Prop. 34 takes aim at how revenues earned through a federal drug pricing program are spent by a very specific number of providers. On the surface, it seems like a health care ballot measure — but underneath it all is a proxy war over rent control. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn m...
Oct 02, 2024•23 min
Since 1995, California has banned certain types of local rent control laws — specifically, on single family homes, condos, properties built after 1995, and new tenants. If Prop. 33 passes, this ban would be repealed and cities would be allowed to impose these kinds of new rent control laws in the future. Links: Is Rent Control Working and Should We Have More or Less of It? Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide proposition...
Oct 01, 2024•23 min
California is an expensive place to live. That's why advocates for Prop. 32 believe it's important to raise the minimum wage for all employees to $18 an hour. Some business groups warn that it will lead to job losses and increased prices. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about...
Sep 30, 2024•21 min
After 57 years, the A’s played their final game in the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday afternoon. Next season, they’ll begin play in Sacramento ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. Today, we bring you sounds from the Oakland A’s last home game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 27, 2024•26 min
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banned slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for convicted crimes. In dozens of states, including California, this exception has meant that thousands of incarcerated people have been forced to work or risk punishment, oftentimes for less than $1 per hour. Prop. 6 would amend the state constitution to ban forced labor in prisons. This episode has been updated to clarify the status of California's volunteer firefighter program. Prop Fe...
Sep 27, 2024•15 min
Right now, passing a local bond measure requires a two-thirds majority to pass. Supporters of Prop. 5 this should be easier, and want to amend the state constitution to lower the threshold for local bonds for affordable housing and infrastructure. If Prop. 5 passes, local bonds would require 55% of voter support instead of two-thirds. This episode has been updated to clarify ramifications of Proposition 13. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down e...
Sep 26, 2024•23 min
Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a $10 billion climate bond on the ballot. Supporters of Prop. 4 say it is urgently needed to address the wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events that are becoming more commonplace in the state. Opponents say the state should not incur more debt to pay for these projects. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. ...
Sep 25, 2024•18 min
Same-sex marriage is already legal in the state and across the nation. But thanks to Prop. 8, passed in 2008, California still has an unenforceable "zombie law" on the books that bans it. Prop. 3 would formally repeal that ban and explicitly establish marriage as a fundamental right afforded to everyone in the state constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 24, 2024•24 min
For the next 2 weeks, we're collaborating with our friends at Bay Curious to bring you Prop Fest — a breakdown of all 10 statewide ballot measures. First up: Proposition 2. Roof leaks, faulty air conditioning and contaminated water are just some of the issues facing many California school buildings. Supporters of Prop. 2 want the state to borrow $10 billion to help address these problems, especially in lower-income districts. But a similar bond measure failed in 2020. Will voters accept it this ...
Sep 23, 2024•17 min
On Thursday night, KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle hosted an hourlong debate with 5 of the candidates for mayor of San Francisco: London Breed, Mark Farrell, Daniel Lurie, Aaron Peskin, and Ahsha Safai. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 20, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Many Palestinian Americans have been trying — for nearly a year — to evacuate family members out of Gaza. But evacuating loved ones is an opaque process with rapidly changing conditions at the borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 18, 2024•20 min
Big changes are coming to the Oakland Coliseum. Next Thursday, the A’s will play their last home game there. And earlier this month, the stadium was sold to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, whose vision for the land includes a $5 billion housing and business development. The Oaklandside’s Eli Wolfe explains what this sale means for the future of the Coliseum — and for the city of Oakland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 16, 2024•18 min
Nearly 1 in 5 San Francisco residents are Chinese American. So if you want to be mayor, you need to win over the city’s Chinese communities. KQED’s Sydney Johnson tells us how the candidates are trying to woo voters in this year’s mayoral race, especially when it comes to public safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 13, 2024•26 min
Moonridge is an affordable housing community of 160 homes for low-income residents and farmworkers just outside of Half Moon Bay. It was built more than 20 years ago. As Half Moon Bay debates the issue of farmworker housing construction, reporter Sebastian Miño-Bucheli visits Moonridge to see how living there stacks up with negative comments from city residents. Links: Take a closer look at Moonridge More Than a Year After Shooting, Half Moon Bay is Making Progress on Farmworker Housing Learn mo...
Sep 11, 2024•14 min
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This summer, activists and families of people who have lost loved ones to suicide commemorated the official completion of a stainless steel safety net under the Golden Gate Bridge. Back in January, KQED’s Lesley McClurg told us the story of how family members advocated for this addition to the bridge. This episode originally aired on Jan. 16, 2024. Learn more about ...
Sep 09, 2024•18 min
This summer, a new right to repair law went into effect in California, giving consumers more access to information and tools to fix their own electronics and appliances. In one of our most popular episodes (ever!) from February, KQED’s Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman takes us to a Fixit Clinic in Redwood City. Links: Fixit Clinic Calendar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 06, 2024•20 min
It’s been 4 years since Alameda County voters passed Measure C, a sales tax measure aimed at increasing access to social services for low-income families. After years of legal battles, the county can finally use the money it has been collecting, and advocates hope it will provide relief to families struggling with child care costs. Links: As state cuts loom, a court ruling provides a lifeline for child care access in Alameda County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 04, 2024•16 min
This episode contains explicit language. This Labor Day, Bay Curious brings us the story of Carol Leigh — better known as “Scarlot Harlot” — the woman who coined the term “sex work,” and the history of the sex worker rights movement in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 02, 2024•27 min
In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, KQED California politics and government senior editor Molly Solomon joins us to talk about how Kamala Harris tells her life story to a national audience — and why she might be reluctant to mention Berkeley. Also, we discuss a lead water crisis at Oakland schools, and why some journalists are dismayed with a deal Google just reached with state lawmakers to pay millions of dollars to support local news. Links: As Kamala Harris Claims Oakland, Berk...
Aug 30, 2024•25 min
In 2016 and 2020, Berkeley and Oakland passed ballot measures giving 16 and 17-year olds the right to vote in local school board races. It took years — and a lot of pressure from student activists — but in this election, Alameda County is finally ready to let students cast their ballots. Links: Register to vote online (click “pre-register”) How Teen Voters in Berkeley, Oakland Can Shape Upcoming School Board Elections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 28, 2024•20 min
It seemed like California Forever, the billionaire-backed company intent on building a brand new city in Solano County, was going full speed ahead with a ballot measure that would have authorized construction. But late last month, the group abruptly pulled the measure, promising to bring it back in 2026. So what changed? Background: This Tech-Backed Company Tried to Disrupt California’s Housing Crisis. It Couldn’t Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 26, 2024•20 min
In 1973, the Black Panthers opened the Oakland Community School in East Oakland. It is regarded as one of the nation’s first community schools — a model where public schools partner with community organizations to provide comprehensive support services alongside academic instruction. Many of the school’s practices formed the blueprint for community schools today. Today, our friends at KQED’s Mindshift podcast dive into the pioneering initiatives of the Black Panthers, and show how Oakland school...
Aug 23, 2024•32 min
Last week, the Richmond City Council scrapped a November ballot measure that would have imposed a new oil-refining tax on the nearby Chevron refinery. Instead, the council voted unanimously to approve a $550 million settlement with the company. KQED’s Dan Brekke explains why city leaders chose to strike a deal instead of taking the issue to the ballot box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 21, 2024•22 min
Nearly 500 Californians are in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, where Democrats will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris as their party’s nominee for president. One of them is Igor Tregub, a newly elected member of the Berkeley City Council and chair of the Alameda County Democratic Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 19, 2024•17 min
If you’ve ever driven an electric vehicle, you know that finding a public charging station can be stressful. But we’ll need a lot more of them soon. California plans to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars and trucks by 2035, and by then the charging crunch could get much worse. Today, our friends at Bay Curious explore what it will take to get more charging stations across the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 16, 2024•22 min
52 Bay Area public schools are already at risk of being inundated with ocean and groundwater, according to a new analysis by KQED and Climate Central. KQED’s Ezra David Romero tells us how the threat of sea level rise has already ignited a debate over rebuilding a middle school in Marin County. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Links: Schools in Deep Water: Bay Area Faces Uphill Battle Against Cli...
Aug 14, 2024•23 min
Last week, Jon Jacobo, a once-rising star in the progressive wing of San Francisco politics, was arrested on charges of sexual assault and domestic violence. These charges come nearly 3 years after a former colleague, Sasha Perigo, publicly accused him of rape. Earlier this year, reporting in the San Francisco Standard found that three more women filed police reports against Jacobo, detailing allegations of stalking, harassment, and physical violence. On Tuesday, Jacobo pleaded not guilty. Today...
Aug 12, 2024•28 min
Dr. Mohammad Subeh, a Palestinian-American ER doctor from the South Bay city of Saratoga, went to Gaza for his first medical mission in February. When we spoke with him back in April, his next steps were clear: he wanted to go back. Today, Dr. Subeh tells us about his second trip to Gaza. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 09, 2024•26 min
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has promised ‘very aggressive’ sweeps of homeless encampments this month, on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that gives cities more leeway to fine or jail people for camping in public. KQED’s Sara Hossaini joins us to talk about what’s changed on the ground — and what hasn’t. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 07, 2024•20 min
This week, Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. But before she burst onto the national stage, Harris got her start here in the Bay Area. She was born in Oakland, raised in Berkeley, and worked as a prosecutor in Alameda County and in San Francisco, where she served as District Attorney from 2004 to 2010. So today, we're revisiting this episode from January 2019 — back when Harris first ran for president — about how Bay Area politics...
Aug 05, 2024•16 min
