🍂 Happy Monday and welcome to November!

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny with highs in the mid-60s, lows around 50.

🎧 Sounds like: "Oh Klahoma" by Jack Stauber.

💜 Situational awareness: The city will celebrate the Valkyries' historic WNBA championship with a victory parade Wednesday from noon to 2pm along the Embarcadero, starting at the Ferry Building.

Today’s newsletter is 891 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Only in San Francisco could walking a dog become a job that doesn't actually involve a dog.

The big picture: A startup recently advertised an unusual gig: walking robotic dogs around the city's streets for $20 an hour, the New York Times reports.

• No previous experience required, no poop bags are necessary.

Between the lines: The job involved spending four to six hours guiding four-legged machines along sidewalks, though applicants needed to be comfortable handling robots weighing roughly 33 pounds, per the Times.

Zoom in: The company behind the listing is Dimensional, a startup based in Dogpatch (yes, really) that's developing software to help robots perform everyday physical tasks.

• Founder Stash Pomichter, 26, told the Times the company wants robots to eventually handle jobs like moving heavy objects, transporting supplies and patrolling buildings.
• But first, the machines need to learn how to navigate busy sidewalks without someone steering them.

How it works: Human walkers guide the robots while onboard cameras and sensors collect information about their surroundings, the Times reports.

• Engineers can then compare how the machines perform under human control versus AI, using that information to improve their software.
• Dimensional has purchased more than 100 robotic dogs and 50 humanoid robots from manufacturers around the world.

Caveat: The experiment revealed that AI still struggles to control physical robots reliably, meaning human supervision remains essential.

• Unlike actual dogs, these mechanical companions can overheat and stop working mid-walk, leaving their handlers to carry them back.

Dimensional envisions its technology eventually being used in factories, construction sites, data centers and security operations.

The bottom line: For all the talk about robots replacing human workers, San Francisco's latest tech experiment suggests they might also be creating some pretty strange jobs along the way.

A federal appeals court rejected the Justice Department's emergency bid to set aside mail ballots tied to more than 20,000 California voters the Trump administration suspects are noncitizens.

Why it matters: The 2–1 ruling leaves California's election procedures intact just days before the midterms, with the judges citing doubts about the DOJ's voter list and the risk of disenfranchising eligible voters.

• The ruling is a major setback for a DOJ that has doubled down on unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the Golden State.

What they're saying: The majority cited the lower court's finding that the DOJ's process for identifying suspected noncitizens was "not credible," undermining its claims.

• "Granting [the United States]'s request would provoke catastrophic change, upending the administration of the election," it wrote, quoting the district court's finding.

The other side: Ninth U.S. Circuit Judge Patrick Bumatay dissented, arguing that counting votes from noncitizens dilutes the power of citizens.

• The White House and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Catch up quick: The DOJ sued California in mid October for refusing to segregate the ballots it asserted were sent to noncitizens.

• A district court denied the request for an injunction, deciding that the federal law the DOJ was relying on to bring the suit did not supersede existing state law.
• The Trump administration appealed. The administration can now appeal again to the Supreme Court.

Zoom out: Trump has continued to make false claims of widespread voter fraud throughout the year, which some election officials and voting rights groups argue could undermine trust in America's elections.

Full story

💻 Tech companies Front and Dropbox are cutting a combined 110 local jobs, adding to nearly 14,500 layoffs announced so far this year. (SF Chronicle)

📚 Adobe Books was vandalized with paint three times in six days, leaving volunteers wondering who's behind the attacks and whether they're politically motivated. (Mission Local)

🍸 Yabani, a new cocktail bar blending Arab and Japanese flavors, is opening this Friday at 1779 Folsom Street. (SF Eater)

🗳️ Nearly 130,000 San Franciscans had already cast their ballots as of Saturday, putting early voter turnout ahead of June's primary. (CBS)

📸 Despite Mayor Lurie's new privacy restrictions, SFPD can still retain license plate photos from Flock cameras for up to a year, far longer than several other Bay Area police departments that delete the data after 30 days. (Mission Local)

🗳️ Your local reporters are working to help you understand the races, candidates and issues shaping your community.

📍 Become a member today and support journalism that keeps voters informed.

Thank you for reading and supporting local election coverage.

🏆 The Golden State Valkyries are officially WNBA champions!

Driving the news: The Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a nail-biting Game 7 at the Chase Center on Halloween night, securing their first championship in just their second season.

• Finals MVP Gabby Williams led the way with 30 points, including 28 in the second half, helping the team pull off a comeback in front of a sold-out crowd.

🎉 What's next: Clear your calendars. A championship parade is taking place this Wednesday.

🍁 Nadia is happy that it's fall.

This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.