth users to land in Tenderloin as epidemic devastates SF streets -- When it comes to the scary behavior San Franciscans see on our streets — people ranting at no one, stripping off their clothes or threatening strangers — there’s often a clear culprit: methamphetamines. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/6/20

Trump unleashes impeachment fury in acquittal ‘celebration’ -- Exulting in his impeachment acquittal, a defiant President Donald Trump took a scorched-earth victory lap Thursday, unleashing his fury against those who tried to remove him from office and pointing ahead to his reelection campaign. Jill Colvin, Jonathan Lemire and Zeke Miller Associated Press -- 2/6/20