About Bay Area Brief

Clear, quick, sourced local news for people who live, work and build in the Bay Area.

Bay Area Brief is an independent local news digest covering San Francisco, the East Bay, the North Bay, the Peninsula and the South Bay. We focus on the stories that affect daily life and household budgets: housing and real estate, home improvement and construction, local business, and what city halls are deciding. We also cover the biggest world stories of the day in a dedicated World section.

Bay Area Brief was started by Seamus McKenna, a Bay Area contractor who spends his days in local homes and on local job sites and wanted one place to keep up with the news that shapes them: permits, housing policy, construction costs and neighborhood change.

Our editorial standards

• Original writing. Every article is written in our own words. We don't republish other outlets' copy.
• Always sourced. Each story names and links its sources, usually established local newsrooms or official government releases, so readers can check the original reporting.
• No invented facts. We don't make up quotes, figures or details. When reports conflict, we say so or use the most recent corrected version.
• Corrections. If we get something wrong, we fix it and note the change. Send corrections by email through our contact page.
• Advertising is separate. Ads on this site are clearly labeled and don't influence our coverage.