Business & Tech

Arts & Entertainment

Leanne Maxwell

SFist’s weekend contributor, loves learning about the people and places in the Bay Area. Enjoys connecting dots and spotlighting overlooked subjects. Contact: [email protected]

San Francisco •

2695 posts •

Sunday Links: SF Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested for Domestic Battery, But Not Charged

The man from the viral “Blinking White Guy” meme lives in SF; the perpetrator of a Hayward murder-suicide was fighting with his parents over his hygiene; and the sheriff’s department is investigating a deputy accused of domestic battery.

Business & Tech

Sam Altman Is Looking Forward to When AI Takes His CEO Job So He Can Be a Full-Time Farmer

Aspiring farmer Sam Altman is excited to take on the role full-time once his side hustle as OpenAI CEO is made obsolete by artificial intelligence. Altman anticipates machines will have the capability to fully outsmart humans by 2030.

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: Tarantulas, Ghost Tours, Floating Flicks, Blight to Bling, and Stonestown Buzz

Bay Area librarian Mychal Threets to host ‘Reading Rainbow;’ lost jazz treasures; creative mutual aid; painted cars; bling from “bips,” ghosts in the city; tarantulas at Mt. Diablo; films on the bay; hidden views; and Jins and DSW open at Stonestown Mall.

Saturday Links: Climber’s Death on El Capitan Inadvertently Livestreamed by TikToker

One speed camera in SF’s South Beach generates a quarter of the city’s tickets; a fake Mission District lawyer and MAGA supporter won’t stop giving legal advice to immigrants; and the sole witness to climber Balin Miller’s death also livestreamed it.

Day Around the Bay: ‘Yellow Fever’ Mosquito Spotted in Antioch, Residents Urged to Dump Standing Water

NASA lost track of one of its probes, which ended up on a Texas farm; the SF Bar Association says SF DA Brooke Jenkins is creating a hostile environment for judges; and the “yellow fever” mosquito is thriving in Antioch thanks to the rain.

San Bruno Police Witness Driverless Waymo Make Illegal U-Turn, Can’t Issue Ticket

The San Bruno Police Department took to social media over the weekend highlighting its conundrum regarding how to hold a driverless vehicle accountable for violating traffic laws. A state law on the matter goes into effect July 2026.

Video: Lightning Strikes Bay Area Hundreds of Times, Also, Rain Expected Monday, Wednesday

Over 5,000 lightning strikes were detected throughout California Wednesday, with 985 located in the Bay Area and Central Coast. Plus, two storms are forecasted for the coming week, with an inch of rain expected in the North Bay and half an inch in SF.

Oakland Ballers Win First Baseball Championship, Parade to Be Held Next Sunday

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee announced earlier this week the city will be hosting a rally and parade on Sunday, October 5 in celebration of the Ballers’ Pioneer League baseball championship win, the city’s first pro-sports championship celebration since 2018.

Sunday Links: East Bay Cop Ordered to Pay Bills, Lost Wages to Teacher She Hit in Crosswalk

There have been a lot of shootings locally and nationally this weekend; the entrepreneurs who purchased Radio Shack and Pier 1 have been accused of running a Ponzi scheme; and a Concord cop must pay the medical bills and lost wages of a woman she hit in a crosswalk.

Arts & Entertainment

Tiny Bird From Asia Makes First-Ever California Appearance on Google Campus, Draws Crowds

The dark-sided flycatcher, a small brown bird from Asia, made its California debut last week when it veered off-route and spent three days at the nature preserve behind Google’s Mountain View campus, attracting birding enthusiasts from across the country.

YouTube Accounts Previously Banned for Misinformation Could Soon Be Reinstated

YouTube’s parent company Alphabet announced Tuesday it’s allowing creators who received permanent bans over misinformation relating to COVID-19 and the 2020 election to apply to be reinstated. This likely includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr and Steve Bannon.

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: Folsom Fashion, Michoacán Food in Redwood City, and Reframing Black Stories Through AI

Folsom fashion, Litquake’s parade of words, Michoacán flavors in Redwood City, Black woman-owned cafe in Mission Bay, Lassen’s open trails, Betty Reid Soskin at 104, SF plates on the Top 100 list, AI art in San Jose, a love billboard on 101, and Oakland’s Tiny Plot podcast.

Saturday Links: New State Legislation Bolsters Access to Reproductive Care, Privacy Protections

BART is now collaborating with Baggu after voicing displeasure with the brand’s unauthorized use of its logo; a person was critically injured in a shooting at SF’s Civic Center Friday; and Newsom signed new bills that strengthen reproductive health access and privacy protections.

Day Around the Bay: Anthropic AI to Pay Authors, Publishers $1.5 Billion in Copyright Settlement

Oakland-born figure skater Alysa Liu won’t be performing to the d4vd song she’d chosen for the Milan Olympics; Sinclair and Nexstar will be airing Jimmy Kimmel at their ABC affiliate stations Friday; and Anthropic has settled a lawsuit with authors and publishers alleging copyright infringement.

Arts & Entertainment

From the Archives: Scathing Typewritten Letter to a Landlord, Circa 2003

Back in 2003, a friend of SFist found a discarded typewritten letter on the ground in SF’s Financial District, which reads as if Danielle Steele typed it up and tossed it out her Pac Heights window. The very Bay Area-esque diatribe is full of twists and turns.

Newsom Signs Bills Protecting Rights of California Immigrants, Including Ban on Masks for Officers

Governor Newsom signed a series of bills Saturday that aim to keep local and federal law enforcement in check during immigration crackdowns in California. Officers can no longer wear masks during official duties and will be required to identify themselves.

Concord Nursing Home Accused of Giving Bleach to Patient Instead of Water

In a new lawsuit, a paraplegic man says staff at a care facility in the East Bay city of Concord gave him a cup of wound-cleaning solution with his pills instead of water. He says they didn’t call 911 for two hours until he borrowed his roommate’s phone.

Sunday Links: Bay Area Church to Help Wipe Out $2.3M in Medical Debt Across Seven Counties

The Department of Defense is now heavily restricting the media’s access to the Pentagon; the city of Milpitas is expanding its SMART transit program by 50%; and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga has partnered with a nonprofit to erase Bay Area residents’ medical debt.

Leaders Across Bay Area Launch Fund for Families of Immigrants Targeted by ICE

Local leaders are launching the Stand Together Bay Area Fund, which will provide living expenses to families of local immigrants who’ve been deported or detained by ICE. Applicants can sign up through the SF-based Mission Asset Fund.

Tesla to Redesign Door Handles Following 140 Reports of Trapped Occupants, Feds Investigating

Tesla is reconfiguring its car door handles so occupants can more easily unlock them manually when the power fails. This follows a report revealing more than 140 complaints of failed locks, which prompted the launch of a federal investigation Monday.

Arts & Entertainment

Field Notes: Dancers on Buildings, Cowboys in Oakland, and Fun at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk

This week across the Bay Area: From Santa Cruz Boardwalk to Big Sur’s Pfeiffer Falls Trail; Flyaway Productions’ in the TL to SoMa’s book readings; Hispanic Heritage Month and “A Taste of Oakland;” Coach Don’s and the SF Pizza Lady's kindness; West Oakland trees; and Eureka Fellowships.

Saturday Links: Extended 101 Carpool Hours Blamed for North Bay Traffic ‘Carmageddon’

The Cupertino Whole Foods that had multiple pest infestations is set to reopen soon; new research from Stanford found that wildfire smoke is the most dangerous aspect of climate change in the US; and North Bay commuters are experiencing average speeds of 15 miles an hour along Highway 101.

Day Around the Bay: More Than Half of Americans Want Better AI Safeguards, Says Poll

SF's first televised Lowrider Parade is happening Saturday; a man slid to his death while descending Mount Shasta; and a Pew Research poll found that 53% of Americans want more government protections surrounding AI in their daily lives.

Tropical Storm Mario Headed in Our Direction, Might Bring Dry Thunder, Lightning

Along with the heat wave that’s expected Monday, Tropical Storm Mario, which briefly died then came back to life, could hit the Bay Area late Wednesday and into Thursday. The storm might produce some dry thunderstorms and a small amount of rain that's unlikely to hit the ground.

Family of Deceased SFPD Recruit Orders Second Autopsy, Hires Lawyer Who Won Cases Against LAPD

The family of Jon-Marques Psalms is ordering a second autopsy after the medical examiner’s report confirmed he died as a result of a high-intensity training exercise at the SF Police Academy. The family’s attorney says Psalms was tackled and disarmed by an opponent wearing a padded “RedMan” suit.