It’s time for Oakland voters to pick a new mayor. Voting is underway in Oakland’s special election until April 15. Once a mayor is picked, they’ll have to hit the ground running in order to balance the city’s budget and address voters’ concerns about public safety and homelessness. 

Links:

• Oakland Special Election: Candidate Guide and How to Vote

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Day laborers, or jornaleros, can often be found standing at specific street corners, where they are hired on the spot for inexpensive manual labor. Most are Latino migrants and can be found all over the Bay Area.

Berkeleyside’s Ximena Natera joins us to talk about how jornaleros in Berkeley are dealing with increased fears of deportation, and where these workers are finding support in difficult times.

Links:

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On Christmas Eve, 58-year-old James Oakley was crushed to death during a Vallejo city-run trash cleanup, sparking shock and outrage among homeless residents and advocates. Three months after his death, the city of Vallejo has put a temporary pause on encampment sweeps.

Links:

• Report: Unhoused Man Seen Alive Before Being Crushed During Vallejo Cleanup

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Voters in San José’s downtown, north side, Guadalupe-Washington, and Japantown neighborhoods are already casting ballots to fill an empty city council seat left open by former Councilmember Omar Torres, who resigned in November and faces child sex abuse charges. The future of downtown San José — and possibly Mayor Matt Mahan’s agenda — hangs in the balance.

Links:

• San José District 3 Special Election: Who’s Running and How to Vote

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There's a competitive karaoke league in the East Bay that's about more than just singing. Every Monday at KaraOakland, teams perform songs on specific themes. Then, participants used ranked choice voting to pick the best performances — like Oakland voters will in the city's special election next month.

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To celebrate 1000 episodes of the podcast, The Bay team took a little field trip. We reflect on the show, and listen to voicemails from listeners and colleagues.

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On Monday, more than 1,500 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus drivers, light rail operators and other employees went on strike for the first time in the agency’s history after more than six months of failed negotiations over wages and other issues.

Links:

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The Trump administration has laid off more than a thousand National Park Service employees in the past few weeks as part of its broader efforts to reduce the federal workforce. KQED’s Sarah Mohamad talks about how these layoffs are affecting workers — and how your next visit to a national park might be a little different. 

Links:

• What You Should Know About Visiting National Parks Right Now

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We’re celebrating 1000 episodes of The Bay with a very special episode and we want to hear from you! Tell us what you love about the show.

Leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223, or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us your name, your city, and how long you’ve been listening to The Bay. 

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An investigation by CalMatters found that homeless shelters are dangerous, chaotic, and ineffective at getting people into permanent housing. The lead reporter behind the investigation, Lauren Hepler, spoke with KQED’s Political Breakdown about what’s gone wrong.

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