Welcome to the premiere of WIRED’s new podcast, Have a Nice Future. In this first episode, Gideon Lichfield and Lauren Goode talk to the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, about how she plans to address the city’s problems, from homelessness to crime to abandoned downtowns, and how the changes she’s proposing could shape not just San Francisco but the cities of the future.

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Show Notes

Read more about the city WIRED calls home. Our coverage of San Francisco includes stories about self-driving cars, infrastructure, the tech industry, health care, and homelessness.

Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Gideon Lichfield is @glichfield. Bling the main hotline at @WIRED.

How to Listen

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Transcript

Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors.

Lauren: Energy up.

Gideon: Hi, I’m—oops. Too much energy. Yes.

Lauren: Energy down.

Gideon: Hi, I’m Gideon Lichfield. I’m the editor in chief of WIRED.

Lauren: And I’m Lauren Goode. I’m a senior writer here at WIRED.

Gideon: It’s 30 years ago that WIRED magazine was founded in San Francisco, and that anniversary has made Lauren and me feel quite reflective. 

Lauren: As one gets when they turn 30. We went into the conference rooms, threw a bunch of pillows and blankets on the floor, turned on some Enya. Really got our ’90s vibe on, and we just reminisced. 

Gideon: Ah, Enya. It’s funny to think about what the world of tech looked like 30 years ago. In fact, just a few weeks before the first issue of WIRED was released in January 1993, this guy named Tim Berners-Lee created the very first hypertext pages of a little something he called the World Wide Web.

Archival: It spans the globe like a superhighway. It is called the internet. 

Lauren: People were really excited about the transformative potential of the web. The editors at WIRED certainly were; I found this letter to the editor in an old issue criticizing WIRED for being a little too “orgasmic” about the internet.

Gideon: Orgasmic. 

Lauren: Yeah. And I don’t even think they were talking about specific websites. 

Gideon: Hmm. 

Archival: For years they’ve been saying these things would change. The world would mature from adding machines and typewriters to tools of the human spirit, personal desktop computers, a network of people with unique experiences and expertise connected all over the globe.

Lauren: What could go wrong?

Gideon: So much went wrong in really unexpected ways. I mean, who would’ve predicted QAnon or ISIS recruiting videos, or the ice bucket challenge? Frankly, the future is unpredictable, and that’s what can be really disconcerting 

Lauren: And the pace of innovation has just accelerated so much. Cryptocurrencies, generative AI, the metaverse, so many exciting changes—

Gideon: But also freaky changes– 

Lauren: Changes we can’t seem to pump the brakes on and will have to face one way or another.

Gideon: So we decided to make a show about it. Have a Nice Future.

Lauren: It’s a podcast about how fast things are changing, in good ways and in ways that make us deeply uncomfortable. 

Gideon: Each week we’re going to talk to somebody with a big, audacious idea about the future and ask, is this really the future we want? 

Lauren: We want to ask people what keeps them up at night, and also what keeps them feeling optimistic.

Gideon: And then after we share the interview with you, Lauren and I will discuss how we feel about the future. They’re describing what we think is good about their vision, what we think is troubling, and what we and you can do about it in our own lives. 

Lauren: We’d also like to hear what you think. So send us any questions you have about the future or what’s concerning you. 

Gideon: Or even what makes you optimistic.

Lauren: Yes, that too. 

Gideon: So we decided to kick off this weekly conversation with someone who’s pretty directly shaping mine and Lauren’s future. And ultimately probably yours too. 

Lauren: On today’s episode, we talk to London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco, whose job, as clichéd as it sounds, really is to build a better future for this city. And we have to determine, is this the future we want? 

Gideon: We wanted to interview Mayor Breed because WIRED was founded in San Francisco, of course, and the digital revolution that WIRED was created to cover began in the Bay Area. But tech infiltrates and warps all aspects of life. It changes our social fabric and our urban fabric, and Have a Nice Future is about all of those changes too, not just the bits that are directly brought about by a new piece of code or hardware.

Lauren: San Francisco is a place of contradictions where you have incredible wealth alongside terrible deprivation, and progressive left-wing values juxtaposed with extreme libertarianism. Like a lot of cities around the US right now, San Francisco is facing severe problems with empty downtowns, but also a high cost of living, drug abuse, crime, and homelessness.

Gideon: Right. And just last week, a prominent member of the city’s tech community, Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App, was stabbed early in the morning outside an apartment building in San Francisco and died at the hospital. 

Lauren: We taped this conversation with Mayor Breed before that happened. She has since issued a statement calling the fatal stabbing a horrible tragedy, but it’s certainly another thing that gets added to the portrait of San Francisco as a place that you know is scary and a dangerous place to live.

Gideon: But as you’ll see, the safety of the city’s streets is one of the things she talked about the most. 

Lauren: And we’ll get to all of that with Mayor Breed after the break.

[Break]

Gideon: Mayor Breed, thank you very, very much for joining us on Have a Nice Future. 

Mayor Breed: Thank you. 

Gideon: How is your future going so far?

Mayor Breed: My future is here right now. In my present. It’s going OK. 

Gideon: That’s true for all of us. That is what this show is about; it’s about the fact that our future is here, and we’re all trying to figure it out as we go.

Mayor Breed: Yeah

Gideon: You grew up here. You were raised in public housing by your grandmother. You’ve seen the city change a lot. Some of that change has probably been good, some of it’s been bad. What’s the biggest change that you’ve seen  growing up here?

Mayor Breed: I think the biggest cultural change probably is the decline of the African American community. Even though the community was always considered a smaller part of San Francisco, at its height it was somewhere between 12 and 14 percent. There used to be just more African Americans, more African American businesses, more African American cultural activities and events. And that’s changed. Many of the people who were born and raised here don’t live here anymore. And that’s the thing that I miss the most.

Lauren: What has caused this decline?

Mayor Breed: There are a number of factors, and I can really speak from personal experience. You know, I grew up in public housing, and sadly there was a lot of violence and hopelessness and frustration. And I think some people moved away for better opportunities, as well as to protect their families from the violence. But also, the projects I grew up in were demolished and people were moved, and they were not necessarily moved back. So I think a number of issues played into that decline, including policies and decisions made by this city. 

Lauren: A lot of people looked at tech as the accelerator of changes like that, and your predecessor, Mayor Ed Lee, was known for being pretty friendly to the tech industry. There was even something known as the Twitter tax, where he was giving tax breaks to tech companies that have their offices here, that would bring young talent here driving the economy in the city. Which of his policies do you think were good for the city? Which policies are you actively looking to change in terms of the relationship to tech? How do you reestablish a kind of equilibrium between San Francisco and the tech industry? 

Mayor Breed: Well, I want to make it clear that before tech was a major part of San Francisco, the damage had already been done to the African American community. I think that when the tech industry and some of the policies that Mayor Lee put forward, including a number of tax breaks and incentives, it was at a point where, you know, job opportunities were very challenging for the people of San Francisco.

I think that, moving forward, it was the right thing to do to provide incentives to attract these various industries to revitalize mid-market and to create these extraordinary job opportunities. I think the disconnect was, you know, what we didn’t do as it relates to housing and connecting the existing population of San Francisco to those opportunities.

I think it was a five-year period, for every eight jobs we created, we created one new unit of housing, so the housing market was not supporting the increase in the number of jobs. I also think that there was a real issue around making sure that tech had an obligation to, you know, hire locally in various capacities.

And that we were creating these academies, which we did eventually, to prepare people for the jobs that exist, not just in coding and engineering and some of the things that were being done, but HR, security, receptionists, property managers. All of the layers of things that are needed, and making sure that there was some level of connection to the people who needed these opportunities the most and the ones that were being created.

Lauren: It is in fact a very different city from pre-pandemic. And I say this, I mean, this is my city. I live here. I love San Francisco, and it’s very often that people come to visit here and they say, wow, this is a really beautiful city. They’ve just been hearing about it on the news, and they think it’s like a war zone. And they come here and they realize it really is an incredibly beautiful city, but it does have its real problems.

And from the pandemic, our population is down, our transit revenues are down, our homeless population has gone up. There are a lot of office buildings downtown that are totally empty. I hear your optimism for San Francisco, but it is a very changed city. And I do think it’s a little bit harder to convince people this is the place they should absolutely come if they want to work in tech or build the next big tech company. What does it really look like going forward for you?

Mayor Breed: Well, I don’t agree that it’s been hard to convince people to come here, because they, for whatever reason, are still coming here. I think they’re just doing things differently. They don’t want as much office space. They’re allowing their employees to work remotely, and that is definitely going to change San Francisco in, in so many ways, because you don’t have that same, you know, active population of people in the downtown area moving around and getting on public transportation and going to restaurants and all of that.

But that’s why part of my downtown recovery plan includes more creative options to make the downtown area not a 9 to 5 place. But to look at the evening and the weekends, as you know, possibilities of activities that could happen in the downtown area. The downtown area has been so restrictive in terms of what can be done there. And we have all these crazy codes that have been developed for years that make me insane. I mean, for example, the ability to take some of the office space and convert it into housing shouldn’t be a difficult thing to do, but it is. It is because of the requirements of a yard and open space and all of these things that go with, you know, you have to get conditional use and these kinds of approvals to take an existing building and eliminate those requirements. And my goal in a lot of the legislation I’m proposing is to say, you know what? For these kinds of buildings, let’s just remove it out of the way so that we don’t even have to talk about it in the process of someone wanting to convert. 

Gideon: I actually would love it if you could give us a high-level overview of the pillars of your recovery plan. How are you balancing the things you’re doing to attract business back and attract residents back, and the things that you’re also doing to deal with the issues that people, you know, complain about in San Francisco. Like crime and homelessness.

Mayor Breed: Definitely. So I’ll start with the crime and the homelessness component, because it’s not just about homelessness, it’s about substance use disorder and mental illness and people struggling. Because you know, what we find when we’re out there with our street medicine teams and our street crisis response team and all of these resources that we’re putting into making sure that we have an alternative response to the challenges of our streets other than our police officers. And so we are putting a lot more resources into that to make sure that we’re able to be more aggressive about getting people off the streets and not allow the open-air drug using and some of the things that people are experiencing. 

Lauren: How do you do that? How do you actually get people off the streets and get them the support they need for substance abuse?

Mayor Breed: Well, just so you know, San Francisco was one of the only cities in the region that was able to see a reduction in unsheltered homelessness. Fifteen percent reduction in unsheltered homelessness, and you know, 3 percent …

Gideon: Over what period? Sorry. 

Mayor Breed: So since 2019 until the last point in time count that we did last year, we saw a decent reduction, but that had everything. It was so much work. Of course, it was purchasing hotel buildings. It was providing wraparound supportive services to make sure that people were getting the support and the treatment that they need. It was changing our entire shelter system that was more of a congregate living system and making it more individualized with trailers and cabins, and so just really increasing our capacity significantly to get people off the streets. So we built out our behavioral health beds for those who suffer from mental illness. We’ve built out our shelter system, and then we have these various teams who are out there every day trying to get to the bottom of the challenges that people are facing and get them into housing.

The problem that we have, and where we will need changes to our state law. And I know they’re trying to push for some change to the conservatorship law so that we can deal with those suffering from mental illness, but we need a lot more drastic change so we can be able to force people. Because the only way, in some cases, if people tell us no, which they do, um, if they tell us— 

Gideon: Telling you, no, we don’t want to come off the street …

Mayor Breed: No, we don’t want your help. No, we don’t want your service. No, we’re not going to get up. No, we’re not going to leave. The only way we can deal with a problem like that is, you know, for example, some of our various basic laws to say, you know, you can’t sit and lie on the sidewalk, so you’re gonna have to move. Right? I mean, that’s not a solution, but that’s one of the only resources we have. Or if someone crosses the line and breaks the law, we can make an arrest. And our jails, unfortunately, this is not the place that people want to be used to help people who need treatment, uh, for addiction or substance use disorder or mental illness. And we need changes to state law in order to do a little bit more aggressive force to get people off the streets differently. Um, 

Gideon: You said in an interview last year with The Atlantic, you said that changes that you were proposing as mayor were gonna make a lot of people uncomfortable. And you said, uh, that it was time to be less tolerant of all the bullshit that’s destroyed our city. What did you mean by that? 

Mayor Breed: Well, when I say less tolerant, it’s … I know people have compassion for people who use drugs. You know, I personally have lost a sister to a drug overdose, and I have family members who suffer from addiction. But to say that, well, wait a minute, you know, they have an addiction and we need to, you know, provide them with support and services. I agree with that. But we also cannot let them publicly be out on the streets shooting up or using fentanyl or doing all these things where it has created a lot of chaos, and problematic situations happened in various communities.

When I was growing up, during the crack epidemic, you know, we knew people were on drugs, but the other thing is, in my mind, respect for the community where, when they saw kids or older people walking, like they hid that to a certain extent. It was a thing that wasn’t spoken. And we know people are gonna always have challenges with addiction. I pray it’s not me or I don’t continue to see it happen to the people I care about or anyone else in this city. But the reality is it happens, and we should not just, because we’re empathetic, allow it to just happen on our streets, because we’re saying, well, this person is suffering from addiction and should not, you know, be in prison. I agree, but this is a behavior we can’t tolerate. 

And the other thing is the open air-drug dealing. Being able to publicly, you know, out in the open, deal drugs, sell it to anyone at any given time, and say, well, you know, people are being trafficked and forced to do this, but you know what? They’re still breaking the law. We have to make arrests. We have to hold people accountable. We can’t continue to just say, well, we don’t want to go back to the failed war on drugs. And it’s like, yeah, we don’t. But did any of you who are saying that ever even live in it and understand what it felt and looked like?

This is far worse. And so what we have to do is be a lot more aggressive in how we do things. Yes, if you want help, we get you help. But if the alternative, if you break the law, then community drug court is not gonna be an option for you. So I think we’ve gotten away from accountability, and that’s what I meant. That was what I was frustrated about, about the kids and the families that I’m meeting that are in tears and that are frustrated in the living condition about people I grew up with who have had encounters with the police growing up, who live in the Tenderloin, who have gotten clean and sober and are saying, London, what is going on around here? Like this is worse than what I’ve ever seen it, and we need you to help us. So we have to continue to do whatever we can, as aggressively as we can, to make sure that people don’t feel comfortable doing what they’re doing in the Tenderloin right now. 

Lauren: What other cities do you look to for ideas or inspiration around what San Francisco could you better? I think of a place like Houston, Texas, which has done a tremendous job with homelessness over the past decade or so. Austin, Texas. Which has done a really great job building up its tech community. I’m not saying that those are the best cities to be in. Once again, I’m still partial to San Francisco, but what do you look to, where do you look to? 

Mayor Breed: So let’s just talk about that, because like Houston and Austin, you know what, they have space policies that are not, you know, problematic to the development of those housing units and I think it just makes it a lot easier. But I do look to places like, for example, Amsterdam, right? I love how people in Amsterdam are able to move around on bikes, buses, and different modes of transportation the way that they are. And just with how the bike infrastructure exists there. And I want to see San Francisco become more user-friendly for people to move around using different modes of transportation and less reliant upon cars.

Lauren: But what’s actually preventing us from doing that? I mean, put this in the context of we have a huge budget. San Francisco has a huge budget. I had the opportunity to hear your comptroller, Ben Rosenfeld, speak recently at Manny’s, a wonderful local community center, and hear a little bit about the breakdown of the city budget. And I think other people look at us and say, wow, $14 billion. That’s a budget that’s bigger than a lot of states and some entire countries. Uh, yet we have the problems that we have. Yet you are here, Mayor Breed, telling us that you have these ideas and ideals for what a city can be. Why can’t we do that? What is stopping us? 

Mayor Breed: So I can spend this whole podcast talking just about the breakdown of the budget, because you have to keep in mind, San Francisco’s a city and a county,  We have our own airport. That’s a part of the budget—  

Lauren: Our discretionary budget is much smaller.

Mayor Breed: Very, yeah. It’s on a whole other level. But like, you know, the airport dollars stay with the airport, the public utilities commission with the sewer and the treatment plant, and the water and electricity—like all of those things are a part of this larger budget. So yes, the discretionary part is a lot more difficult.

Then there are all these different carve-outs in the budget where this amount goes to children and families. This amount goes to this, this amount goes to that. It’s not an excuse for why we can’t. Because we were able to, you know, since I’ve become mayor, add over 22 miles of protected bike lanes. We did so aggressively. But it’s not as easy as saying, OK, here’s the money. You can’t just—all of a sudden someone has access to their garage and then the next day they wake up and they no longer have access to their garage. So doing things like this requires outreach. It requires a lot of work.

But I think in comparison to how we used to be when I grew up, you know, you didn’t ride a bike to get around the city. You just did not. You got on the bus or you walked, and if you were lucky enough to have access to a vehicle, you were in a vehicle. But, you know, now the culture of San Francisco has shifted, and I think we’re gonna get there.

Lauren: What keeps you up at night? 

Mayor Breed: You know, I actually sleep really good at night. 

Gideon: What’s your secret? 

Mayor Breed: I don’t know what it is, but as soon as I hit the pillow, it’s like I’m done. Because I gotta get my rest. If not, I’m gonna be grouchier than I already am.  

Lauren: Metaphorically speaking, what keeps you up at night? 

Mayor Breed: I think the thing that I think about most, uh, is really the challenges around the drug use and the drug dealing. You know, my goal is I want to see it improve. I want to see it turn around, and I want people to feel good about our city. 

Gideon: And what, to take the opposite line, in what way does San Francisco reflect what the city of the future could be? What do you see as the hopeful side of that?

Mayor Breed: Well, I’m very hopeful because, you know, there have been political changes that have led to better results, uh, that we can produce for the city. I think, you know, the future of the city … 

Gideon: When you say “political changes” …

Mayor Breed: Well, we have a new district attorney who’s actually prosecuting people for crime. We have new members of the Board of Supervisors who are supporting reasonable policies that make sense. I think the people of this city want us to get back to basics. They want reliable transportation. They want clean and safe streets. They want to be able to make a decent living, hopefully purchase a home and raise their families and send them to school. To me that’s the basics. AndI’m hopeful because I feel like the city is finally getting back to that. And the fact is, if we can get back to the basics and deliver for the people of the San Francisco, we can make this city so much better. And I am hopeful about that. I’m hopeful about the future. I’m hopeful about the city we are right now, but the, the city that we can definitely become by improving upon what we’re already doing.

Lauren: But how do you build San Francisco back in a way that we’re not perpetuating inequities? And, by the way, we think about this a lot at WIRED—even right now, there’s a lot of conversation happening about generative AI and how amazing it is. But you talk to researchers and economists and they say, is this only going to further the technological divide? Deepen the gaps, right? It’s going to make the top 1 percent wealthier, and the bottom 90 percent are not going to be able to meet, you know, any kind of wealth goals. Like, how do we ensure that San Francisco, if it is built back up, we’re doing it in such a way that it’s not just, you know, the very, very wealthy who have a comfortable place to live and everyone else struggles to live. 

Mayor Breed: Yeah. And that’s gonna continue to be a struggle because people go into business because they want to make money and they want to be wealthy, and so you’re not gonna be able to get away from folks who choose to do that. But what I will say is that companies are becoming more intentional about supporting the surrounding community and not just flying in the next new talent or what have you. The talent is right here, and so that’s part of it. But also, when we look at a lot of the disparities around homelessness, around violence, and around a number of other issues, and especially one of the populations that’s declined most significantly, where are we going wrong?

We know what the problems are, so how do we make those investments? We’ve given down-payment assistance for people to buy homes, which has been extraordinary. I met these families and you know, in tears about the ability, never thinking they could buy a home in San Francisco in their lives. Thirty-four new brick-and-mortar businesses that are started that we helped with the down payment for, uh, the rent and uh, the build-out, so that they can get started, because they’re not necessarily getting a lot of the capital, uh, to get those businesses started.

And so I’m really proud of the investments the city’s making, and also being intentional about getting more companies to be more open to supporting the community in a way that’s gonna help bring people along. Rather than doing something to the city, it’s doing something for the city. And I think we’re gonna get there.

Gideon: You talked about how you’re excited for what the city could become. So what does that look like 20, 30 years from now? What’s your ideal of how San Francisco looks different from what it is now?

Mayor Breed: Well, it will look different because we’ll have more housing in a lot of underutilized properties on the west side of town where you’re not seeing a lot of places being built. We’ll have a great public transportation system where it’s reliable and people decide they want to use it. We’ll have more protected bike lanes. We’ll have, like, no homeless ever. Like, it’s just, as soon as you’re on the street, we’re picking you up and taking you into shelter, into a situation, and we’re able to, you know, clear out our streets, keep them clean, you know, keep people safe and sober. And make sure that if people want an opportunity to take care of themselves, they get one. But more importantly, the city changes for the better, where people just walk down the street and say, Hmm, there’s something different about San Francisco and I’m loving it.

Lauren: And where are you in that timeline?

Mayor Breed: I hope I’m still mayor in that timeline. I want to see it happen yesterday, but that’s what I fight for every single day. Because as we said earlier, I grew up born and raised in poverty, and when I think about just my own family and the challenges we experienced—having a sister who died from a drug overdose, having a brother who’s still incarcerated—that could have easily been me, and I’m mayor of San Francisco. And so for me, I feel really honored and that this is really a privilege that I can’t take lightly every day I show up to work. It has to be about making sure that people don’t grow up in the same kinds of conditions and challenges, and knowing what’s possible when San Francisco gets it right. 

Gideon: Well, Mayor Breed, thank you so, so much.

Lauren: Thank you so much.

Mayor Breed: Thank you.

[Break]

Gideon: So Lauren, as a resident of San Francisco, how do you feel about the city after we talked to the mayor? 

Lauren: Well, it was hard to feel pessimistic after the interview, because when we walked out of the mayor’s office that day, we walked into this incredible atrium at City Hall and there was a wedding happening right then and there. Like there was one wedding happening when I first walked into the building that morning, and then we saw someone walking down the aisle as we came out of the office, and it’s really hard not to feel optimistic when you’re witnessing that sort of event. How did you feel about it?

Gideon: You know, the thing that struck me was how animated she got when she talked about San Francisco, comparing it with Amsterdam—as you know, a very European city with bike lanes and buses and people in the streets in the evenings. And for just a moment, I had this glimpse of a city in which all of the problems of homelessness and drug abuse and poor housing have been cleared up. It is rather unique among American cities and could really be kind of a paradise. 

Lauren: San Francisco has gotten a lot better about having car-free spaces in bike lanes, which Mayor Breed talked about.But yeah, I thought it was really interesting how when we asked her what other cities she looks to for inspirations that she actually mentioned a European city instead of another US city. 

Gideon: Yeah, that was striking. What was also interesting was that she kind of skirted the questions that we were asking her about the tech industry and how to bring it back. She talked about, you know, making things easier for businesses, getting rid of some of the restrictions on permitting, for instance, but a lot of the things we were asking her about tech, she was bringing it back to the social issues, to the homelessness and the drugs, which she seems really impassioned about

Lauren: Right? Yeah. She seemed to really thread the needle on the tech sector’s direct impact on the city, both good and bad. She’s absolutely correct that the African American population has been in decline since the 1970s. It’s the Black community that sees the most consistent declines in the population in every census, and there are certainly discriminatory policies that have led to this. But you know, longtime San Franciscans will often say that it’s tech that has driven the city’s prices up and created a monoculture in recent years. Like it’s, you know, in more recent times it’s hard not to look at issues like the rising cost of housing and at least ask the question of whether there’s a correlation between that and the rise of the tech sector.

Gideon: Yes. That’s when I think she was being at her most political. As you say, she was threading the needle. She wanted to send a signal that the tech industry was welcome and wasn’t being blamed for the social problems the city has. But at the same time, it didn’t seem to be uppermost in her mind as the thing that she wanted to work on.

Lauren: I would also like to have asked her more about safe consumption sites, which are places where people who have an addiction can get a hold of drugs or bring their own and use them with safety personnel around, which is part of a broader effort in harm reduction, right? The idea being that this would prevent overdoses. It’s clear that drug abuse is a topic she feels strongly about. It is such a complicated issue though. Mayor Breed has said before she supports safe consumption sites, but there have been legal restrictions around them in San Francisco, and more recently she has said she would support a nonprofit model that might allow safe consumption, which is actually an idea borrowed from New York City. But overall, that’s just one solution to what is clearly a much bigger problem. 

Gideon: I think the fact that she talks about this stuff so much reflects not just her own concern with it but also an awareness that around the country and around the world, this is a thing that people look at San Francisco and see … If you go to tech conferences or look at tech Twitter, people are talking about how the city has been overtaken by the homeless and there is drug use on the streets and there are cars being broken into all the time. It feels almost like there are these two completely different San Franciscos that exist in people’s heads. One is this beautiful city, and one is almost the land of the walking dead. Right? 

Lauren: People who refer to these folks in the streets as zombies, I think, are sometimes forgetting that they’re human beings too, and that it’s going to take a huge collective effort to solve some of these problems. I’m not sure I left that conversation feeling like Mayor Breed knew exactly how to fix these things—because in fairness, what if the systems at play are bigger than anything she can do at the city level? What if we need a much broader conversation around money and taxes and housing and the role of government in providing safety nets and just what it means to be safe in a community and also care for your neighbors. I don’t know, Gideon, did you walk away from the conversation feeling as though Mayor Breed had proposed some solutions you felt good about? 

Gideon: You know, it was striking to me that she’s proposing pretty hard-line solutions. In some ways, she’s talking about using the law and all sorts of other measures to essentially force people off the streets. And yet she doesn’t come at this with a lack of empathy. You know, she talks about having lost her sister to a drug overdose, having a brother who’s incarcerated. But all in all, yes, I feel like she’s making quite a hard push. 

Lauren: Yeah, she is taking a firm approach, and the thing is, San Francisco isn’t unique in dealing with a lot of these issues. Homelessness is spiking all across the country. Drug abuse is too, and few people have really come up with a good solution. So a lot of other cities will be watching and learning from Breed’s successes and mistakes. 

Gideon: And not just on drugs and homelessness. Right? 

Lauren: Right. She mentioned the empty downtowns and the restrictive zoning laws that she wants to change to deal with the rising cost of living. And that’s yet again, a problem that we’re dealing with all over. So if she finds that she can turn some of these empty office buildings into apartments, that would be huge, right? So, Gideon, are you going to stake out an empty floor of the Salesforce Tower for yourself?

Gideon: Sure, if I can get one with south-facing windows. I have to say, I found Mayor Breed’s vision of the city pretty compelling. 

Lauren: You know what else is pretty compelling? Some of the other guests we’re gonna be having on this podcast. 

Gideon: Yes. We’re gonna be talking to some exciting people in the next few weeks. We’ve got Max Levchin over at Affirm on the future of paying for things, but also biohacking and socialism, and so much more.

Lauren: We’ve got a conversation with a futurist about how you should prepare your kids for climate change by basically scaring the bejesus out of them. 

Gideon: And we’ll hear from the CEO of Slack about how to disconnect from your job when the future of work is increasingly always-on, thanks in part to things like Slack.

Lauren: And we want to hear who you’d like to hear from. You can email us at nicefuture@WIRED.com. Tell us what you’re worried about, what excites you, any question at all you have about the future, and we’ll ask our guests. 

Gideon: Have a Nice Future is hosted by me, Gideon Lichfield.

Lauren: And me, Lauren Goode. 

Gideon: If you like the show, please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts and follow us to hear more episodes. 

Lauren: Have a Nice Future is a production of Condé Nast Entertainment. Danielle Hewitt and Lena Richards from Prologue Projects Produce the show. 

Gideon: See you back here next Wednesday, and until then, have a nice future.

The post San Francisco Mayor London Breed on the Metropolis’s Troubles—and Hopes appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

“She [CD Mexico] were really good. So quick on the ball,” recalled Bob Gansler, son of the former US men’s national team coach of the same name, who played for Bayern that year. “We didn’t have our best day, but they did [El Faro] were not afraid to attack in large numbers.”

Santiago Lopez remembers growing up with cup hero Angulo, who passed away a few years ago. Angulo’s son was the same age as Santiago and the two kicked the ball at halftime in El Farolito’s games at the historic Boxer Stadium, their home ground to this day.

“Everyone respected him [Angulo]’ Santiago said. “He was so deadly on the field.”

The semifinals were exciting and difficult, but the same cannot be said of this year’s tournament finals. CD Mexico drove through the game and defeated United German-Hungarians of Pennsylvania in an unequal score 5-0 to lift the trophy that now stands proud in the spiritual home of El Faro.

Downshift after 1993

Soon after, the team was known again as El Farolito SC. But it took them a while to get back to the highs they had in the early ’90s. “After 1993, the club really disappeared with the Open Cup,” Santiago said. “That wasn’t really a big priority.”

Coaches came and went, and the team competed only in amateur weekend tournaments and in the SFSFL, which was slowly declining in quality with the resurgence of professional sports, particularly Major League Soccer, formed in 1996.

It wasn’t until 2011 that Santiago decided to step in. At this point in El Farolito’s history, the team transitioned from the SFSFL to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

“I had no interest in playing football or being involved with football,” Santiago said. Still, “I really wanted to help… and we kept winning. We won a few championships.”

In 2017, after winning the statewide NPSL’s Golden Gate Conference, El Farolito automatically earned a spot in the US Open Cup – the club’s first appearance since winning the championship.

It was nothing compared to their famous run a long time ago when El Farolito lost to SF City in the first round of the tournament. But the loss was a turning point in Santiago’s tenure as coach.

A return to the big stage

“Since then I’ve been fully focused,” said Santiago. “Not just win locally, win in NPSL or the league, but try to compete and qualify for the Open Cup.”

Santiago was determined to qualify again. He knew that finding the right balance between leading the entire team and helping run the restaurants was crucial to the club’s well-being.

Irene Lopez ensures that everything runs smoothly. She helps Santiago with smaller tasks like securing ambulances for games. She calls it a “routine” she’s grown accustomed to, but also says that “every year is special.”

The post San Francisco Originals El Farolito: Excessive Hopes Cast in Former Glory appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

TROY, NY — Hudson Valley Community College has been selected to help train a pipeline of skilled workers for clean energy jobs that are ramping up in the Capital Region.

Through grant funding provided by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the college’s Office of Workforce Development is able to offer an unprecedented opportunity for eligible students. A subset of eligible students will receive tuition reimbursement and additional support services in pursuing the college’s Heating/Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Technical Services AOS degree or Construction certificate.

Hundreds of skilled workers for the building trades, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration and high-efficiency heat pumps will be needed over the next several years in the Capital Region.

Hudson Valley Community College’s Green Jobs Training Program is part of a New York State-funded study to measure if offering adult learners skills training in clean energy, along with extra support, helps them to complete training, find employment, and earn higher salaries. The opportunity to receive enhanced support services, including tuition assistance, is limited. Eligible applicants will be chosen by a computerized selection process.

Minimum qualifications for the program:

• must be a resident of New York State for the previous 12 months
• at least 16 years or older and not officially enrolled in high school
• meet additional educational and economic guidelines

Enhanced support services available for a subset of eligible students include:

• Tuition assistance
• counseling
• One on one tutoring
• Resume writing assistance, interview prep and skills workshops
• Job fairs

The post Grant funding hopes to attract college students into HVAC careers at HVCC – Saratogian appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

TROY, NY — Hudson Valley Community College has been selected to help train a pipeline of skilled workers for clean energy jobs that are ramping up in the Capital Region.

Through grant funding provided by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the college’s Office of Workforce Development is able to offer an unprecedented opportunity for eligible students. A subset of eligible students will receive tuition reimbursement and additional support services in pursuing the college’s Heating/Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Technical Services AOS degree or Construction certificate.

Hundreds of skilled workers for the building trades, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration and high-efficiency heat pumps will be needed over the next several years in the Capital Region.

Hudson Valley Community College’s Green Jobs Training Program is part of a New York State-funded study to measure if offering adult learners skills training in clean energy, along with extra support, helps them to complete training, find employment, and earn higher salaries. The opportunity to receive enhanced support services, including tuition assistance, is limited. Eligible applicants will be chosen by a computerized selection process.

Minimum qualifications for the program:

• must be a resident of New York State for the previous 12 months
• at least 16 years or older and not officially enrolled in high school
• meet additional educational and economic guidelines

Enhanced support services available for a subset of eligible students include:

• Tuition assistance
• counseling
• One on one tutoring
• Resume writing assistance, interview prep and skills workshops
• Job fairs

The post Grant funding hopes to attract college students into HVAC careers at HVCC – troyrecord appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

By Faith Evans fevans@nevadaappeal.com

Sunday, April 10, 2022

The Carson City Library’s roof is currently decorated in orange flags: facilities maintenance is busy revamping the HVAC system for this summer.
“It’s been in the works for a while that we were going to be improving the HVAC system,” said Joy Holt, the library’s department business manager. “We’re hoping that it will make it less of a sauna up there in the summer.”
Randy Rice, city engineer, said that the city has custom designs to replace an old multizone heating and cooling unit on the second floor. The project is expected to cost $224,000, and contractors estimate that it will be finished by mid-June. The project is financed through American Rescue Plan funding.
Back in September 2021, the Fire Department responded to a call at the library when a motor burnt on an air conditioning unit filled the building with smoke. Staff had to evacuate the building for fear of a fire.
Front desk staff at the library told the appeal that the library has also experienced smoke
in the building from teenagers using vape pens in the restrooms.

The post Carson Metropolis Library hopes summer time might be cooler with new HVAC system appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) – Union Square in San Francisco is losing another major retailer, with DSW – the Designer Shoe Warehouse – being the newest store in the neighborhood to shut down for good.

“Things I used to know aren’t here anymore,” said Linda Hill, who was visiting from New Jersey.

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“It’s a lot sadder than it was before COVID,” said Judy Keith, a visitor from Texas.

Marisa Rodriguez, the new executive director of the Union Square Alliance – formerly known as the Union Square Business Improvement District – hopes to change that perception.

“It’s always disappointing when a cornerstone of our community has to be closed. As far as I know, they are closing more than just their location here in San Francisco, ”said Rodriguez.

She agrees that there is a problem with the image of Union Square that she attributes primarily to the pandemic and the toll it has taken on tourism and retail. It is Rodriguez’s goal to address the image problem.

“That perception will soon go away,” she said. “Union Square is ready and waiting for visitors. We have so much to offer. “

CONTINUE READING: Belmont Police report 4 arrests in 2019 that killed Carlmont HS student Mohammad Othman

The holiday season has already begun with the return of the traditional Christmas tree and ice rink to Union Square.

“It will be lit on November 18th,” she said. “People love the ice rink. In contrast to last year, when everything was closed, it is open. “

She also noted that some companies are moving in while others are moving in.

Omega, the watch store, has just opened in Union Square, one of nine upcoming openings and reopenings, according to Rodriguez.

“These range from restaurants, wine bars, retail stores – we even have a mattress store,” she said. “We are very excited about all of this.”

Perception won’t change overnight. But Rodriguez believes it will continue to move in the right direction when people venture back into the world and relive Union Square.

MORE NEWS: Opening of a large charging station for electric cars in the Valley Fair Mall

“I think you will come here and be amazed at how activated, how beautiful and how clean and safe it is,” she said.

The post New Government Director Hopes to Change Picture of San Francisco’s Union Sq. – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

CBS San Francisco Staff Report

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — With a surge in coronavirus cases, the information you need to know is coming fast and furious. Here’s a roundup of the COVID stories we’ve published over the last 24 hours.

READ MORE: COVID: 4/20 Celebration At Hippie Hill In Golden Gate Park Canceled For 2nd Year In A Row

San Francisco’s Latinx Population Continues To See Higher Case Rates
SAN FRANCISCO — The Latinx population of San Francisco continues to face higher positivity rates of COVID-19, especially among low-income and essential workers, according to a testing survey conducted in late November. The Unidos en Salud/United in Health initiative, organized by the University of California at San Francisco, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the Latino Task Force for COVID-19 and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, tested nearly 7,000 residents in the Mission District and the Bayview, Excelsior and Tenderloin neighborhoods before and after Thanksgiving. Test samples were collected Nov. 22-24 and Nov. 29-Dec. 1 through door-to-door canvassing by the LTF, according to UCSF. The four neighborhoods were chosen for their high case numbers relative to the rest of the city. Of those tested, 4.4 percent were positive for the virus, higher than the city’s seven-day average 2.9 positivity rate as of Wednesday. In addition, 79 percent of those who tested positive were Latinx despite just over half of those tested being Latinx. Read More

Sonoma County Prepares for Stay-Home Order Beginning Saturday
PETALUMA — Sonoma County is now joining five other Bay Area counties in imposing the stay-at-home order which will start Saturday just after midnight. Businesses are bracing for the next round of closures. Many of the business owners in Petaluma say they saw this coming. Starting Saturday, there will be no more outdoor dining and people will have to stay home for anything but essential activities. “Initially like anything else, you’re like ‘oh geez, not again!’” said Peter White, owner of Sugo Trattoria. White is not surprised by the latest round of closures announced by the county Thursday. “We need to act now before it gets worse in Sonoma County,” said Dr. Sundari Mase, the Sonoma County public health officer. Read More

Pfizer Vaccine Heads to FDA for Approval as Bay Area Awaits 1st Shipments
SAN FRANCISCO — The Food and Drug and Administration’s authorization of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine could come within the next couple days now that a government advisory panel has voted to approve its emergency use. The FDA doesn’t have to follow the advice of the panel but it usually does. At the very top of the list to get vaccinated are hospital workers. The sprint to get the COVID-19 vaccine from the production line and into arms of the most vulnerable is nearing the finish line but there’s still a long way to go in the marathon to reach herd immunity and control the viral spread. California will initially receive more than 327,000 of the Pfizer COVID vaccine doses. San Francisco county will be given 12,000 doses next week but there is hesitation by many to take the vaccine. “Some nurses are concerned about the vaccines having adverse side effects,” said Jenny Rudnicki. Read More

California Unemployment Claims Spike Alongside Case Rates
SAN FRANCISCO — With businesses being forced to shut down amid COVID shelter orders across the state, unemployment claims are at their highest level in months. The latest numbers show California jobless claims have risen to nearly 178,000. Some experts are saying it could take months for the economy to bounce back in the wake of the latest coronavirus surge. With unemployment numbers jumping once again after a second lockdown, former EDD director Michael Bernick told KPIX 5 there is only one way out. “We won’t see any significant uptick in hiring until the vaccine,” Bernick said. Even with the FDA greenlighting the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use Thursday and doses arriving in the Bay Area as soon as next week, the job market will remain slim. “It will be until February or March until a larger part of the California labor force will be immunized. And even then, that’s only about a third,” said Bernick. Read More

Santa Clara County To Send Teams Door-to-Door To Administer Tests
SAN JOSE — To help curtail the surge in COVID-19 cases, Santa Clara County has ramped up its testing effort, including sending out teams door-to-door to administer coronavirus tests. The county Public Health Department said Thursday the teams will focus first in East San Jose where 55% of the population is Latino and where many do not have the ability or means to get tested. Santa Clara County is partnering with neighborhood health workers known as promotoras to hand out tests in hard hit areas of East San Jose where language barriers and fear have stood in the way of testing access. “Going door to door, the promotoras will offer self-administered COVID testing to individuals in the household,” explained Dr. Analilia Garcia, Racial & Health Equity Director for Santa Clara County. “The plan is to canvass the area before arriving,” Garcia went on to say. “So families know to expect us, and that this is a legitimate service.” Read More

Advocates Call On Newsom To Prioritize Vaccines For Teachers, School Staff
SAN FRANCISCO — Local lawmakers, doctors, education leaders and others on Thursday called on Gov. Gavin Newsom and public health officials to put teachers third in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available. Only health care workers and nursing home residents would be ahead of teachers and school staff, the group said. The group, convened virtually by San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen, said students have been impacted by the pandemic academically and their overall well-being has been affected. “Schools have been closed for nearly 9 months now, and yet state officials have failed to prioritize enough resources to support safe school reopening,” Ronen said in a statement. State health officials have recommended that health care workers and residents of nursing homes get the vaccine first, but have not recommended who next should get the vaccine. Read More

READ MORE: Missing Contra Costa County Man’s Skeletal Remains Discovered In Oregon Woods

Sonoma County To Join Stay-At-Home Order On Saturday – ‘We Have To Take Action Now’
SANTA ROSA — Sonoma County officials announced Thursday that it would join other Bay Area counties in implementing a stay-at-home order due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, effective Saturday. Residents are being urged to stay at home except for work, shopping or essential activities. Schools that are already open can continue to operate. Outdoor recreation would be allowed and playgrounds would stay open. Five Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara) and the city of Berkeley instituted the state’s stay-at-home restrictions before reaching the 15% ICU capacity threshold. Officials said the restrictions would stay in place until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2021. Sonoma Health officer Dr. Sundari Mase said that the county has seen an “alarming increase” in recent days of new cases and hospitalizations. Mase said the number of cases in the county has doubled in recent days and the 14-day average has reached 343 cases per 100,000, the highest point in the pandemic. Read More

California Lawmakers Say State is Struggling with Unemployment Backlog, Fraud
SACRAMENTO — A backlog of unemployment applications is piling up while a benefits scam could potentially cost California $2 billion, yet the state is failing to stop either, according to two state lawmakers. Democratic Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, who heads the Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, said she is seeing “a continued pattern of constituents who get lost in the process.” Hundreds of residents across the state report “this sense of falling into a black hole where you don’t know what’s wrong, where you make phone calls that go unanswered, and you wait months and months for benefits and grow increasingly desperate,” she said. Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson, a frequent critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Democratic administration, cited complaints from two whistleblower employees of the Employment Development Department as well as customers who contacted his office in saying the new ID.me verification system “is failing substantially.” Read More

California DMV Suspends Behind-The-Wheel Tests For 2 Weeks Over Rising Cases
SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Thursday that it plans to suspend all behind-the-wheel driving tests for two weeks amid the surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the state. Behind-the-wheel tests, which are required for first-time driver’s license and commercial license applicants, will be suspended starting December 14. The DMV said affected customers would be notified and have their tests rescheduled at a later date. Meanwhile, motorcycle tests would continue to take place, since the test can be done at a safe distance. “Behind-the-wheel drive tests require two people to share space in one vehicle and – while we have made numerous changes to safeguard the testing process – the current surge in COVID-19 cases presents increased risk to both parties,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said. Read More

FDA Panel Endorses Emergency Authorization For Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Food and Drug Administration’s advisory panel on Thursday recommended the emergency use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. If the vaccine is authorized by the FDA, the first shots could be distributed in the U.S. within days. Health care workers and nursing home residents would be among the first in line. The panel of outside experts reviewed trial data from Pfizer’s vaccine and made its recommendation to the FDA Thursday afternoon. Read More

No 2021 Contra Costa County Fair, Hopes For Return In 2022
ANTIOCH — Organizers of the Contra Costa County Fair announced it would cancel the event for a second year in a row, amid ongoing uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Contra Costa Event Park Board of Directors unanimously voted Wednesday to cancel the 2021 fair, which was scheduled for May 13-16. Organizers said the decision, more than five months before the event was set to take place, “did not come lightly.” “After thoughtful consideration, we do not feel it would be a responsible decision to continue with the planning of the 2021 Contra Costa County Fair, when it could potential (sic) be canceled at the last minute,” organizers said in a statement. “There is no higher priority than the safety of our Fairgrounds family, patrons, vendors, promoters and sponsors at the Contra Costa Event Park,” fair organizers went on to say. Read More

CA Notify Smartphone Exposure Notifications App Goes Live
SAN FRANCISCO — A new smartphone app is now available for Californians to let them know if they’ve been too close to someone who’s been infected with the coronavirus. Announced earlier this week, the CA Notify app went live Thursday and uses a new smartphone feature called “exposure notifications” that users opt-in to receive. Californians can activate the tool in their iPhone settings or on Android phones by downloading the CA Notify app from the Google Play store after receiving a notification. The app allows people who test positive for COVID-19 to anonymously inform people who have been in close proximity over the previous two weeks that they may have been exposed. It uses bluetooth technology to exchange so-called anonymous keys. Earlier this week, Governor Gavin Newsom explained the app using an example of a conversation between Alice and Bob, and what happens after Alice tests positive for COVID. Read More

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Santa Clara County To Receive Moderna Vaccine In Addition To Pfizer
SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County now expects to get 39,300 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in December, in addition to doses of the Pfizer vaccine, public health officials announced Wednesday. The county had already expected to receive 17,550 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, contingent on emergency use authorization from the federal government. If the Moderna vaccine is similarly approved, the county will likely receive 39,300 doses of that vaccine later in December, according to public health officials. As is generally the case, the early doses of both vaccines will be made available to people in the highest risk categories, as defined by the federal government and State of California. These include people at risk of exposure to COVID-19 through their work in direct health care or long-term care settings, and residents of long-term care facilities. Read More

The post Keep At Residence In Sonoma County; Testing Door-To-Door In Santa Clara; Excessive Hopes For Pfizer Vaccine – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SEATTLE – The first time Kerry Hyder Jr. had a breakout season, an injury ensued that cost him a full year.

At this point in his career, and after signing with the Seattle Seahawks, he joined his fifth other team. The last Hyder can afford is another major setback.

“I accept the trip. It’s been a lot of ups and downs, but I’m preparing for every moment, especially this one, ”said Hyder this week. “I’m so excited to be part of a group that I can add, I can add leadership, I can add play on the field. I felt unwanted and someone brought you in. That’s what I longed for. “

Hyder signed a two-year $ 6.5 million deal with the Seahawks in March after posting the best season of his career last year with San Francisco and Seattle to deepen the line of defense.

Last season’s success was a great opportunity for the almost 30-year-old. With the 49ers injured in their defensive line, Hyder started 14 of 16 games and achieved career bests in sacks (8½) and tackles (49).

It was expected that Hyder would be in a rotation with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford last season before injuries gave Hyder a bigger chance. In his first season with the 49ers, he played nearly 70 percent of the defensive snaps.

“It’s just the games, the ability to play and not just being a spot duty player, and the coaches who trust you and allow you to play. I think that helped,” said Hyder.

Hyder’s best previous year was with Detroit in 2016 when he had eight sacks and 19 quarterback hits. But he suffered an Achilles tear that cost him the entire 2017 season with the Lions. Hyder began his career with the New York Jets and played for Dallas in 2019.

Hyder seems to have a special fit when he comes to Seattle. His height and weight are similar to Michael Bennett’s when he stood on the Seattle defensive line for five seasons between 2013 and 17. Hyder said his hope is to be as versatile as Bennett, to be able to dash out of traditional defensive end positions, but also slide in and create more interior space if necessary.

“The features were there because I saw that,” said Hyder. “Same body type as something like that. That’s one of the reasons I went to Seattle. I can see myself in the same role as Mike. “

Hyder said the freelance agency was different this time around when it had a career year behind it, although teams faced the lower salary cap. He also insisted that despite being 30 years old, he still has a lot to give before the start of the next season.

“I’ve had an unorthodox trip to the NFL so I may not have the mileage that guys have. I had time on the training team and I had time to sit outside, ”said Hyder. “Here are some young legs. I still have a lot of time. “

The post Hyder hopes to construct off profession season transferring to Seattle | Sports activities appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SEATTLE – The first time Kerry Hyder Jr. had a breakout season, an injury ensued that cost him a full year.

At this point in his career, and after signing with the Seattle Seahawks, he joined his fifth other team. The last Hyder can afford is another major setback.

“I accept the trip. There have been many ups and downs, but I’m preparing for every moment, especially this one, ”said Hyder on Thursday. “I’m so excited to be part of a group that I can add, I can add leadership, I can add play on the field. I felt unwanted and someone brought you in. That’s what I longed for. “

Hyder signed a two-year $ 6.5 million deal with the Seahawks last month after posting the best season of his career last year with San Francisco and Seattle to deepen the line of defense.

Last season’s success was a great opportunity for the almost 30-year-old. With the 49ers injured in their defensive line, Hyder started 14 of 16 games and achieved career bests in sacks (8½) and tackles (49).

It was expected that Hyder would be in a rotation with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford last season before injuries gave Hyder a bigger chance. In his only season with the 49ers, he played nearly 70% of the defensive snaps.

“It’s just the games, the ability to play and not just being a spot duty player, and the coaches who trust you and allow you to play. I think that helped,” said Hyder. “I always felt like I could hurry up and play well. I just felt that the right coach had to believe in me and allow me to play.”

Hyder’s best previous year was with Detroit in 2016 when he had eight sacks and 19 quarterback hits. But he suffered an Achilles tear that cost him the entire 2017 season with the Lions. Hyder began his career with the New York Jets and played for Dallas in 2019.

Hyder seems to have a special fit when he comes to Seattle. His height and weight are very similar to Michael Bennett when he was a force on the Seattle defensive line for five seasons between 2013 and 17. Hyder said his hope is to be as eclectic as Bennett, to be able to both rush out of traditional defensive end positions, as well as slide in and take care of more of an internal onslaught if necessary.

“The features were there because I saw that,” said Hyder. “Same body type as something like that. That’s one of the reasons I went to Seattle. I can see myself in the same role as Mike. “

Hyder said the freelance agency was very different this time after a career year, even as the teams faced the lower salary cap. He also insisted that despite being 30 years old, he still has a lot to give before the start of the next season.

“I’ve had an unorthodox trip to the NFL so I may not have the mileage that guys have. I had time on the training team and I had time to sit outside, ”said Hyder. “Here are some young legs. I still have a lot of time. “

The post Kerry Hyder Jr. hopes to construct off profession season transferring to Seattle appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SEATTLE (AP) – The first time Kerry Hyder Jr. had a breakout season, an injury ensued that cost him a full year.

At this point in his career, and after signing with the Seattle Seahawks, he joined his fifth other team. The last Hyder can afford is another major setback.

“I accept the trip. There have been many ups and downs, but I’m preparing for every moment, especially this one, ”said Hyder on Thursday. “I’m so excited to be part of a group that I can add, I can add leadership, I can add play on the field. I felt unwanted and someone brought you in. That’s what I longed for. “

Hyder signed a two-year $ 6.5 million deal with the Seahawks last month after posting the best season of his career last year with San Francisco and Seattle to deepen the line of defense.

Last season’s success was a great opportunity for the almost 30-year-old. With the 49ers injured in their defensive line, Hyder started 14 of 16 games and achieved career bests in sacks (8½) and tackles (49).

It was expected that Hyder would be in a rotation with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford last season before injuries gave Hyder a bigger chance. In his only season with the 49ers, he played nearly 70% of the defensive snaps.

“It’s just the games, the ability to play and not just being a spot duty player, and the coaches who trust you and allow you to play. I think that helped,” said Hyder. “I always felt like I could hurry up and play well. I just felt that the right coach had to believe in me and allow me to play.”

Hyder’s best previous year was with Detroit in 2016 when he had eight sacks and 19 quarterback hits. But he suffered an Achilles tear that cost him the entire 2017 season with the Lions. Hyder began his career with the New York Jets and played for Dallas in 2019.

Hyder seems to have a special fit when he comes to Seattle. His height and weight are very similar to Michael Bennett when he was a force on the Seattle defensive line for five seasons between 2013 and 17. Hyder said his hope is to be as eclectic as Bennett, to be able to both rush out of traditional defensive end positions, as well as slide in and take care of more of an internal onslaught if necessary.

“The features were there because I saw that,” said Hyder. “Same body type as something like that. That’s one of the reasons I went to Seattle. I can see myself in the same role as Mike. “

Hyder said the freelance agency was very different this time after a career year, even as the teams faced the lower salary cap. He also insisted that despite being 30 years old, he still has a lot to give before the start of the next season.

“I’ve had an unorthodox trip to the NFL so I may not have the mileage that guys have. I had time on the training team and I had time to sit outside, ”said Hyder. “Here are some young legs. I still have a lot of time. “

___

More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

The post Hyder hopes to construct off profession season transferring to Seattle appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.