San Francisco, CA
Why did four whales wash up in San Francisco Bay in a week and a half?
The juvenile minke whale had been spotted swimming around San Francisco Bay for nearly a week by the time she beached herself off the coast of Emeryville on April 8. Scientists had thought she seemed healthy, but after an examination, they determined she was acting abnormally and had to be euthanized due to illness.
It was the fourth whale death in the San Francisco Bay in a week and a half. The other three were gray whales, the first of which—a 36-foot-long female—washed up at Black Sands Beach in the Marin Headlands on March 30. Its cause of death remains unknown.
On April 2, a deceased adult male gray whale was found floating east of Angel Island; its cause of death is also not known, according to the Marine Mammal Center. Then, a subadult male gray whale washed ashore at Fort Point Rock Beach near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on April 4, and scientists determined that it likely died due to a vessel strike, according to the mammal center.
Taken together, the deaths have raised the specter of past “unusual mortality events” that caused whales to die in higher-than-normal numbers.
“This is unusual,” said Kathi George, director of Cetacean Conservation Biology at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. “It takes me back to several years ago when we did have a large number of strandings happen at the same time.”
While the unusually high number of whales beaching in such a short span is abnormal, the number of whales who have died around the bay for the year has remained in line with typical levels, scientists say.
“This is the normal time of year when gray whales are doing their northward migration from Mexico up to Alaska, so it’s not uncommon for us to have gray whales in and around San Francisco Bay in April and May each year,” said Moe Flannery, who leads the marine mammal necropsy team at the California Academy of Sciences.
“Although they seem high because they’re concentrated into a short period of time, the numbers of dead and stranded are not any different than the recent previous years.”
Whales can die for “a number of reasons”—from diseases to malnutrition to vessel strikes, George said.
“It’s coincidental that everything happened in a week and a half, but there are a lot of whales out there right now, and some of their physical condition that they’re in when they arrive in the bay may make them more susceptible to human impacts if they’re not as healthy,” she said.
Scientists began observing whales entering the San Francisco Bay around 2016 as they completed their annual migration between Mexico and the sub-Arctic, George said. The whales do not feed while they are in their breeding grounds in Mexico, and expend a lot of energy mating, nursing babies and giving birth before facing a long journey back north to their feeding grounds, she added.
Because of this energy expenditure, scientists have seen the gray whales attempt to feed in new locations—including San Francisco Bay, George said. Their increased appearance in the bay could also potentially be explained as whales seeking a place to rest before continuing the migration, or a reaction to climate change, warming ocean temperatures and prey availability.
The Marine Mammal Center has tracked at least 18 individual whales swimming in the bay this year, and sightings of gray whales have been reported almost every day since mid-March, George said. The majority of the whale sightings have been reported east of Angel Island, said Giancarlo Rulli, the associate director of public relations for the Marine Mammal Center.
Between 2019 and 2023, gray whales were dying in much higher numbers due to an unusual mortality event, which was declared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. Gray whales lost more than 40% of their population in four years, Rulli said. During this time, there were 347 gray whale strandings in the United States, according to NOAA.
“These whales basically left the Arctic with a half tank,” Rulli said. “The food sources that they were normally accustomed to eating that were highly nutritious for this massive, 10,000–12,000-mile journey, had moved farther away due to climate change, and as a result, these whales were left to forage on food matter that was much less nutritious.”
Between January and April 2019, which was the first year of the unusual mortality event, 34 dead gray whales washed up on California’s coast, Flannery said. Seven have so far this year.
George said that whether the recent deaths could be the start of an unusual mortality event is “still under discussion and review,” adding that the data collected from these strandings will help scientists understand “the bigger picture of what’s happening.”
“We’re not there yet,” she said, adding that scientists have to look at their migratory range holistically.
Whales will continue to appear in the bay through mid-May as they continue their migration north, George said.
Flannery added that anyone using the water “needs to be more aware of the animals that are sharing that environment.”
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SAN FRANCISCO – As concert season kicks into high gear, the excitement of seeing a favorite artist live is being dampened for many by the sticker shock of skyrocketing ticket prices.
What they’re saying:
At the Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday night, fans gathered for a Demi Lovato concert. Many who spoke with KTVU said they were lucky enough to snag tickets early, but they worry that the era of affordable live music is quickly disappearing.
“It’s just fun. You forget about your daily life, and you laugh,” said concertgoer Barbara Gallardo.
Fellow fan Heloisa Rodrigues agreed, noting that nothing beats “the feeling of hearing the artist so close to me… in real life.”
However, the reality for many other fans is a “sold out” screen followed by astronomical prices on secondary markets.
The “California Fans First Act”
What we know:
State Assembly Member Matt Haney (District 17) says the current system is broken.
He has introduced AB 1720, also known as the California Fans First Act, to combat what he calls “speculators” who buy up inventory just to turn a massive profit.
“Everything from small shows to the biggest festivals are being taken advantage of by folks who want to profit and speculate,” said Haney,”All of that extra money is going into the pockets of scalpers and speculators—not to the artists, not to the venues.”
The bill proposes a strict cap: tickets for concerts and live events can not be resold for more than 10% above the original face value, including fees. Haney pointed to recent Sam Smith performances at the Castro Theater as a prime example of fans being priced out by bulk buyers looking for huge margins.
Mixed Reviews from Advocates
While fans like Mikey Mendrano—who says high prices are “stealing the opportunity” for thousands to see their favorite artists—support the bill, not everyone is on board.
The Consumer Federation of California has come out in strong opposition, calling the bill a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” The nonprofit advocacy group argues that by limiting the secondary market, the bill inadvertently hands more control to Live Nation—Ticketmaster.
In a statement, the group claimed: “This bill merely takes consumers for a ride and enhances the monopoly’s power over an industry it already dominates.”
Several hurdles
For their part, Ticketmaster has signaled support for Haney’s efforts, stating the legislation would protect both artists and fans.
KTVU reached out to secondary ticket platforms, including StubHub and Vivid Seats for comment but did not receive a response.
The “Fans First” bill still faces several hurdles. It must pass through both the State Assembly and the Senate. If successful, the legislation is expected to land on the Governor’s desk by early September.
For fans like Gallardo, the change can’t come soon enough.
“I don’t want to spend $1,000 for a ticket that should have been… $200,” she said.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave a message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU
The Source: California State Assembly Member Matt Haney, Ticketmaster, Consumer Federation of California, concert-goers / music fans
San Francisco, CA
50 Beagles Rescued From Wisconsin Lab Arrive in Bay Area, SF Activist Faces Felony Charges
Animal rescue groups persuaded a Wisconsin breeding lab to sell 1,500 beagles after activists worked for a decade to free them, and 50 of the dogs arrived in the Bay Area Sunday. Meanwhile, an SF activist faces 12 years in prison for rescuing some of them prior to the deal.
Last month, several animal rights activists attempted to free 1,500 beagles at Wisconsin-based Ridglan Farms, the second-largest breeder of beagles for laboratories in the US, as KGO reported last week. Four activists, including Dean Guzman Wyrzykowski of San Francisco, were arrested during the rescue operation and charged with felonies, with up to 12 years in prison, according to a post by Wyrzykowski on social media.
“There are thousands of dogs just like her in laboratories across the country,” says Wyrzykowski, while holding the dog he’s accused of stealing.
Last week, animal rights group Big Dog Ranch Rescue, which is based in Florida, and DC-based Center for a Humane Economy made a confidential agreement with the lab to purchase the animals to be adopted out by rescue groups. Per KGO, well-known Berkeley activist Zoe Rosenberg, who brought one beagle named Chester home with her, was among the volunteers helping the dogs in Wisconsin after they were rescued.
As KGO reports, the Northern California Beagle Rescue Group brought 50 beagles to the Bay Area via school bus Sunday, and they’ll be adopting them out to homes in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and nearby cities once they’ve received veterinary care.
The dogs had likely never touched grass until after leaving the lab, and they’ve been slowly acclimating to their new lives. Some were reportedly malnourished and most had bad teeth and were in need of dental work.
“It was very emotional,” says Wendy Lansdon, a volunteer with Northern California Beagle Rescue, speaking to KGO about when the bus full of dogs first arrived in the Bay Area. “Some of them were really quiet when we got in there, some of them were happy, and the other ones were terrified.”
Prior to the dogs’ arrival, the Northern California Beagle Rescue Group announced on social media it was seeking foster home volunteers in Fremont, San Jose, and Sacramento — near where the beagles will be receiving veterinary care. The group is also requesting donations to help fund the dogs’ vet care.
According to the site Save the Dogs, activists had been pushing for the closure of Ridglan Farms for almost 10 years, as investigators, whistleblowers, veterinarians, and others worked to spread the word about the inhumane conditions of the lab, which stayed in operation for decades, despite being hit with hundreds of state-level cruelty violations.
“The dogs born there were treated as inventory: bred, confined, sold to research, disposed of,” says Save the Dogs.
Save the Dogs notes that activists are now targeting Marshall BioResources, the largest breeder of dogs for laboratories in the country, which has operations in New York and the United Kingdom.
Image: Northern California Beagle Rescue/Facebook
Division-leading Dodgers aim to snap home losing trend as they open series against the Giants in a matchup of NL West foes
After dropping their second straight home series over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers head into Monday night’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants sitting atop the National League West Division standings, aiming to avenge a series loss to the Giants from two weeks ago. San Francisco has lost nine of its last 12 games overall and have dropped seven in a row on the road as they begin a 10-game road trip that will keep them away from home until Memorial Day Weekend. The Giants will start Trevor McDonald (1-0, 1.29 ERA) in his fourth start in the Majors while the Dodgers will counter with second-year Japanese import Roki Sasaki (1-3, 5.97 ERA) who has given up a home run in five consecutive outings.
How to Watch San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers:
Date: May 11, 2026
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: MLB Network
Location: Dodgers Stadium
Live Stream the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fubo: Start watching now!
Dodger center fielder Andy Pages, who has helped Los Angeles claim World Series titles in each of his first two years in the Majors, leads the team this season hitting .333, ranking the 25-year-old Cuban third among all hitters in MLB. Pages is hitting .371 so far in May with five extra base hits and 10 RBIs and has successfully reached base in 13 of his last 14 games.
With nine hits in seven games so far this month, Giants second baseman Luis Arraez is hitting a team-leading .310 at the plate in 2026 and is on pace for his eighth career 100-hit campaign. Arraez is one of only two active players with a career batting average above .300, hitting .316 for his career and leads Houston’s Jose Altuve by 15 points.
What time is Giants vs Dodgers?
Coverage of the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers starts Monday, May 11, at 10:00 p.m ET. Tune in to see if the Dodgers can beat the Giants for the fifth time in the last six games at Dodger Stadium or if San Francisco can beat LA for the fourth time in the last five head-to-head matchups.
What channel is the Giants vs Dodgers game on?
Looking to watch the game? Subscribers can tune to MLB Network to catch the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup at home or on the go with the Fubo TV app.
Watch the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fubo: Start watching now!
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