The Bay

With Gov. Gavin Newsom limited to two terms, California’s got a wide open governor’s race. Eight Democrats and two Republicans will be on the ballot in the June primary; from there, the top two finishers, regardless of party, will head to a runoff in November. KQED’s Guy Marzorati explains why this governor’s race is the most wide-open in decades. Links: California’s Governor’s Race Is Breaking an 80-Year Political Mold | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jose Formoso, transportation reporter at The Oaklandside who covers local infrastructure and street safety. He walks through why West Oakland’s 18th Street feels hazardous. He outlines planned fixes like road diets, protected intersections, pedestrian islands, and visible all‑way stops. He also describes funding tied to housing grants and how safer design can reshape neighborhood life.

The 67 is Muni’s most delayed bus line, snaking through the hills along Alemany Boulevard and Bernal Heights, ending at the 24th and Mission BART station. However unreliable it can be, it still serves an estimated 800 daily riders. But as SFMTA faces a budget deficit of more than $300 million in July, the 67 and other bus lines are at risk of disappearing if voters don’t approve ballot measures to fund transit this November. Links: It’s San Francisco’s Most Delayed Bus. For Riders, a Frustrating Problem May Get Worse Amid Bid to Save Bay Area Transit, Muni Gets a Campaign of Its Own Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iranian Americans in California react to U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran with shock and mixed emotions. Listeners hear frantic communication blackouts and personal stories of loss under the regime. Calls reveal deep divisions in the diaspora, from celebration to legal and moral objections. Conversations explore protests, sanctions, and debates over foreign intervention versus Iranian self-determination.

Clara-Sophia Daly, an immigration reporter for Mission Local, explains how San Francisco’s immigration courts have been hollowed out. She describes shifts in asylum hearings, court closures and judge removals. Short on resources and time, the system’s day-to-day operations and migrants’ chances are changing fast.

Izzy Bloom, a politics reporter who covers redistricting in California, and Jessica Carissa, a local reporter on Bay Area housing, unpack three big stories. They discuss AI-driven demand pushing San Francisco rents up. They outline how redistricting has sent a Marin representative into conservative territory. They reveal Waymo’s use of remote operators in the Philippines.

Sarah Wright, an outdoors reporter for KQED who covers Sierra recreation and safety, walks through the deadly Tahoe avalanche and its impact on local communities. She discusses where it happened, avalanche warnings in place that day, how backcountry skiing differs from resort skiing, reactions in the Tahoe and Bay Area communities, and ongoing investigations and safety training debates.

Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, a KQED reporter who covered the Matter Neuroscience payphone project, walks through a quirky social experiment. She describes vintage payphones wired to connect San Francisco and Abilene. Listeners hear how the phones were built, who answered, and a surprising cross-country conversation. The piece explores moments of connection that challenged stereotypes.

A dive into why crow numbers have surged in the Bay Area since the 1970s and especially after 2000. Exploration of winter roosting behavior and why cities make inviting crow habitats. Discussion of how urban food, safety from persecution, and clever crow behavior drive population growth. Conversation about crow impacts on other birds and humane ways people manage conflicts.

Farida Javala-Romero, KQED labor reporter covering major workforce disputes. She breaks down who is on strike and where. She outlines patient impacts like delayed surgeries. She compares this walkout to past strikes and examines staffing, wages, bargaining dynamics, and Kaiser’s public stance.