The Bay: episodes
60 recent episodes from the show's feed. Back to the show
Prop 39: Requires Voters Show ID to Cast A Ballot
Oct 2, 2026 · 15 min
In California, you have to show identification when you register to vote, but not when you cast your ballot. Prop 39, which is supported by California Republicans and opposed by California Democrats, would change that. If passed, citizens would have to present a government-issued ID when voting in person or write the last 4 digits of an ID number on their mail-in ballot envelope. Additional Res
Prop 38: Immunology Research Bond
Oct 2, 2026 · 20 min
Immunotherapy is individualized treatment designed to harness a patients’ immune system to fight disease. Vaccines are considered part of immunology, but it also includes more recent innovations, like new treatments for cancer and heart disease. Prop 38 would allow the state to borrow $8.4 billion to fund immunology and immunotherapy research, with one specific institution in mind — U
Prop 37: Creates Middle-Income Homebuying Program
Oct 1, 2026 · 16 min
It's pretty standard to pay a 20% down payment in order to buy a house. But in California, where the median price of a single-family home is $980,000, that's a tall order for most people. Supporters of Prop 37 say it would help address this problem by allowing the state to help moderate income buyers. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026
Prop 5: Statewide Recall Reform
Sep 30, 2026 · 16 min
In 2021, California voters were asked whether or not to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom from office. But there was also a second question on the ballot: Who should replace the governor if he was recalled? The recall ultimately failed. But if it had succeeded, Republican talk show host Larry Elder, who won roughly 48% of the vote in that second question, would have become governor. Proposition 5 wou
Prop 4: Allows Public Financing for Political Campaigns
Sep 30, 2026 · 13 min
If you want to get elected in this state, it's no secret that you'll need to raise money — in some cases, a lot of money. This could put candidates who don't come from wealthy backgrounds at a disadvantage. California currently bans public funding for political campaign expenses. Prop. 4 would repeal it. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop
Prop 3: Taxes on High-Income Earners
Sep 29, 2026 · 17 min
California has a progressive income tax system: the more you make, the more you pay in taxes. For years, voters have approved certain tax rates for high-income earners. Proposition 3 would lock in a marginal tax rate of 10.3% to 12.3% for the state's highest income earners. The money would help fund education and health care. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch
Prop 2: The Rainy Day Fund
Sep 29, 2026 · 21 min
In 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown persuaded voters to strengthen California's Rainy Day Fund — a pot of money set aside to help the state save when times are good, while paying down its debts. Now, Proposition 2 is asking voters to make that fund even bigger. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026 Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You ca
Prop 1: Affordable Housing Bond
Sep 28, 2026 · 16 min
For the next 2 weeks, we and our friends with Bay Curious are bringing you Prop Fest, your deep-dive audio guide voting smart on the 14(!) statewide ballot measures in this year's November election. Up first: Proposition 1, which would allow the state to borrow $11.25 billion for affordable housing. Additional Resources: Read the transcript for this episode Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026
What if Transit Ballot Measures Fail? Plus, Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals and a Valkyries Playoff Preview
Sep 25, 2026 · 24 min
In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, we discuss a new report that found traffic delays could double if voters reject two public transit-related ballot measures. We also discuss a pilot program that builds solar panels over irrigation canals and preview the Golden State Valkyries return to the playoffs. Plus, we say goodbye to The Bay's senior editor, Alan Montecillo. Links:
Introducing ‘The Speaker’: A New Limited-Run Podcast from KQED
Sep 23, 2026 · 40 min
Nancy Pelosi is many things: Trailblazer. Lightning rod. First woman Speaker of the House. Mom of five. To some, she’s an out-of-touch elitist, to others, a champion for democracy. In The Speaker, a new limited-run podcast from KQED, political reporter Scott Shafer reflects on Pelosi’s historic life and career as she prepares to exit public office. Links: The Speaker Learn more abo
How the Trump Administration Is Using SFO as a ‘De Facto Detention Center’
Sep 21, 2026 · 24 min
The Trump administration has ramped up immigration arrests at airports in recent months, including at San Francisco International Airport. According to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, Customs and Border Protection has also been holding immigrants at SFO – in some cases, for more than a week. Reporter Sara DiNatale joins us to explain how the airport has become a de facto detention
At This San Quentin Program, Perpetrators of Gun Violence Are Part of the Solution
Sep 18, 2026 · 20 min
Why does gun violence happen? Arms Down, a program inside the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly San Quentin State Prison, asks the people behind the gun. It’s a revolutionary program that treats firearm addiction like an alcohol addiction, and recasts perpetrators of gun violence as part of the solution. This episode first aired on Aug. 25, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. V
Desperate Tenants in SF Face Scams, Substandard Rentals
Sep 16, 2026 · 20 min
San Francisco’s AI boom is making the rental market more competitive than ever. Prospective tenants face intense pressure to stand out, leaving them susceptible to substandard living conditions or outright scams. Links: Part 1: As AI Booms, Daniel Lurie Declares ‘Rent Emergency’ in San Francisco After the $18,000 Scam, How Can Bay Area Renters Protect Themselves? | KQED Learn mor
As AI Booms, Daniel Lurie Declares ‘Rent Emergency’ in San Francisco
Sep 14, 2026 · 16 min
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has declared a ‘rent emergency’ in San Francisco amid a boom in the AI industry. In the first part of The Bay’s series about the AI-fueled rental crisis, The New York Times San Francisco Bureau Chief Heather Knight explains what that declaration really means, and how this housing crunch stands out from the past. Links: NYT: San Francisco Mayor Declares Ren
How One Teacher is Reckoning With Cesar Chavez’s Legacy in the Classroom
Sep 11, 2026 · 17 min
Since sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez came to light last spring, city leaders quickly decided to rename parks and take down statues of the labor leader. Conversations in the classroom are also changing. Today on The Bay, we’re re-airing this conversation from last April about how one East San José teacher is recasting Cesar Chavez’s legacy in the classroom. This episode first a
SF’s Toppled Statues Give Rise to New Monuments
Sep 9, 2026 · 20 min
In 2020, San Franciscans began reckoning with the city’s monuments—many of which honored violent figures and fraught histories. In the years since, the San Francisco Arts Commission has been reimagining what public memory could look like. Now, temporary monuments celebrating everyday people are popping up all around us. Links: In San Francisco, a Reckoning With Toppled Statues Gives Rise to New
The Price of Raising Kids in the Bay
Sep 4, 2026 · 23 min
Living in the Bay Area is expensive, and raising kids here can be especially tough. So how do people do it? KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi talks with three families about what they’re doing to get by. From cramming a family of four into one studio apartment to giving up on the dream of home ownership, compromise is always part of the equation. This episode first aired on May 4, 2026. Links: H
A Super El Niño In the Bay Area: What You Need to Know
Sep 2, 2026 · 16 min
The Bay Area is getting ready for a ‘Super El Niño’ this winter. This natural weather pattern, — made worse by human-caused climate change — could bring flooding, mudslides, power outages and road closures. KQED Climate reporter Ezra David Romero explains how we might feel the impact of El Niño in our day to day lives. Links: Guide: El Niño Could Bring a Wet, Wild Winter. How Can You — an
Tahoe Avalanche Follow-Up, Tech Backlash in Schools, and a Controversial Swan Hunt
Aug 31, 2026 · 24 min
In this month’s edition of The Bay’s news roundup, Ericka, The Bay’s new producer Gabriela Glueck, and Carly Severn, KQED’s senior editor of audience news discuss workplace safety fines against the Tahoe guiding company implicated in last year’s avalanche deaths. Also, we discuss a growing movement of Silicon Valley parents against tech in classrooms, and a controversial swan hunt that appears to
The Botched Launch of Clipper 2.0
Aug 28, 2026 · 17 min
Last December, Bay Area transit officials launched Clipper 2.0 – a revamp of the payment system used across the region’s 22 public transportation systems. But the rollout has been a disaster, with customers reporting glitches like payments not being credited and frequent account lockouts. Now, a KQED investigation has found that officials had been ringing alarm bells about Clipper 2.0 long before