Everybody’s confused about the smoking ban
A haze of conflicting information surrounds the D7 supervisor’s effort to snub out smoking on bar patios
An incomplete history of Boots Riley’s incredible hats
The ‘I Love Boosters’ director’s Uptown Yardie hats have gotten almost as much attention as his movies
How many people are actually being brought to the new RESET sobering center?
The mayor boasted of ‘dozens and dozens’ in the first 24 hours; the sheriff’s office cites 320 in two and a half weeks. Yet many of the center’s chairs appear empty
Sergey Brin fled California, but he keeps throwing money at SF politics
Even from Nevada, the Google co-founder is fighting the Overpaid CEO tax and funding a right-wing extremist (among others) for governor
From Sam Altman’s ‘fun’ hair to Elon Musk’s ‘twisting’ lips: How courtroom artists capture giants
Three trial veterans describe their approaches to depicting the rich and infamous during the Musk v. Altman trial
A budget brawler’s inside-outside game
As Mayor Lurie’s budget deadline approaches, Anya Worley-Ziegmann leads rallies outside his office and talks with people who work within it
With dueling endorsements, Connie Chan and Saikat Chakrabarti come out swinging
One has Nancy Pelosi, the other Rashida Tlaib. The difference says it all
Jury sides with Altman in OpenAI case
Plus, the Standard gets tech help from journalism’s newest whiz kid
Market Match connects low income Californians with farmers market produce. Gavin Newsom may be about to cut it
Market operators, food security advocates, and state legislators are scrambling to secure funding for the nutrition program that benefits 674,000 statewide
Drinking Companion: Mauna Loa Club is a balmy, unpretentious watering hole
This tropical family-owned dive will make even Marina haters say ‘aloha’
Everlane’s fire sale is a race to the bottom
Like many San Francisco success stories, Everlane, whose sale to Shein was just reported, diluted its early ideals in pursuit of hockey-stick growth
A disco historian’s fabulous disco playlist
Ahead of his appearance at Green Apple Books Books on the Park, ‘A Night at the Disco’ author Christian John Wikane’s tunes for your own Good Times
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Hell on Bay Wheels
The Google Gemini ads currently dominating the city’s bike share fleet are the latest targets for culture jamming
In the Mood for Food at Chat Room
Some say food is cooked; but we think it still eats
Own a piece of Cafe Jacqueline
Fans of the beloved North Beach chef are whipping themselves into a frenzy for her souffle whisks and other items being sold at an estate sale this weekend
The Natural throws San Francisco a curveball
For grown-up punks who love baseball, a Brannan Street batting cage is the ultimate clubhouse
Scott Wiener’s super PAC is a dark-money mess
A 2024 change in campaign finance law is fueling the congressional hopeful’s outreach efforts
Manic Monday
The aestheticization of government secrets
Plus, in shocking news, new college grads don’t like the technology that’s ruining their futures
Culture
San Francisco’s power players want to cash in on BTS fandom
With BTS at Stanford and a mini-fleet of branded Waymos rolling through the city, K-pop fandom is at risk of being fully co-opted
Politics
Protesting Mayor Lurie’s budget cuts outside his office
A group of 250 brought chants and personalized pleas directly to Room 200, but went unanswered by Lurie
Food & Drink
Philz Coffee United joins UFCW 5
The workers are now aligned with union members from Verve and Highwire in the largest private-sector union in Northern California
Business
Everlane owes back rent to another landlord
The clothing company will centralize its operations in LA, but the owners of its SF buildings still want to get paid
Tech
New troubles at Mercor: Infighting, ‘face time slavery,’ and ‘inhumane working conditions’
Former staffers offer a look inside the human data startup, where the hours are brutal, employees say they’re getting stiffed, and the CEO is a 23-year-old billionaire who wants to be Elon Musk
Immigration
What will SF law enforcement do if ICE kicks in your door? Ask again in a few weeks
If SFPD, the Sheriff, and the DA have a plan to protect our Fourth Amendment rights, they’re not sharing it
