The Bay: Recent Episodes
KQED
The Bay is a local news podcast about what’s really going on here. We’ll show you the messy and resilient culture of this place we call home, with help from Bay Area reporters, community leaders, and neighbors. The show is hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and new episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
On Friday's episode, we’re going to talk BART and discuss some of the big changes the agency has made, including the new scheduled that began this week. And we want to hear from you: How’s riding BART for you these days? Or have you stopped riding? If so, what would it take for you to come back? Leave us a voicemail at (415) 710-9223, and we just might play it on the show.
A full transcript will be available 1–2 workdays after the episode’s publication. On Friday, Nancy Pelosi — former Speaker, minority leader, and representative in Congress since 1987 — announced plans to run again. KQED’s Marisa Lagos breaks down what this means for San Francisco amid debate over when a politician's time is up. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
Under what circumstances should San Francisco be able to clear homeless encampments? Last week, protesters and counter-protesters went head-to-head outside the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals over an injunction that limits the city’s ability to do that. KQED’s Sydney Johnson unpacks this legal battle, and explains why it has sparked such strong feelings. This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Episode transcript
In 2021, students at Carlmont High School in Belmont were shocked when 17-year-old senior Colin Walker died of a fentanyl overdose. In this episode of TBH, a podcast from KALW made by, for, and about teenagers, one of his classmates tells the story of how students honored Colin’s life after his death, and educated each other about the dangers of fentanyl. Subscribe to TBH at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Radio Public.
We bring you 3 stories a week, but there’s so much more that’s happening in the Bay Area than we can get to. Today, Ericka, Maria and Alan each bring a story they’ve been following in a new monthly news roundup segment. Links:
Near $1 Billion Land Purchase Around California Air Base Under Investigation
San Jose City Council Approves Agreements With Unions to Avoid Strike
Henrietta Lacks’ Family Sues Bay Area Company Over Use of Stolen Cells
Hollywood is no stranger to changes brought on by technology. But KQED’s Rachael Myrow says that for writers and actors currently on strike, this moment is existential — thanks in no small part to Silicon Valley. Many KQED staffers are also members of SAG-AFTRA, but journalists have a different contract from Hollywood actors. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Maria Esquinca and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
Oakland is looking for a new police chief after Mayor Sheng Thao fired LeRonne Armstrong back in mid-February. Whoever takes the job next will inherit a department that has been under federal oversight for 20 years. Today, we revisit a conversation with Ali Winston about the events that led to Armstrong’s downfall, and why OPD’s challenges run far deeper than who the chief is. This episode originally published on Feb. 8, 2023.
An often-overlooked moment in Bay Area activism took place in the 1980s and 90s, when a broad coalition of activists targeted San Francisco’s coffee industry to protest the civil war in El Salvador. KQED’s Sebastian Miño-Bucheli joins us to talk about how it happened. Links:
The Time a Bay Area Coffee Boycott Helped Stop a Civil War
A timeline of Fred Ross Jr., executive director of Neighbor to Neighbor
This episode contains explicit language. San Franciscans can expect to see more driverless cars on the road after California regulators approved a permit to allow Waymo and Cruise to charge fares. Once again, the city is the testing ground for new technology. And people on both sides have strong feelings about it. Ida Mojadad from the San Francisco Standard breaks it all down for us.
I’laysia Vital is about to leave Oakland to start college in Texas, where she’s excited to attend a historically Black college. But Texas is also one of more than a dozen states that has banned abortion. KQED’s April Dembosky takes us inside a health clinic at Oakland Technical High School, where staff have been helping college-bound students prepare for the barriers to reproductive health that await them in other states. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
This episode contains explicit language. Hip-hop turns 50 years old today, and it’s no secret that the Bay Area gets overlooked. Today, Eric Arnold and Nastia Voynovskaya join us to talk about KQED’s yearlong series exploring the history of Bay Area hip-hop — and how our region has shaped hip-hop through the years. Links:
That’s My Word
The Bay Area Was Hip-Hop Before There Was Hip-Hop
Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary: Where to Celebrate in the Bay Area
That’s My Word, Spotify Playlists celebrating 50 years of Bay Area Hip Hop
It's Time to Unpack Pimp Culture in Bay Area Hip-Hop
Next Tuesday, nearly 4,500 San Jose city workers are planning to walk off the job for 3 days. Garbage, fire, and police won’t be affected, but many critical services like the airport, libraries, and housing construction will be. If the strike goes forward, it would be San Jose's largest since 1981. KQED’s Guy Marzorati explains how we got here, and what could happen next. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
On the morning after Thanksgiving last year, Martinez residents woke up and found a strange, white powder coating their neighborhoods. It came from the nearby refinery. Will McCarthy from the Mercury News tells us what happened next, and how this incident spurred angry neighbors into action for the first time.
For the first time since 2009, there is no salmon fishing season in California. This decision has hit fishers, coastal towns, and Native communities hard. But it wasn’t inevitable. KQED climate and science reporter Danielle Venton explains how the state’s choices around water management played a major role. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
A committee called Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE) has filed documents for a recall campaign against progressive Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. KQED’s Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez explains why this is happening — and whether DA Price could face the same fate as Chesa Boudin did in San Francisco. This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
We hope you’re having a lovely Summer, Bay listeners. We’re spending this month gaming out the next year of our show, and we need your help! It’s important to us to hear from you and what you want to hear more (or less) of on The Bay. Just fill out our listener survey. The deadline is Friday July 21. Just go to kqed.org/thebaysurvey
Breaking news from the Bay Team: we are taking a little break from making new episodes for the month of July. We’re using this time to reset, rest, do some team-bonding, and brainstorm what we want to make for you in the coming year. We will resume our regular schedule on tktkt You can still reach us on Twitter @TheBayKQED or via e-mail thebay@kqed.org. We always love hearing from you. Thank you for listening and enjoying the show, see you soon.
California’s Reparations Task Force, the first of its kind in the nation, wrapped up 2 years of work studying reparations for Black Californians on Thursday. The task force, made up of scholars, community members and politicians, held days-long meetings studying what reparations could look like. The proposal is now in the hands of state legislators, who will decide whether to turn their recommendations into actual policy. So what’s in the plan? Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter Links:
How California's Reparations Task Force Reached Its Final Proposal
The Bay Survey
This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman and Maria Esquinca, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
One of the longest running pride celebrations in the country, SF pride has brought generations of queer communities together to march, celebrate, grieve, and organize. For this episode we hear from Gwenn Craig, a queer elder. She moved to San Francisco in 1975 as a young woman eager to explore her lesbian identity. She got involved in politics and was a close collaborator of Harvey Milk. She talks about her political organizing, what pride has meant to her over the years, and what she hopes for its future. This interview was conducted by Annelise Finney. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Jehlen Herdman with production assistance from Maria Esquinca. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host.
A generation of young people has been traumatized by gun violence. Mass shootings year after year, especially at schools, draw international headlines. But students, and even young children, are also being exposed to everyday gun violence hat an alarming rate. In the city of Richmond — which is seen as a national model for gun violence prevention efforts — more than 80% of the documented gunshots fired in the past decade happened within a half mile of an elementary school, according to police data. Today, reporter Abené Clayton with The Guardian’s Guns and Lies in America project joins us to talk about her hometown, how kids are being affected by violence, and why Richmond isn’t an outlier. This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman, Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
You’ve probably seen and heard the stories about downtown San Francisco. Fears about crime and safety, as well as low foot traffic because of the move to remote work, have left many buildings and businesses hollowed out. Downtown is in trouble, and the stakes (and dollar figures) are high. So what’s being done to save it from this so-called urban ‘doom loop’? Guest: Kevin Truong, business and economics reporter for The SF Standard This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Fear of crime and blight in some of California’s biggest cities is increasing pressure on mayors to reduce visible street homelessness fast — even if it means not putting everyone into permanent affordable housing. To do this, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and San Francisco’s London Breed have pushed for more funding for shelters and temporary housing in their city budgets. But homeless advocates worry that more funding for temporary solutions means less funding for permanent housing. Guests: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, political reporter for KQED and Guy Marzorati, correspondent for KQED’s Politics & Government desk and producer of the Political Breakdown podcast This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
If you have ever driven down Sacramento Street in South Berkeley, you have probably seen the statue of William Byron Rumford Sr that is prominently displayed on the median just off of Ashby Ave. Rumford was a civil rights advocate. He became the Bay Area’s first African American elected to the California Legislature in 1948. He also owned the pharmacy across the street from the site of the statue. Both are stops on the South Berkeley Legacy Project’s Black History walking tour. The tour is led by local historian and lifelong South Berkeley resident, Tina Jones Williams. The tour highlights cultural pillars in Berkeley’s Black community in effort to preserve their legacy. Guest: Corey Antonio Rose, producer Its Been a Minute and Bria Suggs, a journalist at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. Links:
Walk Through History in the Heart of Berkeley’s Black Community
South Berkeley Legacy Project Facebook Page
This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman, our intern, with production assistance from Alexander Gonzalez. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host.
A spate of deadly shootings across the Bay are highlighting an ongoing surge in gun violence in the region, especially since the pandemic, which in part interrupted some of the work that had been trying to prevent gun violence. In Oakland, community groups and the city’s Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) say it's going to take creative thinking to solve this problem — and that includes investing in arts and culture. Starting Friday and through July, DVP is bringing back Town Nights, a series of arts and culture events around Oakland that provide resources and positive social outlets. So why do some of the city’s leading gun violence prevention groups say this programming is effective at stopping gun violence? The Bay revisits this question in an episode featuring Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED associate editor of arts and culture. Links: Town Nights events for Summer 2023
This episode first published October 10, 2022. It was produced by Maria Esquinca, Alan Montecillo, Alexander Gonzalez and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
The recent killing of Banko Brown by an armed Walgreens security guard has put a focus on the work of these employees. While they often take on similar roles to cops, armed security guards are not public employees but often low-paid civilians with few protections when they kill someone on the job, and they don’t get proper training on things like use of force or de-escalation either. That’s all supposed to change after the 2019 killing of a man by a security officer in Sacramento, which led to a bill meant to increase the state training standards for security guards. Guest: Marisa Lagos, a politics correspondent for KQED and co-host of the political breakdown podcast. Links:
‘A Tragedy of San Francisco’s Marking’: The Killing of Banko Brown
They Carry Weapons. So Why Don’t Security Guards Have to get Use-of-Force Training?
This episode was produced by Alexander Gonzales, Jehlen Herdman, Maria Esquinca, and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
Designated “the fastest-growing sport in America” by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association in the last three years, pickleball is blowing up here in the Bay Area, too. Local enthusiasts say the sport has helped them stay active during the pandemic and find community. Today on the Bay: a field trip to Bushrod Park, the heart of Oakland’s pickleball scene, to see what all the hype is about. Guest: Alix Wall, Freelance writer, Darlene Vendegna, Oakland’s USA Pickleball Association Ambassador Links: A look inside Oakland’s booming pickleball scene
This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman. Molly Solomon guest edited. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host.
So much of life is online these days, but barriers to internet access remain, especially for folks who are unhoused. Resources at public libraries, like free Wi-Fi, are aiming to fill that gap. A 2022 study by the American Library Association found that 93 percent of libraries provide or plan to provide Wi-Fi 24 hours a day because of the high demand for internet. But San Francisco’s Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library has moved in the opposite direction after neighbors raised concerns about homelessness, crime, and open air drug use outside of the library. Mounting public pressure prompted the Harvey Milk Library to shut off Wi-Fi after hours to try and deter homelessness in the area. So is it working? Guest: Sydney Johnson, digital reporter for KQED Links: What Happens When Libraries Stop Sharing Wi-Fi?
This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman, Maria Esquinca, Molly Solomon, and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood has been at the forefront of the opioid epidemic, amassing a reputation as a place of open air drug dealing, crime, and homelessness. Viral images and videos of open-air drug use have been seen around the world. Some argue publishing pictures and videos of people experiencing addiction is dehumanizing and has long-term effects that follow them for the rest of their lives. Others argue the images raise awareness and showcase the reality of San Francisco’s overdose epidemic. This episode originally aired on Dec. 9
Caste is a hierarchical system, based on birth, that affects South Asians on the subcontinent and around the world. Many hesitate to discuss it out in the open. But over the years, people from marginalized caste backgrounds have been speaking up — including in Silicon Valley, home to thousands of workers of South Asian descent, where allegations of caste discrimination have hung over some of the area’s largest tech companies. Now, a bill has been introduced to ban caste discrimination in California. And it has sparked heated arguments within South Asian communities. Guest: Sonia Paul, freelance journalist Links:
LISTEN: The hidden caste codes of Silicon Valley
READ: Trapped in Silicon Valley’s Hidden Caste System
The audio used in this episode with Professor Anupama Rao originally aired in The Agenda With Steve Paikin. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host.
San Francisco is re-upping a program to make catalytic converters more traceable, in hopes of slowing down the theft of the highly sought-out car part containing highly valuable metals. The program comes months after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two statewide laws hoping to address the problem, which has caused big headaches for car owners. When people lose their catalytic converters, they sometimes have to go months without a car, and are often on the hook for thousands of dollars in costs. Guest: Jose Fermoso, road safety reporter for The Oaklandside This episode first published Oct. 22, 2022.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been talking a big game about CARE (Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment) Court, the state’s new plan for treating people with severe mental illness. CARE Court, which every county in California will have to implement by next year, focuses on steering people suffering from severe psychosis, such as schizophrenia, and addiction into treatment. It will allow first responders, family members, clinicians and others to ask a judge to order treatment plans for unhoused people with severe psychotic disorders. San Francisco is gearing up to launch this program by Oct. 1. So can CARE Court actually deliver what the governor promises? Guest: Scott Shafer, senior editor of KQED’s Politics and Government Desk This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host.
Even in the Bay Area, it’s a big risk for Chinese residents to protest against the Chinese Communist Party. Many fear retaliation against themselves and their loved ones in China. But over the past week, hundreds of people have attended candlelight vigils in multiple cities, including San Jose and San Francisco. These protests have been held to support people in China and to remember the 10 people who died in an apartment fire in China’s Xinjiang province. The public outrage from these deaths — which many believe were caused by China’s strict COVID lockdowns — sparked protests across the nation.Today, we hear from a Chinese university student in the Bay Area who attended a vigil in San Jose.This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.Links:Xinjiang Victims Database
Leaders from nearly 200 countries recently met during COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. While some gains were made, like the creation of a “loss and damage” fund to help vulnerable countries, negotiations were stalled by oil-producing nations. The overwhelming scope of Climate Change and the inevitable losses on the planet can lead to feelings of paralysis, discouragement, sadness and stress. In this episode from November of last year, KQED climate reporter Laura Kilvans, urges listeners to sit with their feelings, and offers the possibility of turning to a place of hope. Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED climate reporter This episode originally aired on Nov. 17, 2021. More Resources:
‘Climate Change is Here. It’s Bad. Here’s What You Can Do’
Submit a Bay Area climate change question for KQED reporters
Oakland is on the verge of returning 5 acres of Joaquin Miller Park to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan. This would be the first time a California city has returned land to Native American tribes. Despite no significant opposition to this plan, this process has taken more than 5 years. So what does it actually take to return land back to tribes? Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter Apply to be an intern with The Bay! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, with support from Maria Esquinca. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host.
Universities across the country rely on students and academic workers to grade papers, run classes, conduct research, and provide student support. It’s demanding work, often for little pay. But now, the unions representing 48,000 University of California students and academic workers say they’ve had enough, and on Monday thousands of people across the system's 10 campuses went on strike. Guest: Bria Suggs, journalist and graduate student at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism Links:
'Thousands of UC Academic Workers Continue Massive Statewide Strike in Demand for Living Wage,' by Matthew Green, Nov. 16, 2022.
We're hiring an intern! Please submit your resume by Monday, Nov. 28.
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has led to complete chaos: layoffs, advertiser panic, and concerns all around the world about what this means for speech on the internet. But here in the Bay, what happens at Twitter has ripple effects too. Not only has the company laid off thousands of employees and contractors, but the company’s donations and charitable programs are in disarray, leaving dozens of Bay Area nonprofits stunned, confused and angry. Guest: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, KQED politics reporter Links:
'Thousands of Dollars in Donations to Veterans, Unhoused People May Be the Latest Victims of Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover,' by Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Nov. 12, 2022.
We're hiring an intern! This position pays $16.99 an hour and is 16 hours a week, lasting from Jan. 9, 2023 to Jul. 1, 2023. Please submit a resume and cover letter by Monday, Nov. 28.
This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
The city of Vallejo is notorious for being forced to pay out millions in legal settlements to victims of police violence. In the latest example, The Vallejo Sun reports that the city reached a $2.8 million dollar settlement with the family of Angel Ramos, the 21-year-old shot and killed by Vallejo Police during a family gathering in January 2017. It’s the latest update in the long, grueling process for families left with the aftermath of a police killing. Today, we’re re-running an episode from our series on Vallejo Police, which first published in August of 2019, detailing how Ramos’ family challenged the police’s narrative of what happened the night Angel was killed. Links:
Our series on Vallejo Police
The original article: In Vallejo, a Sister Challenges the Police Narrative of Her Brother's Shooting
Vallejo reaches $2.8M settlement for police killing of Angel Ramos
Votes are still being counted, but the races for all 7 statewide propositions have been called. Californians approved Prop. 1 (abortion rights), Prop. 28 (arts education funding), and Prop. 31 (ban flavored tobacco), and shot down Props. 26 and 27 (sports betting), Prop. 29 (dialysis regulations), and Prop. 30 (green infrastructure). Today, we’ll break down these results. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter/producer Links: KQED Election Results page
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
The last day to vote in the 2022 election has come and gone. Californians overwhelmingly approved an amendment to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution, and both Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Alex Padilla have been reelected. But it’ll be a minute before we know the full results. Today, we hear from voters, and then take you inside the KQED newsroom on Tuesday night. Links: KQED Election Results page
In the past few years, a handful of California cities have explored allowing noncitizens to vote in various local elections. The most famous example has been San Francisco, which passed a measure allowing noncitizen parents of public school students to vote for school board. This momentum to expand the vote has stalled as of late, thanks to lawsuits brought forward by a conservative group based in Southern California. Nevertheless, Oakland voters are about to weigh in on Measure S, which would amend the city charter to let the city council legalize noncitizen voting in school board elections. Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter/producer Links:
Playlist: The Bay x Bay Curious’ Prop Fest
KQED’s Voter Guide
Oakland voters will decide on a new mayor this month. It’s a packed race; 10 candidates are vying for the seat, including 4 current and former members of Oakland City Council. The issue taking center stage in this election? Public safety. Guest: Maria Fernanda Bernal, KQED reporter Links:
Playlist: The Bay x Bay Curious’ Prop Fest
KQED’s Voter Guide
Correction: the original version of this episode stated that it is too late to register to vote. Voters can still register in person at a voting center or at their polling place. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
On Tuesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced charges against David DePape, the 42-year-old man accused of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood before attacking her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer. Speaker Pelosi was in Washington D.C. at the time. Rep. Jackie Speier, a survivor of violence herself, says preventing something like this from happening again will require a “wholesale change” in how business is done in American politics. Rep. Speier, who survived gunfire during the 1978 Jonestown Massacre, said vitriol and lies spread on social media is fueling domestic terrorism, and that leaders — especially Republicans — need to call it out. Read the transcript Links:
'Officials: Suspect in Pelosi Attack Was on a 'Suicide Mission' and Had More Targets,' by Olga R. Rodriguez and Stefanie Dazio, Nov. 1, 2022.
LISTEN: 'The California Republicans Who Helped Enable Wednesday's Attack on the Capitol,' Jan. 8, 2021.
LISTEN: 'An Extremist Plot to Blow Up the Democratic Party HQ,' May 18, 2022.
The roots of Día de los Muertos celebrations in San Francisco can be traced back to 1972, when a collective of Chicano artists formed the first day of the dead show not only in California but the entire West Coast. The collective opened up their own gallery; Galeria La Raza. Inspired by a film that showcased the massive day of the dead altars in Oaxaca, Mexico, Rene Yañez and Ralph Maradiaga set up their own altar outside Galeria la Raza, laying down the foundation for a much larger celebration that would include altars, exhibits, films. In 1981 Rene Yañez organized the first Day of the Dead procession. Rio Yañez, the son of Rene Yañez, joins Rightnowish in conversation with Marisol Medina-Cadena. They talk about family legacy, tradition, and commemorating our loved ones. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
In the Bay’s most populous county, Laurie Smith has served as sheriff since 1998. But in this election, amid a wave of scandals and an ongoing corruption trial, she will not be on the ballot. Now, two men are running to take over the office. Kevin Jansen, a retired sheriff’s captain, says he knows the department well enough to make changes that will restore public trust. Bob Jonsen, the former Palo Alto police chief, says his perspective from outside the department will lead to real reforms. Whoever wins will inherit an office plagued with allegations of corruption and mismanagement of the county jails. Guests: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter/producer, and Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED reporter This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo and hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also edited. Links:
KQED Voter Guide
LISTEN: Prop Fest Spotify Playlist
LISTEN: 'Santa Clara's County Sheriff is Being Investigated,' Jan. 24, 2022.
Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
21 states have attempted to limit, ban, or criminalize access to medical care for transgender and nonbinary youth. California is going in the opposite direction. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that ensures transgender kids from out-of-state can safely access hormones or puberty blocker. The law also shields families from child abuse investigations or from being prosecuted for seeking gender affirming care. It’s the first law of its kind in the nation. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent Links: 'California Becomes First Sanctuary State for Transgender Youth Seeking Medical Care,' by Lesley McClurg, Oct. 18, 2022.
On Sunday afternoon, incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom debated his Republican challenger, State Senator Brian Dahle. This was their first and only debate, which was held at KQED's headquarters in San Francisco. The conversation was moderated by KQED's Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer. Links:
'Newsom, Dahle Spar Over Abortion, Gas Tax and Crime in California Governor Debate,' by Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Oct. 23, 2022.
KQED Voter Guide
Back in June, San Francisco voters recalled Chesa Boudin from the office of District Attorney. In his place, Mayor London Breed appointed Brooke Jenkins, who once worked in Boudin’s office and became a paid spokesperson in the recall effort. Now, as many San Francisco residents worry about public safety, voters will weigh in about the city’s chief prosecutor once again in the November election. And the results could tell us what kind of law enforcement approach people want. Guest: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, KQED politics reporter Correction: The original version of this episode stated that Reserve Police Officers served in a "civilian" position. The episode has been updated with a more accurate description. Links: KQED Voter Guide
Benicia is home to an oil refinery operated by Valero, which employs hundreds of people and contributes tax revenue totaling an estimated 20% of the city’s general budget. The company has also played a very active role in local elections. Valero’s political action committee spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2018 and 2020. Now, with this year's city council race underway — and residents frustrated over recent controversies at the refinery — Valero’s role in Benicia looms large once again. Guest: Scott Morris, reporter for the Vallejo Sun Links:
‘Valero looms over Benicia City Council candidates forum,’ by Scott Morris, Oct. 13, 2022.
‘'First I Had Heard of It': Valero's Benicia Refinery Secretly Released Toxic Chemicals for Years,’ by Ted Goldberg, Feb. 24, 2022.
LISTEN: For 15 Years, Valero’s Benicia Refinery Released Toxic Chemicals — And No One Knew, Mar. 1, 2022.
WATCH: Benicia City Council Candidate Forum on Oct. 12, 2022.
This November, San Jose residents will make a big decision about the future of the nation’s 10th largest city. The San Jose’s mayor’s race is between two candidates: Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and San Jose City Councilmember Matt Mahan. Whoever becomes mayor will be responsible for big issues like homelessness, affordable housing, policing, and the future of the city’s downtown. Today, we’re sharing a mayoral forum hosted by KQED in partnership with Univision, where Chavez and Mahan discuss their visions for the city.
Unless you work on cars for a living, you probably weren’t very familiar with catalytic converters until the last few years, when reported thefts of this particular car part started to skyrocket. It’s part of the exhaust system and contains valuable metals. These thefts have set car owners back thousands of dollars, and some people lose access to their car for months while it’s getting fixed. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws last month in an attempt to address the problem, but whether or not it’ll actually help is up in the air. Guest: Jose Fermoso, The Oaklandside senior systems reporter Links: ‘Oakland residents cheer new catalytic converter law, but some worry it won’t end thefts,’ by Jose Fermoso
After protests erupted in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22 year old Kurdish Iranian woman who died in police custody after being arrested for not wearing a proper hijab, the Iranian government responded with police crackdowns and internet blockages. California is home to one of the largest populations of Iranians outside of Iran. And for many, including here in the Bay Area, protesting and sharing on social media is a critical tool for keeping momentum of this moment alive. Guest: Ida Mojadad, education reporter for the San Francisco Standard Links:
Four Ways to Take Action in Solidarity With the People of Iran
‘We Can’t Let This Die’: Why San Franciscans Keep Protesting for Iranian Freedom
Episode Transcript
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Several Bay Area cities, including Oakland, are dealing with increased levels of gun violence. In Oakland, the city has hit triple-digit homicides for the third straight year. This has reversed years of positive progress, which was happening in part because of violence intervention work in communities — work that was disrupted during the pandemic. Communities are trying to do what they can to stop violence before it happens. One important piece of the puzzle? Investing in culture, and in events that provide resources and positive social outlets. Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, associate editor at KQED arts & culture Links:
Want to Reduce Gun Violence in Oakland? Invest in Culture, Experts Say
Prop Fest Spotify Playlist!
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
In 2020, California lawmakers passed SB 793, which banned the retail sale of flavored tobacco products that can be smoked, vaped, or eaten statewide. But shortly after that, tobacco companies worked to put Prop. 31 on the ballot, taking the issue directly to the voters. It asks California voters whether to uphold that 2020 ban, or do away with it. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent
We need to spend a lot of money on green infrastructure if we want to lower emissions and adapt to the climate crisis. Supporters of Proposition 30 say this measure would help the state do just that — by raising the state income tax by 1.75% on Californians who make more than $2 million a year. That money would be guaranteed for 3 things: electric car debates, electric car charging, and wildfire suppression. The political coalitions on this one are super confusing: The ‘Yes” side includes environmental justice groups, prominent Democrats, and the ride-hailing app Lyft. The “No” side includes groups that oppose tax increases like the California Republican Party, the Chamber of Commerce, and — perhaps surprisingly — Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Teachers’ Association. Guest: Kevin Stark, KQED science senior editor
Launched for a third time by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, Prop. 29 would add new rules on dialysis clinics. If approved, dialysis clinics would be required to have a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant on site during all treatment hours, among other requirements. Opponents say Prop. 29 imposes unnecessary requirements and would cause clinics to shut down. Guest: Kevin Stark, KQED science senior editor Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Studies show that arts and music education benefit students, reducing things like depression and truancy. However, when budgets are slashed, they’re the first programs to go. The problem is exacerbated in low-income schools, which already face under-staffed and low budgeted music and arts programs, argues former Los Angeles Unified School School District Superintendent, Austin Beutner, who launched Prop. 28. Prop. 28 would increase the amount of funding allocated for music and arts education in public schools. Currently, 40 percent of the state’s general fund goes to public schools. If approved, Prop. 28 would require at least one percent of that go towards music and arts education, an estimated $1 billion annually. Guest: Julia McEvoy, KQED senior editor Episode Transcript Links: The Sacramento Bee editorial board's interview with former L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
There’s a pair of dueling ballot measures in California that would affect whether we have legalized sports betting in the state, and what form it should take. It’s a super expensive campaign. Prop 27 is already the most expensive ballot measure in state history. And that’s because big money is on the line. On this episode of Prop Fest, Bay Curious host Olivia Allen-Price talks to KQED’s Guy Marzorati about Propositions 26 and 27. Episode Transcript Voting season is coming up. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide to help make your decision.
For the next 2 weeks, we’re teaming up with our friends at Bay Curious to bring you Prop Fest, where we’ll break down the 7 statewide ballot propositions in the November election. First up: Proposition 1. It was added to the ballot by the state legislature after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Prop 1 would amend the state constitution to include reproductive freedom, which includes the right to an abortion and to accept or refuse contraception, as a fundamental right. Guest: April Dembosky, KQED health correspondent Episode Transcript Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
The Not One More Girl campaign launched in 2020 after a survey of Bay Area youth found that women and girls feared for their safety when using public transportation. Spearheaded by youth, the campaign outlined ways to make BART safer. More than a year since we first aired this episode, the BART board amended its code of conduct to explicitly prohibit sexual harassment. Guests: Haleema Bharoocha, senior advocacy manager at Alliance for Girls and Santana Tapia, with the #NotOneMoreGirl campaign and co-founder of Fluid Coffee and Event This episode first aired on Aug. 6, 2021. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
At its peak, an estimated 500 people lived in tents, vehicles, and camper vans at an encampment near San Jose’s airport. The city has tried to clear it for years, under pressure from the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, it's almost done. San Jose also promised to find housing and fix the vehicles of the people who were moved out of the encampment. But just a fraction have been moved into housing, and only 14 vehicles have been fixed. In the meantime, most people have had to salvage what belongings they could, and find a safe place somewhere else. Guest: Jana Kadah, reporter covering city hall for the San Jose Spotlight Read the transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Communities of color in California are the most affected by violent crime. But historically, they haven't had a seat at the table when it comes to defining what survivors of violent crime want and need. Now that's starting to change. Advocacy groups, led by Black women, say that the state needs to reform and rethink the way victim support in California works. Guest: Marisa Lagos, politics and government correspondent for KQED and co-host of the Political Breakdown Podcast Read the transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Maria Esquinca is the newest producer for The Bay, taking over after Ericka Cruz Guevarra left the position to become the host of the show. In this episode we get to know Maria a little bit more. We talk about her hometown of El Paso, Texas (a border town nestled next to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico) burritos, poetry, and finding home in the Bay Area. KQED reporter Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli also takes us on a brief tour of the Mission, a neighborhood in the Bay Area that reminds Maria of home. Guests: Maria Esquinca, producer of The Bay, and Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, community engagement reporter for KQED Read the transcript Links:
Pocha Poem
The Hispanic Invasion of Texas
The US Mexico Border Replaces Itself
Other poems by Maria
This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
The Bay Area experienced record-setting heat last week, with temperatures reaching up to 115 degrees in some parts, threatening to overload the state’s power grid. It won’t be the last. Climate change makes it even more likely that these heat waves will be more frequent and severe. So today, we talk about takeaways from the historic heat wave, and how we just barely avoided rolling blackouts this time around. Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter Read the transcript Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
In California, less than 1% of farmland is Black-owned, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture. One such farm is in Sebastopol in Sonoma County. EARTHseed farm is Sonoma County’s first Afro-Indigenous permaculture farm. It’s a place for Black and brown people to reconnect with indigenous land stewardship and to build community, at a time when the effects of climate change are challenging us to change our relationship to the earth. Guest: Ariana Proehl, KQED culture reporter Links:
An Example of 'Land Back' in Northern California
'Welcome Black to the Land': Inside Sonoma County's First Afro-Indigenous Permaculture Farm
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Read the transcript Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Naatak is one of the largest Indian American theater companies in the country. Started in 1995 out of a dorm room at UC Berkeley, Naatak is staging its 100th production this month. In that time, an estimated 1,000 people have participated in Naatak’s productions — all volunteers, many of whom have day jobs in the tech industry. It’s become an important part of the Indian American community in Silicon Valley, by and for people who do this in their free time. Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED Silicon Valley senior editor Read the Transcript Links:
Naatak performs Ramayan at Cubberley Theatre in Palo Alto from September 4-25, 2022.
South Bay's Naatak Debuts Its 100th Theater Production: The Epic 'Ramayan,' by Rachael Myrow
Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Sonoma County is trying to set a trend for other cities in banning the construction of new gas stations. In 2021, Petaluma became the first city in the whole country to do so. Now nearly half of the county has followed suit, including Santa Rosa. For the residents who’ve pushed this forward, these bans are a small but important step to fighting climate change, in a county that has experienced some of the worst wildfires in the state. Guest: Paulina Pineda, Santa Rosa Press Democrat city hall reporter Read the Transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
You’ve probably seen pictures or even smelled them by now. This past week, thousands upon thousands of dead fish have washed up on shorelines all over the Bay Area. And there are way more beneath the surface. So, what's behind this? And is this a one-off, or a sign that we need to do something to prevent it from happening again? Guest: Jon Rosenfield, senior scientist with SF Baykeeper This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Alan Montecillo. Links:
Dead Fish Are Piling Up Across Shores of San Francisco Bay, Lake Merritt, As Algal Bloom Grows, Aug. 28, 2022.
How you can help
https://lakemerrittinstitute.org/how-you-can-help/
https://www.inaturalist.org/
Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed a trial run of safe injection sites in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. These sites, where people can use illicit drugs under supervision, would have been the first legal ones in the state. But the idea isn’t new. Safe injection sites have been used as a harm reduction tool for decades in Canada, Australia, and in parts of Europe. They exist in other parts of the United States — two have opened in New York City, and Rhode Island has approved them statewide. So, why don’t we have them in California yet? Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also produced and edited. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
More than 2 years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, most emergency housing protections have expired. This means millions of renters are facing eviction. Today, in an episode of The California Report Magazine, journalist Kori Suzuki tells the story of a group of tenants in Walnut Creek who tried to fight their evictions in court. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
It’s official: by 2035, California will end the sale of new gas-powered vehicles. State air regulators approved the plan yesterday, but it started back in 2020 when Gov. Gavin Newsom first presented the idea through an executive order. So how big of a dent could this make in addressing the climate crisis? Guest: Kevin Stark, KQED climate editor Read the transcript This episode first aired on Sept. 25, 2020. Links:
Electric day in California: State phases out sales of gas cars
California Moves to Phase Out Sale of New Gas-Powered Cars and Light Trucks by 2035
Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.
Over the weekend, protesters tore down a fence that had been put up around the 24th Street Mission BART plaza at the request of San Francisco Supervisor Hilary Ronen. Proponents of the fence said it was necessary to curb the sale of stolen goods and improve safety. Opponents said it further marginalized people who were already struggling and who relied on the public space to make a living. The fence was supposed to be a temporary measure before the city finishes setting up a new street vending permitting system. But the fence — and whether or not it should have ever been there — has sparked a heated debate about what this public space should be. Guest: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED reporter and editor This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced.
Noncitizen voting isn’t a brand new idea. White, landowning, noncitizen men were once allowed to vote in 22 states. Today, a handful of cities have granted noncitizen residents the right to vote in various local elections. Until recently, San Francisco was one of them: in 2016, voters approved Proposition N, which granted the vote to noncitizen parents of SF Unified students in school board races. But late last month, a state Superior Court judge struck down San Francisco's law in a suit brought forward by conservative groups. The city has appealed the decision, and what happens next will have ripple effects across the Bay Area and the rest of the state. Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter Links:
San José Considers Expanding the Vote to Noncitizens, Jan 14, 2022
A heat wave that swept through the Bay Area this week made way for fires again. That, plus a slew of other fires burning across California sent smoke hovering over areas of the state. So we thought it’d be a good time to re-evaluate how we talk about fires in the first place, so that we can better understand how to address them. Guest: Danielle Venton, Climate Reporter for KQED Read the transcript This episode first aired Aug. 20, 2021. It was hosted by Devin Katayama and produced by Alan Montecillo and Christopher Beale
It’s been one year since the Taliban took control of Kabul. Millions of Afghans have fled the country, in many cases becoming separated from their families in the process. Thousands of refugees have since come to northern California, thanks to the help of resettlement agencies and Afghan community organizations. But many are still in limbo, as they try to secure permanent legal status while also juggling daily life in the Bay Area and staying connected with people back with Afghanistan. Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED senior immigration editor Links: 'We Are All Very Devastated': Bay Area Afghans Scramble to Contact Family After Earthquake
This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
At elite high schools in Silicon Valley, the pressure to succeed is intense. And according to Sophia Shao, a senior at Los Altos High School, her proximity to California’s tech capital is a big reason why. In this special collaboration with KQED’s Youth Takeover, a yearlong project to highlight compelling stories written and produced by local teens, Shao talks with us about growing up in a place where everyone is expected to succeed. Guest: Sophia Shao, senior at Los Altos High School Read the transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
School starts again at San Francisco Unified next week. But some teachers and staff still haven’t been fully paid what they’re owed for last year. Since at least January, SFUSD has had problems with its new payroll system, EmpowerSF. These problems still haven’t been fully resolved, and hundreds of teachers and staff say they’re still being shortchanged. District leaders, including the new superintendent, say fixing this is a top priority. But this problem has left educators feeling furious, and in some cases demoralized, as another school year begins. Guest: Ida Mojadad, reporter for the San Francisco Standard covering education and housing Read the transcript
Project Roomkey is coming to an end. Its goal was to temporarily house some of the state’s most vulnerable homeless people in hotel rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. This would also hopefully serve as a stepping stone to permanent housing. So, how successful was Project Roomkey at getting people out of homelessness? Today, we look at how it worked in Alameda County. Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED housing reporter Read episode transcript Links:
Last Days at the Radisson: As State Shelter Program Shutters, Formerly Unhoused Residents in Oakland Brace for Next Steps
Project Roomkey Was Meant to Provide Safe Shelter. In Vallejo, At Least 5 People Died in Their Rooms.
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Ericka here, bringing you all something different for today’s episode. Every week, our job here at The Bay is to tell stories about this place and the people in it. But recently, I got the chance to tell a different kind of story: one about…me. Earlier this summer, the San Francisco chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association hosted a live storytelling event at KQED called Hella Asian. It was a gathering of local journalists and storytellers sharing reflections on how we come back as a community after the last two and a half years. I told a story about a camping trip I went on with my best friend during the pandemic. It’s a story about friendship and photography. It’s also a story about the mental impact of journalism and the news, especially on journalists of color like myself. The story shows how my work has affected me and my sense of safety after covering the pandemic and hate against the Asian community. And that’s the story we’re sharing with you today. Read the transcript Hella Asian: The Comeback
In 1969, a group of protesters took over a plot of land owned by UC Berkeley and turned it into a green, public space now known as People’s Park. Since then, it’s become a place synonymous with Berkeley’s history of protest, resistance, and mutual aid. Over the last 2 years, it also became home to dozens of unhoused people, prompting reports of crime and complaints from some residents. Now, UC Berkeley is planning to replace the park with student housing. Supporters say it’s necessary to address a student housing crisis. Opponents say that development would destroy an important community space and displace unhoused people. Guest: Supriya Yelimeli, Berkeleyside housing and homelessness reporter This episode was produced and edited by Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced.
A state of emergency over monkeypox has been declared in San Francisco and in the state of California. More than 5,800 cases have been confirmed nationwide so far. Getting this virus can be a very painful experience. So far, a majority of confirmed cases are among queer men. And here in the Bay, people trying to keep each other safe while also pushing back on stigma. Guest: Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, KQED community engagement reporter Links:
Monkeypox Resources and Explainers
Where Can I Find a Monkeypox Vaccine Near Me?
If you talk to longtime residents of San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, you'll hear lots of stories about people getting sick from cancer or respiratory illnesses. Many people believe that the polluted areas in the neighborhood, like the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, are a big reason why. For decades, people in the Bayview have been surrounded by toxic chemicals coming from this Superfund site. Now, the community is facing a combination of this historic pollution and the future threat of sea level rise. And advocates say that the best way forward — to repair the harm that's been done and to help them adapt to climate change — is reparations. Guest: Ezra David Romero, climate reporter for KQED Ezra's digital piece: For These Black Bayview-Hunters Point Residents, Reparations Include Safeguarding Against Rising, Toxic Contamination This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
We work really hard to bring you three episodes a week. But we’ll admit: Sometimes, it's good to take a break from the news. The Bay is taking a break from making new episodes for the month of July. We’re using this time to reset, rest, do some team-bonding, and brainstorm what we want to make for you in the coming year. We will resume our regular schedule on August 2. You can still reach us on Twitter @TheBayKQED or via e-mail thebay@kqed.org. We always love hearing from you. Thank you for listening and enjoying the show.
We've known for a minute that, if Roe v. Wade was overturned, California would play a big role in helping Americans access abortion services. Now, it's no longer hypothetical: the Supreme Court ended federal abortion rights on Friday, and reproductive justice groups like California-based ACCESS have gotten tons of calls from people both inside and outside the state. Guest: Sasha, healthline coordinator for ACCESS Reproductive Justice
Here in California, abortion is still legal. And an overwhelming majority of Bay Area residents support the right to have one. Which is why, over the weekend, many people marched in protest against the Supreme Court’s decision to end federal abortion rights. In today’s episode, KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi takes us to one protest in San Francisco. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED reporter This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, who also edited.
Before moving to the Bay Area from Jacksonville, Florida, friends told KQED Rightnowish production intern Corey Antonio Rose he was heading to ‘gay mecca.’ As the months went by, Corey Antonio said, as a Black queer man, he felt invisible in the Bay's queer spaces. That experience kicked off a 3-part series called ‘Searching for a Kiki,’ in which he sets out to understand whether the Bay Area actually is a safe place for Black queer people, and finds people who have created those spaces themselves. Guest: Corey Antonio Rose, production intern for KQED's Rightnowish podcast This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced. Links:
Searching for a Kiki: SF's First Black-Owned Gay Bar
Searching for a Kiki: The World's First Transgender Cultural District
The National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is the nation’s first and only federally designated memorial of those who have died of AIDS (though ironically, it doesn’t receive federal funding.) The folks behind it say its existence is not just about remembering those who’ve died, but also the activism of the queer community who stepped up when the government wouldn’t. This story is part of the Bay Curious series "A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park." It originally aired on June 3, 2022.
In California, the death penalty is in limbo. On the one hand, the state hasn’t executed anyone since 2006. On the other, the death penalty in still legal. In practice, this means that hundreds of incarcerated people have been languishing on death for row years, even decades. Timothy James Young, who’s on death row at San Quentin State Prison, believes he was wrongfully convicted of murder and still hopes that someday he will be freed. And he has reason to hope: over the last few years, a garden project with UC Santa Cruz has snowballed into a full-blown campaign by students and faculty to exonerate him. Guest: Chloe Veltman, KQED arts and culture reporter This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links:
California Will Close Death Row at San Quentin. The Next Steps Are More Complicated
How a Garden at UC Santa Cruz Led to an Exoneration Campaign for a Man on Death Row
'I Am More: The Story of Tim Young'
The Golden State Warriors are one win away from another NBA championship, which would be their fourth since 2015. But as OG fans know, they haven’t always been this good. Writer and Bay Area native Alan Chazaro remembers those days, when tickets at Oracle Arena in East Oakland were affordable, attracting working class folks from across the Bay Area and street vendors selling hotdogs outside the stadium. Still, the Warriors have represented a kind of underdog mentality that the Bay Area has always identified with, even after their 2019 move to San Francisco and the new Chase Center. And for Alan, this championship just might be the most satisfying of them all. Guest: Alan Chazaro, adjunct professor for creative writing at the University of San Francisco and food writer for KQED.
This episode contains mentions of suicide. On a weekend in early June, hundreds of San Mateo County residents drove to a courthouse parking lot in South San Francisco to voluntarily give up their guns. The buyback was conducted by the county sheriff’s office and organized by Citizens for San Mateo Gun Buyback. The group formed in 2018 after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and then raised money from local city governments to pay for the program. There are other events like this happening in the Bay Area, too. It won’t solve our gun violence problem overnight. But it’s one example of communities moving the needle without waiting for the U.S. Senate to act. Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter/producer A transcript of this episode is available. This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin has been recalled. This race has gotten a ton of attention both inside and outside the Bay Area, which is uncommon for a local DA race. And shortly after election night, national outlets proclaimed that these results show an indictment of criminal justice reforms in California. But the truth is a lot more complicated. Today, we’ll dig into the many different reasons why Boudin was voted out of office. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED political correspondent and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
In California, tens of thousands of workers aren’t getting paid what they’re owed by their employers. Many of these workers are low-wage earning immigrants in industries like construction, home care, and food service. The state actually has a system in place where people can file claims of wage theft. But the system currently has a huge backlog, leaving people waiting years before they can try and and recover their money. In some cases, workers claim their employers stole tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. The result? Many low-wage Californians miss out on rent, food, and can even lose their homes. Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED labor correspondent Related links:
Most Fast-Food Workers Are Victims of Wage Theft, Survey Find
Despite Record Budget Surplus, California Unlikely to Fix Massive Wage-Theft Claim Backlog Anytime Soon
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
California’s mental health care system is a mess. And at the same time, unsheltered homelessness is increasing and voters want their leaders to do something about it. Those are some of the reasons why Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a proposal called the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court — or CARE Court. The idea is to provide a coordinated mental health treatment plan for a patient, under the supervision of a judge. But there’s also a catch: if the patient refuses that treatment, that could also be used as grounds for conservatorship, where the judge appoints someone to manage a patient’s care and finances. That has created big concerns among civil liberties and mental health advocates, who worry that this new court system could cause even more problems in a system rife with racial disparities. Guest: Erin Baldassari, KQED housing affordability reporter This episode was edited and produced by Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced.
There are so many horrifying incidents of attacks on Asians that have gone viral. Many of them took place in San Francisco. There’s a lot of fear, anxiety, and anger among Asian communities in the city. And many people want justice for these attacks. Whether that is truly or happening or not is a huge sticking point in Tuesday’s recall election of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who ran on a progressive platform and says incarcerating people should be a last resort. KQED and The San Francisco Standard reviewed 12 local, high-profile criminal cases involving Asian victims in 2020 and 2021. In this episode, we discuss what these cases show, and what the path forward might look like. Guests: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, reporter and producer for KQED News and Han Li, reporter for the San Francisco Standard A transcript of this episode is available. This episode was edited by Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also hosted. Links:
KQED Voter Guide
KQED Live: An Interview with Chesa Boudin
Why High-Profile Attacks on SF's Asian Community Rarely Lead to Hate Crime Charges
For the first time since 2014, the race for mayor in San Jose has no incumbent running, since Mayor Sam Liccardo is term-limited. On June 7, San Jose voters will decide between 7 candidates, ranging from current elected officials to complete outsiders. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the June primary, the top 2 finishers face a November runoff. Today, we’ll hear from voters and from the candidates who think they should be mayor of the Bay Area’s largest city. Guests: Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, community engagement reporter for KQED and Guy Marzorati, reporter and producer for KQED’s politics & government desk This episode was edited and produced by Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced. Candidate audio comes from forums hosted by the San Jose Spotlight and SPUR. Links: KQED 2022 voter guide
In Solano County, two high-profile police killings loom large over the race for District Attorney on June 7. That’s because the incumbent, Krishna Abrams, recused herself from investigating the deaths of Willie McCoy in 2019 and Sean Monterrosa in 2020, citing the public’s lack of confidence in her office.Now she’s running against her own chief deputy DA, Sharon Henry, who argues that the DA’s office hasn’t been independent enough to make tough, politically fraught decisions. Guest: Scott Morris, investigative reporter with the Vallejo Sun Related links:
KQED’s 2022 Voter Guide
Solano DA candidates Abrams, Henry debate equity, accountability in ACLU forum
Incumbents lead fundraising in Solano Sheriff, DA’s race
The Life and Death of Willie McCoy
This episode was edited and produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
On Tuesday, an armed gunman killed at least 18 children and 3 adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. There’s still a lot of questions about what happened. But here’s what we do know: That Robb Elementary is 90% Hispanic. That the students’ last day of school was scheduled for Thursday. And that when the camera crews move on, and the national media leave, this community will be coping with this for the rest of their lives. Because we as a nation have done so little to stop gun violence, this kind of trauma is a reality for millions of surviving families and children. So today, instead of our usual coverage of local news, we’re sharing an episode by KQED’s Mindshift podcast from back in 2018. It’s set in Richmond, and it’s about how people in the community provide love and support to kids who’ve experienced trauma, especially from violence. This episode first aired on Oct. 23, 2018.
More than 35,000 people are living unhoused across the Bay Area – up 9 percent in the last three years, according to an annual count of folks living on the streets. In light of the release of those most recent statistics, we wanted to re-up an episode of Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America that asks: what are your biggest ideas on how to solve the housing crisis? This episode first published on Apr 25, 2022
Just because COVID sick pay exists doesn't necessarily mean employees always feel comfortable using it. Between Americans’ unhealthy relationship with work and a sense that the world is opening back up again, employers have a lot to gain from the lack of widespread knowledge of COVID sick pay benefits in California. But if you work in California and get infected with COVID, you may be able to claim up to 80 hours of paid leave. And now that the Bay Area isin another COVID surge because of the omicron BA.2 variant, learning your rights about sick pay is more important than ever. Guest: Carly Severn, senior engagement editor for KQED Links: COVID Sick Pay in California: How to Claim This New Paid Leave
The threat of domestic extremist violence is all over the country. Just last weekend, an 18-year old white man drove to a predominantly Black part of Buffalo, New York, and shot 13 people at a grocery store. 10 have died. The Bay Area is not immune to this threat. Last year, two men who worked at an auto shop in Napa were arrested and accused of plotting to blow up the California Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento. Guests: Julie Small and Alex Hall, KQED reporters This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also edited. Links:
Plot to Blow Up Democratic Headquarters Exposed California Extremists Hiding in Plain Sight
The California Republicans Who Helped Enable the January 6 Attack
California’s new 8th Congressional district, which includes Vallejo, Fairfield, Richmond, Pittsburg, and part of Antioch, is the most diverse in the region. It’s the only district in the entire state with at least 15% white, Latino, Black, and Asian populations. That’s no coincidence. Grassroots activists in Contra Costa and Solano counties pushed for these communities to be included in the same district — and succeeded. Now, there’s an election coming. And in the race to represent this district in the U.S. House, the overwhelming frontrunner is Rep. John Garamendi, a white, 77-year old Democrat who doesn’t live in the district. So how did this happen, and how do people feel about it? Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter and producer Episode Transcript Links:
KQED Voter Guide for the June 7 Primary
Activists Helped Create the Bay Area's Most Diverse Congressional District. Now They're Probably Getting John Garamendi
Lots of high-profile jobs in San Francisco have opened up lately — whether it’s because of a recall, a corruption scandal, or a simple job promotion. And as a result, Mayor London Breed has been able to appoint a lot of people. Most recently, Breed was tasked with filling the District 6 Board of Supervisors seat left vacant by the election of Matt Haney to the state Assembly. She picked Matt Dorsey, an openly gay, longtime political insider who most recently served as a spokesperson for the SFPD. Today, we talk about Dorsey’s appointment and what it could signal for the city's politics. Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED senior editor of politics and government and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Episode transcript
Currently, the Bay Area is California’s COVID hot spot. The good news? Fewer people are being hospitalized or dying from COVID, thanks to the vaccine and the increased availability of treatments. This wave might also be a window into what life will look like going forward, without the public health mandates we saw at the pandemic’s peak. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent Episode transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
It’s election season again. On June 7, Californians have some big decisions to make in elections both locally and statewide. In San Francisco, voters will decide whether or not District Attorney Chesa Boudin will keep his job. Boudin was a public defender who grew up with parents in prison. And when he was elected in 2019, he promised progressive reforms around prosecution and police accountability. Now, he faces a recall election. The people who want him out of office say he hasn’t been tough enough on crime, and that the city is less safe under his leadership as DA. So in this episode, we’re sharing an interview between Chesa Boudin and KQED’s Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer. It was recorded in front of a live audience at our headquarters in San Francisco on May 3. Related links:
'We Are All More Than Our Worst Mistake': Five Takeaways From SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin's Appearance at KQED
California Primary Election 2022 FAQ: From When to Vote to How to Fix a Ballot Mistake
KQED Live Events
At West County High School in Sebastopol, there are way fewer students of color compared with schools in many Bay Area cities. And the students there have been fighting racist bullying for years. In 2016, the federal government investigated the West Sonoma County Union High School District for how it handled racist bullying at its schools. Over the past month, this issue has gotten a ton of attention from the community again — and students of color say not much has changed. Guest: Julia McEvoy, KQED senior editor This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Episode Transcript
A majority of the Supreme Court plans to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to leaked documents obtained by Politico. In California, most public officials have pledged to double down on our state’s protections for abortion rights. But that doesn’t mean getting access to an abortion is always easy. An estimated 40% of mostly rural counties in California — home to hundreds of thousands of people in the state — have no clinics that provide abortions. Guest: Katie Orr, former KQED politics and government reporter Episode Transcript This episode originally aired on Dec. 8, 2021.
Growing up, Katrina Ramos White helped her immigrant parents run a toy stand at the Berryessa Flea Market in San Jose. A few years ago, with hopes of buying her own home in SIlicon Valley, she took over the family business on top of her tech job. But big change is on the horizon for La Pulga, which sits on privately-owned land and is now slated for redevelopment. For Katrina and her family, saying goodbye to La Pulga could mean saying goodbye to the Bay Area altogether.
Guests: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Silicon Valley reporter and Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, KQED en Español reporter
Episode Transcript
Now a derelict building, the 16th street train station in West Oakland was once a thriving center of transportation during the golden age of rail travel in the 1900s when trains were the only way to get around. The station expanded the working-class Black community in Oakland, who migrated to live and work close to the station. It also played a crucial role in the creation and development of Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters — the first Black union in the country. This Bay Curious episode takes a deep dive into the rich history of the station.
This episode of Bay Curious first aired on Apr. 14, 2022. Episode Transcript
Tell me memories mean something and I will carve your face on a tree. Never cut it down. Guarded with what slaps and surprises sage and old E-40 cassettes from an OG’s trunk. Can we love in a city lost? Can we touch in a city gone? – An excerpt from “Love Me Before The City Disappears” April is National Poetry Month! And before it ends, we want to celebrate contemporary poetry inspired by life in the Bay Area. Producer Maria Esquinca interviews writer and director Nijla Mu’min about her poetry, which explores the Bay as a backdrop of love, growing up here, and feeling unwelcome in a place that’s changed. Guest: Nijla Mu’min (poet and filmmaker) This episode was written by Maria Esquinca, produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Christopher Beale, and edited by Kyana Moghadam
For many families waiting decades for the right to live and work permanently in the U.S. through the crazy, byzantine rules of America’s immigration system, a special nightmare occurs when a child turns 21—they age out of their parent’s work visas and are at risk for deportation. In California, there are over 40,000 ‘Documented Dreamers' aging out and labeled foreign nationals, with few options for permanent residency. And in Silicon Valley, where tech companies run on immigrant labor, this crisis is hitting especially hard. Guest: Rachael Myrow, Senior Editor, Silicon Valley desk for KQED This episode was produced by Christopher Beale and Maria Esquinca, edited by Kyana Moghadam and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
A federal judge in Florida ruled on Monday that the federal mask mandate was unlawful. Hours later, the Transportation Security Administration lifted mask rules inside airports, airplanes and on public transportation. Transportation agencies around the Bay soon followed suit, raising concerns among disability rights and medically vulnerable communities. In light of the recent changes to public mask mandates, we revisit an episode we aired in January. Two years into the pandemic, as restrictions loosened disabled, immunocompromised, and medically vulnerable people feared that their health would be further jeopardized. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health reporter This episode first aired January 26, 2022
On Tuesday afternoon, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that would limit how police store and use DNA profiles obtained from evidence and kept in their labs. The changes happened after the district attorney’s office found the San Francisco Police Department had used DNA from a survivor’s rape kit to link her to an unrelated crime years later. It’s hard to know just how many people’s DNA was used in this way, raising concerns about what power law enforcement yields with advancements in DNA technology. Guest: Alex Emslie, reporter for KQED This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Christopher Beale, hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and edited by Kyana Moghadam
When a student makes an allegation of sexual assault, their options for redress are often unsatisfying. Few cases end up in the legal system, and rarely do schools get sued for how they respond to those allegations. In one rare, recent case, one student’s allegations did end up in a courtroom — and in front of a jury. The student sued the East Side Union High School District alleging administrators didn’t do enough to protect her from further abuse after an alleged explicit video of her circulated around school. And as it turns out, more students are filing cases against school districts’ handling of such allegations. Guest: Holly McDede, reporter and producer for KQED Recommended listening: SF Students Are Still Pushing for a Reckoning With Sexual Abuse
This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
Redistricting is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to redraw a city’s political map. It’s an important yet arcane process that should ultimately lead to fair, equitable representation in local government — and it’s really hard to do. In San Francisco, the process hasn’t just been hard; it's been chaotic, confusing, heated — and as Mission Local columnist Joe Eskenazi writes, "indefensible." Ultimately, the commission did not meet its legal deadline of April 15 to complete its maps, leaving the future of the city's district lines up in the air. Guest: Joe Eskenazi, Mission Local editor and columnist This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Episode transcript Recommended reading:
Task force rejects its final map, will work past legal April 15 deadline, Mission Local
Chair of Redistricting Task Force told others he felt mayor’s pressure in voting on maps, Mission Local
Redistricting has been a debacle — and we aren’t nearly done, Mission Local
The rise of Uber in San Francisco a decade ago marked the beginning of the end for much of the taxi industry. Taxi companies went bankrupt and drivers struggled to pay off their medallions, pushing many of them into debt. But now, Uber sees an opportunity in the same industry it nearly destroyed. Uber has struck a deal with taxi hailing apps in San Francisco and New York that will allow riders to hail taxis through Uber’s app. Some taxi drivers see an opportunity to boost their pay; others are skeptical that the company can be trusted. So what’s really in it for Uber? Guest: Levi Sumagaysay, senior reporter for Marketwatch Episode transcript Recommended Reading:
The Human Cost of Uber and Lyft: Life in the Dying Taxi Industry
SF Taxi Drivers Say the Medallion Crisis Is Killing Them, Literally
‘There’s a lot of suspicion about what’s Uber really up to’ — Uber is bringing taxicabs onto its platform, here’s how it will work
In 2020 call outs for mutual aid donations flooded social media, and people responded with an abundance of money, food and time. Two years later, interest and support has waned while the needs have not gone away. As government aid like the child tax credit and stimulus checks expire, organizers across the Bay look at filling in the gaps. Guest: Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, community engagement reporter for KQED Episode transcript Recommended listening:
What Mutual Aid Means — And Why It's Worth Protecting
It may feel a little far from the Bay Area, but Sacramento is home to our state Capitol. And just a stone’s throw away from that building, in the downtown area, is where the city experienced its deadliest mass shooting ever on Sunday. 6 people have been killed, and at least 12 have been injured. Guest: Saul Gonzalez, host of KQED's The California Report This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Recommended listening:
Let's Talk About Race and the Orinda Shooting, Nov. 6, 2019.
Unpacking the Rise in Gun Violence, Oct. 13, 2021.
The rainy season is over. But it didn’t feel like much of a rainy season at all. And now, California is in another year of drought. In the Bay Area, the North and South Bay are getting hit the hardest. Being asked to save water isn’t new to Californians. So what other solutions are on the table for how we can adapt to drier winters and shrinking dams? Guest: Ezra David Romero, climate reporter for KQED Recommended listening: Our Fire Conversation Needs to Change
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Before the Emeryville shoreline was a shopping center and commercial area, it was the site of a sacred burial site belonging to the Ohlone people, natives of the San Francisco Bay Area. There were once more than 425 of these shellmounds across the Bay Area. And today, native people are still working to protect what’s left of them. Bay Curious explores the history of these shellmounds, and what happened to them. Episode transcript This episode of Bay Curious originally aired Nov. 8, 2018. Since then, the California Court of Appeals ruled that a housing development could move forward on the West Berkeley Shellmound site, despite arguments by the city of Berkeley and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan. Berkeley appealed the ruling, but the State Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
When it comes to basketball in the Bay Area, there’s no team that’s done more winning than Stanford’s women’s team. Since 1990, the Cardinal have won 15 conference championships, 3 national championships, and have made the Final Four 15 times. Now, they're two wins away from back-to-back national titles, with a semifinal matchup against the UConn Huskies tonight at 6:30 pm PT. And under the helm of longtime head coach Tara VanDerveer, the winningest coach in women's college basketball history, Stanford has also played a huge role in breaking barriers in the face of inequities between women's and men's sports. Episode Transcript Guest: Michelle Smith, freelance women’s basketball writer Links:
Report - NCAA Gender Review
Coaches Speak Up After Report Finds NCAA Undervalues Women's Sports
It’s been a weird month for BART’s Board of Directors. In the span of just 2 weeks, the agency removed — and then reinstated — Director Lateefah Simon. A Black, legally blind, regular BART rider, Director Simon was initially removed over a mix-up with her home address, which is barely 300 feet outside her district. But this abrupt decision sparked a huge outcry from constituents, who suddenly couldn’t reach the person they elected. Now Director Simon is back on the board, but there are still lots of unanswered questions about how any of this happened in the first place. And Director Simon has said she is committed to keeping her seat. Episode Transcript Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Questions? Comments? Email us: thebay@kqed.org.
Landing in a new country is never easy, even if you’re landing in a place like the Bay Area, which is already home to so many immigrants, refugees, and people who’ve sought asylum. And between Russia's invasion of Ukraine, chaos in Afghanistan, and the ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border, this topic has been on our minds a lot. On Wednesday, March 23, KQED Live held an event called Finding Asylum in California. It included visual art by Caleb Duarte, and a discussion moderated by KQED Newsroom host Priya David Clemens. That discussion also included KQED immigration senior editor Tyche Hendricks and JFCS East Bay refugee resettlement director Fouzia Azizi. Today, we're sharing that conversation on the show. For more information about live events at KQED, visit https://www.kqed.org/events Episode Transcript
In April 2020, Vallejo became one of the first cities to opt into the state’s Project Roomkey, a program designed to provide hotel rooms for medically vulnerable people without homes during the pandemic. The program was touted as a success by city leaders. But reporting from The Vallejo Sun found at least 5 people who participated in the program died in their hotel rooms, including 3 who weren’t found for days. So how did this happen? Guest: Scott Morris, investigative journalist for The Vallejo Sun
Scott’s article: Left Alone in Their Rooms: Death and dysfunction in Vallejo’s COVID housing for the homeless
Episode transcript
This episode was produced and edited by Alan Montecillo and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
About 500 operators and technicians at Chevron’s Richmond refinery went on strike starting Monday. It’s the first labor strike at the plant in more than 40 years. The union representing these workers says that Chevron hasn’t offered enough in the way of pay increases, benefit contributions, and worker safety. Chevron claims the union has asked for too much, and in the meantime has promised to keep the refinery running using non-union workers. This strike is also laying bare the tensions within the city of Richmond about Chevron’s role in the community. Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED supervising senior editor of news Episode transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Alan Montecillo. Additional reporting by Maria Fernanda Bernal and Rachael Myrow.
It’s no fun getting gas these days. The average price in many Bay Area counties reached $5.80 a gallon. And that's making it tough for people who drive for gig companies like Uber and Lyft, or who are taxi drivers. Guest: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED reporter and producer This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Devin Katayama. Episode transcript
From Monday to Thursday, a group of teachers staged a sit-in at the SF Unified School District building to protest the fact the district mishandled their paychecks. Some even went months without receiving the money that they're owed for their work. The district says it is working to resolve this, and blamed the problems mainly on its new payroll system. But teachers and union members say the issues run much deeper. Guest: Julia McEvoy, KQED senior editor This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Devin Katayama. Episode transcript
For the last 2 years California’s unemployment system has been completely overwhelmed. One of the biggest issues: The lack of language access for people who don’t speak English or Spanish. Now, the Employment Development Department — the agency that runs this system — is finally turning a corner. Late last month, EDD committed to adding critical multilingual support. But it wouldn't have happened without constant pressure from advocates, who point out that the agency has always been legally obligated to do this. Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED reporter and producer for The California Report Episode Transcript If you're seeking help with unemployment insurance claims, you can call EDD's Unemployment Customer Service Center (open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday). English and Spanish: (800) 300-5616
Cantonese: (800) 547-3506
Mandarin: (866) 303-0706
Vietnamese: (800) 547-2058
California Relay Service (711): Provide the UI number — (800) 300-5616 — to the operator
TTY: (800) 815-9387
Links: EDD Finally Adds More Multilingual Unemployment Support — After Advocates Mount Legal Challenge How Barriers at EDD Keep Already Vulnerable Californians From Their Benefits
This week marks one year since a gunman killed 8 people in Atlanta, Georgia in a targeted attack against Asian massage parlors. 6 of those killed were Asian women. Since that time, the fear and violence hasn’t gone away. A new study by the National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum found that 74% of Asian American and Pacific Islander women reported having personally experienced racism or discrimination in the last 12 months. One year ago, Devin Katayama talked with local activist and organizer Hyejin Shim about how solutions must account for gender, socioeconomic and class differences in the Asian community if they’re going to truly work. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Shaylyn Martos and hosted by Devin Katayama.
It's been an intense few weeks. And we believe that all of us deserve to take a break and take care of ourselves. So in the spirit of that, we’re going to play an episode to help keep us all going despite all that’s happening in the world. In this episode of Rightnowish, host Pendarvis Harshaw speaks with AB Banks, in the first of a four-part series called Big Love. Banks works with the People’s Programs in Oakland, serving unhoused people through clinics and food donations. Banks is also deep in the practice of meditation, and recently launched a series of meditative videos called Mad Chill. AB and Pendarvis talk about love as a communal act, confidence, and how self-love can be revolutionary.
A group of homeowners sued over UC Berkeley's plans to increase enrollment, claiming that the university has not adequately studied the environmental impacts of a higher student population. This legal battle has been going on for years, but in the last few weeks it's gotten national attention. That's because the courts recently ruled against the university, which is now required to cap enrollment levels. It's set off arguments in Berkeley and across the state about growth, housing, and more. And it may even lead to legislative changes as well. Guest: Frances Dinkelspiel, reporter and co-founder of Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside Episode Transcript Links:
'The Racist Roots of Single-Family Zoning,' SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America, Oct. 5, 2020.
'A Big First Step: Bay Area Cities Are Rethinking Single-Family Zoning,' The Bay, Mar. 15, 2021.
'UC Berkeley finds a workaround to mandatory enrollment freeze,' Berkeleyside, Mar. 4, 2022.
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Since the summer of 2020, SFUSD has seen waves of protests against sexual harassment and assault. Students say a familiar pattern has emerged: survivors share experiences of sexual abuse on Instagram, more people pay attention and talk about it, and then the conversation dies down for a few months. But the issue is still on many students' minds. And while some changes have been made — including some student-led efforts at accountability — many students feel that administrators and district officials haven't done enough. Guest: Holly J. McDede, KQED reporter and producer This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevara. Episode Transcript
KQED’s Nastia Voynovskaya was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. In the late 90s, she and her family immigrated to the Bay Area. Growing up, Nastia’s community included Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Georgians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, and many other ethnic groups from the former Soviet Union. Now, as Russia’s war on Ukraine continues, communities of immigrants from the former Soviet Union are speaking out, pulling together, and trying to support one another. Episode Transcript Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED arts and culture associate editor
Read Nastia’s column: For Many Former Soviet Immigrants, Russia’s War on Ukraine is Horrific
Related content from The Bay: Reacting to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevara.
Valero’s Benicia oil refinery is one of the largest refineries in the state. And from 2003 to 2018, it secretly released excessive amounts of hazardous chemicals into the air before Bay Area regulators found out and investigated. Meanwhile, local officials and the broader community were only informed this year. Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED supervising senior editor for news Episode Transcript Links: 'First I Had Heard of It': Valero's Benicia Refinery Secretly Released Toxic Chemicals for Years This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca, Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
Reparations in California is a series of KQED stories exploring the road to racial equity in the state. California is in the process of a first-of-its-kind study into reparations for Black Californians. The process of hashing out reparations can seem daunting. and the U.S. has not fully reckoned with its deepest harms, like enslavement of Black Americans or the genocide of Native Americans. However, the U.S. has provided reparations before — namely, for Japanese Americans, who were taken from their homes all over the West Coast and incarcerated during World War 2. Now, California’s current reparations task force is modeled, in part, after the commission that studied and recommended reparations for American citizens of Japanese ancestry. Today, we look back on what it took for Japanese Americans in the Bay Area to fight for reparations — and how that history is linked to the reparations process unfolding right now. Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
On Wednesday night, Berkeleyside journalist Ally Markovich sat in front of her living room TV with her housemates and watched as Russian forces invaded Ukraine, where she was born. Ally is one of the more than 100,000 Ukrainian Americans living in California — roughly 20,000 of whom live in the Bay Area. She, like other members of the diaspora here, are watching and worrying for the safety of people in Ukraine. Guest: Ally Markovich, Berkeleyside reporter This episode was produced and edited by Alan Montecillo, Maria Esquinca and Ericka Cruz Guevarra. The original interview was made by Nina Thorsen and hosted by Tara Siler. Alex Emslie, Rachael Myrow, and Maria Peña also contributed reporting.
Episode Transcript
Living with climate change means we’re going to have to plan for more disasters. That includes things like emergency shelters, food, and financial help. But there are many people who don't feel safe or welcome accessing help when disaster does strike — including queer people. New research from Yale University, the University of Georgia and UC Irvine found LGBTQ+ communities are rendered invisible within disaster policies, even in California. In the face of natural disasters, the dangers for queer people, who can also face barriers like homelessness, discrimination, and poverty, are layered and complex. The stakes for planning without queer people in mind can have significant consequences. Guest: Ezra David Romero, KQED climate reporter This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Episode Transcript
San Francisco voters decided overwhelmingly to recall 3 board of education members from office: Board of Education President Gabriela López and commissioners Faauuga Moliga and Alison Collins. That leaves Mayor London Breed with the unilateral decision of who should replace them. Whoever the mayor picks will have many difficult issues to tackle, including hiring a superintendent and hashing out the future of the district’s budget. So what happens next? And what are supporters and opponents of the recall thinking about as the school board moves forward? Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter and producer of KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Episode transcript
Antioch has been a destination for Bay Area residents looking for affordable housing. But now, it’s at the center of a growing eviction crisis. In the first episode of the newest season of SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America, KQED housing reporters Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari take us to the Sycamore Corridor in Antioch, where renters are fighting for protections like never before.
California is in limbo with the death penalty. We have an execution moratorium, and no one has been put to death in the state since 2006. But it’s still legal to sentence someone to die, which means there are hundreds of people sitting on death row, often in solitary confinement. But a move by Gov. Gavin Newsom begins to chip away at this system. The nation’s largest death row at San Quentin State Prison will close, and the men inside will be sent to other maximum security prisons where they can have access to jobs. Meanwhile, the state plans to transform the former site of San Quentin’s death row into a “positive, healing environment.” Guests: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED producer and reporter, and Kate Wolffe, KQED producer, reporter and weekend anchor This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Over the past few weeks, students, families and educators in Oakland have pushed back hard against plans by OUSD's Board of Education to close or merge public schools. A majority of board members say the closures are necessary to address the district's budget problems. But they've faced fierce opposition from many local residents. Two educators, Moses Omolade and Andre San-Chez, have also been on a hunger strike since the beginning of the month. On Tuesday night, the board voted 4-2 in favor of a slightly smaller school closure plan. But this debate is far from over. Guest: Ashley McBride, education equity reporter for The Oaklandside This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Way more people gotten sick with COVID-19 during these past few weeks. If you've tested positive, you may have felt a range of emotions: Surprise, fear...even anger. There's also another emotion members of KQED's audience are reporting: shame. For some, it's a gut feeling upon seeing that "positive" result. Others also fear being judged by their peers after being careful for so long. Today, we're sharing a conversation about this issue of 'COVID shame', with KQED senior engagement editor Carly Severn and KQED host Brian Watt.
A proposal to spread the gig economy to health care could be on the ballot this fall. A group calling itself Californians for Equitable Healthcare Access has filed a measure to classify nurses, dental hygienists, occupational therapists and other health care workers who find work online as independent contractors. The law firm that submitted this proposal also worked on Proposition 22, which allowed companies to make app-based drivers independent contractors, instead of employees with benefits like health insurance. Prop. 22 passed overwhelmingly — thanks in large part to the hundreds of millions of dollars that gig companies like Uber spent on it. So could it happen again, but with health care? Guest: Levi Sumagaysay, MarketWatch senior reporter Links:
With Prop. 22 Approved, Regulating Gig Companies Just Got A Lot Harder
‘Uber for nurses?’: Initiative targets healthcare for a ‘gig work’ law
A conservation group representing Northern California tribes has gotten 523 acres of land back. The Sinkyone call the land Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ, meaning "Fish Run Place,” located about 170 miles north of San Francisco in northern Mendocino County. It's a pristine, ecologically rich area that Indigenous people lived in for thousands of years before white settlers violently displaced them. Guest: Matthew Green, digital producer and editor for KQED Corrections: This episode states, at 3:28, that the Sinkyone people historically lived inland and then moved to the coast to establish seasonal settlements in warmer months. In fact, the Sinkyone people established permanent settlements in both the inland and coastal areas. This episode also states, at 8:34, that “the tribe” owns a much larger area south of this land. The land is in fact owned by the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, not one individual tribe. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: 'A Real Blessing': Tribal Group Reclaims More Than 500 Acres of Northern California Redwoods
The recall election of 3 San Francisco Board of Education members has motivated many Chinese voters to get involved in local politics for the first time. Early evidence suggests that much of this enthusiasm is coming from the "yes" side of the campaign. So why and how is this election speaking to first-time Chinese voters? Guests: Han Li, reporter with the San Francisco Standard and Scott Shafer, KQED politics and government editor and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. If you like this episode, you might also like: Amid SFUSD Controversies, Where Are the Student Voices? Links:
How to Vote as a Noncitizen Parent
SF School Board Recall Drives More Noncitizen Voters to Register
教育委员罢免选举 非公民选民注册破纪录
Whether you have a kid in San Francisco public schools or not, if you’re a registered voter, you’ll have a say in the potential recall of three San Francisco Board of Education commissioners. Voters have between now and Feb. 15 to choose whether to individually vote ‘Yes’ or “No’ on recalling Commissioners Alison Collins, Gabriela Lopez and Faauuga Moliga. Recall supporters say the many SFUSD controversies over the years reflect a lack of competence overall. Opponents of the recall say the campaign is a coordinated political attempt to remove progressive educators. Guests: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter and Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links:
KQED San Francisco School Board Recall Coverage
How We Got Here: The Road to the Recall Election of 3 SF School Board Members
How to Vote in the Recall Election as a Noncitizen Parent
Clouds of crows have taken over downtown Sunnyvale like a scene out of The Birds. A combination of factors are leading them there, including the increase of outdoor dining due to the pandemic. Now, the city is trying to figure out how to get them out of the area without harming them. Residents have some strong opinions about it, too. But even if the city successfully drives them out of downtown, there’s no guarantee they’ll be gone for good. Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links:
A Murder of Crows is Bedeviling Sunnyvale, hosted by Alexis Madrigal and produced by Grace Won
We've all had to weigh the risks of leaving our homes during this pandemic that has lasted for nearly 2 years. For lots of people, the risk of getting severely ill from the coronavirus is currently very low, even amid the Omicron surge of the past few weeks. But for many disabled, immunocompromised, and medically vulnerable people, the stakes of getting COVID-19 are still very high. Many also feel that public discussions about the future of the virus are not taking their health into consideration. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: 'Risk No Matter Where I Go': For Many Disabled People, a Future of Ever-Present COVID Is Daunting
Trouble could be ahead for Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith. A civil grand jury has accused her office of 7 counts of misconduct related to corruption, and on Wednesday California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that his office is launching a civil rights investigation. It's the latest in a long backstory of officials and members of the public attempting to hold Sheriff Smith accountable, for accusations like corruption, bribery, and even jail abuse. Today, we’re sharing an episode from last summer, when local elected officials publicly called for investigations into the sheriff — and in some cases, called for her resignation. Guests: KQED reporters Adhiti Bandlamudi and Alex Emslie This episode originally aired on Aug. 23, 2021. It was originally produced by Christopher Beale and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Devin Katayama.
A self-driving car is not an uncommon sight in San Francisco. And it can feel like more and more of them are out there on the roads. But why? Today, an episode from our friends at Bay Curious about this, and whether we're headed towards a driverless future.
The U.S. currently has an immigration court backlog that surpasses 1.5 million cases — and that includes many people who are seeking asylum from violence or persecution in their home countries. In northern California, asylum cases are typically heard at an immigration court in San Francisco’s Financial District. That’s where KQED immigration editor Tyche Hendricks met Pablo Lopez, a Nicaraguan man living in Walnut Creek as he awaits his opportunity to make his case before an immigration judge. But a recent attempt by the Biden Administration to speed up asylum claims is putting pressure on people like Pablo to find a lawyer ASAP, to better his chances of winning his claim. Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED immigration editor This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Christopher Beale, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links:
'I Hope a Lawyer Will Answer': Asylum Seekers Risk Deportation in Expedited Process
A Simple Paperwork Error Can Get Asylum Seekers Deported. Rosa Díaz Got Lucky on a Lunch Break
On Tuesday, the San José City Council voted to study the possibility of giving noncitizens the right to vote in local elections. Community organizers in the city, where 40% of residents are foreign-born, have talked about the idea for years. They argue it’s time to enfranchise the city’s immigrants, regardless of their citizenship status. If successful, San Jose would join New York as one of the biggest cities to do this nationwide. Guest: Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, community engagement reporter for KQED This episode was produced by Christopher Beale and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Last week, students, teachers and staff returned to class after the winter holidays…and right in the middle of a record-high surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases across California. The result? Lots of classroom absences and disruptions, thanks to huge numbers of positive cases among students and educators alike. So, what happens next? Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and Christopher Beale, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Traxamillion, born Sultan Banks, was a producer from San Jose who helped define the Bay Area’s sound and propelled the Hyphy Movement to the national stage. If there’s a Bay Area hip-hop anthem you love, whether it’s Sideshow, Super Hyphy or San Francisco Anthem, Traxamillion had his fingerprints on it. Traxamillion died on Jan. 2 in Santa Clara from a rare form of cancer at the age of 42. So today, we remember his legacy on the hyphy movement, the Bay Area, and local artists. Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED Arts and Culture associate editor Links:
Remembering Traxamillion, Whose Beats Defined the Bay Area Sound by Nasta Voynovskaya, Gabe Meline, and Pendarvis Harshaw
Super Hyphy with Traxamillion, Dad Bod Rap Pod
This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Christopher Beale, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren was in the U.S. Capitol a year ago when a mob of Trump supporters, white supremacists, and conspiracy theorists stormed the building to try and overturn the results of the presidential election. Now she’s one of 9 House members — and the only one from the Bay Area — charged with investigating what happened leading up to that day, and who was involved. On this episode, we share an interview between Rep. Lofgren and KQED’s Brian Watt. Guest: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), representing California’s 19th Congressional District (San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy) This episode was produced by Christopher Beale, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and Alan Montecillo. The original interview was made by Mary Franklin Harvin, Alex Gonzalez, Katie McMurran, and hosted by Brian Watt.
Long COVID test lines and empty shelves where the rapid at-home tests used to be — all signs of another post-holiday pandemic surge. It’s hard to know just how big of a testing deficit we’re in, but with the Omicron variant spreading and a huge spike in demand after the holidays, just how prepared were we for another testing surge? Guests: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters health reporter and Yolanda Oviedo, COVID-19 Response Coordinator at Canal Alliance in San Rafael This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Christopher Beale, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
As of Jan. 1, 2022, it’ll cost $7 to cross a bridge in the Bay Area. But if you thought that was expensive, wait until you hear how much it has cost those who don't pay: One Bay Area resident racked up $30,000 in unpaid toll debt. A report that came out late last year shed new light on how this problem hurts low-income people the most. And it turns out that racking up thousands of dollars in debt is easier than you might think. So what’s being done to try to help make this late payment system less punitive? Guest: Dan Brekke, Editor and Reporter for KQED News
'High Pain, Low Gain': How Bridge Toll Penalties Pile Debt on Lower-Income Drivers, KQED News
Bridging the Gap, SPUR report
New year, same pandemic. The Bay team reflects on another year of covering local news from the Bay Area, and discusses both the hard — and hopeful — stories from 2021. Our top picks!
Rain! With Dan Brekke
‘Our People Are Not Disposable’: How East San Jose Is Coping With the Pandemic with Farida Jabvala Romero
This episode was produced by Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, Mary Franklin Harvin, Raquel Maria Dillon, and was hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo.
Alexis Madrigal was super-cautious about COVID-19 from the beginning. He co-founded the COVID Tracking Project through The Atlantic and has been reporting on the virus since the earliest days of the pandemic. But in the summer 2021, he got invited to a wedding where he would eventually contract COVID (despite being fully vaccinated). The positive test turned his life upside down and sent ripples of anxiety through his family and extended network. His story points to where we are right now — a unique moment with Omicron looming and holiday parties enticing us to gather. Reflecting on his experience, Alexis shared his advice for how to weigh risk, make decisions deliberately, and have a plan for how to deal with an infection. Guest: Alexis Madrigal, co-host of KQED’s Forum Links:
Getting Back to Normal is Only Possible Until You Test Positive, The Atlantic
This episode contains descriptions of police violence. After Vallejo police officer Jarrett Tonn shot and killed Sean Monterrosa on June 2, 2020, the Vallejo Police Department hired the OIR Group, a firm that provides independent reviews of police actions, to investigate what happened the night of Monterrosa’s death. The findings of the yearlong investigation were released earlier this month. They conclude that the officers involved in the shooting failed to follow department policy and de-escalate the situation. In response, Chief Shawny Williams has served Tonn with a letter saying that he plans to fire him, though Tonn can still appeal this decision. Criminal investigators from Vallejo and the DA's office interviewed the officers, including Jarrett Tonn, after the shooting — and these recordings are now available. What investigators found provides some clues into Tonn’s mindset on that evening, and why Vallejo PD has decided to fire him. Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter and host of On Our Watch This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Ericka took up roller skating during the pandemic, and a lot of other people have, too. Maybe you've seen it along Lake Merritt or in front of City Hall in San Jose. Skating also has a long history in the Bay Area, and for more than 50 years, Richard Humphrey has been at the forefront, especially at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Humphrey talked with Rightnowish host Pendarvis Harshaw on what it was like to skate in the Bay Area during the 70s, what it was like skating as a Black person back then, and how skating brings together art, style and swag.
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, Californians won’t lose the right to an abortion. The right to have one is codified into state law. But having the right to an abortion isn’t the same as having good access to one — especially if you’re low income or live in rural parts of the state, where 40% of mostly rural counties in California — home to hundreds of thousands of people in the state — have no clinics that provide abortions. Guest: Katie Orr, KQED politics and government reporter This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
When the police kill or hurt someone, the public has a right to know what happened. But in many cases, the police’s story is carefully crafted to protect officers. And in California, it’s often done with the help of a Vacaville-based PR firm known as Cole Pro Media, which has at least 100 clients across the state. Cole Pro focuses on helping police departments and sheriff’s offices improve their public image. But they’ve also helped law enforcement agencies avoid scrutiny and transparency. Guest: Scott Morris, reporter at the Vallejo Sun This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: The Vacaville PR firm influencing police narratives across California
During the first few weeks of sheltering in place, food banks saw a huge explosion in demand as thousands lost their jobs and income. Food banks also had to stop or restrict volunteer programs for fear of spreading COVID-19. Now, as we go into our second holiday season during the pandemic, many still can’t afford to buy the food they need for themselves and their families. And on top of that, prices for many food items have increased as well. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Links:
Find a food bank near you
How to support your local food bank
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Federal health officials are expanding the search for the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the U.S, including at San Francisco International Airport, where there’s increased testing for some international travelers. There’s still a lot we don’t know — Omicron could be a big deal, or it could change very little about the pandemic. Medical experts are currently trying to figure out whether this variant is more contagious, whether it's more deadly, and how the vaccines hold up against it. Guest: Dr. Chaz Langelier, assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at UCSF This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Artists in Afghanistan are in trouble now that the Taliban are back in charge. Visual artists and performers are fleeing the country for fear of being harassed, persecuted, and even killed. This has ripple effects here in the Bay Area, which is home to a well-networked Afghan community and many Afghan American artists. They fear that creativity and freedom of expression are under attack once again. And they’re responding in different ways — through raising money, through changing their artistic practices, and through using art to help newly arrived refugees. Guest: Chloe Veltman, KQED arts and culture reporter This episode was produced by Raquel Maria Dillon and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Alan Montecillo. Links:
Bay Area Afghan Artists Step Up in Response to Crisis Facing Artists in Afghanistan
We're hiring a producer! Please apply by Dec. 1.
Meeting new people as an adult is hard enough, whether it’s dating or meeting new friends. Then the pandemic happened, and it got even more difficult. But there are success stories out there. KQED Silicon Valley reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi did start dating someone during the pandemic. And in a recent episode of The California Report Magazine, she spoke with host Sasha Khokha about what that was like — and how it led to a connection she wasn’t expecting. We're hiring a producer! Please apply by Dec. 1.
A movement to support Indian farmers scored a win this past week. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced plans to roll back three controversial laws that had sparked protests for more than a year. The Sikh community in California had rallied behind this movement and staged several marches here in the Bay Area, including one that stopped traffic on the Bay Bridge. Many said they wanted to take a stand against privatization. Some wanted to stand in solidarity with relatives back home. And now, it seems that these continued demonstrations have paid off. Guest: Lakshmi Sarah, KQED reporter This episode originally aired on December 14, 2020. It was originally produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Kyana Moghadam, and hosted by Devin Katayama.
This month, Walgreens closed 5 stores in 5 different San Francisco neighborhoods. The company claims it was because of “organized, rampant retail theft,” although available information doesn't quite back that up. These Walgreens locations also got national attention, and became part of heated local debates about policing and a fear of increased crime. And all the while, many San Francisco residents — especially older people and lower-income families — have lost an essential resource in their neighborhoods. Guest: Abené Clayton, lead reporter of The Guardian’s Guns and Lies in America series This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Raquel Maria Dillon, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. More Reading: 'Walgreens fed my family': inside the San Francisco stores closing over 'retail theft'
The United Nations COP26 climate summit was billed by conference organizers as the “last, best hope” to save our warming planet. In the end, countries left with an agreement that makes some progress, but ultimately doesn’t go far enough. And if you’re worried about climate change, it probably didn’t do much to ease your anxiety. But we don’t have to rely on world leaders alone. Today, we discuss how to take feelings of climate anxiety and turn them into meaningful action. Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED climate reporter More Resources:
‘Climate Change is Here. It’s Bad. Here’s What You Can Do’
Submit a Bay Area climate change question for KQED reporters
This episode was produced by Raquel Maria Dillon and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. We're hiring a producer! Please apply by Dec. 1.
52 years ago this month, a group of Native Americans began to occupy Alcatraz to assert their right to self-determination. The 19-month occupation is still known as one of the most important actions in contemporary Native American history and in the fight for American Indian civil rights. On Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2019, Native people from across the West Coast gathered in San Francisco for a ceremonial canoe journey to Alcatraz Island. This episode originally aired on Oct. 16, 2019.
California sent many representatives to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland — including many Latinos, who are California's largest ethnic group and are also more likely to say that climate change affects their local community. They include some of the state's most powerful people, academics, leaders of non-profits, and activists. They also include protesters who are skeptical that this summit will lead to meaningful climate action. Guest: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED reporter This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Mary Franklin Harvin, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. KQED is hiring a producer for The Bay. This is a full-time job with benefits, based in the Bay Area. Please apply by Dec. 1.
After a review process from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pediatric COVID-19 shots are now available for kids ages 5-11. It's a long time coming for many kids and families who have been waiting for nearly a year. Today, we talk about what this means and answer some listeners' big questions about the rollout. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED Senior Engagement Editor More information about where to get a Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for kids. This episode was produced by Mary Franklin Harvin and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Audio was collected by Sara Hossaini and Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman.
What if parts of the Bay and parts of the Central Valley were represented by the same person in the U.S. House of Representatives? What about Filipino voters in Daly City and Chinese voters in the western part San Francisco? Or South Asians living in Santa Clara County? These are just a few of the thorny questions being debated right now during California’s redistricting process. Soon, California will have a new political map that will decide how we’re all represented — in the state legislature and in the U.S. House — for the next decade. And unlike most states where politicians are in charge of redistricting, California has a public process where residents can make their voices heard. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter and producer of the Political Breakdown podcast This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Mary Franklin Harvin, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
3 members of the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education will be facing a recall vote in February. The special election encompasses a whole host of polarizing issues in the district: in-person learning, the admissions policy at Lowell High School, the effort to rename schools, Commissioner Alison Collins’ 2016 tweets that were seen as anti-Asian, and more. Throughout these crises, student voices have often remained on the periphery. So today, we’re revisiting an episode from April where we hear SFUSD students sharing their views — and how they feel about the debate happening around them. Guest: Holly J. McDede, KQED reporter and producer This episode originally aired on April 19, 2021. More Reading:
'It's a Question of Competence': San Francisco to Hold Recall Election of 3 School Board Members
'All Political': SF Board of Education President Gabriela López on the Recall Effort Against Her, 2 Other Board Members
SF School Board Recall Funded Mostly by Local Donors, With Venture Capitalists Topping the List
Less than six weeks after our KQED colleagues from On Our Watch published an episode that revealed new information about the police killing of Oscar Grant, California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he was opening an external investigation into the 12-year old case, which he says remains unsolved. KQED's Sukey Lewis spoke with Bonta to discuss systemic issues in California policing, and how he wants them to be addressed. She also covers some upcoming police reforms that could lead to more accountability and transparency. Listen and subscribe to On Our Watch.
In 2020, hundreds of workers at Foster Farms plants in California tested positive for COVID-19. 16 people have died and at least 20 others have been hospitalized. A KQED investigation found that as Foster Farms' Central Valley plants stayed open, and essential workers got sick, or even died, the company didn’t always give a complete picture of the problem to health officials, state regulators and their own employees. KQED’s Alex Hall has been following the story since the start, and in this episode of The California Report Magazine, she shares the findings of her reporting — from tense conversations with Foster Farms, to the families of the workers who died from the coronavirus.
Over the past few days, the Chevron refinery in Richmond has been intermittently sending flames and toxic fumes into the air, and people living in the area have complained of a strong gas smell. Meanwhile, the public still has not received details about the cause behind another incident at the same refinery more than 8 months ago: a pipeline leak on Feb. 9 that sent 750 gallons of fuel into the San Francisco Bay. Guest: Ted Goldberg, supervising senior editor for news and newscasts at KQED More Resources: 8 Months After Chevron Oil Refinery Spill, Few Details Surface About Cause
This episode originally aired on February 24, 2021 and was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Kate Wolffe, Shaylyn Martos, and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Devin Katayama.
During the pandemic, the meal kit delivery company HelloFresh has made record profits. But some employees at HelloFresh factory kitchens like the one in Richmond say they’re not sharing in those gains, and that they feel invisible and underappreciated. Instead, they say they’re being asked to work harder and faster as more white-collar employees working remotely use the service. Now, they want to form what would be the first union in the meal kit industry. Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED tech reporter This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Kate Wolffe, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
We’re getting an unusual amount of rain this week, with the potential for strong storms during the weekend. And after a summer of drought and wildfires, the rain’s just got us feeling some type of way. So this all begs the question: Could this rain actually put a dent in this year’s fire season or our drought? Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Kate Wolffe, and hosted by Alan Montecillo. More Resources:
Sign up for Bay Area emergency alerts in your county.
National Weather Service, San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey‘
'Jersey Rain,’ by Robert Pinsky
On Oct. 19, 1991, a fire started to burn and spread in the Oakland Hills. By the time it was done, an estimated 25 people were killed and thousands of homes were destroyed. 30 years later, a warmer climate and drier conditions mean that another wildfire could break out in or near the city of Oakland. So, are we more prepared this time? Guest: Brian Krans, contributing reporter for The Oaklandside Listen: Remembering the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm This episode was produced by Kate Wolffe and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
Nearly a decade ago, Vallejo launched an experiment: what if citizens played a more active role in deciding how to spend public money? It's a process called 'participatory budgeting', and Vallejo is the first city in the nation to try this citywide. Now, more local governments in California are considering this approach, too. Today, we're sharing an episode of California State of Mind, a podcast from Capital Public Radio and CalMatters. Hosts Nicole Nixon and Nigel Duara explore this topic with CapRadio's News and Features Editor Pauline Bartolone.
California’s Reparations Task Force has a huge challenge before them: to study and recommend reparation proposals for Black Californians and descendants of enslaved people. The task force wrapped up a series of meetings this week ranging from housing discrimination, to environmental racism to educational inequities. But this formal public process is also a time for people to share their personal emotions and experiences — and tell the state what reparations would mean to them. View past meetings and see more about upcoming meetings of the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Guest: Lakshmi Sarah, KQED digital producer and reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Kate Wolffe, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
In 2020, homicides in the Bay Area increased by about 25%, according to a Guardian analysis of census and state data. Many of those deaths involved guns. The majority of people killed were Black and Latino, and some of the largest increases took place in Oakland, Vallejo, and Stockton. We don't yet know all of the reasons why this increase occurred, but many local practitioners of gun violence prevention point to factors like economic hardship, and the closures of important community spaces during the pandemic. Guest: Abené Clayton, lead reporter of The Guardian’s ‘Guns & Lies in America’ series Read Abené's full piece in The Guardian This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Kate Wolffe, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
The Caldor Fire came very close to burning thousands of homes and businesses in South Lake Tahoe. But in the end, while the wildfire has done a lot of damage, the city was largely spared. That’s no accident. South Lake Tahoe was protected from the Caldor Fire thanks to the hard work of firefighters, some favorable wind shifts, and years of forest preparation. Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED climate reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Adhiti Bandlamudi, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
Vineyard workers already have hard jobs that usually don’t pay high wages. And as wildfire season increasingly overlaps with harvest season, their work has gotten even more dangerous. Now, advocates and farmworkers in Sonoma County are demanding that wine businesses provide stronger protections for the laborers who make the industry possible in the first place. Guest: Nashelly Chavez, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion reporter for the Press Democrat Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Adhiti Bandlamudi, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Currently, there's little stopping a police officer accused of serious misconduct from simply resigning and moving to a new department. But that's about to change. The Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021, named after a Black man who was shot in the back by an exonerated Gardena Police Officer in 2018, makes it possible for the state to strip bad cops of their badges so they are barred from working in law enforcement for good. Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter and host of On Our Watch This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Adhiti Bandlamudi, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
The news about COVID-19 booster shots has been confusing. In mid-August, President Biden announced that a COVID-19 booster shot would roll out to all eligible U.S. residents starting the week of Sept. 20. But then, amid disagreement among federal health officials, that plan was scaled back. Now, the federal government is recommending that some people get a third shot. Today, we break down who is eligible, and how to get one. Read more about the COVID vaccine rollout and information on how to get a COVID booster shot. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor
Since July, at least 2,000 refugees from Afghanistan have arrived in California, with most settling in Northern California and the Bay Area. Since the Taliban took over Kabul in mid-August, the pace of resettlement has ramped up, and many of the people supporting newly arrived refugees come from already-established communities of Afghan Americans in the Bay — who know what it means to be displaced and start anew. Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED immigration senior editor Click here to find more information about Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay's efforts to help resettle newly arrived Afghan refugees. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Adhiti Bandlamudi, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
California’s eviction moratorium is set to expire tomorrow, September 30. But in many parts of the Bay, Latino immigrant tenants have still been getting evicted by their landlords. That’s because protections on paper haven’t necessarily added up to protections in practice, as many renters have not been made aware of their rights and face barriers to receiving rental assistance. Guest: Madeleine Bair, founding director of El Tímpano Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/3F3jQTW This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Adhiti Bandlamudi, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Translation assistance was provided by Madeleine Bair and Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, with additional editorial and production help from Erika Kelly, Erin Baldassari, and Molly Solomon.
Wineries have been affected by heat, drought and wildfires. Many have seen lower yields and have even lost grapes. But winemakers are also adapting, and finding creative ways to make sure their livelihoods continue. Today, we follow two wineries in the North Bay and learn how they're experiencing and adapting to climate change. Guest: Ezra David Romero, KQED climate reporter Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/3zQBiXD This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Mary Franklin Harvin, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Two days after the recall election, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 9, which effectively ends single-family zoning in California. The law is part of a larger effort to increase the supply of housing, at a time when prices are at an all-time high and rents remain unaffordable for many people. Guest: Erika Kelly, senior editor of KQED’s housing affordability desk Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/2W84lZ0 This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Mary Franklin Harvin, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
Oakland Unified’s Board of Education is considering a proposal that would require all students 12 and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Some say it’s a necessary step to make schools safer, while others worry that it will create another barrier to in-person learning. The resolution could be voted on as early as tonight, and if passed, OUSD would become the first district in Northern California to mandate vaccines for students. OUSD's Board of Education meeting today starts at 4 p.m. Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/3CBwLKx
In Mountain View, residents of mobile home parks are on the verge of winning protections under the city’s rent control law — which they have been excluded from so far. But in this expensive Silicon Valley city, the political fight about rent control in mobile homes is far from over. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Silicon Valley reporter Episode transcript: https://bit.ly/2XHJcWu This episode was produced by Christopher Beale and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
Most Bay Area residents rely on water that travels a long way to get here. And as we experience another drought, it’s more important than ever to understand how our water works, especially in our different local communities. Today, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at Bay Curious. This is one episode in their six-part series on drought. Episode transcript
19 months, 46 candidates, and hundreds of millions of dollars later, Gov. Gavin Newsom has easily defeated the effort to remove him from office. It marks the end of a campaign that was first launched in February 2020 by a retired Yolo County sheriff’s deputy. The governor will stay in office until at least January 2023, when his first term ends — or longer, if he wins re-election next year. Guest: Marisa Lagos, political correspondent for KQED and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast Episode transcript. This episode was produced by Christopher Beale and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
Latinos are roughly 28% of the voting public in California. And over the past 20 years or so, most have voted for Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom. Now, the recall election is here, and millions of Latino voters across California are deciding how to vote (or whether to vote). Today, we meet two families — one from Modesto, and one from Oakland. Guests: Maria Peña, producer for KQED en Español, and Scott Shafer, senior editor of KQED’s politics and government desk Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3huNIy7 This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Christopher Beale, and hosted by Alan Montecillo.
The last day to vote in the recall election is Tuesday, Sept. 14. And if Gov. Gavin Newsom is replaced, his most likely successor is conservative talk radio host Larry Elder — who, if elected, would be the only Republican statewide elected official. He would also have just one year before the next election in 2022. So how much could a new Republican governor actually do in that time? Guest: Marisa Lagos, political correspondent for KQED, and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3lfdA2g This episode was cut by Alan Montecillo, scored and produced by Christopher Beale, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Residents of communal housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown are organizing to keep their students home. According to a survey of residents living in Single Room Occupancy hotels in Chinatown (or SROs) by the Chinatown Community Development Center, 70% of families in communal housing oppose in-person learning for their kids. A combination of factors — like a reliance on public transportation and the inability to quarantine in communal housing — are contributing to these feelings. Guest: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, producer and reporter for KQED Epiosde transcript here: https://bit.ly/3BRgdxR This episode was produced by Christopher Beale, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
In December 2020, 30-year old Angelo Quinto died after an encounter with Antioch police. His family says that, after calling 911 for help, they witnessed officers using a knee-to-neck restraint, causing Quinto to die of asphyxiation in the hospital days later. In August, a coroner’s inquest for Contra Costa County declared Quinto’s death an accident. But the inquest process itself had some significant red flags — and it has left Quinto’s family and many other Antioch residents feeling like that process is rigged. Guest: Sandhya Dirks, race and equity reporter for KQED Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3BDNX1B This episode was produced by Christopher Beale and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
The Caldor Fire continues to burn, and tens of thousands of people have evacuated areas around Lake Tahoe, including the 22,000 residents of the city of South Lake Tahoe. The fire is threatening homes, livelihoods, and a place that so many in California know and love. Guest: Ezra David Romero, climate reporter for KQED Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3mQugiP This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Christopher Beale, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Listen and subscribe to the TahoeLand podcast from Capital Public Radio here.
In early August, 8 Bay Area counties reinstated mask mandates in indoor public spaces due to the spread of the Delta variant. Solano County was the only one that didn't. Last week, the city of Benicia broke with the county by approving its own indoor mask mandate. Today, we speak with the city's mayor about this decision, and what it says about differences within Solano County. Guest: Steve Young, Mayor of Benicia Transcript here: https://bit.ly/38oe6VJ
It’s time to say goodbye to our host. Devin Katayama is leaving The Bay to become KQED’s first Editor of Talent and Development, where he'll help support interns and on-call staff develop their careers. To commemorate his three and a half years on the show, The Bay team took a field trip to a couple of Devin's treasured spots in the Bay Area to reflect on his time on the show, and what's next for him. Transcript here: https://bit.ly/3gErxFl
When California voters look at their ballots for the Sept. 14 recall election, they will see 46 candidates who are running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. If a majority of voters mark “Yes” on the recall, Newsom will be removed from office, and 1 of these 46 people will become the state’s next leader. Today, we’ll meet the top 6 candidates: Larry Elder, Kevin Faulconer, John Cox, Kevin Kiley, Caitlyn Jenner, and Kevin Paffrath. Guest: Katie Orr, reporter with KQED’s Politics and Government Desk. To learn more about the recall election and the candidates mentioned in this episode click here. Transcript here: https://bit.ly/3DeJy6T
In Santa Clara County, there are a series of controversies surrounding Sheriff Laurie Smith. They range from abuse in jails, to bribery — to even potential allegations of corruption and political influence. Now some South Bay leaders are saying enough is enough. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo wants Smith to resign, and county supervisors want her office investigated. Guests: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Silicon Valley reporter, and Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice editor Read the episode transcript here. Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m.
Several wildfires are burning in Northern California — again. Fire is now a regular part of our lives, and we need to address it with the nuance and complexity it deserves. But in order to do that, we need to rethink how we talk about and report on fire in the first place. Today, KQED Science reporter Danielle Venton shares what she’s learned in 6 years of wildfire reporting — and what needs to change. More Resources:
The Karuk Used to Manage the Forest for Centuries. Now They Want To Do That Again
Map: Here's Your Daily Air Quality Report for the Bay Area
What to Pack in Your Emergency Bag — With COVID-19 in Mind
Read the episode transcript here.
The Bay Area is home to some of the largest Afghan communities in the U.S. And now, as the Taliban have taken over control of Afghanistan, refugee resettlement organizations here like Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay say the pace of people seeking refuge is "like nothing we've seen in recent years." Guest: Fouzia Azizi, Director of Refugee Services for Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay You can find opportunities to donate or help JFCS here. Read the episode transcript here.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall election is coming. Ballots have been mailed out and the last day to vote in Sept. 14. Feeling unprepared? Here’s a primer with nitty-gritty voting details, some context for the campaign, and what you’ll find on your ballot from our friends at Bay Curious. Transcript here: https://bit.ly/3sdB4I2
For the vast majority of families, this fall means a return to in-person school. But some have opted to stick with remote learning because of concerns over COVID-19. And in many cases — including in Oakland — the rollout of virtual learning this time around has been rocky. Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter Transcript here: https://bit.ly/3sgb8vn
Bay Area teachers have been preparing to teach in-person again. There’s so much to get ready for — whether it’s taking steps to keep people safe from COVID-19, or figuring out how to navigate student group projects. But above all, these two Bay Area teachers are excited to return to what was lost: connecting in person with their students. Guests: Andreanna Yanez-Vierra, 1st grade teacher at Hoover Elementary School in Burlingame; Ralph Bedwell, English teacher at Pinole Valley High Transcript here: https://bit.ly/3fRDmHO Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Many Bay Area students are starting school this week, and in California, classes will mostly be in-person. At the same time, COVID cases are rising due to the delta variant. But after a year of remote learning, families and students have mixed feelings about going back to school in person. Guest: Julia McEvoy, KQED senior editor of education and equity. Read the episode transcript here. Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Even before the pandemic, public transit did not feel safe to many women and girls. That’s why the #NotOneMoreGirl initiative was launched and spearheaded by Bay Area youth — and they've already helped create changes at BART. As BART service resumes at near pre-pandemic hours, advocates say keeping vulnerable people safe is more important than ever. Guests: Haleema Bharoocha, senior advocacy manager at Alliance for Girls and Santana Tapia, with the #NotOneMoreGirl campaign and co-founder of Fluid Coffee and Events Click here to watch the bystander intervention training video produced by the Not One More Girl Campaign. Read the episode transcript here.
Just when there was a palpable sense that everything might be OK, the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 came along. The race to vaccinate more people is now even more urgent; healthcare workers who are seeing more patients say another surge is entirely preventable, if only more people would get vaccinated. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED science reporter Read the episode transcript here. Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, fueled by the contagious Delta variant. And over the past few weeks, many Bay Area restaurants and bars have responded by requiring customers to prove they've been fully vaccinated before dining inside. Today, we visit one San Francisco business that recently made this decision. Guests: Eduardo Sandoval and Eva Lee of Santería margarita bar in San Francisco Read the transcript here.
For the next few weeks, we’re taking a break from making new episodes. It’s a lot of work to bring you 3 shows a week, and we’re going to use this time to rest up and reflect. We’re still going to be accessible if you want to hit us up with questions, comments or story ideas. We’re on Twitter @TheBayKQED, and reachable via email at thebay@kqed.org. Our next episode will be on Monday, August 2. Thank you all so much for listening and for supporting the show, and we’re looking forward to sharing new episodes with you all when we come back. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3hwPZbA
Our colleagues at KQED and NPR have spent countless hours analyzing the world of police discipline, thanks to a police transparency law that unsealed thousands of files. And over the past few weeks, they’ve been sharing that work in the form of On Our Watch, a limited-run podcast that brings you into the rooms where officers are interrogated and witnesses are questioned, to find out who this shadow system of police accountability really serves, and who it protects. Many episodes of On Our Watch also focus on Bay Area police departments. And today, we wanted to share an episode that focuses on Antioch — and what happened when a veteran detective spent years leaking operational secrets. Subscribe to On Our Watch here.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law that extends California’s eviction protections for people economically impacted by COVID-19 — and who have paid at least 25% of the rent they owe — until Sept. 30. The state also has a plan to use $5.2 billion in federal money to pay for 100% of rental debt owed by eligible tenants. So for now, California has prevented thousands of landlords from evicting tenants who have been behind on rent due to the pandemic. But if we don’t want to be in the same situation in 3 months, the state needs to get relief money to the people who need it — and fast. Guest: Molly Solomon, KQED housing affordability reporter and co-host of Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
California is in a second year of drought. And depending on where you live, you might already have water restrictions in place. Healdsburg, for example, has a mandatory 40% water restriction, while Santa Rosa has a voluntary 20%. In Mendocino County, and in areas of the North Bay that rely on the Russian River for water, cities, farmers and residents are trying to save for current and future droughts. Guest: Ezra David Romero, KQED climate reporter Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
It’s our 500th episode! One of the great joys of working on the show has been using our space to help people in the Bay Area get excited about or involved in issues they care about. Often that starts with local government. So we want to share one of our favorite episodes with you from earlier this year with tips about how to publicly address your elected leaders. Then, after that, we all hop on the mic to talk a little bit about why we love this episode, and share some stories from The Bay's early days. Guest: LaTonda Simmons, Oakland city clerk from 2004 to 2020, currently assistant city administrator Episode transcript here. This episode of our By the People series first published on January 4, 2021.
Forty years after the AIDS epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens those most at risk in the LGBTQ community across the world. Community organizers in the Bay Area have been building on the work of people like Bobbi Campbell, a San Francisco nurse who became the first person to go public with a cancer associated with AIDS. His work to educate the other gay men in the city was the beginning of an activist-led campaign that helped protect the queer community from AIDS even before the federal government acknowledged the disease. Guest: Sarah Hotchkiss, KQED Arts’ Senior associate editor Read more of KQED Arts’ series Pride as Protest. Episode transcript here. This episode originally aired on June 26, 2019. Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
On June 2, so many people spoke during a Bay Area Air Quality Management District board meeting that the agency had to postpone a vote to regulate air pollution from two Bay Area refineries — one run by Chevron in Richmond, and one run by PBF Energy in Martinez. The proposal would force Chevron and PBF Energy to install potentially hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of equipment to clean the particulate matter released every day by their refineries. Now, the Air District board is has been rescheduled for July 21, in this pivotal decision that affects health, jobs, and our climate. Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED senior editor Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
On Tuesday, San Jose’s City Council will vote on a plan to rezone parts of the Flea Market on Berryessa Road, where hundreds of immigrant vendors have set up shop for more than 60 years. The new development would include commercial and residential space near transit, including some affordable housing units. But it would also shrink the space for vendors dramatically, so much so that many fear they will lose their businesses altogether. Guests: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Silicon Valley reporter and Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, KQED en Español reporter Episode transcript here.
Many live concerts and events are returning to the Bay Area, as COVID-19 cases remain low and the state ends capacity limits, social distancing and mask requirements in most places. But not everyone working in live events is comfortable with the idea of working indoors with unmasked guests, and independent venues are still waiting for federal relief money that was promised months ago. Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED arts and culture associate editor Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
California will fully reopen for “business as usual”on June 15. That means, among other things, that fully vaccinated people will no longer be required to masks in most places around the state. But there are plenty of reasons you’ll still see people in the Bay Area continuing to wear masks. We’ll tell you about some of them. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians doesn’t have its own reservation. Like many Native communities, many members also struggle with poverty and homelessness. But recently, using funds from California’s ‘Project Homekey,’ the tribe bought an apartment building in Lake County to house members most in need. And leaders are also hoping it’ll be the start of a new community hub for the tribe. Guest: Molly Solomon, KQED housing affordability reporter Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
After the mass shooting at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard in San Jose two weeks ago, some politicians started talking about California’s “Red Flag” gun control law, which uses the power of restraining orders to take guns away from people a judge deems at risk of harming themselves or others. Many people aren’t even aware of the red flag law. And using it as a way to prevent gun violence of all kinds — including mass shootings, suicides and domestic violence — is much more complicated than it seems. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Silicon Valley reporter Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Undocumented Californians have been mostly shut out of three rounds of federal stimulus checks. So when the ‘Golden State Stimulus’ was approved in February by the State Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, undocumented immigrants were hopeful that they’d finally receive some direct relief. But bureaucratic hoops have prevented many people from accessing this money in a timely fashion. Guest: Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, reporter for KQED en Español Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
The effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom picked up steam in late 2020, during the height of the pandemic. Now, COVID-19 has slowed down in California, and Gov. Newsom is currently in a strong position; one recent poll showed that just 40% of likely voters support recalling him from office. This has left some Democrats debating a thorny question: whether they should use the current recall laws to hold the election earlier, or wait until the fall, when most voters expect elections to take place. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter and producer for the Political Breakdown podcast. Episode transcript here. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter!
Deaths from fentanyl overdoses have been on the rise during the pandemic. In Santa Clara County, the ages of the victims are trending younger, according to an analysis by KQED and the Documenting COVID-19 project at Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation. Fentanyl can be laced into pills that look like common painkillers — and thanks in part to COVID-19, buying these drugs online has become even more convenient. Now, parents and officials alike are trying to educate kids and community members about how much more lethal this synthetic opioid really is. Guest: Julie Small, KQED criminal justice & immigration reporter Columbia University students Mohar Chatterjee and Kyra Sense contributed to this story. Here Are Resources for Opioid Addiction in the Bay Area: More information about opioid addiction and fentanyl can be found on the Choose Change California website. Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services treats people struggling with stress and substance use issues, including fentanyl use, through a program called Gateway, and the phone number is 1-800-488-9919. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, San Francisco County offers behavioral health care and services for addiction and substance abuse treatment. Alameda County offers similar services to people struggling with addiction. Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
The deadliest mass shooting in Bay Area history happened Wednesday at a rail yard for the Valley Transportation Authority, the Santa Clara County transit agency made up of around 2,000 employees. The 9 victims who died were maintenance workers, light rail operators, mechanics and supervisors. Public transit workers haven't had the privilege of sheltering at home during the pandemic, and for the past year they’ve kept transit going. Now, VTA workers are mourning the loss of friends and colleagues who they’ve worked alongside for years. Guest: Nico Savidge, transportation reporter for the San Jose Mercury Click here to view efforts to support victims' families. Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
For years, Black and brown parents of Oakland Unified students have been pushing the district to do more to support kids in low-income communities of color. Then the pandemic hit, prompting fears of even more disparities in learning. So a group called The Oakland REACH decided to take matters into their own hands, and use the pandemic as an opportunity to continue reimagining their kids’ education. Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3oSiQu0 Subscribe to our newsletter here.
South Hayward has one of the highest rates of per capita deaths in Alameda County. It also has one of the lowest vaccination rates. Some aren’t sure whether they want the vaccine, but there are also many other barriers related to language, work, and access. For volunteers, county officials and community clinics, addressing these barriers is central to a monthslong, on the ground effort to get more people vaccinated in a neighborhood with many immigrants and low-wage workers. Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3fdEBRI
Starting Friday, May 21, 130 artists in San Francisco will receive $1,000 a month for the next 6 months through the city’s Guaranteed Income Pilot Program, which was announced in March to help artists from marginalized communities who have struggled during the pandemic. Most artists agree a guaranteed income would help. But as the program officially rolls out, some arts groups are concerned that the process of launching the experiment was inequitable from the beginning. Guest: Chloe Veltman, KQED arts and culture reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3wsj39E. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
It’s almost been a year since Vallejo police officer Jarrett Tonn shot and killed Sean Monterrosa on June 2, as protests against police violence were happening nationwide. Last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced his office would review the investigation. Monterrosa’s family — and those who have been fighting for more police reform in Vallejo — hope this is a turning point in police accountability in the city, and even across the state. Guest: Brian Krans, freelance reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3hyLX3Y Subscribe to our newsletter here.
On International Boulevard in East Oakland, just 5% of businesses received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from April to August of 2020. Meanwhile, in the nearby, mostly white neighborhood of Montclair, 49% of businesses received a PPP loan. Advocates and small business owners point to factors like language barriers, a complicated application process, and a legacy of banks not serving communities of color. This kind of disparity exists all over the Bay Area, and as the region reopens, this unequal distribution of loans will have lasting impacts. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Silicon Valley reporter This story was reported in partnership with Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3ogBs6N. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Just four months ago, a pro-Trump mob violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in support of the former president's conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. And even after that, most of California’s Republican elected officials stuck with Trump by voting to overturn the certification of the results. Trump may be out of office now, but many of those same Republicans — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy from Bakersfield — are still enabling his lies, most recently when House Republicans voted to remove Wyoming’s Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership role, for speaking out against Trump and his role in the Capitol insurrection. This episode first aired on Jan. 8, 2021. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent and co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown podcast Support The Bay by making a pledge here! Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3w45ldc. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
The vast majority of the nearly 70,000 fire survivors are waiting for the compensation they're owed as a result of PG&E's bankruptcy settlement — while the trust responsible for managing the money racked up over $51 million in operating costs in 2020. Many families who have been displaced by fires caused by PG&E’s equipment are living in precarious situations. Some live unhoused or with relatives, and many have been forced to dip into savings while also experiencing the trauma of living with fear of fires. So why are so many survivors still waiting? Guest: Lily Jamali, Co-host and correspondent at KQED's The California Report Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3bEwlbx Support The Bay by making a pledge here!
When people see attacks on Asians — including a recent near-fatal stabbing on San Francisco’s Market Street — many refer to them as hate crimes, in order to call out anti-Asian racism and violence. But the legal use of a hate crime charge is much trickier. And it raises some hard questions about whether the state should add harsher penalties for racially motivated attacks, or focus on rehabilitation and restorative justice. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent and co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown podcast Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3uF35sC Support The Bay by making a pledge here! Subscribe to our newsletter here. Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Stockton’s Little Manila grew into the largest Filipino community outside of Manila itself. Thousands of Filipinos worked as farm laborers in the San Joaquin Valley, and over the years they opened businesses, restaurants, hotels and organized labor unions. Over time Stockton’s urban renewal policies led to the destruction of Little Manila. But today, Filipinx organizers in Stockton are working to preserve that centurylong history, organize the community and educate the next generation. Guest: Shaylyn Martos, The Bay production assistant Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3uuqX1W Make your pledge of support to The Bay here! Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Indians and Indian Americans in the Bay Area are facing a dual reality when it comes to COVID-19: while businesses start to reopen here, COVID-19 cases and deaths are exploding in India — and many are worried for the safety of friends and family thousands of miles away. The Indian diaspora is also turning that worry into action, raising money for oxygen tanks and setting up virtual doctor's visits. Guest: Lakshmi Sarah, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/2QWM7Ht Read more of Lakshmi's reporting on Bay Area efforts to help stop COVID-19 in India:
'A Moral Obligation': South Asian Diaspora Assists COVID Efforts in India With Money and Time
'Each Hour Matters': Bay Area Couple Fundraises for India's Oxygen Crisis
Make your pledge of support to The Bay here! Subscribe to our newsletter here.
When it comes to sea level rise, East Palo Alto will be one of the first and hardest-hit areas of the Bay Area. It’s already prone to flooding now, and the city is leading the way when it comes to community-led solutions. But no matter how hard East Palo Alto works to build its resiliency against sea level rise, it won’t be enough; the Bay Area’s interconnected ecosystem suggests what its neighbors do to combat the issue matters to the entire region’s survival. Follow the group Bay Adapt to stay updated on its work around rising sea levels. Guests: Ezra David Romero and Kevin Stark, KQED climate reporters Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/2RmCd1u Support The Bay here! This series is part of the Pulitzer Center's nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Bay Area transit agencies lost huge numbers of riders during the pandemic — and with it, enormous amounts of revenue. Federal money has saved them from big layoffs and service cuts. But as the region reopens and more people get vaccinated, public transit leaders still need to convince riders it’s safe and worth the trip. Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3e9dMhj
Last summer, confirmed COVID-19 cases ballooned inside San Quentin State Prison. Now, with many incarcerated people and staff now vaccinated, infections are very low and the worst of the outbreak seems to be over. But the programs that many relied on before the pandemic still haven't returned — and incarcerated people are still coping with the scars of a traumatizing year. Guest: Kate Wolffe, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3u4M5f6 Subscribe to our newsletter here.
The state legislature last week confirmed East Bay assembly member Rob Bonta California’s new Attorney General. His confirmation happened the same week Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd. Bonta, the first Filipino American to take the position, has been a longtime supporter of more police accountability and takes over the AG role at a time when there’s momentum around police accountability in California and across the country. While there’s a lot of power in the AG position, there are also limits to the job. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3vyGnT5. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Oakland has been the epicenter of on-the-ground anti-policing efforts since Oscar Grant was killed by BART police in 2009. That same movement saw its latest iteration after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and months of protests and organizing culminated into a rare conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. So what does the verdict mean now for Bay Area efforts against policing? Guest: Cat Brooks, executive director of the Justice Teams Network and co-founder of the Anti Police Terror Project Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3neytLi. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
A jury has convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of all three charges for murdering George Floyd. There’s a lot to process, so today we don’t have a new episode — just a short message. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3n6nLGR
San Francisco Unified School District has been mired in several controversies over this past year, and the politics around its school board have been especially tense. Whether it's the attempt to rename 44 schools, the debate over Lowell High School's admissions process, or tweets by Commissioner Alison Collins, adults have been taking up the most space in these public debates. And some student leaders say that the way these adults have been handling these conversations needs to change. Guest: Holly J. McDede, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3emvZGK
About 9,000 nursing home residents in California have died of COVID-19. At the height of the winter surge, more than 80 residents were dying every day. But now, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines, there are now fewer than 20 confirmed cases daily. And now, many families are reuniting with loved ones after more than a year apart. Guest: Barbara Feder Ostrov, contributing writer for CalMatters Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3wY0LhK
Oscar Grant’s name has been circulating after police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center claimed that 20-year-old Daunte Wright was “accidentally” killed after a veteran officer shot him with a gun instead of her taser. It's similar to what BART police claimed after an officer shot and killed Oscar Grant in 2009. Cephus Johnson, Grant’s uncle, talked with us last September following a summer of protests against police violence about what it’s like for family members who are thrust into activism after losing loved ones to police — and how to heal through resistance. Guest: Cephus Johnson, aka Uncle Bobby X, founder of the Oscar Grant Foundation and Love Not Blood Campaign. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3uLnCLy This episode originally aired on September 4, 2020.
A corporation known for flipping houses in the Bay Area has been buying even more homes at foreclosure auctions during the pandemic. Jocelyn Foreman lives in one of these homes and is now trying to compete with Wedgewood’s bid. She has the help of a new state law, which gives potential homeowners more time to match any bid made at a foreclosure auction. But the law doesn’t include financial help. So what does it take for regular people to compete against all cash bids by corporations? Guests: Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari, KQED housing affordability reporters and co-hosts of SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3sbRcs1 Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California’s economy will ‘reopen’ by June 15, as long as there’s enough vaccine supply for everyone 16 and older and COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state remain low. This doesn’t mean all precautions — like the state’s mask mandate — will get scrapped. But it is a big step towards businesses and public spaces operating like they were before the pandemic. So what’s it going to take to stay on track for “reopening” by June 15? Guest: April Dembosky, KQED health correspondent Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3t8oNnW Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
After months of local and national attacks against people in the AAPI community, Oakland Chinatown has rallied together to support their elders and businesses. But the community is divided — and a generational gap exposed — over whether they want more policing to be part of the solution or not. Guest: Julie Chang, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3dHToSN
California’s Employment Development Department (or EDD) is responsible for paying out the state’s unemployment insurance. Ever since the pandemic began, the agency has struggled to close its huge backlog of claims. The system is even more frustrating for people who struggle with technology and language access, and advocates say these issues are still a big problem today. Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED reporter and producer for The California Report Claiming unemployment in California? Here's what to know about EDD and pandemic federal benefits. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3sStzWH
Californians ages 50 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. They have two weeks to book appointments before the state opens up eligibility to people ages 16 and older on starting April 15. But booking an appointment is easier said than done; many people have already been struggling to find them; sometimes there’s a lack of supply, technology issues, and the process can be confusing. Today, we’ll give you some strategies for finding an appointment when you're eligible. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Visit KQED's vaccine guide:
in English
en español
Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3md4t2b
Earlier this month, leaders at Mills College announced that the school, which has been in the Bay Area for 169 years, will no longer be awarding degrees starting in 2023. This news came as a shock to many students, faculty, and alumni, who know Mills as a unique place for women and LGBTQ people who care about the arts and about social justice. Today, we’ll learn about the history and legacy of Mills College and its impact on the Bay Area. Guest: Chloe Veltman, KQED arts and culture reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3cGlgaN
Throughout this pandemic, disabled people and seniors have been at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. And all this time, advocates and community organizers have been pushing to make sure that people in power listen to their concerns. Their activism has pushed the state to shift its policies several times — including this latest eligibility phase, which doesn't force people with disabilities to bring documentation in order to get vaccinated. But the struggle to make our entire COVID-19 response equitable for disabled people and seniors is far from over. Guest: Jessica Lehman, executive director of Senior and Disability Action Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/31uh6fI
Oakland and Marin County are the latest California jurisdictions to announce plans to launch guaranteed income pilot programs. The idea is to give money to hundreds of low-income residents of color, every month, with no strings attached. The two projects have their similarities and differences. But in general, supporters that the results will build a bigger case for even bigger guaranteed income projects in the future. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter and producer for the Political Breakdown podcast Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3ff7n4P More Resources: San Francisco Launches 'Guaranteed Income' Pilot Program for Struggling Artists
The killing of 8 people in Georgia, 6 of whom were women of Asian descent, has led to marches and rallies in the Bay Area in support of the AAPI community. It’s also prompted many people to share experiences they’ve had with racism and sexism. But as organizer and advocate Hyejin Shim says, it’s also important to be specific about who was targeted in the Atlanta shooting. Because when we do that, we can also pave the way for solutions that protect those who are most vulnerable to racist and sexist violence. Guest: Hyejin Shim, member of Survived and Punished and Korean American Coalition to End Domestic Abuse More Resources: Asian Women’s Shelter, Red Canary Song Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3faVxsp Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
This past year, a group of organizations have been keeping count of reports of anti-Asian hate incidents across the country. Nearly 3,800 reports have been submitted since the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center was launched, and nearly 45 percent of those were reported in California. The attack on Asian businesses in Atlanta that killed eight, including six Asian women, is just the latest chapter of anti-Asian racism in America. And behind the numbers are people and stories. Guest: Russell Jeung, Chair of the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State and Co-Founder of the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center This episode originally published on March 27, 2020. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3rfrDFU
Over the last year there has been a lot of heartbreak caused by the pandemic. There have also been moments of joy and communities coming together to help each other out. KQED’s Bay Curious podcast honors how lives have changed here in the Bay Area with its one-year anniversary show. Subscribe to Bay Curious here.
School boards in California have historically had a lot of power over decisions at the local level, but the choice to reopen for in-person learning has put that power to the test like never before. More than a thousand California school districts are deciding whether to take advantage of financial incentives and reopen classrooms for the youngest and most vulnerable students. Many are facing intense pressure from lawmakers who question the power local school boards have, and from parents who are leading recall efforts. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter and producer for the Political Breakdown podcast Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3rQTf5k
The single-family neighborhood has been foundational to American housing policy for decades. It’s also been a tool to keep Black and brown people out of homeownership, and is one reason why there isn’t nearly enough housing overall. This policy has deep roots in the Bay Area. But now, a handful of cities are rethinking it, and allowing developers to build ‘fourplexes’ in these areas. A change like this won’t solve the housing crisis overnight, and it won’t bring down rents unless it’s paired with other protections. But it is a big first step. Guest: Erin Baldassari, KQED housing affordability reporter and co-host of SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3tB5mnN
Organizers behind the attempt to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom believe they will collect enough verified signatures to trigger a special election later this year. It’s going to take a lot to actually unseat Gov. Newsom in a recall election and replace him with a Republican. But this campaign is already a lot bigger than any other effort to recall a California governor since 2003. So, why has it gained traction this time? Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/38zV0MG
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines for fully vaccinated people. New, confirmed cases of COVID-19 are down in California. We have three vaccines in the U.S. This is all good news. But the virus and its variants are still among us, and a vast segment of the population is still waiting their turn for the vaccine. So how should we navigate this in-between period without sabotaging the progress we’ve made? Guest: Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, professor of global health and infectious diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/38oj1WS
Angelo Quinto was having a mental health crisis when his family called 911 for help. After Antioch Police arrived at Quinto’s home, his family says an officer kneeled on his back near the neck before his body went limp. Quinto, a 30 year-old Filipino American, died days later in the hospital. His death has drawn national attention, especially among Filipino Americans across the country, and spotlights a Bay Area suburb where a now majority-Black city council and young activists are trying to change the power dynamics of the traditionally pro-police community. Guest: Sandhya Dirks, Race & Equity Reporter for KQED Listen to KQED's American Suburb podcast here. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/2OAbEEV
On Thursday, the California state legislature approved a $6.6 billion plan to encourage school districts to resume in-person learning for the youngest public school students in the state. Meanwhile, some students have noticed their perspectives missing from the conversation about re-opening schools. Today, we hear from some. Guests: Joy Cheng, senior at Lowell High School in San Francisco; Melina Kritikopoulos, senior at Santa Clara High School; Isabella Brenneman, junior at Kit Carson International Academy in Sacramento Subscribe to our newsletter here. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3sPLTPB
Mill Valley in Marin County is one of the 10 most segregated cities in the Bay Area. During the rise of protests following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis last year, Mill Valley Mayor Sashi McEntee claimed the Black Lives Matter movement was “not of immediate local importance.” That summer, community activists held protests and sit-ins demanding a public apology from the mayor and plans for lasting change. In response, the City Council created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, but in February the City Council rejected half of the task force's proposals and refused to accept its recommendations. The fight for racial justice is happening in cities across the Bay, but what has it looked like in the Bay Area's whitest and wealthiest county? Guest: Lorenzo Morotti, Marin Independent Journal reporter and Amber Allen-Peirson, activist in Marin City and Mill Valley. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/2MIEvGm. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
The ZIP codes in and near East San Jose have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 in the Bay Area. They’re predominantly immigrant neighborhoods with thousands of essential workers, many of whom work for the Silicon Valley tech giants located nearby. Many say the pandemic has simply exposed generations of disinvestment in this corner of Santa Clara County. So how are community members in these neighborhoods surviving and helping each other during a pandemic that has affected the Bay so unequally? Guest: Farida Jhavala Romero, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3syRj1a
Last fall, KQED launched a new, five-part podcast about possible solutions to the housing crisis. It’s called SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America, hosted by housing reporters Erin Baldassari and Molly Solomon.
Since then, Erin and Molly have also received lots of questions and comments from listeners who are curious about what’s happened on the housing front since the podcast dropped.
Today, we wanted to pass it off to them. Whether you’ve listened to SOLD OUT or not, this is a timely conversation about a subject that affects all of us.
Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3pWPVDS
An oil spill from Chevron’s Richmond refinery earlier this month and the toxic fumes released last November are part of a long trend of dangerous spills into the Bay Area’s water and air. So why’s it so hard to keep the fossil fuel industry from releasing harmful stuff into our environment over and over again? Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED senior editor Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3upixsZ
Several surveys show that Black Americans are, on average, more hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine compared with white people. And when it comes to Black communities showing less trust in the health care system overall, many journalists, politicians and experts point to one specific historical incident: the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. But many people, including KQED reporter April Dembosky, are worried that Tuskegee has become a scapegoat for the many structural inequities in the health care system today. And it has real implications right now, especially for Black people who are disproportionately dying from COVID-19. Guest: April Dembosky, KQED health correspondent Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3aA4MQ9
After the pandemic forced strip clubs in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood to close and protests against police violence erupted in the summer, many dancers were laid off and started to work virtually instead. This created an unexpected opportunity to push for more worker power among strippers, and fight back against issues like sexual harassment, racism, and a culture of fear around speaking out. And now, some dancers are hoping that this organizing will lead to better working conditions in strip clubs when the pandemic eventually ends. Guests: Kathryn Hurd and Ellie Lightfoot, reporters and students at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3aBSua9
Sakhone Lasaphangthong spends his work day in Oakland's Chinatown helping people get the resources they need. He walks the streets and connects with merchants, elders, and people who don't have housing. Over the last few weeks, violence against Asian elders in the community received national media attention and sparked a lot of debate about race, policing, and community safety. Today, we speak with Sakhone about what he's been seeing in Oakland's Chinatown. Guest: Sakhone Lasaphangthong, director of housing services at Family Bridges and Chinatown ambassador Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3apL49O
Traditional Chinese Medicine has a complicated history in the Bay. In the 70s, a Chinese immigrant in Palo Alto named Miriam Lee was arrested and put on trial for practicing acupuncture — even though she learned it from a master in her hometown in China. Today, Traditional Chinese Medicine is still often exoticized or dismissed. But now, some Asian Americans in the Bay Area are reconnecting with these practices — and building new communities in the process. Guest: Cathy Erway, food writer and host of the podcast Self Evident: Asian America's Stories Read Cathy's piece about this in the San Francisco Chronicle here. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3tQXSxD We're taking a break on Monday, Feb. 15th. Talk to you on Wednesday!
After months of debate on whether to reopen public schools in the Bay Area's largest districts, some families have finally had enough of distance learning. But parents are divided on whether it’s safe — and worth the risk — to send their kids back to school while the pandemic rages on. And even if everyone did agree on what to do, the path to reopening is sure to be a long one. Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter Episode transcript here.
There’s a long history of Black women in the Bay Area leading social justice work — including the hundreds of women who led the Black Panther Party. One West Oakland resident believes a celebration of these women and their contributions is long overdue. That’s why, after last summer’s protests against police violence, she decided to memorialize their legacy with a permanent mural on the home she's owned for more than 20 years. Guests: Jilchristina Vest, curator and West Oakland homeowner Ericka Huggins, human rights activist, poet, educator, Black Panther Party leader and former political prisoner Rev. Cheryl Dawson, Black Panther Party member, Berkeley Chapter Learn more about the Women of the Black Panther Party Mural unveiling on Feb. 14 here. Episode transcript here.
The climate crisis isn't just about big tropical storms and deadlier wildfires. Rising sea levels — as a result of climate change — are forcing contaminated groundwater to the surface in parts of the Bay Area. And the neighborhoods in most danger are places where there was once heavy industry, including areas that were once redlined. Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED science reporter and host of Deep Look. Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
California’s vaccine rollout has been…confusing. Many people have been writing into KQED with basic questions about eligibility or where they go to get vaccinated. Our engagement editor has been fielding those questions. But she’s not the only one trying to fill the vaccination information void. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Carly answered the top five questions our audience wanted to know. You can read about those questions here. Plus, learn more here about eligibility for the vaccine and where you can get vaccinated. Episode transcript here.
It’s easy to think that California’s eviction moratorium means people can expect to remain in their homes during the economic crisis and global pandemic. But a KQED investigation found that hundreds of evictions are still taking place across the Bay Area, to mostly Black and brown renters. So why hasn’t the state’s eviction moratorium stopped evictions from happening? And why is it worse in some counties than others? What your local governments are doing is a large part of the answer. Guest: Molly Solomon, KQED housing reporter Are you facing issues with housing during the pandemic? Share your story with us here. Episode Transcript here.
It takes a lot of hard work to curb gun violence at the community level. For the past few years, those efforts in Richmond and Oakland were paying off. But then the pandemic happened, and a lot of in-person community building became unsafe, and advocates fear years of hard work has been lost to the pandemic. Guest: Abené Clayton, reporter for The Guardian’s Guns and Lies in America project. You can read Abené's story here. Episode transcript here.
In our first virtual live event of 2021, we invited KQED reporters to share what stories they’ll be looking out for this year. We want to share this conversation and ask what matters to you as the Bay Area adjusts to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. We also took your questions. From wildfire prevention to free public transit, virtual learning to the changing arts scene, here’s what we might see in 2021 and what we can do about it. This conversation is split into two halves: the first is called "Where We Live" (00:54), and the second is called "What We Do" (28:04). Read the transcript here. Guests: Danielle Venton, science reporter; Molly Solomon, housing reporter and co-host of the podcast Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America; Dan Brekke, transportation editor; Vanessa Rancano, education reporter; Nastia Voynovskaya, arts associate editor; Sam Harnett, Silicon Valley reporter
KQED wasn't alone in struggling to cover former President Trump. These last four years changed how many journalists think about their responsibilities to the public. It's also forced more members of the news media to reckon with their own role in perpetuating long-existing, systemic problems. So we wanted to chat with KQED’s newsroom leaders about how they've changed over the past four years, and the role local news plays in a frail democracy. Guests: Vinnee Tong, KQED’s Director of News and Ethan Toven-Lindsey, KQED’s Executive Editor Read the transcript here. Sign up for our free live event on Monday Jan. 25 at 6pm. We’ll be talking to KQED reporters about the Bay Area stories to watch for in 2021. Find all of our "By the People" episodes here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
It’s been a week. So now, music. We’re bringing you the first episode of a new series from our friends at Rightnowish that shines a light on all sorts of creators this year. In this episode, Pendarvis Harshaw introduces us to Brooklyn based and Oakland-raised artist Nappy Nina. Just don’t call her a femcee. Sign up for our free live (virtual) event on Monday, Jan. 25 here.
It's Inauguration Day in the U.S. The end of the Trump administration, and the beginning of the Biden administration is a monumental moment for the country –and for the rest of the world. Today, we hear from members of the Iranian diaspora here in the Bay Area about what this change in power means for them, their loved ones in Iran, and for the future hopes of the relationship between their two home countries. Guest: Kyana Moghadam, KQED podcast producer Read the transcript here. Find all of our "By the People" episodes here. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Silicon Valley giants like Facebook, Twitter and Google have long struggled to deal with violent language and misinformation on their platforms. But after the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week, a line was crossed — and these companies banned or restricted President Trump, along with some of his supporters who have incited violence. So what took these companies so long to take action? And how should we feel about their continued role in how we communicate? Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED Silicon Valley senior editor Read the transcript here.
On Monday, California’s COVID-19 death toll reached 30,000. Gov. Gavin Newsom and health officials are relying on mass vaccinations to slow the spread, but there’s a lot of reason to believe accomplishing that will be hard. A majority of California is under stay at home orders until things get better, but the first phase of the rollout has already been slower than some hoped. Guest: Barbara Feder Ostrov, Contributing Writer for CalMatters Read the transcript here.
It takes a lot of work to undo white supremacy. For many who have been committed to this work, it’s a lifetime of protests, campaigning, donating, and showing up. And sometimes, it can feel like an impossible task. Following the attack by the pro-Trump extremists at the U.S. Capitol last week, we invited longtime Bay Area activist Cat Brooks to talk with us about how she’s been processing everything, and how to make your activism sustainable. Guest: Cat Brooks, executive director of the Justice Teams Network and co-founder of the Anti Police Terror Project Read the transcript here. Find all of our By The People episodes here. Subscribe to our newsletter here
California is a state run by Democrats. But we have elected officials who have either ignored or enabled President Trump through the years — including on Wednesday, when a pro-Trump mob violently took over the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden. Even after the process resumed, 7 out of 10 House Republicans from California voted to overturn electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Today, we'll talk about why this matters to Californians, even after Trump leaves office. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here!
This week, 200+ employees at Google announced that they've formed a union. The Alphabet Workers Union, which is supported by Communications Workers of America (CWA), is the first of its kind at Google, and will include dues-paying members, an elected board of directors, and paid organizing staff. For now, it still represents a small fraction of the roughly 260,000 workers at Alphabet. But it's still a big deal — especially in Silicon Valley, where it's so hard to organize at all. Guest: Sam Harnett, Silicon Valley Reporter for KQED Read the transcript here. Listen to our How We Got Here series here.
If you want to get involved in local politics, your city council meeting can be a good place to start. But it can also be a lot. It's where your elected representatives make decisions that directly affect your life. And it's where anybody can tell their local leaders what they really think about those decisions. LaTonda Simmons knows all about this. Today, she looks back on 16 years running Oakland City Council meetings, and offers some advice for people hoping to participate for the first time. Guest: LaTonda Simmons, Oakland City Clerk from 2004 to 2020 Read the transcript here.
This year in news has changed us all in so many ways. And as we wrap up 2020 with our final episode of the year, we thought we'd take some time to reflect on the stories that have stuck with us the most. Remembering San Francisco Lesbian Rights Activist Phyllis Lyon — Ericka Cruz Guevarra 'These Kids are Fearless': Vallejo Families Seeking Justice for Police Killings Reflect on Protests — Devin Katayama Meet the Poll Workers Who Made Election Day in the Bay Area Possible — Alan Montecillo Guests: Devin Katayama, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Kyana Moghadam Read the transcript here. We've off for the next two weeks, and our next episode will be on Jan. 4, 2021. Subscribe to our newsletter here!
In August, a Foster Farms poultry processing plant in Livingston was temporarily shut down because of a a COVID-19 outbreak where at least 392 workers tested positive and 9 workers died. Now, Foster Farms is facing outbreaks at three of the company’s plants in the Central Valley. But it’s been really hard to get basic information about what’s going on about things like worker safety and who makes the final decisions. Today, we talk about what we do and don’t know about these outbreaks, and what this lack of information means for the general public and the company’s workers. Guest: Alexandra Hall, KQED Central Valley reporter Read the transcript here.
This is the fourth episode of By The People, The Bay podcast’s new series highlighting the way democracy shows up in the places around us, and how we can all plug in. It's been called one of the biggest protests the world has ever seen. Farmers in India have been protesting for months over new agriculture laws passed by the Indian Parliament in September, which farmers feel would destroy their livelihoods. People around the world are showing solidarity with them, including here in the Bay Area. On Dec. 5, some thousands of protestors led by Sikh Americans — many who have personal connections to what's happening in India — marched to the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, using the Bay Area as a platform to help boost awareness abroad. Guest: Lakshmi Sarah, KQED reporter Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here!
The Bay Area has a long history of providing refuge to migrants seeking asylum. And for some, like Luna Guzmán, a transgender woman who left Guatemala at 22, places like San Francisco are one of the few places where they feel safe. But the journey to seek asylum can be dangerous, especially when U.S. immigration policy fails to protect people who live outside the gender binary. Now, the Trump Administration plans to issue new rules for asylum that would restrict access to the U.S. even more. Today, we share Guzmán's journey. This documentary originally ran on The California Report Magazine. You can subscribe to that podcast here.
Over the weekend, another surge in COVID-19 cases once again led to playgrounds being closed in many communities across California and in five Bay Area counties. But some parents felt like this part of the new stay-at-home order goes too far — especially because some indoor shopping stayed open. Many also worried that losing access to a safe and free outdoor space could harm both kids and families. Guest: Matthias Gafni, reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle UPDATE: On Wednesday morning, the California Department of Public Health changed its stay-at-home guidance to let counties keep outdoor playgrounds open. Check out Matthias' story here. Read the transcript here.
This is the third episode of By The People, The Bay podcast’s new series highlighting the way democracy shows up in the places around us, and how we can all plug in. A vote in Oakland today goes farther than it did prior to 1980. That’s when voters passed Measure H, which moved the city from at-large to district-based elections . The change was huge for Black and brown voters, who now had the opportunity to elect candidates from their neighborhoods instead of being represented by white men backed by money and power. The reason why Measure H passed can be traced back through decades of organizing by Black activists seeking political representation. Guest: Darwin BondGraham, editor of The Oaklandside Read the transcript here. You can read Darwin’s full article here Donate to KQED and support The Bay or subscribe to our weekly newsletter!
California is planning its rollout of a coronavirus vaccine. Healthcare workers have already been prioritized, but figuring out who comes next and how that decision will be made is now in the hands of an advisory committee made up of health and community leaders. One factor they’ll use to decide who gets the vaccine next? A look at the nation’s history of social injustice, and which groups have been overlooked, and wronged, in the past. Guest: April Dembosky, Health Correspondent for KQED Read the transcript here. Sign up for our weekly newsletter!
It's always been difficult to charge a police officer after they've killed someone while on the job. But in the Bay, it's happened a few times within the last three months. For example, in September, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley charged San Leandro police officer Jason Fletcher for killing Steven Taylor in April 2020, and last week San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin charged Christopher Samayoa for shooting and killing Keita O'Neil in 2017. So what led these two Bay Area DAs to file charges when it's been so rare in the past? Guest: Alex Emslie, KQED Criminal Justice Editor Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here!
This is the second episode of By The People, The Bay podcast's new series highlighting the way democracy shows up in the places around us, and how we can all plug in. Many activists work their whole lives from outside the systems they want changed. That’s what Shakira Simley did, until recently. Simley is now Director of San Francisco’s Office of Racial Equity and says she brought a lot of the lessons she learned as an activist with her into City Hall. Simley talks with us about why it’s important to see public institutions as ours to behold — and change. Guest: Shakirah Simley, Director of San Francisco’s Office of Racial Equity Read the transcript here.
When Evelyn Legarte migrated from the Philippines to the Bay Area in 1980, she was part of a growing number of Filipinos that now make up about 20% of nurses in California. As the holidays approach, we want to acknowledge the many Filipino nurses on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic who are caring for people like they’ve done in past public health crises. This episode originally ran on May 22, 2020. Guest: Evelyn Legarte, retired Bay Area nurse Subscribe to our newsletter here! Read the transcript here.
One way to change your hometown? Run for office. That’s what Alex Lee, James Coleman, and Lucy Shen decided to do in the 2020 elections. All three are among a number of young, queer candidates of color who ran in local races this year. They’re from different parts of the Bay Area – with unique relationships to their hometowns – but they all found themselves looking for change and diving into politics. This is the first episode of By The People, The Bay’s new series highlighting the way democracy shows up in the places around us, and how we can all plug in. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Silicon Valley reporter Subscribe to our newsletter here! Read the transcript here.
When the pandemic hit, thousands of unsheltered people were moved into hotels under a plan known as Project Roomkey. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the goal was to eventually move people into permanent housing. But early data from eight Bay Area counties analyzed by KQED shows that most people discharged from hotels have not found a more secure home. Now, some of those hotels are closing, and as coronavirus cases surge again the question still remains: where will the unhoused go? Guest: Erin Baldassari, KQED housing reporter and co-host of Sold Out, a podcast about the challenges and solutions to our housing crisis. Read the transcript here. And sign up for our newsletter here!
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that California has seen the fastest two-week increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started. Now, most counties, including six in the Bay Area, are under the state’s most restrictive pandemic mandates. Guest: Katie Orr, KQED politics and government reporter Read the transcript: https://bit.ly/2UzUKpp
We've heard a lot about how older people are vulnerable during this pandemic. And it's true that they're more vulnerable to the virus and that loneliness and depression among seniors has been rising. But there's another part of the story we don't hear much about: how and why some seniors are finding ways to be more resilient right now. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED Science Reporter Read the transcript here: https://bit.ly/32IXaXt
California Proposition 22 was a big win for tech companies. Its passage allows a handful of corporations — like Uber and Lyft — to create a new "gig" contractor category for their workers that doesn’t have to include employee protections and benefits, like unemployment insurance and workers compensation. Now, those same companies that won in California want to expand beyond the state. Read the transcript: https://bit.ly/3eSSCCw Guest: Sam Harnett, Silicon Valley reporter for KQED Listen to our special series 'How We Got Here' with Sam here. And sign up for our newsletter here!
The Bay Area passed a number of local measures related to civilian oversight of police this election. This means an increase in access for what citizens get to know, and get to do, about issues within their local police departments – including policy changes and police misconduct. We look at the recently passed Measure P, out of Sonoma County, which increases the powers of the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO). And the public outcry for police accountability, dating back to the 2013 fatal shooting of 13-year-old Andy Lopez. Guest: Alex Emslie, KQED Criminal Justice Editor Read the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3pd5tEF
Things are still really stressful right now. But comedian Luna Malbroux navigates that stress but choosing laughter and joy in a time of extreme anxiety.Today, we're sharing an interview with Luna on an episode of Rightnowish, hosted by KQED columnist and host Pendarvis Harshaw.
Read the transcript: https://bit.ly/3kb2Qze Sign up for The Bay's newsletter: https://bit.ly/2Ij412e
Voting in the Bay Area seemed to go smoothly on Tuesday, thanks in part to California's efforts to get people to vote early and by mail. That says a lot, in an election where there's been so much misinformation about the process, and where a pandemic threatened the health and safety of people voting in person. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics and Government reporter Guy is following up with Bay Area counties to see what more we can learn about voting this election. If you experienced problems either voting by mail or at the polls let Guy know by tweeting him @GuyMarzorati or email him at gmarzorati@KQED.org. Read the episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3p17qns
California may have mailed all voters a ballot, but a lot of people still chose to cast their ballots in person. And thousands of people worked long hours to make sure voters could do just that. Today, we're bringing you the stories of three poll volunteers from different corners of the Bay Area. Guests: Amy Mar, Thuc Nguyen, and Ronak Chakraborty, poll volunteers in Hayward, San Jose, and San Ramon
The killing of George Floyd led to protests in South San Francisco, and the creation of a youth-led activist group called Change SSF. These last few months have also exposed a generational divide about how quickly the city should make changes — and how sweeping they should be. And that divide is also showing itself in South San Francisco's race for city council, where a 22-year-old political newcomer is running against the city's longtime mayor. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, Silicon Valley reporter for KQED News This episode is part of our series on how protests on policing and racial justice are showing up on Bay Area ballots and beyond. Click here to listen to the story of the local police shooting at the center of this year's city council race in Walnut Creek. And click here to listen to how Martinez residents are growing an infrastructure for activism in their community.
Martinez isn't known for its activism. But after George Floyd was killed, and after a white couple defaced a Black Lives Matter mural in Martinez, many residents decided it was time for that to change. Now, they've started a conversation about race in Martinez that hasn't really happened in public before. That conversation has been difficult, especially with local leaders — but activists say this is just the beginning of a long struggle to build the Martinez they want. Guest: Devin Katayama, The Bay host and reporter This episode is part of how protests on policing and racial justice are showing up on Bay Area ballots and beyond. Tap here to listen to the story of the local police shooting at the center of this year's city council race in Walnut Creek.
Miles Hall was shot and killed by Walnut Creek police a year before many residents joined national protests supporting Black lives this past summer. The Hall family and friends have been showing up at City Council meetings demanding justice for a year, but it wasn't until George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police that more people began pressuring local politicians. Now half of the eight City Council candidates in Walnut Creek are running because of what happened to Hall, and some activists see this election as a referendum for how much this wealthy, mostly white Bay Area suburb supports Black lives. Guest: Ericka Cruz Guevarra, producer and reporter for The Bay
Bela Gonzalez and Louie Licea are 15. Both of their parents are essential workers and need to leave the house every day. It's all pretty stressful. And it's also brought more responsibility: while their parents are gone, Bela and Louie take care of their little sister, Mia. Guests: Sasha Khokha, host of The California Report Magazine, Bela Gonzales and Louie Licea This episode originally ran in April 2020. Click here for info about power shutoffs. You can also check to see if your address will be affected.
On Tuesday, a California court ruled that officials at San Quentin State Prison have to either transfer or release half of the facility's population. That's because the outbreak at San Quentin got so bad that roughly 2,200 people got sick with COVID-19. 28 people have died. Today, we're revisiting how the outbreak first started at the beginning of the summer — and what incarcerated people and their loved ones were warning and worrying about at the time. Guest: Kate Wolffe, KQED reporter This episode originally aired on June 26, 2020.
Housing is not a human right in the United States. But more people are saying it should be. That growing movement has roots here in the Bay Area, where it's been nearly a year since the mothers behind Moms 4 Housing first occupied a house on Magnolia Street in West Oakland. Earlier this month, the moms announced that the home would soon be used for transitional housing. In the latest episode of the KQED podcast Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America, hosts Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari dive deep into what it would actually mean to make housing a right.
Generations of Armenians and descendants of those who escaped the Armenian Genocide have found refuge in San Francisco. That’s the epicenter of a robust church community center and where Armenian Americans can celebrate their culture, history and heritage. It’s also where a recent spate of suspected hate crimes are raising fears about the current border conflict — and painful memories of violence. Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, KQED Arts and Culture editor and reporter
Community fridges have been popping up all over the Bay since the pandemic began as a form of mutual aid, which has deep roots here. There's a long history of this kind of community care, especially around food insecurity. Private companies have also used similar language to describe some of their own efforts. But KQED food writer and columnist Ruth Gebreyesus writes that the values of mutual aid are distinct — and worth protecting. Guest: Ruth Gebreyesus, food reporter and columnist for KQED Arts and Culture
Proposition 25 is the culmination of a long fight over the bail system in California. A win for the "Yes" vote would uphold a law that abolishes cash bail and replaces it with a system that uses "risk assessment" algorithms to help judges decide whether to keep people locked up before trial. A win for the "No" vote would stop these changes and keep cash bail in place. The bail industry is in the "No" camp, but so are some progressive groups who think this new system would also be unjust and want the state legislature to go back to the drawing board on bail reform. That's why the campaign around Prop 25 isn't just about the merits of cash bail — it's about whether or not this is the state's best chance to end it for good. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast Click here to check out KQED's California Voter Guide, which includes information on statewide propositions, local measures, and voting.
Distance learning is hard enough. And once you get past acquiring the technology needed to make it happen, there’s an additional step for many immigrant families and Indigenous-language speakers: figuring out how to log on and communicate with your teachers. In Oakland Unified School District, where about half of students speak a language other than English at home, supporting all students has been a struggle. Guests: Madeleine Bair, founding director of El Tímpano and Ashley McBride, Education Equity reporter for The Oaklandside You can find the full story at The Oaklandside.
Bay Curious is exploring the 12 statewide ballot propositions with its Prop Fest series. Today, we're sharing their guides to Props 16 and 17, which make big decisions on affirmative action and voting while on parole respectively. For more on Bay Curious’ Prop Fest, click here.
Latino and immigrant workers keep the economy of "wine country" going. And while many in the Bay Area sheltered in place at the start of the pandemic, farmworkers in Napa and Sonoma counties continued working. Now, the Glass Fire is threatening their livelihoods. Many workers have evacuated, and likely won't get much support from the government to help stabilize their lives. Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration reporter These organizations offer cash assistance to undocumented immigrants in Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties:
UndocuFund for Disaster Relief in Sonoma County
UpValley Relief Fund (includes Napa and Lake counties)
Down Valley Relief Fund (Napa County)
Find a full list of organizations providing assistance in Northern California here via the California Immigrant Resilience Fund. Find COVID-19-related resources from the state of California for immigrants in Spanish, Vietnamese and other languages here.
Berkeley recently renamed a street after a South Asian activist Kala Bagai. But her story isn’t the typical one you hear about people who get streets or monuments named after them. Nearly 100 years ago, Bagai and her family were driven out of town by racist neighbors who didn’t want them to move in. She and her family eventually left the Bay Area, and a lot of her later activism was the kind of work that didn’t make the headlines. But that’s exactly why some people feel like she’s the perfect person to represent the past and the present. Guest: Barnali Ghosh, curator and community historian with the South Asian Radical History Walking Tour Click here to read a Mar. 12, 2020 op-ed in Berkeleyside by Kala Bagai’s granddaughter, Rani Bagai, about her grandmother’s story.
North Bay journalist Sarah Stierch has become a resource for locals looking for critical fire information, down to their specific block. That’s because when the North Bay was burning in 2017, she knew the streets and roads and homes intimately enough to gain the trust of her neighbors seeking information. But aside from the latest fire reports, she’s also been a compassionate voice for many people during these traumatic times. Guest: Sarah Stierch, writer and freelance journalist in Sonoma Consider supporting Sarah’s work by donating to her Venmo or PayPal accounts.
There are still Californians who need to be counted for the 2020 Census. Here in the Bay Area, there’s the extra challenge of making sure we count people who don't have housing and families whose homes have been affected by wildfires. And this matters a lot, because who gets counted will help determine Congressional representation, federal funding, and how we define Bay Area identity for the next 10 years. Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED editor and reporter covering immigration and the 2020 Census
California wasn’t ready for the spike in unemployment since the pandemic. And one big reason is because the agency that handles unemployment benefits has had a lot of problems: dated technology, lack of staffing, and a system that focuses more on stopping fraud than getting people the money they need now. Today, that means 1.6 million Californians are waiting for help while the pandemic rages on. Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, reporter and producer for KQED’s The California Report. Recommended Reading:
How to File for Unemployment in California During the Coronavirus Pandemic
State Report Asks for Reforms, but Many May Not See Unemployment Benefits Until January
This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state plans to eliminate the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035 in order to keep cutting California's greenhouse gas emissions. Many environmentalists say we need to move even faster — and take bolder steps to ban fracking in our state. So what does this all mean for our climate future? And is this ban a big deal? Guest: Kevin Stark, KQED science reporter
Before the coronavirus, orange skies from wildfires, and huge protests against police violence, housing was the issue in California. But still, even with multiple crises happening at once, so much of what's going on comes back to where we live. In the new podcast 'SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America,' KQED's Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari explore some of the solutions to our housing shortage that would make a meaningful difference — because we can't afford to wait. Guests: Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari, KQED housing reporters and co-hosts of SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America Help KQED by telling us about your podcast listening habits! Take our podcast survey here.
Since the 90s, law enforcement groups like police unions, correctional officer unions, and sheriffs' associations have had a huge influence on policing and criminal justice legislation, both in Washington and in Sacramento. This led to laws like the 'three strikes' rule and the 1994 Crime Bill that passed through Congress and was signed by President Clinton. But law enforcement officials aren't speaking with one voice anymore. Some district attorneys want to focus on changing the system and focusing on rehabilitation. And now, a new group of progressive-minded district attorneys in California want to counter the 'tough on crime' voices that have usually held sway. Guest: Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast
After the Tubbs Fire in 2017, Lil Milagro Henriquez felt she had to do more than just tell her students to mask up for the smoky air. She wanted to empower her students to face the challenges of climate change head on. That’s what moved her to found the Mycelium Youth Network, which provides programs that empower Black and brown youth to tap into indigenous ways of living with the land. Guests: Lil Milagro Henriquez, founder and executive director of Mycelium Youth Network, and Phoenix Armenta, educator Recommended Reading: Helping Kids Protect Themselves From Dirty Air, One DIY Filter at a Time
More information on Mycelium Youth Network's Apocalyptic Resilience Conference here.
Sixteen year-old Crista Ramos was in her high school Zoom class when her family got some stressful news: A federal court ruled in favor of ending the humanitarian protection known as Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. The program allows hundreds of thousands of immigrants who fled their home countries, including Crista’s mom, to work and live in the United States. For more than two years, Crista has been a lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against President Trump’s plan to end temporary protected status. With this recent court ruling, more than 400,000 immigrants could lose their TPS status and be deported as early as next March. But Crista vows to keep fighting. Guest: Farida Jabvala Romero, Immigration Reporter for KQED This episode originally aired in February 2019. At the end of the episode, we provide an update on the recent court ruling and how it affects Crista and her family.
Suburbs are some of the most diverse spaces in America. It's one reason why — more and more — they’ve become the backdrop of tensions between police and communities of color. That friction is at the center of a protest over policing in Antioch, where activists went on a hunger strike for five days and are camped out in front of the local police department. Guest: Sandhya Dirks, race and equity reporter for KQED Click here to check out Season 1 of American Suburb.
When KQED photojournalist Beth LaBerge woke up to orange skies in San Francisco Wednesday morning, she rushed out the door to document the extraordinary moment. In a year with the coronavirus pandemic, racial justice protests and wildfires, Beth has been on the frontlines documenting it all. And in some ways, it helps her process all that’s been happening. Guest: Beth LaBerge, photojournalist for KQED Click here for a few more of Beth's photos that she's taken for KQED. Resources:
Bay Area Air Quality Map
What To Pack In Your Emergency Bag
What's All This Smoky Air Doing to Your Body? We Asked A Lung Doctor
The pandemic has set off a chain of events that will make this year’s election in California different from years past. For one, the state can’t bet on its most reliable poll workers — older Californians — to volunteer. On top of that, many traditional polling places have been closed because of the risk of an outbreak. So now the state is mailing all registered voters a ballot. And while that will make voting safer for many people, some will still need to cast their ballots in person. And counties are trying to make sure that those voters don't get left behind. Guest: Guy Marzorati, reporter and producer for KQED’s California politics and government desk Click here for more info on volunteering to be a poll worker in California.
Uncle Bobby Johnson, also known as the People’s Uncle, has been standing up to police brutality ever since his nephew Oscar Grant was shot by a BART police officer in 2009. He's also spent a lot of time supporting families who've lost loved ones to police violence. And today he sees a movement that is much bigger than when he first became an activist more than a decade ago. Guest: Cephus Johnson, aka Uncle Bobby X, founder of the Oscar Grant Foundation and Love Not Blood Campaign.
For the last eight years, Uber and Lyft have successfully beaten state and local attempts to change its core labor model: treating drivers as independent contractors instead of employees with benefits. Then the pandemic hit. And now, California’s public officials — including state attorney general Xavier Becerra — might actually have the political will to force gig companies to change how they treat their employees. Guest: Sam Harnett, tech and work reporter for KQED
Soon after the pandemic started and Californians began to lose their jobs, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued what he called an 'eviction moratorium' to protect those who couldn’t make rent because of COVID-19. But there are a lot of vulnerable people who were never protected by that order. And since March 4, at least 2,000 California households have been kicked out of their homes. Guest: Matt Levin, housing and data reporter for CalMatters Recommended Reading:
Exclusive: More than 1,600 Californians have been evicted during pandemic
Newsom Announces New Statewide Eviction Moratorium — But Major Concessions May Threaten Tenants
Fire season doesn't have to be this bad. There are lots of things we can do to prevent more and more extreme wildfires. It'll take a big shift in the way we do things. California has spent decades reacting to and suppressing natural fires, which is one reason why the wildfires we're currently dealing with are so extreme. But it's still possible to rethink our relationship with fire and change our situation for the better. Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED science reporter Recommended Reading:
To Manage Wildfire, California Looks to What Tribes Have Known All Along
We Can Make California Wildfires Less Horrific. Will We?
California is low on firefighters at a really bad time. It’s partially because the state released thousands of incarcerated firefighters to prevent the spread of Covid-19. But it’s also because this system of relying on incarcerated people to help fight fires — which we’ve had since after World War II — isn’t sustainable. Guest: Kevin Stark, KQED science reporter Recommended reading:
Rare Honors This Weekend for Inmate Firefighters Killed on the Job
Let's Talk About Wildfires and Prisons
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that could ban WeChat, the popular Chinese messaging app, from operating in the United States. But this potential ban would also have ripple effects on local politics in San Francisco, where about one in five residents are Chinese. Many use the app to talk with family and do business, but also to reach voters and organize around issues like tenants’ rights. So without it, Chinese-speaking residents would lose a pillar of their organizing infrastructure. Guest: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Reporter for KQED For the latest information on wildfires currently happening in the Bay Area, visit kqed.org. The newsroom has also put together resources on protecting against wildfire smoke, along with a resource on what to pack in an emergency bag.
Back in 2017, Quinn Jasmine Redwoods saw a long line of people at a food distribution center in Oakland. Nobody in line had a mask, even though the most deadly and destructive wildfires in Californian’s history were spreading pollutants into the air. So Redwoods picked up 300 masks at a local store, and created Mask Oakland, a trans/queer led grassroots organization to distribute masks to mostly unhoused and disabled people. And now, fires are burning again — this time, in the middle of a pandemic. Guest: Quinn Jasmine Redwoods, founder of Mask Oakland
People across the state lost power with almost no warning over the weekend, and there’s a risk it could happen again soon. The California Independent Systems Operator instituted rolling power shutoffs to prevent an uncontrolled loss of power, and is asking people to limit how much electricity they're using. But why is this even happening in the first place? Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jesus Guillen overheard a woman ask why those being held on the Grand Princess cruise ship docked at the Oakland Port with COVID-19 couldn’t just be sent to an island somewhere. It reminded him immediately of another crisis he lived through: The HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, where discrimination and stigma was made worse by the government’s inadequate response. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED science reporter You can read Lesley's full story here.
A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered a privately-run immigrant detention center in Bakersfield to stop transferring people to the facility and to provide weekly COVID-19 tests to those inside. Now more than a dozen people detained at the Mesa Verde facility have COVID-19. Meanwhile, calls to get people out of immigration detention centers are overlapping with calls to abolish prisons amid a nationwide movement for racial justice. Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration reporter
Sen. Kamala Harris will be the first Black woman and person of Indian descent to run for Vice President on a major party ticket. Many Americans got to know her when she ran for president last year. But we here in the Bay Area have known her for a lot longer. Not just because she was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, but because her political career started in San Francisco. Now she's joined Joe Biden's ticket as the Democratic nominee for Vice President. So today, we're diving into how Bay Area politics shaped Kamala Harris. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent This episode originally aired in January 2019.
Many senior care homes in the Bay Area are in fire risk areas, according to a KQED investigation. These facilities are supposed to have emergency plans for disasters like wildfires in order to evacuate the mostly older people with medical conditions who live in them. But with dangerous fire season months approaching, and a pandemic in full swing, some worry that many assisted living homes aren’t prepared. Guest: Molly Peterson, KQED Science reporter Click here to see KQED's Older and Overlooked project, which also includes a guide to help you protect your loved ones in care facilities.
Almost all Bay Area schools are required to start the school year remotely to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 this fall. In response, many families are starting their own small, in-person "learning pods" instead. But not everyone has access to one. Some parents are paying extra just so their child can get access. And there are also fears that these pods will exacerbate inequities that have already existed in the education system. Guest: Sara Hossaini, KQED reporter
A secret clique of Vallejo police officers commemorate killings by bending the tips of their star-shaped badges — and the city’s top leaders did nothing about it. That's according to Open Vallejo, a recently launched non-profit news organization. For many locals, the story only confirmed their mistrust of a department they feel continues to act with impunity. Last week, police Chief Shawny Williams announced he would launch a third party investigation into the allegations after two VPD employees came forward about the practice. But in a city where local officials have been reluctant to discipline its police department, what is the path forward? Guest: Geoff King, founder of Open Vallejo and civil liberties lawyer See Geoff’s article and subscribe to the Open Vallejo podcast here. Click here to leave The Bay a rating on Apple Podcasts.
Last week, Congress questioned leaders of four of the largest tech companies in the world - Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple - about just how much power they’ve gained over the years. Today, we're revisiting an episode from December about how Amazon's race to be the biggest and fastest is hurting the employees doing the work. Will Evans, reporter with The Center for Investigative Reporting You can read Will's full Behind the Smiles investigation here. And to share your Amazon injury records with him click here.
Some doulas are seeing an uptick in business during the pandemic. Hospitals are limiting the number of people who can be present at births, and many families are looking for options outside of traditional healthcare facilities. We'll hear from Sumayyah Monét Franklin who is a birth rights activist, doula and owner of Sumi's Touch. She talks about working during a pandemic and why she is especially concerned about Black mothers and children. Subscribe to Rightnowish for weekly episodes featuring conversations with neighbors that teach us about the world.
From November of 2019 to January of 2020, two Black mothers occupied a vacant West Oakland property without permission from the company that owned the house, Southern California-based Wedgewood Properties. Since then — after a lot of public pressure — Wedgewood agreed to let them stay. The Oakland Community Land Trust will purchase the home and least it back to the moms. Today, we're revisiting the moral argument behind Moms 4 Housing's activism: that housing is a human right. This episode originally aired on January 3, 2020.
On October 14 of last year, Native people from across the West Coast gathered in San Francisco for a ceremonial canoe journey to Alcatraz Island. Each canoe represented a territory, tribe, community or family. They paddled to celebrate culture and values on Indigenous Peoples' Day, and to commemorate the 1969 Occupation of Alcatraz. This episode originally published in October 2019.
Ashanti Branch started Ever Forward Club because he wanted the young men in his classroom to have what he didn't have as a student: a safe place to be themselves. After Ashanti gave them that, he saw them start to succeed. Mindshift, from KQED, focuses on stories about the future of learning. Today we're sharing the first episode of Season 5.
Jason Mai didn’t know why his father was taken to jail when he was 12 years old. As a kid growing up in the Bay Area, he was told by his Chinese family to avoid má fan, which meant burdening or inconveniencing others by sharing the family secret. Only as an adult did Jason start to process his childhood trauma by learning about the intersections between incarceration and Asian American culture. To help him process it, he created a zine. This episode originally aired in November 2019.
Guest: Jason Mai, creator of Yes, Asians Go To Jail Too
We've produced more than 300 stories about the Bay Area. Today, we're taking a break from the headlines to revisit a show from March (before shelter in place orders) where we traveled to three of our favorite spots around the Bay Area. Guests: Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Devin Katayama
At one point in Vallejo, the city was paying so much money in salaries and pensions for its police and firefighters that the city went bankrupt. It’s not just police shootings that have led to a deep sense of mistrust of Vallejo Police. So how’d it get so bad?
In 2017, Vallejo Police shot and killed Alicia Saddler's brother, Angel Ramos, in their mother's backyard. What began as a family gathering was quickly warped by police, whose narrative of the fatal evening prevailed in the news. Saddler and her family have spent the last few years challenging police's narrative.
Before Sean Monterrosa was shot and killed by Vallejo police on June 2, VPD officers killed Willie McCoy. Police fired 55 shots into McCoy's vehicle as it was parked in a Taco Bell drive thru where he was sleeping. But before McCoy became another face of police violence in Vallejo, he was a rising young rapper whose family said had a bright future ahead of him.
Gig work is often marketed as 'flexible work.' But it's also precarious and unprotected work, and today gig workers are continuing to put themselves at risk because they struggle to earn the income they need to survive. This pandemic has shown — even more — just how unequal our economy is. So where do we go from here? "How We Got Here" is a special five-part series made by Sam Harnett, Alan Montecillo, and Chris Hoff. These five episodes aired on The Bay from July 6-10.
Many Americans are in deep debt. Household debt has reached an all time high at over $14 trillion. This means many workers have to do a lot more just to get by. They work longer hours, have second or multiple jobs, and they take out loans. Many people never catch up to the debt they owe. And worse, some options that seem like a light at the end of the tunnel might just sink you deeper in the hole. "How We Got Here" is a special five-part series made by Sam Harnett, Alan Montecillo, and Chris Hoff. These five episodes are airing on The Bay from July 6-10.
Big companies spend more of their profits on enriching shareholders and executives than they do on increasing compensation for employees. Today, we talk about how this kind of capitalism became normal. This is the third in a special five-part series made by Sam Harnett, Alan Montecillo, and Chris Hoff. These five episodes are airing on The Bay from July 6-10.
Only 1 in 10 workers in America are part of a union. And for many people, having one would make it a lot easier to advocate for better pay and protections during this pandemic. But worker power has slowly been dismantled by employers and politicians over the years. This is the second in a special five-part series made by Sam Harnett, Alan Montecillo, and Chris Hoff. These five episodes are airing on The Bay from July 6-10.
Tens of millions of people in the US are either out of a job or still working without meaningful protections, benefits, or wage increases. And if something goes wrong, workers mostly have to figure it out on their own. This is the first in a special five-part series made by Sam Harnett, Alan Montecillo, and Chris Hoff. These five episodes will air on The Bay from July 6-10.
On Monday, we're airing the first in a special five-part series by KQED reporter Sam Harnett and editor Alan Montecillo. It digs into how workers in the US have lost benefits, power, and protections over the last few decades. Today, we're sharing a sneak preview. These episodes will air from July 6-10.
Tech companies in Silicon Valley are turning to Black employees and other workers of color to help them respond to Black Lives Matter protests nationwide. While some employees feel good about having their company’s ear, it also exposes tech's diversity problem at the top and how the burden of responding to racism often falls on workers of color, who may be jeopardizing their careers. Guest: Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter for The Washington Post You can read Nitasha's full story on this topic here.
New records obtained by KQED show local Bay Area hospitals have reported supply chain problems and the need for support and equipment from public agencies to deal with the coronavirus pandemic since January. Today, local hospitals can't sufficiently rely on federal or state help for obtaining adequate supplies of personal protective equipment or PPE. So they're largely left to figure it out on their own. Guest: Molly Peterson, reporter for KQED News Read more of Molly's reporting on this issue and the records obtained by KQED here.
Within one week in June, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at San Quentin State Prison grew more than 700 percent. Prison authorities have now reported that more than 500 incarcerated men have the virus, and that doesn't even count the dozens of guards who have contracted it too. Between prison over-crowding and prison employees entering and leaving, the implications of the outbreak at the state's oldest correctional institution could extend beyond its walls. Guest: Kate Wolffe, reporter and weekend host for KQED
In Oakland, a city that’s seen school closures and a rapid rise in homelessness in recent years, the police budget takes up around 44% of the general fund. Among those calling to defund the police there are artists in Oakland who have plenty of ideas about what a police-free Oakland would look like if that money were reinvested into the community. Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, reporter and editor for KQED Arts and Culture See photos of art around Downtown Oakland here.
Growing up, Sarah Mizes-Tan's father encouraged her to always stand up to anti-Asian racism whenever she saw it. That's because he had experienced discrimination in the U.S. since immigrating from Singapore as a kid. After the death of George Floyd and protests for Black lives, Mizes-Tan knew the racism her dad experienced, and the racism Black folks experience, are connected struggles. So they talked about it. But depending on one's class, education, or citizenship status, Asian Americans are relating to the Black Lives Matter protests in different ways. Guest: Sarah Mizes-Tan, Capital Public Radio reporter covering race and communities of color
You can’t separate labor from the police violence and oppression that’s being called out this Juneteenth - the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. That’s why local Bay Area dockworker unions in San Francisco and Oakland are joining other local unions in shutting down the West Coast ports on Friday. This kind of action isn't new. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has fought against racism and police violence here in the Bay Area for decades.
Guests: Clarence Thomas, retired leader of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 and co-founder of the Million Worker March Movement and Peter Cole, professor of history at Western Illinois University and author of Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area
In January, the Anti Police-Terror Project launched a community first responder program in Sacramento called Mental Health First. Throughout the night, Friday through Sunday, Mental Health First volunteers respond to people in crisis — all without police. Guests: Niki Jones, Peer Crisis Counselor/Volunteer Coordinator with Mental Health First and Asantewaa Boykin, co-founder of Anti Police-Terror Project
Read the transcript here.
Lisa Fagundes is a San Francisco librarian who also helps track and prevent the spread of COVID-19. As more Bay Area residents leave their homes, the state is hiring thousands of people like Lisa to contact people who have tested positive for the virus. Health officials expect the work of contact tracers to become increasingly important as shelter-in-place orders loosen and mass protests continue. Guest: April Dembosky, KQED health correspondent
There have been dozens of Bay Area cities protesting against police violence since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Most of the protests have taken place in the suburbs or smaller Bay Area cities not known for heavy activist scenes. But some of these cities have their own histories of police violence and activists are demanding changes to police policies. KQED Arts Senior Editor Gabe Meline lives in Santa Rosa and he covered eight straight nights of protests in the city. Today, what the national movement looks like in Santa Rosa. Guest: Gabe Meline, KQED Arts and Culture senior editor
Oakland Unified is the only school district in Alameda County with its own police force. And for nearly a decade, activists with the Black Organizing Project have tried to get police out of Oakland's public schools. It hasn't happened. But now, with more calls nationally to defund the police, supporters are raising the issue with OUSD's school board once again. Guest: Ashley McBride, education equity reporter at The Oaklandside
Vallejo Police killed another person of color last week. Sean Monterrosa of San Francisco was shot after police say they mistook a hammer for a gun. Days later, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued an "expansive review" of the Vallejo Police Department, citing the recent spate of high-profile police shootings and calls from the community. We checked back in with the families of loved ones shot by Vallejo police, which we featured last year in our special series on policing in Vallejo. Guests: Alicia Saddler, sister of Angel Ramos and David Harrison, cousin of Willie McCoy Click the episode links below to read and hear our three-part series about policing in Vallejo Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3
Californian police officers are rarely disciplined, even internally, when they do something wrong. That's what KQED reporters have learned by looking at records released under a law passed in 2018. The records show a system designed to protect police and discourage citizens from filing complaints in the first place. Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter Tap here to see the California Reporting Project.
On Jan. 1, 2009, Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a BART police officer. The killing was recorded and the video went viral. There are so many other names here in California, too: Oscar Grant, Mario Woods, Stephon Clark, and many more. And each time, public outrage and pressure helped create some change. But it's never been enough. Guest: Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice reporter
This past week has been a lot. Several Bay Area cities joined other communities across the country protesting the police shooting of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Most of the demonstrations were peaceful, all of them were emotional. This past week has been a lot. Several Bay Area cities joined other communities across the country protesting the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many of the demonstrations were peaceful, all of them were emotional. KQED reporters are following what’s happening all over the Bay Area. But for Black Americans everywhere, beneath all of this is trauma. And unless you’re Black, you can never fully know the depths of that trauma. So today, we're sharing an episode from our friends at KQED's Truth Be Told podcast and making space for something that doesn't get talked about often: the mental health burdens of Black men. In this episode, Bakari Sellers, author and CNN commentator, Karamo Brown from “Queer Eye” and Ron Finley, the Gangsta Gardener, offer wisdom on meeting the needs of their hearts and minds as Black men in white America. We'll have more for you on the protests later this week. For the most up-to-date information on what's happening in the Bay Area, visit KQED's website.
Stacey Park Milbern was an expert at organizing people. A self-identifying queer disabled woman of color, Stacey organized to help her move from North Carolina to the Bay Area so that she could live independently as a disabled person. Stacey was a well known leader within the disability justice movement. And her activism extended beyond people living with disabilities and to other communities that are often excluded — people of color, queer folks, and people living on the streets. She passed away this month at the age of 33. Guest: Andraéa LaVant, Stacey’s friend and co-impact producer on the new Netflix documentary Crip Camp Tap the links to see conversations with Stacey from Sins Invalid, Disability Visibility Project, and the Barnard Center for Research On Women. For a full transcript of this episode, visit the web post here.
Since early 2019, 125 random Stockton residents have been receiving $500 a month to spend however they want. And while the final data hasn't been released yet, we're starting to learn a little more about how that money was spent. As many in the Bay Area struggle to pay rent or basic needs because of the coronavirus pandemic, what can we learn from this experiment in Stockton? Guest: Rich Ibarra, correspondent for Capital Public Radio and longtime Stockton resident
When Evelyn Legarte migrated from the Philippines to the Bay Area in 1980, she was part of a growing number of Filipinos that now make up nearly 20% of nurses in California. Many of them are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and caring for people like they’ve done in public health crises before. Guest: Evelyn Legarte, retired Bay Area nurse
Ramadan is an important time for mosques to receive donations that help them operate throughout the year. But fundraising is hard when people can't attend mosques to pray, be with people, and donate. While some Bay Area mosques have moved services online, the money hasn’t necessarily followed. And where a mosque is located and who it serves may determine whether they can adapt at all. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, reporter for KQED’s Silicon Valley Desk
This time of year is a critical point in the run up to the November elections. Normally, campaigns would spend the next few months organizing rallies, town halls and gathering signatures for ballot measures. But COVID 19 has thrown a wrench in the entire election ecosystem. And come Novevmber, even the process of voting will feel different, whether you're voting by mail or making the trip to do it in person. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent You can view our raw interview with Marisa in a live taping of this episode here, recorded Wednesday May 13.
More than half of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in California come from senior care homes. And for family members and workers at these facilities, the situation hasn't gotten any less stressful. Guests: Jonathan Hirsch, CEO of Neon Hum Media, and Molly Peterson, KQED science reporter This is an update to our episode on April 10, 2020, which includes a longer introduction to Jonathan's dad, Thomas. Do you know someone in a nursing home or assisted facility and want to share your story? Click here. And thanks to all of you who came to our (virtual) live taping Wednesday night. There's a recording on Facebook Live if you missed it.
Around 1.2 million California students lack adequate access to the internet right now, despite the fact that public schools have moved classes online. That's created a tough scenario for teachers who have a harder time keeping tabs on students, and some educators are worried about what this means to education inequities that existed long before COVID-19. Guest: Julia McEvoy, senior editor for KQED’s education and equity desk The Bay won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation! Listen to our episode, “The Tiny Radio Station Relaying Critical Kincade Fire Information in Indigenous Languages.” Congratulations to KQED for winning six regional Murrow awards this year! We're hosting a live (virtual) taping of The Bay on Wednesday, May 13 at 5:30 pm. RSVP for free here.
Thanks to shelter-in-place orders, we car-lovin’ Californians are driving 75% less, according to one recent estimate from UC Davis. That's good for the environment in the short-term, but it's not a sustainable way to lower emissions in the long-term. So what does this pandemic mean for the environment — and will it cause the Bay Area to step up its efforts to stave off the climate crisis, or pull back? Guest: Kevin Stark, KQED science reporter
Pedro Archuleta and his mother, Connie Archuleta, have gotten closer since Pedro's incarceration in 2002. But the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow of worry over both of them. Connie worries about conditions inside the California Institution for Men in Chino, where Pedro, who also has a respiratory illness called Valley fever, is locked up. And Pedro worries that he can't do enough to help his 73 year-old mother right now. Guest: Robin Estrin, freelance journalist and student at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism We're hosting a live (virtual) taping of our show on Wednesday, May 13 at 5:30 pm. RSVP for free here.
PG&E needs to reach a settlement agreement with nearly 70,000 survivors of the 2017 North Bay fires and the 2018 Camp Fire. The deal needs a two-thirds majority to pass and must be approved by May 15. But the process has been a mess. Some survivors aren't happy, some don't have their ballots, and PG&E hasn't yet committed to paying the funds at a certain time. And at the end of it all, we still don't have assurances that PG&E will be fully equipped to handle the next wildfire season. Guest: Lily Jamali, co-host and correspondent for The California Report
This pandemic has upended the Bay Area’s restaurant industry. Huge numbers of people have been laid off, restaurants have closed, and the businesses that are still open are trying to make it work through delivery and takeout. The industry will likely be changed forever. As part of our ongoing focus on how life in the Bay Area is changing, we’re taking a look at the future of restaurants. Guest: Soleil Ho, restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle On Wednesday, May 13, we're hosting a (virtual) live taping of our show! RSVP for free here.
An estimated 2 million Californians are undocumented. And whether they're essential workers or have recently lost employment, none of them are eligible for federal aid right now, including the stimulus check that was part of the CARES Act. State and local authorities — and everyday people — are trying to help fill the gap, but it's nowhere near enough. So how are undocumented people being supported right now? This episode is a collaboration with KQED’s Bay Curious podcast. Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration reporter Tap here to ask your COVID-19 questions in English, or in Spanish. Haga clic aquí para obtener información importante de KQED e historias en Español.
Brandon Lee is paralyzed from the chest down and recovering at his parent’s home in San Francisco’s Sunset District. Lee had been working as an environmental activist in the Philippines when he became what's believed to be the first U.S. citizen targeted in an extrajudicial assassination attempt under the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Local San Francisco officials helped get Brandon back to the Bay Area for medical care. Now, Lee is looking for affordable and disability-accessible housing in a city that has gotten more expensive since he left for the Philippines in 2010. Guests: Brandon Lee, activist and Faye Lacanilao, activist and Brandon’s friend
Leaders at the Bay Area's public transit agencies are dealing with a massive fiscal crisis that happened seemingly overnight.
Chinatown community leaders were taking steps to prepare for the coronavirus in early February.
For the kids of essential workers, saying goodbye to their parents each workday brings its own kind of stress.
Health officials have been trying to trace where COVID-19 came from and where it’s going. In some countries, including China, South Korea, Singapore and Israel, they’ve used cellphones and apps to identify and monitor people infected with the virus. Now, Silicon Valley giants Apple and Google are trying to create the technology for the U.S. But they need more of your data.
Guest: Rachael Myrow, senior editor of KQED's Silicon Valley desk
Many artists are still making creative work. But without live events, they're still in big financial trouble.
Phyllis Lyon's activism throughout the years helped lay the groundwork for the LGBT rights movement to come.
Anyone can get sick from the coronavirus, but it's having an unequal impact on communities of color.
Jonathan Hirsch is one of many people worrying about a loved one in a Bay Area senior care home.
Hotel rooms, RVs, and other shelter spaces are being made available. But it's going to take a lot more to keep people experiencing homelessness safe from the coronavirus.
News outlets are considered 'essential' businesses. Here's how we're (still) bringing you stories.
The San Francisco Examiner and SF Weekly are cutting the pay and hours of their journalists by 40 percent.
How much help do you have right now if you can't make rent? It depends on where you live.
Courts are considered "essential," but it doesn't mean a jury trial is a safe place for people to gather right now.
Asians and Asian-Americans are being harassed by people who think looking Chinese means you have the coronavirus. Three California organizations have created a tracker in order to document these incidences, and now they're receiving nearly 100 a day.
Guest: Professor Russel Jeung, Chair of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University
The new coronavirus is highlighting just how precarious life has been for many workers and contractors.
Religious communities are trying to stay connected while also staying safe from the coronavirus.
Seton Medical Center is in financial trouble. But closing the hospital could put many vulnerable people at risk.
News about the coronavirus in the Bay Area is changing every day. Schools are closing, white collar workers are working from home and officials are trying to keep up. It can be overwhelming to know what to do and how to plan.
Our KQED colleagues have been working around the clock to bring us up-to-date information about the coronavirus, including our friends over at Bay Curious. They've answered some questions and concerns that listeners submitted, and today we're sharing that episode with you.
Get the latest coronavirus updates in the Bay Area here. And read more audience questions about COVID-19 here.
Lots of workers, including gig workers, can't work from home to stay safe during the coronavirus outbreak.
Reported cases of the new coronavirus are increasing, and it's up to public health officials to try and figure out where those cases came from.
The AP called California for Bernie Sanders, but we won't know the full results for a while.
Most people don't volunteer for presidential campaigns. So we spoke to two volunteers, to learn about what led them to spend their free time helping their candidates in the Bay Area.
Groundwater contamination has forced McClymonds High School in West Oakland to temporarily close.
Mountain View could make changes to its rent control policy on March 3. But no matter what happens, mobile home renters will continue to be left out of the debate.
Californians can now request their personal data from companies that have them. So KQED's Rachael Myrow tried it out.
Baseball on the radio is special to many longtime fans. So some of them aren't thrilled that the A's are dropping their local English-language broadcast.
Thousands of college graduates from Wuhan live in the Bay Area. Some of them have formed a non-profit to help their hometown fight the coronavirus.
Why protesters at Berkeley High School say they're fed up with how their school responds to allegations of sexual assault.
The building in Oakland now known as Uptown Station has a long history. And if you follow that history, you can see just how much the city has changed.
In 2010, San Francisco started selling taxi medallions. Now, some drivers are in so much debt that the stress causes physical pain.
Fernay McPherson has built up her business, piece by piece, for six years. Today, you can find Minnie Bell's Soul Movement at the Emeryville Public Market.
But Fernay's biggest professional dream is to bring her restaurant back to the place where she and so many other black folks in the Bay Area lived until it became unaffordable — the Fillmore in San Francisco.
This episode is from Copper & Heat, a podcast produced in Oakland that explores the unspoken rules and traditions of restaurant kitchens.
It’s been about one year since the Trump administration changed how seeking asylum works at the U.S-Mexico border. The so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy means that tens of thousands of migrants from Central America have to wait for their court hearings in what can be dangerous conditions.
This policy has made the process much harder for asylum seekers, who already have an uphill climb to get their claims approved. Only a small fraction of those seeking asylum to escape violence in their countries are accepted into the U.S.
Douglas Oviedo is one of those lucky few. Now he lives in the Bay Area, and he's trying to help the people who are still waiting at the border.
When Santa Clara University's provost sent an email reminding people to be aware of their racial biases around the coronavirus, Sherry Wang, a professor in the school's Department of Counseling Psychology, responded to add some more context.
"I think that this is also an opportunity to remind each other about the historical legacy of racializing infectious diseases against People of Color," Wang wrote to her campus community.
As a professor who is also Asian American, Wang says she both is and isn't protected from the sinophobic fears around the coronavirus, and she's making calculations of her own over whether or not to wear her face mask in public.
Guest: Sherry Wang, assistant professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University
For more up-to-date info about the coronavirus, visit KQED and NPR's websites, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We also mention an Instagram post from UC Berkeley where xenophobia is described as a "normal" fear. Read more here for context.
And hey, we're having our first meetup of the year this Friday, Feb. 7! We'll be at the Mare Island Ferry Taproom in Vallejo from 5-7 pm. If you're coming from San Francisco, you can take the ferry and it'll drop you off right there.
SB 50 would have made big changes to the way housing in California gets built. So why did it fail?
Mohammed Nuru has been in San Francisco city government for a long time. He was appointed to the Public Works department in 2000 by then-Mayor Willie Brown and eventually became the director of that department in 2011.
Nuru has been accused of shady behavior at various times during his career. But on Monday, the FBI made it official when they charged him with public corruption and lying to investigators. So why is he getting arrested now?
Guest: Joe Eskenazi, editor and columnist for Mission Local
What happens when food delivery apps add local restaurants without the owners' permission?
Many Latinx writers, including here in the Bay Area, have expressed frustration with American Dirt, a new book by Jeanine Cummins that has been called the next great American novel. Oprah even selected it for her book club.
But it's also been criticized for an inaccurate, stereotypical depiction of migrants who are trying to cross the US-Mexico border.
"If it had been published and kind of billed as, 'This is our romanticized view of the border and its just for entertainment,' there's room for that on the shelves for whoever wants to read that story," said Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author of Fruit of the Drunken Tree.
"To call it the novel of Las Americas and to put this much attention on a book that is actually erasing the politics at the border, I think, does more harm than good," she said.
And all the hype surrounding the novel's release - including a seven-figure advance for Cummins - has raised questions about which stories about migrants get attention, and which ones don't.
"Look where we're at," said Oscar Villalon, managing editor of the journal Zyzzyva. "If it hasn't been driven into your skull by now, clearly, not all Americans are valued the same."
Guests: Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author of Fruit of the Drunken Tree, and Oscar Villalon, managing editor of the journal Zyzzyva
Oscar Villalon's Recommendations:
"The Devil's Highway: A True Story" by Luis Alberto Urrea "The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail" by Oscar Martinez "The Distance Between Us: A Memoir" by Reyna Grande "The Faraway Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life" by Lauren Markham's "By the Lake of Sleeping Children: The Secret Life of the Mexican Border" by Luis Alberto Urrea "The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez: A Border Story" by Aaron Bobrow-Strain
Ingrid Rojas Contreras' Recommendations:
"Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions" by Valeria Luiselli "Retablos" by Octavio Solis "Unaccompanied" by Javier Zamora "Tears of the Trufflepig" by Francisco Flores "Signs Preceding the End of the World" by Yuri Herrera "Lost Children Archive" by Valeria Luiselli
Eddie Thomas lost his housing when he was 55 years old after working at Intel for five years. He's part of a growing trend of people becoming homeless later on in life.
Eddie was lucky enough to have help with finding work and housing. But even still, it took six years — and being homeless as you get older has its own share of unique challenges.
Guest: Sara Hossaini, KQED reporter
Many local leaders in the Bay Area have made it a point to say that their communities are welcoming places for new immigrants, including those who are undocumented, are seeking asylum or are refugees.
Oakland Unified School District prides itself on helping "newcomer" students. And this year, they could see an unprecedented number of new arrivals. But the district can't always get new students enrolled in class, let alone provide all the help that families and kids need.
Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter
You can find Frida Kahlo's image all over the Bay Area. The Mexican painter lived in San Francisco for a little bit in the '30s and '40s with her husband, Diego Rivera.
She became even more famous in the years after she died, and now you can find her name and likeness on everything from shoes, to tequila, to even Barbie dolls.
The Frida Kahlo Corporation, which is behind many of these products, wants to monopolize the use of her name — and it's been going after indie artists who make and sell Frida Kahlo-inspired art. Now, one California artist is taking company to court in San Francisco later this month.
Guest: Chloe Veltman, KQED arts and culture reporter
We're off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But you should check out the latest column from KQED's Pendarvis Harshaw, where he connects King's moral arguments with what's happening in the Bay Area today.
Even if you can afford to buy a home in the Bay Area, you might get outbid by an anonymous shell company paying cash.
Oakland feels a lot different today than it did when Jerry Brown was elected mayor in 1998. That’s because he had a lot to do with how the city changed.
The unapologetic and sometimes controversial Brown is featured in KQED's newest podcast, The Political Mind of Jerry Brown. Today, we're zeroing in on his time as mayor of Oakland, which set the stage for what we're seeing today.
Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter
Subscribe to KQED’s new podcast The Political Mind of Jerry Brown here.
Prison can be a brutal place for anyone. But for trans people who are incarcerated, it's even more dangerous.
A new bill in California's state legislature is aimed at making conditions safer. If passed, it would allow transgender inmates to choose whether to be incarcerated in men's or women's facilities.
KQED reporters visited the California Medical Facility, a men’s prison in Vacaville, to hear why some transgender inmates see this bill as a life saving measure, while others say more needs to be done to protect them.
Guest: Miranda Leitsinger, KQED reporter
When Dr. Wilmer Garcia Ricardo came to the U.S. from Cuba he couldn't find work as a physician, and he had to figure out the licensing process almost entirely on his own.
He's not the only one. An estimated 450,000 immigrants living in California have a degree but are underemployed. Many have to take on low-wage jobs. So why is it so hard to prevent ‘brain waste’ of highly skilled immigrants, especially in fields where so much help is needed?
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration reporter
There are 180,000 people who claim Iranian ancestry living across California, according to the most recent census data. Many left Iran around the time of the revolution in 1979. SF Weekly's Ida Mojadad's parents came to the U.S. around this time as students.
The U.S. and Iranian governments have remained adversaries since the revolution. This political relationship has shaped the way Mojadad thinks about her Iranian-American identity. And after the U.S. killed Iran's top general, she's once again thinking through some difficult questions. Interview Highlights You were with your mom at the time. What was her reaction?
She didn't really seem to think it was something larger. She just said "I don't really care if it's some commander; I just care if something happens to any people." Later, when we were talking with my dad, we realized it was something bigger.
There was obviously a lot of reaction to this on social media. I think "World War III" was actually trending. You tweeted out this tweet (warning: contains strong language). What was going through your head when you wrote that tweet?
As long as I've known Iran, all the news that comes out around it — it's just the country, the government — and no one thinks about the people inside of it. And that rings true for other conflicts that we're in.
Regular, everyday people. Maybe they own businesses, maybe they want to do more science breakthroughs... it's a highly educated country with a lot of middle-class folks, and they just want the regular things that everyday people want all around the world, and they just get so lost in these news bursts.
I want to talk about the last few years. You told us before we started recording that the Trump presidency felt like this turning point for you. How has it felt like a turning point?
Before Trump became president, we had President Obama and it felt like the two [countries] could come together because of this nuclear deal, this landmark nuclear deal. This was really the first case of real diplomacy since the hostage crisis [1979-1981].
There's no embassy in Iran. So that level of communication is not there, and it came together under Obama. And it felt like, finally, the two could be... well, not friends — that would take a while — but that the two could have a relationship again, that there could be this free-flowing of family visits, and I could finally visit and see my parents' hometown again.
There was this kind of hopeful moment that there would be more of an exchange, and that the two parts of my family could exchange fluidly. And then after Trump, it became obvious that with the travel ban, and with him ripping up the nuclear deal, that it would be a very long time before that could happen again.
I'm curious if there's any part of you that wishes you were in Iran with family that you have there.
Yeah, I do, actually. One of the biggest things I want for myself is to be able to go over there and bask in this place that shaped me, and be with family that I don't even know. There are so many family members, and I've met them before but it was so long ago.
Sometimes, when my family talks about them, I don't even know who they're talking about. And I want to at least on base level know who they're talking about, because I don't even know them anymore.
You can kind of not think about it most of the time, but when the reminder comes, like my aunt being able to visit, it really shows you what you're missing out on the rest of the time.
When I hear you talk about the struggle that you have living here, and these two identities that you hold, it seems like what's happening, politically, between the U.S. and Iran, is symbolic to you. Symbolic of the tension between the two identities that you hold.
Oh,
On Monday, two black mothers who occupied a vacant West Oakland property had their day in court. Southern California-based Wedgewood Properties, which owns the home, argued this is a clear case of theft. But the moms are making another, more philosophical argument: that housing is a human right. But what does that mean, and will it help them stay in the house?
Guest: Molly Solomon, KQED's housing and affordability reporter
Here's an episode we did on the concept of housing as health care.
Subscribe to The Bay on any of your favorite podcast apps to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
When our new editor Alan Montecillo moved to the Bay Area earlier this month he noticed that people loved talking about BART. It's one of the few spaces where people from all over the Bay Area are forced to be around each other. (If fact, we did a whole episode on why BART has been the epicenter of so many contentious political and social conversations in the Bay). BART riders have developed their own culture and etiquette around riding the train. So to catch Alan up to speed, we got some help from BART riders on their morning commute.
Guest: Alan Montecillo, editor of The Bay
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
This week, PG&E took a big step towards emerging from bankruptcy after a judge approved billions of dollars in settlements with fire survivors and insurers. But the company also has to convince the state that it has a good plan to prevent more wildfires and provide safe, reliable power going forward.
Gov. Gavin Newsom says he isn’t convinced, and PG&E needs his approval to get access to a wildfire relief fund. So is there finally enough leverage to get the investor-owned company to change?
Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent. You can also check out more of her reporting on who's getting rich off of PG&E's bankruptcy here.
We're off until Monday, Dec. 30. But you can always reach us on Twitter @TheBayKQED.
The paper will print its final issue this Sunday, ending a 161-year run covering the county seat of Contra Costa.
In the late fifties, the U.S. government promised Native Americans good jobs and stable housing if they left reservations for urban centers, including Oakland. Those promises were never realized. But something else happened, too. Instead of assimilating into cities like the federal government wanted, native people built solidarity, preserved traditions, and continued to create culture — both within their communities and between other indigenous ones. One of the ways that solidarity takes shape is at Oakland’s Indigenous Red Market, which happens on the first Sunday of every month in Fruitvale.
Guest: Marisol Medina-Cadena, Reporter for KQED News
You can read more of Marisol's story on the Indigenous Red Market here, and check out more info about the market on their Facebook page.
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Maria Isabel Bueso and her family have waited months to learn whether they could stay in the country. Bueso has lived in the Bay Area for 16 years under a special immigration status in order to get treatment for a rare genetic disease. In August, she received a letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services demanding that she leave the country. But Bueso became a leading advocate on behalf of hundreds of immigrants who received similar letters, and her story highlighted the harm of President Trump’s sweeping immigration policies.
And on Dec. 6, Bueso got word that she can stay in the U.S. for at least two more years.
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration reporter
The Giants’ first World Series win in 56 years, the Occupy Oakland protests, and the Ghost Ship warehouse fire are just a few moments from the last decade that shaped and changed the Bay Area. With the help of reporters from KQED’s Arts team, we take a look back at some of the most defining moments in Bay Area arts and culture, and talk about how those moments shaped and changed us.
Guests: KQED Arts team
Tap here to read the full Our Turbulent Decade series.
Jaime Geaga moved to San Francisco in 1981. He was ready to start a new chapter of his life when he tested positive for HIV. Among Asian Americans, Filipino men were some of the most affected by HIV/AIDS. Filipinos also made up the largest group of Asians in the Bay Area. So Jaime became an activist to educate his community, all while fighting for his life.
This episode is from Long Distance, a documentary podcast with stories about the Filipino diaspora.
A Petaluma man named David Ward died last week shortly after a sheriff’s deputy put him in a neck hold, according to the Sonoma County sheriff's office. Neck restraints came into national consciousness after the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York. We don’t know whether Ward’s death was caused by the police restraint, but KQED has learned that the officer involved has lied about using this kind of hold before.
Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter
When you order from Amazon in the Bay Area, your order is probably coming from a fulfillment center in Tracy. The serious injury rate for employees at that facility has nearly quadrupled since the company introduced worker robots there five years ago. That's according to Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. We'll talk with the reporter of that investigation who says the speed at which the worker robots move to ship your package has proven to be dangerous for the humans working alongside them.
Will Evans, reporter with The Center for Investigative Reporting
You can read Will's full Behind the Smiles investigation here. And Click here to share your Amazon injury records with the team at Reveal.
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
San Francisco's Arts Commission wants a public monument honoring poet Maya Angelou. It's part of an effort to fix the fact that just 2 percent of public sculptures in the city honor women. But the commission and the local arts community can't agree on how Maya Angelou should be represented. The debate has highlighted a rift between people who want to see women represented in the same way men are -- through statues -- and others who say there's gotta be a better way to honor women.
Guest: Chloe Veltman, Arts & Culture Reporter for KQED
After the mass shooting in Fresno earlier this month, police responded by creating an Asian Gang Task Force. Yet so far, police have provided no evidence linking the shooting to gang activity. Now some in the Hmong community, which lost four of its own in the shooting, say the move has stereotyped a grieving community that has long worked to shed that identity.
Guest: Alex Hall, KQED Central Valley reporter
The fight over housing rights took a turn recently when two homeless moms occupied a vacant three-bedroom home in West Oakland with their children. Their group, Moms 4 Housing, wants the city to make it possible for people like them to lawfully occupy some of the thousands of empty homes owned by out-of-town corporations. But until then, they’ll squat. It’s a test case to see what the city will do, before more homeless activists try similar tactics.
Guest: Dominique Walker, Moms 4 Housing
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Steven Foster was detained and cited by BART police for eating a sandwich on a train platform. This isn't the first time BART has been the backdrop of significant social and political conversations in the Bay Area. From Oscar Grant to controversial fare gates, the transit agency is just a microcosm of a larger place: America.
Guest: Pendarvis Harshaw, Host of KQED’s Rightnowish Podcast and columnist for KQED Arts
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Since the days of Columbine, America's reference point for mass shootings has shifted over and over again. These shootings have happened at schools, movie theaters and night clubs. But there are also the mass shootings that happen on the margins: In people's homes, backyards and cul-de-sacs. The epidemic of gun violence in America is pushing newsrooms like KQED's to interrogate how to cover these tragedies. We take you inside the KQED newsroom in conversation with managing editor Vinnee Tong about the questions newsrooms like ours are grappling with in this moment.
Guest: Vinnee Tong, KQED's Managing Editor of News
Jason Mai didn’t know why his father was taken to jail when he was 12 years old. As a kid growing up in the Bay Area, he was told by his Chinese family to avoid má fan, which meant burdening or inconveniencing others by sharing the family secret. Only as an adult did Jason start to process his childhood trauma by learning about the intersections between incarceration and Asian American culture. To help him process it, he created a zine.
Guest: Jason Mai, creator of Yes, Asians Go To Jail Too
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Chesa Boudin wants to shake up San Francisco's criminal justice system. Boudin comes from an unconventional background: His parents were jailed for participating in a robbery that led him to a career as a public defender. This week, final results showed Boudin was elected District Attorney by just 2,800 votes. While some worry about what a public defender-turned-DA will mean to public safety and criminal justice, Boudin says it’s the system itself that’s been the most harmful.
Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED reporter
Get tickets to The California Report Magazine live show on Nov. 21 at the Brava Theater Center in San Francisco.
Jirayut "New" Latthivongskorn immigrated to the United States with his family as a kid. They settled in the Bay Area, where they spent years living in the shadows as undocumented immigrants. They avoided visits to the doctor's and anything that would get them noticed. Then came the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gave Latthivongskorn temporary protection from deportation -- and the chance to work as a physician himself. Now, the Trump Administration has threatened the fate of DACA, and Latthivongskorn is heading to the Supreme Court to fight back.
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, Immigration Reporter for KQED
Stanford has more property value than Apple, Google and Intel combined. And right now in the Bay Area, everyone is watching how these big property owners choose to use their land. So what role should companies who aren’t in the development business play in this moment?
Guest: Rachael Myrow, Senior Editor of KQED’s Silicon Valley Desk
"Who Owns Silicon Valley?" is a multi-newsroom investigative project involving Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, The Mercury News, NBC Bay Area, Renaissance Journalism, and Telemundo 48 Área de la BahíaTelemundo.
"Who Owns Silicon Valley?" is a multi-newsroom investigative project involving Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, The Mercury News, NBC Bay Area, Renaissance Journalism and Telemundo 48 Área de la BahíaTelemundo and KQED.
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
John Carlos and Tommie Smith were shunned after their infamous Black Power salute on the podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. The were kicked out of the Olympics and lost their track and field careers. Now, 50 years later, they've been inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame, where their athletic feats are being honored as much as their courage.
Guest: Rachael Myrow, Senior Editor of KQED's Silicon Valley Desk
Tap here to see pictures and video of San Jose State University and the Olympic games in 1968.
During the 2017 North Bay fires, bilingual radio station KBBF in Santa Rosa became a lifeline for many Spanish speakers in Sonoma County. At the time, emergency alerts and information were poorly translated, if at all. Now, KBBF has been filling another gap in the emergency response to the Kincade Fire by interpreting information on air in even more languages.
Guests: Maribel Merino, Gervacio Peña Lopez, and Xulio Soriano, volunteers at KBBF
It's been one week since the Kincade Fire started in Sonoma County, but this time residents say the county is more prepared.
Some bittersweet news from The Bay team: Our editor Erika Aguilar is leaving to head KQED’s new Housing and Affordability Desk. Erika is a founding member of The Bay and helped launch the podcast in March 2018. In this episode, The Bay team talks with Erika about making the show and why it sounds the way it does. And we get a sneak peek at Erika’s plans editing one of the biggest stories in the Bay Area right now.
Guest: Erika Aguilar, Senior Editor of KQED's Housing and Affordability Desk
PG&E said there were failures on one of its high-voltage transmission lines just minutes before the Kincaid Fire erupted in Sonoma County. It's renewed concern that PG&E equipment is implicated. This comes at a time when the utility has been turning off power to reduce the risk of another wildfire. More than 200,000 Bay Area PG&E customers had their power shut off this week in the latest response to dangerous weather conditions that are aiding the fire in Sonoma County. The shutdowns are disruptive at best, deadly at worst. Which begs the question: What is the alternative to fires and blackouts? And what else can PG&E do?
Guest: Lauren Sommer, KQED Science reporter Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
Starting in January, San Francisco will ban private cars from Market Street as part of a major overhaul to make the city’s main thoroughfare safer for pedestrians, cyclists and public transit. The plan has taken a decade to approve. What can we expect Market Street to look like not just in six months, but fifteen years? We asked Dan Brekke, transportation editor for KQED News. Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
This year’s race for San Francisco district attorney has been a doozy. The four-way race to replace George Gascón is wide-open. The Nov. 5 election took on some extra controversy this month when Gascón abruptly resigned. The next day, Mayor London Breed named Suzy Loftus interim DA -- just weeks before the polls close. What does this mean for the city? And why the DA position is way more important than you might think.
Guest: Scott Shafer, Editor of KQED's Politics & Government Desk Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa.
This week, the Bay Area felt a series of earthquakes in less than 24 hours. Thursday marked the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. That prompted KQED Science reporter Peter Arcuni to come up with a disaster plan. Over the course of four days, Arcuni secured his house, gathered supplies and got his family on board with an earthquake plan. And he documented the whole thing.
Guest: Peter Arcuni, reporter for KQED Science Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
On Monday, Native people from across the West Coast gathered in San Francisco for a ceremonial canoe journey to Alcatraz Island. Each canoe represented a territory, tribe, community or family. They paddled to celebrate culture and values on Indigenous Peoples' Day, and to commemorate the 1969 Occupation of Alcatraz.
Guest: Alice Woelfle, KQED reporter
Bay Area artists have a tendency to embed politics and messages for society into their creative work. KQED's newest podcast Rightnowish highlights those artists -- and how what they make is shapes (and has been shaped by) where we are. Author and KQED Arts writer Pendarvis Harshaw brings us into his conversations with artists, creatives and thinkers who teach us about Bay Area life and culture.
Guest: Pendarvis Harshaw, KQED Arts writer and Host of Rightnowish
Subscribe to Rightnowish on Apple Podcasts, NPR One or Spotify to get the episodes to your feed as soon as they drop.
PG&E shut off the lights to 800,000 customers in Northern California, including 141,000 in the Bay Area. The utility company says the goal is to reduce the risk of wildfires. These latest shutdowns come almost a year after the deadly Camp Fire in Paradise, which was caused by PG&E transmission lines. Some residents in Paradise say living with shutoffs is the new normal at a time when public trust in the utility is low.
Guest: Michelle Wiley, reporter for KQED
For more information about the power shutoffs read KQED's article: Why Is This Happening? Answers to Your Questions on the PG&E Shutdown
San Francisco is moving forward with a conservatorship program that would force people experiencing chronic homelessness, substance abuse and severe mental illness to get treatment even if they don't want to. A new state law allows San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego counties to create these five-year pilot programs. It's seen as a way to help people on the street who are suffering crisis, while some advocates for homeless people say conservatorships take away a person's civil liberties when there are other ways to help them.
Guest: Kate Wolffe, KQED reporter
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Although Nancy Pelosi didn’t run for elected office until she was 47, politics is in her blood. Born into a prominent Baltimore political family, Pelosi learned at a young age the chess-maneuvering of politics. That skill has served her well throughout her life — from raising five kids in San Francisco, to becoming the first female speaker of the house. And that skill is also what makes her the right person to lead the Democrats in this moment as they work to impeach President Donald Trump.
Guest: Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast.
Read Marisa's full story here.
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Female athletes in the Bay Area are at a disadvantage when it comes to opportunities to play at the professional level. There are no professional women's sports teams in the Bay, compared to seven professional sports teams for men. So female athletes thrive at the collegiate level, where athletes aren't allowed to make money off of their talents. This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to change that. Advocates of female athletes say: it's good news for students, but especially women.
Guest: Bianca Taylor, reporter for KQED News
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Residents with a place to live on Clinton Park, a street in San Francisco, pooled their money together to buy boulders for the neighborhood's sidewalks.* The residents have complained that people living in an encampment across the street were committing crimes and using drugs. So, the boulders were placed on the sidewalks to deter that. But others reject that argument saying rocks are not a solution to the city's housing and affordability crisis.
Guest: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Columnist for the San Francisco Examiner
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
North Berkeley’s “Gourmet Ghetto” is considered the birthplace of California cuisine. It’s where the original Peet’s Coffee is located, and the neighborhood is home to Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse. For years, the culinary nickname remained a part of the neighborhood’s identity, until a new coffee shop owner said he wanted it to change, pointing to its offensive, racial context. Now, the neighborhood business association has decided to remove the name from its branding, but residents still seem split on whether the name is problematic enough to change.
Sarah Han, editor of Berkeleyside's Nosh.
Vallejo residents attended a city council meeting this week wearing bright yellow stickers that read "Coked Cops Kill." They opposed efforts by the police union to delete a section of its contract that outlines when an officer could be ordered to receive drug and alcohol testing. Councilors approved the new contract, limiting when officers may be subject to drug and alcohol tests.
Guest: Ericka Cruz Guevarra, producer for The Bay
Read Ericka's full story on the meeting here. And below are links to her three episode series on Vallejo police.
Episode 1: The Life and Death of Willie McCoy
Episode 2: In Vallejo, a Sister Challenges the Police Narrative of Her Brother's Shooting
Episode 3: How Did Things Get So Bad Between Vallejo and Its Police?
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
It’s hot. It’s dry. And your power might get shut off. PG&E has been making daily decisions this week on whether to shut off power to wildland areas in Northern California that are at risk of fire. The utility announced shutoffs in portions of Butte, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sonoma, and Yuba counties starting Wednesday. That's almost 50,000 customers. Some worry if you pull the plug, the sick and elderly could suffer without power. On the other hand, no one wants to see another deadly fire like the one that destroyed Paradise. So how does PG&E decide which places go dark?
Guest: Lily Jamali, host of KQED’s The California Report
To get updates on PG&E power shut offs please tap here.
Mike Marshall has a voice you've probably heard before. He was the vocal on the 90s anthem I’ve Got Five On It. More recently, Marshall covered San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) in the movie The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Marshall waited decades to feel recognized for his voice. And it took two movies that take place around the Bay Area to make that happen.
Guest: Chloe Veltman, arts and culture reporter for KQED
Click here to read Chloe's full story.
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Maria Isabel Bueso immigrated to the United States from Guatemala 16 years ago so she could receive treatment in the Bay Area for a rare genetic disease. Her family has been able to stay here legally under "medical deferred action," which offers humanitarian relief to people often seeking life-saving medical treatment in the U.S. But in August, Bueso and her family received a deportation order. After she and other advocates pushed back on the Trump administration policy, the immigration agency who sent her that letter reversed course.
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration reporter
President Trump and HUD Secretary Ben Carson visited the Bay Area on Tuesday. Trump attended a fundraiser but made time to call attention to the state's housing and homeless crisis. Carson toured a public housing project in San Francisco that's under construction through a public-private partnership. He said the state should look to the private sector for money to build housing. But one family medicine doctor and advocate for people living on the streets says solving the issue of homelessness starts with changing the way we understand the problem: he sees houselessness as a severe public health issue.
Guest: Joshua Bamberger, associate clinical professor of family and community medicine at UCSF
In California, living with parents has become necessary for many young adults trying to save money on rent. Around 37 percent of young people ages 18 to 34 are living with their parents, according to Census data. And increasingly, those living at home are from richer coastal areas. So what does that mean for black and brown people who have been historically denied access to home ownership -- the gateway to wealth in America?
Guest: Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CALMatters and cohost of the Gimme Shelter podcast.
Here's a link to Matt's full story.
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Tech companies like Lyft and Uber have introduced America to a new way of working. They've touted a flexible, be-your-own boss work model -- though without benefits or worker protections. This week, California lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 5 -- a landmark bill that will extend protections and benefits for workers in the state's gig economy. But it protects workers in other industries too.
Guest: Katie Orr, reporter for KQED's Politics and Government Desk
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Heritage and gentrification intersect in West Oakland's Lower Bottoms neighborhood. That's the historical headquarters of the
Black Panther Party, and the last train stop in the East Bay before San Francisco. The rising cost of housing in the Bay Area is changing the character of the Lower Bottoms, and we introduce you to the podcast Out of the Blocks to hear just how.
Out of the Blocks is an immersive listening experience built from a mosaic of voices and soundscapes from inside a neighborhood. Today, they take us to West Oakland.
You can find the Out of the Blocks podcast at Apple Podcasts or Google Play.
Guest: Ariana Proehl, Out of the Blocks field producer, producer with KQED News
The tragedy of the Conception boat fire off the Santa Barbara coast has rippled throughout the diving community. Several of the 34 people who died on Labor Day were from the Bay Area. The boat and Truth Aquatics operators are highly regarded by divers. One local dive instructor who has been on the Conception wonders how a boat with such a good reputation caught fire and caused so much destruction.
Guest: Mauricio Muñoz, President of CaliDivers Scuba Diving Club and owner of Pacific Ocean Water Sports
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
The Ghost Ship trial is over, for now. The jury acquitted Max Harris, one of the two men accused of involuntary manslaughter for his role in the 2016 warehouse fire that killed 36 people. The other defendant, master tenant Derick Almena, is still locked up after a hung jury couldn’t decide whether he was guilty or innocent. The fire devastated Oakland’s artist community as the city began cracking down on unsafe living conditions. So how do artists and those who were at the Ghost Ship warehouse the night of the fire feel about the verdict?
Guest: Sam Lefebvre, KQED Arts reporter
Brandon Lee remains in critical condition after he was shot outside his home in the Philippines last month. The San Francisco native warned that the Philippine government had been intimidating him for working as a human rights advocate for indigenous communities in the Ifugao province in northern Philippines. San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney recently visited Brandon in the hospital and he joined the family in asking for government help to bring Lee back to the U.S. for care and protection.
Guest: Faye Lacanilao, a San Francisco activist and friend of Brandon Lee's
Our reporting on deadly police shootings that have happened in Vallejo has struck a nerve with listeners, especially those who live in the city. A police shooting will ripple throughout a community and touch everyone. Instead of city landmarks, some see spots where police violence occurred. They've written us to say they are frustrated but say this is a solvable problem. Today, we'll feature some of their voices and discuss how some Vallejo residents are feeling and what they're talking about.
Guest: Ericka Cruz Guevarra, producer for The Bay, KQED
Brianna Sedillo is a student at El Cerrito High School in the East Bay. After her grandfather passed away, the pressures of high school intensified for her. Her depression and anxiety kicked into high gear leaving her with few coping mechanisms to succeed in class. It's a feeling that many teenagers in school experience, and a topic that KQED's education podcast MindShift is taking on as part of it's fourth season.
MindShift explores the future of learning in all its dimensions. The hosts report on the shifts in how educators teach as they apply innovative ideas to help students learn, while meeting the rigorous demands of their standards.
Guest: Katrina Schwartz, co-host of the MindShift podcast
Listen and subscribe to the MindShift podcast from your mobile device: via Apple Podcasts | via Stitcher | via NPROne | via Spotify
When the Cabellos listed their Oakland property for sale, they got offers from developers and corporate businesses. The property sits in the gentrified Temescal neighborhood, which is part of the reason they closed their business Baby World in 2017. The family was holding out for a buyer who understood the plight and the struggle that many people – like the Cabellos, who came to Oakland as political refugees - are going through in a rapidly gentrifying city. Then they found the perfect buyer.
Guest: Sam Lefebvre, KQED Arts reporter
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
This isn’t the first time Vallejo has experienced a cluster of high profile police shootings and incidents that have caused residents to demand changes. The current pleas and fight for police accountability from activists is reminiscent of 2012, when there was a spike in deadly police shootings. But it's not just police shootings people are concerned about. It’s also everyday run-ins with Vallejo officers that for years have added to a sense of mistrust that’s blowing up in City Hall. Vallejo is hiring its next police chief soon and has invited an outside audit of its police department. But it begs the question: Why is this happening in Vallejo, and why now?
This is the final episode in The Bay’s three part series on Vallejo policing shootings.
The recent wave of protests for police accountability in Vallejo started back in 2017. That’s when Angel Ramos, 21, was fatally shot by an officer who thought he was stabbing another person during a fight. But no knife was found near him. Since then, his sister Alicia Saddler has been trying to change the narrative about what happened, which has largely been controlled by law enforcement and the city. Now, new activists and more families who’ve lost loved ones to police shootings are joining in to pressure the city for answers. But what happens when you take on an institution that we’re meant to trust? Read the Full Story This is episode two in The Bay’s three part series on Vallejo policing shootings.
This story was reported and produced by KQED's local news podcast, The Bay. Click the "listen" button above to hear the episode.
Subscribe to The Bay on any of your favorite podcast apps to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Willie McCoy had a hard childhood, but his dreams of making music professionally kept him alive until he was shot 55 times by Vallejo police in February after he was found unconscious his car. His death and the subsequent release of body-cam video of the police shooting has sparked protests at Vallejo City Hall, a new round of outrage different from the protests over police killings in 2012. Activists, the media and ordinary Vallejo residents are paying attention this time. With their help, David Harrison, 20-year old McCoy's older cousin, has mounted a police accountability campaign to get answers, information, and change. But he is learning that when you pressure the Vallejo Police Department and City Hall, silence and alternative narratives is what you get.
In February, Vallejo police officers shot a young black man 55 times after he was found unconscious in his car. Another was killed last year after an officer tried to stop him for riding a bike without a safety light. Fatal police shootings of Black and Latino men are drawing attention to the small, diversely-populated suburb of Vallejo, which has been largely ignored by most media and activists, until recently. There are protests and lawsuits; there are calls for investigations and resignations.
In a three-episode series starting Monday, The Bay will take you into the homes of families who have lost loved ones to fatal shootings by Vallejo police. We will visit contentious council meetings and examine how the city found itself in this situation — again.
The episodes will be released on August 19, August 21 and August 23. Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
A San Francisco native was shot in the Philippines earlier this month in what friends and family believe was an attempted extrajudicial assassination by the Philippine government. Brandon Lee became an activist through San Francisco State University's League of Filipino Students. Lee moved to the Philippines in 2010 to work as a paralegal and human rights advocate for indigenous communities in the Ifugao province in northern Philippines.
San Francisco has been the epicenter of activism for decades, and Filipinos are significant part of that history. Activist friends of Lee's are now asking for a moratorium on U.S. aid to the Philippines National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Guest: Faye Lacanilao, a San Francisco activist and friend of Brandon Lee's
More than 34,000 people are homeless in the Bay Area. There's not enough housing or resources to help them all. Some have friends or family who have been searching for their loved ones to bring them home, but finding someone who is homeless is very challenging. They're always on the move. They don't often have access to a phone. And even after finding that person, they might not be ready to go home.
In this podcast episode of The Bay, we'll hear from a woman who, through her long search for her mother, started a Facebook group to help others search for their relatives and friends that are missing and homeless. The group helped a Northern California family find their son who was homeless in San Francisco but not before learning that supporting him meant practicing unconditional love, patience, persistence and even letting him go.
Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED's Acting Silicon Valley Bureau Chief
Latinos this week have expressed fear, anger and unity after a gunman shot and killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. The suspect wrote a racist manifesto blaming immigrants and Hispanics for economic changes in the U.S. The massacre in Texas followed the Bay Area’s own mass shooting last month in Gilroy, a city that is majority Hispanic. Since then, many Latinx people have shared how these shootings have changed their lives, including two KQED reporters, both from Texas.
Guest: Vianey Alderete, KQED reporter
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
The three victims from the Gilroy Garlic Festival were young -- ages 6, 13 and 25. Many of the victims from the shootings in El Paso and Dayton were also young. And it was children, teenagers and young adults who joined the debate for gun control, notably after the Parkland, Florida school shooting in 2018 where 17 students and staff members were killed. Here in the Bay Area, high school students channeled their outrage into a regional activist group they formed to lobby for gun control legislation and protest gun violence at schools, neighborhoods and public spaces. At first, people listened. But a year later, keeping the fight alive is harder than they had hoped it would be.
Guest: Vanessa Rancano, KQED education reporter Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
After the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on July 28, a local newspaper photographer criticized how media quickly descended on the small city in south Santa Clara County in ways we've seen too many times: cameras, lights satellite trucks, neatly-dressed journalists. To Robert Eliason, it felt cold, transaction and distanced. "I'm press, but I'm not really press," he wrote on his Facebook page. In an era when, shootings and other deadly assaults on the public happen often, how should the media respond and cover these terrible, violent acts , the victims and the places where they happen.
Guest: Robert Eliason, newspaper photographer for SV Media, Inc. Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
Google pledged $1 billion earlier this month to help ease Silicon Valley's housing crisis. That crisis is playing out in Google's home city of Mountain View, where city leaders want to ban RVs from parking overnight on city streets. RV dwellers say they have nowhere else to go. But some Mountain View residents say they're concerned about waste, parking availability and public health. The city plans to give some vehicles a safe place to park, but not all.
Guest: Rachael Myrow, Acting Silicon Valley Bureau Chief
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
A San Francisco nurse named Bobbi Campbell was the first person to publicly announce he had a cancer associated with AIDS in 1981. Around this time, he convinced a Castro drugstore to display pictures of his lesions to educate other gay men in the city. This was the beginning of an activist-led campaign to alert the gay community of a new disease that has since affected millions around the world. And while initially federal officials were turning a blind eye, local activists were shaping San Francisco into the epicenter of a movement that still resonates today.
Guest: Sarah Hotchkiss, KQED Arts’ Visual Arts Editor
Read more of KQED Arts’ series Pride as Protest.
Can an artist’s original intentions withstand the test of time and modern sentiment? A mural at George Washington High School in San Francisco that intended to depict America's founding father in true light and criticize the country's racist past has sparked debate for decades. Some have described the mural as degrading; others have called it historic. After years of contention, the S.F. school board plans to obscure the school campus mural from public view. The question is how, and will it be permanent?
Guest: Sam Lefebvre, reporter for KQED Arts
President Trump on Monday announced that federal immigration officers were gearing up for deportations next week. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf responded by urging her community to be prepared. It’s unclear whether the federal government is even capable of widespread raids or deportations, and who exactly they're targeting. Trump administration officials have said their immigration policies are meant to deter migrants, many traveling from Central American countries, from coming to the U.S. Today, we’ll revisit an episode from December about one family’s arduous migrant journey from El Salvador to the Bay Area.
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, immigration reporter for KQED
Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
San Francisco's Juneteenth, a commemoration of the end of slavery, is one of the largest gatherings of African Americans in California every year. This year's Juneteenth parade was named in honor of Rachel Townsend, a leader in San Francisco's black community who died of sudden illness in 2018. Townsend was active in San Francisco and Oakland politics and fought to keep Juneteenth in San Francisco despite the city's shrinking black population. At its peak in the 1970s, 13 percent of the city was black. That's compared to just about 5 percent in 2017. Rachel Townsend's father says events and buildings named after his daughter are a great honor and a reminder of the city's black history.
Guest: Rev. Arnold Townsend, father to Rachel Townsend, Board Member of the African American Art and Culture Complex, and Vice President of the San Francisco NAACP
Environmental activists in San Francisco have long called for the city to have its own public power system. The idea never took off until PG&E went bankrupt, again, in January. The private utility company owns most of the power grid that delivers the city's power, but S.F. leaders worry PG&E will raise rates and prioritize profits over reliable, safe power. Now city leaders are looking at buying PG&E lines, and are considering what it would take if San Francisco ran power on its own grid. The city will discuss Monday it whether to move forward with a study into how San Francisco could go about operating its own system.
Guest: Lisa Pickoff-White, KQED data reporter
Formerly incarcerated people who can’t find work after prison face a 50 percent chance of returning to prison. Those who do find work have a better chance of staying out. San Quentin State Prison, California’s oldest prison, has several programs such as arts, continuing education and electronics training to help inmates prepare for life outside its walls. One of these programs, Quentin Cooks, helps inmates learn kitchen skills and get certified to work in the food service industry after they get out of prison. But there are challenges that rehabilitation and transitional programs can’t prepare you for — the shock of being released into a Bay Area that looks and feels very different from the one you left.
Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED reporter
The cost of going to prison is both personal and financial. That’s exacerbated by the price of phone calls from the inside. In San Francisco, a 15-minute phone call can cost $2.10. Other jails charge about $5. And it's often the family and friends of incarcerated people who pay these fees; often they are women of color and low-income people. So, San Francisco plans to eliminate fees for phone calls from jails, and will stop marking up the cost of items such as toiletries and food at the commissary. The proposal is personal for Mayor London Breed whose family members have served time in jail. She sees it as a form of rehabilitation that can improve inmate behavior and help people reenter society.
Guest: Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED’s Politics and Government Desk
"Surreal" is the word Paradise High School seniors used over and over again to describe their graduation months after the deadly Camp Fire that leveled most of the town. Most of the students lost homes in the fire, the most deadly and destructive fire in recorded California history. Last week's ceremony was the first time most students had set foot on campus since they were forced to evacuate. We hear from students whose sense of normalcy was restored, at least for an evening.
Guest: Jeremy Siegel, KQED reporter
Click the "listen" button above to hear the interview. Or find the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Read Jeremy's story about twins Kirsten-Grace and Nicholas Baker graduating together from Paradise High, and see photos of the moving graduation ceremony.
Subscribe to The Bay on any of your favorite podcast apps to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
The teachers strike at the New Haven School District in Union City and South Hayward has been going on for two weeks now. Unlike more recent teachers strikes around the Bay Area, New Haven’s comes at the end of the school year when students are supposed to take final exams and graduate. So if there’s no agreement, what does that mean for students?
Guest: Joseph Geha, reporter for the East Bay Times and Mercury News
It’s hard enough to live, work and survive in the Bay Area. But people whose work is their passion often make additional sacrifices to do what they love. Many of you shared stories of “passion exploitation” after KQED Arts published an article in March about how San Francisco’s Apple store paid in-store performers with merchandise instead of cash. It turns out there’s research that shows creative people can be vulnerable to passion exploitation.
Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, music editor with KQED Arts.
Click the "listen" button above to hear the interview with Nastia, or find the episode on your favorite podcast app.
If you would like to share your story with Nastia and KQED, complete this short survey.
Subscribe to The Bay on any of your favorite podcast apps to hear more local, Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
It's not uncommon to see people struggling with mental health in San Francisco. People experiencing the trauma of homelessness often have their worst days unfold on city streets. San Francisco supervisors plan to introduce a November ballot proposal this week to let voters decide whether to offer universal mental health care for all residents. It would make San Francisco one of the first cities in the nation to do this. The city's homeless are top of mind, but so are everyday San Franciscans who have trouble accessing care -- even with insurance.
Guest: April Dembosky, KQED health reporter
A series of police shootings in Vallejo over the last few years has mobilized residents to city hall in protest. This week, the families of Angel Ramos, Willie McCoy, and Ronnell Foster -- three men of color shot and killed by Vallejo police -- demanded truth, justice and accountability from the department. Vallejo, a city of about about 120,000 people and one of the most racially-diverse cities in America, is right across the Bay from the politically-active cities of Oakland and San Francisco. Vallejo residents have vowed to continue protesting until justice is served, and people are starting to pay attention.
Guest: Otis Taylor Jr., Metro Columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle
When Bay Area cities clear homeless encampments, proponents of such plans often say they're trying to fix a public health issue, or that encampments have become too unsafe or unhealthy. But some are making the case that treating housing as an issue of public health is more effective. Dr. Joshua Bamberger says it doesn't matter what medicines he prescribes -- they won't help if his patient doesn't have a home.
Guest: Dr. Joshua Bamberger, associate clinical professor of family and community medicine and UC San Francisco
When Tonya Mosley thinks about conversations she's had with friends and family about race, she's usually asking for advice. Now, there's a podcast for that -- and Tonya is hosting it. Truth Be Told is a show about race created for people of color, by people of color. The episodes tackle topics like colonized desire and well-meaning white folks. It also taps into the expertise of 'wise ones,' people of color with a wealth of knowledge from lived experience. But why an advice podcast -- and why now?
Listen to Truth be Told on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or NPR One
Guest: Tonya Mosley, host of Truth Be Told
San Jose has undergone dramatic change since the Sharks first came to the city in 1993. The population has spiked to more than 1 million, the median home price is $1 million, and the SAP Center (Shark Tank) isn't the only development getting attention anymore. The region's identity has become intertwined with the tech boom that's changing San Jose. But at least one thing has remained the same: the city's love for its professional ice hockey team.
Guest: Brian Watt, host of KQED's Morning Edition
When you get your check at a restaurant, there’s a good chance your server is white. There’s an even better chance that the cooks and dishwashers in the back of the house are POC who get considerably less money, according to a new study that evaluated Bay Area restaurants for racial equity. That’s why some Oakland city leaders want to offer incentives to restaurants that diversify their staff. But why should the city have to coax (and pay) restaurants to do this?
Guest: Kate Wolffe, reporter for KQED News
Subscribe to The Bay on any of your favorite podcast apps to hear more local news stories like this on your smartphone. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, or via Alexa.
It's confirmed: A PG&E transmission line sparked the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history last November in Butte County. Cal Fire announced Wednesday the result of its investigation into the Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed nearly 14,000 homes. Now it's up to the Butte County District Attorney to determine if PG&E will face criminal charges for it's role in the fire. Either way, some say Cal Fire's determination helps victims of the fire understand they have a right to compensation from one of the largest combined gas and electric companies in the United States.
Guest: Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED's California Politics and Government Desk and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast
We use facial recognition technology to unlock our cell phones, doors, and find friends on social media apps. But there's a real fear about how tech companies and government is recording our faces and tracking our movements. That’s one reason why the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to ban city agencies, including the police department, from using this type of technology. The ordinance is part of a larger policy package that is supposed to give the city control over what surveillance technology gets used. San Francisco could become the first city in the nation to ban facial recognition software if the ordinance passes its final vote later.
Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED’s acting Silicon Valley Bureau Chief
Driving through downtown San Francisco has always been hell (good luck getting across Market Street). Traffic has gotten worse with job growth and the advent of ride-hailing apps like Lyft and Uber. Could congestion pricing help? San Francisco is studying whether to charge people who drive through some of the busiest parts of the city. New York City decided it will introduce congestion pricing in 2021. Could San Francisco be next? It’ll be a hard sell since we love our cars. But desperate times in the Bay Area call for desperate measures.
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
The legacy of Rose Pak returns to San Francisco. A proposal to name a future Muni rail station after the late Chinatown activist provoked a protest at City Hall this week, and debates over how to recognize her achievements for Chinatown. Although she never held elected office, Pak was a major player in city politics and projects. Her rough, unapologetic style rubbed some people the wrong way, while others say she did whatever she needed to for her community.
Guests: Joe Eskenazi, Mission Local Managing Editor
Malcom Yeung, Deputy Director of Programs at the Chinatown Community Development Center, Member of San Francisco Airport Commission
Cindy Wu, Deputy Director at the Chinatown Community Development Center
Uber drivers are planning to strike Wednesday by turning off their apps ahead of the company's public offering, which is expected to be the largest of the new tech IPOs this year. Drivers say they want higher pay and benefits. Uber has avoided having to provide benefits because their drivers are considered independent contractors. In fact, a lot of tech workers in Silicon Valley are contractors -- including people you might expect to have permanent jobs. That includes people with degrees, like programmers and data analysts. Many are people of color, and they hang in long limbo as they reach for a permanent position.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
A new narrative surfaced about what could have caused the deadly Oakland warehouse fire in 2016 that killed 36 people. Defense attorneys have introduced the possibility that the fire was caused by arson. As testimony begins this week the trial is reopening old wounds for families and friends of the victims, as well as a community forever changed by the fire.
Guest: Don Clyde, reporter and producer for KQED News.
Filipinos are huge part of life and culture in the Bay Area. But the spotlight rarely falls on them, especially in media. El Cerrito High School senior Rachel Manila doesn't remember seeing anyone who looked like in her in movies, on TV or in books."I just didn't see anything, like any Filipinos ever ... that had a Filipino, playing a Filipino," she said.
All week, as part of #YouthTakeoverKQED, we have been featuring young people on the radio and online to listen to what concerns them and their perspectives. Today on this podcast, we hear from 17-year-old Rachel Manila who reflects on growing up Filipina in the Bay Area.
We all know it's expensive to live in the Bay Area. But just how unaffordable is it? Reporters with the Mercury News and the East Bay Times looked at how high rents and mortgages have climbed since 2012, and it will blow your mind. People making $100,000 can afford to live in just 28 percent of Bay Area neighborhoods. And if you're making less than $64,000, you basically have no options.
Guest: Katy Murphy, Bay Area News Group government reporter
High rent. Long commutes. Expensive food. Childcare. Sea level rise. Gentrification. These are just some of the challenges of living in the Bay Area. Many are asking, should I stay or should I go? Or more pointedly, can I stay? If it’s not you, it’s your friends or your family who have grappled with these questions.
The San Francisco Chronicle's newest food critic has been on the job for about three months now. Since starting, Soleil Ho has written about ethical eating in the age of #MeToo, and how much we're willing to pay for human interaction at restaurants. We revisit our conversation with Soleil Ho, and how she approaches food criticism in nontraditional ways.
Guest: Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle Restaurant Critic, cohost of the Racist Sandwich podcast.
More women came forward after KQED published an investigation last year showing sexual misconduct allegations against Manouso Manos, a prominent international yoga teacher based in San Francisco. The reporting prompted an investigation by the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S., which recently released findings validating several women’s claims. Manos has been banned from the association, but can still teach yoga.
Guest: Miranda Leitsinger, KQED reporter
Read Miranda's reporting here on yoga in the #MeToo era.
There are a ton of artists, creators and thinkers in the Bay Area who have messages for society. KQED's newest radio show Rightnowish highlights them. Author and KQED Arts writer Pendarvis Harshaw brings us into conversations as he embeds himself in Bay Area life and culture. Guest: Pendarvis Harshaw, KQED Arts writer and author of OG Told Me
Listen to Rightnowish on KQED at 7:34 and 9:34 am on Sundays, or check it out online at KQED.org/Rightnowish.
California’s bullet train project was designed to get people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours. But after years of legal and financial battles, the future of that full project is unclear. For now, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is focused on building the route from Merced to Bakersfield. Frustrated residents and landowners in the Central Valley fear the state is tearing up land for a rail line that may never be fully finished.
Guest: Alex Hall, KQED Central Valley reporter. Read her full story on construction of the high-speed rail line at KQED.org.
Neighbors of San Francisco's Embarcadero waterfront community were fired up when the city proposed building a 225-bed navigation center for the homeless. First, competing Go Fund Me pages were set up to raise money for litigating the matter. Then, Mayor London Breed was shouted down at a meeting about the shelter. This week, the city will host another such community meeting, but are people willing to compromise to find a solution?
Guest: Caroline Champlin, KQED reporter
First it was Lyft. Next is Pinterest. Eventually, Uber, Slack, Airbnb and Postmates. All these tech companies are expected to go public this year. There's wide speculation that these IPOs are going to make San Francisco even more expensive and impossible to live here. But one writer isn't buying that. Or, at least, she doesn't think it can get any worse than it already is now.
Guest: Caille Millner, San Francisco Chronicle columnist
Read Caille's column, "IPOs Can't Make Things in Bay Area Worse Than They Already Are."
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell doesn’t have the name recognition or the money that the other presidential candidates have. As the 18th Democratic candidate entering the race, he's starting a little behind. But the 38-year-old, Iowa-born congressman is a frequent guest on cable news shows rebutting President Trump and his administration's policies. Is that enough? Guest: Scott Shafer, Senior Editor for KQED’s Politics and Government Desk and co-host of Political Breakdown
As a geologist, Greg Stock never imagined he'd witness the death of a glacier. The Lyell Glacier is Yosemite National Park's largest ice mass, and Stock has been researching it for more than a decade. The famed California scientist John Muir first studied the Lyell in the 1870s. But the glacier has slowly shrunk. Soon it will completely disappear. What do you call a glacier that no longer moves?
Guest: Daniel Duane, San Francisco-based author. His essay What Remains was published in The California Sunday Magazine on April 4.
Unlike its epic failure last year, SB 50 passed its first test this week in the state Senate Housing Committee hearing. The bill introduced by San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener would allow developers to build taller, denser housing near certain transit and job centers. Wiener has support from big city mayors, but not from several San Francisco supervisors.
Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics and Government reporter
Get tickets to the Bay's live event on April 26 in San Francisco.
Divas celebrated 31 years of serving the trans community before closing its doors for good on March 30. Some trans people say the club represented a space of inclusion and community in a city that’s becoming more mono-cultural. Today we bring you one person's love letter to the place where she discovered herself.
Guest: Maria Konner, Host of San Francisco's variety show Under the Golden Gate.
Read Maria’s article on Medium, “Divas: The Loss of San Francisco’s Trans ‘Town Square.”
The Bay Area bubble is real. Sometimes living in the bubble means have tunnel vision on how the rest of the country lives. So today, we thought we'd leave this bay and visit some others. Travel with us as we hop around and show you other "Bay Areas."
Guests: Gail Delaughter, Houston Public Media transportation reporter, Catherine Cruz, Hawaii Public Radio reporter, and Don Rush, Public Radio Delmarva news director.
Special thanks to Krista Alamanzan, KAZU news director, Dalia Colon, WUSF podcast producer, Jennifer Rooks, host at Maine Public Radio.
An investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle found juvenile detention centers across California were nearly empty but the costs to run these facilities have skyrocketed. In San Francisco, it cost $266,000 to keep a kid locked up at juvenile hall. There are 150 beds, but fewer than 50 juvenile offenders on average stay there. Now politicians want to find a way to shut down SF's juvy hall.
Guests: Jill Tucker, education reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and Joaquin Palomino, data and investigative reporter for the Chronicle.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle's investigation on the drop in juvenile crime and arrests, and the rising costs of detention.
Want more stories from The Bay? Get tickets to our live event on April 26 in San Francisco.
Dozens of reporters across California have been working to obtain records from police departments on misconduct and accountability under a new state law, SB 1421, that went into effect this year. But they're having a hard time. Police unions are suing cities and counties to prevent these documents from being released. Today, we’ll give you an update on this effort led by KQED.
Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter
Here are more stories about the police records journalists have been able to obtain from the California Reporting Project collaboration.
When a group of RVs was forced to leave Berkeley’s marina last year, many moved to West Berkeley, near Gilman Street where RVs line the sidewalks. Business owners and residents complain that the wheeled-homes leave garbage and take up parking space. Now, the Berkeley city council is considering a ban on overnight parking for RVs. Today, we hear from someone who will be affected by this proposed ban.
Guest: Yesica Prado, RV owner and activist
The Bay is hosting a live event in San Francisco on April 26th at 8 pm. Click here for tickets!
Local bands and artists are being asked to perform at San Francisco's Apple store in Union Square. As payment they get Airpods, Apple TV, or a watch. Not money. It's a story that KQED Arts music editor Nastia Voynovskya first broke. Some artists like the exposure from a large corporation like Apple. Others say artists, many whom are people of color, are being used to advertise Apple's image as creative and diverse.
Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, music editor at KQED Arts
Read Nastia's story here.
Also! Come out to The Bay's live event on April 26 at Manny's in San Francisco. Tickets are on sale now.
Nearly a quarter of the people experiencing homelessness in Oakland are living out of a car, truck or some type of vehicle. That's why four Oakland churches announced a new plan this week to allow homeless people to park cars overnight on their properties. Churches will offer portable bathrooms and showers, while up to 65 people will get help finding new jobs and places to live. Today, we visit one of these churches.
Guest: Rev. Ken Chambers, West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County
The Bay Area’s eccentric reputation is built from its arts and culture. Music is a centerpiece. So it’s no wonder some in the music scene worry about the impact of large national promoters on independent venues that were once booked by local promoters.
Guests: Sam Lefebvre, KQED Arts staff writer and Tony Bedard, local music promoter.
Read Sam's story here.
Many people were not surprised that 13 of the 50 people charged in the college admission scandal this week are from the Bay Area. Among those not surprised that money and power impact who gets into colleges and who doesn't are three high school seniors at June Jordan School for Equity. Today, we hear from them and then get some advice on how to approach college selection.
Guests: Meili Tan Rubio, Jasmine Menjivar, and Georgia Pori, seniors at June Jordan School for Equity and Dr. Barbara Austin with College Quest
Berkeley unveiled new city limit signs this week that say “Welcome to the City of Berkeley - Ohlone Territory.” Colonizers have wiped away much Native American history in the Bay Area, but a few burial shellmounds are still around. Another sign that reminds us of who was here first and whose land we are living on. In this episode, originally produced by KQED's Bay Curious show, we review a part of the Ohlone shellmound history in the East Bay.
Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED reporter
Read more about Ohlone shellmounds from KQED’s Bay Curious show.
Fights over housing policies in the Bay Area often include these two sides: The NIMBYs (not in my backyard) and the YIMBYs (yes in my backyard). Let me introduce you to the PHIMBYs, who are bringing another level of nuance to the housing debate. They believe more public housing should be part of a solution to the Bay Area's housing crisis. And they see a contentious project in the Mission as having PHIMBY potential.
Guest: Jessica Placzek, KQED reporter
For more, read Jessica's full story on PHIMBY and public housing in San Francisco at KQED.org.
People are outraged that two Sacramento police officers will not face criminal charges for killing 22-year old Stephon Clark last year, an unarmed Black man holding a cell phone. The state attorney general and the district attorney both say the officers' use of deadly force was legally justified. But two bills in the Legislature could change the standards when deciding whether to prosecute officers, and how police train to use deadly force.
Guest: Marisa Lagos, political correspondent for KQED
The Bay officially launched on March 6, 2018. Since then, we’ve covered some of the biggest Bay Area stories: elections, ICE raids and all kinds of housing laws. Plus, we've had some real conversations about Bay Area culture. But one of our favorite things is listening to messages that listeners have sent us about our episodes. So today we thought we’d revisit some of our favorite calls.
Let us know about an episode of The Bay that moved you! Call 415-553-2273 and leave us a message. Tell us why that particular episode spoke to you.
Also, thanks for listening!
The Oakland teachers strike is over. Teachers and other educators approved an agreement Sunday night to end the seven-day strike and give parents a reason to send their kids back to school. The agreement offers teachers a pay increase. But school board officials say the raises will come with future budget cuts in other departments. Plus, not everyone is happy with the new contract, especially nurses.
Guests: Vanessa Rancano, education reporter for KQED and Julia McEvoy, education editor for KQED.
It’s cold in the Bay Area now. But in 2017, two heat waves killed 14 people in the Bay Area. KQED reporting has found that most of those people who died started getting sick from the heat while inside some place, instead of outside in the sun. State regulators are now in the process of coming up with rules to regulate how hot workplaces can be in order to protect people from heat-related illnesses and deaths.
Guest: Molly Peterson, reporter for KQED Science
Chinedu Okobi died last October after being tased by San Mateo sheriff deputies. His death was one of three that happened last year involving tasers and police officers from different departments. Activists and the family of those killed in taser-involved arrests have demanded information about how law enforcement uses tasers and want to see changes to how they are used. Meanwhile, the San Mateo County district attorney's office is expected to release details of its investigation into Okobi’s death, which determine whether officers were legally justified to use force.
Guest: Julie Small, KQED criminal justice reporter
Jeff Adachi died suddenly Friday night. While details of how he died are still under investigation, many are remembering Adachi and his tireless efforts as a public defender who provided fair legal representation to the people who needed it most. Adachi was the only elected public defender in the state of California, making his position fighting for and against the system unique.
Guest: Scott Shafer, Senior Editor of KQED's Politics and Government Desk.
Subscribe and listen to the full Political Breakdown podcast here.
It's Day 1 of the Oakland Unified school teacher strike. Teachers, parents and students began picketing Thursday for more pay, support, and smaller class sizes. The strike directly affects thousands of families that must decide whether to send their kids to school or not. And it hurts the district's pocket book every day students are absent. Today, we check in with one school in Oakland to see how families are handling the strike.
Guests: Julia McEvoy, KQED senior editor, Alejandra Gonzales, Oakland school parent
Get tips, advice and coverage of the teachers strike from KQED by tapping here.
Lots of gig workers earn tips. So, when InstaCart started paying its full-service shoppers and deliverers on a sliding scale based on how many tips they got, the workers were pissed off. They took to Reddit and Facebook to complain and gained the national media's attention. This month, InstaCart changed how it pays its app workers. It's seen as a victory for gig workers that have been trying to get tech companies to be transparent about how they pay so-called contract workers.
Guest: Sam Harnett, tech reporter for KQED
PG&E is under pressure to not spark a wildfire this summer. A federal judge overseeing the investor-owned utility's probation case is demanding they take prevention measures. This week, PG&E presented its wildfire safety plan to state regulators, which includes cutting back trees, replacing power poles, installing weather stations, and shutting off power when it’s hot, dry and windy. But PG&E says these plans are costly. And, the question of who will pay for it all, lingers as does PG&E's bankruptcy case.
Guest: Dan Brekke, news reporter and editor for KQED
The opioid crisis has dominated the news, but there is growing evidence that methamphetamine has made a return to San Francisco. Overdoses from meth have more than doubled and about half the people admitted to San Francisco General Hospital with a psychiatric emergency are high on meth. Some health experts think the two drug crises could be related.
Guest: April Dembosky, health correspondent for KQED
Ten years is a lot of time. For the Bay Area, it's meant more money, new problems, and getting more serious about climate change. Today on the podcast, we apply the #10YearChallenge to the Bay Area and see how the past ten years has treated the politics, economy, arts and environment scenes in the Bay Area.
To give us your take on the #10YearChallenge for the Bay Area ...
Call us at 415-553-2273 and leave us a voice message. Be sure to tell us your first name and what part of the Bay Area you are from. Just be aware that your message may be played on the podcast. If you prefer email, we’re at thebay@kqed.org.
BART will stop offering its 4 a.m. train service on Feb. 11 in order to retrofit the Transbay Tube to better withstand major earthquakes. Workers will install a new liner in the 3.6-mile underwater structure to prevent flooding after a big quake, a project that's expected to take three and a half years to complete. That leaves 3,000 people who ride BART during its first hour of service looking for another way to get to work -- including our very own early-morning news anchor Brian Watt.
Guest: Brian Watt, morning news anchor for KQED.
East Bay rapper Keak Da Sneak is credited with pioneering the Hyphy style. This Thursday he has to turn himself in to serve a 16-month state prison sentence. Since being shot in 2017, he’s confined to a wheelchair and needs round the clock care. He can’t expect that kind of care in prison. This has started a conversation about accessibility and medical care while serving time.
Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, music editor for KQED Arts
High school freshman Crista Ramos had no idea her mom was living under Temporary Protected Status, a federal humanitarian program that allows about 260,000 immigrants from El Salvador to lawfully live and work in the U.S. But when the Trump administration announced it would end the program, everything changed. Now, Crista’s the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit. Everyday high school worries have been replaced with fighting to keep her family together.
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, immigration report for KQED
Chico is bursting at the seams right now. The ripples of displacement from the Camp Fire, which killed at least 86 people and destroyed about 14,000 homes, are far from over as people cram into Chico to stay living close to family, jobs and schools. But the city's vacancy rate is nearly zero, and some people are being evicted to make room.
Guest: Sonja Hutson, covers wildfires, emergency preparedness and politics for KQED
School closures. Teacher strike. Budget cuts. It hasn’t been a great week for Oakland Unified. The school board voted to close Roots International Academy and will be deciding soon whether to merge two other schools. Plus, teachers – who want more money and better working conditions – are voting by Friday whether to authorize a strike. This week feels like the district’s woes have hit an apex.
Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter
If you're a fan of The Bay, you can thank Vinnee Tong. She helped launch the podcast last year and has helped shape the shows from choosing what we cover and how we talk about it, especially around race, identity and class. Vinnee starts her new role as KQED’s new managing editor, which begins Jan. 28. Today, Erika and Devin sit down with Vinnee for her totally, unofficial exit interview.
Guest: Vinnee Tong, KQED’s managing editor (forever Bay member)
Kamala Harris announced this week she’s running for president. She's certainly not the first Californian to be groomed by Bay Area politics for the national stage. Harris has had to walk a line between left-leaning politics and her status as a former prosecutor. On Sunday she'll hold a rally in Oakland, the city where she was born.
Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics reporter
What if we looked at solving the Bay Area's housing crisis from a regional lens? Could we come up with solutions that actually work? It's often said that solving the housing crisis requires a regional approach but no one has tried to define what that looks like, until now. A proposal on its way to the state legislature could give the Bay Area its own regional housing agency with the ability to set goals and taxes.
Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter
The Bay wants to get to know you better. Take our survey and share your opinion about the podcast.
The debate over whether gig workers are employees or contractors has been a slow, messy conversation. Now, California’s new governor, Gavin Newsom, is trying to help broker a deal between the two sides. But some drivers aren’t happy about where they think it's going.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
The Bay wants to get to know you better. Take our survey and share your opinion about the podcast.
PG&E says it has no choice but to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that it's going to file papers around Jan. 29. A lot of things led to this: from deregulation in the 1990's, to the fatal San Bruno explosion in 2010 that put the utility on probation to the 2017 and 2018 deadly wildfires in Northern California. And it brings up the question of who should ultimately be responsible for the cost.
Guests: Lisa Pickoff-White, KQED data journalist, and Marisa Lagos, KQED senior politics reporter
Valero spent $200,000 in last year's Benicia city council election to help elect two candidates who were less critical of the company than others. That's created tension between the oil refiner and the city, leading people to question how much influence Valero should have in local politics. On Tuesday Benicia will discuss the possibility of new campaign finance laws that could limit corporate influence in its small town.
Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED News Editor
About 40 percent of students in the Salinas City Elementary School District are considered homeless. This can mean living in a shelter or living in an overcrowded home, like multiple families co-existing in a single place. It's a problem that hurts schoolchildren and their ability to learn and retain information. And it stems from high and growing housing prices.
Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter
To see more of Vanessa's reporting on Monterey County tap here.
The San Mateo County district attorney is looking to reopen an investigation against a fired Burlingame police officer. The cop was accused by three women of asking them for sex in exchange for help with their alleged crimes. The case was made public this week after Bay Area reporters received police records under a new transparency law that went into effect on Jan. 1.
Guest: Thomas Peele, investigative reporter with the Bay Area News Group
Food says a lot about who we are. It can identify where we come from and what we like. In some cases, it may even let us know when we’re being racist. In a way, that’s a starting point for the San Francisco Chronicle's new restaurant critic Soleil Ho. The host of the podcast Racist Sandwich, Soleil tells The Bay about how food is a conduit for way more than what’s on our plates. ... Also, she likes the “gross” stuff, too.
Guest: Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle’s new restaurant critic, cohost of the Racist Sandwich podcast.
Getting access to police records has never been easy. Especially when the records involve allegations of police wrongdoing. A new California law - SB 1421 - introduced by a Bay Area state senator, is supposed to give the public access to documents related to police misconduct and accountability. But law enforcement is fighting to keep documents from the past, private. This week a judge rejected an attempt to block the law from going into effect, and KQED journalists are involved.
Guests: Sukey Lewis and Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice reporters
See ya, 2018. What up, 2019! We’ve produced almost 150 episodes of The Bay covering all kinds of local news from e-scooters, to housing policies and #GrillingWhileBlack. Today, we want to pause a moment to say thanks for hanging with us. And to give you a sense of how we’re approaching the new year (hint: Erika is optimistic; Devin is pessimistic).
Guests: Yours Truly
Ten years ago, in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, Oscar Grant was shot and killed by Bart police officer, Johannes Mehserle. This was one of the first police shootings caught on cell phone video and spread around the world. It began a decade of witnessing police violence in a new way that has sparked a national conversation around police accountability and racism.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, KQED race and equity reporter
Check out KQED's Forum special on Oscar Grant's legacy. And KQED Arts is asking people to write letters to Oscar Grant.
We jump into a stranger's car and take a ride over the Bay Bridge in the "casual carpool lane" to talk about higher bridge tolls. Our carpool driver and rider join in on a discussion about Regional Measure 3, which 55 percent of voters approved in the June 5 election that increased tolls on seven state bridges in the Bay Area.
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
WhileBlack was a popular hashtag in 2018. This year we watched several videos on social media that included white people harassing black people doing just about everything. Oakland had a couple of racist moments at Lake Merritt this year, including one woman who became known as BBQ Becky. The city had its own response too.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, KQED race and equity reporter
This was a big year for people of color in lead movie roles — especially for culture, language and accents that are not English or American. One of those films was Crazy Rich Asians, which resonated with the Bay Area, and our host Devin Katayama and our editor Vinnee Tong, as we discuss Asian American identity.
Guest: Ricky Yean, writer of Asian-Americans Are Cultural Orphans (aka I hope Crazy Rich Asians isn’t a flop)
What happens when the people most invested in trying to make the Bay Area a better place decide to LEAVE entirely? Gabriel Metcalf is the outgoing president of the Bay Area think tank SPUR, and he's moving to take a similar job in Sydney, Australia. Metcalf says the Bay Area is one of the world's centers of wealth creation, but has struggled to meet some of the most basic needs. For instance, housing.
Guest: Gabriel Metcalf, outgoing CEO and president of SPUR
In December 2016, Lindsay McCollum and Eddie “Tennessee” Tate were shot and killed in San Francisco’s Mission District. The two were homeless and living together. Lindsay's mother, Carrie McCollum, reached out to a KQED reporter one year after he went searching for answers himself. The case remains unresolved, but Carrie doesn’t want her daughter to be forgotten.
Guest: Peter Arcuni, KQED reporter
Mention electric scooters and people usually react with an eye roll. It's associated with the newness of the tech culture of the Bay Area. Some see scooters as a "micro-transit" tool; others simply see them as a nuisance. The city of San Jose thinks it's got the answer to managing them: geofencing.
Guest: KQED Silicon Valley Senior Editor Tonya Mosley
Oakland is considering closing 24 schools. Most of these schools are likely in East Oakland, where many of the poorest students live. A group of parents is demanding that if Oakland Unified closes their kids' schools that they be given first dibs of any other school in the district. This includes charter schools, which have been part of the reason why some of the district-run schools have experienced a drop in enrollment.
Guest: Julia McEvoy, KQED senior editor
Most landlords in San Jose don't take Section 8 housing vouchers. And housing advocates see the vouchers as a proxy for race, or keeping out people of color. As a possible remedy, the San Jose city council wants to tweak the law to encourage more landlords to take the vouchers. The proposal has some holes, though.
Guest: Emily DeRuy, Mercury News reporter covering San Jose
Veronica Aguilar crossed the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum from El Salvador earlier this year. She's staying with a host family in Pinole while she waits for an immigration court hearing. Today, one family's story of immigration.
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED immigration and equity reporter
Here’s a new one: stacking homes on top of a city bus yard. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency wants to build housing on top of its Potrero bus yard right across the street from KQED studios. Their idea is that the housing would help pay for upgrades to the facility. It's kind of a wild idea.
Guest: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, transportation reporter and columnist for the San Francisco Examiner
We need homes near transit. But the first time state Sen. Scott Wiener introduced a bill, SB 827, that would have required cities to approve dense housing near transit corridors, it died a quick death. This week he announced a new version. The bill, SB 50, includes changes that are supposed to help poorer neighborhoods stay more in tact and force housing into places with more wealth.
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED Transportation Editor
This isn't supposed to be your traditional tech campus. Google says it wants to build a village inside San Jose that will be open to the public, different from how most tech campuses operate. It's expected to have public parks, restaurants and other amenities. The plan, if approved, could more than double the population of San Jose’s downtown. The city council takes a big step Tuesday with a vote to sell off 21 acres for $220 million.
Guest: Tonya Mosley, KQED Silicon Valley Senior Editor
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced a $6 million donation he is making to subsidize five years of rent for formerly homeless residents who will move into a renovated apartment building in the Tenderloin next year. Benioff used the occasion to push other wealthy Bay residents to pitch in.
Guest: Kevin Fagan, reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle
Kevin has done a lot of reporting on homelessness in San Francisco. You can read his coverage as part of the SF Homeless Project.
The city of Oakland wasn't pleased when a group of homeless people moved to a vacant lot in East Oakland in October. After the city posted a notice to vacate, the homeless residents went to court to stop the eviction. Now a judge must decide if the group of mostly women can stay on city land.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, KQED reporter
Harvey Milk and the city of San Francisco gives many people the "permission" they need to fight for gay rights in other places. The Castro became a symbol of this permission and Milk's legacy has since spread across the world. Today, a day before the 40th anniversary of his death, we look at Harvey Milk’s message of hope through the eyes of one man who watched, admired and acted on that message.
Guest: Greg Carey, Chief of Patrol for Castro Community on Patrol
When rain begins to fall on Butte County this week, some will be sleeping on the streets. The Camp Fire displaced tens of thousands of people, many of whom are struggling to do basic things: find shelter, see a doctor, pay the bills. Today, we'll show you how picking up the pieces is about more than finding a new home.
Guests: Raquel Maria Dillon and Peter Arcuni, KQED reporters
A small number of people -- spouses of H1B visa holders -- were given the right to work under a special type of visa created under President Obama in 2015. Now President Trump wants to eliminate those spousal visas. How doing so threatens Silicon Valley's competitive edge, Bay Area diversity, and immigrant families.
Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED Silicon Valley reporter.
Paradise was a city where a lot of people already carried more than their share of trauma from childhood. Now, as many work to piece their lives back together they have the added weight of trauma from the Camp Fire. Our reporter was in Paradise this past summer and tells us about one woman who is now struggling with both kinds of trauma.
Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED health reporter
Tap here to see pictures of Sabrina and her daughter Aroara.
After two fires burned right up to the edge of town in 2008, the town of Paradise made a plan. It divided itself into evacuation zones. It went so far as to hold a mock evacuation during morning rush hour. People knew what they were supposed to do if fire came back. And yet last week's Camp Fire was moving so fast that all the residents fled at once, exit routes clogged, and more people died than in any other fire in state history. Visit KQED.org or SacBee.com to see more wildfire reporting.
Guest: Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee reporter
Caviar, Postmates, Uber Eats…the Bay Area’s tech family gave us food delivery apps. And there are plenty of gig workers willing to drive us this food. These delivery apps allow us to hole up in our office, work harder, faster and avoid human interaction. At least, that’s what one tech reporter fears. He says it’s not just consumers who are being conditioned by these apps. It’s the restaurants too.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
People from the Bay Area or those who live here are a proud bunch. But how do you define this magical place? Do you use geography to draw the boundaries? Maybe it’s about sports teams and their fan bases or where BART goes? The hosts of the Bay Curious podcast at KQED explore the many ways we define the Bay Area.
Guest: Jessica Placzek, KQED Bay Curious reporter-producer
Resistance. That's been the call of many, including those in the Bay Area who have led the country in resisting President Trump’s attacks on marginalized people and the state’s liberal ideals. We'll hear from those who turned up at the polls, and others who didn't.
Guest: Monica Samayoa and Guy Marzorati, KQED reporters
See all election results from KQED News.
School bond measures almost always pass. More money for schools – and by extension, kids – seems like an obvious yes. But less attention is given to how that bond money gets spent and who is on the receiving end. One powerful lobbying group, nicknamed CASH, helps school districts get bonds passed. But critics say the arrangement is short-changing schools – and taxpayers.
Guest: Brian Krans, Bay Area-based freelance investigative reporter
Read Brian's full story: Cashing in on Education in the East Bay Express.
About 1,000 Google employees walked out of work Thursday and staged a rally on the company's main Mountain View campus. The impetus was a New York Times report published last week about dozens of sexual misconduct allegations and some very large exit packages for accused executives. At the rally, our reporter captured some of what was shared before being asked to leave.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
Gab.ai is like Twitter without any restrictions. Gab is also where a man named Robert Bowers posted comments before allegedly shooting and killing 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Today: what Silicon Valley is doing to prevent hate speech online. Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED reporter
Are you embarrassed to share your salary? Yeah, a lot of us are. Software engineer Jackie Luo makes the case that we can’t improve the pay gap (for women or people of color) in industries like tech without being more transparent. So, she asked men in tech to share their salaries via Twitter. And thousands did.
Guest: Jackie Luo, software engineer at Square
Read Jackie's full story "I Know the Salaries of Thousands of Tech Employees" on Medium. And you can read her Tweet thread asking men to share salaries here.
A big construction site of new housing went up in flames early Tuesday morning, and people immediately suspected arson. Some Oaklanders say it's motivated by anger against gentrification. The five-alarm fire in West Oakland isn't the first time new construction has burned lately.
Guest: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED News reporter
We don't often hear about priests abusing their adult parishioners. As advocates renew calls for accountability for priests accused of abusing children, we hear the story of a woman in Santa Clara who came to her priest for help overcoming sex addiction. She says he abused her and sent her to an exorcist.
Guest: Matthias Gafni, Bay Area News Group investigative reporter
Read the full story here.
A Twitter fight between two of San Francisco's biggest, and wealthiest, tech leaders says a lot about the city's problem with homelessness. Proposition C calls for taxing the city's most profitable companies to double the $300 million already spent on homelessness. You might be surprised by who supports and opposes it.
Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter
John Carlos and Tommie Smith both won medals in the same track event at the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City. On the medal stand, both raised clenched fists in a salute to Black power. The backlash that followed cost them the rest of their running careers and years of difficulty outside of sports. Fifty years later, the prevailing attitude toward their protest has changed, and the movement lives on with other athlete activists like Colin Kaepernick.
Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED Silicon Valley arts reporter
Power is important. Both the kind that lets us switch on the lights and the kind that gives people the ability to make decisions for us. Tens of thousands of Northern California residents lost power over the weekend after PG&E cut electricity for safety reasons. That comes one year after fires tore through the Northern California and PG&E was blamed -- in part for NOT cutting power. We discuss what's changed in the last year.
Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics and government reporter
Oakland sure has a lot of vacant properties, despite being in the middle of a housing crisis. In November, voters will decide whether the city should tax owners of those properties to help raise millions of dollars for homeless services. But how Measure W defines what 'vacant' means isn’t exactly clear.
Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED race and equity reporter
New homes are popping up in Santa Rosa one year after the Northern California fires. Some are rebuilding in the exact same spots. Others are worried about losing everything again when the next fire comes, including firefighters who live there. They know more than anyone about these risks, so what would a firefighter who lost their home do?
Guest: Lauren Sommer, KQED science reporter
Kayla Swaim's home was destroyed a year ago in the Tubbs Fire. She lost everything, including her sense of safety.
Do you ever wish you had a coupon that would give you a discount on what you pay for your house? Proposition 13 is kind of like that. Now Proposition 5 would give homeowners over the age of 55, and a few others, the ability to take their lower property tax rates with them to a new house. It's effectively an extension of Proposition 13. But who pays for that discount? Californians will vote on the measure this November. We at The Bay along with KQED’s Bay Curious podcast explain Proposition 5.
Guest: Scott Shafer, senior editor of KQED's California politics and government desk
Most people run from a fire. Some journalists go toward it. Two reporters at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, winner of a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the North Bay fires, did just that. The Bay host Devin Katayama interviewed those reporters at the live show The Fire Tapes, a joint event with Snap Judgment.
Guest: Julie Johnson and Martin Espinoza, Santa Rosa Press Democrat reporters and Pulitzer Prize winners
First there was one crack. Then two. Now San Francisco's new $2.2 billion Salesforce Transit Center could be shut down for weeks. In an earlier episode, we covered the opening of the transit center (called by some the Grand Central Station of the West). Today, an update on the damage then the original episode about what people hope the transit hub can be.
Guests: Chloe Veltman, KQED News reporter, and Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
Airbnb, caramel macchiatos and luxury dining. Yosemite is starting to feel more and more like the Bay Area. There are more visitors, more traffic, and now a Starbucks. Today, we'll introduce you to Yosemiteland, a podcast from Capital Public Radio that shows us how the national park serving millions of visitors each year is trying to adapt to a changing world.
Guest: Ezra David Romero, host of Yosemiteland
Christine Blasey Ford’s and Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony riveted Americans to their screens on Thursday. People gathered in Oakland, Palo Alto, San Francisco and elsewhere to watch the historic Supreme Court nomination hearing. Some of whom were so compelled by what they heard and saw that they told their own stories of sexual assault at protests and rallies across the Bay Area.
Guest: Monica Samayoa, KQED News reporter
After a police killing, it can be hard to get a clear picture of what exactly happened. Like the case of Mario Woods, who was shot and killed by San Francisco police in 2015. Nearly three years later, as the civil case is being prepared for trial, we're getting new information in court filings -- including new testimony from the man Woods stabbed a couple hours before he was shot and a new video of the shooting taken from a different perspective.
Guest: Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice reporter
If you use Uber or Lyft in San Francisco, you're no doubt helping to kill the taxi cab industry. But the city didn't help either when it started charging $250,000 for taxi medallions as the ride service companies were getting started. Here's a story about a man who died waiting for a fare and the family that's still paying off his medallion debt.
Guest: Sam Harnett, Silicon Valley reporter at KQED
Parents hate it, for sure. But more than that, the schools selection process has created even more segregated student bodies. The goal was the exact opposite. And now there’s a proposal to get off the so-called "lottery" and try something new.
Guest: Katrina Schwartz, reporter for KQED's MindShift education blog and podcast
First came electric scooters. Then came policies to regulate them. The Oakland City Council passed new rules Monday with an eye on equity, requiring that scooters be made accessible in areas of the city that need more transit options and that people with lower incomes be given a discounted rate.
Guest: Ali Tadayon, Bay Area News Group reporter
Silicon Valley got its start with a man who was regarded as a genius and won a Nobel prize. But William Shockley was also a racist and eugenicist who promoted sterilizations of black Americans. A new monument in Mountain View celebrates Shockley's work, but ignores his racist past.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
Your car says a lot about you. It can tell people how much money you have. It can say, "I care about the environment." And while we know that the adoption of electric cars is key to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, most consumers still aren't buying them yet. But the Bay Area's better than most.
Guest: Lauren Sommer, KQED science reporter
Imagine attending a yoga class and finding yourself in a situation where your instructor has violated your personal space by sexually abusing you. Today, we'll hear about KQED's on-going #MeToo series, where women say they've been sexually abused by their yoga instructors.
Advisory: Some accounts of sexual abuse in this story contain explicit details and strong language that some may find upsetting or objectionable.
Guest: Miranda Leitsinger, reporter and KQED engagement producer
Writer Iris Kuo knows what it feels like to forget her wallet and still walk out of a fancy department store with a bag full of merchandise: It feels white. Experts predict that some ethnically Asian and Latino people are going through a sociological process of "whitening." Kuo talks about how this hurts many Asian Americans and how transferring white privilege ignores the core issue itself: the very existence of white supremacy in our value system.
Guest: Iris Kuo, author of "The Whitening of Asian Americans"
We can't freakin' believe it! The Bay has produced 100 episodes that represent the moment in time the Bay Area's going through. Today, Devin, Erika and Vinnee (The Bay team) talk about some of their favorite episode moments of the last six months.
Guest: Devin Katayama, Erika Aguilar and Vinnee Tong, The Bay producers
Fentanyl is partly to blame for a rise in drug overdose deaths, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control report. Officials say the synthetic and undetectable opioid Fentanyl is being mixed into all types of drugs from heroin to cocaine and more. A KQED journalist talks about how, aside from policy solutions, the stigma around certain drugs can be the biggest barrier to recovery for addicts. Guest: John Sepulvado, co-host of The California Report
Trump may have been the catalyst for some California women seeking political office, but their campaigns are driven by local issues. The KQED special series The Long Run is about women who are running for office this November. Today, we’ll hear about why some Bay Area candidates decided to get involved and how they’re being treated on the campaign trail.
Guest: Katie Orr, KQED politics and government reporter
We know San Francisco cherishes its pristine water source, which comes from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir located in Yosemite. The Bay recently told you about how the city has something in common with more conservative parts of the state over their water rights.
Today, KQED's Bay Curious podcast digs further into Hetch Hetchy and brings us on the journey water takes from the reservoir all the way back to the Bay Area. The Bay will be back with all new episodes on Sept. 3.
A teacher visit at home can be intimating - for everyone. Today on The Bay, we're featuring the latest episode of KQED's education podcast MindShift, which launched its third season this week. The show is tackling the intangible elements of academic success: emotional safety, trust and relationships.
Guest: Katrina Schwartz, co-host of KQED's MindShift podcast
LuPaulette Taylor has worked for decades at McClymonds High School in West Oakland. McClymonds is a school where only around 15 percent of teachers stay on for a third year. So what keeps Taylor around? This week The Bay is taking off to go over listener feedback. Today’s episode is brought to you with help from KQED’s Qed Up podcast and education reporter Vanessa Rancaño.
Imagine fighting the largest wildfire in California history and Verizon says you'd have to upgrade your plan if you want faster internet to get your maps and documents. That's what happened to a couple of Santa Clara County firefighters that were helping battle the Mendocino Complex fire in July. The story is now part of a federal lawsuit on net neutrality regulations.
Guest: Jon Brodkin, Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica
Midriffs, pajamas, and ball caps are all allowed this year at Alameda schools. A group of middle school students worked for three years to change a dress code that they say unfairly targeted girls. Now, decisions on what boys and girls can and cannot wear will be left to students and their parents instead of school staff.
Guest: Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle K-12 education reporter
Green bins, blue bins, black bins. San Francisco is known for being super progressive when it comes to the environment. But some say the city's behind the curve on this one thing: water. This week state water officials discuss a revolutionary new plan to restore water to rivers, which could curtail the primary -- and pristine -- water source used by millions of Bay Area residents.
Guest: Lauren Sommer, KQED science reporter
Mansions. A multimillion-dollar wedding. Sexy characters in swank settings. The release of Crazy Rich Asians is a cultural event onscreen and off. More so for Asians and Asian-Americans, who make up about a quarter of the Bay Area's population. What does the success of Crazy Rich Asians means to them?
Guest: Ricky Yean, writer of "Asian-Americans Are Cultural Orphans (aka I hope Crazy Rich Asians isn’t a flop)"
There aren't that many people riding buses into San Francisco's new $2 billion transbay terminal. At least not when compared to the city's first terminal that opened in 1939. So how will the new transit hub that opened for service this week be different?
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
Kelly Johnson’s last days were his final act. He was a Bay Area musician, a dancer, a vaudeville act -- a performer for life. Johnson used the End of Life Option Act that has been legal in California since June 2016. The decision to end one's life has always been controversial. But not for Johnson who choreographed every last little detail to the end.
Guest: Arash Malekzadeh, director of "A Dance With Death: The Final Days of Kelly Johnson"
Fire drip torches, dozers, and prevailing winds – just some of the tools firefighters are using to battle the blazes engulfing California. With fires that start earlier in the year, spark up overnight, and are more extreme in their size and speed, firefighters have to adjust to the new conditions. We follow a reporter who embeds with a CalFire strike unit working a corner of the Ranch Fire. It's one of the fires that make up the Mendocino Complex, the largest fire in California’s history.
Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED News reporter
If California voters approve Prop. 10 in November, the debate over rent control will continue. Read more from Guy Marzorati on that debate in the Bay Area.
Waiting at the DMV can be hell, but you gotta go. Over the last year, wait times at Bay Area DMVs increased 48 percent. We take a trip to the DMV (it's more fun than it sounds) and look at what's causing these delays and what's being done to improve them.
Bryan Anderson, Sacramento Bee political reporter
Some people in the Bay Area paid hundreds of dollars to see a speech by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the new liberal Democratic star from New York. She stumped in the Mission to raise money for her Congressional campaign, and also to rally what some are calling a movement of Democratic Socialists.
Guest: Julian Mark, reporter for Mission Local
This week, the first black "Peanuts" cartoon character turns 50, marking the first time that Charlie Brown and Franklin met. It all started with a schoolteacher and mother of three who wrote a letter to Charles Schulz. She encouraged him to let black students see themselves in the comic strip. He hesitated at first but then relented.
Guest: Cesar Gallegos, former archivist for the Charles M. Schulz Museum
Can big tech companies call themselves progressive? One of Silicon Valley's biggest CEOs says he has identified as progressive. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says he felt conflicted once about whether to charge people to use the company's platform. His answer has something to do with Walt Disney, Bob Dylan and Steve Jobs.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
Do you work in tech? Have you bought a home recently? Use Uber? Postmates? And you live in San Francisco? Well then, you might be part of the so-called Outer Party, one of the four informal "castes" in San Francisco that a Wired writer believes makes up the City by the Bay. It's similar to Orwell's 1984, but the modern-day techie version.
Guest: Antonio García Martínez, author of "Chaos Monkeys"
No one knows how to run a protest like Bay Area activists. In fact, faith leaders and Black Lives Matter activists from the Bay brought their strategies to the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego to protest family separation at a detention facility for parents who've had their children taken from them. One recent protest highlighted a surprising tactical twist: how to use white people and their privilege to sway more people to join their resistance.
Guest: John Sepulvado, host of KQED's The California Report
It cost $1.3 billion for the federal government to clean up after the fires that devastated Northern California last October. Through the process, one worker died, others were injured, and many homeowners still have giant holes where their houses used to be. A KQED investigation shows how contractors were encouraged to move quickly and neglected safety. And now, the government needs to create a new program to refill holes that were over-dug in the process.
Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter
Oakland is having a moment on the big screen. This weekend Blindspotting will be released, the third movie this year featuring the city that is drawing national attention. It follows the releases of Black Panther and Sorry to Bother You earlier in 2018. All can be traced back to the legacy and richness of black culture in The Town.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, KQED race and equity reporter.
A journalist at the East Bay Express wrote about Napa’s BottleRock music festival and criticized it for being by and for white people. Then the paper's publisher took down the stories and used the N-word in a meeting. Today, the story of Express reporter Azucena Rasilla and what led publisher Steve Buel to step down.
Guest: Sara Hossaini, KQED reporter
Sam Vogelstein was having as many as 100 seizures a day. His parents tried more than 20 different medications. Then they stumbled on research showing the benefits of a marijuana-based drug. After trying to buy and make the CBD (cannabidiol) drug underground they eventually got into a clinical trial that has stopped Sam’s seizures.
Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED science reporter
There are no banks in East Palo Alto – a city surrounded by some of the wealthiest communities in the Bay Area. There is one lone ATM, though. We’ll take you there and meet some people who say being ignored by banks is a long-standing problem in this historically black and brown neighborhood, even as it gentrifies.
Guest: Tonya Mosley, KQED's Silicon Valley Bureau Chief.
Learn more about London Breed and how she became the person and politician she is today by reading Jamilah King's article in Mother Jones.
A standing room-only crowd of tech workers from the most iconic Silicon Valley companies met last week in the Mission District of San Francisco. They were there to talk about how to organize against the very companies that're paying their paychecks. Tech is known for requiring workers to keep their names out of the press. But now the momentum to organize is growing in the era of the Trump administration.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
The Golden State Warriors have not always been the golden team. Oakland fans supported the Warriors through decades of losing seasons and rode the high toward three NBA Championships. Now as the team plans to move across the Bay to The City, some people in The Town feel left behind.
Guest: Lukas Brekke-Miesner, writer for the 38Notes blog and associate director of Oakland Kids First
The original sideshows were pop-up parties -- part car show, part block party. They first bubbled up in mall parking lots of Deep East Oakland in the 1980s. Over time the sideshows began to change and the Oakland Police Department began to take notice. New laws were introduced that criminalized sideshow spectators. That complicated the already tense relationship between police and the community. We get into the history and culture of the sideshow.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, KQED equity and enterprise reporter
The lines at La Taqueria in San Francisco’s Mission District are long. Business picked up after getting named the No. 1 burrito in the country back in 2014. But some workers say the company wasn’t properly compensating them even before the taqueria got popular. Now some women have come forward to force back pay and other benefits to all employees.
Guest: Jonathan Kauffman, food writer for the San Francisco Chronicle
Homelessness in Bay Area has become a common sight; one we even try to avoid. When KQED reporter Dan Brekke interviewed one man named Perry Foster, he didn’t think it would lead him on a search for more details about who this person is, his accomplishments, his goals and the barriers he faced. As part of KQED’s SF Homeless Project, we learn today that everyone has a story.
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
More than a thousand people have evacuated their homes because of the Pawnee Fire in Lake County. The wildfire that started Saturday has destroyed at least 22 buildings. It's a reoccurring nightmare; wildfires have burned through Lake County year after year. Today, we hear from people who have had to flee their burning homes.
Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter
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The fire that ignited at the Sims Metal Management scrap yard site in January alarmed a lot of people who live in the city of Richmond. It got them thinking: How do residents get told when there's a big fire or other emergency? The city council meets Tuesday to discuss three proposals for how to alert residents in a disaster.
Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED News assignment editor
The Trump administration's fight against sanctuary policies is now being litigated in federal court. The first hearing was Wednesday in Sacramento. And the consequences of the court case affects sanctuary policies, which were pioneered first by the city of Berkeley and later San Francisco before spreading to other places around the country.
Guest: Katie Orr, KQED politics and government reporter
A recent survey showed nearly half of Bay Area residents say they'll likely leave the region in a few years. KQED wanted to know where you're going, why and how you feel about that. These are your answers and phone calls.
Guest: Tonya Mosley, Senior Silicon Valley Editor
On May 5th, 2017 the power went out at the Valero oil refinery in Benicia. Above the refinery, flares blazed and released thick clouds of black smoke. The surrounding areas were evacuated and nearby schools were ordered to shelter-in-place. In the days and weeks that followed, the flares released more than 80,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide. Tonight, the Benicia City Council will consider whether to add more air monitors and regulations.
Guest: Ted Goldberg, morning editor for KQED
When ICE raided Northern California cities in February, they arrested more people than they expected. But you wouldn't have known that from the Trump administration's outcry after Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced the raids ahead of time. How ICE and Trump spun a false narrative about the Oakland mayor and the raids to drum up support for their base. Read the full story and the emails.
Guest: Matthias Gafni, investigative reporter for the Bay Area News Group
The Golden State Warriors have not always been the golden team. Oakland fans have supported the Warriors through decades of losing seasons and rode the high toward three NBA Championships. Now as the team plans to move across the bay to The City, some people in The Town feel left behind.
Guest: Lukas Brekke-Miesner, writer for the 38Notes blog and associate director of Oakland Kids First
Huedell Freeman was hauling 47 pounds of marijuana from a farm in Mendocino County to a medical dispensary in Los Angeles when two Rohnert Park police officers pulled him over. They took his weed, gave him a citation and let him go. Freeman was never charged with a crime, nor was his marijuana ever returned. Today, an investigation into the suspicious allegations of pot and cash seizures on Highway 101 by the Rohnert Park officers in the North Bay.
Update: KQED has learned that Rohnert Park police did in fact request that prosecutors file charges against Huedell Freeman. This corrects an earlier version.
Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter
This story was reported in collaboration with the North Coast Journal and independent reporter Kym Kemp. Get more details about the questionable police seizures by reading the full story here.
Flavored tobacco gets booted out of San Francisco. On Tuesday, voters passed Proposition E with 69 percent of the vote, making the city the first in the nation to pass such a comprehensive ordinance banning all flavored tobacco products from every store shelves. This isn’t the first time San Francisco garnered a major win against the tobacco industry. In fact, a ballot measure back in 1983 says a lot about why the city was poised to pass this first of its kind ordinance.
Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED science reporter
TBT on The Bay: Sixty percent of voters decided to remove Aaron Persky from his judgeship in Santa Clara County. He's the judge who handed a six-month sentence to former Stanford athlete Brock Turner after Turner was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in 2015. On an earlier episode of The Bay, we asked an expert: What are the consequences of recalling a judge because of an unpopular decision? We revisit that episode today.
Guest: Jessica Levinson, elections law professor at Loyola Law School
Hang out with The Bay team as we wait for results from the June 5 primary. It’s time to eat newsroom pizza and hit the refresh button over and over on all our browser tabs. For updated results, find full coverage at kqed.org/elections.
Guests: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter and newsroom elections czar; Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor; Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice reporter; Ryan Levi, host of KQED's Q'ed Up podcast
The three top candidates running for mayor in San Francisco will have the chance to be the city's "first" in some way. But does a candidate's identity sway people's votes? And how does a voter's identity play a role at the polls? We ask these questions to voters and more.
Guest: Corey Cook, Dean of the School of Public Service at Boise State University, and former professor of political science at San Francisco State University and University of San Francisco
Many of the Bay Area's largest fire agencies are failing to inspect apartment buildings and schools. An analysis by the Bay Area News Group looked at fire inspection records over an eight-year span and found nearly one quarter of the apartment buildings reviewed weren't inspected in 2017. State law requires inspections every year.
Guest: Thomas Peele, investigative reporter with the Bay Area News Group
Billboards adorned with giant pot leaves line Bay Area freeways. This can make it hard for parents to ignore that awkward coming of age conversation about drugs. Our health editor, who's also a parent, says drug education is radically different from when she grew up.
Guest: Carrie Feibel, KQED health editor.
Antioch has waited decades for a BART station. The city has seen a population boom led by the Bay Area's housing crisis, which has pushed people farther and farther out. Last weekend, BART officially began train service to Antioch. We talk to residents about how it feel.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, reporter and co-host of KQED's American Suburb podcast
If you’re voting in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley or San Leandro ... you get three votes! Kind of. Today, we explain how ranked-choice voting works, why some people like it, why some people hate it, and how politicians can win even if they come in second. June 5 is Primary Election Day.
Guest: Scott Shafer, Senior Editor for Politics and Government Desk for KQED
Two deaths by police. Zero charges. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón said Thursday that his hands are tied and he won't be prosecuting the officers who killed two men of color in high-profile cases. But he calls the shootings of Mario Woods in 2015 and Luis Gongora in 2016 “unnecessary” and “disturbing.” So why can’t he prosecute?
Guest: Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice reporter
District 15 isn’t your normal district. At a forum in Berkeley, East Bay candidates for State Assembly are asked to do something they almost never do on the campaign trail: validate their opponent's point of view.
Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics and Government reporter
We jump into a stranger's car on the Bay Bridge in the "casual carpool lane" to talk about raising bridge tolls. Our carpool driver and rider join in on a discussion about Regional Measure 3, which voters will decide in the June 5 primary election that could increase tolls on seven state bridges in the Bay Area.
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
The costs of processing crime in San Francisco has left the city’s convicted criminals with millions of dollars in unpaid debt. Many people can’t afford to pay the extra administrative fees that accompany the criminal court fines. The Board of Supervisors will vote today on whether to waive unpaid debt that's owed to the city and cancel future administrative fees to help low income people with reentry after crime.
Guest: Alex Emslie, criminal justice reporter for KQED
Calle 24. Japantown. The Leather District. These are all neighborhoods in San Francisco that the city has formally recognized as cultural districts. Not so much for tourism as an attempt to save them from gentrification. But will it work?
Guest: Chloe Veltman, arts and culture reporter for KQED
Oakland has lost a battle with coal. A judge ruled Tuesday to uphold a contract that lets a developer ship coal through an Oakland port. Developer Phil Tagami had sued the city after the council had voted to ban the shipment of coal.
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
San Francisco supervisors were not happy with answers they got on Monday from the company accused of falsifying soil data at Hunters Point. In recent weeks, we learned two pleaded guilty to faking reports, and there is suspicion about whether the parcel where people now live is safe. Today, an update on how San Francisco supervisors are pressing the Navy, the EPA and the clean-up contractor to retest the area.
Guest: Erika Aguilar, KQED producer
Oakland’s Lake Merritt is supposed to be a public space for everyone. But it doesn't feel that way when white residents complain about the way black residents use the park. So how did people respond when a white woman recently called the cops on two black men grilling? They threw a party at the lake.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, KQED race and equity reporter
For a housing starved San Francisco, Hunters Point might look like a developers dreamland. The area has large plots of land, a waterfront and beautiful vistas. But the land has been making headlines lately with news of pollution, botched tests and radioactive waste. The latest is that the newly developed residential area called "Parcel A" may be more dangerous than previously thought. And residents are mad and suing.
Guest: Chris Roberts, investigative reporter
There are few women in tech. There are even fewer women of color in tech, which can be isolating. At a women's mixer in Mountain View for Google partners, two black women connect over their career experiences. They've seen how corporate culture gets in the way of workforce diversity strategies.
Guest: Tonya Mosley, Silicon Valley Bureau Chief for KQED
Judge Aaron Persky is facing a recall election in June after sentencing a former Stanford student-athlete Brock Turner to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious and intoxicated woman back in 2015. The Santa Clara County Superior Court judge has remained mostly quiet. But on Tuesday the Judge Persky called a news conference at a private peninsula residence. Today, what are the consequences of recalling a judge?
Guest: Jessica Levinson, elections law professor at Loyola Law School.
Thousands of University of California union employees are on strike this week amid failed contract negotiations. Among them are gardeners, janitors, nurses aides and food service workers who say the Bay Area's expensive costs demand higher wages. Today, how a UC Berkeley gardener making $23 an hour gets along.
Guest: Ivan Casanova, gardener for the University of California at Berkeley and Vanessa Rancano, KQED education reporter
San Francisco named the Julius Kahn Playground located in the Presidio after the congressman who represented the city in the early 1900s. But his racist past as the politician who disparaged immigrants and advocated for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 has San Francisco supervisors interested in renaming the park. We revisit the country's anti-Chinese past and hear how those racist laws oppressed Chinese Americans in San Francisco.
Guests: Allan Low, real estate attorney and vice-president of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission & Norman Fong, executive director of the Chinatown Community Development Center
Chinatown is one of the few San Francisco neighborhoods where lower income residents can still afford to make rent. The tenants living in one Single Room Occupancy - where rooms are 80 square feet - are the latest to sue their landlords over what they say are attempts to push them out, including fines for hanging laundry out of windows to dry.
Guest: Jessamyn Edra, staff attorney with Advancing Justice Asian Law Caucus
Working without a boss has its perks. But many gig workers, like those who drive for Uber and Lyft, say they're treated more like employees than contract workers. The California supreme court ruled this week that misclassifying workers as independent contractors rather than employees is a "very serious problem." And the ruling could have big implications for the Bay Area where many gig workers live and work and could potentially be categorized as real employees.
Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED Silicon Valley reporter
There are license plate readers all over the Bay Area that law enforcement can use to track vehicles coming in and out of a particular area. Many of these devices have hung above street lights for a few years, but now some East Bay cities are beginning to limit what surveillance data is being collected from them and regulate how that data can be used.
Guest: Cyrus Farivar: Ars Technica, senior technology policy reporter and author of Habeas Data: Privacy vs. the Rise of Surveillance Tech
The debate over rent control is at a new crossroads. Tenant advocates say they've collected enough signatures to ask voters in November to repeal Costa Hawkins, a state law that curbs rent control polices in some cities. We ask ... what exactly is Costa Hawkins, again?
Guest: Jessica Placzek, reporter for Bay Curious at KQED
The so-called Golden State Killer raped more than 50 women and murdered a dozen people. Law enforcement officials said Wednesday that they'd arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, the man suspected of terrorizing parts of the Bay Area, Southern California and Sacramento for more than a decade.
Guest: Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice reporte
What's it like to be a teenager living through the Bay Area's affordability crisis? Today, as part of KQED's Youth Takeover week -- when we hand the mic to the generation that will save us all -- the team asks San Francisco high schoolers about going out with friends when a cup of coffee costs $6.
Guests: Elke Janssen and Gabriel Alves de Lima
Some Bay Area cities want plastic straws out. Oakland and Berkeley are both considering ordinances on Tuesday that would force people to request plastic straws at restaurants. How Bay Area is that?
Guest: Jeremy Siegel, KQED reporter
We published an episode on Friday featuring comedian and CNN host W. Kamau Bell who told us about a racist incident he suffered in 2015 when he was told to leave a Berkeley cafe for being black. Early on Friday morning that restaurant -- Elmwood Cafe -- unexpectedly closed its doors. Here's an update.
Guest: Caroline Champlin, reporter for KQED
Comedian W. Kamau Bell knows what it feels like to be on the receiving end of some racism. His experience at Berkeley's Elmwood Cafe in 2015 is a prelude to what we saw last week, with the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. The coffee company will close all U.S. stores next month for a one day training. We ask Kamau: Can you solve racism in one day?
The Hayward Fault -- geologists warn this Bay Area fault line that runs through several East Bay cities could unbuckle an earthquake more dangerous, more destructive than the widely-feared San Andreas Fault. The U.S. Geological Survey released a report this week that estimates the damage a 7.0 magnitude earthquake could do along the Hayward Fault.
Guest: Danielle Venton, Science Editor for KQED
Some parents in Fremont don't want comprehensive sex ed to be taught to their fourth and fifth graders in schools. They've flooded school board meetings to say the curriculum does not respect their parental and cultural choices around sex.
Guest: Sandhya Dirks, KQED race and equity reporter
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Long hours, lots of injuries: That's the story some Tesla workers tell about a factory in Fremont. Elon Musk's electric car company says it's fixed its problem and improved worker safety. But a new story by Reveal from The Center For Investigative Reporting questions the accuracy of Tesla's latest injury numbers. What happens when new tech intersects with old manufacturing?
Guest: Alyssa Jeong Perry, KQED reporter
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Buying a house while black or brown is tough, especially in Vallejo. Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting found that white people are more likely than black people to be approved for a conventional home loan when all else is equal -- 50 years after the Fair Housing Act was passed. Guest: Emmanuel Martinez, data reporter at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting
A San Francisco doctor grabbed headlines right after the YouTube shooting last week. Trauma surgeon Andre Campbell took the press to task for showing up that day but not for other shootings in the community.
Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED heath reporter
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First came dockless bikes. Now -- scooters. These zippy, motorized, human transporters have descended upon San Francisco sidewalks. Local politicians (and some residents) seem annoyed enough to want to regulate them.
Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED transportation editor
I know your name. Your face. The way you walk. And what you like. But should I? While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in Washington D.C. this week, we turn to some Stanford professors and students who are creating an ethics course for computer science.
Guest: Vanessa Rancano, KQED education reporter
How has the Bay Area shaped and defined hip hop? A new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California looks at the legacy of the music and culture. We take a field trip to the museum, then cross the Bay Bridge to meet an emerging rapper from Bayview-Hunters Point.
Guest: Pendarvis Harshaw, KQED columnist.
Oakland has banned coal from being shipped through its East Bay port. But well-known (and well-connected) developer Phil Tagami says he has the right to export what he wants. A federal judge could decide who wins soon.
Guest: Darwin BondGraham, staff writer, East Bay Express
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On Tuesday afternoon there were reports of an active shooter on the campus of YouTube in San Bruno.
In the moments after a potential mass shooting it can be hard to know what has happened, even as first responders, witnesses, and journalists scramble to piece together the truth.
Today, we follow KQED reporters in the hours following the gunfire.
Guests: KQED Silicon Valley Editor Tonya Mosley and KQED Silicon Valley Reporter Sam Harnett.
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It's now easier for ICE to arrest immigrants in Contra Costa County. The sheriff's office is making public the names and release dates of inmates inside their jails. Some suspect this new policy has to do with the 27 women who've claimed abuses in the ICE detention center that is also run by the county.
Guest: Aaron Davis, Contra Costa County reporter for the East Bay Times.
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Stephon Clark. Family, friends and the Sacramento community buried the 22 year-old who was shot at at least 20 times by police. We talk to one Bay Area activist before she headed to Sacramento on the day of his funeral.
Guest: Cat Brooks, co-founder of the Anti-Police Terror Project and executive director of the Justice Teams Network
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The Raiders and Warriors are leaving Oakland. But the A’s say they’re committed to staying. The team is choosing between two locations for a new stadium. We talk to a reporter who happens to be a superfan.
Guest: Nina Thorsen, KQED producer
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Buying a home in the Bay sucks. That's why Sally Kuchar is tweeting about it. And her message has gone viral. Here's her story.
Guest: Sally Kuchar, editor for Curbed, @sallykuchar
A year ago today, a West Oakland fire killed four people, displaced dozens and destroyed a halfway house that was the very last housing option for people living there. We follow one man’s story who went from tenant to tent.
Guest: Matthias Gafni, investigative reporter with the Bay Area News Group
Link to the stories: https://bayareane.ws/2Gdke3m https://bayareane.ws/2GezLjm
A San Francisco judge wearing a space tie (yes, outer space) is setting the tone for future climate change court battles. But who is he? We learn about Judge William Alsup.
Guests: Sarah Jeong, senior writer for The Verge and Molly Peterson, KQED science reporter
Cars without humans are coming. On April 2, California will allow tech companies to test driverless cars that don't have people behind the steering wheel. Should the Bay Area be concerned?
Guest: Aarian Marshall, Wired transportation staff writer
San Francisco's got a problem with car break-ins. Police have been trying to solve it and the first month of the year is looking good. But the city has a lot more work to do. Today, we hand it off to Bay Curious, KQED's podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.
Guest: KQED reporter Sarah Craig
An Oakland coffee shop that refuses to serve uniformed police officers attracts pro-Trump protesters. Coffee shops are often seen as symbols of gentrification. This one is trying not to be that.
Guest: Janelle Bitker, East Bay Express staff writer
San Francisco is one of the last major U.S. cities to arm police officers with Tasers. The city’s Police Commission approved a Taser policy on Wednesday. The fight over this weapon has been ongoing for more than a decade. What happened?
Guest: Alex Emslie, KQED criminal justice reporter
What if you saw gun violence all the time? Some Bay Area students do. We check in with high schoolers in Oakland where shootings are common, as other students around the country walkout to protest gun control.
Guest: Vanessa Rancano, KQED education reporter
The housing bill that could remake Bay Area neighborhoods. SB 827 would make it easier to build higher near transit. It pits city versus state. We break it down from North Berkeley BART.
Guest: Bay Area News Group transportation reporter Erin Baldassari
Combat veterans fight invisible but very real battles at the Pathway Home in Yountville. We talk to a reporter who visited the facility months before last Friday’s deadly shooting to see how veterans struggle with the hidden scars of PTSD.
Guest: Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle feature writer
Journalists cover protests. They don't organize them. So it's rare when they pick a side. That's what a group of Bay Area journalists did this week, to protest the gutting of their newsroom by the "secretive, vulture" hedge fund that owns them.
Guest: Bay Area News Group investigative reporter Thomas Peele
Delayed evacuations, communication gaps, the North Bay on fire. KQED investigated emergency alerts during the North Bay fires. Today, we trace the first eight hours of October 8.
Guest: KQED News reporter Sukey Lewis. Sukey reported this story with KQED's data reporter Lisa Pickoff-White and politics reporter Marisa Lagos.
The U.S. attorney general calls out Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf after filing a lawsuit against California over its sanctuary state laws. During a speech in Sacramento, Jeff Sessions targeted The Town, specifically. Today, how Oakland became a defender against the Trump administration's recent immigration operations in the Bay Area.
Guest: Robert Gammon, news editor and columnist for the East Bay Express
One Bay Area school is preparing students to join a national movement for stricter gun laws following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. We’ll take you inside a San Francisco classroom where students and teachers talk tactics for next week’s national school walkout. Guest: Vanessa Rancano, KQED education reporter
Immigration officials made mass arrests of hundreds of undocumented Bay Area residents last week. Today, we’ll walk you through an ICE arrest and what happens next.
The Tubbs Fire in the North Bay created a whole new group of homelessness in Santa Rosa. Since October, those who lost their homes have received most of the attention but many people were already living on the streets.
Guest: Jennielynn Holmes, Director of Shelter & Housing at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa.
The San Francisco taxi driver is going extinct. And it seems nothing cab companies try is enough to survive the competition of app-based ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft. The recent suicide of a driver in New York highlights the emotional toll of the economic hardship pressuring cab drivers. We explore how taxi companies and their drivers are coping in the birthplace of Uber and Lyft.
Hey! Welcome to The Bay, KQED’s latest podcast for daily news in the Bay Area. Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.