The Bay

As the Golden State Valkyries prepare for Game 4 of the WNBA finals Saturday, KALW’s BOUNCE introduces us to the team’s star player, Gabby Williams. From her roots in Oakland to her leadership as an out, queer player, host Erin Lim tells us more about the forces that have shaped her into the player and person she is today. Links: BOUNCE: The Rise of Women’s Professional Sports Valkyries Fans Take...

The federal corruption trial against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao kicked off this month. Thao and her three codefendants — Andre Jones, David Doung, and Andy Doung — are facing conspiracy and bribery charges. Prosecutors allege that the group engaged in a quid pro quo to advance the Doungs’ companies in exchange for money and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign. KQED’s Alex Hall joins us t...

The vast majority of commercial kitchens in California — some 85% — rely on gas to power their appliances. But scientists say that will have to change if the state hopes to reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Bay Area food franchise Flour + Water is one of many local shops leading the charge away from gas appliances. In today’s episode, KQED reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman...

In September, prescribed burns on Angel Island sent smoke and at-times dangerous air quality to residents around the Bay Area. While Air District officials want to improve controlled burns on the island, environmental managers say the recent burn was a win. Today, Bay Nature reporter Daniella Garcia-Loos Almeida takes us on a journey to Angel Island to see the burn area through the eyes of th...

Just last month, San Mateo County announced that they’d bought an apartment building to house teachers and school staff. It is just one recent example of local school districts working to tackle the affordability crisis with workforce housing. This episode first published April 20, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do martial artists, mime performers, and a farmers market have in common? They all received millions of dollars from the state budget this past summer. The money was earmarked for them, set aside as part of a longstanding and opaque budget process that CalMatters’ reporter Stella Yu has spent a long time trying to understand. Links: How a gym, a farmers market and MMA fighters landed millions...

The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, requires state and local agencies to consider the environmental impact of public and private projects. Prop 45 would change CEQA by speeding up environmental reviews for certain projects such as housing, roads, bridges, and broadband centers. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026 Your support...

There are about 2,000 community clinics providing health care in California, serving low-income and underinsured patients and funded partially by our tax dollars. But one healthcare workers union, SEIU-UHW West, says these clinics aren't spending enough of their money on patients. Prop 44 would change that by mandating that clinics spend at least 90% of their revenue on healthcare services, or fac...

Right now in California, if citizens put a tax measure on the ballot for local government services, it requires a simple majority — 50% plus 1 — to pass. Prop 43 would raise that threshold. If passed, these kinds of tax measures would require a two-thirds majority of support instead. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026 Your support makes KQE...

Prop 42 is another ballot measure designed to compete with Prop 40, the billionaire wealth tax. If passed, California would ban new taxes on financial assets like retirement accounts, stock portfolios, or other personal property like art. If Prop 42 and Prop 40 pass, but 42 receives more votes, then Prop 40 would be nullified. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode. Catch up on...

As happens so often in California, there are initiatives on your ballot that are competing with other initiatives on your ballot. Prop 41, which would require audits of new special taxes, is one of them. You may have heard of Prop 40, the billionaire wealth tax. If Prop 41 receives more votes, then Prop 40 would be nullified — even if both pass. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this e...

Proposition 40 is a one-time 5% wealth tax on California's billionaires. If passed, 90% of the revenue would go to healthcare, while the other 10% would help fund public education and food assistance programs. Additional Resources: LISTEN: The Union Man Taking on the Democratic Establishment with a Billionaire Tax LISTEN: Stanford Economist Makes the Case Against California's Billionaire Tax Read...

In California, you have to show identification when you register to vote, but not when you cast your ballot. Prop 39, which is supported by California Republicans and opposed by California Democrats, would change that. If passed, citizens would have to present a government-issued ID when voting in person or write the last 4 digits of an ID number on their mail-in ballot envelope. Additional Resour...

Immunotherapy is individualized treatment designed to harness a patients’ immune system to fight disease. Vaccines are considered part of immunology, but it also includes more recent innovations, like new treatments for cancer and heart disease.   Prop 38 would allow the state to borrow $8.4 billion to fund immunology and immunotherapy research, with one specific institution in mind — UC...

It's pretty standard to pay a 20% down payment in order to buy a house. But in California, where the median price of a single-family home is $980,000, that's a tall order for most people. Supporters of Prop 37 say it would help address this problem by allowing the state to help moderate income buyers. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026 Your...

In 2021, California voters were asked whether or not to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom from office. But there was also a second question on the ballot: Who should replace the governor if he was recalled? The recall ultimately failed. But if it had succeeded, Republican talk show host Larry Elder, who won roughly 48% of the vote in that second question, would have become governor. Proposition 5 woul...

If you want to get elected in this state, it's no secret that you'll need to raise money — in some cases, a lot of money. This could put candidates who don't come from wealthy backgrounds at a disadvantage. California currently bans public funding for political campaign expenses. Prop. 4 would repeal it. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2...

California has a progressive income tax system: the more you make, the more you pay in taxes. For years, voters have approved certain tax rates for high-income earners. Proposition 3 would lock in a marginal tax rate of 10.3% to 12.3% for the state's highest income earners. The money would help fund education and health care. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on a...

In 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown persuaded voters to strengthen California's Rainy Day Fund — a pot of money set aside to help the state save when times are good, while paying down its debts. Now, Proposition 2 is asking voters to make that fund even bigger. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026 Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show...

For the next 2 weeks, we and our friends with Bay Curious are bringing you Prop Fest, your deep-dive audio guide voting smart on the 14(!) statewide ballot measures in this year's November election. Up first: Proposition 1, which would allow the state to borrow $11.25 billion for affordable housing. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026 Your s...

In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, we discuss a new report that found traffic delays could double if voters reject two public transit-related ballot measures. We also discuss a pilot program that builds solar panels over irrigation canals and preview the Golden State Valkyries return to the playoffs. Plus, we say goodbye to The Bay's senior editor, Alan Montecillo. Links:  Bay...

Nancy Pelosi is many things: Trailblazer. Lightning rod. First woman Speaker of the House. Mom of five. To some, she’s an out-of-touch elitist, to others, a champion for democracy. In The Speaker, a new limited-run podcast from KQED, political reporter Scott Shafer reflects on Pelosi’s historic life and career as she prepares to exit public office.  Links:  The Speaker Learn more about y...

The Trump administration has ramped up immigration arrests at airports in recent months, including at San Francisco International Airport.  According to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, Customs and Border Protection has also been holding immigrants at SFO – in some cases, for more than a week. Reporter Sara DiNatale joins us to explain how the airport has become a de facto detention...

Why does gun violence happen? Arms Down, a program inside the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly San Quentin State Prison, asks the people behind the gun. It’s a revolutionary program that treats firearm addiction like an alcohol addiction, and recasts perpetrators of gun violence as part of the solution.  This episode first aired on Aug. 25, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

San Francisco’s AI boom is making the rental market more competitive than ever. Prospective tenants face intense pressure to stand out, leaving them susceptible to substandard living conditions or outright scams.  Links: Part 1: As AI Booms, Daniel Lurie Declares ‘Rent Emergency’ in San Francisco  After the $18,000 Scam, How Can Bay Area Renters Protect Themselves? | KQED Learn more abou...