The city of Alameda sits on a man-made island surrounded on all sides by water, making it a strong case study for how the Bay Area could address sea level rise. That’s because the city, with its 360-degree waterfront, will need to use every tool available to protect itself.

Links:

• For This Bay Area Island City, Water Is Coming From All Sides
  

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In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, Ericka and Alan are joined by KQED senior editor Alexander Gonzalez to discuss a ransomware attack that hindered services in Foster City, a rare verdict in a case about Meta and Google’s role in fueling a youth mental health crisis, and whether San Francisco’s small clubs can survive. 

Links:

• Bay Area city declares state of emergency 6 days after cyberattack (SFGate)
• Foster City: City's Phone, Email Services Restored After Cybersecurity Breach Last Week (SFGate)
• Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial (NPR)
• Can San Francisco’s Small Clubs Survive? (KQED)
• Become a KQED member

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In the early weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term, Ulises Peña Lopez, a husband and father, was arrested by ICE outside his home in Sunnyvale. During the encounter, he says he was severely beaten and suffered a heart attack and stroke.

Last October, Ulises was deported to Mexico. Here in the Bay Area, his wife Aby and 4-year old daughter Emily are still reeling from the impacts of his deportation.

Links:

• A Year After ICE Detained South Bay Immigrant, Family Trauma Lingers
• Email us: [email protected]

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The U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran is leading to a global surge in gas prices, including in California, where the average is now $5.88 per gallon according to AAA. While the war with Iran is the main reason prices have increased, California has had more expensive gas for years, in part to policies that are meant to help the state reach its climate goals. Alejandro Lazo with CalMatters explains why gas is so expensive here.

Links:

• California passed a law to curb spikes in gas prices. Why isn’t it using those powers now?

• Some California Democrats pitch gas price relief as prices at the pump soar

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This month, the United States Postal Service unveiled a new set of stamps honoring the lowrider community. This federal recognition comes three years after California lifted a decades-old ban on lowrider cruising. The state, widely understood as the birthplace of lowrider culture, has also historically been unfriendly to it. For decades, lowriding was blamed for traffic and alleged connections to gang violence. KQED’s Paloma Yaritza Abarca explains the years-long fight by community members to let their cars ride freely.

This episode originally aired Nov 3, 2023.

Links:

• The Provocative, Rebellious and Flamboyant Origins of Lowriding | KQED

• For Lowriders in San Francisco, It’s Not Just a Stamp — It’s Respect at the Federal Level
  

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A New York Times investigation published Wednesday revealed that iconic farmworker organizer Cesar Chavez sexually abused women and underage girls for years. Chavez, who died in 1993, is honored and memorialized in public schools, street names, and buildings across California and the Bay Area. The news has sent shockwaves throughout the state, especially among Latino and labor organizers.

Links:

• César Chavez Was a Hero to Farmworkers. Now They Confront the Pain of Alleged Abuse | KQED

• California Weighs Renaming Parks, Streets After Cesar Chavez Amid Abuse Allegations | KQED

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Artificial intelligence has rapidly changed what tech workers in the Bay Area do every day. Whether you’re a software engineer or you work in sales, most employees at tech firms are expected to regularly use AI.

Rya Jetha with the San Francisco Standard explains how AI is affecting tech employees across the industry, and how these changes could be a sign of what’s to come for the rest of us.

Links:

• AI writes the code now. What’s left for software engineers?
• ‘Engineer’ is so 2025. In AI land, everyone’s a ‘builder’ now
• AI is booming. Tech jobs in San Francisco are not

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Engineered stone, or quartz, is a man-made material made with high concentrations of silica that is commonly used to make kitchen countertops in the U.S. And it’s making the workers who cut this material sick. And even though California has safety rules in place to reduce the risk to workers, some say it’s time to ban the use of engineered stone altogether.

This episode first aired on ⁠Dec. 15, 2025⁠.

Links:

• Doctors say measures to control an incurable lung disease aren't enough : NPR

• As Lung Disease Threatens Workers, Lawmakers Seek Protections for Countertop Manufacturers - KFF Health News

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On Thursday, thousands of people gathered in Oakland to welcome home Olympic figure skater and gold medalist Alysa Liu, who won the women’s singles gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics last month. Liu, who was born in Richmond and grew up training in Oakland, is the first American woman to win gold in her sport since 2002.

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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

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West Oakland’s 18th Street is one of the city’s most dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, with wide lanes, hidden stop signs, and virtually nonexistent crosswalks in a residential area. It's one of many Oakland roads that has not been fixed for decades.

Now, improvements are finally coming to 18th Street. The Oaklandside’s Jose Fermoso joins us to talk about what changes are on the horizon, and how upgrading roads can pave the way for broader changes in the city.

Links:

• 18th St. is one of Oakland’s most dangerous. Here’s how the city is fixing it

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