Samwise SF Bay Area Newsletter
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
SF Supervisor Moves to Ban Uncertified E-Bike Batteries After Deadly Fires
San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood will introduce legislation Tuesday to prohibit the sale of uncertified lithium-ion batteries and battery-powered devices, including e-bikes and scooters, following a string of fires linked to substandard batteries. A December blaze in the Tenderloin, sparked by a malfunctioning battery, displaced 130 residents and killed one person, prompting urgent city action. The ordinance, developed in collaboration with the San Francisco Fire Department, requires batteries to carry certification from a nationally recognized laboratory confirming they meet safety standards. Violations would carry civil penalties of up to $1,000 per incident.
Sources: SF Standard
Mayor Lurie Picks Massachusetts Medicaid Executive to Lead SF Homelessness Agency
Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Tuesday the appointment of Michael Levine as director of San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, pending Board of Supervisors approval. Levine most recently served as undersecretary for MassHealth, Massachusetts’s public insurance program, where he oversaw a $23 billion initiative covering nearly two million residents — a program widely credited as a model for the Affordable Care Act. Lurie said Levine’s expertise integrating health care with housing services makes him the right leader to address the city’s persistent homelessness crisis. The Homeless Oversight Commission approved the nomination.
Sources: Mission Local
Marina Safeway’s Proposed 25-Story Tower Draws Fury — and Little City Power to Stop It
A plan to replace the Marina Safeway with a 25-story, roughly 800-unit residential tower by developer Align Real Estate is advancing despite fierce neighborhood opposition. Mayor Daniel Lurie and District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill both declined to back calls for a Safeway consumer boycott, underscoring that elected officials have limited leverage under state housing law to block the project. Community members rallied against the proposal, arguing the high-rise is out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood, while housing advocates say the city desperately needs the units to meet its state-mandated production targets.
Sources: Mission Local
Robots Take Center Stage as Bay Area AI Boom Moves Into the Physical World
Investment and attention in the Bay Area’s artificial intelligence sector is shifting decisively toward physical applications, with robotics and drone companies now occupying more than 7.6 million square feet of regional office space — up from under half a million in 2020. Industry analysts project robotics leasing activity will exceed 1.5 million square feet in 2026 alone. Companies including Physical Intelligence, Bedrock Robotics, and Waymo are leading the charge, weaving AI into autonomous vehicles, warehouse systems, and delivery platforms. Investors say the shift reflects growing confidence that AI can deliver returns through physical automation.
Sources: SF Standard
Oakland Voters May Decide in November Whether to Overhaul City Government Structure
Oakland residents could vote this November on a sweeping restructuring of city government, as a task force convened by Mayor Barbara Lee has produced a proposal comparing two competing models: a strong-mayor system, in which an elected mayor holds direct executive power over city departments, and a council-manager system, in which a professional city administrator runs day-to-day operations. Oaklandside published a detailed guide Tuesday laying out the tradeoffs. Proponents of reform argue the current hybrid structure has contributed to years of governmental dysfunction, while critics worry that either shift could concentrate too much power in a single office.
Sources: The Oaklandside
Caltrain Warns of Station Closures and Possible Shutdown Without New Funding
The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board revealed this week that Caltrain faces an average annual deficit of roughly $75 million from fiscal years 2027 through 2041 if new revenues do not materialize. Under a worst-case budget scenario presented to the board, more than one-third of Caltrain stations could close, weekend service could end, and trains could be cut to hourly runs with no service after 9 p.m. Executive Director Michelle Bouchard said the structural gap cannot be closed through efficiencies alone. Regional leaders are counting on a November 2026 five-county sales-tax ballot measure, authorized under Senate Bill 63, to stabilize the system.
Sources: KQED
Berkeley Food Scene Buzzes With New Openings and a Beloved Collective’s Return
Berkeley’s dining landscape is shifting this week, with Nudi Blue — a Thai teahouse by day that transforms into a seafood and natural-wine bar by evening — set to open its doors Friday, April 9. Meanwhile, the Cheese Board Collective, the beloved worker-owned cheese and bakery cooperative, has expanded into the former Berkeley Produce Center space on Shattuck Avenue, giving the institution more room for its famously long lines. On a downbeat note, Gambrinus Co. announced it will close the Trumer Pils brewery and taproom on May 29, after Firestone acquired U.S. brewing rights to the Austrian-style pilsner.
Sources: Berkeleyside
Bay Pulse
Weather: SF 58°F partly cloudy | Oakland 62°F sunny | San Jose 65°F clear
BART: Minor delays on Richmond line | Bay Bridge: Normal conditions | AQI: 42 Good
Curated by JD · samwise.agency