Bay Area earthquake: What to do to get ready for the Big One (or a bigger one)

This morning’s earthquake on the Hayward Fault was just a magnitude 4.4 shaker. What if it had been 5.5, or 6?

Was your earthquake kit nearby? Have you taken steps to prepare your home and family? What’s your disaster plan for the dog and cat?

Here are some handy links to help you get ready for a quake that does more than wake you up at 2:39 a.m. on a damp Thursday.

Rent control, property taxes and taller apartment buildings: California considers major housing bills in 2018

January 04, 2018, 9:00 am

SACRAMENTO — The state’s housing crisis is back on the agenda as California lawmakers return to work after a months-long recess. Proposals floated on the first week of the year would bring major changes to laws governing property taxes, rent control, and local zoning rules. Senate Democrats are also proposing a work-around for the recent GOP tax overhaul, which set...
Dead body in Santa Cruz man’s car is his mother’s

January 04, 2018, 9:00 am

The woman found dead in an SUV after a high-speed chase has been identified as the mother of the driver.
Rain totals across the Bay Area, with more wet stuff on the way

January 04, 2018, 8:39 am

Around the Bay Area, 24-hour rainfall totals include Oakland .62 inches, Los Gatos .44, San Jose .41 inches, Mountain View .32, Santa Rosa .20 and San Francisco .09, according to the National Weather Service.
Social media comes alive after the middle-of-the night shaker

January 04, 2018, 8:30 am

Twitter gives us all a way to share our anxiety — and boy were we anxious.