THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
To view in browser, get past issues, or subscribe, CLICK HERE
It’s a childrens’ crusade – at the expense of children
by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
Dear readers, you may recall that we recently reported on some of the more unusual developments at the San Francisco Unified School District, including what appeared to be attempts by staff to adopt policies such as Grading for Equity and a non-standard ethnic studies curriculum that celebrated Mao Zedong’s Red Guards without oversight.
You might be asking yourselves, “Where do all these crazy ideas come from?” Well, we may have a clue as to where some of these unusual notions originate.
Elizabeth Statmore, our education opinion writer, recently let slip that some of the leadership of the local teachers’ union, the United Educators of San Francisco, were members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). This communist group has rapidly developed a national profile on the American left and has deep San Francisco roots.
PSL members have been extremely active in progressive protest movements during the Trump era. In June of 2022, when the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and put women’s rights in jeopardy, PSL was ready right after the decision was announced, and took over the Powell St. cable car turnaround to urge downtown shoppers to support “abolishing the Supreme Court.” PSL members were also instrumental in the massive protests over the killing of Banko Brown, a homeless person, by a Walgreens security guard in 2023.
Most recently, PSL has gained a high profile in the protest movement against Israel’s actions in Gaza, promoting extremist stances supporting the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, alleging that Israel has no right to exist, and that all jews were complicit in military actions by Israel. They have also cultivated a similar visibility in the protest movement against the Trump Administration and its deportation policies. Meanwhile many progressive activists and groups dismiss PSL as an opportunistic, cultlike group and as “tankies,” who support violent authoritarian groups and regimes. But now, Trump-aligned members of Congress are holding up PSL as an exemplar of the protest movement and are investigating PSL and funders of the group with connections to the Communist Party of China.
Sometimes, united fronts are just not helpful.
Meanwhile, as it turns out, at least two members of the executive board of the United Educators are also longtime PSL members. Executive VP Frank Lara has run for office on the PSL ticket and attracted controversy for his public support of the invasion of Ukraine. VP for Substitutes Nathalie Hrizi has been described as a founding member of PSL and has also run for office as a PSL candidate. She also offers a nepo-baby narrative to the mix: she’s the daughter of Stewart Alsop, a stratospheric venture capital investor and partner in a firm with Gilman Louie, who used to run In-Q-Tel, the tech investment nonprofit run by the Central Intelligence Agency. Alsop celebrates his daughter’s depredations in a Substack post titled “My Daughter, The Commie.”
Once you’ve uncrossed your eyes, check out links to our latest content below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
CITY HALL
Committee backs Tekkey over Philhour for Police Commission
Tenderloin concerns trump neighborhoods; supervisors vote next Tuesday
by Mike Ege
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has recommended the appointment of Pratibha Tekkey, a Tenderloin-based community organizer, to a seat on the city’s Police Commission over neighborhood activist Marjan Philhour. The 2–1 vote, with District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill dissenting, took place at a regular meeting of the committee on Monday after almost three hours of discussion and public comment. The recommendation will be considered by the full board next Tuesday. Five other applicants also applied for the seat.
TRANSPORTATION
SFMTA board approves Lurie plan to curb vehicular homelessness
A new permit program will offer exemptions for those seeking housing.
by Jerold Chinn
ASIAN VOICES
How the California Massage Therapy Council fails Asian Americans
Nonprofit operates like a government licensing board with no public oversight
by Hanley Chan
Quote of the week
“– The National Weather Service has classified clouds below 500 feet to be fog and above 500 feet to be clouds. So we regularly walk through low-hanging clouds. Just call us the cloud walkers.”
—Will Durst explores the emotional terrain of our city in “San Francisco – Miscellaneous“
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
OPINION
California Legislative Diversity Caucuses stand together against antisemitism
Jew hate has been allowed to metastasize across California’s K–12 schools.
by Elizabeth Statmore
HOMELESSNESS
Q&A with Adrian Tirtanadi
Open Door Legal executive hopes to inspire Mayor Lurie to refund his organization by going on a hunger strike.
by Erica Sandberg
OPINION
It’s the thoughts that count, part 2
Maybe the Democrats’ problem isn’t candidates or issues; maybe it’s math.
by John Zipperer
Like what you see? Support us | Subscribe to this newsletter
EVENTS
Out and about June 19–25, 2025
What to do this week and beyond.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
It’s officially summer this week, so here are my picks for summer solstice celebrations to musicals, Pride celebrations, and more.
Thursday, June 19
It’s National Martini Day, so celebrate accordingly and appropriately, given the local lore tells us the drink originated across the bay in Martinez a long time ago. Izzy’s in the Marina let me know they’ve got a special one curated just for the occasion, the Minty Espresso Martini, which sounds yum. I’d guess other venues will have specials as well. Just be mindful if your tomorrow isn’t a WFH day.
It’s the last few days for A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, which tells the uplifting untold true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a music icon. Through Sunday. Tickets from $58.
Opera lovers have three remaining opportunities to see La Bohème, Puccini’s most adored opera about starving artists falling in and out of love in 19th-century Paris. Tickets from $28.
Friday, June 20
Circus Bella is all in for providing entertainment for the whole family on the Great Lawn at Yerba Buena Gardens with a troupe of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and clowns from the Bay Area and beyond, along with the six-piece Circus Bella All-Star Band. Through Saturday. Free.
Happy Summer Solstice! The San Francisco Botanical Garden invites you to celebrate the longest day by reflecting and enjoying nature’s abundance with family-fun crafts, music, and more, including a mini solstice dance party. Free (S.F. residents); donations welcome (to help the garden “connect people to plants, the planet, and each other.” Best mission statement ever.)
Here’s another option: Grace Cathedral for TILT: A Celebration of Light and Music on the Summer Solstice, an intimate concert with “a different angle on music” performed on the longest day of the year. Includes light bites, summery spritzers, and a liquid light show by Mad Alchemy. Tickets from $55.
Or this: Support local businesses and galleries while strolling the neighborhood and discovering local art, music, and more at the Summer Solstice Inner Sunset Art Walk. Participating merchants will offer seasonal promotions, snacks, and beverages. Free with RSVP (required).
Listen to our podcasts
- Austerity measures at Muni seem to be just the start of drastic cuts
- Fix Prop 19 to preserve affordability or we may lose our homes
- The truth about traffic patterns in the Sunset!
- Refuse the San Francisco Garbage rate increase with Senator Quentin Kopp and Gina Tse-Louie
- Plus more (and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible or everywhere else you get your favorite podcasts)
Support our newsroom
With the support of readers like you, we provide thoughtful articles and media for a better San Francisco. This is your chance to support credible, community-based, public-service journalism. Please join us!
