Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW News:
Apple opposes order to help FBI unlock phone belonging to San Bernardino shooter // L.A. Times
“Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook says his company will resist a federal judge's order to access encrypted data hidden on a cellphone that belonged to the terrorist couple who killed 14 people in San Bernardino last year.
“In a statement released early Wednesday, Cook said that such a move would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on other future devices.”
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Northern Californians Harris, Watford Contenders to Replace Scalia // NBC Bay Area
“A couple of Northern Californians are being included on lists of top contenders to replace Justice Antonin Scalia. Senate Republicans, however, said they will oppose any appointment by President Barack Obama in his last year in office.
“The two Northern Californians are State Attorney Gen. Kamala Harris, who enjoys a close relationship with the president, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Paul Watford.”
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California Coastal Commission: Assembly speaker introduces legislation to boost transparency // San Jose Mercury News
“Vowing to restore the public's trust in the state Coastal Commission -- which voted last week to fire its director -- Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins introduced legislation Tuesday that would force consultants trying to influence commissioners to register as lobbyists and disclose whom they work for.
“Current law doesn't require consultants who lobby the commission to publicly report much of anything about their business. And that lack of transparency unfairly gives consultants hired by developers ‘an edge’ when they're seeking approval of coastline construction projects, Atkins said.”
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Study: Bay Area Can’t Keep Up With Job, Income Growth In Silicon Valley // CBS SF Bay Area
“More jobs and more money may sound like the formula for a successful economy, but in the case of Silicon Valley, there are so many jobs and so much money the Bay Area can’t keep up.
“A new study says economic growth in Silicon Valley’s technology sector has swelled to such unprecedented levels that housing, transit and highways are ‘bursting at the seams’ in an effort to accommodate the sudden surge in prosperity.”
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Tenant Advocates Decry Court Move // East Bay Express
“At a time when skyrocketing rents are displacing low-income renters in Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley, the Alameda County Superior Court is proposing to move all eviction cases to the Hayward Hall of Justice, even though the courthouse is not easily accessible by public transportation. Tenants advocates say the plan will create additional hardships for renters who live in the northern part of the county, don't drive, can't afford to hire their own attorney, and are facing eviction proceedings, also known as ‘unlawful detainer’ cases.”
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10 million California student records about to be released to attorneys // Fremont Argus (Inside BayArea)
“California public-school records on about 10 million students -- including their Social Security numbers -- will soon be handed over to attorneys for a parent group suing the state, with both parties blaming the other for the impending release of private information.
“Fewer than 10 people will receive the student data, and their review will be overseen by a court-ordered special master in electronic discovery. The attorneys reviewing the records are required to keep the data private and confidential, and will have to return or destroy it afterward. Parents also may request by April 1 an exemption from the court order to release their students' information, which will include addresses, test scores, disciplinary records, health and mental health records and more.”
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