The Bay

It’s been a weird month for BART’s Board of Directors. In the span of just 2 weeks, the agency removed — and then reinstated — Director Lateefah Simon.

A Black, legally blind, regular BART rider, Director Simon was initially removed over a mix-up with her home address, which is barely 300 feet outside her district. But this abrupt decision sparked a huge outcry from constituents, who suddenly couldn’t reach the person they elected.

Now Director Simon is back on the board, but there are still lots of unanswered questions about how any of this happened in the first place. And Director Simon has said she is committed to keeping her seat.

Episode Transcript

Guest: Dan Brekke, KQED editor and reporter 

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

Questions? Comments? Email us: [email protected].

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Landing in a new country is never easy, even if you’re landing in a place like the Bay Area, which is already home to so many immigrants, refugees, and people who’ve sought asylum. And between Russia's invasion of Ukraine, chaos in Afghanistan, and the ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border, this topic has been on our minds a lot.

On Wednesday, March 23, KQED Live held an event called Finding Asylum in California. It included visual art by Caleb Duarte, and a discussion moderated by KQED Newsroom host Priya David Clemens. That discussion also included KQED immigration senior editor Tyche Hendricks and JFCS East Bay refugee resettlement director Fouzia Azizi. Today, we're sharing that conversation on the show.

For more information about live events at KQED, visit https://www.kqed.org/events

Episode Transcript

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In April 2020, Vallejo became one of the first cities to opt into the state’s Project Roomkey, a program designed to provide hotel rooms for medically vulnerable people without homes during the pandemic. 

The program was touted as a success by city leaders. But reporting from The Vallejo Sun found at least 5 people who participated in the program died in their hotel rooms, including 3 who weren’t found for days. So how did this happen? 

Guest: Scott Morris, investigative journalist for The Vallejo Sun

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

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About 500 operators and technicians at Chevron’s Richmond refinery went on strike starting Monday. It’s the first labor strike at the plant in more than 40 years.

The union representing these workers says that Chevron hasn’t offered enough in the way of pay increases, benefit contributions, and worker safety. Chevron claims the union has asked for too much, and in the meantime has promised to keep the refinery running using non-union workers. This strike is also laying bare the tensions within the city of Richmond about Chevron’s role in the community.

Guest: Ted Goldberg, KQED supervising senior editor of news

Episode transcript

This episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Ericka Cruz Guevarra, and hosted by Alan Montecillo. Additional reporting by Maria Fernanda Bernal and Rachael Myrow.

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It’s no fun getting gas these days. The average price in many Bay Area counties reached $5.80 a gallon. And that's making it tough for people who drive for gig companies like Uber and Lyft, or who are taxi drivers.

Guest: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, KQED reporter and producer

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

Episode transcript

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From Monday to Thursday, a group of teachers staged a sit-in at the SF Unified School District building to protest the fact the district mishandled their paychecks. Some even went months without receiving the money that they're owed for their work.

The district says it is working to resolve this, and blamed the problems mainly on its new payroll system. But teachers and union members say the issues run much deeper.

Guest: Julia McEvoy, KQED senior editor 

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

Episode transcript

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For the last 2 years California’s unemployment system has been completely overwhelmed. One of the biggest issues: The lack of language access for people who don’t speak English or Spanish.

Now, the Employment Development Department — the agency that runs this system — is finally turning a corner. Late last month, EDD committed to adding critical multilingual support. But it wouldn't have happened without constant pressure from advocates, who point out that the agency has always been legally obligated to do this.

Guest: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED reporter and producer for The California Report

Episode Transcript

If you're seeking help with unemployment insurance claims, you can call EDD's Unemployment Customer Service Center (open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday). English and Spanish: (800) 300-5616

Links:

EDD Finally Adds More Multilingual Unemployment Support — After Advocates Mount Legal Challenge

How Barriers at EDD Keep Already Vulnerable Californians From Their Benefits

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This week marks one year since a gunman killed 8 people in Atlanta, Georgia in a targeted attack against Asian massage parlors. 6 of those killed were Asian women. 

Since that time, the fear and violence hasn’t gone away. A new study by the National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum found that 74% of Asian American and Pacific Islander women reported having personally experienced racism or discrimination in the last 12 months. 

One year ago, Devin Katayama talked with local activist and organizer Hyejin Shim about how solutions must account for gender, socioeconomic and class differences in the Asian community if they’re going to truly work.

This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Shaylyn Martos and hosted by Devin Katayama.  

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It's been an intense few weeks. And we believe that all of us deserve to take a break and take care of ourselves. So in the spirit of that, we’re going to play an episode to help keep us all going despite all that’s happening in the world.

In this episode of Rightnowish, host Pendarvis Harshaw speaks with AB Banks, in the first of a four-part series called Big Love. Banks works with the People’s Programs in Oakland, serving unhoused people through clinics and food donations. Banks is also deep in the practice of meditation, and recently launched a series of meditative videos called Mad Chill.

AB and Pendarvis talk about love as a communal act, confidence, and how self-love can be revolutionary. 

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A group of homeowners sued over UC Berkeley's plans to increase enrollment, claiming that the university has not adequately studied the environmental impacts of a higher student population.

This legal battle has been going on for years, but in the last few weeks it's gotten national attention. That's because the courts recently ruled against the university, which is now required to cap enrollment levels. It's set off arguments in Berkeley and across the state about growth, housing, and more. And it may even lead to legislative changes as well.

Guest: Frances Dinkelspiel, reporter and co-founder of Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside

Episode Transcript

Links:



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

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