Bigad Shaban

1 week ago | nbcbayarea.com | Bigad Shaban |Michael Horn |Alex Bozovic

From flame-wielding robots to driverless tractors, autonomous technology is fueling a robot revolution across America’s farmlands. While much of the agricultural advancements were produced in California, farmers in the state are frustrated by the fact they aren’t legally allowed to utilize the technology. “It's crazy,” said Larry Jacobs, who has been farming in California for the past 40 years.

4 weeks ago | nbcbayarea.com | Bigad Shaban |Michael Bott |Lucia Walinchus |Alex Bozovic

An NBC Bay Area investigation reveals DOGE’s ongoing efforts to slash government contracts have led to the termination of more than 100 contracts with ties to Bay Area businesses and nonprofitsAndrew Cameron and his small Pleasanton-based software company were in the fourth year of a federal contract with the Department of Housing and Urban Development when, without warning or explanation, he received a notice informing him the government was terminating his contract.

1 month ago | nbcbayarea.com | Bigad Shaban |Jeremy Carroll

Waymo is releasing new research that shows its fleet of driverless cars are dramatically better than humans at avoiding a wide range of collisions on public roads. According to the peer-reviewed paper, which is set to be published in the Traffic Injury Prevention Journal, Waymo’s self-driving cars experienced 82% fewer crashes with bikers and motorcyclists compared to human drivers, and 92% fewer crashes with pedestrians.

1 month ago | nbcbayarea.com | Bigad Shaban

Even so-called “sanctuary” communities, which aim to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, are at odds over when to cooperate with federal immigration officials. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, often seeks assistance from local law enforcement agencies to find and deport those who are undocumented, however, an NBC Bay Area investigation reveals how those requests are met with varied responses across the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

1 month ago | nbcbayarea.com | Bigad Shaban |Michael Bott |Jeremy Carroll |Michael Horn

A program offering free legal representation to low-income San Franciscans could soon fall victim to looming budget cuts and the city’s sluggish post-Covid economic recovery. As city department heads look to slash costs at the direction of Mayor Daniel Lurie, San Francisco’s General Civil Legal Services program has been flagged for potential elimination, according to a letter sent to legal aid groups from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD).