West
Oakland faces blowback for treatment of homeless after shutting down 500 encampments
City officials in Oakland, California have shut down over 500 homeless encampments in the past three years. However, this crackdown has caused blowback from some residents.
During the city council’s May 28 “Life Enrichment Committee” meeting, one speaker addressed the city’s encampment management.
“When we speak, y’all don’t look at us? When we speak, when we tell you what’s happening at these places, it don’t matter,” a gentleman speaking at the podium said.
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Oakland, California residents blast city officials for their handling of the homelessness crisis.
Oakland officials passed a policy in 2020 to regulate homeless encampments when there were about 140 camps. The policy was created to prohibit encampments in specific areas of the city, including proximity to businesses, schools, playgrounds, traffic lanes, bike paths, housing and playgrounds.
Any encampments in those prohibited areas were supposed to be vacated, with the city offering shelter before evacuating the camp.
Since then, the city has closed 537 homeless camps with approximately 1,500 remaining, according to a city report.
But as Oakland makes efforts to address the issue, advocates complain about the treatment of the homeless population and how the city has yet to fix the problem.
One of the speakers said Oakland officials need to set up a homeless protection board. She raised concern that the police and residents are violating the rights of the homeless.
Homeless encampments line the streets in Oakland, California on Friday, March 15, 2024. The city remains plagued by homelessness as nearby businesses close their doors due to safety concerns. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
HOMELESS PEOPLE NEED MORE THAN A HOUSE. THEY NEED SOMETHING MONEY CAN’T BUY
“Oakland is known for its tenant protections. I suggest a solution to this, because of the statistics that were shown today, is to provide the same protections in law to the homeless residents in Oakland,” she said. “They have a place where they can go to report. They have a place where they can go to get the law so they can know how is their property is supposed to be taken care of.”
Another speaker said that forced evictions are a “violation of human rights.”
“Invest in solutions. The city has a duty to provide access to restrooms, fresh collections, and proper sanitation facilities for all residents, including those living in encampments,” the speaker said.
“Stop criminalizing homelessness,” she added.
Homeless encampments line the streets in Oakland, California on Friday, March 15, 2024. The city remains plagued by homelessness as nearby businesses close their doors due to safety concerns. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
A woman stood up at the podium raising concern over the council’s emphasis on clearing the camps.
“If we’re focused on encampment evictions and management, we’re not actually focused on human beings,” she said.
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Hilo
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows 60 to 70 near the shore to 52 to 58 at 4000 feet. North winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 77 to 82 near the shore to 62 to 67 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers. Lows 60 to 69 near the shore to 51 to 56 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Kona
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 72 near the shore to 49 to 54 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 82 to 87 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows around 72 near the shore to 49 to 54 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Waimea
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 61 to 71 near the shore to 55 to 62 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday: Breezy. Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 78 near the shore to 67 to 77 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 61 to 70 near the shore to 54 to 61 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph decreasing to up to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kohala
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 61 to 71 near the shore to 55 to 62 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday: Breezy. Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 78 near the shore to 67 to 77 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 61 to 70 near the shore to 54 to 61 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph decreasing to up to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 50 percent.
South Big Island
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 74 near the shore to around 55 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph.
Sunday: Breezy. Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 85 near the shore to around 66 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 74 near the shore to around 54 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Puna
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then numerous showers after midnight. Lows 60 to 70 near the shore to 52 to 58 at 4000 feet. North winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers in the morning, then scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 77 to 82 near the shore to 62 to 67 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers. Lows 60 to 69 near the shore to 51 to 56 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Waikoloa
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 72 near the shore to 50 to 55 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph.
Sunday: Breezy. Sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 82 to 87 near the shore to around 68 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows around 72 near the shore to 51 to 56 above 4000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Synopsis
High pressure north of the islands will produce moderate trade winds through Monday. Wind speeds will weaken from Tuesday through Thursday as a weak cold front passes north of the island chain. Trade winds slowly return by the end of next week as the stalled front diminishes and the broad ridge builds back over the region.
Short term update
The infrared satellite imagery this evening shows a shallow cold front roughly 600 miles northwest of Kauai approaching the Hawaii region. This frontal cloud band will weaken and stall out north of the state with no significant rainfall impacts. Trade wind speed trends however will decrease as the trough breaks down the ridge north of the island chain. Light large scale winds over Hawaii from Tuesday through Thursday will trigger and expansion of onshore sea breezes during the daylight hours and offshore land breezes overnight. These light local scale winds are driven by diurnal thermal differences between ocean temperatures and island heating/cooling cycles.
The short range forecast grids look reasonable. No updates to the evening forecast.
Prev discussion
Issued at 352 PM HST Sat May 2 2026 Radar and satellite show mostly cloudy skies and scattered showers across most windward and many mauka areas, along with the Kona region of the Big Island, this afternoon. Very few showers have made it to leeward areas, but a good amount of cloud cover has moved in from time to time. Winds were generally out of the northeast at 10 to 20 mph with a few higher gusts, but some leeward areas had west winds coming in off the ocean. These showers will decrease in the Kona region this evening, but otherwise should continue into the night.
With the upper low to our northeast finally moving away, upper level ridging will be able to strengthen. This will keep moderate to occasionally breezy trade winds with us through Monday as surface high pressure systems to our NE and NW move east across the Pacific. A weak trough (dying cold front) will move toward the area Monday, and pressure falls associated with its approach will veer winds to southeasterly Monday night. Light north to northeast winds behind the trough are expected to develop over western islands Wednesday, perhaps reaching as far east as Maui Wednesday night. With light winds Tuesday through Thursday, expect a few more clouds than normal over leeward areas, and perhaps a brief shower.
Winds will then return to southeasterly Thursday and remain that way into next weekend. PW values will be relatively low throughout the next week. The only day of values noticeably above 1″ will be Wednesday, when convergence from the surface trough will peak. Trades may return next weekend.
Aviation
Moderate to breezy easterly trades will persist through Sunday, with clouds and brief showers favoring windward sites. Expect periods of MVFR conditions in showers, otherwise widespread VFR is expected.
No AIRMETS are in effect.
Marine
No changes to the forecast this evening, and not expecting any significant changes with the morning package.
High pressure to the north-northeast will maintain trade winds through the remainder of the weekend. A front to the northwest will move to the east and help to weaken the ridge to the north. As a result, expect trades to steadily weaken, becoming light and variable by the middle of the week.
The current northwest swell (310-320 degrees) will gradually fade over the remainder of the weekend. Another small swell is expected to arrive late Sunday night/early Monday morning, and will help to maintain elevated surf along north and west facing shores. A storm low near Japan is expected to move to the east and will send a long period northwest swell to the islands. This swell (320 degrees) is expected to arrive Thursday, but currently expected to peak below advisory levels.
The current south swell will hold through the remainder of the weekend, and then gradually decline. As trades steadily weaken, wind waves and trade wind swell will follow with diminishing surf expected along east facing shores during the next several days.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
None.
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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov
Idaho
Viral Idaho Domino’s pizza driver ‘Dan the Man’ retires after strangers raise $170K for his act of kindness
An Idaho Domino’s delivery worker whose small act of kindness went viral has retired after kind strangers helped raise more than $170,000.
Dan Simpson, 68, known locally as “Dan the Man,” said the surprise windfall allowed him to step away from years of grinding work from his job with the pizza chain in Boise, Idaho, earlier than planned.
“I got up this morning … and I checked my bank account and there was $163,000, what a retirement gift that was,” Simpson told KTVB Idaho on Friday. The donations have now hit $171,375.
Simpson shot to internet fame in March after a family’s doorbell camera captured him telling a customer he had bought their Diet Cokes with his own money when the store ran out during his delivery.
“Oh, you don’t need to. It’s a good tip,” he told customer Brian Wilson, who offered to reimburse him for the beverage.
The video spread quickly online after Wilson posted it on TikTok, drawing millions of views and prompting him to launch a GoFundMe campaign that far exceeded its original goal.
“What Dan didn’t know is that my wife and I are both visually impaired, so running out to the store for a ‘quick’ pickup is not something that is simple or easy for us,” Wilson told the Idaho Statesman at the time.
“What may have seemed like a tiny inconvenience to solve on his end actually made a huge difference on ours.”
Longtime delivery driver Simpson, who also worked for the Idaho Department of Agriculture, said he’s now ready for a slower pace.
“I’m ready for normal again,” he told KTVB Idaho. “I got up today thinking, well, I’ll never get another phone call for an interview.”
Instead of splurging on his funds, Simpson said he plans to keep things simple and “buy a decent van.”
He hopes to travel back roads, take photographs and possibly head to the coast.
Simpson also spoke openly about his past, including struggles with addiction and time in prison.
“I got in a lot of trouble with drinking and drugs,” he said. “When I got out, I said, ‘That’s it.’ I knew I’d never drink again.”
He said he has been sober for nearly 24 years and worked multiple jobs after his release.
“Ever since I stepped out of prison, I’ve basically worked two jobs and worked hard and tried to do the right thing,” he said.
Now financially stable, Simpson said he wants to help others dealing with addiction.
“Maybe get them grounded in something that doesn’t make drugs and alcohol necessary in their life,” he said.
Despite retiring, he plans to keep delivering pizzas on weekends.
“So thank you, Boise. Thank you, Treasure Valley,” Simpson said. “You made my life quite a little bit easier.”
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