Civic

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About the panelists Diana Greene Foster is a demographer and professor at the University of California, San Francisco. She studies the causes and consequences of unwanted pregnancy and is part of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health — commonly known as ANSIRH — which is a research program at UCSF. Foster was named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow and is the author of the 2020 book “The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women and the Consequences of Having — or Being Denied — an Abortion.” She has recently published a study updating her earlier research. Mariana Horne is the Outreach and Education Coordinator at ACCESS Reproductive Justice, California’s statewide abortion fund. Her work has been recognized by large institutions for its impact in reproductive health education. As part of the movement-building team, Horne works at the intersection of community education and direct service support, removing barriers to abortion care and advancing reproductive justice teachings across California and nationwide.

In this episode of Civic, reporter Sylvie Sturm examines how federal policy — through executive orders, funding threats and regulatory pressure — is reshaping access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth across the United States. The debate is unfolding even though no new federal law has passed and no final rules have taken effect. Yet hospitals, clinics and families are already making decisions in response to the possibility of federal penalties. Through the story of Eric, a 15-year-old high school student in Oakland, we follow how those policy battles land in real life. The episode also explores the broader policy fight: • Federal officials who argue the treatments are unsafe and should be restricted • Medical associations and clinicians who say the care can be life-saving when carefully managed • Lawyers challenging whether federal agencies even have the authority to impose such limits We hear from community health leaders, legal experts, and families navigating the uncertainty, including Dr. Tatyana Moaton Santiago of the San Francisco Community Health Center, who warns that policy threats alone can make providers afraid to offer care. Subscribe to Civic from the San Francisco Public Press for investigative reporting on the policies shaping life in San Francisco and beyond.

What’s on the ballot this coming June and November? The San Francisco Public Press and The Frisc hosted a panel discussion to discuss the key issues. These included:the “Overpaid CEO Act,” which would modify and boost the top executive pay taxa major charter reform measure that would restructure city governmentthe family zoning plan, which encourages more housingand the race to win the Congressional seat being vacated by Speaker Emeritus Nancy PelosiThe panelists were Jason McDaniel, associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University; Jeremy Lee, president of the Rose Pak Asian American Club; and Sin Wang, vice president of the San Francisco Entertainment Commission and founding board member of the West Side Family Democratic Club.

Formerly Incarcerated Perform at Berkeley Rep

This episode traces the path from the days when homosexuality was labeled a mental illness, to bans on harmful therapy meant to turn LGBTQ minors straight, to a Supreme Court showdown that could roll back those protections. Featuring voices from survivors, scientists and advocates, the story unpacks how California became home to the earliest “ex-gay” movement only to face pushback with a first-in-the-nation ban on conversion therapy — and why its fate now hangs in the balance. Dr. Hooker audio excerpts courtesy of Making Gay History. Find the Making Gay History podcast on all major podcast platforms and at makinggayhistory.org. Special thanks to our underwriting sponsor: University of San Francisco MFA in Writing program.

As part of an effort to meet state mandated housing requirements, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has introduced a "Family Zoning Plan" that would increase building height limitations along transit corridors. Supervisors have introduced amendments to the legislation which is being voted on December 2nd, 2025. SF Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood and KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny moderated a town hall conversation bringing together stakeholders with different ideas of how to move forward. Panelists include: Brianna Morales, the Community Organizer at the Housing Action Coalition (HAC), a member-supported advocacy organization dedicated to expanding housing opportunities for people of all income levels. Sharon Ng, a community planner representing REP-SF, the Race & Equity in All Planning Coalition. Jane Natoli, the San Francisco Organizing Director at Yimby Action. Fred Sherburn-Zimmer, an economic justice organizer. They are the Campaigns and Policy Director at Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. The panel was recorded at KALW on 220 Montgomery Street in San Francisco.

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, started with a homemade zine, listing cheap eats, drinks and events. Along the way he became a TV travel host, publisher and mayoral candidate. He became an influencer offline before social media made influencer viable a career choice.

“No Place to Grow Old”San Francisco Public Press

When federal science budgets are gutted, the fallout reaches far beyond labs. From Alzheimer’s trials at the University of California San Francisco to cancer studies at the Veterans Administration, critical research is stalling, science students are losing opportunities to train and launch careers, and veterans are left without lifesaving care. Hear how universities, courts, and Congress are scrambling to protect the future of science as we unpack the political fight behind the cuts — and what’s at stake for you. We also explore how veterans are pushing back. To learn more, go to commondefense.us.

President Trump calls it “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but critics say the latest federal budget will slash more than a trillion dollars from Medicaid over the next decade — cutting coverage for an estimated 12 million people. In San Francisco, more than 250,000 residents rely on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, along with tens of thousands of caregivers who support them. This episode of Civic from the San Francisco Public Press examines how the bill could affect local patients, long-term care workers, and the city’s healthcare safety net — with voices from those fighting to protect services that are essential to survival.

If you’ve experienced issues with Social Security — missed checks, delayed responses, or inaccessible services — you can file a complaint with the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/socialsecurity.APPEARING IN THIS EPISODE:Kelly Dearman – Executive Director, San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging ServicesPaul Aguilar – Social Security disability beneficiary, long-term HIV survivorDr. Monica Gandhi – Professor of Medicine, UCSF; HIV/AIDS specialistJoanna Parnes – Managing Attorney, Bay Area Legal AidLaura Chiera – Director of Legal Services, Legal Assistance to the Elderly, San FranciscoJacqueline Hopkins – Claims Specialist, Social Security Administration, Richmond office; union representativeSylvia Norman – President, AFGE Local 3172, SSA workers union, Northern and Central California

About the ‘Silent Killer’ SeriesThe San Francisco Public Press examined recent efforts to step up diagnosis, vaccination and treatment for hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis B affects an estimated 305,000 people in California, with the vast majority of cases affecting people in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Deep racial and cultural disparities in illness caused by the hepatitis B virus have persisted for decades. A cure is in trials, but those inequities, along with federal funding cuts, could hamper its rollout. This reporting was supported with a California Health Equity Fellowship from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism and a grant from the Pulitzer Center.PART 1: Poorly Tracked Virus Is a ‘Silent Killer’ Affecting Asian Americans MostPART 2: Stigma, Insufficient Screening Keep Hepatitis B in the ShadowsPART 3: Researchers Seek Hepatitis B Cure as Trump Slashes Health Agency Funding------------Hep B Free

Veterans and advocates are sounding the alarm as massive federal job cuts and plans to eliminate 83,000 positions at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — championed as “efficiency reforms” by the Trump administration — threaten to strip away critical services. In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the human toll of sweeping layoffs and the privatization push at the VA. And we spotlight community resilience, with programs like Vets in Tech, co-founded by Craig Newmark, helping veterans transition into Silicon Valley careers—without tapping into their VA benefits. Learn more: vetsintech.co

The San Francisco Public Press on April 30, 2025, hosted a fireside chat recorded for this “Civic” episode about attacks on diversity, democracy and media with Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, the public editor at PBS, and Lila LaHood, executive director of the San Francisco Public Press. In addition to discussing how journalists can do better covering issues their audiences care about in a political environment that is fraught with conflict, how PBS engages with listeners and viewers about their critiques and concerns, and why public media newsrooms aim to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, Sandoval-Palos and LaHood talked about what might happen if the federal government were to cut funding to PBS and NPR, which receive a portion of their funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The next day, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to do just that.

San Francisco's mayor and police department are facing praise and scorn for cracking down on homelessness and visible substance use amidst shelter and treatment bed shortages and jail overcrowding.

Join the San Francisco Public Press for a screening of “Stripped for Parts” in San Francisco on Thursday, March 13. Details and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-stripped-for-parts-american-journalism-on-the-brink-tickets-1250795746749Website for the film: https://strippedforpartsfilm.com/Rick Goldsmith’s production company: https://kovnocommunications.org/

San Francisco's immigrant communities are facing a crisis as the Trump administration threatens mass deportations. For four decades, San Francisco has been a refuge for immigrants seeking a better life and a battleground for justice when federal policies target vulnerable communities. Today, legal aid networks, rapid response teams, and mass protests are showing that the city will not stand by while so many of its residents are at risk. In this episode, we’ll hear from people affected by mass deportation efforts. We’ll also hear from experts with a historical perspective, and resistance movement organizers.

This week marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict shows no signs of ending. On the eve of this grim anniversary, Russia launched its largest drone attack yet, causing widespread destruction and civilian casualties. Days later, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal. In this episode, we revisit conversations first aired on April 7, 2022 — just six weeks after the invasion began — as San Francisco residents with deep ties to Ukraine were fearing for loved ones and desperately trying to help. From sending vital medical supplies to welcoming refugees into the Bay Area, their stories remain powerful and urgent as the crisis continues.