Chat Room Season 2 goes analog
Well, we've done it — made it to the end of a crazy year.
I'm grateful to all of you for reading our stories and coming to our events; it's been so great to watch the community grow. And I'm especially grateful for those of you who have chosen to subscribe and support our mission of fun, mouthy local news, written for readers, not algorithms.
To close out the last post of the year, I've rounded up some of my favorite stories we've published so far. Everything below is a gift link, readable by non-subscribers; if you like what you see, please consider subscribing.
Finally, I'd like to shout out our wonderful team — Eddie, Joel, Joshua, and Megan, plus our CEO, Byron, and steadfast admin, Lorraine — for everything you do. None of this would be possible without you guys.
See you all in 2025!
Hoodline using AI to generate news stories and journalist profiles by Joshua Bote
Following a Gazetteer SF inquiry, the neighborhood news site publicly confirmed its use of artificial intelligence to power an 'In-House Writing Collective'
Inside UCSF’s $530 million gambit to save three struggling San Francisco hospitals by Joel Rosenblatt
The UC system has been snapping up community hospitals statewide, part of an ambitious plan to increase efficiency (and, ultimately, profit)
A tech worker influx is shifting the vibe at the 150-year-old Dolphin Club by Megan Rose Dickey
Oldtimers are less than thrilled about newcomers treating the famed open water swimming group as a networking hotspot
You can’t hide your face at Stonestown Galleria anymore – unless you look like me by Eddie Kim
A fear of crime and chaos is fueling a spate of mask bans across the country. Are they actually protecting anyone, or just a path to discrimination?
In between gods, looking for work by Cydney Hayes
I went to an 'AI salon' at The Commons SF, expecting to find radical techies working to accumulate power. Instead, I found loneliness — and a lot of existential dread
Loyalty tests have transformed from TikTok novelty to girlboss gig work by Joshua Bote
Such tests have gained a new life on TikTok, enriching influencers and founders alike. But what do they mean for people looking for love?
SFPD quietly deployed drones at Outside Lands, Pride, and the Dolores Hill Bomb by Megan Rose Dickey
The department has deployed its drones more than 100 times since May, increasing usage sharply over time
SFUSD has leaned on PTAs to pay for gym, arts, and even classroom teachers. New rules may change that by Joel Rosenblatt
As a funding crisis grips San Francisco Unified, parents have raised millions to keep their schools afloat
With Trump’s reign looming, fusion centers pose a risk to sanctuary city policies by Eddie Kim
SFPD works with a federal data-sharing center in San Mateo — but how much they share with ICE is unclear
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