

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

Mar 13, 2023 • 19min
The Success of S.F’s Mobile Opioid Treatment Clinics
San Francisco’s mobile opioid treatment clinics popped up as a way to address overcrowding at San Francisco General Hospital during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. These vans distribute methadone, a medication used to reduce withdrawal symptoms — while offering program patients snacks, water and canisters of naloxone, an overdose-reversal nasal spray. In San Francisco alone, nearly 2,000 people have died of drug overdoses since 2020. And surprisingly, these temporary mobile clinics are drawing more patients than SF General's indoor treatment clinics. Now, the people who run it want to find a way to keep them around.Guest: Sydney Johnson, KQED reporterEpisode transcriptLinks:
SF's Mobile Clinics Made Opioid Treatment More Accessible During the Pandemic. But Will They Stay?
The Bay Survey
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 10, 2023 • 20min
The Oakland Tech Girls Basketball Team’s ‘Mini Dynasty’
A potential dynasty is building at Oakland Technical High School, where the girls’ basketball team is on its way to clutching its 3rd state championship in 5 years.Not only are the Lady Bulldogs skilled, but they’re hella fun to watch. The team boasts height, three point shooters, phenomenal defense — and swag. And their coaches have a message for their city with a chip on its shoulder over the loss of the Raiders and the Warriors t: come watch these girls play.Guest: Ariana Prohel, culture reporter for KQEDEpisode transcriptLinks:
Ticket info for the Golden 1 Center
LIVE STREAM: 2023 CIF Div. I Girls Basketball State Championship Santiago (Corona) vs. Oakland Tech
The Bay Survey
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 8, 2023 • 23min
Bay Area Men Sentenced for Plot to Blow Up Democratic Party HQ
Two men who worked at an auto shop in Napa have been sentenced to federal prison for plotting to blow up the California Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento in 2021. Ian Benjamin Rogers, of Napa, was sentenced to 9 years and 3 years of supervision after he is released. Jarrod Copeland, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 4 1/2 years. He also has 3 years of supervision after he is released. Their case is part of a surge in violent extremist activity the FBI is investigating in Northern California and throughout the nation — and the Bay Area is not immune. Guests: Julie Small and Alex Hall, KQED reportersEpisode transcriptThis episode first published on May 18, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 6, 2023 • 25min
Dianne Feinstein’s San Francisco Roots
Sen. Dianne Feinstein is retiring after more than 30 years in Washington. Her retirement has gotten many people talking about her legacy and career in the U.S. Senate.But before that, Feinstein was a local official in her hometown of San Francisco. In 1969, she won a seat on the Board of Supervisors and eventually became Board President. In 1978, she became mayor after the shocking assassinations of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Feinstein would serve in that role until 1988.Guest: Scott Shafer, senior editor of KQED's California politics and government deskEpisode transcriptThis episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, who also edited and guest hosted. Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 3, 2023 • 22min
BART is Staring Down a Fiscal Cliff
People just aren’t taking public transit like they used to.BART’s ridership is still less than 40% of what it was before March 2020. On top of that, the agency’s federal emergency funding is scheduled to run out in January 2025.Leaders of BART and other public transit agencies are now trying to bring back riders and find sources of funding as soon as possible. This will mean everything from new construction, increased policing, and asking for financial help from state lawmakers and voters. Will it work?Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporterEpisode transcriptLinks:The Bay SurveyThis episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Guy Marzorati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 1, 2023 • 22min
How Alameda Became the First Bay Area City to Set Its State Housing Goals
If you’ve been to the City of Alameda, you’ve probably noticed its beautiful Victorian homes lining the shore of the San Francisco Bay. This has been by design. For decades the city has fought against building new housing, but last November, members of Alameda City council agreed that it was time for a change. They passed a plan to build over 6400 new housing units on the island, making Alameda the first Bay Area city to get its housing plan approved by the state.The state requires cities to come up with these new plans, called “housing elements,”every 8 years. Until recently, cities have ignored them. But now, more pressure is coming from voters, developers, and Gov. Gavin Newsom — and cities that don’t comply could face steep consequences. Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED housing producer/reporter Links:
To Meet State Housing Goals, One Bay Area City Had to Overcome Its NIMBY Past
The Bay Listener Survey!
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Feb 27, 2023 • 16min
Getting Ready for the Big One
In early February, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.Here in California, we know the Big One is coming someday. In fact, the same kind of fault runs across our state.This makes it all the more important to be prepared. So today, we’re sharing an episode with former KQED science reporter Peter Arcuni, who narrated his experience creating an earthquake preparedness plan over the course of 4 days.Episode transcriptThis episode originally aired on October 18, 2019. This episode was originally produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Kyana Moghadam, Julie Caine, and Erika Aguilar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 24, 2023 • 22min
An Uphill Battle to Unionize at One of the Bay’s Oldest Nonprofits
Workers at nonprofits like the Felton Institute are on the front lines of our region’s biggest problems, like poverty, homelessness, and addiction. Employees say the work is meaningful yet grueling, with low pay and high turnover.For nearly 3 years now, a group of workers at Felton, one of the Bay’s oldest social service agencies, have been campaigning to unionize the organization’s nearly 500 employees. But the campaign is currently in limbo, as organizers encounter difficulties reaching their co-workers across 7 counties. The union, SEIU Local 21, has also accused managers at Felton of retaliating against workers trying to unionize, filing 10 unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.Guest: Holly J. McDede, KQED producer/reporter Links:
Read: Inside the Long, Uphill Battle to Unionize Workers at One Large Bay Area Nonprofit
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Read the transcript
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 22, 2023 • 19min
California’s COVID Emergency Ends Feb. 28
For many members of the public, COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror. People are tired. Governments have dropped things like mask and vaccine mandates. And the virus isn’t as lethal as it once was.On the other hand, this virus is still very much a part of our lives, especially for people who are vulnerable, immunocompromised, or have long COVID.Now, California is going to end its COVID state of emergency at the end of month. We’ll dive into what that means.Guest: Carly Severn, KQED senior engagement editorLinks:
The Bay Survey
California's COVID Emergency Ends Feb. 28. What Does That Actually Mean for You?
California COVID Sick Pay Has Expired. But if You Work in San Francisco, You Still Have Options — Until Feb. 28
This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also edited. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 20, 2023 • 23min
Tracing Hip Hop’s Beginnings in the Bay With Davey D
Originally from The Bronx, New York, Dave “Davey D” Cook was there when this thing we call hip-hop was in its nascent form, before it even had a name. When he arrived in the Bay Area in the early ’80s, one of his missions as a UC Berkeley student was to lend some insight to this burgeoning culture. So he put on a few events, one of which was The Day in Hip-Hop on Oct. 24, 1984. Rightnowish host Pendarvis Harshaw looks back on that day with Davey D, and traces how far hip hop has come since — in the Bay Area and beyond. This episode of Rightnowish first published on Feb. 1, 2023. It’s part of That’s My Word, KQED’s year-long exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices