- The reopening of Oakland’s historic Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts has prompted demands from the IATSE Local 107 stagehands union that the venue honor its agreement to hire union workers, as has been the practice since it opened in 1915. The arts center, consisting of a series of smaller spaces that add up to create Oakland’s second largest venue after the Coliseum, underwent a $100 million renovation and is expected to bring in $5 million per year in ticket sales. [Oaklandside, Bay Area News Group]
- Speaking of labor unions, experimental arts group Counter Pulse laid off four union workers in December amid financial strain and a collapse of leadership. Despite only having one show on its calendar for 2026 and losing its longtime director, Julie Phelps last year — and her interim replacement a week later, the organization says it’s not shutting its doors. [Chronicle]
- Bay Area tech bros’ favorite outdoor clothing brand Patagonia is suing well-known drag queen Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement. Pattie Gonia recently raised over $1 million for nonprofits while hiking from Point Reyes to San Francisco. [KRON4]
- It’s taken the city of San Francisco five years (and counting) to choose new receptacles to replace the countless missing trash cans throughout town but only three months to whip out some newfangled pizza box trash cans in North Beach. [KPIX]
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said federal agents shot another protester Saturday morning in Minneapolis, but no further information was given. [CBS]
- John Brodie, the legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback who played a record-breaking 17 seasons from 1957 to 1973 and led the team to its first NFC West titles in a 1970–73 three-peat, died Friday at age 90. [Bay Area News Group]
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted an image on X Thursday that had been manipulated to make it look like Minnesota protester Nekima Levy Armstrong was crying as she was being arrested. [NBC News]
Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist
