SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports

Day Around the Bay: Protesters Gather Outside Sam Altman's House

Protesters showed up at Sam Altman's SF home on Sunday; a 37-year-old Oakland man was shot at his own Fourth of July party; and parts of Golden Gate Park will start to be closed off starting July 23 as Dead & Co. and Outside Lands setups begin.

Elon Musk Declares He’s Starting a New Political Party, Tesla Promptly Loses $68 Billion In Value In One Day

On Saturday, Elon Musk declared he was starting a new political party to declare war on both Democrats and Republicans. By the time the markets closed on the first business day after that, Tesla shareholders lost a collective $68 billion.

Arts & Entertainment

Castro Theater Begins Taking Bookings — Starting Next March

The long-awaited, still controversial, $41 million renovation of the historic Castro Theatre may or may not be complete by year-end, but Another Planet Entertainment is now starting to line up bookings starting for March 2026 and beyond.

SF Restaurants, Food & Drink

Haight Street Bar Hobson’s Choice to Be Resurrected as The Green Heron, From the Red Tail Wine Bar Team

Something’s flying into the former Hobson’s Choice bar location at Haight and Clayton streets, a new concept called The Green Heron, from the same team behind SF’s two locations of The Red Tail Beer and Wine Bar.

SF Overdose Deaths Back on the Rise, After an Encouraging Decline in 2024

The sharp decline in San Francisco overdose deaths in 2024 appears to be reversing itself in 2025, and the infusion of new synthetic opioids into the market has this year on pace to be SF’s deadliest year for overdoses since, well, 2023.

SF City Hall Not at All Pleased With Those ‘Guerilla Benches’ That Some Renegades Placed at Bench-Less Muni Stops

A month after a group of transit activists installed “guerilla benches” at SF bus stops that had no benches, the city’s Public Works Department says they will demand that these activists remove the unauthorized benches.

Oakland Detective Accused of Bribing and Coercing Witnesses Likely Headed to Trial as More Cases See Impacts

An Oakland Police detective who was arrested two years ago on bribery and perjury charges under former District Attorney Pamela Price continues to face the music for his alleged misdeeds. And multiple cases linked to him have ended in dismissal or lenient plea deals.

Ex-Boyfriend of 18-Year-Old Murdered In Morgan Hill Arrested at US-Mexico Border

The ex-boyfriend of an 18-year-old recent high school graduate in Morgan Hill who was found dead last week was arrested Sunday as he tried to cross back into the United States from Mexico.

Monday Morning Headlines: SF Tourism Business Looking Slow This Summer

Business was abnormally slow at Fisherman's Wharf and elsewhere in SF over the holiday weekend; firefighters halted a 30-acre wildfire in San Jose Sunday night; and a man was shot at the Antioch BART station.

Marin County Family, Brother of Former Giants Pitcher Tyler Walker, Missing After Texas Floods

A Kentfield family is among the missing after Friday's flash floods in Central Texas. Mark Walker, 52, who's the brother of former Giants pitcher Tyler Walker, Mark's wife, Sara, 50, and their son Johnny, 14, were visiting Hunt, Texas. Their daughter Ellie was reportedly rescued from summer camp.

Business & Tech

Silicon Valley Startups Duped by Developer Who Faked Resume, Worked 4 Jobs Simultaneously

A Mumbai-based engineer who excelled in interviews reportedly held multiple Silicon Valley startup jobs at once, often disappearing after landing offers of up to $200K. Soham Parekh impressed on paper, but founders say most of his resume was fake.

Ex-SJPD Officer Who Allegedly Punched Woman in 2021 DUI Road Rage Incident Skirts Charges

A former San Jose police officer charged with DUI after a 2021 road-rage incident — with a child in his car — is avoiding prosecution through a military diversion program. He reportedly punched a woman in a violent case prosecutors say the law wasn’t meant to cover.

Sunday Links: Pokemon Line-Cutting Dispute Leads to Stabbing Outside Colma GameStop

One person was killed and four injured in an early Saturday shooting in SF's Bayview District; Oakland has received a $10 million grant to improve street safety and expand bike lanes; and someone was stabbed with a glass shard for allegedly cutting in line for Pokemon cards.

Illegal Fireworks Spark Dozens of Bay Area Fires on July 4th, Injuring Several and Killing Two Dogs

Illegal fireworks ignited dozens of fires across the Bay Area on the Fourth of July — from Oakland and Alameda to Antioch and San Jose — with Oakland Fire Department responding to more than 60 fires.

Missing Milpitas Boy Found Safe, Mother Arrested for Allegedly Faking His Disappearance

A Milpitas woman has been arrested after police say she fabricated the disappearance of her 9-year-old son, Harshail Kumar, whom she reported missing on July 3. The child was found safe at home the next morning, but the search had already mobilized law enforcement, volunteers, and county resources.

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: The Tanforan Memorial’s Legacy, Isaac Julien’s Dreamscape, and '9 to 5'’s SF Roots

Field Notes highlights the Tanforan Memorial’s history, Isaac Julien’s cinematic art at the de Young, SF’s cameo in 9 to 5, Pescadero’s coastal charm, and Charlie’s Café—a vibrant Mission District spot bringing people together with food and music.

75 Firefighters Respond to East Oakland Warehouse Fire, Suspected Grow Operation

A four-alarm fire broke out Friday evening in a commercial building near the Oakland Coliseum, which housed a suspected cannabis grow operation. About 75 firefighters were called to the scene, and the fire was brought under control after a few hours.

Saturday Links: PG&E Launches $50M Relief Program to Help Customers with Overdue Bills

Giants legend Tim Lincecum was spotted in SF’s Noe Valley this week; eight people were shot early Saturday at a Philadelphia bar — two are in critical condition; and PG&E is helping customers catch up with overdue bills with a $50 million relief initiative.

SF Restaurants, Food & Drink

This Week In Food: Petite Lil's Arrives In North Beach

The long-awaited Lillie Coit's in the former Washington Square Bar & Grill space is softly open as a pop-up, Mr. Digby's calls it quits in Noe Valley, and Le Soleil comes to Stonestown, all in This Week in Food.

July Fourth Constitutional: Expect Fog to Mar the Fireworks In SF

The SF fireworks at Fisherman's Wharf will likely, again, be obscured by fog; a citywide scavenger hunt that happened last summer is happening again; and Trump said something antisemitic and then claimed ignorance of the term.

Day Around the Bay: SF Zoo Getting a New Male Gorilla From the Louisville Zoo

There will of course be SFPD DUI checkpoints this holiday weekend; yet another new SF block party debuts on July 4; and the SF Zoo is getting a new male gorilla to replace Oscar Jonesy who died in February.

Body Found in Morgan Hill Park Identified as Woman Who’s Been Missing for Five Days

There's a very unsettling correlation between the case of a Morgan Hill 18-year-old girl who’s been missing since Sunday and the discovery of a human body found Wednesday in that area, and police just confirmed that the body is hers.

Fireworks Explosion Inside Hayward Home Leaves Two In Critical Condition on Eve of the Fourth

The first of what will sadly likely not be the last local stories this weekend about casualties stemming from illegal fireworks arrives out of Hayward, where two people are reportedly in critical condition from fireworks exploding inside a home.

How a Dozen Legal Fireworks Stores In Nevada Power California’s Illegal Fireworks Craze

If you see illegal fireworks this weekend, they are almost certainly from one of about 13 perfectly legal fireworks stores in Nevada. And a look at these stores’ Yelp pages shows that almost all of their reviews are from California residents.

Supreme Court to Weigh In On Trans Athlete Controversies

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in its next term in a pair of cases out of West Virginia and Idaho challenging state laws against participation by trans athletes in girls' and women's team sports.