83% of Oakland’s rental housing may contain lead. Despite winning millions of dollars in settlement money from paint companies to help address the problem, the funds have remained unused as residents face potential exposure. 

This episode was updated for clarity. It was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. It was edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

Links:

• Toxic Inaction: Oakland’s lead funding languishes as residents live with serious health risks

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Nestled in the Berkeley Hills, Indian and Mortar rocks are popular hangout spots known in part for epic views of the Bay. For climbers like Berkeleyside reporter Ally Markovich, they’re known for their outsized role in the development of bouldering. But for the native Ohlone, the boulders are a symbol of a destroyed cultural landscape, and an urgent call to protect native history.

This episode first ran on Dec. 23, 2023.

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In 2010, Sandy Stier and Kris Perry were part of a landmark case challenging California’s Prop. 8, which eliminated the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples after being approved by voters two years earlier. Their trial eventually resulted in Prop. 8 being struck down.

More than a decade later, Stier and Perry joined KQED to watch the unsealed tapes of their younger selves taking the stand, and reflected on what it meant to be part of that fight.

This episode originally aired on Dec. 22, 2023.

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Many Bay Area families swear by local Dungeness crab at the holiday dinner table. But for the last 6 years, commercial crabbing season has been delayed to mid-December. So if you want that fresh crab for Thanksgiving, you'll need to either pay for a chartered boat or go catch one yourself.

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

Links:

• California’s Dungeness Crab Season Delayed Again, But Could Open in Time for Holidays

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It’s been more than 2 weeks since Election Day, but all 10 of California’s statewide ballot measures have been called. Olivia Allen-Price, host of Bay Curious, and Alan Montecillo, senior editor of The Bay, join Ericka to break down the results and what they mean for you.

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

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San Francisco residents could face a future with fewer bus and train lines — and even the suspension of the city’s iconic cable cars — if SFMTA, the agency that runs Muni, can’t get the funds to close a nearly $300 million budget deficit.

Links:

• SF Muni Is in Dire Need of Funding. Without It, Cuts Could Be ‘Devastating’

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

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In early October, residents in San José’s District 3 learned that their city councilmember, Omar Torres, was being investigated for child sexual misconduct. After weeks of public pressure — and new sexual assault allegations stemming from when he was a young man — Torres resigned. He has since been arrested and charged with three felonies. KQED’s Joseph Geha explains what happened, and how all of this has affected local residents.

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Oakland has voted overwhelmingly to recall Mayor Sheng Thao, now the first sitting mayor to be recalled in city history. The Oaklandside’s Eli Wolfe explains how the recall campaign won, and the uncertain future ahead.

Links:

• Who is running for Oakland mayor after Sheng Thao's recall?

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California leaders are gearing up for another 4 years of fighting back against President Donald Trump’s administration. Attorney General Rob Bonta sits down with KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast to talk about how his office is preparing — and what might be different this time.

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Daniel Lurie, the nonprofit founder and Levi Strauss heir who ran one of the most expensive races for mayor in modern city history, will succeed London Breed as the next mayor of San Francisco. Lurie ran as the only major candidate without experience in city hall — and that outsider message resonated with voters.

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