Uber drivers are planning to strike Wednesday by turning off their apps ahead of the company's public offering, which is expected to be the largest of the new tech IPOs this year. Drivers say they want higher pay and benefits. Uber has avoided having to provide benefits because their drivers are considered independent contractors. In fact, a lot of tech workers in Silicon Valley are contractors -- including people you might expect to have permanent jobs. That includes people with degrees, like p...
May 08, 2019•15 min
A new narrative surfaced about what could have caused the deadly Oakland warehouse fire in 2016 that killed 36 people. Defense attorneys have introduced the possibility that the fire was caused by arson. As testimony begins this week the trial is reopening old wounds for families and friends of the victims, as well as a community forever changed by the fire. Guest: Don Clyde, reporter and producer for KQED News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 06, 2019•17 min
Filipinos are huge part of life and culture in the Bay Area. But the spotlight rarely falls on them, especially in media. El Cerrito High School senior Rachel Manila doesn't remember seeing anyone who looked like in her in movies, on TV or in books."I just didn't see anything, like any Filipinos ever ... that had a Filipino, playing a Filipino," she said. All week, as part of #YouthTakeoverKQED, we have been featuring young people on the radio and online to listen to what concerns them and their...
May 03, 2019•16 min
We all know it's expensive to live in the Bay Area. But just how unaffordable is it? Reporters with the Mercury News and the East Bay Times looked at how high rents and mortgages have climbed since 2012, and it will blow your mind. People making $100,000 can afford to live in just 28 percent of Bay Area neighborhoods. And if you're making less than $64,000, you basically have no options. Guest: Katy Murphy, Bay Area News Group government reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...
May 01, 2019•13 min
High rent. Long commutes. Expensive food. Childcare. Sea level rise. Gentrification. These are just some of the challenges of living in the Bay Area. Many are asking, should I stay or should I go? Or more pointedly, can I stay? If it’s not you, it’s your friends or your family who have grappled with these questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 29, 2019•54 min
The San Francisco Chronicle's newest food critic has been on the job for about three months now. Since starting, Soleil Ho has written about ethical eating in the age of #MeToo, and how much we're willing to pay for human interaction at restaurants. We revisit our conversation with Soleil Ho, and how she approaches food criticism in nontraditional ways. Guest: Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle Restaurant Critic, cohost of the Racist Sandwich podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Apr 26, 2019•17 min
More women came forward after KQED published an investigation last year showing sexual misconduct allegations against Manouso Manos, a prominent international yoga teacher based in San Francisco. The reporting prompted an investigation by the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S., which recently released findings validating several women’s claims. Manos has been banned from the association, but can still teach yoga. Guest: Miranda Leitsinger, KQED reporter Read Miranda's reporting here o...
Apr 24, 2019•15 min
There are a ton of artists, creators and thinkers in the Bay Area who have messages for society. KQED's newest radio show Rightnowish highlights them. Author and KQED Arts writer Pendarvis Harshaw brings us into conversations as he embeds himself in Bay Area life and culture. Guest: Pendarvis Harshaw, KQED Arts writer and author of OG Told Me Listen to Rightnowish on KQED at 7:34 and 9:34 am on Sundays, or check it out online at KQED.org/Rightnowish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...
Apr 19, 2019•14 min
California’s bullet train project was designed to get people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours. But after years of legal and financial battles, the future of that full project is unclear. For now, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is focused on building the route from Merced to Bakersfield. Frustrated residents and landowners in the Central Valley fear the state is tearing up land for a rail line that may never be fully finished. Guest: Alex Hall, KQED Central Val...
Apr 17, 2019•18 min
Neighbors of San Francisco's Embarcadero waterfront community were fired up when the city proposed building a 225-bed navigation center for the homeless. First, competing Go Fund Me pages were set up to raise money for litigating the matter. Then, Mayor London Breed was shouted down at a meeting about the shelter. This week, the city will host another such community meeting, but are people willing to compromise to find a solution? Guest: Caroline Champlin, KQED reporter Learn more about your ad ...
Apr 15, 2019•13 min
First it was Lyft. Next is Pinterest. Eventually, Uber, Slack, Airbnb and Postmates. All these tech companies are expected to go public this year. There's wide speculation that these IPOs are going to make San Francisco even more expensive and impossible to live here. But one writer isn't buying that. Or, at least, she doesn't think it can get any worse than it already is now. Guest: Caille Millner, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Read Caille's column, "IPOs Can't Make Things in Bay Area Worse...
Apr 12, 2019•12 min
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 KQED’s Politics and Government Desk and co-host of Political Breakdown Learn more about your ad choice...
Apr 10, 2019•13 min
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? Guest: Daniel Duane, San Francisco-based author. His essay What Remains was published in The Californ...
Apr 08, 2019•14 min
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 Government reporter Get tickets to the Bay's live event on April 26 in San Francisco. Learn more abo...
Apr 05, 2019•15 min
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 Maria’s article on Medium, “Divas: The Loss of San Francisco’s Trans ‘Town Square.” Learn more abou...
Apr 03, 2019•11 min
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 Delmarva news director. Special thanks to Krista Alamanzan, KAZU news director, Dalia Colon, WUSF podcast...
Apr 01, 2019•15 min
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: Jill Tucker, education reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and Joaquin Palomino, data and inv...
Mar 29, 2019•16 min
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, KQED criminal justice reporter Here are more stories about the police records journalists have been ...
Mar 27, 2019•21 min
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 ban. Guest: Yesica Prado, RV owner and activist The Bay is hosting a live event in San Francisco on Ap...
Mar 25, 2019•10 min
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 creative and diverse. Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, music editor at KQED Arts Read Nastia's story here. Al...
Mar 22, 2019•14 min
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 one of these churches. Guest: Rev. Ken Chambers, West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of ...
Mar 20, 2019•11 min
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 megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 18, 2019•11 min
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, Jasmine Menjivar, and Georgia Pori, seniors at June Jordan School for Equity and Dr. Barbara Austin ...
Mar 15, 2019•13 min
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 the Ohlone shellmound history in the East Bay. Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED reporter Read more about ...
Mar 13, 2019•17 min
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 having PHIMBY potential. Guest: Jessica Placzek, KQED reporter For more, read Jessica's full story on PHI...
Mar 11, 2019•15 min
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 officers, and how police train to use deadly force. Guest: Marisa Lagos, political correspondent for KQED L...
Mar 08, 2019•16 min
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 know about an episode of The Bay that moved you! Call 415-553-2273 and leave us a message. Tell us why...
Mar 06, 2019•10 min
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 nurses. Guests: Vanessa Rancano, education reporter for KQED and Julia McEvoy, education editor for KQED...
Mar 04, 2019•17 min
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 and deaths. Guest: Molly Peterson, reporter for KQED Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Mar 01, 2019•14 min
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 County district attorney's office is expected to release details of its investigation into Okobi’s de...
Feb 27, 2019•2 min
