The Bay

Another huge sporting event is here in the Bay Area. The World Cup, with 48 participating countries and 104 matches spread out across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is underway until the final on July 19. In addition to the six World Cup games at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, free watch parties are on all over the region, and two teams – Paraguay and Australia – are using the Bay Area as their base camps. KQED reporter Ayah Ali-Ahmad tells us what it's like on the ground in San Jose, as thousands of visitors come to the Bay Area yet again. Links: Team Paraguay Arrives in San José Ahead of World Cup Games at Levi's | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the Pacifica City Council approved an emergency declaration to demolish the beloved Chit Chat Cafe at the Pacifica Pier, as parts of the structure began to crumble into the ocean. Plans for the rest of the pier are still up in the air, as Pacifica residents reckon with the future of their coastal community in the face of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and climate change. Links: ‘You Can't Beat Mother Nature': Destroyed Cafe Gives Pacifica Look at Climate-Changed Future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Cup is now underway, with planned events around the Bay Area. Under the ethos of soccer as a “global language,” local soccer leagues in the Bay Area have been providing a rare sense of solace for new immigrant youth.  This episode first published June 11, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California still has lots of ballots left to count, more than one week after the primary. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have seized on the slow count to spread conspiracy theories of election fraud. But what's actually behind the holdup? KQED's Marisa Lagos explains why California counts ballots so slowly, and what could help speed up the count. Links: Ballots Are All In, but California Election Results Could Take Weeks to Settle. Why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In conversations with loved ones, transgender and non-binary kids from the Bay Area discuss acceptance, trust, and what it looks like to thrive. This episode first aired Dec. 4, 2025. Links: Become a KQED member Email us: thebay@kqed.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are still many ballots left to count, but from the governor's race to local tax measures and the race to replace Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives, we sit down with KQED's politics and government correspondent Guy Marzorati about the results of the primary so far. Links: KQED: California Primary Election Results  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Agan was a popular teacher at Angelo Rodriguez High School in Fairfield. But for years, students whispered about his behavior. He touched some of them in public in ways that made them uncomfortable, they said, including hugging students and massaging their shoulders.  In late 2019, after multiple written complaints and an administrative hearing, the school district fired Agan. But he never lost his teaching license, and went on to teach at two more schools in California. Holly McDede, who reported this story for KQED and ProPublica, explains how a pattern of delays and a lack of transparency has allowed educators to continue teaching after school districts reported them to the state. Links: He Was Fired for Sexually Harassing Students. California Allowed Him to Keep Teaching Anyway | KQED California Teacher Previously Fired for Sexual Harassment Is No Longer in the Classroom After New Complaints | KQED KQED and ProPublica will continue reporting on how California handles cases of alleged teacher misconduct. We need your help to get the full picture, and we want to hear from you. You can share your experience with the state's disciplinary process online at propublica.org/kqed.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This graduation season has felt different. Commencement speakers across the country are getting booed for promoting AI in their speeches – and the videos have gone viral. Recent college graduates were in school when ChatGPT first launched in late 2022, and many are worried about how AI will affect their future job prospects and society at large. Today, we hear from three recent graduates in the Bay Area about their thoughts on AI, how it affected their education, and how they feel about their futures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edition of The Bay's monthly news roundup, Alan Montecillo is joined by KQED political correspondent Guy Marzorati and KQED reporter Sydney Johnson ahead of California's primary election on Tuesday, June 2. They preview the race to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco, Measures A and E in San Jose and Oakland, and the mayoral election in the city of Richmond. Links: 2026 Primary Voter Guide: California and Bay Area Elections | KQED After Pelosi, Young SF Voters Want Change. 2 Progressives Are Competing to Offer It | KQED LISTEN: San Francisco's Congressional Debate The Measure E parcel tax fight is hot — and pricey Will Richmond's next mayor be a progressive, a moderate or a staunch conservative? Richmond mayoral candidates take stances on green jobs, safety and life beyond Chevron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 15, 2024, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the Golden Gate Bridge, in an attempt to pressure the U.S. government into ending military aid for Israel's bombing and invasion of Gaza. Now, seven of those protesters are on trial facing felony charges in San Francisco. If convicted, they could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The wetsuit changed surfing forever, making it possible for surfers to wade in the frigid waters of the Bay and allow the scene to thrive. In this episode of Bay Curious, we learn about the Ocean Beach surfers and the UC Berkeley physicist who had a part to play in the wetsuit's invention.  Links: The Wetsuit Changed Surfing — We've Got a Berkeley Physicist to Thank for It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, SF Carnaval is expected to draw an estimated 500,000 people to San Francisco's Mission District. The celebration, which takes place May 23-24, celebrates the music, dance, and culture of the Latin American diaspora. Links: Carnaval San Francisco 2026: From Parade Route to Parking, What to Know This Weekend Carnaval San Francisco Turns Music, Memory and Resistance Into Celebration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Valero's Benicia refinery employed hundreds of people and contributed millions in taxes to the local government for decades. Now, with the refinery on its way out, local leaders hope Benicia can be a leading example for how cities transition away from the fossil fuel industry. But with tight city budgets and a global fuel crisis looming, that's much easier said than done. Links: California's Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia's ‘Just Transition' to Green Economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco has seen a 22% decrease in people sleeping on the streets, according to preliminary data from this year's Point In Time count. But the number of families experiencing homelessness has gone up 15%. Recent changes have allowed families to stay longer in shelters, but securing affordable housing remains a challenge. In this episode, we meet one family caught up in the city's shelter system as they wait for more permanent housing.  This episode originally aired Aug 4, 2025 Links: Fewer People Are Sleeping on San Francisco Streets. But Family Homelessness Is Up SF Families Win Shelter Extension Rights, Still Face Long Waits for Housing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Community-based preschools across the state have struggled to compete with California's free, universal transitional-kindergarten program, where enrollment grew to 213,000 students this year. Now, hundreds of preschools have shuttered — worsening the shortage of licensed child care spaces for children younger than 4 years old. Links: As Transitional Kindergarten Grows, Hundreds of Child Care Centers Close Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Workers at San Francisco International Airport who clean planes, handle baggage, and push wheelchairs told city supervisors at a recent hearing that they're sleeping in their cars and surviving on rice and oatmeal. Now city supervisors say their labor fight for higher wages is on notice.  Links: San Francisco Airport Labor Fight Hits City Hall This Week Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to a KQED analysis, the average Pacific Gas & Electric utility bill went up nearly 70% between 2020 and March 2025. But understanding what you're actually paying for can be confusing. In this episode, KQED's climate reporter Laura Klivans helps Ericka decode her PG&E bill.  This episode originally aired Dec 17, 2025 Links: The Average PG&E Utility Bill Has Gone Up Nearly 70% Since 2020 | KQED Bay Area Electricity Bills Are Some of the Highest. Where Does Your Money Go? | KQED PG&E Bills Keep Rising. What Can You Do to (Potentially) Lower Your Bills? | KQED Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Golden State Valkyries' first season was a huge success. The team sold out every home game and became the first WNBA team ever to make the playoffs in their expansion season. This year, expectations are high. Marisa Ingemi of Valkyries Beat joins us to preview the Valkyries' second season season, and provide some helpful tips for new fans. Links: 2026 WNBA Season Preview from a Valkyries perspective (Valkyries Beat) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jurors and journalists are getting a peak behind the world of OpenAI and its founding as two of the richest, most powerful men in tech duke it out in an Oakland federal courthouse. At issue is whether Sam Altman and other co-founders of OpenAI abandoned their founding promise to develop AI for the benefit of humanity. But does anyone here really have our best interests at heart? KQED's Rachael Myrow takes us inside. Links: How to Unscramble an Omelet in Silicon Valley: The Musk v. Altman Trial That Will Try Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raising kids is expensive, and doing so in the Bay comes with compromises. Whether it's with space, commutes, or affordability, having a kid here means something's gotta give. KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi introduces us to three different families and tells us what they're doing to get by. Links: How We Get By | KQED In the Bay Area, Raising Kids Comes With Compromise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 2023, a private initiative called the Civic Joy Fund has financially supported hundreds of arts and culture events in San Francisco. But a growing group of artists are calling for a boycott of events affiliated with the Civic Joy Fund, citing its connections to the Bay Area's ultra-wealthy who already play an outsized role in local and state politics. Emma Silvers, journalist and co-owner of COYOTE Media Collective, explains why Bay Area artists are talking about the Civic Joy Fund right now.  Links: Bay Area Artists Are Turning on the Civic Joy Fund (Coyote Media) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this month's edition of The Bay's news roundup, Ericka, Alan, and KQED outdoors reporter Sarah Wright discuss Oakland's new policy that will make it easier to sweep homeless encampments and RVs. Plus, a measure to tax the wealth of California's billionaires seems headed for the November ballot, and a small group of lucky booklovers gets married at the San Francisco Public Library.  Links: Oakland Passes Controversial Policy Easing Restrictions on Encampment Sweeps | KQED California Billionaire Tax Nears the November Ballot | KQED Bay Area Book Lovers: We Have Highly Literary Date (or Friend Hang) Ideas for Your Weekend | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuclear power has always been hotly debated. 9% of California's power comes from the last operating nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, in San Luis Obispo County. But after initial plans to close it by 2025, an about-face by Gov. Gavin Newsom led the state to extend its operations until 2030 — with lawmakers now debating whether to keep it open for even longer in order to bolster California's ability to provide power in the face of climate change.  Links: The Debate for Keeping Diablo Canyon Open Past 2030 Is On. What Could It Mean for Your Bills? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump last year, will cut an estimated $900 billion to $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade. Between funding cuts and big changes to enrollment and eligibility requirements, residents who rely on Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, are bracing for impact. Doctor and journalist Sejal Parekh explores how this is playing out in Contra Costa County. Links: Up to 93K Contra Costa County residents could lose health insurance under Trump cuts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been one week since Rep. Eric Swalwell ended his run for governor after ⁠multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct⁠. Before that, he was starting to consolidate support from voters in the progressive, vote-rich Bay Area. Now that he's out of the race, the remaining candidates – especially the leading Democrats – are trying to win over his supporters before the June 2 primary. Links: ⁠How to watch the California governor's debate on KRON4 and KRON4+⁠ ⁠The Rise and Fall of Eric Swallwell⁠ (The Bay) ⁠Betty Yee Becomes Latest Democrat to Exit California Governor's Race⁠ ⁠With Swalwell Out, Who Will Bay Area Voters Support for California Governor?⁠ ⁠California Governor Candidates Compete for Swalwell's Endorsements, Donors and Voters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some school districts are now providing workforce housing, as they find themselves with vacant properties and employees who say they can't afford to stay in the Bay Area.  Today, we meet one teacher in San Francisco who was planning to leave – until she got an apartment in a teacher housing complex. Links: When Teachers Can't Afford to Live in the Bay Area, Districts Get Into the Housing Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the sound: a robotic, ancient-sounding voice as you wait for BART: 6-car Blue line train for OAK Airport in 15 minutes.  In America's tech capital, why do BART announcements sound so old? In this episode from our friends at Bay Curious, reporter Ana De Almeida Amaral sets out to find the answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault.  Until last week, former Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from Dublin, was a leading candidate for governor. But on Friday, a former staffer accused Swalwell of sexual assault. In interviews with the San Francisco Chronicle, former staff member said Swalwell sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent in both 2019 and 2024, after multiple inappropriate advances both on Snapchat and in person. Since then, at least four more women have come forward, including one who alleges she was violently raped by Swalwell in 2018. Swalwell denies these allegations. But within days, after supporters fled his campaign and called for him to step down, he ended his run for governor and resigned his Congressional seat. Links: SF Chronicle: Ex-staffer says Eric Swalwell, candidate for California governor, sexually assaulted her KQED: Eric Swalwell Is Out of the Governor's Race and Resigning From Congress. What Happens Now?  CalMatters: Woman alleges violent sexual assault by Eric Swalwell: 'He raped me' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rising child care prices leave many Bay Area parents with little choice but to turn down career opportunities, cut back hours, or even quit. As part of KQED's new series on affordability, early childhood education reporter Daisy Nguyen introduces us to one mother who left her job as a teacher after the birth of her third child. Links: When Child Care Costs Half a Paycheck, Bay Area Parents Must Choose: Kids or Career | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked you to share your experiences with making friends in the Bay Area. Today, we hear from you — and follow one listener as she tries to meet new friends in San Jose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Victoria Duran grew up in East San José, and remembers celebrating her community's ties to labor activist and United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez. His legacy looms large on the East Side, where he held his first organizing meetings and where his former home still stands. But for many people in San José, that sense of pride was shattered after a New York Times' investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Chavez. Now Duran, who teaches ethnic studies and psychology at William C. Overfelt High School in East San José, is reckoning with how to teach about Chavez in light of these sexual abuse allegations. Links: Why This City's Reckoning With Cesar Chavez Is So Complicated (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last Tuesday, the three leading Democratic candidates for San Francisco's U.S. House seat, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, former political advisor and software engineer Saikat Chakrabarti, and California State Senator Scott Wiener, took to the stage at the historic Sydney Goldstein Theater for their first major debate before the June primary. Moderated by KQED's Scott Shafer and Sydney Johnson, the candidates presented their visions for leadership and clashed over taxes, transit, and more.  Links: SF House Candidates Clash on Taxes, Transit in Debate to Replace Pelosi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the San José Unified Board of Education voted 3-2 to close 5 elementary schools and relocate another. District leaders, citing declining enrollment, say that these closures will make it easier to provide adequate services and programs to students. But many parents are furious and are vowing to fight back. Links: San José School District Moves to Close 5 Elementary Schools | KQED Alleging Discrimination, San José Parents Try to Fight School Closures | KQED Email us: thebay@kqed.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The city of Alameda sits on a man-made island surrounded on all sides by water, making it a strong case study for how the Bay Area could address sea level rise. That's because the city, with its 360-degree waterfront, will need to use every tool available to protect itself. Links: For This Bay Area Island City, Water Is Coming From All Sides Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edition of The Bay's monthly news roundup, Ericka and Alan are joined by KQED senior editor Alexander Gonzalez to discuss a ransomware attack that hindered services in Foster City, a rare verdict in a case about Meta and Google's role in fueling a youth mental health crisis, and whether San Francisco's small clubs can survive.  Links: Bay Area city declares state of emergency 6 days after cyberattack (SFGate) Foster City: City's Phone, Email Services Restored After Cybersecurity Breach Last Week (SFGate) Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial (NPR) Can San Francisco's Small Clubs Survive? (KQED) Become a KQED member Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early weeks of President Donald Trump's second term, Ulises Peña Lopez, a husband and father, was arrested by ICE outside his home in Sunnyvale. During the encounter, he says he was severely beaten and suffered a heart attack and stroke. Last October, Ulises was deported to Mexico. Here in the Bay Area, his wife Aby and 4-year old daughter Emily are still reeling from the impacts of his deportation. Links: A Year After ICE Detained South Bay Immigrant, Family Trauma Lingers Email us: thebay@kqed.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. and Israel's war in Iran is leading to a global surge in gas prices, including in California, where the average is now $5.88 per gallon according to AAA. While the war with Iran is the main reason prices have increased, California has had more expensive gas for years, in part to policies that are meant to help the state reach its climate goals. Alejandro Lazo with CalMatters explains why gas is so expensive here. Links: California passed a law to curb spikes in gas prices. Why isn't it using those powers now? Some California Democrats pitch gas price relief as prices at the pump soar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month, the United States Postal Service unveiled a new set of stamps honoring the lowrider community. This federal recognition comes three years after California lifted a decades-old ban on lowrider cruising. The state, widely understood as the birthplace of lowrider culture, has also historically been unfriendly to it. For decades, lowriding was blamed for traffic and alleged connections to gang violence. KQED's Paloma Yaritza Abarca explains the years-long fight by community members to let their cars ride freely. This episode originally aired Nov 3, 2023. Links: The Provocative, Rebellious and Flamboyant Origins of Lowriding | KQED For Lowriders in San Francisco, It's Not Just a Stamp — It's Respect at the Federal Level Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A New York Times investigation published Wednesday revealed that iconic farmworker organizer Cesar Chavez sexually abused women and underage girls for years. Chavez, who died in 1993, is honored and memorialized in public schools, street names, and buildings across California and the Bay Area. The news has sent shockwaves throughout the state, especially among Latino and labor organizers. Links: César Chavez Was a Hero to Farmworkers. Now They Confront the Pain of Alleged Abuse | KQED California Weighs Renaming Parks, Streets After Cesar Chavez Amid Abuse Allegations | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has rapidly changed what tech workers in the Bay Area do every day. Whether you're a software engineer or you work in sales, most employees at tech firms are expected to regularly use AI. Rya Jetha with the San Francisco Standard explains how AI is affecting tech employees across the industry, and how these changes could be a sign of what's to come for the rest of us. Links: AI writes the code now. What's left for software engineers? ‘Engineer' is so 2025. In AI land, everyone's a ‘builder' now AI is booming. Tech jobs in San Francisco are not Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Engineered stone, or quartz, is a man-made material made with high concentrations of silica that is commonly used to make kitchen countertops in the U.S. And it's making the workers who cut this material sick. And even though California has safety rules in place to reduce the risk to workers, some say it's time to ban the use of engineered stone altogether. This episode first aired on ⁠Dec. 15, 2025⁠. Links: Doctors say measures to control an incurable lung disease aren't enough : NPR As Lung Disease Threatens Workers, Lawmakers Seek Protections for Countertop Manufacturers - KFF Health News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, thousands of people gathered in Oakland to welcome home Olympic figure skater and gold medalist Alysa Liu, who won the women's singles gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics last month. Liu, who was born in Richmond and grew up training in Oakland, is the first American woman to win gold in her sport since 2002. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices