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Steve Hilton lays out his agenda for California and San Francisco

The Republican discusses income taxes, $3 gas and the housing crisis.

Election

It&#x27;s time to vote for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="governor in California" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/06/03/san-francisco-california-self-funded-candidates-chakrabarti-steyer-election-results" data-vars-content-id="93c77c2b-0e6b-4b42-b811-122b09e65109" data-vars-headline="Steve Hilton lays out his agenda for California and San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/06/03/san-francisco-california-self-funded-candidates-chakrabarti-steyer-election-results" target="_self">governor in California</a>.The big picture: Democrat Xavier Becerra is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="squaring off against" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/06/10/california-governor-race-runoff-steve-hilton-xavier-becerra-election-2026" data-vars-content-id="93c77c2b-0e6b-4b42-b811-122b09e65109" data-vars-headline="Steve Hilton lays out his agenda for California and San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/06/10/california-governor-race-runoff-steve-hilton-xavier-becerra-election-2026" target="_self">squaring off against</a> Republican Steve Hilton. Axios sent questions to both candidates and here are Hilton&#x27;s responses.

How Ben Davis became a symbol of San Francisco's identity

For nearly a century, the brand has crossed generations without chasing trends.

Culture

For nearly a century, San Francisco&#x27;s own <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Ben Davis" data-vars-click-url="https://bendavis.com/" data-vars-content-id="70c77473-945d-41e2-8d14-ed6c3bcf3b64" data-vars-headline="How Ben Davis became a symbol of San Francisco&#x27;s identity" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://bendavis.com/" target="_blank">Ben Davis</a> has kept making variations of the same tough, utilitarian clothes, even as the city has cycled through <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="various identities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/08/13/san-francisco-ai-hiring-rent-spike-housing-shortage" data-vars-content-id="70c77473-945d-41e2-8d14-ed6c3bcf3b64" data-vars-headline="How Ben Davis became a symbol of San Francisco&#x27;s identity" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/08/13/san-francisco-ai-hiring-rent-spike-housing-shortage" target="_self">various identities</a>. Somehow, that refusal to keep up has become part of the brand&#x27;s appeal.Why it matters: In a city reshaped by tech booms, soaring housing costs and displacement, Ben Davis has endured as a wearable link to an older, more working-class San Francisco.

San Francisco Fleet Week is back. Here's what to know

Expect packed waterfronts, transit changes and plenty of jet noise.

News

Love it or hate it, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fleet Week" data-vars-click-url="https://fleetweeksf.org/air-show/" data-vars-content-id="6813eb34-c7f6-46c8-bdf4-26958942d2aa" data-vars-headline="San Francisco Fleet Week is back. Here&#x27;s what to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://fleetweeksf.org/air-show/" target="_blank">Fleet Week</a> has descended on San Francisco once again.Why it matters: The annual celebration, which began Sunday and runs until Oct. 12, brings thousands of spectators to the waterfront for one of the city&#x27;s loudest and busiest weekends of the year.<ul><li>For fans, this week means prime time for Blue Angels flyovers and ship tours. For everyone else, consider this your warning to expect plenty of noise and traffic. Here&#x27;s what to know.</li></ul>

Throwback Thursday: The San Francisco landmarks built over forgotten graves

As San Francisco expanded, cemeteries gave way to development — but not every grave was relocated.

San Francisco is famously short on cemetery space today, but that wasn&#x27;t always the case.The big picture: Before parks, homes, museums and college buildings filled much of the city, people were buried across San Francisco — sometimes beneath places we now visit without a second thought. And some of them might still be there.

What to know about cychlorphine

The potent synthetic opioid can be mixed into recreational drugs and fake pills.

Health

San Francisco officials are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="warning the public" data-vars-click-url="https://abc7news.com/post/cychlorphine-new-opioid-stronger-fentanyl-linked-san-francisco-teens-overdose-death-mayor-daniel-lurie-says-4-arrested/19832337/" data-vars-content-id="8c7ee5a2-e39d-4292-903c-0a8badd4193b" data-vars-headline="What to know about cychlorphine" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://abc7news.com/post/cychlorphine-new-opioid-stronger-fentanyl-linked-san-francisco-teens-overdose-death-mayor-daniel-lurie-says-4-arrested/19832337/" target="_blank">warning the public</a> about cychlorphine, a powerful new synthetic opioid circulating in the city&#x27;s illicit drug supply that can be deadly in even the smallest amounts.Why it matters: Counterfeit pills and other common recreational substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine or MDMA have been found to be laced with the drug, leaving people unaware they&#x27;re taking it.

Xavier Becerra's gubernatorial agenda for California

The Democrat wants faster home building and says he'll protect Californians from federal Medicaid cuts.

It&#x27;s time to vote for governor in California.The big picture: Democrat Xavier Becerra is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="squaring off against" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/06/10/california-governor-race-runoff-steve-hilton-xavier-becerra-election-2026" data-vars-content-id="2fa77988-4005-4baa-b296-7438175dbe9e" data-vars-headline="Xavier Becerra&#x27;s gubernatorial agenda for California" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/06/10/california-governor-race-runoff-steve-hilton-xavier-becerra-election-2026" target="_self">squaring off against</a> Republican <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Steve Hilton" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/10/06/steve-hilton-lays-out-his-agenda-for-california-and-san-francisco" data-vars-content-id="2fa77988-4005-4baa-b296-7438175dbe9e" data-vars-headline="Xavier Becerra&#x27;s gubernatorial agenda for California" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/10/06/steve-hilton-lays-out-his-agenda-for-california-and-san-francisco" target="_self">Steve Hilton</a> to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

It's Friday and it's also SF News Quiz time

Step right up and test your local smarts.

Another work week ends, and another SF News Quiz begins.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="To semi-quote Timbaland" data-vars-click-url="https://youtu.be/qTA0RuZoIxM?si=U6HAWJQ1QBo8HT18" data-vars-content-id="8666651a-2657-4820-9e93-415cb3c09224" data-vars-headline="It&#x27;s Friday and it&#x27;s also SF News Quiz time" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://youtu.be/qTA0RuZoIxM?si=U6HAWJQ1QBo8HT18" target="_blank">To semi-quote Timbaland</a>: &quot;It&#x27;s been a long time, we shouldn&#x27;t have left you, without a dope quiz to step to.&quot;</li><li>Yes, it&#x27;s been a few weeks, but that shouldn&#x27;t stop you from heading on in and testing your local smarts.</li></ul>

How San Francisco aims to limit banked rent increases 

Advocates say the proposed limit could still leave longtime renters at risk of displacement.

Politics

San Francisco wants to put a ceiling on one of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="biggest rent hikes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/09/10/sf-rent-spike-tenant-protections-lurie" data-vars-content-id="c14c0987-8009-4811-9099-83ca28fe0eb7" data-vars-headline="How San Francisco aims to limit banked rent increases " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/09/10/sf-rent-spike-tenant-protections-lurie" target="_self">biggest rent hikes</a> some longtime tenants can face, but tenant advocates say the proposed limit may still leave renters vulnerable to displacement.State of play: Supervisor Danny Sauter recently proposed legislation that would cap annual increases from &quot;banked&quot; rent and certain capital improvement costs at 10% annually for rent-controlled tenants through 2029.

California explores "kill switch" for powerful AI systems

The state is studying how to shut down advanced models and independently verify companies' safeguards.

California is exploring an emergency off switch for its most powerful <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AI systems" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/technology/automation-and-ai" data-vars-content-id="4ef19365-52c7-4322-8e6e-a31641008528" data-vars-headline="California explores &quot;kill switch&quot; for powerful AI systems" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/technology/automation-and-ai" target="_self">AI systems</a> as concerns grow about what happens when the increasingly autonomous technology escapes its intended controls.Why it matters: The move marks a notable shift in how California is approaching the tech powering much of its current economic boom — moving beyond requiring AI companies to disclose their safety practices and toward potentially independently verifying that their safeguards actually work.

San Francisco Opera faces its biggest labor dispute in decades

Opening weekend was canceled and the dispute over musicians' compensation remains unresolved.

The San Francisco Opera&#x27;s orchestra strike wiped out opening weekend and now the labor standoff threatens to stretch deeper into the company&#x27;s new season.Why it matters: The labor dispute is exposing a bigger fight over how one of San Francisco&#x27;s marquee cultural institutions can balance its financial pressures with the cost of paying musicians in one of the country&#x27;s most expensive cities.

Where Flock watches us in San Francisco

Nearly 500 license plate readers blanket the city as concerns grow over who can access their data.

Hundreds of automated license plate readers are watching San Francisco streets, putting the city near the center of a growing national fight over police surveillance.Why it matters: Flock cameras can help police fight crime, but their ability to track vehicles has fueled a growing backlash and calls for tighter oversight or <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="removal" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/47455933.135/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2xvY2FsL2RhbGxhcy8yMDI2LzA5LzAyL2RhbGxhcy1mbG9jay1jYW1lcmFzLWFiYm90dC1mdW5kaW5nP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/673d6f07cfc5ece025011323Be6221ee6" data-vars-content-id="7698c197-6286-4b05-93d8-ba499b2cf317" data-vars-headline="Where Flock watches us in San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/47455933.135/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2xvY2FsL2RhbGxhcy8yMDI2LzA5LzAyL2RhbGxhcy1mbG9jay1jYW1lcmFzLWFiYm90dC1mdW5kaW5nP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/673d6f07cfc5ece025011323Be6221ee6" target="_self">removal</a>.

Mayor Daniel Lurie declares rent emergency as prices soar

The measures target evictions and steep increases as one-bedroom rents climb above $4,300.

Mayor Daniel Lurie is declaring an emergency amid a sharp rise in rents across the city.Why it matters: San Francisco&#x27;s economic rebound — fueled in part by the AI boom — is colliding with a familiar problem: The city still doesn&#x27;t have enough housing to absorb a sudden surge in demand, the San Francisco Standard <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reports" data-vars-click-url="https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/10/lurie-declares-san-francisco-rent-emergency/" data-vars-content-id="e17d4503-a315-4fc7-9c73-e2a693a6244d" data-vars-headline="Mayor Daniel Lurie declares rent emergency as prices soar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/10/lurie-declares-san-francisco-rent-emergency/" target="_blank">reports</a>.

Apartment hunting with a pet could get easier in California

Landlords would have to share pet restrictions up front under a bill on Newsom's desk.

California renters could soon know whether their pet is welcome before spending money on a rental application.Why it matters: Apartment hunting with a pet can be filled with uncertainty since listings don&#x27;t always disclose pet policies, restrictions or fees up front.

News 🗞

What to know about cychlorphine

Xavier Becerra's gubernatorial agenda for California

San Francisco Fleet Week is back. Here's what to know

It's Friday and it's also SF News Quiz time

How San Francisco aims to limit banked rent increases