Oakland - GoKawiil

Brimstone unveils process to produce cement, alumina, and critical minerals from one source

Brimstone announced in early 2025 that its innovative process can extract not only materials for cement and concrete but also smelter-grade alumina and various critical minerals like steel, magnesium, and titanium from silicate rocks. The company claims this integrated approach could tap into a $2.4 trillion global market and reduce energy use and waste compared to traditional methods.

technologyreview.com · 2026-10-06

Flock Safety loses 90 city contracts in August alone, advocacy data shows

Secure Justice, an Oakland-based anti-surveillance group, reports that 214 cities and counties have dropped Flock Safety license-plate camera contracts since 2021, with 90 cancellations in August 2026 alone—four times July's total. Communities citing surveillance overreach, data-sharing concerns, cost, and police misuse are ending deals at roughly three per day over the past month. Flock disputes the significance, saying new partnerships have outpaced cancellations 10 to 1 in 2026.

arstechnica.com · 2026-08-28