A young mountain lion spent Tuesday morning wandering around downtown San Francisco and looking none too happy about it.The puma was spotted on Russian Hill shortly after midnight and, some hours later, was seen near the Embarcadero and Broadway on the northern waterfront and then again near Salesforce Tower in the South of Market area, according to biologist Zara McDonald of the Bay Area Puma Project.McDonald studied images that had been provided on a Twitter post, from a TV station and from a photographer. They all showed a frightened animal that had perhaps left its mother’s side in...…A young mountain lion spent Tuesday morning wandering around downtown San Francisco and looking none too happy about it.The puma was spotted on Russian Hill shortly after midnight and, some hours later, was seen near the Embarcadero and Broadway on the northern waterfront and then again near Salesforce Tower in the South of Market area, according to biologist Zara McDonald of the Bay Area Puma Project.McDonald studied images that had been provided on a Twitter post, from a TV station and from a photographer. They all showed a frightened animal that had perhaps left its mother’s side in...WW…

A BART passenger appeared to set her own hair on fire Tuesday afternoon and put out the flames by diving headfirst into the cushion of a seat before another passenger came to her assistance.In a video apparently taken by another passenger and posted on social media, the screaming woman can be seen in the middle of the train with bright orange flames on the top of her head. In an instant she is seen diving headfirst into the seat with her legs straight up in the air. Another passenger is seen attempting to help while a third passenger walks hastily awayBay Area Bart rides are fire!“She...…A BART passenger appeared to set her own hair on fire Tuesday afternoon and put out the flames by diving headfirst into the cushion of a seat before another passenger came to her assistance.In a video apparently taken by another passenger and posted on social media, the screaming woman can be seen in the middle of the train with bright orange flames on the top of her head. In an instant she is seen diving headfirst into the seat with her legs straight up in the air. Another passenger is seen attempting to help while a third passenger walks hastily awayBay Area Bart rides are fire!“She...WW…

Federal and Alameda County arson investigators were among those trying to determine the cause of a huge blaze that destroyed a seven-story building under construction in Oakland on Friday, displacing 700 nearby residents and leading one City Council member to suggest the fire was deliberately set.No one was injured in the predawn inferno that sent flames and smoke high above the area of downtown Oakland previously known as Auto Row.A tall construction crane that had apparently been damaged in the fire and was swiveling out of control and in danger of collapsing caused fire officials to...…Federal and Alameda County arson investigators were among those trying to determine the cause of a huge blaze that destroyed a seven-story building under construction in Oakland on Friday, displacing 700 nearby residents and leading one City Council member to suggest the fire was deliberately set.No one was injured in the predawn inferno that sent flames and smoke high above the area of downtown Oakland previously known as Auto Row.A tall construction crane that had apparently been damaged in the fire and was swiveling out of control and in danger of collapsing caused fire officials to...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateEarl Sanders, the stylish, tough homicide detective who became San Francisco’s first African American police chief and who championed the hiring of minority officers, died Monday after a lengthy battle with kidney failure.Sanders was a San Francisco cop for 39 years, working some of the most difficult murders in the city’s history, from the Zebra “Death Angels” killings of the 1970s to the 101 California mass murder of the 1990s. He was 83 and died at an assisted living facility in Burlingame.Known for showing up at homicide...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateEarl Sanders, the stylish, tough homicide detective who became San Francisco’s first African American police chief and who championed the hiring of minority officers, died Monday after a lengthy battle with kidney failure.Sanders was a San Francisco cop for 39 years, working some of the most difficult murders in the city’s history, from the Zebra “Death Angels” killings of the 1970s to the 101 California mass murder of the 1990s. He was 83 and died at an assisted living facility in Burlingame.Known for showing up at homicide...WW…

Oakland police pledged to investigate allegations that officers have endorsed or “been involved” in social media accounts of Wednesday’s Capitol takeover.“We will not tolerate any form of hate speech, any expression that supports hate speech or any acts of subversion, whether in-person or on online platforms,” the department said in a statement released Friday.The department said it learned that “current employees may have been involved on social media accounts that contain objectionable or offensive content.”“OPD will not allow any members to engage in or support this ... and will root out...…Oakland police pledged to investigate allegations that officers have endorsed or “been involved” in social media accounts of Wednesday’s Capitol takeover.“We will not tolerate any form of hate speech, any expression that supports hate speech or any acts of subversion, whether in-person or on online platforms,” the department said in a statement released Friday.The department said it learned that “current employees may have been involved on social media accounts that contain objectionable or offensive content.”“OPD will not allow any members to engage in or support this ... and will root out...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateA Vacaville police dog that was videoed being pinned to the ground and punched in the face by an officer during a training session “has been removed from the care of his handler,” police have announced.The dog “has been placed in the care of a handler outside the police department while an investigation of the incident is conducted,” police said in an updated post on its website.The removal of the dog from his handler’s care was an abrupt change from the department’s initial response on Tuesday, when police posted a statement...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateA Vacaville police dog that was videoed being pinned to the ground and punched in the face by an officer during a training session “has been removed from the care of his handler,” police have announced.The dog “has been placed in the care of a handler outside the police department while an investigation of the incident is conducted,” police said in an updated post on its website.The removal of the dog from his handler’s care was an abrupt change from the department’s initial response on Tuesday, when police posted a statement...WW…

Two people were shot to death 11 minutes apart on Monday afternoon in separate incidents in East Oakland, police said, killings believed to be the 100th and 101st homicides of the year in Oakland.At 5:01 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting on Nattress Way near 105th Avenue and found a 47-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound.He did not respond to treatment from paramedics and was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was being withheld pending notification of next of kin, police said.Eleven minutes later, police responding to another report of a shooting, found a...…Two people were shot to death 11 minutes apart on Monday afternoon in separate incidents in East Oakland, police said, killings believed to be the 100th and 101st homicides of the year in Oakland.At 5:01 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting on Nattress Way near 105th Avenue and found a 47-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound.He did not respond to treatment from paramedics and was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was being withheld pending notification of next of kin, police said.Eleven minutes later, police responding to another report of a shooting, found a...WW…

A San Jose high school teacher who taught an online math class on Friday with his shirt off has been suspended by the school district superintendent.The teacher, who was not identified, was photographed by one of his students at Silver Creek High School and the image was turned over to authorities.”The picture appears to be an employee of the (district),” said Chris Funk, superintendent of East Side Union High School District. “The behavior is unacceptable, unprofessional and violates several district policies.”Funk said the bare-chested teacher had been “placed on administrative leave...…A San Jose high school teacher who taught an online math class on Friday with his shirt off has been suspended by the school district superintendent.The teacher, who was not identified, was photographed by one of his students at Silver Creek High School and the image was turned over to authorities.”The picture appears to be an employee of the (district),” said Chris Funk, superintendent of East Side Union High School District. “The behavior is unacceptable, unprofessional and violates several district policies.”Funk said the bare-chested teacher had been “placed on administrative leave...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateDavid Perlman got to spend nearly eight decades doing what he loved most: hanging out with scientists, chasing down big stories from earthquakes to moon landings, and writing newspaper articles about them eloquently and fast.He loved everything about newspapers, and he was intensely proud that most of his career was spent in San Francisco, covering science for The Chronicle.At the time of his retirement in 2017, at the age of 98, Perlman — known fondly by his colleagues as “Dr. Dave” — was believed to be the oldest full-time news...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateDavid Perlman got to spend nearly eight decades doing what he loved most: hanging out with scientists, chasing down big stories from earthquakes to moon landings, and writing newspaper articles about them eloquently and fast.He loved everything about newspapers, and he was intensely proud that most of his career was spent in San Francisco, covering science for The Chronicle.At the time of his retirement in 2017, at the age of 98, Perlman — known fondly by his colleagues as “Dr. Dave” — was believed to be the oldest full-time news...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThe folks who look after San Francisco’s stray dogs and cats are terribly excited about the porcelain contraption on the roof of the city’s brand-new, $77 million animal shelter.“This,” said Virginia Donohue, executive director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, “changes everything.”What it is, she explained, is not exactly a toilet for dogs, but it’s close. It’s a flushable porcelain unit for disposing of what dogs are well-known for producing. No other shelter in the Bay Area has one.Donohue stood on the sparkling new...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateThe folks who look after San Francisco’s stray dogs and cats are terribly excited about the porcelain contraption on the roof of the city’s brand-new, $77 million animal shelter.“This,” said Virginia Donohue, executive director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, “changes everything.”What it is, she explained, is not exactly a toilet for dogs, but it’s close. It’s a flushable porcelain unit for disposing of what dogs are well-known for producing. No other shelter in the Bay Area has one.Donohue stood on the sparkling new...WW…