Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

From a fan in the US, Nick was a treasure. His passion for Sega, Sonic, and all things gaming leapt from the pages. He was the everyman who made us all feel like we were at the table celebrating gaming with him. He made me look forward to every RG issue.

What a loss-- but what a mark he left, too.

How one lawmaker is shielding wealthy neighborhoods from mayor’s housing plan Supervisor Stephen Sherrill nets endorsements for his reelection after submitting targeted exemptions to Lurie’s Family Zoning Plan.

Getting ahead in San Francisco politics isn’t all about shaking hands or kissing babies. You can block condo towers, too. @fitzthereporter.bsky.social

sfstandard.com/2025/11/17/o...

Here is what former SF Mayor London Breed is up to The city's 45th mayor is making her first public post-City Hall moves.

Where's London!?

well:
sfstandard.com/2025/06/20/m...

Why San Francisco's budget is so screwed Did Covid destroy San Francisco's finances? Yes — but it's more complicated than that.

Cratered. Decimated. Tanked. Whatever word you use, the reality is the same.

San Francisco’s budget is screwed.

Here's why:
sfstandard.com/2025/05/30/s...

SF streets will get more cleaning crews in Lurie’s budget In news of interest to anyone who's ever stepped in something awful, SF street cleaners will get a boost in Mayor Daniel Lurie's budget, set to be unveiled in the coming days.

Good news for "anyone who’s ever stepped in something awful on a sidewalk."

One thing Lurie won’t cut in his budget? Street cleaning / ✍️ by
@fitzthereporter.bsky.social

sfstandard.com/2025/05/29/s...

Supervisor Joel Engardio to face recall election in September The effort to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio was officially validated by the Department of Elections on Thursday, triggering a special election in September

BREAKING: Engardio to face recall election.

By @lihanlihan.bsky.social:
sfstandard.com/2025/05/29/j...

My latest on the guy at the end of the Warriors' bench you didn't know, but should. He's the 39 y/o chairman of one of the most powerful San Francisco real estate dynasties ever now on the brink: The Shorensteins. 👇

sfstandard.com/2025/05/27/b...

SF schools cancel 151 layoffs in major win for teachers’ union The district said it will cancel final layoff notices for 34 counselors and 117 paraeducators.

SF schools cancel 151 layoffs in major win for teachers’ union

Teachers' union wins major battle as SF schools rescind layoffs The district has also approved the hiring of 77 additional teachers for the next school year.

NEW: The San Francisco Unified School District announced Friday that it will rescind a large number of planned layoffs and expand teacher hiring — a major victory for the teachers union.

by @lihanlihan.bsky.social:
sfstandard.com/2025/05/16/s...

SF Public Defender stops taking cases, citing anti-drug surge The San Francisco Public Defender has stopped taking new cases, saying it is overwhelmed by drug cases it can't handle.

For the first time in more than a decade, the San Francisco public defender’s office is so overloaded with cases that it has closed up shop.

The office will decline new clients on one business day each week.

Here's what it means for fentanyl cases:
sfstandard.com/2025/05/09/p...

BART service suspended systemwide BART advised riders to look for alternate modes of transportation.

BART service suspended systemwide

Seeing it on the GBA for the first time. Seeing it ported so faithfully felt like magic.

These are the first wealthy donors for Lurie's 1,500 shelter bed plan - The San Francisco Standard It’s the first time the mayor has exercised his fentanyl emergency powers to accept donations for city government work.

Surprise, surprise -- one of the first major donors to Mayor Daniel Lurie's 1,500 shelter bed plan are ... drum roll please ...

Tipping Point Community.

Shocking, I know.

But there are more:
sfstandard.com/2025/05/08/l...

Street force that transformed the Tenderloin has iffy future Mayor Daniel Lurie is renewing Urban Alchemy's contract, but its future is looking iffy amid financial problems, ongoing layoffs, and changing city policies.

Urban Alchemy transformed the Tenderloin but its reign was set to end in July.

Now SF Mayor Daniel Lurie is renewing the nonprofit's contract, The Standard has learned.

Here's what that means for the future:
sfstandard.com/2025/05/07/u...

Jenkins vs. Lurie: SF DA blasts mayor for de-funding prosecutors Brooke Jenkins said budget cuts would mean "mass dismissals."

SF DA Brooke Jenkins' Office may cut 25 prosecutors -- even those trying fentanyl-related cases -- under proposed budget from Mayor Daniel Lurie.

We obtained the memo that outlines just how deep the cuts could go:
sfstandard.com/2025/05/05/b...

Sunday is for KEXP on the boom box, lounging in the sun

@obsoletesony.com

Woohoo!

$91M for police overtime? Even pro-cop supervisors are skeptical SFPD says overtime makes up for staffing deficiencies and pays for increased enforcement asked for by city leaders.

SF supervisors scoffed overtime $ for SFPD after a blistering report claimed cops called out sick when working private security gigs.

“Bottom line, police officers need to work for San Franciscans, not for private entities,” said supervisor @jackiefielder.bsky.social

more:

V excited for SPJ's upcoming conference this weekend, aptly themed reporting in hostile times. I'll be on the immigration reporting panel with a great group of journalists - join us if you'll be there!

Absolutely

Yeah our timing is not great. lol. Logan Symposium also!

Just re-upping this link to the SPJ NorCal Region 11 Conference!

It's this FRIDAY and SATURDAY!

Spread the word please, California journos. We've got a ton of workshops from AI to immigration reporting.

spjnorcal.org/conference

Pelosi calls on Airbnb to drop pricey lawsuit against SF, pushing Lurie to join the fight Labor unions claim the company’s $120 million lawsuit is exacerbating San Francisco’s budget crisis.

Pelosi calls on Airbnb to drop pricey lawsuit against SF, pushing Lurie to join the fight

Pelosi calls on Airbnb to drop $120M lawsuit against SF Rep. Nancy Pelosi backed a proposal calling on Mayor Daniel Lurie to publicly condemn Airbnb for suing the city over its tax bill.

Mayor Lurie has made luring companies back to San Francisco a core tenet. What happens when some of the largest corporations are suing the city to challenge their tax bills during Covid? It's an uncomfortable and all too real dilemma @fitzthereporter.bsky.social 👇

sfstandard.com/2025/04/24/n...

i finally got it

Best Buy never loaded
Target = rollercoaster

1. "preorders have sold out"
2. actually got it in cart
3. 20 error messages trying to pay
4. finally says "thanks for your order!" followed ominously by "We'll send confirmation and order updates to __________"
5. order history shows I got it. yay!

CALIFORNIA JOURNOS!

The Society of Professional Journalists NorCal chapter is hosting a huge dang journalist conference right here in San Francisco.

2 days. 17 workshops. 50+ panelists.

Workshops on: AI, diversity, investigative tips, book writing, more!

SIGN UP:
spjnorcal.org/conference/

Introducing The SF100: The Standard’s highly subjective, surely divisive list of who holds power, influence, and attention in San Francisco in 2025.

The staff of the Standard spent months figuring out who runs this place and whittled it down to 100.

See the list: sfstandard.com/sf-100/

Yeah my father died of complications related to his alcohol abuse. So I feel you on this. But it is something that the city has seen some success in, so I understand the effort. Hopefully there's sober, family friendly activities focused on too

‘There is no additional time’: Lurie rushes to cut San Francisco budget More than 20 departments failed to meet their 15% budget reduction targets, placing the city’s financial planning in peril.

NEW: After city department heads failed or refused to make cuts, SF Mayor Daniel Lurie is wresting the budget from their hands.

“Unfortunately, reductions proposed by departments to date have been insufficient to close the deficit, and there is no additional time,” said the budget director.