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GM is facing a Justice Department investigation into the gruesome Cruise robotaxi collision that critically injured a pedestrian in San Francisco

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GM is facing a Justice Department investigation into the gruesome Cruise robotaxi collision that critically injured a pedestrian in San Francisco


General Motors is facing a U.S. Justice Department investigation into a gruesome collision that critically injured a pedestrian and derailed its self-driving car ambitions.

The Justice Department inquiry disclosed in a report Thursday is the latest twist in a debacle that began in October after a robotaxi operated by GM’s Cruise subsidiary dragged a pedestrian about 20 feet (6 meters) after the person was struck in San Francisco by another vehicle driven by a human.

The incident resulted in Cruise’s license to operate its driverless fleet in California being suspended by regulators and triggered a purge of its leadership — in addition to layoffs that jettisoned about a quarter of its workforce — as GM curtailed its once-lofty ambitions in self-driving technology. Cruise’s omission of key details about what happened in the Oct. 2 incident also led to allegations of a coverup that could result in a fine of $1.5 million. Cruise has offered to pay $75,000 instead.

GM didn’t release any details about the nature of the Justice Department’s investigation, or of another one by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A company spokesman would only say GM is cooperating with authorities.

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The revelations about the latest troubles facing Detroit-based GM and San Francisco-based Cruise came in a report reviewing how things were handled after the pedestrian was hurt.

The report prepared by the law firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan rebuked Cruise’s management that has since been dumped for “poor leadership, mistakes in judgment, lack of coordination, an ‘us versus them’ mentality with regulators.” But the report also asserted that Cruise initially thought it had shown California regulators a video that included segments showing a robotaxi named “Panini” dragging the pedestrian, only to discover later that scene hadn’t been seen because of internet streaming issues.

The report blamed Cruise for having a “myopic focus” on protecting its reputation instead of setting the record straight after management realized regulators hadn’t seen the video of the incident in its entirety.

“Cruise must take decisive steps to address these issues in order to restore trust and credibility,” according to the report’s summary findings.

GM has already installed a new management team at Cruise and walked back its goals for a driverless division that was supposed to transform the transportation industry by operating robotic ride-hailing services across the U.S. Even as skeptics raised doubts about whether autonomous driving technology had become reliable enough to realize that vision, GM was projecting Cruise would generate $1 billion in revenue by 2025 — 10 times the amount it had been bringing in during a ramp-up phase that resulted in billions of dollars in losses.

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Cruise had cleared a significant hurdle last August when California regulators approved its request to begin operating its robotaxi service throughout San Francisco at all hours — over the strenuous objections of city officials — only to have it all unravel in early October.

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All Aboard the 67, San Francisco’s Most Delayed Bus | KQED

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All Aboard the 67, San Francisco’s Most Delayed Bus | KQED


Muni driver Hannibal is reflected in a rearview mirror as he operates the 67 Bernal Heights bus in San Francisco on Feb. 18, 2026. The route is among those with the most persistent delays, according to Muni performance data. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)



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5 teens, 3 adults arrested in San Francisco double stabbing at Dolores Park

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5 teens, 3 adults arrested in San Francisco double stabbing at Dolores Park



Three adults and five juveniles were arrested after two people were stabbed on Wednesday at San Francisco’s Dolores Park, police said.

The San Francisco Police Department said officers responded at about 4:50 p.m. to a report of a group of people fighting at the park. On the way there, the officers were notified that there was a possible stabbing, police said.

When officers arrived, they found two men with stab wounds, and the officers began first aid before medics arrived. Both men were taken to the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries, police said.

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Officers searched the area around the park and detained eight people; they were all arrested after investigators developed probable cause, police said. The adults were identified as 18-year-old Fernando Moreno Hernandez, 18-year-old David Paz, and 19-year-old Yeferson Mondragon-Ortiz. Each was booked into the San Francisco County Jail.

The five teenagers were taken and booked into the city’s Juvenile Justice Center.

All suspects were charged with attempted murder, conspiracy, assault likely to produce great bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon.  

Police said the case was still under active investigation, and anyone with information was asked to contact the department at 415-575-4444, or send a text to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.

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Latest California-based gig work app lets people book content creators, editors

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Latest California-based gig work app lets people book content creators, editors


It’s 10 a.m. sharp, and Abby Kurtz gets her first assignment of the day. She’s received a time, a location in San Francisco and a target.

Her weapon of choice: an iPhone.

“Being a social agent is really the coolest thing ever,” she said. 

Kurtz is a content creator working through an app called Social Agent, part of an expanding gig economy where more and more workers are trading stability for flexibility. Work that once required connections, planning, and a big budget can now be booked with a tap —extending the on-demand model from rides and meals to storytelling itself.

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 Just make a request, and someone like Kurtz can arrive within 30 minutes, camera-ready.

“What I look for when I’m shooting events is very crisp and clean content,” she said. 

Her mission this time took her to Sutro Nursery, a nonprofit dedicated to growing native plants and that is hoping to grow its volunteer base, too. Board member Maryann Rainey said booking a Social Agent is a lot cheaper than hiring someone to do their social media full-time. 

“I know I can’t do it myself, and I was certainly hoping that these young people would know how to do a good film,” Rainey said.

A typical job runs about $200, with same-day delivery. Agents earn around $50 an hour, plus tips. And if clients already have footage, they can upload it and have it turned into a finished piece. 

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The service is currently available in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, with a slower rollout now underway in other cities.

 Lisa Jammal, the company’s CEO, said the idea is simple: Let someone else do the shooting.

“We all are missing those beautiful moments because we’re always behind the phone,” she said. 

As for Kurtz, after the shoot, she headed straight to a nearby coffee shop, where the clock started ticking. She had just over an hour to shape her raw material into a polished final cut.

“I think I’m going to give this reel a really peaceful, calming feel, but also informative and inviting,” she said. 

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