San Francisco

blue

Get smarter, faster on what matters in San Francisco with Nadia Lopez and Shawna Chen.

Axios San Francisco

Standard

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting San Francisco.

Axios San Francisco Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

San Francisco Alerts

Alert

San Francisco Members

Membership

Axios San Francisco Partners

It's SF Friday News Quiz time

Flex those news chops and see if you can snag a perfect score. Glory awaits!

News

It&#x27;s Friday, friends!<ul><li>Time to flex those local news chops once again, click on in and get quizzed.</li></ul>

 Behind the Flock backlash in San Francisco

A national surveillance fight is spilling onto San Francisco streets as Flock's footprint expands.

Activists and citizens across the political spectrum are pushing back against license plate readers made by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Flock and similar companies" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/douglas/2026/08/04/flock-ceo-douglas-county-sheriff-regret-axon-data" data-vars-content-id="58fea506-e5ca-407d-9248-f4b664c2d557" data-vars-headline=" Behind the Flock backlash in San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/douglas/2026/08/04/flock-ceo-douglas-county-sheriff-regret-axon-data" target="_self">Flock and similar companies</a>, fueled by privacy concerns and suspected police misuse.Why it matters: Flock cameras are suddenly emerging as the next big target of populist anti-tech, pro-privacy sentiment, alongside the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data centers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/18/data-center-growth-map-states" data-vars-content-id="58fea506-e5ca-407d-9248-f4b664c2d557" data-vars-headline=" Behind the Flock backlash in San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/18/data-center-growth-map-states" target="_self">data centers</a> fueling the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AI boom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/12/ai-boom-goldman-sachs" data-vars-content-id="58fea506-e5ca-407d-9248-f4b664c2d557" data-vars-headline=" Behind the Flock backlash in San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/12/ai-boom-goldman-sachs" target="_self">AI boom</a>.

Broadway Tunnel construction to snarl traffic for 14 months

The construction begins as crews tackle a major seismic upgrade.

Another traffic headache is settling in for anyone trying to get between Russian Hill, North Beach and Chinatown anytime soon.State of play: The Broadway Tunnel this week entered a long stretch of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="construction" data-vars-click-url="https://sfpublicworks.org/pressreleases/chinatownimprovements-7-20-2026" data-vars-content-id="7db70370-552a-4cc3-a3bc-1becf300a886" data-vars-headline="Broadway Tunnel construction to snarl traffic for 14 months" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sfpublicworks.org/pressreleases/chinatownimprovements-7-20-2026" target="_blank">construction</a> that&#x27;s expected to snarl traffic for the next 14 months.

Valkyries' rise brings 2027 WNBA All-Star Game to San Francisco

The Valkyries' breakout success is bringing another major sporting event.

San Francisco will host the 2027 WNBA All-Star Game, adding to the city’s growing roster of major sporting events.State of play: Tuesday&#x27;s announcement comes a day after the Golden State Valkyries <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="secured their second" data-vars-click-url="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49645344/valkyries-beat-wings-clinch-playoff-spot-second-straight-season" data-vars-content-id="63593e1e-20bf-40f5-a37b-9e67da7a0990" data-vars-headline="Valkyries&#x27; rise brings 2027 WNBA All-Star Game to San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49645344/valkyries-beat-wings-clinch-playoff-spot-second-straight-season" target="_blank">secured their second</a> straight playoff berth, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="beating the Dallas Wings 78-70" data-vars-click-url="https://valkyries.wnba.com/news/gameday-recap-20260817" data-vars-content-id="63593e1e-20bf-40f5-a37b-9e67da7a0990" data-vars-headline="Valkyries&#x27; rise brings 2027 WNBA All-Star Game to San Francisco" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://valkyries.wnba.com/news/gameday-recap-20260817" target="_blank">beating the Dallas Wings 78-70</a>.

Black Heart Tattoo leaves Valencia Street after 22 years

The storied tattoo parlor isn't closing — it's moving around the corner.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Black Heart Tattoo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.blackhearttattoosf.com/" data-vars-content-id="6f586784-8996-46cd-b51b-2541491e89a2" data-vars-headline="Black Heart Tattoo leaves Valencia Street after 22 years" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.blackhearttattoosf.com/" target="_blank">Black Heart Tattoo</a>, the storied San Francisco shop where nearly every inch of wall space is covered in decades of flash, oddball art and memorabilia, is packing up after 22 years.<ul><li>But don&#x27;t panic: It isn&#x27;t closing.</li></ul>Driving the news: The<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" shop&#x27;s last day" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbiw5ALg3yh/" data-vars-content-id="6f586784-8996-46cd-b51b-2541491e89a2" data-vars-headline="Black Heart Tattoo leaves Valencia Street after 22 years" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbiw5ALg3yh/" target="_blank"> shop&#x27;s last day</a> at its longtime Valencia Street home is Saturday. Owners <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jeff Rassier" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/jeffrassier/" data-vars-content-id="6f586784-8996-46cd-b51b-2541491e89a2" data-vars-headline="Black Heart Tattoo leaves Valencia Street after 22 years" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/jeffrassier/" target="_blank">Jeff Rassier</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Scott Sylvia" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/scsylvia/" data-vars-content-id="6f586784-8996-46cd-b51b-2541491e89a2" data-vars-headline="Black Heart Tattoo leaves Valencia Street after 22 years" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/scsylvia/" target="_blank">Scott Sylvia</a> plan to reopen Sept. 1 at 49 Duboce Ave. — just around the corner.<ul><li>&quot;We would have never done this,&quot; Rassier told Axios. &quot;We loved our location.&quot;</li></ul><figure><img alt="Triptych: left shows a tattoo shop with &quot;BlackHeart Tattoo&quot; sign and art; middle strip of photos of two bearded men smiling; right wall filled with tattoo art, posters, and a flamingo statue." height="1080" id="42172af3-d4ef-4791-9fa9-e82b5eb5c933" src="https://images.axios.com/5o2V3o-gkhI4R3_sV-_CcGXZp58=/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg" width="1920" srcset="https://images.axios.com/uzeU3VkLALqTdP2TRyV-jQI82Sg=/0x0:1920x1080/1920x1080/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg?w=1920 1920w, https://images.axios.com/_SQLQzwYlcqdKa0Vt-qJZnAIHGg=/0x0:1920x1080/1600x900/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg?w=1600 1600w, https://images.axios.com/MdKNJ86EKbL2hpnHJbs1sSH_vpM=/0x0:1920x1080/1366x768/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg?w=1366 1366w, https://images.axios.com/P8CZ2bmOJrlplceMoX6NfLeBN-0=/0x0:1920x1080/1024x576/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg?w=1024 1024w, https://images.axios.com/1dkBCQcgncRZerzBwxN5GEMdQdQ=/0x0:1920x1080/768x432/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg?w=768 768w, https://images.axios.com/oyIBRyae5CqjLdS0yGJA9ryb_rA=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg?w=640 640w, https://images.axios.com/IzxbmOr_5rH9RAowfv9Q2TpjCy8=/0x0:1920x1080/320x180/2026/08/14/1786741477219.jpeg?w=320 320w"/><figcaption>Amid all the art you&#x27;ll find a photo booth pic of Jeff Rassier (left) and Scott Sylvia. Photos: Nadia Lopez/Axios</figcaption></figure>State of play: Rassier said they decided to move after the landlord sought retroactive rent increases after not having raised it in a decade. The owners then found a new storefront a few blocks away.<ul><li>Packing up has underscored just how much history they&#x27;re leaving behind.</li><li>&quot;Every corner has something,&quot; Sylvia said of finding old signs and other remnants from the shop&#x27;s past.</li></ul>Between the lines: Black Heart was founded by four established tattooers in 2004 as an artist-run alternative to more conventional shops of that time, with an emphasis on the art rather than profits, Rassier said.<ul><li>Over the years, its roster has included artists specializing in everything from Japanese work to traditional and black-and-gray. The shop itself is crowded and colorful, with walls of hand-painted flash and relics accumulated over decades.</li><li>&quot;The legacy is more important than the finances,&quot; Rassier said, adding that the goal was always to have great artists &quot;making art together.&quot;</li></ul><figure><img alt="Colorful tattoo studio filled with framed flash art on walls and front counter; hanging lanterns, a neon sign, a bicycle, and a large potted plant on the right as artists work in the back." height="3213" id="60fda61b-428e-4db4-b514-e4ba591ef030" src="https://images.axios.com/HWZ_TCdneysorEK7IAEgyEhSbkw=/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg" width="5712" srcset="https://images.axios.com/gf_KCMc2q-_e-3Yi5BoaGfxrpv8=/0x0:5712x3213/1920x1080/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg?w=1920 1920w, https://images.axios.com/IZFhq4ysh8tL__AebuM5g2wFQtk=/0x0:5712x3213/1600x900/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg?w=1600 1600w, https://images.axios.com/6_iRFzz6iUgzrgRQz8Ydah5uiRM=/0x0:5712x3213/1366x768/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg?w=1366 1366w, https://images.axios.com/7htXsR4T54Ea-IiESbJ6dU6BGNg=/0x0:5712x3213/1024x576/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg?w=1024 1024w, https://images.axios.com/aAQ6MOZJ4kQefLp5ymL-3VF2rEY=/0x0:5712x3213/768x432/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg?w=768 768w, https://images.axios.com/E1o32s7GTGoHkuBHstuUtspVRPE=/0x0:5712x3213/640x360/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg?w=640 640w, https://images.axios.com/VsZQpccdLiLQyvz71neLCVs5F9c=/0x0:5712x3213/320x180/2026/08/14/1786741414847.jpeg?w=320 320w"/><figcaption>Flash for days. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios</figcaption></figure>Reality check: Preserving that legacy comes at a price.<ul><li>Rassier estimates the move and buildout will cost roughly $100,000, while Sylvia said rent will rise by about $2,600 a month.</li><li>And despite moving just 150 yards, the shop has had to navigate the city&#x27;s planning, zoning and health approval process again while racing to minimize downtime for the roughly 14 people who make their living there.</li></ul>The big picture: Tattooing has transformed from the outsider subculture Rassier and Sylvia entered decades ago into a mainstream profession, but the economics of running a tattoo shop have gotten tougher.<ul><li>Both owners said the industry is in a slowdown, with more tattooers competing for customers and younger clients gravitating toward smaller pieces instead of the elaborate large-scale work popular with previous generations.</li><li>At the same time, Sylvia said high rents, permitting costs, insurance and other expenses make storefront shops particularly expensive to operate, while some tattooers have shifted toward smaller private studios with less overhead.</li></ul><figure><img alt="Triptych scene inside a tattoo shop: left wall with colorful flash sheets, middle close-up of a black-and-gray floral forearm tattoo, right a tattoo artist works on a woman amid framed art in a red room and a yellow sign." height="1080" id="f23739a3-9d5a-4b33-8e84-fa7de05cde4e" src="https://images.axios.com/sYUtrWoqtLY5cjEfvmrl8rTd480=/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg" width="1920" srcset="https://images.axios.com/zj_bUxG22KJXUDN704zrnLO9Q4I=/0x0:1920x1080/1920x1080/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg?w=1920 1920w, https://images.axios.com/weP8ddFZFaHvFxwjF8wuEVXtiyE=/0x0:1920x1080/1600x900/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg?w=1600 1600w, https://images.axios.com/ipKSblDPTy6SBxzrlCAY_vZxGnU=/0x0:1920x1080/1366x768/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg?w=1366 1366w, https://images.axios.com/-KtjGAgBPh1LNbKdKlY4HvwY_qg=/0x0:1920x1080/1024x576/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg?w=1024 1024w, https://images.axios.com/vSG_KqBdJre3h8yhGmLuIKabnKo=/0x0:1920x1080/768x432/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg?w=768 768w, https://images.axios.com/Ke9ETHnz3--4x4M4kp5F1RdHQA0=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg?w=640 640w, https://images.axios.com/iCqBXtuE8lBxsCUSAVZ1Jv5qLnE=/0x0:1920x1080/320x180/2026/08/14/1786742036829.jpeg?w=320 320w"/><figcaption>More art, Nadia&#x27;s fresh tattoo and an artist figuring out placement on a client. Photos: Nadia Lopez/Axios</figcaption></figure>What&#x27;s next: The new shop will have more room for resident and guest artists, plus a facade that&#x27;s considerably harder to miss — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="painted" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbvpl02lZ2y/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" data-vars-content-id="6f586784-8996-46cd-b51b-2541491e89a2" data-vars-headline="Black Heart Tattoo leaves Valencia Street after 22 years" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbvpl02lZ2y/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" target="_blank">painted</a> in a screaming hot pink, with the logo stretched across in enormous black letters.<ul><li>&quot;We just painted the shop like a fucking circus, so you can&#x27;t miss it,&quot; Sylvia joked.</li><li>&quot;Everyone&#x27;s pitching in and it&#x27;s kind of bringing us all together again,&quot; Rassier added. &quot;It&#x27;s exciting.&quot;</li></ul>💭 My thought bubble: I&#x27;ve been tattooed at Black Heart by artist <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Derick Montez" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/derickmontez/?hl=en" data-vars-content-id="6f586784-8996-46cd-b51b-2541491e89a2" data-vars-headline="Black Heart Tattoo leaves Valencia Street after 22 years" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/derickmontez/?hl=en" target="_blank">Derick Montez</a>, so it&#x27;s a bittersweet farewell for me as well. But in a city where beloved places too often close for good, staying in the neighborhood feels like a win.

Slow your roll, it's SF Friday News Quiz time

As the immortal Stringer Bell once said, "we back up."

Like the tides or the rising sun, we return once again for your Friday SF news quiz.<ul><li>To quote the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="immortal Stringer Bell" data-vars-click-url="https://youtu.be/N1zbqn1VorI?si=E9ykrkIIfVRkirVA" data-vars-content-id="34981859-b0c4-4d31-a1b4-f5b4b5a50b88" data-vars-headline="Slow your roll, it&#x27;s SF Friday News Quiz time" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://youtu.be/N1zbqn1VorI?si=E9ykrkIIfVRkirVA" target="_blank">immortal Stringer Bell</a>: &quot;I want you to put the word out there that we back up. You understand me? We back up.&quot;</li><li>Indeed, the news quiz is always back up.</li></ul>Click on in and test those smarts.

Scott Wiener's AI chatbot controversy, explained

The campaign experiment became a warning about the political risks of generative AI.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="State Sen. Scott Wiener&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/10/22/scott-wiener-pelosi-congress-run" data-vars-content-id="7d625565-55c0-4aca-813b-445d017ce701" data-vars-headline="Scott Wiener&#x27;s AI chatbot controversy, explained" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/10/22/scott-wiener-pelosi-congress-run" target="_self">State Sen. Scott Wiener&#x27;s</a> AI chatbot targeting congressional rival <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Connie Chan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/11/20/connie-chan-pelosi-congress-race" data-vars-content-id="7d625565-55c0-4aca-813b-445d017ce701" data-vars-headline="Scott Wiener&#x27;s AI chatbot controversy, explained" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2025/11/20/connie-chan-pelosi-congress-race" target="_self">Connie Chan</a> was meant to turn her record into an interactive campaign attack.<ul><li>Instead, it&#x27;s become a case study in what happens when campaigns hand a generative AI system an opponent&#x27;s identity and then promptly lose control over what it says.</li></ul>

The Bay Bridge's tunnel could soon bear Emperor Norton's name

The 19th century eccentric was among the first to call for constructing a bridge between SF and Oakland.

Few figures capture San Francisco&#x27;s reputation for embracing the unconventional quite like <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Emperor Norton" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2023/09/21/emperor-norton-origins" data-vars-content-id="b776d237-a589-4f2f-8274-f5ca9426df95" data-vars-headline="The Bay Bridge&#x27;s tunnel could soon bear Emperor Norton&#x27;s name" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2023/09/21/emperor-norton-origins" target="_self">Emperor Norton</a> — a 19th century eccentric who was among the first to call for building a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland. <ul><li>Now, State Sen. Scott Wiener, who&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="running to replace" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/06/03/scott-wiener-connie-chan-runoff-pelosi-successor-san-francisco-congress" data-vars-content-id="b776d237-a589-4f2f-8274-f5ca9426df95" data-vars-headline="The Bay Bridge&#x27;s tunnel could soon bear Emperor Norton&#x27;s name" 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/scott-wiener-connie-chan-runoff-pelosi-successor-san-francisco-congress" target="_self">running to replace</a> Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress, wants to honor that vision by renaming part of the Bay Bridge after one of the city&#x27;s most celebrated folk heroes.</li></ul>

Another Friday, another SF News quiz

See how well you know SF news of the past week.

And just like that, summer is two-thirds gone and August beckons.<ul><li>But no matter the season, we&#x27;re here for you with your Friday news quiz. Time to see how up to speed you are.</li></ul>

Gavin Newsom affair returns to spotlight as Ruby Rippey speaks out

Rippey says she's reclaiming a story that has been told only through Newsom's lens.

The woman at the center of Gavin Newsom&#x27;s biggest political scandal is telling her story for the first time, reviving a chapter of San Francisco political history as the governor faces fresh national scrutiny ahead of a potential 2028 presidential bid.Why it matters: For many longtime San Franciscans, the extramarital affair is old news — a scandal that rocked City Hall and almost ended Newsom&#x27;s career nearly 20 years ago.

News 🗞

Behind the Flock backlash in San Francisco

It's SF Friday News Quiz time

Valkyries' rise brings 2027 WNBA All-Star Game to San Francisco

Broadway Tunnel construction to snarl traffic for 14 months

San Francisco to host 2028 MLB All-Star Game at Oracle Park