THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2026
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by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
If you’re reading this newsletter, you’ve likely at least heard that Ruby Rippey Gibney has finally told her side of the story about the 2005 affair between her and then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in Vanity Vair. It’s definitely worth a read as it provides a nuanced account with hard-earned insights about the attraction of power, addiction and personal rationalization on all sides.
One notable point, especially given its timing: the revelation that then-District Attorney Kamala Harris advised her not to tell her story publicly until she was truly ready, advice Rippey says helped her avoid speaking while she was still in crisis.
In other news, in addition to explosive new stories from Susan Dyer Reynolds and Erica Sandberg linked below, our transportation correspondent Jerold Chinn details that OMI and San Mateo Congressman Kevin Mullin has picked up the reins to try and wrangle the wayward robotaxi industry, after Mayor Daniel Lurie blamed Waymo’s iteration of crowded cable car etiquette (“say excuse me and push”) for recent July 4th transit turmoil.
Meanwhile, Reddit users have documented yet another, more hilarious recent example of the robotic Jaguars’ dull doggedness pitted against a city work crew working on Japantown street improvements. Instead of navigating around the work site, the unwavering Waymo simply inched its way though, nudging workers and equipment out of the way, perhaps exemplifying what AI seems to want to do with everyone and everything. We’ve reached out to DPW and Waymo for comment.
In still other news, somebody called the cops on Conor Johnston again.
Formerly chief of staff to London Breed when she was Board of Supervisors’ President in the mid-2010s, Johnston then became a cannabis entrepreneur in the city and environs while remaining a political stunt operative for Breed when she was mayor. He’s gone on to become a sort of knight-errant stunt driver of San Francisco’s remaining open roads, at the helm of a late-model Chevy Lumina wrapped in a just-so color scheme of IBM Selectric Beige.
Johnston has been using his van as a performance billboard in the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress on behalf of State Sen. Scott Wiener, lampooning first primary candidate Saikat Chakrabarti and now runoff hopeful Connie Chan. But when he went to refuel at the Divisadero 76 station around midnight last night, circumstances made for an absurd escalation from what was apparently an attempted animal rescue into a police response.
Popping into the station’s mini-mart to get some protein bars, Johnston heard what he believed to be a trapped bird—possibly a parrot—in the store’s drop ceiling. When he asked the clerk about it, he said it wasn’t his problem.
“So this guy is just letting this parrot starve and die up in his ceiling while he stands in there and listens to its cries for help,” relates Johnston, who is family to former State Sen. Patrick Johnston and San Francisco spinmeister P.J. Johnston, on his Instagram page. He grabbed a broom and tried to free the bird, which apparently set off the clerk. The confrontation escalated, and Five-O was called after the employee allegedly claimed Johnston was attempting to rob the store, which seems unlikely given his bonafides (he’s also the son of a former city probation chief).
According to Johnston, SFPD arrived within minutes, determined there had been no robbery or assault, but declined to intervene to rescue the bird. (We checked with SFPD, and no report on the incident was filed as of press time.) As the encounter ended, Johnston exchanged insults and obscene gestures with the employee in front of the officers.
Johnston urges anyone stopping by the Divisadero 76 to check on the bird’s welfare, adding that “no vans were harmed” in the incident. Maybe Aaron Peskin can help out.
Check out links to our latest content below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
REYNOLDS RAP
How San Francisco’s Pretrial Diversion Program led to the murders of Jessica Sanchez Landaverde and Ed French
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
In the early morning hours of Nov. 23, 2025, Cassidy Wyatt Allen, a repeat violent offender and participant in San Francisco’s mental health diversion program, broke into 38-year-old Jessica Sanchez Landaverde’s residence located at 261 Granada Ave. in San Francisco’s Ingleside District. Allen, a 44-year-old transient with a criminal record spanning 25 years over multiple counties, encountered Sanchez Landaverde, and a struggle ensued.
DRUGS
Crack, credit repair, business loans and a sex-worker hotline
“On July 16, 2026, community advocate JJ Smith recorded a disheveled woman handing a rock of crack cocaine to a man in a wheelchair. Moments later, she unlocked the gate to a storefront office at 457 Hyde Street.
by Erica Sandberg
TRANSPORTATION
San Francisco officials back robotaxi federal bill following Waymo incidents
FSan Francisco leaders are backing a federal bill that calls for stricter regulations over autonomous vehicles, following several incidents involving Waymo vehicles during major events in the city.
by Jerold Chinn
Quote of the week
“Their message is that the Democratic Party would be making a huge mistake if it keeps catering to social justice warriors and fails to understand, respect and appeal to working-class voters.”
—NPR’s Tamara Keith, outlining a report on the party’s troubles that distills the message Wisconsin party chief Ben Wikler for the national organization, in Can ‘Wiklerism’ produce a truce in the Democratic Party wars?
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
REYNOLDS RAP
Jessica survived a break-in by a violent offender out on mental health diversion. Another Jessica wasn’t as fortunate.
Cassidy Wyatt Allen’s escalating violence went unchecked by controversial Pretrial Diversion Program and the court. Part 1 of a two-part series
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
EDUCATION
Inside SFUSD’s ‘ Voices’ curriculum:
Part 2 of a three-part series; Part 1 addresses the lawsuit filed by the Friends of Lowell Foundation against SFUSD; Part 2 details how ethnic studies originated in the 1960s and became ‘liberated’ ethnic studies; and Part 3 covers educational bond oversight.
by Liz Le
POLITICS
Can ‘Wiklerism’ produce a truce in the Democratic Party wars?
Ben Wikler comes to San Francisco with a path to power for the party
by John Zipperer
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EVENTS
Out and about July 30–Aug. 5, 2026
What to do this weekend and beyond
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
We’re in for some nice weather coming up, which is a good thing because most of my picks for the week are outdoors. There are also a few inside events as well, from a craft fair to some music and dance. Read on.
Thursday, July 30
ODC Summer Sampler will feature KT Nelson’s “surreal and compassionate” Nothing’s Gonna Make Sense (Reflections on Grief); Mia J. Chong’s world premiere in collaboration with Eight/Moves; and Catherine Galasso’s world premiere, Unreliable Narrator, drawn from the lives and artistry of ODC’s founding women, Brenda Way, Kimi Okada, and KT Nelson, featuring candid interviews with each alongside rare stage appearances. 7:30 at the B. Way Theater. Tickets from $45.
Friday, July 31
I’ve never been to the Japanese Tea Garden, which I find hard to believe. If you haven’t either, or even if you have, take today to explore this tranquil space originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition. Always free for San Francisco residents; free this morning (9 to 10 a.m.) for others.
Saturday, Aug. 1
The Exploratorium will celebrate Bay Day today when it hauls its NOAA-loaned data collection buoy out of the water for its yearly maintenance. Learn about ocean science and ecology and all the organisms that grow on the buoy and elsewhere in the bay. The buoy collects data on water temperature, salinity, and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and the bay. Tickets from $30.
If you missed last Saturday’s, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Choreofest, you have another chance to see this site-specific work throughout the gardens that turns its open spaces into showcases for the “extravagant creativity, diversity and vibrancy of the Bay Area dance scene.” 2 to 4 p.m. with ASL interpretation on the Great Lawn. Free, RSVP here.
My good friend’s English bulldog, Louie, was a champion dog surfer down in Del Mar and quite the celeb. Down in Pacifica, where the concept of dog surfing originated, you can cheer on a host of local and international doggos to bring home the gold today at the World Dog Surfing Championships. Also enjoy a dog beach fashion contest, dog adoptions, and more. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Linda Mar Beach. Free admission.
Pack a picnic and head to the Presidio Tunnel Tops for the Fiesta en el Parque, a family-friendly celebration of Latin culture, dance, music, community, with fantastic views. Food vendors will also be available nearby at the Presidio Popup. Free, RSVP here (not required, but appreciated). 1 to 4 p.m. at the East Meadow. Free admission.
It’s time for the Renegade Craft Fair’s summer iteration at Fort Mason. There are always many cool offerings here, and it’s always good to support independent artists. Plus, you can bring Fido and Fefe, and sip a libation while you browse. Just know the parking lot gets challenging, especially on Sunday with the farmers’ market, so plan accordingly. And visit the farmers, too. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday in the Festival Pavilion. Free admission.
Celebrate Jerry Day with music by Melvin Seals and JGB with the Jazz Mafia, Spencer Krenz and Friends, and others. 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park. Free admission.
The 52nd annual Nihonmachi Street Fair will take over Japantown this weekend, celebrating the rich traditions and diversity of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. You’ll find Asian artisans, a beer and food fest, live performances, and more. Sadly, the ever-popular Doggie World and Pageant will take a break this year (as will Sounds of Thunder Car Show). 11 a.m. Through Sunday. Free admission.
Sunday, Aug. 2
Melvin Seals and JGB with special guest Donald D. Harrison Jr. will perform tonight at the start of a series, Jerry Week at the Great American Music Hall. Additional performances on Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8 with Axial Tilt. Tickets tonight: $83.
This is sure to be one night of great entertainment: the Richmond/Ermet Aids Foundation’s presentation of its 32nd annual concert and gala, Help is on the Way: Broadway and Beyond, featuring cast members of the national Broadway tour of Beauty and the Beast, currently on stage at the Orpheum through Aug. 9 (although music from that production will not be performed). 7:30 p.m. at the Marines’ Memorial Theatre. Tickets from $53.
Listen to our podcasts
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