The Bay

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 Chri...

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 ho...

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 hos...

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 grou...

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 thi...

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...

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...

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 fir...

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, a...

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:...

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...

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 Guevar...

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...

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