THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, SEPT. 17, 2026
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by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
In the latest episode of Bay City Damage Control, Mayor Daniel Lurie reached out to NYU marketing professor-turned-media personality Scott Galloway over his remarks about a recent walk through Mid-Market, which included a predictably pithy appraisal. Galloway relates the exchange on New York magazine’s “Pivot” podcast with Kara Swisher, in the most recent episode this week:
… quite frankly, it was, it just felt very, very ugly, very dystopian, in terms of the number of homeless and struggling people, and I went on the next day on the podcast, and I said, look, I said, San Francisco still has real problems, and, of course, it got clipped San Francisco still sucks, the clip goes viral, people understandably got offended and pushed back on, you know, douchebag from New York and London, sh*tposting San Francisco with a misrepresentative sample. And I get a 415 call, which I never answer if it’s unidentified, but for some reason, I pick it up, and I hear, ‘Scott, it’s Mayor Lurie.’ I’m like, Oh, f**k.
Hizzoner then hits Galloway with statistics meant to show improvement: the decline in car break-ins, unsheltered homelessness at new lows, fewer encampments, and the city’s drug-treatment “RESET center” referring 39 percent of admitted people to services.
Galloway concedes that his original assessment was unfair: “It’s not fair of me to take 24 hours in an isolated area and make a generalization about San Francisco.”
Swisher tells him the city is “distinctly better.” “I gave him your number,” she added.
The phenomenon is becoming a regular occurrence at all levels — someone encounters a still-rough patch of the city, declares their revulsion, and someone else gets defensive. But even Yours Truly recently took a stroll down Mission between 16th and 18th streets and noted the scene’s uncomfortable resemblance to Mid-Market during the Linkage Center era.
Things may be incrementally better, but the problems still need attention — and it can’t all be Jackie Fielder’s fault, can it?
Swisher and Galloway then move on to the bugaboo of the week — AI.
It’s a timely subject as recent revelations of “misaligned behavior” by AI agents prompted even those in the industry to ask for a slowdown in development publicly, and the Working Families Party sent out a fundraising email this week declaring “AI billionaires have been jacking up our energy bills, poisoning our air and water, endangering our kids, and putting people out of work. Now their own researchers are saying that AI could go rogue and ‘kill us all by the end of the decade.’”
Regardless of whether the truth of AI risk resembles the plot of either a Terminator movie or a Vonnegut novel, the sub-bugaboo of the hour is data centers, with apparently close to 50 operating now in the Bay Area and dozens more planned.
The public image of the data center is highly reminiscent of an episode of the ’70s British comedy show The Goodies, where the protagonists get caught up in a development scheme by one “Harry Highrise” to build a community of brutalist concrete towers with no doors, windows, or rooms. Their house is encased in cement when one of the towers is literally poured on top of it, and they’re stuck waiting for rescue for years while strikes and motorway construction drag on, eventually going stir-crazy, turning to religion, and then to cannibalism when food runs out. It’s considered an alternate-universe episode because it’s the only time the Goodies actually die in a story.
(Incidentally, The Goodies, which did have some limited broadcast time in the U.S., strangely as a children’s show, has other parallels to San Francisco politics in some episodes — like this sequence featuring an antagonist with a scary resemblance to a former Board of Supervisors president.)
The local angle of the data center issue has firmly planted itself in District 10, where the supervisor’s seat is up for grabs, and the Bayview neighborhood has long faced generational environmental risks. After being outed as the beneficiary of a belly-busting half-million-dollar campaign donation from tech lord Chris Larsen, candidate Theo Ellington immediately proposed a moratorium on the facilities to precede new regulations, while termed-out incumbent Shamann Walton quickly followed up with a moratorium of his own to precede a city-wide ban.
On the political level, Angel investor Ron Conway has organized an AI-policy initiative called Project Blueprint, aimed at building consensus between AI industry leaders and mainly Democratic lawmakers around durable AI policy, arguing Washington has been too reactive on AI. Progressive Dems are already up in arms. Meanwhile, there’s no word yet from the folks at SF Blueprint, the local issues advocacy project of Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, but we’re betting there are a lot of texts going back and forth right now.
Check out links to our latest content below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
EDUCATION
School district description of student test scores as ‘very promising results’ called into question
by John Trasviña
“Newly released San Francisco public school student performance data contradict Superintendent Maria Su’s glowing descriptions and assurances to the school board in June. At next week’s school board meeting, commissioners will receive and discuss Spring 2026 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) student performance data that document a widening performance gap in reading for third-grade students and in math for eighth-grade students. The school board and superintendent have named student progress in these subjects as two of their primary goals. Most student groups that need the most help have fallen further behind.
REYNOLDS RAP
It may not be a coincidence that California Assemblywoman Mialisa (Mia) Bonta wants to stop journalists from investigating nonprofits. Along with ties to the Oakland corruption scandal, the wife of California Attorney General Rob Bonta has had some nonprofit issues of her own. Of course, her husband has plenty of culpability, too.
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
CITY HALL
Sherrill moves to oust William Palmer from Sheriff’s Oversight Board
During the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill moved to begin the formal process of removing William Palmer from the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board. Sherrill cited a city investigation that found Palmer misused his position on the board.
by Erica Sandberg
Quote of the week
“Drug dealers prey on our most vulnerable, and as is clear here, they prey on our children,” Jenkins said. “This is a reminder to the users, to those who are addicted, you cannot trust those who are selling to you.”
— District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, on the entry of cyclorphine into San Francisco’s drug scene, in “S.F. arrests four after teen’s death exposes deadly new opioid in counterfeit pills”
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
DRUGS
S.F. arrests four after teen’s death exposes deadly new opioid in counterfeit pills
San Francisco police have arrested four people and seized more than 20,000 counterfeit pills in an investigation launched after the April overdose death of a 16-year-old boy whose autopsy revealed the presence of cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid believed to be far more potent than fentanyl.
by Mike Ege
HOUSING
‘We are in a housing emergency!’ Mayor declares
Mayor Daniel Lurie opened the full Board of Supervisors meeting with a message about what he calls “a rent emergency.” The good news, he said, is that San Francisco is “finally moving in the right direction.”
But Lurie quickly tempered that optimism with a warning: Rents are rising faster in San Francisco than in any other major U.S. city.
by Erica Sandberg
A&E
Fort Mason Center turns historic loading docks into massive sunrise-to-moonrise mural
Leah Rosenberg’s 18-panel installation transforms a Fort Mason passageway into a vivid meditation on color, time, and the waterfront. Plus a new fall program will feature immersive events.
by Sharon Anderson
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EVENTS
Out and about Sept.17–22, 2026
What to do this weekend and beyond.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
Ready to enjoy our September weather? Lots of outdoor activities await, from street fairs to cultural festivals and art walks.
Thursday, Sept.17
Tonight’s Fort Mason Fall Art Walk will feature a free, campus-wide evening of new public art installations, exhibitions, music, artist/curator programs, and more, including the premiere of Magic Theatre’s Seat One. Free admission.
We all know about the city’s Big Art Loop, which covers over 34 miles, but here’s a smaller, more focused one: the Big Art Loop — Portside. It’s a waterfront walk series featuring live music, interactive pop-ups, and that big art for a fun bayside stroll. 5 to 8 p.m. today from the Ferry Building to the Exploratorium. Every third Thursday through fall (I’m guessing there will be other segments on different Thursdays; the pier numbering has always been a mystery to me.) Free admission; reserve here.
Friday, Sept.18
Don’t miss the 75th annual Greek Food Festival for your favorite spanakopita, moussaka, gyros, and more, including desserts and wine (for purchase). Browse a variety of vendors, and enjoy traditional award-winning folk dance groups and Greek music. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday (7 p.m.) at Annunciation Cathedral. Free admission.
Time to grab your lederhosen and dirndls for the big Oktoberfest on Front block party. Expect lots of bier (70 on tap), Bierstiefel, pretzels (real and inflatable), bratwurst, sauerkraut, live music, polka and yodeling, games, and lots of people. 2–10 p.m. Free admission with RSVP.
Saturday, Sept.19
It’s Muni Heritage Weekend, which celebrates the transit system that has connected the city since 1912. The public can enjoy historic vehicle rides, a historic bus promenade (Saturday only), a cable car photo opp, family-friendly activities, a photo walking tour, and more. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday at the San Francisco Railway Museum Free admission.
Earlier in the month, I listed the Kings Mountain Art Fair as my all-time favorite art fair and that I’d mention a runner-up, so here it is: the 69th annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival. You’ll still wander through a redwood grove, with about the same number of juried artists, but with the added perks of live music, wine tasting, and a dedicated “Children’s Grove,” so if you missed Kings Mountain, this one’s much closer for city dwellers. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday. Tickets here from $23 and change; also available onsite.
The 36th annual Autumn Moon Festival will offer lots of entertainment, from arts and crafts vendors, mooncakes, lion dancing, and more, including a dumpling-eating contest, a K-Pop dance contest, and more. A short description of the origin of moon festivals is here. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. through Sunday on Grant Street (between California and Broadway), Free admission.
Sunday, Sept.20
We definitely need some yuks these days, and the 45th Annual Comedy Day has come to our rescue. Our favorite funny couple Debi Durst and Voice contributor Will Durst bookend the fest with Debi opening and Will almost closing but followed by Paula Poundstone with lots of other talented funny people in between providing eight sets of laughs. Appropriately in Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park. Noon to 5 p.m. Free admission.
Today is Bernal Heights’s 35th annual Fiesta on the Hill street fair and fundraiser for the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, which does all kinds of good things for the community. Enjoy seven blocks of local vendors and artisans, food, live music, dancing, kiddo fun, and more. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Cortland Avenue (between Bocana and Folsom streets). Free admission.
The 47th annual Haight Ashbury Street Fair is happening this weekend, so expect the usual street fair lineup from food to music, and I’m sure lots more. 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Haight Street (Stanyan to Masonic streets). Free admission. m $10; dinner from $30.
Listen to our podcasts
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