Choose your location
San Francisco Examiner
Pier 39 points to trio of summer openings as a sign of continued rebound
Pier 39 officials pointed to a trio of businesses opening this summer as another sign that the San Francisco waterfront shopping center and tourist attraction is rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic. Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria first welcomed customers through its Pier 39 outpost’s doors earlier this month, while Humble Sea Brewing Co. and Fire + Ice Grill and Bar are set to open later this summer. Officials with Pier 39 said that the trio of openings signals a new era for the popular tourist destination...
Advocates warn almost-finalized SF budget sets up drastic future cuts
A coalition of dozens of nonprofit, labor and community groups organizing to push back against a range of proposed cuts to San Francisco’s budget are warning the soon-to-be-finalized two-year plan sets the stage for even more drastic funding reductions down the line. A key budget committee of San Francisco supervisors signed off on a $15.9 billion budget late last month that restored tens of millions of dollars worth of cuts from Mayor London Breed’s proposal, which was released at the end of May. ...
Is The City in danger of losing its chilly climate identity?
San Francisco has long championed itself as a temperate paradise — even if it didn’t feel that way to start the month. The City opened July with its hottest stretch of the year, with San Francisco falling under a National Weather Service-issued heat advisory through the Fourth of July. But San Franciscans know that these summer warm-ups — despite increasing in frequency — remain the exception, not the rule. ...
Opinion: Biden blew the debate, but Trump will blow up the country
The Joe Biden who took the stage late last month in Atlanta was not the same one who took the stage in our Julia Morgan Ballroom seven months prior. Biden, speaking alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom at a rousing Democratic fundraiser in San Francisco during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in November 2023, was in fine form that night. He cited his accomplishments and hit his opponent, former President Donald Trump, hard. ...
SF bars, nightclubs now must carry roofie kits
San Francisco nightlife became a little bit safer at the start of the month. Assembly Bill 1013 took effect July 1, requiring bars and nightclubs that sell alcohol and don’t allow customers under the age of 21 to have date-rape drug-testing kits on site for patrons to be able to detect substances used to spike beverages, colloquially known as roofies. “If someone’s at a nightclub, and they think their drink...
Venture investment rebounds in Q2 but overall market remains ‘suspended’
At first glance, the venture industry appeared to have bounced back in a big way in the second quarter. But founders and funders in the struggling sector shouldn’t get too excited just yet. Venture organizations invested $55.6 billion in U.S. startups in the just-completed quarter, according to data released late Tuesday from PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. That was 47% higher than in the first quarter and represented the highest tally since the second quarter of 2022, when the industry was still in...
SF raises spending limits for mayoral candidates
The City gave two mayoral candidates the OK to spend more money late last month. The San Francisco Ethics Commission issued a notice July 1 that on June 27 it raised the expenditure ceiling for Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Ahsha Safai from $1.7 million to $2.2 million, an increase of nearly 30%. The increase, which is required by city law, is a reflection of the money amassed behind mayoral...
The next major mayoral endorsements? Look for ‘SF’ in the name
With the powerful Neighbors for a Better SF organization announcing its mayoral endorsements last week, eyes are turning toward other influential political advocacy groups in San Francisco. Political insiders and observers are awaiting endorsement decisions from GrowSF and TogetherSF, two relatively new organizations that have quickly established a presence in city elections. The former, which is deeply tied to the tech industry, issues a widely distributed voter guide every election....
Measure taxing Uber, Waymo to fund Muni could head to ballot
A group of transit activists has proposed imposing an additional tax on Uber, Lyft and Waymo to help the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency close its huge expected budget deficit. The activists on Friday plan to turn in the signatures they’ve collected for a ballot measure they’ve dubbed the Community Transit Act. The measure would impose a graduated tax on the money ride-hailing and robotaxi companies generate through offering rides in The City. The money raised — an estimated $20 million to $30 million annually,...
St. Mary’s, St. Francis hospitals officially joining UCSF
St. Mary’s Medical Center and St. Francis Memorial Hospital are officially going to join the UCSF fold next month. Nearly a year after UCSF Health announced its intent to acquire the hospitals from Dignity Health, the health-care giant announced Tuesday that a cooperative settlement agreement had received judicial approval that day in San Francisco Superior Court. The deal, crafted in collaboration with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, aims to preserve...
Officials, experts emphasize rarity of recent SF coyote attack
A recent attack by a wild coyote in Golden Gate Park doesn’t imply a broad increase in the danger posed by the animals, according to wildlife experts who spoke with The Examiner. Captain Patrick Foy, a member of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s law-enforcement division, said it was important to remember that a wild animal attacking a person is “a pretty rare event.” “It’s something that garners widespread...
‘Ticking time bomb’: Suit claims ‘egregious’ failures in SF shipyard cleanup
An environmental advocacy group is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Navy for “egregious violations” during its cleanup of radioactive toxins at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. San Francisco-based Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice and the UC Berkeley Law Clinic filed the lawsuit Friday, calling for, among other demands, 100% of the land to be retested for radioactive contaminants. They claim the Navy was obligated to do so, but never did. ...
Measure cutting number of SF commissions expects ballot qualification
TogetherSF Action, the political group backed by billionaire Michael Moritz, turned in nearly 80,000 signatures to elections officials Monday in an effort to qualify a November ballot initiative that would slash the number and authority of The City’s citizen commissions. The “Cut The Dysfunction Bureaucracy Initiative,” which would reduce the number of such bodies roughly in half to a maximum of 65, is a city charter amendment that advocates argue is an antidote to a sprawling bureaucracy of unelected functionaries that has diluted the power...
Measure cutting number of SF commissions expects ballot qualification
TogetherSF Action, the political group backed by billionaire Michael Moritz, turned in nearly 80,000 signatures to elections officials Monday in an effort to qualify a November ballot initiative that would slash the number and authority of The City’s citizen commissions. The “Cut The Dysfunction Bureaucracy Initiative,” which would reduce the number of such bodies roughly in half to a maximum of 65, is a city charter amendment that advocates argue is an antidote to a sprawling bureaucracy of unelected functionaries that has diluted the power...
Officials warn of fire risk ahead of SF heat wave, July 4 revelry
Officials are asking San Franciscans to leave firework displays to the professionals ahead of the Fourth of July, citing warming temperatures and dry conditions that will put The City at a high fire risk. Weather officials and emergency responders are advising residents to exercise caution while outside, particularly when it comes to celebrating the holiday. “We are straight-up asking people to not do fireworks this year because the fire danger...
Supes table plan for $5 pickleball, tennis court reservations
San Francisco lawmakers have tabled a proposal to charge $5 to reserve select public tennis and pickleball courts in The City after hearing pushback from players. For now, reserving a public court will remain free, after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Appropriations committee unanimously voted late last month to postpone consideration of the proposal. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission unanimously passed a proposal in May...
Low-income San Franciscans scramble to deal with internet subsidy’s end
Millions of Americans — including tens of thousands of San Franciscans — recently received some unwelcome news: Their internet bills are set to go up. The effective rate hike was the result of the end of a federal subsidy program that has its roots in the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dubbed the Affordable Connectivity Program, the initiative was designed to close the long-lingering digital divide by providing significantly discounted internet access to low-income families, even allowing some to get broadband service for free. ...
SF ‘truly in a new era’ as it must fast-track housing projects
With San Francisco still lagging behind its state-mandated housing targets, The City has now become the first in California where a recently passed streamlining law will take effect — meaning that most new developments that meet planning standards will be allowed to move forward without additional public review. State housing officials announced the determination Friday that San Francisco had missed its 2023 development goals, activating the streamlining provisions of Senate Bill 423, a housing measure written by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and passed...
Movie-theater concert embodies a thriving music scene in the Richmond
For generations, San Francisco’s neighborhoods have long defined its music scene. But the Richmond, a sprawling residential neighborhood known for its proximity to Golden Gate Park and (relative) affordability, has never boasted of a distinct musical legacy. Until the last few years, that is. A new cohort of musicians has proudly set up home in the neighborhood, and the advent of venues with unique and exciting programming have suddenly made...
Public election financing in SF hustles to keep up with outside spending
Despite The City’s many efforts to discourage it, big money is finding ways into the 2024 San Francisco mayoral election. Billionaires such as Michael Bloomberg and Jan Koum — the former CEO and co-founder of WhatsApp — have already put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race. Daniel Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, has decided to self-finance his campaign, paving the way for him to sink...
San Francisco Examiner
4K+
Posts
14M+
Views
The San Francisco Examiner, founded in 1863 as the Democratic Press, examines politics, crime, sports and culture in The City with a focus on solutions-based journalism.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.