Top of the morning’s news
- State regulators uncovered evidence suggesting that PG&E installed “salvaged or junked transmission pipe” on its natural gas system in the 1940s and 1950s, raising fears that another San Bruno-type disaster may be lurking undetected. Chronicle
- The fuss over whether Sony Pictures and filmmakers were playing politics when they scheduled their hunt-for-bin Laden film for release next October appears mute, with Sony now saying the as-yet untitled film will be released after the 2012 presidential election. Media Decoder
- Key city officials in Oakland have turned their backs on supporting a voter initiative to give the city millions of dollars to hire more police, expressing concerns over how the money would be spent. The Bay Citizen
"Dr. Murray should have said, 'Michael Jackson, I am not giving you propofol. I am not giving you anything. You have a sleep disorder and you need to be evaluated."-- Dr. Steven Shafer, a Columbia University professor testifying for the prosecution in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray.
Other news
- A judge dismissed a rape case against a Contra Costa County sex crimes prosecutor who had been accused of using a gun, an ice pick and handcuffs to sexually assault one of his female colleagues during a lunch break in 2008. Chronicle
- Motorist Keenia Williams was hailed for saving the life of a dazed truck driver on Highway 101 in San Francisco by dragging him hundreds of feet from the burning wreckage of his rig before first responders could arrive. Chronicle
- C. W. Nevius says San Francisco is a role model for the way it has handled the Occupy Wall Street movement. Chronicle
- Investigators with state attorney general Kamala Harris’ office have subpoenaed Bank of America in connection with the sale and marketing of troubled mortgage-backed securities to California investors, says the LA Times, citing a person familiar with the probe.
- Two brothers accused of severely beating a house guest in retaliation for his molestation of an 8-year-old girl avoided a possible life sentence by giving up their insistence on a trial and admitting that they committed the vigilante attack. Mercury News
- Mark Purdy says starting Carson Palmer Sunday would be a big mistake for the Raiders. Mercury News
- BART, which landed in big trouble in the court of public opinion over blocking cell phone service to curb protests, is considering formalizing the policy when directors meet next week. Contra Costa Times
- A man dubbed the “Mr. Magoo Bandit” for his bald head and prescription glasses turned himself in to the FBI in connection with a string of 12 bank robberies, including three in the Bay Area. BANG
- A San Francisco woman filed a sexual battery lawsuit against Oakland rapper Too, accusing him of groping her during one of his concerts. Chronicle
- California is spending $480 million on community college students who drop out before completing their studies, according to a report released today. LA Times
- A former teacher at a private San Jose middle school who pleaded no contest to molesting a teen student was sentenced to five months in county jail as part of a plea arrangement. Mercury News
- Irrational exuberance? Scott Ostler is already pondering who might win if the 49ers and Raiders were to meet in the Super Bowl. Chronicle
- A truck transporting thousands of chickens jackknifed on Interstate 80 near Vacaville early today, spreading chickens—most of them dead, but some alive—across the freeway. Chronicle
