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.
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What’s San Francisco’s plan for security on Election Day?
After multiple reports of fires and threats around the country, the sheriff’s office maintains a watchful eye on drop boxes and polling places
What would happen if the state took over SFUSD?
Officials claim a takeover won’t happen. But CA’s DOE has taken over nine other districts under similar circumstances — and SF remains very much at risk
Punching up: Iconic comedy venue has sharpened the chops of legends like Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho
At Punch Line’s S.F. Comedy Showcase, aspiring comedians (and professionals) can feel free to fail
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
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
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
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’
Conservative journalist and SF supervisor settle absurdist suit over block from non-existent X account
The city says goodbye to a very serious case
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)
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