Podcasts about downtown san francisco

On the final Friday of every month, KALW hands the mic over to you, our listeners, for an open mic night at our live event space in Downtown San Francisco. The evening is for local poets, musicians, storytellers, and really anybody with something to say.Today, we bring you an original song from Yolanda Cazessus. Yolanda was the winner of November's Open Mic! Here she is singing her song, “Gone.”

You have to hear what State Senator Scott Senator Scott Wiener has to say about fun See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An FBI agent was attacked outside of San Francisco's federal courthouse earlier this month when a woman hit the agent twice before threatening that she would expose his identity to the neighborhood's drug dealers so they would kill him, according to federal court records obtained Wednesday. The incident is the latest attack on a federal employee in San Francisco, where many have said they feel unsafe and under siege at more than one location where street drug dealing is rampant. Erika Melendez, who was convicted and ordered to stay away from the Phillip F. Burton Federal Building for attacking another FBI employee in 2023, was charged March 4 with assaulting a federal officer on March 1. The alleged assault happened 20 yards from the courthouse at 450 Golden Gate Ave. around 11:20 a.m. The agent had parked his unmarked car at Turk and Larkin streets and was returning to the office after a field interview. Melendez allegedly hit him twice on the back and shoulder while shouting, “You're a fucking FBI agent. You guys took all my shit!” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/darien-dunstan3/message

Late night uncensored fire side chat about the current state of downtown San Francisco. The boys are back in town. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sanfranciscodamn/support

"So of course, the pandemic was a struggle for all of us, and so we all know the arts organizations are the first to close and last open, especially the performing arts are really still struggling" - Rachel OsajimaThis episode is the long form of our one-on-one interview with Fernando Pujals, the Deputy Director of the Mid-Market Business Association & Foundation and a great deep dive into how he and his team our supporting artists, arts organizations and leveraging the power of the arts to help bring back the Mid-Market neighborhood in our post pandemic world. As part of our great roving reporter team of Isa Nakazawa and Eric Estrada at the Arts For A Better Bay Area State of The Arts Summit; this episode includes an interview with Rachel Osajima who serves as the Executive Director of the Alameda County Arts Commission, which is a division of the County of Alameda. Rachel provides us with some wonderful insights into how a funder has continued to support artists and arts organizations through the pandemic and in the post pandemic marketplace.To find out more information about our guests and their respective organization's programs, and services, how to volunteer and make a donation please visit our episode landing page with links to resources for the arts and culture sector. And if you have been enjoying the show please leave us a rating and review on the podcast platform of your choiceWe welcome your participation in our next virtual and live in-person community dialogue event. You can also watch this episode and please Sign Up for our Newsletter to stay up to date on future episodes and to participate in our next live show. We would love to hear from you with feedback and show ideas, so send us an email to george@georgekoster.com.Please consider donating to Voices of the Community - Voices of the Community is fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, that allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. Please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one.

1. House passes 2-step CR to avert shutdown2. 3-5 weeks to fix CA freeway, arson suspected3. Victims of CCP protest Xi's arrival in San Francisco4. Downtown San Francisco cleaned up for APEC5. US: Hamas hides, holds hostages in hospitals

Since its inception, Abigail has been directing, creating and producing new work for Circus Bella. Along with the more conventional duties she has also served as the company's truck driver, catering service and laundress. An accomplished dancer, choreographer, and aerialist, Munn holds a BFA in Modern Dance from UC Santa Barbara. As a child, who was born and raised in SF, she appeared with the Pickle Family Circus, and later with Zoppe Italian Family Circus, Lone Star Circus, the Moisture Festival, the New Pickle Circus, Cabaret Verdelet, Circus Cabaret, Tease-O-Rama, Va Voom Room, and The Velvet Hammer Burlesque. Munn was commended in the New York Times for her performance in Alma Esperanza Cunningham's Princess. Munn co-directed the nouveau-vaudeville troupe Kitty Bang, an internationally recognized three-time “Best of the Bay” winner that is influential in the modern Burlesque resurgence. Over the past few years Abigail has become increasingly involved in advocacy work for the Circus Arts. When transitioning Circus Bella performers to Employees, she became aware that the current workers compensation rates and policy descriptions in California were way out of step with the current reality of the Circus Industry. Munn embarked on a one woman quest to help change this and after initiating a study from the Workers Comp Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), rates were significantly lowered (by 80%) for ALL Circus Companies in California. In addition, she is a founding member and on the board of the American Circus Alliance. abigailmunn.com KALEIDOSCOPE A Winter Big Top Spectacular December 15 - 31, 2023 The Crossing at East Cut Howard St. and Beale St, San Francisco From the moment you arrive, let us transport you to a delightful world of magic and splendor…  Performed in the round in a 350-seat Circus Tent, the beauty of “Kaleidoscope” is the intimacy and immediacy of the one-ring circus. A diverse cast of 12 perform thrilling feats of balance and strength, demonstrations of grace and poise, outrageous humor, and slapstick antics. Original music is performed live by our beloved 6-piece Circus Bella All-Star Band. Let yourself be dazzled and join in the celebration.  “Kaleidoscope” is the perfect show for families and children of all ages, looking for a joyous holiday event that will stay with you all season long and beyond!  Our big top Circus Tent is located at the intersection of Main and Howard Streets, at the Crossing at the East Cut in Downtown San Francisco.  The show runs 90 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Now, more than ever, we all need more moments to sit down with each other, all together, to celebrate, reflect, and LAUGH! Tickets for  the Circus -Contact Ray at Green Room on Air: greenroomonair@gmail.com Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) Visit Green Room On Air website: http://greenroomonair.com Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raysgreenroom/  

Downtown San Francisco is set to lose its third Walgreens in under two years.A store at 500 Geary St., at the intersection with Taylor Street, will close on Nov. 15. That corner, at the northern edge of San Francisco's low-income Tenderloin neighborhood, is less than three blocks west of tourist-heavy Union Square, the city's prime Downtown retail district.Joann, a Walgreens associate who said she was not authorized to give her last name, confirmed the impending closure to The Standard, adding that employees have not been told why."I cannot tell what the reason is," she said. "You'll have to call the 1-800 number."Support the show

San Francisco is still the most deserted major downtown in America. As part of the city's efforts to revitalize the area, KALW was awarded a temporary pop up space in the financial district. For our opening event, we hosted a conversation about the current state and future of downtown. Then, cartoonist Stephan Pastis talks about his new book and how his work helps him heal.

Über die Folgen der Covid-Pandemie wird viel gesprochen. Seltener geht es dabei um das Stadtbild. In San Francisco hat sich dieses in den letzten Jahren dramatisch verändert. Der Leerstand ist unübersehbar - die Drogenprobleme so schlimm wie nie. Arndt Peltner, Theresia Kohlmayr, Marten Hahn, Katja Bigalkewww.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, WeltzeitDirekter Link zur Audiodatei

Sexploration With Monika invites San Francisco Mime Troupes Marie Cartier to Edge Studios in Downtown San Francisco. Token Straight Guy Paul Brumbaugh joins in on the fun. Recorded Live 7-21-2023 Mime's speak for justice in San Francisco's Delores Park and many other Bay area parks and you can find out more with Sexploration with Monika's interview with Marie Cartier!

Amidst the abundance of vacant office buildings in downtown San Francisco, Mayor London Breed is eager to explore the possibility of revitalizing the area by introducing a major university campus or extension. However, the question remains: Is this endeavor truly feasible? For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Margie Shafer was joined live in the studio by KCBS insider Phil Matier and former Mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown.

San Francisco's troubled downtown has made headlines around the world, but Chronicle urban design critic John King says people are missing the full picture of the city. He joins host Cecilia Lei to share how downtown went from being reviled by San Franciscans for decades to defining the city in the public's imagination. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Got a tip, comment, question? Email us: fifth@sfchronicle.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a surprising turn of events, the concrete jungles of Downtown San Francisco are seeing a shocking slump in commercial real estate prices. Soaring skyscrapers that once commanded sky-high prices are being traded for dimes on the dollar, if not less. So, if you've been keeping an eye on the 180 Howard Street building, you'd know that Ellis Partners and Bob House Group snagged this once coveted piece of prime estate for just $62 million, a bargain compared to its anticipated $85 million price tag. But wait, there's more! This 13-story giant used to be worth over a hundred million. Now, isn't that an interesting turn of the tables?But let's take a moment to examine why. You see, as comfortable as a work-from-home scenario might seem, it's turning the city's commercial spaces into ghost towns. To put things into perspective, our Howard Street edifice is neighbors with Tenderloin and the downtown core, areas which were once bustling with professionals. Now, with a drastic drop in footfall, it's more like a ghost town and real estate prices are feeling the crunch. Not to mention the urban challenges of San Francisco - car theft, petty crime, and... well... let's just call them sanitary issues. All of this combined with a decrease in office occupancy is causing commercial property prices to spiral downwards, faster than a toupee in a hurricane. As for when we'll hit rock bottom, that remains the multi-million dollar question.#SanFranciscoRealEstate #CommercialPropertySlump #RemoteWorkEffectsSupport the show

Governor Newsom has announced plans to increase the number of state police officers assigned to combat fentanyl dealing in San Francisco, building upon an initiative he started in May, deploying California Highway Patrol officers to support local law enforcement efforts in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods. For more, Marge Shafer and Eric Thomas spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

You've probably seen and heard the stories about downtown San Francisco. Fears about crime and safety, as well as low foot traffic because of the move to remote work, have left many buildings and businesses hollowed out. Downtown is in trouble, and the stakes (and dollar figures) are high. So what's being done to save it from this so-called urban ‘doom loop'?  Guest: Kevin Truong, business and economics reporter for The SF Standard This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

As Beege pointed out earlier this week, the owners of Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco have announced that they'll be giving the property over to the lender. The mall had already lost Nordstoms last month and this week the Cinemark movie theater also announce it was closing. In fact, today is the theater's last day.The Cinemark movie theater complex sent an email to its customers announcing its final films would play Thursday, and the complex would close on Friday.In a statement to The Standard, Cinemark confirmed the decision to permanently close the Century San Francisco Centre 9 and XD theater shortly before the conclusion of its lease term, attributing the shutdown to a “comprehensive review of local business conditions.”What kind of business conditions? Oh, those kind of conditions.Seeing feces on the ground is not uncommon in the city by the bay. But human waste has been showing up somewhere else: the elevators in Downtown San Francisco's Westfield Centre.“It's like twice a week now. It used to be once a month,” said Abimael Garcia, who manages janitors at Westfield. “So lately, it's increased.”…Kim said she saw feces in one of the elevators that leads from the theater to Mission Street about two weeks ago, and that someone appeared to have stepped in it.Support the show

San Francisco chief economist Ted Egan busts the myths surrounding the state of business in the city, and explains why startups that buy retail or office space in SF now are poised for growth.For more from Ted Egan and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/ted-egan-sf-economy

Downtown San Francisco suffered another major blow this week when Westfield, the owner of the San Francisco Centre Mall, announced it would be returning the massive property to its lender. While the mall won't close immediately, it's a sign of serious trouble in the city's commercial core, where the owner of two major hotels also recently decided to surrender them. Host Cecilia Lei talks with reporters Roland Li and Carolyn Said to learn what might have prompted these owners to walk away and how the moves might open the door to new opportunities down the line.| Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Got a tip, comment, question? Email us: fifth@sfchronicle.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hotel owners have begun writing off San Francisco as business there continues to nosedive; Westfield is the latest to pull out, giving up its downtown shopping center. Then, Dean Sharp joins the show for a fresh edition of Handel & the House Whisperer! Today, Dean's focus is on curb appeal, and provides the essential components you'll need to consider in order for your home to have the best curb appeal.

Thieves HIT downtown San Francisco Old Navy 22 TIMES IN 2 DAYS! Store is SHUTTING DOWN for good! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackandwhitenetwork/support

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced a multimillion dollar plan to revitalize the commercial landscape of--and narrative about--downtown San Francisco.  In this episode of Bay Current, we head to the Powell Corridor, where KCBS Radio's Kris Ankarlo got to hear the news first hand.

In the heart of downtown San Francisco, a rather unpleasant trend is on the rise, with human waste increasingly found in the Westfield Mall elevators. As one scratches their head, wondering why this subject is worth discussing, it's important to note that it's not just about the unseemly waste; it's an indicator of societal changes signaling a potential downward spiral. The frequency of these incidents has been escalating, with the mall staff now reporting encounters with human waste at a staggering 800% increase compared to prior times.This phenomenon isn't confined to public spaces like elevators. Public restrooms in the mall, including those in the food court or retail stores, are often closed due to sanitation issues or drug use, pushing the problem into more visible areas. The mall's janitorial team, who bear the brunt of these incidents, notes that people often resort to the elevators as the nearest semi-private spaces. This, however, is just a symptom of the larger issue at hand - individuals, often drug-addicted, with nowhere else to go, left to their own devices by a system that seems to lack the will or capacity to assist them.The effects of this issue stretch beyond the unpleasantness of the situation. Businesses are pulling out of the Westfield Mall, citing this as a significant reason for their departure. This ripple effect is likely to continue, impacting the city's economy, its reputation, and its ability to attract new businesses and visitors. The situation begs the question - is this progress? For a city known for its iconic landmarks and vibrant culture, this is a bitter pill to swallow.Support the show

Downtown San Francisco continues to struggle to recover from the pandemic, with many companies sill choosing to allow employees to work from home. But, that hasn't stopped one developer from betting big on one of San Francisco's most iconic buildings.  For more, KCBS Radio's Holly Quan spoke with Bloomberg reporter Biz Carson.

Nordstrom is planning to close both of its Downtown San Francisco stores, choosing not to renew its lease inside of Westfield Mall, the store confirmed Tuesday.It will also close the nearby Downtown Nordstrom Rack.The Nordstrom Rack on Market Street's last day of business will be July 1, and the Nordstrom inside Westfield Mall is slated to close at the end of August.The company's chief stores officer wrote in an email to staff that "the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully."The shuttering comes amid a slew of other announced retail closures in the area including Office Depot, The Container Store, Anthropologie and Saks Off 5th.Support the showSign Up For Exclusive Episodes At: https://reasonabletv.com/LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/NewsForReasonablePeople

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, May the 4th be with you, 2023. Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)-Play 0:00-0:36 Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise created by founder, former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. Observance of the day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977. The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans around the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars. Additionally, the release date of the original Star Wars movie on May 25, 1977 is also celebrated as Geek Pride Day. Olive Tree Biblical Software: Discover why more than a million people use the free Olive Tree Bible App as their go-to for reading, studying, and listening to the God’s Word. Download one of many free Bibles and start taking notes, highlighting verses, and bookmarking your favorite passages. Read at your own pace, or choose from a large selection of Reading Plans, including the Bible Reading Challenge. When you are ready to go deeper into your studies, Olive Tree is right there with a large selection of study Bibles, commentaries, and other helpful study resources available for purchase. An extensive bookstore allows you to build your digital library one book at a time. Olive Tree’s sync technology lets you pick up where you left off on your tablet, pc or phone and get right to studying on another supported device. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/europe/ukraine-drone-attack-putin-kremlin-intl/index.html Kyiv denies involvement in alleged Kremlin drone attack Russia claimed Ukraine launched an attempt to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin overnight on Wednesday, an extraordinary allegation that was met with forceful denials in Kyiv. The Kremlin said the attack was foiled and the alleged drones destroyed. Video that appeared on social media shows a bright flash and a puff of smoke over a part of the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president and the most potent symbol of power in Moscow. In a statement, the Kremlin said it regarded the alleged attack as terrorism and a deliberate attempt on Putin’s life. “Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added. Ukraine denied involvement in the alleged strike. US officials said they were still assessing the incident, and had no information about who might have been responsible. Whatever the truth, any admission of a security breach at the heart of the Kremlin is remarkable. Moscow said the alleged attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday. The Russian president was not in the building at the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. analysis of video showing the incident support the Kremlin’s claim that two drones were flown above the Kremlin early Wednesday, but did not show evidence of Ukrainian involvement: A video that appeared to show smoke rising from the Kremlin surfaced on a local neighborhood channel on social media platform Telegram at 2:37 a.m. local time Wednesday. The first reports of the incident citing the Kremlin came via Russian state media TASS and RIA around 2:33 p.m. local time – around 12 hours later. Shortly after the first media reports, another video appearing to show the moment a drone exploded above the Kremlin began circulating widely on social media. In the video, the drone appears to fly towards the building’s domed roof, followed by what looks like a small explosion. In this video, two people appear to be climbing on the dome holding flashlights, and can be seen ducking down just before the moment of the explosion. The people climbing the dome are not present in the first of these videos, but appear in the second, suggesting they were responding to the fire caused by the first drone at the time the subsequent drone appeared. The Kremlin Press Service has called the purported drone attack an “attempt on the President’s life,” said it was an “act of terrorism” and blamed Ukraine. https://www.outkick.com/audrey-hale-nashville-police-release-update-litigation/ POLICE ANNOUNCE MANIFESTO OF NASHVILLE TRANSGENDER MASS KILLER WON’T BE RELEASED SOON The release of transgender mass killer Audrey Hale’s manifesto has been put on hold. The Nashville Police Department had previously told Fox News Digital last week the manifesto was being revealed and would be released. People are interested to see what drove Hale to murder six innocent people, including three children, at the Covenant School in late March. Now, it appears that the process has hit a roadblock. Metro Nashville PD announced Wednesday afternoon that “Due to pending litigation filed this week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been advised by counsel to hold in abeyance the release of records related to the shooting at The Covenant School pending orders or direction of the court.” The update is in response to a lawsuit filed by former Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association against the Nashville city government and the police to release the manifesto, according to TimeFreePress.com. As of early May, the public still doesn’t have any idea what is in the manifesto. It’s been more than a month since Audrey Hale walked into the Covenant School to unleash her rampage of terror against children and staffers. Despite the significant time that has passed, government officials have seemingly dragged their feet to make sure the manifesto doesn’t come out. For most of the time, it appeared that Hale’s writings would never be released. Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston previously told the New York Post, “What I was told is, her manifesto was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned … That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/fed-rate-decision-may-2023-.html Fed increases rates a quarter point and signals a potential end to hikes The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its 10th interest rate increase in just a little over a year and dropped a tentative hint that the current tightening cycle is at an end. In a unanimous decision widely expected by markets, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark borrowing rate by 0.25 percentage point. The rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending but feeds through to many consumer debt products such as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The increase takes the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. Markets, though, are more focused on whether the Fed will pause here, particularly with lingering concerns over economic growth and a banking crisis that has rattled nerves on Wall Street. Stocks rose slightly and Treasury yields were mostly lower immediately following the Fed news, but stocks struggled to hold on to the gains. During Wednesday’s news conference, Chairman Jerome Powell said “a decision on a pause was not made today” but noted the change in the statement language around future policy firming was “meaningful.” The post-meeting statement had only offered some clarity on the future pace of rate hikes — and not by what it said but what it didn’t say. The document omitted a sentence present in the previous statement saying that “the Committee anticipates that some additional policy firming may be appropriate” for the Fed to achieve its 2% inflation goal. The statement also tweaked language to outline the conditions under which “additional policy firming may be appropriate.” Previously, the FOMC had framed the forward guidance around how it would determine “the extent of future increases in the target range.” The statement reiterated that the Fed “will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.” Taken together, the moves are at least a tenuous nod that while tight policy could remain in effect, the path ahead is less clear for actual interest rate hikes as policymakers assess incoming data and financial conditions. Wednesday’s decision comes amid U.S. economic fragility and over the objections of prominent Democratic lawmakers, who urged the Fed this week to stop rate hikes that they insisted could cause a recession and excessive loss of jobs. However, the labor market has remained strong since the increases started in March 2022. At the same time, inflation is still well above the 2% target that policymakers consider optimum. Multiple officials have said rates probably will need to stay elevated even if the hikes are put on hold. https://www.theepochtimes.com/irs-spent-10-million-on-weapons-since-covid-19-pandemic-began-watchdog_5238319.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport IRS Spent $10 Million on Weapons Since COVID-19 Pandemic Began: Watchdog The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been splashing out millions stocking up on guns, ammunition, and combat gear since 2020, according to the findings of Open The Books, a watchdog group that tracks government spending. A report by the watchdog, published on April 27, found that the agency has spent a total of $10 million on weaponry and gear since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including $2.3 million on duty ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, and another $1.3 million on “various other gear for criminal investigation agents.” Additionally, the agency has spent $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor vests since 2020. Another $467,000 was reportedly spent on duty tactical lighting, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, and $267,000 on ballistic helmets in the same time. The report, called “The Militarization of Federal Bureaucracy,” contains updated data through the end of March 2023. Since 2006, the IRS has splashed out $35.2 million (adjusted for inflation) on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment. The report found that 2020 and 2021 saw them spend increased amounts. In a statement to Open The Books in 2021, an IRS spokesperson said IRS Criminal Investigation special agents “have been using weapons throughout their history as they have consistently found themselves investigating the most dangerous criminals involved in organized crime, drugs, and gangs.” The IRS Careers website for criminal investigation special agents states that applicants must be willing to “carry a firearm, must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.” https://www.dailyfetched.com/san-francisco-loses-another-retail-giant-as-shops-continue-to-close-due-to-crime/ San Francisco Loses Another Retail Giant as Shops Continue To Close Due to Crime According to a memo from Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom to employees, the company has decided not to renew its leases for its San Francisco Centre Nordstrom store and the Market Street Rack store. “We’ve spent more than 35 years serving customers in downtown San Francisco, building relationships with them and investing in the local community,” Nordstrom wrote. “But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully.” The San Francisco Centre location will close at the end of August, and the Market Street Rack will close on July 1. the owner of the Westfield mall, told the San Francisco Standard that such closures “underscores the deteriorating situation in Downtown San Francisco.” A spokesperson for the mall added: “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.” The statement continued: [Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield] has actively engaged with city leaders for many years to express our serious concerns, which are shared by our customers and retailers. We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement again.” The news comes not long after San Francisco flagship Whole Foods retail store closed after just a year due to 568 emergency calls over 13 months amid soaring crime in the city. Incidents included vagrants starting fights, throwing food, and defecating on the floor. Twenty retailers have closed stores in the Union Square area since 2020, The Standard reports. Last month, CashApp founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed in the streets of San Fransisco, while former fire commissioner Don Carmignani was recently beaten over the head with a pipe by a vagrant. Last October, The Daily Fetched reported that commuters were resorting to arming themselves with baseball bats and stun guns due to droves of violent drug addicts. Residents of the SoMa, in northeast San Francisco, said the recent opening of the SoMa RISE drug sobering center, which opened in June, has plagued the neighborhood, making it unsafe. Residents say the center, which aims to temper drug usage, has done nothing but draw heavy users to the neighborhood. Residents said the influx of drug users had brought soaring crime, making the neighborhood more dangerous, Fox News reported. San Francisco Mayor London Breed touted the center as a safe haven for addicts looking to rebuild their lives. But according to SoMa resident and business owner Mark Sackett, the reality of the center in the neighborhood is much different. https://www.dailyfetched.com/joe-biden-offers-500k-grant-for-teachers-in-pakistan-to-help-transgender-youth/ Joe Biden Offers $500K Grant for Teachers in Pakistan to Help Transgender Youth According to the State Department grant, it will teach English language skills to Pakistani transgender youth so they “better participate in the global community and prepare them for success in the workplace.” The grant report aims to focus on three components: (1) Professional Development for English Language Teachers from Non-Mainstream Institutions (2) Professional Development for novice Pakistani English language teachers (3) Professional Development for Transgender Youth and for Afghan Teachers, Students, and Young Professionals Residing in Pakistan.” The program component that includes a focus on transgender youth accepts proposals from applicants “for a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $75,000 to implement: (1) intensive professional development courses for Pakistani transgender youth from the ages of 13-25, and (2) and intensive professional development courses for Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals residing in Pakistan.” The components aim to improve English language communication skills and connect trainees to a professional alumni network. Applicants to the Biden grant program are encouraged to address, “What is the most effective way to reach the greatest number of Pakistani transgender youth and Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals from diverse locations across Pakistan?” A spokesperson for the State Department said the education project from the agency focuses on transgender youth like it does with other “marginalized communities.” However, the spokesperson added that the grant funds won’t be used for gender transitions.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, May the 4th be with you, 2023. Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)-Play 0:00-0:36 Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise created by founder, former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. Observance of the day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977. The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans around the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars. Additionally, the release date of the original Star Wars movie on May 25, 1977 is also celebrated as Geek Pride Day. Olive Tree Biblical Software: Discover why more than a million people use the free Olive Tree Bible App as their go-to for reading, studying, and listening to the God’s Word. Download one of many free Bibles and start taking notes, highlighting verses, and bookmarking your favorite passages. Read at your own pace, or choose from a large selection of Reading Plans, including the Bible Reading Challenge. When you are ready to go deeper into your studies, Olive Tree is right there with a large selection of study Bibles, commentaries, and other helpful study resources available for purchase. An extensive bookstore allows you to build your digital library one book at a time. Olive Tree’s sync technology lets you pick up where you left off on your tablet, pc or phone and get right to studying on another supported device. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/europe/ukraine-drone-attack-putin-kremlin-intl/index.html Kyiv denies involvement in alleged Kremlin drone attack Russia claimed Ukraine launched an attempt to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin overnight on Wednesday, an extraordinary allegation that was met with forceful denials in Kyiv. The Kremlin said the attack was foiled and the alleged drones destroyed. Video that appeared on social media shows a bright flash and a puff of smoke over a part of the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president and the most potent symbol of power in Moscow. In a statement, the Kremlin said it regarded the alleged attack as terrorism and a deliberate attempt on Putin’s life. “Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added. Ukraine denied involvement in the alleged strike. US officials said they were still assessing the incident, and had no information about who might have been responsible. Whatever the truth, any admission of a security breach at the heart of the Kremlin is remarkable. Moscow said the alleged attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday. The Russian president was not in the building at the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. analysis of video showing the incident support the Kremlin’s claim that two drones were flown above the Kremlin early Wednesday, but did not show evidence of Ukrainian involvement: A video that appeared to show smoke rising from the Kremlin surfaced on a local neighborhood channel on social media platform Telegram at 2:37 a.m. local time Wednesday. The first reports of the incident citing the Kremlin came via Russian state media TASS and RIA around 2:33 p.m. local time – around 12 hours later. Shortly after the first media reports, another video appearing to show the moment a drone exploded above the Kremlin began circulating widely on social media. In the video, the drone appears to fly towards the building’s domed roof, followed by what looks like a small explosion. In this video, two people appear to be climbing on the dome holding flashlights, and can be seen ducking down just before the moment of the explosion. The people climbing the dome are not present in the first of these videos, but appear in the second, suggesting they were responding to the fire caused by the first drone at the time the subsequent drone appeared. The Kremlin Press Service has called the purported drone attack an “attempt on the President’s life,” said it was an “act of terrorism” and blamed Ukraine. https://www.outkick.com/audrey-hale-nashville-police-release-update-litigation/ POLICE ANNOUNCE MANIFESTO OF NASHVILLE TRANSGENDER MASS KILLER WON’T BE RELEASED SOON The release of transgender mass killer Audrey Hale’s manifesto has been put on hold. The Nashville Police Department had previously told Fox News Digital last week the manifesto was being revealed and would be released. People are interested to see what drove Hale to murder six innocent people, including three children, at the Covenant School in late March. Now, it appears that the process has hit a roadblock. Metro Nashville PD announced Wednesday afternoon that “Due to pending litigation filed this week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been advised by counsel to hold in abeyance the release of records related to the shooting at The Covenant School pending orders or direction of the court.” The update is in response to a lawsuit filed by former Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association against the Nashville city government and the police to release the manifesto, according to TimeFreePress.com. As of early May, the public still doesn’t have any idea what is in the manifesto. It’s been more than a month since Audrey Hale walked into the Covenant School to unleash her rampage of terror against children and staffers. Despite the significant time that has passed, government officials have seemingly dragged their feet to make sure the manifesto doesn’t come out. For most of the time, it appeared that Hale’s writings would never be released. Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston previously told the New York Post, “What I was told is, her manifesto was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned … That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/fed-rate-decision-may-2023-.html Fed increases rates a quarter point and signals a potential end to hikes The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its 10th interest rate increase in just a little over a year and dropped a tentative hint that the current tightening cycle is at an end. In a unanimous decision widely expected by markets, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark borrowing rate by 0.25 percentage point. The rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending but feeds through to many consumer debt products such as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The increase takes the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. Markets, though, are more focused on whether the Fed will pause here, particularly with lingering concerns over economic growth and a banking crisis that has rattled nerves on Wall Street. Stocks rose slightly and Treasury yields were mostly lower immediately following the Fed news, but stocks struggled to hold on to the gains. During Wednesday’s news conference, Chairman Jerome Powell said “a decision on a pause was not made today” but noted the change in the statement language around future policy firming was “meaningful.” The post-meeting statement had only offered some clarity on the future pace of rate hikes — and not by what it said but what it didn’t say. The document omitted a sentence present in the previous statement saying that “the Committee anticipates that some additional policy firming may be appropriate” for the Fed to achieve its 2% inflation goal. The statement also tweaked language to outline the conditions under which “additional policy firming may be appropriate.” Previously, the FOMC had framed the forward guidance around how it would determine “the extent of future increases in the target range.” The statement reiterated that the Fed “will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.” Taken together, the moves are at least a tenuous nod that while tight policy could remain in effect, the path ahead is less clear for actual interest rate hikes as policymakers assess incoming data and financial conditions. Wednesday’s decision comes amid U.S. economic fragility and over the objections of prominent Democratic lawmakers, who urged the Fed this week to stop rate hikes that they insisted could cause a recession and excessive loss of jobs. However, the labor market has remained strong since the increases started in March 2022. At the same time, inflation is still well above the 2% target that policymakers consider optimum. Multiple officials have said rates probably will need to stay elevated even if the hikes are put on hold. https://www.theepochtimes.com/irs-spent-10-million-on-weapons-since-covid-19-pandemic-began-watchdog_5238319.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport IRS Spent $10 Million on Weapons Since COVID-19 Pandemic Began: Watchdog The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been splashing out millions stocking up on guns, ammunition, and combat gear since 2020, according to the findings of Open The Books, a watchdog group that tracks government spending. A report by the watchdog, published on April 27, found that the agency has spent a total of $10 million on weaponry and gear since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including $2.3 million on duty ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, and another $1.3 million on “various other gear for criminal investigation agents.” Additionally, the agency has spent $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor vests since 2020. Another $467,000 was reportedly spent on duty tactical lighting, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, and $267,000 on ballistic helmets in the same time. The report, called “The Militarization of Federal Bureaucracy,” contains updated data through the end of March 2023. Since 2006, the IRS has splashed out $35.2 million (adjusted for inflation) on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment. The report found that 2020 and 2021 saw them spend increased amounts. In a statement to Open The Books in 2021, an IRS spokesperson said IRS Criminal Investigation special agents “have been using weapons throughout their history as they have consistently found themselves investigating the most dangerous criminals involved in organized crime, drugs, and gangs.” The IRS Careers website for criminal investigation special agents states that applicants must be willing to “carry a firearm, must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.” https://www.dailyfetched.com/san-francisco-loses-another-retail-giant-as-shops-continue-to-close-due-to-crime/ San Francisco Loses Another Retail Giant as Shops Continue To Close Due to Crime According to a memo from Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom to employees, the company has decided not to renew its leases for its San Francisco Centre Nordstrom store and the Market Street Rack store. “We’ve spent more than 35 years serving customers in downtown San Francisco, building relationships with them and investing in the local community,” Nordstrom wrote. “But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully.” The San Francisco Centre location will close at the end of August, and the Market Street Rack will close on July 1. the owner of the Westfield mall, told the San Francisco Standard that such closures “underscores the deteriorating situation in Downtown San Francisco.” A spokesperson for the mall added: “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.” The statement continued: [Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield] has actively engaged with city leaders for many years to express our serious concerns, which are shared by our customers and retailers. We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement again.” The news comes not long after San Francisco flagship Whole Foods retail store closed after just a year due to 568 emergency calls over 13 months amid soaring crime in the city. Incidents included vagrants starting fights, throwing food, and defecating on the floor. Twenty retailers have closed stores in the Union Square area since 2020, The Standard reports. Last month, CashApp founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed in the streets of San Fransisco, while former fire commissioner Don Carmignani was recently beaten over the head with a pipe by a vagrant. Last October, The Daily Fetched reported that commuters were resorting to arming themselves with baseball bats and stun guns due to droves of violent drug addicts. Residents of the SoMa, in northeast San Francisco, said the recent opening of the SoMa RISE drug sobering center, which opened in June, has plagued the neighborhood, making it unsafe. Residents say the center, which aims to temper drug usage, has done nothing but draw heavy users to the neighborhood. Residents said the influx of drug users had brought soaring crime, making the neighborhood more dangerous, Fox News reported. San Francisco Mayor London Breed touted the center as a safe haven for addicts looking to rebuild their lives. But according to SoMa resident and business owner Mark Sackett, the reality of the center in the neighborhood is much different. https://www.dailyfetched.com/joe-biden-offers-500k-grant-for-teachers-in-pakistan-to-help-transgender-youth/ Joe Biden Offers $500K Grant for Teachers in Pakistan to Help Transgender Youth According to the State Department grant, it will teach English language skills to Pakistani transgender youth so they “better participate in the global community and prepare them for success in the workplace.” The grant report aims to focus on three components: (1) Professional Development for English Language Teachers from Non-Mainstream Institutions (2) Professional Development for novice Pakistani English language teachers (3) Professional Development for Transgender Youth and for Afghan Teachers, Students, and Young Professionals Residing in Pakistan.” The program component that includes a focus on transgender youth accepts proposals from applicants “for a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $75,000 to implement: (1) intensive professional development courses for Pakistani transgender youth from the ages of 13-25, and (2) and intensive professional development courses for Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals residing in Pakistan.” The components aim to improve English language communication skills and connect trainees to a professional alumni network. Applicants to the Biden grant program are encouraged to address, “What is the most effective way to reach the greatest number of Pakistani transgender youth and Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals from diverse locations across Pakistan?” A spokesperson for the State Department said the education project from the agency focuses on transgender youth like it does with other “marginalized communities.” However, the spokesperson added that the grant funds won’t be used for gender transitions.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, May the 4th be with you, 2023. Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)-Play 0:00-0:36 Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise created by founder, former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. Observance of the day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977. The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans around the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars. Additionally, the release date of the original Star Wars movie on May 25, 1977 is also celebrated as Geek Pride Day. Olive Tree Biblical Software: Discover why more than a million people use the free Olive Tree Bible App as their go-to for reading, studying, and listening to the God’s Word. Download one of many free Bibles and start taking notes, highlighting verses, and bookmarking your favorite passages. Read at your own pace, or choose from a large selection of Reading Plans, including the Bible Reading Challenge. When you are ready to go deeper into your studies, Olive Tree is right there with a large selection of study Bibles, commentaries, and other helpful study resources available for purchase. An extensive bookstore allows you to build your digital library one book at a time. Olive Tree’s sync technology lets you pick up where you left off on your tablet, pc or phone and get right to studying on another supported device. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/europe/ukraine-drone-attack-putin-kremlin-intl/index.html Kyiv denies involvement in alleged Kremlin drone attack Russia claimed Ukraine launched an attempt to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin overnight on Wednesday, an extraordinary allegation that was met with forceful denials in Kyiv. The Kremlin said the attack was foiled and the alleged drones destroyed. Video that appeared on social media shows a bright flash and a puff of smoke over a part of the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president and the most potent symbol of power in Moscow. In a statement, the Kremlin said it regarded the alleged attack as terrorism and a deliberate attempt on Putin’s life. “Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added. Ukraine denied involvement in the alleged strike. US officials said they were still assessing the incident, and had no information about who might have been responsible. Whatever the truth, any admission of a security breach at the heart of the Kremlin is remarkable. Moscow said the alleged attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday. The Russian president was not in the building at the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. analysis of video showing the incident support the Kremlin’s claim that two drones were flown above the Kremlin early Wednesday, but did not show evidence of Ukrainian involvement: A video that appeared to show smoke rising from the Kremlin surfaced on a local neighborhood channel on social media platform Telegram at 2:37 a.m. local time Wednesday. The first reports of the incident citing the Kremlin came via Russian state media TASS and RIA around 2:33 p.m. local time – around 12 hours later. Shortly after the first media reports, another video appearing to show the moment a drone exploded above the Kremlin began circulating widely on social media. In the video, the drone appears to fly towards the building’s domed roof, followed by what looks like a small explosion. In this video, two people appear to be climbing on the dome holding flashlights, and can be seen ducking down just before the moment of the explosion. The people climbing the dome are not present in the first of these videos, but appear in the second, suggesting they were responding to the fire caused by the first drone at the time the subsequent drone appeared. The Kremlin Press Service has called the purported drone attack an “attempt on the President’s life,” said it was an “act of terrorism” and blamed Ukraine. https://www.outkick.com/audrey-hale-nashville-police-release-update-litigation/ POLICE ANNOUNCE MANIFESTO OF NASHVILLE TRANSGENDER MASS KILLER WON’T BE RELEASED SOON The release of transgender mass killer Audrey Hale’s manifesto has been put on hold. The Nashville Police Department had previously told Fox News Digital last week the manifesto was being revealed and would be released. People are interested to see what drove Hale to murder six innocent people, including three children, at the Covenant School in late March. Now, it appears that the process has hit a roadblock. Metro Nashville PD announced Wednesday afternoon that “Due to pending litigation filed this week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been advised by counsel to hold in abeyance the release of records related to the shooting at The Covenant School pending orders or direction of the court.” The update is in response to a lawsuit filed by former Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association against the Nashville city government and the police to release the manifesto, according to TimeFreePress.com. As of early May, the public still doesn’t have any idea what is in the manifesto. It’s been more than a month since Audrey Hale walked into the Covenant School to unleash her rampage of terror against children and staffers. Despite the significant time that has passed, government officials have seemingly dragged their feet to make sure the manifesto doesn’t come out. For most of the time, it appeared that Hale’s writings would never be released. Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston previously told the New York Post, “What I was told is, her manifesto was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned … That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/fed-rate-decision-may-2023-.html Fed increases rates a quarter point and signals a potential end to hikes The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its 10th interest rate increase in just a little over a year and dropped a tentative hint that the current tightening cycle is at an end. In a unanimous decision widely expected by markets, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark borrowing rate by 0.25 percentage point. The rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending but feeds through to many consumer debt products such as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The increase takes the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. Markets, though, are more focused on whether the Fed will pause here, particularly with lingering concerns over economic growth and a banking crisis that has rattled nerves on Wall Street. Stocks rose slightly and Treasury yields were mostly lower immediately following the Fed news, but stocks struggled to hold on to the gains. During Wednesday’s news conference, Chairman Jerome Powell said “a decision on a pause was not made today” but noted the change in the statement language around future policy firming was “meaningful.” The post-meeting statement had only offered some clarity on the future pace of rate hikes — and not by what it said but what it didn’t say. The document omitted a sentence present in the previous statement saying that “the Committee anticipates that some additional policy firming may be appropriate” for the Fed to achieve its 2% inflation goal. The statement also tweaked language to outline the conditions under which “additional policy firming may be appropriate.” Previously, the FOMC had framed the forward guidance around how it would determine “the extent of future increases in the target range.” The statement reiterated that the Fed “will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.” Taken together, the moves are at least a tenuous nod that while tight policy could remain in effect, the path ahead is less clear for actual interest rate hikes as policymakers assess incoming data and financial conditions. Wednesday’s decision comes amid U.S. economic fragility and over the objections of prominent Democratic lawmakers, who urged the Fed this week to stop rate hikes that they insisted could cause a recession and excessive loss of jobs. However, the labor market has remained strong since the increases started in March 2022. At the same time, inflation is still well above the 2% target that policymakers consider optimum. Multiple officials have said rates probably will need to stay elevated even if the hikes are put on hold. https://www.theepochtimes.com/irs-spent-10-million-on-weapons-since-covid-19-pandemic-began-watchdog_5238319.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport IRS Spent $10 Million on Weapons Since COVID-19 Pandemic Began: Watchdog The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been splashing out millions stocking up on guns, ammunition, and combat gear since 2020, according to the findings of Open The Books, a watchdog group that tracks government spending. A report by the watchdog, published on April 27, found that the agency has spent a total of $10 million on weaponry and gear since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including $2.3 million on duty ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, and another $1.3 million on “various other gear for criminal investigation agents.” Additionally, the agency has spent $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor vests since 2020. Another $467,000 was reportedly spent on duty tactical lighting, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, and $267,000 on ballistic helmets in the same time. The report, called “The Militarization of Federal Bureaucracy,” contains updated data through the end of March 2023. Since 2006, the IRS has splashed out $35.2 million (adjusted for inflation) on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment. The report found that 2020 and 2021 saw them spend increased amounts. In a statement to Open The Books in 2021, an IRS spokesperson said IRS Criminal Investigation special agents “have been using weapons throughout their history as they have consistently found themselves investigating the most dangerous criminals involved in organized crime, drugs, and gangs.” The IRS Careers website for criminal investigation special agents states that applicants must be willing to “carry a firearm, must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.” https://www.dailyfetched.com/san-francisco-loses-another-retail-giant-as-shops-continue-to-close-due-to-crime/ San Francisco Loses Another Retail Giant as Shops Continue To Close Due to Crime According to a memo from Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom to employees, the company has decided not to renew its leases for its San Francisco Centre Nordstrom store and the Market Street Rack store. “We’ve spent more than 35 years serving customers in downtown San Francisco, building relationships with them and investing in the local community,” Nordstrom wrote. “But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully.” The San Francisco Centre location will close at the end of August, and the Market Street Rack will close on July 1. the owner of the Westfield mall, told the San Francisco Standard that such closures “underscores the deteriorating situation in Downtown San Francisco.” A spokesperson for the mall added: “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.” The statement continued: [Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield] has actively engaged with city leaders for many years to express our serious concerns, which are shared by our customers and retailers. We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement again.” The news comes not long after San Francisco flagship Whole Foods retail store closed after just a year due to 568 emergency calls over 13 months amid soaring crime in the city. Incidents included vagrants starting fights, throwing food, and defecating on the floor. Twenty retailers have closed stores in the Union Square area since 2020, The Standard reports. Last month, CashApp founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed in the streets of San Fransisco, while former fire commissioner Don Carmignani was recently beaten over the head with a pipe by a vagrant. Last October, The Daily Fetched reported that commuters were resorting to arming themselves with baseball bats and stun guns due to droves of violent drug addicts. Residents of the SoMa, in northeast San Francisco, said the recent opening of the SoMa RISE drug sobering center, which opened in June, has plagued the neighborhood, making it unsafe. Residents say the center, which aims to temper drug usage, has done nothing but draw heavy users to the neighborhood. Residents said the influx of drug users had brought soaring crime, making the neighborhood more dangerous, Fox News reported. San Francisco Mayor London Breed touted the center as a safe haven for addicts looking to rebuild their lives. But according to SoMa resident and business owner Mark Sackett, the reality of the center in the neighborhood is much different. https://www.dailyfetched.com/joe-biden-offers-500k-grant-for-teachers-in-pakistan-to-help-transgender-youth/ Joe Biden Offers $500K Grant for Teachers in Pakistan to Help Transgender Youth According to the State Department grant, it will teach English language skills to Pakistani transgender youth so they “better participate in the global community and prepare them for success in the workplace.” The grant report aims to focus on three components: (1) Professional Development for English Language Teachers from Non-Mainstream Institutions (2) Professional Development for novice Pakistani English language teachers (3) Professional Development for Transgender Youth and for Afghan Teachers, Students, and Young Professionals Residing in Pakistan.” The program component that includes a focus on transgender youth accepts proposals from applicants “for a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $75,000 to implement: (1) intensive professional development courses for Pakistani transgender youth from the ages of 13-25, and (2) and intensive professional development courses for Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals residing in Pakistan.” The components aim to improve English language communication skills and connect trainees to a professional alumni network. Applicants to the Biden grant program are encouraged to address, “What is the most effective way to reach the greatest number of Pakistani transgender youth and Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals from diverse locations across Pakistan?” A spokesperson for the State Department said the education project from the agency focuses on transgender youth like it does with other “marginalized communities.” However, the spokesperson added that the grant funds won’t be used for gender transitions.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, May the 4th be with you, 2023. Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)-Play 0:00-0:36 Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise created by founder, former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. Observance of the day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977. The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans around the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars. Additionally, the release date of the original Star Wars movie on May 25, 1977 is also celebrated as Geek Pride Day. Olive Tree Biblical Software: Discover why more than a million people use the free Olive Tree Bible App as their go-to for reading, studying, and listening to the God’s Word. Download one of many free Bibles and start taking notes, highlighting verses, and bookmarking your favorite passages. Read at your own pace, or choose from a large selection of Reading Plans, including the Bible Reading Challenge. When you are ready to go deeper into your studies, Olive Tree is right there with a large selection of study Bibles, commentaries, and other helpful study resources available for purchase. An extensive bookstore allows you to build your digital library one book at a time. Olive Tree’s sync technology lets you pick up where you left off on your tablet, pc or phone and get right to studying on another supported device. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/europe/ukraine-drone-attack-putin-kremlin-intl/index.html Kyiv denies involvement in alleged Kremlin drone attack Russia claimed Ukraine launched an attempt to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin overnight on Wednesday, an extraordinary allegation that was met with forceful denials in Kyiv. The Kremlin said the attack was foiled and the alleged drones destroyed. Video that appeared on social media shows a bright flash and a puff of smoke over a part of the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president and the most potent symbol of power in Moscow. In a statement, the Kremlin said it regarded the alleged attack as terrorism and a deliberate attempt on Putin’s life. “Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added. Ukraine denied involvement in the alleged strike. US officials said they were still assessing the incident, and had no information about who might have been responsible. Whatever the truth, any admission of a security breach at the heart of the Kremlin is remarkable. Moscow said the alleged attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday. The Russian president was not in the building at the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. analysis of video showing the incident support the Kremlin’s claim that two drones were flown above the Kremlin early Wednesday, but did not show evidence of Ukrainian involvement: A video that appeared to show smoke rising from the Kremlin surfaced on a local neighborhood channel on social media platform Telegram at 2:37 a.m. local time Wednesday. The first reports of the incident citing the Kremlin came via Russian state media TASS and RIA around 2:33 p.m. local time – around 12 hours later. Shortly after the first media reports, another video appearing to show the moment a drone exploded above the Kremlin began circulating widely on social media. In the video, the drone appears to fly towards the building’s domed roof, followed by what looks like a small explosion. In this video, two people appear to be climbing on the dome holding flashlights, and can be seen ducking down just before the moment of the explosion. The people climbing the dome are not present in the first of these videos, but appear in the second, suggesting they were responding to the fire caused by the first drone at the time the subsequent drone appeared. The Kremlin Press Service has called the purported drone attack an “attempt on the President’s life,” said it was an “act of terrorism” and blamed Ukraine. https://www.outkick.com/audrey-hale-nashville-police-release-update-litigation/ POLICE ANNOUNCE MANIFESTO OF NASHVILLE TRANSGENDER MASS KILLER WON’T BE RELEASED SOON The release of transgender mass killer Audrey Hale’s manifesto has been put on hold. The Nashville Police Department had previously told Fox News Digital last week the manifesto was being revealed and would be released. People are interested to see what drove Hale to murder six innocent people, including three children, at the Covenant School in late March. Now, it appears that the process has hit a roadblock. Metro Nashville PD announced Wednesday afternoon that “Due to pending litigation filed this week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been advised by counsel to hold in abeyance the release of records related to the shooting at The Covenant School pending orders or direction of the court.” The update is in response to a lawsuit filed by former Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association against the Nashville city government and the police to release the manifesto, according to TimeFreePress.com. As of early May, the public still doesn’t have any idea what is in the manifesto. It’s been more than a month since Audrey Hale walked into the Covenant School to unleash her rampage of terror against children and staffers. Despite the significant time that has passed, government officials have seemingly dragged their feet to make sure the manifesto doesn’t come out. For most of the time, it appeared that Hale’s writings would never be released. Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston previously told the New York Post, “What I was told is, her manifesto was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned … That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/fed-rate-decision-may-2023-.html Fed increases rates a quarter point and signals a potential end to hikes The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its 10th interest rate increase in just a little over a year and dropped a tentative hint that the current tightening cycle is at an end. In a unanimous decision widely expected by markets, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark borrowing rate by 0.25 percentage point. The rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending but feeds through to many consumer debt products such as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The increase takes the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. Markets, though, are more focused on whether the Fed will pause here, particularly with lingering concerns over economic growth and a banking crisis that has rattled nerves on Wall Street. Stocks rose slightly and Treasury yields were mostly lower immediately following the Fed news, but stocks struggled to hold on to the gains. During Wednesday’s news conference, Chairman Jerome Powell said “a decision on a pause was not made today” but noted the change in the statement language around future policy firming was “meaningful.” The post-meeting statement had only offered some clarity on the future pace of rate hikes — and not by what it said but what it didn’t say. The document omitted a sentence present in the previous statement saying that “the Committee anticipates that some additional policy firming may be appropriate” for the Fed to achieve its 2% inflation goal. The statement also tweaked language to outline the conditions under which “additional policy firming may be appropriate.” Previously, the FOMC had framed the forward guidance around how it would determine “the extent of future increases in the target range.” The statement reiterated that the Fed “will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.” Taken together, the moves are at least a tenuous nod that while tight policy could remain in effect, the path ahead is less clear for actual interest rate hikes as policymakers assess incoming data and financial conditions. Wednesday’s decision comes amid U.S. economic fragility and over the objections of prominent Democratic lawmakers, who urged the Fed this week to stop rate hikes that they insisted could cause a recession and excessive loss of jobs. However, the labor market has remained strong since the increases started in March 2022. At the same time, inflation is still well above the 2% target that policymakers consider optimum. Multiple officials have said rates probably will need to stay elevated even if the hikes are put on hold. https://www.theepochtimes.com/irs-spent-10-million-on-weapons-since-covid-19-pandemic-began-watchdog_5238319.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport IRS Spent $10 Million on Weapons Since COVID-19 Pandemic Began: Watchdog The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been splashing out millions stocking up on guns, ammunition, and combat gear since 2020, according to the findings of Open The Books, a watchdog group that tracks government spending. A report by the watchdog, published on April 27, found that the agency has spent a total of $10 million on weaponry and gear since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including $2.3 million on duty ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, and another $1.3 million on “various other gear for criminal investigation agents.” Additionally, the agency has spent $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor vests since 2020. Another $467,000 was reportedly spent on duty tactical lighting, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, and $267,000 on ballistic helmets in the same time. The report, called “The Militarization of Federal Bureaucracy,” contains updated data through the end of March 2023. Since 2006, the IRS has splashed out $35.2 million (adjusted for inflation) on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment. The report found that 2020 and 2021 saw them spend increased amounts. In a statement to Open The Books in 2021, an IRS spokesperson said IRS Criminal Investigation special agents “have been using weapons throughout their history as they have consistently found themselves investigating the most dangerous criminals involved in organized crime, drugs, and gangs.” The IRS Careers website for criminal investigation special agents states that applicants must be willing to “carry a firearm, must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.” https://www.dailyfetched.com/san-francisco-loses-another-retail-giant-as-shops-continue-to-close-due-to-crime/ San Francisco Loses Another Retail Giant as Shops Continue To Close Due to Crime According to a memo from Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom to employees, the company has decided not to renew its leases for its San Francisco Centre Nordstrom store and the Market Street Rack store. “We’ve spent more than 35 years serving customers in downtown San Francisco, building relationships with them and investing in the local community,” Nordstrom wrote. “But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully.” The San Francisco Centre location will close at the end of August, and the Market Street Rack will close on July 1. the owner of the Westfield mall, told the San Francisco Standard that such closures “underscores the deteriorating situation in Downtown San Francisco.” A spokesperson for the mall added: “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.” The statement continued: [Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield] has actively engaged with city leaders for many years to express our serious concerns, which are shared by our customers and retailers. We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement again.” The news comes not long after San Francisco flagship Whole Foods retail store closed after just a year due to 568 emergency calls over 13 months amid soaring crime in the city. Incidents included vagrants starting fights, throwing food, and defecating on the floor. Twenty retailers have closed stores in the Union Square area since 2020, The Standard reports. Last month, CashApp founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed in the streets of San Fransisco, while former fire commissioner Don Carmignani was recently beaten over the head with a pipe by a vagrant. Last October, The Daily Fetched reported that commuters were resorting to arming themselves with baseball bats and stun guns due to droves of violent drug addicts. Residents of the SoMa, in northeast San Francisco, said the recent opening of the SoMa RISE drug sobering center, which opened in June, has plagued the neighborhood, making it unsafe. Residents say the center, which aims to temper drug usage, has done nothing but draw heavy users to the neighborhood. Residents said the influx of drug users had brought soaring crime, making the neighborhood more dangerous, Fox News reported. San Francisco Mayor London Breed touted the center as a safe haven for addicts looking to rebuild their lives. But according to SoMa resident and business owner Mark Sackett, the reality of the center in the neighborhood is much different. https://www.dailyfetched.com/joe-biden-offers-500k-grant-for-teachers-in-pakistan-to-help-transgender-youth/ Joe Biden Offers $500K Grant for Teachers in Pakistan to Help Transgender Youth According to the State Department grant, it will teach English language skills to Pakistani transgender youth so they “better participate in the global community and prepare them for success in the workplace.” The grant report aims to focus on three components: (1) Professional Development for English Language Teachers from Non-Mainstream Institutions (2) Professional Development for novice Pakistani English language teachers (3) Professional Development for Transgender Youth and for Afghan Teachers, Students, and Young Professionals Residing in Pakistan.” The program component that includes a focus on transgender youth accepts proposals from applicants “for a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $75,000 to implement: (1) intensive professional development courses for Pakistani transgender youth from the ages of 13-25, and (2) and intensive professional development courses for Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals residing in Pakistan.” The components aim to improve English language communication skills and connect trainees to a professional alumni network. Applicants to the Biden grant program are encouraged to address, “What is the most effective way to reach the greatest number of Pakistani transgender youth and Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals from diverse locations across Pakistan?” A spokesperson for the State Department said the education project from the agency focuses on transgender youth like it does with other “marginalized communities.” However, the spokesperson added that the grant funds won’t be used for gender transitions.

3pm - Nordstrom leaves downtown San Francisco, joining big-city retail exodus // Wild video shows Walgreens security guard getting hit by shoplifter — and HE's the one arrested // Man Dies on Subway After Another Rider Places Him in Chokehold // Kamala Harris Delivers Word Salad to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos // Newt Gingrich: “I Think Republicans Better Pay Significant Attention to Michelle Obama” // Tibet hotel guest blames feet for horrible stench in room— but then discovers dead body under bed  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, May the 4th be with you, 2023. Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)-Play 0:00-0:36 Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise created by founder, former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. Observance of the day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977. The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans around the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars. Additionally, the release date of the original Star Wars movie on May 25, 1977 is also celebrated as Geek Pride Day. Olive Tree Biblical Software: Discover why more than a million people use the free Olive Tree Bible App as their go-to for reading, studying, and listening to the God’s Word. Download one of many free Bibles and start taking notes, highlighting verses, and bookmarking your favorite passages. Read at your own pace, or choose from a large selection of Reading Plans, including the Bible Reading Challenge. When you are ready to go deeper into your studies, Olive Tree is right there with a large selection of study Bibles, commentaries, and other helpful study resources available for purchase. An extensive bookstore allows you to build your digital library one book at a time. Olive Tree’s sync technology lets you pick up where you left off on your tablet, pc or phone and get right to studying on another supported device. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/europe/ukraine-drone-attack-putin-kremlin-intl/index.html Kyiv denies involvement in alleged Kremlin drone attack Russia claimed Ukraine launched an attempt to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin overnight on Wednesday, an extraordinary allegation that was met with forceful denials in Kyiv. The Kremlin said the attack was foiled and the alleged drones destroyed. Video that appeared on social media shows a bright flash and a puff of smoke over a part of the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president and the most potent symbol of power in Moscow. In a statement, the Kremlin said it regarded the alleged attack as terrorism and a deliberate attempt on Putin’s life. “Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added. Ukraine denied involvement in the alleged strike. US officials said they were still assessing the incident, and had no information about who might have been responsible. Whatever the truth, any admission of a security breach at the heart of the Kremlin is remarkable. Moscow said the alleged attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday. The Russian president was not in the building at the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. analysis of video showing the incident support the Kremlin’s claim that two drones were flown above the Kremlin early Wednesday, but did not show evidence of Ukrainian involvement: A video that appeared to show smoke rising from the Kremlin surfaced on a local neighborhood channel on social media platform Telegram at 2:37 a.m. local time Wednesday. The first reports of the incident citing the Kremlin came via Russian state media TASS and RIA around 2:33 p.m. local time – around 12 hours later. Shortly after the first media reports, another video appearing to show the moment a drone exploded above the Kremlin began circulating widely on social media. In the video, the drone appears to fly towards the building’s domed roof, followed by what looks like a small explosion. In this video, two people appear to be climbing on the dome holding flashlights, and can be seen ducking down just before the moment of the explosion. The people climbing the dome are not present in the first of these videos, but appear in the second, suggesting they were responding to the fire caused by the first drone at the time the subsequent drone appeared. The Kremlin Press Service has called the purported drone attack an “attempt on the President’s life,” said it was an “act of terrorism” and blamed Ukraine. https://www.outkick.com/audrey-hale-nashville-police-release-update-litigation/ POLICE ANNOUNCE MANIFESTO OF NASHVILLE TRANSGENDER MASS KILLER WON’T BE RELEASED SOON The release of transgender mass killer Audrey Hale’s manifesto has been put on hold. The Nashville Police Department had previously told Fox News Digital last week the manifesto was being revealed and would be released. People are interested to see what drove Hale to murder six innocent people, including three children, at the Covenant School in late March. Now, it appears that the process has hit a roadblock. Metro Nashville PD announced Wednesday afternoon that “Due to pending litigation filed this week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been advised by counsel to hold in abeyance the release of records related to the shooting at The Covenant School pending orders or direction of the court.” The update is in response to a lawsuit filed by former Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association against the Nashville city government and the police to release the manifesto, according to TimeFreePress.com. As of early May, the public still doesn’t have any idea what is in the manifesto. It’s been more than a month since Audrey Hale walked into the Covenant School to unleash her rampage of terror against children and staffers. Despite the significant time that has passed, government officials have seemingly dragged their feet to make sure the manifesto doesn’t come out. For most of the time, it appeared that Hale’s writings would never be released. Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston previously told the New York Post, “What I was told is, her manifesto was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned … That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/fed-rate-decision-may-2023-.html Fed increases rates a quarter point and signals a potential end to hikes The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its 10th interest rate increase in just a little over a year and dropped a tentative hint that the current tightening cycle is at an end. In a unanimous decision widely expected by markets, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark borrowing rate by 0.25 percentage point. The rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending but feeds through to many consumer debt products such as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The increase takes the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. Markets, though, are more focused on whether the Fed will pause here, particularly with lingering concerns over economic growth and a banking crisis that has rattled nerves on Wall Street. Stocks rose slightly and Treasury yields were mostly lower immediately following the Fed news, but stocks struggled to hold on to the gains. During Wednesday’s news conference, Chairman Jerome Powell said “a decision on a pause was not made today” but noted the change in the statement language around future policy firming was “meaningful.” The post-meeting statement had only offered some clarity on the future pace of rate hikes — and not by what it said but what it didn’t say. The document omitted a sentence present in the previous statement saying that “the Committee anticipates that some additional policy firming may be appropriate” for the Fed to achieve its 2% inflation goal. The statement also tweaked language to outline the conditions under which “additional policy firming may be appropriate.” Previously, the FOMC had framed the forward guidance around how it would determine “the extent of future increases in the target range.” The statement reiterated that the Fed “will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.” Taken together, the moves are at least a tenuous nod that while tight policy could remain in effect, the path ahead is less clear for actual interest rate hikes as policymakers assess incoming data and financial conditions. Wednesday’s decision comes amid U.S. economic fragility and over the objections of prominent Democratic lawmakers, who urged the Fed this week to stop rate hikes that they insisted could cause a recession and excessive loss of jobs. However, the labor market has remained strong since the increases started in March 2022. At the same time, inflation is still well above the 2% target that policymakers consider optimum. Multiple officials have said rates probably will need to stay elevated even if the hikes are put on hold. https://www.theepochtimes.com/irs-spent-10-million-on-weapons-since-covid-19-pandemic-began-watchdog_5238319.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport IRS Spent $10 Million on Weapons Since COVID-19 Pandemic Began: Watchdog The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been splashing out millions stocking up on guns, ammunition, and combat gear since 2020, according to the findings of Open The Books, a watchdog group that tracks government spending. A report by the watchdog, published on April 27, found that the agency has spent a total of $10 million on weaponry and gear since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including $2.3 million on duty ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, and another $1.3 million on “various other gear for criminal investigation agents.” Additionally, the agency has spent $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor vests since 2020. Another $467,000 was reportedly spent on duty tactical lighting, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, and $267,000 on ballistic helmets in the same time. The report, called “The Militarization of Federal Bureaucracy,” contains updated data through the end of March 2023. Since 2006, the IRS has splashed out $35.2 million (adjusted for inflation) on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment. The report found that 2020 and 2021 saw them spend increased amounts. In a statement to Open The Books in 2021, an IRS spokesperson said IRS Criminal Investigation special agents “have been using weapons throughout their history as they have consistently found themselves investigating the most dangerous criminals involved in organized crime, drugs, and gangs.” The IRS Careers website for criminal investigation special agents states that applicants must be willing to “carry a firearm, must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.” https://www.dailyfetched.com/san-francisco-loses-another-retail-giant-as-shops-continue-to-close-due-to-crime/ San Francisco Loses Another Retail Giant as Shops Continue To Close Due to Crime According to a memo from Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom to employees, the company has decided not to renew its leases for its San Francisco Centre Nordstrom store and the Market Street Rack store. “We’ve spent more than 35 years serving customers in downtown San Francisco, building relationships with them and investing in the local community,” Nordstrom wrote. “But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully.” The San Francisco Centre location will close at the end of August, and the Market Street Rack will close on July 1. the owner of the Westfield mall, told the San Francisco Standard that such closures “underscores the deteriorating situation in Downtown San Francisco.” A spokesperson for the mall added: “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.” The statement continued: [Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield] has actively engaged with city leaders for many years to express our serious concerns, which are shared by our customers and retailers. We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement again.” The news comes not long after San Francisco flagship Whole Foods retail store closed after just a year due to 568 emergency calls over 13 months amid soaring crime in the city. Incidents included vagrants starting fights, throwing food, and defecating on the floor. Twenty retailers have closed stores in the Union Square area since 2020, The Standard reports. Last month, CashApp founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed in the streets of San Fransisco, while former fire commissioner Don Carmignani was recently beaten over the head with a pipe by a vagrant. Last October, The Daily Fetched reported that commuters were resorting to arming themselves with baseball bats and stun guns due to droves of violent drug addicts. Residents of the SoMa, in northeast San Francisco, said the recent opening of the SoMa RISE drug sobering center, which opened in June, has plagued the neighborhood, making it unsafe. Residents say the center, which aims to temper drug usage, has done nothing but draw heavy users to the neighborhood. Residents said the influx of drug users had brought soaring crime, making the neighborhood more dangerous, Fox News reported. San Francisco Mayor London Breed touted the center as a safe haven for addicts looking to rebuild their lives. But according to SoMa resident and business owner Mark Sackett, the reality of the center in the neighborhood is much different. https://www.dailyfetched.com/joe-biden-offers-500k-grant-for-teachers-in-pakistan-to-help-transgender-youth/ Joe Biden Offers $500K Grant for Teachers in Pakistan to Help Transgender Youth According to the State Department grant, it will teach English language skills to Pakistani transgender youth so they “better participate in the global community and prepare them for success in the workplace.” The grant report aims to focus on three components: (1) Professional Development for English Language Teachers from Non-Mainstream Institutions (2) Professional Development for novice Pakistani English language teachers (3) Professional Development for Transgender Youth and for Afghan Teachers, Students, and Young Professionals Residing in Pakistan.” The program component that includes a focus on transgender youth accepts proposals from applicants “for a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $75,000 to implement: (1) intensive professional development courses for Pakistani transgender youth from the ages of 13-25, and (2) and intensive professional development courses for Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals residing in Pakistan.” The components aim to improve English language communication skills and connect trainees to a professional alumni network. Applicants to the Biden grant program are encouraged to address, “What is the most effective way to reach the greatest number of Pakistani transgender youth and Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals from diverse locations across Pakistan?” A spokesperson for the State Department said the education project from the agency focuses on transgender youth like it does with other “marginalized communities.” However, the spokesperson added that the grant funds won’t be used for gender transitions.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, May the 4th be with you, 2023. Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)-Play 0:00-0:36 Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate the Star Wars media franchise created by founder, former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. Observance of the day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977. The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans around the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars. Additionally, the release date of the original Star Wars movie on May 25, 1977 is also celebrated as Geek Pride Day. Olive Tree Biblical Software: Discover why more than a million people use the free Olive Tree Bible App as their go-to for reading, studying, and listening to the God’s Word. Download one of many free Bibles and start taking notes, highlighting verses, and bookmarking your favorite passages. Read at your own pace, or choose from a large selection of Reading Plans, including the Bible Reading Challenge. When you are ready to go deeper into your studies, Olive Tree is right there with a large selection of study Bibles, commentaries, and other helpful study resources available for purchase. An extensive bookstore allows you to build your digital library one book at a time. Olive Tree’s sync technology lets you pick up where you left off on your tablet, pc or phone and get right to studying on another supported device. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/europe/ukraine-drone-attack-putin-kremlin-intl/index.html Kyiv denies involvement in alleged Kremlin drone attack Russia claimed Ukraine launched an attempt to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin with a drone strike on the Kremlin overnight on Wednesday, an extraordinary allegation that was met with forceful denials in Kyiv. The Kremlin said the attack was foiled and the alleged drones destroyed. Video that appeared on social media shows a bright flash and a puff of smoke over a part of the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president and the most potent symbol of power in Moscow. In a statement, the Kremlin said it regarded the alleged attack as terrorism and a deliberate attempt on Putin’s life. “Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added. Ukraine denied involvement in the alleged strike. US officials said they were still assessing the incident, and had no information about who might have been responsible. Whatever the truth, any admission of a security breach at the heart of the Kremlin is remarkable. Moscow said the alleged attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday. The Russian president was not in the building at the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. analysis of video showing the incident support the Kremlin’s claim that two drones were flown above the Kremlin early Wednesday, but did not show evidence of Ukrainian involvement: A video that appeared to show smoke rising from the Kremlin surfaced on a local neighborhood channel on social media platform Telegram at 2:37 a.m. local time Wednesday. The first reports of the incident citing the Kremlin came via Russian state media TASS and RIA around 2:33 p.m. local time – around 12 hours later. Shortly after the first media reports, another video appearing to show the moment a drone exploded above the Kremlin began circulating widely on social media. In the video, the drone appears to fly towards the building’s domed roof, followed by what looks like a small explosion. In this video, two people appear to be climbing on the dome holding flashlights, and can be seen ducking down just before the moment of the explosion. The people climbing the dome are not present in the first of these videos, but appear in the second, suggesting they were responding to the fire caused by the first drone at the time the subsequent drone appeared. The Kremlin Press Service has called the purported drone attack an “attempt on the President’s life,” said it was an “act of terrorism” and blamed Ukraine. https://www.outkick.com/audrey-hale-nashville-police-release-update-litigation/ POLICE ANNOUNCE MANIFESTO OF NASHVILLE TRANSGENDER MASS KILLER WON’T BE RELEASED SOON The release of transgender mass killer Audrey Hale’s manifesto has been put on hold. The Nashville Police Department had previously told Fox News Digital last week the manifesto was being revealed and would be released. People are interested to see what drove Hale to murder six innocent people, including three children, at the Covenant School in late March. Now, it appears that the process has hit a roadblock. Metro Nashville PD announced Wednesday afternoon that “Due to pending litigation filed this week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been advised by counsel to hold in abeyance the release of records related to the shooting at The Covenant School pending orders or direction of the court.” The update is in response to a lawsuit filed by former Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association against the Nashville city government and the police to release the manifesto, according to TimeFreePress.com. As of early May, the public still doesn’t have any idea what is in the manifesto. It’s been more than a month since Audrey Hale walked into the Covenant School to unleash her rampage of terror against children and staffers. Despite the significant time that has passed, government officials have seemingly dragged their feet to make sure the manifesto doesn’t come out. For most of the time, it appeared that Hale’s writings would never be released. Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston previously told the New York Post, “What I was told is, her manifesto was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned … That document in the wrong person’s hands would be astronomically dangerous.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/fed-rate-decision-may-2023-.html Fed increases rates a quarter point and signals a potential end to hikes The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its 10th interest rate increase in just a little over a year and dropped a tentative hint that the current tightening cycle is at an end. In a unanimous decision widely expected by markets, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its benchmark borrowing rate by 0.25 percentage point. The rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending but feeds through to many consumer debt products such as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The increase takes the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. Markets, though, are more focused on whether the Fed will pause here, particularly with lingering concerns over economic growth and a banking crisis that has rattled nerves on Wall Street. Stocks rose slightly and Treasury yields were mostly lower immediately following the Fed news, but stocks struggled to hold on to the gains. During Wednesday’s news conference, Chairman Jerome Powell said “a decision on a pause was not made today” but noted the change in the statement language around future policy firming was “meaningful.” The post-meeting statement had only offered some clarity on the future pace of rate hikes — and not by what it said but what it didn’t say. The document omitted a sentence present in the previous statement saying that “the Committee anticipates that some additional policy firming may be appropriate” for the Fed to achieve its 2% inflation goal. The statement also tweaked language to outline the conditions under which “additional policy firming may be appropriate.” Previously, the FOMC had framed the forward guidance around how it would determine “the extent of future increases in the target range.” The statement reiterated that the Fed “will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.” Taken together, the moves are at least a tenuous nod that while tight policy could remain in effect, the path ahead is less clear for actual interest rate hikes as policymakers assess incoming data and financial conditions. Wednesday’s decision comes amid U.S. economic fragility and over the objections of prominent Democratic lawmakers, who urged the Fed this week to stop rate hikes that they insisted could cause a recession and excessive loss of jobs. However, the labor market has remained strong since the increases started in March 2022. At the same time, inflation is still well above the 2% target that policymakers consider optimum. Multiple officials have said rates probably will need to stay elevated even if the hikes are put on hold. https://www.theepochtimes.com/irs-spent-10-million-on-weapons-since-covid-19-pandemic-began-watchdog_5238319.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport IRS Spent $10 Million on Weapons Since COVID-19 Pandemic Began: Watchdog The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been splashing out millions stocking up on guns, ammunition, and combat gear since 2020, according to the findings of Open The Books, a watchdog group that tracks government spending. A report by the watchdog, published on April 27, found that the agency has spent a total of $10 million on weaponry and gear since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including $2.3 million on duty ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, and another $1.3 million on “various other gear for criminal investigation agents.” Additionally, the agency has spent $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor vests since 2020. Another $467,000 was reportedly spent on duty tactical lighting, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, and $267,000 on ballistic helmets in the same time. The report, called “The Militarization of Federal Bureaucracy,” contains updated data through the end of March 2023. Since 2006, the IRS has splashed out $35.2 million (adjusted for inflation) on guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment. The report found that 2020 and 2021 saw them spend increased amounts. In a statement to Open The Books in 2021, an IRS spokesperson said IRS Criminal Investigation special agents “have been using weapons throughout their history as they have consistently found themselves investigating the most dangerous criminals involved in organized crime, drugs, and gangs.” The IRS Careers website for criminal investigation special agents states that applicants must be willing to “carry a firearm, must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.” https://www.dailyfetched.com/san-francisco-loses-another-retail-giant-as-shops-continue-to-close-due-to-crime/ San Francisco Loses Another Retail Giant as Shops Continue To Close Due to Crime According to a memo from Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom to employees, the company has decided not to renew its leases for its San Francisco Centre Nordstrom store and the Market Street Rack store. “We’ve spent more than 35 years serving customers in downtown San Francisco, building relationships with them and investing in the local community,” Nordstrom wrote. “But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully.” The San Francisco Centre location will close at the end of August, and the Market Street Rack will close on July 1. the owner of the Westfield mall, told the San Francisco Standard that such closures “underscores the deteriorating situation in Downtown San Francisco.” A spokesperson for the mall added: “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.” The statement continued: [Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield] has actively engaged with city leaders for many years to express our serious concerns, which are shared by our customers and retailers. We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement again.” The news comes not long after San Francisco flagship Whole Foods retail store closed after just a year due to 568 emergency calls over 13 months amid soaring crime in the city. Incidents included vagrants starting fights, throwing food, and defecating on the floor. Twenty retailers have closed stores in the Union Square area since 2020, The Standard reports. Last month, CashApp founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed in the streets of San Fransisco, while former fire commissioner Don Carmignani was recently beaten over the head with a pipe by a vagrant. Last October, The Daily Fetched reported that commuters were resorting to arming themselves with baseball bats and stun guns due to droves of violent drug addicts. Residents of the SoMa, in northeast San Francisco, said the recent opening of the SoMa RISE drug sobering center, which opened in June, has plagued the neighborhood, making it unsafe. Residents say the center, which aims to temper drug usage, has done nothing but draw heavy users to the neighborhood. Residents said the influx of drug users had brought soaring crime, making the neighborhood more dangerous, Fox News reported. San Francisco Mayor London Breed touted the center as a safe haven for addicts looking to rebuild their lives. But according to SoMa resident and business owner Mark Sackett, the reality of the center in the neighborhood is much different. https://www.dailyfetched.com/joe-biden-offers-500k-grant-for-teachers-in-pakistan-to-help-transgender-youth/ Joe Biden Offers $500K Grant for Teachers in Pakistan to Help Transgender Youth According to the State Department grant, it will teach English language skills to Pakistani transgender youth so they “better participate in the global community and prepare them for success in the workplace.” The grant report aims to focus on three components: (1) Professional Development for English Language Teachers from Non-Mainstream Institutions (2) Professional Development for novice Pakistani English language teachers (3) Professional Development for Transgender Youth and for Afghan Teachers, Students, and Young Professionals Residing in Pakistan.” The program component that includes a focus on transgender youth accepts proposals from applicants “for a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $75,000 to implement: (1) intensive professional development courses for Pakistani transgender youth from the ages of 13-25, and (2) and intensive professional development courses for Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals residing in Pakistan.” The components aim to improve English language communication skills and connect trainees to a professional alumni network. Applicants to the Biden grant program are encouraged to address, “What is the most effective way to reach the greatest number of Pakistani transgender youth and Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals from diverse locations across Pakistan?” A spokesperson for the State Department said the education project from the agency focuses on transgender youth like it does with other “marginalized communities.” However, the spokesperson added that the grant funds won’t be used for gender transitions.

Pitcher Bryce Miller had an impressive debut for the Mariners. Border crisis continues to intensify. KNOW IT ALL: 1) Russia claims drone attack on Kremlin. 2) Nordstrom closing downtown San Francisco stores. 3) Deep sea fish have mysteriously washed ashore on Oregon beaches. 4) Homeless man interviewed by KOMO about camp cleanup. // Kevin Costner's wife files for divorce after 18 years of marriage. Bryan plays a video he found online of a food worker high on drugs working a drive-thru. // Karine Jean-Pierre gets testy with Peter Doocy over questions involving how the Biden administration is handling the border. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another big box retailer is closing its downtown San Francisco location. Office Depot's 33 Third Street store is permanently closing, according to signs recently posted at the building, and first reported by the San Francisco Business Times. It's unclear when the store will close, and management declined SFGATE's request for comment. The store is located on the ground floor of an eight-story parking garage owned by the Hearst Corporation (SFGATE is also owned by Hearst). The building also contains a California Pizza Kitchen. Developer JMA Ventures submitted plans in 2020 to turn the parking garage where Office Depot is housed into a mixed-use high-rise, but the project appears to have lost momentum, according to the Business Times. Support the showSign Up For Exclusive Episodes At: https://reasonabletv.com/LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/NewsForReasonablePeople

As we've been reporting on KCBS, Nordstrom is planning to close both of its Downtown San Francisco stores - citing changing dynamics downtown that are apparently impacting customer foot traffic and affecting how the stores operate. If we read between the lines what does Nordstrom mean here?

Downtown San Francisco's new Ikea furniture store will have round-the-clock security, the retail company announced Monday. It comes a week after a Downtown Whole Foods store announced its abrupt closure due to staff safety concerns. “The safety of our co-workers and customers is always the highest priority for Ikea. Ikea San Francisco, which will be part of a new meeting place from Ingka Centres on Market Street, will be staffed with a security team at all times,” an Ikea spokesperson said in an email.The new store on Market Street could open as early as May in the building previously known as the 6x6 Mall, although the company now says it will open in the coming months. Prior information stated the store would be open by the end of 2023.Support the showSign Up For Exclusive Episodes At: https://reasonabletv.com/LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/NewsForReasonablePeople

In the first quarter of the year, office vacancies were the highest ever recorded, according to real estate broker CBRE. The firm estimated a 29.5% vacancy rate last quarter, substantially higher than rates seen during the dot-com bust and Great Recession and a seven-fold increase from the start of 2020. Real estate analysts are expecting vacancies to tick up further as leases—including a major glut of shorter-term subleases—expire in the coming years. More dominos could fall if building owners, faced with lower revenues, decide to hand over their properties back to lenders, many of whom are already-distressed regional banks. “We'll have a turnover unlike anything in the history of commercial real estate in the next 12 to 18 months,” said Mark Ritchie, a commercial real estate broker with Ritchie Commercial. Support the showSign Up For Exclusive Episodes At: https://reasonabletv.com/LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/NewsForReasonablePeople

The developer behind a stalled effort to build a 40-story housing high-rise in Downtown San Francisco has given the property up to its lender in a sign of growing distress in the city's real estate market. Developer Build Inc. has filed a deed in lieu of foreclosure for its One Oak development at 1500 Market St. on the corner of Market and Oak streets, according to city property records. Property owners may sometimes choose to give up their properties through this process as an alternative to foreclosure when they default on their mortgages. The news about One Oak was first reported by the San Francisco Business Times. According to city records, Build Inc. owed more than $44 million in debt to lender Washington Capital Management Inc. and gave up the property for a nominal $100 fee. Build Inc. and Washington Capital Management did not respond to a request for comment. Support the showSign Up For Exclusive Episodes At: https://reasonabletv.com/LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/NewsForReasonablePeople

One of the largest supermarkets in Downtown San Francisco—the Whole Foods Market at Eighth and Market streets—intends to shut down at the close of business Monday just a little more than a year after the store opened, company officials told The Standard.“We are closing our Trinity location only for the time being,” a Whole Foods spokesperson said in a statement. “If we feel we can ensure the safety of our team members in the store, we will evaluate a reopening of our Trinity location.”A City Hall source told The Standard the company cited deteriorating street conditions around drug use and crime near the grocery store as a reason for its closure.Since the start of the pandemic, Downtown has suffered a massive loss in foot traffic due to remote work. Many small businesses have shuttered, while examples of extreme poverty, drug use and mental illness on the street have become more apparent. Fears of a “doom loop” in which a cascade of negative financial impacts compound have spread across the city, and City Hall officials currently expect a nearly $800 million deficit in San Francisco's budget.Support the showSign Up For Exclusive Episodes At: https://reasonabletv.com/LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/NewsForReasonablePeople

California's economy is on the edge amid tech industry layoffs and studio cutbacks. One of the largest Whole Foods in Downtown San Francisco plans to shut down just a little more than a year after the store opened, because of drug use and crime near the grocery store. Bud Light distributors received backlash because of a partnership with transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney.

Beautiful spring weather here in dystopia here are some updates on the functional part of downtown San Francisco and my third Stevie Wonder passion project is coming soon. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

Mayor London Breed delivered her annual State of the City address today, laying out plans to take on San Francisco's biggest challenges. The biggest one named is the city's struggling downtown - saying it's not coming back as we know it and that's okay.  The mayor hasn't been shy about trying to get people back into the office. Are you surprised she made this admission especially during a state of the city address?

In this episode, Meg Dre interviewed the Owners of Uncle Tito Vince, Joe, and Paolo. The trio discussed their Filipino Food restaurant located in the SoMa District, Downtown San Francisco. They went on to share their story of how they started their business and shared why it was important to continue the traditions in today's Filipino-American Food. Connect with Nomi Chronicles & Meg Dre: Nomi Visuals Website Follow Nomi Chronicles on Instagram Follow Meg Dre on Instagram Follow on Twitter Like on Facebook Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Twitch Follow on TikTok Follow on Soundcloud Connect with Uncle Tito, Vince, Joe & Paolo Follow Uncle Tito on Instagram Follow Vince on Instagram Follow Joe on Instagram Follow Paolo on Instagram Dine at Uncle Tito --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nomichronicles/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nomichronicles/support

You definitely want to hear about this --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

Downtown San Francisco has become some-what of a ghost town in recent years seeing vacancy rates soar since the beginning of the pandemic. New numbers are showing it's a bit worse than expected. For more, KCBS Radio Anchor Eric Thomas is joined by KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

After two and a half years of struggle, San Francisco's downtown stands at a crossroads. Employees have increasingly returned to offices—with overall attendance at offices reaching 50 percent on some days—streets are busier, tourism is increasing, and corporations have returned to hosting major events and attending conventions in and around the Moscone Center. Yet is it enough to return San Francisco's financial center to the heights of the activity it experienced pre-pandemic? This program will seek to answer these questions and explore what city leaders are doing to enliven and boost activity in San Francisco's downtown core. In its first program on this important topic, The Commonwealth Club has invited key San Francisco stakeholders with a direct stake in addressing the problems to discuss practical and tangible solutions to continue to bring downtown San Francisco back to life. The program will look at the Downtown SF Partnership's new public realm plan, the efforts of San Francisco's Office of Economic and Workforce Development on the issue, and possible local and state legislative responses to the crisis. Will these efforts be enough to help return people to downtown, and boost large and small businesses that continue to struggle? Please join us for an important conversation on the future of downtown San Francisco. The moderator, Kevin Truong, is a reporter at the San Francisco Standard covering small business policy and the economic recovery. SPEAKERS Laura Crescimano Co-Founder and Principal, Sitelab Wade Rose President, Advance SF Robbie Silver Executive Director, San Francisco Downtown Community Benefit District (Downtown SF Partnership) Kate Sofis Executive Director, Office of Economic and Workforce Development Kevin Truong Reporter, San Francisco Standard In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I think the, first one that stood out to me is unlike some other cities, the San Francisco city government, is not pushing for these downtown office to housing conversions”- Sarah WrightThis is part three of our three episodes exploring how the Covid-19 pandemic is impacting San Francisco's downtown neighborhood and economy along with the efforts to address the issues in the reinvention of downtown San Francisco. As downtown San Francisco continues to struggle to come back from the Covid-19 pandemic one of the ideas that is being discussed is to convert office buildings into housing to address San Francisco's decades long affordable housing crisis.We wanted to dig deeper into this idea of converting offices into housing and explore all of the issues of making this happen in San Francisco along with examples of other cities who have actually converted offices to housing. Our guests also tell us about the State of California's pressure on San Francisco's government to build more housing since according to California's Department of Housing and Community Development, San Francisco is the slowest jurisdiction in the state to move housing projects to construction.In this episode we feature the voices of two local reporters Sarah Wright and Kevin Truong from the San Francisco Standard who have done in-depth reporting on the office to housing conversion along with issues facing our housing, and business sectors.To read Sarah Wright's reporting on housing and transportation please go to sf standard dot com / author / sarah-wright/And to read Kevin Truong's reporting on both business and recovery policy please go to sf standard dot com / author / kevin-truong/To hear part one of our three stories on downtown San Francisco which featured the voices of Christ Wright from Advance SF and Jeff Bellisario from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute please listen to episode 95 . And to hear part two of the series which features the voices of Noah Arroyo from the San Francisco Chronicle and Anna Tong from The San Francisco Standard please  listen to episode 98Please consider donating to Voices of the Community - Voices of the Community is fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. Please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one.

“San Francisco's tax structures are incentivizing companies to, in some cases just move entirely out of San Francisco”-Anna TongThis is part two of the three stories we are covering on how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the downtown of San Francisco and the efforts to address the issues and the reinvention of downtown San Francisco.In this episode we feature the voices of two local reporters Anna Tong from the San Francisco Standard and Noah Arroyo from the San Francisco Chronicle who are doing some interesting and informative reporting on all of the issues plaguing downtown San Francisco as well as some of the efforts by business, nonprofits and the government to address the issues.To read Anna Tong's great reporting on downtown san francisco as well as her other reporting on the many issues and topics impacting san francisco please go to sf standard dot com / author / anna-tong/And to read Noah Arroyo's great reporting on both downtown and what is next for san francisco through the SF Next series please go to sf chronicle dot com / author / noah-arroyo/To hear part one of our three stories on downtown San Francisco which featured the voices of Christ Wright from Advance SF and Jeff Bellisario from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute listen to episode 95Please consider donating to Voices of the Community - Voices of the Community is fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. Please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one.

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2022 is taking place in Downtown San Francisco on October 28-29, 2022. Learn more about the event at https://cms2022.com Alex Shirazi sits down with Deniz Kent, Co-founder and CEO of Prolific Machines. Prolific Machines is a Stealth startup based in San Francisco. They are working on technologies that seriously reduces the cost of cultured meat production. On this episode we chat about Deniz' background and how the company came to be. Learn more about Prolific Machines at https://www.prolificmachines.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/futurefoodshow/support

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2022 is taking place on October 28-29, 2022 in Downtown San Francisco. Learn more and register at https://cms2022.com This episode of the Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast features Patricia Bubner of Orbillion. Alex and Patricia chat about Orbillion, different cuts of cultivated meat products, and the importance of messaging within the industry. Learn more about Orbillion Bio at https://www.orbillion.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/futurefoodshow/support

"I think that there is a recognition that we're all interconnected and that this area is important. It's essential for, the City and the region. I think that there is a, great opportunity for all these groups to come together and to build something great." - Chris WrightThis episode focuses on the impact the COVID 19 pandemic is still having on the city of San Francisco's downtown community area. Along with this businesses workers and visitors, the city of San Francisco, along with businesses and community leaders have developed studies plans and funding to attempt to reinvent the downtown San Francisco community. We've invited two thought leaders to share with you their work to address these issues and how you can get engaged.Our guests for this episode are the Vice President of Advance SF, Chris Wright, and the Executive Director of The Bay Area Council Economic Institute Jeff Bellisario.You can read copies of both the Middle Wage Jobs Report and the recommendations along with the results from the San Francisco Survey at advance sf dot orgTo read all of the research and recommendations from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute research and policy documents go to bay area economy dot orgFor more information about the city of san francisco's economic core recovery initiative go to s f mayor dot org Please consider donating to Voices of the Community - Voices of the Community is fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. Please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one.

Downtown San Francisco has been slow to bounce back to its pre-pandemic hustle and bustle, much more so than other big cities, like New York.  For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Melissa Culross and Eric Thomas spoke with KCBS Radio Insider Phil Matier.  

Author Steve Hermanos joins Talkin' Baseball with Marty to talk about his fictional book: "Going, Going, Gone!" An earthquake decimates San Francisco's baseball stadium. Two players and their manager are trapped. With water rising, the trio crawls through a gash in the wall. Naked and penniless, they climb through the muck onto shore. Downtown San Francisco is on fire. They can not find their stadium, or any new buildings, or the parking lot with their fancy cars. No one has a cell phone to call for help.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Steve Hermanos joins Talkin' Baseball with Marty to talk about his fictional book: "Going, Going, Gone!" An earthquake decimates San Francisco's baseball stadium. Two players and their manager are trapped. With water rising, the trio crawls through a gash in the wall. Naked and penniless, they climb through the muck onto shore. Downtown San Francisco is on fire. They can not find their stadium, or any new buildings, or the parking lot with their fancy cars. No one has a cell phone to call for help.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children it's a beautiful night in San FranFentanyl... I've got on a mini skirt and tights...what? Let me tell you what it's like downtown San Francisco now, come along! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

There are two reported Target closures in downtown San Francisco and only one closure is confirmed but here's why I think BOTH Targets will be closing.

- David Williams of Agape Insurance - ALLIE MARIE SMITH: Wonderfully Made - Discover the Identity, Love, and Worth You Were Created For - CALL-IN: "The In-N-Out Burger Restaurant in Downtown San Francisco was CLOSED BY THE CITY Because Management REFUSED to Check Customers for Vaccination 'Passports.' Do You Believe a Christian-Owned Company Should Handle this Type of Situation This Way?"

The Cultured Meat Symposium (CMS21) is taking place this October 22-23, 2021 in Downtown San Francisco. Learn more and register for the event at https://www.cms21.io. Linda Lilly is the Director and Founder of The Cocoa Concept. She grew up in the south of Germany, studied Film and Literature in Munich and Vancouver before moving to London to work for Sony Pictures. After changing her take on nutrition and fitness in 2018, Linda went through a physical and emotional transformation herself that led her to not only lose over 20kg but also to spend more and more time researching products that will benefit her mind and body. In 2020 she founded her own company The Cocoa Concept with the purpose to introduce the benefits of Cocoa Husk Tea to the UK market. Whilst still working full time at Sony Pictures she realized that there is an opportunity, people like her who want to lead a healthy lifestyle who want to enjoy themselves without feeling guilty need to know about this product. She constantly tries to challenge herself, practice mindfulness and set positive affirmations to achieve her goals. Linda is currently a candidate at the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. The Cocoa Concept wants to underline the importance of what we are putting into our bodies – they create a pure product with a natural chocolatey sensation, no dairy, no artificial sweeteners, no sugars, or additives. Their first product is called Cocoa Husk Tea, which is made from the outer shell of the cacao bean. Cocoa Husk is a by-product in the chocolate making process that would otherwise go to waste. That's where The Cocoa Concept comes in and uses it to create a unique and healthy way to enjoy a calorie-free hot chocolate suitable for everyone – no matter whether you are vegan, dairy free or want to cut down your sugar intake. The Cocoa Concept was born to support people in leading a healthy lifestyle, elevate their fitness journey and promote mindful moments. You can buy their product directly on their website or find it in cafes and health stores across London. They've recently been featured in Vogue Magazine as “the latest tea trend”. Learn more about The Cocoa Concept here: https://www.thecocoaconcept.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/futurefoodshow/support

On today's edition of The Ronn Owens Report, Ronn looks at the upcoming vaccine verification process for state employees and health care workers, and explores where things stand in terms of drivers having to pay a fee to drive in downtown San Francisco. You can listen to the Ronn Owens Report weekdays at 11:30am, 3:30pm, and 7:30pm on KGO810 or just go to www.kgoradio.com/ronnowens/ for today's and most of the previous segments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much would you be willing to pay to drive in Downtown San Francisco? $6.50 maybe? It's called congestion pricing. The idea of charging drivers a fee to enter the dense areas of the city and there is a plan that's being studied right now.  For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Dan Mitchinson and Holly Quan spoke with  KCBS Radio Insider Phil Matier. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I would not recommend any of you reading this visit San Francisco right now if you do come, have your situational awareness at all times and legal personal protection in your pockets!—- --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

Every week at 12 PM PST, I analyze the news and data that can affect the Bay Area Real Estate Market. Tune in weekly and email me anytime if I can help! spencer@spencerhsu.com. Topics covered for the week: Intro (0:00) *Big Apple-leased building is under construction in Santa Clara* ( https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/17/apple-lease-building-construction-santa-clara-tech-real-estate-iphone/ ) *(0:47)* *Salesforce to reduce office footprint permanently* ( https://connectedremag.com/real-estate-news/cre/office/salesforce-to-reduce-office-footprint-permanently/ ) *(2:25)* *Downtown San Francisco is reeling. More remote work could add to the pain* ( https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Downtown-San-Francisco-is-reeling-More-remote-15950718.php ) *(3:45)* *People are leaving SF, but not for Austin or Miami. USPS data shows where they went* ( https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/People-are-leaving-S-F-but-not-for-Austin-or-15955527.php ) *(4:54)* *Real estate: Big office, housing towers eyed in downtown San Jose* ( https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/17/real-estate-big-new-office-housing-tower-eyed-downtown-san-jose-tech/ ) *(7:40)* *Latest Market Data for all counties in the Bay Area* https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P5T3T4doU9vutLotcKnZ0WCZahU0nvKn1khR-QQsrTI/edit?usp=sharing ( https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P5T3T4doU9vutLotcKnZ0WCZahU0nvKn1khR-QQsrTI/edit?fbclid=IwAR0Ngy8wJ3Y0QsFHPFFGxO2w_aYq28gvOaYttdFGtnjHn3P6Ygsd9cb8xl0&usp=sharing ) San Mateo County 10:07 Santa Clara County 11:23 Alameda County 13:09 Contra Costa County 13:22 San Francisco: 13:49

Love is in the air, and our two hosts are ready to get giddy with wholesome goodness. This year they review Always Be My Maybe, a charming love story of two Asian-Americans who rekindle their love in the City by the Bay. (Hey! We finally mentioned the film title in our description!) Except, Erin and Brennan really just recount their childhood sex education, mistaken police encounters in steamy cars, and albino alligators. Erin thinks the celebrity cameo in this film is the greatest ever, Brennan is unnaturally well informed about the chemical similarities between bile and parmesan cheese, and both are confused why a small band would shy away from trying to find gigs in DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO, ONLY 5 BLOCKS AWAY!!!!! Regardless, our two Bay Area natives are smitten with a lovely and well told love story. *Queue "Blow the Whistle" by Too $hort*

Would you pay $14 to drive through downtown San Francisco?

In a special Bonus Episode of Sensibly Cynical, Sean is joined by independent artist "Stoner Hendrix," who is absolutely on fire right now with his YouTube channel 3rdEyeVision FVS .. He talks about his upbringing in Downtown San Francisco, George Floyd, his path to musical artistry, and much more!  At the end, he lays down a sick acapella so make sure you don't miss this!

San Francisco is getting kudos for curbing the coronavirus, but a walk through the downtown area can be very depressing. The once-vibrant city center is now virtually empty with no more crush of office workers spilling out of high-rise office buildings for lunch or a post work visit with friends. For more, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Jeff Bell spoke with KCBS and Chronicle Insider Phil Matier. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s some good news if you want some Energy downtown San Francisco go shopping 4th at Market Street. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

Storytelling show walking adventure listening to Trent Reznor. Whom I love very much! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

Coach Scott Waterman is the Head Coach at Academy of Art University in Downtown San Francisco. Scott spent 17 years as an Assistant Coach at the Division 1,2, and 3 levels before assuming his current position in 2019. This conversation is a reflection of his first year as a Head Coach. 3:00 - Morning runs for sanity and energy 6:45 - Proceeding during quarantine 8:30 - Take aways from coaching journey 10:30 - Becoming the ultimate decision maker 13:50 - Prepared vs over prepared 18:00 - Building relationships and recruiting to bring a new culture 23:00 - Using your players as a resource to evaluate a recruit 24:45 - Creating buy in with new faces 32:35 - Scott's 3 most important qualities of a coach Quotes: 5:40 - "the biggest thing I learned this year is as a head coach you cant have a bad day, you can't take a minute off" 11:20 - "that was the hardest thing, going from the assistant with all the answers to the guy with the ultimate answer" 28:00 - "they spend so much time with a basketball, doing stuff without a basketball, even for five minutes...is huge"

Life is weird shopping in downtown San Francisco in the early days of the lockup. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

Today on the podcast, I'm talking with Grant Faulkner, executive director of NaNoWriMo. He talks with me about how writing a novel in a month is a great metaphor for being a productive leader and artist.  NaNoWriMo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides tools, structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals and build new worlds — on and off the page. Their claim to fame is in their namesake -- National Novel Writing Month, which happens every November. I personally have done NaNoWriMo twice -- once for a yet unpublished novel and once for the memoir I'm working on right now. Writing a Novel is a lot like any other kind of project where you'll have a crisis of confidence in what you're working on. We all have the shiny new object syndrome when that happens and Grant gives some advice on how to handle that along with insights on how to jump-start your creativity. I interviewed Grant at the 2020 San Francisco Writers Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown San Francisco. I'd like to thank them for letting me crash a conference room. They are some great people. You'll hear why during the interview. You might hear some background noise and me fumbling a bit with the microphone. Apologize ahead of time for that.  Now, let's get better, together. Actions to Try or Advice to Take Do a Time Hunt: Take a week and figure out where all your time is spent. Log in all and see where you might have some free time confetti. Find your Time Confetti: Small blocks of time (~10 minutes) to achieve progress towards your goals. Look for them around checking email and social media. Make Your Creative Time: wake up early, go to bed late, don't watch NetFlix, or stop reading the news. Start Everyday Anew: The past is the past. Try and start your day fresh from what happened yesterday. What's the most important thing: What prioritizes to you have in a day and what's the most important thing to get done independently of whether or not it's fun for you. Renew your self-confidence: You cannot make or even market something if you don't believe in it. Renew your self-confidence even when things are not working out. Links to Explore Further National Write a Novel in a Month San Francisco Writers Conference Ray Dalio's Principles Grant on Twitter and his website NaNoWriMo on Twitter Author Hugh Howey -- self-publishing success and self-confidence. Keep In TouchBlog or Twitter or LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Driving through downtown San Francisco has always been hell (good luck getting across Market Street). Traffic has gotten worse with job growth and the advent of ride-hailing apps like Lyft and Uber. Could congestion pricing help? San Francisco is studying whether to charge people who drive through some of the busiest parts of the city. New York City decided it will introduce congestion pricing in 2021. Could San Francisco be next? It’ll be a hard sell since we love our cars. But desperate times in the Bay Area call for desperate measures. Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor

Jorge Perez es un Ingeniero de Telecomunicaciones que tras pasar mas de 15 años trabajando en compañias como Siemens y Cisco decidio reinventarse y comenzar una nueva carrera como Data Scientist.Esta es la historia de Jorge. Desde como evaluo su cambio de carrera, como escogio el Bootcamp de Galvanize para Data Scientists y las 10 maximas que lo ayudaron a empezar una nueva carrera. Actualmente Jorge es Sr. Data Scientist en ROI DNA en Downtown San Francisco. Notas del Show Acabo de lanzar @LatinosWhoTech. La version en Ingles de Conexiones. Esta en iTunes, Spotify y Stitcher Disculpas por la calidad del audio del episodio #31, hubo problemas con la via telefonica. Procurare arreglarlo para proximos episodios a distancia Si tienes algun comentario para el podcast o quieres saludar puedes mandarme un correo a conexionespodcast@gmail.com Los Puntos Clave del #32 : 27:06 - “El punto del data science es tomar decisiones de negocio basadas en el analisis de los datos. Si los datos no son accionables, estamos perdiendo el tiempo” 41:30 - “Los soft skills son importantisimos. Puedes tener el dashboard mas bonito del mundo, pero si no sabes como comunicar los resultados al CEO de la compañia, no te sirve de nada el analisis”. 44:48 - “Como data scientist, es clave saber manejar las expectativas de tus clientes. Es igual que una relacion, tienes que hacer lo que prometiste siempre.” Partes del Episodio Cold Open: 2:00 - 12:06 - El problema de La “Tutorialitis” y como superarlo. Como dejar de hacer muchos tutoriales sin profundizar en Data Science 15:06 - 20:02 - De Colombia a Silicon Valley 23:03 - 27:20 - La vida de mas de 10 años dentro de Cisco27:20 - 30:38 - porque dejo una exitoso en Cisco para hacer un bootcamp de Data Science en Galvanize 30:38 - 31:48 - La definicion de Data Science: La Ciencia y Arte de combinar datos de diferentes fuentes, procesarlos e inferir soluciones que agreguen valor a alguien 41:45 - 46:04 - Los 3 tipos de Data Scientists , El Ingeniero de Datos (Data Engineer) que construye la conexion entre los datos y el motor de analysis, El Ingeniero de Machine Learning (Creadores de modelos), El Analista de Negocios que traduce los resultados de la data con los que toman los negocios 51:24 - La experiencia de hacer un Bootcamp de Data Science (Galvanize) 56:00 - 90:24 Las 10 Maximas del Data Scientist en detalle. Los principios que ayudaron a Jorge a estudiar data science y ser un profesional exitoso Las 10 Maximas del Data Scientist Aprendiendo Data Science: 1) Antes de embarcarte en el viaje de ser Data Science, tienes que AMAR, COMER y RESPIRAR datos. La pasion por estos es clave 2) No hace falta una Maestria o un PhD, si tienes el tiempo y la energia, hazlos pero hay otras avenidas para aprender 3) No trates de aprender TODO al mismo tiempo. No existe un “Body of Knowledge” de Data Science. Es un campo vastisimo con conectividad, programacion, visualizacion machine learning y un sin numero de disciplinas internas. 4) LA MAS IMPORTANTE: Ten cuidado de la “tutorialitis”. Esa mania de tomar cursos de diferentes fuentes sin profundizar en uno solo. Hay varias (puede decirse demasiadas) fuentes como Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, Kaggle. Escoge UN solo topico para estudiar con UNA SOLA fuente y practica este topico usando datos de la vida real. 5) Al convertirte en Data Scientist debes aceptar ser un estudiante de por vida de la disciplina. Tienes que aprender por el resto de tu carrera profesional de manera independiente. Lo que era relevante el año pasado, no lo sera este. Por ejemplo: Jupyter Notebook vs. Jupyter Lab El Trabajo como Data Scientist 6) Escoge un Camino para Ti -Data Engineer, Pipelines (Hadoop, Spark, DB) -Machine Learning Engineer: Constructor de modelos, ML Scripting, Productos de Datos) -Analista de Negocios: El puente entre ejecutivos y los otros data scientists, BI Tools, Vis Tools, SQL,

Jorge Perez es un Ingeniero de Telecomunicaciones que tras pasar mas de 15 años trabajando en compañias como Siemens y Cisco decidio reinventarse y comenzar una nueva carrera como Data Scientist.Esta es la historia de Jorge. Desde como evaluo su cambio de carrera, como escogio el Bootcamp de Galvanize para Data Scientists y las 10 maximas que lo ayudaron a empezar una nueva carrera. Actualmente Jorge es Sr. Data Scientist en ROI DNA en Downtown San Francisco. Notas del Show Acabo de lanzar @LatinosWhoTech. La version en Ingles de Conexiones. Esta en iTunes, Spotify y Stitcher Disculpas por la calidad del audio del episodio #31, hubo problemas con la via telefonica. Procurare arreglarlo para proximos episodios a distancia Si tienes algun comentario para el podcast o quieres saludar puedes mandarme un correo a conexionespodcast@gmail.com Los Puntos Clave del #32 : 27:06 - “El punto del data science es tomar decisiones de negocio basadas en el analisis de los datos. Si los datos no son accionables, estamos perdiendo el tiempo” 41:30 - “Los soft skills son importantisimos. Puedes tener el dashboard mas bonito del mundo, pero si no sabes como comunicar los resultados al CEO de la compañia, no te sirve de nada el analisis”. 44:48 - “Como data scientist, es clave saber manejar las expectativas de tus clientes. Es igual que una relacion, tienes que hacer lo que prometiste siempre.” Partes del Episodio Cold Open: 2:00 - 12:06 - El problema de La “Tutorialitis” y como superarlo. Como dejar de hacer muchos tutoriales sin profundizar en Data Science 15:06 - 20:02 - De Colombia a Silicon Valley 23:03 - 27:20 - La vida de mas de 10 años dentro de Cisco27:20 - 30:38 - porque dejo una exitoso en Cisco para hacer un bootcamp de Data Science en Galvanize 30:38 - 31:48 - La definicion de Data Science: La Ciencia y Arte de combinar datos de diferentes fuentes, procesarlos e inferir soluciones que agreguen valor a alguien 41:45 - 46:04 - Los 3 tipos de Data Scientists , El Ingeniero de Datos (Data Engineer) que construye la conexion entre los datos y el motor de analysis, El Ingeniero de Machine Learning (Creadores de modelos), El Analista de Negocios que traduce los resultados de la data con los que toman los negocios 51:24 - La experiencia de hacer un Bootcamp de Data Science (Galvanize) 56:00 - 90:24 Las 10 Maximas del Data Scientist en detalle. Los principios que ayudaron a Jorge a estudiar data science y ser un profesional exitoso Las 10 Maximas del Data Scientist Aprendiendo Data Science: 1) Antes de embarcarte en el viaje de ser Data Science, tienes que AMAR, COMER y RESPIRAR datos. La pasion por estos es clave 2) No hace falta una Maestria o un PhD, si tienes el tiempo y la energia, hazlos pero hay otras avenidas para aprender 3) No trates de aprender TODO al mismo tiempo. No existe un “Body of Knowledge” de Data Science. Es un campo vastisimo con conectividad, programacion, visualizacion machine learning y un sin numero de disciplinas internas. 4) LA MAS IMPORTANTE: Ten cuidado de la “tutorialitis”. Esa mania de tomar cursos de diferentes fuentes sin profundizar en uno solo. Hay varias (puede decirse demasiadas) fuentes como Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, Kaggle. Escoge UN solo topico para estudiar con UNA SOLA fuente y practica este topico usando datos de la vida real. 5) Al convertirte en Data Scientist debes aceptar ser un estudiante de por v...

Jorge Perez es un Ingeniero de Telecomunicaciones que tras pasar mas de 15 años trabajando en compañias como Siemens y Cisco decidio reinventarse y comenzar una nueva carrera como Data Scientist.Esta es la historia de Jorge. Desde como evaluo su cambio de carrera, como escogio el Bootcamp de Galvanize para Data Scientists y las 10 maximas que lo ayudaron a empezar una nueva carrera. Actualmente Jorge es Sr. Data Scientist en ROI DNA en Downtown San Francisco. Notas del Show Acabo de lanzar @LatinosWhoTech. La version en Ingles de Conexiones. Esta en iTunes, Spotify y Stitcher Disculpas por la calidad del audio del episodio #31, hubo problemas con la via telefonica. Procurare arreglarlo para proximos episodios a distancia Si tienes algun comentario para el podcast o quieres saludar puedes mandarme un correo a conexionespodcast@gmail.com Los Puntos Clave del #32 : 27:06 - “El punto del data science es tomar decisiones de negocio basadas en el analisis de los datos. Si los datos no son accionables, estamos perdiendo el tiempo” 41:30 - “Los soft skills son importantisimos. Puedes tener el dashboard mas bonito del mundo, pero si no sabes como comunicar los resultados al CEO de la compañia, no te sirve de nada el analisis”. 44:48 - “Como data scientist, es clave saber manejar las expectativas de tus clientes. Es igual que una relacion, tienes que hacer lo que prometiste siempre.” Partes del Episodio Cold Open: 2:00 - 12:06 - El problema de La “Tutorialitis” y como superarlo. Como dejar de hacer muchos tutoriales sin profundizar en Data Science 15:06 - 20:02 - De Colombia a Silicon Valley 23:03 - 27:20 - La vida de mas de 10 años dentro de Cisco27:20 - 30:38 - porque dejo una exitoso en Cisco para hacer un bootcamp de Data Science en Galvanize 30:38 - 31:48 - La definicion de Data Science: La Ciencia y Arte de combinar datos de diferentes fuentes, procesarlos e inferir soluciones que agreguen valor a alguien 41:45 - 46:04 - Los 3 tipos de Data Scientists , El Ingeniero de Datos (Data Engineer) que construye la conexion entre los datos y el motor de analysis, El Ingeniero de Machine Learning (Creadores de modelos), El Analista de Negocios que traduce los resultados de la data con los que toman los negocios 51:24 - La experiencia de hacer un Bootcamp de Data Science (Galvanize) 56:00 - 90:24 Las 10 Maximas del Data Scientist en detalle. Los principios que ayudaron a Jorge a estudiar data science y ser un profesional exitoso Las 10 Maximas del Data Scientist Aprendiendo Data Science: 1) Antes de embarcarte en el viaje de ser Data Science, tienes que AMAR, COMER y RESPIRAR datos. La pasion por estos es clave 2) No hace falta una Maestria o un PhD, si tienes el tiempo y la energia, hazlos pero hay otras avenidas para aprender 3) No trates de aprender TODO al mismo tiempo. No existe un “Body of Knowledge” de Data Science. Es un campo vastisimo con conectividad, programacion, visualizacion machine learning y un sin numero de disciplinas internas. 4) LA MAS IMPORTANTE: Ten cuidado de la “tutorialitis”. Esa mania de tomar cursos de diferentes fuentes sin profundizar en uno solo. Hay varias (puede decirse demasiadas) fuentes como Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, Kaggle. Escoge UN solo topico para estudiar con UNA SOLA fuente y practica este topico usando datos de la vida real. 5) Al convertirte en Data Scientist debes aceptar ser un estudiante de por v...

Women's March organizers are encouraging students, teachers and their allies to walk out of schools on March 14 to protest gun violence. A new poll claims fake news CNN tanks below even MSNBC in ratings. Lindsey Vonn is ripped online after failing to medal in Super-G. Is it Karma? The massacre at a Florida high school is again raising concerns about whether the FBI missed signs that might have stopped a mass shooting. A mix of used hypodermic needles, human feces, and other trash litters the streets and sidewalks in a large section of downtown San Francisco.

The inevitable episode that was bound to make its way into the fold. Sean and Matthew have a late night/early morning blaze session in Sean's car. This episode is mainly a recap of the past month, including a heavily detailed (thanks to Matt) recap of the bumbling idiots experiences at the 3day Comedy and Music Festival in Downtown San Francisco called Comedy Central's Colossal Clusterfest. It was a fun time had by all! So loosen up your earholes, because we're about to put a discussion-laced baby in it! THE BOX REVOLUTION LIVES ON!!! Outro track "The Blue Balls" by Varcity feat. Morgan Download at Varcityslaps.com Sponsored by Greenhill Goodies! The mobile medical dispensary where you can get any of your medical needs fulfilled!!! Go to GreenhillGoodies.com now!

An in-depth look at what BART is doing to improve our busy Downtown San Francisco stations. BART Planning Manager Tim Chan discusses projects to provide capacity relief and other modernization efforts to enhance the rider experience.

Jon Bernson performs mainly with his groups THEMAYS and  and  Jennifer Welch runs the , located in the heart of Downtown San Francisco’s theater district.

Guest Mix: JB Vries (Opulent Temple / San Francisco).Crashing out of 2011 with shows in Las Vegas and Houston.. and into 2012 with sell out shows in San Diego and Denver, Christopher Lawrence has been working overtime to find the best underground tracks for this months Rush Hour with new tunes from Carlo Calabro, KloneZ, Lisa Lashes, Rene Ablaze & Tonerush, Rene Ablaze & Tonerush, Phunpark, Mory Kante vs Loverush UK!, Simon Patterson, Essex, Lamat & Han Solo and Creatrix. This months guest mix comes from JB Vries, whom Christopher discovered playing for Opulent Temple at last years Burning Man. Drawing influence from travels around the world, Asia to Africa, Europe and South America, JB Vries' motivations have always been based in rhythm and melody. Growing up in the Midwest United States he knew early on his life's direction would be a musical one and with this in mind he took his show on the road. While studying Audio Engineering in Florida, he began learning the art mixing in the studio as well as a DJ in the Orlando nightclub and underground dance scene.Producing a variety of dance genres, all with a driving and psychedelic undertone, JB has his sights set on bringing his flavor of progressive dance music to festivals and nightclubs the world over. Today, JB lives in Downtown San Francisco where he continues to perform along side some of the worlds finest DJs as part of the Opulent Temple. Visit the podcast episode page to find out more information, with links to artists featured in this podcast.

Downtown San Francisco on a Tuesday afternoon, and every businessman’s face looks the same. Whatever happened to eccentric and iconic characters like Emperor Norton and Oofty Goofty? You search the streets, hoping desperately for a flicker of life or a flash of the eccentricity that once shaped our city. Then you spot something out of […]