California is the first U.S. state to formally begin examining how to broadly adapt to cryptocurrency and related technologies, following a path laid out by President Joe Biden in March.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Wednesday for California agencies to move in tandem with the federal government to craft regulations for digital currencies. It also calls for the state to explore incorporating broader blockchain technologies into state operations.

Ohio was the first to attempt to accept virtual currency for government services in 2018, though the program was soon discontinued. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis says his state will begin accepting cryptocurrency for government services later this year.

Kin Cheung/AP

As CNBC reported, Newsom's directive should have California's Business and Economic Development Office working with California's Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency and the state's financial protection and innovation office.

Newsom's Senior Adviser and Director of the Office of Business and Economic Development in California Dee Dee Myers said, “Of the 800 blockchain businesses in North America, about a quarter of them are in California, dramatically more than any other state,” they said. “We’ve heard from so many that they want to be here, and we want to help them do that responsibly.”

Twitter will pay a $150 million penalty and put in new safeguards to settle federal regulators' allegations that the social platform failed to protect the privacy of users' data over a six-year span.

The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission announced the settlement on Wednesday with Twitter. The regulators allege that Twitter violated a 2011 FTC order by deceiving users about how well the company maintained and protected the privacy and security of their nonpublic contact information.

The government alleged that the violations occurred from May 2013 to September 2019.

“Twitter obtained data from users on the pretext of harnessing it for security purposes but then ended up also using the data to target users with ads,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. “This practice affected more than 140 million Twitter users, while boosting Twitter’s primary source of revenue.”

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Prosecution witness and former Theranos lab director Adam Rosendorff stood by his earlier testimony during a court appearance in Elizabeth Holmes' fraud trial on Monday. Rosendorff's statements could pave the way for Holmes' sentencing in the case, which was postponed after Rosendorff sought to speak with Holmes following the trial.

Rosendorff made an uninvited visit to Holmes' Silicon Valley home in August, following her conviction for investor fraud. While he didn't speak to Holmes directly, Rosendorff told her partner William Evans that "he tried to answer the questions honestly but that the prosecutors tried to make everyone look bad" and felt "he had done something wrong," according to Evans' recollection of the conversation filed with the court.

Under questioning by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, Rosendorff said his testimony in the trial was truthful. He said he felt remorseful about the possibility that Holmes' young child with Evans would be without her mother if Holmes is sentenced to prison.

Rosendorff added, without explanation, that "it is my understanding she is pregnant again." The Associated Press has not verified that information.

Under grilling by Holmes attorney Lance Wade, Rosendorff said flatly: "The government was trying to get to the truth of what happened -- what Elizabeth Holmes did."

"I don't want to help Ms. Holmes," Rosendorff added. "The only person that can help her is herself. She needs to pay her debt to society."

Holmes' legal team is relying heavily on Rosendorff's post-trial action to help the former entrepreneur avoid a prison sentence. Her lawyers filed a motion for a new trial in August based on Rosendorff's alleged statements to Evans.

Holmes, 38, is facing up to 20 years in prison for misleading investors about the progress her once-heralded startup Theranos was making with new blood-testing methods. She was supposed to be sentenced Monday, but the judge postponed that hearing once the Rosendorff questions arose. The judge had already set a new sentencing date for Holmes on Nov. 18 before the Monday hearing began.

Robots with the ability to use lethal force will not be rolled out in San Francisco— at least for now.

Amid outcry from residents, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to pause the rollout, which they had previously approved.

“We stopped the use of killer robots in San Francisco today,” Supervisor Hillary Ronen said, according to CNN. “The public outcry helped six Supervisors fully appreciate the gravity of last week’s vote and the numerous unanswered questions about both the ethics and practical implications of allowing police to use machines to kill human beings.”

The issue was sent back to a committee for further consideration. It could be voted on in the future, according to The Associated Press.

Police wanted the robots to be equipped with explosive devices in extreme situations.

"Do we want to risk lives and the public by getting ourselves exposed to the suspect or can we send a robot in to deal with it," David Lazar, assistant chief of the San Francisco Police Department.

Supervisor Dean Preston said Tuesday the city shouldn't be providing more tools to use lethal force. He believes leaders should be looking for more ways to de-escalate situations.

SAN FRANCISCO —

The man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband entered a second not guilty plea to state charges Wednesday and waived his right to a speedy trial.

David DePape -- who is charged with a litany of crimes, including assault and attempted murder -- made the plea in San Francisco superior court.

Appearing before Judge Teresa Caffese, DePape said only a single word in court, answering "yes," when asked if he was waiving his right to a speedy trial. He is scheduled to return to San Francisco superior court in February when a trial date is expected to be set.

A second arraignment for felony charges is customary in California following a preliminary hearing in which a defendant is held to answer to all charges. DePape had pleaded not guilty during an initial appearance in early November shortly after his arrest.

DePape, who has also pleaded not guilty to a list of federal charges, had broken into the Pelosis' home in October and attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, according to court documents.

He told federal investigators that he was looking for Nancy Pelosi, and he said that he planned to kidnap the House speaker and break "her kneecaps" if she lied, according to the affidavit. CNN has previously reported DePape shouted, "Where's Nancy?" as he entered the home.

DePape told officers and medics at the scene that he was sick of the "level of lies" coming from Washington, DC, and "came here to have a little chat with his wife," according to a court filing. "I didn't really want to hurt him, but you know this was a suicide mission. I'm not going to stand here and do nothing even if it cost me my life."

Following the attack, Paul Pelosi had surgery "to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands," Drew Hammill, a spokesman for the speaker, said in a statement at the time.

DePape had also planned to target President Joe Biden's son Hunter, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and actor Tom Hanks, a San Francisco Police Department official testified this month.

DePape "will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and held accountable for his heinous crimes," San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement following the arraignment Wednesday.

Public defender Adam Lipson declined to comment after Wednesday's quick procedural hearing. One of the Pelosis' daughters, Christine Pelosi, was in attendance at the hearing.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Footage of the attack on former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband will be released to the public after a judge on Wednesday denied prosecutors' request to keep it secret.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy ruled there was no reason to keep the footage secret, especially after prosecutors played it in open court during a preliminary hearing last month, according to Thomas R. Burke, a San Francisco-based lawyer who represented The Associated Press and a host of other news agencies in their attempt to access the evidence.

The San Francisco District Attorney's Office handed over the evidence to Murphy on Wednesday following a court hearing. Murphy asked the court clerk's office to distribute it to the media, which could happen as soon as Thursday.

Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's husband, was asleep at the couple's San Francisco home on Oct. 28 when someone broke in and beat him with a hammer. Prosecutors have charged 42-year-old David DePape in connection with the attack.

During a preliminary hearing last month, prosecutors played portions of Paul Pelosi's 911 call plus footage from Capitol police surveillance cameras, body cameras worn by the two police officers who arrived at the house, and video from DePape's interview with police.

But when news organizations asked for copies of that evidence, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office refused to release it. The attack, which occurred just days before the 2022 midterm elections, prompted intense speculation from the public that fueled the spread of false information.

The district attorney's office argued releasing the footage publicly would only allow people to manipulate it in their quest to spread false information.

But the news agencies argued it was vital for prosecutors to publicly share their evidence that could debunk any false information swirling on the internet about the attack.

“You don't eliminate the public right of access just because of concerns about conspiracy theories,” Burke said.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office did not respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The news agencies who sought the release of the footage includes The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Press Democrat, CNN, Fox News, CBS, ABC, NBC and KQED, an NPR-member radio station in San Francisco.

DePape pleaded not guilty last month to six charges, including attempted murder. Police have said DePape told them there was “evil in Washington” and he wanted to harm Nancy Pelosi because she was second in line to the presidency. His case is pending.

Democrats lost their majority in the House of Representatives after the midterm elections. Republicans elected California Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy as the new speaker. Pelosi will remain in Congress, but she stepped down as Democratic leader. She was replaced by Hakeem Jeffries from New York.

Domestic workers like nannies and gardeners could soon start earning paid sick time in San Francisco.

The new bill would set up an app for domestic workers to log their hours with their employers. For every 30 hours worked with one employer, they would earn one hour of paid sick time that could accumulate to a full day off across all employers.

It's something that San Francisco law has covered for years now, but there has never been a way for domestic workers to prove they've earned the time.

"Employers don't even know they have this obligation," said Hillary Ronen, the city supervisor representing District 9 in San Francisco. "Many are individual homeowners and domestic workers. Whether they know or not, it's not practical for them to make use of this benefit in the workplace that they're entitled to."

"So if (the workers) became ill or their loved one their child became ill, got COVID for one reason or another, they had no choice. And they're the only choice was they either go to work, or if they don't go to work, they don't eat," said Kimberly Alvarenga, the director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition.

San Francisco is considering the new law as several other cities, including Philadelphia, have been pushing for more domestic worker rights.

Leaders in San Francisco hope the idea of banking time in an app for paid sick leave will expand to other benefits and act as a framework for other cities to follow.

"This portable benefit concept could really be expanded, not only to include other benefits for domestic workers, like potentially retirement funds or health care or other types of workplace benefits that other workers get that that they never received," Ronen said.

"The next phase will be this education and outreach to employers and the 10,000 domestic workers who work in the city of San Francisco," Alvarenga said. "If we can accomplish all these three phases, I think, we'll be in our on our way to to be in an example to other folks."

San Francisco's measure has already passed the board of supervisors and will likely be signed into law. The app is expected to be operational by late 2022 or early 2023.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Protesters dressed in salon gear took to the street outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home Thursday.

In video of the protest, some demonstrators are seen with curlers in their hair, plastic is draped over them and hair dryers hang from trees.

The rally came two days after video of Pelosi getting her hair cut inside a California salon surfaced.

California Governor Gavin Newsom lifted restrictions on hair salons serving customers indoors at the end of last month. However, the city of San Francisco still requires such services to only be provided outside.

Pelosi says the salon told her it would be OK to come inside, because they are only accommodating one person at a time.

She also claims the whole thing was a set-up, since the video was released to the media by the salon's owner, KGO reports.

A photo of Pelosi on the same visit shows her wearing a mask around her neck instead of on her face. She says that's because she had just had her hair washed.

SAN FRANCISCO — Since the Monolith Craze of 2020 began earlier this fall in Utah, many imitators have tried to claim the state's throne as "Home of the Monolith."

However, all have failed until the obelisk that appeared on Christmas Day in a San Francisco park.

It's simply delicious.

A 7-foot-tall-gingerbread monolith was found Friday morning in Corona Heights Park.

As with most monoliths over the past few weeks, no one is sure who left the tasty tower behind. Maybe Santa had some extra time after dropping off toys to all those good girls and boys?

The man in charge of the park system in San Francisco was as surprised as anyone, according to KQED.

"Wow. Even makes a Jewish parks director smile," said Phil Ginsburg.

Ginsburg says he will allow the gingerbread monolith to remain for a little bit, saying, "We all deserve a little bit of magic right now."

This story was first published by Jeff Tavss at KSTU in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Officials in Oakland, California announced Monday that they were charging a suspect in connection with a series of violent attacks against elderly Asian Americans, one of which was caught on video.

In a press conference announcing the arrest on Monday, officials in Oakland said they would launch a new task force to investigate similar attacks in the future and warned that racist attacks would not be tolerated in the community.

“Today, we're sending a message to those that commit crime in this city that we will pursue you and we will arrest you and it's not acceptable for things like this to happen in our community," Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstron said.

The press conference in Oakland comes just over a week after three elderly Asian Americans — a 91-year-old man, a 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman — were all shoved to the ground on Jan. 31.

The incident involving the 91-year-old man was captured on video, and all three victims suffered injuries.

The suspect, identified by officials as Yahya Muslim, was arrested on unrelated charges on Feb. 1, District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said Monday.

"We are filing charges against a suspect identified as Yahya Muslim. We have charged him with three counts of assault that involve three separate victims," O'Malley said.

The announcement comes after two prominent Asian-American actors, Daniel Wu and Daniel Dae Kim, each pledged a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in connection with the alleged assaults.

"Racist rhetoric from the pandemic have targeted us as being the reason for coronavirus. And so Asians across-the-board have been targeted, being pushed, attacked, spat on,” Wu said at the press conference Monday. “Outside of San Francisco, in Los Angeles and in New York, these incidents are happening all over the country."

Those three alleged assaults took place just three days after an 84-year-old Thai man was abruptly attacked in nearby San Francisco. Vicha Ratanapakdee later died of his injuries, and a 19-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged with murder and elder abuse.

CNN reports that O’Malley announced Monday that her office was creating a special task force that will focus on crimes committed against elderly Asian-Americans.

"The rapid increase in criminal acts targeted against members of the Asian community, particularly Chinese Americans, who live and work in Alameda County is intolerable," O’Malley said.

At Monday's White House press briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that while she isn't sure if President Joe Biden has seen the videos of the alleged assaults, he's aware that racism against Asian-Americans is on the rise. Biden signed an executive order on his first day in office pledging to fight racism against Asian-Americans during his term.

The San Francisco Board of Education has voted to remove its vice president after tweets she posted in 2016 that were critical of Asian people resurfaced.

KPIX-TV and KRON-TV in San Francisco report that the board voted 5-2 on Thursday in a vote of no confidence of Vice President Alison Collins.

The tweets resurfaced last week amid rising instances of hate against the AAPI community and in the wake of a mass shooting in Atlanta, where eight people — including six Asian women — were gunned down at three separate spas in the region.

In the 2016 tweets, Collins told her followers that she was looking to combat anti-black racism in the Asian community at her daughters’ school

Later on in her thread, Collins accused many Asian Americans of believing that they benefit as the “model minority.”

“In fact many Asian American [teachers], [students], and [parents] actively promote these myths. They use white supremacist thinking to assimilate and "get ahead",” she wrote. “Talk to many @thelowell parents and you will hear praise of Tiger Moms and disparagement of Black/Brown "culture.”

In a statement released to the San Francisco Chronicle, Collins apologized said her tweets had been “taken out of context.”

“A number of tweets and social media posts I made in 2016 have recently been highlighted,” Collins told the Chronicle. “They have been taken out of context, both of that specific moment and the nuance of the conversation that took place. I acknowledge that right now, in this moment my words taken out of context can be causing more pain for those who are already suffering. For the pain my words may have caused I am sorry, and I apologize unreservedly.”

After the tweets resurfaced, Collins was denounced by several local politicians, including Mayor London Breed and several California state assembly members.

Hide Transcript
Show Transcript

THE FREE CAR WASHES WILL BE OFFERED THROUGH JULY FOURTH. EVERYONE REMEMBERS THE MOMTEN THEY GOT EAG.NG BRANDI: SOME HAVE PHOTOGRAPHERS TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT, OTHERS, IT'S THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT. ANFOD R SOME, THEIR MAGILCA MOMENT ENDS UP ON TWITTER. A PHOTOGRAPHER WAS WALKINGN I SAN FRANCISCO AND SAW THIS COUPLE GETTING ENGAGED. SHE WA'TSN ABLE TO MEET UP WITH THEM BUT WH ITTHE HELP OF SOCIAL MEDIA, THE PHOTOS REACHED THE NEWLY ENGAGED COUP. >> WE ACTUALL WYERE FORTUNATE. WE HAD A PHOTOGRAPHER. I GUESS OTHERS LOOKING AND BYSTANDERS CAPTURE THE MENOMT. IT WAS REALLY NICEND SPECIAL. BRANDI: A MOMENT, FOR THIS SACRAMENTO COUPLE, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CHERISH FOR A LIFETIME. AND HOW THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT THESE STORIES, WILL BE A MEMORY THEY CAN SHARE FOR YEARS. >> MAYBE TWO DAYS AFTER THE ENGAGEMENT, WE WERE GETTING READY TO GO TO BED AND MY FRIEND GOESEY, TWITTER IS LOOKING FO YOU, TWITTER WE WERE SHOCKED BY THE TIME WE WENT TO IT 90,000 LOOKING FOR US, WEOT LT, THEY FOUNDS, U PHOTOGRAPHETOR SHEDAR A MOMENT. ITAS W REAYLL COOL. BRANDI: THE COUPLE SAYS THEY ARE VERY GRATEFUL AND LOOKS TO TIE THE KNOT IN JA

Photographer captures unknown couple's electrifying proposal, uses social media to track them down

Updated: 3:21 PM EDT Jun 25, 2021

Everyone remembers the time they got engaged, and for a California couple, a spur-of-the-moment proposal caught on camera went viral. In San Francisco, a photographer was walking by when she saw the couple mid-proposal. She was not able to meet up with them right afterward, but with the help of social media, the photos reached the newly engaged couple. See more in the video above.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Everyone remembers the time they got engaged, and for a California couple, a spur-of-the-moment proposal caught on camera went viral.

In San Francisco, a photographer was walking by when she saw the couple mid-proposal. She was not able to meet up with them right afterward, but with the help of social media, the photos reached the newly engaged couple.

See more in the video above.