A marble bust of renowned programmer and hacktivist Aaron Swartz was unveiled at the Internet Archive headquarters in San Francisco. Swartz, who passed away in 2013, played a crucial role in shaping Reddit, RSS, and Creative Commons. The unveiling comes as a tribute to his contributions to the digital world.
In other news, East Bay Parks is clearing 667 acres of dead eucalyptus trees to reduce wildfire risk in Oakland, San Leandro, and Castro Valley, amid a mass tree die-off following the 2020 drought. This project has cost millions and nearly quadrupled fuel reduction staff.
San Jose plans to partner with a private company to retrieve approximately 2,000 abandoned shopping carts annually, potentially integrating it into the city’s 311 app. However, concerns remain over penalties for cart theft and retailers’ responsibilities in preventing loss.
Liquor store clerks in Emeryville were cited for selling alcohol to minors as part of a decoy operation targeting five stores.
The CDC briefly published a report suggesting H5N1 bird flu could spread from birds to cats and possibly humans, but removed it without explanation. This was following two cases where one cat might have contracted bird flu from humans and another where the virus may have been transmitted to a human.
School closures in at least ten states were reported due to the recent flu surge, with 38,255 hospitalizations recorded just last week. The CDC reported “very high” flu activity levels in 27 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and “high” levels in 14 states.
Nearly 30,000 tons of food is rotting in Houston due to Trump’s pause on USAID, with Rep. Angie Craig stating that the issue has no solution.
Southern California Edison acknowledged its equipment may have started the Hurst Fire but denies clear evidence linking it to the deadly Eaton Fire. The utility is cooperating with investigators while facing lawsuits alleging negligence sparked the blaze.
Source: https://sfist.com/2025/02/08/saturday-links-cdc-publishes-then-promptly-deletes-update-on-bird-flu-transmission-between-cats-and-humans