The Bay

For the first time since 2014, the race for mayor in San Jose has no incumbent running, since Mayor Sam Liccardo is term-limited. On June 7, San Jose voters will decide between 7 candidates, ranging from current elected officials to complete outsiders. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the June primary, the top 2 finishers face a November runoff.Today, we’ll hear from voters and from the candidates who think they should be mayor of the Bay Area’s largest city.Guests: Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, community engagement reporter for KQED and Guy Marzorati, reporter and producer for KQED’s politics & government deskThis episode was edited and produced by Alan Montecillo and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, who also produced. Candidate audio comes from forums hosted by the San Jose Spotlight and SPUR.A transcript of this episode is available.Links:KQED 2022 voter guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Solano County, two high-profile police killings loom large over the race for District Attorney on June 7. That’s because the incumbent, Krishna Abrams, recused herself from investigating the deaths of Willie McCoy in 2019 and Sean Monterrosa in 2020, citing the public’s lack of confidence in her office.Now she’s running against her own chief deputy DA, Sharon Henry, who argues that the DA’s office hasn’t been independent enough to make tough, politically fraught decisions.  Guest: Scott Morris, investigative reporter with the Vallejo Sun Related links: KQED’s 2022 Voter Guide Solano DA candidates Abrams, Henry debate equity, accountability in ACLU forum Incumbents lead fundraising in Solano Sheriff, DA’s race The Life and Death of Willie McCoy  This episode was edited and produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, an armed gunman killed at least 18 children and 3 adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.There’s still a lot of questions about what happened. But here’s what we do know: That Robb Elementary is 90% Hispanic. That the students’ last day of school was scheduled for Thursday. And that when the camera crews move on, and the national media leave, this community will be coping with this for the rest of their lives.Because we as a nation have done so little to stop gun violence, this kind of trauma is a reality for millions of surviving families and children.So today, instead of our usual coverage of local news, we’re sharing an episode by KQED’s Mindshift podcast from back in 2018. It’s set in Richmond, and it’s about how people in the community provide love and support to kids who’ve experienced trauma, especially from violence.This episode first aired on Oct. 23, 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 35,000 people are living unhoused across the Bay Area – up 9 percent in the last three years, according to an annual count of folks living on the streets.In light of the release of those most recent statistics, we wanted to re-up an episode of Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America that asks: what are your biggest ideas on how to solve the housing crisis?This episode first published on Apr 25, 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just because COVID sick pay exists doesn't necessarily mean employees always feel comfortable using it. Between Americans’ unhealthy relationship with work and a sense that the world is opening back up again, employers have a lot to gain from the lack of widespread knowledge of COVID sick pay benefits in California.But if you work in California and get infected with COVID, you may be able to claim up to 80 hours of paid leave. And now that the Bay Area isin another COVID surge because of the omicron BA.2 variant, learning your rights about sick pay is more important than ever. Guest: Carly Severn, senior engagement editor for KQEDLinks: COVID Sick Pay in California: How to Claim This New Paid Leave Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The threat of domestic extremist violence is all over the country. Just last weekend, an 18-year old white man drove to a predominantly Black part of Buffalo, New York, and shot 13 people at a grocery store. 10 have died.The Bay Area is not immune to this threat. Last year, two men who worked at an auto shop in Napa were arrested and accused of plotting to blow up the California Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento. Guests: Julie Small and Alex Hall, KQED reportersThis episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Alan Montecillo, who also edited.Links:  Plot to Blow Up Democratic Headquarters Exposed California Extremists Hiding in Plain Sight The California Republicans Who Helped Enable the January 6 Attack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s new 8th Congressional district, which includes Vallejo, Fairfield, Richmond, Pittsburg, and part of Antioch, is the most diverse in the region. It’s the only district in the entire state with at least 15% white, Latino, Black, and Asian populations. That’s no coincidence. Grassroots activists in Contra Costa and Solano counties pushed for these communities to be included in the same district — and succeeded.Now, there’s an election coming. And in the race to represent this district in the U.S. House, the overwhelming frontrunner is Rep. John Garamendi, a white, 77-year old Democrat who doesn’t live in the district. So how did this happen, and how do people feel about it?Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter and producerEpisode Transcript Links: KQED Voter Guide for the June 7 Primary Activists Helped Create the Bay Area's Most Diverse Congressional District. Now They're Probably Getting John Garamendi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lots of high-profile jobs in San Francisco have opened up lately — whether it’s because of a recall, a corruption scandal, or a simple job promotion. And as a result, Mayor London Breed has been able to appoint a lot of people.Most recently, Breed was tasked with filling the District 6 Board of Supervisors seat left vacant by the election of Matt Haney to the state Assembly. She picked Matt Dorsey, an openly gay, longtime political insider who most recently served as a spokesperson for the SFPD.Today, we talk about Dorsey’s appointment and what it could signal for the city's politics.Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED senior editor of politics and government and co-host of the Political Breakdown podcastThis episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.Episode transcript Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Currently, the Bay Area is California’s COVID hot spot.The good news? Fewer people are being hospitalized or dying from COVID, thanks to the vaccine and the increased availability of treatments. This wave might also be a window into what life will look like going forward, without the public health mandates we saw at the pandemic’s peak.Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondentEpisode transcriptThis episode was produced by Maria Esquinca and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s election season again. On June 7, Californians have some big decisions to make in elections both locally and statewide. In San Francisco, voters will decide whether or not District Attorney Chesa Boudin will keep his job. Boudin was a public defender who grew up with parents in prison. And when he was elected in 2019, he promised progressive reforms around prosecution and police accountability.Now, he faces a recall election. The people who want him out of office say he hasn’t been tough enough on crime, and that the city is less safe under his leadership as DA.So in this episode, we’re sharing an interview between Chesa Boudin and KQED’s Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer. It was recorded in front of a live audience at our headquarters in San Francisco on May 3.Related links: 'We Are All More Than Our Worst Mistake': Five Takeaways From SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin's Appearance at KQED California Primary Election 2022 FAQ: From When to Vote to How to Fix a Ballot Mistake KQED Live Events Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices