Cities across California are cracking down on homeless encampments following a Supreme Court ruling last year giving local governments the O.K. to do so. Fremont recently took a bigger step than most, by also prohibiting anyone from “aiding and abetting” camping on public property and private land. 

This episode was hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and produced by Mel Velasquez, Jessica Kariisa and Alexander Gonzales

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Black churches in the Bay Area are retrofitting themselves to become “resilience hubs” in the event of a major storm or climate-related event. It’s part of a national movement called Green The Church, an organization merging the Black faith community and environmental justice.

This episode first ran on Oct. 28, 2024

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we asked listeners to share their stories about dating in the Bay Area. Today, we meet some daters from all around the region and hear how they're navigating the highs and lows of the Bay Area dating scene. 

This episode was hosted by Jessica Kariisa. Mel Velasquez and Dana Cronin produced this episode, with additional support from Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soaring demand for AI has accelerated the building of massive data centers to support the technology, including in the Bay Area. As more centers are built, local residents and environmentalists are concerned about how they disrupt local communities and pose significant health and environmental risks.

Links

• As California AI Data Centers Grow, So Does Dirty Energy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 5, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, fulfilling a promise he made on the campaign trail. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation into San Jose State University for allowing a transgender athlete to play on the volleyball team. Today, we’re revisiting an episode from December 2024 about how San Jose State’s volleyball team got caught up in the fight over women’s sports. 

This episode first ran on Dec. 4, 2024.

Links:

• NCAA Bars Trans Athletes as Federal Officials Launch Investigation of San José State

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 1, 2025 a massive fire broke out at the Martinez Refinery Company’s petroleum refinery leading to unsafe air conditions and a shelter in place order. It’s the third major incident at the refinery in the past five years. KQED’s Julie Small explains what led to the fire and how residents are responding.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ursula Jones Dickson, a superior court judge, has been chosen as Alameda County’s new District Attorney, 3 months after voters recalled Pamela Price from office. KQED’s Samantha Lim explains why Jones Dickson was picked, and how she promises to be different from her predecessor.

This episode was produced by Mel Velasquez and Jessica Kariisa, and guest hosted by Alan Montecillo.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has vowed to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as part of his plans for mass deportations. During World War II, this law was one of several legal tools the government used to imprison nearly 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. Now, Japanese Americans in the Bay Area are drawing on their stories of trauma and survival to resist the Trump administration's immigration plans.

Links:

• Bay Area Japanese Americans Draw on WWII Trauma to Resist Deportation Threats

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, we hear how President Trump’s immigration rhetoric is impacting farmworker communities in Half Moon Bay. Later, we discuss why so many Walgreens are closing San Francisco and how a major budget shortfall is impacting academic and athletic departments at Sonoma State. 

Links:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians started returning to northern Gaza after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement. 

The ceasefire is currently in its first stage; 33 hostages will be returned to Israel and 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will be released. Despite initial celebrations, many are nervous about whether this ceasefire will hold, and what Gaza’s future will look like. 

Today, we hear reactions to the ceasefire from three Palestinians in northern California who have family in Gaza.

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

Links:

• Tentative Relief and Fear: 4 Bay Area Palestinian Americans React to the Gaza Ceasefire

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices