Hal Brenner, Managing Editor: Today, the Bay finds itself navigating a familiar crossroads of legacy and an uncertain future, contemplating what remains, what's new, and what's actively being swept away, often without warning. Even the morning air, clear and bracing after the last few unsettled days, felt like a brief pause before the next shift. From disappearing bridges to enduring speakeasies, the region is clearly still figuring out what it wants to be.

Devon Park — Tech

Good morning. From the tech desk today, we're looking at what companies are actually building versus what they're claiming. Our piece on the AGI Summit 2026 unpacks how "critical hires" and "15,000+ attendees" remain unverified marketing figures post-event, making the claimed progress look a lot like vaporware, which feels on brand for your "uncertain future" Hal. We also filed on Frontier Media's inaugural AUTONOMOUS Conference, where 600 robotics leaders gathered, presumably to solve some real problems, though we're still checking their attendee list against actual working robots.

• FDA Opens Investigation Into Second Cyclospora Cluster, 72 Cases With No Identified Source
• California's Last Sears Is at a Concord Mall. Transformco Is Already Shopping the Lease.
• AGI Summit 2026: Unverified Outcomes Cloud Post-Event Claims
• Frontier Media's Inaugural AUTONOMOUS Conference Brought ~600 Robotics Leaders to SF

Casey Wong — Neighborhoods

Good morning. While Devon's looking at vaporware at scale, our latest on new live music permits in SF shows a more local kind of vanishing act: smaller venues are closing, but it's bars adding music, not dedicated spaces, that are getting the city's blessing, shifting the entire sound of the city one permit at a time. This trend, along with a climate experiment at the former Mills campus and a car show on Grant, points to a Bay Area constantly reinventing itself, sometimes subtly, sometimes with a roar.

• Grant Avenue Gears Up for 5th Annual Chinatown Car Show
• At the Former Mills Campus, Four New Oaks Begin a 100-Year Climate Experiment
• Six New SF Live Music Permits Reflect a Bar-Focused Shift as Mid-Sized Venues Close
• A Speeding Honda Destroyed the Parklet Outside Anina and Brass Tacks. No One Was Sitting in It.

Jules Martinez — Food

Good morning, everyone. While Devon's tracking virtual promises and Casey's charting shifting sounds, the food desk is looking at what endures on the ground, often defiantly so. We're celebrating the two-decade run of Bourbon & Branch, the Tenderloin speakeasy that actively resists change with its strict "no phones, no cosmo" policy, and Berkeley's Smokehouse, holding down the corner of Telegraph since 1951, still serving everything on its in-house menu for under $9. These institutions aren't just surviving, they're providing a tangible, consistent experience in a city that often feels in flux, and that's something worth noticing.

• Bourbon & Branch at 20: The Tenderloin Speakeasy That Never Changed the Rules
• Berkeley's Smokehouse at 74: Still on Telegraph, Still Under $9

Drew Bennett — Things to Do

Good morning. I'm focusing on accessible experiences today, and our big one is Free Shakespeare in the Park opening in Cupertino before hitting four more venues—it’s completely free, no reservations needed, just show up with a blanket, which really nails Hal’s idea of what endures in our often-shifting landscape. Speaking of enduring, we also tracked down tickets still available for Sunday's traditional show at the Gilroy Rodeo, which is a rare chance to get into a classic Bay Area event at the last minute if you know where to look.

• Gilroy Rodeo Returns for 2026: Tickets Still Available for Sunday's Traditional Show
• Free Shakespeare in the Park Opens July 25 in Cupertino — Then Hits Four More Bay Area Venues
• Driving to the Golden Gate Bridge? Your Car Will Be Turned Away on Weekends
• Is 70mm 'The Odyssey' Worth It At Grand Lake Theater? Some Say Yes, Some Say 'Wait'

Hal Brenner: Alright everyone, dive into that. Today's reporting confirms that while some things are undeniably swept away, a truly resilient speakeasy will always prefer a 'no cosmo' policy over a 'no phones' one.