There were more than 2,700 incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and assault in 2021, the highest count since the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Extremism began tracking these incidents four decades ago. 

In October, a group called the Goyim Defense League hung a banner off I-405 in Los Angeles that read “Kanye Was Right About the Jews.” Although this happened in southern California, this group was actually founded right here, in the Bay Area.

Guests: Julie Small, KQED reporter and Jill Castellano, inewsource investigative reporter

Episode transcript

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

This story was produced in partnership with inewsource, a nonprofit news organization in San Diego. It is part of an ongoing project with inewsource and other NPR stations to chronicle the extent of extremism in California.

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To commemorate National Poetry Month, producer Maria Esquinca talks to Bay Area-based poet Antmen Pimentel Mendoza about his Chapbook collection, “My Boyfriend Apocalypse.” He talks about surviving the apocalypse, queer love, and finding play in poetry. 

You can listen to Antmen Pimentel Mendoza read live on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at Fabulosa Books in San Francisco. You can find him on Twitter and instagram @antmenismagic.

Episode transcript

This episode was hosted and produced by Maria Esquinca, and edited by Alan Montecillo.

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On Wednesday night, the Oakland A's announced that they have signed an agreement to buy land for a stadium in Las Vegas. This news doesn't mean the move is complete, but it does make it even more likely that yet another major pro sports team will leave the city of Oakland.

We want to know what you're thinking about this. How are you feeling about the team's likely move to Las Vegas? How has it felt to be a fan of the A's? What's going through your mind?

Leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223. Please leave your first name and city, and you may hear your message in a future episode.

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An estimated 1.1 million undocumented immigrants work in California, with large numbers laboring in low-wage jobs like agriculture, construction, and food service. But none of those workers are eligible for unemployment insurance, even though their wages contribute to the system.

That’s why workers and advocates have been pushing the state to step in. Senate Bill 227 would use state funds to extend unemployment benefits to undocumented workers: provide unemployed workers $300 per week for 20 weeks.

The state legislature passed a similar bill last year, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it, citing concerns over cost. Will that it happen again?

Guest: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED labor correspondent

Episode transcript

This episode was produced by Holly J. McDede and Jehlen Herdman, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo, who edited. Spanish language support was provided by Maria Esquinca.

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This episode contains explicit, racist and offensive language, as well as descriptions of violence.

For years, police officers in the city of Antioch used racist and homophobic slurs with their colleagues in text messages, and openly bragged about targeting people of color with violence. These messages were released to the public in a Contra Costa County District Attorney report last week. 

These racist texts were released as the department is already being investigated by federal authorities, and as a grand jury considers charging officers with fraud, assault under color of authority, bribery, and other charges. 

Nearly 1 in 5 police officers in Antioch are currently suspended. For longtime advocates of police reform in Antioch, these messages are a painful reminder of how deeply racism is embedded in the culture of their local police department.

Guest: Nate Gartrell, East Bay Times courts reporter

Episode transcript

Links: 

This episode was produced by Holly J. McDede and Maria Esquinca, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also edited.

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The last time the Sacramento Kings made the NBA playoffs, the iPhone hadn't been invented yet. For 17 years, Sacramento-area sports fans have endured losing season after losing season. 

But not this year. The Kings turned things around with a young, fast, high-scoring team, securing a spot in the playoffs. Standing in their way are the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors, who are looking to win their 5th title in 9 years. 

This is the first time in the history of American pro sports that 2 teams from Sacramento and the Bay Area have faced off in a playoff series. It’s a battle of youth vs. experience, Sacramento vs. The Bay, and between two fan bases that are deeply intertwined.

Guests: 

Episode transcript

Links:

• The Bay Survey

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This episode contains descriptions of drug addiction and attempted suicide. The national crisis and suicide hotline is 988.

In 2021, about 1 in 5 deaths among people ages 15-24 were from fentanyl overdoses in California. As this crisis worsens, doctors are seeing more and more demand for life-saving addiction treatment.

One crucial piece of the puzzle is a medication called Suboxone, or buprenorphine. It helps block withdrawal symptoms and can allow people to go to school, work, and maintain relationships while recovering.

But patients under the age of 18 can't access Suboxone without parental consent. Assemblymember Matt Haney thinks that should change, and has filed a bill that would lower the age to 16.

Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent

Episode transcript

This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced.

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From extra unemployment assistance to free COVID testing and eviction moratoriums, pandemic-era assistance is fading away. 

The latest to fall are extra payments for recipients of CalFresh, the state’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps.

Over 3 million households around California use CalFresh, ranging from families to seniors and students. Data shows these extra payments lifted 1 million people out of poverty. So why are the extra payments going away? And can anything be done about it?

Guest: Carly Severn, senior editor of audience news for KQED.

Episode transcript

CalFresh Info Line: 1-877-847-3663

LINKS:

This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca. Jehlen Herdman is our intern. Ericka Cruz Guevarra is the host. 

Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts.

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Nearly 320,000 Cambodians live in the US, with about a third living in California. Many are survivors or descendants of those who fled the country during the Cambodian genocide. An estimated 2 million people died under the communist Khmer Rouge, leaving survivors with emotional, physical and psychological trauma.

Barriers such as language access or cultural stigma often prevent survivors from accessing mental healthcare to address the trauma. But one program in Alameda County has spent the last 20 years providing culturally sensitive mental health care to the Cambodian community, letting survivors lead the way — and participants say it works.

Guest: Soreath Hok, reporter for KVPR

Episode transcript

Links:

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

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The city of Oakland plans to evict the 60 remaining residents of the Wood Street encampment on Monday, April 10. This comes after months of ramping up sweeps in order to move forward with plans to build 171 affordable housing units.

At its height, Wood Street was a self-sustaining community of about 300 people and spanned several city blocks. The remaining residents, some of whom have lived there for more than a decade, are feeling an immense sense of loss and uncertainty about whether they can rebuild their community. 

Guest: Erin Baldassari, housing affordability correspondent for KQED

Episode transcript

This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Jehlen Herdman, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced.

Links:

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