THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026
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by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
Did you wake up early this morning?
Depending on where in the city you live, it may not have been the Recology pickup. Instead, it may have been city workers and volunteers doing the PIT count, the biennial snapshot of people living on the streets as required for federal funding of homeless assistance programs.
This is the first year the count takes place in the early morning rather than at night. It’s one of two major changes to the count, based on stakeholder input: the other is that workers will actually survey people as they count them to verify they are actually homeless.
Well, that’s certainly an improvement. Let’s Go, San Francisco!
District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey called for a hearing on San Francisco’s Drug Court at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting in response to the Chronicle’s coverage of the system’s failures. If you’ve been a regular reader of The Voice, you know that we’ve been covering the problems with Drug Court and other diversion programs since October and earlier. This week Susan Dyer Reynolds explores how the DA’s office continues to neglect issues around defendants vectored into mental health diversion (including Drug Court) that reoffend, often with tragic consequences.
Earlier this month, we covered the lawsuit Lowell High journalism advisor Eric Gustafson filed against SFUSD. In a drama reminiscent of the infamous Schenectady school district scandal of the mid-2000s, Gustafson alleged that the district retaliated against him for student articles in The Lowell, which covered issues such as student drug use and alleged teacher harassment, creating more work for school administrators. This week we’re gratified to report that Gustafson has won reinstatement in court. This coming Sunday our education contributor John Trasviña will be joining us on our Sunday Brunch Space on X to discuss more transparency problems at the Board of Education, and he may be sharing a modest proposal for charter reform involving the district.
Stay tuned, stay warm, get some sleep, and check out links to our latest content below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
REYNOLDS RAP
San Francisco had five attempted murders last July; four of them are in mental health diversion
Child abuse causing death, domestic violence, elder abuse, assault with caustic chemicals, and ‘attempted torture’ also avoid criminal court
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
n 2021, I began working on a story about the number of violent felons that District Attorney Chesa Boudin was sending to mental health and drug diversion, but I was thwarted by Boudin’s office when asking for the data. The victim advocacy and public safety group Stop Crime SF had also requested the data to no avail, so they hired renowned First Amendment attorney Karl Olsen to submit a Public Records Request on their behalf.
Part 1: How the District Attorney’s Office still fails to track recidivism or termination data for defendants in mental health diversion programs, including those charged with violent felonies. Click Here
Part 2: We follow a number of infamous diversion cases, including two recent and notorious cases where offenders assaulted and/or killed innocent people after going through diversion. Click Here
CITY HALL
‘Peskin Ban’ edges closer to ballot, but not without grousing
The board also elided the most important point in the debate over strengthening term limits. Only one member of the Board of Supervisors has abused the two-term loophole since the current city charter was adopted in the 1990s, and by not mentioning that former member, the supervisors effectively confirmed that he is on everyone’s mind.
by Mike Ege
TRANSPORTATION
Central Subway extension to North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf uncertain as SFMTA faces budget crunch
Despite calls from a San Francisco supervisor, plans to extend Muni’s Central Subway remains unknown as SFMTA prioritizes budget gaps and near-term fixes.
by Jerrold Chinn
Quote of the week
“…maybe this is just because I’ve been in this job for so damn long, but I do think that we get better over time, that we learn things, that we pick up skills, that we are less likely to make mistakes. And that’s a benefit for our constituents.”
—Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman on the paradox of term limits, in “‘Peskin Ban’ edges closer to ballot, but not without grousing”
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
EDUCATION
Lowell journalism teacher wins reinstatement
Court rules SFUSD retaliated for protecting student journalists’ rights
by John Trasviña
EDUCATION
Going nowhere on housing
District scores are sliding in the wrong direction due to audaciously high reading goals that will never be met.
by John Zipperer
NEWS
San Francisco promises safe, clean streets for Super Bowl
Police agencies will also work to protect free speech, eschew immigration enforcement
by Mike Ege
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EVENTS
Out and about Jan. 29–Feb. 4, 2026
What to do this weekend and beyond
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
There’s a variety of ways to occupy your free time this week from theater to a cultural festival, a large-scale mural unveiling, chamber music, and more. Read on.
Thursday, Jan. 29
The nine-time Tony Award-winning, widely acclaimed Book of Mormon is nearing the end of its run. The “outrageous” musical comedy follows two missionaries sent halfway around the world to spread the “good word.” Through Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets from $81.
Friday, Jan. 30
Enjoy art, music, theater, dance, fashion, oddities, circus, and more, including a vendor bazaar and free daytime market at the Edward Gorey-inspired Edwardian Ball 25th Anniversary. Through Saturday at the Regency Ballroom. Tickets: $145.
Saturday, Jan. 31
Entangled centers on two female scientists living and working in isolation in the mountains of New Mexico alongside an unpredictable handyman. Framed by the concept of quantum entanglement, the play investigates the complex interplay between personal and professional relationships as competing realities, emotional strain, and unresolved conflicts emerge. Through Sunday at the Magic Theatre. Tickets $20
At the family-friendly Slavic Festival, you can enjoy traditional food from local vendors; live dance, music, and song performances; folk dance classes, a costume contest; vodka tasting, and more. Through Sunday at the Russian Center of San Francisco. Tickets: $18
Listen to our podcasts
- Freedom of the press is affirmed at Lowell High School and teachers in SFUSD are considering a strike!
- Scott Weiner, TikTok, endorsements, censorship and more!!!
- The Warriors care and so do Kaiser workers!
- The Super Bowl Is coming and so are 3,000 ICE agents!
- Plus more (and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible or everywhere else you get your favorite podcasts)
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