Hey there, San Francisco. 

On Thursday, Mayor London Breed went on tech reporter Kara Swisher’s New York Times podcast “Sway” to talk, mostly, about her recent Emergency Declaration in the Tenderloin. 

“It’s really at a point where we have to respond and we have to hold people accountable for the crimes that they commit,” Breed said. “We have an obligation as a city to keep people safe.” 

The 42-minute interview is worth a listen–something to add to your queue for the long weekend ahead. 

Breed also talked about how growing up in “war zones similar to the Tenderloin” has shaped her policy decisions, what her working relationship is like with District Attorney Chesa Boudin (hint: there’s a “level of frustration,” she said), and how she’d like to see Supervisors more accountable to the entire city, rather than their individual districts. 

Regarding the timing of her Tenderloin focus, Breed said she “didn’t weigh the political calculus of who this might appeal to or not. I just decided...this is not working.”

And with that…onto the news…

Quick bits: Bite-sized news stories from across the city

• 🎒 On Thursday night, the SFUSD and teacher’s unions reached a tentative agreement that will keep public schools open across the city, at least “for the present,” Mission Local’s Joe Eskenazi reports. The pact includes giving 10-extra Covid-related sick days to teachers, providing high-quality masks to students and staff, and having enough tests at each school site for students and staff to be tested weekly. (Mission Local) 

• 💅 Sephora has signed “San Francisco’s biggest new office lease during the pandemic,” the Chronicle’s Roland Li reported on Friday. The beauty company will sublease 286,000 square feet (covering 16 floors) in the downtown tower at 350 Mission Street, previously occupied entirely by Salesforce. Across the city, Li wrote that “new leasing activity in 2021 totaled 4.8 million square feet, more than double the 2.2 million square feet in 2020 but less than 2019’s 7.7 million square feet.” (Chronicle) 

• 🐌 On Friday, a nature-based, outdoor play space called Wander Woods opened at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. According to the museum’s website, the new play area for kids “encourages crawling, climbing, and hands-on exploration of natural materials and native plants.” (Chronicle) 

What else I’m reading: Links to browse at your leisure

Mission Creek Park’s new sculpture down to three choices (Mission Local) 

Plans for New Hayes Valley Hotel Back in Play (SocketSite) 

San Francisco’s ‘worst house on the best block’ sells for $2 million (SFGATE) 

ICYMI: Here were the most popular stories (by clicks) this week

Monday: Why I’m not renewing my membership to S.F.’s de Young Museum (Chronicle) 

Tuesday: 22 Hot and Spicy Pizza Restaurants in San Francisco (Eater) 

Wednesday: This incredible commercial for San Francisco in the 1940s depicts a long-gone city (SFGATE) 

Thursday: Parcel Sadness: Small and 'Challenging' Cliffside Property On Telegraph Hill Hits Market For $150,000 (SFist)

And finally…

Have you noticed the stunning sunsets this week? 

I’ve mostly been inside (scrambling to get the newsletter out). BUT, the striking pink and orange sunsets have been all over social media and are quite impressive. 

So why are we seeing such glorious skies? 

As the Chronicle’s Andres Picon writes: 

The colorful twilight skies…are made more impressive by high-altitude clouds and moisture moving through the region, as well as the high-pressure weather system that has settled over the area this week, said Matt Mahle, an NWS meteorologist.

The high pressure brings sunny skies and generally nice weather, but it also traps particulate matter such as sea spray, dust and pollution in the lower levels of the atmosphere. It’s why air quality around the Bay Area has been in the “moderate” and even “unhealthy” ranges in many parts of the region this week.

“But it’s not totally just pollution,” Mahle said. “It is more tied to the upper-level moisture that we’re seeing.”

Well, today I learned! And hopefully, we’ll see a few more of these this weekend. 

Alright, that’s all for today. As a reminder, I’ll be off on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I’ll be back on Tuesday. 

Have a great weekend, everyone. And talk soon! - Nick B.