This Daily News Roundup is created once every day, based on news articles created by human reporters and editors at Bay City News. For this project, we prompted ChatGPT to analyze the articles produced by our staff during this 24 hour period and to choose 5 stories to highlight based on newsworthiness and human interest, according to the AI tool. We prompted ChatGPT to summarize these 5 stories into a script suited for podcast narration. Then we used ElevenLabs and other tools to help us convert the text into audio based on the voice of Leslie Katz, one of our Bay City News editors. This content was verified by a human editor.
Catch up on Bay Area news today, including three UC-connected physicists winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, Urban Alchemy honoring slain street ambassador Joey Alexander at SF City Hall, a San Mateo County inmate facing a potential murder charge in a fentanyl death, Cal Fire stopping the 20-acre School Fire near San Gregorio, Ukiah landing a $5.6 million CPUC grant to expand gigabit internet, and Vallejo artist LaRussell packing a sold-out backyard concert with a lifetime-access twist.
This Daily News Roundup for the 24 hours from 4:00 PM Monday 10/6 to 4:00 PM Tuesday 10/7 is based on news articles created by Bay City News reporters and editors. We prompted ChatGPT to analyze the articles produced by our staff and to choose 5 stories to highlight. Then we used ElevenLabs and other tools to help us convert the text into audio based on the voice of Leslie Katz, one of our Bay City News editors. This content was verified by a human editor.
Hello, and welcome to Bay City News for Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Here is a look at some of the top stories from across the region.
Starting in Berkeley, three physicists with ties to University of California, Berkeley, have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics. John Clarke, a UC Berkeley professor, and John Martinis, a UC Santa Barbara professor who earned his doctorate from UC Berkeley, share the prize with Yale University’s Michel Devoret. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognized their groundbreaking work on macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in electric circuits. Their experiments conducted at UC Berkeley in 1984 and 1985 demonstrated that quantum mechanics can govern larger systems, paving the way for advancements in quantum technology. The trio will share an 11 million Swedish kronor prize, equivalent to over $1 million.
Shifting our focus to San Francisco, hundreds of Urban Alchemy workers gathered at City Hall on Tuesday to honor one of their colleagues, Joey Alexander, who was fatally shot last week. Sixty-year-old Alexander, a street ambassador with the nonprofit, was on duty outside San Francisco’s Main Library on Sept. 26 when he was killed after asking someone to refrain from alleged open drug use. Urban Alchemy provides public safety and outreach services in areas with homelessness and drug use. Speakers, including Mayor Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, acknowledged Alexander’s service and called for stronger action against open-air drug use. Edmund Bowen, 42, has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting.
Meanwhile, in San Mateo County, a jail inmate could face a murder charge after allegedly providing drugs to another inmate who died last month. Sheriff’s investigators have forwarded the case to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office for potential charges against 34-year-old Ashley Gromnicki. The case involves the Sept. 29 death of 31-year-old Markeisha Monique Renee Blount, who was found in her housing unit at the Maple Street Correctional Center in Redwood City. Investigators believe Gromnicki allegedly provided fentanyl to Blount. Jail staff have since conducted sweeps to remove any remaining drugs.
From that news, we turn to San Mateo County’s rural western area, where a vegetation fire known as the School Fire consumed about 20 acres on Tuesday afternoon near San Gregorio. Cal Fire reported that the fire, initially reported around 1:45 p.m. near Seaside School Road, had grown to roughly 20 acres by 2:40 p.m. However, officials confirmed that forward progress of the blaze has been stopped. No information on injuries or structures threatened was immediately available.
In Ukiah, the city has secured a nearly $5.6 million grant from the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, to expand affordable, high-speed internet access. The City Council approved a partnership with Vero Fiber Networks for the “Ukiah Gigabit Fiber Project,” which will install a fiber-optic cable network. This initiative aims to serve an estimated 1,700 locations, including 375 currently without internet access, and provide free internet to 14 city facilities. Service for eligible low-income residents will start at $39.95 per month, a rate fixed for five years. Construction is set to begin this winter and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Finally, some news from Vallejo. Hip-hop artist LaRussell hosted a sold-out concert in the backyard of his childhood home on Sunday, Oct. 5, packing hundreds of loyal fans. Tickets for the exclusive event were priced at $1,000, granting attendees lifetime access to future concerts and royalties for an upcoming documentary. LaRussell, known for maintaining creative freedom and rejecting record label offers, emphasizes connecting with fans on a personal level through these intimate backyard shows. His unique sliding-scale business model has helped him cultivate a devoted following, making Sunday’s event a testament to his value and authenticity.
And those are some of the top stories we’re following. Thank you for joining us for Bay City News.