City Hall

Democratic Club Splits From Engardio Over Great Highway

03.14.2025
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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. 

California
A large gray masonry building features arched windows and doorways. Light reflects off the glass of a modern building behind it.

California Supreme Court to Hear Court Reporter Shortage Case

03.01.2025
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In a move hailed by legal advocates of low-income litigants, the California Supreme Court last week agreed to hear a case on whether to allow electronic recording in family court hearings.

“We are incredibly grateful the Supreme Court has agreed to consider our case addressing trial courts’ inability to provide a verbatim record of what happens in thousands of court hearings every day, resulting in devastating effects to low-income litigants, including survivors of domestic abuse,” Jennafer Wagner, director of programs at the Family Violence Appellate Project, wrote in an email to the San Francisco Public Press.

“Civic” Podcast
Two young women facing forward wear bright colored headdresses of artificial flowers and white blouses with red and burgundy embroidery. They are standing in a park and one carries a yellow and bright blue flag.

Revisiting Conversations With Shaken Ukrainian Diaspora in SF

02.28.2025
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This week marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict shows no signs of ending. On the eve of this grim anniversary, Russia launched its largest drone attack yet, causing widespread destruction and civilian casualties. Days later, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal. In this episode of “Civic,” we revisit conversations first aired on April 7, 2022 — just six weeks after the invasion began — as San Francisco residents with deep ties to Ukraine were fearing for loved ones and desperately trying to help by sending vital medical supplies and welcoming refugees into the Bay Area.

Government & Politics
A blue Tesla drives past a crowd of protesters carrying signs in front of a light gray building with large plate glass windows and the word TESLA in stylized letters on its facade.

Tesla Becomes Lightning Rod for Political Protests

02.18.2025
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Hundreds of people descended on San Francisco’s Tesla dealership Monday to peacefully protest recent actions by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to downsize the federal workforce under the auspices of the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk’s extra-governmental organization, aka DOGE.

Protesters expressed outrage on Presidents’ Day over recent mass layoffs of federal workers and Musk’s ongoing efforts to gain access to sensitive taxpayer data. They carried homemade signs bearing slogans such as “government for people not billionaires,” “no one voted for Elon Musk,” “resist the oligarchy,” “I lost my job serving your public lands,” “defund Musk,” “no kings, no tyranny,” and “boycott Tesla.”

Elections

It’s Not Just the Great Highway. Some Chinese American Voters Have Felt Unheard for Decades 

02.13.2025
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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.