Bay Area drivers say traffic ticket lawyer took money, skipped court

Several Bay Area drivers say attorney Robert Amparan and his law firm, California Traffic Defenders, charged flat fees to take care of traffic tickets but never showed up to represent the clients in court, costing them even more money.

Hayward power plant restarts, cause of explosion still unknown

The Russell City Energy Center is up and running and generating power again in Hayward to feed the grid, despite not knowing what caused a massive explosion that sent chunks of metal flying.

Not all Bay Area school districts have tracked teachers' vaccination status

A survey of Bay Area school districts finds the majority of them are tracking vaccinations and many have been offering testing but some districts have no idea how many teachers are fully vaccinated.

Doubts grow about inflatable Christmas tree's role in hospital's COVID outbreak

Kaiser said that after several investigations, health agencies "could not identify any single employee or patient linked to the majority of both employee or patient cases in the outbreak."

How federal rules make it impossible for people with disabilities to save for future

Roughly 10 million Americans, including many in the Bay Area, can’t keep more than $2,000 in their bank account without losing both their income and their healthcare. How are they supposed to plan for a rainy day?

California EDD can't freeze unemployment checks, must 'pay now' during eligibility investigations

As a result of a class action lawsuit, the EDD must now stop its policy of freezing benefits for people whose existing claims have eligibility questions and instead continue sending checks while they investigate the problem.

Investigators question warden at California women’s prison

Officials are investigating the warden of the Federal Correctional Institution at Dublin where a former correctional officer was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing inmates.

Passport delays 'unacceptable' as scams skyrocket

Scammers are targeting the nearly two million Americans who are forced to wait months for a passport because of a massive backlog blamed on the coronavirus pandemic.

Hayward power plant approved to restart following massive turbine explosion

The California Energy Commission voted unanimously Thursday to allow the Russell City Energy Center to restart following a massive explosion and fire that sent debris flying hundreds of feet in the air. The cause of the explosion is still unknown.

Safety violations found 2 years before unexplained explosion at power plant

Corrosion, leaks, broken equipment and fire equipment defects were among the problems found two years before a massive explosion and fire at a power plant in Hayward.

Oakland homeless encampment fires triple, some are arson

Fire officials say garbage, hazardous materials and illegal wiring has caused a dramatic increase in fires at homeless encampments. But also, some fires have been intentionally set.

Turbine explosion sends heavy metal flying in Hayward, cause unknown

A steam turbine exploded at Russell City Energy Center in Hayward sending metal and debris hundreds of feet away. A cause has not been determined but Calpine wants to restart its plant later this summer.

Restaurant labor shortage may force higher wages for workers

Critics claim unemployment benefits are keeping people out of the restaurant workforce. But workers and labor organizers say that the reality is more complex, and that food service workers haven't been paid a living wage.

Suicidal man dies following struggle with Vacaville police

Sam Yasko died following a struggle with Vacaville police officers. His mother is suing the city and department alleging excessive force caused her son's death in late 2017.

Probe into Mill Valley School District credit cards completed

An independent audit of Mill Valley School District credit card charges was ordered following a KTVU investigation into district spending that uncovered expenses including a hot air balloon ride, a yacht charter and a trip to a ski resort.