The Bay

In early October, residents in San José’s District 3 learned that their city councilmember, Omar Torres, was being investigated for child sexual misconduct. After weeks of public pressure — and new sexual assault allegations stemming from when he was a young man — Torres resigned. He has since been arrested and charged with three felonies. KQED’s Joseph Geha explains what happened, and how all of this has affected local residents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland has voted overwhelmingly to recall Mayor Sheng Thao, now the first sitting mayor to be recalled in city history. The Oaklandside’s Eli Wolfe explains how the recall campaign won, and the uncertain future ahead. Links: Who is running for Oakland mayor after Sheng Thao's recall? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California leaders are gearing up for another 4 years of fighting back against President Donald Trump’s administration. Attorney General Rob Bonta sits down with KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast to talk about how his office is preparing — and what might be different this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Lurie, the nonprofit founder and Levi Strauss heir who ran one of the most expensive races for mayor in modern city history, will succeed London Breed as the next mayor of San Francisco. Lurie ran as the only major candidate without experience in city hall — and that outsider message resonated with voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris, most Bay Area voters have reacted with a mix of shock, sadness, and disappointment. Meanwhile, California's leaders have vowed to fight back during Trump’s second term. Today, we hear from voters, community advocates, and elected officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last day to vote in the 2024 election has come and gone. We know some California results, like Adam Schiff winning the race for U.S. Senate and Proposition 36 passing. But many votes still need to be counted. Today, we hear from voters, and then take you inside the KQED newsroom on Tuesday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of people locked up in California jails are eligible to vote, but by Tuesday, most won’t. CalMatters politics reporter Sameea Kamal explains why it's hard to vote from the inside of county jails. Links: KQED voter guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Santa Clara County is about to elect its first ever Vietnamese American to the Board of Supervisors. In District 2, which includes downtown San Jose and the east side, Madison Nguyen and Betty Duong are vying for a seat that is open for the first time in over a decade. Whoever wins will play a major role in overseeing how the county spends money on issues like health care, housing, and human services. Links: Prop Fest KQED’s Voter Guide Apply to be our intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, we check in on how we're feeling before the election and get a status update on the San Francisco mayoral race. Then, we dive into the ongoing hotel worker strike in San Francisco and discuss why the oil industry is getting involved in a local election in a city with no refineries. Links: KQED Voter Guide Prop Fest 2024 Oil Industry Spends Thousands on Local Bay Area Election in City With No Refineries New Polls in San Francisco Mayor’s Race Show Peskin and Lurie Surging SF Hotel Worker Strike Enters 6th Week, No Deal in Sight Apply to be our intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black churches in the Bay Area are taking the lead on retrofitting their buildings with clean energy to become ‘resilience hubs’ in the event of a major storm or climate-related event. It’s part of a national movement called Green The Church, an organization merging the Black faith community and environmental justice. Links: Apply to be The Bay's next intern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Keller Fire, which ignited last Friday in the Oakland Hills, has been contained after burning 15 acres. It temporarily displaced more than 500 residents and damaged two homes. 33 years ago — almost to the day — a much larger and more catastrophic fire burned through the Oakland Hills, killing 25 people and destroying thousands of buildings. It’s a stark reminder of what can happen when wildfires spread in an urban area. This episode originally aired on Oct. 20, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new superintendent is taking the helm of the embattled San Francisco Unified School District as it faces a December deadline to close a $113 million budget deficit. That’s after a series of crises, including a botched process around school closures, led to the resignation of Superintendent Matt Wayne over the weekend. Links: Apply to be The Bay's next intern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Sonoma County, no ballot measure has gotten more attention than Measure J. Put on the ballot by animal rights groups, Measure J would ban “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” in the county. It would be the first law of its kind in the nation. Supporters say this ban on so-called factory farms is an issue of animal welfare and environmental protection, while opponents see it as an existential threat to the farming economy. Links: Apply to be our intern! KQED voter guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Night markets have exploded in popularity over the past few years in the Bay Area. Many local downtowns and shopping districts have invested in night markets as a way to regain the foot traffic of the pre-pandemic years. In this episode, we go to the Story Road Night Market in San Jose’s Little Saigon neighborhood to eat some delicious food and talk about whether night markets are here to stay. Links: Bay Area Night Markets Fall Guide Apply to be our intern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters in Alameda County and the city of Oakland could recall District Attorney Pamela Price and Mayor Sheng Thao in November. Price and Thao are progressives who some residents blame for issues like crime, homelessness, and drug use. Opponents say the recalls are undemocratic and unfairly target two women of color who took office less than 2 years ago. Links: Apply to be our intern! Vote for us in the Signal Awards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Online campaigning has changed dramatically since the early days of dial-up modems. In a new miniseries from KQED called Close All Tabs, internet culture journalist Morgan Sung takes us on a trip down digital memory lane to understand how internet culture is influencing this year’s election. Links: Listen to Close All Tabs on KQED's Political Breakdown feed, every Saturday until the election. Apply to be our intern! Vote for us in the Signal Awards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep East Oakland used to be a thriving community with movie theaters and bowling alleys. But the crack cocaine epidemic and decades of disinvestment hit the community hard. Now, a $100 million philanthropic investment is coming to this part of Oakland, and people from the community will decide how to use it. Reporter Olivia Cruz Mayeda joins us to talk about ‘Deep Down,’ a new series on KQED Arts and Culture that explores the hopes and dreams of Deep East Oakland residents as they look towards this new investment. Links: Vote for us in the Signal Awards Apply to be our next intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Bay Area cities like Oakland and San Francisco use a system known as ranked choice voting in the November election. Ranked choice voting is also used in Alaska and Maine and dozens of other American cities. Today, KQED Political Breakdown host Scott Shafer speaks with Lisa Bryant, professor of political science at California State University, Fresno, about how ranked choice voting works. Links: Vote for us in the Signal Awards Apply to be our next intern Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year ago, Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in an attack on Israel and took at least 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and displaced millions. This conflict has sparked huge reactions all over the world, especially here in California. Today, we hear from four local residents about how it has affected them over the past year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 years ago, Californians passed Prop. 47, which reclassified certain petty theft and drug possession crimes as misdemeanors instead of felonies. At the time, it was part of an effort to reduce prison overcrowding and promote alternatives to incarceration. Supporters of Prop. 36 say that it's time to roll back parts of that ballot measure in order to address drug crimes and retail theft. Opponents fear that it will take money away from rehabilitation services and revive the War on Drugs. Prop Fest is a collaboration from Bay Curious and The Bay podcasts, where we break down each of the 10 statewide propositions that will be on your November 2024 ballot. Check out KQED’s Voter Guide for more information on state and local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices