Self-driving Waymo robotaxis are now commonplace on the streets of San Francisco. Feelings about these autonomous vehicles vary — from excitement, to amusement, to outright hostility. Some have even gone so far as to vandalize the cars.

In this episode from KQED’s Close All Tabs podcast, Morgan Sung speaks with Bloomberg journalist Ellen Huet and law professor Ryan Calo to explore the rise of Waymo vandalism, and its roots in our collective anxiety over AI.

Links:

• Waymo’s Expansion Provokes Anxieties of AI Takeover – Ellen Huet, Bloomberg
• The next big robotaxi push is almost here — Harri Weber, Quartz 
• The Courts Can Handle the Deadly Uber Self-Driving Car Crash. But that doesn’t mean the law is ready for autonomous vehicles. — Ryan Calo, Slate
• Good Robot, Bad Robot: Dark and Creepy Sides of Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, and AI — Jo Ann Oravec, Professor at the University of Wisconsin

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The Trump administration has revoked hundreds of student visas across the country, claiming many have participated in ‘pro-Hamas’ activism on college campuses. Now, two international students at California colleges are suing the federal government after their student visas were revoked and their records in a federal database were terminated, effectively stripping them of their ability to continue studying in the U.S.

Links:

• California Students, Blindsided by Visa Cancellations, Sue Trump Administration
• What Should International Students on Visas and Green Cards Know Right Now?

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President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imports go into effect today, and businesses around the Bay Area are already feeling the impact. Some worry that the costs will trickle down to consumers and discourage businesses already struggling to afford operating in the Bay Area.

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As the A’s begin their first season in Sacramento, KQED found that some Coliseum workers promised financial assistance from the A’s ahead of the team’s transition out of Oakland haven’t gotten anything. 

Links:

• Some Oakland Coliseum Workers Say They Never Received Assistance From A’s Farewell Fund

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In San Francisco, Black men born between 1951 and 1970 accounted for 12% of overdose deaths between January 2020 and October 2024, despite representing less than 1% of the city's population. The disparity in San Francisco is greater than any other major city. 

Today, we hear from Richard Beal, director of recovery services at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, about his personal story of addiction and recovery, and later talk with The San Francisco Standard’s David Sjostedt about what’s behind this trend of Black overdose deaths in the city. 

Links:

• SF is losing a generation of Black men to overdoses. It’s worse here than anywhere

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President Donald Trump’s executive orders and rhetoric have created a climate of fear in queer and transgender communities, including here in the Bay Area. KQED’s Bianca Taylor reports on a self-defense class in San Francisco’s Transgender District that teaches people skills to protect themselves while also building community.

Links:

• Amid Rising Threats, Transgender Community Builds Bonds at This SF Self-Defense Class
• Where LGBTQ+ people can find self-defense classes in the Bay Area

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In this month’s edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, Alan, Jessica, and Ericka talk about what happened when a Marin County school board member questioned the term “toxic masculinity,” delays in finding a new site for San Jose’s iconic flea market, and an Eid festival coming to San Francisco’s Tenderloin. Plus, we discuss threats to public media funding.

Links:

• Watch: NPR, PBS Heads Answer Lawmakers' Allegations of Bias
• A Marin School Board Questioned the Term ‘Toxic Masculinity.’ Then Came the Backlash
• State law blocks potential San Jose flea market site
• San Francisco’s Tenderloin Is Bringing a New Eid Festival to Its Streets



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This month, San Francisco rolled out speed cameras at dozens of locations throughout the city. After seeing one of SF's deadliest years on the road, advocates hope the cameras will make walking and driving in San Francisco safer. 

This episode first ran on Jan 15, 2025.

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It’s time for Oakland voters to pick a new mayor. Voting is underway in Oakland’s special election until April 15. Once a mayor is picked, they’ll have to hit the ground running in order to balance the city’s budget and address voters’ concerns about public safety and homelessness. 

Links:

• Oakland Special Election: Candidate Guide and How to Vote

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Day laborers, or jornaleros, can often be found standing at specific street corners, where they are hired on the spot for inexpensive manual labor. Most are Latino migrants and can be found all over the Bay Area.

Berkeleyside’s Ximena Natera joins us to talk about how jornaleros in Berkeley are dealing with increased fears of deportation, and where these workers are finding support in difficult times.

Links:

• For Berkeley day laborers with bills and fears, staying home is not an option
• Para los jornaleros de Berkeley, quedarse en casa no es opción, a pesar del miedo

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On Christmas Eve, 58-year-old James Oakley was crushed to death during a Vallejo city-run trash cleanup, sparking shock and outrage among homeless residents and advocates. Three months after his death, the city of Vallejo has put a temporary pause on encampment sweeps.

Links:

• Report: Unhoused Man Seen Alive Before Being Crushed During Vallejo Cleanup

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