It’s been 4 years since Alameda County voters passed Measure C, a sales tax measure aimed at increasing access to social services for low-income families.

After years of legal battles, the county can finally use the money it has been collecting, and advocates hope it will provide relief to families struggling with child care costs.

Links:

• As state cuts loom, a court ruling provides a lifeline for child care access in Alameda County

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode contains explicit language.

This Labor Day, Bay Curious brings us the story of Carol Leigh — better known as “Scarlot Harlot” — the woman who coined the term “sex work,” and the history of the sex worker rights movement in San Francisco.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, KQED California politics and government senior editor Molly Solomon joins us to talk about how Kamala Harris tells her life story to a national audience — and why she might be reluctant to mention Berkeley. Also, we discuss a lead water crisis at Oakland schools, and why some journalists are dismayed with a deal Google just reached with state lawmakers to pay millions of dollars to support local news.

Links:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2016 and 2020, Berkeley and Oakland passed ballot measures giving 16 and 17-year olds the right to vote in local school board races. 

It took years — and a lot of pressure from student activists — but in this election, Alameda County is finally ready to let students cast their ballots. 

Links:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seemed like California Forever, the billionaire-backed company intent on building a brand new city in Solano County, was going full speed ahead with a ballot measure that would have authorized construction. 

But late last month, the group abruptly pulled the measure, promising to bring it back in 2026. So what changed?

Background:

• This Tech-Backed Company Tried to Disrupt California’s Housing Crisis. It Couldn’t

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1973, the Black Panthers opened the Oakland Community School in East Oakland. It is regarded as one of the nation’s first community schools — a model where public schools partner with community organizations to provide comprehensive support services alongside academic instruction. 

Many of the school’s practices formed the blueprint for community schools today. Today, our friends at KQED’s Mindshift podcast dive into the pioneering initiatives of the Black Panthers, and show how Oakland schools are using this model now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the Richmond City Council scrapped a November ballot measure that would have imposed a new oil-refining tax on the nearby Chevron refinery. Instead, the council voted unanimously to approve a $550 million settlement with the company.

KQED’s Dan Brekke explains why city leaders chose to strike a deal instead of taking the issue to the ballot box.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 500 Californians are in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, where Democrats will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris as their party’s nominee for president. 

One of them is Igor Tregub, a newly elected member of the Berkeley City Council and chair of the Alameda County Democratic Party.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever driven an electric vehicle, you know that finding a public charging station can be stressful.

But we’ll need a lot more of them soon. California plans to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars and trucks by 2035, and by then the charging crunch could get much worse. Today, our friends at Bay Curious explore what it will take to get more charging stations across the Bay Area.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

52 Bay Area public schools are already at risk of being inundated with ocean and groundwater, according to a new analysis by KQED and Climate Central.

KQED’s Ezra David Romero tells us how the threat of sea level rise has already ignited a debate over rebuilding a middle school in Marin County.

This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Alan Montecillo, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

Links:

• Schools in Deep Water: Bay Area Faces Uphill Battle Against Climate Change

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices