OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press

46 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco could become the first city in the country to require every pharmacy within its borders to carry naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses caused by fentanyl and other opioids, at all times.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey will introduce a bill Tuesday that, if passed, would require every pharmacy to stock at least two nasal sprays containing the drug at all times or face fines.

The city has struggled for years with rampant fentanyl use and deadly drug overdoses, and is facing its deadliest year yet.

According to the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, there were 647 accidental drug overdose deaths in San Francisco in 2022, and over 70% of those deaths were due to fentanyl.

In the first five months of 2023, there were preliminary reports of 346 overdose deaths in the city — an increase of more than 40% from the same period in 2022. More than 79% of those deaths were related to fentanyl, according to Fentanyl the doctor’s office.

Dorsey, a recovering meth addict, said he wants universal access to naloxone because the drug saves lives when it reaches an overdosed person in time.

“This is a matter of life and death, and this is a public health crisis not seen in San Francisco since the days of the AIDS crisis,” Dorsey said.

The wider availability of naloxone is considered a key strategy to address the nationwide drug overdose crisis that results in more than 100,000 deaths in the United States each year.

Narcan, the leading brand of naloxone nasal spray, is already available without a prescription in all 50 states, where state leaders have issued standing orders to pharmacists to sell the drug to anyone who asks for it. But not all pharmacies carry it.

Dorsey said a recent “secret shopper” survey conducted by the San Francisco Department of Health found that about 20% of San Francisco pharmacies do not stock naloxone, even though they are legally allowed to provide it on request.

In San Francisco, police officers, firefighters, and paramedics are trained to recognize an opioid overdose and wear Narcan. Many public libraries, social housing and clinics are also stocked with the drug.

“We want all San Franciscans, no matter where they live, no matter where they work, to be able to go to their pharmacy and have it. This action removes another barrier to everyone’s access to this life-saving drug,” he told Dr. Jeffrey Hom, Director of Population Behavioral Health at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Dorsey’s regulation would give pharmacies a three-day back-order period for back-ordering two boxes and would penalize violators from $250 to $1,000 per violation.

In March, the Federal Drug Administration approved the over-the-counter sale of Narcan nasal spray. According to Emergent BioSolutions of Gaithersburg, Maryland, the maker of Narcan, the drug will be available this way by late summer. Other brands of naloxone and injectable forms will not be available yet, but may be available soon.

Walgreens said naloxone is already available in all pharmacies in San Francisco.

“Walgreens believes that saving lives from fatal opioid overdoses is the shared responsibility of all public health stakeholders,” said Perry Han, regional vice president of Walgreens.

In May, Walgreens agreed to pay San Francisco nearly $230 million to settle claims that the pharmacy giant helped fuel the city’s opioid epidemic.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democrats who control the state legislature late Monday agreed on how $310.8 billion will be spent over the next year and approved a plan that covering a budget deficit of nearly $32 billion without raiding the federal savings account.

The country’s most populous state has run a total budget surplus of well over $100 billion in recent years and has used that money to significantly expand government.

But that year, earnings fell as inflation soared and the stock market struggled. California derives most of its income from taxes paid by the wealthy, making it more vulnerable to economic changes than other states. Last month, the Newsom administration estimated that government spending would exceed revenue by over $30 billion.

The budget, which lawmakers are scheduled to vote on this week, will cover that shortfall by cutting some spending — about $8 billion — while delaying other spending and shifting some spending to other funds. The plan would raise $6.1 billion and set aside $37.8 billion in reserves, an all-time high.

“In the face of ongoing global economic uncertainty, this budget increases our fiscal discipline by increasing our fiscal reserves to a record $38 billion while preserving historic investments in public education, healthcare, climate and public safety,” Newsom said.

Republicans have criticized the budget as unsustainable, noting that it would likely leave the state in billions of dollars in deficits over the next few years. They said the state’s gasoline tax is due to be increased on Saturday, an automatic adjustment linked to inflation. Republicans have repeatedly tried to halt these increases, but to no avail.

“What do the Capitol Democrats have in store for you this holiday weekend? Higher Gas Prices!” Republican Assembly Chairman James Gallagher posted on Twitter.

Budget negotiations stalled over the weekend as Newsom sought major changes to the state’s building and permitting process. Newsom said the changes are necessary to speed up key construction projects, including expanding the state’s energy capacity and modernizing the state’s aging water infrastructure.

However, a group of Central Valley lawmakers feared that Newsom would use the proposal to push through a long-delayed project to build a giant tunnel to bring water to Southern California. In the end, Newsom got most of the changes he wanted — but lawmakers made sure the changes didn’t benefit the tunnel project.

The budget provides a lifeline for public transport operators struggling to survive after the sharp drop in ridership during the coronavirus pandemic. It allows transit companies to use a portion of the $5.1 billion in grants to operate over the next three years.

Still, some San Francisco Bay Area lawmakers said spending wasn’t enough to avert painful benefit cuts for years to come. On Monday they proposed legislation that would increase tolls on seven state-owned bridges — including the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge — by $1.50 over the next five years. State Senator Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat who supports the proposal, said it would generate $180 million in revenue.

Democratic Senator Steve Glazer said he would oppose any toll increase, saying in a statement, “Transport drivers and taxpayers have seen firsthand the trail of broken promises from advocates of a bridge toll increase.”

“The status quo is a failure and we shouldn’t invest another penny to support it,” he said.

The budget doesn’t add an income tax increase to cover the deficit, but it does impose a new tax on managed care organizations — private companies that contract with the state to administer Medicaid benefits. The tax would raise an estimated $32 billion over the next four years.

Some of that money would go towards increasing the revenue of doctors treating Medicaid patients. It would also offer $150 million in loans to hospitals at risk of failure. This is in addition to the $150 million approved by lawmakers earlier this year.

“In good years we have struggled so that we could meet our needs in this difficult year,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. “This pragmatic approach works for household budgeting and it works for state budgeting.”

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NEW YORK (AP) – Some of the world’s biggest celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride will begin on Sunday. Thousands are expected to march in New York, San Francisco and other North American cities in parades that will be part party, part protest.

Entertainers and activists, drag performers and transgender advocates are among the grand marshals at parades delivering a unity message this year as several US states enact new laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The parades and marches are among a series of events being hosted by the approximately 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many programs specifically targeting transgender rights.

“The platform will be raised and we will see communities across the country show their unity and solidarity through these events,” said Ron deHarte, co-president of the US Association of Prides.

Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle are all expected to hold their annual Pride parades on Sunday. More than 100 groups are expected to attend the parade in Toronto, Canada. In New York City, seven-time Grammy winner Christina Aguilera will headline a post-March concert in Brooklyn.

The New York march takes place on the last Sunday in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, when a police raid on a gay bar sparked days of protests.

Over the years, the annual observations have expanded to other cities and now include bisexual, transgender, queer and other groups.

About a decade ago, when her 13-year-old child first wanted to be called a boy, Roz Gould Keith sought help but could find little to help her family navigate their child’s transition. They attended a Pride march in the Detroit area, but saw few transgender representatives.

This year, she is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations that have taken place across the country this month.

“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the transgender community,” said Keith, the founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to empower young transgender people. Support people and their loved ones and strengthen families.

This year, she said, the event was “packed” with the portrayal of transgender people.

One of the big marshals of New York’s parade this year is non-binary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Promoting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programs,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

Many of this year’s parades served as a call to action for LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of bills currently under consideration in state houses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have decided to ban gender-based childcare and at least seven others are considering doing the same, making uniting in the transgender community even more urgent, advocates say.

“We are threatened. Prides are in jeopardy,” said Pride organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego in a statement, joined by about 50 other Pride organizations across the country. “The multiple dangers we face as the LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while varying in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they are aimed at protecting our love, our identity, our freedom, our security and our undermining life.”

Some parades, including the Chicago event, plan to increase security amid the unrest.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, have identified 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month alone, about twice the number for the entire month of June last year.

Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the June incidents coincided with Pride events.

___

AP contributors Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this report.

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JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

41 minutes ago

FILE — President Joe Biden speaks at a political rally at the Philadelphia Convention Center in Philadelphia, Saturday, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is stepping up his re-election efforts this week with four fundraisers in the San Francisco area as his campaign fills its coffers and lays strategic foundations for 2024.

In the second half of June, Biden’s campaign will include over 20 fundraisers involving the president, vice president Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, according to a person who was involved with Biden’s travel plans and insisted on anonymity to get the to discuss schedule.

More than half of the fundraisers will be at the President’s, who will also be traveling to New York, Maryland and Illinois. Addressing his campaign issues at a fundraiser Friday in Connecticut, Biden said his goal is to tell voters more about his legislative accomplishments in areas including infrastructure, computer chip production and climate change programs, among others.

“We’ve done a lot,” Biden said on Friday. “We just have to show a lot of people that we’ve made it and be honest with people. Just be as forthright as we can.”

The fundraiser follows Biden’s first campaign event Saturday in Philadelphia, where he was supported by key unions — the event marking a key constituency in an embattled state’s largest population center. It was intended as a first expression of enthusiasm for Biden’s campaign and an opportunity for him to interact directly with voters before spending much of the rest of the month meeting with wealthy well-wishers.

The spate of engagements comes before the end of the fundraising quarter at the end of the month — and Biden’s campaign finance report in July will be the first test of Democratic donors’ enthusiasm for his reelection efforts.

Biden, unlike Trump and other 2024 GOP contenders, has not revealed any references to his fundraising since announcing his candidacy in April. And his campaign launch was timed so that he didn’t have to file a campaign financial report for the first quarter, a historically difficult fundraising period.

For the first time in a US election, Biden has joint giving agreements with all 50 of the state’s Democratic parties and the Washington, DC branch, an arrangement that can help maximize giving while reducing costs in the early months of the campaign minimize. It’s part of a broader effort to unite a diverse Democratic coalition behind Biden as Republicans navigate what could be a big and divisive primary.

“While MAGA Republicans burn money in their primary elections vying to see whose agenda is most extreme, the presidential campaign will seize the opportunity to mobilize significant resources,” Biden’s campaign manager Julie C. Rodriguez said, referring to Donald Trump’s ” Make America”. Great Again” slogan.

Separately, Rodriguez travels across the United States to meet with donors, local officials and community leaders and help align the coalition. Along with other campaign officials, the tour begins in Atlanta and travels through Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and St. Louis.

Biden will not dedicate all of his time in San Francisco to campaigning. On Monday he will visit the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, California. According to the White House, he plans to tour the coastal wetland and announce $600 million for projects to combat climate change.

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JANIE HAR, Associated Press

3 hours ago

Nima Momeni, charged with murder in the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee, enters the courtroom at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco on Thursday, May 18, 2023. (Paul Kuroda/ The Standard via AP, Pool)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Technology consultant Nima Momeni on Thursday pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee on the streets of San Francisco.

San Francisco Superior Court Justice Victor Hwang ordered 38-year-old Momeni to remain in prison without bail because he posed a risk to public safety if released. Momeni, who appeared in an orange sweatshirt and trousers, said nothing and his attorney Paula Canny filed the plea on his behalf.

The case has garnered national attention, in part due to Lee’s status in the tech world. Lee was found shortly after 2:30 a.m. on April 4 with three stab wounds, including one to the heart, and was taken to a hospital, where he later died. He was found in the Rincon Hill neighborhood of downtown San Francisco, which has tech offices and condos but is quiet early in the morning.

Lee, 43, founded Cash App, a mobile payments service, and was chief product officer of cryptocurrency MobileCoin. He was mourned as a loving father of two who made friends everywhere.

Prosecutors have not revealed a motive but say Momeni stabbed Lee after an argument broke out over Momeni’s sister, who appeared in court with her mother on Thursday.

Deputy District Attorney Omid Talai on Thursday pleaded for Momeni to be held without bail, saying the defendant drove Lee to a remote location and used a knife that was part of a unique kitchen set owned by his sister. Police found a knife with a four-inch blade at the scene.

Talai said the analysis showed Momeni’s DNA on the knife’s handle and Lee’s DNA on the bloodied blade and no evidence that Lee touched the handle, contradicting Canny’s claim of self-defense for her client.

But Canny said that Momeni didn’t drive Lee to a secluded place to kill him. Instead, she said, Lee ordered him to stop after calling an Uber about the two getting into an argument. The last time Momeni saw Lee, Canny said, Lee stood up and walked away.

“People can argue without knowing that someone has been mortally wounded,” she said in court, later adding, “All of us, including my client, are heartbroken that Bob Lee has died.”

Canny said Momeni has close ties to the community and must stay and fight the charges or face deportation to Iran, which would separate him from the two people he loves most, his mother and sister. Momeni is not a US citizen.

Outside the courtroom, Canny described the encounter as “a mixture of self-defense and accident.” There was no premeditated advice.”

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins dismissed the idea when speaking to reporters after the indictment. “We believe we have Mr. Lee’s killer, and that is Mr. Momeni,” she said.

Nima Momeni was 14 years old when his mother took the children to the United States. She fled Iran and had a husband who had been abusive and violent to the family for years, his mother wrote in a letter presented to the court in support of her son’s release in court.

She said her son was generous, kind, and contributed financially when she enrolled in college to train as a dental hygienist. He taught himself computer technology.

Momeni was arrested last month at his home in Emeryville, across the street from San Francisco.

An unnamed friend of Lee told homicide detectives they had been hanging out and drinking with Momeni’s sister the day before the stabbing, prosecutors said in a motion to hold Momeni without bail.

The friend said Momeni later asked Lee if his sister was using drugs or otherwise behaving inappropriately, and Lee said she wasn’t.

The girlfriend and Lee later parted ways, and surveillance video showed Lee entering the ritzy Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister Khazar lives with her husband, renowned San Francisco plastic surgeon Dino Elyassnia. Video footage then showed Lee and Momeni exiting the building together just after 2 a.m. and driving away in Momeni’s car.

If convicted, Momeni faces 26 years in prison.

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