San Francisco, CA
SF homeless encampment sweeps continue: Here's what happened with one unhoused man
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Encampment sweeps are continuing throughout San Francisco, but in many streets, the tents are back.
Less than 24 hours after city workers moved homeless individuals from 19th and Folsom, we found several people on the same sidewalk with tents.
We caught up with Ramon Castillo. When we met him on Tuesday, he said he was going to move his tent to another street. On Wednesday, he said he didn’t get to move it at all.
“They took my stuff,” said Castillo and added, “They towed it away. They took it.”
San Francisco intensifies homeless encampment sweeps: ‘It’s time for us to do something’
San Francisco has been doing encampment resolutions or sweeps, but this week, the mayor said they are going to take an “aggressive” approach.
We learned Ramon was arrested and cited for illegal lodging after we left on Tuesday. He mentioned feeling frustrated but was trying to stay positive.
“I’ll be okay. It happened to me too many times. This one is a different thing,” said Castillo.
During the resolution, San Francisco’s Public Works and members of the Department of Emergency Management offered Ramon a hotel room. He declined then, but he had a change of heart.
“Right now, I hope they give me a hotel,” said Ramon.
We made a call to our city contact. They asked for Ramon to meet them at their next location. We looked it up on the map and showed Ramon. He said he would be there at 1 p.m.
VIDEO: As cities begin clearing homeless encampments, service providers prepare for potential influx
Bay Area homeless service providers are preparing for a potential influx of people as cities begin clearing homeless encampments.
We interviewed the city’s Healthy Streets Operation Center Manager on their approach.
“Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the 9th circuit vacating the majority of the injunction. Our approach and work have not really changed as of yet. So we do 72 hour noticing of the 10 locations that we address per week,” said David Nakanishi, MPH, Healthy Streets Operation Center Manager.
Their data shows a total of 41 people were contacted on Monday and Tuesday. All were offered shelter, but 34 of those people or 82% refused.
“Behavior change takes time,” said Nakanishi and added, “The challenge is that for someone who is chronically homeless to be able to move them from the street into permanent housing or even accepting shelter it’s a long process.”
San Francisco can now enforce laws relating to homeless sweeps following court rulings
San Francisco will soon be able to sweep homeless camps without previous, court-ordered restrictions.
A member of the city’s Homelessness oversight commission calls the sweeps inhumane.
“The way that things are happening right now is extremely traumatic to the people that are losing their belongings. When you are outside, all you have is your belongings so to lose that, is a trauma,” said Whit Guerrero, Commissioner of the SF Homelessness oversight commission.
Nakanishi said the city’s approach is compassionate.
“The fact that we could do more 51/50’s which is an involuntary hold for either psychiatric or substance use reasons. There are people at that level on the street that it’s unconscionable as a clinician for me to leave them on the street and not try to address that. So, I think we are approaching as respectfully and with concern and compassion as we can. I wouldn’t be associated with this otherwise”
MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Inside look at how SF stores items collected from homeless encampment sweeps
An exclusive look into San Francisco Public Works’ operation yard where the city stores items collected from homeless encampments.
We waited, but Ramon did not show up at the location the city asked him to meet. The city’s street team said they will follow up with Ramon and offer him shelter again.
Nakanishi said one of the reasons people decline shelter in many cases is because it’s not the type of shelter they want. For example, a single room, or a hotel room that may not be available at that time.
The team in charge of the resolutions said gaining people’s trust is part of the process.
Nakanishi said anyone whose belongings were removed can go to the Public Works retrieval site and collect their items.
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San Francisco, CA
Yes, an $8 Burger Exists in Downtown San Francisco
Sometimes life requires an easy hang, without the need for reservations and dressing up, and preferably with food that’s easy to rally folks behind. The newish Hamburguesa Bar is just such a place, opening in December 2025 and serving a tight food menu of smash and tavern burgers (made with beef ground in-house), along with hand-cut duck fat fries, poutine, and Caesar salad. The best part? Nothing here costs more than $20. Seriously, this spot has so much going for it, including solid cocktails and boozy shakes. It’s become a homing beacon for post-work hangs, judging by a recent weekday crowd.
Hamburguesa Bar’s drinks are the epitome of unfussy: Cocktail standards, four beers on tap, two choices of wine (red or white), boozy and non-boozy shakes, plus 21 beers by the can or bottle. Standards on the cocktail menu are just that, a list of drinks you’ve heard before — such as an Old Fashioned, daiquiri, gin or vodka martini, or Harvey Wallbanger — with no special tinctures or fat-washed liquors to speak of (that we know of, at least). I’m typically split on whether boozy shakes are ever worth it, but the Fruity Pebbles option ($14) makes a convincing case, mixed with a just-right amount of vodka and some cereal bits. (I’ll leave the more adventurous Cinnamon Toast shake made with Fireball to others with more positive experiences with that liquor.)
Downtown and SoMa has a reputation for restaurants closing early, but Hamburguesa Bar keeps later hours, closing at midnight from Monday through Saturday (closed Sundays). It’s also open for lunch at noon during those days, with the exception of Saturdays when it opens at 5 p.m.
San Francisco, CA
Iran conflict disrupts flights out of SFO
San Francisco, CA
Hundreds Rally in San Francisco Against U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran | KQED
She acknowledged that Iranian Americans hold a range of political views, including some who support U.S. intervention, but said she believes the future of Iran should be determined by its people.
“The Iranian people in Iran can decide the future of their country,” she said. “War, I don’t think, is going to help.”
Speaking to the crowd, Mortazavi challenged what she described as a narrative that Iranians broadly support U.S. and Israeli military action.
“They want you to believe that every Iranian … is cheering on the United States and Israel,” she said. “That is unequivocally false.”
She urged attendees to continue organizing beyond the rally and announced plans for additional demonstrations.
Dina Saadeh, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said multiple groups mobilized quickly in response to the strikes.
“I’m angered today,” Saadeh told KQED. “People here don’t want to see our country engaged in more endless war.”
Saadeh described the protest as part of a broader effort to oppose sanctions, military escalation and what she called U.S. imperialism. She said participants were calling on elected officials to redirect public funds toward domestic needs.
“People want money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation,” she said.
KQED’s María Fernanda Bernal contributed to this story.
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