The Quarterly Report: A brief synopsis of the news in San Francisco over the last three months. You are now reading “Slow News That Doesn’t Break” – the exotic internet.
Weather
After a few good storms in late December, January was a month of warm temperatures and sunny skies. The snow that fell in the Sierra began to melt. As of mid-February the snowpack is about 50% of normal. The month of January made for amazing beach days and weeks on end of clean head-high surf. The winds were out of the east and rarely very strong.
As of late, there are a few storms brewing out at sea. In the coming week there is predicted a few new feet of snow in the Sierra. In earlier times people would know this as you start to see the storms out over the Pacific but also from birds moving around, seagulls flying inland – changes in flight patterns. Oddly, on my block a large cypress tree that for years has been home to crows has been taken over by a flock of robins. I have never seen flocks of robins, but mostly in pairs. Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was inspired but such phenomenon.
Learn more: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/is-it-unusual-to-see-american-robins-in-the-middle-of-winter/
THE MOUNTAINS
Local Politics
The SFUSD teachers went on strike demanding better wages and medical benefits. It went on for a week in February and eventually a deal was achieved.
If you want to keep track of San Francisco politics, probably the best place is https://missionlocal.org/. They actually have a few beat reporters and report on things like homelessness and the police.
The rents in San Francisco are still exorbitant, surely driven up by the AI companies and the venture capital backing it.
After a proposal to tax the billionaires a onetime 5% to help fund health care and education, Mark Zuckerberg looks to be moving to Florida. I say good riddance! In all my years here in The City I never saw the guy once though he had the nerve to get San Francisco General Hospital to rename itself Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Perhaps he could spend the millions of dollars it will take to take his name off of this public institution and update the acronym. His business model is purely extractive in nature and toxic, especially for children. Entire families have been decimated. Countries have been torn apart (e.g. Myanmar). He is indeed part of billionaires class who live by a different set of laws and rules. Of course, such people have a way of paying less in terms of taxes (some none at all) than the rest of us poor folk. All I can say is “enjoy the hurricanes.”
Protests Against Fascism, Trump and ICE
In San Francisco there are regular protests on Saturday afternoon in front of Elon Musk’s Tesla dealership. One of the signs said just “SHAME” which I took to mean “For Shame” or “Shame on You!” or even “YOU HAVE NO SHAME!” In any event, people are at their wits-end. There are certainly more demonstrations in other cities nearby. Even the introverts are now getting out there and people often get dressed in costumes including a frog, a gingerbread man and the statue of liberty. San Francisco will probably never be criticized for it lack of creativity.
QUOTES FROM SIGNS
“No one is illegal on Stolen Land” “Together We Can Defeat Fascism” “I Love Democracy”
Sign held by person wearing a frog costume on Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
National Politics
On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces executed a military operation, termed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at their residence in Caracas.
It is hard to read and listen to what is going on in national politics. Donald Trump and all his corrupt cronies become tiresome. It really isn’t funny anymore. When politics merged with entertainment and scandal became a virtue we lost our way. People often quote Steve Bannon as saying that as a political strategy it is good to “flood the zone” but what he really said was “flood the zone with shit.” In past articles I have called our current age the “Age of Delusion.” People in our current times simply make up stuff to back up their personal narratives and then “flood the zone with shit.” However, this may simply be part of the human condition. Don Quixote, the knight errant in Cervantes classic novel embodies this quality, idealizing the valiant and courageous warrior at all costs. He mistakes windmills for monsters and dragons, people peacefully traveling as enemies he must conquer. Today people in power often no longer idealize war and the warriors but still make events seem to always support their delusional narratives. We are currently lead by a delusional commander in chief who has never served in the military and disdains any actions of virtue. Hopefully we will still have a country come November but things could easily become violent.
ICE is pulling out of Minneapolis. Where these thugs go to at this point should be our chief concern.
And then there is the United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi in her own delusional rants during a senate hearing on February 11. 2026.
“This is so ridiculous. They are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that he’s committed a crime. Everyone knows that.’
Pam Bondi, senate hearing, February 11. 2026
‘You’re a washed-up loser lawyer… You’re not even a lawyer!’
Pam Bondi speaking to the distinguished law professor and Senator Jamie Raskin
‘Don’t you ever accuse me of committing a crime!’
Pam Bondi, senate hearing, February 11. 2026
Sporting News
The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots 29 to 13. The running of Kenneth Walker III was fun to watch.
The San Francisco 49ers season was full of injuries but they did make it through a playoff game in Philadelphia defeating the former champs. The play of the game was a trick play whereby a receiver, after a few hand-offs ended up throwing the ball to a diving Christian McCaffery. Brock Purdy handed off to Skyy Moore, who flipped it to Jauan Jennings, who then threw to a wide-open McCaffrey.
You can see it here:
After that win, they played the next game against the Seahawks and got blown out. And so it goes.
That is The Quarterly Report – February 2026
Photo Gallery of SF
The Quarterly Report – February 2026
