Finally, the cat's out of the bag! @Locunity joined @highergroundlab as a Fund V Portco — 1 of 5 startups accepted out of 55 competitive Agentic AI applicants. We're excited to partner with pro-democracy advocates, newsrooms and enterprises to build trust in our institutions + make public affairs, advocacy and reporting easier in all communities, and on the global stage. Onward!

Overall crime in San Francisco is down 32% year-to-date, but homicides surged to 10 from 3 last year, a 233% increase driven by close-range shootings. The homicide spike contradicts otherwise historic crime declines and has prompted community anxiety, especially after a juvenile-involved shooting death in a residential neighborhood.

🔫 San Franciso's gunshot detection system fired 797 alerts last year. The city approved the annual report, but acknowledged it doesn't track false positives. The ShotSpotter contract runs through April 2029 and accuracy is still an open question.

What’s CEQA — and why you should still care? CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act) requires governments to study and disclose environmental impacts before approving projects. Sounds technical. But it’s not just paperwork. And it can make or break projects. Why it matters: • CEQA determines what gets studied — traffic, noise, air quality, displacement • “Exemptions” can let major projects move forward with limited public review • Comment periods are often the only chance residents have to flag real impacts Tip: If a project is labeled “CEQA-exempt” or “negative declaration,” check why. Public comments (even short ones) become part of the legal record. But watch out, state legislation is exempting more and more projects to address the housing crisis, so monitor this space! Drop a civic term you want decoded next below 👇

Coming this Tuesday to a board room near you:

Hey Contra Costa! We’re introducing a new way to know what your city, county and education leaders are doing before it hits the rumor mill — right in your inbox. With real-time e-newsletters for every jurisdiction that touches your life and work, @Locunity makes it possible to stay in the know and make an impact when it matters the most. Instead of sitting through 8-hour city council meetings or simply remaining in the dark, you can spend 5 minutes an edition learning everything you need to know. We're kicking off our founding cohort in #contracostacounty and #SF. Here’s what you get when you join: — Actionable briefings covering your city council, county board of supervisors and school board — who was at the table, who voted which way and how it impacts you. You'll also get advanced notifications on upcoming opportunities to voice your opinions. — Insider-grade political insights on campaign finance, candidate endorsements and campaign strategies so you can make informed decisions as a voter, donor, advocate or organizational leader. — Thoughtful perspectives from local business, labor, environmental and political leaders, along with job listings, events and volunteer opportunities. What You’ll Help us Build: — A more accurate, reliable and trusted information ecosystem — A healthier democracy, where community leaders and voters share facts — A sustainable business model ensuring quality reporting, not AI slop or click-bait Sign up at Locunity.com with a 14-Day free trial.