The Bay

Wildfires in Los Angeles have brought fire department budgets under scrutiny. In Oakland, the recent closures of two fire stations in the city’s hills have left firefighters warning of a tragedy waiting to happen. Links: 2 Oakland Fire Stations Close Amid Budget Crisis, and More Could Soon Follow How to Help People Affected by the L.A. Fires Got Loved Ones Affected by LA Fires? These Wildfire Resources May Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting this month, Medi-Cal has expanded coverage to include traditional healing practices like music therapy, rituals and ceremonial dances to support those suffering from addiction. For years, Native people have argued that this more holistic, culturally-specific approach can help fill an important gap in the state’s approach to drug and alcohol treatment. Links: How to Help People Affected by the L.A. Fires Got Loved Ones Affected by LA Fires? These Wildfire Resources May Help This episode was hosted by Cecilia Lei and produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area is home to thousands of people with Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. Immigrants with TPS are provided a temporary shield from deportation and a work permit as a result of upheaval in their home countries. But as Donald Trump prepares to enter his second term, many fear deportation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, Vallejo will swear in its new mayor. Andrea Sorce, chair of the city’s Surveillance Advisory Board and co-founder of the ACLU’s Solano County chapter, won by running as a political outsider promising change. Today, Ericka sits down with the mayor-elect in Vallejo to discuss what barriers she sees to fulfilling Vallejo’s “potential,” the Vallejo Police Department, housing and homelessness and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next week, San Francisco mayor London Breed will pass the baton off to mayor-elect Daniel Lurie. Breed led the city through most of the first Donald Trump presidency, the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. In this exit interview with the Political Breakdown podcast, Breed reflects on her six years as mayor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sept. 26 marked the A’s last game in Oakland. Next season they’ll play in Sacramento ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas, after more than 50 years representing The Town. Today, we share the sights and sounds of that day with help from KQED’s Joseph Geha. This episode first aired on Sept. 27, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This holiday season, we’re sharing our favorite episodes of 2024. Producer Jessica Kariisa’s pick is our episode featuring San Jose’s Story Road Night Market in the Little Saigon neighborhood. This episode first ran on Oct. 18, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This holiday season, The Bay team is sharing their favorite episodes of 2024. Ericka’s pick highlights the work of student journalists covering pro-Palestine protests on college campuses across the Bay earlier this Spring. This episode first published on May 3, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we wrap up 2024, we hear from members of KQED’s arts and culture desk about the ‘One Beautiful Thing’ each of them experienced over the past year. Links: Read all of KQED arts and culture’s 2024 ‘One Beautiful Thing’ essays Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Santa Rosa is home to an ice skating rink unlike any other. In 1969, Snoopy’s Home Ice was built by Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz and his first wife Joyce. Since then, generations of Santa Rosa residents have visited and skated there — and it's extra special during the holiday season. Today, KQED’s Gabe Meline takes us inside Snoopy’s Home Ice, where he goes to skate with his family every Christmas Eve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re sharing this episode from the podcast Sea Change, a show by WWNO in New Orleans and WRKF in Baton Rouge. In it you’ll hear about how three different cities – including San Francisco — are addressing unique challenges around sea level rise. Links: Sea Change Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump has doubled down on his campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented people living in the United States. In turn, California officials have promised to protect the state’s undocumented population. KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast sat down with immigration senior editor Tyche Hendricks to talk about how far Trump’s deportation plans can go in California, and how immigrant communities and legal advocacy groups are preparing to fight back. Links: California Is a Sanctuary State. How Much Will That Protect Immigrants From Trump's Deportation Plans? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Sept. 22, thousands of hotel workers at some of San Francisco’s largest hotels have been in a stalemate with employers, demanding wage increases and affordable health care. KQED’s Farida Jhabvala Romero explains why this dispute has dragged on, and why everyone has a stake in what happens to the city’s hotel industry. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Jessica Kariisa, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Episode transcript Slow San Francisco Tourism Complicates Hotel Strike Resolution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Great Highway is the last road in San Francisco before you hit Ocean Beach. And in this past election, voters passed Prop. K, which permanently closes a portion of it. Supporters hope the highway will become a beachfront park, open to the entire city. But a majority of people living near the Great Highway voted against Prop. K — particularly those in the city's Sunset neighborhood. Now, a group of residents have filed papers to recall District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, who led the effort to close the road. This episode was produced by Jessica Kariisa and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Episode transcript Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People across the Bay Area were rattled by a tsunami warning alert on Thursday morning, after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the coast of Humboldt County. The warning triggered evacuation orders before it was eventually canceled at approximately 12:00 pm. But it begs the question: What would really happen if a tsunami hit the Bay Area? Back in 2017, our friends at Bay Curious set out to answer this question. This episode first aired on June 15, 2017. Links: How to Prepare for the Big One What Would Really Happen if a Tsunami Hit the Bay Area? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The push to ban transgender athletes from competitive sports reached San Jose State University this year. In September, the co-captain of the women's volleyball team joined a lawsuit targeting trans women in college sports — including one of her own teammates. Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Jessica Kariisa and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Anti-Trans Suit Seeking to Ban San José State Volleyball Player Is Denied on Appeal Inside San Jose State's polarizing volleyball season Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

83% of Oakland’s rental housing may contain lead. Despite winning millions of dollars in settlement money from paint companies to help address the problem, the funds have remained unused as residents face potential exposure. This episode was updated for clarity. It was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. It was edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Toxic Inaction: Oakland’s lead funding languishes as residents live with serious health risks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nestled in the Berkeley Hills, Indian and Mortar rocks are popular hangout spots known in part for epic views of the Bay. For climbers like Berkeleyside reporter Ally Markovich, they’re known for their outsized role in the development of bouldering. But for the native Ohlone, the boulders are a symbol of a destroyed cultural landscape, and an urgent call to protect native history. This episode first ran on Dec. 23, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2010, Sandy Stier and Kris Perry were part of a landmark case challenging California’s Prop. 8, which eliminated the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples after being approved by voters two years earlier. Their trial eventually resulted in Prop. 8 being struck down. More than a decade later, Stier and Perry joined KQED to watch the unsealed tapes of their younger selves taking the stand, and reflected on what it meant to be part of that fight. This episode originally aired on Dec. 22, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many Bay Area families swear by local Dungeness crab at the holiday dinner table. But for the last 6 years, commercial crabbing season has been delayed to mid-December. So if you want that fresh crab for Thanksgiving, you'll need to either pay for a chartered boat or go catch one yourself. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Jessica Kariisa, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: California’s Dungeness Crab Season Delayed Again, But Could Open in Time for Holidays Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been more than 2 weeks since Election Day, but all 10 of California’s statewide ballot measures have been called. Olivia Allen-Price, host of Bay Curious, and Alan Montecillo, senior editor of The Bay, join Ericka to break down the results and what they mean for you. This episode was produced by Jessica Kariisa and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco residents could face a future with fewer bus and train lines — and even the suspension of the city’s iconic cable cars — if SFMTA, the agency that runs Muni, can’t get the funds to close a nearly $300 million budget deficit. Links: SF Muni Is in Dire Need of Funding. Without It, Cuts Could Be ‘Devastating’ This episode was hosted by Jessica Kariisa, and produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In early October, residents in San José’s District 3 learned that their city councilmember, Omar Torres, was being investigated for child sexual misconduct. After weeks of public pressure — and new sexual assault allegations stemming from when he was a young man — Torres resigned. He has since been arrested and charged with three felonies. KQED’s Joseph Geha explains what happened, and how all of this has affected local residents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland has voted overwhelmingly to recall Mayor Sheng Thao, now the first sitting mayor to be recalled in city history. The Oaklandside’s Eli Wolfe explains how the recall campaign won, and the uncertain future ahead. Links: Who is running for Oakland mayor after Sheng Thao's recall? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California leaders are gearing up for another 4 years of fighting back against President Donald Trump’s administration. Attorney General Rob Bonta sits down with KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast to talk about how his office is preparing — and what might be different this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Lurie, the nonprofit founder and Levi Strauss heir who ran one of the most expensive races for mayor in modern city history, will succeed London Breed as the next mayor of San Francisco. Lurie ran as the only major candidate without experience in city hall — and that outsider message resonated with voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris, most Bay Area voters have reacted with a mix of shock, sadness, and disappointment. Meanwhile, California's leaders have vowed to fight back during Trump’s second term. Today, we hear from voters, community advocates, and elected officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last day to vote in the 2024 election has come and gone. We know some California results, like Adam Schiff winning the race for U.S. Senate and Proposition 36 passing. But many votes still need to be counted. Today, we hear from voters, and then take you inside the KQED newsroom on Tuesday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of people locked up in California jails are eligible to vote, but by Tuesday, most won’t. CalMatters politics reporter Sameea Kamal explains why it's hard to vote from the inside of county jails. Links: KQED voter guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Santa Clara County is about to elect its first ever Vietnamese American to the Board of Supervisors. In District 2, which includes downtown San Jose and the east side, Madison Nguyen and Betty Duong are vying for a seat that is open for the first time in over a decade. Whoever wins will play a major role in overseeing how the county spends money on issues like health care, housing, and human services. Links: Prop Fest KQED’s Voter Guide Apply to be our intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, we check in on how we're feeling before the election and get a status update on the San Francisco mayoral race. Then, we dive into the ongoing hotel worker strike in San Francisco and discuss why the oil industry is getting involved in a local election in a city with no refineries. Links: KQED Voter Guide Prop Fest 2024 Oil Industry Spends Thousands on Local Bay Area Election in City With No Refineries New Polls in San Francisco Mayor’s Race Show Peskin and Lurie Surging SF Hotel Worker Strike Enters 6th Week, No Deal in Sight Apply to be our intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black churches in the Bay Area are taking the lead on retrofitting their buildings with clean energy to become ‘resilience hubs’ in the event of a major storm or climate-related event. It’s part of a national movement called Green The Church, an organization merging the Black faith community and environmental justice. Links: Apply to be The Bay's next intern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Keller Fire, which ignited last Friday in the Oakland Hills, has been contained after burning 15 acres. It temporarily displaced more than 500 residents and damaged two homes. 33 years ago — almost to the day — a much larger and more catastrophic fire burned through the Oakland Hills, killing 25 people and destroying thousands of buildings. It’s a stark reminder of what can happen when wildfires spread in an urban area. This episode originally aired on Oct. 20, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new superintendent is taking the helm of the embattled San Francisco Unified School District as it faces a December deadline to close a $113 million budget deficit. That’s after a series of crises, including a botched process around school closures, led to the resignation of Superintendent Matt Wayne over the weekend. Links: Apply to be The Bay's next intern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Sonoma County, no ballot measure has gotten more attention than Measure J. Put on the ballot by animal rights groups, Measure J would ban “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” in the county. It would be the first law of its kind in the nation. Supporters say this ban on so-called factory farms is an issue of animal welfare and environmental protection, while opponents see it as an existential threat to the farming economy. Links: Apply to be our intern! KQED voter guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Night markets have exploded in popularity over the past few years in the Bay Area. Many local downtowns and shopping districts have invested in night markets as a way to regain the foot traffic of the pre-pandemic years. In this episode, we go to the Story Road Night Market in San Jose’s Little Saigon neighborhood to eat some delicious food and talk about whether night markets are here to stay. Links: Bay Area Night Markets Fall Guide Apply to be our intern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters in Alameda County and the city of Oakland could recall District Attorney Pamela Price and Mayor Sheng Thao in November. Price and Thao are progressives who some residents blame for issues like crime, homelessness, and drug use. Opponents say the recalls are undemocratic and unfairly target two women of color who took office less than 2 years ago. Links: Apply to be our intern! Vote for us in the Signal Awards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Online campaigning has changed dramatically since the early days of dial-up modems. In a new miniseries from KQED called Close All Tabs, internet culture journalist Morgan Sung takes us on a trip down digital memory lane to understand how internet culture is influencing this year’s election. Links: Listen to Close All Tabs on KQED's Political Breakdown feed, every Saturday until the election. Apply to be our intern! Vote for us in the Signal Awards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep East Oakland used to be a thriving community with movie theaters and bowling alleys. But the crack cocaine epidemic and decades of disinvestment hit the community hard. Now, a $100 million philanthropic investment is coming to this part of Oakland, and people from the community will decide how to use it. Reporter Olivia Cruz Mayeda joins us to talk about ‘Deep Down,’ a new series on KQED Arts and Culture that explores the hopes and dreams of Deep East Oakland residents as they look towards this new investment. Links: Vote for us in the Signal Awards Apply to be our next intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Bay Area cities like Oakland and San Francisco use a system known as ranked choice voting in the November election. Ranked choice voting is also used in Alaska and Maine and dozens of other American cities. Today, KQED Political Breakdown host Scott Shafer speaks with Lisa Bryant, professor of political science at California State University, Fresno, about how ranked choice voting works. Links: Vote for us in the Signal Awards Apply to be our next intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year ago, Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in an attack on Israel and took at least 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and displaced millions. This conflict has sparked huge reactions all over the world, especially here in California. Today, we hear from four local residents about how it has affected them over the past year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 years ago, Californians passed Prop. 47, which reclassified certain petty theft and drug possession crimes as misdemeanors instead of felonies. At the time, it was part of an effort to reduce prison overcrowding and promote alternatives to incarceration. Supporters of Prop. 36 say that it's time to roll back parts of that ballot measure in order to address drug crimes and retail theft. Opponents fear that it will take money away from rehabilitation services and revive the War on Drugs. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, the expansion of Medi-Cal has allowed millions of low-income Californians to get access to health care. But while demand for services has increased dramatically, providers have not seen the same increase in payments, leading to many patients being denied care. Prop 35 would make an existing tax on health insurance companies permanent and restrict the allocation of funds to certain Medi-Cal providers. Supporters say it will help address health inequities and guarantee Medi-Cal funding. Opponents worry that it creates winners and losers by prioritizing certain patients over others. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prop. 34 takes aim at how revenues earned through a federal drug pricing program are spent by a very specific number of providers. On the surface, it seems like a health care ballot measure — but underneath it all is a proxy war over rent control. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1995, California has banned certain types of local rent control laws — specifically, on single family homes, condos, properties built after 1995, and new tenants. If Prop. 33 passes, this ban would be repealed and cities would be allowed to impose these kinds of new rent control laws in the future. Links: Is Rent Control Working and Should We Have More or Less of It? Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Editor's Note: An earlier version of this podcast episode said that nothing would change immediately if Prop 33 passes. In fact, several communities have laws that would immediately go into effect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is an expensive place to live. That's why advocates for Prop. 32 believe it's important to raise the minimum wage for all employees to $18 an hour. Some business groups warn that it will lead to job losses and increased prices. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 57 years, the A’s played their final game in the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday afternoon. Next season, they’ll begin play in Sacramento ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. Today, we bring you sounds from the Oakland A’s last home game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banned slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for convicted crimes. In dozens of states, including California, this exception has meant that thousands of incarcerated people have been forced to work or risk punishment, oftentimes for less than $1 per hour. Prop. 6 would amend the state constitution to ban forced labor in prisons. This episode has been updated to clarify the status of California's volunteer firefighter program. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right now, passing a local bond measure requires a two-thirds majority to pass. Supporters of Prop. 5 this should be easier, and want to amend the state constitution to lower the threshold for local bonds for affordable housing and infrastructure. If Prop. 5 passes, local bonds would require 55% of voter support instead of two-thirds. This episode has been updated to clarify ramifications of Proposition 13. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a $10 billion climate bond on the ballot. Supporters of Prop. 4 say it is urgently needed to address the wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events that are becoming more commonplace in the state. Opponents say the state should not incur more debt to pay for these projects. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices