Month: May 2026

By Sara Donchey

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Every artist has a different medium. For Ida Lajevardi, it’s metal, and her canvas is teeth.

“No two designs are the same, especially if you handmake them, which I usually do. So every piece is unique to you,” Lajevardi said.

Born and raised in Tehran, Lajevardi found an interesting and unexpected path to the art of grill making. She stumbled upon a photo of her paternal grandfather and grew curious about the gold teeth in his mouth.

“It really stuck with me, and I was like, ‘ Why are grills not a thing in Iran at all?’ ” she said.

Lajevardi was determined to teach herself how to make grills. Popularized by hip-hop culture, Lajevardi wanted to try her hand at creating a unique and artistic spin on the hardware that adorns teeth.

As it turned out, learning the craft proved difficult.

“The knowledge to make grills is very gatekept. So when I was trying to teach myself to make grills, I was having so much difficulty. I was reaching out to all these people who have been in the industry for a long time, and they’re not willing to teach.”

Lajevardi worked with a dentist and a dental lab technician to learn how to make impressions of teeth and researched how to refine her craft on the internet.

Eventually, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend college and studied industrial design, but grill-making became her full-time focus.

She created Yaaqee Studio in San Francisco, where she teaches workshops in which students can pay to learn to make their own grills.

Her inspiration comes from her homeland of Iran and her cultural identity. During a time of violent government crackdowns on protesters, and now war with the US and a communication blackout, Lajevardi has used her art as a creative outlet.

“It affects how I feel. It affects how I dress. It affects how I talk to people. It affects everything, and obviously, it affects my art, too,” she said.

If you are interested in signing up for a workshop, visit Yaaqee Studio’s website.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Da Lin

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A San Francisco tech billionaire is leading an effort to bring back local crab in time for Thanksgiving, arguing the issue is about more than tradition. He said it’s also about supporting struggling fishermen and finding a better balance with marine life protections.

Chris Larsen, co-founder of Ripple and head of the Clean Break Fund, is pushing for changes to the way California manages its commercial Dungeness crab season. In recent years, the season has been delayed from its traditional mid-November start to as late as January in an effort to reduce whale entanglements, cutting into what fishermen say is their most profitable time of year.

For fishermen like Casey Crowl, the shorter season has taken a toll.

“It’s a reduction. It means that you’ve got to just work that much harder,” Crowl said.

What was once a six-to eight-month season is now compressed to about four months, with this year’s season ending on April 30 for fishermen who use conventional equipment. Fishermen can continue crabbing through June 30 by using newly approved, whale-safe pop-up gear.

Missing the holiday demand window has significant financial consequences for the industry. Larsen said the timing of the season is critical not just culturally, but economically.

“They’re missing the critical November, December season, which is also super important for San Franciscans that enjoy that for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Larsen said. “From an economic point of view, that’s 90% of the season, 90% of the revenue. It’s when all the demand is. That’s when the crabs are out there. And we’ve missed that now for six years in a row.”

Larsen has brought the issue to South Bay congressmen Sam Liccardo and Ro Khanna, who are now co-sponsoring a whale protection bill. The proposal would establish a whale monitoring desk at the San Francisco Coast Guard station to provide real-time tracking of migrating whales, allowing fishermen to avoid high-risk areas.

“I think we’ve got to try some of the drone technology. If we can spot… ‘Hey, here’s a whale. Hey crabbers, stay away from this area while these whales are coming by,'” Larsen said.

If the legislation fails, Larsen said he is prepared to fund a legal challenge to current regulations.

“When November 15th comes, we want to see these boats out there. We want to see the whales protected. We can absolutely do both,” he said.

But marine conservation experts caution that the issue is more complex.

“When we had the fishery open in those late fall months in November, December, those years we saw a lot of entanglements happen, and so the closures have been put in place to reduce the entanglements,” said Geoff Shester PhD, Oceana’s senior scientist and fishery innovation director.

State regulators have begun allowing the use of pop-up, or ropeless, fishing gear to help extend the season while reducing risks to whales. But some fishermen said newer pop-up gear is not a viable option for everyone, particularly those with smaller boats or limited crew, leaving them reliant on traditional equipment and vulnerable to ongoing restrictions. Shester said broader collaboration and innovation will be necessary.

“We haven’t gotten a chance to talk with Mr. Larsen yet. I think we, and a number of folks who have been innovating, would be very excited to have a conversation about taking that to the next step, because ultimately, I miss having crab at Thanksgiving too,” he said.

Many fishermen said they support efforts to protect whales but also want to preserve their livelihoods.

“We have to fight back through the legal system. And as independent fishermen, that’s very difficult. It’s hard to get everybody organized. So, we’re happy to get the help,” said John Barnett, president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association.

Larsen echoed that frustration.

“Beyond frustrating. It really was just grossly unfair to some of the least politically powerful people you’ll ever find,” he said.

Crowl said he hopes a compromise can be reached soon.

“We’ve got to keep persevering and moving forward,” he said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

KOVR

By Nina Burns

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    CERES, California (KOVR) — The mayor of Ceres is facing backlash after a social media post showing a before-and-after cleanup at a trash-filled site sparked questions about transparency and the use of artificial intelligence.

Mayor Javier Lopez posted images of a dumpster area behind a vacant Rite Aid, appearing to show the site cleaned up. But when residents and city leaders visited the location, they found trash and debris still present.

Lopez said code enforcement did respond to the site and removed large items, including debris surrounding the enclosure. However, he acknowledged using software with artificial intelligence features to edit the image.

“I lightened up the picture. It looks like I came over here and I power-washed the concrete,” Lopez said, adding that the intent was to highlight progress, not mislead the public.

The post drew criticism online, with some residents questioning whether the image accurately reflected conditions at the site.

Ceres City Councilmember Cerina Otero, who represents the district, said she visited the location after seeing the post and was surprised by what she found.

“I was really excited. I thought code enforcement came out to assist us,” Otero said. “But I was shocked to see the mess here still.”

Otero said code enforcement did remove some large items, but noted the area was far from fully cleaned. She also pointed to inconsistencies between the image and reality.

“I did notice that notice there on that wall was not in the photo,” she said. “This isn’t exactly cleaned up like we thought it was. And for me, transparency is key.”

Lopez said he left an AI label on the post and maintains he was upfront about how the image was created.

“I’m being very consistent and straightforward about anything that I’m using to compose any post,” he said.

Both Lopez and Otero said ongoing issues at the site are partly tied to homelessness and a lack of maintenance by the private property owner. Otero said while the city has been in contact with the owner, more consistent upkeep is needed.

“It’s expected that you help the city to maintain your property,” she said.

Lopez said moving forward, he plans to handle posts differently.

“We have to take accountability next time,” he said. “I’ll make sure that I come down here with the power washer to clean the concrete.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Nina Burns

Click here for updates on this story

    CERES, California (KOVR) — The mayor of Ceres is facing backlash after a social media post showing a before-and-after cleanup at a trash-filled site sparked questions about transparency and the use of artificial intelligence.

Mayor Javier Lopez posted images of a dumpster area behind a vacant Rite Aid, appearing to show the site cleaned up. But when residents and city leaders visited the location, they found trash and debris still present.

Lopez said code enforcement did respond to the site and removed large items, including debris surrounding the enclosure. However, he acknowledged using software with artificial intelligence features to edit the image.

“I lightened up the picture. It looks like I came over here and I power-washed the concrete,” Lopez said, adding that the intent was to highlight progress, not mislead the public.

The post drew criticism online, with some residents questioning whether the image accurately reflected conditions at the site.

Ceres City Councilmember Cerina Otero, who represents the district, said she visited the location after seeing the post and was surprised by what she found.

“I was really excited. I thought code enforcement came out to assist us,” Otero said. “But I was shocked to see the mess here still.”

Otero said code enforcement did remove some large items, but noted the area was far from fully cleaned. She also pointed to inconsistencies between the image and reality.

“I did notice that notice there on that wall was not in the photo,” she said. “This isn’t exactly cleaned up like we thought it was. And for me, transparency is key.”

Lopez said he left an AI label on the post and maintains he was upfront about how the image was created.

“I’m being very consistent and straightforward about anything that I’m using to compose any post,” he said.

Both Lopez and Otero said ongoing issues at the site are partly tied to homelessness and a lack of maintenance by the private property owner. Otero said while the city has been in contact with the owner, more consistent upkeep is needed.

“It’s expected that you help the city to maintain your property,” she said.

Lopez said moving forward, he plans to handle posts differently.

“We have to take accountability next time,” he said. “I’ll make sure that I come down here with the power washer to clean the concrete.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Lauren Pozen

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    LONG BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A Long Beach pizza joint is raffling off an old safe the owners found during a renovation project.

“I honestly don’t think there’s anything in it,” employee Katelyn Sheffield said.

Sheffield is one of the many customers who spotted the safe that’s on display inside Mooney’s Pizza Tavern. Everyone has their own theory about what’s inside.

“I believe there’s personal valuables, notebooks, personal stuff,” employee Lesly Silva said.

The family-owned business opened its doors about a month ago. The spot used to be Huff’s Family Restaurant, a classic diner that was in Long Beach since the 1960s.

Owner Hal Mooney said they found the safe in the back room during the renovations.

“We unearthed this decades-old safe in the back and it was during the demo phase,” Mooney said. “It is too heavy to lift. There are still drill marks that people tried to get into it but were unsuccessful. We have no idea what’s in it.”

Mooney said that the construction crew suggested opening the safe with people watching. He took that idea one step further, selling $5 raffle tickets for whatever’s inside, with all the money going to Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos.

The restaurant has raised over $13,000. The drawing is set for Sunday.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Brittney Ermon

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    RESEDA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — In an otherwise quiet San Fernando Valley neighborhood, a man has continued to terrorize others for years, and neighbors say their calls for help have gone unresolved.

According to residents of a Reseda neighborhood, a man at one home has repeatedly exposed himself via an upstairs window, gone on unhinged rants and even yelled racial slurs at passersby. They tell CBS LA they’ve called the police on him hundreds of times.

“I’ve heard him screaming the N word, we’ve heard terrible, kind of like sexual assault type phrases coming from the house,” said one neighbor, Cipriano Taylor. “I’ve even stopped walking the dogs over here. My mom’s afraid to come over.”

Other neighbors say the man, who remains unidentified publicly and isn’t confirmed to be facing any criminal charges, has exposed himself in the view of children and has “definitely attacked people.”

“[He goes on] 12-to-16-hour like, just absolute rants,” said another neighbor, Anthony Gray. “And it’s like they’re almost demonic rants.”

A CBS LA crew corroborated their claims. Within view from the street, the man could be seen pacing around a room when he appeared to be nude, at one point yelling at the CBS LA crew.

“Bearing false witness again,” the man said to a CBS LA reporter and photographer. “That’s why God kills journalists.”

Neighbors shared videos of police responses to the home, even as recently as last week. None of those responses has led to solutions, they said.

“[It feels] a little hopeless,” Taylor said. “We’ve all kind of had enough, and that’s where, you know, you get enough people rallying together.”

CBS LA has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department about the situation, but is yet to hear back.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.