A local nonprofit rented an SFUSD high school for an ethnic studies conference for educators, featuring a workshop about “adultism” and power dynamics in the classroom, which has drawn predictable criticism, largely due to the mistaken belief that city funds paid for it.

For anyone who was once a child, it may seem obvious that adults hold far more power than children over their daily lives. Still, many adults find this concept to be too outlandish, and they’re up-in-arms over a recent workshop on the topic, which took place at SF’s John McConnell High School, as the Chronicle reports.

Teachers 4 Social Justice, the nonprofit that sponsored the workshop, titled “Youth as Knowledge Producers: Challenging Adults Supremacy Through Ethnic Studies,” said it was part of a larger conference called “Ethnic Studies Everywhere,” designed to help educators incorporate ethnic studies concepts across subject areas amid ongoing pushback locally and nationally.

The adult supremacy workshop focused on “adultism,” a framework that examines how authority and decision-making are concentrated among adults and how those dynamics shape classroom relationships and broader social systems.

The Chronicle reports that the workshop drew immediate criticism online, amplified by confusion over who organized and funded it. SFUSD officials confirmed the district did not pay for the conference and had no role in its content or promotion, noting that outside organizations are allowed to rent district facilities and host independent events. The San Francisco teachers' union promoted the training in a newsletter, though it remains unclear how many district or outside educators participated.

Ethnic studies continues to be a contentious issue in San Francisco and statewide. The SFUSD recently replaced its earlier homegrown curriculum with a new standardized version and now requires a yearlong ethnic studies course for graduation starting with the class of 2028. Per the Chronicle, the shift has intensified debate over what the subject should prioritize, with some advocating for a focus on culture and historical understanding, while others support a framework centered on social justice and activism.

Friends of Lowell Foundation, which sent slides of the adultism presentation to the salacious California Post, is legally challenging the district’s ethnic studies curriculum, calling it “illegal and unvetted.”

Similar disputes have occurred across California, per the Post, including Los Angeles Unified, Oakland Unified, and Santa Clara County Office of Education programs, where educators have also received training on adultism.

Additionally, Superintendent Maria Su is scheduled to travel to Washington next week, where she's been summoned by a congressional committee to testify on district policies tied to ongoing “culture war” debates playing out nationally, according to the Chronicle.

She is expected to face questions on transgender policies, LGBTQ instruction, sexual health education, and ethnic studies, areas that have increasingly become focal points in broader Republican-led challenges to race-based curriculum and diversity programming.

Previously: SFUSD Opts For Less Controversial Ethnic Studies Curriculum

Image: Google Maps

Stanford authorities are investigating an incident in which an ex-IDF soldier, who was visiting the campus last week with Miss Israel, is accused of tackling and restraining a student who took a paper sign from the booth.

Melanie Shiraz, who was crowned Miss Israel last year, was visiting Stanford University last Wednesday with a group of former Israeli Defense Forces soldiers as part of a promotional tour at high-profile universities, as the Palo Alto Daily Post reports. The tour was reportedly in support of a Google VR project covering the October 7 attacks from the Israeli perspective.

According to KGO, Shiraz and the soldiers were stationed on campus with signs that said, "I'm Miss Israel. I'm an IDF Soldier. Ask us anything."

The Stanford Democrats Club wrote on social media that several of its members began a discussion with Shiraz and one of the former soldiers, who were reportedly "agitating and engaging in genocide denialism,” as one witness told KGO.

A different witness told the outlet that the students were verbally harassing Shiraz and the soldier and calling them terrorists when one of the club’s members reportedly took a paper sign off the table and fled on his bike.

The club says it condemns the member’s action as well as the ex-soldier’s subsequent use of excessive force, which included chasing down the student, tackling him to the ground from a moving bike, and placing him in a chokehold.

“Although we maintain that students, including our members, should uphold campus rules when engaging in discourse,” says the club on social media, “we strongly condemn the violent actions of this soldier and support the Stanford Department of Public Safety's investigation into the matter.”

The Daily Post reports that Stanford’s public safety deputies were on the scene following the incident, which is still under investigation, and the results will be reviewed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

“We believe that representing and meaningfully engaging diverse perspectives is integral to any college campus,” says the club. “That cannot happen when students are violently attacked.”

Image: BANGKOK, THAILAND - NOVEMBER 19: Miss Universe Israel, Melanie Shiraz,  showcases her evening gown during the 74th Miss Universe Preliminary  competition on November 19, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Mohan  Raj/Getty Images)

A math teacher who’s been at SF’s top public high school for 20 years went on leave after giving students quizzes that demeaned girls and “fat kids.” Some parents are also unhappy that he posted "Grades vs. Dignity" videos on YouTube of students dancing in exchange for extra credit.

As the Chronicle reports, Tom Chan, a math teacher at San Francisco’s top-rated Lowell High School, went on indefinite leave Monday after it was discovered he was giving students quizzes with questions about “dating girls” based on their “sexy points” as well as their weight and punting a “fat kid” into the air.

According to some former students on Reddit and a parent who spoke to the Chronicle, Chan’s been assigning these types of quizzes to students since he first started teaching at Lowell more than 20 years ago.

Lowell Principal Jan Bautista sent out a message to families Monday evening announcing Chan “needed to go on leave,” and his return date was uncertain. The Chronicle reports that district officials wouldn’t confirm whether Chan went on leave of his own accord or by force.

Parents spoke to the Chronicle anonymously due to fear of retaliation from the school. One parent, who said the quizzes promoted fat-shaming and perpetuated stereotypes that girls aren’t good at math, expressed shock that they weren't brought to Lowell administrators' attention sooner.

“It’s pretty shocking,” they said. “The fact that nobody has brought this up to the school and he’s been there a really long time.”

The parent also conveyed discomfort over YouTube videos Chan posted, titled,  “Grades vs. Dignity,” in which students earned extra credit by performing a dance routine in front of other students, which came across as a bit exploitative in such a high-pressure environment as Lowell.

“They’re buying grades from him by humiliating themselves,” the parent told the Chronicle. “The kids look like they’re laughing and stuff, but I’m not sure all of them are into it.”

The parent said their kid liked Chan well enough and the students brushed his humor off as being “bad dad jokes,” which the students interpreted as Chan’s way of making math more fun (to everyone but girls and “fat kids,” apparently).

“We take these concerns seriously and are actively investigating,” said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick, per the Chronicle. “While we cannot share details because this is a personnel matter, we can share that once an issue is brought to our attention, we investigate every report and take appropriate corrective action if required.”

Dudnick said students and families can report any issues or concerns through the school district’s anonymous reporting system, but the parent who spoke to the Chronicle was skeptical their voices will be heard by administrators, and said that the kids in Chan's classes are owed an apology.

Image: Blackjack48/Wikimedia

Concerned families, teachers, and community members packed the house at the San Jose Unified School District’s community meeting Tuesday evening after receiving news last week that up to a third of its elementary schools may be shuttered due to a 20 percent drop in enrollment.

As Bay Area News Group reports, the San Jose Unified School District created a “Schools of Tomorrow” committee last fall consisting of parents, district staff, school employees, and educators to come up with a plan to address the loss of almost 6,000 enrolled elementary school students since 2017. As KTVU reports, the committee will be considering school sizes, programming, and staffing when weighing its decision, which could include the closure of up to nine schools, consolidations, or boundary changes.

Per Bay Area News Group, more than 250 attendees showed up in person at the San Jose Unified School District office Tuesday evening, filling the meeting and overflow rooms to capacity with some gathering outside the building, along with 1,000 additional people attending the virtual livestream. Parents were reportedly given three options to consider Tuesday, which consisted of differing choices regarding which schools would be closed or consolidated.

Parents said they were reeling at the news of the potential closures, which they just received last week. “Our parents are shocked,” Williams Elementary parent Heather Kangarloo said, speaking to NBC Bay Area. “We found out about this almost one week ago.”

Teachers were reportedly notified at the same time as parents. “We only heard of it just a week ago, even the teachers,” said parent and teacher Sharilyn Smyth, per KTVU. “We heard at the same time as the parents did.”

Bay Area News Group reports that many of the attendees at Tuesday’s meeting were parents and teachers from Simonds Elementary School, Williams Elementary School, and Los Alamitos Elementary School, which are the three locations most affected by the new plan. Parents expressed concern over longer school commutes, poorer academic performance, and childcare challenges.

"We don’t want to have more displacement in our neighborhoods," one parent told the committee, per KTVU. "We are already facing a very difficult time. We’re struggling with different things, fear, and it’s something that our kids don’t need anymore."

Per Bay Area News Group, another parent from Williams Elementary School said that about 200 families from Williams have said they’ll likely transfer to another district if the school is closed.

“Our analysis shows that options two and three would displace more than 1,000 students … and move more students into lower performing schools than into higher performing schools,” Ghandikota said, per Bay Area News Group. “That’s not just disruptive. It’s directionally wrong.”

Another parent said the district is likely planning to rent out empty school sites to charter schools. "Closing schools should not be our first priority," said Reed Elementary School parent Angel Zimmer, speaking to NBC Bay Area. "We need to improve them. Once they combine schools, they're saying they’ll likely rent out those empty buildings to charter programs, which are then going to have new enrollment issues."

The committee ultimately voted Tuesday to consider a combination of two options while eliminating the third in order to prioritize special education programs and student transportation. The committee also voted to create a new option that would establish a single new school for students from all the closing schools instead of distributing them across the district.

The school district said in a statement that the committee will hold several public meetings over the next few weeks and “may discard options, modify options, and/or consider new options before developing its recommendation to the Board of Education.”

The next committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, and the board of education is expected to vote no later than March 12.

“I recognize that seeing a school’s name included in discussion about consolidation, attendance boundary changes, or relocation is deeply emotional,” said San Jose Unified Superintendent Nancy Albarrán, per KTVU. “We know families love their current schools. At the same time, we know that thoughtful school portfolio changes can help ensure strong, sustainable programs for both current and future students throughout the district, continuing our long-standing legacy of tackling challenges with a focus on what is best for our students.”

Image: Williams Elementary School/Facebook

San Francisco Unified School District officials announced Sunday evening that teachers will go on strike Monday after their demands weren't met and city leaders unsuccessfully pleaded for a 72-hour pause, with negotiations starting back up at noon on Monday.

As the Chronicle reports, no agreement was made between the United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District over the weekend, aside from a tentative concession protecting undocumented students. As Mission Local reports, the agreement wasn’t enough to call off the strike for Monday, as the union’s demands for pay increases, full health care, and improved special education services still weren't met.

“We have made it very clear that our demands are for fully-funded family healthcare, for educators improvements to special education, and salary increases that do not come at the cost of concessions or takeaways,” said Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, per Mission Local.

As 48 Hills reports, the union’s demands amount to a budget of around $35 million — about half of what the city budgeted for the San Francisco Police Department this year, in spite of the city’s plummeting crime rate. Additionally, teachers earn an average starting salary of $79,000 per year, compared to $119,000 a year for a beginning SFPD officer. Police officers also get full health-care coverage while teachers pay about five percent of their income for health insurance.

Per Mission Local, negotiations between the two parties went on for nearly 12 hours Saturday, with the union making an offer at 2 pm, then receiving a counter-offer around 8 pm. Per Mission Local, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie released a statement at 1 pm Sunday requesting that the teachers' union postpone the strike during negotiations so school could remain in session. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi reinforced Lurie’s statement.

As Mission Local reported Friday, the principals' and administrators' unions, as well as custodians and other school employees, will also be taking part in the strike Monday, keeping schools entirely closed.

“A single administrator alone in a school building does not constitute a functioning or safe school environment. Under these conditions, keeping schools open puts students at risk,” wrote United Administrators of San Francisco president Anna Klafter.

Per Mission Local, teachers and principals received a confusing email from the district over the weekend, assigning staff to various district sites Monday, which many viewed as an attempt to undermine the strike.

“Staff were given work assignments to ensure that anyone who reports to work during a strike has a designated location and can support with district operations,” the message said. Per Mission Local, workers can’t be mandated to report to work, but the school district must provide work to any employees who decline to strike.

Per Mission Local, none of the staff had plans to cross the picket line, and they considered the move an insult. “It is absolutely embarrassing,” said one school principal, per Mission Local. “I am embarrassed on their behalf.”

SFGate has a comprehensive list of resources for families during the strike. The school district will be offering free breakfast and lunch for students, childcare for younger children, and independent study packets. The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families will also be providing meals to students during the strike, and local churches are working with Superintendent Maria Su to provide academic and recreational support, per SFGate.

Image: United Educators of San Francisco/Facebook

Previously: SF Teachers Union Announces Strike for Monday, But 11th-Hour Bargaining Continues

• Community advocates gathered outside the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office Friday in protest of the DA’s decision to not pursue charges against the 19-year-old driver who struck and killed four-year-old Ayden Fang in Burlingame last year. [San Mateo Daily Journal]
• The US Coast Guard San Francisco Sector posted on Facebook asking for information on the owner of a surfboard that was found Friday evening at Ocean Beach, presumably to verify they’re safe. [USCG SF/Facebook]

• A federal judge ruled Friday that federal agents in Minneapolis are prohibited from detaining or throwing tear gas at peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities. [Associated Press]
• A fire hydrant at Broadway and Powell streets in San Francisco began gushing water Friday evening when a car crashed into it around 7:06 pm; no injuries were reported. [KRON4]

• A group of San Francisco elementary school students were spotted protesting ICE in the Haight Friday. [David Robinson/Threads]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

At a San Jose elementary school concert, school board trustee and teacher Brian Wheatley went off-book and sang an unapproved, old-timey Christmas parody mentioning guns, which he’s reportedly sung over the years. The school principal swiftly cut him off and sent out an apology.

As NBC Bay Area reports, families of students at San Jose Unified School District’s Reed Elementary received an email apologizing for a controversial song that was sung by Wheatley during the school’s winter concert program Friday. Principal Jennifer Ponzio wrote in the email that Wheatley had requested to sing a song that wasn’t on the schedule, which Ponzio quickly deemed inappropriate upon hearing and jumped in.

“During the concert, which included eight classes, our Trustee requested to sing a song that was not part of the planned program,” Ponzio says in the email, per NBC Bay Area. “The song, which dates back to the 1940s, included references that were not appropriate for a young audience, including mention of a weapon. After approximately 30 seconds, I intervened and stopped the sing-along.”

"Our Trustee has acknowledged this lapse in judgment and has taken full responsibility for the impact of his actions,” the email continues.

"As a school community, we also recognize the importance of clear expectations and safeguards for school events,” Ponzio’s email concludes. “Moving forward, we will be more intentional and diligent in ensuring that all performances and remarks follow approved agendas and reflect our shared values, so that this does not happen again.”

Ponzio shared Wheatley’s apology, which assures families it will never happen again.

"I wanted to follow up with a direct and sincere apology for my lapse in judgement during the school sing-along,” Wheatley’s email states, per NBC Bay Area. “In an effort to bring levity and humor, I shared verses that were inappropriate, and I'm truly sorry for any disruption or distress this may have caused students, staff or families.”

"I take full responsibility for the impact of my actions,” he continues. “As a board member for the past seven years, I value the trust our school communities place in us and have deeply appreciated many positive moments we have shared at Reed events.”

“Please rest assured it will not happen again” Wheatley concludes. “Moving forward, I will be more deliberate and thoughtful in every school setting to ensure my actions reflect our shared commitment to student safety and well-being.”

Wheatley is currently running for re-election for the Trustee Area 4 seat.

Some parents from Reed Elementary discussed the matter on Reddit. The original poster said his five-year-old came home mentioning some old guy singing a parody of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” about a cowboy with a “big red gun.”

“My daughter came home from our last day before winter break and explained that an old man asked to sing a song at the holiday sing along today,” writes the OP, Huge_Lingonberry_140. “According to my daughter and the principals email, he took the microphone and started singing a parody of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer except the lyrics were about a cowboy with a big red gun, ‘turn and run’.”

“How did this guy get elected trustee and how do we get him out?” the OP concludes.

Redditor iamagrizzly responded saying the song in question was likely “Randolph the Red Gunned Cowboy.”

Another Redditor, CommunicationMany507, said they're a former student of Wheatley, who reportedly sang the song annually, including while carolling with students at local convalescent homes. They said the students loved it back in the day.

But times have changed, largely due to gun violence.

Image: Brian Wheatley Trustee

The post has been updated with the correct first name of Reed Elementary's principal, Jennifer Ponzio.

A student at University of California Berkeley is in critical condition after drowning at an off-campus fraternity house around 11:30 pm Friday night. A preliminary report says the incident took place in the fraternity’s swimming pool, which is still unconfirmed.

As the Chronicle reports, the Berkeley Police Department announced the 19-year-old student was taken to the hospital after a drowning at the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity house on 2422 Prospect Street. The person was reportedly in critical condition as of Saturday. Per the Chronicle, the media is waiting for additional details from the police department.

Per KPIX, the Berkeley Fire Department performed CPR before taking the student to the hospital. The Berkeley Scanner, which pulled information from the police radio at the time, reports that the victim drowned in the fraternity’s pool and was taken to Highland Hospital. The Daily Cal also writes that the student was found unresponsive near the pool.

As the Scanner notes, the pool is a big selling point for the fraternity, as evidenced on its Instagram account.

The investigation is ongoing, and student counseling is available through University Health Services.

“Our thoughts are with the student, their family, loved ones and friends during this time,” said Adam Ratcliff, a spokesperson for UC Berkeley Student Affairs. “We are following our protocols to offer support to the student and their family. The safety and wellbeing of our students remain our top priority.”

"Alpha Delta Phi is aware of an incident at the University of California-Berkeley and is fully cooperating with the local authorities; our priority is the safety and well-being of all members and guests,” the Alpha Delta Phi’s national leadership told KPIX. “As this remains an active investigation, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”

Update: The still unidentified 19-year-old student died from his injuries, as reported on Wednesday, November 19.

Image: Julian K/Google Reviews

In an ironic twist indicative of our times, authors Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin-Pritchard were about to go on stage to discuss their new kids’ book The Day the Books Disappeared at a San Ramon elementary school when they were told not to mention banned or queer books.

As KRON4 reports, the authors say their visit to Country Club Elementary School in the East Bay city of San Ramon on October 17 was cut short when they were told at the last minute by school officials that they couldn’t talk about certain themes in their presentation, which addressed scenarios surrounding the banning of books, including “uncomfortable historical truths, race or racism, and diverse family structures.”

As the site Book Riot explains, the authors frame the concept of book-banning in an age-appropriate manner in the book using individual preferences as an example. The main character uses his newfound ability at making books disappear to get rid of books on topics he doesn’t find interesting, and before he knows it, even the books he likes start disappearing.

Per Book Riot, the authors’ presentation consisted of 45 slides that mainly featured pages from the book along with a few informational graphics about books that have been banned nationwide.

When the authors refused to censor their presentation, they were asked to leave. ​​“Our book was literally written because of book banning; we could not leave that out of our presentation,” Ho told KRON4.

The school district released a statement saying the students who were attending the program — ages four to nine — were too young to understand the concept of book-banning. Per KRON4, the district claims that they contacted the authors’ management with the request in advance, which the authors dispute.

“We were not asked to adjust for younger audiences despite what the district statement says. They told us not to talk about book bans or mention queer books. We did not choose to leave, we were told to leave when we wouldn’t agree not to talk about book bans or mention gay books,” said Ho.

“Caroline was like this is completely out of our integrity like, we won’t be changing our presentation if we’re giving the presentation,” Ho added.

Book Riot notes that there’s an active chapter of Moms For Liberty in Contra Costa County where San Ramon is located, which puts political pressure on public schools and libraries to censor topics on race, sexuality, and gender. The outlet also writes that in 2023, a high school in San Ramon received backlash for including in its library the book Gender Queer and other LGBTQ+ themed books, along with various books by and about Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, which SFist covered at the time.

“Book banning is real, it’s happening everywhere, it’s happening in California,” Kusin-Pritchard told KRON4.

Image: ‘The Day the Books Disappeared’

Related: San Ramon Parents Want To Jump On The Public School Book-Banning Bandwagon

• Several homes in Cupertino were flooded Friday after a water line was damaged near Scenic Boulevard around 10 am. Area residents are urged to momentarily boil their water to avoid contamination. [KGO]

• Students from Oakland’s Coliseum College Prep Academy organized a protest Friday in response to last week’s school shooting in Minneapolis. The students walked out during lunch holding signs that proclaimed: “WE DESERVE TO LIVE,” as part of a nationwide campaign by Students Demand Action [KQED]
• BART made promises in 2019 that the agency would build a backup system to prevent system-wide meltdowns such as the one that occurred Friday morning, but they have yet to follow through on it. [NBC Bay Area]
• Diplomats from Seoul, South Korea are currently in Georgia negotiating the release of around 475 South Korean nationals who were detained by ICE at a Hyundai factory; all business trips from South Korea to the US have been cancelled. [BBC]
• A drive-by shooting occurred around 11:12 pm on the 6000 block of Stevenson Boulevard in Fremont in which at least two people were hit; police are investigating. [KPIX]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

• South Bay high schools are updating policies to manage AI use, aiming to prevent cheating while encouraging responsible, ethical use as a learning tool. Teachers are adapting by combining traditional teaching methods with AI detection and support. [Mercury News]
• A San Francisco-based company, Wildtype, has received FDA approval to produce plant-based salmon, offering a sustainable alternative amid California’s ongoing salmon population decline. The founders hope their cell-cultivated salmon, now served in select restaurants, can help ease pressure on wild fisheries and support future seafood demand. [KPIX]

• A homeless San Francisco man was permanently blinded in one eye after a firework exploded in his face on the Fourth of July; his family is raising funds to help cover his medical care, housing, and basic needs. [Chronicle]
• Ford is recalling over 850,000 vehicles in the US due to a fuel pump defect that could cause engines to stall while driving, with a fix still in development. [Associated Press]
• KVHS 90.5 FM, a long-running Concord radio station, is set to return to the air after the Contra Costa County Office of Education bought it for $1 and pledged to revive its student training mission while keeping classic rock and news programming alive. [Chronicle]
• Oakland native and NFL player Marshawn Lynch’s Fam 1st Foundation and Jordan Brand teamed up to open new basketball court in West Oakland, supporting underserved youth with gear and community programs. [NBC Bay Area]

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• Former Emeryville mayor John Bauters has joined the Fox reality competition show The Snake, where he’s using his political skills to outwit other contestants in a $100,000 game of deception — despite one rival declaring, “You look like you sell vapes.” [Chronicle]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

A Trump administration lawyer announced a sudden reversal Friday in a federal court in Washington, DC, saying that around 1,500 international students around the country would not have their visas revoked after all.

Joseph F. Carilli, a lawyer with the Trump Justice Department, told a judge that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was working on "new system" for reviewing and terminating the visas of international students, as the New York Times reports. Until that system is running, there will be no visa cancellations, at least for now, Carilli said.

Much like other actions by the Trump adminsitration, this follows weeks of chaos and panic among international students, many of them from China and India, who believed they were being forced to leave the country for no reason. Termination notices for their visas prompted a number of students to file lawsuits against the Trump administration, and a class action suit was filed in New Hampshire last Friday on behalf of international students in four states.

As the Chronicle reports, Assistant US Attorney Elizabeth Kurlan spoke at a hearing in US District Court in Oakland this morning, saying that visas for all plaintiffs in the Northern District of California "will remain active or shall be reactivated" while the new ICE policy and system are being developed.

At least 121 students in California had seen their visas revoked by the Trump administration in the last month, and around the country, some students self-deported for fear of detention. In the cases of some students, like one Columbia graduate student whose case was highlighted by the New York Times, the targeting by ICE appeared related to participation in a pro-Palestinian protest last year. Another Columbia student, Yunseo Chung, is a legal permanent resident of the US and has been here since age 7, and she is suing the Trump administration for having ICE hunt her down and try to arrest her.

The administration's sudden reversal today indicates that they did not believe they would succeed in court fights over these cases, and whatever system ICE is now developing to choose which students it should kick out of the country is something they hope will pass more legal muster.

Nevertheless it will be hard to overcome the obvious appearance of animus toward immigrants in general, and toward those who participated in protests against the war in Gaza.

Visa revocations had impacted over a dozen students at San Francisco State, Stanford, UC Berkeley, San Jose State, and UC Santa Cruz. An attorney for some of these students, Johnny Sinodis, told the Chronicle, "We’re getting emails from some of our plaintiffs as we speak," and he confirmed that the students had seen their visa records reactivated either late Thursday or early Friday, in the government's system.

The whole circus has echoes of the first months of Trump's first term in 2017, when his failed effort to block travel from multiple Muslim-majority nations sparked protests at airports, millions of dollars of donations to the ACLU, and fairly swift injunctions by federal judges. By May, Trump had basically given up and moved on, and the courts had spoken, which may or may not happen this time around.

Photo by Jeremy Huang

Rising at 1321 Mission Street between 9th and 10th Streets is what might be thought of as an SRO Hotel for 2015. It's the Panoramic, and it offers us a view of housing for a population that seeks to learn and study on a budget in San Francisco: students and interns.

But the Panoramic isn't just catering to that population, it's requiring that its residents belong to it. Just like multiple properties highlighted in Apartment Sadness, and in an ongoing trend, the Panoramic is an SRO trying to be upscale by avoiding renting to low-income people who aren't students and interns. And how is this not discriminatory housing? How will they even enforce that?

The building is described as a "brand-new high-rise residence... [that] offers affordable apartments and studios with full kitchens, natural light and expansive views; spaces for study, socializing and work."

Yep, all the little stuff is there and taken care of, from utilities, to beds and furniture, to a flat screen TV. With car-share on site, a lobby fireplace and seating area, reading and meditation rooms, dorm-style lounges on each floor, and a roof deck and second floor terrace, it's all, seriously, somewhat tempting. Yet the price, and, frankly, the small spaces, might be a barrier to many. Explicitly marketed as close to a Whole Foods, how affordable do we really expect these places to be? Here's the breakdown.

Choose your own adventure on a 9- to 12-month lease:

First, a shared 600 square foot apartment room with two beds, a kitchen, and a bathroom, one bed is $1,495 per month.

A private room via the Panoramic

Second, a private room in a space totaling that size and also with a kitchen and bathroom is going for $1,995 a month.

A studio (2 beds) via the Panoramic

That last one will probably set some people off — as the Chronicle notes, I guess the idea is to share it?

Here, if you're interested, is a taste of the marketing:

With truly nice-sounding amenities and in an area that's well situated to a young person interning at a downtown company or studying at a conservatory, this could be a good alternative to being price-gouged by a stranger on Craigslist. Especially, of course, for a student or intern with some savings or parental assistance.

But how long can you last in these quarters at that price? As highlighted by the Business Times, a new Urban Land Institute report found that the San Francisco area's high housing costs leave Millennials unsure of how long they'll stick it out.

74 percent of Millennials living in the Greater Bay Area are considering moving away over the next five years due to expensive housing costs, while "just 24 percent are very confident that they will be able to own or rent their desired home in five years — a dramatically lower percentage than Gen Xers, 38 percent of which voiced strong confidence in their ability to move up; or Baby Boomers, at 49 percent," in the words of the report.

In what must be some sort of cosmic sign, a cash-strapped entrepreneur has taken to posting QR codes in BART stations requesting Bitcoin in exchange for "good karma." Verge reporter Casey Newton spotted the sign, which appeals to the rare sympathetic commuter who actually remembers what QR codes are and has a reader installed on their smartphone.

The enterprising youngster may have been inspired by stories like that of the college football fan who recently scored more than $20,000 with a "Hi Mom" sign and Bitcoin QR code. But the livin' isn't that easy for Bitcoin users in the city, at least not yet. Earlier this year, Forbes reporter Kashmir Hill conducted a weeklong experiment in living only on Bitcoin in San Francisco. She lost five pounds, couldn't get a fresh cup of coffee, and wished she could pay for her data plan using Bitcoin. The upside? Okcupid accepts it.

Hill also found that in-person Bitcoin purchases rely almost entirely on QR codes, which started as a failed experiment in mobile advertising: "I’ve never seen so many people actually using QR codes." With that said, you can scan the above code if you feel the urge to earn points on the Bitcoin/karma exchange.

Previously: Is This The Most San Francisco Photo Ever Taken?

[@CaseyNewton]
[Forbes]