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San Francisco is used to fighting its housing wars under the gilded dome of City Hall. No longer: Now all eyes are on Sacramento. On Tuesday , in a dramatic one-two punch, the state Department of Housing and Community Development announced that it was initiating a review of San Francisco’s housing approval and permitting process, an intervention meant to cure the city of its addiction to the endless debate, legal wrangling and community process that has made the city dead last in California when it comes to approving projects in a timely manner. In a related matter, HCD also told the city it had to go back to the drawing board on its so-called housing element, that once-every-eight-year residential development plan every California city must provide as a road map to reaching state housing goals. The housing element must be certified by Jan. 31 of next year. While the investigation of the city’s housing practices will likely take more than a year, the housing element is more … [Read more...] about S.F. has 5 months to convince the state it can build 82,000 housing units. This is the sticking point

Last week, McDonald’s confirmed to CNBC that its U.S. test of the McPlant burger has ended. Yes, that means the fast food corporation’s first ever meatless burger is no more, absent any announcement of a nationwide launch. This news may be disappointing news to some fans of the burger, but as a mostly-vegetarian, I say good riddance. When I tried the McPlant burger back in February , when it first launched in Bay Area restaurants , I declared it a McNope. The Beyond Meat patty made with peas, rice and potatoes was lacking in flavor, and its presentation conjured the words "floppy," "soggy" and "gloopy." I concluded that I would only eat it under dire circumstances. So I can't say I'm too sad to see it go. But it is a little disappointing to see how little interest Americans seem to have in eating plant-based burgers. J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman told CNBC that McDonald's employees claimed the burger wasn't selling very well. According to analysis from BTIG , … [Read more...] about McDonald’s discontinued its fake meat burger the McPlant. Good riddance.

Rebels & Renegades, a 2-day music festival taking place October 15-16 at the Monterey Fair & Event Center in Monterey, CA, the once home to the famous Monterey Pop Festival. The inaugural 2022 lineup includes performances by hippie and cowboy fan favorites Cody Jinks, Trampled by Turtles, Orville Peck, Houndmouth, The Cadillac Three, Shane Smith and The Saint, Nikki Lane, Sierra Hull, Fruition, Charles Wesley Godwin, Kat Hasty, Myron Elkins, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. RebelsandRenegadesFest.com WHEN WHERE Twenty-three (23) winners will each receive two tickets, which will be emailed to the winners before the event date.  Only active San Francisco Chronicle members are eligible to win. To enter, please fill out all of the fields in the form before noon on Thursday, October 20. Multiple entries will not be considered. Winners will be drawn randomly and notified via email by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 20. Note: You will need to know the … [Read more...] about Rebels & Renegades Music Festival, October 15-16 in Monterey, CA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jared Blumenfeld, California's top environmental regulator and a key climate adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom, will leave the administration at the end of the month, Newsom announced Friday. Newsom, a Democrat, appointed Blumenfeld as secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency on his first day in office in 2019. Blumenfeld will become president of the Waverley Street Foundation, a $3 billion climate initiative funded by Laurene Powell Jobs. As head of the state’s environmental agency, he was responsible for departments that regulate air pollution, water use, recycling, toxic substances, pesticides, environmental health hazards like extreme heat. Yana Garcia, special assistant attorney general focused on environmental issues in the California Department of Justice, will take over as head of the California EPA next month. Blumenfeld said the agency now rivals the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its staff and budget. Blumenfeld was … [Read more...] about Top California environment official leaving state government

A woman who appeared on ITV’s This Morning to tell the nation she was one of the youngest people ever to have dementia has been jailed along with her husband for their part in a £600,000 fraud. Laura Borrell , 44, and Philip Borrell, 46, lived it up on benefits claims through Laura's mother Frances Noble, 66, pretending she was bedbound and unable to feed herself, needing round-the-clock care, between January 15 2007 and November 26 2018. In 2017, Mrs Borrell also claimed that she was one of the youngest people ever to be diagnosed with dementia. They even appeared on ITV show This Morning in 2017 when they opened up about their family ‘dementia devastation’ on the ITV show while their fraudulent activities were going on. All three pleaded guilty to fraud after keeping the £733,936.20 they were handed for themselves. Last month Noble, 66, was jailed for 4 years 9 months in her absence in what the judge said was possibly the largest fraud of its type to come before the … [Read more...] about This Morning fraudster who pretended to have dementia in £600k scam jailed with husband

Mike McDaniel will get his first crack at leading the Miami Dolphins in a game setting on Saturday night. OK, it’s only preseason, but the young, innovative coach will offer an initial glimpse of what it looks like with him on the Dolphins sideline, calling offensive plays and managing his team when the Dolphins play their exhibition opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. Sure, something is bound to happen that will get fans overly excited about a roster longshot — or a negative development could create overdramatized concern. But for McDaniel, it’s exactly what preseason should be. “I look at it to prepare for the regular season,” he said this week as the Dolphins held joint practices with the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Thursday. “It’s an extension of practice to a degree. There are elements of it that feel a little game-like, but really you’re just trying to make sure that you’re your best self before the regular season … [Read more...] about Dolphins’ preseason opener at Bucs offers much to learn about Mike McDaniel’s team

A man was charged with murder after killing an Uber driver last month, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said Friday. Major Willis, the suspect identified Friday, allegedly killed 52-year-old Kon Woo Fung near Little Saigon of Oakland on July 17 around 11:00 a.m. Fung was sitting in his car near the intersection of East 22nd Street and 13th Avenue when he was approached by Willis and a juvenile suspect, who ordered him out of the car, officials said. Fung refused to exit the car and was shot, the district attorney said. He died from his injuries. “Mr. Fung was senselessly and violently attacked while doing his job. His death has rocked the Little Saigon community,” said Alameda District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. “Our hearts and condolences go out to his family, friends and community.” In addition to a murder charge, Willis also faces charges of felony attempted carjacking. A second suspect, a juvenile, was charged in juvenile court. The district attorney’s office … [Read more...] about Man charged with murder in killing of Uber driver in Oakland’s Little Saigon

Wayne Newton has a message for Colin Kaepernick. (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images) After San Francisco 49ers quarterback refused to stand for the national anthem as a form of protest that he said was motivated by police brutality and racial injustice — though many of his fans saw it as an affront to the military — Newton said he should leave the country if he doesn’t like it. “I think every American has the right to say and do whatever it is that freedom offers us,” Newton said during an interview with “Fox and Friends” Monday morning. “However, during the national anthem, is not the time or the place to show that kind of thing. I have no tolerance at all for it.” (RELATED: Michael Moore Defends Colin Kaepernick’s Decision To Protest The National Anthem) “I support the right to say what they believe and how they believe it,” he added, “but that’s the wrong place and time.” “Get the hell out!”…singer @WayneNewtonMrLV takes Colin Kaepernick to task over protest … [Read more...] about Wayne Newton To Colin Kaepernick: ‘Get The Hell Out Of Here’

Michael Moore backed Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the national anthem. (Photo: Getty Images) The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has faced plenty of backlash since he refused to stand for the national anthem before a preseason game, but the 62-year-old filmmaker has stood by him, explaining why in a lengthy Instagram post Tuesday. “Free to express your opinion, no matter how unpopular it may be,” Moore captioned a photo of a Kaepernick T-shirt. “Brave enough to withstand the boos and the hate, because you know you are right, and soon others will join you because you are right.” (RELATED: Michael Moore Defends Ryan Lochte After He Loses $1 Million In Endorsement Deals) (Photo: Reuters) “I like the idea of kneeling down,” he added. “A moment of repenting for a nation gone awry. A moment to ask forgiveness for what has happened in our name. A show of respect for this ‘land we love.'” “This protest will grow.” “Read the third verse of the … [Read more...] about Michael Moore Defends Colin Kaepernick’s Decision To Protest The National Anthem