The Bay

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. Episode transcript 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Episode transcript 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Episode transcript This episode originally aired on Dec. 9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Episode transcript 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Episode transcript Guest: Jose Fermoso, road safety reporter for The Oaklandside This episode first published Oct. 22, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Episode transcript 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Santa Clara County, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band is fighting for one of their most sacred sites, known as Juristac. Beginning In the late 1700s, Spanish colonizers forcibly removed the tribe from Juristac, and currently, the land is owned by a private firm that has proposed a plan to develop a mine onsite. For the last 7 years, the tribal band, with support from many residents and local officials, has organized to block the project. They want the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to deny the mining permit from being approved. In this episode from Rightnowish’s “From the Soil” series, producer Marisol Medina-Cadena, speaks to Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Episode transcript This episode originally aired on Feb. 9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a bad time to be an Oakland Athletics fan. First off, they're just having an awful season. But the A's are also the latest pro sports team to announce plans to leave Oakland. And earlier this week, the A’s made a significant step towards a future in Las Vegas, as Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo announced a tentative agreement with the A's over public funding for a new A’s ballpark on the Las Vegas strip. These days, the Oakland Coliseum feels pretty empty, save for some of the die-hard fans who want the team owner to know one thing: that the A’s are nothing without Oakland. Today, we speak with KQED producer and A’s superfan and drummer Nina Thorsen about the latest news, and the heartbreak of being an A’s fan right now. Episode transcript Links: The Bay Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two 17-year old girls working at a Popeye’s in East Oakland have filed labor complaints, alleging harassment and potential violations of child labor law. They say they’ve witnessed violence at work and experienced harassment, and that one 13-year old employee was working longer than the legal limit for minors. At least one state agency is now investigating the complaints. For labor advocates and fast food employees, this story is just another example of why changes are needed in how the state holds fast food companies accountable for poor working conditions. Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED labor correspondent. Episode transcript This episode was hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Links: The Bay Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the end of a pandemic-era immigration policy known as Title 42, Bay Area cities and nonprofits in Santa Clara County have been preparing for the arrival of asylum seekers who’ve been waiting months, if not years, to find refuge in places like the South Bay. Title 42 left thousands of asylum-seekers on the other side of the U.S. border or back to the countries they fled. Since the Biden administration lifted the order earlier this month, Amigos de Guadalupe in East San Jose has helped several new families find food and shelter in a community that has long welcomed immigrants. Guest: Maritza Maldonado, founder and executive director of Amigos de Guadalupe in East San Jose Episode transcript Links: A Firsthand Look at the Border After Title 42 Ended This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleo Moore has been waiting for justice for years. On Jan. 6, 2017, SFPD Officer Kenneth Cha shot her son, Sean Moore, outside of his home after responding to a noise complaint. Moore died in 2020 from complications related to the shooting. Moore's family saw a glimmer of hope in 2021, when then-District Attorney Chesa Boudin charged Cha with manslaughter and assault, marking the second time the city has ever filed homicide charges against an officer for an on-duty incident. But since Boudin’s recall, the fate of Sean Moore’s case has been in the hands of Brooke Jenkins, and Cleo and other family members are pessimistic that she will move forward with the case. Episode transcript Links: The Bay Survey 'I Need to Be Able to Go on With My Life': Sean Moore's Mother Is Still Awaiting Justice, Years After Her Son Was Killed by SFPD This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, with support from Maria Esquinca. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oakland teacher’s strike ended on Monday, when the teachers union reached a tentative agreement with the district. Classes were canceled for tens of thousands of students for seven days. The deal not only includes pay raises for teachers and other school staff, but also so-called “common good” proposals that address broader community needs, like support for unhoused families and improvements to transportation access and infrastructure. Episode transcript This interview was produced by Natalia Navarro and Juan Carlos Lara. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Maria Esquinca, Jehlen Herdman and Alan Montecillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Child care is too expensive and inaccessible for kids and families. That’s why in 2018, San Francisco voters approved Baby Prop. C, a tax on commercial landlords that would be used to expand access to child care, particularly for lower-and middle-income families, and to help pay early educators a living wage. After being held up in court battles spearheaded by taxpayer and business groups, money from the tax finally began trickling down to families and providers last year. And while there are still challenges to making child care accessible , this investment appears to be paying off. Guest: Daisy Nguyen, reporter covering early childhood education and care for KQED Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late April, a 24-year old transgender Black man named Banko Brown was shot and killed by an armed Walgreens security guard on San Francisco’s Market Street for allegedly shoplifting. The guard was held for a few days but has since been released. And now, community members and the Board of Supervisors are pressuring District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to release the video footage of the shooting. Jenkins has declined to file charges. Despite San Francisco’s bold commitments to support the trans community and reduce trans homelessness, Brown struggled to find safe and stable housing, even as he was an active organizer who helped others find resources. All of this adds up to what the San Francisco Chronicle’s Nuala Bishari describes as “a tragedy of San Francisco’s making.” Guest: Nuala Bishari, opinion columnist and editorial writer for the S.F. Chronicle Episode transcript Links: Why couldn’t San Francisco house Banko Brown before he was killed outside Walgreens?' Killed over ‘$14 of candy’: Banko Brown’s death is a tragedy of San Francisco’s making Banko Brown's Trans Life Mattered This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the last 100 years, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite has supplied millions of Bay Area residents with some of the cleanest water in the country. A feat of human engineering, Hetch Hetchy has both an impressive and tainted history; its construction came at both an environmental and human cost to the indigenous people of the area. Now, climate change is making it harder to manage the reservoir, and scientists say something has to change to adapt Hetch Hetchy to the future. Guest: Ezra David Romero, KQED climate reporter Episode transcript This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman and Maria Esquinca, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Celebration and Concern: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Turns 100, But Climate Change Complicates its Future The Bay Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal COVID emergency will officially end on Thursday. But for those living with long COVID, the end of the pandemic couldn’t feel farther from reality. Dubbed by some as a “mass disabling event,” long COVID has left millions of Americans unable to work and stuck navigating the system of disability benefits in order to survive. Doctors and researchers have yet to pin down the exact cause of long COVID. Meanwhile, patients feel that not enough has been done to help find an effective treatment. Guest: Keith Mizuguchi, producer for KQED’s The California Report Episode transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday morning, nearly 3,000 educators and staff at the Oakland Unified School District went on strike in a push for higher wages and better resources. The union and the district have not had an active contract since the last one expired in October. This marks the third walkout this year and the second official strike since 2019. Guest: Erin Baldassari, KQED reporter Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: 'Justice for Our Students': Oakland Teachers Go on Strike Amid Deadlock With District The Bay Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San José Mayor Matt Mahan has been pushing to build more emergency interim housing as a cost-effective approach to get unhoused residents off the streets more quickly. It’s intended to be a temporary step toward more permanent housing. But one big roadblock to building it? Local housed residents, who say they want to see solutions to homelessness...just not in their own backyards. Guest: Guy Marzorati, politics and government correspondent for KQED Episode transcript Links: The Bay Survey Emergency Calls, Complaints Are Down Near San José's Temporary Housing Sites. So Why Are They Still So Politically Risky? This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BART Board Director Lateefah Simon is running to replace East Bay Rep. Barbara Lee in Congress, who herself is running to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein. On KQED’S Political Breakdown podcast, Simon talks with Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos about growing up with a single mom in San Francisco’s Western Addition, her early work with Kamala Harris, facing threats in office, and her run for Congress. Episode transcript This conversation first aired April 13, 2023. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alameda County’s eviction moratorium helped keep hundreds, potentially thousands of people housed during the pandemic. But after increased pressure from local landlords who face hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent, as well as the deaths of two tenant-friendly members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, the county has decided to officially end the eviction moratorium at midnight April 29. Some cities, like Oakland, Berkeley, and San Leandro, are phasing out their moratoriums more slowly. But the end of Alameda County’s moratorium marks the end of one of the strongest in the Bay Area, and thousands of residents will be affected. Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, housing reporter for KQED Episode transcript Links: As Bay Area Eviction Moratoriums Expire, Local Lawmakers Scramble This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eastwind Books, one of the nation’s first Asian American bookstores, has closed its doors after more than four decades in business. The store has been run by Harvey and Beatrice Dong, two activists who were part of civil rights movements in the Bay Area in the 1960s, including the fights over ethnic studies and evictions at the International Hotel in San Francisco. Now in their seventies, Harvey and Beatrice say higher rents and maintenance bills have prompted them to close up shop. Guest: Iris Kwok, Berkeleyside reporter Episode transcript This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman and Holly J. McDede, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: The Bay Survey In Berkeley, an Asian American Institution Plans to Close Its Doors Eastward Books of Berkeley is Closing After 41 Years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were more than 2,700 incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and assault in 2021, the highest count since the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Extremism began tracking these incidents four decades ago. In October, a group called the Goyim Defense League hung a banner off I-405 in Los Angeles that read “Kanye Was Right About the Jews.” Although this happened in southern California, this group was actually founded right here, in the Bay Area. Guests: Julie Small, KQED reporter and Jill Castellano, inewsource investigative reporter Episode transcript This episode was edited and produced by Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced. This story was produced in partnership with inewsource, a nonprofit news organization in San Diego. It is part of an ongoing project with inewsource and other NPR stations to chronicle the extent of extremism in California. Links: The Bay Area Roots of a Neo-Nazi Propaganda Group How an Antisemitic Extremist in San Diego Evaded Hate Crime Prosecution Report an Anti-Semitic, Bias or Discriminatory Incident to the Anti-Defamation League Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To commemorate National Poetry Month, producer Maria Esquinca talks to Bay Area-based poet Antmen Pimentel Mendoza about his Chapbook collection, “My Boyfriend Apocalypse.” He talks about surviving the apocalypse, queer love, and finding play in poetry. You can listen to Antmen Pimentel Mendoza read live on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at Fabulosa Books in San Francisco. You can find him on Twitter and instagram @antmenismagic. Episode transcript This episode was hosted and produced by Maria Esquinca, and edited by Alan Montecillo. Links: Antmen Pimantel Mendoza's website READ: 'Eau D'Bedroom Dancing (I Learn From You)' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday night, the Oakland A's announced that they have signed an agreement to buy land for a stadium in Las Vegas. This news doesn't mean the move is complete, but it does make it even more likely that yet another major pro sports team will leave the city of Oakland. We want to know what you're thinking about this. How are you feeling about the team's likely move to Las Vegas? How has it felt to be a fan of the A's? What's going through your mind? Leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223. Please leave your first name and city, and you may hear your message in a future episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An estimated 1.1 million undocumented immigrants work in California, with large numbers laboring in low-wage jobs like agriculture, construction, and food service. But none of those workers are eligible for unemployment insurance, even though their wages contribute to the system. That’s why workers and advocates have been pushing the state to step in. Senate Bill 227 would use state funds to extend unemployment benefits to undocumented workers: provide unemployed workers $300 per week for 20 weeks. The state legislature passed a similar bill last year, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it, citing concerns over cost. Will that it happen again? Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED labor correspondent Episode transcript This episode was produced by Holly J. McDede and Jehlen Herdman, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo, who edited. Spanish language support was provided by Maria Esquinca. Links: The Bay Survey ‘I’ve Been Contributing’: Undocumented Workers Are Key to California’s Economy. A New Bill Would Give Them Unemployment Benefits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains explicit, racist and offensive language, as well as descriptions of violence. For years, police officers in the city of Antioch used racist and homophobic slurs with their colleagues in text messages, and openly bragged about targeting people of color with violence. These messages were released to the public in a Contra Costa County District Attorney report last week. These racist texts were released as the department is already being investigated by federal authorities, and as a grand jury considers charging officers with fraud, assault under color of authority, bribery, and other charges. Nearly 1 in 5 police officers in Antioch are currently suspended. For longtime advocates of police reform in Antioch, these messages are a painful reminder of how deeply racism is embedded in the culture of their local police department. Guest: Nate Gartrell, East Bay Times courts reporter Episode transcript Links: Exclusive: Inside the Antioch police department’s secret racist texting group New text messages show Antioch gang unit boasted about injuring suspects, kicking heads like a ‘field goal’ District Attorney Investigative Reports Detail Alleged Antioch Police Racist Texts This episode was produced by Holly J. McDede and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also edited. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last time the Sacramento Kings made the NBA playoffs, the iPhone hadn't been invented yet. For 17 years, Sacramento-area sports fans have endured losing season after losing season. But not this year. The Kings turned things around with a young, fast, high-scoring team, securing a spot in the playoffs. Standing in their way are the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors, who are looking to win their 5th title in 9 years. This is the first time in the history of American pro sports that 2 teams from Sacramento and the Bay Area have faced off in a playoff series. It’s a battle of youth vs. experience, Sacramento vs. The Bay, and between two fan bases that are deeply intertwined. Guests: Alan Chazaro, KQED food writer (Warriors fan) Bianca Taylor, KQED producer of segment audio and host of Consider This (Kings fan) Episode transcript Links: The Bay Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains descriptions of drug addiction and attempted suicide. The national crisis and suicide hotline is 988. In 2021, about 1 in 5 deaths among people ages 15-24 were from fentanyl overdoses in California. As this crisis worsens, doctors are seeing more and more demand for life-saving addiction treatment. One crucial piece of the puzzle is a medication called Suboxone, or buprenorphine. It helps block withdrawal symptoms and can allow people to go to school, work, and maintain relationships while recovering. But patients under the age of 18 can't access Suboxone without parental consent. Assemblymember Matt Haney thinks that should change, and has filed a bill that would lower the age to 16. Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced. Links: The Bay Survey New Bill Could Ease Teenagers' Access to Opioid Treatment Amid Ongoing Fentanyl Epidemic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From extra unemployment assistance to free COVID testing and eviction moratoriums, pandemic-era assistance is fading away. The latest to fall are extra payments for recipients of CalFresh, the state’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Over 3 million households around California use CalFresh, ranging from families to seniors and students. Data shows these extra payments lifted 1 million people out of poverty. So why are the extra payments going away? And can anything be done about it? Guest: Carly Severn, senior editor of audience news for KQED. Episode transcript CalFresh Info Line: 1-877-847-3663 LINKS: The Bay Survey Your CalFresh Benefits Will Drop in April. Here’s What You Can Do This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 320,000 Cambodians live in the US, with about a third living in California. Many are survivors or descendants of those who fled the country during the Cambodian genocide. An estimated 2 million people died under the communist Khmer Rouge, leaving survivors with emotional, physical and psychological trauma. Barriers such as language access or cultural stigma often prevent survivors from accessing mental healthcare to address the trauma. But one program in Alameda County has spent the last 20 years providing culturally sensitive mental health care to the Cambodian community, letting survivors lead the way — and participants say it works. Guest: Soreath Hok, reporter for KVPR Episode transcript Links: A program built by Cambodian refugees offers PTSD support. Participants say it works Cambodian refugees cope with war trauma by reinforcing culture and community From Cambodia to California: Survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide need access to mental healthcare This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The city of Oakland plans to evict the 60 remaining residents of the Wood Street encampment on Monday, April 10. This comes after months of ramping up sweeps in order to move forward with plans to build 171 affordable housing units. At its height, Wood Street was a self-sustaining community of about 300 people and spanned several city blocks. The remaining residents, some of whom have lived there for more than a decade, are feeling an immense sense of loss and uncertainty about whether they can rebuild their community. Guest: Erin Baldassari, housing affordability correspondent for KQED Episode transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced. Links: End of an Era: Last Remaining Unhoused Residents at Oakland's Wood Street Commons Getting Evicted The Bay Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve delayed action on climate change for so long that scientists say eliminating greenhouse gas emissions isn’t enough anymore — we also need to explore ways of removing carbon from the atmosphere. One potential method is carbon removal, which is exactly what it sounds like. Forests and wetlands can naturally do this, and engineered approaches are starting to take shape as well. And some of these new climate technology companies have been formed here in the Bay Area. How to do it fast, and safely, is a big question. But some lawmakers are hopeful that carbon removal can not only help fight climate change, but create an economic boom at the same time. Guest: Laura Klivans, climate reporter and host of Deep Look Episode transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The iconic Castro Theatre faces an uncertain future. Historically operated as a movie palace, the building’s new managers want to renovate the space for more events — like concerts, performances and weddings. The plans have not been received well by everyone. Some point to the theater’s historical significance in San Francisco’s gay community as a reason to restore the space rather than renovate it, and this tension has resulted in a fight for the theater’s future. This episode of Bay Curious first published March 9, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anti-trans hate is on the rise. Republicans have introduced more than 400 anti-trans bills in state legislatures around the country. 1 in California would force educators to out trans kids who may not be ready to come out to their parents. Last year, California became the first sanctuary state in the country for trans youth. But a transgender therapist in the Bay Area says the anti-trans hate is still having a real effect on her trans clients. Guest: Veronica Esposito, a writer, transgender advocate and associate marriage and family therapist in the Bay Area This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman, Maria Esquinca, and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Read Veronica’s Piece: As a Therapist, I See the Damage of Anti-Trans Hate Firsthand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains mentions of suicide. Too often, psychosis isn’t treated until it’s too late. But studies from early psychosis clinics show that patients see a greater reduction of symptoms, like voices or delusions, and a greater improvement in functioning at school, at work and in their social lives, compared to people who get treatment as usual. But too often, private insurers don’t cover these treatments, leaving many families to navigate the byzantine system of insurance on their own. This episode of The California Report Magazine first aired on March 1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Residents of Pajaro in Monterey County were finally allowed to return home Thursday after destructive flooding from last week’s storms. When the levee broke, causing the town to flood, it wasn’t a huge surprise; problems with that levee have been well-known for decades, but it wasn’t enough to address the problem fast enough. The Bay Area has hundreds of its own levees. And it turns out, we don’t really know how safe or vulnerable most of them are. Guest: Ezra David Romero, climate reporter for KQED Links The Bay Survey Fewer Than 10% of Levees in the Greater Bay Area Have a Federal Flood Risk Rating This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Silicon Valley Bank is best known for its relationships with the tech industry. But the bank also had billions out in loans to developers working on affordable housing projects in the Bay Area. Unlike larger banks, regional banks like SVB are more likely to fund local affordable housing projects. But now that the bank has collapsed, the future of these projects is precarious, and calls into question how these much-needed affordable housing projects are funded in the first place. Guest: Sydney Johnson, KQED reporter Episode transcript Links: MAP: Bay Area Affordable Housing Projects Impacted by Silicon Valley Bank's Collapse The Bay Survey This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is in the middle of rolling out a plan to make preschool universal across the state. Also known as “transitional kindergarten,” it’s all part of an ambitious plan to make childcare more accessible, and close some big learning gaps between children from low and high income families. So far, the implementation has been mixed. But some districts have been providing transitional kindergarten already. The Alum Rock Union School District in East San Jose is one of them, and its program is attracting more and more interest from families. Today, we explain why. Guest: Daisy Nguyen, Early Childhood Education and Care reporter for KQED Episode transcript Links: The Bay Survey Universal Preschool's Off to a Bumpy Start, but East San José Is Seeing Success. Here's Why Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. ranks 55th in the world in maternal mortality rates. Those rates are even worse for Black women, whose maternal mortality rate is more than two times higher than any other racial or ethnic group. Patients and advocates cite lower access to quality care and racism in the medical system as main drivers of these outcomes. A program in Alameda County is providing an answer to that problem. BElovedBIRTH Black Centering, operating through the Alameda Health System, is completely rethinking what birthing looks like for Black folks. The program provides group perinatal care by, for, and with Black people — and it’s leading to better outcomes for the families involved. Guest: Jyesha Wren, a midwife and co-founder and program coordinator of BElovedBIRTH Black Centering in Oakland Episode transcript Links: BElovedBIRTH Black Centering web page BElovedBIRTH’s Instagram Oakland programs are supporting Black postpartum women This episode was produced by Jehlen Herdman, Maria Esquinca, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As residents across California continue to cope with heavy wind and rain, perhaps no community has been hit harder than Pajaro, where thousands of residents have evacuated after a levee broke late last Friday, flooding the town. An unincorporated community in Monterey County, Pajaro is home to mainly low-income Latino farmworkers who provide a large portion of California-grown produce. They've lost not only their homes and vehicles to flooding, but also their livelihoods as farms across the county are forced to shut down. Guest: Katherine Monahan, KQED Reporter Episode transcript For information and referrals to disaster relief organizations, residents of evacuated areas can call 211. Links: Breached Levee Floods Pajaro River Valley, Engulfing Towns as Communities Are Evacuated Santa Cruz County Disaster Fund: supporting residents impacted by floods, wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides, debris flows, and other disasters in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley To Donate directly to farmworkers and learn more about the reality of farmworkers in CA check out the Center for Farmworker Families DONATING ITEMS: Donations can be taken to the Raíces y Cariño center at 1205 Freedom Blvd in Watsonville. They are there each day this week until 5pm. Requested Items include: diapers, baby wipes, feminine pads, bath towels, warm blankets, new socks and underwear, bottled water, gently used clothing in good condition, and art and craft supplies for kids. If you bring food, it should be pre-packaged and non-perishable. The Bay Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco’s mobile opioid treatment clinics popped up as a way to address overcrowding at San Francisco General Hospital during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. These vans distribute methadone, a medication used to reduce withdrawal symptoms — while offering program patients snacks, water and canisters of naloxone, an overdose-reversal nasal spray. In San Francisco alone, nearly 2,000 people have died of drug overdoses since 2020. And surprisingly, these temporary mobile clinics are drawing more patients than SF General's indoor treatment clinics. Now, the people who run it want to find a way to keep them around. Guest: Sydney Johnson, KQED reporter Episode transcript Links: SF's Mobile Clinics Made Opioid Treatment More Accessible During the Pandemic. But Will They Stay? The Bay Survey This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A potential dynasty is building at Oakland Technical High School, where the girls’ basketball team is on its way to clutching its 3rd state championship in 5 years. Not only are the Lady Bulldogs skilled, but they’re hella fun to watch. The team boasts height, three point shooters, phenomenal defense — and swag. And their coaches have a message for their city with a chip on its shoulder over the loss of the Raiders and the Warriors t: come watch these girls play. Guest: Ariana Prohel, culture reporter for KQED Episode transcript Links: Ticket info for the Golden 1 Center LIVE STREAM: 2023 CIF Div. I Girls Basketball State Championship Santiago (Corona) vs. Oakland Tech The Bay Survey This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two men who worked at an auto shop in Napa have been sentenced to federal prison for plotting to blow up the California Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento in 2021. Ian Benjamin Rogers, of Napa, was sentenced to 9 years and 3 years of supervision after he is released. Jarrod Copeland, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 4 1/2 years. He also has 3 years of supervision after he is released. Their case is part of a surge in violent extremist activity the FBI is investigating in Northern California and throughout the nation — and the Bay Area is not immune. Guests: Julie Small and Alex Hall, KQED reporters Episode transcript This episode first published on May 18, 2022 . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is retiring after more than 30 years in Washington. Her retirement has gotten many people talking about her legacy and career in the U.S. Senate. But before that, Feinstein was a local official in her hometown of San Francisco. In 1969, she won a seat on the Board of Supervisors and eventually became Board President. In 1978, she became mayor after the shocking assassinations of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Feinstein would serve in that role until 1988. Guest: Scott Shafer, senior editor of KQED's California politics and government desk Episode transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, who also edited and guest hosted. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People just aren’t taking public transit like they used to. BART’s ridership is still less than 40% of what it was before March 2020. On top of that, the agency’s federal emergency funding is scheduled to run out in January 2025. Leaders of BART and other public transit agencies are now trying to bring back riders and find sources of funding as soon as possible. This will mean everything from new construction, increased policing, and asking for financial help from state lawmakers and voters. Will it work? Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter Episode transcript Links: The Bay Survey This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Guy Marzorati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been to the City of Alameda, you’ve probably noticed its beautiful Victorian homes lining the shore of the San Francisco Bay. This has been by design. For decades the city has fought against building new housing, but last November, members of Alameda City council agreed that it was time for a change. They passed a plan to build over 6400 new housing units on the island, making Alameda the first Bay Area city to get its housing plan approved by the state. The state requires cities to come up with these new plans, called “housing elements,”every 8 years. Until recently, cities have ignored them. But now, more pressure is coming from voters, developers, and Gov. Gavin Newsom — and cities that don’t comply could face steep consequences. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED housing producer/reporter Links: To Meet State Housing Goals, One Bay Area City Had to Overcome Its NIMBY Past The Bay Listener Survey! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In early February, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. Here in California, we know the Big One is coming someday. In fact, the same kind of fault runs across our state. This makes it all the more important to be prepared. So today, we’re sharing an episode with former KQED science reporter Peter Arcuni, who narrated his experience creating an earthquake preparedness plan over the course of 4 days. Episode transcript This episode originally aired on October 18, 2019. This episode was originally produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Kyana Moghadam, Julie Caine, and Erika Aguilar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Workers at nonprofits like the Felton Institute are on the front lines of our region’s biggest problems, like poverty, homelessness, and addiction. Employees say the work is meaningful yet grueling, with low pay and high turnover. For nearly 3 years now, a group of workers at Felton, one of the Bay’s oldest social service agencies, have been campaigning to unionize the organization’s nearly 500 employees. But the campaign is currently in limbo, as organizers encounter difficulties reaching their co-workers across 7 counties. The union, SEIU Local 21, has also accused managers at Felton of retaliating against workers trying to unionize, filing 10 unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Guest: Holly J. McDede, KQED producer/reporter Links: Read: Inside the Long, Uphill Battle to Unionize Workers at One Large Bay Area Nonprofit The Bay Listener Survey! Read the transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many members of the public, COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror. People are tired. Governments have dropped things like mask and vaccine mandates. And the virus isn’t as lethal as it once was. On the other hand, this virus is still very much a part of our lives, especially for people who are vulnerable, immunocompromised, or have long COVID. Now, California is going to end its COVID state of emergency at the end of month. We’ll dive into what that means. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Links: The Bay Survey California's COVID Emergency Ends Feb. 28. What Does That Actually Mean for You? California COVID Sick Pay Has Expired. But if You Work in San Francisco, You Still Have Options — Until Feb. 28 This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also edited. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally from The Bronx, New York, Dave “Davey D” Cook was there when this thing we call hip-hop was in its nascent form, before it even had a name. When he arrived in the Bay Area in the early ’80s, one of his missions as a UC Berkeley student was to lend some insight to this burgeoning culture. So he put on a few events, one of which was The Day in Hip-Hop on Oct. 24, 1984. Rightnowish host Pendarvis Harshaw looks back on that day with Davey D, and traces how far hip hop has come since — in the Bay Area and beyond. This episode of Rightnowish first published on Feb. 1, 2023. It’s part of That’s My Word, KQED’s year-long exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices