Just a day before a key hearing in which a United States District judge in Oakland could have decided the fates of hundreds of students nationwide whose visas had been terminated, students, attorneys and universities across the country began reporting unexpected reinstatements of their status — even for individuals who had not filed a lawsuit. […]
Author Archives: Zhe Wu
Zhe Wu is a reporter who is interested in covering stories related to the Asian American community. Previously, she has covered education and local community issues in the East Bay for Oakland North, Oaklandside and Berkelyside. She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, English and a bit of Hakka. She arrived at the Public Press in 2023 as a member of the first cohort of the California Local News Fellowship program, a multi-year, state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. Zhe Wu received the 2025 award for Outstanding Emerging Journalist from the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter.
Posted inEconomy & Business, Neighborhoods
Tech to Table: Second-Generation Business Owners Take Over Chinatown Restaurants
Chelsea Hung wasted no time in making a life-changing decision: In her late 20s, she left her tech job in New York City, and headed back to San Francisco’s Chinatown to take over her parents’ restaurant, all within a month.
Hung’s parents were planning to sell the restaurant, R&G Lounge. Her motivation was simple: She didn’t want to see the place where she grew up and celebrated so many milestones close its doors.
After moving back in 2018, she kept the business running and in March, R&G Lounge celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Posted inCommunity, Housing, Neighborhoods, News
Mission District Slated to Gain 168 Affordable Homes for Families by 2027
After years of advocacy and shifting plans, construction has begun on Casa Adelante at 1515 South Van Ness, a project set to bring 168 below-market-rate units to the Mission District by 2027 for low-income, formerly homeless, and HIV-affected families.
Posted inCommunity, Politics
Chinese American Democratic Club Becomes First Political Group to Back Engardio Recall
The Chinese American Democratic Club has officially endorsed the recall of Supervisor Joel Engardio, becoming the first political group in San Francisco to publicly support the effort—months after an informal poll showed member support for his removal.
Posted inCity Hall, Government & Politics, Neighborhoods
Complaint Alleges Ethics Violations by Campaign to Recall Engardio
A complaint filed with the San Francisco Ethics Commission accuses the group campaigning to recall District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio of failing to properly report its spending and disclose funding sources of campaign materials. The commission has not yet indicated whether it is taking any action on the complaint, according to the attorney representing the filer.
Under local ordinance, the Ethics Commission may not publicly disclose whether it has received a complaint or is conducting an investigation, though filers are notified if their complaint is dropped or sustained. Campaign finance experts said that without further investigation, it’s unclear whether the alleged reporting failures constitute violations.
Posted inCommunity, Housing
More Tenderloin Tenants Face Eviction Amid Rent Strike
Tenants at 781 O’Farrell St. who have been on a rent strike for more than a year face eviction by Veritas Investments, the owner of their building and once the city’s largest residential landlord.
The four tenants have vowed not to settle unless Veritas fulfills their collective demands for quality-of-life improvements in the building.
Veritas acknowledged but did not respond to a request for comment.
Posted inCity Hall, Government & Politics
Democratic Club Splits From Engardio Over Great Highway
The Chinese American Democratic Club, one of the city’s oldest political associations for Chinese Americans and a vocal opponent of closing the Upper Great Highway to cars, voted on Thursday to withdraw support of Supervisor Joel Engardio.
The supervisor faces a recall attempt brought by constituents angry over his co-sponsoring last fall’s successful ballot measure to close the highway, which runs along the Pacific shoreline in his district.
Posted inNews
Landlord-Tenant Spat Persists in Tenderloin Building Where Resolution Seemed Possible
San Francisco’s largest residential landlord has withdrawn an offer of rent reductions for tenants of a Tenderloin building who have been on rent strike and negotiating with the property owner for more than a year, tenant organizers say. The landlord is moving to evict six of the seven remaining striking tenants.
Posted inCommunity, Neighborhoods, Transportation
Advocates Win Fight to Keep Chinatown-SOMA Bus Connection
After months of pushback from Chinatown community leaders, a compromise has been reached on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s proposed bus service cuts. The revised plan will allow the 30S bus route to run slightly south of Market Street.
Posted inAging, City Hall, Economy & Business
Business Entrance Accessibility Law, Never Enforced, Expected to Be Scrapped
The Board of Supervisors is set to vote on eliminating a local requirement for accessible business entrances after having postponed enforcement six times. Around 7,000 businesses citywide are noncompliant or have not reported their status, despite some going to great lengths to comply before the city’s penalties hit.