Headline speakers include the CEOs of leading AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia. The conference comes days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay warning of the risks of unbridled AI advances and urging the industry to develop safeguards. The warning came after a former Anthropic researcher warned that AI could grow "smart enough to kill us."

Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff began the three-day conference with a keynote speech Tuesday morning and later told reporters that companies should decide for themselves how to roll out industry developments.

"If they feel like they should slow down, then they should slow down. If they feel they should speed up, they should speed up," Benioff said. "And then they should be held accountable."

Amodei repeated his concerns during a panel discussion with Benioff on Tuesday and was followed by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Huang echoed Benioff's stance, saying it's up to individual companies to be responsible with their products, and that choosing between innovation speed and safe products is a "false choice."

"You pace yourself until you are confident that you're releasing something that the market would appreciate," Huang said. "The market forces are already there. We don't need any new laws. We don't need new regulations."

During a later session Tuesday with Benioff, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that he is confident in the industry's ability to monitor the safety of its developments and self-regulate, saying "This world should trust that we're going to do the right thing because it's the right thing and because we feel the magnitude of this."

Altman also said that people are "right to be afraid" of AI's exponential trajectory.  

"It doesn't take as much imagination as it used to for [us] to imagine how this could go wrong," he said.

In July, OpenAI disclosed that an artificial intelligence model it was testing went rogue and hacked another AI company, Hugging Face, on its own - a first-of-its-kind incident that fueled the debate over the risks that AI poses. Altman said the incident illustrated how developers need to treat AI models with a new level of rigor on safety and monitoring.

"The Hugging Face incident triggered a real reset, not just in our own company, but I think the whole industry," Altman said.

San Jose State University engineering professor Ahmed Banafa told CBS News Bay Area that in the race for AI dominance, U.S. companies would not unilateral slow down their advances.

"We need an international agreement because if the United States starts slowing down, China will never slow down," Banafa said.

Banafa added that the integration of AI in our daily lives in inevitable; the question really is, how will it be used.

"For the average person, it's not something we have now," Banafa said. "It's what's going to happen in the future." 

While the latest discussions of AI has been dominated by dire warnings from industry executives, many at the conference Tuesday were not necessarily focused on rogue agents. Meredith Chandler, vice president of sales with B2B sales workplace platform Aligned, advised job seekers that if they are not familiar with current AI tools, they are falling behind.

"But we can already see those who are not adapting, and we do this in our own interviews," said Chandler. "One of the first questions we ask is, 'What is your familiarity with AI?' And it's not enough to say, 'I use ChatGPT, I use Claude.' It's 'OK, tell me about a workflow that you've enhanced that you've made better for your org or how are you using it? One of my favorite questions is, 'How are you using it in your personal life?'"

Demetri Salzaggio, vice president of customer experience and operations for Engine, a corporate travel management platform, said he believes such advancements in technology can save lives.

"Like a lot of tools out there, there can be a shadow side to them, but I tend to have more of the optimistic, hopeful perspective on it," Salzaggio said. "I'm a stage 3 colorectal cancer survivor and I think of a world where, you know, AI can start unlocking a lot of things in the health space and ensuring diseases, and, you know, all the positive."

A Salesforce executive said that while the industry is going through its growth spurt, the conference will highlight AI advances and their effect on bottom lines.

"We have lots of critical conversations to have, and we're very excited about the, you know, ROI that our customers are seeing from the AI that they've implemented," said Madeline Schofield, Salesforce VP of executive marketing. "So we've, in fact, built this entire agentic city for all of our customers to experience and see how different industries are using AI in order to build their business."

Ahead of the conference, Benioff on Monday announced $27 million in school grants aimed at integrating AI capabilities and technology in public school districts in San Francisco, Oakland, New York, Chicago and Indianapolis. 

Just two months ago, a proposal was floated to build a data center at the Cow Palace in Daly City, just across the San Francisco city limit, and a website called Data Center Map indicates that 10 other data centers now exist within six miles of the Cow Palace, most in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood.

District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the area, announced he will call for a 45-day moratorium on data center approval or construction at Tuesday's board meeting.  

"We don't know what impacts any of these data centers have, regardless of the footprint, regardless of the size," he said at a press conference outside City Hall on Monday. "And so, this legislation is going to give us the opportunity to press 'pause' and do the responsible thing for our communities."

Five private data centers already exist in the Bayview inside large, unmarked buildings at 200 and 400 Paul Avenue. Walton says they were quietly approved under rules established in 2001, before the explosion of AI and recent concerns surrounding the technology.

"This is impacting poor communities of color. This is a sleeper. They have done the Walmart approach. They have started in our rural areas, and are making their way to our city," said Geoffrea Morris who lives in the neighborhood. "Throughout the nation, there have been sweeping policies, votes at night. You have to understand, even AI CEOs are saying, 'Hold it, put a pause, slow down.' If those who are creating it say to pause, we should be alarmed."

The fact that so many facilities are being built in a working class, predominantly Black neighborhood like the Bayview is not lost on Dion-Jay Brookter. The community activist and candidate for District 10 supervisor says he's not surprised that something controversial would be located in his community.

"If you ask me, I think it's because of the disproportionality," he said.  "If we can build something that's going to have some environmental impacts, it seems like the majority of it comes to our district, has come historically to this district."

"And our community should not, once again, be asked to be tasked with carrying these burdens," said Walton. "Nor should any community here in San Francisco."

Walton said 45 days is the maximum time a moratorium can be imposed by the board at this point, but he said it can be extended for up to 220 days beyond that if necessary. If passed, the moratorium would put a halt to any new permits or construction, including proposals to increase the power capacity of data centers that already exist, Walton said.  

Supporters of the pause say the city will be using the time to investigate community impacts in order to create a more up-to-date ordinance for regulating the rapidly developing industry.

"This is the infancy stages," said Brookter. "To say, 'Hey, pause, stop, let's lay down all the pencils. You can no longer take the test right now. Like, time is up.' We need to have conversations about what's going on."

Mayor Daniel Lurie and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi were among the dignitaries during a sunsplashed groundbreaking ceremony at the normally wind-blown Candlestick Point on the city's southeastern corner. Former Mayor Willie Brown was also on hand at the groundbreaking and recognized for his original efforts to spearhead the development of the Candlestick Point and adjacent Hunters Point sites. 

The Candlestick waterfront development will eventually include 7,200 homes in the city's Bayview District along with a 2.8-million-square-foot innovation district on 270 acres, encompassing 60 city blocks. Seven hundred homes will be built in the first phase of the development, 300 of which will be affordable, according to the city and the developer, Irvine-based FivePoint Holdings. The plan also will include 100 acres of parks and open space, 2.5 miles of publicly accessible waterfront, shops, restaurants, and a hotel.

Brown compared the project with the city's other recent major developments including Mission Bay and Treasure Island, and said he looked forward to the transformation of the working-class Bayview-Hunters Point community which has historically faced economic, environmental and industrial challenges.

"When I think of this area, I think of what the potential could have been, but I'm even more pleased with what the potential will produce and what the space will be," Brown said. "I'm telling you, it will be equally as dramatic for this part of the city to have a new community with such great vibrations, such great participation, and such a collection of private investors who understand what their role should be."

Candlestick Park was opened in 1960 as the new home for the San Francisco Giants after the team relocated from New York. The stadium quickly became known for its windy and chilly conditions, with the geographic makeup of the area making the wind gusts significantly higher than other parts of the city. The stadium was expanded in 1971 to accommodate the San Francisco 49ers after the team left Kezar Stadium. 

The Giants played their last game at Candlestick Park on September 30, 1999, before moving to Pacific Bell Park, now Oracle Park. The last 49ers game in Candlestick was on December 23, 2013, and the final event at the stadium, a Paul McCartney concert, was held on August 14, 2014.

The development plans include public spaces and streets named in honor of former Giants and 49ers legends, among them Willie Mays, Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice.  

Wednesday's groundbreaking marked the end of years of delays in developing the site. In 2008, voters passed Proposition G authorizing the conversion of the stadium land and surrounding parking lots into a mixed-use neighborhood. Environmental cleanup issues at the adjacent Hunters Point Shipyard caused delays since it was linked to the Candlestick Park site under an original master redevelopment plan.

In 2024, the city's Board of Supervisors approved a revised agreement that decoupled the Candlestick and shipyard developments, allowing the Candlestick project, which did not have environmental cleanup issues, to move forward. The shift also added about 2 million square feet of office space originally planned for the shipyard project.

"For years, San Franciscans have heard about what would someday rise at Candlestick. They heard about new homes and parks and shops and jobs. But year after year, it remained empty," said Lurie. "Today, I am proud that we are breaking ground at Candlestick and taking the first step toward 7,200 new homes in San Francisco for San Franciscans."

FivePoint says the entire Candlestick development would be a multi-decade project that will also include infrastructure construction and improvements. The first phase of construction, the 700 housing units, is expected to be completed in 2029. A commercial and innovation district is planned by the early to mid-2030s, with the full build-out extending into the 2040s, the developer said.

Tennessee-based Terminix, a subsidiary of U.K.-based Rentokil Initial PLC, was accused of disposing pesticides and hazardous waste in company waste bins destined for municipal landfills across the state. 

According to the lawsuit, from 2021 through 2024, district attorney investigators across the state conducted undercover waste inspections and found items such as pesticides, batteries, e-waste, and cleaning solutions in outgoing waste bins. 

The inspections also showed customers' records disposed of without first being shredded or made unreadable in violation of California privacy laws, the lawsuit alleged.

The settlement noted that when notified by the district attorneys of the unlawful disposals, Terminix cooperated and quickly responded to prevent further violations of disposal and privacy laws. As part of the settlement, Terminix will need to employ a third-party auditor to conduct waste audits for seven years at a minimum of 10% of its facilities, some selected randomly and others at high-risk locations.

In a statement to CBS News Bay Area, a Terminix spokesperson said the company was committed to protecting communities and upholding strict environmental governance across its operations. 

"Terminix maintains strict standards for environmental safety, regulatory compliance, and protecting the communities we serve," the spokesperson said. "To address and resolve historical inquiries regarding field waste management and record-destruction protocols, we worked transparently and collaboratively with California District Attorneys to reach an agreement and establish an enhanced statewide compliance program." 

The Alameda County District Attorney's Office led the prosecution of the case with assistance from the Monterey, Sonoma, and San Bernardino County District Attorneys' Offices. Other county DAs' offices named as parties in the lawsuit and receiving a portion of the settlement were Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Merced, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare, Ventura, and Yolo counties, and the Los Angeles city attorney.

Alexis Meyer is one of thousands of people interested in the dishwasher position at Pho De Nguyen in the city's SoMa neighborhood. The hourly wage was posted on Instagram, and the post definitely caught her attention.

Her reaction? "Sounds like a dream come true," she replied.

Meyer was the second candidate to be called in on Friday for an in-person interview. Chef Phong Nguyen says the job is physically demanding. They have to be fast, thorough and able to work on the restaurant's busiest nights, Fridays and Saturdays.

"Being able to stand on your feet for 8 to 12 hours a day," Nguyen said. "A lot of us are doing four 10s or 12-hour shifts."

With a DJ on hand on those nights, it's like a party in the dining room and in the kitchen. Phong says he has posted a dishwasher wanted ad every six months, but it didn't really catch on until he advertised that the job pays at least $50 an hour.

"It's the Bay Area where labor is so hard to find," he said. "You have one of two options. You either turn and burn all your employees or you try to make it livable."

So how can a restaurant in SoMa offer a high wage for an entry-level position? Phong says it's simple, instead of the server taking home all the tips, he's spreading the wealth.

"It's nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "I think it's just out of the ordinary because it takes mom-and-pop restaurant offering that."

Good news for Meyer. She got a call back to work an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. shift since the restaurant serves until 3 a.m. While the current dishwasher opening may soon be taken, Chef Phong is planning for this location to be open 24/7 which will probably mean another position will be posted soon again.

"We're hoping for our business to grow," he said. "For our dishwasher to have a full-time position on the line. Then continue on finding that dishwasher again. Rinse and repeat."

Union leaders gathered in downtown San Francisco on Friday to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign nine bills aimed at regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace.

Labor leaders said the rapid expansion of AI and automation is unprecedented and are warning that without safeguards, workers could face job displacement, increased surveillance and workplace decisions made by algorithms.

For Nicolle Pillion, a longtime healthcare worker, the concerns are already personal.

Pillion works as a teleservice representative for a major hospital, answering calls from patients reporting urgent symptoms and helping schedule appointments. About eight months ago, she said her hospital began using what she described as "emotion recognition software" to monitor her interactions with patients.

"This software repeatedly tells me that I lack emotional empathy during my calls and gives me real-time pop-ups as I'm working, telling me how to change the way that I sound," Pillion said. "When you're focused on a patient, the last thing you need is an AI program judging your voice in real time."

She worried the technology could distract workers from more important responsibilities, including recognizing emergency symptoms from patients.

"It is frustrating, distracting, and to me, discriminatory," she said.

Union leaders pointed to cases like Pillion's as examples of how they believe AI can harm workers when companies introduce the technology without sufficient safeguards.

"Big tech is rolling out AI in a manner that focuses on automation, displacing workers," said Peter Finn, president of the Teamsters Joint Council 7 and Teamsters California.

The rapid growth of AI has fueled concerns among workers in a wide range of industries that automation could eventually replace human employees and eliminate jobs.

"We feel that this is an existential crisis. And AI, chatbots are out of control. There needs to be a halt to it," said Steve Zeltzer, who held a "Stop AI" rally with a small group of people in front of a San Francisco Kaiser Permanente hospital.

But Michael Bernick, a former chief of California's Employment Development Department and now counsel at the Duane Morris law firm, said workers should focus on adapting to the changing technology.

"The important thing is not to worry about it, as much as get the skills," Bernick said.

Bernick, who has monitored the job market for nearly half a century, said he has never seen a technological transformation advance as quickly as artificial intelligence.

In a relatively short period, AI has gone from a developing technology to a tool being adopted by companies across nearly every industry. Bernick said that speed is contributing to much of the anxiety surrounding its impact on workers.

For now, he said, employment data does not show that AI is significantly affecting overall job creation or job losses.

"The labor force data over the past couple of months shows really no significant impacts overall in California in terms of job creation [or] destruction," Bernick said.

Still, union leaders said they do not want to wait until workers begin losing jobs before regulations are put in place.

Nine AI-related bills are currently awaiting action from Newsom, including proposed protections governing the use of AI in employment decisions.

"We also put on bills that said no AI boss, if you will, no non-humans should be able to fire you or discipline you," said Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO.

For Pillion, the debate is about preserving the role of human workers in professions where personal interaction can have serious consequences.

"We cannot sit around for someone else to fix this," she said. "As healthcare workers, we see what is happening and we know what it is at stake."

Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto legislation on his desk.

"It's a no-cooling call," he said, as he loaded up his truck. "Basically, the AC is not working."

Gharamany has almost 20 years of experience in the industry, finding his way to a diagnosis and fixing homeowners' problems. And in 2026, the tools of the trade involve AI.

"It definitely is there, and it is very helpful," he said.

The HVAC expert is using it to complement the skills he's honed over the years, primarily to improve efficiency. For example:

"I'm here, and I can find out if I have that part at the shop, how soon I can get it, how much it is cost wise," he said. "It shops for you. At the instant time it looks for who sells it cheaper."

But also, he's collecting data on every call for service, which helps his team's overall success on future calls.

"That will be fed to AI, and we'll have it in our system so my next technician who comes in here and sees a similar situation — It's going to be available for him," he said. "Instead of calling me, David will be in their pocket."

Khaled Ghazal is the CEO of Art of Comfort.

"We started seriously thinking about it in the past year," he said. "It happened much faster than I thought, seeing other companies in the trades adopting AI and trying to integrate it with their business model."

From answering phones to knowledge sharing, he says integrating AI into his essential home services business model has improved how they function.

"AI can handle a lot of the repetitive tasks within the business, so we can actually focus on the people and the craft that we're in," he said. "We can execute without missing any call."

Ghazal may be embracing AI earlier than some in the trades. But the demand for it, either out of curiosity or necessity, is growing.

"AI is developing every day. It's a speed of advancement that you've never seen before," said Melisa Tokmak, the founder and CEO of Netic. "Today, it's definitely more fit for companies looking to expand and that can understand the operational rules that they want to implement."

Tokmak's San Francisco-based AI startup caters specifically to essential services, such as plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and more.

"I think it's one of the industries that AI is actually best fit for," she said.

Netic is an engine that uses AI to help the business run, from handling calls and customer interactions to developing and executing strategy.

"They become a lot more efficient and serve more of their community and thrive as businesses. These businesses need to thrive for us to run our country," she said.

Tokmak believes AI can help bridge gaps that essential service providers traditionally have had to navigate on their own.

"This is one of the industries that needs it the most. Why? It's serving millions of people at a time that usually for the end customer, it's mission critical. They really need it. For health, for their homes, for their business, for their kids, for their elderly," she said. "It's very hard to make it work without systems that can operate 24/7 with high accuracy."

Between the combination of a labor shortage and investments in infrastructure, largely AI-driven, there is a demand for skilled trade laborers right now. Approximately 20 million U.S. jobs are in the skilled trades, and there are an estimated 2.1 million job openings every year, per a new report. Retirements account for around 40% of job openings, according to the data.

Ghazal is eager to see how AI evolves with the trades.

"AI cannot come in and fix a broken business. AI can help a successful business accelerate their success and grow their success," he said. "In the future, we'll be able to predict failure and be proactive as opposed to reactive to a problem."

Gharamany says this is a new tool in his bag that accompanies his expertise.

"It makes life much easier for senior techs so I can focus more on what I do best," he said.

"Oh, there she is," MacNiven said as the family approached their destination on El Camino Real in San Bruno.

It's not because of the price at the pump. In fact, the MacNivens don't buy gas at all.

"I think it's hilarious that even though we only have electric cars, we still end up going to the gas station," MacNiven said.

That's because the real draw here isn't outside. It's on the shelves.

Welcome to Hangry Planet, billed as North America's first fully plant-based gas-station convenience store, where the usual road-trip indulgences, hot dogs, chips, breakfast sandwiches, even soft serve, come without meat or dairy.

"A gas station convenience store that is entirely plant based, you just don't ever hear that marriage happening, and you might not expect that," MacNiven said. "It really works out. I got to say, the baby is beautiful."

What began as an experiment is now part of a much bigger appetite. Americans spent $7.9 billion on plant-based foods in 2025, about twice the $3.9 billion spent in 2017, according to the Good Food Institute.

Hangry Planet was the brainchild of entrepreneur Bobak Bakhtiari, who believed the bigger opportunity wasn't simply serving people already looking for vegan food. It was reaching everyone else.

"I felt like, with a high-traffic, junk-food milieu of convenience stores, it's the perfect environment to help educate and transform people's habits," Bakhtiari said.

The transformation wasn't painless. Bakhtiari said sales initially fell about 20% after the store went fully plant-based, leaving him wondering whether he had made a costly mistake.

Then customers started finding it. Instead of simply stopping in because Hangry Planet happened to be along the way, plant-based shoppers began going out of their way to get there.

Bakhtiari said sales eventually climbed about 30%.

This year, Bakhtiari sold the San Bruno property and business. He said the deal topped $12 million, millions more than he once thought the site would fetch.

For Bakhtiari, the sale offered something more valuable than a big payday: evidence that an unconventional idea could also make business sense.

For the MacNivens, the calculation is more personal.

Tyler and his wife, Kelly, eat mostly plant-based, while their three young children still eat meat. They aren't trying to dictate what their kids eat. Instead, they want them to grow up knowing there are other choices — choices they believe can be better for animals and the planet.

That includes some decidedly unconventional convenience-store fare, including jerky made from mushrooms.

Kelly MacNiven said that even though plant-based doesn't automatically mean unprocessed, when weighing those concerns against conventional meat, she sees a different set of tradeoffs.

"I'm more concerned about the idea that they'd be coming from a cow that has also had a lot of processing happening and a lot of antibiotics, and what that does to the world," she said.

Lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 1330 by State Sen. Jesse Arreguín (D-Oakland) in a bipartisan vote on Monday, ahead of a legislative deadline. The bill places utility workers in the same class of other protected public service professionals such as peace officers, health care workers, nurses and lifeguards.

If signed into law, assault or battery against utility workers would be punishable by imprisonment of up to one year in county jail, a $2,000 fine, or both.

"SB 1330 comes at a critical time where our frontline workers are being attacked while being on the frontlines of supporting our communities' health and safety," Arreguín said in a statement Tuesday.

The bill's passage in the legislature follows recent attacks against utility workers.

In March, contract workers for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in El Dorado County were shot at as they were attempting to replace a power pole. One of the workers was injured, along with two sheriff's deputies who were shot during a standoff with the suspect. The suspect was later taken into custody.

Last month, a crew with Southern California Edison was shot at as they were working in the community of Mentone in San Bernardino County. The suspect died following a shootout with sheriff's deputies.

According to Arreguín's office, there have been at least 450 violent incidents or threats targeting workers of California's major utility companies since 2024.

Elite Armory is seeking approval to open an indoor shooting range, firearms training facility and retail store at 2615 N. Main St., in a vacant commercial building formerly occupied by Lewis Carpeting.

Francisca Hernandez, a longtime employee of Jim's Auto Body Shop just a few doors down, said she knows the property well.

"This was the site of a nice furniture shop. I'd always wave to the guy that owned it and see the trucks with loads of carpet."

When Lewis Carpeting left the location months ago, Hernandez said nearby businesses took plenty of guesses as to what might replace it.

But when she heard an Elite Armory indoor gun range was being proposed, she said she couldn't see it happening.

"The apartment buildings behind here. And being so close to the freeway, that would worry me."

The project is before Walnut Creek's Design Review Commission Wednesday night.

The commission is not voting on whether the gun range can open. Instead, commissioners are reviewing the proposed design and providing advisory comments to the Planning Commission, which will later consider the Conditional Use Permit needed for the project.

The proposal calls for a 1,280-square-foot addition to the existing 3,000-square-foot building.

Elite Armory already operates a gun and ammunition retail location in Castro Valley, but that location does not include a shooting range.

The company said safety is a top priority and that its facilities go "significantly above and beyond" state and federal requirements.

On noise, Elite Armory says it worked with Action Target, one of the country's largest range builders, to design a facility that minimizes noise both inside and outside.

Not everyone living nearby is concerned about the proposal.

Lori Sandoval said her husband is a hunter and that she has been to several gun ranges herself.

"I've been to a few gun ranges, you have to prove that you have a permit. You can't just walk in and start shooting. They aren't loud outside, they are perfectly insulated."

The project still has a long way to go before the Planning Commission considers the Conditional Use Permit.

Moshi Moshi has been serving sushi rolls and teriyaki at Third and 18th streets for nearly 40 years, long before Chase Center opened and Mission Bay began its rapid expansion.

"We have staff that were kids raised coming here," general manager Sarah Spradling said. "It feels like a very neighborhood spot."

Spradling has watched the restaurant's customer base evolve along with the surrounding Dogpatch and Mission Bay neighborhoods. The opening of Chase Center and expansion of the UCSF Mission Bay campus have brought more people and potential customers to the area.

"We have clients who come to every Warriors game and now regular Valkyries fans," Spradling said. "We have one who comes to almost every game with one, two, six people."

As restaurants contend with rising labor, food and operating costs, Spradling said certain events at Chase Center provide an important influx of customers. She estimated that the 2025 NBA All-Star events increased Moshi Moshi's revenue by at least 20% during that weekend.

"We prep more, get more things ready for it, and add more staff on for those things," Spradling said. "We've had to figure out how to balance it."

A study found that the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend generated more than $328 million in economic activity across the San Francisco Bay Area. But economists caution that large regional estimates do not necessarily show how much money reached individual neighborhood businesses or whether the gains continued after visitors left.

Anoshua Chaudhuri, an economics professor at San Francisco State University, said restaurants and other small businesses often experience short-term sales increases during major events, but research has not consistently demonstrated lasting economic growth.

"When you're looking at one-time events, a lot of the economic impact analysis has not shown anything beyond that particular day," Chaudhuri said. "It doesn't do much to the economy other than maybe create a branding effect or an uptick in tourism."

Chaudhuri said that branding effect can still matter. A successful, widely televised event can improve a city's image and potentially encourage visitors to return, producing longer-term benefits that are more difficult to measure.

Economists say events such as the Olympics may leave a larger economic footprint when host cities build transportation systems, venues or other infrastructure that residents continue using after the event ends.

For some customers at Moshi Moshi, one consequence of Mission Bay's growth and the crowds attracted by Chase Center is easier to identify.  They say finding parking has become increasingly difficult.

Spradling said large events can provide a significant boost, but staffing pressures, parking shortages and rising operating expenses remain ongoing challenges. For longstanding neighborhood businesses, the goal is to attract new customers while continuing to serve the regulars who supported them before the neighborhood became a major entertainment destination.

For 87-year-old Donna Barker, it's just dinner. 

Every evening, before she heads out, she makes herself a martini — shaken, not stirred — touches up her lipstick, and heads to her favorite spot in town. But Barker doesn't hop in a rideshare. She just catches an elevator.

"Initially, I didn't come here for the food, but you can't drag me away from here now," she said.

That's because her favorite restaurant is smack dab in the middle of her retirement community, Villa Marin, and the menu is created by executive chef Ensan Wong, whose resume includes The French Laundry, one of the most exclusive kitchens in America.

"Here I found the satisfaction, the reward that you put a smile to them, meal after meal," Wong said.

It's called resort-style senior living: a new category of retirement communities built less like nursing homes and more like luxury cruise ships. A recent report shows the senior living market is expected to soar from $76 billion in 2026 to $102 billion by 2031.

"People are planning for this years in advance. The average courtship is three years," Villa Marin CEO Nicole Mashburn said.

Mashburn said baby boomers are redefining retirement, right down to who runs the place. Villa Marin is self-governed by its residents who own their apartments and pay an average of $6,000 a month in HOA fees. That includes housekeeping, paddle courts, a library, a salon, and a fully equipped health center with on-site medical staff.

"It was a place to come and die, and now it's a place to come and live," Mashburn said.

Retirees want more than a nice apartment, too. They're asking for more adventurous cuisine, pickleball courts, and classes taught by local universities. Some want more ways to volunteer and give back. Others, especially those who are widowed or divorced, are hoping for a second shot at love.

Ken Dychtwald, a psychologist who's written extensively about the golden years, says with more than 80 million Americans now over the age of 65, expect to see a lot more of these luxury senior communities. But he cautions not everyone can afford them.

"It's fine if you're wealthy, but for the average person, they're just out of touch, out of range right now, but that's going to change in the coming years," he said.

As for Barker, her retirement has never tasted better. 

"I got the pot roast and the vegetables and the grilled Brussels sprout, which is my favorite," she said.

The Presidio first began guarding the Bay in 1776, so things move a little slower there.  That includes the newest restaurant, The Mess Hall at the Presidio, which co-founder Rob Gaon said has been in the works for "3.8 years" now.

"You walk into the Presidio, it's like going back in time in California, right?" he said.  "Um, you know, working with a federal agency has its challenges."

It's the first brick-and-mortar dining spot on the Tunnel Tops, although it's actually the top half of a wooden building, circa 1898, that was moved to its location at the top of the hill.

"They picked it up, put it in the parking lot," said Gaon. "It sat in the parking lot while they were building the park for four years.  And then they built a foundation and moved it to this location."

The former Army butcher shop, feed store and mailroom now offers a cocktail and wine bar, cafe, specialty foods market, and a restaurant serving a collection of seafood, Korean dishes, and sandwiches and burgers — what Gaon refers to as "elevated fast food." But with the crowd that showed up on Saturday, the food was anything but fast.

"Uh, the food I've had so far has been good once we've gotten it.  We've been waiting for about an hour," said San Francisco resident Phil Zahniel.

But just as he was saying that, a harried and apologetic server brought out his burger.

"Oh, all right. That's everything," Phil said, as the worker apologized again. "No worries, you guys are doing great. Keep it up. Thank you," Phil said.

"The locals have been saying, 'Oh my gosh, we've been following this thing for years, we're so excited.'  And they have come out in masses today, a little overwhelming," said Gaon with a laugh. 

But if the service wasn't exactly breathtaking, the views from the restaurant were. Just about every major landmark in the city — the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Palace of Fine Arts, the downtown skyline — is all part of the Mess Hall's vista.

"It's crazy amazing. This is what San Francisco's all about, I feel like," said San Francisco resident Janette Marcelo, sitting at one of the outdoor tables. "You just come here, and you're like, 'OK, I'm so happy that I live here.'"

The 6,200-square-foot space overlooks Crissy Field and has room for 81 people indoors and another 120 people on the outdoor patio. For many, the history of the building and its location only add to the experience.

"They really took the time to think about the history of this place and integrate it with our life today and the hope for the future," said diner Juli Polanco. "There's families and children outside.  What a great continuity of life on this special place."

"I'm interested in history," said Leanne Chappell from Davis.  "I really like the idea that the Presidio is keeping the historical side of what was here.  It feels like it will be here forever."

There aren't a lot of restaurants that enjoy that kind of longevity these days. So, if the Mess Hall at the Presidio follows the normal timelines in the area, it may have a better chance than most, providing that customers are willing to bring a little patience with them.

Late last year, the California Department of Motor Vehicles approved a new expansion for the Bay Area, Sacramento and much of Southern California to the Mexican Border. 

Waymo announced Friday that the California Public Utilities Commission approved the robotaxi company's application for those areas.

"This is an important milestone that will allow Waymo to bring the safety and mobility benefits millions of Californians already enjoy to more communities across the state," Waymo said. 

The company said it's receiving its permits, but the expansion will be gradual and "guided by its safety framework." It plans to launch in San Diego later this summer and will continue to validate its technology in Sacramento. An exact date for when the services will expand was not released.

Waymo offers driverless rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta and Phoenix. It hopes to also expand its operations to Dallas, Miami and Washington, D.C.

Its services have been restricted to the San Francisco Peninsula, San Jose and within the Los Angeles city limits. 

The company said it was involved in an estimated 94% fewer serious injury crashes over the course of 220 million autonomous miles. 

Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife stood alongside developer Colin Behring this week at a community meeting held inside the historic building on Thomas L. Berkley Way and Franklin Street, where Behring hopes to open the data center. The building once housed a supercomputer facility for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

"Help us de-escalate the tensions that are circulating right now with the facts of this process," Fife said, addressing the media.

Fife said she remains committed to "the responsible use of technology" in Oakland, and told residents she believes the project could give downtown Oakland an economic boost while requiring oversight.

"I am committed, as the city is committed, to responsible technology in the city of Oakland," Fife said.

Still, many Oaklanders remain skeptical. One Oakland native who attended the meeting said she wants more clarity on how the project would affect everyday residents.

"I'm just really wondering about the actual impact on people," she said, adding that she hopes the city is selective "about who we're inviting into these spaces."

Those concerns are echoed by an opposition campaign called "No Data Centers in Oakland," which has raised concerns online about energy and water consumption, as well as pollution linked to large-scale data operations. Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu, from Oakland, is among those who shared the petition on Instagram.

Behring says his proposal is not comparable to the sprawling data campuses often associated with AI infrastructure.

"How does an IT floor differ from a 500-acre, gigawatt campus in the middle of Texas?" Behring said, arguing that misinformation has fueled some of the backlash. "There's a lot of fact and fiction that flies around."

According to Behring, the IT portion would occupy just one floor of the existing four-story office building — a fraction of the total space.

"The total IT space in there-- on one floor-- is minuscule," he said. His company's website reads, "it offers flexible office and research space for AI, robotics, and technology companies, with a dedicated technical infrastructure area supporting on-site teams who need direct, hands-on access to their own hardware.

Behring also said the facility would rely on closed-loop cooling systems, which he says would not waste water. He said he has already given 15 tours of the space to startups interested in leasing.

Despite the concerns, Fife framed the project as part of a broader push to bring new life to the city's core.

"We want to revitalize the downtown area," she said.

If the developer's plans extend beyond what the zoning allows for, it will go before the full City Council for a vote. CBS News Bay Area will continue following the process as it moves forward.

The vacant four-story building at the corner of Franklin and 20th in Oakland is no stranger to technology. Before it closed, it housed a supercomputer for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with a 20-megawatt power capacity. And that was just what CEO Colin Behring was looking for.  

His company built a 38-story luxury apartment building on the same block, with the bottom two floors devoted to a high-tech workspace called "STAK." The idea is for tech workers to live and work in the same building.  In a statement to the San Francisco Business Times, Behring said, "In an era where AI and high-performance computing are reshaping every industry, that legacy presents a strategic advantage as we expand the STAK Ventures ecosystem and deepen our ties to the venture and technology communities."

But it seems not everyone is eager to deepen those ties.

"I think if I saw 'AI' up there I would be scared, you know?" said Oakland resident Leslie Cologne, looking up at the building. "I think I've lived too long to understand the world in general! And this is one of those things that flags my lack of comprehension of most things happening in my midst."

For many, the whole idea of data centers and artificial intelligence has become a symbol for not caring about people. At least, that's how resident Dulama LeGrand sees it.

"A data center wouldn't help someone who has to sleep on the sidewalk," he said. "That'd just provide more money for people who already have money. So, it's not necessarily a technology problem.  It's more of a human problem. The way humans treat others." 

As San Francisco and San Jose focus on developing AI in the cyber world, the East Bay is being seen as a place where it can be put into practice. Behring's STAK model envisions Oakland as a place where robotics and autonomous vehicles can be developed and eventually manufactured. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos recently leased space in a large industrial building in West Oakland to do the same thing for what is being called Project Prometheus.  

But back out on 20th Street, a woman who called herself "America" said she would rather the property be put to a more humanitarian use.

"It's great for whoever is purchasing because it fits their mold.  But it does not take into consideration human life, livelihood," she said. "They're not telling the full story. And then it becomes, like, 'jokes on you!' When it goes up and you're like, 'whoa, whoa, whoa,' you're like, it's too late.  It's built."

Even though the purchase was announced back in December, the city of Oakland says it has received no proposals from the company. In a statement today, a spokesperson said, "Staff are currently developing frameworks for City leadership to support evaluation of new and growing industries, so that Oaklanders can best benefit from the opportunities they present, while balancing the greater needs of our business and resident communities."

The Behring Companies did not respond to CBS News Bay Area's request for comment on Wednesday.  But earlier, the company reported that 15 robotics companies toured the building in the first two weeks of marketing the space.

The rally came hours before the city hosted its first mobile outdoor vendor clinic, an education and outreach event designed to help vendors navigate the permitting process and comply with food-safety requirements.

Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it.

"Why are you criminalizing vending? People are trying to make an honest living that helps to pay bills, to keep us from below the poverty level," said Raven Lee, a street vendor.

Lee said Alameda County and Oakland authorities shut down her lemonade stand in June and seized her equipment during an enforcement operation in Uptown Oakland. She said police shut down illegal street vendors throughout the area that day.

"That was the crazy part, because we didn't get tickets. They just threw away people's stuff," Lee said.

In cellphone video from one crackdown, a vendor can be heard yelling at officers, "This is how I make my living. Who's going to give me food tomorrow?"

In another video, a vendor asks, "what is my daughter being detained for?"

Vendors said the city and county began the crackdown around April. Following repeated enforcement operations, vendors joined forces to form the Oakland Street Vendors' Collective, which operates much like a union representing vendors.

Needa Bee, a co-founder of the collective, said the group represents 89 vendors.

At Thursday's rally, vendors called on the city to work with them rather than punish them.

"They're treating us like we're criminals. On the books, to sell food without a permit is an infraction. It's akin to jaywalking. But they're treating us like we're selling dope," Bee said.

City officials, however, said the enforcement is not intended to unfairly target street vendors. They said the rules are designed to protect public health and ensure food is prepared and sold safely.

Oakland Assistant City Administrator Chuck Baker said the city wants to help vendors understand what they need to do to operate legally.

The vendor clinic was designed "to help them understand the permitting process. To help them understand what it takes to be compliant with state laws, county laws, ordinances at the city level so that we can help them be successful," Baker said.

Baker said enforcement is part of the city's responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy community, particularly when food is involved.

"With respect to enforcement, compliance is part of making sure we have a safe and healthy community, right? When you're dealing with food handling, there's regulations that come from the state and county," Baker said.

Lee attended the city's vendor clinic to learn what she needs to do to resume operating her lemonade stand. She said she has not worked since authorities seized her equipment.

"That lemonade that I sell, it helps to pay my bills," Lee said. "Financially, it's not good. I'm really having a hardship right now." 

City officials said they plan to hold additional events to make it easier for street vendors to obtain permits and complete required food-safety inspections.

Meanwhile, some vendors have sued the city to obtain public records related to the seizure and destruction of vendor equipment.

Grocery Outlet took over the former Safeway location on Bay Street, which closed in 2023 after the company said the store didn't meet financial expectations. The closure left roughly 20,000 people living within a half-mile of the site with one less full-service grocery store.

Shepherd Sanders, a resident who spoke with CBS News Bay Area back in 2023 when the Safeway closed, said at the time the loss would mean extra trips across the city just to buy groceries.

"This gonna be tough because now I've got to catch the bus way to Market Street, or catch the bus down at Embarcadero just to shop," Sanders said in 2023.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie livestreamed a ribbon-cutting ceremony early Thursday as the new Grocery Outlet store opened its doors.

It offers fresh produce, meat, dairy, household essentials and discounted name-brand products.

"For many families, food has been difficult without a full-scale grocery store these past three years since the Safeway closed in 2023," Lurie said.

One shopper we heard from, who is caring for his elderly mother, said the new store will save him time he didn't have while the neighborhood went without a grocery store.

"Having to get away and... that takes extra time and stuff like that," Alex said. "This is helpful... it takes a lot of my time and weight off my chest here."

The store is independently owned and operated by Jacqueline and Joel Lanoie, who said their focus is on providing affordable groceries to the community. They noted their pride in joining a company with San Francisco roots -- Grocery Outlet was founded in the city and is celebrating its 80th anniversary this weekend.

"Our focus is delivering affordable groceries for our customers," Joel Lanoie said.

The Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District said the opening matters because the neighborhood is more than a tourist stop.

"People live here, they work here — that's why this opening is so important," said Bri Maughan of the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District.

Nearby workers welcomed the opening as well. A pair of women who work at the Williams Sonoma corporate office close to the store said their entire office had been anticipating the day.

"Excited to have another option... I think also having more variety to have another place to shop," one of the women said. "Our whole office was really excited so lots of excitement around this area."

While a Trader Joe's sits across the street and the new Grocery Outlet adds another nearby option, neither store is a full-service supermarket on the scale of the Safeway that once anchored the block.

Mission Barns founder and CEO Eitan Fischer has always been passionate about environmental sustainability and animal welfare, which is why his company has developed cell-cultivated pork.

He and his San Francisco-based team created pork with the conventional agricultural practices, all coming from one pig.

"Started with a small sample that we took from a live pig. We took that sample and fed it with base nutrients as the sample grew, we're now able to make real pork just without having to slaughter the animal," explained Fischer.

He and his team of scientists then combined that pork fat with pea protein.

"Being able to grow pork this way, this is really a new step in the evolution of agriculture where -- for the first time -- we don't need to raise entire animals to grow the foods that we love," he said.

The FDA has recently approved Mission Barns products, including cell-cultivated pork meatballs, sausages and bacon.

"Without needing repeat samples or additional pigs, through this system, we are able to take one pig's cells and take them much farther than if we were to grow a pig conventionally," Fischer said.

"Pork is the most consumed meat in the world, and has a very significant contribution to our greenhouse gas emissions," he added.

He added that with influenzas like swine flu, along with bird flu transmitting to pigs, his methodology is sustainable.

"We've already seen avion influenza jump from birds to pigs, and threaten not just the pork supply but also human health in the country. By growing pork in a much more sustainable way, without requiring the dense confinement of animals the way we do in conventional agriculture, we're significantly reducing the risk of these influenzas," Fischer said.  

Brandon Gillis, the founder of Fiorella restaurant in San Francisco, agreed.

"To cure or fix a lot of the problems that we have from an environmental and food, supply and safety chain standpoint that we need a host of solutions. Just relying on farm to table is not going to cut it in any way. I think what they're doing has a lot of practical applicability," Gillis said.

He is the first restaurateur to partner with Mission Barns to sell dishes made with cell-cultivated pork.

Gillis added that they will be starting off by hosting a dinner series once a week at Fiorella's Sunset location using Mission Barns products. The neighborhood Italian restaurant owner also said that introducing cell-cultivated pork in a city that thrives off technology and innovation is beneficial.

"I feel as long as the products are really good and presented in a way that the consumer can understand and feel good -- and it has to taste really good -- I think people will be really receptive," Gillis said.

But Dr. Ricardo San Martin, the director of Alt: Meat Lab at UC Berkeley, said that there's a significant decline in trends for alternative meat products on the market. 

"The economics are terribly bad. So even considering technological changes and being optimistic, it's just non-scalable at a reasonable price or cost," San Martin told CBS News Bay Area. 

He added that the conversation in his class is how to find innovative ways to make the source of our foods more sustainable, rather than replicating yet another meat product. 

"Bottom line, there are some challenges replicating nature that are doable, and some that are not doable no matter how smart you are and how much money you have. You cannot do everything. And with plants, we have a limited palette of ingredients, and it's not like you can treat to do everything. You cannot treat plants to do fish, you cannot treat plants to one day taste like pork," he added. 

The professor also said that products that are cell-cultivated will still taste different, no matter the packaging. 

"Fat is not 1%. I mean, it has to be around the percentage of real food, which is level 20. A burger may have 10 to 20% fat, so the more delicious burgers are the ones that have more fat. So you're adding let's say, 10% of a very expensive ingredient, with the claim that the already not so good taste notes in plant-based food are going to be masked by this," he said. 

Fischer, however, said this is a monumental moment in the food system. And he understands the challenges the competition of 100% pork products on the shelves. 

"This is for the first time, the consumer can go to a supermarket and buy real pork made without a pig," he said.

While there is no set date yet as to when the products will roll out in the grocery stores, Fischer said he has bigger goals for his mission.

 "Our goal is to be competitive over time with conventional pricing. Of course, the products that we have with all the flavor and deliciousness that meatballs and bacon offer, don't have the sustainability, animal welfare or health issues that some of the conventional meat products have," he said. 

The project, which is expected to take two years, has brought construction noise, dust and the loss of nearby parking spaces, all of which merchants say have driven customers away.

"A lot of merchants around here have been complaining, and they've been talking to the contractor," said Edward Siu, the head of Chinatown Merchants Association. Siu said some stores have reported a 60% drop in business since construction began, citing the lack of parking, noise and dust as key factors keeping shoppers away.

At Charming Sun Market, the owner says the problems go beyond lost foot traffic. He says vibrations from the construction have caused rock and sand to fall from the basement ceiling — He estimates about 30 pounds of material so far — and knocked out electricity in part of the space.

"She practically has to like clean it every day because like it keeps dropping every day," said a staff member of the market.

Siu said the market owner is not alone.

"And also another one, a restaurant down on the Kearny, they have the water leaking on the basement," Siu added. He's referring to Garden Restaurant, which also has a sub-sidewalk basement and is vulnerable to leaks if pipes or concrete gives way.

Tan Chow from the Chinatown Community Development Center sent CBS News Bay Area photos of the Garden Restaurant incident.

"These are pics of a sewage backup since the bridge demo started 10 days ago," said Chow.

The city says those damage claims are under investigation.

"After a thorough investigation is completed, and it's found that this construction did cause some damages, then the city will make good on keeping people whole for what's been done," said Rachel Gordon of San Francisco Public Works.

Siu also said parking near the square was removed without enough notice to businesses. "They took the parking spaces. Why can they do that, you know, without talking to us?" he said.

Gordon acknowledged that construction of this scale inevitably affects the surrounding area. "That is just standard with a construction project of this magnitude," she said, adding that the city is working to limit the impact by adding parking, improving transit access and opening public restrooms nearby.

"We are going to be working as a city on a more robust, open-for-business campaign," Gordon said. "We are hoping that people come down and continue to shop and eat in Chinatown businesses."

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, which oversees the renovation itself, also responded to the concerns. In a statement, spokesperson Daniel Montes said the $73 million project represents one of the largest investments ever made in the park and will eventually create "a brighter, more welcoming, and more spacious public gathering place that will serve Chinatown for generations to come."

Montes said the department is working closely with Public Works, community organizations and merchants to minimize impacts, and that staff continues to meet directly with business owners to address concerns as they come up. He pointed to vibration monitors placed around the project area and new signage encouraging visitors to keep supporting Chinatown businesses during construction. He also cited the bridge demolition -- one of the project's biggest construction elements -- as an example of efficient work, noting the bulk of it was completed in just two weeks.

For Chinatown residents like Wilma Pang, the wait still feels long. "It's just a long time," she said, recalling when the square buzzed with music and gathered seniors. "We used to play music there and entertain the seniors, and now we really miss that, you know?"

Pang says she's hopeful about the renovated square -- but just as hopeful the businesses around it can hold on until it opens.

The MyFirstEV program offers $3,500 off any new zero-emission vehicle priced up to $50,000, and $1,750 off a used EV priced up to $25,000 through the manufacturer's certified pre-owned vehicle program. California's $135.5 million investment in the program is matched by participating automakers at the point of sale.

Newsom announced the rollout at a press conference Friday at the Bridge Yard event venue in Oakland next to the Bay Bridge toll plaza. The program began Friday with Hyundai/Genesis, Lucid, and Tesla participating in the initial rollout. Other EV manufacturers participating later this month will include Ford, Rivian, Chevrolet and Kia. Next month, Toyota/Lexus, Honda and Subaru will join the program, while Mitsubishi will begin in November. Nissan and Volvo's participation dates are still being determined.

Buyers would have to sign a document attesting that the electric vehicle is the first one they have bought or leased.

The MyFirstEV program, which Newsom signed into law last month as part of Senate Bill 168, is part of California's $600 million push toward more clean-vehicle usage included in the 2026-2027 budget. The money is also earmarked for clean transportation projects, clean bus and truck voucher incentives, replacement of heavy-duty polluting engines, and help for clean vehicle purchase for Californians with lower incomes.

Newsom had promised to renew a rebate program for electric vehicles in the state if the Trump administration eliminated the federal tax credit, which was accomplished after Congress passed the administration's "Big, Beautiful Bill" last year. 

"While Donald Trump is hellbent on burning more expensive fossil fuels and raising costs for Americans, California is proving there's a better way," Newsom said in a prepared statement. "California is showing the world what real economic security looks like. It's one that can't be held hostage by foreign conflicts and Big Oil. The Golden State is leading the charge on building a reliable, affordable clean future."

CBS News Bay Area has reached to the White House for a response.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will administer the MyFirstEV program, with participation on a first-come, first-served basis until the funding runs out.

AB 1720, the California Fans First Bill authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) would cap resale markups at 10% for tickets to certain concerts and other live entertainment events.

"What's happening at [San Francisco's] Castro Theatre is the same as what's happening at Outside Lands," Haney said. "The tickets go up for sale. Let's say 2,000 tickets at Castro Theatre, a huge number of them, in some cases the majority, are bought not by fans but by scalpers."

The proposal targets secondary ticket marketplaces such as StubHub and Gametime. It would not apply to sporting events or venues and festivals that hold more than 3,000 people, including the Outside Lands festival in the city's Golden Gate Park this weekend.

Under the legislation, if tickets to an event at a smaller venue were originally sold for $100, a reseller could charge no more than $110.

"These are organized multimillion-, sometimes billion-dollar operations," Haney said. "They scoop them up, sometimes using bots before fans can get there, then charge four, five, six times as much in order to go see the concert."

Some consumer advocates, however, argue that restricting the secondary market will not significantly lower ticket prices if concert and ticketing giants such as Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster are allowed to continue operating as they do now.

"It seems unbelievably one-sided to have it only impact what little competition there is against the monopoly and not have it impact the monopoly," said Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California. "The monopoly is exempted from the bill."

Earlier this year, a federal jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster violated antitrust laws and monopolized part of the primary ticketing market.

Live Nation Executive Vice President Dan Wall disputed the broader characterization of the company as a monopoly during a May interview with CBC.

"What the verdict says is that we have monopolized 20% of the primary ticketing market, not the whole thing," Wall said. "I don't call that a monopoly, and I'm actually confident that over time the courts won't call that a monopoly."

Haney calls the current ticketing system a scam and says AB 1720 is a necessary first step toward addressing a much more complicated pricing problem.

"This is happening at small theaters, big venues like Chase [Center in San Francisco] and festivals," Haney said. "We have to put an end to it."

Haney said that if a resale cap proves effective for smaller venues, lawmakers could consider expanding similar protections to larger events in the future.

AB 1720 has passed three Senate policy committees. The bill could reach the Senate floor later this month, although Haney acknowledged that advancing it to that stage may be difficult.

The Lucky supermarket on Fulton Street in the North of the Panhandle neighborhood will close in mid-September. Its parent company, Save Mart, says the location has been losing money for years. 

The site was a Petrini Plaza supermarket from the 60s and later an Albertsons. It was purchased by Save Mart's parent company in 2025, saying it planned on operating under the Lucky banner for the long term.

District 6 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who represents the area, called the planned closure "a serious loss for this neighborhood" and says constant theft at the store was a factor. 

"I have been told that their decision is final after years of financial underperformance and ongoing retail theft. Not only are 48 workers impacted, but many families, seniors, and students will be affected who relied on this grocery store," Sherrill said in a statement. "We have made real progress on public safety by working closely with Mayor [Daniel] Lurie and SFPD, but the work is far from over, especially when retailers continue to tell us that theft and operating costs threaten already-thin grocery margins." 

A spokesperson for The Save Mart Companies did not mention retail theft as being among the reasons for the closure, first announced in March in a state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice, instead citing long-term unprofitability.

'We routinely assess the performance of all of our stores to ensure they meet business standards, and after an extended period of underperformance, we made the difficult decision to close this location," said Phil Keene, Save Mart's senior director of communications and government affairs.

For many NoPa residents, the store is more than just a place to shop.

"A lot of people depend on this place because it's the only, like, big market in the area," one shopper said. "It's very convenient; it has everything I need. People are going to miss it for sure because there's no other alternative for it."

Customers who walk, bike or take public transit to get their groceries say the closure will hit especially hard.

"I've always shopped here," said another customer, Yondome Cade.

Shoppers say they don't see another option nearby that can replace it. Some worry the closure could create a gap in access to healthy, fresh food in the area.

"Gonna be a food desert," Cade said.

The concern is especially acute for seniors and people with mobility challenges.

"The closest one will be Trader Joe's, but it's up the hill, which is pretty far from here," the other shopper said.

Residents say they hope the space doesn't sit empty, pointing to a wave of high-profile grocery closures across the city. Word of the latest closure comes about nine months after Save Mart closed another Lucky supermarket in San Francisco's Bayview District.   Last year, Safeway closed its Fillmore District location about a mile away, citing theft and safety concerns. 

District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood says preventing vacancies like this one is exactly what he's been trying to do. He scrapped an earlier version of his "Affordable Groceries Act" after pushback from the mayor and fellow supervisors. That version would have asked voters to approve a tax on long-term vacant storefronts while offering incentives to attract new grocery stores.

"It was blocked by a minority of my colleagues on the board who don't believe corporations should be held accountable for the vacancies and zombie stores they allow to persist," Mahmood said in a statement to KPIX.

Mahmood says he's now pushing a new ordinance focused on incentives to get more grocers into vacant buildings as quickly as possible.

"I pray that they open up another store. I pray that it'll bring more jobs for people," Cade said. "This was a huge staple."

Sherrill said his focus was making sure the site does not sit vacant.

"I am actively working with Save Mart, the property owner, community and city partners, and other prospective grocers to secure another full-service market, remove unnecessary permitting barriers, curtail retail theft, and protect grocery access in this neighborhood," Sherrill said.

Keene said Save Mart was engaged with the on the closure process, consistent with a city ordinance that requires supermarkets that are closing to work with the community to explore other grocery options, among other rules. 

"After closure, we will continue to pay rent and upkeep the property until we find a replacement for this space," Keene said. "We are working to sublease the space to another grocer."

Keene also said that the company would transfer as many of the store's affected employees as possible to other nearby Lucky locations, based on availability and seniority. Two other Lucky stores are located at 1515 Sloat Boulevard and in Daly City at 6843 Mission Street.

These are challenging times both for businesses struggling to survive and their employees who can no longer afford the cost of living. So, the proposal to raise the minimum wage to $30 has created a huge chasm between the two.

"You need business owners to provide the jobs for the workers. So, if you do not provide a balance, it will die. And businesses will die and they won't come back." shouted Edward Escobar, founder of the Coalition for Community Engagement.

Both sides came to make an appeal to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The activists, who have already collected the required signatures, wanted the county to expedite the 30-dollar minimum wage onto the ballot this year. The business owners were asking the Board to first study what the effects of that might be.

"Thirty dollars is going to the ballot!" said Saru Jayaraman, president of the group, One Fair Wage. "And so, the only decision they have today is put it on the November ballot or say, 'We need more information.' So issue a 30-day report which would kick it to the next ballot, which would be '27 or '28."

Dezo Lacey said he supports it because, like so many others, he's been priced out of his hometown.

"The people can't afford to live here in Oakland," he said. "It's a shame that there's people that have full-time jobs here in Oakland who live in their cars. There are people who live two hours away from Oakland. How do we keep the community together if we can't even afford to live in our community?"

But standing away from all the hollering was Dennis Itua. For 28 years, he's owned the small African Caribbean Food Market in Oakland. The business has survived recessions, tech bubbles and a global pandemic.

"You know, as a business owner, we always have to adjust," he said.  "Adjust to see how we can maintain the business."

But most of Itua's inventory comes from other countries, so he's already been hit hard by inflation from tariffs. Now, some are demanding that he double how much he pays his employees.

"My question is, how did it get to that point?  What is it that made them go from $17 to $30?" Itua said. "The impact is going to be, you're going to see a lot of businesses closing down because no business will be able to afford to, you know, maintain those kinds of expenses coming from different angles."

The measure would phase in the $30-dollar wage depending on the size of the business. Large employers would reach that level by 2030, mid-size by 2035, and small businesses by 2037.  And it would mandate annual cost-of-living increases after that.  

The initiative would only affect the unincorporated areas of Alameda County.

Monterey County public information officer Nick Pasculli said that signage will be installed along Highway 1 near the bridge ahead of Monterey Car Week, which begins on Friday, Aug. 7. The ban covers a stretch of the highway 900 feet north of the bridge and 700 feet south of the bridge. 

Officials said parking restrictions will be in effect once the signs are fully placed.

On June 23, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the ordinance by a 4-0 vote, banning parking in the area for 12 months. 

Officials had originally sought to implement a parking ban before the Memorial Day holiday, but plans were delayed for multiple reasons, including permitting requirements, staffing needs and enforcement planning.

Supporters of the ban said the ordinance was needed to address safety concerns prompted by a rising number of visitors who stop on the side of Highway 1 to take photos of the bridge, creating a hazard. The bridge, which opened in 1932, has become known for its stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the cliffs of Big Sur.

According to Visit California, northbound traffic on the highway at Ragged Point has grown more than 900% year-over-year. In January, a stretch of Highway 1 connecting Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties reopened after landslides closed the roadway for nearly three years.

Officials also said traffic congestion at key Big Sur chokepoints, including Bixby Bridge, reached "unprecedented" levels over spring break.

While the parking ban is in effect, officials said they would apply for a coastal development permit and explore other options for parking and long-term access to the bridge.

Sunday marked the final day for Plank, the sprawling restaurant and entertainment venue at Jack London Square. Its closure raises new questions about the future of one of Oakland's best-known waterfront destinations.

Live jazz filled the square Sunday afternoon, as it often does. But inside Plank, the mood was far different. The restaurant's final day ended with mostly empty dining rooms.

When Plank opened in 2014, the venue — with bowling lanes, an arcade, bocce courts, and indoor-outdoor bars and dining — quickly became one of Oakland's biggest attractions.

General Manager Jorge Garcia has been there since the beginning.

"When we opened this place, it was all about Oakland," Garcia said. "We didn't know what to expect, but on the first day, we had a line about two blocks long just to get inside. It felt really good."

Garcia said Plank managed to stay afloat during the pandemic by taking advantage of its large outdoor space. But as inflation drove up operating costs and fewer people went out to eat or socialize, business became increasingly difficult. The closure of the Waterfront Hotel and several neighboring restaurants only added to the challenges.

"We were kind of sad because the more businesses around us, the more people come to Jack London," Garcia said. "Now we're closing and everybody, all the neighbors, are really sad because what's going to happen to them, you know? People are not going to come to Jack London like they used to."

That's been a growing concern for other businesses, in particular, Scott's Seafood.

Back in February, the restaurant's partners, Ray Gallagher and Ramiro Carabez, expressed anger with the current management company, CIM, saying it was not doing much to attract new businesses and customers to the area.

"You had a hotel and five restaurants close last year," Gallagher said. "People walked away from their investment. Is that a problem?"

"We are doing good, but we're concerned for our neighbors," Carabez said. "We're concerned for the area.  We want it to try.  We want it to be active.  We don't want to be the only restaurant on Jack London Square."

It's not the only restaurant remaining, but it's starting to feel that way to Tracy Kniesel, visiting from the Sacramento area.  She said she used to visit the square frequently with her daughter.

"It's sad. To me, it's just like a ghost town now, compared to the vibrancy of what it used to be," she said. "A lot of people are going to be not having jobs come tomorrow, and that's always sad."

Oakland residents Kenneth and Rolette Findley didn't realize it was the last day. Kenneth, who is an avid sports fan, said Plank opened just as the Warriors were becoming successful, and the place was filled with fans watching the games.  

"So, the rent goes up. You don't get the same people," he said. "The Warriors are not winning. You don't even have a sports team to root for. So, it's blasé right now. It's in the 'gray' area."

CIM did not respond to our request for comment Sunday. In its announcement that it would be closing, Plank's owners thanked Oakland for its loyalty over the years, saying, "Plank was created specifically for Oakland, and we thank you for embracing us as 'Oakland's Own.' "

"I might cry. I actually might cry to not see the Plank here, you know?" said Rolette. 

Despite the economic challenges, a new Dave and Buster's, which also offers food and an arcade, just opened nearby in May. Whether they can make it work when Plank couldn't is an unanswered question, but it is a question that every business owner at Jack London Square must be asking themselves, as well.

Researchers from the nonpartisan California Policy Lab found that Bay Area residents who left the state were 11 to 18% more likely to own a home after one year. After five years, homeownership rates rose by 33%.

"The Bay Area continues to offer tremendous economic opportunity, but it's also the most expensive metro in the country," Evan White, executive director of the lab at UC Berkeley and a study co-author, said in a statement.

People who have left the region, whether within California or outside the state, moved to neighborhoods where home values average about 50% lower and rents about 33% lower. The researchers found that movers leave Bay Area neighborhoods that are average in terms of income, home values and demographics, but the movers themselves have credit scores 23 points lower than their neighbors and carry 2.3 times as much student debt.

While their new neighborhoods are more affordable, the researchers noted former residents who left the state arrived in places where their new neighbors earn about 23% less than their old neighbors.

School quality is also a concern, particularly for movers who leave for other parts of California. Researchers found that former residents' new local elementary schools have 4 to 8% lower proficiency in both math and reading on California standardized tests.

The study found that movers relocate to neighborhoods that have higher overall vulnerability on the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index, which captures exposure to extreme weather and disasters, along with social, economic and infrastructure vulnerabilities.

"Our research shows many residents are achieving affordable homeownership elsewhere, but often at the cost of lower incomes, lower-performing schools, or greater climate risk," White added.

Researchers also noted that while San Francisco experienced outmigration during the pandemic, the city has experienced net-in migration since mid-2024

Prospective buyers in the city have been dealing with bidding wars and homes selling far above asking. The rental market has also proven to be tough, with the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment going over $6,000 a month, according to a recent analysis.

"One of the broader questions our report raises is who gets to live in the Bay Area?" said co-author Brett Fischer. "Our research strongly suggests that high housing prices are pushing people out, a trend that some fear may be exacerbated by the AI boom putting more pressure on housing prices."

The research draws from credit data that anonymously tracked the same households from 2014 through 2025. Among those who moved over that timeframe, about 54% moved within the same county in the Bay Area, while another 19% moved elsewhere in the Bay Area.

Fifteen percent of movers left the state entirely, while 6% moved to the Central Valley, another 4% moved to the Los Angeles region and the remainder moved elsewhere in California.

As the SMART train line plans stations at both Healdsburg and Cloverdale, the town of Geyserville, located in the middle, is saying, why not us?

Decades ago, when they built the Highway 101 bypass, traffic stopped flowing through downtown Geyserville, and many of the businesses on the main street closed down. 

At Catelli's restaurant, General Manager Tony Lopez said it feels like the world is still passing them by.

"So, anything that's going to bring more business back into the town, via people having to stop here, if it's a train station or an RTS or some other public transportation, the better," Lopez told CBS News Bay Area.  "Anything that can get more people into Geyserville is always a good thing."

For people in Geyserville, it has been disappointing to hear SMART's plan to go from Healdsburg up to Cloverdale, once again bypassing the community.

That is, until last year when the transit line began studying the feasibility of putting a station at Remmel Road, just a block from the main drag.

On its website, SMART says: "Evaluating a Geyserville station does not change the agency's long-term goal of restoring passenger rail service to Cloverdale. Rather, it helps position SMART to pursue funding opportunities that will support completion of the full northern extension." 

They explain that breaking the long trip up to Cloverdale into two smaller parts makes competing for federal dollars easier. 

"I mean, we're going to spend all the money to get it to Healdsburg, and then the goal is that Cloverdale is planned. Why not stop at Geyserville, you know?" said Doralice Handal.

Handal owns the Locals Tasting Room, but that's just its name.  She said it is tourism that keeps the wine business running, along with most of the other businesses in town.  So, she said it frustrates her when locals object to the idea of SMART bringing more "tourists" to town.

"The minute we leave where we sleep at night, we're technically a tourist," she said.  "If you live in Healdsburg but you go to Santa Rosa to get a bite to eat, guess what? You're a tourist.  If you go to the Walgreens in Windsor but you live in Cloverdale, you're a frickin' tourist! And it's not, like, a massive train. It's three tiny cars, right? It's this teeny, like, tinkertoy that quietly goes through the countryside. You're not even going to realize it's coming."

But it may, in fact, be coming.  And rather than having more people whizzing past Geyserville without stopping, the town that posts signs calling itself "The Wine Capital of Sonoma County" may actually be able to capitalize on the industry surrounding it.

"It'd be amazing because the people that do still like to drink wine can come see us.  Because so many populations have stopped drinking wine," Doralice said. "You know, having a train, it broadens our scope. We get that many more people coming to the area that do actually enjoy tasting wine and buying wine."

SMART has scheduled a community meeting for the evening of August 10th to inform the residents about the plan and gauge local interest.  They say the feedback will help shape any future planning efforts, and they've included a survey on their website.