

The Bay
KQED
Bay Area-raised host Ericka Cruz Guevarra talks with local journalists about what’s happening in the greatest region in the country. It’s the context and analysis you need to make sense of the news, with help from the people who know it best. New episodes drop Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 10, 2025 • 20min
The Cal Lecturer Who Went on a 38-Day Hunger Strike for Gaza
For 38 days, UC Berkeley computer science lecturer Peyrin Kao taught classes while on a hunger strike for Palestine. He’s also one of more than 150 people whose names were sent by UC Berkeley to the Trump Administration for its investigation into alleged antisemitism — an investigation that critics say is meant to silence opposition to Israel’s invasion and siege of Gaza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 8, 2025 • 19min
Alameda County Child Care Providers Receive Much Needed Cash
After a yearslong holdup, Alameda County has started distributing funds from Measure C, a 2020 ballot measure that uses a half-cent sales tax to increase access to child care and preschool for the county’s youngest residents. Now, officials from other Bay Area counties are considering doing the same.
Links:
Alameda County Is Giving Cash to Child Care Providers. Other Bay Area Counties Are Envious
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Oct 6, 2025 • 25min
How Trump’s $100,000 H1-B Visa Fee Is Causing Turmoil in Silicon Valley
Last month, the Trump Administration announced a new $100,000 fee on H1-B visa applications. The news hit workers and employers in Silicon Valley especially hard as the tech industry relies heavily on H1-B visa holders. In this episode from our friends at Political Breakdown, Scott Schafer and Marisa Lagos sit down with Zeyi Yang, a senior writer at WIRED to discuss the fallout from the announcement and what this means for workers and employers going forward.
Links:
Winners and Losers in Trump’s $100,000 Visa Scheme
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Oct 3, 2025 • 13min
The Bay Area Feels the Government Shutdown
The federal government closed late Tuesday night after Congress failed to pass a stopgap funding bill by the deadline. California’s roughly 187,000 federal workers have either been furloughed or are working without pay.
Links:
A Government Shutdown is Here. How Will the Bay Area Be Affected?
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Oct 1, 2025 • 17min
The Rebirth of Mabuhay Gardens, SF’s Legendary Punk Venue
Mabuhay Gardens was a Filipino restaurant, nightclub, and music venue that was essential to San Francisco's punk scene before its closure in 1987. Now, a group of local investors and North Beach neighbors are working to bring it back.
You can find out about upcoming shows on the venue's Instagram page.
Links:
Legendary SF Punk Club Mabuhay Gardens Is on the Verge of Reopening
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Sep 29, 2025 • 21min
UC Berkeley Gives Names to the Feds, Valero's Benicia Refinery Closing, and Robotaxis at the Airport
In this edition of The Bay’s news roundup, Ericka, Jessica, and KQED political correspondent Guy Marzorati discuss UC Berkeley’s decision to hand over more than 150 names to the Trump administration as part of a federal investigation into antisemitism. Plus, the Valero refinery in Benicia is on track to close, and Waymo's driverless cars could be en route to the San Francisco and San Jose airports soon.
Links:
UC Berkeley turns over personal information of more than 150 students and staff to federal government
Major Bay Area refinery on track to close, city official says
Waymo wins approval to pick up passengers at SFO, its robotaxis will start with human drivers
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Sep 26, 2025 • 16min
Why Girls’ Flag Football Could Be the Next Big Sport
Girls’ flag football is exploding in popularity at high schools across the Bay Area, especially since the sport was officially sanctioned by California in 2023. It coincides with the rise of professional women’s sports teams like the Golden State Valkyries and Bay FC, cementing the Bay’s status as a leader in women's sports.
Links:
How the Bay became the new capital of women’s sports
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Sep 24, 2025 • 17min
A Reporter Gave Tenderloin Kids Disposable Cameras. This Is What They Showed
San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood has the highest concentration of children in the city. But stories about the Tenderloin often overlook this fact.
Reporter Cami Dominguez worked with a local nonprofit to give kids in the neighborhood disposable cameras for a week. Today, we talk about what the photos show.
Links:
Photos Capture SF’s Tenderloin Through the Eyes of Kids Who Live There
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Sep 22, 2025 • 17min
As Small Farms Face Federal Cuts, Local Food Banks Will Take a Big Hit
Local food banks are about to lose a key source of fresh, local produce after the Department of Agriculture ended the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program or LFPA. The program was a key source of revenue for small, local farms that played a major role in keeping people fed during the pandemic.
Links:
Small Farms Fed the Bay Area During COVID. But Now Face Federal Cuts
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Sep 19, 2025 • 24min
Meet Misa James, Winner of the KQED x Good Compenny Bay Area Music Showcase
Earlier this summer, KQED in partnership with LaRussell and Good Compenny hosted a Bay Area Music Showcase in Vallejo. After more than 200 submissions, five artists from the Bay Area were selected to compete for real recognition.
Today, first place winner Misa James talks with us about his music, being an artist in San Jose, and his hopes after his win.
Links:
Listen to Misa James’ Music
LaRussell, Ruby Ibarra, Souls of Mischief, Misa James and more perform in San Jose Sunday Sept. 21
Watch Misa James perform at the KQED x Good Compenny Bay Area Music Showcase
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