The rise (and rise) of the nerd reich
‘The Nerd Reich’ author Gil Durán connected the dots from Silicon Valley to the White House to the possible end of the world. He may take on Gavin Newsom next
Five years in, Portola heats up
The music festival’s growing pains are over and the party at Pier 80 is a raver’s dream
The hottest tech party we’re happy we missed
Plus, Dario Amodei is being dragged everywhere, so to speak
It’s Studio BBA’s city, we just live in it
Whether you’ve dined at Mister Jiu’s, caffeinated at Tartine, or worked 9-9-6 from an industrial-chic AI office, you’ve probably spent time in the handsome world created by this little-known architecture firm. In fact, some people never leave it
When tiny classifieds made a big impact
This week: A well-timed news report and press conference, and a family coffee shop with a long backstory
Drinking Companion: At Persona, you can be whoever you want, especially a Tech Bro
A dimly lit Lower Nob Hill bar made for terrific cocktails and terrible conversations
A Fan’s Notes: Ballhalla, this is our moment
Never mind the noise, the Valkyries are playoff bound and our columnist cannot wait
THE GAZETTEER SF 2026 VOTER GUIDE
Our handy, non-exhaustive, totally unscientific guide to the people, policies, and issues that matter most in November 2026
Face Time: Monika Bauerlein is too busy to celebrate
As Mother Jones turns 50 this year, its CEO isn’t looking back
Jung people these days
Plumbing the depths of the Mission’s C.G. Jung Institute, where symbols are interpreted and archetypes are interrogated
Founders from Down Under
Hyped up by AI and their own big ambitions, waves of charmingly-accented Australians are making a splash in San Francisco
The New York Times and the mayor sound a public health alarm
A well-timed article and press conference about a new street drug could potentially complicate a criminal trial
Chula Cafe brings a 150-year legacy of coffee to the Dogpatch
Beans from the owners’ family farm in Chiapas have been caffeinating generations of San Franciscans since 1871
Meet the hometown heroes of Portola Festival
These local artists are representing at San Francisco’s biggest dance music event at Pier 80
The loneliness of the long shot candidate
Undeterred by dogs, billionaires, and other serious obstacles, attorney J.R. Eppler is running for D10 supervisor
What should we make of the AI doomsday campaign?
Plus, Daniel Lurie fumbles a TikTok post (RARE!)
How will we spend all that AI money?
Plus, Horsies — the ultimate arbiter of SF cool — declares AI lame
Culture
Bike lane markings of the damned
Deciphering the messy, sometimes bizarre, temporary bike lane markings across the city
Politics
Y Combinator’s PAC is throwing money at a bunch of Republicans across the country
Garry Tan and other leaders at the San Francisco-based tech incubator are trying to build a tech-forward future one donation at a time
Food & Drink
Fillmore, Japantown, and Western Addition residents rally for a co-op grocery
After the big chains left their neighborhoods without reasonable grocery access, these residents are hoping to make something work
Business
‘I’ve just never seen an environment that was so inappropriate’: Former SF Standard director of growth alleges sexual harassment and retaliation
A complaint filed last week on behalf of Julia Ryan names the newsroom’s parent company and its CEO Griffin Gaffney
Technology
Dreamforce protestors demand Marc Benioff ‘defend democracy’
Despite his ICE jokes and closeness to Trump, union organizers and activists believe the Salesforce CEO will still fight for progressive causes
Immigration
Video shows woman violently detained by ICE at SFO
A spokesman for San Francisco International Airport says they are not involved in any decisions or operations by the Department of Homeland Security inside terminals
