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Joel Rosenblatt

Joel covers the forces in San Francisco — money, business, personalities, local law, and politics — that bind the city and pull it apart. He most recently worked for Bloomberg News reporting on state and federal courts.

Previously, he covered the crime beat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and was a freelancer in New York City. Before that, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal. He was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, studied public policy at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and has a Masters degree from Columbia Journalism School.

SFUSD has leaned on parents to pay for gym, arts, and even classroom teachers. New rules may change that

As a funding crisis grips San Francisco Unified, PTAs have raised millions to keep their schools afloat

October 2, 2024

The Mission’s Little Spot Cafe to close in about a week

Owner Ken Kurita blames his landlord for the closure, among other stresses on the small business

September 18, 2024

X court win guts California’s modest attempt to curb hate speech, disinformation

'It's hard to imagine how the current lack of platform transparency could be remedied,' a legal expert told Gazetteer SF

September 4, 2024

Social media is making it weirder than ever to be a teen girl (or the dad of one)

As an anti-social-media dad, it’s a struggle to keep up with trends like ‘fit-checks’

September 3, 2024

Inside UCSF’s $530 million gambit to save three struggling San Francisco hospitals

The UC system has been snapping up community hospitals statewide, part of an ambitious plan to increase efficiency (and, ultimately, profit)

August 9, 2024

As Winston Drive deadline looms, cops force dozens of families living in RVs to move to Zoo Road

RV residents, many of them families with children, face an uncertain future as the city seeks to clear the streets

July 30, 2024

Stop feeding coyotes. You’re getting them killed – and putting humans at risk

Earlier this month, three SF coyotes were shot after a kid got bitten. Experts blame whichever idiots keep giving them rotisserie chickens

July 25, 2024

X fights California regulation it says infringes on right to host ‘awful but lawful’ content

SF’s Ninth Circuit will hear company’s appeal to halt state law forcing platforms to disclose how they handle disinfo, hate speech

July 16, 2024

City officials push back enforcement date for clearing RVs along Winston Drive

RV owners have until August 1 to move out or risk being ticketed and towed — but many still have nowhere to go

July 10, 2024