The Bay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On this very special episode, meet the new host of The Bay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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