We're working on an episode about making friends in the Bay Area. And we want your help.

What's it been like for you to make friends here? How'd you do it? Is there anything about life in the Bay that makes it easier or harder to meet people?

Let us know your thoughts. You can do that in one of two ways:

• Leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223
• Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to [email protected]

We might just reach back out for an upcoming episode. We can't wait to hear from you!

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The Venezuelan diaspora in the Bay Area is relatively small. Of the estimated 770,000 Venezuelan natives living in the United States in 2024, only about 23,000 — or 3% — are in California, according to the Migration Policy Institute. But as the country’s political turmoil continues to make headlines, a nonprofit called Dulce Tricolor Venezolano is committed to keeping their culture alive and building community through teaching traditional dance.

Links:

• Venezuelan Dance Group in the Bay Area Keeps Culture Alive for a New Generation
• Subscribe to KQED’s K Onda newsletter
• Dulce Tricolor Venezolano

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On Monday, teachers at San Francisco Unified School District went on strike for the first time since 1979. The district and the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) remain apart on issues like wage increases and family health care. We talk with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jill Tucker about the impact on families, and why teacher strikes seem to be spreading across California.

Links:

• San Francisco Teachers Strike: What Should Families Know? | KQED

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Since San José Mayor Matt Mahan took office in 2023, the city has dramatically shifted the city’s approach to homelessness from building permanent affordable housing to building more temporary shelters, with the goal of getting people off the street faster.

Now, as he eyes the governor's office, we look into how his signature homelessness program is going.

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The Bay Area is gearing up for ‘Benito Bowl,’ AKA Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show performance, with watch parties planned across the Bay. But his performance comes at a time when fans in immigrant communities are worried about immigration enforcement actions around the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, despite reassurances from the NFL and local police.

Links:

• ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now
• How’s Bad Bunny Left His Mark on the Bay Area? Let Us Count the Ways
• As Bay Area Gears Up to Host Super Bowl LX and Bad Bunny Halftime Show, Fears of ICE Loom | KQED

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On Sunday, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will play in the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Super Bowl LX is projected to draw 90,000 visitors to the Bay Area, and up to $630 million in economic benefits for the entire region. But it's the South Bay that will feel the most disruptions to daily life.

Links:

• The Super Bowl Party Is Here. Fans Are Excited, Even if It’s Seahawks vs Patriots

• Super Bowl LX Tickets: Don’t Fall for an (Expensive) Scam

• ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now

• 7 Things to Know About the Complicated Relationship Between Santa Clara and the 49ers

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Clipper 2.0, or Next Generation Clipper, has been a long-awaited update for public transit riders. But the rollout has been plagued with glitches, and transit officials and riders are furious with Cubic Transportation Systems, the company contracted to operate the system.

Links:

• ‘A Hot Mess’: Transit Riders, Officials Skewer Contractor Over Flawed Clipper 2.0 Rollout | KQED
• Clipper 2.0 Leaves AC Transit Cash Riders Behind | KQED

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In our first news roundup of 2026, we discuss California reactions to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the latest drama in the long-running efforts by California Forever to build a new city, and a nostalgic goodbye to the Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco.

Links: 

• Growing Wave of Silicon Valley Workers Condemns ICE as C-Suites Split Over Fear of Trump | KQED
• ‘This mall was the shit’: Former teenagers throw final rager to honor SF Centre

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Violent crime is down in Oakland, along with most major U.S. cities. In 2025, Oakland’s homicide rate dropped 22% compared with the previous year. But Oakland city leaders are also aware that there’s a lot of work left to do — including helping people feel safe even as the statistics are showing improvements. Roselyn Romero with the Oaklandside joins us to break down why violent crime is down for the second straight year.

Links:

• Violent crime in Oakland is way down for the second year in a row
• Oakland saw a historic drop in homicides in 2025. City leaders aren’t declaring victory yet

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San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is enjoying high approval ratings and declining crime rates as he marks his first full year in office. In this live, on-stage interview with the Political Breakdown podcast, Lurie reflects on his first year, what he’s learned, and how he plans to take on the challenges ahead.

Links:

• YouTube: Watch San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie with Political Breakdown
• Listen: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie
• Read: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on the Highs and Lows of His First Government Job

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The health care industry has often been slow to adopt new technology — but not when it comes to AI. And as Kaiser Permanente’s mental health clinicians in Northern California negotiate their latest contract with the company, they’re looking for reassurance that AI isn’t coming for their jobs.

Links:

• Will AI Replace Your Therapist? Kaiser Won't Say No
  

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