Want to Keep Your Friends Alive? A Practical Guide to Drug Testing Kits in SF
Here's a reality check that no amount of "Just Say No" posters will fix: people use drugs recreationally, and in San…
Safeway's Paper Bags Can't Even Handle a Carton of Eggs — And You're Paying 10 Cents for the Privilege
There are certain indignities of modern life in San Francisco that we've learned to accept: $7 toast, $3,500 studios…
Marina Goes Dark: Multiple Blocks Lose Power, PG&E Offers a Shrug and a 3 AM ETA
Multiple blocks across the Marina District went dark last night, knocking out power for residents and sending fire…
Lost Fluffy Frenchie Roaming the Mission — and Locals Have Some Advice
A fluffy French Bulldog was found wandering near Mission and Maynard Street this weekend, collarless (well, no name tag…
Help Find Kayshaunn Wortham: 23‑Year‑Old Missing From Ocean Beach Area Since April 22
We don't usually run missing person alerts, but when a desperate parent reaches out to the city for help finding their…
SF's Lost Dog Problem: When 'Off‑Leash Culture' Meets Real Danger
San Francisco loves its dogs. Maybe a little too much — and sometimes in all the wrong ways. Two separate cases making…
Dead Birds at Baker Beach: A Small Mystery and a Civic Reminder
A local beachgoer spotted two dead birds at Baker Beach recently — one of them tagged — and did what any responsible…
What You See Next to SFO Says Everything About the Bay Area's Priorities
There's something uniquely Bay Area about stepping off a plane at one of the country's busiest international airports…
Dannielle Spillman Deserved Justice. Don't Let the Noise Drown That Out.
Dannielle Spillman was killed. That fact should be the beginning and end of any serious conversation about this case…
Welcome to the Bay Area — Here's Your Complimentary Chest Cough
If you moved to the Bay Area thinking you'd escaped allergy season, congratulations — you played yourself.
April 26, 2026
Valley Fair Mall Is Actively Punishing You for Showing Up
Here's a fun experiment: try driving to Westfield Valley Fair on a Saturday and not losing your mind.
Volunteers Clean Up Albany Marsh While the City Tickets Them for It
Here's a perfect little parable about how the Bay Area works in 2025: a group of volunteers spent their Saturday…
Good News for Once: Lost Dog on Columbus Reunited with Owners
In a city where we spend most of our time chronicling government incompetence and budget black holes, it's nice to…
Yes, That Was an Earthquake. No, You're Not Crazy.
If you felt a quick jolt around 4:40 p.m.
Lost a Wallet in Downtown SF? The Thieves Are Faster Than You Are
Here's a story that should make every San Franciscan instinctively pat their pockets.
The Ocean's Running a Fever — And It's Headed Straight for the Bay
California's coastline is currently sitting in the hot zone of an intense marine heat wave, with sea surface…
Have You Seen Mijo? Friendly Tabby Missing Near 41st and Broadway
This one isn't about city hall or budget blowouts — it's about a neighbor who needs help.
Want to Touch Grass? Albany Marsh Cleanup Shows How It's Done
Here's a radical concept for a Saturday afternoon: instead of doomscrolling through another round of Bay Area political…
Where Have All the Goslings Gone? Golden Gate Park's Quiet Mystery
If you've strolled past Blue Heron Lake in Golden Gate Park recently, you might have noticed something missing: baby…
The Loneliest Road in the Bay: Why Grief Support Is So Hard to Find Here
Here's something that doesn't fit neatly into the usual buckets of SF discourse — not housing, not tech layoffs, not…
The Forgotten Victims on SF's Sidewalks Have Four Legs
There's a scene that plays out on San Francisco sidewalks so often it's almost become background noise: a person…
Two Found Dead in Car at Berkeley's Aquatic Park — And the Silence Is Deafening
A man and a woman were found dead inside a car at Aquatic Park in Berkeley this week.
Two Good Dogs Need You Before the Clock Runs Out
We don't usually do pet adoption stories at The Dissent, but sometimes a story lands on our desk that's less about…
March Was Legitimately Hot and We Have the Receipts
If you spent March peeling off layers and wondering whether San Francisco had quietly relocated to Los Angeles, you…
The Stripes Don't Lie: SF Is Getting Warmer, and We Should Talk About What That Actually Means
If you haven't seen the "warming stripes" visualizations for San Francisco and the broader Bay Area, they're worth a…
April 24, 2026
Stolen Car Chase Ends with Suspect Dangling from the Bay Bridge, Because of Course It Did
If you needed a reminder that San Francisco's car theft problem has gone from epidemic to genuinely cinematic, here it…
UCSF Is Freezing Hiring and Cutting New Grad Programs. Patients Are Already Feeling It.
One of San Francisco's most prestigious medical institutions is quietly tightening the belt — and the results aren't…
Bed Bath & Beyond Rises From the Dead — and It's Coming Back to SF
In a twist that absolutely no one had on their 2025 bingo card, Bed Bath & Beyond is clawing its way back from the…
San Francisco's Waterfront: A Billion‑Dollar View With Million‑Dollar Problems
San Francisco's waterfront should be the crown jewel of the West Coast.
Why Is It So Hard to Get a Diagnosis in San Francisco?
Here's a story that should frustrate anyone who believes the healthcare system ought to actually work for the people…