The Oakland Police Department has disciplined two officers for violating department policy during the Occupy Oakland protests, The Bay Citizen has learned. The suspension of one officer and the demotion of his supervisor are the first known disciplinary actions OPD officials have taken in the wake of hundreds of police misconduct complaints following the Occupy demonstrations.

It's looking likely that San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón will file misdemeanor domestic violence charges against newly sworn-in Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi. Prosecutors are "convinced this is very real," said a source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation.

The Board of Supervisors could not muster enough votes to override Mayor Ed Lee's veto of legislation that would have compelled the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department to transfer management of Sharp Park to the federal government, if an agreement could be brokered.

In the latest milepost on the rocky journey toward a new 49ers stadium, the Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday night approved a deal that allows the football team to build the stadium on a Great America parking lot and lets fans park nearby.

The dreaded D-word – "drought" – is back on the tongues of many Californians now that a dry December has crawled into a dry January. A dry December is not that unusual. But a dry January – well along into winter and usually the state's wettest month – is another matter

For the second time in one year, Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed permanently closing the Division of Juvenile Justice, a move that would make California the first state in the nation to eliminate its youth prison system and shift responsibility for the most dangerous young offenders to counties...The governor’s latest move to eliminate the DJJ has reignited a battle between county officials, who want the state to be responsible for the most dangerous juvenile offenders, and youth advocates, who say the DJJ is a broken system where juveniles are warehoused and abused.

A meeting scheduled to discuss jobs, contracting and other issues for the new Oakland Army Base development that appeared to have strong community, business and labor support was abruptly canceled Tuesday. Councilmember Jane Brunner, who is the chairwoman of the Oakland Community and Economic Development Committee and convened meetings for the past year to draft a jobs component of a community benefits package, said some residents raised questions about the report so she decided to cancel the meeting and reschedule it for Jan. 24.

Marin's war on smoking was blunted Tuesday as a measure cracking down on tobacco and other "weed" was sent back for revision to make clear the crackdown does not include marijuana. Although supervisors were in agreement with the policy when county staff last month asserted an ordinance outlawing smoking in unincorporated-area apartments included marijuana and other herbs as well as tobacco, the county board Tuesday abruptly called for revisions making clear tobacco was the only weed at issue.

It's not on their official agenda, but when the owners of Major League Baseball's 30 teams gather Wednesday in Scottsdale, Ariz., for their first meeting of 2012, observers say a proposed relocation for the Oakland A's to San Jose is an almost unavoidable topic of discussion. Many believe a decision on a move is expected soon -- and that the A's are running out of time for an up-or-down nod from commissioner Bud Selig over breaking the San Francisco Giants' territorial rights to the South Bay. Three-quarters of the owners also must agree.

The Santa Rosa City Council has taken on the responsibility for winding down the work of its redevelopment agency, which is set to be dissolved by the state Feb. 1...A recent state Supreme Court ruling authorizing the state to eliminate about 400 redevelopment agencies statewide requires all agencies to make the successor decision by Jan. 13.