Bay Curious

All around the edges of San Francisco Bay you'll find reminders of a once robust military presence in this area. The Presidio, Alameda Naval Air Station, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Fort Baker and a slew of others—all of them closed. The Bay was once considered a strategic military stronghold, the 'Gateway to the Pacific,' but at some point that changed. This week, in the first installment of a two part story, Pauline Bartolone digs into the history of why the Bay Area's military presence has mostly disappeared. Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Pauline Bartolone. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Paul Lancour, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

If you can brave the cold and get over your worries about sharks, is it a good idea to swim in the bay's somewhat murky depths? This week, reporter Dana Cronin dives into this question about whether it's safe to swim in the bay and when it might not be such a good idea. Additional Reading: Is it Safe to Swim in the Bay? Braving the Cold (and Sometimes Dirty) Water Read a transcript of the episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Dana Cronin. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Do you ever finish a big plate of lo mein and suddenly think, 'Boy, I could really go for a Boston cream'? If you're in the Bay Area, you're in luck! There are plenty of spots here where you can get both, and a burger to go. Bay Curious listener Jaimie Cohen wants to know: "Why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, donuts and burgers all in one location?" Reporter Asal Ehsanipour found that it's a uniquely Californian combination with an unexpected history. Additional Reading: Why Donuts + Chinese Food = A Very Californian Combination Read a transcript of this episode 'The Donut King' Reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almedia Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

About 25 years ago, Fernet-Branca went from a somewhat eclectic drink, shared among the city's old school bartenders, to one of the most iconic spirits in San Francisco. Its polarizing taste profile has been compared to Vicks NyQuil and VapoRub on one end of the spectrum, to a delightful Christmas Tree or Chinese herbs on the other end. How did this divisive Italian spirit work its way into the hearts of San Franciscans? Bay Curious producer Amanda Font bellies up to the bar to find out. Additional Reading: Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almedia Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Our lives are full of sounds. The rumble of car engines, a particular birdsong, the 'ding' of phone alerts, even the voices of our friends and family — these everyday noises become so regular we don't even consider that you might hear them one day and then never hear them again. This week, KQED's Rachael Myrow takes back in time to track down some of the lost sounds of San Francisco. Additional Reading: Read a transcription of this episode here Sign up for our Newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Check out our kid-friendly playlist of Bay Curious favorites Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://donate.kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almeida Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Most people believe that Monterey Jack Cheese originated in ... Monterey. And while the name 'Monterey Jack' establishes a clear claim, this week we're asking: Where is this silky cheese really from? You might be surprised. This episode originally aired on the podcast in 2022. Additional Reading: Move Over Monterey? Pacifica Lays Claim to Iconic Jack Cheese Read the transcript of this episode here Check out our kid-friendly playlist of Bay Curious favorites Buy the Bay Curious Book here! Sign up for our Newsletter Enter out Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almedia Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

The Wave Organ is an environmental sculpture that goes below the surface of the bay to create a unique sonic experience for visitors. Listener Robbie Rock has been visiting The Wave Organ since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and came to Bay Curious looking to learn who built it, why and how. Reporter Ana De Almeida Amaral takes us on the sonic journey that ensues when the moon, tides, human creativity and San Francisco history collide. Additional Reading: San Francisco’s Wave Organ Brings Sounds of the Bay to Life Episode Transcript A Kid-Friendly Spotify Playlist of Bay Curious Favorites Bay Curious Book Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Ana De Almeida Amaral. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almedia Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

When people think of the Black Panthers, most imagine militant Black men in berets carrying guns. While that's not an inaccurate picture, the Black Panthers did much more than just fight back against racist policing. They created a whole host of community programs. This week, we bring you an excerpt from the Mindshift podcast about one of them — an elementary school in Oakland that made a big impact on education. Additional Reading: 5 Ways the Black Panthers Shaped U.S. Schools Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Nimah Gobir. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

These days, Glen Canyon Park is a tranquil urban park with hiking trails, soccer fields and a playground, which makes it all that more difficult to imagine that it was once home to the first dynamite factory in the United States. Today we’ll join reporter Gabriela Glueck to learn how dynamite made its way to San Francisco and why it was such a transformative product in this state. Plus, we'll explore the stories of Chinese laborers who often had the most dangerous jobs of all in the high explosives industry. Additional Reading: The Explosive History Hidden in Glen Canyon Park Read a transcript of this episode Listen to our kid-friendly playlist on Spotify Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported and produced by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almedia Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

We're presenting an episode of Close All Tabs, a new miniseries from KQED that explores the intersection of internet culture and politics. In this episode, host Morgan Sung examines the rise of “stan culture” in politics, where passionate supporters rally around political figures with the same fervor typically reserved for pop stars. Read the transcript here. Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at podcasts@KQED.org

California has over 33 million acres of forest land, about a third of the state's total area, as well as other wild land areas. For decades we've done everything possible to suppress fires, but they just keep getting bigger and more destructive. And that's partly because of all our suppression efforts. KQED Science reporter Danielle Venton explains how different ecosystems are evolved to burn sometimes, much more often than they have of late. Additional Reading: Read a transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Danielle Venton. This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Annie Fruit, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

Burying the dead in San Francisco has long been banned, but at the Presidio pet cemetery hundreds of dogs, cats, fish, iguanas, and turtles have been laid to rest. This week, Bay Curious Intern Ana De Almeida Amaral takes us to the Presidio to learn about the history of the pet cemetery and to ask "Can I bury my pet here?" Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Web version: The Presidio Pet Cemetery: A Resting Place for Furry Friends Join us for KQED Fest 2024! Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Ana De Almeida Amaral. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

One of San Francisco's purported “ghosts,” has a remarkable real-life story often left out of San Francisco's history books. Today we bring back an episode that first aired in 2018, about the remarkable, yet complicated life of Mary Ellen Pleasant. Additional Reading: Read the transcript for this episode Ghost of a Legend: How a San Francisco Civil Rights Icon Was Made a Monster Register for KQED Fest Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts Reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almeida Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support on this episode from Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Thanks also to Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.

In 2014, Californians passed Prop 47, a criminal justice reform measure aimed at sending fewer low-level offenders for drug and theft crimes to prison. Now, Californians are being asked if they want to roll back some of those reforms, and increase the penalties. KQED Politics Correspondent and co-host of Political Breakdown Marisa Lagos takes us through the history, data and arguments of this prop. This is the final episode in our 10-part Prop Fest series, examining the propositions on California's 2024 ballot. We'll be back to regular programming next week. Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Check out the KQED Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Marisa Lagos. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

As our Prop Fest series continues, KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg joins us to explain Prop. 35, which aims to improve Medi-Cal access by making an existing tax on health insurance companies permanent and restricting the allocation of funds to certain Medi-Cal providers. Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Check out the KQED Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Lesley McClurg. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

Today, we take a closer look at Prop 34, which takes aim at how revenues earned through a federal drug pricing program are spent by a very specific number of providers. On the surface it seems like a healthcare prop, but underneath it all is a proxy war over rent control. Reporter Aaron Schrank, who has been covering Prop 34 for NPR member station KCRW in Los Angeles, helps us understand what’s at stake. Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Our episode on Prop 33 and Rent Control Check out the KQED Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Aaron Schrank. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

As you know, California is already an expensive state to live in. When you add up rent, gas, and groceries, things get expensive real fast. Proposition 32 proposes one way to help Californians keep up with the rising cost of everyday life: By raising the state’s minimum wage to $18 an hour. But some worry, doing this will only make things even more expensive for everyone. KQED's Labor Correspondent Farida Jhabvala Romero takes us through it all. 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. Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Check out the KQED Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Farida Jhabvala Romero. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

As Prop Fest continues we tackle Proposition 4, which asks voters to approve $10 billion in bonds to fund conservation and climate change related programs, including water, fire prevention and the protection of communities and lands. The Bay's Ericka Cruz Guevarra talks with KQED climate reporter Ezra David Romero about what this prop means for you, the voter. Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Check out KQED's Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Ezra David Romero. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

In the second installment of our Prop Fest series we'll dig into Prop 3, which would enshrine the right to marriage for all couples into California's constitution. While same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since 2013, there is a so-called 'zombie law' on the books limiting the definition of marriage to only being between a man and a woman. Scott Shafer, co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown podcast, joins us to explain Prop 3 and the long back-and-forth history of marriage rights in California. Additional Reading: Read a transcript of this episode Check out the KQED Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Scott Shafer. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.

It looks sort of like a gigantic table...or a huge metal space dog...or maybe even an Imperial Walker from Star Wars. Whatever you imagine the Hunters Point Gantry Crane looks like, it certainly stands out—this massive structure on the edge of the bay on San Francisco's south side can be seen from three counties. But what is it doing there? This week, reporter Ezra David Romero investigates its origins and how it relates to actions by the U.S. Navy decades ago still haunt San Franciscans today. Additional Reading: The Hunters Point Crane’s Legacy Is Both Majestic and Troubling Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Ezra David Romero. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.