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The Bay

KQED

Bay Area-raised host Ericka Cruz Guevarra talks with local journalists about what’s happening in the greatest region in the country. It’s the context and analysis you need to make sense of the news, with help from the people who know it best. New episodes drop Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.

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August 21 · 19 min
'She Died by Design': Meta on Trial Over Child Safety
This episode discusses suicide. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This month, a federal trial against the world’s biggest social media kicked off in Oakland. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are leading a lawsuit that accuses Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, of knowingly creating products that put children and teenagers at risk. And as KQED’s Rachael Myrow explains, the outcome of this trial could force Meta to pay up and make big changes to its platforms. Links: ‘Meta Hooked Kids’: Federal Trial Against Tech Giant Kicks Off in Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 19 · 18 min
Boom and Bust in Big Sur
Big Sur’s residents are used to natural disasters. This time, Highway 1 is closed again thanks to the Timber Fire that started on Aug. 8, which has burned more than 5,000 acres. Parts of Big Sur are also under mandatory evacuation orders. As the SF Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau reports, it’s the latest chapter in a “boom and bust” cycle that Big Sur’s small businesses know all too well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 17 · 14 min
Why Piedmont Isn't Part of Oakland
Piedmont in the East Bay is a bit of an oddity: a city less than 2 square miles large in the middle of Oakland — but not part of it. It’s now one of the wealthiest cities in the Bay Area, and some Oakland residents want to ‘Cancel Piedmont’ in order to confront the region’s inequality. Today, we’re sharing a 2019 episode from our friends at Bay Curious about the city’s history. It’s a story about Piedmont, but it’s really a story that starts in Oakland. Links: Why Is Piedmont a Separate City From Oakland? Bay Curious Explains Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 14 · 16 min
Is This Craft Night the Hottest Party in Alameda?
The Bay Area’s full of subcultures and meetups for just about everyone. So as part of a new series from KQED Arts & Culture called “Finding Your People,” Arts and Culture Editor Nastia Voynovskaya takes us inside a craft night in Alameda that’s quickly become one of the hottest events in town. Links: This Craft Night Might Be the Hottest Party in Alameda KQED Arts’ ‘Finding Your People’ Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 12 · 16 min
Why Oakland Unified Is Banning Cellphones
Class is back in session at Oakland Unified School District schools this week, with one notable change: A strict phone-free policy. KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti explains how a statewide mandate has pushed districts across the Bay to pass their own policies banning or restricting phones, and how it's playing out in Oakland. Links: OUSD Cellphone Ban for Students Takes Effect on the First Day of the School Year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 10 · 20 min
‘We’re Not Fighting This Alone’: Gilroy and Beyond Pushes Back Against Planned ICE Facility
State and local leaders are suing the federal government after alleging that Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly broke ground on a proposal to build an ICE facility in Gilroy. Santa Clara County leaders and a number of other Bay Area cities, counties and community groups, have banded together to put a stop to the plan. At a recent press conference, members of San Jose’s Japanese American community also spoke out, drawing parallels to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 7 · 15 min
Outside Lands Is Upon Us. Where Does All That Trash Go?
Outside Lands is upon us, and 75,000 people are expected to descend on Golden Gate Park each of the festival’s three days. That also means lots of trash. In this episode, SF Gate’s Melissa Cho walks us through how the festival is able to divert the majority of its waste from landfills. This episode first aired on Aug. 15, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 5 · 23 min
SF Is Quietly Removing 911 Peer Responders
This episode contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988. Starting August 14, San Francisco will remove peer specialists from its 911 response. These peer specialists, equipped with both training and personal experience with issues like homelessness and addiction, say the decision is a regressive step in the city’s approach to mental and behavioral health emergencies. Links: These Peers Provided Alternative 911 Responders. San Francisco Is Removing Them Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 3 · 23 min
Going to the Beach? Beware of Sneaker Waves
Headed to the beach? Keep a watchful eye on the ocean for sneaker waves. They’re sudden, far-reaching waves that are notorious for catching beachgoers off-guard. Videos of Californians being swept away have gone viral, including a recent incident in Santa Cruz where a lifeguard saved a 10-year old from drowning. KQED’s Sarah Wright explains what sneaker waves are, why they’re dangerous, and how to stay safe while still enjoying the ocean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 28 · 2 min
Life, Automated: A New Podcast About Our Tech-Driven World
What does it mean to live, work, and make decisions in a rapidly automated world? Life, Automated, a new podcast distributed by KQED and made by our partners at the Ryan Institute for Complexity at Northwestern University, explores this urgent question. Listen every other Wednesday wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 21 · 1 min
Bay Listeners, Let's Chat!
As we ramp up production for August, we’ve been thinking about you – our listeners – a lot. And we’d love to chat. About what you like hearing, what you want to hear more of, and some ideas we have. If you’re up for that, leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223. Please leave us your name and a good number to call. Talk soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 1 · 2 min
It's Time for Our July Break
I’m sure you’ll agree with us: Sometimes, it's good to take a break from the news. Every July, The Bay takes a break from making new episodes. We use this time to reset, rest, and brainstorm what we want to make for you. We will resume our regular schedule on Monday Aug. 3. Say hello anytime thebay@kqed.org. We always love hearing from you. Thank you for listening and enjoying the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 29 · 25 min
Giants’ Pride Controversy, Data Center in Pittsburg, and Youth-Backed Improvements to SF Bus Route
In this June 2026 edition of the monthly news roundup, we discuss the Giants’ pride month controversy, the debate over a new data center coming to Pittsburg, and how high school students pushed for improvements to their local bus line in San Francisco. Links: Pittsburg controversy over data center on old Delta View Golf Course This Bay Area suburb lost its main industry. Can it rebuild? In San Francisco, Students Become Transit Advocates to Fix ‘the City’s School Bus’ Fans chew out SF Giants for team's 'weak' response to Pride Night saga Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 26 · 15 min
Producer Jessica Kariisa Says Goodbye to The Bay
In today’s episode, we bid farewell to The Bay’s producer, Jessica Kariisa, and discuss her deep love for San Jose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 24 · 22 min
How Will Artists Adapt to AI in the Music Industry?
Last month, the streaming platform Spotify added a new feature that allows users to generate their own AI remixes. With no signs of AI slowing down in the music industry, we’re revisiting this episode about the labor implications, and how human artists are adapting. This episode first aired Nov. 14, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 22 · 27 min
When We All Get to Heaven: Inside a Queer SF Church During the AIDS Crisis
The Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco (MCC-SF) was one of the first gay-positive Christian churches. During the height of the AIDS crisis, it was a place where hundreds of LGBTQ Christians found community, sustenance, and healing as they grappled with the illness and death of the epidemic. When We All Get to Heaven, a 10-episode audio documentary series produced by Eureka Street Productions and distributed by Slate, follows queer Christians caught between two communities: a religious world that said gays had no place, and a gay rights movement that said God had no place. Links: Listen: When We All Get to Heaven Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 19 · 24 min
‘We’re Still Here’: Celebrating Juneteenth in the Fillmore
In 1945, Wesley Johnson, a San Francisco State graduate from Texas, rode down Fillmore Street, announcing Juneteenth and inviting all around to celebrate. At that time, the Fillmore district was the heart of San Francisco’s Black community, and famously known as the ‘Harlem of the West.’ But over the decades, systemic displacement in the name of urban renewal has dramatically shrunk the neighborhood’s Black population. Between 1970 and 2020, the Black population in the Fillmore dropped from 57% to just 16%. In this episode, we head to the Fillmore’s annual Juneteenth celebration and talk to a Fillmore native dedicated to keeping the community alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 17 · 18 min
The South Bay Plays Host to the World Cup
Another huge sporting event is here in the Bay Area. The World Cup, with 48 participating countries and 104 matches spread out across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is underway until the final on July 19. In addition to the six World Cup games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, free watch parties are on all over the region, and two teams – Paraguay and Australia – are using the Bay Area as their base camps. KQED reporter Ayah Ali-Ahmad tells us what it’s like on the ground in San Jose, as thousands of visitors come to the Bay Area yet again. Links: Team Paraguay Arrives in San José Ahead of World Cup Games at Levi’s | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 15 · 19 min
What Will Pacifica Do With Its Iconic Pier?
Last week, the Pacifica City Council approved an emergency declaration to demolish the beloved Chit Chat Cafe at the Pacifica Pier, as parts of the structure began to crumble into the ocean. Plans for the rest of the pier are still up in the air, as Pacifica residents reckon with the future of their coastal community in the face of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and climate change. Links: ‘You Can’t Beat Mother Nature’: Destroyed Cafe Gives Pacifica Look at Climate-Changed Future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 12 · 20 min
The Immigrant Youth Finding Safety in Local Soccer Leagues
The World Cup is now underway, with planned events around the Bay Area. Under the ethos of soccer as a “global language,” local soccer leagues in the Bay Area have been providing a rare sense of solace for new immigrant youth. This episode first published June 11, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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