Ugh, exhibition season is upon us. Now that that's out of the way, during last night's Home Run Derby a fan almost fell from the stands to the pool deck below. (Yes, there was a pool deck. Don't ask.) The Examiner reports: "Fans [held] the legs of Keith Carmickle from Kingman, Ariz. as he nearly fell over a railing trying to catch a ball during the MLB Home Run Derby Monday, July 11, 2011, in Phoenix. The ball arching against Chase Field's bright lights, Keith Carmickle climbed up on a narrow table, leaned forward and lost his balance, momentum carrying him toward a 20-foot fall to a pool deck below." more ›

So weary were we of last year's Happy Meal Ban that we almost missed this nugget from the Chronicle entirely: Worried that someone will take away their precious plastic toys, the freedom-happy states of Florida and Arizona have put forth legislation that would prevent local governments from banning "any kind of incentive offered by restaurants" - including the toys Eric Mar (D1, currently -1 in our Weekly Power Rankings) set out to ban in the first place. Arizona's prohibition on banning restaurant schwag sounds like it's the furthest along, having already passed through the House in that state, but we can't decide if this is a slap in the face to our so-called San Francisco Values or if we should just roll our eyes at Arizonans for legislating their way to freedom and childhood diabetes. more ›

Over the weekend, your San Francisco Giants trained for next season at the team's baseball facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. Here are some scenes from the training. Enjoy. more ›

Jared Lee Loughner, the man accused of going on a shooting spree in Arizona on January 8, pleaded 'not guilty' in court on Monday to murder and the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. "Dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and wearing wire-rimmed glasses, the shaved hair on his head starting to grow back, Loughner said nothing as the plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf," reports confirm. He is due back in court on March 9. [Gawker] more ›

Two UCSC alumni and The University of California at Santa Cruz have set up a scholarship in the name of Gabriel Zimmerman, the former banana slug/congressional staffer who was shot and killed in Arizona on Saturday. According to reports, The fund has had a Facebook page since about noon [on Wednesday] and has already garnered more than $3,000 through Facebook donations." more ›

We feel for Sarah Palin. We do. The Arizona shooting rampage was neither her fault nor the fault of Tea Party members. It just wasn't. (Championing a party that, at its core, centers around a collective dislike of President's Barack Obama's melanin levels? Sure, that's her fault. But certainly not what happened to Rep. Gabrielle Gifford, Gabriel Zimmerman and several others last week.) To attack Palin here is unfair. That would be like unjustly blaming Muslims for the actions of a few extremists, a thick slice of irony lost on the former GOP vice presidential candidate and her self-centered tirade against irresponsible journalists. more ›

While no one in their right mind could accuse Sarah Palin of fostering an environment of violence that resulted in Saturday's Arizona shooting rampage - as SFist dutifully noted, accused shooter Jared Lee Loughner is sanity-esstrangerd and thus acted alone - her now infamous, career-ending "Don’t Retreat, Instead - RELOAD!" map was an unfortunate bit of timing and thoughtlessness. more ›

The events today in Arizona were horrific and disturbing to say the least. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, including federal judge John Roll, and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition. more ›

Michael Erickson of Belmont won approval from the secretary of state to start petitioning signatures for a ballot initiative that is more or less the same wording as that controversial Arizona immigration law passed earlier this year. If Erickson collects the necessary 433,971 signatures from registered voters by next April, the 2012 ballot will have an initiative which, per the Chronicle, "would require state law enforcement officials to investigate a person's immigration status if they are 'reasonably suspicious' the person is in the country illegally." It would also make it a crime to hire an illegal immigrant, whether or not you were aware of their citizenship status. [Chron] more ›

Last night, 19 protesters were arrested during a sit-in on Seventh Street for immigration rights. Organized by the SF Bay Area Coalition for Immigration Reform, the majority of those arrested were clergymen. more ›

In news that will shock 0.0 people, the city of Berkeley boycotted Arizona over the red state's creepy immigration law. (San Francisco, if you recall, agreed to some sort of boycott in April.) The City Council voted unanimously on last night "to restrict staff from traveling to the state on city business." In related news, California gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and and Steve Poizner are arguing over who loves SB 1070 more. Whitman, we should point out, promises to bring in the National Guard to rape and vivisect anyone who even looks at the Mexico-Cali border. Or something like that. [via KTVU] more ›

After UCB Chancellor Robert Birgeneau agreed to a meeting with representatives, Cal students called off their 10-day hunger strike last night. The Daily Californian, "The strike, which began May 3 as a demonstration focused on a controversial Arizona immigration law and has attracted attention worldwide, concluded as all but one of the 18 strikers ate ears of corn together in a symbolic gesture." Whatever the hell that means. more ›

In lieu of getting ready for graduation, some UC Berkeley students are starving themselves in an effort to get Chancellor Robert Birgeneau to "publicly denounce a recent Arizona immigration law," reports The Daily Californian. (Unlike your SFist Editor, who, weeks prior his UCSC graduation, had three reservations as Oswald's and two now-legendary graduation parties scheduled. Which: exhausting.) Horacio Corona and Alejandro Lara-Briseno, for example, "are enduring the hunger pangs of going without food for more than 168 hours." more ›

Striving to pin-thin echelons for a good cause, a smattering of UC Berkeley students are staging a hunger strike on campus. Why? Well, because of the Arizona immigration bill that passed last week. The Daily Cal reports: "More than 100 supporters have gathered around tents in front of the building, carrying signs reading 'Hungry for Justice' and 'Down with SB 1070.'" more ›

Donnell Allen, 42, a black San Francisco resident, and Kelsey Musgrove, 19, a white female from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were hit with felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and conspiracy, and a misdemeanor charge of interfering with free speech after allegedly attacking Bay Area National Anarchists, including leader Andrew Yeoman, at a Saturday rally at Civic Center. more ›

In the continuing saga of West and East: Civil War 2.0, Arizona immigrant law supporters have called for a boycott of California -- which is downright impossible; like God, the Golden State is everywhere, it is omnipotent -- and San Francisco. more ›

Oakland will join San Francisco in boycotting Arizona over anti-immigration/anti-illegal alien law SB 1070. Oakland Council President Jane Brunner, Vice Mayor Jean Quan and Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente will "join clergy members and other local residents on the steps of Oakland City Hall Thursday to announce the resolution." [via KTVU] more ›

Oh dear. Here we go. City workers are banned from traveling to Arizona for official work. SF Gate reports: "San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced today a moratorium on official city travel to Arizona after the state enacted a controversial new immigration law that directs local police to arrest those suspected of being in the country illegally." Unless, among other exceptions, law enforcement needs to travel to AZ for crime investigation. Oh, and this rule goes into effect immediately. [via SFGate] more ›

We had a pleasant tête-à-tête yesterday in the comments of SFist's "SF City Attorney Dennis Herrera Calls for Arizona Boycott" post. The quest to be right on the internet was, as expected, just as normal as any other day. Kudos to you, readers. more ›

San Francisco’s City Attorney Dennis Herrera has called for a boycott of Arizona over the state's new (and frightening) immigration law (SB 1070) which was signed by Governor Jan Brewer on Friday. In a written statement, Herrera said: more ›

Yes, Paris Hilton is a noted admirer of the species -- which then lead to their astounding popularity among Daly City teenage girls, at least according to an unofficial SFist survey conducted at the Serramonte Center on Saturday -- but that's hardly the dogs' fault. See, the Marin Human society needs your help. This last Friday they took in over 750 dogs, most of them Chihuahuas, according to CBS 5, found at an Arizona mobile home where their breeding proved too much to handle for an elderly couple. more ›

Former editor of The Arizona Republic, vice president of The Cincinnati Enquirer, and top editor for the Reno Gazette-Journal and the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Bay Area's Ward E. Bushee was just named executive VP and editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. more ›

Reporting from spa-side in Santa Ana, it's your American Football Spectacular preview of the next rung of pain on the agony ladder that is the 49ers' '07 season. more ›

Former A's pitcher Joe Kennedy, 28, died at his home in Florida this morning. At this time the cause of death is officially unknown, but it was "sudden" and a brain aneurysm is rumored to be at fault, according to the Chronicle. Making his major league debut in 2001 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kennedy went on to play for other teams such as the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Toronto Blue Jays, and of... more ›

With over 70 shows since July 1st, MiGGs deserves a break but not until they play one last show in San Francisco. Featured on Monday in "This Week in Le Rock" MiGGs blend an alt/rock, emo, pop and classic rock sound to perfection. They are returning to Cafe du Nord this Saturday night before they take a month off to put the finishing touches of their newest album, Unraveled (which we'll be listening to at... more ›

Oh my. According to the Snitch: more ›

Update: Oh damn! The video's not working. It's a compilation of all the various calls we've gotten. We'll try re-uploading it when we get home from work. more ›

After staunching out the Arizona Cardinals last week, the Niners head to St. Louis to try to get ahead at the expense of the reeling Rams and claw ahead in the NFC West race. more ›

Here's todays sports news more ›

Do you have any information? A Fremont family is trying to get some answers about the circumstances of their father's mysterious death. The father suffered a heart attack at Van Ness and Market on June 5, and died five days later without ever regaining consciousness. The mystery is that they cannot find the car their father drove into the city that day. They have a garage parking ticket they found in his pocket, but it doesn't have a location printed on it. They've searched all the garages they can find, and the city towing lot, but to no avail. So, if by any chance you remember seeing a blue 94 Honda Accord in a garage somewhere, with a UC Berkeley alumni plate holder, they'd love to hear from you. Plate number's 3HJS376. more ›