San Francisco Prepares for APEC Summit Amid Protests and Traffic Challenges

San Francisco is racing to clean up and beautify the city ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference, which is expected to draw 21 world leaders, including President Biden and President Xi Jinping. The city, which has struggled to rebound from the pandemic, hopes that the conference will be a catalyst for its recovery. Efforts include resurfacing sidewalks, creating new public spaces, removing graffiti, and increasing police enforcement. However, some residents question why the city can fix its problems for the conference but not for them. The conference is expected to give a boost to the local economy but may also bring chaos with protests and traffic congestion.