48 Hills | Independent daily San Francisco news + culture

A (temporary) win for science and sanity

Congress rejects rule that would give Trump control over all research and academic grants—for now

Healthcare Bruce Mirken - September 8, 2026

A search for the corrupt insiders in Lurie’s City Hall

The mayor says he wants to root them out. Maybe he should start with the billionaires funding his charter amendments

Humor Joel Schechter - September 8, 2026

Under the Stars: abracadabra summons spiky ’80s downtown funk magic

Plus: Daniel Villareal's dope jazz vibes, Thee Sinseers' sweet time portal, and a tribute to the beloved Phone Booth

Music John-Paul Shiver - September 8, 2026

AI, sexual harassment, and a drag queen at a nurse’s convention

An attempt to make sense of the races for Congress and D8 in San Francisco

Campaign Trail Sasha Cuttler - September 8, 2026

Onstage

Fall Arts Preview: Grab a seat (or run for your life) at these 11 great stage shows

Charles Lewis III - September 8, 2026

Margaret Cho's punch-up, an immersive slasher, giant alien puppets, a bridge-spanning 'Lear,' a burlesque bonanza, much more

Art

Fall Arts Preview: 8 visual art shows you simply must see

Emily Wilson - September 7, 2026

Sandow Birk's carceral Californian landscapes, Nexus Black Art Week's stunning breadth, Ha Chong-Hyun's singular style...

Music

Fall Arts Preview: 10 live music shows to ring in autumn ears

John-Paul Shiver - September 7, 2026

Martin Luther McCoy, Kofy Brown, Jack White, Erykah Badu and The Alchemist—Bay 'summer' is back.

Opinion

Why is SF encouraging a notorious landlord to build luxury housing in Lower Haight?

Lisa Awbrey - September 7, 2026

Giant, predatory Greystar Parntners is developing 400 Divis. Mahmood and the Yimbys are cheering

Sponsored link

Screen Grabs: Has the cinematic fantastical become banal?

Movies Dennis Harvey - September 7, 2026

Sci-fi overload in 'Hope.' Plus: A lost Joan Crawford, 'Twin Peaks' marathon, unnerving 'Militia,' topless 'Gandahar,' more big screen thrills

35 years in, Bratmobile revs up the power of riot grrrl

Music Angelique Persails and Joshua Rotter - September 7, 2026

Drummer Molly Neuman on the draw of the underground scene, zines versus social media, and playing Bottom of the Hill before it closes.

Lurie and Mamdani could not be more different

The Agenda Tim Redmond - September 6, 2026

Plus: Big Tech money moves into D10 .... and will the Planning Commission approve a project without knowing what it is? That's The Agenda for Sept. 7-14

The best Bay Area rap albums of 2026 (so far)

Music Alan Chazaro - September 4, 2026

Trunk Boiz' epic return, Larry June's smooth cruising, an Avengers-style rap supergroup: Local hip-hop remains unstoppable.

Drama Masks: A message of trans power delivered with operatic oomph

Stage Review Charles Lewis III - September 4, 2026

As SF Opera aims to cut its workers' pay, Opera Parallèle celebrated resistance with 'Revolution is Just the Beginning.'

Luis E. Garcia’s paintings weave a vital connection to his Pipil roots

Art Mary Corbin - September 4, 2026

A CCSF class in Mesoamerican art history opened his eyes to Indigenous cultures, and sparked his own journey.

SFPD drone spying policy faces backlash

Police Tim Redmond - September 3, 2026

Community groups, commission members dubious about letting cops use surveillance technology without more guardrails

BIG WEEK: Zinefest, Bizerkley, Hiero Day, Free Shakespeare, BART Speedrun…

Big Week Marke B. - September 3, 2026

'Frankenstein' goes heavy metal, Samara Joy, Bikini Kill, English Beat, 'Buddy,' Bloghaus, Ensambles Ballet Folklórico, more to do!

Security guards protect billion-dollar tech companies—and can’t get a decent contract

Labor Quin Stevens - September 3, 2026

Some of the richest companies in the world are protected by some of the lowest-paid workers.

Best of the Bay 2026 Editors’ Pick: Theatre Bay Area

Best of the Bay Lou Fancher - September 3, 2026

50-year-old arts org helps the local show scene survive and stay accessible—especially with Bay Area Theatre Week.

Ficks’ Picks guide to CROSSROADS fest’s eerie experiments, fresh local voices

Movies Jesse Hawthorne Ficks - September 2, 2026

SF Cinematheque's annual avant-garde bonanza is haunted by graveyard perversions, pole dance ruminations, spooky homes.

Free jams and ‘Forever Grateful’ with Grahame Lesh & Friends

Music Joshua Rotter - September 2, 2026

With a musical blast, the Grateful Dead scion opens part two of a sprawling exhibit dedicated to the band's memory.

48 Hills is community-supported journalism

The Bay's progressive source for news, analysis, and culture needs your help. Your tax-deductible donation keeps the fight going. Become a supporting member!

Become a Member

Movies

Screen Grabs: Has the cinematic fantastical become banal?

Sci-fi overload in 'Hope.' Plus: A lost Joan Crawford, 'Twin Peaks' marathon, unnerving 'Militia,' topless 'Gandahar,' more big screen thrills

Movies Dennis Harvey - September 7, 2026

Screen Grabs: The making of a spectacular Hollywood horror disaster

Screen Grabs: Meep meep! ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ finally crashes into theaters

‘American Doctor’: Racing against death and dehumanization in Gaza

Music

Under the Stars: abracadabra summons spiky ’80s downtown funk magic

Plus: Daniel Villareal's dope jazz vibes, Thee Sinseers' sweet time portal, and a tribute to the beloved Phone Booth

Music John-Paul Shiver - September 8, 2026

35 years in, Bratmobile revs up the power of riot grrrl

The best Bay Area rap albums of 2026 (so far)

Drama Masks: A message of trans power delivered with operatic oomph

Art

Fall Arts Preview: 8 visual art shows you simply must see

Sandow Birk's carceral Californian landscapes, Nexus Black Art Week's stunning breadth, Ha Chong-Hyun's singular style...

Art Emily Wilson - September 7, 2026

Free jams and ‘Forever Grateful’ with Grahame Lesh & Friends

Viz Valley DIY joint Bric-A-Brac blends peculiar creations with punk attitude

Maren Hassinger’s evocative BAMPFA retrospective reaches up, up, up

Sponsored link

Housing

Why is SF encouraging a notorious landlord to build luxury housing in Lower Haight?

Giant, predatory Greystar Parntners is developing 400 Divis. Mahmood and the Yimbys are cheering

Opinion Lisa Awbrey - September 7, 2026

The Chron discovers, sort of, that Wiener’s housing bills are a con

Planning Commission sides with mayor on cutting fees for affordable housing

Lurie and four supes move to cut affordable housing fees for luxury developers

Politics

A search for the corrupt insiders in Lurie’s City Hall

The mayor says he wants to root them out. Maybe he should start with the billionaires funding his charter amendments

Humor Joel Schechter - September 8, 2026

Lurie and Mamdani could not be more different

Security guards protect billion-dollar tech companies—and can’t get a decent contract

Let’s just say it: The SF Democratic Party has become a total embarrassment

Opinion

A search for the corrupt insiders in Lurie’s City Hall

The mayor says he wants to root them out. Maybe he should start with the billionaires funding his charter amendments

Humor Joel Schechter - September 8, 2026

Why is SF encouraging a notorious landlord to build luxury housing in Lower Haight?

OPINION: These police sex-worker stings have got to stop

Jenkins sends a Trump-like message with bridge protester trial

Sponsored link

Performance

Fall Arts Preview: Grab a seat (or run for your life) at these 11 great stage shows

Margaret Cho's punch-up, an immersive slasher, giant alien puppets, a bridge-spanning 'Lear,' a burlesque bonanza, much more

Onstage Charles Lewis III - September 8, 2026

48 hillsIndependent San Francisco News + Culture

48 hillsIndependent San Francisco News + Culture

48 Hills is community-supported journalism

Movies

Music

Art

Housing

Politics

Opinion

Performance

Nightlife

Cannabis

News

Politics

Arts

Culture