News

Cavenia Bryant and Jamillya Edgerton, the two waste-of-space human beings who videotaped themselves brutally attacking an Oakland hair salon owner, then bragged about it on-air to radio station KMEL -- were in court today. It seems the victim, according to ABC 7's Dan Noyes, "is questioning why the Alameda County District Attorney's office has decided to file only misdemeanor battery and false imprisonment charges against suspects." The ladies, awe we use that term loosely, should have seen some sort of felony assault charges. more ›

After teasing us over and over and over with a strike that promised to cripple public transportation and the lives of many, BART and union leaders came to a contract agreement, tentatively. According to first-on-the-scene SFAppeal, "management and union leaders this morning announced a tentative agreement on a four-year contract. The announcement was made late this morning in Oakland by BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger, Services Employees International Union President Lisa Isler, and Amalgamated Transit Union President Jesse Hunt." After the sort-of agreement was reached, Duggar, according to SF Chron, "said the agreement was the result of 'sacrifice and compromise' and would allow BART to continue operations under 'stable financial footing.'" more ›

Back in September, a certain baggage handler by the name of John Emil Victoria, age 21, fucked with the wrong man's luggage. A retired San Francisco police officer checked his custom-made handgun in his luggage, and it disappeared. This led to an undercover sting operation in which two other baggage handlers, Andrew Balamiento and Tauailapalapa Laulu, were also convicted of swiping expensive items from peoples' luggage. Balamiento and Victoria will both serve several months for felony embezzlement and Laulu will serve one month and two years of probation for misdemeanor embezzlement. Phew! You are now safe to check your custom handguns in your luggage again. more ›

Marvin Grant (Bigg Marv), MC Hammer's cousin, was arrested late afternoon on Thursday after a manhunt. The reality TV supporting player is accused of raping a woman he met via Twitter in Livermore. According to CBS 5's Joe Vasquez, "The woman, who is from Los Angeles, arranged to meet [Tuesday] night at a hotel in Livermore after Grant returned from a shoot in Las Vegas." The victim, after declining his advances post-suppertime, was allegedly attacked by Grant. At a press conference, Lt. Matt Sarsfield of the Livermore Police Department said, "He's about 300 pounds, and was able to pin her down and keep one of her arms down while he sexually assaulted her." MC Hammer's camp has since bailed him out of jail. more ›

According to yesterday's Richmond Police newsletter (via RichmondSF), an arsonist was arrested yesterday. more ›

The failed experiment that is the CultureBus -- a very slow, yellow Muni bus that would take passengers around San Francisco (downtown to Golden Gate Park) to look at art and trees, running every hour or so -- will come to a merciful end. According to SFMTA, the CultureBus will be discontinued effective August 15. more ›

• Rape charges lead to manhunt for MC Hammer's cousin. [NBC Bay Area]
• Iron Chef Morimoto top open shop in downtown Napa. [Eater]
• Fall ballot could be dullsville. [Melissa Griffin]

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Ahem: @GavinNewsom "Just announced plan to build UN environmental center in SF to promote sustainable and clean technologies." Meanwhile, San Francisco is still poor. more ›

You may recall this study that was released a couple weeks back by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty in which San Francisco was named the 7th meanest city to the homeless, and LA was named first. Well, you may have also noticed that our little liberal sister city to the east, Berkeley, came in 10th, and The Berkeley Daily Planet is having none of it! Reporter Riya Bhattacharjee spoke to a number of Berkeley's proud homeless and local homeless advocates, all of whom swear up and down that Berkeley is actually super awesome to its homeless and this ranking must be rigged! more ›

Just when you thought Muni PR couldn't get any worse, it seems that an L Taraval train had another collision with a vehicle today near 19th and Taraval. No injuries have been reported and no first-hand accounts are yet available. Shuttle buses replaced L service between West Portal and the zoo for a bit this morning, but normal service has been restored. more ›

Believe us when we say we are just as sick as you are of this story/non-story that won't goddamn go away, but ONCE AGAIN, this weekend, there looms the threat of a BART strike, or maybe there doesn't. It would appear, since the threat has come and gone about nine times now, that all concerned are committed to negotiating this thing through and that ONCE AGAIN this will be an empty threat. But BART employees remain pissed off about a new contract that would curtail their overtime -- something that cost BART about $30 million last year -- and now that their contract has expired, workers have nothing stopping them from a walkout. So watch out everyone (especially those with homes or obligations in the East Bay)! It could be for real this time. Or not. more ›

The July 2 issue of Sacramento News & Review, it seems, wasn't the most popular issue of SN&R. Why? Well, the cover story -- featuring a safe couple, Ben and Lonny Phillips-Lesenana, and the headline, "5 easy steps to marriage freedom" -- proved very unpopular with Sacto ilk. So much so that the paper's return rate that week was staggeringly high. more ›

The body of an unidentified man was found inside a Castro Street apartment on Tuesday, reports the . SFPD found the week-old corpse after receiving an anonymous phone call. Creepy. Authorities are still trying to determine the cause of death and the body's ID. The BAR goes on to say, "there had been two or three people living in the residence, but [head of the homicide unit Lieutenant Mike Stasko] didn't know if the dead man was one of them. He said the residents had not been seen in 'a few days,' and no one else was in the flat." We'll update with more info as it comes to us. Update: Police have identified the body: Robert "Bobby" Christopher, 56. According to SFGate, "He was found inside what appeared to be a ransacked apartment at 98 Castro St. after someone called San Francisco police at 6:35 p.m." more ›

First, it's no longer the Auto Arsonist, it's "Carsonist" (TM: Eve Batey) which is way radder sounding. Second, he or she took the night off. The person(s) responsible for at least 12 car fires since Saturday didn't strike last night. (One possible reason? A female arsonist was arrested last night at the Transbay Terminal, but police have yet to connect her to the car torches, so we cannot hand her the carsonist sash and tiara just yet.) But if you know anything about this week's rash of auto fires, please call the SFPD. more ›

If so, you might want to call the fuzz immediately. According to SFAppeal / BCN, police are asking the public for help in finding this "27-year-old man wanted in connection with a Tuesday carjacking that followed a botched robbery attempt of a West Portal bank." It seems that the very attractive David Wehrer tried (but failed) to rob the Bank of America on the 200 block of West Portal Avenue at around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. After failing at scoring any sacks of cash, Wehrer "then allegedly carjacked a red 2006 Honda Accord before fleeing the area." (CA Lic #: 5TCV308) Dangerous. Anyway, if you've seen or know where David is hiding, please call SFPD authorities at 415-553-1201 or 415-553-1071. Read more about it here. more ›

If you receive an iPhone text message with a "single square character," be afraid. Be very afraid. It's could be hackers using a iewly discovered iPhone SMS bug to infiltrate your precious phone. According to CBS 5. "Famed hacker Charlie Miller discovered the flaw and told Apple about it six weeks ago. The company has not issued a fix, so Miller will pressure Apple by showing exactly how to hijack the iPhone at a cybersecurity conference on Thursday." Miller warned yesterday, "Someone could pretty quickly take over every iPhone in the world with this." IntoMobile explains how it works: "Using the exploit, hackers could send a succession of SMS text messages to an iPhone, allowing them to gain complete control of the handset. Hackers can then commandeer the iPhone to send similar text message strings to other iPhones, spreading like wildfire." If you get this square-character message, there's not much you can do other than turn your phone off. more ›

Reality show contestants without a show are having a bake-off. [SFGov]

Wade Crowfoot is leaving Team Newsom. Aw. Crowfoot, "that guy with the fake job about weather who all the gays think is hot," has been hired by Environmental Defense Fund for yet another newly created yet dubious position. According to SF Biz Times, Wade will "lobby California’s congressional delegation and other political and business leaders to push EDF’s agenda." Now the rest of California will get to bask in the warm glow of his sharp cheek bones and cherry-stained lips. À la prochaine fois, Wade. But wait, there's more! Budget director Nani Coloretti is leaving the Newsom's brodeo as well. And, SFBG reports, "political fundraiser Paige Barry Arata ... is quitting as the finance director of Newsom's gubernatorial bid and returning to City Hall." These most recent departures come on the heels of Newsom campaign manager Eric Jaye calling it quits on Monday. Feel free to speculate wildly in the comments. more ›

Here's a handy map that shows where the dastardly Auto Arsonist has flicked his or her Bic. Since Saturday morning, a whopping 11 automobiles have been torched. Why? No one knows yet, exactly. The incidents have happened all over San Francisco, from Ocean Beach to North Beach. more ›

The man who has spent his local political career championing the rights of the Tenderloin poor, the SRO-dwelling, and the owners of property more likely to be made of cardboard than of concrete, Supervisor Chris Daly is facing further scrutiny by the SF Appeal and Chron yet being defended by the Weekly this week -- all relating to the recent revelation of the purchase of not one but two homes in Fairfield, far afield of the district Daly represents. This of course follows on much e-ink already spilt and spread around in the past week on this subject, which is obvious fodder for Daly's detractors and brings forth a flood of eager defenders. more ›

Did you know that in the past five months officers have busted 20 major marijuana grow operations in the Sunset and Ingleside districts of San Francisco? Yes, and a man was arrested yesterday in the 2200 block of 20th Avenue with 246 mature plants growing in his home and charged with cultivating, possession with intent to sell, and stealing electricity. Cops say the skunky smell emanating from the house is usually what gives it away. No shit! It looks like the CAMP task force is still hard at work, and that this is more the work of local officials than the DEA, since our current Attorney General isn't too big on federal pot busts anymore. But we don't actually understand the politics of the marijuana policy anymore... We suppose this just wasn't a fully sanctioned medical marijuana grow operation? They're just hating on the Nancy Botwins around town? more ›

After months of tiresome foreplay -- or is that redundant? -- Microsoft and Yahoo have finally done the deed. Sunnyvale-based Yahoo and Microsoft will join forces to try gaining an edge on the market that Google snatched up with ease. The new deal goes something like this: Microsoft's new search thingamajig, Bing, will be the "exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform" for Yahoo, there's some sort of $500M revenue sharing agreement, Yahoo will handle all sales, and the partnership will last for at least ten years per the agreement. "Success in search requires both innovation and scale," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said. "With our new Bing search platform, we’ve created breakthrough innovation and features. This agreement with Yahoo! will provide the scale we need to deliver even more rapid advances in relevancy and usefulness. Microsoft and Yahoo! know there’s so much more that search could be. This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search." Today's deal, according to Valleywag, will lead to "Yahoo's annihilation." (Good luck, Carol Bartz!)
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by Chris Jones more ›

Last night, four more cars were immolated during the wee hours of the night. A little before 11:30 p.m. in the Bayview neighborhood at Newcomb Avenue and Selby Street, a car was lit ablaze. However, San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge claimed that the Bayview incident wasn't related to the alleged Auto Arsonist. But the next three fires probably are. Two vehicles were "found on fire at Francisco and Powell streets in North Beach at 2 a.m.," SFGate reported. And, at around 3:25 a.m., "a Honda was found burning at La Playa and Balboa streets near Ocean Beach." This brings the total number of singed automobiles to 11 since Saturday. The is starting to get scary. more ›

California State Parks director Ruth Coleman said that the agency faces a total of about $39 million in cuts after the new budget, which directly states a $14.2 million cut, was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today. Additionally, $2.4 million was siphoned from a cigarette tax fund because less people are smoking. Furloughs and salary cuts round out the large number (Note: a full budget fact sheet is embedded below). more ›

SFist is a big fan of Google. So, naturally, we were elated to hear that Google VP of Search Product and User Experience and fellow air sign Marissa Mayer is now on Twitter. So far, she's messaged about Google comics, some guy named Bob Iger, and the keen philosophies of the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore. Now, this is all well and good -- and she'll probably continue to post Twitter messages about super smart stuff that will go over our head -- but we hope, pray to God, she throws down tidbits about, say, life at the top of Four Seasons, or what Google dreamboat Sergey Brin is really like. (Just a scrap of something swoon-worthy on Brin will do nicely, Marissa. We're desperate. Obviously.) Anyway, if the mood should strike, follow her. more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finally signed California's budget today, making additional cuts to fill a $1.1 billion gap left by legislators in their approved package. An additional $6.2 million was cut from state parks after an $8 million cut was proposed last week. That makes a total of $14.2 million, a number the Schwarzenegger's office predicts "will result in the closure of probably more than 100 parks." more ›

Be careful what you say about corporations and public entities on Twitter, dear readers! This is not your personal IM and someone might just try to sue your ass. Case in point: a Chicago woman who is being sued by Horizon Group Management, a real estate management company over a tweet she twittered regarding the company's alleged love of moldy apartments. They believe her little <140 character complaint is worth $50K, but we kind of doubt a judge will agree... especially a judge who doesn't really grasp this whole twit business. This all follows on the much more amusing tale of Courtney Love getting sued for defamation over her repeated Twitter rants about clothing designer Dawn Simorangkir, who she claimed was gouging her with bills for custom clothing that sucked. more ›

A total of seven cars in San Francisco were set ablaze since Saturday. Early this morning, according to CBS 5/KCBS, "Arson investigators responded to the scene of two early morning car fires in San Francisco," one in the Outer Richmond and another in the Western Addition. Also, a pickup truck was torched at 29th and Geary, bringing this morning's total to three. While it's still too early to determine whether the injured autos, a minivan and Volvo station wagon, are related to the other four immolated autos that happened over the weekend, it sure does look suspicious. Cars were previously set on fire, starting on Saturday, at 3 a..m in the Financial District on the 200-block of California Street, between Battery and Front streets; Saturday night at Franklin and Fern streets; Sunday morning at Van Ness Avenue and Olive Street near the Civic Center; and Monday at around 2:30 a.m. on 12th Street near South Van Ness Avenue. No word yet if the Auto Arsonist and the Toilet Torcher, the pyro who torched porta-potties in early 2009, are the same person, but hopefully not. We don't care much for crossover arsonists. (Har.)
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We're a little late getting this to you, but if you don't know yet, you will now. See, you did not win the Grand Prize drawing for the San Francisco Dream House Raffle. That is, unless you're from San Carlos and your name is Vivian Heinzel. Because she's was picked the big winner, who now has the chance to choose between the dream home or $1.8 million cash. Heinzel's new $2.4 million crib, located near Golden Gate Park, features an Edwardian exterior, modern amenities, 4-car garage, chef's kitchen, mahogany floors, 4 bedroom/4.5 bath, views of the tree canopy of Golden Gate Park, and a separate entrance for privacy. Following Saturday's drawing, Kenneth J. Foster, YBCA’s Executive Director, said, "The funding helps YBCA address budgetary needs during this difficult economic time and we plan to conduct another dream house raffle next year during the spring." A list of all winners can be found here. more ›

C.W. "Phone It In" Nevius is complaining about one of his favorite topics in today's Chronicle: "recycling rustlers." How many columns can one guy write about industrious homeless people prying discarded fine recyclables out of neighborhood blue bins? Why is it such an issue for people in this city? Personally, this writer is grateful for the rag picking variety of the underclass. Whenever some random hipster is forced to evacuate a unit in his building, thus dumping boxes of irony rich clothing, books, and assorted tschokes on the sidewalk, the shopping cart set can always be counted on to fetch the lot of it before sundown. No fuss, no muss. These people provide a valuable service to the community! more ›

• St. Regis beauty going for a scant $4,800,000. [Curbed]
• More on Eric Jaye's departure. [Calitics]
• The dangers of saying, "You have such a great personality." [Spotswood]

Eric Jaye, Mayor Gavin Newsom's campaign manager, quit Newsom's gubernatorial campaign today. Why? Who knows why, exactly. Jaye, who has seen Newsom through Care Not Cash to "whether you like it or not" to battles with sweet Peruvian flake, "has been pushing a campaign strategy that would keep Newsom in the public's eye with media events on everything from green energy to food policy," report Matier & Ross. But Newsom's new strategist, Garry South, former adviser to failed Gov. Gray Davis, M&R go on to say, "has been advocating a more traditional approach that would depend on Newsom working the phones and raising money." more ›

I filmed this on a MUNI T train this morning on my way to work. I found it appalling that this woman would be so hateful towards a gay/transgender person - so I had no qualms about putting her face on the Internet... more ›

Do you remember the first time you tasted the water in the Bay Area? We do. It was inside a dorm hall at UC Berkeley many, many moons ago. After drinking vile tap water from Southern California all of our life -- remember, this was before the bottled water craze and Britta revolution -- water from Hetch Hetchy tasted like it was filtered through the petal-soft hair of the Baby Jesus. It was that good. more ›

Yes, it's an inflated news story, if you can call it that. Just like San Francisco politics, it's a story that interests and affects journalists and their wonk pals more than the average citizen. But Supervisor Chris Daly's move to Fairfield has set real journalists hearts and keyboards aflutter. more ›

On Sunday morning, the annual San Francisco Marathon laced throughout the foggy streets of the city. Carb-loaded men and women took part in full marathon (26.6 miles), 2 half marathons, 5k, or the "progressive marathon" events. The main course went back and forth across the Golden Gate Bridge, weaving around the city, ending at the Embarcadero. more ›

Did you try accessing 4chan's /b/ boards this weekend? And couldn't? Well, we tried. And couldn't. That's because AT&T "blocked user access to portions of 4chan," a move that could result in sheer chaos and certain doom for the telecommunications giant. Seriously, this could be the single dumbest move by AT&T, a company noted for implementing none-too-swift ideas. 4chan, for those of you who don't know, is an image board. Sort of. It's also a place where some of the world's most evil and amusing online trolls converge. It's where people and companies are eviscerated. Also, its /b/ board, for lack of a better term, is the sphincter of the interwebs. more ›

In memory of Sue Burns, the 58-year-old San Francisco Giants owner who died last week, the Giants are asking fans who attend tonight's game to wear as much orange as humanly possible. You know, more than they already do, that is. The Giants take on the Pittsburgh Pirates starting at 7:15 p.m. Burns, who had a close friendship with controversial roid ranger Barry Bonds, died from cancer-related complications. Her field-level seat at AT&T Park, word has it, could be retired in her honor. more ›

After a water main broke early Sunday morning near Van Ness, leaving three apartment buildings between Vallejo Street and Pacific Avenue without H2O for the day, three northbound lanes of San Francisco's main artery were closed down. This morning, however, at 8 a.m., Van Ness reopened. With many of the water lines in the area being "nearly 100 years old," an 8-inch pipe snapped due to years of wear and tear. The rupture, CBS 5 / BCN goes on to report, "the rupture caused the pavement on Van Ness Avenue to bulge and crack due to water pressure below the surface of the roadway." more ›

Kulbir Dhaliwal, one of the brothers who survived the tiger attack at the SF Zoo back in Christmas of 2007, for which they both were recently awarded a $900,000 settlement, is already back to his thuggish ways. Dhaliwal, who was a passenger in a car that was pulled over in Santa Clara County on Wednesday, was arrested on suspicion of possessing either 3 ounces or 3 grams of cocaine and suspicion of being under the influence. (The Chronicle and San Jose Mercury have conflicting reports. There's a big difference between ounces and grams... Update: the Chronicle has updated their story with grams.) Dhaliwal had to be held down in order for the police to obtain a blood sample, and police records show that he also had to be restrained during his September 2007 arrest. The driver of the vehicle, Tarlok Dhaliwal, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. It's unclear what his relation is to the infamous duo. more ›

Early this morning and late last night, according to Appeal/BCN, three people were shot in Potrero HIll. First, at 11 p.m. around the 23rd and Arkansas area, a man was shot. He is expected to survive. Then, on the 1800 block of 26th Street, a man and woman were plugged at around 3 a.m. Yikes! Fortunately, both are expected to survive. No arrests in either case have been made. Anyone from the area hear or know what went down? more ›

• Well, this is just dirty! Mission ilk are officially gross. [Mission Mission]
• Dinner party for under $30? It's possible, with chile verde. [Bay Area Bites]
• Update on Chris Daly's move to suburbia. [Appeal]

Oversized wristwatch connoisseur, former Hollywood thespian, and Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has some news: "@Schwarzenegger: Budget passed. Thanks to the legislature for the hard work last night and today. Plan to sign next week." But wait, there's more! "@Schwarzenegger: I will be going live @ www.gov.ca.gov in a few minutes to discuss the budget. Tune in!" more ›

Well, it's about time. The Castro district -- notorious for being "too body conscious," or whatever the technical term for it is that the spherical gays always toss about, angrily -- played host to a DEA raid on Thursday. According to Lance Williams, who snatches away the "Best Scribe Name" trophy from Jaxon Van Derbeken, the "U.S. Food and Drug Administration agents served search warrants at the Max Muscle store on 16th Street and at the Pacifica home of Maurice Sandoval, who was identified as the owner of a laboratory that markets two heavily advertised supplements called Tren Extreme and Mass Extreme." While the two products are technically legal, two beauty-hating FDA scientists claim that said products "contain two undetectable designer steroids," which prompted yesterday's raid. (Max Muscle, by the way, used to be the nicest little wine and smoke shop before the meatheads took it over, so please excuse our glee.) So sorry, boys. (Read more about it here.) more ›

The City of San Francisco has moved to intervene on behalf of the gay Burbank couple and the Berkeley lesbian couple who are the mascots in a huge federal lawsuit to overturn Prop 8 which is awaiting trial at the 9th Circuit. A trial date has still not been set, but the drama over who is best equipped to argue the case has been underway for several weeks, and won't be decided until mid-August. more ›

Might want to rev up the Lexus or Prius today, readers. According to Appeal, the J, K/T, L, M and N lines are all "'experiencing rolling delays in the subway because of a problem with the train control system.'" That is to say, trains are currently operating in manual mode. (Oh oh.) So, you know, please check with NextMuni before hopping on a train. more ›

Call it what you will, but hometown gal Nancy Pelosi's push to get the President's health care initiative through Congress before their August recess appears to be failing, and among those stalling it is another hometown gal, Senator Dianne Feinstein, who still doesn't know how we're going to pay for any of this shit. Her actual words relate more to creating new health care entitlements that the country's budget can't afford. To wit: "Entitlements are well over 50 percent of every dollar the federal government spends this year and are going straight up. If you add more entitlements, it's a problem." We would agree that a feasible plan for covering the costs of this plan should be laid out, but President Obama promises it won't add to the deficit. DiFi calls bullshit. Who to believe? more ›

Earlier this week, a retired Daly City police officer witnessed an "elderly man" in his 60s talking to a 2-year-old girl at a McDonald's on Redwood Highway. Deciding something fishy was afoot, said officer "called for the deployment of uniformed personnel" (i.e., backup) to help nab the alleged McDonald's molester in action. This Chris Hansen moment, however, turned out to be something different, something all too innocent. According to 's Gary Klien, "Units arrived on scene, initiated an investigation, and determined there was negative suspicious activity, as the male subject was the juvenile party's grandfather. The elder party advised units that he had effected a conversation with the juvenile 'about nonsense' in order to 'keep her entertained.'" No arrests were made. The grandpa and granddaughter went on to enjoy their Happy Meals in peace, shock. more ›

Plug 1 of What I'm Seeing came across this scene at the Whole Foods located a block away from SFist HQ, over on Fourth Street and Harrison. He explains: more ›

Only you can stop PDFs, people. Please read what could be the most important post you read all year. [Curbed]

While looking for more lofty loft images just like this one over at Curbed -- seriously, we view this awesome SOMA pad at least twice a day; just look at that bathroom! -- we came across a plea by RichmondSFBlog, asking for a Street Plaza of their own, similar to the one at Castro and 17th Street. The Richmond, a San Francisco neighborhood that deserves the utmost respect and attention, would be perfect, RSFB claims, because they have "a host of areas where traffic and pedestrian safety is at odds (think Fulton Street corridor, Park Presidio Blvd)." Sarah B. goes on to say that "[p]azas like these, even ones that are just filled with landscaping, help signal to drivers that they’re in a pedestrian area." Sounds like a great idea. But where should said hypothetical plaza be, the Inner Richmond or Outer Richmond? Which is better, readers? Discuss. (via Curbed) more ›

Five men from Alameda and Santa Clara Counties have been taken into custody after a 10-month investigation into an online prostitution ring. All were charged pimping and pandering and are being held in Santa Clara County jail. Police are asking anyone with further info in the case to contact them at (408) 277-4322, however no info is really being given as to how you might have known these pimps or where, online, they were pandering--especially after Craigslist did away with erotic services. Presumably, if you were one of their whores, you've moved on to greener pastures and don't want to get yourself implicated... more ›

East Coast transplant and D6 Supervisor Chris Daly might soon be headed for safer, more affordable pastures. Daly, it seems, has bought a home in Fairfield, the East Bay (North Bay?) city where his wife and two kids moved in May. “I continue to eat, sleep, and bathe in my home on Stevenson Street” right here in SF, Daly wrote. "I bicycle to City Hall and to district meetings from my home and intend to continue to do so until the end of my Supervisor term and probably for longer." Now, before you all scream 'hypocrisy!' and grab a pitchfork, his family's new house is located two doors down from his in-laws, so that kind of move makes sense, family-wise. Presumably, Daly also plans to remain co-editor at Fog City Journal when he finally calls Fairfield his home. more ›

Yesterday, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission voted 10 to 3 to approve $140 million to help pay for the long awaited automated people mover between the Oakland Coliseum BART station and Oakland International Airport. And by long awaited, this writers means he was like a sperm when the idea was first raised back during the misty beginnings of time and space. The entire project is anticipated to cost approximately $522 million and should be completed by 2013. more ›

The bodies of a Walnut Creek woman and her son were found on Friday at the top of Mount Diablo. Their deaths appears to be the result of a mother-son murder-suicide. Judith Williams, 51, and her son Adam, 16, were found by authorities late last week after the two went for a hike. According to NBC Bay Area/Bay Area News, the scene looked premeditated as well. "They were there for several hours before Judith Williams apparently shot her son in the chest and the head and then shot herself in the head," NBC reports. Andy, it seems, was also very popular at his high school: played on the football team, played the saxophone. Also, the mom "appeared to have been having some financial problems and was upset about issues in a relationship between her ex-husband, Adam's father, and his new wife," which might have led to her snapping. (Ladies, rumor has it many of you have a multitude of complicated and multilayered feelings/emotions, ones that shouldn't always translate into rational thought or action. Please, if you plan on offing yourself, leave the offspring out of it. Thanks.) more ›

Dennis Herrera goes after rogue strip clubs, Heaven and Pink Diamonds. [SF Weekly]

Update: SFAppeal has the embeddable code. Why? Because some people understand the internet and online reporting. Anyway. more ›

You've probably heard that some California counties are fuming over the new state budget, which borrows $4 billion from county budgets and will mean major cuts in local services from health care to public works. Rich Gordon of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors says this budget will, once put in practice, "fall apart." more ›

Hello there, So Cal brethren! If you're in the Los Angeles area tonight, you might want to head over South Los Angeles Town Hall to catch our famous, Prop. 8-hating, named-dropped-on--boasting, inarguably sexy mayor. He's running for California governor -- which could prove successful come 2010 -- so he'll be speaking from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Saint Andrews Rec Center Gymnasium (at 8701 S St Andrews). Be sure to RSVP here. He's also asking for you to send him a question for this evening's chat, which you can do right here. If you can't make it tonight, Newsom will also conduct town hall meetings in San Bernardino (7/28) and in Riverside (8/30). more ›

It has now been revealed that Saturday's collision at West Portal was the result of train operator Henry Gray switching to manual mode when approaching the platform -- a violation of official Muni protocol that was an informal practice by most operators -- twenty-four seconds before blacking out at the controls. Department of Motor Vehicle records show that Gray has a spotless driving record. more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

A Washington D.C. group called Cancer Project has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court today in Newark, New Jersey. On behalf of three cancer-ridden residents, the lawsuit claims that hot dog manufacturers need to use warning labels on their meat products, telling buyers that their products cause cancer. Also, before you persnickety sustainable wurst makers in the Bay Area fire off angry emails, the lawsuit is aimed at Kraft Foods Inc., manufacturer of the Oscar Mayer brand; Sara Lee Corp.; Nathan's Famous; and the makers of the Hebrew National and Sabrett brands -- you know, big guys only. According to Associated Press, "the lawsuit cites a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research that concluded regular consumption of processed meat can increase the risk of colorectal and other forms of cancer." more ›

Part effort to generate revenue and part Bay Area-esque statement, Oakland voters passed a tax on medical marijuana joints, making it the first taxed pot dispensary in the U.S. While the tax "could have the smallest budgetary impact for Oakland," it's a big step for people who want to puff marijuana legally. According to , "people believe it could help legitimize medical marijuana and possibly adult cannabis use in general." Measure F, it seems, "will create a new business class for the dispensaries, which will see a tax increase from $1.20 for every $1,000 in gross sales to $18 per $1,000. It could generate an additional $294,000 a year for the city when it takes effect Jan. 1." This tax, however, won't be nearly enough to help Oakland crawl out of its deep economic rabbit hole. more ›

Kristian Valmadrid, a 29-year-old Roseville man, according to CBS 5, walked into the path of a big-rig on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 Wednesday morning, just south of the Carquinez Bridge," resulting in his immediate death. The incident happened a little after midnight this morning. CHP officers, who pulled over to check out a "green Toyota 4Runner parked on the right shoulder of eastbound Highway 80 near Pomona Street," spotted the man who quickly and fatally darted off into traffic. No word yet as to whether it was a suicide or bizarre accident. more ›

Strip clubs thrive during recession. [Appeal]

Be prepared to pay more for your tar this weekend. Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced today that agents from the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement nabbed a Mexican resident, Adam Alfonso Herrera, and "seized 70 pounds of heroin from his Lincoln Towncar on Sacramento Street in East Palo Alto." Herrera, 27, hid a whopping 70 pounds of heroin inside a secret compartment of his car. (!) In a press release, Brown announced, "[w]ith a street value of $7 million, this is the largest heroin seizure ever made in San Mateo County. Herrera was arrested and tossed into the San Mateo County Jail for "possession of heroin for sale and for possession of a hidden compartment." His bail has been set at $5 million. more ›

Conspiracy theorists freaked the holy hell out this morning over a piece penned by Phil Bronstein -- one that was critical of Gavin Newsom as California's next governor -- which was pulled. Or so it seemed. What happened was, local-politics fanboy types, like the anonymous ILoveGavinNewsom and journo Josh Wolf, accused SFGate of censoring the anti-Newsom bit. (While Wolf, a journalist by fame, didn't balls out accuse them of censorship, he retweeted the anonymous blog's assertion without consideration of the source.) more ›

Hundreds of pages of research on the risks of cellphone use while driving, conducted in 2003 as part of a long-term study that was never given the go-ahead by the government, have been released to the public thanks to the work of a consumer group. The documents include a draft letter, never sent, to then Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta regarding the ongoing risks of hands-free devices. As the New York Times reports: "That letter said that hands-free headsets did not eliminate the serious accident risk. The reason: a cellphone conversation itself, not just holding the phone, takes drivers' focus off the road, studies showed." So yeah... to paraphrase a certain bumper sticker: Get off the fucking Bluetooth and drive. more ›

In an effort to cover up the blight of many, many vacant storefronts dotting San Francisco these days, Mayor Gavin Newsom has a somewhat decent idea. See, Newsom, according to SFGate, "wants local artists to install their creations in vacant storefronts as a way to revitalize economically depressed neighborhoods." For a tiny, yet-to-be-determined fee, "struggling" artists will get some eyes on their work while helping these areas of concern land some much-needed foot traffic. The art will go up in September. Artists interested "must apply by Aug. 14 by downloading an application at www.sfartscommission.org. Priority will be given to artists who live in the neighborhoods where the art will be displayed." So, if you express your desire for social justice via Diego Rivera-esque pieces, apply today! If your uncle touched you in your bathing suit area and you express that horror via menstrual blood on canvas, apply now! If you're one of many Midwest gay transplants who paint transgressive male nudes with a heavy Warholian bent, apply this very second! more ›

Remember that young Christian couple who was found shot to death on the beach near Jenner in 2004? Well, the case remains open, however there was a person of interest named Joseph Burgess who was suspected in the case by Sonoma County sheriffs because of the similarity of a 1972 murder in British Columbia in which Burgess was also a suspect. more ›

Anti-LGBT Carrie Prejean -- the former Miss California who was stripped of her title after using her crown to spread hate in lieu of doing her pageant duties -- has been offered a book deal. The literary effort will focus on her controversial Miss USA moment. Prejean has falsely claimed over and over that "she believes her crown was taken because of her stance opposing gay marriage" -- which, as it turns out, doesn't , will provide Prejean an opportunity to learn the definition of things like the First Amendment. If you recall, a confused Prejean slammed many pro-civil rights advocates for being brave enough to respond to her bile. (See, Carrie, you are allowed to say whatever you want about whichever group of people you want, no matter how hateful or ungodly, but then other people -- get this -- are allowed to respond. That's sort of how it all works. Pretty cool, huh?) more ›

A new iPhone application will allow marijuana aficionados and medicinal mary jane recipients to find a pot dealer on their phone. Yay! "Cannabis," according to , "lets users search by city for their nearest medical cannabis suppliers, doctors, clinics, lawyers and other relevant organisations." But don't get too excited, cocaine and meth users, this Apple-approved app only covers legal pot spots. The Sun goes on to report that "it currently covers 13 US states which have passed laws allowing medical cannabis use, legal cannabis 'coffee shops' across Europe and uses Google Maps for directions." Alas.
more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and your legislative leaders came to a tentative agreement this evening to (finally!) "balance California's $26 billion deficit by cutting broadly across state government, shifting costs into the future and capturing funds from cities and counties." According to goes on to explain, "includes spending cuts to programs ranging from schools to welfare-to-work to prisons. It takes money from local governments, including borrowing $2 billion that the state will repay starting in 2013 and taking gas taxes that normally go toward local road projects." By the numbers: 6 billion in cuts to education, 3 billion slashed to higher education, and 1.2 billion pruned from prisons. (Cuts to prison funding, however, will not mean that prisoners would get released early.) Some things that were spared? Cal Grants and most state parks. Please standby for fallout. more ›

McLaren Park, not as bad as you think. [Mission Mission]

Forty years ago today, inside a Culver City movie studio, the lunar module parked on the alleged surface of the Moon, and out came a couple of guys who made history as the first human beings to land up there. The first one to emerge from the pod was Neil Armstrong, who made some sort of famous quote about baby steps and giant leaps and kind men, followed by Buzz Aldrin. Michael Collins, sadly, had to keep the engine running by orbiting above as the two men played with each other on the moon's surface. more ›

Glen Park, which we have always thought was adorable and near [Update] where SFist Deborah resides, has been experiencing quite a growth spurt recently. New restaurants and businesses have been steadily opening up, renters get more for their money there, and it has its own BART Station. But getting to and from the BART Station has always been a bit of a pain. more ›

Never one to be advantageous about a tragic situation, Supervisor Bevan Dufty put his heart on his Facebook page's sleeve following the Muni crash. Ahem: more ›

Could the wheels of techie commerce once again be spinning? Two news items today suggest that yes, the powers that be are opening their wallets. First off, that long talked about Microsoft-Yahoo deal may be moving forward, with Microsoft execs in Silicon Valley all last week negotiating, and Microsoft now appearing primarily interested in Yahoo's search engine and advertising business. more ›

According to "a source close to the probe" over at that the L-Taraval driver was "slumped" over the train controls after the crash. Hm. Anyway, regarding the driver, a background check and drug tests are currently underway, which won't be done for several weeks. Also, said driver's name won't be released just yet. The entire investigation, it seems, might take "12-18 months," which, oddly enough, is the same amount of time one waits for a L train outside West Portal Station for the Muni traffic to clear. Update: Or was it a blackout? According to reports, an "early switch to manual power In the train tunnel" might have been the culprit. That, or God is punishing San Franciscans for yet another sin we committed. Stay tuned. more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

According to Henry Schulman at SFGate, San Francisco Giants senior general partner Sue Burns, the team's largest shareholder, died "overnight at 58 after learning she had cancer a little more than a week ago." Manager Bruce Bochy mourns, "These (players) were her kids. We're going to miss her, her smile, coming down by the dugout before every game." While Rich Aurilia said, "This is a huge loss not only for the Giants but everybody who knew her." The Giants are expected to release an official statement later today. Read more about it here. more ›

Since people now swill the stuff, wash their hair with it. and even use it as a disinfectant (if you reacal, Monica used Chandler's to get rid of a nasty jellyfish sting, but since they ended up marrying each other a few seasons later, that was probably golden shower-related foreplay more than anything else), it makes sense that scientists have now figured out a way to power your car with urine. Yes, one day soon, your pee might make your Prius even greener -- well, a lighter green to be exact. How so? According to , a scientist at Ohio University, Garardine Botte, has "developed a catalyst capable of extracting hydrogen from urine." Said hydrogen would then be used to start your car. more ›

Sketch released in Berkeley sexual assaults. [SFGate]

You may recall that container ship, the Cosco Busan, that plowed into one of the Bay Bridge supports back in November '07 and dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into the Bay, and the pilot of the ship is now facing sentencing in federal court in San Francisco. Pilot John Cota of Petaluma struck a plea bargain and faces 2 to 10 months in jail for 2 counts of negligently polluting the Bay and killing migratory birds. Defense attorney say Cota has "deep feelings of regret about the tragic events" but also say that there were other factors involved in the accident besides Cota's negligence, including heavy fog. Cota's blamed for causing upwards of $70 million in damages to local beaches, wildlife (like the oil-covered duck found at Lake Merritt, right) and the fishing industry. UPDATE: He got 10 months. more ›

While looking at this tasty bit of insanity over at Curbed, we came across this bit of good news for renters in need. It seems, according to commenters who are, of course, cantankerous over federal assistance going to SF residents. Reader MRTim writes, "Joe Stalin must be rolling over in his grave, with laughter." more ›

A little before 5:30 p.m. last night, and Appeal reports that Delvon Fields, 28, was shot near the intersection of Third Street and McKinnon Avenue in the Bayview. Fields was rushed to SF General where he was later pronounced dead. No arrests have been made, no suspect information is available. However, if you know anything about Fields' death, please call the Bayview anonymous tip line at 415-822-8147. more ›

A woman and a teenage girl were sexually assaulted in two separate incidents inside two Berkeley homes on Thursday morning. First, reported around 2:30 a.m. on the 2100 block of Cedar Street, a teenage girl "woke up with a man straddling her and lifting her shirt." The victim's mother, who was asleep in the same bed, "reported waking up and fighting the suspect until he fled." According to Bay City News / CBS 5, the suspect was described as "a male, 16 to 20 twenty years old, between 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet tall, and was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt." The second assault, reported a little before 7:30 a.m., happened on the 2600 block of Hillegas Avenue. BCN goes on to report that a "college-aged woman told police she woke up with a man on top of her," who ran off after she fought back. The second suspect has been described as "a black man around 19 to 22 years old, around 5 feet 6 inches tall, and was wearing a gray sweatshirt with no hood and blue jeans." If anyone has any information on either creep, pleas contact Berkeley police at 510-981-5734 or Bay Area Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. Also, both attackers made their ways inside each home via unlocked doors or windows. more ›

Not sure if any of you caught this story in the Weekly this week, but just in case you didn't, and just in case you have kids, make sure to train them in the fine art of screaming as a molester deterrent. more ›

Berkeley is ready to grow up and turn into a real city. [East Bay Express, Curbed, Streetsblog]

According to CBS 5, "BART trains are stopped between Castro Valley and Pleasanton after a train hit a construction worker at the new West Dublin station." The incident happened a little after 3 p.m. Anticipate delayed schedule times today. Update: According to KTVU, "A BART construction worker was injured Thursday afternoon when at BART train struck the cherry-picker basket he was working from at the building site for the new Dublin/West Pleasanton station." The unidentified man is sill alive. No word yet as to the seriousness of his injuries. Also, the CBS 5 chopper is live at the scene. Service to Dublin Pleasanton has been restored. more ›

The Silicon Valley set has been abuzz this week after TechCrunch published private Twitter documents obtained by a hacker. Said secret documents went up on Tuesday and include, according to Baynewser, "everything from growth projections to job applicant resumes to personal credit card numbers" to tales about business-to-celebrity relationships. Needless to say, the docs are way too smart and far too tech-ish for us to understand -- lots of fancy code and ones and zeros, we can only assume -- but Twitter is none too thrilled. Rightfully so. However, the posting of the hacker-cracked documents are protected by the First Amendment, or so says the Citizen Media Law Project. In the end, though, everyone will come out of this relatively unscathed; just a little bit of internet drama to snack on. Nothing to see here. Go back to following @newsomshair. more ›

We came across this curious clip over at Mission Mission. Clearly, this man has to sleep it off. How rude, making the poor soul leave. Perhaps we really are one of the meanest cities around. more ›

Hey, don't blame us for the feces-related headline. If it were up to us, we would've stuck in another "i." See, Twitter for Sh-tters is this: a "grassroots" Twitter campaign to get people to pay attention to the serious lack of proper poopers in other countries. Wherever The Need (WTN) "aims to alleviate poverty and ill health through the implementation of environmentally-sound sanitation and water solutions that empower individuals and communities without undermining traditions and cultures." Targeting such regions as India, Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, WTN wants to "provide sanitation solutions by building specialized eco-sanitation (eco-san) toilets, and to facilitate the conversion of human waste for local agriculture usage." Cool, but how does this involve Twitter, you ask? Well, the idea is that Twitter users can follow TFS and invite their followers to donate to WTN or just raise awareness while grossing them out. Also, if you decide to join WTN, "you pledge to spend a day tweeting about shit (literally, or not, up to you) to raise money for Wherever the Need." Which could be fun. Or, possibly reduce your number of followers. For more information, visit www.twitterforsh-tters.com, or follow the them on Twitter. Because fecal matter matters. more ›

DISCLAIMER: The following post is aimed at statistics wonks and math nerds and those who want to mock certain newspapers only. more ›

Yesterday. after two Oakland officers confronted a man on the 1400 block of 16th Avenue a little after 3 p.m., "the suspect pulled out a handgun and started firing at the officers." Which was stupid. Because then, to no one's surprise, the cops shot the man dead. As it turned out, the unidentified 36-year-old dead man also matched the description of a rape suspect. (This, of course, brings to mind suspected rapist Lovelle Mixon, who killed four OPD officers last March before being blown to bits himself.) goes on to report that the OPD officers "were placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard practice" after an officer-involved shooting death. more ›

Yesterday, Gavin Newsom announced Google maps favorites, a feature that allows you, well, to list your favorite places, which then show up on Google Maps. Ta-da. A few celebrity favorite places of note? Maya Lin likes to see fine art and Dede's crispy hair at the de Young Museum, Tony Hawk likes a magical land called Alyeska, Yo-Yo Ma enjoys dining in Beverly Hills, and one of Mayor Gavinn Newsom's favorite spots is SF General Hospital (which seems to be a very strange fetish, but to each his own.) Anyway, be sure to check out Google's new feature. It's actually loads of fun. more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

The man convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, has managed to set up a website. Why? Because he plans on going forward with his appeal. While death row inmates are forbidden from internet access, much less blogging (no, wait, he is!), Scott's family has created scottpetersonappeal.org, "where they acknowledge that part of the cost of his new appeal hearing will be picked up by California taxpayers." Oh, and they also want you to give them some money. You can donate anywhere from $5 to $50. "With your contribution to the Peterson Family fund, the investigation will be able to move forward uninterrupted, the burden to pay for it will be lifted from our parents, and we will be one step closer to the priceless freedom of our innocent brother," the Peterson family painfully explains. They need up to $95,000 for attorney fees. The Petersons are also "offering a $5000 reward for specific information leading to the recovery of Laci's missing Croton watch," which we assume is some sort of important piece of evidence. more ›

Free stuff! [SFBG]

Yesterday, July 14, St. Louis played host to the 80th All-Star Game, which was the most watched since 1999‎. With an appearance by President Obama’s and a somewhat exciting game, along with a 4-3 AL victory, the annual exhibition game was a hit with audiences. more ›

Mario Pacheco, whose makeshift home dental clinic in Oakland was raided by authorities, guns drawn on Friday, tells CBS 5 today that he was "just doing what [he] could to help people." As it happens, he didn't have a license to practice dentistry and allegedly never called himself a dentist, but through referrals he performed dental work on low-income and uninsured patients, sometimes for free. He was wearing a white doctor coat when arrested, and according to reports his office was "filled with bloody gauze and dirty syringes," which doesn't sound all that nice and benevolent (especially the syringe part -- remind you of anything?). Yet another reason Pelosi better push that health care bill through the House! more ›

According to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless, who just released a report cloyingly titled "Homes Not Handcuffs," San Francisco is the seventh meanest city in the county. That is to say, we're the seventh meanest place when it comes to dealing with the homeless and homeless crisis in the U.S. Curbed reports that "out of the 273 cities the study looked into, San Francisco ranked 7th on the list." more ›

The big tabloid-crime news story of the day is the connection being made between a body found last week in a McLaren Park homeless encampment (which was apparently once attached to this severed leg, and was not, as investigators first thought, that of a woman but in fact was a man's) and the murderous folks from Your Black Muslim Bakery in Oakland. The bakery, as you may recall, was connected to the 2007 murder of Chauncey Bailey, a journalist who had been investigating trouble at the bakery. more ›

Speaking of Muni shadiness, the alleged Muni Humper, who is apparently under the age of 18, has been arrested by SFPD, thanks to a friend of Plug1 who had also been a victim. The victim recently identified le Humper in a line-up and agreed to file a detailed report. Referring to her trusty Twitter feed, she reported the exact dates and times of her encounters with the suspect on the N from the past two months. The Humper is currently being processed at 850 Bryant for sexual battery. [Via Muni Diaries, Plug1] more ›

Angry Charles Bronson types, be prepared to get your Bernhard Goetz-infused rage on. According to Eye On Blogs' Brittney Gilbert, who saw what happened firsthand, a man on the 49 around 26th and Mission last night had his wallet stolen by two vile teens. And, understandably, he did nothing about it as it was happening. But wait, it gets worse. Gilbert goes on to report, "To clarify, two teens on the 49 took a man’s wallet that was in his hand, and hared him to do something about it. He did not." Sad. And frustrating. Muni is normally a place for all citizens to safely-- oh wait. Nevermind. [via Mission Mission] more ›

Bay Area cyclists, it seems, are riding without helmets. Horrors! At least according to a KCBS report that claims "[m]ore and more Bay Area bicyclists are riding without bike helmets, some because they think it's actually safer." There's some sort of "movement" among cyclists to ditch the helmets for safety reasons. One reason of safety? Some "anti-helmet advocates think drivers are more likely to steer clear of bikers who they see are not wearing headgear." Sounds like a good point. Also, bike messenger Kinto Fannin argues, "people fall down in the shower a lot and they don't make people wear helmets in the shower." A statement that could only be answered by Addison DeWitt thusly, "You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point." more ›

Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 -- BART's second-biggest union, representing around 900 train operators, cranky station agents, and other assorted power workers -- voted 100% against management's proposed contract yesterday. The contract they hated so much? It called "for wage freezes for three years and a 0.75 percent increase in the fourth year." Pretending to care, Gov Arnold growled, "I urge the parties to continue bargaining and to successfully reach an agreement without any strikes, lock-outs or other job actions...The public expects that the parties will remain at the bargaining table until an agreement is reached." Does this mean that BART will finally -- -- go on strike? Who knows. But it sure is an insufferable tease to MSM outlets who could use some sweet traffic gold during these summer months. Anyway, BART spokesperson Linton Johnson said, according to BCN, that he "expects negotiations to continue in a week or sooner." more ›

St. Regis penthouse slashed from $70 million to $49 million. Mere pennies, folks. [Curbed]

Even with Newsom lapcat Bevan Duffy supporting part of Chris Daly's Renter Relief Package, the mayor still vetoed what might have provided a modicum of financial relief for SF renters. (As opposed to, say, homeowners who have seen some help from the government during the recession.) Ted Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenant’s Union had this to say about Newsom's veto. more ›

And speaking of South Bay molesters, the Redwood City trial of psychiatrist William Ayres -- a prominent child psychiatrist who stands accused of molesting several of his male patients, not to be confused with Bill Ayres -- is winding down, and conviction seems pretty damn likely. While defense attorneys argued that no one can clearly remember things that happened to them when they were ten years old, prosecutors kept it simple. As ABC 7 reports, "[The prosecutor] began her closing arguments by asking the jurors why, if Ayres' physical exams were medically appropriate as he claims, he did not discuss them with the boys' parents, why he only examined boys and not girls, and why he didn't use gloves during the exams." Also, uh, why was a psychiatrist performing these "medically appropriate" genital exams at all? Yeah, that pretty much clinches it. For more details on Ayres hand-grabby therapeutic methods, see this Mercury News piece here. more ›

Word on Wall Street is that Silicon Valley's Netflix, who in just 12 years has changed the way we rent movies while clobbering Blockbuster's power, might be bought out by Amazon. According to CBS 5, "[t]he Los Gatos-based Netflix recently began offering online streaming of some movies, which is why Amazon may be interested in buying the company." Neither company, of course, has yet to comment on Wall Street's rumors. more ›

The son of dead, famed San Francisco pornographer Jim Mitchell -- he himself a murderer, convicted of fratricide and sentenced to having his story portrayed by the vile Charlie Sheen -- will be in court today. James Raphael Mitchell, 27, if you recall, (allegedly) beat to death Danielle Keller, 29, the mother of his one-year-old daughter. Then, in yet another brilliant move, he kidnapped his daughter and tried to flee. Anyway, the troubled, combative soul is due in court today. Will he eventually beat this mess? Probably. Because he comes form money and has a semi-famous name, and they get everything. (No offense, Peter Getty.) But the victim's mother, Claudia Stevens, hopes otherwise, saying, "His father always bailed him out of every piece of trouble he ever got into. Now that Daddy's gone, there's no one to bail him out...I do not think all the money in the world is going to set him free." He'll be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today. more ›

The San Mateo area has played host to all sorts of wackiness as of late. Take, for example, the 8-year-old boy who was approached by a strange man in the area of El Camino Real and East Santa Inez Avenue at about 6:15 p.m. on Saturday. See, said strange man "pulled alongside him and asked him to get into the car," but the smart kid said no. According to BCN, "[t]he driver was described as a black man around 30 years old with a medium build and short hair. He was wearing an orange shirt, shorts and a green visor. The vehicle was described as a black compact car, according to police." Know this creep or saw what happened? Please call San Mateo police at 650-522-7676. Also, Sheriff's Deputies in San Mateo County have warned residents to be on the lookout for "suspicious looking soda bottles, after a series of acid bomb explosions." Crude acid bombs, it seems, have been discovered "in three locations in Redwood City and Belmont." more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

Be on the look out for dirty, dirty restaurants. [Bauer]

SFAppeal has word that the above (alleged!) bike thief was caught cutting bike lock cable thingies on Market near Fifth Street yesterday. And just who caught him? Members of the SF Bike Coalition who were frolicking about during their "Ice Cream Sunday Ride." more ›

We know it's a bit out of SFist's jurisdiction, but, well, anything to help out a child in need. Her son too. See, a 15-year-old Vacaville girl and her young son, 2, are missing. Alicia and Alexander Cunningham, according to , "were last seen Thursday" and "probably in the Vacaville or Fairfield area and could be staying with friends." But no one, like her family or friends, has heard from her. If you've seen or know the whereabouts of Alicia and her son -- she is "African American and white - and has black hair and brown eyes...5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds" -- call the Vacaville police at 707-449-5200. more ›

During opening remarks by Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotomayor this morning, an anti-abortion protester stood up, shouted something about genocide and the unborn, and was promptly dragged out of the room. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who's presiding over the hearing and therefore in charge of the gavel, was having none of it. The man's name is Robert James, and he's been charged with unlawful conduct and disruption of Congress. No word on whether the God Hates Fags-famed Phelpses -- who never met an event that they couldn't relate back to homosexuality and God's wrath -- have shown up. more ›

These smoking bans aren't anything new in California, but the City of Richmond -- which, arguably, has bigger law enforcement fish to fry -- has just joined the ranks of cities that ban smoking in multi-unit housing. The city received an "F" rating from the American Lung Association in January, and apparently at a loss for what to do about gang violence and the highest murder rate in the state, the city council has committed themselves to stopping the spread of second-hand smoke. Richmond previously instituted bans on smoking in public parks and farmers' markets. more ›

Somehow we missed this late last week, but Emily Anderson of Seattle arrived in San Francisco on Thursday after completing a cross-country trip from New York in a reconstructed 1909 Maxwell D.A. A similar trip was taken by first-wave feminist Alice Ramsay a hundred years ago, making her the first woman ever to drive across the country. The re-enactment required Anderson and her car buff father to assemble a Maxwell using antique parts found on eBay and elsewhere, as only one intact 1909 Maxwell still existed and the owner was not willing to sell. more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

A little after 11 p.m. last night, two men were shot in the McAllister and Webster area of Alamo Square / Western Addition. A teenage boy, 17-year-old Xavier Gillette, later died at a nearby hospital. The other victim, however, is expected to survive. No arrests have been made. We'll update with more details as we find them. more ›

Former wallflower Jonathan Sanchez, a 26-year-old left-hander who, according to , "was the personification of pitching promise unfulfilled," pitched the SF Giants first no-hitter game in 33 years on Friday night. Sanchez, in fact, was a pitcher "so bad this year he was banished to the bullpen last month, a man who had not thrown a complete game in 50 big-league starts." more ›

A (drunken) night at the San Francisco Giants county fair. [Oopsie Daisey]

Yesterday, way down in Vallejo, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom opened up at new big-cat exhibit. It's called "Odin's Temple of the Tiger," featuring the headlining, "internationally acclaimed" Bengal tiger named Odin. more ›

Walk Score, a site that tells you just how "walkable" your city or hood is, ranked San Francisco the top spot for those of us who get by on foot exclusively. Eating San Francisco's dust is 2. New York, NY; 3. Boston, MA; 4. Chicago, IL; 5. Philadelphia, PA; 6. Seattle, WA; 7. Washington D.C.; 8. Long Beach, CA; 9. Los Angeles, CA; and 10. Portland, OR. (Chinatown came in as the number one hood for walking.) On a score from 0-100, WalkScore decides which city is deemed "Walkers' Paradise," "Very Walkable,""Somewhat Walkable," and "Car-Dependent" like this: they "calculate the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle—not how pretty the area is for walking." The site also features helpful maps and other pro-pedestrian propaganda. Be sure to check it out. [via Curbed] more ›

Two men were shot inside Impala, a Broadway nightclub frequented by types who still think bottle service is cool, at around 1:15 a.m. this morning. According to 's cover story this week on "the failures of the San Francisco Entertainment Commission to adequately regulate violent clubs." Oops. Rightfully livid about this morning's violent shooting, Sam Young, owner of the nearby Dragon Bar, shot off a cross email to City Hall this morning, saying, "This should come as no surprise since I stated numerous times that this would happen ... As usual, City Hall does absolutely nothing and now there is another shooting, which could have and should have been prevented." more ›

U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker will hold a hearing on September 1 regarding the federal government's illegal wiretapping of former charity, Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation of Ashland, Oregon, in 2004. The charity has presented public documents that show that agents eavesdropped on phone calls without a warrant, which violated the federal Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA. more ›

Jan Wahl, the greatest wide-brim hat wearing Bay Area on-air talent of all time, gives Sacha Baron Cohen's , the film version of his popular fictional gay Austrian fashion reporter, a dismal review. Claiming that it enforces stereotypes of gay men, Wahl chides the satire for its "gross-out sex jokes," saying that it "will cause all kinds of bad things to children who are already bullied. ... it will cause real problems that we will not hear about and will not happen in the Bay Area." Which, yes, it will be a rich source of material insofar as playground taunting goes. Anyway, Wahl goes on to give the film no hats. "NO hats?!?!" the stunned KCBS reporter exclaims. That's right, no hats. Listen to the review in its entirety here.) more ›

Under the impression third baseman Pablo Sandoval was David Archuleta, San Francisco Giants fans voted en masse to get him a spot in the All-Star game. Alas, it proved fruitless. But in the final stages of the vote, more fans went on the internet to have their say than ever before. Some even voted a hundred times. Even Mayor Gavin Newsom asked citizens to vote for Sandoval. This video captures how it all went down. more ›

Part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to reduce state employees' pay an astounding 14 percent (ouch!), today kicks off July's Furlough Fridays, which will affect 169 Department of Motor Vehicle offices, including branches in SF, Oakland, and San Jose. So, if you need to get a new license at lunch, plan on coming back next yet. (Or, better yet, schedule an appointment online.) Expect DMV closures on July 17 and 24 as well. Disability claim and payroll offices as also closed today too. "Prisons, hospitals, the California Highway Patrol and state firefighters will continue to operate around the clock, and people can still go to state parks and wildlife areas," reports the Associated Press. more ›

A Northwest flight going from San Francisco to Tokyo had to turn back to SFO yesterday afternoon after one of its engines stalled. Yikes. "The A330 Airbus took off from SFO around 1:30, but soon had problems with one of its two engines and was forced to turn around," reports KCBS. Thankfully, no one was injured. This comes on the heels of the Air France crash's black boxes being deemed unretrievable by U.S. Air Force authorities. (Aside: if black box recordings interest you, pick up a copy of . It's a fascinating read. Just be sure not to use for light reading while you're waiting for your plane to board.) more ›

The looming BART strike was nipped in the bud. For now, at least. According to CBS 5 / BCN, "[a]fter a marathon round of negotiations, Larry Gerber, the chief negotiator of Service Employees International Union Local 1021, and Jesse Hunt, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, said late Thursday night that they will have their members vote on the contract offer sometime next week." So, BART employees will stay on the job until at least next week. When will that vote happen? No one knows yet. more ›

Phillies' Shane Victorino beats out Pablo Sandoval for All-Star spot. [SFGate]

Oh, God. The ladies at opened up nominations for their "2009 style council." That is to say, you get to vote from this pool of candidates for most stylish person in San Francisco. While all of them are worthy candidates, you will probably recognize 0.00 of these locals with faces full of fashion. But you should still vote for one (out of 80) of them here. (Tip: don't vote for any candidate sporting severe bangs or anything looking back to the '80s.) The winner gets a spread in the 7x7 September fashion issue. May God be with them. In related news, the SF Fashion Awards happen later this month. Isn't that adorable? more ›

Streetsblog SF reported today that SFPD has issued a rare press release for the hit and run involving cyclist Andrew Bennett and his 4-year-old son while riding a bike with a tandem extension, which occurred at 18th and Valencia on July 1st. Bennett fractured his spine, but his son was not injured. more ›

MS-13 sorority sisters Danilo Velasquez,, 28, and Luis Herrera, 18, were arrested yesterday in connection with the shooting death of Moises Frias Jr., a Daly City college student. It seems the two members of the notorious (and notoriously dimwitted) MS-13 gang mistook Frias for a rival gang member. Why? Because he was "wearing the wrong-colored baseball cap and sweater." more ›

In an effort to appear more quality of life-ish, the intersection at Eddy and Taylor received a makeover. (Taylor and Ellis got the same design yesterday too.) This Tenderloin spot, best known for being a crime magnet where you never want to be after the sun goes down or up, got new designs on their crosswalks. more ›

So, you may recall the kerfuffle about BART workers wanting to strike because their wage increase might get written out of the current contract because of, you know, the CRUMBLING ECONOMY and the massive budget shortfall the transit agency is facing. Anyhow, they missed the June 30th deadline but the unions agreed not to strike after state mediators got involved. Talks have been ongoing, and tonight at midnight is the second deadline. If everything falls apart, the unions are required to give 72 hours notice before striking, so once again, Monday might be a bus-and-ferry kind of day. more ›

As some of you know, Marc Leno's pushing a bill that wouldn't change any same-sex marriage laws, just clarify existing ones. See, Leno wants the state of California to recognize gay marriages taking place in other states. It didn't sound too controversial when we first heard about it, but sure enough, some people, like whimsical hate-group the California Catholic Daily, found a reason to object. more ›

KQED today brings us this report about a move in the California Assembly to ban Bisphenol-A, a.k.a. BPA, a widely used chemical in plastic packaging. It's been known to be potentially hazardous since the 1930s, and lots of scientists think it's probably the reason why everyone gets cancer these days, but a large enough study in humans has yet to be done. The proposed ban would only affect plastics in baby bottles and baby foods, and Connecticut and Minnesota have already passed similar bans. Di Fi is proposing a nationwide ban in the Senate that would affect all food products. In the radio piece below, Sarah Varney speaks with a California Pacific Medical Center researcher who's been injecting the stuff into human cells and who consequently probably only shops at the farmer's market. more ›

Some boys would request a trip to Disneyland. Some would like a shiny, red Ferrari. Some would want to touch a perky boob. Eleven-year-old Henry Mulvey of Massachusetts, however, wanted to ride the F-Market as one of his requests. See, Henry, who was born with a medical disorder, has a thing for trolley cars. After asking the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help him out, Henry was sent to SF yesterday where he "rode five trolleys and a cable car, bumping the number of trolleys he was ridden to 'up near 100.'" more ›

SF clubs and the ABC crackdown. [SFBG]

Oh, holy hell. A snake! Eeps! Somebody KILL IT! KILL IT NOW! SLICE ITS HEAD OFF and BURN THE THING!! Oh, look, nature found its way to the parking lot near Bernal Hill this afternoon. How fun. more ›

In an effort to get Californians safe access to affordable mary jane, the above pro-marijuana commercial will air on "several cable news channels and network broadcast affiliates" in LA, Sacramento, and the Bay Area. more ›

It's up to you, people, to fill the final slot for this year's All-Star game. The entire 2009 roster is set (SF, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum; Oakland, Andrew Bailey), but the last member is being put to a vote. So, why not shove a Giant deep into that open gap? If you're a SF Giants fan, please, please, please vote for Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval for the final spot on All-Star team. Go here to vote. Voting ends tomorrow. UPDATE: Positively LIVID over this e-ballot stuffing, SFGate's" Rich "Big Vinny" Lieberman slams KNBR and "media alike" for slumming for votes. He employs the word "crap." And calls it all a gimmick. Even though the All-Star game itself is the single most pointless gimmick of the baseball season. Read Lieberman rage here. more ›

For 13 years strong, people have gathered in Golden Gate Park on Sundays to do the Lindy Hop. That is, until two weeks ago when SFPD officers stopped the jazz-swing fun. Why? Well, it seems that these brazen dance kids didn't have a permit for this street-type swing dancing. So, the fuzz gave "people 20 minutes to break down their speakers," forcing some 200 people to beat it. Fortunately, after many, many, many angry people complained by sending letters to City Hall, they were given a permit and the Lindy Hop dances again. (CBS 5 has a full report.) The Lindy happens every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the south sidewalk area of JFK Drive, between 8th and 10th Avenue. more ›

Last night Google announced that it would soon be open-sourcing a new operating system, Google Chrome OS, to be run on netbooks for an ultimate 2010 release to consumers. Google says, "It’s our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be," but as TechCrunch puts it: "Let’s be clear on what this really is. This is Google dropping the mother of bombs on its chief rival, Microsoft. It even says as much in the first paragraph of its [blog] post, 'However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web.'" more ›

Terrific news, everyone! CNN has obtained a copy of a report being delivered to Congress this morning detailing how undercover agents managed to sneak bomb-making components into ten "Level IV" federal office buildings in four different, unnamed U.S. cities (including, quite possibly, our own). The agents then went ahead and assembled the bombs in restrooms and trotted about the buildings' offices with the improvised devices in their briefcases, unbeknownst to all concerned. more ›

The state of Massachusetts has sued the Federal government over the Domestic Marriage Act, claiming that it discriminates against the people, namely gay folks, who want to wed. According to the , "the lawsuit, filed this morning in federal court in Boston, challenges the application of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which [Attorney General Martha] Coakley says prevents gay and lesbian couples here from receiving tax, retirement, insurance, Social Security and other benefits." more ›

A less-than-professional father and son bank heist team was arrested in Santa Rosa yesterday, shortly after the son walked into the Wells Fargo on Oakmont Drive wearing a mask and carrying a realistic-looking pellet gun. It seems the father, Michael Fuesz, who drove the getaway truck, then let the son, Jason Fuesz, out of the car down the road apace before getting nabbed by coppers on Highway 12. After going all SWAT and K-9 and shit, Sonoma County sheriffs found Jason hiding in some bushes with all the cash still on him. Look for more great and bumbling stories like this one on this season of The Great Recession. more ›

Bad, bad, bad Michael Jackson moves. [Eye On Blogs]

MSNBC giveth, and we couldn't resist. So here it is, all 3 hours of it for your scanning pleasure, in case you slept/worked through the televised event. more ›

Sad news, handful of you. The Printed Blog, the newspaper (leaflet?) that plucked items from the world wide web and printed said posts on paper, is now dead. Founded by Josh Karp six months ago, the idea of this interesting yet bizarre publication, as TechCrunch's John Biggs put it, was "akin to pressing MP3 podcasts onto vinyl for those who still used a Technics turntable." But, due to lack of investor and reader interest, the blog that you could find at a newsstand is no more. If you'd like to check out the Printed Blog on your personal computer device, you can "download" issues of it here.
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As of today, Google will remove the "beta" tag from most of its products, namely Gmail, which is over five years old and wildly popular with both business and personal users. While the moniker implied "serious kinks were still being worked out, [and] also made the idea of a beta test seem almost meaningless," it also sort of told users, ideally, that Google would continue, now and forever, to make their products better. So, GMail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Talk will all get their "beta" wings snipped. They are, it seems, officially ready for use. more ›

So, yeah, everything and anything is being dominated by Michael Jackson's memorial today. Face it. And, after wading through all of the internet denziens getting choked by Colgate Total and Latisse spokeswoman Brooke Shields' eulogy, we came across this. more ›

CBS5 reports that despite the California Department of Education's strict laws that sex education programs be medically accurate and objective, abstinence-only group Free to Be has been teaching their scientifically-inaccurate curriculum in Sonoma County Schools for the past seventeen years, up until this past May. more ›

Speaking of body parts, a woman was shot in the leg last night in the Tenderloin. According to CBS5 / BCN, the incident occurred at around 9 p.m. last night at (where else?) Eddy and Leavenworth streets. "The victim suffered a gunshot wound to her leg and was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for the injury, which was not considered to be life-threatening." No arrests have been made. more ›

A Parks & Rec crew was cleaning out a homeless encampment yesterday, near the corner of Sunnydale and Persia Avenues in McLaren Park, when they stumbled upon an extremely stinky tarp which turned out to contain a severed human leg. No word on any identifying features of the leg, or the gender or age of its owner. But it does have us thinking: foul play, or back-alley (in this case backwoods) amputation? Let this be a gruesome warning to the uninsured! more ›

Great man, brilliant musician, bizarre icon, lover of children -- whatever you think of him, he has passed on to next plane of life. And much like they would for the death of the pope, throngs of the faithful and members of the news media from the world over will descend upon the Staples Center in L.A. for the Michael Jackson Memorial today, and it shall be relentlessly covered, on every channel, and in every newspaper, until all concerned have run out of breath, and ink. Below, our aggregate of updates. more ›

Testosterone-packed Axe shower gel put to the test. [40 Going On 28]

A quarantine has been "expanded" at San Quentin due to a probable outbreak of the swine flu epidemic. KTVU reports that "Luis Patino, a spokesman for the federal receiver who oversees medical care at the state's prisons, said Monday that 35 San Quentin prisoners have shown symptoms consistent with the H1N1 virus." What's more, "officials now have isolated 2,100 of the prison's 5,200 inmates. Last week, when the potential cases were limited to one cell block, 800 prisoners were quarantined." All of this, of course, is just precautionary as prison officials are still waiting for test results for confirmation. In related news, Ron Weasley also caught the virus. more ›

For those of you who still read print editions of newspapers, did you happen to see 's latest makeover? To be blunt, it looks downright lovely. The font, the sharper images, the cozier size -- all of it works. Much better than the previous format, we think. You know, if print issues are your thing. more ›

In some sort of retro-angry political statement that means nothing really but is highly amusing, this message appeared at the top of Bernal hill this morning. What does it mean? Well, it is in reference to freeing those "militant" cop killers from the 1970s, the ones the majority of the SF Board of Supervisors would like Attorney General Jerry Brown (and possible future Governor of California) Jerry Brown to pardon. (You can read more about that here.) However, the signage would be even fucking deeper man if they removed the "S." Because: heavy. That said, we would LOVE to see more signs like this placed on the hills of San Francisco. Get cracking, residents. more ›

Remember when former Senator Carole Migden went on a drunk driving spree on I-80, minus the alcohol? Well, the state of California will pay out $335,00 in settlement riches to a victim of her "erratic driving." If you recall, back in May 2007, "State Sen. Carole Migden bounced her state-issued SUV off the concrete median on Interstate 80 and nearly ran other motorists off the freeway before slamming into the back of another vehicle last week, the California Highway Patrol and witnesses said Tuesday." Paring this vehicular incident with her massive mound of blond hair, Migden has forever been cemented in our hearts as a crazy-ass, awesome dame. more ›

A little before 9 a.m. this morning, inside the Chateau La Salle Mobile Home Park located near the Santa Clara County Fair grounds, a double shooting took place. Two people were shot, an unidentified man and woman. The entire park has been barricaded by San Jose police. Mercury News reports that "[a] neighbor and family member say the suspected gunman is the woman's ex-husband" and had taken her family hostage. According to CBS 5/ BCN, the "[t]wo victims were apparently shot but were expected to survive ... One was transported to the hospital but the other was still inside the home with the suspect. A 9-year-old child was removed from the house unharmed." The man is still inside the home with the female victim. more ›

Oh yikes, folks. According to our increasingly favorite Twitter account to follow, Emergency_In_SF, they've got word (via timmysanfran) that there's a fire, possibly caused by an explosion, at Market (near Fourth Street) next to the massive Ross store. more ›

This morning, Pinole Police held a press conference, informing the public that they've finally figured ourt there whereabouts of Amber Swartz-Garcia, missing since 1988. She's dead. Notorious child killer Curtis Dean Anderson, it seems, was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Swartz-Garcia. If you recall, Anderson was convicted of the rape and murder of 7-year-old Xiana Fairchild in 1999. According to the Mercury News, "Amber vanished the afternoon of June 3, 1988, last seen skipping rope in front of her home on the 3400 block of Savage Avenue. Her disappearance launched a national search that drew thousands of tips and prayers to this small-town suburb in western Contra Costa County. Pinole police detectives and FBI agents now acknowledge that those prayers were in vain." Anderson, who was "serving more than 300 years in Corcoran State Prison," died in 2007. more ›

It seems the National Park Service doesn't want to take control of state parks, but will take six of them, including the nearby Angel Island, if Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposal to close 80%, or 220, of them goes through under a Federal land transfer agreement. If the parks do close, they will stay open through at least labor day. "It's important to note that nobody is proposing to close these parks permanently. This is a temporary suspension until budget times are better," a State Parks spokesman told the . "We have no intention of giving them away or selling them. There's an interest in finding a way to preserve and protect them. It could be temporary federal control. We would hope they can come back to state parks." A proposal to pay for state parks via an annual $15 fee on vehicle registrations will be vetoed by Schwarzenegger if it hits his desk. Last month, LAist exposed a letter--currently making the media rounds--from the National Park Service to the Governor alerting him to the legal consequences. more ›

In related news: The Oakland A's lost 15-3 to worst-in-the-league Cleveland Indians. Ouch. more ›

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin announced today that "she is resigning from office at the end of the month, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race," according to AP. more ›

As expected, U.S. judge in San Francisco denied an injunction yesterday on a federal lawsuit that challenged Prop 8. What does this mean? This: So, after the California Supreme court came down with their ruling that even though state law gives gays a right to marry, you can take that right away. David Boies and Ted Olsen (former adversaries during the Bush v Gore brouhaha who came together for in order to protect "human decency") filed suit saying that Prop 8 violates federal constitutional law. Why? So that this one would go to the U.S. Supreme Court and cover everyone in America, win or lose. Anyway, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker decided not to rule on the question right now, but is going to have a trial soon to go over all the history of homophobia in the U.S., the effects of Prop 8 in California, etc., which should actually be interesting (even though it sounded like yesterday's trail was listless.) According to CBS5 / BCN, Walker has yet to set a trial date. "but ordered lawyers on both sides to submit a statement to him by Aug. 7 detailing which facts they agree on, which facts are in dispute and a 'plan of action' for resolving the case." (Hat tip: Rita Hao for her legal expertise.) more ›

The details were fuzzier before, and it seemed like the place was being prepped for some kind of exposure. Now it is becoming clear that the co-owners of Neverland, a real estate firm called Colony Capital LLC, want to offload the place to some entrepreneur or mega-wealthy fan so that they can turn it into the tourist attraction it seems destined to become. They opened the property to the news media on Thursday, seemingly with the hope of showing it off to potential buyers. And Michael hadn't even been living there for four years -- after his 2005 child molestation trial he felt the spirit of the place had been destroyed, and he moved to another house five miles up the road. In 2008 sold a share of the house to Colony Capital in order to assist with $24 million in mortgage arrears. So the road trip is still on, kids! All you have to do is show a press credential or pretend to be a wealthy buyer to get in! more ›

In this clip from Russia Today, an English-language news program based in Moscow, the suave and accented anchorman speaks with an American correspondent about the fiscal crisis in California and the "meaningless pieces of paper" the state is now issuing to vendors in lieu of cash. Is it just us, or does this dude have a certain smirky, bemused attitude toward the idea that this state with the 8th largest economy in the world is bankrupt? more ›

Curse you and everything you stand for, Karen Kwok. [Daily Clog]

Adding to CitiApartments constant woes, SFAppeal has word that the troubled real estate company has been inundated with complaints from tenants, accusing them of refusing to refund security deposits. Habitually, it seems. Ted Gullicksen of the Tenants Union says that they have "been getting '3 or 4 complaints a week" on this issue.'" What's more this withholding of funds, if true, is illegal. Which in turn Which in turn, well, sounds kind of sleazy on CitiApartments's end. (Not that they've technically done anything technically illegal. Technically.) According to Appeal, "Craigslist's terms of use declares that 'all postings...are the sole responsibility of the person from whom such Content originated.' Pretty standard TOU stuff -- but their section 7 (Conduct) states 'You agree not to post...Content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive...' [going on to say] 'If you post Content in violation of the TOU...you agree to pay craigslist one hundred dollars ($100).'" Since CitiApartments' craigslist advertisements demand security deposits, one that "that they seem to know will not be returned would constitute a violation of [Craigslist's] TOU'" a new meme has been born. Appeal goes on to explain, "You know -- and we're certainly not advocating this, just, you know, pointing it out -- if a person really wanted to push back against whatever it is that CitiApartments is doing, they could pretty easily twist the knife a bit on Cragistlist, simply by flagging every single CitiApartments listing. (Someone we know just tried this, and says it's very fun.) Then keep an eye on them." Read more about it. more ›

Twenty-four Isabelle Jackson Elementary School students in Elk Grove, near Sacramento, went home on the last day of school last Friday with a DVD that was supposed to contain a year in review of the class. The DVD turned out to be full of inappropriate images involving the teacher, about six seconds of which at least two students watched. The teacher has since contacted all of the students' parents warning them of the DVD and asking them to throw it away. It is unknown whether the teacher still has a job. more ›

Yesterday morning, PT Cruiser allegedly plowed through a red light at 18th and Valencia streets, striking an "adult riding a grey steel frame bicycle which had a blue childrens add on tandem bike ridden by a four year old boy." Also, one cyclist's spine was fractured. Ow. more ›

Why, here's a shot from this afternoon's PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protest against McDonald's, over on the 600 block of Van Ness. Not nearly as erotic as we had anticipated, but effective. Yes? No? more ›

Want to see slinky, kinda nude women bathing in a tank of blood-colored water on Van Ness at noon? Of course you do. According to , PETA campaigner Jena Hunt "organized a protest scheduled for noon today at 600 Van Ness Ave., where two PETA 'chicks' in red bikinis will be crammed together in a tank of 'bloody' water with the message 'McDonald’s Scalds Chicks; to Death.'" (Aside: While we do not care much for McDonald's culinary vision, we highly recommend their Crispy ranch BLT sandwich, which you can get grilled or fried. Well worth the 600 calories. Trust us.) In an interview with the Ex, Hunt explains, there "a more humane slaughter method called controlled-atmosphere killing ensures that animals are killed painlessly while still in their transport crates before they have their throats cut or are handled by workers." Good point, Hunt. Also, there's a "McCruelty: I’m Hatin' It" billboard up at Sixth and Brannan today. more ›

Congratulations, LGBTQ ilk of India, you are now free to engage in acts of same-sex sex at your leisure. You see, an Indian court just turned a 148-year-old, colonial-era law that "declared gay sex an 'unnatural offense' and made it punishable by up to 10 years in jail," the BBC reports. The court ruled that the 150-year statute violated the rights of citizens by criminalizing consensual acts. India's gay rights campaigners hailed the decision as 'India's Stonewall,' but warned that gays still face widespread persecution." Exactly like the state of California, people in India "regard same-sex relationships as illegitimate." Also, much like the state of California should know, international human rights groups "have long argued that the law contravened human rights." Ashok Row Kavi, editor of India's first gay magazine, tells the BBC, "The social stigma will remain. It is [still] a long struggle. But the ruling will help in HIV prevention. Gay men can now visit doctors and talk about their problems. It will help in preventing harassment at police stations." So, have at it, queer folk of India. (Protip: It only hurts the first few times, gentlemen.) UPDATE: This applies to New Delhi, not the rest of India. Alas. more ›

Sadly, for all concerned -- including the deceased -- Michael Jackson's public memorial is going to take place at the Staples Center, Tuesday, July 7th at 10 a.m. and tickets will cost $25. We're guessing Diana Ross is going to sing. In any event, we still encourage the die-hard fans and all those who never say no to a road-trip to swing on by Neverland, where plenty of sod-laying and moving van activity seems to indicate that something is going to happen there... and at the very least it will likely open as a tourist attraction that will rival Graceland both in size, and bizarreness. more ›

ABC 7 brings us this report about how Oakland may try to solve its budget crisis, in part, by becoming the first city in the nation to directly tax marijuana dispensaries. The city would impose a 1.8% levy, which would mean that the four official pot clubs would have to pay $18 for every $1,000 sold -- currently, through standard business taxes, the city collects $1.20 for every $1,000 sold -- and would potentially raise $400,000 for the coming fiscal year. This measure goes onto a special election ballot being voted on this month. more ›

Praise Jesus, progressive politics and pure rage. The 's van, which some bastard stole earlier this week, was found. The vehicle was discovered by the SFPD yesterday morning on the 100 block of 25th Ave in the Richmond. According to reports, a "teacher from Corta Madera named Kevin Mahoney phoned in the van's location." It was not, in fact, the mischievous twentysomethings at Digg, whose offices are located next to SFBG HQ, taking the thing out for a joyride. more ›

Photo by Albert Huynh on Flickr more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

Karl Malden, star of stage, screen and TV commercials, died yesterday. He was 97. more ›

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Jesus Christ. As if this week could get any worse: A federal advisory panel has recommended that the FDA issue a ban on Vicodin and Percocet due to their damaging effects on the liver. Both painkillers combine a narcotic with acetometophin (a.k.a. Tylenol) -- a combo that's been found to be particularly damaging after extended use -- and along with seven other prescription drugs these two would go off the market if the FDA follows the panel's recommendation, which they usually do. This would be a huge blow to both pharmaceutical companies and pain pill fans alike. As the NY Times reports, "Vicodin and its generic equivalents alone are prescribed more than 100 million times a year in the United States." Whatever will we beg our dentists for the next time we must undergo oral surgery? more ›

Did you really think the sinking economy would sharpen the tacks over at CitiAparements? No. No, it has not. Matt Baume over at Curbed tells the harrowing tale of supposed squalor at one SF-based CitiAparmtents building, a story you'll want to tell over a crackling fire and fresh s'mores. It seems that a CitiApartmens customer allegedly ran into all sorts of trouble in her building every since the place went on the market. A few bits of alleged sadness: "they removed most of the garbage areas," directing tenants "to drop their trash in a nonexistent basket"; water was shut off for "two weeks" in parts of the building; and insect patrolling has stopped, meaning that "cockroaches have started taking over the lower floors." But the most jarring part of all? An apartment hunter looking at the place was "quoted $1,495 for a 350-square-foot studio." Chilling. Read more about it over at Curbed. (They've got photos too.) more ›

Sure to rival the public memorials of Evita, that woman who made Queen Elizabeth II's life a living hell, and Jesus H. Christ, Michael Jackson's viewing will be, if reports stand correct, splendiferous. To say least. more ›

Let Ann-Margaret sooth your soul. Because after hearing this news, you're gonna need it. See, Swoops, the adorable and infamous blackbird who terrorized passersby from her perch outside City National Bank at Front and California streets, is gone. Or, so says a City National Bank employee who had a clear view of Swoops from his desk, who notices his absence this week. more ›

A little something to go with your onion bagel and soy latte this morning: SFAppeal and Matier and Ross both have word that someone, well, took a massive crap at Gavin and Jennifer Newsom's new abode. Ahem. Oh dear. According to M&R, "San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, finally moved into their new home in the upper Haight over the weekend - only to have someone promptly defecate and urinate on their doorstep." Which? Is not that unusual for the Haight-Ashbury / Ashbury Heights neighborhood; in fact, it's where your editor learned the distinct odorous difference between animal and human fecal matter. Eve Batey at SFAppeal, however, went one step further, talking to a friend of a friend of the Newsoms, who explained to her, "'I was told they broke in and shit on the couches and it was a big secret.'" The shitting suspect, sadly, was never caught. So, yeah, there you have it. [Inset poop-related zinger here] more ›

Seeing as they are our local FOX affiliate, KTVU already has a TV segment in the works about how fireworks aren't good for anything except misery and conjuring up early childhood trauma. ALSO, today they gleefully bring us this story about the seizure of nearly a ton of illegal fireworks from an Oakland home and truck. "Among the items seized, police said, were bottle rockets, mortar shells and m1000 fireworks." BOO, we say! HISS! The neighbors of the two men arrested similarly came to their defense, saying, "On the Fourth of July, we all have parties. The whole block…They [the men arrested] are not bad people." So whatever KTVU. It's all fun and games until someone we know loses an eye, or conjures an early childhood trauma. more ›

SFist reported yesterday that Gay Pride Grand Marshall National Guard Lt. Dan Choi faced being discharged from the service, and a military review panel later confirmed this recommendation. The recommendation must be approved by the First Army commander and the chief of the National Guard Bureau, which could take weeks or up to a year. Choi, who is an Arabic translator, will continue to drill with the National Guard until then. more ›