This episode contains descriptions of police violence. After Vallejo police officer Jarrett Tonn shot and killed Sean Monterrosa on June 2, 2020, the Vallejo Police Department hired the OIR Group, a firm that provides independent reviews of police actions, to investigate what happened the night of Monterrosa’s death. The findings of the yearlong investigation were released earlier this month. They conclude that the officers involved in the shooting failed to follow department policy and de-escal...
Dec 13, 2021•29 min
Ericka took up roller skating during the pandemic, and a lot of other people have, too. Maybe you've seen it along Lake Merritt or in front of City Hall in San Jose. Skating also has a long history in the Bay Area, and for more than 50 years, Richard Humphrey has been at the forefront, especially at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Humphrey talked with Rightnowish host Pendarvis Harshaw on what it was like to skate in the Bay Area during the 70s, what it was like skating as a Black person back...
Dec 10, 2021•16 min
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, Californians won’t lose the right to an abortion. The right to have one is codified into state law. But having the right to an abortion isn’t the same as having good access to one — especially if you’re low income or live in rural parts of the state, where 40% of mostly rural counties in California — home to hundreds of thousands of people in the state — have no clinics that provide abortions. Guest: Katie Orr, KQED politics and government reporter Thi...
Dec 08, 2021•18 min
When the police kill or hurt someone, the public has a right to know what happened. But in many cases, the police’s story is carefully crafted to protect officers. And in California, it’s often done with the help of a Vacaville-based PR firm known as Cole Pro Media, which has at least 100 clients across the state. Cole Pro focuses on helping police departments and sheriff’s offices improve their public image. But they’ve also helped law enforcement agencies avoid scrutiny and transparency. Guest...
Dec 06, 2021•23 min
During the first few weeks of sheltering in place, food banks saw a huge explosion in demand as thousands lost their jobs and income. Food banks also had to stop or restrict volunteer programs for fear of spreading COVID-19. Now, as we go into our second holiday season during the pandemic, many still can’t afford to buy the food they need for themselves and their families. And on top of that, prices for many food items have increased as well. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editor Li...
Dec 03, 2021•15 min
Federal health officials are expanding the search for the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the U.S, including at San Francisco International Airport, where there’s increased testing for some international travelers. There’s still a lot we don’t know — Omicron could be a big deal, or it could change very little about the pandemic. Medical experts are currently trying to figure out whether this variant is more contagious, whether it's more deadly, and how the vaccines hold up against it. Guest: ...
Dec 01, 2021•19 min
Artists in Afghanistan are in trouble now that the Taliban are back in charge. Visual artists and performers are fleeing the country for fear of being harassed, persecuted, and even killed. This has ripple effects here in the Bay Area, which is home to a well-networked Afghan community and many Afghan American artists. They fear that creativity and freedom of expression are under attack once again. And they’re responding in different ways — through raising money, through changing their artistic ...
Nov 29, 2021•24 min
Meeting new people as an adult is hard enough, whether it’s dating or meeting new friends. Then the pandemic happened, and it got even more difficult. But there are success stories out there. KQED Silicon Valley reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi did start dating someone during the pandemic. And in a recent episode of The California Report Magazine, she spoke with host Sasha Khokha about what that was like — and how it led to a connection she wasn’t expecting. We're hiring a producer! Please apply by De...
Nov 24, 2021•19 min
A movement to support Indian farmers scored a win this past week. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced plans to roll back three controversial laws that had sparked protests for more than a year. The Sikh community in California had rallied behind this movement and staged several marches here in the Bay Area, including one that stopped traffic on the Bay Bridge. Many said they wanted to take a stand against privatization. Some wanted to stand in solidarity with relatives back hom...
Nov 22, 2021•17 min
This month, Walgreens closed 5 stores in 5 different San Francisco neighborhoods. The company claims it was because of “organized, rampant retail theft,” although available information doesn't quite back that up. These Walgreens locations also got national attention, and became part of heated local debates about policing and a fear of increased crime. And all the while, many San Francisco residents — especially older people and lower-income families — have lost an essential resource in their nei...
Nov 19, 2021•21 min
The United Nations COP26 climate summit was billed by conference organizers as the “last, best hope” to save our warming planet. In the end, countries left with an agreement that makes some progress, but ultimately doesn’t go far enough. And if you’re worried about climate change, it probably didn’t do much to ease your anxiety. But we don’t have to rely on world leaders alone. Today, we discuss how to take feelings of climate anxiety and turn them into meaningful action. Guest: Laura Klivans, K...
Nov 17, 2021•21 min
52 years ago this month, a group of Native Americans began to occupy Alcatraz to assert their right to self-determination. The 19-month occupation is still known as one of the most important actions in contemporary Native American history and in the fight for American Indian civil rights. On Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2019, Native people from across the West Coast gathered in San Francisco for a ceremonial canoe journey to Alcatraz Island. This episode originally aired on Oct. 16, 2019. Learn mo...
Nov 15, 2021•19 min
California sent many representatives to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland — including many Latinos, who are California's largest ethnic group and are also more likely to say that climate change affects their local community. They include some of the state's most powerful people, academics, leaders of non-profits, and activists. They also include protesters who are skeptical that this summit will lead to meaningful climate action. Guest: Raquel Maria Dillon, K...
Nov 12, 2021•19 min
After a review process from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pediatric COVID-19 shots are now available for kids ages 5-11. It's a long time coming for many kids and families who have been waiting for nearly a year. Today, we talk about what this means and answer some listeners' big questions about the rollout. Guest: Carly Severn, KQED Senior Engagement Editor More information about where to get a Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for kids. This episode...
Nov 10, 2021•18 min
What if parts of the Bay and parts of the Central Valley were represented by the same person in the U.S. House of Representatives? What about Filipino voters in Daly City and Chinese voters in the western part San Francisco? Or South Asians living in Santa Clara County? These are just a few of the thorny questions being debated right now during California’s redistricting process. Soon, California will have a new political map that will decide how we’re all represented — in the state legislature ...
Nov 08, 2021•19 min
On this very special episode, meet the new host of The Bay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 05, 2021•18 min
3 members of the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education will be facing a recall vote in February. The special election encompasses a whole host of polarizing issues in the district: in-person learning, the admissions policy at Lowell High School, the effort to rename schools, Commissioner Alison Collins’ 2016 tweets that were seen as anti-Asian, and more. Throughout these crises, student voices have often remained on the periphery. So today, we’re revisiting an episode from Apr...
Nov 03, 2021•19 min
Less than six weeks after our KQED colleagues from On Our Watch published an episode that revealed new information about the police killing of Oscar Grant, California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he was opening an external investigation into the 12-year old case, which he says remains unsolved. KQED's Sukey Lewis spoke with Bonta to discuss systemic issues in California policing, and how he wants them to be addressed. She also covers some upcoming police reforms that could lead to more...
Nov 01, 2021•20 min
In 2020, hundreds of workers at Foster Farms plants in California tested positive for COVID-19. 16 people have died and at least 20 others have been hospitalized. A KQED investigation found that as Foster Farms' Central Valley plants stayed open, and essential workers got sick, or even died, the company didn’t always give a complete picture of the problem to health officials, state regulators and their own employees. KQED’s Alex Hall has been following the story since the start, and in this epis...
Oct 29, 2021•33 min
Over the past few days, the Chevron refinery in Richmond has been intermittently sending flames and toxic fumes into the air, and people living in the area have complained of a strong gas smell. Meanwhile, the public still has not received details about the cause behind another incident at the same refinery more than 8 months ago: a pipeline leak on Feb. 9 that sent 750 gallons of fuel into the San Francisco Bay. Guest: Ted Goldberg, supervising senior editor for news and newscasts at KQED More ...
Oct 27, 2021•16 min
During the pandemic, the meal kit delivery company HelloFresh has made record profits. But some employees at HelloFresh factory kitchens like the one in Richmond say they’re not sharing in those gains, and that they feel invisible and underappreciated. Instead, they say they’re being asked to work harder and faster as more white-collar employees working remotely use the service. Now, they want to form what would be the first union in the meal kit industry. Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED tech reporter ...
Oct 25, 2021•17 min
We’re getting an unusual amount of rain this week, with the potential for strong storms during the weekend. And after a summer of drought and wildfires, the rain’s just got us feeling some type of way. So this all begs the question: Could this rain actually put a dent in this year’s fire season or our drought? Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Kate Wolffe, and hosted by Alan Montecillo. More Resources: Sign up for Bay Area emergency...
Oct 22, 2021•18 min
On Oct. 19, 1991, a fire started to burn and spread in the Oakland Hills. By the time it was done, an estimated 25 people were killed and thousands of homes were destroyed. 30 years later, a warmer climate and drier conditions mean that another wildfire could break out in or near the city of Oakland. So, are we more prepared this time? Guest: Brian Krans, contributing reporter for The Oaklandside Listen: Remembering the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm This episode was produced by Kate Wolffe and...
Oct 20, 2021•16 min
Nearly a decade ago, Vallejo launched an experiment: what if citizens played a more active role in deciding how to spend public money? It's a process called 'participatory budgeting', and Vallejo is the first city in the nation to try this citywide. Now, more local governments in California are considering this approach, too. Today, we're sharing an episode of California State of Mind, a podcast from Capital Public Radio and CalMatters. Hosts Nicole Nixon and Nigel Duara explore this topic with ...
Oct 18, 2021•24 min
California’s Reparations Task Force has a huge challenge before them: to study and recommend reparation proposals for Black Californians and descendants of enslaved people. The task force wrapped up a series of meetings this week ranging from housing discrimination, to environmental racism to educational inequities. But this formal public process is also a time for people to share their personal emotions and experiences — and tell the state what reparations would mean to them. View past meetings...
Oct 15, 2021•16 min
In 2020, homicides in the Bay Area increased by about 25%, according to a Guardian analysis of census and state data. Many of those deaths involved guns. The majority of people killed were Black and Latino, and some of the largest increases took place in Oakland, Vallejo, and Stockton. We don't yet know all of the reasons why this increase occurred, but many local practitioners of gun violence prevention point to factors like economic hardship, and the closures of important community spaces duri...
Oct 13, 2021•18 min
The Caldor Fire came very close to burning thousands of homes and businesses in South Lake Tahoe. But in the end, while the wildfire has done a lot of damage, the city was largely spared. That’s no accident. South Lake Tahoe was protected from the Caldor Fire thanks to the hard work of firefighters, some favorable wind shifts, and years of forest preparation. Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED climate reporter This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Adhiti Bandlamudi, and hosted by Alan ...
Oct 11, 2021•19 min
Vineyard workers already have hard jobs that usually don’t pay high wages. And as wildfire season increasingly overlaps with harvest season, their work has gotten even more dangerous. Now, advocates and farmworkers in Sonoma County are demanding that wine businesses provide stronger protections for the laborers who make the industry possible in the first place. Guest: Nashelly Chavez, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion reporter for the Press Democrat Follow The Bay to hear more local Bay Area stori...
Oct 08, 2021•18 min
Currently, there's little stopping a police officer accused of serious misconduct from simply resigning and moving to a new department. But that's about to change. The Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021, named after a Black man who was shot in the back by an exonerated Gardena Police Officer in 2018, makes it possible for the state to strip bad cops of their badges so they are barred from working in law enforcement for good. Guest: Sukey Lewis, KQED criminal justice reporter and...
Oct 06, 2021•15 min
The news about COVID-19 booster shots has been confusing. In mid-August, President Biden announced that a COVID-19 booster shot would roll out to all eligible U.S. residents starting the week of Sept. 20. But then, amid disagreement among federal health officials, that plan was scaled back. Now, the federal government is recommending that some people get a third shot. Today, we break down who is eligible, and how to get one. Read more about the COVID vaccine rollout and information on how to get...
Oct 04, 2021•17 min
