• 23-year-old William O’Reilly of Boston is currently being held in the Bay Area while awaiting extradition on federal charges of conspiring to smuggle Irish nationals from Canada into the United States via boat, typically to New York or Boston. An unnamed co-conspirator told authorities that some of the individuals smuggled into the country are suspected of being involved in criminal activity. [Mercury News]
• An electric Jeep Wrangler caught on fire while charging at Google’s campus in Mountain View on Thursday, spreading to three other vehicles — two Teslas and a Honda — and resulting in about $275,000 worth of damages. Authorities said the cause of the fire appeared to be related to the car’s lithium-ion battery charging system.  [Chronicle]

• Five whales have died in the bay in the past month, raising alarms among scientists already concerned about struggling gray whale populations. Experts are investigating the causes and urging stronger protections as sightings spike and vessel strikes remain a growing threat. [Oaklandside]
• San Francisco is suing HUD over new federal grant conditions that officials say force cities to adopt Trump’s anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-choice policies or lose critical homelessness funding. [David Chiu]
• Here’s how to avoid the gridlock traffic downtown and in Mission Bay during Friday night’s pivotal Warriors and Giants games. [Chronicle]

National:

• A Gaza-bound boat from Malta containing 30 humanitarians from over 21 countries, including prominent figures like Greta Thunberg, was reportedly attacked by Israeli drones early Friday morning. The crew has been posting updates as they seek safe and unhindered passage from the Maltese government. [@gazafreedomflotilla]

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• Eighty years after their heroic service, the Six Triple Eight—the only Black, all-female unit to serve overseas in WWII—has been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. The battalion worked around the clock to clear a massive mail backlog, delivering millions of undelivered letters between soldiers and their families in just three months. [Smithsonian]
• Trump’s latest budget plan slashes funds for permanent supportive housing, threatening to evict chronically homeless people — including veterans — in favor of short-term shelter programs, undermining decades of progress and pushing vulnerable residents back onto the streets. [New York Times]

Video of the Day:

• San Francisco native Margaret Cho wrote a post remembering her friend, musician Jill Sobule, who died in a house fire in Minneapolis on Thursday. Cho shared the video she made for Sobule’s 2009 song, “San Francisco,” which features cameos from various prominent San Francisco folks, including Cho, drag queen Monistat, musician Mark Eitzel, sex columnist Violet Blue, artist Henry Lewis, and writer Stephen Elliott.

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Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

Looks like the Olympic committee is taking a red eye. They said they'd fly from the site of the decision, which was in Denver, to the city with the winning bid. That's Boston, as just announced.

Boston will square off against cities like Rome, Berlin and perhaps Paris, so maybe they'll get to feel the relief most of us do right now when they likely come up short. They might have been as ambivalent as us, anyway.

So, the rendering of that giant stadium thing? Don't worry about it.

Despite sharp opponents in the Bay, including an official anti-Olympics campaign, and farther afield, the "just say no" advice from the Nation, surely some have just had their Olympic dreams extinguished. Sorry, guys (you too, Willie).

Our city placed its bid in November and had banked some transportation improvements on getting it. There will be a next time, but I think we're safe for a while.

All coverage of the Olympics on SFist.

According to new reports, Philip Markoff, AKA the Craigslist Killer, accused of murdering 26-year-old masseuse Julissa Brisman, also went after biological men. An anonymous source in Boston told NBC News "I posted an ad on Craigslist under 'males for transsexuals' ... "That's where he found me." Though the two never met, Markoff replied to the tranny delight using the e-mail address sexaddict5385@yahoo.com, saying, "I am a 22 y/o grad student. 6'3", 205, good build, blond/blue eyes ... let me know what else you want to see or know about me." Markoff also send the source explicit photos of himself, which helped him identify Markoff to police. Markoff, a deeply in debt medical student with a Scott Peterson-like charm, is also suspected of robbing a woman in a Boston hotel prior to Brisman's murder.

(By Joe Kukura)

Congratulations, all of you Boston expats out there. As of this morning, your Celtics are the NBA’s newly-crowned 2008 World Champions. You represent yourselves disproportionately well in Bay Area sports bars and events, yet there is sometimes a perception that we f*cking hate you. That may be, but with last night’s 131-92 demolition of the Lakers, you have acquired another trophy for your impressive collection and did to Kobe Bryant what the Eagle County, Colorado court system couldn’t do.

It appeared to get easier for your Celtics as the playoffs went on. You had your doubts when the Hawks (!) and LeBron each took you to the brink… but the Pistons were misfiring, Ray-Ray found his groove with the addition of that funky-ass arm warmer device, and you have established Kobe as the "greatest Jordan fraud of all time". It was a testament to that storied New England perseverance, and your persistence of faith has paid off grandly.

Oh, and one additional word of encouragement for you, Boston fans… 18-1!

Tournaments will be held in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, with the winners of each city going to finals in New York. San Francisco's chance at playing will be on February 23 at 1015 Folsom, starting at 2 PM. The first 256 people at the door will get a chance to play, along with $10 Best Buy cards. While that's a lot of people to battle, the prizes are very sweet. According to Nintendo:

The grand prize winner will receive a crystal-coated Wii with a design from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a home theater system from Best Buy and a copy of the game. The second-place finisher will receive one Wii system and Wii Remote, one copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and a $1,000 Best Buy gift card. The third-place finisher will receive a Wii and Wii Remote, a copy of the game and a $500 Best Buy gift card. The fourth-place finisher will receive a Wii, an extra Wii Remote, a copy of the game and a $250 Best Buy gift card.

Former Senate Majority Leader (and current Boston Red Sox director) George Mitchell just announced the results of his 20-month, $20 million investigation into allegations of widespread steroid usage in baseball. The long-awaited, 409-page Mitchell Report (document here) identifies more than 80 current and former players as being linked to using performance-enhancing drugs. While the report casts blame on the lack of institutional control within baseball as much as the players themselves that cheated, what everyone cares about are the names.

Let the public humiliation ensue.

The list includes several current and former stars, such as all-time great Roger Clemens (no surprise, given his career arc), Andy Pettitte, and former beloved Dodger Eric “Game Over” Gagne. Others retired stars include the less-beloved former Dodger Kevin Brown (six-time all star), ex-Angel Mo Vaughn (1995 MVP), and David Justice.

Each Tuesday we will feature new music that should (or whatever) be on your radar.

Hutchinson's music walks a fine line between rock, folk-pop, powerpop and sometimes even jazz and funk. We think he sounds like a cross between Jamie Cullum, Jason Mraz and Josh Kelley. The Boston singer-songwriter is destined for success with this strong of a debut. There's definite soul to his music - something that is usually lost in most pop albums.
Download: "Ok, It's Alright With Me" and "Rock & Roll"

For more info on other CD releases, take the jump...