San Fran

(Newser) - An angry mob protesting a cop's fatal shooting of an unarmed man stormed Oakland last night, hurling rocks at cars and storefronts, and lighting garbage on fire. About 200 protesters—including a core group of self-proclaimed communists—began peacefully at the subway stop where an officer killed a 22-year-old passenger on New Year's Day. But demonstrators turned violent as the night wore on, unleashing their fury at racial injustice indiscriminately, often against minorities, the Chronicle reports. More »

(Newser) - Video of a cop shooting an unarmed suspect has sparked outrage in San Francisco and calls for an investigation, report the San Francisco Chroncle . The videos, taken by passengers and obtained by local station KTVU, shows Oscar Grant, 22, seated against a subway wall apparently pleading with police. He is then put face-down on the ground. One officer kneels on his his back while another unholsters a gun and fatally shoots Grant in the back. More »

(Newser) - A plan to charge motorists for driving downtown in peak hours could be a step too far even for famously green San Francisco, the Los Angeles Times reports. City officials say the plan, which would be the first of its kind in the nation if it passes, would reduce traffic and pollution—but reactions so far have been mostly negative. More »

(Newser) - For the seventh time in two months, port-a-potties at construction sites in an upscale San Francisco neighborhood have been set ablaze by unknown parties, the Chronicle reports. Fire officials won’t say how the late-night pyrotechnics started, but they’re asking construction workers to be sure their “comfort stations” are locked when they leave work for the night. More »

(Newser) - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is living up to his chatty reputation with a 7½-hour state-of-the-city speech—on YouTube. The mayor, who is averse to speaking with the city’s board of supervisors and enamored of policy, will release the detailed address in 45-minute chunks. Why watch, wonders the Chronicle ? “The good news is no one has to,” Newsom says. “For those that don’t want to, don’t.” More »

(Newser) - San Francisco could soon become the first major city in the US where prostitutes won't be arrested, the AP reports. The city votes next month on the controversial Proposition K to decriminalize sex work. The measure won't actually legalize the trade, but will forbid local law enforcement from investigating or prosecuting anyone for prostitution. More »

(Newser) - A panel has approved a plan to hang nets along the Golden Gate bridge to catch would-be suicides, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The bridge's board voted 14 to 1 in favor of installing the barrier after hearing testimony from psychiatrists, suicide prevention experts, and family members of  people who have leaped from the bridge, believed to be the world's top suicide magnet. More »

(Newser) - The hardened inmates on San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island had tough neighbors who endure to this day: sun-kissed geraniums, snapdragons, gazanias, and roses. Thanks to an ambitious restoration project, “The Rock” is blooming, the Sacramento Bee reports. After work began 5 years ago, gardeners discovered 145 plant varieties that survived 40 years of neglect amidst the island’s harsh conditions. More »