From SFGATE

  • BART riders frustrated by new Clipper card readers

    At some East Bay stations, BART riders may notice a slight delay when using the agency’s new Clipper card readers. The readers, known officially as Tri Reader 4 (TR4) card validators, are part of “the next generation of Clipper,” an initiative that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission says will make paying for transit “faster and more convenient.” But for some, at least, the faster part hasn’t been quite realized yet. Counter to the initiative’s goal, SFGATE staff and members of the public...

  • Texas just took a big hit in its competition against California

    For the past few years, it has seemed like tech’s future might be not in Silicon Valley, but in Texas. In the early years of the pandemic, Austin shaped itself into a tech hotspot: Tech workers, rendered nomadic by COVID-19-related remote work policies, eyed the city for its affordability and more relaxed pace of life, and companies eyed its comparatively lower taxes and looser regulations. The state’s government raced to poach California tech companies, playing into the hype and touting...

  • Former NBA Forward Justise Winslow Lists His Swanky SoCal Mansion for $5.3M

    Former NBA forward Justise Winslow failed to crack an NBA roster in the 2023-2024 season and might be looking to ply his hoops skills overseas this fall. He recently listed his Tarzana, CA, mansion for $5,295,000. The huge six-bedroom, seven-bath residence occupies nearly an acre and a half in this leafy Los Angeles suburb. The house was built in 1951. Realtor.com An enormous living room flows to the kitchen. Realtor.com Marble-clad kitchen Realtor.com This bedroom accesses the back patio and...

  • Tesla charging stations now open to all electric vehicles in California

    Tesla’s network of charging stations in California is now open to non-Tesla electric vehicles, Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted in a Saturday post on social media. The governor said the move brings the total number of public charging stations in the state to more than 105,000. Newsom said that figure includes 10,000 fast-charging stations, which can add substantial power to an electric battery in just a few minutes. The expansion comes amid California’s attempt to shift drivers away from cars...

  • Like the Warriors last year, the Athletic almost immediately buried the Suns

    Stephen Curry calls himself the “petty king,” and his subjects seem all too willing to follow suit. The Phoenix Suns were swept out of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, losing Game 4 of their first-round matchup 122-116. For the pettiest Golden State Warriors fans, though, all that really matters is that Kevin Durant was swept in the first round. In the aftermath of the loss, social media was aflame with posts about how KD’s post-Dubs career has been questionable at...

  • Multiple cars reported in flames in SF's Tenderloin on Sunday morning

    Multiple cars were engulfed in flames in at least three separate fires early Sunday morning in San Francisco, police said. The first fire occurred at approximately 5:13 a.m. in the Tenderloin, Allison Maxie, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department, told SFGATE. When police arrived on the 400 block of Ellis Street, officers found an unoccupied car in flames. The San Francisco Fire Department subsequently extinguished the blaze, Maxie said. Another fire was reported minutes later,...

  • Rare Lake Tahoe football star signs pro contract after NFL Draft

    Usually the only association between Lake Tahoe and the NFL comes every July from the annual celebrity golf tournament. But a graduate of a local high school just landed an NFL contract and could become part of an ultra-rare club for the region. Tight end McCallan Castles signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent, Castles’ agency announced on Saturday in a post on X. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the South Tahoe High School graduate’s Eagles contract is for...

  • SF Giants fans think new hit celebration is an ode to NSFW joke

    San Francisco Giants players have a new gesture to celebrate hits this season, and there’s a growing consensus among fans that it’s a reference to an infamous gag from the team’s first San Francisco-era title-winning team. Giants fans sound convinced the gesture — where players swipe their hands down across their face, then mime a zipper shutting across their mouth — is a reference to “The Machine,” a gimp gear-wearing character that the Giants’ current hitting coach, Pat Burrell, brought to San...

  • Internet is about to become a lot more expensive for millions of Californians

    An immensely popular government program that granted $30 monthly discounts for internet service is about to run out of money. That’s brutal news for California, where half of all eligible families have signed up — in Oakland alone, internet service is about to get pricier for thousands of people. April is the last fully funded month for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which launched at the end of 2021 and grew to subsidize internet for more than a sixth of American households. It’s popular...

  • The best San Francisco events you missed in the last week (or so)

    San Francisco’s culture is alive, and well and we’re here to prove it. Despite the popular opinion that San Francisco’s art scene has gone extinct, this is one of the coolest cities in the entire world, full stop. It can be easy to lose sight of that with so many complicated civic news stories, so we at SFGATE are starting a new column celebrating the moments that remind us why we love living here. This week’s edition features the rowdy rebirth of one of San Francisco’s most iconic bars, a...

  • 49ers sign undrafted quarterback after NFL Draft wraps up

    With San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy only 24 years old, the team likely hopes his time at the helm is just beginning. But for a little insurance, the Niners picked up an undrafted quarterback on Saturday after the NFL Draft wrapped up. Tanner Mordecai, a senior out of Wisconsin, will be the 49ers’ fourth quarterback behind Purdy, Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen. Mordecai started his college career in 2018 at Oklahoma. In three seasons there, he threw just four touchdowns, and in 2021...

  • Disneyland's new celebration is the park's most exciting event in years

    What’s especially exciting about Disneyland After Dark events — the after-hours events like Sweethearts’ Nite and Oogie Boogie Bash that shut down Disneyland or Disney California Adventure early to people not holding a separate, pricey ticket — is how different they are. For up to $179, guests can experience a highly themed evening that has exclusive characters and specialty foods, and entertainment not usually offered in the parks. But the park’s Pixar Fest, which started April 26, has added...