Rebecca Kaplan suggested the idea at a committee meeting last Thursday, and by Tuesday’s council meeting, a company had already expressed interest in providing its ships, she said.

“I’m excited about the possibility to create more affordable housing quickly,” Kaplan told the Bay Area News Group after Tuesday’s meeting.

Why would a cruise company want to offer up a ship to house the homeless rather than make money operating cruises?

Because the International Maritime Organization is imposing more stringent emissions regulations in 2020, and some ships won’t be able to upgrade their engines to the new standards in time, Kaplan said. Instead, they could dock them at the Port of Oakland or a private dock and plug into electricity, she said.

It wouldn’t be the first time cruise ships have been used for emergency housing. Ships were used to house relief workers responding to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas this September; the Federal Emergency Management Agency — or FEMA — chartered cruise ships to house people in 2017 during the hurricanes in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina.

Kaplan said she envisions having “sliding scale accommodations” on board, so the residents would be paying for the services themselves.

It would be up to the port or a private dock to allow the cruise ship to dock there, and determine how much the cruise company would pay for it, Kaplan said.

But Port of Oakland officials say the plan wouldn’t work on its docks.

Port of Oakland spokesman Michael Zampa said though port officials “respect President Kaplan’s desire to address homelessness,” the port’s docks are designed for cargo ships, not cruise ships. Cruises typically board out of San Francisco, he said, since the Port of Oakland doesn’t have the infrastructure to allow for residential use.

Given Oakland’s lack of affordable housing, Kaplan said, the idea is worth at least exploring.

“I think it’s worth working on to see if we can have an innovation to provide needed, urgent housing quickly and affordably,” Kaplan said.

SAN FRANCISCO — Days before world leaders descend on San Francisco for a highly-anticipated climate action summit, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets calling on those leaders to take action to solve the global climate crisis.

Joining cities around the world in the “Rise for Climate” movement, more than 1,000 people gathered early Saturday at Embarcadero Plaza to demand urgent action to reduce the world’s reliance on fossil fuels and increase green energy. By the time they marched down Market Street toward Civic Center — banging drums, playing instruments, waving colorful signs and burning incense and sage — the crowd was 30,000-strong. It was likely the largest climate rally on the West Coast, according to organizers.

“We’re sending a message to the elected officials and corporate executives gathering for the summit next week that we need equitable, community-led solutions, not profit-driven approaches like cap-and-trade that allow big polluters to buy and sell our right to clean air and a stable climate,” said Miya Yoshitani, executive director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

Climate change has become a contentious topic in recent years under a president that has denied its existence. Many environmental activists, politicians and leaders have doubled down to spread awareness on the issue, even as the Trump administration looks to thwart conservation efforts.

President Trump didn’t publicly comment on the rallies Saturday. But his efforts to roll back environmental regulations and expand offshore oil drilling off the California coast gave extra urgency to Saturday’s event and at least one sign depicted a globe topped by a rendering of the president’s long, wispy hair: “You can’t comb over climate change.”

Berkeley resident Aya de Leon said she marched to send a message to elected officials and to people feeling hopeless about whether anything can be done to stop the global warming that is causing extreme storms, droughts and sea level rise around the world.

“Any time people come together like this, it reminds us how powerful we really are,” de Leon said.

The San Francisco rally — organized by 350 Bay Area — came just days before thousands of world leaders, environmentalists, celebrities, activists and researchers arrive in San Francisco for a global climate summit Sept. 12-14 spearheaded by the United Nations and Gov. Jerry Brown.

The summit aims to inspire cities, states, provinces, countries and corporations to increase their commitments to reduce the use of fossil fuels, increase renewable energy and take other steps to slow climate change.

On Saturday, Native American and indigenous groups from around the globe — determined to preserve their land and the world’s natural resources — proudly stood at the front of the line on the  march to Civic Center, where there was music, art, and a resource fair.

Among the speakers was Mirian Cisneros, president of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Cisneros was brought to the event by Amazon Watch, an environmental nonprofit.

“I come from the living forest,” Cisneros said through an interpreter. “I also come from a people that have fought for years and years against the threat of oil drilling. I am here in this large march with brothers and sisters from the whole planet because we understand that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground in the Amazon rainforest and everywhere.”

Desiree Adams, of Antioch, who is Navajo, said it’s sacred that we “acknowledge that we are still a part of this land.”

“There are very few of us who will show up and let people know we’re still here,” she said.

Similar events took place across the U.S. and beyond Saturday, from Brazil to Nigeria, Turkey and India.

Next week’s three-day climate action summit is expected to host more than 4,000 delegates from six continents.

The crash was reported just before 10 a.m. near Tenaja Truck Trail — about 10 minutes west of the Ortega Oaks Candy Store and Goods, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log. The log didn’t clearly say who died.

The motorcycle was traveling east and the SUV was driving west on the Ortega Highway — officially Highway 74 — when the crash occurred, the log said.

All lanes were initially closed between Ortega Falls and the Candy Store. By 1 p.m., the lanes were opened.

Additional details from the CHP or Cal Fire were not immediately available.

Gen Miake, 60, and Kathie Barber, 58, were found by a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department helicopter crew 1 to 2 miles east of the trailhead to the crater, about “100 yards from one another in the open desert with no shade,” according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.

The Amboy Crater is an extinct cinder cone volcano off Route 66 halfway between Barstow and Needles. The crater is south of the trailhead, while the town of Amboy including the landmark Roy’s Motel, Cafe and Gas Station are to the east.

Barber called 911 at 1:36 p.m. Saturday to report that she had been hiking with Miake since 11 a.m. and they had become separated, the news release said.

She was unable to find Miake, who she said had a heart condition. She also told dispatchers that she was out of water.

A deputy from the sheriff’s Morongo station and a patrol helicopter based in San Bernardino were both sent to the scene. The deputy found the couple’s car at the trailhead but couldn’t tell which direction they had gone.

When the helicopter arrived, it began an aerial search and located Barber and Miake, who were both unresponsive. A Fire Department member confirmed they were deceased.

• Related: Learn more about the remote town of Amboy

The Amboy Crater is a barren, almost black geological structure that fascinates tourists – particularly those from Europe, said Manny Lopez, the manager of Roy’s, on Saturday afternoon. Often, he said, hikers are unprepared for the heat, which can be even hotter on the lava field than in the surrounding desert.

Miake and Barber lived in Yorba Linda for at least 17 years, according to their neighbors.

The neighbors said the couple could be seen holding hands in the mornings, around 5 a.m. as they took walks together before leaving early for work.

“They always seemed so happy together,” said Janay Maisano, 18.

The neighbors said the pair mostly kept to themselves.

Staff writers Jeong Park and Jim Steinberg contributed to this report.

The man, identified by authorities as Leslie Elliott, 28, of Garden Grove,  was among a group of about 50 “Ruthless Ryderz” performing stunts about 10 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the 15 south of Weirick Road, said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Nathan Baer.

The rider who attempted to stand on his motorcycle fell to the ground when the bike became unstable, Baer said. Though the man was wearing a helmet, the impact caused him to suffer “major head trauma,” Baer said.

The man received medical aid at the scene by CHP officers, then was taken to the hospital, where he later died, Baer said.

After the crash, the other motorcyclists were blocking lanes on the freeway. A SigAlert was issued and traffic backed up for more than 4 miles on the southbound side and about 3 miles on the northbound side before the CHP cleared the roadway about 10:40 a.m.

This is the second time this month that a group of motorcyclists has been involved in a traffic incident on that portion of the southbound 15.

On July 2, a group of more than 300 riders stopped traffic near Ontario Avenue in Corona. The CHP log indicated the incident may have started with a crash, and 911 callers said riders were blocking lanes and starting fights with other drivers. Traffic backed up for miles.

When CHP officers arrived, however, things had dispersed. Officers found no crash victims or drivers reporting damage.

A witness who encountered that group of motorcyclists farther north, on the 71 Freeway in Chino, said they were not driving recklessly at that point.

Baer said the CHP has noticed a recent uptick in reckless motorcycle riding, not only on the 15 but also throughout the region.

“We of course discourage it,” Baer said. “It’s illegal, extremely dangerous and extremely inconsiderate.”

Eduardo Gutierrez, 55, was stopped off the westbound 10 at the exit to the westbound 210, according to a San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office news release. He and his vehicle were hit by the tow truck about 2:30 p.m.

Gutierrez was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at 3:07 p.m., the news release said.

A SigAlert was issued and some lanes were closed until about 5 p.m. during the investigation, which is being handled by the California Highway Patrol.

The Hemet Police Department initially reported the victim lived in Costa Mesa, but the Riverside County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office  identified him as Danny Guajardo, 36, of Hemet on Sunday night, July 2.

Guajardo was driving a 1998 Honda Civic south on Sanderson Avenue approaching Acacia Avenue about 4:40 p.m. Saturday when he veered over the double-yellow line and crashed into a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe that was in a turning lane on the northbound side of the street, according to a Hemet news release.

Guajardo was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center where he died almost two hours after the accident, according to the coroner’s news release.

A passenger in Guajardo’s vehicle and the 61-year-old driver of the Hyundai were hospitalized.

Guajardo’s passenger remained in “critical but stable condition” Sunday, the news release said, while the Hyundai driver is stable.

“There were signs the driver of the Honda may have been under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol,” the police news release said.

Joshua Herbert, of Corona, was booked into jail Wednesday, June 21, and charged with murder in the slaying of 31-year-old James Duty of Orange and the non-injury shooting of another Hells Angels member.

The charges carry gun and firearm enhancements which could make him eligible for the death penalty if he is found guilty and if Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin decides to pursue it as a punishment, said Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Roy at a press conference Thursday.

Police still are searching for another person tied to the shooting — the driver of the car that pulled up to the Shell gas station at 3502 Adams St. in Riverside on May 21.

Herbert got out of the passenger’s seat, authorities said, and fired a revolver several times at a group of five Hells Angels members who were refueling their motorcycles. Duty was shot, and taken to a hospital where he later died; another man was shot in the head, but the bullet struck his helmet and he was not injured.

Authorities believe the shooting was the result of an ongoing, violent feud between the Hells Angels and the Mongols motorcycle club — of which Herbert was a member. Riverside police Lt. Charles Payne said there’s no indication that Herbert knew the victims personally.

Police believe he was targeting them because of their patches.

“The Hells Angels and the Mongols are both rival gangs,” Payne said. “They have a long history of animosity towards one another which includes committing crimes against each other, including murder for the purpose of territory expansion, gang advancement and retaliation.”

Though the feud spans back to the late 70’s, there has been a spike in shootings and attempted murders between the two groups over the past six to eight months, said Riverside police Detective Jim Simons. Those incidents mostly occurred in Orange and Los Angeles counties, he said, and are being investigated by the Anaheim Police Department and the California Highway Patrol.

The month-long investigation into the Riverside shooting involved the Riverside Police Department, Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, California Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies.

Simons said investigators were quickly able to identify Herbert as a suspect thanks to tips from the community and information from special agents with the ATF and CHP. Herbert was known to both agencies, Simons said. Investigators also used surveillance footage from the gas station to find the car — which belongs to Herbert.

On Wednesday, officers from the various agencies served search warrants at several locations throughout Southern California and confiscated weapons, gang paraphernalia, body armor, ammunition and other items. Officers found both the vehicle and the weapon they believe were used in the shooting, and took Herbert into custody.

A similar but unrelated sweep was carried out June 16 when federal agents arrested 22 members of the Vagos motorcycle club in multiple states.

ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Monique Villegas said agents who had been investigating the Mongols “for decades” helped with the case against Herbert. Those agents are familiar with the crimes Mongols have committed in the past, and the threat they pose to public safety.

“This gang is violent,” Villegas said. “They use firearms to intimidate and to kill.”

Officer Ryan Railsback on Wednesday afternoon confirmed to The Press-Enterprise that the arrest was made, but would not confirm the suspect’s name to prevent the investigation from being impacted.

Police identified the suspect as Joshua Herbert, 27, a member of the Mongols motorcycle club, at a press conference Thursday morning.

Earlier this month, police officials said the shooting was believed to be related to a feud between the Hells Angels and rival motorcycle gang the Mongols; the feud has been active for decades.

The May 21 shooting — in which 31-year-old James Duty, of Orange, was killed — was believed by police to be the first violent encounter between the groups in Riverside since the 1970s.

Duty and other motorcyclists clad in Hells Angels insignia were ambushed at the Shell gas station at 3502 Adams St. in Riverside, officials said.

Duty was taken to a hospital, where he later died. A second victim was shot in the head, but the bullet struck his helmet and he was not injured.

• 

  A big-rig ignited prompting multiple lane closures on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Serfas Club Drive in Corona on Sunday, June 18, 2017. The driver was safe with no injuries. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

• 

  A big-rig ignited prompting multiple lane closures on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Serfas Club Drive in Corona on Sunday, June 18, 2017. The driver was safe with no injuries. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

• 

  A big-rig ignited prompting multiple lane closures on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Serfas Club Drive in Corona on Sunday, June 18, 2017. The driver was safe with no injuries. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

• 

  A big-rig ignited prompting multiple lane closures on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Serfas Club Drive in Corona on Sunday, June 18, 2017. The driver was safe with no injuries. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

• 

  A Caltrans camera shows a big-rig on fire Sunday morning, June 18, on the 91 Freeway near Serfas Club Drive in Corona. (Photo courtesy of Caltrans)

A big-rig burst into flames Sunday morning, June 18, on the 91 Freeway in Corona, causing lane closures that jammed traffic for miles.

The fire was reported at 10:09 a.m. in the eastbound lanes west of Serfas Club Drive, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log. People who called 911 said the vehicle was dripping what appeared to be diesel, the log said.

Within minutes, all traffic was stopped on that portion of the 91 while firefighters worked to put out the fire, which left the semi’s cab a charred husk.

The driver got out without injury, Corona Fire Department Battalion Chief Robert Peterson said.

Four eastbound lanes reopened an hour after the fire started, but three others remained closed until about 1:15 p.m.

At its worst, traffic was backed up for almost 6 miles to the 241 interchange, according to a Caltrans traffic map; a few other crashes between there and where the semi caught fire may have been contributing.

Staff photographer Watchara Phomicinda contributed to this report.

In other fire news Sunday:

Smiley fire in Reche Canyon

Fire started by car crash in Riverside

Lambs fire in Beaumont

Zermatt fire in Wrightwood