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San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kellyanne Conway defends Trump, draws mixed reaction at S.F. business event
Longtime top Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway was in San Francisco on Tuesday to share what her hosts, the Bay Area Council business group, billed as 'a unique window in this administration's thinking.' But can you really trust the insights of the person who coined the phrase 'alternative facts'? Me, neither. We largely got a predictable whitewashing of our orange president as Conway sought to spin everything Trump. Though Trump gleefully brags about ending the national right to abortion, Conway said Trump is all about giving women more power by virtue of his hiring women for high ranking positions in his administration. And so on. Conway spun away on everything from DOGE to DEI. But what was unexpected was how so many of the Bay Area's top leaders are subtly adapting and reacting to the political realities of Trump 2.0, even as they rail against him. Conway, who said she still regularly speaks to Trump even though she's no longer in the administration, wasn't in fighting mode Tuesday afternoon before the group that represents over 300 of the top employers in the region. 'I come in peace,' Conway said. With four teenage children at home, Conway said the opportunity to fly to San Francisco for the day to give a speech 'is like a spa day.' Still, she wasn't above some snarky asides. Conway tartly noted, 'You had a San Franciscan (former Vice President Kamala Harris) in the White House for four years. You had her on the top of the ticket. I don't know that things have improved much. Maybe they did. I'll let you be the judge of that.' The council's moderator felt a sort of need to explain/apologize to any snowflakes in attendance for platforming Conway. 'This isn't an endorsement,' Conway's interviewer Michael Covarrubias, a former chairman of the Bay Area Council, said as their chat began. 'It's about gathering intelligence' on the new administration, in the same way that any business would gather intel on their new market. Not that there was a lot of intel produced in the volumes of spin spewed Tuesday. Some of Conway's answers occasionally veered toward answering the question asked. She did include a few bits of news-you-can-use, like tips for dealing with Trump: 'Don't be obsequious.' Conway advised. Trump hates that, she said. 'That's the dumbest thing to do with President Trump.' He doesn't want 'yes-men,' Conway insisted. Which doesn't explain how he's gotten virtually no pushback from his Cabinet or from any Republican congressional member. Case in point: Secretary of State Marco Rubio used to call Russian President Vladimir Putin 'a war criminal' when he was a senator. But Rubio refused to do so last week at a House Foreign Affairs Committee now that he's being puppeteered by Trump Yet Conway didn't have to flex Trump's influence here. The California panelists who followed her presentation — populated by the region's mayors and the leaders of its top universities — did that for her. If there's one positive thing Trump's victory did, it was to shame Democrats into spending less time virtue-signaling and more time focusing on proving they can govern. The mayors of the Bay Area's three largest cities didn't mention Trump's name once during their sessions. Instead of performatively bragging how they were 'Trump-proofing' their cities or virtue-signaling how supportive they were of say, abortion rights, they talked about public safety and what they were doing to beef up their police departments. (Business groups always love to hear about more police to protect their investments. Save the feel good pronouncements about criminal justice reform for another crowd.) San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie bragged about his police department recently using technology to track people who attempted to carjack someone in San Francisco all the way to Emeryville, where police arrested three gun-toting alleged perpetrators. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan talked about how he wants to 'show what a pro growth, inclusive, upwardly mobile city looks like sworn-in Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, who said she'd like Oakland to get '700-plus' officers (from about 678 now), said she was focused on making sure that the city is working for its residents. She promised to focus on 'How do we deliver services? ' like fixing a pothole or removing an encampment. Conway had little sympathy for the millions in research funding Trump is cutting from university funding. Perhaps her disdain is rooted in how she continues to blame experts at federal health-related agencies for their handling of the COVID pandemic (but says nothing about how Trump once asked experts whether disinfectants could be injected to tackle COVID-19.) 'It's very frustrating to know that we were among the people that run NIH and CDC and FDA for years. It's not my job to know what's going to happen. It was theirs. It's very frustrating to know that we were all there together and like, 'Who's minding the store, who's looking out for this? ' That is their job. So the question is not whether research should continue, or health is important… the question is who should pay for it, and at what price?' Conway said. UC Berkeley chancellor Rich Lyons said 'it would be very hard in any near term to backfill the federal government's role, because it's just so important.' He anticipated that some 'indirect' or 'overhead' costs associated with research funding may be reduced. He said Berkeley could lose $100 million a year. Part of the reason that Trump and his DOGE master Elon Musk have been able to cut university funding is because, as Stanford president Jonathan Levin said, 'universities were collectively guilty of having done a truly terrible job explaining (research funding)to the American public. So there's lots of confusion about the details of how science funding works and or how endowments work, and the finances of universities and so forth, and we have to try to rectify that and try to explain it.' Both said that they hoped that grants from foundations and private industry partnerships would make up for some of the loss of federal funding. Conway also defended Trump for cutting $3.2 billion in federal grants and contracts recently from Harvard University and his attempt to end the university's right to enroll foreign students. Trump has cast the cuts as payback for the university's liberal bias, for continuing to use racial considerations in admitting students despite a legal ban against it, and for permitting antisemitic behavior on campus. 'There is rank, raw, disgusting antisemitism on many of our college campuses,' Conway said. Berkeley's Lyons pushed back against the crackdown on free speech on campuses. He said a faculty member recently told him that 'It feels like we're going into a world where there are acceptable questions and unacceptable questions. That's anathema to academics. It's just sort of like all questions are accepted. We should be able to research, discover the reading and learn how different people can disagree.' The audience applauded weakly at the pursuit of preserving free speech showing at least some resistance to Trump remains. As for Conway, she said Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked her to be a guest on his much maligned podcast. So she'll soon provide Californians with more 'intel' they didn't ask for.
Graziadaily
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
This Iconic Benefit Product Just Had An Update – And It's Better Than Ever
Few beauty products enjoy the same level of fame and success as Benefit's Benetint. While there are lots of lip stains available in 2025, from peels to felted markers, it was Benefit's OG product that put the revolutionary long-wear, budge-proof formula on the map in 1976. 49 years later, the San Franciscan brand's first-to-market beauty product shows no sign of waning and it's got the numbers to prove it. Boasting a whopping one billion views on TikTok, one bottle of this blush sold every 11 seconds in 2024 and three million vials sold that year alone. It seems the buzz around the internet's favourite lip-to-cheek multitasker is about to reach fever pitch, as Benefit introduces two new shades into the fold for the first time ever: Raspberry and Dark Cherry, which are on sale right now for £19.10 at Sephora. Cementing its iconic status, the brand has teamed up with Desi Perkins, mega influencer and founder of @deziskin, to create the DEZI X Benetint Dark Cherry Sunglasses and Lip & Cheek Stain Set, which includes a pair of cherry-pink coated Dezi sunglasses, a custom pink case, and a full-size Benetint Lip & Cheek Stain in the new Dark Cherry hue. While the $95 limited edition kit is exclusively available at Sephora USA, the collaboration has already helped to ensure that Dark Cherry is a sell-out success. Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, using Dark Cherry The new colour expansion welcomes hues of ruddy brown in Dark Cherry, and berry pink for Raspberry, giving us a whole new way to enjoy the cult classic. Unlike other Benetint iterations like the Floratint and Playtint, the two newcomers share the same well-loved formula as the original, that being a natural-looking flush of long-lasting, non-drying colour that is smudge, transfer, water and humidity-proof. If you're into a monochrome make-up moment (guilty as charged), the multitasker can be swiftly swiped across lips and cheeks for a lightweight sheer look that can be built up all while guaranteeing a believable second-skin finish, thanks to its barely-there watercolour-resembling stain. Jean and Jane Ford, the twin founders of Benefit, actually created the Benefit Benetint as a nipple enhancer for exotic dancers, but almost 50 years on it's the secret to perking up our complexions. A flurry of A-listers including Winona Ryder, Nicole Kidman and even Rachel Zegler are known to love it, the latter of whom used it to create Snow White's classic red-lipped look in the 2025 live-action remake of the Disney classic. Swatches of Benefit's new Benetint in Raspberry (top) and Dark Cherry (bottom) Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'I am quite serious about blush; I often forgo all cheek products (like bronzer and contour) but will never complete my make-up without a stippling of something flesh-toned across my cheeks, nose, lids, temples and chin. I did say serious, didn't I? To feed my addiction while avoiding blush blindness – there's a fine line, I know – I have long held on to clever formulas that lend a breathable, buildable, natural skin finish, and that's where Benefit's original Benetint comes in. I've used it years and was doubtful that the OG stain could get any better, but I'm happy to report I stand corrected. While the original Benetint promises to stain cheeks with a perky rosey red colour that is perfect for summer, the new shades offer deeper, muted hues that I will likely lean on year-round. I've taken to Dark Cherry, a ruddy brown that works beautifully against my medium, olive complexion. It packs all the staying power of the original, meaning one application in the morning is enough to last me through most of the day, but offers up more options that will work across a plethora of skin tones and make-up moods.' 1. Benefit Benetint Price: £19.10 What the brand says: The long-lasting, non-drying lip and cheek stain promises a smudge-, transfer-, water-, and humidity-proof formula that lends a lightweight, sheer, and natural-looking flush that can be built up. Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'I've used Benefit's original Benetint for years and was doubtful that the OG stain could get any better, but am happy to report I stand corrected. While the original Benetint promises to stain cheeks with a perky rosy red colour that is perfect for summer, the new shades offer deeper, more muted hues that I will likely lean on year-round. I've taken to Dark Cherry, a ruddy brown that works beautifully against my medium, olive complexion. It packs all the staying power of the original, meaning one application in the morning is enough to last me through most of the day, but offers up more options that will work across a plethora of skin tones and make-up moods.' Pros Long-lasting Non-comedogenic Cons Budge-proof, quick-dry formula means there is less play time Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia's beauty writer, covering all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).
San Francisco Chronicle
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
A Zoox and an e-bike collided in S.F. Here's what it says about robotaxi safety
The light turned green at a busy intersection in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, where Bryant, Division and 11th streets conjoin at acute angles — and traffic becomes an omnidirectional snarl. What happened next was captured, probably in stark detail, by multiple cameras on a Zoox robotaxi. The company is not required to publicly share its footage, and has declined to do so. A spokesperson said Zoox supplied video to regulators. But in a report filed to the Department of Motor Vehicles, Zoox gave a clinical description of the crash on April 4: A driverless taxi collided with a Bay Wheels e-bike whose rider had swerved into the car's path. The Zoox sustained fender damage while the cyclist rode away. Nobody called police. Though apparently minor, the SoMa fender-bender came at an inflection point for Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company owned by Amazon. Widely recognized as the No. 2 player behind Waymo, Zoox is testing its buggy-shaped robotaxis and retrofitted Toyota Highlanders in the wilderness of downtown traffic, and preparing to launch passenger service. It's also endured some growing pains. Four days after the e-bike jolt, another unoccupied Zoox vehicle collided with a passenger car in Las Vegas. Again, no one emerged with injuries, but the company opted to pause operations in Vegas for several days and recall 270 vehicles for a software update. Such episodes could become more commonplace as self-driving cars flood the roads, treating cities like San Francisco not only as markets, but as laboratories. While the makers of these vehicles contend that a machine programmed to follow traffic laws is safer than an erratic human driver, the crash research is less conclusive. The stakes for these companies are high: Waymo, the most established among them, is rapidly expanding commercial service as Zoox test-runs its carriages in several cities. As they integrate into the transportation system, robotaxis are drawing excitement and delight. At the same time, they're clashing with other road users. Last year a self-driving Waymo car struck and injured a bicyclist in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood, provoking anger from district Supervisor Shamann Walton. He questioned whether any car operated by artificial intelligence could quickly react to traffic chaos. Representatives of Waymo said an oncoming truck had occluded the Waymo vehicle's view of the cyclist. A review of California DMV reports for March and April suggests that so far, most of these incidents have not caused injuries, and have resulted in minimal damage. Still, they raise a vexing question for the average San Franciscan: Should I be worried a robot car might hit me? The notion has incited a spirited debate among experts. William Riggs, a professor of engineering and management at the University of San Francisco who studies autonomous vehicles, is so confident in the technology that he doubts they pose much danger to other drivers or cyclists — even the ones who violate traffic laws. 'You probably have a greater chance of being struck by lightning' than by a robotaxi, Riggs said. Other researchers are less certain. Scott Moura, a UC Berkeley professor of civil and environmental engineering, said past studies have shown a similar 'crashes-per-million miles' rate between self-driving cars and humans, though data also suggests that AV companies are learning from their experiences, and swiftly course-correcting. In California, AVs are held to a higher standard than human drivers, with a requirement to report any collision that results in injury, death or property damage to the Department of Motor Vehicles and, in some instances, to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Yet since the companies write those reports, they are by definition one-sided and could omit details. The most notorious example is the crash of Oct. 2, 2023, in which a robotaxi operated by General Motors' Cruise struck a jaywalking pedestrian. Although initiated by a hit-and-run driver, the incident led to Cruise's suspension, largely because the company withheld video from state investigators. When pressed about the April 4 collision with the cyclist in SoMa, staff at Zoox point back to their report to the DMV. It portrays two vehicles navigating a complex, unpredictable road space with crosswalks and traffic signals on all sides. The scene unfolded shortly after 9:30 a.m., the fade-out of a Friday morning rush hour. According to Zoox, an e-bike rider had started crossing before the change in signal. Pedaling south down 11th Street, the rider zipped ahead of the robotaxi, which had no driver at the time. Both vehicles had nearly crossed the intersection when the cyclist abruptly turned left. Sensing the maneuver, the robotaxi 'braked hard,' yet a collision 'was unavoidable,' Zoox staff wrote in their incident summary. The cyclist struck the self-driving car's right fender and body, causing minor damage. As the Zoox pulled over on Bryant Street, the cyclist rode to the sidewalk, briefly stopped, and then rolled away. By slowing down and stopping, the Zoox demonstrated its ability to drive defensively, and likely preempted a more serious accident, according to a company spokesperson. 'Autonomous vehicles have the capability to see farther and understand the speed and trajectory of those sharing the road, which is especially important when interacting with vulnerable road users,' the spokesperson wrote in a statement. It continued: 'Safety is foundational at Zoox, and we are continuously learning from our testing across markets to improve the overall safety of roadways.' Whether the Zoox performed worse or better than a human driver in this instance is unclear, said Matthew Raifman, a transportation safety researcher at UC Berkeley's Safe Transportation and Research Education Center. 'There are scenarios where an AV might see (a cyclist) that a human wouldn't see, because they have 360 degree views,' Raifman said. Even so, he noted, an AV doesn't have a human's intuition or ability to anticipate behavior. For all of its perspectives and sensors, a robot car might not understand how a cyclist moves through space. 'I think that's where there's a heuristic process that human drivers have. Maybe a computer can replicate that perception and understanding, but it's also possible that a human driver would have eye contact with the cyclist, or detect something in that cyclist that was indicative they were going to turn instead of go straight.' Or alternatively, perhaps the robotaxis could over time become more perceptive than humans, Raifman said. What if, for instance, a network of them are passing through that intersection every day, collecting data, and sharing it with all of the other robotaxis in a company's fleet? Steven Shladover, a research engineer at UC Berkeley's Institute of Transportation Studies, had a more cut-and-dry reading of the incident. 'It sounds like this was probably the fault of the cyclist,' he said, surmising that a human motorist wouldn't have been able to avoid the collision either. Every expert who spoke with the Chronicle acknowledged the basic math of exposure: More autonomous vehicles traveling more miles means more opportunities to crash. Yet the companies are making a case that their fleets will eventually make the roads safer. After all, a robot won't drive while intoxicated, or start texting friends at a stop light, or get distracted and fail to yield to a pedestrian. Robotaxis 'are getting safer over time as the companies gain more experience with driving in traffic,' Shladover said. 'But that's a long, slow process.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump pushes to reopen Alcatraz, but Pelosi and Newsom dismiss it as a 'distraction'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Despite President Donald Trump's administration confirming that a plan to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz is already underway, San Francisco politicians are dismissing it as an unserious "distraction." "From Day One, the Trump Administration has made clear that it will no longer tolerate the dangerous and deranged serial offenders who wreak bloodshed and mayhem in American communities," White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital in a statement. "At President Trump's direction, Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Burgum, and other administration leaders have already begun identifying necessary steps to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz and Make America Safe Again." As the Trump administration takes its first steps to open the infamous Alcatraz, California politicians Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Daniel Lurie agree the plan is "not a serious one." Trump Orders Feds To Reopen Alcatraz To House 'America's Most Ruthless And Violent' Criminals "Looks like it's distraction day again in Washington, D.C.," a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App "Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The president's proposal is not a serious one," Pelosi said on social media on Sunday. Trump Floats Reopening Alcatraz – Here's How Much Revenue The Notorious Prison Generates "I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi said it right about Alcatraz. This is not a serious proposal," Lurie said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rips up President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech during his first term. The San Franciscan said Trump's Alcatraz plan is "not a serious proposal." Alcatraz has worn many hats in its history, including as a military prison, federal prison, Civil War fortress, bird sanctuary, the first West Coast lighthouse and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement, according to the National Park Service. Alcatraz is most renowned for housing federal inmates, including notorious gangster Al Capone – whom Trump himself often evoked on the campaign trail. "I've been indicted more than Al Capone," Trump often remarked while campaigning for president in 2024 at his "Make America Great Again" rallies, referring to his 34-count felony conviction for falsifying business records. Capone was indicted on at least 23 counts of federal income tax evasion. Alcatraz is a staple tourist attraction in San Francisco, attracting 1.2 million visitors a year. As part of San Francisco's National Park Service, exhibits include an exploration of the island's history as a military prison and federal penitentiary, while also sharing insight into its 19-month occupation by Native Americans protesting the U.S. government's Termination Policy, which aimed to end federal supervision over American Indian tribes. However, Trump has his own plan for Alcatraz, announcing on Truth Social on Sunday that he wants to "REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!" Then-former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. Trump often said on the campaign trail that he has been indicted more than Al Capone. "For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it's supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets," Trump said. "That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Original article source: Trump pushes to reopen Alcatraz, but Pelosi and Newsom dismiss it as a 'distraction'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Daniel Lurie sees 'vibe shift' in San Francisco as he works to clean up city
Democratic San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who won the office with a "common sense" appeal, declared there has been a noticeable change in the city under his leadership. Lurie, the Levi Strauss heir and founder of an anti-poverty nonprofit, positioned himself during his campaign as the tough-on-crime alternative to former Mayor London Breed's lax policies on theft, drug use and homelessness that have plagued the city. Now, months after defeating Breed by more than 10 points in November, he says San Franciscans are proud of their city again. "The vibe shift is, I believe, real in our city," Lurie told the Los Angeles Times during an interview in his City Hall office. "There's a sense of hope and optimism that people haven't seen for a long time. I have a lot of people saying, 'I'm proud to be a San Franciscan for the first time in a while.' Now, I've always been proud. That's why I ran." Lurie highlighted how simply walking around the city in his current role revealed opportunities to make it better for locals and tourists alike. San Francisco's Asian Voters Tell Local News Why They Are 'Walking Away' From The Democrats "In the first few weeks, I would be walking on the streets and be like, why is there trash at a bus shelter?," the mayor said, offering one such example. "Well, we don't do trash pickup on Saturdays and Sundays. And I was like, people still take the bus on Saturdays and Sundays, and we have tourists from all over the world coming here." Read On The Fox News App "We have to be a 24/7 city, and often we are a city that is 9 to 5, Monday through Friday," Lurie added. The LA Times recalled that the incident that inspired Lurie to run for office in the first place was when he was walking with his children through the Mission District and encountered "a man in the midst of a mental health crisis." "Lurie pledged to prioritize public safety and increase pathways to treatment for mental illness and addiction," the paper wrote. Lurie spoke about how he is working with major tech companies to bring San Francisco's downtown back to life, one of the areas that was most famously devastated by the COVID-19 lockdowns and their aftermath. Blue City Mayor Embraces Government Efficiency In New Memo To City Employees "I'm going to work with anybody that wants to help San Francisco get back to its rightful place as the greatest city in the world," the mayor said. LA Times writer Hannah Wiley noted that Lurie is part of a larger shift, citing the new leadership of the city's Board of Supervisors, "which for years was dominated by ultra-liberals who often clashed with previous mayors. The November elections brought more centrist members to the 11-member body who may be more inclined to support Lurie's centrist agenda." Former Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who lost to Lurie in the mayoral election, also praised the new mayor as a welcome sign that times are changing, saying, "San Francisco needed to have a change, both for national perception and for local perception." Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture "I think we're off to a strong start," Lurie said of his term as mayor so far. "But my expectations are sky-high."Original article source: Mayor Daniel Lurie sees 'vibe shift' in San Francisco as he works to clean up city
