More than 50,000 people marched in San Francisco Saturday for the second national “No Kings” protest, making it one of the largest in recent years to focus collective scorn on the Trump Administration. The scene blended activism and spectacle.
Author Archives: Michael Stoll
Michael Stoll is senior editor and co-founder of the San Francisco Public Press. Formerly executive director, he has also been a reporter and freelance writer for local and national outlets, including the San Francisco Examiner and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He has taught journalism at two Bay Area universities, and researched media ethics at Stanford.
Posted inCalifornia, Climate Change, Environment, Transportation
Vehicle Electrification in California at a Turning Point
As state officials debate how to support adoption of carbon-free mobility, some EV boosters say the government has to stop touting eco-goals or offering incentives, and “get the hell out of the way” as the market grows.
Posted inCalifornia, Climate Change, Environment, Transportation
California Proposes Charging Subsidies, Rebates to Boost EVs — but Leaves Key Details Unsettled
California regulators Tuesday released a set of proposals recommitting the state to consistent promotion of clean transportation, largely in response to the collapse of federal support for transitioning the economy away from fossil fuels.
Posted inClimate Change, Environment, Transportation
New California EV Plans Could Lower Costs, Expand Charging
California is preparing to roll out new policy ideas to keep electric vehicle adoption on pace after Congress and the White House scrapped federal purchase subsidies and cut funding for EV infrastructure. On Monday, regulators plan to give Gov. Gavin Newsom a menu of proposals to expand charging, lower costs and accelerate the transition away […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation
California Weighs New EV Incentives Backed by Fee on Gas Cars and Trucks
Congressional Republicans and President Trump have killed the U.S. electric vehicle rebate program, with most payments ending after September — to the dismay of climate-conscious car buyers. Now California regulators are evaluating an economically elegant but politically unproven idea to replace it: “feebates.”
The policy is a hybrid — part fee, part consumer rebate. Tacking an extra charge on the sale of gas-powered cars or trucks could raise the billions of dollars needed to subsidize the rapid adoption of zero-emission transportation, encouraging many buyers to make the switch.
Posted inClimate Change, Environment, Government & Politics
Scientist Who Helped Prove Humans Changed the Climate Watches Evidence Being Erased
The data sources that trace humanity’s effect on the climate are under threat.
Under the Trump administration, publication of scientific reports is being frozen and some records risk being removed from public access. The National Centers for Environmental Information, which houses critical archives, has significantly reduced its staff. The White House has also moved to terminate a key contract with the firm responsible for producing the National Climate Assessment, casting doubt on the completion of the next scheduled report. Computer models and observational records climate scientist Ben Santer helped build are in the crosshairs.
Posted inEnvironment, From the Newsroom, Health, Media
Public Press Wins 2025 Izzy Award for Series Investigating Human Radiation Experimentation
The San Francisco Public Press is proud to announce that our investigative series, “Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point,” has been honored with a 2025 Izzy Award for outstanding achievement in independent media.
The Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College presents this prominent national award annually to spotlight exceptional work in journalism. Named for trailblazing investigative journalist I.F. Stone, who in 1953 launched a fiercely independent newsletter that exposed government deception, racism and McCarthyism, the Izzy Award honors muckraking produced outside traditional corporate media structures.
Posted inFrom the Newsroom
A New Chapter for the San Francisco Public Press
As I transition away from my role as executive director at the San Francisco Public Press, I am filled with gratitude to the community of collaborators who helped build it and optimism for the future of local journalism.
For 15 years, we’ve worked to establish an investigative workshop for the city and region grounded in idealism, resilience and innovation. Now, I’m shifting my focus to environmental and science writing, putting the organization’s direction in the capable hands of co-founder Lila LaHood.
Posted inFrom the Newsroom
Public Press Wins 4 Awards From San Francisco Press Club
awards from the San Francisco Press Club in the organization’s 44th Greater Bay Area Awards
Posted inFrom the Newsroom
Public Press Reporter Nuala Bishari Selected for ProPublica Local Reporting Network Fellowship
ProPublica, a national nonprofit investigative journalism organization, has selected San Francisco Public Press reporter Nuala Bishari as one of three fellows for its Local Reporting Network. Bishari and the Public Press’ editorial team will work with a ProPublica senior editor to co-publish her local accountability stories about housing and homelessness for a year, starting April […]