News

West Coast Wrap covers news from around the western U.S., including California, Arizona and Washington.

The Richmond City Council is weighing whether to impose a 45-day moratorium on data centers. Richmond is the latest Bay Area city to consider such restrictions as communities have concerns over the rapid development of this technology.  

A man was charged by prosecutors with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly punching a man, 65, at Sonoma Plaza, knocking him to the ground. The victim died nearly a week later. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there has been a 76% rise in the number of people getting a rabies shot, which are given after exposure. Last month, the City of Berkeley issues a warning after finding five rabid bats. 

Each year on Sept. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations kick off around the country and in the Bay Area. Some celebrations saw attendance drop last year amid fears of ICE enforcement, but leaders say they expect things to be different this year.

Oakland police say its helicopter unit is down from five pilots to three after two officers were charged with fraudulently obtaining FAA pilot certifications. OPD says it is relying more heavily on neighboring agencies while training additional pilots.

The Oakland Police Department says its helicopter unit is down from five pilots to just three following last week's federal charges against two helicopter pilots and a former FAA inspector. The department says it's now relying more heavily on neighboring law enforcement agencies to help fill the gap. Betty Yu reports.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, addressed concern over the safety of artificial intelligence during a session at the Dreamforce conference happening this week in San Francisco

A fire at an Oakland apartment building on Martin Luther King Jr. Way on Tuesday left residents unable to return to their homes. The fire began shortly before noon, burning the 4-story building. No one was injured in the blaze, and several pets were rescued, officials said.

A landmark California law is now in effect that hopes to make a dent in textile waste that comes from the fast fashion industry. According to state regulators, Californians throw away 1.2 million tons of textiles each year. The Responsible Textile Recovery Act went into effect July 1.  

The city of Berkeley began clearing a large homeless encampment at 8th and Harrison streets Tuesday morning. Jana Katsuyama reports.

KTVU went along with Alameda County's Alternative Response Unit in San Leandro as it answered mental health calls Monday. The ARU handles many non-violent calls for help that usually would go to police or fire units. The fire department says the unit has been a success in matching resources to 9-1-1 callers who don't need a police officer or fire rig. 

The annual Swim Across America San Francisco open water swim event came to the bay waters on September 12 and helped raise over $450,000 for cancer programs at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.

A Russian oligarch-tied to Vladimir Putin helped pay for Donald Trump Jr.'s island wedding celebration. 

Oakland fire crews are  working a fire that appears to be in the attic of a 4-story building in 1900 block of Martin Luther King. No report of rescues at the time, crews still investigating area of origin.