Since Sept. 22, thousands of hotel workers at some of San Francisco’s largest hotels have been in a stalemate with employers, demanding wage increases and affordable health care. KQED’s Farida Jhabvala Romero explains why this dispute has dragged on, and why everyone has a stake in what happens to the city’s hotel industry. 

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

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The Great Highway is the last road in San Francisco before you hit Ocean Beach. And in this past election, voters passed Prop. K, which permanently closes a portion of it. Supporters hope the highway will become a beachfront park, open to the entire city.

But a majority of people living near the Great Highway voted against Prop. K — particularly those in the city's Sunset neighborhood. Now, a group of residents have filed papers to recall District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, who led the effort to close the road.

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

Episode transcript

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People across the Bay Area were rattled by a tsunami warning alert on Thursday morning, after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the coast of Humboldt County. The warning triggered evacuation orders before it was eventually canceled at approximately 12:00 pm. But it begs the question: What would really happen if a tsunami hit the Bay Area? Back in 2017, our friends at Bay Curious set out to answer this question.

This episode first aired on June 15, 2017.

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The push to ban transgender athletes from competitive sports reached San Jose State University this year. In September, the co-captain of the women's volleyball team joined a lawsuit targeting trans women in college sports — including one of her own teammates.

Episode Transcript

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

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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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