Silicon Valley once resisted cooperating with the U.S. military. Google, Meta and OpenAI even had policies banning the use of AI in weapons.

Those days now feel like a bygone era, as Big Tech has now embraced working closely with the federal government during President Donald Trump's second term, in large part due to lucrative contracts for military and surveillance technology.

This episode first aired on Sept. 3, 2025.

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We're working on an episode about making friends in the Bay Area. And we want your help.

What's it been like for you to make friends here? How'd you do it? Is there anything about life in the Bay that makes it easier or harder to meet people?

Let us know your thoughts. You can do that in one of two ways:

We might just reach back out for an upcoming episode. We can't wait to hear from you!

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The Venezuelan diaspora in the Bay Area is relatively small. Of the estimated 770,000 Venezuelan natives living in the United States in 2024, only about 23,000 — or 3% — are in California, according to the Migration Policy Institute. But as the country’s political turmoil continues to make headlines, a nonprofit called Dulce Tricolor Venezolano is committed to keeping their culture alive and building community through teaching traditional dance.

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On Monday, teachers at San Francisco Unified School District went on strike for the first time since 1979. The district and the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) remain apart on issues like wage increases and family health care. We talk with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jill Tucker about the impact on families, and why teacher strikes seem to be spreading across California.

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Since San José Mayor Matt Mahan took office in 2023, the city has dramatically shifted the city’s approach to homelessness from building permanent affordable housing to building more temporary shelters, with the goal of getting people off the street faster.

Now, as he eyes the governor's office, we look into how his signature homelessness program is going.

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The Bay Area is gearing up for ‘Benito Bowl,’ AKA Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show performance, with watch parties planned across the Bay. But his performance comes at a time when fans in immigrant communities are worried about immigration enforcement actions around the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, despite reassurances from the NFL and local police.

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On Sunday, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will play in the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Super Bowl LX is projected to draw 90,000 visitors to the Bay Area, and up to $630 million in economic benefits for the entire region. But it's the South Bay that will feel the most disruptions to daily life.

Links:

The Super Bowl Party Is Here. Fans Are Excited, Even if It’s Seahawks vs Patriots

Super Bowl LX Tickets: Don’t Fall for an (Expensive) Scam

ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now

7 Things to Know About the Complicated Relationship Between Santa Clara and the 49ers

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Clipper 2.0, or Next Generation Clipper, has been a long-awaited update for public transit riders. But the rollout has been plagued with glitches, and transit officials and riders are furious with Cubic Transportation Systems, the company contracted to operate the system.

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In our first news roundup of 2026, we discuss California reactions to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the latest drama in the long-running efforts by California Forever to build a new city, and a nostalgic goodbye to the Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco.

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Violent crime is down in Oakland, along with most major U.S. cities. In 2025, Oakland’s homicide rate dropped 22% compared with the previous year. But Oakland city leaders are also aware that there’s a lot of work left to do — including helping people feel safe even as the statistics are showing improvements. Roselyn Romero with the Oaklandside joins us to break down why violent crime is down for the second straight year.

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