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People who aren't flying can now go through security at San Francisco International Airport. 

State of play: Under a new program launched this week, the airport is allowing visitors without boarding passes to access post-security terminal areas. 

Visitors who apply to the SFO Gate Explorer program can pass through standard TSA checkpoints and move around the airport as if they were ticketed passengers.

The program, modeled after similar initiatives at about 20 other airports including Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, allows people to accompany travelers to their gates, meet them on arrival or spend time shopping and dining.

How it works: Applications can be submitted online up to 30 days in advance or the same day. Applicants are vetted under TSA requirements and must provide their reason for visiting and personal information such as their name, date of birth and sex.

Approvals are sent after midnight on the day of the visit.

At the airport, visitors must show their Gate Explorer pass and a Real ID or passport, then go through standard security screening. TSA PreCheck or expedited lanes are not included.

Yes, but: The program only applies to domestic arrivals and departures and some pre-cleared international flights from Canada and Ireland. Most international arrivals remain off-limits to visitors.

The number of passes is also capped at 200 passes per day to avoid congesting security lines. 

You can now go through security at SFO without flying

Approved visitors can access gates, shops and restaurants without flying.

Busy airport check-in area with long lines of travelers and luggage, glass walls, and a wood-paneled wall interior with overhead signage and a high ceiling.

Passengers arrive at SFO. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

People who aren&#x27;t flying can now go through security at San Francisco International Airport. State of play: Under a new program launched this week, the airport is allowing visitors without boarding passes to access post-security terminal areas.

News

Self-driving cars have become as much a part of San Francisco's streetscape as cable cars and fog, but the rise of Waymo has brought a mix of optimism, skepticism and at times outright bewilderment.

Robotaxi backers cite sharply lower pedestrian injury rates, but concerns over driving performance, data privacy and jobs continue to drive resistance. 

We invited readers to weigh in with their Waymo stories — here's what you shared.

We'll start off strong with a hilarious observation from Remington P., who aptly noted a sight many of us have seen: Waymos freezing or overreacting to minor obstacles, creating confusion and traffic jams.

"My favorite was a few months ago while walking my dog seeing a plastic bag flying in the wind (cue the Ricky in American Beauty comparisons). Waymo could not drive through it or was 'taken aback by its beauty' and created a jam for a whole light cycle with cars honking on every corner." 

John S. pushed back on how Waymo incidents are portrayed, arguing isolated accounts lack context.

"Reporting anecdotal reports of issues without information on the rate of the issues per ride or mile versus human drivers (or more appropriately, ride-hailing service drivers), removes critical context."

At the same time, he acknowledged the cars have made strange decisions or taken inefficient routes: "Why do they often drop to 10 mph on Market Street between Castro and 15th for no apparent reason?" 

"Why do they sometimes bypass 17th Street when your route from the east side takes you over Clarendon and instead takes Market/Portola all the way around Twin Peaks, going over a mile out of the way?" 

Still he remains a fan: "Generally, I'm amazed by how well Waymo cars manage different situations." 

Todd L. agrees and recently took his first ride, which went "much better than expected." 

"I felt more comfortable in Waymo with all the sensing tech versus my Full Self-Driving Tesla that only has cameras. No drama and no surprises on my first ride, I would definitely use Waymo again."

Sarah G.S. also expected a nerve-wracking highway ride when taking a robotaxi to Daly City, but instead felt unexpectedly calm and in control.

"I was ready to have a panic attack but it did great! I was so surprised but I really felt safe in it... Using Waymo may be a way for me to unlock some broader Bay Area travel."

Stephen R. isn't so sure the cars are as safe as they're purported to be, recounting an experience where he narrowly avoided being hit while biking to Golden Gate Park. 

"Had I not been so alert, a Waymo would have taken me out." 

💭 My thought bubble: Riding a Waymo can feel like a luxurious experience if you're not in a rush to get anywhere. I love the ease and convenience, but am regularly confused by the exorbitant costs — I've seen fares hit $30 for a 15-minute trip that might cost half as much on Lyft or Uber.

The bottom line: The future of driving is already here — it just occasionally stops to admire a floating plastic bag.

What San Francisco readers really think about Waymo

Waymo hints at safer streets, but trust issues and strange behavior still shape rider opinion.

Illustration of a pothole shaped like the Waymo logo.

Self-driving cars have become as much a part of San Francisco&#x27;s streetscape as cable cars and fog, but the rise of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Waymo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/05/28/waymo-san-francisco-driverless-car" data-vars-content-id="7fe71ae4-b189-48c0-a2bd-384a815cb060" data-vars-headline="What San Francisco readers really think about Waymo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/05/28/waymo-san-francisco-driverless-car" target="_self">Waymo</a> has brought a mix of optimism, skepticism and at times <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="outright bewilderment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/09/waymo-outage-stalled-response-delay" data-vars-content-id="7fe71ae4-b189-48c0-a2bd-384a815cb060" data-vars-headline="What San Francisco readers really think about Waymo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/09/waymo-outage-stalled-response-delay" target="_self">outright bewilderment</a>.<ul><li>Robotaxi backers cite sharply lower pedestrian <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="injury rates," data-vars-click-url="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://waymo.com/safety/impact&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1777669668294700&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Mr4NLs4adoQ2W54wr77qz" data-vars-content-id="7fe71ae4-b189-48c0-a2bd-384a815cb060" data-vars-headline="What San Francisco readers really think about Waymo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://waymo.com/safety/impact&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1777669668294700&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Mr4NLs4adoQ2W54wr77qz" target="_blank">injury rates,</a> but concerns over driving performance, data privacy and jobs continue to drive resistance. </li></ul>We invited readers to weigh in with their Waymo stories — here&#x27;s what you shared.

Transit

Culture

California has long relied on strong voting protections to expand representation, but a new federal ruling could chip away at that foundation.

State of play: The Supreme Court's narrowing of the Voting Rights Act last week weakens a federal backstop that helped challenge unfair electoral maps, threatens California's Voting Rights Act and potentially reverses gains in representation for voters of color, experts say.

"We've seen a lot of progress being made on the diversification of elected officials — this is certainly not going to help," Emily Rong Zhang, a UC Berkeley assistant professor of law, told Axios.

Catch up quick: The court's 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais narrowed Section 2 of the civil rights era law, the primary tool used to challenge racially discriminatory gerrymandering.  

The majority said Louisiana relied too heavily on race when it drew a second majority Black congressional district.

The big picture: States can now frame gerrymandering as partisan rather than racial to get new maps implemented — a key distinction because federal courts rarely step in on partisan redistricting.

With Section 2 weakened, fewer federal checks are in place as states redraw political power. 

Zoom in: California's Voting Rights Act — which expands protections for minority voters beyond federal law — could face new constitutional scrutiny and potentially be struck down because the Supreme Court ruling signals deep skepticism toward race-based protections in the political process, Zhang said.

Zhang said opponents of California's law are already aware of the opening created by the ruling and challenges are likely to "start percolating."

Yes, but: California's independent redistricting system and newly drawn Proposition 50 maps are unlikely to change in the near term because they're already in effect, even as the ruling opens the door to new legal challenges.

Longer-term effects could be significant in local elections for Latino, Asian and Black communities.

The ruling "makes it much harder for minority voters at all levels of government to elect candidates of choice ... because that was what [the Section 2] protection was designed to enhance," Zhang added.

The bottom line: California's maps may hold for now, but the legal tools that helped make them more representative are eroding. 

What a weakened federal Voting Rights Act means for California

The federal decision could affect representation and political power in California over time.

Photo illustration of President Lyndon B. Johnson and  Martin Luther King Jr. exchanging a pen, overlaid with text from the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey. Photos: Washington Bureau/Getty Images, National Archives

California has long relied on strong voting protections to expand representation, but a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="federal ruling" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/29/supreme-court-redistricting-race-gerrymander" data-vars-content-id="84d04e32-57a1-4a35-8f31-e825dbf6d7df" data-vars-headline="What a weakened federal Voting Rights Act means for California" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/29/supreme-court-redistricting-race-gerrymander" target="_self">federal ruling</a> could chip away at that foundation.State of play: The Supreme Court&#x27;s narrowing of the Voting Rights Act last week weakens a federal backstop that helped challenge unfair electoral maps, threatens <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="California&#x27;s Voting Rights Act" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/us/elections/voting-rights-act-supreme-court-california.html" data-vars-content-id="84d04e32-57a1-4a35-8f31-e825dbf6d7df" data-vars-headline="What a weakened federal Voting Rights Act means for California" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/us/elections/voting-rights-act-supreme-court-california.html" target="_blank">California&#x27;s Voting Rights Act</a> and potentially reverses gains in representation for voters of color, experts say.

Politics

San Francisco does not have a reputation for dressing up. But on occasion, the city proves otherwise. 

The big picture: One of those rarefied occasions is during Art Bash, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's most anticipated party of the year and its biggest annual fundraiser.

Wednesday's event drew more than 3,000 attendees and generated a record-breaking $4.2 million for the museum. It's a who's who of artists, collectors, politicos, tech leaders and partygoers who — for at least one night — decide to go all out. 

Art educator Gabriel Mellan showed up in a full black outfit covered in protruding tubes, which he made himself using industrial materials that weighed about 20 pounds.

"I've been into tubes and studs for a long time, so it's kind of a recycled and remixed outfit," he told Axios. "I also design things based on how they move when I dance." 

Person wearing a black spiky full-body outfit stands at a party; colorful neon lights and guests fill the background.

Gabriel Mellan in his self-made suit. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios

Callie Peck, a New York-based creative director working for the Huntington Hotel, framed her maximalist Art Bash look around comfort. She paired her menswear-inspired mauve velour pantsuit with accessories including a green silk scarf and repurposed costume jewelry to elevate the look.

"I'm from New York so there's a lot of black, but when we travel, we wear color," she said. 

She's visited San Francisco at least two to three times a year over the past decade and has seen the city's style evolve from what she once saw as boring to something more expressive, where people are starting to make more deliberate fashion choices.

"San Francisco style was an oxymoron," she said. "I now see people that are inventing unique looks that don't feel like it was just purchased out of the Patagonia catalog or a show of money." 

Woman in a pink velvet suit with a chunky gold necklace and green scarf posing at a fashion event; in the background are other guests in floral outfits and lush greenery.

The one and only Callie Peck. It's giving Gucci. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios

A group of friends attending described their looks as a mix of Paris fashion, vintage pieces and designer staples. As nurses, they joked that their day jobs are far less glamorous, making nights like this a chance to fully lean into self-expression.

"We are fulfilling our repressed childhood dreams of who we are and what we should have been," Marlon Salali, who wore a satin tan turban, a crop top and pearls, told Axios.

"The only thing on me tonight that's mine is my underwear, socks and jewelry," added Mark Flores, who let his friend style him in a couture-inspired look centered on a sharply tailored white vest with a deep v-cut.

Three stylish people pose indoors before a blue geometric mural: left man in white sleeveless with a flower and pearls; center person in a beige turban with bold makeup; right bald person in a dark cape and glasses.

The turban is everything. From left: Mark Flores, Marlon Salali and Tom Malott. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios

Local resident Kim Nguyen was inspired by the high-fashion brand Schiaparelli. She's typically drawn to visceral and expressive designs that center on the human body, but she emphasized that fashion should feel accessible and authentic — not just like a status symbol.

Smiling woman in a colorful graphic dress with a blue striped bodice and large red lips, carrying a red polka-dotted handbag; gallery visitors in the background.

Kim Nguyen found her outfit from a small brand on TIkTok. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios

Argentine native Hugo Schmitt paired his pink linen suit with a textured knit tie inherited from his dad. The mixing of old and new makes an outfit feel more unique, he said.

"This event is like a human art show," Schimitt's friend and attendee Tony Harkins, who was dressed in a black velvet suit, told Axios. "It's so much fun and there's no experience like it."

Three smiling adults pose at a nighttime event against a lush green plant wall: left man in a pink suit, center woman in white top with a red mesh cardigan, right man in a black blazer and yellow shirt.

What a trio. From left: Hugo Schmitt, Sonia Fava and Tony Harkins. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios

Tech worker Ishani Ashok thinks about fashion as something more personal than performative. She often borrows clothes from friends, reuses pieces or focuses on silhouettes and small details that make an outfit feel like her own.

Her colleague Andrew Masciarelli draws inspiration from Savant Studios and likes leaning into distinctive, unconventional pieces that stand out without feeling overdone.

"I was just feeling like being the pinstripe Prince," he told Axios. "It's something that nobody else is going to be wearing."

Two friends pose indoors: a blond person in a pinstripe suit with a necklace and a woman in a red floral dress, smiling with arms around each other, plants and a metallic sculpture in the background.

Andrew Masciarelli, the pinstripe prince indeed, next to Ishani Ashok. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios

The bottom line: The myth has been debunked. San Francisco can dress up. It just needs a reason.

San Francisco style makes an appearance at SFMOMA's Art Bash

From handmade suits to vintage glam, partygoers showed how SF style has evolved.

A person in an ornate cream suit wears a large gold headdress and yellow sunglasses, standing before dense green foliage while holding a long gold staff across the chest.

We love whatever this is. Photo: Courtesy of SFMOMA

San Francisco does not have a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reputation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/03/11/san-francisco-tech-fashion-culture-hoodies-patagonia-vests-average-boring" data-vars-content-id="f43a1e44-3d67-4cde-b2b8-103fd35135a3" data-vars-headline="San Francisco style makes an appearance at SFMOMA&#x27;s Art Bash" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/03/11/san-francisco-tech-fashion-culture-hoodies-patagonia-vests-average-boring" target="_self">reputation</a> for dressing up. But on occasion, the city proves otherwise. The big picture: One of those rarefied occasions is during Art Bash, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="most anticipated party" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/04/16/what-to-expect-at-sfmoma-s-art-bash" data-vars-content-id="f43a1e44-3d67-4cde-b2b8-103fd35135a3" data-vars-headline="San Francisco style makes an appearance at SFMOMA&#x27;s Art Bash" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/04/16/what-to-expect-at-sfmoma-s-art-bash" target="_self">most anticipated party</a> of the year and its biggest annual fundraiser.

Mother's Day is right around the corner and we're wondering how you celebrate the moms in your life. Should the day be spent together as a family, or as a day for moms to recharge? Maybe a bit of both — a morning spent alone and an evening reserved for family time?

Either way, it comes down to what each mom wants and needs, which can evolve as kids grow.

Take our quick poll and let us know! Email us at sanfrancisco@axios.com to share additional thoughts.

We'll share the results and ideas in Friday's newsletter.

How do you celebrate Mom?

Tell us your plans for the moms in your life and help shape a future guide to local ideas.

Animated gif of the word "Mom" being written, but the Ms are made out of the Axios logo.

Illustration of a large Axios logo flanked by two smaller logos with hearts surrounding them.

Mother&#x27;s Day is right around the corner and we&#x27;re wondering how you celebrate the moms in your life. Should the day be spent together as a family, or as a day for moms to recharge? Maybe a bit of both — a morning spent alone and an evening reserved for family time?<ul><li>Either way, it comes down to what each mom wants and needs, which can evolve as kids grow.</li><li>Take our quick poll and let us know! Email us at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sanfrancisco@axios.com" data-vars-click-url="mailto:sanfrancisco@axios.com" data-vars-content-id="fa562ec4-ca5c-4002-babd-ae58fb26d34d" data-vars-headline="How do you celebrate Mom?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="mailto:sanfrancisco@axios.com" target="_blank">sanfrancisco@axios.com</a> to share additional thoughts.</li></ul><div><iframe name="opinionstage-widget" alt="Opinion Stage Embed" src="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/eae6b009-5404-431a-858e-5c78235080f8/iframe" data-opinionstage-iframe="eae6b009-5404-431a-858e-5c78235080f8" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="embed-poll" data-vars-asset-id="eae6b009-5404-431a-858e-5c78235080f8" data-vars-content-id="fa562ec4-ca5c-4002-babd-ae58fb26d34d" width="100%" height="800" allow="fullscreen" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" class="gtmView" referrerPolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe><div style="display:none"></div></div>We&#x27;ll share the results and ideas in Friday&#x27;s newsletter.

Nadia Lopez

Featured stories

What a weakened federal Voting Rights Act means for California

How do you celebrate Mom?

What San Francisco readers really think about Waymo

San Francisco style makes an appearance at SFMOMA's Art Bash

You can now go through security at SFO without flying