REDWOOD CITY — Several northbound lanes were closed on Highway 101 near Marsh Road on Sunday due to an overturned big rig truck, authorities said.
Lanes two, three and four were closed, with one reopening around noon, according to a social media post from the California Highway Patrol Redwood City office.
There is no current estimated time of reopening for the two remaining closed lanes, authorities said.
Authorities urged drivers to remain cautious and take alternative routes. They recommended that drivers take El Camino Real, or Highway 84 to Haven Road to E. Bayshore Road.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Two upscale, see-and-be-seen Il Fornaio restaurants are ending their tenure, including the Palo Alto location — a prime spot for years for Silicon Valley power breakfasts and deal-making dinners.
After 36 years, that Cowper Street restaurant will shut its doors Sunday night. The Beverly Hills Il Fornaio closed a week ago after a 43-year run.
“Both locations were fixtures in their communities for the last four decades but unfortunately are closing as their leases conclude,” the company said in an announcement. The news was first reported by Palo Alto Online.
For the Palo Alto restaurant, the era from the 1990s through Dot-com 1.0 was a heady time, with tech titans huddled over tables and whispered talk of deals and the next new thing. David Packard. Steve Jobs (sometimes on in-line skates). John Doerr. Jim Barksdale. John Sculley. David Kelley. Guy Kawasaki.
A 1997 Mercury News squib called Reality Check summed up the scene that played out on early weekday mornings: “Price of buying a venture capitalist a power breakfast of juice, eggs and coffee at Il Fornaio in Palo Alto: $10. (Price does not include tax, tip or the VC gaining control of your company.)”
That Il Fornaio long ago stopped serving breakfast. The restaurant’s final hours of service will be noon to 9 p.m. today and Sunday at 520 Cowper St., Palo Alto.
“We are saddened that we will be saying goodbye to many of our wonderful employees, many of whom have been with us for decades, while some will be moving to our other locations in California,” the company statement read.
Founded as a baking school and retail bakery in Italy in the early 1970s, Il Fornaio launched its dining concept — chef-driven, white-tablecloth restaurants with a regional Italian focus — in the 1980s. The original, which opened in 1986, is still operating in Corte Madera, where the restaurant group is headquartered.
Il Fornaio still owns restaurants in more than a dozen California cities plus Las Vegas. Besides Corte Madera, the company’s other Northern and Central California locations are in San Jose, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Burlingame, Walnut Creek, Carmel, Sacramento and Roseville.
OK, maybe a little more than a little angst. Within a single 16-second stretch early in the fourth quarter of Golden State’s 126-113 victory, the officials initiated three separate reviews for possible flagrant fouls.
Draymond Green earned his second flagrant of the season when review showed he grabbed Karl-Anthony Towns’ ankle on a drive, while Brandin Podziemski and Towns avoided the harsh infraction.
So of course, it was a man who has a self-professed affection for confrontation who starred for the Warriors.
Jimmy Butler put up a hard-earned 32 points, eight rebounds and four assists against his old teammate-turned-enemy Towns, while Steph Curry poured in 27 points and seven assists. Moses Moody made seven 3-pointers to score 21, and Podziemski threw in 19 points of the bench.
“You attack and attack, and then you guard on the other end,” Butler said after putting up 22 shots and making 14 of them.
Towns scored 17 and grabbed 20 rebounds for New York, while Mikal Bridges scored 21 and OG Anunoby scored 25.
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) reacts after he collided with a New York Knicks player in the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State, with an engaged and active Kuminga on the bench after he asked for a trade earlier in the day, was playing the fifth of an eight-game homestand but came out flat.
The Knicks were playing the final leg of a four-game road trip, and were without their best player Jalen Brunson (28.2 points per game) and backup center Mitchell Robinson. Miles McBride scored 25 starting in Brunson’s place.
New York jumped out to a 33-19 lead midway through the first quarter, using their speed advantage to create a plethora of open shots.
Golden State did not stay dormant. Butler scored nine points in the quarter and led a second unit that cut the deficit to just 35-30 by the end of the quarter. The teams then traded leads for the majority of the second quarter and the Warriors went to halftime up 62-59.
“Jimmy was incredible tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s so good, he’s so dominant in a very subtle way. he just controlst heg ame, he never turns it over, creates shots for other people.”
A great stretch from the starting five to begin the third quarter (more on that later) was a large reason Golden State led 99-87 after three quarters.
The Warriors (23-19), after many replay reviews, finished off their fourth win in five games. They will greet Curry’s hometown team, the Charlotte Hornets, on Saturday.
“We’re doing what we’re supposed to dot develop an identity,” Curry said. “We’re trying to create a little bit of a run, especially in this homestand … I like where we’re at, I like the vibes, I like the idea of how we’re playing.
Same starting lineup, interesting results
Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post (21) blocks a shot to New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby (8) in the first quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
When Quinten Post checked out with 6:55 left in the first quarter, the Warriors were down 21-11 as the Knicks drove into the paint and sprayed passes to open shooters at will.
This was nothing new for the starting five, which over the last month has put up an abysmal minus-1.3 net rating (113.5 offensive rating and 114.8 defensive rating). The Warriors’ rally began once Post and Moody were phased out for Melton and Gary Payton II.
The second half was a different story. The Warriors were up 81-72 when Post exited for Al Horford, the team outscoring the Knicks 19-13 during the stretch.
Melton-mania
Golden State Warriors’ De’Anthony Melton (8) dribbles around as Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) blocks New York Knicks’ Tyler Kolek (13) in the second quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
De’Anthony Melton, minutes restriction be darned as he returns to 100% after ACL rehab, has quietly become the Warriors’ top scorer off the bench. He entered the night having scored in double figures in four consecutive games, including efforts of 22 and 23 points despite only playing around 25 minutes a night.
The combo guard has also become a fixture in Steve Kerr’s crunch time lineup as the team’s designated point of attack defender next to Steph Curry.
He was quieter against New York on the scoresheet (five points) but contributed in other ways, putting up two blocks. He was a stellar plus-17 in 23 minutes played.
Santos injured
Golden State Warriors’ Gui Santos (15) reacts after losing possession of the ball in the third quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Third-year wing Gui Santos has been a source of energy for the Warriors, often sparking the team with offensive boards and other effort plays that do not show up on the stat sheet.
But with 2:21 left in the first quarter, the Brazilian fan favorite crumpled to the floor after a collision with Josh Hart near midcourt. Santos appeared to roll his ankle.
He had to be helped off the court by team doctor Rick Celebrini, and Santos went straight back to the Warriors locker room. He was later diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. Kerr later told media that Santos didn’t expect it to be serious, but that the coach hadn’t talked to Celebrini yet.
Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga, left, Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski, right, and fellow teammates high-five the starters before an NBA game against the New York Knicks at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) talk one another after the Golden State Warriors 126-113 win of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (32) push away one another in the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) talk one another after the Golden State Warriors 126-113 win of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) defends New York Knicks’ Miles McBride (2) in the third quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) blocks a shot to New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the third quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) celebrates his three-point basket against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) celebrates his three-point basket against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) grabs the foot of New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (32) after falling while defending in the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) head back to the bench during a timeout in the third quarter of an NBA game against the New York Knicks at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ De’Anthony Melton (8) drives to the hoop against New York Knicks’ Tyler Kolek (13) and New York Knicks’ Ariel Hukporti (55) in the second quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ De’Anthony Melton (8) makes a shot against the New York Knicks in the first quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) eyes the basket in scoring postion against New York Knicks’ Tyler Kolek (13) in the second quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) makes a dunk against New York Knicks’ Josh Hart (3) in the first quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Stephen Curry (30) reacts after throwing a wrong pass intended to Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) in the first quarter of an NBA game against the New York Knicks at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post (21) blocks a shot to New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby (8) in the first quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Sausalito police arrested a man on assault allegations after a dispute over a $1.6 million boat at a brokerage.
The incident happened at about 1 p.m. Monday at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor, where the suspect expressed interest in buying the boat, according to police Capt. Brian Mather. An argument broke out between the suspect and a broker “over the legitimacy of the sale,” Mather said.
The suspect then tried to board a boat without permission, and staff told him to leave. The suspect refused and tried to assault an employee, then left as a broker called police.
Officers found the suspect walking nearby. He allegedly refused to stop and was arrested after a brief struggle. Scott Michael Swan, 39, of San Francisco was booked into the Marin County Jail.
Swan was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on misdemeanor charges of assault and resisting police. He remained in custody in lieu of $2,000 bail.
California van moves, average shares of 3 companies. (Graphic by Flourish)
One yardstick of California’s popularity as a place to live made a slight improvement last year.
My trusty spreadsheet has collected annual migration data dating back to 2004 from three major moving van providers — Allied, Atlas and United. While having someone else move your stuff by van is usually an option for upper-crust Americans changing home states, this metric is worth following because it tends to parallel California’s competition for residents with other states.
For 2025, the three van companies found that, on average, 44% of their California interstate relocations were arrivals of new residents. And while that’s the fourth-lowest inbound share in the past 22 years, it also marked a rare improvement.
Last year’s outflow was a bump up from 2024, when 41% of California van moves were inbound — the second-lowest rate over these 22 years. California’s inbound share of van moves had decreased in five of the previous six years.
Despite the cooling of the outflow, 2025 was still below the average 47% inbound rate since 2004 and the 52% high of 2014. The all-time low was 41% in 2023.
Looking back
Last year, California van outflow declined across all three companies compared to 2024, marking only the third time in 14 years that these movers experienced such synchronized slips.
Looking back over two decades, the pandemic appears to have been a turning point for van movements in California.
From 2004 through 2019, California van moves averaged 49% inbound relocations. This includes the 2008-2014 period, when the Great Recession’s economic turmoil saw van moves into California exceed van moves out of the state.
Since coronavirus upended the economy, though, arrivals averaged just 42% of California relocations by vans.
Bottom line
Van moves represent a small slice of migration, typically affordable only to wealthier households or workers with an expenses-paid relocation from major corporations.
Still, California van moves often parallel domestic migration patterns.
Swings in inbound van moves have gone in the same direction as changes in the state’s net population loss to other states in 14 of the last 21 years. It’s worth noting that these two benchmarks of interstate relocations have moved in opposite directions over the past three years.
State demographics reports show California lost a net 215,500 residents to other states in the year ended in July 2025 — the first widening of the outmigration gap in four years.
That was 54% above 2024’s 140,100 net outflow and 24% below the average 183,800 outmigration since 2004.
California has long been a net loser of residents to other states. Outmigration since 2004 has ranged from only 34,200 in 2014 to 369,200 in 2023.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
SAN FRANCISCO – Steph Curry flew around the court and buried improbable, high arcing 3-pointers. Jimmy Butler used his smarts and muscle to carve out space for tricky shots and deft passes. And every other Warrior did …. not much else on Sunday evening at Chase Center.
Curry scored 31 and Butler poured in 30, but De’Anthony Melton (10) was the only other Warrior in double-figures as the Hawks beat the home team 124-11.
The Warriors entered Sunday as one of the league’s hottest teams, having won 8 of their last 11, two of those losses being in overtime and by one point respectively.
The Warriors winning run was defined by low turnover numbers, forcing giveaways of the and an offense that averaged over 120 points over its last five games. But against the Hawks, the Warriors relapsed into old habits.
The Warriors had 15 turnovers but forced only 8, thus wasting big nights from their two offensive stars. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 24 and Jalen Johnson put up a 22-point double-double as the Hawks debuted new additions CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The Hawks traded for both in the trade deal that sent longtime star guard Trae Young to the Wizards.
That momentum was not felt early on, as neither the crowd – many wearing 49ers jerseys and celebrating the team’s playoff victory – nor the players had much verve to begin.
The Warriors cut the Hawks 70-58 third quarter lead to just two points during a 10-0 run that spanned just 1:12 and was capped by a Curry triple from the wing. The Hawks, boosted by two Luke Kennard triples, responded with a 22-5 run of their own.
Seeking a boost down 87-73, Steve Kerr inserted the seldom-used Buddy Hield into the game with two minutes remaining in the third. Nothing could spark a comeback though as the Hawks went up by as many as 25 in the fourth quarter and salted away the victory.
Golden State (21-19) will play host to Portland — with a rare 8 p.m. tipoff time — on Tuesday.
DPoY Duel
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) drives past Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels (5) in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Matchups between top scorers are often lauded as the game’s premier matchups, but for those who appreciate the other side of the ball, Sunday’s game provided just as much entertainment.
Last season Dyson Daniels finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Draymond Green placed third. Daniels is a perimeter defender and Green guards frontcourt players, and both are arguably the best in their respective roles.
Green and Daniels each had a block, but surprisingly, the Hawks wing did not have a single steal. Daniels led the league in takeaways with 3.0 per game last season, and is still averaging a healthy 2.0 this year.
Al Horford faces first team
One benefit of the Warriors’ extended homestand and their lack of back-to-backs is that it allows Al Horford to play each game and establish a rhythm. Coming off the bench for his fourth consecutive game, Horford responded with five points, eight rebounds and two assists in just 16 minutes.
To a newer generation of NBA fans, Horford is associated with the Celtics, the team he won the 2024 NBA title with. But he established himself as a bonafide playmaker with Atlanta, making the all star team four times in nine seasons.
Golden State Warriors’ De’Anthony Melton (8) runs on the court in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) A Golden State Warriors fan holds a handmade poster before their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ De’Anthony Melton (8) drives against Atlanta Hawks’ Vit Krejci (27) in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) battles Atlanta Hawks’ Luke Kennard (4) for a rebound in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) drives past Atlanta Hawks’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) and loses his right shot in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) goes up for a layup past Atlanta Hawks’ Jalen Johnson (1) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (0) goes up and misses a dunk shot against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures to a player while playing against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post (21) goes up for a layup past Atlanta Hawks’ Onyeka Okongwu (17) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) The Golden State Warriors bench erupts in cheer after Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) makes a 3-point basket against Atlanta Hawks’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) reaches for a loose ball in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
On Thursday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves held a moment of silence in honor of Good before tipoff against the Cavaliers.
“I’m glad that the Timberwolves recognized her life and the tragic nature of her death,” Kerr said during his pregame press conference on Friday. “It’s shameful, really, that in our country, we can have law enforcement officers who commit murder and seemingly get away with it.”
Good was shot in her SUV in a neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis.
Video from multiple bystanders showed officers surrounding the vehicle and attempting to open the driver’s side door, and then an officer shooting Good as she began to drive forward.
Whether any officers were hit by the vehicle is open to interpretation.
The federal government, led by President Donald Trump, has taken the side of ICE and characterized Good’s shooting as self-defense.
“It’s shameful that the government can come out and lie about what happened when there’s video and witnesses who have all come out and disputed what the government is saying,” Kerr said. “So very demoralizing, devastating to lose anybody’s life, especially in that manner. Terribly sad for her family, and for her and that city, and I’m glad the Timberwolves came out and expressed that sadness.”
This is far from the first time the Warriors coach has commented on current events and social justice matters.
Kerr has consistently voiced political opinions during his 11-year career in charge of the Warriors, including an appearance as a speaker at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and has already made headlines multiple times over the past year for sharing thoughts about hot-button issues.
In December, Kerr again called for change after a mass shooting at Brown left several dead and more wounded.
“It’s human nature to just not want to deal with this stuff, and it’s human nature to just think this is so horrible, let’s not think about it,” Kerr told reporters in Portland. “We have to think about it.”
SAN FRANCISCO – Draymond Green did not have to look very far – in both a space or time sense – to recall the last time his mother was disappointed in the way he had acted during a game.
Holding his phone in his right hand during Wednesday’s press conference after a 120-113 Warriors win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Green read off, rapid-fire, a number of recent texts from his mother, Mary Babers.
“Remember what you love, and stop abusing it,” one text read, while another, written after a recent ejection, was simply: “What happened?”
Basketball is an emotional game, with its players and coaches sometimes prone to losing their cool. And if there was one thing to be learned from the press conference before and after Golden State’s victory, it was this:
Age and basketball accomplishments cannot diminish a man’s fear or respect for his mother.
A few days earlier, Steve Kerr, 60, had drawn the ire of official Brian Forte when the Warriors coach had to be restrained while directing a stream of profanities in his direction after the Warriors were on the wrong end of several controversial calls.
Kerr, who was ejected in the loss to the Clippers, was not worried about how the league or his players would react to his outburst. Instead, his biggest critic after the ejection was his mother, Ann Kerr, who lives in Southern California and made the short trip to Inglewood.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures to his team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Ms. Kerr was not pleased with her son’s behavior.
“She looked horrified afterwards, and she asked me if I was going to hit the referee,” Kerr said. “I said, ‘Mom, I’ve never hit anybody in my life …. She said, ‘Why were all of those men holding you back?’ Well, that’s all part of the theatrics.”
Theatrics got superstar Steph Curry in trouble with his mother, Sonya, during a 2018 playoff series with Houston.
“I did the ‘This is my (expletive) house,’ and right into the camera, too,” Curry said, sheepishly adding. “No plausible deniability.”
Even the opposing team got in on the action. Bucks coach Doc Rivers, an accomplished point guard back in the 1980s and 1990s, once disappointed his mother by using foul language in the heat of the action.
“Oh yeah, my mom, she is a churchgoing lady, and I wasn’t using the right language one game, she called and let me have it,” Rivers said. “It’s interesting ’cause you say ‘I’m sorry,’ but you do know the next day you’re gonna do it again. It’s a tough one.”
How I would love to send the Bay Area protesters to South Florida, where residents are celebrating President Trump’s intervention in Venezuela. President Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, are responsible for “one of the most dramatic political, economic and humanitarian collapses in modern history,” according to a Miami Herald piece (“Venezuela left to grapple with wreckage Maduro leaves behind“) published Sunday.
Both the Bay Area protesters and the Florida revelers are waving Venezuelan flags. My heart lies with the latter, along with the nearly 8 million exiled Venezuelans.
I hope President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will leave Venezuela a better place than it has been since Chávez was elected in 1998, which eventually led to Maduro replacing democracy with autocracy.
This past weekend, President Trump referred to the State of the Union address by our fifth president, James Monroe, to Congress back on Dec. 2, 1823, which warned European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Americas.
In true Trump fashion, he reminded us that “they now call it the Donroe Doctrine” by adding the first letter of his name. It is an important time to consider the subsequent 1904 Roosevelt Corollary, which reinforced a U.S. responsibility to get involved with Latin American countries to prevent European interference, following Venezuela’s 1902-3 crisis, in which it refused to pay its debts back to Europe.
America would do well to prevent the likes of Russia, China and Iran from developing military capabilities in our backyard.
A recent letter praised the Los Gatos-Saratoga high schools for achieving “perfection” based on certain state standards. Good for them; yes, keep up the good work.
I am a retired high school teacher who taught for over 30 years in a relatively poor district. Our teachers worked hard and diligently to teach those who had little outside support. We didn’t become perfect, but we did a darn good job and made a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids.
It is easy to create a good public school: Choose a wealthy area, like Los Gatos/Saratoga, or choose your students, as Lowell High School did in San Francisco.
Congratulations, you who achieve perfection. Greater congratulations to you who faithfully toil in the trenches, with few resources, to fight against the darkness of ignorance.
Normando Ortez East Palo Alto
Readers deserve Roadshow successor
It’s been more than two years since the death of Gary Richards, who wrote the Mercury News “Mr. Roadshow” column. We miss Gary and his gentle soul terribly, What he did was important to the Bay Area. No one can replace him, of course, but someone must succeed him, whether under that moniker or a new one.
Chuck Martin San Jose
California sells out workers who make tips
President Trump’s federal “no tax on tips” policy delivers vital relief to hardworking service workers, shielding their tipped earnings from income taxes.
Shockingly, Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats have sabotaged this by blocking a bill to exempt tips from state taxes for low-wage heroes like servers and bartenders. In an era of crushing inflation and lingering pandemic pain, this greedy grab prioritizes bloated state coffers over struggling families, widening inequality.
Why rob Californians of relief that other states are rushing to provide? This betrayal isn’t just unfair — it’s a direct assault on the workers Democrats pretend to champion. Demand better now.
Michael Lelieur Santa Cruz County Republican Party chairman Santa Cruz
INGLEWOOD – Steve Kerr had finally had enough. After watching Steph Curry’s shot not count as an and-1, and then Gary Payton II’s blocked layup by John Collins not ruled as a goaltend early in the fourth quarter, the longtime Warriors coach lost it once there was a stoppage on a Curry foul.
He berated the referees to such a degree that the usually mild-mannered coach had to be restrained by members of his staff at Intuit Dome on Monday. The officials gave him technical fouls in rapid succession, and Kerr had to make the long walk back to the locker room with 7:57 left in the game after being ejected for the fifth time in his career, and first time since Mar. 28, 2022.
Terry Stotts, who coached Portland for nine seasons between 2012-21, took over as the Warriors’ acting coach. He oversaw a spirited effort that ultimately fell short as the Warriors lost 103-102 to a Clippers team missing James Harden.
Golden State shot just 3 of 24 in the third quarter, but somehow remained in the game, thanks to 10-2 run to start the fourth, a run fueled by the energy of Payton and Gui Santos. And after Kerr’s ejection, the Warriors remained competitive and trailed 94-90 with 3:06 left after Jimmy Butler made two free throws.
Curry cut the lead to just 101-100 with 1:05 left after his 3-pointer bounced off the rim and in, but he fouled out when he swiped down on Kris Dunn’s arm on the very next possession. Dunn’s two free throws extended the lead back to three points with 43 seconds remaining. Green’s layup made it 103-102 with 33 seconds left on the clock.
Kawhi Leonard missed a long 3-pointer, and the Warriors had the ball with seven seconds remaining. However, Butler’s fadeaway from the baseline went long and the Clippers held on.
Curry put up 27 points for the Warriors, while Butler scored 24 and Draymond Green dished out 12 assists. Leonard put up 24 points, and Kobe Sanders had 20 points. The Warriors actually had fewer turnovers than the point guard-less Clippers, winning the margin 20-7.
The hosts led 31-19 after one quarter, but the Warriors cut the deficit to just 55-51 at halftime. This came despite Golden State being a ghastly 5 of 22 from behind the arc. The team finished 10 of 41 from behind the line.
The Warriors (19-18) begin an eight-game homestand against Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Draymond Green’s rough night
Having been ejected from Monday’s game and having not finished three of the past eight games, Draymond Green was under a microscope Wednesday night.
After diving into the Warriors bench late in the second quarter, a crash that left his ribs bruised, he left the game but returned after halftime. That lasted all of two minutes, with Green leaving the game again after rolling his left ankle after defending a Leonard drive. He returned after the timeout.
Green drew a few groans from the mostly pro-Warriors crowd in SoCal when he took and missed a 3-pointer on three of the first four Golden State possessions, but he was an overwhelming positive overall.
Green finished the first half with a plus-11 in the box score, after being in the negative in 9 of his last 11 games. Despite giving up at least five inches and around 50 pounds to Ivica Zubac, Green used his low center of gravity to make it difficult for the Croatian center to get good position.
Stopping Kawhi
Leonard, who entered the game with arguably the hottest hand in the NBA. He won the conference player of the week honor after averaging 41.3 points per game last week, which he supplemented by maintaining his NBA-best 2.17 steals per game.
The Warriors initially began the game in single coverage against the two-time Finals MVP, which led to him scoring 10 first-quarter points. But when they began to send doubles his way, usually asking a guard to dig down, that left Nic Batum open for back-to-back corner 3-pointers.
The only consistently positive outcomes for Warrior defenders came when they forced the midrange assassin to take a few steps back. Leonard was 0 of 6 from behind the arc in the first half. Leonard took only one 3-point shot in the second half.
Snoop Dogg stars
Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg made his broadcasting debut when he joined the NBA on NBC television production as a commentator. The Long Beach native has plenty of fans among the Warriors, including Kerr and Moses Moody.
Kerr joked about Snoop’s presence around the Olympic team in 2024 and said he looked forward to his pre-production meeting with the man. Moody, who counted “Gin and Juice” as his favorite Snoop track, saw the rapper’s presence at the regular-season NBA game as a positive.
“I really like the niche that he’s carved out for himself now in the business space,” Moody said. “I like what he adds, and it’s cool to see it on the NBA stage.”
Get ready for the next chapter in the history of one of the Bay Area music scene’s most storied addresses.
Best known for hosting Boz Scagg’s legendary Slim’s hotspot for decades, and then a more recent (and much shorter) stint as YOLO Nightclub, the venue located at 333 11th St. in San Francisco will now transform into the home of The Budda.
The venue’s name references East Bay rapper Budda Mack, who is backing the new club.
“San Francisco, Bay Area get ready for the opening of my night club in SF,” Mack posted on Instagram. “January is about to be different. A new chapter is opening with THE BUDDA night club 333 11th street San Francisco CA — a new club bringing energy, culture, and unforgettable nights to the city.
“This isn’t just another venue, it’s a movement. Lock in, stay tuned, and prepare yourself… THE BUDDA is coming.”
Mack is a successful independent hip-hop artist with more than 160,000 followers on YouTube and over 5,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. His best-known songs include “Twerk,” which has been viewed some 3.5 million times on YouTube alone, and “Get Ya Mind Right,” which also boosts more than a million views on YouTube.
It’s unclear at this point whether The Budda will be primarily a hip-hop venue or one that hosts different kinds of music.
The Budda takes over the spot that YOLO filled for some four years. The EDM/hip-hop club got its start right in 2021, right as COVID pandemic restrictions on live music venues began to ease up, and shuttered its doors in spring 2025.
YOLO, of course, followed the lengthy run of Slim’s, the Boz Scaggs-owned nightclub that opened in 1988 and went on to host such fantastic acts as the Throwing Muses, Jayhawks, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Foo Fighters, Hole and the Lemonheads over the years.
The club closed in March 18, 2020. That was right as the pandemic hit and led to pretty much all live music venues in the U.S. shutting down, although the decision to close Slim’s was reportedly made before the pandemic.
The Bottom of the Hill — once dubbed as “the best place to hear live music in San Francisco” by Rolling Stone magazine — is set to close its doors at the end of 2026.
The popular music venue, which booked early-career gigs by Green Day, Oasis, Alanis Morissette, The Strokes and other acts that would go on to headline major arenas and festivals, will host its last gig on New Year’s Eve, according to a post made on the Bottom of the Hill’s Facebook page.
“We make this announcement with great difficulty,” the post reads. “This legendary business will have lived to the ripe old age of 35, a long stretch in San Francisco for an independent rock ‘n’ roll venue of our size. It has been a wonderful trip, and we are full of stories and memories. We have hosted tens of thousands of musical artists and have been a community partner as well, holding numerous benefits, school recitals, weddings, birthdays, and memorials. Let’s have one more solid year of memories together and bid a fond farewell to a legendary venue.”
The closing will mark the end of one of the Bay Area’s marquee independent music venues — one of the very few that aren’t booked by a major concert promoter. Yet, thankfully, the club owners are giving people plenty of advance notice so that music fans from all around the Bay Area will have12 months to visit and bid farewell to the club, which has also hosted such great bands as the Throwing Muses, the Donnas, Queens of the Stone Age, Neutral Milk Hotel, the White Stripes and the Dandy Warhols since originally opening its doors at the corner of 17th and Missouri streets in the Potrero Hill district in 1991.
“We will curate one more year of great shows, enticing bands that make up our history to come back for one final play on our stage,” the Facebook post reads. “Let’s celebrate, for one more spin, how far we came, how many bands we hosted, how many amazing people we worked with.
“We want to thank the bands, their agents, managers, and roadies, for always bringing the most exciting shows to our intimate room, with the analog board at the helm. And most especially, we wish to thank our loyal customers who kept us in business for this long and told us, in so many ways, that we were doing things right.”
Increasing operating costs, shifts in the city’s demographics and the lingering impact of the pandemic — leading to more people staying at home — are reportedly among the reasons for the closing of the club, according to an interview with the Bottom of the Hill owners on coyotemedia.org. Overall, however, it also seems like the time was right for the owners to move on from the club.
“As the owners of Bottom of the Hill, we (Ramona Downey, Kathleen Owen, and Lynn Schwarz), are three women in different phases of our lives (and a sad RIP to Tim Benetti, our beloved fourth, whom we recently lost),” the Facebook post reads. “Part of what has made our partnership so functional and wonderful are the perspectives of three strong women from different generations and backgrounds. We come together on so many issues but also bring our own unique life experiences to this business.
“Together we have nurtured Bottom of the Hill over the decades — it’s our child. We include in our family the incredible staff who are the ones who keep our business on the map. Several of our team have been with us for well over a decade and some the whole time, making this decision to shutter extra difficult.
“We will miss you all so much after this one last star-studded year. 2026 is our big victory lap! Please come celebrate with us. Not with a whimper, but a bang!”
SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors coach Steve Kerr tried just about everything. Pat Spencer-centric high screen and rolls. Post ups with Quinten Post. A pressing defensive scheme that looked to feature Will Richard.
But in front of a national television audience that expected to see the Warriors’ aging cast of legends face the defending champion Thunder at Chase Center on Friday, the viewing public saw a skeleton crew Golden State squad — for all of their creativity — fall 131-94.
Brandin Podziemski scored 12 points and had four assists, while Richard and Al Horford each scored 13. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 30 points in just 28 minutes, while Chet Holmgren put up 15 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks as the Thunder improved to 3-0 against the Warriors and 30-5 on the season.
“Yeah I mean it was a tough night,” Kerr said. “Obviously we’re short-handed but I don’t think that is an excuse for the way we played.”
Coming off two consecutive road wins, the Warriors’ thee Hall of Famers – Steph Curry (ankle), Jimmy Butler (illness), Draymond Green (rest) – were ruled out before tipoff.
On top of that, combo guard De’Anthony Melton had the night off as the team remained cautious with his workload as the guard worked his way back from a torn ACL.
And Jonathan Kuminga, who has been benched for weeks as his trade date of Jan. 15 approaches but was in line to receive big minutes, was scratched with a lower back injury.
Thus, the Warriors resorted to a ragtag starting five of Podziemski, Will Richard, Moody, Gui Santos and Quinten Post.
Spurred by some inspired defense, the Warriors were able to hang around and even cut the Thunder lead to just 38-36 when Richard canned a 3-pointer with 7:19 left in the second quarter.
“There’s definitely look at some stuff you can learn from, but you got to have a short memory when it comes to games like this,” Richard said.
The Thunder responded with a 19-0 run to take command of the game, and the visitors cruised from there, leading by as many as 41 in the fourth quarter that was played exclusively between deep reserves. The Thunder, though no longer on pace to win a record-breaking 74 games in the regular season, have now won four in a row.
The Warriors (18-17) will take on the Jazz on Saturday.
Horford rare bright spot
There was not much to be excited about on Friday, but Al Horford’s strong run of play continued. Since returning from an seven-game absence caused by sciatica, the 39-year-old has averaged nine points per game (14, 7, 8, 10) in four contests.
In 13 minutes off the bench, Horford scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked couple shots. Horford will not play against the Jazz, as he does not play back-to-backs.
Animated at officials
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Luguentz Dort (5) attempts to steal a pass by Golden State Warriors’ Gui Santos (15) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Oklahoma City’s proclivity to play physical defense without being called for fouls, and its star’s habit of finding a way of creatively drawing fouls, has become a source of frustration for many teams this season.
Add the Warriors to the list of franchises who had an issue with officiating during Thunder games. Al Horford, often mild-mannered, became highly-animated after being called for a foul on Gilgeous-Alexander midway through the first quarter.
A few minutes later, with 10 seconds remaining in the first period, Pat Spencer was called for a technical foul when he was running downcourt on defense.
Golden State Warriors’ Gui Santos (15) attempts to block a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder’s Cason Wallace (22) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) passes the ball while being guarded by Oklahoma City Thunder’s Cason Wallace (22) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) The Golden State Warriors bench is empty as many of the players are not playing during their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) grabs a rebound from Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren (7) in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Oklahoma City Thunder’s Aaron Wiggins (21) shoots past Golden State Warriors’ Gui Santos (15) in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) looks to make a basket against Oklahoma City Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell (25) in the second quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Scooby dunks the ball while performing during an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Scooby balances himself on his owner Christian while performing during an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The Fix Our Forests Act isn’t about environmental safety; rather, it is a blatant attempt at expanding the logging industry under the cover of wildfire prevention. Congress is rushing to pass a bill that dramatically expands backcountry logging while weakening environmental review and public input, allowing projects up to 15 square miles to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act.
Decades of research shows that logging can actually increase fire severity by leaving behind flammable debris and drying forest microclimates. Meanwhile, the bill ignores the strategies proven to save lives — home hardening, defensible space and evacuation planning — in favor of remote timber projects far from communities.
Worse, it reduces scientific and judicial oversight at a moment when accountability matters most, while risking harm to watersheds, wildlife habitat and recreation. Congress should stop branding logging as wildfire protection and invest in tried-and-tested solutions that actually keep communities safe.
Chad Hanson suggests that implementing the federal Fix Our Forests Act will increase the threat of wildfire to communities.
In reality, this act will reduce wildfire threat to communities by facilitating forest thinning and strategic deployment of prescribed fire. Over a century of successful fire suppression across the landscape has allowed far too much vegetation (trees, brush) to accumulate. These overcrowded conditions represent an extreme wildfire threat. The act seeks to accelerate the treatment of unnaturally dense forests. To suggest that the act will increase forest thinning, thus exacerbating wildfire threat conditions, does not track with what foresters and wildland firefighters are experiencing in the field.
Reducing excess vegetation significantly mitigates wildfire behavior. In order to help protect communities, the U.S. Senate should pass the Fix Our Forests Act.
Tad Mason Carmel
Administration’s harm to businesses unchecked
President Trump is promising $12 billion in aid to U.S. farmers, who have lost sales due to tariffs and international ill will inspired by administration policies and rhetoric.
In the Bay Area, meanwhile, our son has lost the job he’d had for 13 years at a small business that shut its doors in the fall, after fluctuating tariffs disrupted their supply chain and our government’s treatment of foreign visitors triggered a precipitous drop-off in international tourism, cutting sharply into their potential customer base.
Is anyone in the administration trying to mitigate, or even to track, the impact of this year’s financial chaos on small businesses?
Sue Luttner Palo Alto
The world can’t afford an unreliable U.S.
In 1994, Ukraine surrendered the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for “security assurances” from the United States, Britain and Russia. The promise: respect Ukraine’s borders and sovereignty. The result: Crimea was seized, the United States and Great Britain did nothing, Ukraine was invaded, and now U.S. support is openly wobbling — with the president taking Russia’s side.
If nations cannot trust security promises, disarmament becomes a risk rather than a path to peace. This precedent complicates global nonproliferation and undermines confidence in diplomatic guarantees. In future peace negotiations, what country will trust us when we can’t keep our word?
Our allies and partners must be able to rely on consistent, dependable commitments; without that, global stability is imperiled.
Howard Lutnick and Donald Trump don’t seem to understand how the U.S. economy works. Trump has bragged that his tariffs are bringing in $800 billion in tax revenue. He doesn’t get that tariffs are paid by the importer and ultimately the consumer. He went on to say that companies should temper the price increase by taking lower profits.
In this article, Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, says that the new H-1B fees would be a $100 billion windfall to the U.S. Treasury. He makes it sound like a $100 billion additional tax on American companies is good for the economy. Would he be as enthused about the additional tax if the fees were being paid by his company?
In describing “Donald Trump’s kakistocracy,” Michelle Goldberg notes that as Trump has been thwarted in his fascist efforts to exert control and seek revenge, he “feel(s) increasingly cornered and aggrieved.”
As we end 2025, it is a “cornered and aggrieved” Trump that is most worrisome. Surrounded by cowed sycophants, Trump is the loose cannon who can destroy America both internally and on the world stage. While his tariffs and Big Beautiful Bill Act frustrate business, slow the economy, and increase poverty for millions, his America First policy produces Arrogant America, Bully America and ultimately America Alone, a pariah nation that others gradually learn to placate as necessary and work around as best they can.
2026 will be a sad 250th birthday for the USA, one in which we must realize that the American Experiment is in great jeopardy and wonder how many more birthdays there will be.
A person died Thursday in a crash that shut down two lanes of Interstate 280 in Daly City, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Around 11:10 a.m., a gray SUV struck the center divide of the highway and rolled over. The passenger was confirmed to be dead on the scene after appearing to be ejected from the car, according to CHP spokesperson Andrew Barclay.
The crash forced two northbound left lanes north of Serramonte Boulevard to shut down, Barclay said.
