The Bay

Etta James, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker all played in Russell City, a once thriving blues town located in Hayward. The town was home to Black and Latino residents who couldn’t find a residence elsewhere due to redlining and other racist housing policies. The city of Hayward used eminent domain to take the land and by 1966, the town had been annexed and replaced by an industrial park that is still there. In 2021 the Hayward city council voted unanimously to issue a formal apology to the residents who were pushed out. 

This episode first aired on Bay Curious Aug. 11, 2022.

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A rare showcase of archives and memorabilia from the life of Angela Davis is on display at the Oakland Museum of California. The exhibit includes photos, speeches and posters collected over the span of several years. The archive highlights Davis’ legacy and a fight for abolition and Black lives — one that is still relevant today.

Guest: Ariana Proehl, Culture Reporter for KQED

This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Adhiti Bandlamudi. 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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California’s temperate weather is one reason why homelessness is so visible. But with climate change, warmer and wetter weather are making the emergency on the streets even more dire. 

At what remains of the Wood Street encampment in West Oakland, people without shelter are experiencing flooding and a fight to stay warm amid a series of atmospheric rivers hitting the Bay Area in recent weeks. Residents of Wood Street say the services the city is offering doesn’t meet their needs. 

But it’s not just the threat of another rainstorm looming over the encampment; the city has plans to evict those remaining at Wood Street once and for all. 

Guest: Erin Baldassari, Housing Affordability Reporter for KQED

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On Monday, Oakland will swear in Sheng Thao as the city’s new mayor and now one of the most prominent Hmong-American politicians in the country. Last November, she narrowly won the election against fellow-council member Loren Taylor by fewer than 700 votes and is getting ready to lead one of the largest cities in the Bay Area.

In a recent episode of Political Breakdown, hosts Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer spoke with Thao about her journey to the mayor’s seat and how her experiences as a daughter of Laotian refugees, a single mother and a person who experienced homelessness will shape her approach to the job.

This episode of the Political Breakdown podcast first aired on Dec. 29, 2022.

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Storms caused by back-to-back atmospheric rivers pummeled the Bay Area this week;, prompting evacuation orders, heavy flooding on roads and in rivers, and bringing down power for 100 thousand PG&E customers Thursday.

More atmospheric rivers are expected this weekend.

Guest: Ezra David Romero, climate reporter for KQED 

Links:

• How to Prepare for This Week's Atmospheric River Storm: Sandbags, Emergency Kits and More

This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Adhiti Bandlamudi. 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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The new mayor of the Bay Area’s biggest city started his new job this week, and he has to work fast. Matt Mahan’s first job is to address a winter storm hitting San Jose, which could bring floods and heavy rains.

What can we expect from Mahan in his first year in office? And what roadblocks could he face in accomplishing the goals he ran on? 

Guest: Guy Marzorati, Producer and Reporter for KQED’s Politics and Government Desk

This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Adhiti Bandlamudi. 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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It’s our last episode of the year! Today, host Ericka Cruz Guevarra, producer Maria Esquinca, and senior editor Alan Montecillo unpack 2022 and share their favorite episodes. We’ll have new episodes for you starting Jan. 4, 2023! 

Links:

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It’s been a bad few months for people in Vallejo who are fighting for police accountability. The police chief who promised reforms abruptly stepped down. A police union president who allegedly threatened a journalist has been reinstated. And the city recently revealed that it “inadvertently” destroyed records of 5 police shootings. 

Now the city is trying to move forward with a model for police oversight, which many have wanted for a long time. But members of the public are pushing back, arguing that the proposed commission has no real power and that the process is being rushed before the holiday season and newly-elected city councilors begin their terms in the new year.

Guest: John Glidden, Vallejo Sun reporter

Links:

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

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Teenagers like Elise Muchowski aspired to the “Clean Girl Aesthetic,” a trend that blew up on TikTok and that prioritizes looking clean and effortless, with videos of skincare, makeup routines, and a minimalist wardrobe.

Today, we're sharing an episode of the tbh podcast from KALW. In it, teenagers unpack what's behind the clean girl aesthetic, why it's harmful, and what role social media plays in their lives right now.

Links:

• tbh: The Dirty Truth About the Clean Girl Aesthetic 

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San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood has a reputation for drug addiction, poverty, and homelessness — all big problems that have not been solved by city and state leaders. But the neighborhood’s image is also shaped by disturbing pictures and videos of people taking drugs outside that go viral on social media.

These images, which circulate around the world, can evoke anger, fear, and frustration. They also shape opinion about what should be done and galvanize support for harsher, tougher crackdowns on drug dealing and drug use.

Some believe that sharing these photos on social media is necessary to document this ongoing problem. Others say they only show one side of drug addiction, and leave those photographed without agency in how their stories are used.

Guest: Holly J. McDede, KQED reporter/producer

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

Read the transcript

Links:

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

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