The Bay

This episode discusses sexual abuse.For decades, the Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, a women’s prison, has been known for a pervasive culture of sexual abuse towards the women incarcerated there.There have been firings, settlements, and trainings, but the problems haven’t gone away. Now, the FBI has raided the prison as a group of survivors have filed a total of 63 lawsuits against the facility. On Friday, a federal judge ordered an independent third party to oversee reforms and policy changes. Will it be enough to change things?Links: 'A Dysfunctional Mess': Judge Orders Third-Party Oversight for East Bay Women's Prison Plagued by Sexual Abuse Episode transcript This episode was produced by Dana Cronin and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Activists and scientists have been sounding the alarm about radioactive contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, the site of former U.S. Navy activity, for years. In January, the Navy released a report acknowledging that, through human-caused climate change, toxic chemicals could rise with groundwater in parts of the site. Today, we’re sharing an episode from August 2022 with KQED climate reporter Ezra David Romero. In it, we meet residents of Bayview-Hunters Point who have been fighting for more information, and resources to deal with health problems that they attribute to this pollution. Links: Episode transcript US Navy Acknowledges Rising Toxic Groundwater Threat at SF Superfund Site Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alameda County is notoriously slow at counting votes, but we do have some results to discuss. Today, KQED’s Annelise Finney dives into the Board of Supervisors elections, a very expensive state Senate race, and a measure that aims to change the county’s recall rules.Episode transcriptThis episode was produced by Ellie Prickett-Morgan and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco moderates, especially Mayor London Breed, are celebrating after Propositions C, E and F appear headed to victory.Props E and F will expand police powers and drug screen welfare recipients. Now that they’ve passed, Mayor London Breed hopes to show voters she’s addressing the worries on voters’ minds ahead of a competitive mayoral race this November.Links:Episode transcriptThis episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey finished in the top 2 in the race for California’s U.S. Senate seat, with Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee finishing third and fourth.KQED’s Guy Marzorati gives a quick rundown of some of the local races we know about so far, and then breaks down the results of the biggest race on the California primary ballot.Links: Episode Transcript Live Election Results This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election Day is over, and the votes are being tallied. And while we don’t know what the final voter turnout numbers will be, we do know that most people don’t vote in primaries.Primary elections aren’t sexy. They never turn out as many voters as a November general election because most people are motivated by national stuff, like presidential races. But the issues on a primary ballot, especially locally, are perhaps more consequential to people’s everyday lives. Today, we talk with Mindy Romero, founder and director of USC's Center for Inclusive Democracy, about the consequences of low primary turnouts, and how to get more people to vote.Links: Episode transcript California primary results This episode was produced by Ellie Prickett-Morgan and Maria Esquinca, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you voting in the March Primary today? Why or why not?Maybe there’s a particular issue you’re fired up about where you live. Maybe you’re not happy with the candidates in your area. Or maybe you’re just hella confused by all the measures with letters on your ballot.Either way, we wanna hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223. And maybe you’ll hear yourself in an upcoming episode of The Bay! Tell us your name, where you’re from, and whether you’re voting in the March primary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Napa County, 3 out of the 5 seats on the Board of Supervisors are on the ballot, in nonpartisan races that will be decided in the March 5 primary. (In these races, nobody is advancing to November— voters will pick the winner in this election!)The wine industry looms large, but so do issues about housing, wildfire protection, and environmental conservation. KQED’s Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli tells us about the stakes, and focuses on the race in District 5.Links: Episode transcript KQED Voter Guide Bay Curious Breaks Down Prop. 1 Will SF Voters Expand Police Powers in This Election? What to Know About California's US Senate Race This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Maria Esquinca, and edited and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains explicit language.Race has been a mostly silent character in criminal courtrooms. Historically, people accused of crimes haven’t been able to raise claims of racial bias in the justice system to defend themselves from a criminal accusation.But in 2020, California passed the Racial Justice Act, a groundbreaking law that allows criminal defendants to argue that racism may have played a role in how the justice system handled their case and ask for the court to provide a remedy. It’s the first law of its kind in the nation.KQED’s Annelise Finney explains how one case in Contra Costa County is testing the limits of the new law.Links: Episode Transcript California's Groundbreaking Racial Justice Act Cuts Its Teeth in Contra Costa Judge Finds 8 Antioch Police Officers Tainted by Racial Bias, Reduces Criminal Charges  This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca, Ellie Prickett-Morgan, and Ericka Cruz Guevarra. It was edited and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, Ericka, Maria and Alan talk about an assembly race where housing development has taken center stage, the mother of Oscar Grant getting his cell phones back 15 years after his killing, and how the politics of fast food are heating up in San Jose.Links: Palo Alto's Lydia Kou Channels Anti-Sacramento Anger in Challenge to Assemblymember Marc Berman Oscar Grant's Cellphones Returned to His Mother, 15 Years After Notorious Police Killing on BART Platform San Jose fast-food workers question city official’s support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices