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There are no signs of a doom loop in Oakland’s queer nightlife scene, where brick and mortar nightclubs and bars quadrupled in the last year, and the events to go along with them have grown too. KQED Arts and Culture Editor Nastia Voynovskaya explains what’s behind this flourishing scene. Links: A Queer Party Renaissance Brings New Life to Downtown Oakland 'Something's blooming': Queer nightlife in Oakland is approaching a renaissance Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, Ericka, Maria and Alan talk about the resurgence of the East Bay’s Street Spirit newspaper, a new non-emergency phone line for Oakland residents, and Aaron Peskin’s potential bid for San Francisco mayor. Links: Berkeleyside: Street Spirit homeless newspaper is back in print The Oaklandside: MACRO, Oakland’s non-emergency crisis response team, now has a phone number KQED: Aaron Peskin's Rumored Run for SF Mayor Has Same Strength and Weakness: Housing This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca
Every child in California under 3 is entitled to early intervention services like physical, speech, and occupational therapy if they show signs that they need developmental support. Experts say getting these services early and in-person is critical for babies’ development, and that it can actually reduce the need for special education services later in life. But many families aren’t receiving the care they need. KQED’s Daisy Nguyen explains why. Links: Episode transcript 'Early Start' 101: Here's How Families Can Access Early Intervention Services for Younger Kids This episode was produced by Ellie Prickett-Morgan, Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Well, it’s been a minute since the March 5 primary, but we finally know the results of Proposition 1. California voters narrowly approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to build new treatment facilities and direct a larger share of mental health funding to housing. KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati joins us to unpack the results, and what this could mean for the state moving forward. This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Episode transcript Become a KQED member
The Bay is home to a new professional women’s soccer team. Bay FC, founded by four former U.S. Women National Team players, kicks off its home opener at PayPal Park in San Jose on Saturday, March 30. Marisa Ingemi with the San Francisco Chronicle joins us to talk about how this team got started, which players to watch, and the Bay Area’s history as a hotbed for women’s soccer. Links: ‘I’m here to win trophies’: Bay FC’s African strikers eager to make mark in NWSL A beginner’s guide to the NWSL: Five things Bay FC fans should know This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Advocates and lawyers are scrambling to provide immigration legal assistance in Contra Costa County, where a new immigration court has opened to help tackle a nationwide deportation backlog and record numbers of asylum claims. KQED’s Tyche Hendricks takes us to a high school gym in Concord where nonprofit groups helped provide free legal advice to people ahead of their court hearings. Links: Episode transcript New Bay Area Immigration Court Opens, Aims to Tackle Deportation Backlog Become a KQED member
This episode discusses sexual abuse. For decades, the Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, a women’s prison, has been known for a pervasive culture of sexual abuse towards the women incarcerated there. There have been firings, settlements, and trainings, but the problems haven’t gone away. Now, the FBI has raided the prison as a group of survivors have filed a total of 63 lawsuits against the facility. Will it be enough to change things? Links: 'A Dysfunctional Mess': Judge Orders Third-Party Oversight for East Bay Women's Prison Plagued by Sexual Abuse Episode transcript This episode was produced by Dana Cronin and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo.
Activists and scientists have been sounding the alarm about radioactive contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, the site of former U.S. Navy activity, for years. In January, the Navy released a report acknowledging that, through human-caused climate change, toxic chemicals could rise with groundwater in parts of the site. Today, we’re sharing an episode from August 2022 with KQED climate reporter Ezra David Romero. In it, we meet residents of Bayview-Hunters Point who have been fighting for more information, and resources to deal with health problems that they attribute to this pollution. Links: Episode transcript US Navy Acknowledges Rising Toxic Groundwater Threat at SF Superfund Site
Alameda County is notoriously slow at counting votes, but we do have some results to discuss. Today, KQED’s Annelise Finney dives into the Board of Supervisors elections, a very expensive state Senate race, and a measure that aims to change the county’s recall rules. Episode transcript This episode was produced by Ellie Prickett-Morgan and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo.
San Francisco moderates, especially Mayor London Breed, are celebrating after Propositions C, E and F appear headed to victory. Props E and F will expand police powers and drug screen welfare recipients. Now that they’ve passed, Mayor London Breed hopes to show voters she’s addressing the worries on voters’ minds ahead of a competitive mayoral race this November. Links: Episode transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey finished in the top 2 in the race for California’s U.S. Senate seat, with Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee finishing third and fourth. KQED’s Guy Marzorati gives a quick rundown of some of the local races we know about so far, and then breaks down the results of the biggest race on the California primary ballot. Links: Episode Transcript Live Election Results This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
Election Day is over, and the votes are being tallied. And while we don’t know what the final voter turnout numbers will be, we do know that most people don’t vote in primaries. Primary elections aren’t sexy. They never turn out as many voters as a November general election because most people are motivated by national stuff, like presidential races. But the issues on a primary ballot, especially locally, are perhaps more consequential to people’s everyday lives. Today, we talk with Mindy Romero, founder and director of USC's Center for Inclusive Democracy, about the consequences of low primary turnouts, and how to get more people to vote. Links: Episode transcript California primary results This episode was produced by Ellie Prickett-Morgan and Maria Esquinca, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
In Napa County, 3 out of the 5 seats on the Board of Supervisors are on the ballot, in nonpartisan races that will be decided in the March 5 primary. (In these races, nobody is advancing to November— voters will pick the winner in this election!) The wine industry looms large, but so do issues about housing, wildfire protection, and environmental conservation. KQED’s Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli tells us about the stakes, and focuses on the race in District 5. Links: Episode transcript KQED Voter Guide This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Maria Esquinca, and edited and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo.
Are you voting in the March Primary on Tuesday? Why or why not? Maybe there’s a particular issue you’re fired up about where you live. Maybe you’re not happy with the candidates in your area. Or maybe you’re just hella confused by all the measures with letters on your ballot. Either way, we wanna hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223. And maybe you’ll hear yourself in an upcoming episode of The Bay! Tell us your name, where you’re from, and whether you’re voting in the March primary.
This episode contains explicit language. Race has been a mostly silent character in criminal courtrooms. Historically, people accused of crimes haven’t been able to raise claims of racial bias in the justice system to defend themselves from a criminal accusation. But in 2020, California passed the Racial Justice Act, a groundbreaking law that allows criminal defendants to argue that racism may have played a role in how the justice system handled their case and ask for the court to provide a remedy. It’s the first law of its kind in the nation. KQED’s Annelise Finney explains how one case in Contra Costa County is testing the limits of the new law. Links: Episode Transcript California's Groundbreaking Racial Justice Act Cuts Its Teeth in Contra Costa Judge Finds 8 Antioch Police Officers Tainted by Racial Bias, Reduces Criminal Charges This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca, Ellie Prickett-Morgan, and Ericka Cruz Guevarra. It was edited and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo.
In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, Ericka, Maria and Alan talk about an assembly race where housing development has taken center stage, the mother of Oscar Grant getting his cell phones back 15 years after his killing, and how the politics of fast food are heating up in San Jose. Links: Palo Alto's Lydia Kou Channels Anti-Sacramento Anger in Challenge to Assemblymember Marc Berman Oscar Grant's Cellphones Returned to His Mother, 15 Years After Notorious Police Killing on BART Platform San Jose fast-food workers question city official’s support
When one of your appliances or electronics breaks, do you buy a new one or try to fix it yourself? Manufacturers have made it hard for consumers to fix their own stuff. But people have been pushing back in what's called the "right to repair" movement. KQED's Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman takes us to a "Fixit clinic" in Redwood City, where people learn how to fix their broken items. Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
This March, the politics of crime in San Francisco can be found up and down the ballot, from judicial races to local ballot measures. KQED’s Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez joins us to unpack Proposition E, a measure put forward by Mayor London Breed that would expand the power of the San Francisco Police Department. Links: KQED Voter Guide: Proposition E Subscribe to KQED's Political Breakdown newsletter Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
Queer Palestinian artists in the Bay are calling for a ceasefire as Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza. Some say that the conflict has forced them to “come out as Palestinian” to the Bay Area LGBTQ+ community. KQED’s Nisa Khan talks to us about how Palestinian artists are pushing San Francisco’s queer community to stand up for Palestine. Links: Episode Transcript ‘This Is Resistance’: Queer Palestinian Artists and Activists in the Bay Area Are Speaking Out This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
As we head into the 2024 election, voters will have to navigate a slew of disinformation created by AI, like deep fakes and robocalls. In this episode of KQED’s Political Breakdown, Scott Shafer speaks to Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause, to discuss the threats AI could pose to our election process and efforts to regulate it in California.
The people who regulate air quality in the Bay Area say they’ve scored a “decisive victory” in a legal fight with Big Oil. On Tuesday, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced that Chevron, which runs a 120-year-old refinery in Richmond, and the Martinez Refining Company have dropped lawsuits against a rule that will require them to drastically cut air pollution from their facilities. Links: Bay Air District Hails 'Decisive Victory' in Battle to Cut Refinery Pollution Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
This Valentine’s Day, KQED community engagement reporter Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli joins us to talk about growing up in San Francisco’s Mission District — and one particular mural that he loves and remembers dearly. Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca, Alan Montecillo and Ericka Cruz Guevarra
The California primary is coming up, and ballots have been sent out! Today, our friends at Bay Curious break down Proposition 1. Prop. 1 asks two big questions: Should mental health funding be used for housing? And should California borrow money to build more housing and treatment facilities? Links: Episode transcript KQED Voter Guide
The San Francisco 49ers are back in the Super Bowl, and fans are chomping at the bit for the team to bring home its first championship since 1994. They’ll be facing the Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated them in the Super Bowl 4 years ago. David Lombardi with The Athletic breaks down why the Niners have a great chance of winning it all this time. Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Dana Cronin, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo.
A huge storm system hit the Bay Area this past weekend, leaving many across the nine counties without power. At its peak, an estimated 1.5 million customers were without electricity statewide, marking the third-largest single-day outage in PG&E’s history. KQED’s Dan Brekke tells us why this storm was so bad, what about our infrastructure is lacking, and how we can be better prepared for more storms like this one going forward. Episode transcript This episode was produced by Dana Cronin and Alan Montecillo, with production help from Ellie Prickett-Morgan. It was guest hosted by Alan Montecillo.
We're making an episode about the fallout from this weekend's storms. Have you been affected? If so, consider leaving us a voicemail at 415-710-9223, and we may play it on Wednesday's show.
The biannual “point in time” count of unhoused residents is imperfect but an important part of tracking the homelessness crisis in cities across the country. KQED’s Sydney Johnson joined city workers as they drove around one San Francisco neighborhood to count the number of people living on the streets. Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra
From 2012-2019, Oakland’s Operation Ceasefire has been credited with helping the city reduce homicides by nearly half. At its height, it targeted the handful of individuals responsible for the bulk of gun violence and offered services. But a recent audit requested by Mayor Sheng Thao revealed several factors that led to the breakdown of the program. Now, she wants to revive it. Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, Ericka, Maria and Alan discuss how mass layoffs at the LA Times have brought renewed attention to a California bill that would force tech companies to pay news outlets, San Mateo County’s vote to make it a crime to camp in certain areas when shelter beds are available, and a former prosecutor under Chesa Boudin who’s decided to enter the race for San Francisco District Attorney. Plus, we introduce our new intern! Links: Episode Transcript As layoffs batter L.A. Times, California lawmaker renews push to force Google, Facebook to pay for news S.F. D.A. Brooke Jenkins fired him. Now he’s running against her San Mateo County Supes Vote to Criminalize Camping in Unincorporated Areas
This March, Californians will be voting in a competitive Senate race. The top two finishers will advance to a run-off in November, regardless of party affiliation. KQED’s Marisa Lagos tells us about the stakes of this race, and we discuss four of the candidates: Democrats Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee, and Republican Steve Garvey. Transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
