PG&E Critics Welcome Regulators' New Stance
Former regulators and ratepayer advocates were encouraged Wednesday by the president of the state’s Public Utilities Commission’s apparent willingness to consider pursuing a state takeover of PG&...
The Latest
-
Feces Complaints in San Francisco Drop to Lowest Level in 3 Years Amid Pandemic
The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit analyzed hundreds of thousands of 311 complaints to understand how the pandemic has impacted San Francisco’s notoriously dirty streets
-
Klamath Tribes Team With State to Bring Fire Out of the Shadows
Twice each year, Elizabeth Azzuz leads an unusual expedition into the Klamath River forest in Humboldt County, where her tribe has lived for thousands of generations. To set it on fire.
-
Grand Jury Indicts Santa Clara County Undersheriff in CCW Case
UPDATE, 10 a.m. Nov. 23: Santa Clara County Undersheriff Rick Sung and sheriff’s Capt. James Jensen held back a conceal-carry permit to Apple’s head of security for $70,000 worth of iPads, District Attorney Jeff Rosen says.
-
Experts Frustrated by Stalled Efforts to Counter Megafires
With the Yosemite Valley air still hazy from lingering smoke from this year’s record fire season, Michael Beasley surveyed one hillside hit by the 400-square-mile Rim Fire back in 2013.
-
PG&E Filing Says Zogg Fire Tree May Have Been Flagged for Removal in 2018
PG&E acknowledged in a court filing Wednesday that it believes a Gray Pine tree targeted in Cal Fire’s probe of the Zogg fire was left standing despite being earmarked for removal two years before the deadly blaze in Shasta County.
-
PG&E Sued by Sonoma County Over Kincade Fire
Sonoma County officials filed a $100 million negligence lawsuit Tuesday against PG&E, seeking costs for fighting the wildfire and rebuilding lands and infrastructure destroyed in the Kincade fire last year.
-
Covid-Related Court Delays Leave Sick Fearful They May Die Before Going to Trial
Terminally ill plaintiffs, who were supposed to be guaranteed expedited trials in light of their deteriorating medical conditions, are still waiting for their day in court, according to an NBC Bay Area investigation.
-
Cal Fire Ordered to Pay $15 Million Over 2007 Moonlight Fire Probe
As Cal Fire battles a record fire season, it has lost a fight in state court and must now pay $15 million in sanctions for what a judge called a four-year-long campaign of “egregious” evidentiary violations in its probe of the 2007 Moonlight Fire, including allegations of lying, fraud and withholding of evidence.
-
How COVID Put a $10 Billion Emergency on the Back Burner
NBC Bay Area investigation shows how COVID crippled efforts to prevent flood damage from sea level rise.
-
Renter Accused of Using Pandemic to Live Rent-Free Responds
A woman entangled in a messy homeowner-renter dispute with a San Mateo family agrees to an interview with The Investigative Unit after being accused of taking advantage of the pandemic and the legal system to live rent-free.
-
Family Reclaims Home After Being Forced Out By Renter, They Say
After a San Mateo family’s year-long battle with a woman renting a room in their house, the family said Tuesday their nightmare is nearly over.
-
Homeowner Rents Out Room During COVID, Now She Might Lose Her House
The Investigative Unit examines how a local pandemic shut-down order forced a San Mateo family out of their own home, they say.
-
Third Time's Not The Charm for U.S. Post Office in NBC Test
An unscientific test of the US Postal Service found a significant drop-off in delivery times of First Class Mail across the United States in October.
-
PG&E Line Trouble Coincided With Zogg Fire
Tracking data on PG&E’s 12,000 volt powerline tied to deadly Zogg fire reflected repeated anomalies leading up to the fire. But, the problems were sporadic and didn’t last long enough to trigger an automatic shutdown under PG&E’s equipment settings, according to the company federal court filing Monday.
-
Share Your Voice in Our Customer Service Survey
NBC Responds and Telemundo Responde teams created a new survey. We want to learn directly from consumers in our communities.
-
Kincade Fire Tied to PG&E Failure to Decommission an Unneeded High-Voltage Line
Cal Fire blames the Kincade Fire – the largest in Sonoma County history – on PG&E’s failure to properly decommission a high voltage line that had once fed power to a shuttered geothermal plant, according to the findings of its final report obtained by NBC Bay Area.
-
Audit Finds Issues With San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office
A city review of the San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner’s Office evidence storage practices found that two evidence bags had gone missing and broken evidence seals on 10 more.
-
Several Students Arrested Due to Employment at Fake Companies
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 15 students across the nation for staying in the country illegally by working for fake companies.
-
Stanford Professor Warns COVID Shelter-in-Place Orders Are ‘Killing People'
Infectious disease experts and epidemiologists from universities like Stanford, Yale, Harvard and Oxford say current shelter-in-place policies are not effectively protecting vulnerable people from COVID-19, while devastating public health in ways that will lead to irreparable harm for years to come.
-
‘Virtual Handyman' Service Offers Help With Home Repairs
Many families are still reluctant to let anyone inside their homes — for fear of contracting COVID-19. But what can you do when something breaks, and you need an expert to come over and fix it?
-
Exploiting the Exploited? Insiders Accuse Charity Of Cashing In On Sex Trafficking Concerns
After allegations have been raised about Saved in America’s operations, NBC 7 Investigates sat down with the charity’s founder to discuss the nonprofit’s mission, rescue figures, and use of funds.
-
Your Next Concert Might Look a Lot Different
The pandemic silenced most live music performances. When will concerts resume, and what will they look like? We asked artists, venue managers, and talent agents for their take on the future of live music.
-
Are You Earthquake-Ready? Check Your Insurance
Homeowner and renter insurance policies in California do not cover losses for earthquake damage.
-
Federal Judge Orders PG&E to Detail Its Potential Role in Zogg Fire
The federal judge overseeing PG&E’s felony probation on Monday gave the company two weeks to explain its possible role in last month’s deadly Zogg Fire, in Shasta County.
-
PG&E Confirms Its Gear Was Seized in Zogg Fire Probe
PG&E on Friday notified state regulators that Cal Fire had seized some of its equipment as part of its investigation into the Zogg Fire in Shasta County. That fire left four dead and destroyed more than 200 homes.
-
SFFD Probe: Firefighter Death Plunge Came After He ‘Inadvertently' Opened Water Valve
The San Francisco firefighter who fell to his death on Wednesday was knocked over by a water blast from a supply valve he “inadvertently” opened during a training drill, according to the department’s preliminary report obtained by the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit.
-
Witnesses Suggest San Francisco Firefighter Was Struck From Behind by Door Before Fatal Plunge
The probe of what caused the fatal fall of a San Francisco firefighter Wednesday during training is focusing on witness accounts that a balcony access door struck him from behind and knocked him over the railing, NBC Bay Area has learned.
-
State Sent 4,000 Megawatts Out of State During Grid Meltdown
A report on the state’s mid-August statewide grid meltdown shows it was triggered when the state’s independent grid manager mistakenly allowed more than 4,000 megawatts of power to be exported from the system at the crucial moment of peak heatwave demand.
-
Former Palo Alto Police Officer Charged After Violent 2018 Arrest of City Resident
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed two misdemeanor charges Tuesday against a former Palo Alto Police officer more than a year after surveillance video appeared to show him striking a handcuffed resident and slamming his head against a car windshield.
-
Consumer Resources from the NBC Bay Area Responds Team
What can I do about a bad mechanic? How do I fight a health insurance denial? Where can I report fraud? We’ve compiled this comprehensive list of resources to help answer your burning consumer questions.
-
Housing Program Compares People with Criminal Records to ‘Two-Legged Predators'
A housing program operating throughout Bay Area is designed to show landlords how they can “legally discriminate” against tenants who have police records, calling them “two-legged predators.” An NBC Bay Area investigation prompted one city, Vallejo, to halt its program and dismiss the retired police officer who was directing it.
-
Fake QR Codes Can Expose Your Phone to Hackers. Here's How to Protect It
QR codes are more popular than ever with businesses, as they offer a convenient and touchless way to share information. But bad actors can replace QR codes in public with their own, granting them access to your phone.
-
Some LG Fridge Owners Could Get Cash in Class Action Settlement
If you own an LG-brand refrigerator that failed within the last several years, you may have cash coming your way.
-
BART ‘DERAILED': The Pandemic, Financial Fallout, and Racial Reckoning
The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit spent more than a year recording on BART, interviewing passengers, and questioning top transit officials to find out how a once world-class transportation system got derailed.
-
Settlement to Offer Cold Hard Cash for Some LG Fridge Owners
Imagine a scenario where just three days before you were scheduled to host Thanksgiving dinner, your refrigerator goes out. That’s exactly what happened for Shenay and Ash Carter, from Chicago’s Auburn-Gresham neighborhood. “The week before, I noticed food wasn’t as cold as normally was. A few days before Thanksgiving, the w... -
‘They Stopped Answering the Phones': Report Slams EDD's Unemployment Response
A team from Gov. Newsom’s office found troubling shortfalls at California’s unemployment insurance agency.
-
Will Your Mail-in Ballot Reach Its Destination in Time? NBC Puts USPS to the Test
The U.S. Postal Service slowdown continues in some parts of the country, but an informal test by NBC Bay Area, NBCLX and other NBC Owned Television Stations around the U.S. found the delays don’t appear significant enough to disrupt the upcoming Presidential election, where a record number of voters are expected to cast their ballots through the...... -
Wildfire Resources: Go Bags, Insurance, Masks, and More
Whether you’re in a potential evacuation zone or faced with possible power outages, it pays to plan ahead for California’s peak wildfire season.
-
PG&E Board Approves Clawback Clause, Top Official Departs
Two days after one of its top officials formerly departed, the beleaguered PG&E governing board voted to authorize claw-backs of executive severances and bonuses following new felony safety violations and/or the discovery of financial mismanagement.
-
City Administrator Knew Contractors Were Being Asked to Pay Public Works Holiday Party Tab: Report
A report by the San Francisco City Controller’s Office released Thursday concludes the city’s top executive, City Administrator Naomi Kelly, “was aware” that now-ousted Public Works head Mohammed Nuru was urging contractors to make donations for a Public Works holiday party last year, payments that the report concluded had violated ethics rules.... -
Got a Text Message About a Delivery? It Could be a Scam
Preying on our increase in online shopping during the pandemic, scam artists are using a new tactic to break into your phone.
-
New Players Revealed in Expanding San Francisco Public Corruption Scandal
The president and vice president of an Oakland construction management firm are the latest figures to be implicated in San Francisco’s widening public corruption scandal, according to newly filed federal documents.
-
From Service to Sick: The Effects of Veterans' Exposure to Burn Pits
Tens of thousands of veterans and service members stationed at military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan say exposure to trash fires or “burn pits” has left them with breathing problems and other chronic illnesses, including cancer. They are fighting for health benefits, but say the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is turning its back on t... -
San Francisco Police Auditors Blame Policy Flaws in Mario Woods Shooting
A San Francisco Department of Police Accountability review concluded that officers used “unnecessary force” in the 2015 shooting death of Mario Woods but stopped short of seeking discipline against them.
-
BART Police to Undergo Changes Following ‘DERAILED' Investigation
An NBC Bay Area investigative series is leading to changes inside the BART Police Department.
-
Hundreds of Mystery Unemployment Letters Delivered to Californians; Fraud Suspected
Families statewide are finding shock at the mailbox, getting dozens of envelopes from the state unemployment office — addressed to people who don’t live there.
-
Canceled Flights, Missing Refunds: Travelers Ask NBC Bay Area for Help
NBC Bay Area has heard from dozens of viewers having trouble getting refunds for cancelled flights. Some of the most difficult cases involved travel agents.
-
CA Nursing Home Inspectors' Union Files Grievance Over Job Change
The union for the state’s nursing home inspectors has filed a grievance challenging a plan that would require them to serve as disease control consultants to the very homes they are charged with regulating.
-
Seawater-Cooled Power Plants Escape Looming Shutdown
The state’s Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to let several seawater-cooled power plants out of an approaching shutdown deadline — so they can be used to avoid a repeat of last month’s rolling blackouts.
-
Alleged ‘Boogaloo Boy' Arrested Over Threats to Top South Bay Health Official
A Gilroy man who police say is tied to the far-right, anti-government Boogaloo Movement was arrested last week in connection to 24 threatening letters, some containing telltale Boogaloo slogans and imagery, sent to Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody over the past five months, according to court and police records reviewed by NBC Bay Ar... -
We Mailed 155 Letters From a Dozen States. There Were Some Delays
The U.S. Postal Service is slowing down, based on an informal test by the NBC Owned Television Stations, NBCLX and Telemundo.
-
State's Public Utilities Commission Executive Ousted
The embattled executive director at the state’s Public Utilities Commission was fired Monday for alleged cronyism and other irregularities in her hiring of top staff members.
-
Conceal Carry Permits Traded for Campaign Cash: Grand Jury Transcripts
Transcripts from Santa Clara County’s grand jury year-long probe into a possible pay-to-play scheme involving hard-to-get concealed carry weapons permits show many people agreed to pay thousands of dollars to Sheriff Laurie Smith’s political campaign in exchange for the coveted gun permits.
-
CPUC Audit Finds ‘Serious Risk' Due to High Rate of PG&E Power-Line Sparked Fires
A CPUC audit found that PG&E’s distribution power lines spark two and half times more fires per mile compared to other utilities, a rate that regulators found poses a “serious risk” to the state as the heart of fire season approaches.
-
Can Folsom Prison's Coronavirus Outbreak be Traced to San Quentin?
The devastating toll of San Quentin State Prison’s recent COVID-19 outbreak, which infected more than 2,400 people at the prison and was among the worst outbreaks in the country, may have spread beyond the prison’s walls.
-
Berkeley Humane Offers Low-Cost Vaccinations for Pets
For many Bay Area families, getting essential medical care for pets has been a challenge during the pandemic.
-
Energy Price Caps Lifted to Avert More Rolling Outages
The state’s power grid system operator moved to lift price caps for up to a month in an effort to bolster energy supplies and prevent more heatwave-related blackouts.
-
State Nursing Home Regulatory Redo Prompts Critics' Fears Amid Pandemic
The Department of Public Health is overhauling how it regulates nursing homes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 3,500 elderly residents in skilled nursing facilities across California.
-
When Classrooms Reopen, Will the Air Inside Be Safe?
The Investigative Unit looks into poor ventilation in California classrooms and how the lack of outdoor airflow could impact COVID-19 risks for teachers and students.
-
Sheriff Campaign Scandal: 4 Indicted in Concealed Carry ‘Pay to Play' Scheme
There’s a major development Thursday involving the investigation into Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith and allegations her office was trading concealed weapons permits for campaign contributions.
-
Donors to Sheriff's Political Campaigns Far More Likely to Get Concealed Gun Permits
Analyzing five years of campaign contribution data combined with sheriff’s office records on permits to carry a concealed weapon, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit found that donors to Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith’s election campaigns were roughly 14 times more likely to be granted a coveted concealed gun permit by the Sheriff’s office t... -
A's Seek State Crackdown on Recycling Plant near Proposed Stadium Site
The Oakland A’s sued the state Department of Toxic Substances Control on Wednesday, to force an environmental crackdown on a West Oakland steel recycling facility near the team’s proposed ballpark and development project.
-
Is Your Family Ready? An Uncertain School Year Awaits Bay Area Students
The NBC Bay Area Responds team takes an in-depth look at consumer matters facing students and their families.
-
First Black SFFD Fire Boat Engineer Claims He Was Denied Work Due to Race
A civil lawsuit filed Monday alleges a “whites only” color barrier at one of San Francisco Fire Department’s most coveted assignments – staffing the city’s fleet of fireboats. Lawrence Thomas has worked as a maritime engineer in the Bay Area for two decades, but it took him four years to get hired as a part-time reserve engineer in charge...... -
Sheet Cakes Return To Costco following Sudden Removal, Customer Complaints, Fan Petitions
Attention Costco shoppers: you may once again order half sheet cakes. Yes, they have returned from a brief and controversial hiatus.
-
California's Child Care Industry Collapsing: UC Berkeley Researchers
An NBC Bay Area Investigation reveals many California child care facilities are in danger of closing permanently. Health risks vastly reduced income and skyrocketing costs are devastating the industry statewide.
-
Kaiser Permanente Accused of Mishandling Sexual Harassment Claims
New documents filed in a lawsuit against the hospital giant allege Kaiser was aware of multiple sexual harassment claims against an employee and still allowed him to work with female patients for years.
-
‘The House Has Already Burned Down': An Inside Look at San Quentin's Outbreak
NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit spoke to more than 15 people who were locked up or working at San Quentin during one of the state’s worse coronavirus outbreaks.
-
People Connect with CA Unemployment Phone Line in 2 Minutes, Here's How
A San Francisco software engineer says he can connect any caller to a human operator at the state Employment Development Department in minutes. We tested his product.
-
Nearly a Thousand COVID-19 Cases Reported in California Day Cares
New Data Revealed by NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit Shows 998 COVID-19 cases in child care facilities across California. The Investigative Unit documents how two Bay Area child care centers scrambled to prevent outbreaks after learning of COVID-19 positive cases among the kids who attend their facilities.
-
San Quentin Housing Unit Unscathed by Coronavirus Hit by at Least 2 Cases
Amid a devastating coronavirus outbreak at San Quentin State Prison that’s infected about 2,000 incarcerated people, killing 12, H Unit has been an island of relative calm.
-
Have You Filed? IRS, FTB Tax Deadlines Arrive Wednesday
Both federal and California state income tax returns are due Wednesday, July 15.
-
Investigation Confirms Decades of Sexual Misconduct Allegations at Presentation High
Nearly three years after an explosive op-ed in the Washington Post during the height of the “Me Too” movement snowballed into an avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations at San Jose’s Presentation High School, a prestigious all-girls Catholic school, a months-long independent investigation “sustained allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse” aga... -
Coronavirus Election: Counties Scramble to Find Workers and Funding Ahead of November
For the first time in state history, every registered voter in California will receive a mail in ballot to participate in the upcoming presidential election. State officials hope the absentee ballots will help increase safety during the coronavirus pandemic, but election officials and security experts tell the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit that s... -
Hunger Strike: San Quentin Prisoners With COVID-19 Protest ‘Dismal' Conditions
Amid a rapidly-spreading coronavirus outbreak that’s infected about a third of all people incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, dozens of COVID-19 positive prisoners declared a hunger strike this week in protest of what they call “dismal” living conditions during their quarantine, according to sources inside the prison.
-
COVID Canceled Their $100,000 Safari Trip. Now What?
When a group of South Bay travelers didn’t get anywhere on a six-figure refund for their Africa vacation, they turned to NBC Bay Area Responds.
-
Hunters Point Testing May Defy US Rules
Preliminary testing done by the U.S. Navy to establish baseline cleanup levels of the old Hunters Point shipyard has been done on the site itself, something that appears to be prohibited under the federal government’s own cleanup guidelines, The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit has learned.
-
FTC Warns San Francisco Clinic Over COVID-19 Claims
The federal government’s top consumer agency has issued a warning letter to a San Francisco clinic over the way it marketed products for treating or preventing COVID-19.
-
Anger Mounts Inside and Outside San Quentin as COVID Outbreak Grows More Dire
The outbreak at San Quentin State Prison grows more dire. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among the incarcerated soared past 1,300 Thursday and more than 100 prison staff members have the virus, according to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Anger and frustration mounts among prisoners locked in small cel... -
COVID at Work – State Sees 30% Rise in Safety Complaints
State regulators say they’ve received a flood of safety complaints from workers claiming their employers are not doing enough to protect against COVID-19.
-
Got Fireworks? If You Use Them, Insurance Might Deny Fire Claims
As Independence Day approaches, the temptation to set off fireworks early has proven too much for many amateur rocketeers.
-
COVID-19 Outbreak Hits South Bay Dementia Care Facility
Just two months ago, a South Bay assisted living facility was featured in an article in the Silicon Valley Voice that carried the headline “Staying Safe And Happy At Pacific Gardens Retirement Community.” But today, the memory care wing of the facility is all but shut down, after 13 residents and 15 staff members tested positive for COVID-19, makin... -
SF City Hall Scandal Rooted in Unchecked Contract Approval
A city report issued Monday identified major gaps in oversight it said fueled corruption at the Department of Public Works, including a 2011 decision by the then-mayor Ed Lee to give the now ousted DPW director complete authority to approve contracts.
-
Frustrated UPS Customers Line Up for Packages
Tired of waiting for their deliveries to arrive, some UPS customers have taken to standing in line outside the shipper’s main Oakland distribution center, to get their packages. NBC Bay Area saw lines out the door at the East Bay facility on Wednesday and Thursday. Customers in line told us they came when tracking information showed their par... -
BART to Restrict Role of Police, Passes $2.4 Billion Budget
Members of the BART Board of Directors are requesting the transit agency explore the possibility of restricting the role and responsibilities of BART police officers.
-
Palo Alto Police Department Hit with New Civil Rights Lawsuit
A Palo Alto man whose late-night encounter with a police officer in July 2019 outside a local donut shop left him with a fractured bone in his face filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Wednesday against the Palo Alto Police Department.
-
Santa Clara DA Walks Back Statement Saying Office Won't Prosecute Palo Alto Officer
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office walked back a recent public statement this week that it would not file criminal charges against a Palo Alto police officer accused of excessive force.
-
Local Leaders Warned of New Extremist Group Threat
The so-called “Boogaloo Boys” extremist group now being tied to the killings of two Bay Area law enforcement officers is believed to have about a dozen members locally. And sources tell NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit they’ve been plotting to kidnap the children of local leaders.
-
BART Inspections Ordered After New Fleet Cars ‘Decouple'
BART officials have ordered stepped up inspections after an incident Tuesday when a 10-car train on its new car fleet operated for several hundred feet despite being partially decoupled.
-
East Bay Hospital Cited Following Assault on Nurse
An East Bay hospital is facing multiple violations for allegedly failing to keep staff safe from workplace violence. The state reprimand comes more than six months after the California Nurses Association filed a complaint against the hospital.
-
Don't Trash That ‘Junk Mail' – It Might Be Your Stimulus Payment
Nearly three months after President Trump signed the CARES Act into law, millions of Americans are still waiting for their promised stimulus payment. For some, they may have received it, but unknowingly thrown it away.
-
PG&E Admits Guilt in Camp Fire
PG&E’s top executive pleaded guilty on behalf of the company on Tuesday to 84 counts of manslaughter in the 2018 Camp wildfire, the most destructive in state history.
-
Potential COVID Aerosol Hazards in the Dentist Chair
NBC Bay Area Investigation finds some dental offices reopening even though serious infection dangers may persist.
-
Video of Sheriff's Captain Shoving Protester Prompts Criminal, Internal Probes
A San Francisco Sheriff’s captain caught on video pushing a protester to the ground is now facing both criminal and internal probes.
