SF Daily Brief for November 9, 2026

This is SF Daily Brief for Monday, November 9, 2026. San Francisco gave final approval to the 848-unit Marina Safeway redevelopment despite neighborhood outrage. The project used two state laws to skip a public hearing and exceed the site's 40-foot height limit. A federal lawsuit over the project is still pending.

Across town at Lafayette Park on Saturday, about two dozen people dressed as Elizabeth Holmes gathered for a look-alike contest tied to the A24 documentary You Can See Everything. A Stanford plastic surgery resident won. The Chronicle reported that organizers' Partiful listing drew 1,000 RSVPs almost as soon as it went live. Election results settled two San Francisco measures.

Proposition B won as late ballots were counted. It sets up the structure for a public bank in San Francisco, and it had trailed on election night. Proposition C fell short. It would have sent more transfer tax money to affordable housing.

On health care, UCSF's geriatric emergency department is built around the medical and social needs of patients 65 and older. It earned top-level certification from the American College of Emergency Physicians in 2020. Zuckerberg San Francisco General and Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center have received the same certification in recent years. The 49ers are 7-1 after a win over the Raiders.

Brock Purdy led the offense on three first-half touchdown drives before Jaden Dugger's pick-six started a turnover spree for the San Francisco defense. Chinese Hospital and Chinese Community Health Plan held a District 11 community health fair at the Boys & Girls Clubs in the Excelsior on Saturday. The fair offered chronic disease prevention guidance, vaccine information, and help with insurance and clinic services. Supervisor Chyanne Chen attended, along with UCSF, the Department of Public Health, and community groups.

Much of Silicon Valley had a bad election night, but one local billionaire did not. The Standard reports that Ripple cofounder Chris Larsen spent heavily on Democratic candidates this election, and most of them won. For something to do, the San Francisco International Tea Festival runs November 14 and 15 in the second-floor hall of the Ferry Building. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

More than 30 international tea vendors will offer tastings and talks. The city's real estate market is red-hot, and that means a gold rush for luxury home stagers. Professional stagers now outfit many of San Francisco's multimillion-dollar listings. The designers say the right furniture and details can help drive bidding wars, the Standard reports.

Back on football, Tim Kawakami writes in the Standard that the 49ers are in their abundance era. DeForest Buckner is back playing alongside Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, and Dre Greenlaw on a defense that needed to improve. As Kawakami puts it, "We've got the guys to do it." In state politics, Jane Kim declared victory Friday in the race for California insurance commissioner.

She leads state Senator Ben Allen by about 494,000 votes, 53 percent to 47 percent, in the secretary of state's unofficial count, the Chronicle reported. Allen has called to congratulate her but has not formally conceded. The Chronicle reported that Kim, a former San Francisco supervisor, would be the first woman and first Asian American elected to the post. California voters also rejected Proposition 45.

About 55 percent were opposed when the race was called Saturday night. The measure would have changed the state's environmental review law for housing, health care, and transportation projects. The No on 45 campaign said voters refused an attack on laws protecting air, water, and natural resources. That's today's brief.

Thank you for listening. For the full written brief, go to sfdailybrief.com.