San Francisco, CA

The U.S. Government Secretly Tested Biological Weapons. The Citizens of San Francisco Paid the Price.

Published

3 weeks ago

June 22, 2026

Press Room

The U.S. Government Secretly Tested Biological Weapons. The Citizens of San Francisco Paid the Price.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

During the early decades of the Cold War, the U.S. government conducted 239 open-air germ warfare tests around the country to assess to dangers of a possible chemical attack on civilian populations.
One of the most infamous, known as Operation Sea-Spray, purposefully pumped aerosols of the bacteria Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii—both believed to be harmless to humans—over the San Francisco Bay Area.
While the operation itself was a success, it’s likely that the test resulted in the death of one man and the sickening of at least 10 others.

San Francisco is known for its fog. Sitting at the intersection of warm air flowing from California’s interior and cool air moving in from the Pacific, low-lying fog and clouds are a common sight. But in 1950, from September 20 until September 27, a different kind of cloud descended on the city of some 800,000 people—a cloud that had been purposefully released by the U.S. government as a secret bioweapons test.

No, this wasn’t some dastardly plan by the government to conduct a macabre experiment on its own citizens. Rather, it was a measure intended to safeguard against other rival nations trying to poison an American city. The government selected San Francisco for its ideal dispersal conditions, tall buildings, and large population, and to pull this off safely, the government relied on the bacteria Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii—both believed to be harmless to humans.

“They needed something that was, first of all, thought to be harmless,” Matthew Meselson, a molecular biologist from Harvard, told KQED last year, “because they certainly didn’t want to kill everybody in San Francisco or Oakland. And [they also needed something] that could easily be detected by simple methods.”

Since the Second Battle of Ypres during World War I, when the German army killed thousands of French Algerian colonial troops by unleashing chlorine gas on April 22, 1915, followed by a second gas attack on Canadian troops two days later, nations had been grappling with the threat of unconventional weapons. With its illusion of geographic imperviousness shattered by the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States moved to address its own vulnerabilities. In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the creation of the first U.S. biological weapons program. Part of the mission of this program was to determine just how vulnerable U.S. cities could be to a biological attack.

In 1948, the Committee on Biological Warfare—led by University of Wisconsin bacteriologist Ida Balwin—suggested simulating chemical attacks through air, water, and infrastructure (such as subway systems) with non-harmful organisms to understand the threat under real environmental conditions. So, two years later, the stage was set for Operation Sea-Spray, and the entire operation almost went without a hitch. Almost.

Serratia marcescens is found naturally in water and soils, and it’s known to be harmless to humans. But it isn’t typically sprayed in the air in large quantities, and unfortunately, one of those bacteria-filled clouds descended on Stanford University Hospital on Clay Street in San Francisco. There, eleven patients developed inexplicable Serratia marcescens infections. In the case of a 75-year-old Irish American named Edward Nevin, who was recovering from prostate surgery, the bacteria found its way to his heart, killing him. Doctors at the hospital were so puzzled that they even published a scientific paper regarding the infections in October of the following year.

President Richard Nixon ended U.S. research into bioweapons in 1969, and a treasure trove of information about that research was declassified in the 1970s. It revealed that the U.S. had performed 239 open-air germ warfare tests around the country, including in the subway in New York City, on the Pennsylvania turnpike, and in the national airport in Washington D.C. According to KQED, Edward Nevin III—the grandson of the man who died during the faux attack—read these reports and decided to sue the U.S. government, even though he accurately foresaw that he’d eventually lose.

“But we still had to tell the story,” he told KQED. “To have a citizen submitted to that kind of risk is awful.”

Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.

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San Francisco, CA

1 dead, 2 missing after boat capsizes near Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay

Published

10 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

1 dead, 2 missing after boat capsizes near Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay

One person is dead and two others are missing near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay after a boat with 19 people aboard capsized Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

A vessel was reported to be on fire around 600 yards off Alcatraz around 3:35 p.m., and police found a capsized three-deck pontoon boat, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said.

The incident was initially reported as a fire, but no first responders reported witnessing a blaze, Crispen said.

Everyone on the boat is believed to have been adults, Crispen said. A dog was also on board and is dead, he said.

Thirteen people were safely rescued, and another three were transported to hospitals, Crispen said.

Firefighters are “in full rescue mode,” with 11 boats and divers as part of the response, Crispen said.

“We are going to continue for hours to make sure that we find these two missing people, if possible,” Crispen said.

“It seemed like a recreational-type vessel, but that’s all we know at this point,” Crispen told reporters.

The vessel reportedly launched from a yacht club, and investigators were still gathering information, he said.

Helicopter footage from NBC Bay Area showed responding rescue boats and debris floating in the water. Video from the station appeared to show some of the rescued with blankets on shore.

Local police departments and private vessels also responded to the incident, Crispen said.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck search and hopefully rescue,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

When first responders arrived, some people were in the water, others were on the sinking boat, and others were falling into the water, Crispen said.

Alcatraz Island is the site of the famous prison located in San Francisco Bay, around 1 mile offshore. It was closed as a federal prison in 1963 and is now a National Park.

Crispen said the search would be extensive.

“Our standard operating procedure is to continue to search, as long as it’s safe enough for us to search,” he said.

He said divers were in the water, helicopters were above, and officials were searching areas where survivors in the water would tend to move to.

“This search will go on for some time,” Crispen said.

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San Francisco, CA

Sold-Out SF Marathon 2026: The Races, Routes and Road Closures (Plus How to Watch It All) | KQED

Published

22 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

Sold-Out SF Marathon 2026: The Races, Routes and Road Closures (Plus How to Watch It All) | KQED

Everything you need to know about the 2026 San Francisco Marathon weekend on July 25-26, including the route, the road closures and whether it’s too late to sign up.

If you still want to sign up for the SF Marathon, you still have time. (AN Studio/Getty)

Keep reading for the 2026 SF Marathon route, which streets will be closed, where to find public transit changes and how to watch from the sidelines if you’re a spectator.

We’ll also give an overview of all the weekend’s events and races themselves if you’re feeling spontaneously athletic (or want to meet people) and decide to sign up for a race at short notice.

And important to flag — several of these races now allow dogs.

Jump straight to:

What is the SF Marathon route, and when are the races?

The 26.2-mile main event — the full SF Marathon — is on Sunday, July 26. The full marathon starts at 5:15 a.m. on Embarcadero Street at Market Street and finishes on Embarcadero Street at Howard Street.

You can check out a map of the entire course on SF Marathon’s Strava account, which also includes elevation levels and first aid/water stops.

An image of several people's legs photographed in a running motion. — Be aware of street closures and changes to Muni this weekend because of the SF Marathon. (Elena Popova/Getty Images)

Is it really too late to sign up for the full marathon and 1st half marathon?

Yes, the full marathon — and the popular 1st half marathon over the Golden Gate Bridge — are both sold out.

According to officials, the spots went out “faster than ever” this year. But you can still join the waitlist and hope for the best.

“Spots do open up,” the website reads. “Plans change, runners defer, and entries become available again. When they do, the right wait list is the best way to secure yours.”

What are my other options for races around the SF Marathon that weekend?

Your other options for races during the SF Marathon weekend that are still accepting sign-ups include:

The City Half Marathon (Sunday)

This is the race where you get to run through San Francisco’s neighborhoods. It’s 13.1 miles with a 3.5-hour time limit and starts at 8:30 a.m. from MLK Jr. Drive at Golden Gate Park to Embarcadero at Howard.

Race fee:$303.74

The Alexi Pappas SFM 10K (Sunday)

This race is named after the Bay Area’s own Olympian Pappas and is a flat 6.2 miles that starts at 7 a.m. from The Embarcadero at Market Street to the Embarcadero near Washington Street. Dogs are now welcome for this race.

Race fee: $164.04

And if you are a runner who wants to take on the SF Marathon challenge but hasn’t signed up yet, you’ll have to act fast — and be prepared to be flexible. (RichVintage/Getty Images)

5K race (Saturday option)

This 5k allows your dog to run with you along the Embarcadero waterfront. Starting at 8 a.m, this is a 3.1-mile course with an hour limit.

Race fee: $120.04

5K race (Sunday option)

Dogs are also allowed at this Embarcadero waterfront race, but the race isn’t a loop like the Saturday option, instead starting at The Embarcadero at Market St. and ending at Embarcadero at Washington Street. This 3.1-mile race starts at 9 a.m. and has an hour limit.

Race fee: $118.94

Looking for something more family-friendly and chill? There is Sebastian’s 1K Mad Dash on Saturday, which is a little under a mile. It starts at 9 a.m., starting and finishing at Embarcadero and Washington. The race fee is $28.75.

If you can’t make it to San Francisco, you can join the race virtually by registering on the SF Marathon’s app. It’s $110.15 to join, and you’ll need to download the SF Marathon tracking app to follow your progress.

Which streets will be closed to cars and public transit for the SF Marathon?

The SF Marathon website breaks down which city streets will be closed for races at what time, along with some recommended detours.

There will be closures along The Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf and in the Marina District. However, rest assured that vehicle traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge, which is on the route, will remain open in both directions throughout the marathon.

A map of traffic advisories during the 2026 San Francisco Marathon. (Courtesy of the San Francisco Marathon)

A lot of SF Muni lines will also be rerouted due to marathon weekend events.

SFMTA has not yet updated its guidance for this year, but you can peek at the 2025 list of route alterations, changes and closures to get a sense of what’s to come.

Where can I cheer the SF Marathon runners on?

Are you a good friend cheering on a runner? Make sure you know which race they are running in, and then look at the above section to check out the times and routes.

You can also track a runner’s progress using the SF Marathon app using a bib number.

Where can I find my pictures and results after the race?

Participants will have their pictures emailed to them a few days after the event — or on the race results and photos page on the SF Marathon website.

I need to bail. Can I defer my SF Marathon registration until next year?

Bailing? The people on the waitlist will thank you!

You can defer your registration to next year for a $39 fee, and the last day to do so is July 24. (That’s also the last day to convert your in-person race into a virtual one, if your plans have unexpectedly changed.)

Keep in mind that registration is nontransferable, and you cannot give or sell your bib to someone else.

What will the weather be like in San Francisco for the marathon?

Check the weather forecast again before you head out, as San Francisco weather can turn on a dime — and keep in mind that the National Weather Service forecasts the weather a week out.

Historically, the temperature around the courses is usually around 64°F, according to the SF Marathon website.

Whether you’re planning to participate in a race or just spectate, be sure to drink plenty of water well before going out.

The 49th Annual San Francisco Marathon returns July 25-26, 2026, offering distances from a 5K, 10K and half-marathon, to the full marathon and an ultramarathon. (Jason Doiy/Getty Images)

You can also be strategic about how to combat heat by cooling your body’s pulse points, such as your neck, inside your elbows, and behind your knees, to bring quick relief. In case things get toasty, KQED has a thorough guide on how to stay safe during a heat wave.

The full marathon has 14 hydration stations, which include water, electrolytes, medical assistance, and toilets. The SF Marathon encourages runners to bring refillable water bottles that are 50 gallons or less.

What’s the best way of traveling to the SF Marathon starting line that morning?

If you’re trying to get to the race for the full marathon’s 5:15 a.m. start time on Sunday, remember: BART service does not start early enough to get you there, and you’ll miss your race.

Instead, the SF Marathon will have shuttles from six BART stations to get you to the starting line. There is free parking at BART stations, and buses will run very early in the morning. Times are subject to change, but the list of BART stations with shuttles is currently:

Bay Fair (San Leandro) at 3:50 a.m.
Daly City at 4:05 a.m.
El Cerrito Plaza at 4:05 a.m.
MacArthur at 4:05 a.m.
Millbrae at 4:05 a.m.
Walnut Creek at 3:55 a.m.

Buses aim to arrive by 4:30 a.m. at the Main Start Line on the Embarcadero. You’ll need to purchase your bus ticket ahead of time, though.

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