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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

A year ago this Tuesday, a gunman entered two mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay and killed 7 farmworkers — all of them Chinese and Latino immigrants.  The shooting brought attention to the living and working conditions of farmworkers in Half Moon Bay and across the state. State and local officials promised to do something about it. So, what’s changed? Transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

Despite California’s reputation as a sanctuary state for abortion rights, it is also home to hundreds of “crisis pregnancy centers” located directly next to abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood.  These centers are designed to look like community health clinics, but most of them don’t have a medical license. And they have an explicit goal: to persuade people not to have an abortion. This episode originally aired on Feb. 17, 2023.

Robotaxis had their Icarus moment in 2023, writes Joshua Bote, tech reporter for The San Francisco Standard. After Cruise’s rise and fall in San Francisco, what's ahead for the robotaxi industry? Episode transcript This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra

California Forever, the billionaire-funded company behind the controversial plan to build a new city from scratch in Solano County, has released language for a ballot measure they hope to bring before voters. KQED’s Erin Baldassari tells us what’s in the plan, and how residents are feeling about it.  This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and Alan Montecillo, and was hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Transcript 'Not Just a Crazy Idea': California Forever...

This episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. After decades of advocacy, a stainless steel safety net underneath the Golden Gate Bridge is nearly finished. Officials and loved ones affected by suicide hope it will save lives by deterring people from jumping. Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra

Today, we’re sharing an episode from our colleagues at KQED's Rightnowish. Host Pendarvis Harshaw talks to Oakland filmmaker, organizer and MC, Boots Riley. They talk about his latest T.V show, I’m a Virgo, participating in the Writers Guild of America Strike, and the ways he believes the media has failed in its coverage of violence in Oakland.  This episode originally aired on Jan.4, 2024.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza in an 8-3 vote, making it the largest city in the country to do so. San Francisco trails other cities in the Bay Area like Richmond and Oakland who’ve passed similar resolutions meant to put pressure on Israel and the Biden administration. Episode Transcript This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Maria Esquinca, and Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra

Since its founding in 1969, People’s Park has been a symbol of Berkeley’s radical history of protest, resistance and mutual aid. But after years of efforts by UC Berkeley to build on the land, the university is getting closer and closer to taking back control. KQED's Vanessa Rancaño breaks it down. Transcript Links: A Brief History of the Never-Ending Battle for People’s Park Berkeley Locals Lament the Closure of People’s Park as Shipping Container Barricades Go Up This episode was...