News

Uh oh. According to AP, "Ken Lewis, the embattled CEO of Bank of America Corp., is leaving the company, succumbing to nearly a year of strife that followed his company's acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co." This comes on the heels of his shareholders castrating stripping Lewis of his title away earlier this year. Now based in Charlottle, North Carolina, BofA has a corporate office at 555 California. more ›

Santa Clara County declared a local emergency yesterday, setting aside $500k for free clinics, which will administer the swine flu vaccine to thousands of uninsured residents when the vaccine becomes available in mid-October. more ›

Oh no, not again. more ›

This is what shutdown Great Highway last night? Really? That's, like, a handful of medium-sized small sandcastles. At best. (We really have turned into a too tender bunch here in SF, haven't we?) more ›

Though small bits of blood on the ground are not a rare sight in the Civic Center/Tenderloin environs, we felt we should mention a not-insignificant amount of spilled plasma being mopped up at Civic Center BART station last evening (9/29) around 7:40 p.m. Whatever incident had occurred (we have a call in to the SFPD), it was over and what was left was a lot of blood droplets ranging from one end of the platform all the way to the other end, with a small pool next to one of the round benches, and several officers manning the exits. It appeared that whoever was bleeding, it was from a decent-sized wound and they had wandered the length of the platform and back before seeking help or being carted away. BART police have no information on the incident, and though we think there were at least a couple SFPD officers on the scene, we were too busy side-stepping blood droplets and getting on our train to deal with being proper journalists or taking photos. We'll let you know if anyone calls us back, and do tell us if you have any better info. more ›

The grand opening of San Francisco's fifth Whole Foods is happening right this very second over at 3950 24th Street in Noe Valley. Supervisor Bevan Dufty will be there to cut the tape. Protesters will also be there to make noise. As most of you know, a boycott is in place after WF CEO John Mackey's made (careless?) remarks about health care, much like your drivers license, being a privilege, not a right. Anyway, for those of you into snagging organic produce and carob-covered treats at relatively high prices, have at it. For those of you who refuse (or simply cannot afford) to shop at WF, Foods Co is a neighborhood away. (Really, you can get cheap staples there. Lots of other affordable stuff to be found there, too, folks.) more ›

After yesterday's 8.0-magnitude earthquake created a tsunami around the Samoa islands, a tsunami advisory threatened the Pacific Coast. That threat, according to reports, has been lifted. A very slight tsunami lift was measured along the coast. "The tsunami amplitude - the measurable surge above normal sea level - measured a half-foot at Monterey Bay Harbor, slightly more than one foot at Arena Cove in Mendocino County, and about one foot in San Francisco." more ›

Apart from a few new sand dunes, the CA coast remained unscathed by yesterday's tsunami in the Pacific. The tsunami struck the islands of Samoa and American Samoa, killing over 100 people with dozens still unaccounted for, following an 8.0 quake 120 miles away (see AP vid above). Early this morning another quake struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra, killing at least 13 75 people. President Obama has declared American Samoa a "major disaster," thereby rushing federal aid to the region, and the Australian government has pledged immediate help as well. 25 FEMA crew members from Oakland are on their way as of early this morning. more ›

Setting himself up for countless "hot air" punchlines, Gavin Newsom "is calling for windmills throughout the city," reports KCBS. An estimated 29 of them might pop up in SF sometime in the very near future. Or not. (Although he'd like to "streamline the permit process" to get them up ASAP.) Anyway, Newsom goes on to said that the wind turbines cold be put on historical landmarks. he also emotes, "wind is a rural or suburban phenomenon and not necessarily an urban phenomenon ... We believe wind needs to be part of the urban mix of renewables. Our goal is to have 50 megawatts of renewable energy being generated within the city and county of San Francisco over the next few decades." more ›

According to Alert SF, "the Great Highway has been closed by the US Park Service because of sandunes [sic] forming near Great Highway at Noriega. Please use alternate routes to avoid this closure." more ›

• Have you taken a ride on the Bernal slides? [sf secrets]
• Jen Siebel's The Trouble With Romance declared second-worst movie of 2009 thus far. [movietome]
• Julie's Supper Club turns into something you've already seen before. (Et tu, Folsom Street?) [Eater]

At the risk of sounding like an alarmist -- oh hush, yous -- a tsunami warning has been issued for the California and Oregon coasts. We're not buying it. But still, check it. more ›

Oh oh. It's on. more ›

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, a malignant cancer attacking San Francisco's nightlife scene, has dropped its "ambiguous" suit against Great American Music Hall. It seems the ABC was upset at the O'Farrell venue, according to NBC Bay Area, for "operating more like a nightclub than a restaurant." (They serve food at GAMH?!) This creepy attack from the booz controllers goes along with similar complaints they have filed against clubs like Cafe Du Nord and DNA Lounge. On Monday, however, "the ABC dismissed its complaint against the Great American Music Hall after an administrative law judge recommended the charges be dropped because 'the regulation relied upon by the ABC was ambiguous.'" more ›

According to a study done by the Nielsen Company, Facebook and Twitter users are wealthier and than their MySpace counterparts living on the other side of the railroad tracks. Computer World notes, "The survey, which studied the top seven social networking sites, showed that Facebook users generally have an 'upscale profile,'" going on to point out, "Nielsen also noted that people who are more affluent than the other two-thirds of the population are 25% more likely to use Facebook than those in the the lower third. And conversely, those in the bottom third of the financial chart are 37% more likely to use MySpace than those in the top third." more ›

The culprit behind yesterday's bomb scare that closed down Transbay Terminal ad blocked off a four-block radius in downtown San Francisco: a bag full of dirty clothes. According to Plug 1, who shot the image above, "[i]t seems that a passenger left a gym bag on the back of a Muni bus and the driver got suspicious when he reached the end of the line with the bag still on the bus. So he called the police." more ›

Capt. Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger -- the Danville pilot turned hero, who safely landed his U.S. Airways plane into the Hudson River after birds got sucked into the engines -- has decided to return to work. In addition to taking to the skies again, Sully "will also join the Tempe, Arizona-based airline's safety management team." A well-deserved promotion, indeed. more ›

A water main broke, affecting the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. According to KRON 4, it's shooting water onto the two right lanes (fun!) heading east toward Yerba Buena Island. Expect traffic delays getting onto the bridge this morning. No injuries or accidents have been reported. more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

Kristy Watts, a former accountant/assistant to Danielle Steel who also goes by Kristy Siegrist, was convicted in U.S. District Court today of one count of wire fraud and four counts of tax evasion, all amounting to $400,000. Ms. Steel, however, also filed suit in Marin County Superior Court Thursday (Ms. Watts lives in San Rafael), claiming that the former employee stole closer to $2.7 million, which she funneled directly into the remodeling of a home on G Street in San Rafael. Goes to show that being super-rich means getting ripped off if you aren't paying attention. But seriously, how do you not miss three mil for several years? more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

Chronicle vows to "smash" "naive" new media organizations. Isn't that adorable? [Appeal]

Planned way before the recent Jaycee Lee Dugard kidnapping story came to light, the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement task force conducted a recent shakedown of sexual predators who haven't registered in the South Bay. According to CBS 5/KCBS, "[a] recent surprise sweep of convicted sex offenders in the South Bay uncovered at least nine that had not registered with their local police departments." (The headline on CBS r5, however, says 22 paroled sex offenders were "nabbed.") more ›

The big bomb squad truck is there at the Transbay Terminal right now. AlertSF says you'll want to avoid the area for at least the next 90 minutes. more ›

SATURDAY/MISSION: At around 9:40 p.m. at 14th and Mission streets, someone was stabbed. The victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for non-life threatening stab wounds. No arrests have been made, no suspect info is available. more ›

There was another car fire in the Richmond last night, the first since that string of them in July which, as you might recall, the SFPD was trying to pin on loony transient Fafa Chan. When another fire was set under a car in the Richmond a couple weeks after putting Chan in custody (we are not real journalists otherwise we might have looked into Ms. Chan's whereabouts), it appeared they maybe had the wrong gal/guy, or else Chan had spawned imitators. Anyhow, whoever it is, they're back. Watch your porta-potties, and don't park any cars in the Richmond that you hope to keep. more ›

Over the weekend, a man climbed into the bear enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo. Authorities still aren't sure why Kenneth Herron, 21, who is described as a "transient," made his way into the grizzly bear grotto late Sunday afternoon. It seems Herron managed to scale a wall, get himself into the enclosure, and crouch behind some bushes once inside. more ›

After a long battle with cancer, Gap founder and third-generation San Franciscan Don Fisher died on Sunday. He was 81. more ›

OPD were in a standoff today inside the same building where Lovelle Mixon shot, killed officers earlier this year. [CBS 5]

Oh geez. That woman who was in that episode of Friends where Pheobe uses Ross' kid to try to get Sting tickets has "personally" invited 6,000 Bay Area Chevron employees to Crude, some sort of documentary about Ecuadorian rainforests, or oil, or eco-whatever. more ›

While an estimated 5,000 students and faculty packed Sproul Plaza at U.C. Berkeley yesterday to protest a whopping 32-percent fee hike in the next year, thousands of different students were distracted by other things. The protest on the plaza was thought to be one of the largest since the Free Speech movement of the 60s, but it's possible the numbers were skewed by those gathered at Sather Gate where the Ellen show producers were giving away free Samsung cell phones live on the air (see video above) via a Twitter alert. Also, the show was offering $1,000 and free trips to L.A. to any students who stripped off their clothes in the campus bookstore and sent in a picture. Ah, college. Ah, Millennials. more ›

Karl Rove made an appearance behind enemy lines last night in SF, at a local gathering at the Ritz-Carlton of conservative bastion The Heritage Foundation. Rove made the astute observation before a crowd of several hundred that the health care debate is providing Republicans with a perfect political rallying point, but it will only succeed if they come up with their own successful plan. No word on whether there were any census workers hanged in effigy, or any fingers bitten off. Hear more about Rove's appearance at KCBS. more ›

The luckiest man in the Bay Area right now is doing well after his car careened off of Devil's Slide in Pacifica a little before 6 a.m. rthis morning. After driving off the cliff, the driver managed to call for help. He only suffered a minor bump to the head. The accident temporarily shutdown Highway 1. more ›

Sorry for the depressing way to start your Friday morning, but CBS 5's Anna Werner has a pretty damn harrowing tale of an insurance company, Blue Shield of California, twice denying a claim to a patient's breast tumor. It seems Rosalinda Miran-Ramirez woke up one morning back in April to find her breast bleeding from her nipple. Rightfully concerned, she darted to the emergency room where doctors told her she had a tumor in her breast. more ›

According to KRON 4 News, a restaurant is on fire at 919 Kearny, between Drummond and Jackson Streets. Columbus is backed up to the tunnel. "Traffic is a nightmare" in the area. The block is pretty much closed off. No word yet of any injuries. more ›

Low-flying East Bay pilot arrested for stalking in the air. [Claycord]

While friend of SFist Eye On Blog's Britteny Gilbert is none too thrilled to see these LED snowflakes -- presumably meant to signify winter, which signifies the holiday season, which, come now, signifies the sheer delight that is Christmas -- we couldn't be more thrilled. Why? Because Christmastime is RAD. Whatever, it totally is. We look forward to it, while silently disagreeing with you Jesus haters who complain that it arrives too early each year. (Impossible!) See, the Glory of Christmas involves gift receiving, winter's chill, family fights, asking if you hear what we hear, binge drinking, chocolate mint-laced everything, layered clothing, and the bittersweet melancholy that comes with knowing that you're going to spend, yet again, another holiday season alone. more ›

While pulling over at 19th Street and South Van Ness to "adjust something in the trunk of her car," a woman was kidnapped and robbed by a passing driver a little around 4:30 a.m. this morning. According to CBS 5/BCN, "[a] pickup truck pulled up next to her and a man inside forced her into the cabin of his vehicle ... drove her around for a few minutes before taking her purse, stopping the truck and forcing her to get out" a mile away. She was uninjured. No arrests have been made. more ›

The Central Subway plan got a boost yesterday care of a $9.9 grant via an unknown donor. (Though, according to Curbed, the Federal Transit Administration might be the culprit.) MTA spokesperson Judson True tells Streetsblog that "the funds would mostly go towards preliminary design work, since preliminary engineering on the project is essentially complete." The total cost for the SOMA-to-Chinatown underground fun will cost a total of $1.57 billion. more ›

Whenever we had walkouts at our protest-happy alma mater, more often than not we would press our lips to a bong and head to the beach and/or a bar for the day. But today's student is a concerned one. That said, the fine folks over at the Daily Clog have an events guide of smartypants things you can do today if you're part of the walkout. more ›

Conducted by the Thailand Ministry of Public Health, a new vaccine study has shown "modest" benefits in preventing HIV. Said results show that we could have a "safe and effective" preventive vaccine at some point in the near future. According to CBS 5/AP, "The vaccine—a combination of two previously unsuccessful vaccines—cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the world's largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok." more ›

Although the election is still a couple of years away, district 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty "plans to file forms with the city's Election Department this morning announcing his intention to run [for mayor] and will immediately begin raising money and his profile," reports SFGate. more ›

He says it was "a long-shot," but Berkeley professor Ken Light was hoping Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would take a moment out from invoking Allah and predicting the downfall of global capitalism at the U.N. General Assembly to mention the fates of three former Berkeley students who have been sitting in an Iranian jail since July. Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were, for reasons that the more sedentary and warzone-averse among us cannot understand, hiking in the mountainous Kurdistan region of Iraq when they wandered mistakenly over the border into Iran. They got arrested, and now they're being used as political pawns, much like Laura Ling and Euna Lee were in North Korea. more ›

A part-time U.S. Census field worker in rural Kentucky was found hanged Wednesday in a remote part of Daniel Boone National Forest, dangling from a tree with the word "fed" scrawled across his chest. The funniest part about this completely sick and unfunny story? The quote from the Associated Press piece on the crime that says, "the FBI is investigating whether he was a victim of anti-government sentiment." You think? This appears to be a story not only about backwoods crazies, but also about our ailing economy and under-funded educational system (Bill Sparkman, the victim, was a 51-year-old substitute teacher who was supplementing his income with the census work), and about the virulent emotions that exist "out there" due to the health care debate and the fact that we have a liberal black President. Regardless of what turns out to be the true motive for the crime, you couldn't pay us enough to roam the countryside and knock on strange doors asking questions. more ›

Man murdered at Milpitas Jack In The Box. [CBS 5]

While we plan on banning next year's SF Pride Parade and adjacent festivities unless former KRON 4 movie critic and San Francisco treasure Jan Wahl and beloved City Hall tranny Donna Sachet are immediately brought back cover it live -- for reals, those two were nothing short of TV fucking magic, folks; KOFY should hand them their own show right this second -- the theme for the 2010 Homosexual Pride Parade was announced yesterday. It is: 40 and Fabulous. Ta-da. And not just because only old people attend Pride. See, it's the parade's 40th anniversary. So, there you have it. more ›

Mayor Gavin Newsom's office will be launching the first in a series of virtual Town Hall meetings tonight at 6 p.m. via Ustream, and users will be able to "chat" their questions to the mayor in real time. RSVP here or here. Apparently, users will also be able to watch/chat via Facebook, but we can't find any links for that. The Our Blog post about the meeting is confusing. more ›

Of the three men arrested in connection with Sunday's Papa Potrero's shooting death, San Francisco prosecutors charged a 19-year-old Andres Siordia with one count of murder. If you recall, the double shooting, which is alleged to have stemmed from friction between "separate factions of the Norteno street gang," claimed the lives of SF residents Francisco Pena, 41, and Francisco Cornejo, 26. more ›

The woman who was found shot shot to death in Tiburon yesterday morning, making it the city's first homicide in a decade, has been identified as 75-year-old Joan Rosenthal. According to police, there was no sign of a break in and nothing from Rosenthal's residence was stolen. Rosenthal, described as a "a wonderful member of the community," held a "a contemporary fiction book group with Tiburon Mayor Alice Fredericks since 1997." Anyone with information as to who did this should call the Marin County Sheriff's Department at 415-499-7265. more ›

Described by the media as "a Filipino man in his early to mid-30s, with dark complexion and acne" and quite very possibly wearing "a white shirt," a man has been approaching middle school girls in the Ingleside and Taraval neighborhoods "at least twice in recent weeks." The incidents, which occurred as the girls were leaving school, are reported to have happened on Sept 9 and 14. According to Ingleside police Capt. David Lazar, "He asks girls to get in his car, he tries to befriend them, he tries to get their name," If you see or are approached by this man, call the fuzz. more ›

There will be a Big Blue Bucket Eco Fair, whatever the heck that is, on Saturday where you can dispose of your old Xanax and Boniva. Check it: SFWater - "Clean out your medicine cabinet and safely dispose of old pills at our Big Blue Bucket Eco Fair on Sept 26th!" Conversely, you could just invite us over to your apartment for the weekend. Medicine cabinets = magical treasure chests full of feelings and fun. more ›

52-year-old James Burge plead guilty to the unarmed robberies of nine SF banks in 2007 and 2008, including branches of Wells Fargos, Bank of the West and Bank of America, and was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison. He also has to write apology notes to all the tellers he threatened with the gun he didn't have, and pay back the exactly $30,941 that he stole. His accomplice, Joseph Russoniello, plead guilty to *eleven* robberies last year in SF, LA, Portland and Seattle, but he only got five years in the clink. We call bullshit. more ›

We've always wondered whether BART was as likely a terror target as the New York City subway system, and always suspected that no, it isn't. But you may have noticed some stepped up security patrols on trains, complete with bomb sniffing dogs, the likes of which we haven't seen since around October/November 2001. more ›

If elected, the former eBay CEO -- a bigot who, at best, considers the homosexuals second-class citizens, or at least that's what she would lead the public to believe -- will cut state spending "by another $15 billion," prune California's current state work force "by 17 percent," and further the stereotype that female Republicans must sport garish blonde hair in order to be successful. Welcome to the race, Meg! more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

Thee people from the Bay Area, two from Berkeley and one from San Francisco, were named MacArthur fellows last night. The "genius award," one that allows its members to work on their craft full-time, comes with heaps prestige and a whopping $500,000 booty. San Francisco artist Camille Utterback, Berkeley computer nerd Maneesh Agrawala, and Berkeley molecular biologist Lin He were among this year's 24 recipients. more ›

Richard Alden Samuel McCroskey III of Castro Valley, the aspiring GANGSTA URBAN HIP-HOP RAP artist known as "Syko Sam" who allegedly killed four people in a small Virginia town (including his wildly naive girlfriend), bludgeoned his victims to death. Why? Because ""Jesus told [Syko Sam] to do it." more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

• Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina's achievements, or lack thereof. [Calitics]
• Hey, here's a shot of Joanna Newsom at last night's Emmy Awards with SNL's Andy Samberg. [Time]
• Lisa Campbell, UC Berkeley police specialist, honored for helping catch Phillip Garrido. Also, the Clog loves them some Jewel. [Daily Clog]

According to the following Twitter message it did, Just this afternoon. more ›

Apparently not all S-curves are a good thing. Ye olde Chronicle reported today that "the drive time from San Francisco to Oakland during the evening commute has taken 57 percent longer, on average, than it did a year ago." And what's to blame, you ask? Why, the new s-curve, of course. more ›

In response to the UC President Mark Yudof's bizarre yet timely budget cut/fee increase plan, the UC-wide walkout date has been set for for this Thursday, 9/24. According to the terse press release on tis week's mass protest, "hundreds of UC Berkeley graduate students from disciplines as varied as Physics, Comparative Literature, Geography, and French will join UC faculty from all campuses in a planned rally and walkout.l ... The rally will take place in UC Berkeley’s famed Sproul Plaza from noon until two o'clock." Visit gradstudentstoppage.com for more details. more ›

Wow. OK. At an appearance onstage at South San Francisco Day in Orange Memorial Park on Saturday, a PETA member got up on stage and smacked a guy dressed as Ronald McDonald in the face with a vegan custard pie. more ›

Trying to figure out if that guy in your office was born a homosexual? (Hint: he probably wasn't, you stalker.) Well, a few clever AP-wads at MIT have developed software that, using Facebook technology, can figure out if he prefers penis or vagina. more ›

While some Valencia Street merchants and Geary Boulevard business owners would have you believe that San Francisco is a bastion of overpriced boutique stores and inaccessibility, respectively, most of you are too smart to believe such tripe. A city is, arguably, meant to grow. Onward and upward, right? Right. more ›

Today, the Obama Administration announced plans to fork over $6-plus million to AC Transit of Hayward, "to help reduce global warming, lessen America’s dependence on oil and create green jobs." The funds come from the Economic Recovery Act, and will be yet another boon to the growing eco-industry in the Bay Area. more ›

Oh, the zany things that happen north of San Francisco. And by "zany," we mean "methy." Presumably. Take, for example, a naked man who "ran up and down Lemur Street in west Santa Rosa, breaking into homes Saturday night before being chased back into his own house by a group of teenagers wielding a baseball bat." more ›

San Francisco's Mission district isn't the only neighborhood to see shootings over the weekend. The San Francisco Police Department, according to CBS 5/BCN, are currently "investigating a Sunday night shooting that occurred at San Bruno Avenue and Woolsey Street" in the Bayview area. more ›

Police arrested two suspects a few hours after three men were shot at Papa Potrero's Pizza at 24th Street and Potrero Ave around 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon. Two of the men died from their wounds, and the third victim is reported as not having life-threatening injuries. more ›

AlertSF informs us that Eddy Street in the TL will be janky for most of the evening due to a busted water main. more ›

See, not every transplant in the Mission is an anti-Semitic trustifarian sipping Ritual Roasters soy lattes. Some of them write and need cameras/throw parties, too. Help MM out, won't you? [Mission Mission]

SFist has, for the most part, spared you any vile "baby bump" talk during Jennifer Siebel-Newsom's pregnancy. But now that SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and Jen Jen are first-time parents -- Jennifer had a c-section a little after 12:30 p.m. today -- everyone online is abuzz -- yes, abuzz -- about it. more ›

OK. Here we go. Jennifer Siebel Newsom is in labor. Gavin Newsom, via Twitter, says: more ›

The first batch of H1N1 flu vaccines, some 3.4 million doses, will come in the form of a nasal spray from a company called MedImmune. We couldn't be more pleased about this because we hate needles, and we're total hypochondriacs. The U.S. has ordered a total of 195 million doses of the vaccine and pretty much everyone is encouraged to get vaccinated, beginning with health care workers, the immuno-compromised, and anyone with respiratory ailments. Get your flu shots/nasal sprays, kids! We fear it's going to be an ugly winter. more ›

A prayer vigil and rally is scheduled to begin at noon at the Federal Reserve at 101 Market St. today, calling for solutions to widespread foreclosures. Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is currently on a national tour promoting his nonprofit RainbowPUSH Coalition's campaign for mortgage relief for homeowners facing foreclosure, is scheduled to appear. Jackson and other religious and community leaders are putting pressure on lenders to restructure loans in order to avoid foreclosures. more ›

While some have declared the recession over, more or less, California's job rate might disagree. In August, we witnessed the jobless figure "climb to 12.2 percent last month, the highest on records dating back to the 1970's,"n according to CBS5/AP. But California wasn't the only state to see crowds converge at unemployment offices. "Forty-two states lost jobs last month, up from 29 in July, with the biggest payroll cuts coming in Texas, Michigan, Georgia and Ohio." Sigh. more ›

A major heatwave is supposed to be heading our way this weekend, with triple digits inland and 80s/90s near the coast by next week. The "real heat," according to the KRON 4 weather lady, will begin on Tuesday, the first day of fall. So, if you have any elderly people, infants, and/or redheads lying around, make sure they're kept comfy in climate-controlled areas and their fluids replenished. It's going to be a scorcher next week. more ›

by Chris Jones more ›

Rowdy game day fans on caltrain need to cool it. [Appeal]

Warning. Tomorrow is, ugh, National Run at Work Day. Which is also known as National Come to Work And Stink Up The Place With Your Rank Body Odor And Sweaty Ass Crack You Selfish Jerk Day. That said, jogging is a great way to get in shape. In addition to helping you "maintain a healthy weight," it also "raises your energy levels, makes it easier to fall asleep at night, and strengthens your immune system which can prevent illness," or so says the fine ladies over at Fit Sugar. more ›

In an effort, we assume, to curb the (racist?) "you lie!" hysteria stemming from a sect of indignant Republicans over Obama's health care plan, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made the following, somewhat confusing statement this morning at a press conference. more ›

We're receiving a report of cops cracking down on cyclists running red lights and issuing tickets. The report comes from near Zuni at Van Ness and Market, and multiple cyclists have received citations in the last hour or two. Perhaps another way of beefing up the revenues of the SFPD, or a new phase in Gascon's quality-of-life campaign. Be wary out there, bikers! Traffic laws apply to you too! more ›

Juan Guerra, 24, was shot and killed in front of his East Oakland on Wednesday. According to SFGate, "Guerra was standing outside his home on the 9700 block of Walnut Street when someone approached and shot him for an unknown reason." No arrests have been made. more ›

SFist just received word from an employee near the Levi Plaza (1270 Battery) area that a gunman might -- might! -- be on the loose. The following alert was sent out to Pearson Education (1301 Sansome) employees. more ›

Kidnapping victim Jaycee Lee Dugard and her two children were not the only residents of the tents and huts in the Garridos' backyard in Antioch: there were also five cats, a Labrador mix, a Rottweiler mix, three cockatiels, a pigeon and a mouse. Jaycee Lee and her daughters are now eager to get their pets back, and have been speaking to Contra Costa Animal Control who have been caring for the animals. We're not clear on what the delay is in getting them back -- not like there's any evidence hidden in the cats -- but we just have to say right now that while we hope for all the best for Jaycee Lee, we have to draw the line at keeping a pigeon for a pet. That's just fucking disgusting. more ›

Teenager shot over volume-lowering request. [SFGate]

Attorney General/future gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown was in San Francisco today. He was at some sort of lunch for whiny Geary Boulevard merchants. When comparing Oakland to San Francisco, he made the following funny: more ›

It has begun. Today, a day after a mass walkout was planned for the UC system, 14 protesters were arrested "after they briefly shut down a regents meeting this morning in San Francisco where a proposed tuition hike was being discussed," reports SFGate. "Whose university? Our university! "Lay off Yudof!" was the chant students, faculty and other assorted staff members yelled at the UCSF's Mission Bay campus. (Yudof was none too please. One of his Twitter messages reflects that: "Lots of shouting. Be nice if everyone shouting respected the free speech rights of the rest of us. We'll take a break until we can resume.") According to CBS 5/BCN, "The interruption came during a public comment period that opened the daylong board meeting. During the public comment period, dozens of people had voiced their opposition to the plan, as well as their disapproval of UC President Mark Yudof." Also, San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos was one of the speakers voicing his frustration at the UC regents plan to increase fees and tuition. Even one of its own board members, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, is furious at the fee hikes, who said in a written statement, "[Yudof's] jaw-dropping proposal...will single-handedly take a University of California education off the table for thousands of hardworking students," The regents, by all accounts, should be ashamed of themselves. Seriously. Anyway, the arrested protesters were "cited for trespassing and unlawful assembly and released." The board will vote on the fee hike come November. more ›

According to KCBS Radio, a small "two engine" plane "took off and crashed" at the Hayward airport. We'll update as soon as we know more. more ›

Katie Ashcero and her husband Rob are suing doctors at Laurel Fertility Care in San Francisco after the clinic botched an in-vitro fertilization procedure and then proceeded to destroy seven of the couples' embryos. It turns out they fucked up and fertilized seven of Katie's thirteen eggs with the wrong sperm, and then tossed the embryos, in violation of their contract with the couple. Katie would have preferred to have donated the embryos to stem cell research, but now that the clinic has refused to give her a refund, she and her husband are suing for fees paid to the clinic, lost compensation, and punitive damages. (via ABC 7 News) more ›

While plastic bags in San Francisco aren't really banned -- look no further than Chinatown or any independently-owned liquor store to find a bag of crinkly delight -- San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said "he wants the city bag ban to expand throughout the Bay Area and beyond and that the plastic industry has stalled legislation." (An aside: we fully support the chutzpah of any and all SF supes who want to wield their power outside their districts... and their city.) Mirkarimi goes one step further, saying he wants to introduce an ordinance "to strengthen the city's ban to require that grocers pay a refund to customers who bring in their own canvas bags and to eventually include a ban on paper bags as well." This comes on the heels of Save the Bay revealing the top-ten plastic bag hot spots in the Bay Area. more ›

It's an interesting question, one raised this week by SF Weekly's Ashley Harrell. See, way back in 2005, Newsom talked to the San Francisco Chronicle about his Arnold Drummond-like foster brother, whom he called Suliman Ashby. He brought him up as an explanation as to why he's comfortable sipping malt liquor and just chilling 'til the next episode on the streets of Bayview. "He was like a brother," Newsom told the Chron. "I spent a lot of time with him in Marin City, just hanging out with the guys, screwing around. I'm convinced this is why I'm so comfortable in Bayview." more ›

At about 4:50 p.m. yesterday in Redwood City, a southbound train collided with a Honda near Whipple Avenue and El Camino Real. KTVU reports, "the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the San Mateo County coroner's office." The train was traveling "approximately 60 mph," so it couldn't stop. The name of the driver has yet to be revealed. No word as to whether or not it was a suicide hit. more ›

Today's gust blogger editing Day Around the Bay? Why, it's none other than Plug1 of What I'm Seeing. Plug1 is one of the Bay Area's best photogs. But you knew that already. more ›

Aside from a freshly-packed bong and high-sodium meals, college students love nothing more than to protest something bad. The most recent something bad to move the UC system to protest is, of course, the severe budget cuts affecting the quality of education. But this protest will be done walkout-style. According to SF Chronicle, "What began in recent weeks as a proposed faculty walkout coinciding with the first day of school next Thursday at some campuses - including UCSF, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz - has grown to include graduate and undergraduate student groups, and labor unions representing thousands of employees." Combine the recent budget cuts and forced furlough days with the fee increase and we will (hopefully) see an explosive mass walkout of indignation and righteousness. In related news, everybody else is poor and/or losing their jobs too. more ›

Have no fear if you're walking down Second Street between Folsom and Harrison, just around the corner from SFist World HQ. That long line of fire engines hogging all the parking meters isn't responding to a ten alarm disaster, nor the opening of a new Hooters. more ›

80% of black residents surveyed and 33% of white residents already believe Johannes Mehserle is guilty in the case of the New Year's shooting death of Oscar Grant, therefore his attorney Michael Rains is arguing for a change of venue. In papers filed last week, Rains said the trial should be moved out of the Oakland area on account of these racial divisions. Meanwhile, four of the six BART police officers involved in the incident that night have quietly returned to work, while Mehserle and one two other officers remain on paid leave. more ›

A fatal car collision happened at Fell and Broderick this morning at around 6:30 a.m. more ›

Yesterday, if you recall, SFist told you about 64-year-old Yvette Harden, the East Bay women who "fatally shot her handicapped daughter at an East Oakland skilled nursing facility Sunday night then killed herself with the same gun." more ›

While some are wildly conspiracy theorizing that Mayor Gavin Newsom will bow out of the gubernatorial race, former POTUS Bill Clinton just gave Gav his official seal of approval. That's right, Clinton has backed Newsom's bid for the Democratic nomination for California governor. If you recall, Newsom was one of Hillary Clinton's biggest supporters during her failed presidential campaign. The Clintons, it seems, are returning the favor. more ›

According to Associated Press, "a publicist for Patrick Swayze says the Dirty Dancing actor has died." He succumbed to pancreatic cancer. He was 57. more ›

MTA to start repairing fleet of damaged Muni trains. [Streetsblog]

Earlier this afternoon, at around 1:40 p.m., a pickup truck careened into the water off of Treasure Island. According to SFAppeal, "The truck entered the water on the east side of the island shortly after 1:40 p.m." the truck's driver was rescued from the vehicle 30 minutes later. "The victim was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening." No word yet how, exactly, the driver ended up in the Bay. UPDATE: Alas, the driver of the pickup truck died. more ›

Former pop star Kanye West, that (racist?) Senator who called Obama a fibber, the oddly schadenfreude-free sight of a bruised Tila Tequila, murder-suicides in the Bay Area, Serena Williams, the staff at SFist headquarters -- why has everyone gone mad? Well, according to Phil Bronstein, the stars might have something to do with it. Today, the SFGate scribe posts an astrological cautionary tale and explanation behind all celebrity meltdowns of late. That is to say, the current Mercury retrograde is to blame. For everything. (Seriously, watch that Mercury retrograde. Scary stuff.) He cites Susan Miller's AstrologyZone, who tell us that for the next couple of weeks, we are, more or less, fucked. Bronstein advises, "And in case you're unemployed, fundraising for struggling non-profits, looking to budge entitled and entrenched health care/new financial bubble chicanery, or think you have the most clever idea for saving journalism, just hold on. 'Don't ask for favors, present ideas or launch new projects this month.'" But have no fear -- just kidding -- the retrograde will end on September 29. Until then, we find slow, gentle rocking movement prove the most soothing while curled up in the fetal position. more ›

Our current obsession? Concord. Why? Because the craziest stuff goes down there. Claycord, Contra Costa Country's best blog for breaking and bizarre East Bay news, reported on an unidentified pilot who has been harassing the fine citizens of Concord with their low-flying plane. Annoying, right? But wait, it gets better. Or worse. See, just last night said plane (allegedly) dropped offensive flyers meant for the city's Canterbury Village neighborhood. According to Claycord, "[t]he low flying plane was heard once again the morning of the thunder and lightning storms over the weekend." Later, "an anonymous resident of Thornwood Drive found the flyer pictured [here] in her backyard, then found more scattered on her street, in her neighbor's yard & in some bushes." The racially-insensitive flyers have the name of the small plane's pilot's girlfriend. Go here to read more about the drama in Concord. more ›

Brittney Gilbert of Eye On Blogs brings our attention to this little gem: the Cal marching band knocking over an event staff guy at a recent football game. (Also, what's going on with both announcers' eyebrows? As lovely as they are, those enviously manicured brows belong no where near a football game.) more ›

Although both Philip Garrido and his robot wife, Nancy Garrido, have pleaded not guilty to all 29 charges of kidnapping, rape, and false imprisonment charges, Philip's bail was set today at $30 million. His wife, however, "continues to be held without bail, something her attorney did not object to during Monday's hearing," reports CBS 5/AP. So far, the Garrido's have been charged with crimes only related to Jaycee Lee Dugard. In related news, a stun gun was used to subdue Dugard during her 1991 kidnapping. Also, District Attorney Vern Pierson denied rumors that Dugard will make her first public appearance on . So, yeah, there you have it. more ›

Wondering what all of that security in SF was for on Saturday? Well, Vice President Joe Biden was in town, showing face at a private party. (Matt Baume has footage of his royal arrival right here.) See, Biden "swung by Pacific Heights Saturday, speaking at a $5,000-a-plate fund-raiser for U.S. Sen Barbara Boer's re-election campaign," reports SFGate. The Democrat from the Bay Area is hoping to win her third term, running against former HP CEO, breast cancer survivor, and retail-vendor-to-Iran Carly Fiorina. In related vice presidential news, Vanity Fair journalist and future Playgirl model Levi Johnston claims that crazy Alaskan Sarah Palin referred to her son Trig as "my little Down's baby" and "the retarded baby." Oh Sarah, how we've missed you. more ›

Well, this wasn't cool. more ›

SFPD has released a sketch of the man suspected of stabbing 11-year-old Hatim Mansori a couple of weeks ago on Muni in an unprovoked attack. Here's the description again: more ›

64-year-old Yvette Harden, according to the Oakland Tribune, "fatally shot her handicapped daughter at an East Oakland skilled nursing facility Sunday night then killed herself with the same gun." Harden had been living at the Oakland Springs Health Center since 2003. She left neither note nor any explanation as to why. This makes this the third incident "of its kind" in less than a week, reports The Chronicle. Apparently, a 17-year-old boy shot and killed his girlfriend before non-fatally shooting himself in Fremont on Friday, two days after a Vallejo resident "shot and gravely wounded a woman before shooting himself to death at the Motel 6 on Edes Avenue in East Oakland." more ›

Some photos from the lightning strikes this morning that took out transformers at Octavia & Grove and at Broderick and Sacramento, as well as the aftermath. And commenter Zac points us to a great piece of audio of that boom. ALSO: A new photo sent to us from Matt Baume of a duct-taped glass ceiling at the Academy of Sciences and a big patch of wet floor, which may or may not have been connected. more ›

Hold the phone! The infamous Power Exchange, after closing their Otis Street location and getting chased off of Gough Street with pitchforks, has moved into the Crash Club space at 34 Mason without so much as a klieg light, and apparently the Tenderloin neighborhood folks are planning an all-out assault, according to C.W. Nevius in the Chron. At least for the SRO residents and former alcoholics in the 'hood who have found God, there is no place for a sex club in the Tenderloin. Nevius appears to identify with the righteousness of these folks and takes pleasure in the committee-hearing fight that's brewing, just as he did when the Gough Street people triumphed. But we have to wonder whether city officials are really going to take the code violation murmuring seriously, or if someone is going to acknowledge that the Power Exchange has a right to exist somewhere. more ›

Excuse us if we're a little groggy -- but yeah, how about that thunder this morning! Turns out there was at least one lightning strike (that enormous boom everyone near downtown heard around 8:30) to a transformer near Grove and Octavia, causing a power outage. SF Appeal has a tipster who notes another transformer hit at California and Broderick causing folks in Pacific Heights to lose power. The Mercury News (the Chron is still hungover and sleeping it off) reports that the earliest outage affected 36,000 homes, and power remains out for about 500 homes. The thunderstorm, which was mostly a "dry lightning" storm but we saw some rain here, caused a few grass fires up north too. P.S. If it hadn't been for catching the weather last night, and it being September 12th, we totally would have leaped out of bed in terrorist attack mode. more ›

• Sneak peek of Academy of Art at NY Fashion Week. [SF Indie Fashion]
• Do you hate cute animals? [LA Weekly]
• Todd David Burpee, Palo Alto rapist, gets 43 to life. [SFGate]

In addition to the now paltry 9.3% fee hike approved back in May, the University of California is discussing raising student fees an additional 32%, which would make "annual undergraduate tuition over the $10,000 level for the first time ever." more ›

Gertrude Baines, the 115-year-old woman believed to be the oldest living human being, died this morning in her sleep, likely of a heart attack. Ms. Baines, who was born during the first Cleveland Administration, has been living in a convalescent home in Los Angeles for the last ten years, gumming her bacon and fried chicken (she wore no dentures) and watching The Jerry Springer Show. Despite outliving her entire family, Ms. Baines said she loved life and wouldn't mind living another 100 years. She voted for Obama "because he's for the colored," and even though she saw the beginning and end of the 20th century and then some, she never thought she'd live to see a black man become President. The oldest living person now is believed to be Kama Chinen, age 114, who lives in Japan. more ›

San Francisco -- being like that pretty girl who sits by herself in the lunchroom and doesn't get a ton of attention outside her AP classes -- gets excited when she's given a chance to shine in the prime time limelight. But NBC's Trauma which premieres in two weeks and which we've all watched in the making here in SF all summer long, may not be long for this world. SF Citizen points us to this blurb by a NY Daily News critic who's had a sneak peak at the show and writes it off saying "we've all seen this before." There's also this poll on HubDub in which people have placed Trauma second only to Accidentally on Purpose as being one of the first new shows likely to get canceled this season. (SF Citizen also points to the irony of our city being one of the only ones without a hospital helipad or medical helicopter trauma unit largely due to the efforts of these rich NIMBYs.) more ›

John Montgomery, 37, has been identified as the 34th San Francisco homicide victim of 2009. Montgomery was stabbed at the Vincent Hotel at 459 Turk sometime around noon on Thursday. According to CBS 5/BCN, "[p]olice arrested another man in connection with the stabbing, but his name has not been released. " The Vincent Hotel, by the way, is a rather large housing unit for the city's homeless population, run by the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. more ›

Hello. Today is the anniversary of the day when hijackers crashed four commercial planes into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the ground in Pennsylvania. That is to say, today is 9/11. Did you forget? Because you shouldn't. Ever. more ›

Proving to be a woman of her word, San Francisco DA Kamala Harris refused to kowtow to public pressure that demanded the death penalty in the murder of a man and his two sons. If you recall, Edwin Ramos (a 22-year-old illegal immigrant/MS 13 gang member with two prior felonies, an assault of a Muni passenger and the attempted robbery of a pregnant lady) is charged with killing Tony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew in June of 2008. According to KGO, prosecutor Harry Dorfman made the following "surprise" announcement in court yesterday: "The District Attorney has decided to seek the special circumstances penalty of life without parole; we will not seek the death penalty in this case." Harris, who strongly opposes the death penalty, has never sought capital punishment in any case. more ›

Yesterday, rumors were swirling like a tweaker with glo-sticks that Energy 92.7, the city's preferred dance station with a gay bent, will come to an end. Turns out said rumors are, sadly, true. While calls to 92.7 have gone unanswered, word is that the station's new owner is a homophoobic meanie who stomps on puppies and rainbows. Or something like that. more ›

Yesterday, EQCA and Senator Mark Leno (D-SF) delivered somewhere around 40,000 petitions "with names of Californians from every part of the state," demanding Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to -- finally! -- sign into law the Leno's Harvey Milk Day Bill. Schwarznegger initially vetoed a similar bill after erroneously assuming that Harvey Milk was only important to a smattering of residents in San Francisco -- i.e., the gays in the Castro. (How very wrong he was.) more ›

Today's guest blogger editing Day Around the Bay: Sex Pigeon. His site, for those of you who don't know, features bits of his life captured through cell phone images and densely-packed brevity. more ›

Though not nearly as important as Rachel Zoe (obvi), Apple CEO Steve Jobs is facing some of the same criticism as Hollywood's most stylish heroine, namely his pin-thin stature. "I probably need to gain about 30 pounds," Steve Jobs told the New York Times after his Norma Desmond-like comeback at yesterday's iPod Nano reveal. And, yes, for better or for worse, Jobs looked rail-thin. But the reaction on Wall Street, where Apple stock ebbs and flows depending on Jobs' perceived health, is the reaction that matters. Valleywag pointed out today, "Such is the demanding CEO's importance to Apple, and shareholders must now weigh Jobs' still-gaunt look and scratchy voice against his characteristically enthusiastic delivery." Did anyone attend yesterday's Jobsian revival? If so, how did he sound? more ›

As SF Weekly noted yesterday, Lars Russell, a San Francisco-based writer, starting reading the entirety of 's first sentence, which wraps around the to final sentence, making the magnum opus a circular work, et cetera, et cetera, and so forth : more ›

Remember that whole idea about shutting part of Market Street to vehicle traffic, kind of like what they've done with sections of Broadway in New York City? Well, it's coming to pass in a pilot program, at least for a six-week test run, starting on September 29th. Vehicles traveling eastbound (downtown) on Market will be encouraged to turn right on 10th Street, and then forced to turn right on 8th. Any cars that get onto Market Street via 7th will be forced to turn right on 6th. (See map here.) While comparisons have been made to Las Ramblas in Barcelona or NYC's new traffic-free plazas along Broadway, the difference here is the compromise which will still allow bus, taxi and delivery vehicle traffic down Market -- forcing only unwitting East-Bayers and tourists who don't already know to avoid Market Street to drive in endless, crazy-making circles. more ›

This morning, a 58-year-old man died "after being found between a curb and San Francisco Municipal Railway light-rail tracks" at Church Street at 22nd Street a little after 9 a.m. This resulted in police activity slowing down service. But, according to SF Appeal, none one yet knows how, exactly, he died. While the cause of death has yet to be determined, and police are still trying to figure that out, Appeal received an unconfirmed tip, saying, "'I just got a call from REDACTED saying that the J church incident involved a dude dying because they got hit by the J line...possibly between the inbound and outbound cars...'" Heavy. We'll update you as soon as we know more. Oh, and service has since been restored to normal operation. more ›

Former SF pot club owner Kenneth Hayes (pictured here in 1999), whose Sixth Street dispensary, the Harm Reduction Center, was raided by federal agents in 2002, was sentenced to six months of home confinement today by a federal judge. Hayes' co-defendent, Oakland marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal got probation, despite a federal law stating that he should get at least five years in prison for supplying Hayes with his pot. Both men existed in murky legal territory, having worked with local authorities to set up their businesses and believing they were acting within the law -- just not the federal one. more ›

Noting that today's warm weather throughout most of the Bay Area is simply unbearable, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has declared today a Spare the Air Day. "Hot temperatures and light winds are expected to produce unhealthy air throughout the region, so the district is encouraging commuters to drive less, take public transit, walk, bike, carpool, link necessary trips and postpone errands, if possible," reports CBS 5. And, as always, there will be NO free transit. (Alas.) more ›

Talk 910 KNEW, according to Patriot Axiom, has tossed controversial performance artist Michael Savage off the air in San Francisco. (What?!) "With little notice, Talk 910 KNEW has replaced controversial talk show host Michael Savage in the 3-7 time slot," they report. According to the 910 AM's blog, "Here's your no-spin direct answer; we have decided to go in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information. The Savage Nation does not fit into that vision." (Snap!) The somewhat boring "John and Ken" will replace Allen Ginsberg's former BFF. (Say what you will about Savage, "uninteresting" is not one of them.) If you recall, Savage had to leave 560 KSFO after, well, being Michael Savage. more ›

White men, according to a recent report released by the Marin County Coroner, are more likely to take the final plunge off of the Golden Gate Bridge. The report is an update to go along with a 15-year study that covered 330 confirmed deaths since 1994. Of the deaths researched, here are some interesting, for lack of a better word, statistics: more ›

A little after 5 a.m. this morning, a man aboard a container ship making its way into the Oakland Outer Harbor fell overboard. Found by the ship's crew and taken to to Pier 35 in San Francisco, the unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was also found "with no personal flotation device" after plunging some 900 feet from up high. The ship, according to SFGate, is owned by Aries Line Shipping and managed by Evergreen Marine UK Ltd. more ›

While new residents continue to pull their hair out over graffiti getting painted over with more graffiti, actual crime hurting real-life people reigns supreme in the Mission. Take, for example, a shooting that occurred in the neighborhood late last night. Over at 25th and Florida, according to SF Appeal/BCN, "[o]ne man was shot and taken to a local hospital to be treated for an injury that did not appear to be life-threatening." No suspects have been arrested. more ›

Today's guest blogger editing Day Around the Bay? One of the broads behind Handjobbin', a SFW site that features everyday objects getting, well, hand pleasure. more ›

On Monday, we posted this angry letter written by mural artists, directed at, if you will, graffiti artists. We asked if said letter would incite the rapscallion taggers even further with their controversial scribblings. more ›

They're very shiny. more ›

Writing in the Chron, John King examines the current state of the Tonga Room preservation debate, in which preservation architect Chris VerPlanck is preparing a nomination package for saving the Fairmont hotel's pseudo-Polynesian paradise as a historic interior. "My preservation ethos gears me toward pop kitsch and industrial vernacular," says VerPlank, whose firm Kelley & VerPlanck is working on a 21-page report (link via Grub Street SF) to be filed with the Historic Preservation Commission. Unlike New York City, where places like Philip Johnson's Four Seasons Restaurant have been declared landmark interiors, San Francisco's preservation board doesn't yet have a protocol for preserving interiors -- only buildings, sites and landscape features. VerPlanck argues that the Tonga Room "represents a highly evolved and rare example of the so-called 'High Tiki' style," but King isn't buying it, playing devil's advocate and asking whether we should be saving anything that anyone claims a kitschy attachment to. more ›

The mentally ill man who kidnapped, raped, and held Jaycee Lee Dugard prisoner outside his Antioch home for almost 18 years, Philip Garrido, was also an aspiring musician. Marc Lister, a Garrido business associate who has a sample of the recordings, slammed them as "absolutely horrifying," according to MSNBC. more ›

Hatim Mansori, the young boy who was stabbed on Muni last week is now in good condition, but is still unable to keep solid foods down. He's also afraid to leave the hospital because his assailant is still on the loose, much in part thanks to Muni's surveillance cameras being broken at the time. more ›

Now that you can send a million-page document or a full architectural drawing set (well, not quite) via YouSendIt or similar, it seems the bike messenger biz is in steady decline. Maybe it's simply a function of an ailing economy -- just about every architect we know has been furloughed or laid off -- but The Wall where entire prides (or gaggles, or murders) of bike messengers once gathered in downtown SF awaiting their assignments has dwindled to but a few lone wolves. See the photo here from SF Citizen, and this may be old news at this point since there is also this Economist piece on the subject from 2006. But come to think of it, it's been at least four years since we've been nearly run down by a crazed, pierced maniac on a fixie with a paper tube sticking out of his/her messenger bag. more ›

Five months after a liver transplant, Steve Jobs is alive and on stage at Apple's "It's only rock and roll" event this morning. The focus is on music, and the release of iTunes 9, but if there are any huge announcements you can find them here in the next half hour. We're not physically there, but as a service to you we're going to give you a few highlights as we receive them from the fine nerds at Endgadget -- and for the truly Apple-nerdy among you, you can click over there for their moment by moment live blog. more ›

Today is, presumably, one of the worst days in the life of Michael Duvall (R-Yorba Linda), Orange County's 72nd Assembly
District representative. Why? Because the married Orange County conservative admitted to an extramarital affair, accidentally broadcast live from his microphone during a legislative debate. The tryst involves "a female lobbyist whose clients had business before another committee on which
 Duvall sits." more ›

Last night in San Francisco's notoriously gay Castro neighborhood, 2,8000 were rewarded with forgiving, soft candlelight after a power outage hit the area for about an hour or so. The cause of the outage? A Mylar balloon. According to reports, "PG&E spokesman Andrew Souvall said the outage happened around 7:50 p.m. when a Mylar balloon hit electric wires." What's more, "[t]he incident caused a manhole cover to dislodge at Market Street and Duboce Avenue." [insert manhole/Castro joke here] Power was restored to the area around 9 p.m. more ›

Early this morning in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, a man was shot in the arm. According to CBS 5/BCN, "Officers responded to reports of several shots fired near Schwerin Street and Garrison Avenue at around midnight, according to the San Francisco Police Department." The wound, of course, was not life-threatening. No arrests have been made. more ›

• Windless Treasure Island? Like blow-my-mind freaky. [Curbed]
• Bad-ass video of driving the "new" Bay Bridge. Please don't get car sick, or I won't be your friend. [SF Appeal]
• SFPD cares about bicycles and pedestrians. An angel just received their wings. [SF Streetsblog]

In that *super controversial* address to school children that had conservatives nationwide saying he would turn our kids into an army of health-care-reform-endorsing zombies, President Barack Obama today advised kids to "be careful what you post on Facebook" because it could come back and haunt you someday. Sound advice. He also made the *super controversial* statement, "Every single one of you has something to offer," and said that of anyone dead or alive who he could have dinner with, he'd choose Ghandi. No word yet on the number of glazed-over, socialist automatons later seen wandering the nation's school yards. more ›

SF Examiner has a very important report on what your San Francisco supervisors did during their three weeks off. A few of them did some pretty gay stuff; and one of them did what your SFist editor did during his summer vacations as a youth, literally. more ›

We'd now like to point you to this story of a little girl from Los Gatos, Erica Rix, who was on the Today show this morning telling Matt Lauer about the hand she had to have sewn back on after a freak accident last year. It seems Erica was dangling a jump-rope out the window of her mom's SUV (naughty!) with a slip-knot around her wrist, and when the rope became tangled in the car's axle it ripped her little hand right off. Doctors were able to reattach it, and a year and a dozen surgeries later, Erica can wave, bend her wrist and move her thumb. more ›

Not unlike speed-dating events where desperation and forced smiles hang thick in the air, so-called 'pink-slip' parties are allegedly making a comeback. These were popular during the dot-com bust eight years ago where the "funemployed" gathered to "network" and coach each other toward better job prospects. We think there used to be booze involved, but anyway ABC News brings us this story about one such party over Labor Day weekend in San Jose, hosted by these people, where folks gathered to learn about things like Facebook, and to be told that they might need to find a new field. more ›

Still hoping to ride his oppressively green platform all the way to Sacramento, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom has had solar panels installed at two housing projects: Hayes Valley North and South, and Plaza East. This makes said housing communities "some of the first" projects in the country to get them. It's all part of the Go Solar SF initiative, a program that offers incentives to SF residents and businesses (which could be anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 for residents and up to $10,000 for businesses) who install solar power on their properties. more ›

A cable car collided with a van near Washington Street near Mason Street last night, injuring four. According to SF Appeal, "The crash happened at about 5:15 p.m." And "two passengers were taken to local hospitals and two others were treated at the scene." Yikes. None of the injuries, thankfully, were life-threatening. more ›

UPDATE: Well, that was a nice surprise. The bridge opened at 7 a.m. this morning. It's been inspected and is now safer than when it closed. more ›

Today's guest blogger? Why, it's Melissa Griffin of Sweet Melissa and SF Examiner. Melissa was kind enough to do this for us during the Labor Day holiday. Thusly: we now owe her 657832112 cocktails of gratitude. more ›

Here's some days-old news for you to chew on, folks. In a move that has some editors at The Chronicle defecating in their hermetically-sealed bubble, both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times plan on printing special San Francisco editions. (Brittle wit and over-labored angles, anyone?) In a strategy to win over fresh readers and advertisers, both publications are looking "to capitalize on the contraction of regional papers." And where better to start than in San Francisco, home to alleged progressiveness and people who don't own televisions. “'It's a highly educated, internationally minded audience, and our research out there shows there’s a market need for a quality news product,'” said Paul Bascobert, chief marketing officer of Dow Jones Consumer Media Group, the unit of the News Corporation that includes The Wall Street Journal, who plan on released SF editions in November or December of this year. Rick Edmonds, a media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, said, “I think the San Francisco area is the most obvious market to try this in, because it’s big, it’s sophisticated and it’s getting progressively more poorly served by its papers.” Oh snap. NYT, however, would not comment on plans for a scheduled SF release. more ›

After an inspector discovered a crack in the eastern span of the Bay Bridge over the weekend, crews plan to hysterically work overnight in an effort to reopen the Bay Bridge on Tuesday morning during the early AM commute. According to CBS 5, "the damaged link — part of a network of eight similar pieces — is about 2 inches thick and was cracked halfway through." And, at a news conference on the Bay Bridge this morning, reports SF Appeal, California Department of Transportation spokesman Bart Ney said, "It is a monumental challenge to make it by 5 a.m." Which means Ney is saying that the bridge will be closed tomorrow, or he's positioning the workers to lauded as heroes if it opens at the scheduled 5 a.m. time. Either way, we'll let you know what the plans it when it's officially announced. But still, you should probably plan on finding another way across the bay for tomorrow morning. more ›

While the bridge has been shutdown over the Labor Day Weekend, they've been publishing images of their work in progress, using high-resolution photos. Much to our delight. Otherwise, one would never have spotted this totally awesome bit of graffiti, presumably scribbled on the on the side of the structure by Bay Bridge workers. more ›

The latest tip on SFist's contribute page informed us that the The San Francisco Office of Vital Records has a notice on their website regarding a recent break-in at their office: "As a result of large amounts of certified paper being stolen, this office is unable to produce birth and/or death certificates." The paper will be restocked on Tuesday. At first we thought actual birth and death certificates were stolen, but it sounds like just the special paper was. Although fraudulent activities can still be had after such a theft, we're glad that San Francisco's vital records are still safe and sound. more ›

11-year-old boy stabbed, critically-wounded on his first solo Muni bus ride. [SFGate]

Spectacular, isn't it? more ›

SHE (Sexual Health Education and Empowerment) was a campaign created by the California Young Women's Collaborative "to advocate for the importance of sexual health + communication." more ›

The Project on Government Oversight sent Mother Jones and Gawker some delightful snapshots of a festive party hosted at Camp Sullivan, the home to the ArmorGroup guards folk who protect and serve nearby US embassy compound in Kabul. more ›

In our continuing will-we-live-or-will-we-die H1N1 (swine) flu coverage, we just got word that Mayor Gavin Newsom is handing out free H1N1 shots. According to the Mayor's Office, "San Francisco will be organizing free H1N1 (swine) flu clinics throughout the City and County of San Francisco, utilizing a combination of public schools, private schools and community centers." The first shipment of the vaccine, 100,000 doses, will arrive in late October. "This initial shipment will be available first to those in groups who are at highest risk for more severe disease. But eventually, everyone who wants protection from H1N1 will be able to get it," said Newsom. Those at high risk are "pregnant women, children 6 months to age 24, care givers of children younger than 6 months and emergency responders and health care workers." Go here for more information. more ›

Early this morning, at around 3 a.m. on Kearny and Market, a street robbery occurred, resulting in an exciting police chase throughout the streets of San Francisco. According to CBS 5/BCN, "a vehicle pursuit of the suspects was initiated, which continued until Illinois and Cesar Chavez streets. The suspect vehicle was involved in a collision, and officers were able to make arrests." Our guess is that the criminals thought they could evade the fuzz by heading over the Bay Bridge. Which is currently closed. Oops. more ›

This is our last chance to make the Harvey Milk Day bill law. Now that the Assembly has approved Mark Leno's bill to make Harvey Milk Day a state holiday, it will be on the Governor’s desk by next week. The far (and often effective) right, however, wants you to know that homosexuals indoctrinate children, and that Milk was a raging pedophile -- both of which are lies. more ›

Manufacturer Oyagokoro, based in Japan, just launched a new line of earthquake packs, ones "designed to keep dogs and cats safe during such events," reports The Examiner. The kits come in three sizes, and features "a padded jacket and rain hat, special boots to protect paws, and aromatherapy oils to to calm stressed-out pets." (Aw!) Each kit also comes with a waterproof capsule holding details of the animal's address and owner information. The packs can even double as a carrying case for smaller friends. The earthquake packs will be distributed in the U.S. by Rinkya, Inc. (Also, you can see what your cat might look like wearing one here. Just adorable.) more ›

One hundred and fifty firefighters from around Solano County and CalFire are on the scene battling a six-alarm fire west of Vacaville near the Lagoon Valley Regional Park this morning. Flames were first spotted around 1:30 a.m. in the area of Pleasant Valley and Cherry Glen Roads, near I-80. Four hundred acres had burned by 5 a.m., and 50 percent of the fire was contained by 6:45 a.m. Full containment is expected later today. No one has been injured, and evacuations are not expected. The Cherry Glen Road off-ramp of I-80 has been closed indefinitely to accommodate responding fire crews and equipment. more ›

A San Jose robber who held up a pay day loan store and a liquor store within a week of each other this past July has successfully and brilliantly eluded police. Witnesses were not able to give a thorough description of the suspect, aside from the obvious: He was clad in a "pink, long-sleeved gown with a white and purple floral pattern, along with a tan straw garden hat, white gloves and tan shoes." We wonder if he collected enough loot for a one-way ticket to Hawaii? more ›

Today's guest blogger? The decadent, divine Daisy Barringer of Oopsie Daisy, A Dollop of Daisy, and Please Don't Eat the Daisies. Most recently, she came this close to fisticuffs while waiting in line for the bathroom at a professional football game. more ›

As Labor Day Weekend creeps to a dramatic opener, getting over the Bay Bridge will come to a halt in, oh, less than six hours from now. more ›

We still love these guys, and they're milking their internet fame for all it's worth. Consider yourselves cleansed. more ›

Next to La King, Ross McGowan is one of our favorite local on-air personalities. Why? Because he smolders. Also, that low, appropriately condescending voice of his makes "Mornings On Two" that more special. And just look at those arms and broad shoulders! He's the kind of guy you would've wanted to split a baggie and open a bottle of poppers with back in the day. Smart dashing. more ›

Many AT&T customers, including the legion of iPhone users out there, may be aware of some wonkiness with their wonder devices of late. Dropped calls, delayed voicemails, inability to access voicemail, inability to tweet their Muni woes, etc. It's been a shitty month or two, and it all comes down to the fact that Apple and AT&T struck that single-carrier deal a couple years back, and AT&T can't handle the data traffic anymore. As the NYT reports today (complete with slide show), AT&T is scrambling to expand their network. more ›

Has anyone heard of this thing called the War on Drugs started by President Nixon, in which drug dealers and users get thrown in jail in order to clean up our streets and save our great nation from ruin, only to have them be replaced by different dealers and users the next day? Well, our new police chief George Gascon apparently sides with Nixon and Reagan on this debate, and recently announced a sweep of the Tenderloin in which 300 people were arrested in an effort to rid the area of drugs and prostitution. Good fucking luck! more ›

After an 18-year-old man was shot in the butt and back at Skyline College yesterday in San Bruno, prompting the school's evacuation and immediate shutdown, police are looking for three suspects. There was some sort of altercation outside the school, resulting in gunfire. According to KTVU, "the three suspects fled north on Pacific Heights Boulevard, possibly in florescent purple Ford Escort with a paper license plate.' (A purple Ford Escort? How vulgar.) The alleged are described as "three black men all about 18 years old, one of whom had dreadlocks" and "wearing a white shirt, another...a red shirt, and the third a black-and-white shirt." So, if you know a gang of rapscallions who were involved in the Skyline College shooting, ones who look a lot like Color Me Badd, please call 911. more ›

The house the ragtag orphans of "Party of Five" called home is up on the market. SiteSocket Curbed reports that the Pacific Heights house, located 2311 Broadway, used in the FOX drama is back on the market after being sold on 1999 for $5.4 million. It's the same spot where Neve Campbell invented her patented brand of nose-crinkle acting. So, obviously, the place should be demolished, the earth underneath salted. But if you want to throw down an offer, have at it. This comes on the heels of the Russian Hill house used in that movie where the Governor of California got knocked up. more ›

Forty people were evacuated from a San Rafael apartment building after a gas leak spread throughout parts of Fourth Street. According to KCBS, "[a] leak in the West End neighborhood near Fourth Street and H Street was first reported on Wednesday night around 8:30 p.m.," then a building was evacuated at around 4:15 a.m. this morning. KCBS goes on to say that "PG&E expects to have both pipes capped by noon on Thursday." more ›

Today's guest blogger? Stuart of the award-winning Broke-Ass Stuart. His site is aimed at "busboys, poets, social workers, students, artists, musicians, magicians, mathematicians, maniacs, yodelers and everyone else out there who wants to enjoy life not as a rich person, but as a real person." more ›

The dainty gents at Mission Mission have word that this dog, at left, is missing. This dog, named Chirpa, is tiny and cute -- two of SFist's favorite things. And worse, he might have been stolen. more ›

Skyline College in San Bruno has been evacuated after a shooting. One man, a student, has reportedly been hit in the back by an unknown gunman. Police have surrounded the building and are looking for the suspect(s). more ›

This just in via the trusty funcheapSF.com: From 6 to 9 a.m. on Friday morning, BART riders will receive FREE Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Almond Chocolates and coupon cards at the following stations: Downtown Berkeley, Oakland City Center/12th Street, Embarcadero, Montgomery Street, Powell Street and Civic Center. The giveaway is valued at an estimated $1 million. (We assume Ghirardelli is footing the bill?) The sugar boost might make the extra crowded train ride just a little more bearable. more ›

Cow Hollow merchants are rejoicing after crushing Muni's new terminal bus idea. If you recall, Muni wanted to "establish a 291 feet long Bus Terminus at Union & Fillmore." But after merchants threw a temper-tantrum, culled in thousands of signatures, made lots of frowny faces, Muni Executive Director Nathaniel Ford relented. "[T]he two sides agreed to a compromise — the articulated buses would only run from 5 to 9 a.m. on Union Street and the terminal idea at Union and Fillmore streets would be temporarily abandoned," chirps The Examiner. [Curbed, via Ex] more ›

We're not sure how we feel about all the flack flying at Nancy Garrido, wife of schizophrenic kidnapper/rapist Philip Garrido. The woman married him while he was in prison for kidnapping and raping Katie Callaway Hall in 1976, and clearly anyone who marries a schizophrenic convicted rapist doesn't exactly have a wealth of self-esteem. Yes, Jaycee Lee's stepfather witnessed Nancy Garrido snatch Jaycee Lee into the car back in 1991, and while Garrido was serving five months for a parole violation a few years later, it was Nancy who kept Jaycee Lee imprisoned. more ›

Not likely. But a new effort to sanitize Sixth Street is underway, starting this month, care of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. And what, exactly, will clean up San Francisco's scariest and urineiest intersection? Two-way radios. According to SF Examiner, "Two full-time officials will begin patrolling the street and its alleys this month. They will have two-way radios to report crimes, provide advice and clear paths for pedestrians." The city will dish out $150,000 to employ two full-time guides (not SFPD officers?) to "patrol the corridor for a year." SF Coalition on Homelessness, of course, thinks this is a bad idea. COH Executive Director Jennifer Friedenbach tells the Ex that these kinds of programs simply "remove the presence of poor people," homeless or not. more ›

Starting Thursday at 8 p.m., the Bay Bridge will close down until Tuesday at 5 a.m. The cost? Well, according to KCBS, it's a lot "It's about $100,000 per day in cost for the additional BART service," John Goodwin of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Toll Authority tells KCBS. Also, the Bay Bridge will lose somewhere around $1.8 million in toll revenues, which will be slightly offset by increases on the other bridges. Is it worth it? Yes. What with SFist headquarters located next to the bridge, it will provide your editor with a few hours more of much-needed beauty rest. Also yes, the Seismic Safety Project will bring the structure up to earthquake safety standards. Read more about the closure here. more ›

Early this morning, a shooting reported just after midnight at 2515 Foothill Boulevard in Oakland. According to CBS 5/BCN, "Officers arrived to find the teen suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared brain dead." No arrests have been made. Information on the shooting should be directed to the Oakland Police Department's homicide division at 510-238-3821. more ›

Did we say we wanted to live in One Rincon Hill? No, no. What we meant was, we wanted to live in Atherton. See, Forbes released its latest list of zip codes where the wealthy hatch and call home. Some silly town in a silly state took top honors -- 07620, Alpine, New Jersey, median home price $4,139,041. But! California's Atherton, 94027, came in at number two, boasting a median home price as of $3,849,133. more ›

Today's guest blogger? Brace yourselves. It's zombie of zombietime. For those of you uninitiated with this local, highly entertaining, not-left-learning blog, zombie features some of the greatest shots of protesters and locals acting like the Bay Area stereotypes that they are. more ›

The father of Oscar Grant III, Oscar Grant II, is suing the transit agency that he thinks is responsible for his son's death. According to CBS 5/AP, "Oscar Grant Jr., who is in prison for murder, filed the civil rights lawsuit in San Francisco federal court, seeking unspecified damages." His attorney says that he"hopes people look past his client's murder conviction to understand there was a close relationship between father and son." Which is oddly touching. And depressing. Anyway, BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, if you recall, sits in the clink, facing murder charges for killing Grant on New Year's Day. more ›

Ack. more ›

There were plenty of predictions this past spring that the H1N1 virus was going to come back to bite us in the ass this winter, and last week a White House advisory panel made some dire predictions of a "worst case scenario" in which half the country could get infected, 1.8 million could end up hospitalized, and 90,000 could die -- which would be more than twice the average for a normal flu season. And as we've seen, this flu has been striking many in the 30- to 45-year-old range who may have a pre-existing condition such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or obesity -- some scientists believe the virus hasn't affected older people in greater numbers due to some pre-existing immunity from an earlier strain of the flu, perhaps from the early 1960s or before. Hopefully if you have any of these pre-existing conditions, if you're preggers, or if you have school-aged kids, you'll run out and get flu shots in October, and the rest of you will wash your goddamn hands twenty times a day and STAY HOME FROM WORK if you show any symptoms. This ain't no SARS! (Perhaps try one of the stylish animal masks above from Samiraboon.) more ›

It's not your imagination, friends. That impenetrable marine layer and frustrating fog have, in fact, been a little worse than average according to Examiner.com today: "San Francisco's average high temperature for June, July and August was 67.0 degrees, almost a degree and a half below the 30-year normal of 68.4 degrees. Over the course of the three-month (92 day) summer period the daily temperature was only above normal on 21 occasions." So, that means we've had three weeks worth of warm days scattered throughout, but still we're coming up short. Like some experts have said, global warming is going to turn SF into Seattle. San Jose had it worse, with average temperatures over three degrees below normal. Let's hope this trend reverses itself for Indian Summer! Sweating never felt so good as it did this weekend! more ›

Ryan Tate at Valleywag brought up something an SFist reader SFist reader and Boing Boing commenters pointed out: "a horrifying van emerging from the driveway as the Google car drives past" the Garrido house in Antioch. more ›

According to KRON4, evacuations and a shelter-in-place are underway at 20th Avenue and Balboa. Two suspicious devices were found in the area. SFPD and the bomb squad are on the scene, determining whether or not said packages are a threat. more ›

Alex Thomas Owen, 41, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old foreign exchange student. According to Appeal/BCN, "the woman was sightseeing on Treasure Island early that morning when Alex Thomas Owen, 41, offered her a ride." Owen then allegedly took her to the Twin Peaks neighborhood in his 1993 Lincoln Town Car and asked her to have sex with him. When the woman refused his sexual advances -- because who wouldn't want to screw some butt-ugly 41-year-old pig driving a '90s Lincoln? -- he struck and sexually assaulted. Luckily, she managed to escape and call police. Owens was later arrested at his Ashbury Heights home. Also, according to the California's Megan's Law site, he was "previously convicted of lewd acts with a child under age 14." more ›

According to the red, scary box on CBS 5, "The foster father of missing Fremont boy Hasanni Campbell will not be charged in his disappearance because of insufficient evidence, according to the district attorney." If you recall, Louis Ross, 38, was arrested on Friday, suspected by police of killing five-year-old Hasanni Campbell, who went missing in mid-August. This recent decision comes a day after Campbell's foster mother, Jennifer Campbell, was temporarily cleared of charges. more ›