Many local officials and media outlets have portrayed Proposition K’s opponents as anti-park and pro-freeway without explaining why or acknowledging the pain that informed some of their positions. Through extensive interviews, the San Francisco Public Press found that many, especially older Chinese American residents, have felt dismissed and sidelined in discussions about transportation and land-use policy for decades.
Yearly Archives: 2025
Posted inBay Area, Climate Change, Environment, Government & Politics
How Trump’s Attack on Environmental Programs Is Already Affecting Local Conservation Work
Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, one thing is clear: The raft of memos, executive orders and other Trump administration actions have left environmental work in the Bay Area and beyond in “confusion and chaos,” says Redgie Collins, the legal and policy director for California Trout.
Posted inImmigration, Law & Justice
Public Defender Alleges Local-Federal Law Enforcement Partnership Defies SF Sanctuary Laws
San Francisco’s top prosecutor, police chief and public defender gathered on the steps outside City Hall’s main entrance in a rare display of unity as they committed to uphold sanctuary laws that protect undocumented immigrants from the Trump administration’s threatened mass deportation. But the agencies diverge on whom to shield from federal action.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Social Services
Federal Grant Freeze Order Sows Confusion for SF Food, Health Programs
The grant freeze order was slated to take effect Tuesday, but that same day a federal judge delayed the effective date of part of the order to Feb. 3. In the meantime, local and state agencies are scrambling to figure out what programs will be affected.
Posted inImmigration, Politics
As Trump Challenges Birthright Citizenship, SF Chinese Americans Prepare for a Familiar Fight
A Chinatown organization won a legal victory for birthright citizenship a century ago. Now the community is once again embracing its legacy of fighting for immigrant rights.
Posted inCommunity, Government & Politics, Immigration
Immigrant Advocates Trying to Dispel Rumors of ICE Operation in SF
Rumors of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention operation alarmed residents of San Francisco’s Mission District earlier this month following a threat by Donald Trump before his inauguration to launch mass deportations of undocumented residents.
However, these murmurs about local ICE raids are baseless, said Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program of the San Francisco Bar Association.
“It was one individual that was arrested by ICE,” Atkinson said. “They had his name and information. We responded, and they met with an attorney, and they’re going to be represented. It wasn’t a raid or mass arrest.”
Posted inBay Area, Elections, Politics
Bay Area Protests to Fill Streets as Trump Takes Office
Bay Area groups are staging protests this weekend to denounce President-elect Donald Trump’s right-wing policies and what organizers identify as rising fascism.
The demonstrations aim to highlight a range of issues, including Trump’s plans to implement mass deportations and other anti-immigrant policies.
Read the story for event times and locations.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Government & Politics, Health
San Francisco Tries to Mitigate Harm of Out-of-State Abortion Bans
Anti-abortion groups have initiated increasingly aggressive activities in San Francisco since the fall of Roe v. Wade, with some ignoring protective zones around clinics and even threatening violence.
In response, community groups, nonprofits and local government have stepped up efforts to ensure access to abortions and reproductive health support in San Francisco — both for people who live in the city and for those who travel here seeking help.
Posted inCommunity, Elections, Government & Politics
Some Hope Mayor Lurie’s Inaugural Party a Turning Point for Chinatown
For years, Chinatown organizations have worked to draw large numbers of visitors to the area to revitalize it in the pandemic’s aftermath. They finally pulled it off for Mayor Daniel Lurie’s inaugural banquet.
Some key figures in the community hope this marks a turning point for the area. Meanwhile, some merchants are skeptical and question whether the energy will last.
Posted inCity Hall, Health, Overdose Crisis
SF Criticized for Lack of Community Input on Opioid Settlement Funds Use
A coalition of addiction experts and treatment advocates is commending the San Francisco Department of Public Health for committing some of the $352 million opioid lawsuit settlement funds the city expects to receive over the next 18 years to expanding methadone treatment and addressing racial disparity in fatal overdoses.