The Bay

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell doesn’t have the name recognition or the money that the other presidential candidates have. As the 18th Democratic candidate entering the race, he's starting a little behind. But the 38-year-old, Iowa-born congressman is a frequent guest on cable news shows rebutting President Trump and his administration's policies. Is that enough? Guest: Scott Shafer, Senior Editor for KQ...

As a geologist, Greg Stock never imagined he'd witness the death of a glacier. The Lyell Glacier is Yosemite National Park's largest ice mass, and Stock has been researching it for more than a decade. The famed California scientist John Muir first studied the Lyell in the 1870s. But the glacier has slowly shrunk. Soon it will completely disappear. What do you call a glacier that no longer moves? G...

Unlike its epic failure last year, SB 50 passed its first test this week in the state Senate Housing Committee hearing. The bill introduced by San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener would allow developers to build taller, denser housing near certain transit and job centers. Wiener has support from big city mayors, but not from several San Francisco supervisors. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics and...

Divas celebrated 31 years of serving the trans community before closing its doors for good on March 30. Some trans people say the club represented a space of inclusion and community in a city that’s becoming more mono-cultural. Today we bring you one person's love letter to the place where she discovered herself. Guest: Maria Konner, Host of San Francisco's variety show Under the Golden Gate. Read...

The Bay Area bubble is real. Sometimes living in the bubble means have tunnel vision on how the rest of the country lives. So today, we thought we'd leave this bay and visit some others. Travel with us as we hop around and show you other "Bay Areas." Guests: Gail Delaughter, Houston Public Media transportation reporter, Catherine Cruz, Hawaii Public Radio reporter, and Don Rush, Public Radio Delma...

An investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle found juvenile detention centers across California were nearly empty but the costs to run these facilities have skyrocketed. In San Francisco, it cost $266,000 to keep a kid locked up at juvenile hall. There are 150 beds, but fewer than 50 juvenile offenders on average stay there. Now politicians want to find a way to shut down SF's juvy hall. Guests...

Dozens of reporters across California have been working to obtain records from police departments on misconduct and accountability under a new state law, SB 1421, that went into effect this year. But they're having a hard time. Police unions are suing cities and counties to prevent these documents from being released. Today, we’ll give you an update on this effort led by KQED. Guest: Sukey Lewis,...

When a group of RVs was forced to leave Berkeley’s marina last year, many moved to West Berkeley, near Gilman Street where RVs line the sidewalks. Business owners and residents complain that the wheeled-homes leave garbage and take up parking space. Now, the Berkeley city council is considering a ban on overnight parking for RVs. Today, we hear from someone who will be affected by this proposed ba...

Local bands and artists are being asked to perform at San Francisco's Apple store in Union Square. As payment they get Airpods, Apple TV, or a watch. Not money. It's a story that KQED Arts music editor Nastia Voynovskya first broke. Some artists like the exposure from a large corporation like Apple. Others say artists, many whom are people of color, are being used to advertise Apple's image as cre...

Nearly a quarter of the people experiencing homelessness in Oakland are living out of a car, truck or some type of vehicle. That's why four Oakland churches announced a new plan this week to allow homeless people to park cars overnight on their properties. Churches will offer portable bathrooms and showers, while up to 65 people will get help finding new jobs and places to live. Today, we visit on...

The Bay Area’s eccentric reputation is built from its arts and culture. Music is a centerpiece. So it’s no wonder some in the music scene worry about the impact of large national promoters on independent venues that were once booked by local promoters. Guests: Sam Lefebvre, KQED Arts staff writer and Tony Bedard, local music promoter. Read Sam's story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Many people were not surprised that 13 of the 50 people charged in the college admission scandal this week are from the Bay Area. Among those not surprised that money and power impact who gets into colleges and who doesn't are three high school seniors at June Jordan School for Equity. Today, we hear from them and then get some advice on how to approach college selection. Guests: Meili Tan Rubio,...

Berkeley unveiled new city limit signs this week that say “Welcome to the City of Berkeley - Ohlone Territory.” Colonizers have wiped away much Native American history in the Bay Area, but a few burial shellmounds are still around. Another sign that reminds us of who was here first and whose land we are living on. In this episode, originally produced by KQED's Bay Curious show, we review a part of...

Fights over housing policies in the Bay Area often include these two sides: The NIMBYs (not in my backyard) and the YIMBYs (yes in my backyard). Let me introduce you to the PHIMBYs, who are bringing another level of nuance to the housing debate. They believe more public housing should be part of a solution to the Bay Area's housing crisis. And they see a contentious project in the Mission as havin...

People are outraged that two Sacramento police officers will not face criminal charges for killing 22-year old Stephon Clark last year, an unarmed Black man holding a cell phone. The state attorney general and the district attorney both say the officers' use of deadly force was legally justified. But two bills in the Legislature could change the standards when deciding whether to prosecute officer...

The Bay officially launched on March 6, 2018. Since then, we’ve covered some of the biggest Bay Area stories: elections, ICE raids and all kinds of housing laws. Plus, we've had some real conversations about Bay Area culture. But one of our favorite things is listening to messages that listeners have sent us about our episodes. So today we thought we’d revisit some of our favorite calls. Let us kn...

The Oakland teachers strike is over. Teachers and other educators approved an agreement Sunday night to end the seven-day strike and give parents a reason to send their kids back to school. The agreement offers teachers a pay increase. But school board officials say the raises will come with future budget cuts in other departments. Plus, not everyone is happy with the new contract, especially nurs...

It’s cold in the Bay Area now. But in 2017, two heat waves killed 14 people in the Bay Area. KQED reporting has found that most of those people who died started getting sick from the heat while inside some place, instead of outside in the sun. State regulators are now in the process of coming up with rules to regulate how hot workplaces can be in order to protect people from heat-related illnesses...

Chinedu Okobi died last October after being tased by San Mateo sheriff deputies. His death was one of three that happened last year involving tasers and police officers from different departments. Activists and the family of those killed in taser-involved arrests have demanded information about how law enforcement uses tasers and want to see changes to how they are used. Meanwhile, the San Mateo C...

Jeff Adachi died suddenly Friday night. While details of how he died are still under investigation, many are remembering Adachi and his tireless efforts as a public defender who provided fair legal representation to the people who needed it most. Adachi was the only elected public defender in the state of California, making his position fighting for and against the system unique. Guest: Scott Shaf...

It's Day 1 of the Oakland Unified school teacher strike. Teachers, parents and students began picketing Thursday for more pay, support, and smaller class sizes. The strike directly affects thousands of families that must decide whether to send their kids to school or not. And it hurts the district's pocket book every day students are absent. Today, we check in with one school in Oakland to see how...

Lots of gig workers earn tips. So, when InstaCart started paying its full-service shoppers and deliverers on a sliding scale based on how many tips they got, the workers were pissed off. They took to Reddit and Facebook to complain and gained the national media's attention. This month, InstaCart changed how it pays its app workers. It's seen as a victory for gig workers that have been trying to ge...

PG&E is under pressure to not spark a wildfire this summer. A federal judge overseeing the investor-owned utility's probation case is demanding they take prevention measures. This week, PG&E presented its wildfire safety plan to state regulators, which includes cutting back trees, replacing power poles, installing weather stations, and shutting off power when it’s hot, dry and windy. But PG&E says...

The opioid crisis has dominated the news, but there is growing evidence that methamphetamine has made a return to San Francisco. Overdoses from meth have more than doubled and about half the people admitted to San Francisco General Hospital with a psychiatric emergency are high on meth. Some health experts think the two drug crises could be related. Guest: April Dembosky, health correspondent for...

Ten years is a lot of time. For the Bay Area, it's meant more money, new problems, and getting more serious about climate change. Today on the podcast, we apply the #10YearChallenge to the Bay Area and see how the past ten years has treated the politics, economy, arts and environment scenes in the Bay Area. To give us your take on the #10YearChallenge for the Bay Area ... Call us at 415-553-2273 a...