Richmond Mayor Tom Butt finally toured the West County Detention Facility in Richmond, after months requesting to do so. Some of the ICE detainees he met with said deputies are racist and don’t open doors when they’re supposed to. Others said they’re worried about where they’ll be taken now that the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office is severing its contract with ICE. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The ACLU of Northern California filed a lawsuit alleging that ICE transported nine women from the West County Detention Facility in Richmond to a detention facility in Bakersfield in a windowless, overheated van last year. (East Bay Times)
California regulators established new rules for the state’s utility companies if they decide to turn off, or de-energize, power lines to prevent fires. PG&E and other utilities must try to notify affected customers first before the power goes out, but only if notification is feasible. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Art Institute of California in San Francisco and the Alameda campus of Argosy University will be closing in December because of declining enrollment. More than 200 employees will lose their jobs and students unable to finish their degrees will be eligible for tuition reductions or grants. (KTVU)
Three-quarters of Concord residents live in fear of being evicted, according to a new survey. Nearly half reported living with rodents, bedbugs or other pests, and 40 percent reported struggling with mold. The East Bay city has no rent control or just cause eviction protections. (East Bay Times)
UC Berkeley researchers have found that the sense of awe experienced in nature can dramatically reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. (Berkeley News)
Berkeleyside got into a Twitter feud with a right-wing website over a tweet by state Senator Kamala Harris about desegregation in Berkeley schools. (Berkeleyside)
Imports at the Port of Oakland reached a record high last month, possibly due to shippers rushing to beat import tariffs that began this month. (East Bay Times)
