The Bay

Bay Area transit agencies lost huge numbers of riders during the pandemic — and with it, enormous amounts of revenue. Federal money has saved them from big layoffs and service cuts. But as the region reopens and more people get vaccinated, public transit leaders still need to convince riders it’s safe and worth the trip. Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3e9dMhj Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last summer, confirmed COVID-19 cases ballooned inside San Quentin State Prison. Now, with many incarcerated people and staff now vaccinated, infections are very low and the worst of the outbreak seems to be over. But the programs that many relied on before the pandemic still haven't returned — and incarcerated people are still coping with the scars of a traumatizing year. Guest: Kate Wolffe, KQED reporter Read the episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state legislature last week confirmed East Bay assembly member Rob Bonta California’s new Attorney General. His confirmation happened the same week Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd. Bonta, the first Filipino American to take the position, has been a longtime supporter of more police accountability and takes over the AG role at a time when there’s momentum around police accountability in California and across the country. While there’s a lot of power in the AG position, there are also limits to the job. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3vyGnT5. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland has been the epicenter of on-the-ground anti-policing efforts since Oscar Grant was killed by BART police in 2009. That same movement saw its latest iteration after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and months of protests and organizing culminated into a rare conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. So what does the verdict mean now for Bay Area efforts against policing? Guest: Cat Brooks, executive director of the Justice Teams Network and co-founder of the Anti Police Terror Project Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3neytLi. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jury has convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of all three charges for murdering George Floyd. There’s a lot to process, so today we don’t have a new episode — just a short message. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3n6nLGR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco Unified School District has been mired in several controversies over this past year, and the politics around its school board have been especially tense. Whether it's the attempt to rename 44 schools, the debate over Lowell High School's admissions process, or tweets by Commissioner Alison Collins, adults have been taking up the most space in these public debates. And some student leaders say that the way these adults have been handling these conversations needs to change. Guest: Holly J. McDede, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3emvZGK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About 9,000 nursing home residents in California have died of COVID-19. At the height of the winter surge, more than 80 residents were dying every day. But now, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines, there are now fewer than 20 confirmed cases daily. And now, many families are reuniting with loved ones after more than a year apart. Guest: Barbara Feder Ostrov, contributing writer for CalMatters Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3wY0LhK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oscar Grant’s name has been circulating after police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center claimed that 20-year-old Daunte Wright was “accidentally” killed after a veteran officer shot him with a gun instead of her taser. It's similar to what BART police claimed after an officer shot and killed Oscar Grant in 2009. Cephus Johnson, Grant’s uncle, talked with us last September following a summer of protests against police violence about what it’s like for family members who are thrust into activism after losing loved ones to police — and how to heal through resistance. Guest: Cephus Johnson, aka Uncle Bobby X, founder of the Oscar Grant Foundation and Love Not Blood Campaign. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3uLnCLy This episode originally aired on September 4, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A corporation known for flipping houses in the Bay Area has been buying even more homes at foreclosure auctions during the pandemic. Jocelyn Foreman lives in one of these homes and is now trying to compete with Wedgewood’s bid. She has the help of a new state law, which gives potential homeowners more time to match any bid made at a foreclosure auction. But the law doesn’t include financial help. So what does it take for regular people to compete against all cash bids by corporations? Guests: Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari, KQED housing affordability reporters and co-hosts of SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3sbRcs1 Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California’s economy will ‘reopen’ by June 15, as long as there’s enough vaccine supply for everyone 16 and older and COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state remain low. This doesn’t mean all precautions — like the state’s mask mandate — will get scrapped. But it is a big step towards businesses and public spaces operating like they were before the pandemic. So what’s it going to take to stay on track for “reopening” by June 15? Guest: April Dembosky, KQED health correspondent Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3t8oNnW Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of local and national attacks against people in the AAPI community, Oakland Chinatown has rallied together to support their elders and businesses. But the community is divided — and a generational gap exposed — over whether they want more policing to be part of the solution or not. Guest: Julie Chang, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3dHToSN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s Employment Development Department (or EDD) is responsible for paying out the state’s unemployment insurance. Ever since the pandemic began, the agency has struggled to close its huge backlog of claims. The system is even more frustrating for people who struggle with technology and language access, and advocates say these issues are still a big problem today. Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED reporter and producer for The California Report Claiming unemployment in California? Here's what to know about EDD and pandemic federal benefits. Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3sStzWH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Californians ages 50 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. They have two weeks to book appointments before the state opens up eligibility to people ages 16 and older on starting April 15. But booking an appointment is easier said than done; many people have already been struggling to find them; sometimes there’s a lack of supply, technology issues, and the process can be confusing. Today, we’ll give you some strategies for finding an appointment when you're eligible. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Visit KQED's vaccine guide: in English en español Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3md4t2b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, leaders at Mills College announced that the school, which has been in the Bay Area for 169 years, will no longer be awarding degrees starting in 2023. This news came as a shock to many students, faculty, and alumni, who know Mills as a unique place for women and LGBTQ people who care about the arts and about social justice. Today, we’ll learn about the history and legacy of Mills College and its impact on the Bay Area. Guest: Chloe Veltman, KQED arts and culture reporter Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3cGlgaN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout this pandemic, disabled people and seniors have been at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. And all this time, advocates and community organizers have been pushing to make sure that people in power listen to their concerns. Their activism has pushed the state to shift its policies several times — including this latest eligibility phase, which doesn't force people with disabilities to bring documentation in order to get vaccinated. But the struggle to make our entire COVID-19 response equitable for disabled people and seniors is far from over. Guest: Jessica Lehman, executive director of Senior and Disability Action Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/31uh6fI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland and Marin County are the latest California jurisdictions to announce plans to launch guaranteed income pilot programs. The idea is to give money to hundreds of low-income residents of color, every month, with no strings attached. The two projects have their similarities and differences. But in general, supporters that the results will build a bigger case for even bigger guaranteed income projects in the future. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter and producer for the Political Breakdown podcast Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3ff7n4P More Resources: San Francisco Launches 'Guaranteed Income' Pilot Program for Struggling Artists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The killing of 8 people in Georgia, 6 of whom were women of Asian descent, has led to marches and rallies in the Bay Area in support of the AAPI community. It’s also prompted many people to share experiences they’ve had with racism and sexism. But as organizer and advocate Hyejin Shim says, it’s also important to be specific about who was targeted in the Atlanta shooting. Because when we do that, we can also pave the way for solutions that protect those who are most vulnerable to racist and sexist violence. Guest: Hyejin Shim, member of Survived and Punished and Korean American Coalition to End Domestic Abuse More Resources: Asian Women’s Shelter, Red Canary Song Episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/3faVxsp Subscribe to The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stories like this one. New episodes are released Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 a.m. Find The Bay on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One or via Alexa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past year, a group of organizations have been keeping count of reports of anti-Asian hate incidents across the country. Nearly 3,800 reports have been submitted since the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center was launched, and nearly 45 percent of those were reported in California. The attack on Asian businesses in Atlanta that killed eight, including six Asian women, is just the latest chapter of anti-Asian racism in America. And behind the numbers are people and stories. Guest: Russell Jeung, Chair of the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State and Co-Founder of the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center This episode originally published on March 27, 2020. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3rfrDFU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last year there has been a lot of heartbreak caused by the pandemic. There have also been moments of joy and communities coming together to help each other out. KQED’s Bay Curious podcast honors how lives have changed here in the Bay Area with its one-year anniversary show. Subscribe to Bay Curious here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

School boards in California have historically had a lot of power over decisions at the local level, but the choice to reopen for in-person learning has put that power to the test like never before. More than a thousand California school districts are deciding whether to take advantage of financial incentives and reopen classrooms for the youngest and most vulnerable students. Many are facing intense pressure from lawmakers who question the power local school boards have, and from parents who are leading recall efforts. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics reporter and producer for the Political Breakdown podcast Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3rQTf5k Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The single-family neighborhood has been foundational to American housing policy for decades. It’s also been a tool to keep Black and brown people out of homeownership, and is one reason why there isn’t nearly enough housing overall. This policy has deep roots in the Bay Area. But now, a handful of cities are rethinking it, and allowing developers to build ‘fourplexes’ in these areas. A change like this won’t solve the housing crisis overnight, and it won’t bring down rents unless it’s paired with other protections. But it is a big first step. Guest: Erin Baldassari, KQED housing affordability reporter and co-host of SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3tB5mnN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Organizers behind the attempt to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom believe they will collect enough verified signatures to trigger a special election later this year. It’s going to take a lot to actually unseat Gov. Newsom in a recall election and replace him with a Republican. But this campaign is already a lot bigger than any other effort to recall a California governor since 2003. So, why has it gained traction this time? Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/38zV0MG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines for fully vaccinated people. New, confirmed cases of COVID-19 are down in California. We have three vaccines in the U.S. This is all good news. But the virus and its variants are still among us, and a vast segment of the population is still waiting their turn for the vaccine. So how should we navigate this in-between period without sabotaging the progress we’ve made? Guest: Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, professor of global health and infectious diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/38oj1WS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Angelo Quinto was having a mental health crisis when his family called 911 for help. After Antioch Police arrived at Quinto’s home, his family says an officer kneeled on his back near the neck before his body went limp. Quinto, a 30 year-old Filipino American, died days later in the hospital. His death has drawn national attention, especially among Filipino Americans across the country, and spotlights a Bay Area suburb where a now majority-Black city council and young activists are trying to change the power dynamics of the traditionally pro-police community. Guest: Sandhya Dirks, Race & Equity Reporter for KQED Listen to KQED's American Suburb podcast here. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/2OAbEEV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, the California state legislature approved a $6.6 billion plan to encourage school districts to resume in-person learning for the youngest public school students in the state. Meanwhile, some students have noticed their perspectives missing from the conversation about re-opening schools. Today, we hear from some. Guests: Joy Cheng, senior at Lowell High School in San Francisco; Melina Kritikopoulos, senior at Santa Clara High School; Isabella Brenneman, junior at Kit Carson International Academy in Sacramento Subscribe to our newsletter here. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3sPLTPB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mill Valley in Marin County is one of the 10 most segregated cities in the Bay Area. During the rise of protests following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis last year, Mill Valley Mayor Sashi McEntee claimed the Black Lives Matter movement was “not of immediate local importance.” That summer, community activists held protests and sit-ins demanding a public apology from the mayor and plans for lasting change. In response, the City Council created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, but in February the City Council rejected half of the task force's proposals and refused to accept its recommendations. The fight for racial justice is happening in cities across the Bay, but what has it looked like in the Bay Area's whitest and wealthiest county? Guest: Lorenzo Morotti, Marin Independent Journal reporter and Amber Allen-Peirson, activist in Marin City and Mill Valley. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/2MIEvGm. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ZIP codes in and near East San Jose have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 in the Bay Area. They’re predominantly immigrant neighborhoods with thousands of essential workers, many of whom work for the Silicon Valley tech giants located nearby. Many say the pandemic has simply exposed generations of disinvestment in this corner of Santa Clara County. So how are community members in these neighborhoods surviving and helping each other during a pandemic that has affected the Bay so unequally? Guest: Farida Jhavala Romero, KQED reporter Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3syRj1a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last fall, KQED launched a new, five-part podcast about possible solutions to the housing crisis. It’s called SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America, hosted by housing reporters Erin Baldassari and Molly Solomon. Since then, Erin and Molly have also received lots of questions and comments from listeners who are curious about what’s happened on the housing front since the podcast dropped. Today, we wanted to pass it off to them. Whether you’ve listened to SOLD OUT or not, this is a timely conversation about a subject that affects all of us. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3pWPVDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An oil spill from Chevron’s Richmond refinery earlier this month and the toxic fumes released last November are part of a long trend of dangerous spills into the Bay Area’s water and air. So why’s it so hard to keep the fossil fuel industry from releasing harmful stuff into our environment over and over again? Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED senior editor Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3upixsZ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several surveys show that Black Americans are, on average, more hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine compared with white people. And when it comes to Black communities showing less trust in the health care system overall, many journalists, politicians and experts point to one specific historical incident: the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. But many people, including KQED reporter April Dembosky, are worried that Tuskegee has become a scapegoat for the many structural inequities in the health care system today. And it has real implications right now, especially for Black people who are disproportionately dying from COVID-19. Guest: April Dembosky, KQED health correspondent Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3aA4MQ9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the pandemic forced strip clubs in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood to close and protests against police violence erupted in the summer, many dancers were laid off and started to work virtually instead. This created an unexpected opportunity to push for more worker power among strippers, and fight back against issues like sexual harassment, racism, and a culture of fear around speaking out. And now, some dancers are hoping that this organizing will lead to better working conditions in strip clubs when the pandemic eventually ends. Guests: Kathryn Hurd and Ellie Lightfoot, reporters and students at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3aBSua9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sakhone Lasaphangthong spends his work day in Oakland's Chinatown helping people get the resources they need. He walks the streets and connects with merchants, elders, and people who don't have housing. Over the last few weeks, violence against Asian elders in the community received national media attention and sparked a lot of debate about race, policing, and community safety. Today, we speak with Sakhone about what he's been seeing in Oakland's Chinatown. Guest: Sakhone Lasaphangthong, director of housing services at Family Bridges and Chinatown ambassador Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3apL49O Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a complicated history in the Bay. In the 70s, a Chinese immigrant in Palo Alto named Miriam Lee was arrested and put on trial for practicing acupuncture — even though she learned it from a master in her hometown in China. Today, Traditional Chinese Medicine is still often exoticized or dismissed. But now, some Asian Americans in the Bay Area are reconnecting with these practices — and building new communities in the process. Guest: Cathy Erway, food writer and host of the podcast Self Evident: Asian America's Stories Read Cathy's piece about this in the San Francisco Chronicle here. Episode transcript here: http://bit.ly/3tQXSxD We're taking a break on Monday, Feb. 15th. Talk to you on Wednesday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of debate on whether to reopen public schools in the Bay Area's largest districts, some families have finally had enough of distance learning. But parents are divided on whether it’s safe — and worth the risk — to send their kids back to school while the pandemic rages on. And even if everyone did agree on what to do, the path to reopening is sure to be a long one. Guest: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED education reporter Episode transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a long history of Black women in the Bay Area leading social justice work — including the hundreds of women who led the Black Panther Party. One West Oakland resident believes a celebration of these women and their contributions is long overdue. That’s why, after last summer’s protests against police violence, she decided to memorialize their legacy with a permanent mural on the home she's owned for more than 20 years. Guests: Jilchristina Vest, curator and West Oakland homeowner Ericka Huggins, human rights activist, poet, educator, Black Panther Party leader and former political prisoner Rev. Cheryl Dawson, Black Panther Party member, Berkeley Chapter Learn more about the Women of the Black Panther Party Mural unveiling on Feb. 14 here. Episode transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The climate crisis isn't just about big tropical storms and deadlier wildfires. Rising sea levels — as a result of climate change — are forcing contaminated groundwater to the surface in parts of the Bay Area. And the neighborhoods in most danger are places where there was once heavy industry, including areas that were once redlined. Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED science reporter and host of Deep Look. Episode transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s vaccine rollout has been…confusing. Many people have been writing into KQED with basic questions about eligibility or where they go to get vaccinated. Our engagement editor has been fielding those questions. But she’s not the only one trying to fill the vaccination information void. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Carly answered the top five questions our audience wanted to know. You can read about those questions here. Plus, learn more here about eligibility for the vaccine and where you can get vaccinated. Episode transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to think that California’s eviction moratorium means people can expect to remain in their homes during the economic crisis and global pandemic. But a KQED investigation found that hundreds of evictions are still taking place across the Bay Area, to mostly Black and brown renters. So why hasn’t the state’s eviction moratorium stopped evictions from happening? And why is it worse in some counties than others? What your local governments are doing is a large part of the answer. Guest: Molly Solomon, KQED housing reporter Are you facing issues with housing during the pandemic? Share your story with us here. Episode Transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It takes a lot of hard work to curb gun violence at the community level. For the past few years, those efforts in Richmond and Oakland were paying off. But then the pandemic happened, and a lot of in-person community building became unsafe, and advocates fear years of hard work has been lost to the pandemic. Guest: Abené Clayton, reporter for The Guardian’s Guns and Lies in America project. You can read Abené's story here. Episode transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our first virtual live event of 2021, we invited KQED reporters to share what stories they’ll be looking out for this year. We want to share this conversation and ask what matters to you as the Bay Area adjusts to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. We also took your questions. From wildfire prevention to free public transit, virtual learning to the changing arts scene, here’s what we might see in 2021 and what we can do about it. This conversation is split into two halves: the first is called "Where We Live" (00:54), and the second is called "What We Do" (28:04). Read the transcript here. Guests: Danielle Venton, science reporter; Molly Solomon, housing reporter and co-host of the podcast Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America; Dan Brekke, transportation editor; Vanessa Rancano, education reporter; Nastia Voynovskaya, arts associate editor; Sam Harnett, Silicon Valley reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KQED wasn't alone in struggling to cover former President Trump. These last four years changed how many journalists think about their responsibilities to the public. It's also forced more members of the news media to reckon with their own role in perpetuating long-existing, systemic problems. So we wanted to chat with KQED’s newsroom leaders about how they've changed over the past four years, and the role local news plays in a frail democracy. Guests: Vinnee Tong, KQED’s Director of News and Ethan Toven-Lindsey, KQED’s Executive Editor Read the transcript here. Sign up for our free live event on Monday Jan. 25 at 6pm. We’ll be talking to KQED reporters about the Bay Area stories to watch for in 2021. Find all of our "By the People" episodes here. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a week. So now, music. We’re bringing you the first episode of a new series from our friends at Rightnowish that shines a light on all sorts of creators this year. In this episode, Pendarvis Harshaw introduces us to Brooklyn based and Oakland-raised artist Nappy Nina. Just don’t call her a femcee. Sign up for our free live (virtual) event on Monday, Jan. 25 here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Inauguration Day in the U.S. The end of the Trump administration, and the beginning of the Biden administration is a monumental moment for the country –and for the rest of the world. Today, we hear from members of the Iranian diaspora here in the Bay Area about what this change in power means for them, their loved ones in Iran, and for the future hopes of the relationship between their two home countries. Guest: Kyana Moghadam, KQED podcast producer Read the transcript here. Find all of our "By the People" episodes here. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Silicon Valley giants like Facebook, Twitter and Google have long struggled to deal with violent language and misinformation on their platforms. But after the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week, a line was crossed — and these companies banned or restricted President Trump, along with some of his supporters who have incited violence. So what took these companies so long to take action? And how should we feel about their continued role in how we communicate? Guest: Rachael Myrow, KQED Silicon Valley senior editor Read the transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, California’s COVID-19 death toll reached 30,000. Gov. Gavin Newsom and health officials are relying on mass vaccinations to slow the spread, but there’s a lot of reason to believe accomplishing that will be hard. A majority of California is under stay at home orders until things get better, but the first phase of the rollout has already been slower than some hoped. Guest: Barbara Feder Ostrov, Contributing Writer for CalMatters Read the transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It takes a lot of work to undo white supremacy. For many who have been committed to this work, it’s a lifetime of protests, campaigning, donating, and showing up. And sometimes, it can feel like an impossible task. Following the attack by the pro-Trump extremists at the U.S. Capitol last week, we invited longtime Bay Area activist Cat Brooks to talk with us about how she’s been processing everything, and how to make your activism sustainable. Guest: Cat Brooks, executive director of the Justice Teams Network and co-founder of the Anti Police Terror Project Read the transcript here. Find all of our By The People episodes here. Subscribe to our newsletter here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is a state run by Democrats. But we have elected officials who have either ignored or enabled President Trump through the years — including on Wednesday, when a pro-Trump mob violently took over the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden. Even after the process resumed, 7 out of 10 House Republicans from California voted to overturn electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Today, we'll talk about why this matters to Californians, even after Trump leaves office. Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcast Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our newsletter here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, 200+ employees at Google announced that they've formed a union. The Alphabet Workers Union, which is supported by Communications Workers of America (CWA), is the first of its kind at Google, and will include dues-paying members, an elected board of directors, and paid organizing staff. For now, it still represents a small fraction of the roughly 260,000 workers at Alphabet. But it's still a big deal — especially in Silicon Valley, where it's so hard to organize at all. Guest: Sam Harnett, Silicon Valley Reporter for KQED Read the transcript here. Listen to our How We Got Here series here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to get involved in local politics, your city council meeting can be a good place to start. But it can also be a lot. It's where your elected representatives make decisions that directly affect your life. And it's where anybody can tell their local leaders what they really think about those decisions. LaTonda Simmons knows all about this. Today, she looks back on 16 years running Oakland City Council meetings, and offers some advice for people hoping to participate for the first time. Guest: LaTonda Simmons, Oakland City Clerk from 2004 to 2020 Read the transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year in news has changed us all in so many ways. And as we wrap up 2020 with our final episode of the year, we thought we'd take some time to reflect on the stories that have stuck with us the most. Remembering San Francisco Lesbian Rights Activist Phyllis Lyon — Ericka Cruz Guevarra 'These Kids are Fearless': Vallejo Families Seeking Justice for Police Killings Reflect on Protests — Devin Katayama Meet the Poll Workers Who Made Election Day in the Bay Area Possible — Alan Montecillo Guests: Devin Katayama, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Kyana Moghadam Read the transcript here. We've off for the next two weeks, and our next episode will be on Jan. 4, 2021. Subscribe to our newsletter here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices